Prophets
The Prophets, also known as "wormhole aliens" (mainly by Starfleet personnel) are non-corporeal extra-dimensional entities that reside in the only stable wormhole known to exist, in the Bajor system. The Prophets' origins remain unknown, however they have identified themselves as being "of Bajor", and have proven to possess exceptional abilities with a vulnerability to chroniton radiation.
In their natural state the Prophets appear as blue translucent energy capable of rapid movement throughout any environment. When communicating with visitors in their own domain, the Prophets are able to take the appearance of someone familiar to them by probing their conscience. However, in normal space the Prophets can only physically communicate with outsiders by possessing a body and use it as a vessel. The host is conscious of what is happening but has no control over its actions.
The Prophets have no sense of linear time so it is likely they live outside of the normal space-time continuum, however their existence as been recorded on Bajor for at least 30,000 years.
Origins & History
Bajoran history has documented the discovery of 9 orbs found in orbit of Bajor over the last 10,000 years, however it has been suggested from recent archaeological finds that the Bajorans received their first orb at least 30,000 years ago. The orbs appear to resemble hourglass energy fields and may produce intense metaphorical hallucinations to those that come in contact with them, it is thought that the hallucinations are indirect communications from the Prophets. However, the orbs only react to a limited number of individuals and it continues to be a mystery to what conditions must be met for a vision to be experienced and in some cases lapsed visions have been known as a side-effect (in some instances even months later). The ancient Bajorans who found the orbs named them based upon the kind of vision they induced and many early encounters with them were recorded and over time became the basis of many ancient Bajoran prophesies and ultimately was responsible for the founding of the Bajoran faith as it is known today based upon the worship of the Prophets as their gods.
The number of Prophets that reside in the wormhole has never been discovered, however on several occasions the Prophets have exiled residents for committing acts described as evil. These exiled Prophets became known as Pah-wraiths, with Kosst Amojan being the most prominent. Unlike the Prophets, these exiles appear as red translucent energy and are often described to resemble flames from a fire. The Prophets created a prison for them on Bajor in an ancient cavern known to the Bajorans as the Fire Caves. The Pah-wraiths also communicated to the ancient Bajorans through the orbs as an ancient text was written describing how to release them but was hidden over the centuries and later protected in modern times by the authorities. Around 30,000 years ago, for reasons unknown, a Prophet and Pah-wraith were trapped inside a stone tablet under what was to became the city of B'hala.
The Emissary
In 2331, a Prophet traveled to Earth and possessed the body of a Human named Sarah. As Sarah, the Prophet married a native of Earth and conceived a child. Shortly after giving birth, Sarah inexplicably abandoned her family and later died. It is thought that the Prophet visited Earth with the sole intention of ensuring the birth of Ben Sisko and it left the body of Sarah leaving her with a family that was not hers, so she left without explanation. It was no coincidence then that first contact by the Federation was made by Starfleet officer Ben Sisko inside the wormhole in 2369. The Bajoran people celebrated the event and named Ben Sisko as the emissary of the Prophets to Bajor. He took up position commanding a joint Bajoran/Federation space-station at the mouth of the wormhole, named Deep Space 9.
Ben Sisko initially was reluctant to accept such a prominent religious position in Bajoran society but this changed in 2372 when the Prophets sent a 22nd century Bajoran, Akorem Laan, 200 years into his future where he was accepted by many Bajorans as being the true emissary as he discovered the wormhole first. Akorem encouraged draconian reforms on Bajor which Captain Sisko believed would affect its membership application to the Federation. After experiencing a lapsed vision, Captain Sisko realized the significant influence the emissary has on Bajoran society so he challenged Akorem and took him to the wormhole to ask the Prophets who was the true emissary. The Prophets said Sisko was of Bajor and returned Akorem to his own time. The Prophets' intention was to make Sisko accept his position as their emissary.
Celestial Conflict
In 2373, a Pah-wraith escaped the Fire Caves by possessing a member of an expedition team, Keiko O'Brien, who traveled to Deep Space 9 and attempted to kill the Prophets before re-entering the wormhole. The Pah-wraith failed and was killed when exposed to chroniton radiation.
Late in 2373, Benjamin Sisko experienced a series of lapsed visions that led him to discover the ancient lost city of B'hala on Bajor. This was an incredible archaeological find which was described by an ancient prophesy eliminating any doubts from Bajoran hardliners that Sisko was the emissary. The visions continued and he was urged to halt Bajor's admission into the Federation, which they did so without question. It was later realized that if Bajor had entered the Federation at that time then it would have been on the front line when the Dominion invaded the Federation the following year.
Sometime after the discovery of B'hala, archaeologists discovered the ancient tablet that had laid dormant for 30,000 years. While examining it, Sisko experienced another vision and later was urged to smash the tablet releasing the imprisoned Prophet and Pah-wraith. The Pah-wraith was identified as Kosst Amojan and possessed the body of Benjamin Sisko's son, Jake Sisko on Deep Space 9. The Prophet took the body of a Bajoran officer, Kira Nerys, and the two commenced what was prophesied as The Reckoning. A power struggle ensued with Kosst Amojan attempting to kill the Prophets and return to the wormhole. Winn Adami, the Kai of Bajor, did not have faith that the Prophets could win so exposed the aliens to chroniton radiation forcing them to abandon the bodies they possessed. The Prophet returned to the wormhole and the whereabouts of Kosst Amojan went unknown.
Revelation & Conclusion
Upon becoming obsessed with killing Sisko and destroying Bajor, Gul Dukat (the former leader of the Occupation) studied ancient Bajoran prophesies to uncover a way to carry out this objective. He began to worship the Pah-wraiths and led a cult that believed them to be the true Prophets of the wormhole. He was able to release a Pah-wraith trapped inside an ancient Bajoran artifact which was appropriated by the Cardassians during the Occupation. The freed Pah-wraith used Dukat's body as a vessel and traveled to Deep Space 9 where it was exposed to an orb. Using the orb, the Pah-wraith was able to enter the wormhole and seal it, turning all known orbs in the Bajoran's possession dark and inactive. A major struggle erupted inside the wormhole between the two powers for its control. Believing he had failed the Prophets and the Bajoran people, Sisko returned to Earth to re-evaluate his future. Some months later while still there, he experienced a series of visions urging him to travel to the planet of Tyree. In an attempt to confuse him, the Pah-wraiths also sent him misleading visions. However he was successful in discovering the tenth orb which once opened had the power to expel and destroy the Pah-wraiths returning the wormhole to the Prophets' control. The Sarah Prophet appeared to Sisko and explained how he was conceived and why he was of Bajor. She said that he was conceived to fulfil many tasks which no one else could do.
In mid 2375, the Prophets warned Sisko in a vision not to marry Kasidy Yates as it would be a short-lived marriage. They did not reveal it at the time, but he would soon enter the Celestial Temple to join them; when he defied them and found Kasidy was pregant a few weeks later, she feared the warning meant their child would die.
By the end of that year, Dukat was able to manipulate Winn with the aid of visions sent to her by the Pah-wraiths. With her help they studied the ancient text, known as the Book of the Kosst Amojan, that was under the Vedek Assemblies protection which gave them instructions on how to release all of the imprisoned Pah-wraiths from the Fire Caves. Captain Sisko completed the plans set out for him by the Prophets by defeating Gul Dukat and the Kai by destroying them and the ancient text. All the Pah-wraiths remained imprisoned in the Fire Caves while Sisko was taken into the wormhole to reside with his own people as a Prophet. However, he promised his wife and son that he would return one day.