Cephalids

A species of very intelligent octopus which has evolved an underwater civilization. With their eight tentacle arms and large heads and eyes they are very different from humans both in appearance and behavior. They can grow to almost 3 meters in length and they are well adapted to life in the ocean. Like their distant relatives they can change color to camouflage themselves. Their civilization is largely built on steep cliff formations where shallow seas rapidly drop into the dark abyss of the deep oceans. They use tools and communicate through telepathy. To most humans they are completely unknown and even experienced seafarers usually cannot separate them from more common octopus. Cephalids have the same expected lifespan as a human but will die within a few minutes if caught on land.