sentients
SHAG-TOTH

PHYSIOLOGY
Bald humanoid with an odd smooth, ovular organ in the center of the forehead (a third eye used to sense souls?). While the standard nitro/oxy atmosphere is not their native atmosphere, they are able to breathe it. Soul Hunters are believed to be immortal.

PSI ABILITY
Soul Hunters have a very specific form of psi ability; an amalgum of precognition and the ability to see spirits leaving the freshly deceased.

PSYCHOLOGY
Most have grown used to the aversion other species have for them. Some have been recorded as going insane when they have been thwarted too many times in their mission of preserving souls.

CULTURE
It is their belief that the soul ends when the body dies. Thus, Soul Hunters believe it is their duty to preserve the worthy souls of the galaxy. By doing so, they feel they are preserving life for the greater good. They are interested in "certain classes of Minbari." They believe that a soul is not supernatural, but the pure state of an individual. It is the essence of the person prior to death - the thoughts, personality, and feelings. Saved souls are preserved in crystalline spheres (Soul Cages). Once preserved in this manner, the Soul Hunter can converse with and learn from the soul.

HISTORY
Many alien races know about the Soul Hunters; most of which afraid of them and the rest refuse to co-operate with them. Minbari a brought up to fear the Shag-toth (the Minbari term for "Soul Hunter"). In the views of the Minbari, the Shagh-toth's preservation of souls is a true death, for it cuts off the spirit from the whole and diminishes the next generation. humans seem to be the least knowledgeable of this race. It is known with surety that Earth has been visited at least once by a Soul Hunter. That visit became the basis of a few myths (vampirism?).

In 2242 C.E., after an accident with a human exploration vessel, the leader of the Minbari lay dying. He was the pinnacle of Minbari evolution. It was the mission of a certain Soul Hunter to collect this great soul. The Minbari, fearing Dukhat's removal from the whole of their society, made a "wall of bodies" surrounding the dying Dukhat, to defend him against the Soul Hunter. His soul went uncollected. This was the latest, and worst, failure of his mission to collest the greatest souls. His order shamed, he became obsessed with losing more souls. Declaring he discovered a solution to his problem, he left his order. The order was horrified to learn he had turned to killing people to collect their souls. They immediately set out to destroy him. After a brief space battle which left his ship badly damaged, the renegade Soul Hunter jumped into hyperspace. The order eventually caught up with him on the Human station Babylon 5. The renegade was stopped by Commander Sinclair from the premature capture of Minbari ambassador Delenn's soul. As a result, Soul Hunters were forever barred from entering Babylon 5 and the renegade's soul collection was released by Delenn.

GOVERNMENT
Unknown. The two soul hunters to board Babylon 5 said they come from a certain Order. Perhaps there are different Orders for each race with worthy souls.

TECHNOLOGY
Organic; Soul Hunter technology has advanced to the state where a being's soul can be taken from its physical shell and stored.