Villagers of Ver Ager
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Summary
The Villagers of Ver Ager lived in a village on a planet controlled by the Ori. The village exists in a galaxy where the Ancients/Alterans lived long before, a great distance from the Milky Way. Their society appears the equivalent to the late Middle Ages / early Renaissance of Europe. The village is a strict theocratic society and where heresy is met with capital punishment. The Villagers were first introduced in the episode 9.02 "Avalon Part 2".
Stargate References
The villagers of Ver Ager lived in a tightly knit community under the strict control of the Ori (9.02 "Avalon Part 2). Their technological development did not appear very advanced, very similar in style to similar the late Middle Ages/early Renaissance of Europe. After the Administrator of Ver Ager became a Prior, he scoffed at the idea of technology being discovered and used by mere mortals. According to their faith, the Ori provided all, and required unquestioned devotion in return.
Daily life in the village appeared very normal on the surface. Trades were made for fruits and vegetables, and people walked about at work or pleasure, running errands. The written, and probably spoken, language was a variation of Ancient. Villagers greeted each other with "above the sun", loosely translated to mean "good morning." Another social ritual was inviting acquaintances to a "sharing of leaves", which involved drinking some sort of beverage after reciting a blessing over it. Matrimony was a societal norm. Harrid and Sallis Cicera were married to each other. The Administrator was also married.
The Administrator of Ver Ager was the leader of this community. Based upon his clothing, it was a position of high respect and/or wealth. He led the community in a common ritual of prostration, a ceremony that took six hours and involved common prayers recited by the villagers like "hallowed are the Ori" and "give us strength" while kneeling in the village center. The Administrator was also the judge of transgressions, condemning heretics to death and leading the village in the ceremony at the Ara, a stone altar in the center of the village.
Although on the surface, the Ori were worshipped devoutly in Ver Ager, a small number of villagers questioned the motives and word of the Ori, though there was no doubt of their power. This group, which included the curators Fannis and Harrid and Sallis Cicera, conducted archeological digs in ancestral burial grounds outside of town, gathering evidence that humans lived at Ver Ager predating their supposed creation by the Ori. Their hope was to one day have enough proof to convince even the most devout believers. In the meantime, the group met in secret to share with trusted others what had been learned. The sect was growing, but there was dispute amongst the members as to why they had not yet been discovered. Some believed the fact that they had not yet been discovered was further proof that the Ori were not all powerful and all knowing. Others wondered if the Ori knew and were just allowing an opportunity for the heretics to repent.
The heretics kept the artifacts hidden in case one or more of the group were discovered. Harrid and Sallis hid stones found in their home, while other artifacts (such as the Ancient communication terminal) were hidden in a basement. Despite the more primitive appearance of their society, people of Ver Ager did not appear to be completely ignorant of scientific knowledge. Harrid had conjectured the stones were a communication device even before the arrival of Daniel and Vala. Despite the hypotheses of the heretical sect, the village as a whole appeared scandalized at the thought of beings from another galaxy being inside the minds of two of their number when Daniel later revealed their identity to the village in a desperate and hopeless attempt to save Vala.
The consciousnesses of Daniel Jackson and Vala Mal Doran, using Ancient Communications Stones with an Ancient Communications Terminal on Earth, were transported into the bodies of Harrid and Sallis Cicera. They observed the Ver Ager society first-hand. Trying to impersonate Harrid and Sallis, they eventually revealed their true identities to Fannis. Fannis accepted Daniel's story about being in Harrid's body and then pursuaded Vala, who was in Sallis' body, to impersonate Sallis at the "sharing of leaves" hosted by the Administrator's wife. Sallis's presence would have been missed, and Fannis feared it would lead to Daniel and Vala's discovery, if not the heretic sect as a whole. Unfortunately, Fannis failed to mention the prayer that Vala should have said at the tea and the Administrator's wife declared her possessed. She was sacrificed at the Ara before being resurrected by a Prior of the Ori.
Daniel and Vala left with the Prior to Celestis, but were returned later as bait to draw out more of the heretical sect (9.03 "Origin). They tried to prevent Fannis from assisting them, but he accepted the danger, assuring them that Harrid, Sallis and he accepted the risks. He hoped by helping them return to their world and warn their people, eventually the truth about the Ori would come back to his people. He led them to the basement where the Ancient Communications Terminal was stored. The device was briefly activated by Harrid's and Sallis's stones before the link was disconnected by the Prior.
Fannis was choked to death by the Prior in the basement. Daniel and Vala, still in Harrid's and Sallis's bodies, were dragged to the Ara and sacrificed under the orders of the Administrator and the Prior. Actions on Earth disconnected the link, freeing Daniel and Vala's minds, but Harrid and Sallis still met their fate, dying in the ceremonial fire.
As reward for his devotion, the Administrator was elevated to become a Prior. The village of Ver Ager is still under the control of the Ori, and nothing is known of the status of what may remain of the heretical sect since the deaths of Fannis and the Ciceras.
Notable Characters
- Administrator - The Administrator is a human who is a religious leader and supervises the worship of the Ori within his village. He acts as judge, jury, and executioner if a person is thought to be "overcome" or a heretic. The Administrator met by Daniel Jackson and Vala Mal Doran in the village of Ver Ager was promoted to become a Prior. This promotion was given to him directly by the Ori and advanced him in his evolution, giving him the powers of the Priors.
- Fannis - Fannis was a curator, part of a group of heretics that were trying to find historical evidence that would counter the claims made by the Ori. Daniel and Vala confided in Fannis when they were connected to Harrid and Sallis. Fannis tried to help the pair, but neglected to warn Vala of all the ceremonies involved in a "sharing of leaves". He fled at her discovery, but later returned to assist them, and hopefully his people. He led Daniel and Vala to the Ver Ager Ancient Communications Terminal, helping them establish a link back to Earth before the Prior shut it down. Fannis was choked to death by unseen powers of the Prior.
- Harrid Cicera - Husband of Sallis, Harrid worked secretly as a curator, finding such artifacts as the Ancient communications stones. Such work was sacrilege and Harrid met in secret with others who shared his beliefs. When Daniel activated the Ancient Communication terminal on Earth, he ended up somehow inside of Harrid, controlling Harrid's body. Vala (inside Sallis's body) was eventually discovered and Daniel witnessed her death. The Prior resurrected Vala/Sallis and brought her and Daniel to Celestis. Later, he returned them to Ver Ager as bait to uncover more of the heretical sect. Fannis led Daniel and Vala to another communications terminal. Harrid and Sallis returned to full control of their bodies for a moment, but the Prior arrived and deactivated the device. Daniel, once again inside Harrid, was dragged back to the Ara to be burnt to death. Though Daniel subsequently was freed of the connection, Harrid, with Sallis, met his death at the ceremonial fire of the Ara.
- Sallis Cicera - Wife of Harrid, Sallis worked secretly as a curator, finding such artifacts as the Ancient communications stones. Such work was sacrilege and Sallis met in secret with others who shared her beliefs. She was acquaintances with the wife of the Administrator. When Vala activated the Ancient Communication terminal on Earth, she ended up somehow inside of Sallis, controlling Sallis's body. Vala tried but failed to successfully impersonate Sallis, and they were burnt to death. The Prior resurrected Vala/Sallis and brought her and Daniel (inside Harrid's body) to Celestis. Later, he returned them to Ver Ager as bait to uncover more of the heretical sect. Fannis led Daniel and Vala to another communications terminal. Harrid and Sallis returned to full control of their bodies for a moment, but the Prior arrived and deactivated the device. Vala, once again inside Sallis, was dragged back to the Ara to be burnt to death again, with no hope of reprieve. Though Vala subsequently was freed of the connection, Sallis, with Harrid, met her death at the ceremonial fire of the Ara.
Alliances
- The heretical sect of villagers allied themselves with Daniel and Vala
Enemies
- The Ori subjugate the villagers to their will.
Episodes
Related Articles
Related Characters
Keywords
- Ancients
- Ancient Communications Stone
- Ancient Communications Device
- Ori
- Priors of the Ori
- Ring Transporter
- Ver Ager
Actors
- Greg Anderson as Administrator
- Claudia Black as Vala Mal Doran
- Mark Houghton as Prior
- Paul Moniz de Sa as Fannis
- Stephen Park as Harrid
- Michael Shanks as Daniel Jackson
- April Amber Telek as Sallis
--Aurora 09:41, 4 January 2006 (PST)