This species lives, works and breeds in the damp, cool caves of Kuras III. The Aganof must live in these caves, since only these locations provide enough moisture for them to survive (they absorb moisture through all of their appendages). They feed on vegetation, insects and a large variety of small herbivores. Aganof reproduce in their cool, dark caves of their world - they have both male and female characteristics and lay fertilized eggs.

The Aganof have only the senses of taste, smell and touch (touch is their primary sense). They communicate by creating vibrations with the shelled claw. The vibrations are modulated with a special organ within the claw called the "sender." The sender codes the vibrations into a sort of language that the other Aganof can understand.

Nearby Aganof can detect the vibrations and decipher their meaning (actual distance depends on many factors, including soil composition and competing vibrations). Like speech, this communication can be perceived by all who are within the reception distance.

Aganof language is icon-based: recipients get pictures in their minds instead of words. Thus, if an Aganof wanted to ask if a character was an "alien" who came from outer space, the character would get a picture of himself, falling from a cave in the ceiling to the ground (Aganof cannot conceive of the sky), plus the feeling that the pictures were interrogative.

The Aganof are an intelligent species, with a society and a culture. All the Aganof born in the same cave are essentially a tribal unit. The eldest Aganof if the adviser of the cave-fellows, and thus his opinion is given move weight than any others in the cave-unit. The Aganof tribes peacefully co-exist with one another, with inter-tribal meetings quite common (their purpose being to share stories, trade knowledge and exchange tribe members for mating purposes). The Aganof have stories, songs and even a form of art involving the arranging of the dead and decomposing bodies of their departed fellows.

A favorite Aganof pastime is having philosophical debates and intellectual arguments. Among the issues debates are what lies above "the ground" (since their limited senses cannot detect very much about the world around them; the concept of space is completely alien to them).

Aganof are tranquil, calm and friendly. Their society is a peaceful one, and there is not even a word in their vocabulary for "war." They understand defense against predators, but not organized aggression and murder of other intelligent creatures. Conflict among members of their own species is almost unknown.

The Aganof have no idea there is a galactic civil war going on, and would have a very difficult time understanding the issues at stake. Both the concepts of outer space and warfare would have to be explained to them. Even if the Empire came to their world and enslaved them, they would have a difficult time distinguishing between the Empire and those who would fight it, possibly meaning that the Aganof would learn to fear and even attack all humans and aliens from beyond their world.…