Squids

Referred to collectively as "Squids", the Squids are a race of sapient cephalopods with limited terrestrial capability. They operate under a caste system, with different "morphs" filling different roles. Whether these morphs are all part of the same species, or different species all cooperating in a greater society, is currently unknown. The most commonly seen morph is that which is referred to as Terroteuthis sapiens, the first seen morph, which is a warrior caste that has evolved certain adaptations for terrestrial traversal, with four of its eight tentacles being adapted for powerful locomotion, a hard shell exterior to defend against the environment, and external gills which superficially resemble those of axolotls.

Squids have evolved an advanced civilization as a result of their mastery over genetic manipulation and organic technology. The Squids use innumerable species of purpose-bred lifeforms for everything from producing light and energy to crafting structures and tools.

The Squids are a race of highly intelligent cephalopods that have begun to make the jump to land. They are amphibious, being born in reef biomes, living solely underwater in adolescence, and then becoming able to move onto land in adulthood. They have relatively hardy exteriors, that they bolster by using carefully bred and crafted shells. They have deep sea geothermal vent cities, where they base most of their activities. They have land operations, to an extent. Their land operations are mainly conducted through the use of "Conch" exosuits, bio-mechanical suits powered by purpose-bred electrically conductive microorganisms. The Conch suits are armored with conch shell-derived armor plating, and use four legs based off terrestrial fauna. The four main arms are controlled by the manipulation and sensory arms of the pilot. The four legs are controlled by the pilots locomotion arms. The conch suits are built mainly from bred coral polymer, coral/ferrite bioskeleton, armored with specialized conch shell plating, and powered by purpose-bred electrially conductive microorganisms.

Squid biology is extremely specialized and almost alien. The squids have a natural form of extremely effective adaptive camouflage, able to not only change their color and pattern, but also disrupt their silhouette to an extent. They are extremely intelligent, able to manipulate tools, solve problems, and not to mention their breeding and harvest of much of the ocean domain. Their siphons have convergently evolved into extremely specialized Axolotl-esque gills, allowing them to breathe both water and air. Squid communication is still relatively rudimentary, with communication being conducted through the bioluminescence and chromatophores present on their mantle. They are able to vocalize to an extent, but bioluminescence and chromatophores remain the primary methods, as their vocal organs are underdeveloped. The Squids have three hearts, and blue blood. The Squids have a hyper-developed mandible system that has evolved drastically from their beaks, to form a new mouth and digestive system that can process and digest foods of a wide variety. The Squids have retained their incredible eyesight, and can see and recognize colors on a far wider spectrum than humans. While their arms have evolved to fit specialized roles, they still all retain varied degrees of neurological independence, with the sensory arms having an astounding density of neurons.

## Castes

The Squids, being extremely proficient with selective breeding and genetic engineering, have different castes, bred and engineered to conform to certain roles. The warrior caste, the only caste ever seen on the shore, is only one of many morphs of Squid. Limited reports suggest that Squids can molt into different morphs as required, although this takes a considerable amount of energy.

### Drone/Worker (Operamorph)

Heavily muscled, and slightly larger than warriors, but far less aggressive. Used as gatherers, laborers, and builders. They live almost entirely underwater, only able to sustain themselves on land for a very short period of time, as they have no means to breath air. Much less sturdy than warriors, they have no hard shell.

### Warrior (Terramorph)

Strong, fast, and smart. Warriors are generally lesser in number, but very imposing and not to be trifled with. Warriors, thanks to their external gills which superficially resemble those of axolotls, are able to breathe air for a sustained period of time, allowing them to reap the bounties of the land. Warriors, despite being generally uncommon in the whole of squid society, are the most common caste seen by terrestrial species.

### Praetorian

Purpose-bred squids engineered to be the ultimate warrior. Aside from the Emperor, they are by far the largest and most deadly of all squids. They are unable to go on land, being too large and heavy to support their own weight out of water. They do however have thick, reinforced shell armor, and heavily muscled tentacles with powerful hooks and claws. They are armed with the strongest weapons and armor in the squid arsenal.

### Imperator

Imperators are closely derived from Praetorians, acting as field commanders and leaders when the need arises. Imperators are very rare, but extremely dangerous.

### Palatine

Large imperial guards, these morphs are seen only inside the geothermal hive cities. They are larger than Workers and Warriors, but smaller than Praetorians. Unlike the Praetorians, they are not built for pure combat, but they remain imposing nonetheless. The Palatines are more armored than Warriors, but where they differ completely is in their intelligence. Palatines are incredibly intelligent, moreso than most other Squids, more than capable of carrying out complex tactical operations. Palatines can be extremely dangerous if encountered. Visually, Palatines look like a cross between an Emperor and a Praetorian, having the alienlike translucent bioluminescent body reminiscent of the Emperor, but outfitted with hard armor shells similar to Praetorians. Palatine shells, while thick and sturdy, are often more ornate and flowing, with some Palatines having abalone-esque shells to denote their high status.

### Hivelord/Emperor

Emperors, sometimes also referred to as Hivelords, are the core of Squid society. They have no hard shells, being composed of a Lovecraftian mass of ethereal, flowing translucent and bioluminescent tendrils. They act as the brain, the monarch, of the Squid societies. They are exceedingly rare, with only one ever being successfully documented. It is unknown if there is just one for the entire species, or if there are multiple. They are slightly smaller than Palatines, but capable of seemingly impossible tasks, as well as being incredibly intelligent. They spend almost their entire life being symbiotically integrated into the Coralus, a colonial biological network capable of long distance underwater communication through the use of magneto-sensitive microorganisms.

## Cities

The squids live in massive underwater hive cities, built in the deep sea upon geothermal vents and hot sites. Some shallower settlements use redirected geothermal energy. These cities look unlike anything humans have ever built, having interfaces designed to be used by eight-limbed multitaskers, with inner city transportation being designed for softbodied squids in a sort of liquid hyperloop system. The cities look more like mantis shrimp and other deep sea denizens than anything else, impossibly intricate in color, pattern, and architecture.

Like most squid construction, they use purpose-bred life for most things, using electricity-generating microorganisms for their power source (as well as geothermal), and using bioluminescence for all lighting and signaling.

A terrestrial Warrior morph at night, showcasing its bioluminescence.Early exploration of Squid concepts.