The Reol are an inherently peaceful, deeply reclusive and pacifist humanoid alien species
native to the Milky Way, a species encountered only once by SG-1 while on planet P7S-441.
This first contact occurred when a member of the Reol named Kaiael, previously a prisoner
of the Jaffa, took refuge among the ranks of SG-1 by adopting the identity of the team's
fifth member, Lt. Tyler. This is possible because the Reol possess a truly unique natural
defence mechanism, one capable of inserting into the mind's of other living beings a set
of false memories they personally confabulate.
Although in time it would become clear that Kaiael wasn't in fact from planet P7S-441,
still the location of the Reol homeworld remains unknown.
There, he found himself stranded and on the run after crashing on the planet while a prisoner of the Jaffa. Kaiael explained:
"I was a prisoner of the Jaffa. They were taking me to be dissected and studied.
I managed to break free of my cell and damage the guidance system of the transport ship. We crashed on this planet. That's when you found me."
It was at this point when Kaiael adopted the identity of SG-1's fifth member, Lt. Tyler.
As part of the Reol's natural defence mechanism, once triggered they secrete a highly potent chemical compound produced in their bodies.
This unknown chemical compound, moreover, has the uncanny ability to implant into one's mind
a set of entirely false, although seemingly vague memories.
It can also, and with great detail, generate a disguise for their person.
Kaiael disguised himself as Lt. Tyler, as he wasn't sure at first if he could indeed trust Col. O'Neill
As aforementioned, the precise location-- in relation to Earth --of the Reol homeworld is not known
But according to Kaiael, the Reol have, for generations now, been met with nothing but fear and mistrust,
presumably as a consequence of their exceptional talent for deception.
Other races have always looked upon their species with some degree of suspicion.
Except for the Goa'uld.
They saw only a powerful ability they must acquire, to understand--
to control, with no regard for life. In fact, it was the Goa'uld's singular yet genocidal
desire to understand the unknown chemical that forced the Reol to ultimately abandon their native homeworld.
As the Reol do not embrace technology yet embrace a form of extreme pacifism,
they lack both the means and the will to ever effectively resist Goa'uld aggression.
"We have never been good fighters," Kaiael explained. "Our ability to disguise ourselves is our only advantage.
Now, the Goa'uld are trying to learn our secrets. We are being hunted to extinction."
To the Reol, finding a new and indeed obscure planet on which to start a fresh colony was critical to their survival
In that pursuit, therefore, eventually they decided on a fringe world, an unknown planet somewhere hiding,
presumably, among the most isolated parts of the galaxy.
Now, in appearance the Reol are somewhat taller than an average human, with a rather lanky
almost wrinkled figure, dermis grey in colouration with highly skeletal facial features,
eyes black, deep in their sockets, hair as thick strands dangling behind like organic dreadlocks.
Their upper body and abdomen are also skeletal in appearance, with a pair of branch-like
structures whose function or purpose is not known, connecting the rear of their upper
arms to the side of their upper torso, just underneath their armpits. Though it is not
clear whether these structures constitute aspects of their skeletal anatomy, or whether
they serve as a kind of fluid-filled artery, as aspects possibly relating to their unique
defence mechanism, perhaps providing the chemical to be secreted via unseen glands.
The Reol appear also to possess an advanced healing factor, able to regenerate tissue
from physical injury at a rate far beyond that of humans. Kaiael, in fact, remarked
on his species' capacity for rapid tissue regeneration after having sustained on his
leg a severe laceration while pinned down by a section of angry Jaffa, in an effort
to convince Jack of his true identity, noting that in mere hours his wound had almost fully
healed, a wound which-- if sustained by a human --would likely require weeks to fully
recover. Being a race with such a lanky and skeletal physique, one cannot help but wonder
as to the durability of the Reol species. This could, perhaps, help explain their exceptional
healing factor, in that by having fragile bodies it may have placed on their ancestors
a selection pressure that'd favour traits like advanced regeneration, which would then,
in turn, be naturally selected for-- at least, in theory.
Of the humanoid alien species encountered by SG-1, the Reol seem to stand apart in that
their civilizational ideology-- that of deep pacifism and isolationism --renders them among
the most reclusive, the most hermetic cultures known to inhabit the Milky Way. Given how
they are a species so circumspect in nature, it's actually rather incredible that SG-1
and the Reol happened to cross paths. It seems that it's just another-- on the long list
of wildly improbable events to follow SG-1.
Then when all was done, with the Jaffa defeated, a liberated Kaiael unsurprisingly wanted only
to return to his people, to their new and isolated colony, to be left alone in peace.
"After I return," he said, "we will bury the Gate and no one will ever hear of us again."
"You know," O'Neill thought, "before your people go and bury your Gate or anything like that,
you should know that not everyone you meet is going to try and hunt you down. We could be allies you know."
"It is not my decision to make," Kaiael replied, with a smile on his face.
"But I will tell the others what happened here. It might just convince them we don't have to hide forever."
So what did you guys think about the ultra reclusive Reol? It's too bad we never heard
from them again. I would've loved to learn more about them. But let me know what you
think down below in the comments section, and don't forget to subscribe for more Stargate related content.
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