The Goa'uld Empire

The **Goa'uld Empire** (**GE**), sometimes referred to by its shortened name **Goa'uld**, is a [Confederation?] in the Avalon SABd 2-Armed Spiral Dwarf Galaxy, Steam Islands Galactic Cluster. It is comprised of ### (#) [STATES], encompassing a grand total of ### (#) Planets.

[Paragraph about Borders]

The Goa'uld Empire is a DEVELOPMENT nation in the *Faster-Than-Light* Tech-Level category. [Ranking, if Applicable] NAME's economy is considered TYPE, [Extra info here].

[Influence, if any]

[Optional, a paragraph about what it's remarkable for if you wish]

## **History**

### **Earliest History**

The Goa'uld first arose in the waters of planet classified as P3X-888, originally as predators, the Prim'ta. Eventually, they began taking the native Unas as hosts, becoming more adaptive. They eventually learned how to operate the Stargate on P3X-888 and left, taking Unas slave armies with them.

### **Early Recorded History**

Under the leadership of Atok, the Goa'uld developed the first of their society as conquerors, taking all Ancient technology they could find and adapting it to their purposes. Atok was killed by his son Apep, and he reordered the leadership of the Goa'uld. Apep shared power among his underlings, Ra, Nut, and Thoth.

However, several centuries later, another Goa'uld began to rise in power: Anubis. Apep's powers began to decline in this time, and Anubis gained more power. Anubis then killed Apep in a huge battle near their home planet. However, Ra managed to rally the others in Apep's name. After four centuries of civil war, Anubis was defeated and exiled. Ra organized a new leadership called the High Council of the System Lords. Ra installed himself as the Supreme System Lord of the Goa'uld Empire, and took the Goa'uld Queen Hathor as a mate.

### **The Reign of Ra**

Legions ago, Ra discovered a healthy world with a primate race: Humans. Ra took a young native as a host. Revitalized, Ra began allowing the other System Lords access to the Tau'ri. Some were used as worshipers and slaves in Naquadah mines, others were taken to Dakara, and turned into slave-soldier called the Jaffa, to serve as warriors. A rebellion ended Goa'uld dominion on Earth, but Humans had already been seeded throughout the Goa'uld Empire, so Ra felt no need to reconquer the planet.

Soon, however, Egeria began to have doubts about the future of the Goa'uld, and their cruel, destructive ways. Siring a legion of prim'ta, she in turn named them the Tok'ra, the "resistance against Ra". The Supreme System Lord discovered Egeria's treachery, dispatched a force, and captured her, removing her from her host and placing her in a Stasis jar on Pangar.

### **The Reign of Apophis**

After the death of Ra, the System Lords warred among themselves to replace him. Eventually, Yu-huang, Heru'ur, and Ba'al came out stronger than before, but the dominant System Lord was Apophis.

In time, Apophis got stronger, while Okulin, Heru'ur and Ba'al were weakened by the constant fighting with him. Other System Lords laid low, waiting to see how things play out before they pick who will they side with. Heru'ur suffered the most, losing his System Lord status and escaping to a distant planet where he remains to this day, rebuilding his forces. The other two, Okulin and Ba'al were so weakened they had to surrender to Apophis. Soon Apophis united all Goa'uld under his rule, like Ra.

### **The Return of Anubis**

Several centuries ago, when Apophis started demanding huge amounts of Naquadah to rebuild his army after the latest attacks of the Tok'ra, System Lords started rebelling against him.

Centuries of fighting among System Lords in which some of the most powerful System Lords died resulted in a weakened Goa'uld race. Just when the battles became less frequent, Anubis returned once again in a different, more advanced form, after centuries of gathering energy to make revenge on the System Lords.

Apophis managed to unite most of the System Lords against Anubis, but some of them joined the other side instead. In one of the biggest battles, Apophis's Mothership was destroyed. He managed to escape and, heavily injured, hid on one of the planets, while others assumed that he is dead.

The remaining Goa'uld System Lords were in panic, until Yu assumed position as a leading System Lord against Anubis. At this time, a few underlords switched sides and joined Anubis. Anubises forces continued to advance, but instead of using the moment to push forward, he offered a deal. He wanted to be admitted as a member of the High Council of the System Lords, in exchange of making peace.

Most of the System Lords voted in favor, while Yu and Zeus who were the only ones old enough to remember Anubis's "unspeakable crimes", opposed it. After the session of the High Council, the two left immediately after the vote, preparing for a war with Anubis who now had all remaining System Lords behind his back.

As a new race named the Ori entered the Goa'uld Home Galaxy by using the Chappa'ko (Supergate) that suddenly appeared near the edge of the Galaxy, Anubis sent a fleet to intercept and destroy them. But instead, hi forces were decimated and forced to retreat. This gave Yu and Zeus more time to prepare, as eventually Anubis forces managed to have a couple of victories against the new foe, although with heavy losses. Zeus attempted to contact the Ori during the year they beware present, but when he did they refused any cooperation against the forces against Anubis. Until they retreated from the Goa'uld Home Galaxy, Zeus and Yu had more than enough time to build up.

### **The Return of Apophis**

The Goa'uld civil war lasted for a few years, thanks to the fact that both Zeus and Yu had a lot of Systems under their control. When the war with Anubis, his allies and the combined forces of Yu and Zeus was nearing it's end, Zeus was preparing to start the final offensive on Anubis's forces. He expected to die, so he sent his wife, son and two daughters to an unknown planet escorted by a small fleet. A symbolic supporting force was sent to Zeus by System Lord Yu, who was also preparing the final defense of his home System.

Before Zeus left, Apophis came to his home planet Olympus by using a Stargate. He fully recovered, and was carrying one of the long forgotten "Eyes of the Goa'uld". The "Eyes" are the most powerful crystals once used by Ra, who were lost after his death. Apophis managed to find one of them.

In exchange for the crystal, Zeus promised Apophis a seat in the High Council and all his territories back.
Zeus used the Eye to power his Mothership, which allowed him to use it to it's full potential. With this crystal, Zeus could destroy an entire fleet of Goa'uld Ha'tak ships with his Mothership alone. Apophis joined Zeus on his Mothership as a guest, in order to watch the final destruction of Anubis.

### **Anubis's Defeat**

The battle was about the start, as the two opposing fleets were preparing to rush forward at each other and open fire. Suddenly, Zeus's Mothership thrusted forward, leaving the rest of his fleet on their positions. Anubis saw that as a surrender, and ordered a few of his Ha'taks to encircle the Mothership of Zeus. Once his Mothership stopped, Zeus opened contact with Anubis. Expecting a surrender, Anubis was surprised when Zeus offered to spare *him*, if *he* surrendered. As a demonstration of power, Zeus ordered an attack on Ha'taks around his Mothership. With the Eye of Goa'uld, his ship had enough power to engage several Ha'taks at the same time with the power needed to penetrate their energy shields and destroy them. His second attack destroyed all of the vessels that remained around him.

Stunned by this turn of events, Anubis ordered the start of the attack. As his Ha'taks thrusted forward, Zeus fired on Anubis's Mothership with full power, penetrating his advanced energy shields and destroying his ship in a matter of a few seconds. At that moment, Ha'taks in Anubis's fleet stopped firing. All System Lords who were in Anubis's army were stunned by the unexpected turn of events. Zeus opened communications with all present System Lords and Anubis's underlords. With Apophis standing next to him, he offered them peace if they surrender. Most of them did, while Hathor, a former wife of Ra and underlord of Anubis, decided to leave with her Ha'taks and a few more underlords who did not want to surrender.

Nobody noticed a black mass flying in space among the parts of Anubis's destroyed Mothership. Anubis used technology to advance to the next plane of existence, but as he was not nearly evolved enough, he got trapped somewhere in between. He didn't need a physical body to survive, but he couldn't use most of the benefits of the energy form either. Slowly flying away from the ships, Anubis was heading to the edge of the Galaxy, where he will start rebuilding his army again.

### **Strengthening of the High Council of the System Lords**

As a result of this truce, The High Council of the System Lords was given a much bigger role, and Apophis was given all his previously owned territories and a title of a System Lord, as Zeus promised him. All System Lords were granted autonomy, and the long-forgotten Goa'uld moral law which was always enforced by Zeus was brought back into force. The main goal of the new-old law was to stop the fighting among System Lords, and abolish the position of a Supreme System Lord, making all System Lords equal in the eyes of the law. Only System Lords with seats in the High Council were considered System Lords, while all others were considered either underlords of Minor System Lords who served under a System Lord.

### **The Return of the Ori**

Less than a decade after the High Council of the System Lords was reformed, a few more Supergates appeared around the Goa'uld Home Galaxy. Soon, many Ori Warships went through them and started establishing foothold in the nerby habitable systems. Most members of the High Council announced that they are preparing for war, while Zeus, Yu-huang and Apophis were avocating to open communication with them instead.

Despite being a clear minority in the Council, thanks to Zeus's unofficial power and influence the decision of the High Council was to not make any rash decisions. After contacting the Ori and a year of talks, a decision was made: Ori were to stop colonizing planets in the Goa'uld Galaxy and withdraw, while both Goa'uld and Ori would get a planet in each other's Galaxies to act as consulates.

This move was considered one of the great victories of Zeus, which only strengthened his unofficial leading role in the Council. The underlords of Anubis that refused to surrender when the Mothership of Anubis was destroyed suddenly wanted to negotiate. Soon they decided to stop opposing the High Council and integrate in the Ra's system which was modified by Zeus. The Goa'uld race was once again united.

Centuries later, Zeus withdrew from the status of a System Lord, giving the status of his delegate to his wife Isis. This was a major blow to everyone in the Council, despite the fact Zeus was often hinting that he wants to take a break by including his wife into management of his domain and the meetings of the High Council for more than a century. Isis took Zeus's position in the Council as the first Queen Goa'uld to get a rank that high.

### **The Return of Anubis**

Sensing that the time is right, Anubis's new forces emerged from the neglected edge of the Goa'uld Galaxy. Aware that he is far too weak to attack the High Council, he took a different approach. Using the fact of fractures within the Council, he emerged as a unifying force. Many System Lords remembered his leadership, so they were vary of Anubis taking Zeus's place in the High Council.

Anubis attempted just that: while playing on the card of divisions in the Council, he managed to prevent the unified front against him.

While there is still no open war against Anubis, he is currently trying to deepen the divisions within the Council and rapidly spreading his domain.

## **Demographics**

### **Government/Social Structure**

#### **The High Council**

The **High Council of the System Lords** rules over the Empire, and is the top in the social structure of the Goa'uld race. They hold the supreme executive, legislative and judicial power, but leave a lot of freedom to System Lords to rule their sectors of the Galaxy as they see fit.

Not all System Lords are in the Council, only the ones with the most power, territory or prestige.

#### **System Lords**

**System Lords** are supreme rulers of planets in their sectors of the Galaxy. They have much freedom to rule, but answer to the High Council which has the power to give and take the planets from them. The only requirement for them to rule freely is that they enforce the traditional Goa'uld moral law and obey the decisions of the Council.

The System Lords are at the same time supreme Lords of the fleets and the army they raise on their planets, unless the Council decides otherwise.

#### **Minor Lords / Commanders**

**Minor System Lords and Military Commanders** are lower System Lords with same or similar powers, or commanders in the fleets of System Lords.

Minor System Lords are formally equal to other System Lords, but they are much weaker. Usually they manage a single planet and very few spaceships, which is why they are identical to military commanders.
The Commanders usually manage individual planets of the System Lords and command groups of spaceships of the System Lords. They answer directly to a System Lord who they serve.

#### **The People**

**Workers and Soldiers** are of the same rank in the Goa'uld society. All males are obligated to pass basic military training, which lasts at least one decade, so in times of war every male worker becomes a soldier.

### **The High Council of the System Lords**

The Goa'uld Empire is lead by the **High Council of the System Lords**. Members of the council are almost exclusively military commanders, called *System Lords*, who rule over parts of the solar systems of the Goa'uld Empire. They are practically unlimited in their rule and answer only to the High Council if they brake the unwritten traditional moral law or a deal with other System Lords. The meetings of the High Council are mostly closed to all but the members and third parties which are granted separate permission to attend a specific meeting, authorized by the System Lord to participate in their behalf or if they are members of the delegation of one of the System Lords. Sharing confidential information with individuals or organisations which is not authorized by the High Council is punishable by death. This however doesn't apply to System Lords or those under their protection, unless some other System Lord is willing to risk a war.

The High Council consists of the most powerful System Lords with the biggest territory.

There are many System Lords without a permanent seat in the High Council, and they can attend and take part in the open meetings of the Council which are fairly rare. They are usually referred to as *Minor System Lords*, in contrast to the title of a System Lord, hinting that they must obey the commands of a System Lord in charge of their sector of the Galaxy. There are some "free" Minor System Lords who have a larger territory and more power than most of them, and they are granted much more autonomy by the decision of the High Council. If they enhance their territory, power or influence(or combine two or all three of those), they are usually accepted as a full member of the High Council and granted the title of a System Lord after some time. However, this has not happened for several thousands of years.

The System Lords are free to claim and colonize unclaimed Solar Systems. Any civilizations and races found in the colonized system become subjects to the System Lord. There is practically nothing stopping a System Lord from eradicating life forms outside the territory of the Empire, or even in their own Solar Systems, unless they are races with whom the High Council has previously made agreements with. As most of those agreements also accept the race as a worthy counterpart to all System Lords, other members of the High Council can team up with the attacked race against the Goa'uld System Lords who attacked them. Individual System Lords are also free to ally with any other race but usually don't aid them against other System Lords. This is used by some System Lords to hinder their adversaries without risking open war with them.

The legitimacy of the rule of each System Lord over their Solar Systems derive from the acceptance of the High Council, but a System Lord doesn't have to be in the High Council to be recognized. A System Lord can lose legitimacy in the eyes of the majority of members for any reason, but all efforts are directed to preventing a popularization of the Council and a Galaxy-wide war among the System Lords. This is not very effective, and it looks like it's just a matter of time until this system is broken.

The High Council of the System Lords is the supreme body of the Goa'uld Empire, and their decisions are final. System Lords can however oppose their decisions, usually without any consequences as practically no System Lord is willing to go to war over things that don't directly affect them.

This system was created by the efforts of Zeus, the most powerful System Lord at that time and Apophis after the second defeat of Anubis. As the influence of power of other System Lords grew, they no longer felt the need for the High Council. Zeus no longer had the means to force them to do anything they didn't want to, so the High Council became just a formality.

Right now the High Council is the only institution where all System Lords can meet to prevent another devastating Galaxy-wide war, but it is nothing more than a forum. As Zeus passed his title to his wife Isis, and with the attempt of Anubis to enter the High Council and many more problems, it is reasonable to suspect that the council will once again become divided. If the division is not balanced, it is expected to end in another war.