Editing Quest:Bloodhound Quest (section)

== Mutants and Clades ==

In general, there are two categories of Alternately Gened Humans.  Mutants and Clades.

Mutants are by far the majority.  They are the people whose bodies have been altered in the most random, unstable and unsightly ways.  Mutations of this nature are typically degenerative, often taken the form of Dwarfism, malformed or misshapen limbs, neurofibromatosis, down syndrome, cleft lips, rampant cancers and the like.  Some fortunate Mutants may possess advantageous mutations such as redundant limbs, organs or strange and Psionic or other weird abilities, but this is a minority.  The vast majority of Mutants are simply hideously deformed.  Out of the two categories, Mutants have it the worst.  Their appearance makes it easy for Norms to single them out and the often grotesque nature of their appearance makes them easy targets for ridicule or violence.  The fact that many are too deformed or mentally deficient to properly defend themselves doesn't help either.

Clades on the other hand appear to be humans with some degree of animal DNA.  Clades are a minority in the Mutant Community, accounting for only about 20% of the total Mutant Population.  Unlike Mutants, whose genomes are unstable and subject to random changes, Clades possess a stable genetic structure which appears to be inheritable.  Most common varieties of Clades include Felinoids, Canids and Icthyomorphs. However, the distinction between "Mutants" and "Clades" appears to be one created solely by Popular Culture.


The division between Mutants and Clades is an artifact of popular culture.  The line between the two is rather blurry, and many researchers reject the labels entirely, preferring instead to use the appelation of "Disgenically Gened Individuals" when referring to Mutants.