STARGATE MISSIONS - EPISODE TITLE: PANOPTICON

Planet Designation: P71-598

The Verus (“The True”) - Near Human race
No ability modifiers
+4 species bonus to Spot and Sense Motive
Perfect eyesight that does not degenerate with age
Must make Will save DC 10 + 1 for every hour spent awake in order to sleep. May take 10 but cannot be interrupted. May not take 20. Failure, the character stays awake an hour later. Characters kept from sleep become fatigued. After 2 days without sleep, the character becomes exhausted.

     Every member of the Verus is implanted with a nanocyte camera at birth that attaches itself to the optic nerve and uses the eye as a lense. The camera has a lifetime of storage for footage and can be accessed by a remote device. Footage can be re-wound and replayed for all to see. There is no sound but there are many experts at reading lips. This culture blinks far less than normal humans and they find closing their eyes difficult. It is said the nanocytes cause this.

     The nanocytes can be implanted after infancy but the body is more likely to reject the object and surround it with tissue until it becomes a brain tumor that first impairs sight, then other brain functions, resulting in death. The target must make a Fort DC +1 for every year of life after the first or a tumor will begin to develop.

     The Verus are communistic, with all goods distributed evenly and all members dressing alike in white robes. Every village has a ruling council that rotates membership every four years. Every village votes for a member to be sent to the Central Council.

     The cornerstone of the Verus' society is Truth, for who would lie when anyone might see? Therefore their society is entirely self-regulated. Members rotate surveillance duty, where they randomly access member’s cameras within the village radius. All suspect activities are reported immediately. At birth, all members are DNA tested to prove their parentage; if one parent does not match they are told and the other parent suffers Censure.

     Truth is the yardstick of the law and the punishment of most crimes is Censure, which is full exposure to public scrutiny. Criminals are watched nonstop and are not allowed to be unmonitored. They are often given pets that have their own nanocytes.

     The few who rebel against this constant surveillance meet outside the village, in enclosed spaces with no animals present. They conduct all dealings with their eyes completely covered and closed.

     The stargate here is called the “eye of Maat,” being the gateway to their goddess in heaven. The gate is heavily monitored and used in religious rituals. Prisoners condemned to death are executed by the gate’s funnel when the Verus dial the address of their goddess. This punishment is rare, as is all crime – proof, they say, that the Truth is all that’s needed.

     The Verus have been forbidden to read or write, or to develop their technology beyond what their goddess approves. Her priests are granted intars for defense of the village. (ammo 200, only does subdual damage, if knocked unconscious by damage, instead is paralyzed until they would normally wake up, as Baretta 9mm). Their society is largely agrarian, and the only complex technology they have is goa’uld in origin.

     The goa’uld Maat uses this planet as the private reserve for her special birds called the Oculi. These sacred creatures can bear nanocytes and are naturally very intelligent. They also have the ability to hide very well, even in flight. She often takes people of the Verus as attendants, and some have been made jaffa.

Maat: Egyptian goddess of justice and truth. Daughter of Ra. Personification of original and celestial reason, she determined divine harmony, justice, law and order. Great mother who led departed souls to Osiris for judgment, standing by while the weighing of the heart took place and sharing in the decision. Her emblems are five rays and the feather which, in judgment scenes, appears on the scales balanced against the heart. Her name is the root of magistrate, major, mare, mayor and cognate with moot." -- Dictionary of Mythology, Folklore, and Symbols

The Oculi
Tiny Animal
Hit Die: 1d8 Initiative: +3 Speed: 10 ft., fly 50 ft. (good) AC: 18 (+2 size, +3 Dex, +3 natural armor), touch 15, flat 15 DR: 3 Attacks: Claw +6 melee (1d3-5) Face/Reach: 2 ½ by 2 ½ / 0
Special attacks: Gaze of Truth: the DC depends on the closeness of the oculi when it chooses to use this ability. Within 5 feet, the Fort DC is 18. After 10 feet, -3 to the DC for every 5 foot increment. Its eyes turn white and if the target fails the save, they are blinded. If the oculi is within 5 feet the blindness is permanent, but if they are farther off it lasts for 1d4 days. Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft Saves: F/R/W: 2/5/2
Ability Scores: 1/17/11/10/14/10 Skills: Spot +10, Hide +10 (natural camouflage) Feats: Weapon Finesse (claws) CR: 1

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