Gryndulo

Small cephalopodian sophonts, gryndulos are the only truly sedentary marine sophonts on Sphaera. Gryndulos are adept tool-users and architects, constructing extensive and complex habitat structures along and inside the reefs they inhabit. These beings live in groups that range in size from ten to ten thousand, with some of the largest gryndulo cities housing over a hundred thousand individuals.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Gryndulos are, for the most part, typical medium-sized octopi. However, they have a considerably enlarged mantle to house their larger, complex brains.

Genetics and Reproduction

Unlike other octopi, both male and female gryndulos survive the mating process, allowing them to directly pass knowledge onto new generations. Young-rearing in gryndulo society is communal thanks to the fact that offspring per mate pair number in the mid-hundreds to low thousands (even though most don’t survive the first few weeks). All larvae will be raised together by a group of specially selected gryndulo “teachers,” who ensure the safety of the most intelligent larvae and confer the community’s accumulated wisdom and skills upon the survivors.

Ecology and Habitats

Gryndulos are not pelagic by any standard, and make their homes in shallow, rocky reefs, most often in warm waters.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Gryndulo settlements can be found in shallow reefs and rocky sandbars worldwide, though they are far more common in subtropical to tropical waters.

Civilization and Culture

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Gryndulo language is a complex system of communication involving colors, patterns, textures, symbols, and even gestures. No race besides gryndulos is capable of fully understanding gryndulese, let alone accurately replicating it. A simplified version of gryndulese is used when conversing with other species, and skilled gryndulos will often simply display text in the other sophonts’ native languages across their bodies to be easily understood.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Merfolk and gryndulos have an uneasy relationship, as merfolk have been known to prey on the cephalopodian sophonts.

Scientific Name

Octopus sapiens

Origin/Ancestry

Octopus tetricus

Average Weight

9 kilograms

Average Length

1.8 meter legspan

Sapience type

quasi-draconic