Premise

The Setting

The Tau'ri Project is an AU Panfandom game that takes place in the Stargate universe. It is set now and incorporates all the events of Stargate: SG-1 and Stargate: Atlantis as part of its background and history. Consequently this means that major characters from Stargate: SG-1 play the role of NPCs in this game.

The Tau'ri Project takes place on planet P4X-698, otherwise known as Earth's new Alpha Site. Established in January 2011, this Alpha Site has been expanded from a simple military base to being able to sustain a civilian population. A small city has sprouted on this planet and continues to grow as the population on the planet grows.

On June of 2012, the Stargate program was revealed to every citizen on Earth. For the first time, every person on the planet knew that the galaxy was filled with other life, that travel was possible through the cosmos, and that there was human populations scattered among the stars. More significantly, they discovered their governments had been secretly exploring the galaxy for over fifteen years and engaged in several battles that nearly spelled doom for the planet. It was turbulent time as many people were outraged, while many more were optimistic about the worlds that existed beyond Earth.

In December of 2012, a new program called the Tau'ri Project was announced. The International Oversight Advisory (IOA) arranged to have the Alpha Site, a military base, transformed into what became known as the Human Populations of the Milky Way Galaxy Exchange Site, though most simply refer to it only as the Exchange Site. Not only would this planet be a home for citizens of Earth to live on another world, but they would do so with the peoples from other worlds who chose to live at the Exchange Site as traders, merchants, and farmers. The Exchange Site was considered the pinnacle of Earth's ongoing efforts in the galaxy as a chance for all the human populations of the galaxy to interact and trade freely among one another.

Residents of the Exchange Site come from all walks of life. Presently there remains a large military presence from Stargate Command. Beyond soldiers, the city is populated by people of all kinds of professions, whether they be scientists or craftsmen or custodians. Unlike previous expeditions, the Exchange Site does not always call on the best of the best to participate, because it's important for everyone on Earth to have a chance to see what life is like. For this reason, there are a multitude of special interest programs for selecting who arrives. Some are based on people's interests, skills, and achievements. Others are based simply on a lottery system. Of course, many simply have the money and influence to buy their way to the Exchange Site instead.

The Exchange Site is located on a lush green world that was once part of the Goa'uld Empire. There are secrets on the world that have yet to be discovered, but the greatest secrets lie beyond the Stargate. The residents of the Exchange Site are not stuck on this one planet. There are a multitude of planets to visit, some already explored and some that have never even heard of Earth. The galaxy is a huge place and Earth has only begun to scratch the surface of what lies beyond.

The Stargate Mythos

If you're not a fan of Stargate, a lot of this may not make sense to you. Does that mean you can't play here? Not at all. This RP is designed to cater to both long term fans of the series and to people who have never even heard of it. While it's undeniable that Stargate fans will have something of an advantage, the following section will detail everything about the Stargate universe that will be relevant to this game.

The Stargate

A Stargate is a stony metal ring that is 6.7 meters in diameter and weighs nearly 30 tons. Covered in Ancient writing, this device is an amazing feat of engineering developed by the race of Ancients thousands of years ago. By using a dialing device, these Stargates can connect to any active Stargate in the galaxy. When they do, a blue 'puddle' (known as the Event Horizon) appears within the ring and establishes a one-way wormhole to the desired Stargate. Effectively this allows instantaneous travel to any point within the galaxy, making it the most effective means of travel in the galaxy.

The Stargates come with certain limitations. They cannot remain open longer than 38 minutes, otherwise the connection will no longer sustain itself and will collapse. Travel is one way, so the only way to return is to use the dialing device on the other planet. Due to how old these gates are, these "Dial Home Devices" (DHDs) may not always be present or they may be damaged, which makes exploration to other planets a tricky business. Furthermore they also require an enormous amount of energy. But the greatest peril is that if someone knows your 'address', they can use the Gate to come to your planet at any time. For this reason, Earth planets make use of a special 'iris' to limit who can pass through the gate. This metal gate closes around the event horizon and prevents travelers from re-materializing on the other side.

The Exchange Site uses this same system and relies on encoded radios to authorize who is and isn't allowed to cross over. While it effectively protects the base from intruders, it also means that anyone foolish enough to pass through without clearance will be killed in the transfer.

Important Organizations

Stargate Command

The top secret location for all Stargate travel for over ten years. Located in Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado Springs, this base still remains operational despite many of its functions having been transferred to the Exchange Site. While Stargate Teams now operate from the Exchange Site, many of the United State's military functions operate from Stargate Command. Presently it is commanded by General Jack O'Neill. Notably Stargate Command is primarily run by the United States Air Force, though it has become increasingly under the influence of other military branches, both from the United States and from other foreign governments.

International Oversight Advisory

The IOA is an Earth organization as a joint effort by major Earth governments to oversee the activities of Stargate Command and all other expeditions. Because the Stargate program is now funded by the budgets of many different government budgets, this gives the IOA considerable clout in the direction and policy of Stargate operations. Although this group was once a more greedy and xenophobic group, the full disclosure of the Stargate program has meant that the IOA is now under much more scrutiny by the citizens of Earth. Consequently the IOA is a much more compromising group and tends to be fairly popular among civilians, though the military still finds them to be a pain.

The IOA is responsible for diplomatic relationships with other worlds. Consequently any exploration team will have someone who takes their orders from the IOA to best represent their interests. The current head representative of the IOA at the Exchange Site is Dr. Daniel Jackson.

The Ancients

Known to many as the "Gate Builders", this group of people are the precursors of humanity. Effectively they are humans who evolved millions of years ago and explored much of the universe. When the Ancients moved on from the universe to a higher plane of existence by Ascension, they seeded Earth so that humanity would begin again, with the result being humanity as we know it now. The Ancients are now effectively no longer a part of the affairs of the galaxy, though many of the Ascended will watch what goes on without the galaxy. Because of their godlike powers, they have a strict code of non-interference and are quick to punish any of their own that step out of line.

The Goa'uld Empire

The Goa'uld are a parasitic race of aliens who use humans as hosts. These parasites augment their host superhuman strength and eternal youth. With these abilities and their own considerable intelligence, the Goa'uld managed to rule the Milky Way galaxy for millenia by posing as gods to the humans they used as slaves. It is thanks to the Goa'uld that humans now populate many of the other worlds within the galaxy, as they would regularly find planets with Stargates and transport a group of human slaves there to establish a new world to rule over. Ambitious, greedy, and vain; they were constantly in conflict with one another and always plotting to gain power over the galaxy. These System Lords used their private army of Jaffa, a race of augmented humans, to wage their wars against one another.

Earth's entrance resulted in a steady conflict with the Empire. Thanks to constant conflict, the Empire began to fall apart as powerful System Lords were killed and replaced, Earth grew in power and technology, and their loyal Jaffa armies began to revolt. With the emergence of other more powerful foes like the Replicators and the Ori, the Goa'uld Empire was eventually crushed in its entirety. Although there are still Goa'uld in the galaxy, they have long since lost their influence and the few that remain are left to play god on one planet, rather than many.

The Trust

The greatest Goa'uld force is now, ironically, located on Earth. Although originally established on Earth to sabotage it from the inside, the Trust has changed tactics to gain influence and power on Earth. Consequently the Goa'uld have managed to replace many world leaders, business executives, and other influential people by taking them as their hosts. Although ongoing efforts continue to weed them out, the Trust continues to gain strength on Earth. They maintain operatives at the Exchange Site to keep up to date on galactic affairs.

The Free Jaffa Nation

After the collapse of the Goa'uld Empire, the Jaffa established their own republic of allied planets. Because they now command most of the former Goa'uld fleet and their technology, they are easily among the most powerful forces in the galaxy. Prideful and suspicious of others, they maintain a tense alliance with Earth. They rarely interact with the Exchange Site, except as traders. Since they do not consider themselves humans, they have little interest in the Tau'ri Project.

The Lucian Alliance

In the wake of the Goa'uld collapse, the human slaves were left without any sense of government or leadership. While many made well on their own, most were absorbed into a dangerous coalition of criminals known as the Lucian Alliance. They now rule over many human worlds with a brutal hand, filling the vacuum left by the collapse of the Empire. Because they command much of the former Goa'uld fleet, they are now Earth's most significant enemy in the Milky Way galaxy. They see the Tau'ri Project as a direct threat to their dominance over their territory and are determined to disrupt it in any way possible. For this reason they have planted many operatives within the city and are eager to make any allies they can to further their agenda.

Canon Details

Stargate Universe

Stargate Universe was canceled after two seasons, leaving the series without a conclusion to the fate of the crew. This presents a difficult situation in allowing these characters to be part of this RP. For that reason, our take on the series is that the events of the series do not happen. While these characters still do exist and they were trying to reach Destiny, they never succeeded in doing so. When the Lucian Alliance destroyed their base, they all fled through the Stargate to the Alpha Site. Anyone who chooses to play these characters are invited to expand on whatever it is they have done in the four years since.

Stargate Atlantis

Based partially on the premise of the Stargate Atlantis Legacy books, this RP presumes that Atlantis was eventually returned to the Pegasus Galaxy where they continue to combat the Wraith. Consequently the events of the Pegasus Galaxy will have little impact on the Exchange Site. However, players are welcome to play Stargate Atlantis characters provided their expanded history justifies why they would be at the Exchange Site instead of Atlantis.