Manolakaaran

Manolakaarans, collecively called the Manolakaar, are the species who evolved on the planet now called the Metropol and who founded the Imperium in the year 3619. They are known for their chitinous exoskeletons and broad, flat, "shield-shaped" heads. Under Imperial law since the Second Interregnum, the Manolakaar are required to separate themselves into at least ten different states, known as "sects," which are strictly forbidden from political collusion.