A genh is a spiritlike, symbiotic species. While not actually spirits, their body is almost invisible and almost intangible.

They engage in symbiosis with other intelligent species. A genh will attach to a specific person and act as a sort of guardian or patron deity. Genh influence their host with creativity and insight, while also using their magical abilities to the host’s benefit. Genh can make themselves visible only at great expense. Instead, they mostly just interact with their host by magically altering dreams, whispering in their ear, and appearing to the host (which is less difficult than making themselves visible; they can appear to the host by magically altering the host’s sight).

Genh’s magic is mostly targeted, being strongest when focused on an individual. Genh abilities vary dramatically, with some being incredibly powerful, and others capable only of inspiration. Thus, genh have blessed many artists, while some genh have helped a handful of people become incredible warriors.

Genh, since they are mutualistic, are benign. Nonetheless, they have their own personalities. Some are less helpful, more biased, or more domineering than others. They might be sassy, dismissive, encouraging, protective, motherly, fatherly, or any number of other things. Most genh will defer to their host’s judgment as to what is beneficial, but not all, and not for all things.

They have a lifespan of about 50 years and gain intelligence rapidly (aided by how little they need to learn of survival or physicality). If their host dies before the genh, the genh will simply move on to another person, typically someone close to the original host. Genh may establish dynasties, where their descendants will associate with the descendants of their hosts. Some genh appear with incredibly long lives sporadically.

Their appearance varies dramatically, since their real bodies are mostly ethereal; what is seen is a projection. As a cultural matter, they do choose a fixed appearance for dealing with their host and each other. They would not really benefit from shapeshifting, so a shapeshifting genh is rare.

Genh subsist on energies emitted by their host. They are not terribly social, but need a healthy relationship with their host. They need respect from the host for their gifts and appreciate quiet meditation. Genh may appear to people close to their host, and a handful of individuals will form friendships with their host’s friends. Additionally, genh will take an entire family as a host where they all get along.

As for the host’s enemies, genh tend to rely on their host’s perspective. Genh struggle with bias and perspective, to the point that some become self-absorbed (they may view the self as including the host, which can get quite problematic if they come to feel the host is part of them, rather than distinct). The same can be true of genh hosts, who may become quite arrogant thanks to the genh’s blessings. Many genh will abandon such hosts.

Fictional examples would be Ms. Sothis Fire Emblem (at least for part of her life) or the Roman genius.