Ori

The Ori (pronounced or-ai) are a race that appeares in the Stargate SG1 television series. They are a race of ascended beings who used their knowledge and power as justification to demand the worship of mortal beings. A member and leader of the Ori was Adria who ultimatley became the last of their kind.

Depiction
Due to the origins of their ancestry the Ori believe they are the creators of human life. They are aware of the Ancients and shun them, saying they abandoned the "path", and believe in the opposite philosophy. They claim that not sharing the secrets of the universe to those on the lower planes of existence is an evil act and those who practice it must be eliminated.

The Ori conceived the Origin faith, one that puts them in the center of creation, and wrote down their word in the Book of Origin to be administered to followers through Priors, missionaries and teachers of Origin. The Ori use the Doci, the chief Prior, as their "mouthpiece" for communicating with lesser beings. They are able to possess his body to spread their demands and will. When this happens, they can be identified with fiery eyes.

The Ancients who where pre-human beings who ascended were always more powerful than the Ori, but due to the greater numbers of worshipers the gap was getting smaller. More and more Ancients, including Morgan Le Fay were becoming worried. Dr. Daniel Jackson suspected that it is because of this difference in strength that the Ancients have been able to prevent the Ori from gaining the knowledge that the Milky Way galaxy is populated, and possibly the Pegasus galaxy as well. The Ancients will not intercede in the free will of lower species, nor will they prevent unbelievers from converting to follow the Ori. If unbelievers don't convert, the Ori will destroy large numbers of the unbelievers.

Technology
Ori technology ranges from the biological to the mechanical, and most, if not all, of their technology is created and used for the purpose of gathering worshipers in order to increase their own power. Any discovered technology created prior to their ascension is destroyed with no exceptions, lest their human worshipers doubt their validity as gods.