Racial Profile: The Gen

A hierarchy of being exists in the Soul Saga universe that spans from the simplest sub-atomic particle to the all-encompassing Nexus itself. Originally, no place in this grand continuum was left empty. The rise to dominance of humanity--which occupies the exact center of the cosmic hierarchy--also saw the decline of many lesser and greater races. Of these, the Gen suffered worst of all.

Standing one rung above man on the evolutionary ladder, the Gen closely resemble their human cousins. Physical differences between the two races are subtle. Unlike humans, Gen do not fail with advancing years. They slowly grow nobler (and ideally wiser) with age. Physical and mental defects are almost unknown among them.

The greatest difference between humans and Gen is that, barring disease, misadventure, or murder, a Gen will never die. As one would expect, immortality affects the Gen's outlook on life. They are great lovers of learning but approach new subjects methodically, exhausting a given field over decades or even centuries before tackling the next.

Though the Middle Stratum had no Fall event (physical and moral evil have another source), the Gen could be viewed as an unfallen--or rather, less fallen--version of humanity. They are smarter than men on average, and they more easily subject their appetites and passions to the rule of will.

The two preceding observations help to explain what humans consider an oddity of Gen behavior: their habit of attaining and then abandoning great technological achievements. Indeed, the elder race mastered space flight before men practiced agriculture. Not long after, the Gen returned to the safety of their home spheres and left their wondrous ships to rot.

This pursuit of knowledge for its own sake instead of some practical end likely saved humanity. Had the Gen been less reserved, they might have revived their ancient high technology to drive mankind back to the stone age at the first sign of persecution by humans. Instead they exercised their customary patience, hoping that their juniors would gain spiritual maturity. The result was the Gen's near extermination.