During their rise, they forged great empires, explored the universe and taught the younger races of their time. (Episode: Whatever Happened to Mr Garibaldi?) The First Ones were noted for being billions of years old that were vast and timeless entities that walked the cosmos long ago. Around a million years ago, Lorien claimed that the Shadows once understood his words but over the millennia their understanding became distorted. (Episode: Into the Fire) As such, the other First Ones were considered his metaphorical children or younger siblings. In time, most of these died whilst the others simply passed beyond the Rim into the darkness between galaxies. During their reign, Lorien's race discovered the Shadows and Vorlons when both were infant races where they were guided and nourished in their development alongside the other First Ones. Lorien's people were the only ones that were naturally immortal with those that followed them giving a finite lifespan. Their people were kept in check by their birth rate with a handful ever born and though immortal some did die of illness or injury whilst others simply went away. (Episode: In the Shadow of Z'ha'dum) Among the oldest of their number was Lorien who was the very first of his kind with all being born naturally immortal. The First Ones were a number of ancient and powerful alien races that once inhabited the universe.
