the idea was that these soul catchers were once powerful magical spellcasters who got greedy and tried to over come the dragon keepers of Theior. The dragons took their abilities.(noone knows what im talking about..lol) When the dragons disapeared the spellcasters sought out soul eaters...who deficated a substance that is drinker would temporarily be granted magical abilities. But with a price. The subtance is like an addictive drug...and like a drug the more you body uses it the more it craves it. So in the end the soul catchers would be slaves to the souleaters. (another critter from muh maybe someday book..)