Description:  Kar'Soran are humanoid, possessing two arms and two legs.  They average about 5' in height and about 60kg in weight.  Their lifespan is roughly 60 years with no anti-aging treatments.  Most kar'soran have a shaggy coat of fur over their bodies, although some choose to shave themselves bald, or at least trim the hair.  Their eyes are pitch black orbs, and their skin tones range from dull grey to brown.  The color of skin usually is the same as the hair of the kar'soran.  Typical kar'soran merchants dress flamboyantly, to attract attention to themselves, while labourers dress in plain robes.  Male and females have equal rights in kar'soran society.

History:  The kar'soran progressed through the ages of technological and social development much like humans did, although with far less war.  In early societies on their homeworld, trade became a way of life.  The barter system of economics lasted longer on their world than on Earth, up until the middle of the Information Age in fact (PL5).  During this time, merchants developed economic cartels, becoming far more wealthy than most governments.  By the end of the Information Age, these cartels, which controlled virtually all of the planet's trade, had basically taken over the planet.  Huge manufacturing plants dotted the landscape, and pollution became worse and worse.  Finally, some of the cartels began sending manned voyages into outer space on primitive chemical rockets.  Soras (the name of the homeworld) had two moons, each with a thin breathable atmosphere, and no life.  Realizing that there wouldn't be any need for pollution control here, the cartels moved 70% of their manufacturing plants here.  Soon after, ships began travelling farther and farther out into the Soras system, colonizing it fully.  Being natural builders and economists, each of these planets was put to use for maximum efficiency.

Although one would think that technological break-throughs would be sky-rocketing, this was not the case.  There were two problems.  First, rival cartels spent so much money spying on each other and hiring security against spies that they couldn't afford much in the way of R&D.  Second, there were some things that were more profitable if they were kept undiscovered.  Research of methods of more efficient power use was discouraged, for instance.

Nearly two centuries ago, the warp drive was discovered by one of the cartels, Star Co.  It's product was copywrited, and put forth on the market.  As the other cartels bought the drives up to use on their fleets of vessels, they failed to see the rising power of Star Co gained by the enormous influx of wealth.  All to late they realized this when Star Co began hostile takeovers of nearly every other cartel.  Within thirty years of the warp drive being invented, Star Co owned 57% of all kar'soran companies.  Soon after, Star Co changed its name to the K.M.E. (kar'soran mercantile empire).

Years later, the KME, while exploring other systems, found a primitive race of sentients.  For the first time, the KME saw to expand its markets to other worlds.  New laws were put in place to protect these creatures, and they made first contact.  After a brief time of selling them advanced weapons, among other things, the kar'soran saw the primitives were killing each other off.  They did their best to gather up the weapons, and the KME enforced a "No Armaments" rule of conduct for its trade with other races (its bad for business when the customers kill each other off).

Sixty years later, they encoutered the League.  There is evidence that they have encountered other sentients, but no info is yet availiable.

Psychology and Culture:  Sell high, buy low, and build, build, build!  That about sums up the kar'soran philosophy.  All kar'soran desire to be merchants, with those who can't cut it ending up as workers.  Even though they don't strive to become workers, kar'soran seem to have a natural affinity with construction.  Kar'soran labourers are considerably poorer than the merchants, unless they are very specialized workers (ie ship engineers).  Their society has been described by humans as "Karl Marx's nightmare".

Their society still uses most tech at about a Fusion Age level.  The KME doesn't seem to mind that they as a race are technologically backwards in most areas, and doesn't fund research except when profits drop and they need a few new "wonder dohickeys" to boost sales.

Homeless and unemployed kar'soran are looked upon with pity, and although the KME doesn't go out of its way to help them, they aren't as harsh as the rest of their culture may lead one to suspect.  After all, without the unemployed the KME wouldn't have all those employed workers building low-income housing, homeless shelters, or unemployment offices, all of which open up new jobs.

As for recreation, most kar'soran families have workshops, for the aspiring tinkerers in the groups.  Otherwise, the KME has opened up several pleasure planets, featuring vacation resorts, casinos, and all other forms of entertainment.

Racial Characteristics for Playing a Kar'Soran:
STR 4-13
INT 4-14
WIS 7-14
DEX 4-14
CON 6-13
PER 9-15

Advantages
Kar'soran can tolerate Class 2 cold environments without aid of an e-suit.  The majority of their homeworld fits this class.
Kar'soran get a -1 bonus to checks involving one of the following broad skills, and all specialty skills related to it (to be chosen by the player):  Business, Administration, or Interaction

Disadvantages
Kar'soran start with the Code of Honor flaw, detailing that they cannot do work for anyone of any race without sufficient payment.  Charity, in kar'soran culture, is just as bad as stealing.

Free Broad Skills
Personality-Interaction
Intelligence-Business
Intelligence-Knowledge
Dexterity-Vehicle Operation
Will-Awareness
Will-Street Smart

Kar'soran are most frequently free agent merchants, or tech op workers.  They also make good diplomats.  There aren't any combat spec kar'soran really, as they are generally a non-violent race.  Also, they have never developed mindwalkers (although that may change through contact with humanity).