The Taph-em are a major power in Orion Spur, and the founders of the Federation, one of the "big 3" factions alongside the commonwealth and KSE. They evolved from small arboreal creatures that climbed trees, using their tail to kick off and launch from ground to tree, or between branches, to escape predators.

The Taph-em would be forced into grasslands due to climate change and new predators. Their herds would be easy prey, hunted by all. To survive, they clustered around larger herbivores, removing parasites in exchange for protection. Over time this morphed from serving the larger animals to guiding and eventually owning them, nomadic tribes clustered around large creatures.

They're naturally inclined to befriend or ally with other species and are quite collectivist, but can he very vicious. Due to their small size they had an easier time getting into space, needing a third of the food, air, or space as a human. They can be very nasty despite their adorable faces, with the federation using bioweapons or funding terrorists in other nations to achieve power.