The Kari are an insect-like species native to Karideph. They stand approximately one meter tall, with a black exoskeleton covering much of their body. Kari have two very powerful rear legs which enable them to make the impressive leaps which are their primary mode of locomotion. They also have two front limbs that serve as secondary appendages. Their vision is far from acute, but they have a phenomenal sense of hearing.
Kari society is a great deal like most other galactic cultures, with the same system of leaders and workers, complex hierarchies, and religious structures common to so many other societies. The base group in Karian society is a "Hatch," which is a family of 20 to 30 Kari. Hatches each have unique personalities; they are the individuals of Kari. All members of a Hatch share a single name.
The Kari live in extremely dense populations; Karideph is essentially one huge population center; shot through with millions of warrens, tunnels and caverns. Many of the Kari have never seen the light of day, living and working entirely within the teeming warrens. The Kari have dug some of their tunnels as far as 12 kilometers in depth, nearly breaking through the planet's crust to its mantle.
The surface of Karideph is covered by endless rows of carefully tilled gardens, filled with tightly crowded plants. There is neither wilderness nor any wildlife left anywhere: every meter of land is in some way cultivated.
The Empire has barred the Kari from developing or purchasing space technology, fearing that with their extremely high birth rate, they would eventually overwhelm human space. The Kari bitterly resent this, and have a very strong desire to expand beyond the gravity well of their planet. | 
