Okten

Menenene (doo dooooo do do do) — 04/24/2024 7:38 PM I. General Characteristics A. Physical Appearance Size: Okten tend to be smaller than lake Naiad; perhaps 2/3 their size on average. Shape: From head to waist Okten resemble lake Naiad. From the waist down, instead of a tail they have eight suckered arms. Color: Okten come in all colors, though shades of red, white, and purple appear to be most common. Features: Okten’s most notable features are their eight suckered arms, which they use for movement, communication, and as extra hands. The arms are boneless, but densely muscled and highly sensitive and dexterous. They can use their arms to travel on land for short periods, but they dry out quickly so cannot go far from the water at all. Additionally, they have extremely strong teeth capable of biting through shell. B. Mental Capabilities Okten are highly intelligent, exceptionally clever, and quick-witted. They love puzzles and games, especially anything resembling seek-and-find (aquacaching is a popular game among Okten) and wordplay. (edited) [7:38 PM] II. Habitat A. Geographic Location Okten first lived in the oceans surrounding Telrunya Isle, keeping to cliffs and reefs as they do not like the vulnerability of open water. Now they can be found both in the ocean and Tuatha’ri Lake. B. Climate Needs Okten prefer colder, nutrient-dense and oxygen-rich waters, but are highly adaptable and can thrive pretty much anywhere. They are, however, very sensitive to changes in pH. C. Home Needs As ocean dwellers, Okten made dens for themselves, mainly in caves but basically anywhere they could fit. Okten have adapted to Lake living very well in this respect, and enjoy living in the apartments and homes in and around Alu Spring. They tend to be pack rats, hanging onto anything that might be useful later. [7:38 PM] III. Life Behaviors A. Diet Okten are avid consumers of shellfish. Their favorites are shrimp, crabs, clams, lobsters, scallops, and abalones. They will also eat fish, and small sharks if they’re feeling ambitious. They use their strong teeth to pry open shellfish, which traditionally they eat raw, but lake-dwelling Okten seem to have grown fond of cooked shellfish in butter. Vegetables mostly give them indigestion. B. Mating Okten can only conceive during one period a year in the winter season. Instinct draws them to a particularly large coral reef off the coast for a week of frenzied sexual activity, called the Winter Heat. During this time their appetites and sleep cycles are suppressed. Okten who aren’t ready for children who attempt to deny the heat often become ill until it is satiated. It isn’t in Okten nature to take a long-term partner, though it’s becoming more common. If you have an Okten partner, clear your calendar during the Winter Heat because you’ll not be going anywhere. C. Raising Young While Okten eschew anything resembling commitment in other aspects of their lives, they are extremely devoted parents. Most Okten live with their birthing parent only, and don’t grow up knowing the other half of their lineage. To avoid confusion, Okten markings often strongly resemble their non-birthing parent’s. They are very cuddly with their children, wrapping them up in arms both humanoid and cephalopod. They take their children’s safety and happiness very seriously, sometimes to the detriment of their own. Okten parents devote every resource they have to their children. Okten children live with their parent until they are teens, at which point they are ~strongly encouraged~ to strike out on their own. [7:39 PM] D. Sleep Pattern Okten are most often matutinal, meaning they are active only before sunrise. They are most active between the hours of midnight and dawn. This has caused problems as they have integrated into Lake living. Once dawn comes, Okten prefer to go to sleep, waking in the late afternoon. E. Movement Okten move by drawing water in through an organ at the base of their spine, typically hidden by their arms, then forcefully expelling it, creating a powerful thrust and propelling them through the water at high speed. They don’t use their arms (any of them) for swimming, but when moving on the seafloor or lakebed, they use their arms to ‘walk’ along the ground. F. Sound Okten don’t have a strong oral tradition, preferring to communicate over long distances by caching written notes to one another. However, their voices are notable for sounding smooth, like satin ribbon between the fingers. Okten take pride in their ability to swim nearly silently. G. Mannerisms Okten arms are multipurpose. They are used almost as legs to move around on the seafloor and lakebed, and to do a sort of walking on land as well. The strong suckers on the underside of the arms help them grip onto things such as tools, or assist them to climb nearly vertical surfaces. Okten try not to walk on the two arms that are frontmost to their body, as they’re most likely to use those arms as extra hands. The ends of the arms are very dexterous and can hold pretty much anything. Their arms are also quite expressive, and Okten can communicate emotions with each other through touch. In fact, despite not being terribly social, Okten are quite emotional and enjoy the comfort of touch. Okten hate to be vulnerable in any way. This applies to physical safety as well as emotional. At the first sign of danger, they’re off swimming away at high speed. They also startle easily and hate pranks. [7:39 PM] IV. History A. Leadership Okten have no central leadership, as they are solitary by nature. B. Social Okten tend to be solitary, though partnering has become more common since they’ve started living in the Lake and interacting with other Naiad variants for whom partnering is important. Before partnering, Okten need to feel immense emotional safety. Commitment is challenging for them, and open relationships are more common than exclusive ones. As they’ve integrated into Naiad society, they’ve opened themselves more to social living and are clever, if somewhat flaky, friends. They’re excellent at weaseling their way out of commitments, social engagements, and boring conversations. C. Religion Most Okten aren’t particularly religious, though many have an almost superstitious belief in the Umbri’s Great Current of Life. D. Journey to the Lake Queen Tariel’s call had the same type of instinctive pull as the Winter Heat, though at the wrong time of year. So, very confused, the Okten followed the call to the Lake. Once they figured out what was going on, they adapted quickly and many decided to remain. [7:41 PM] Okten Racial Abilities Okten can 'unknit' and 'reknit' their skeletal structure to be able to fit into extremely tight spaces. As long as their skull can fit, so can the rest of their body. [7:42 PM] @Antidia