THE WORLD IS ALWAYS SPINNIN AND I CAN’T KEEP UP

(Sorry it's in caps, but straight up I'm not writing all of that again.)

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EYES: INKFOLK EYE- AND PUPIL SHAPES DIFFER SOMEWHAT. THE SIZE OF THE PUPIL CHANGES BASED ON NOT ONLY LIGHT LEVEL, BUT AS PART OF COMMUNICATION. DILATED PUPILS SIGNAL ANGER.

CROWN TENTACLES OF OCTOFOLK, SQUIDFOLK AND CUTTLEFOLK.

DIFFERENT INKFOLK HAVE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SUCKERS. SQUIDFOLK, FOR EXAMPLE, HAVE VERY DISTINCTIVE CLAWED RINGS. CUTTLEFOLK ALSO HAVE DENTITION LIKE THIS, BUT IT IS MUCH SMALLER AND FINER.

(Headshots of cuttlefolk and octofolk are labeled Cuttlefolk (Bald) and Octofolk (Bald)).

THE SUCKER RINGS OF SQUID ARE A GOOD WAY TO DISTINGUISH DIFFERENT SPECIES.

DIFFERENT INKFOLK HAVE DIFFERENCES NOT ONLY IN PATTERNS, BUT ALSO SKIN TEXTURE. WHILE SQUID SKIN IS SMOOTH, OCTOFOLK AND CUTTLEFOLK HAVE MUSCULAR PAPILLAE THAT CAN BE SPIKED OUT AT WILL OR FLATTENED. THE SHAPES AND SIZES OF PAPILLAE DIFFER, BUT AS A RESULT THEIR SKIN IS MUCH MORE TEXTURED.

CUTTLEFOLK FACIAL TENTACLES OFTEN HAVE A FLAP OF SKIN CALLED A FRILL. IT IS SIMILAR TO THE FRILLY FINS ON THEIR MANTLE.

OCTOFOLK HAVE NO FACIAL TENTACLES AT ALL. THEIR FACIAL PAPILLAE ARE USUALLY MORE DISTINGUISHED.

INKFOLK HAVE BLUE BLOOD. THIS IS DUE TO THEIR BLOOD HAVING HEMOCYANIN RATHER THAN HEMOGLOBIN.

THE HANDS AND FEET HAVE SUCKERS ON THEM, CALLED "GRASPERS". THESE ARE THE PRIMARY WAY FOR INKFOLK TO TASTE AND DETECT CHEMICAL CUES. SQUID- AND CUTTLEFOLK HAVE FIVE GRASPERS, WHILE OCTOFOLK HAVE FOUR.

INKFOLK SKIN IS NOT WET OR SLIMY. HOWEVER, THE SUCKERS SECRETE A MUCUS LAYER TO BETTER ABSORB CHEMICAL CUES AND SELF-CLEAN.

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INKFOLK, BASIC BIOLOGY

OVERVIEW

EXTERNAL BODY ANATOMY, BASIC BEHAVIORAL SIGNS AND VARIETY

THE TENTACLE CROWN HAS FOUR DECORATIVE LIMBS. THESE HAVE SUCTION CUPS, BUT MUCH FEWER THAN TYPICAL CEPHALOPODS DO.

THE MANTLE HOUSES THE PRIMARY LUNGS. THE SHAPE OF THE MANTLE DIFFERS BETWEEN SPECIES.

FINS ARE PRESENT IN SQUIDFOLK AND CUTTLEFOLK. THE SHAPE VARIES WITH BOTH SPECIES AND GENETICS.

THE MANTLE OPENINGS LET AIR INTO THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM. MAY ALSO BE CALLED SPIRACLES.

FACIAL TENTACLES ARE PRESENT IN SQUIDFOLK AND CUTTLEFOLK. THE STALKS CAN STRETCH TO SEVERAL TIMES THEIR RESTING LENGTH.

INKFOLK HAVE FOUR MUSCULAR LIMBS USED FOR LOCOMOTION. THEY DO NOT HAVE BONES OR SKELETAL STRUCTURES, AND NEITHER DOES THE REST OF THEIR BODY.

THE ORGANS ARE MOSTLY IN THE UNSEGMENTED TORSO, INCLUDING A SECONDARY RESPIRATORY SYSTEM WHICH PROVIDES SUPPORTING OXYGEN AND ENABLES SPEECH.

THE SIPHON EXPELS INK AND WASTE PRODUCTS, BUT IS ALSO THE END OF THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM. IT MUST BE EXPOSED FOR INKFOLK TO BREATHE.

(Skipping grasper text, it was in the previous one.)

INKFOLK ARE ABLE TO CHANGE THE COLOR OF THEIR SKIN AT WILL, BUT THE RANGE OF COLORS AND PATTERNS IS DEPENDENT ON SPECIES. THE MANTLE AND CROWN TENTACLES HAVE THE HIGHEST DENSITY OF COLOR-CHANGING CELLS AND ARE THE DARKEST AND MOST VIBRANT. THE UNDERSIDE OF THE BODY HAS A LOW DENSITY OF THE CELLS, AND IS A MUCH LIGHTER COLOR THAN THE REST OF THE BODY.

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BEAK

INKFOLK ARE CARNIVOROUS. THEY ALSO HAVE VENOM OF VARYING DEGREES OF TOXICITY, AND USE THEIR BEAK TO ADMINISTER IT TO PREY.

ALL INKFOLK HAVE A CHITINOUS BEAK. THIS IS TUCKED BEHIND SKIN MOST OF THE TIME, BUT IS USED TO CUT AND HOLD PREY. A RADULA INSIDE THE BEAK TEARS OFF CHUNKS FOR SWALLOWING.

INKFOLK ARE ABLE TO PULL BACK THE SKIN ON THEIR BEAKS TO EXPOSE IT; THIS IS A KNOWN SIGN OF AGGRESSION AND AKIN TO A SNARL.

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