The Modern Squibbon And The First Settlements
By 220 MYH plus 500,000 years the Squibbon had achieved the seemingly impossible task of taming the element of fire something that now animal had ever come close to since humans.
Armed with fire and there long Spears, Axes, Hatchets, Knifes, Lances, and Daggers the Modern Squibbion's at this point had driven out all off there natural predators Giant Riverine Silverswimmer's, Raptorial Blish, Vicemouth's and even Arboreal Necksnare's had been driven away from there territory's.
The Modern Squibbon (colloquially the Squibbion's or Squid People) have eked out a unique niche in the vast conifers of the Northern Forest. They are a social sophont like us but are still arboreal unlike hominids who's ancestors gave up life in the trees. The Squibbion's are restricted to the Northern Forest. The main reasons the Squibbion's can't leave the Northern Forest is biological as arboreal animals they move rather poorly on the ground there long tentacles gives them a awkward walking gate and are easy prey for predators. The other reason is cultural the Squibbion's arboreal nature makes them border line agoraphobe's and they get extremally uneasy and panicky in open spaces and spend most of there time in the high branches of conifer tree's.
The Squibbion's are widely dispersed across the Northern Forest an area that covers most of what was once western North America and northern Europe with a population of around a few hundred thousand. Squibbion's live in family squads of around 30-60 individuals these groups are lead by a few elderly individuals how take charge of group affairs.
Squibbon are omnivores although in recent times the invention of fire has lead to the Squibbion's eating much more meat then their ancestors most commonly Silverswimmer's or Blish although they were also hunt Tentacle Horns Tusk Grazer's and Megasquid's. Squibbion's also eat a large quantity of plants most commonly Lichen Tree pods or fern leaves found in the Northern Forest's understory as well as Riceweed and other water plants during the monsoon season.
Modern Squibbion's most distinguishing feature in that there tentacle now ends in a fraktaline pair of splayed finger projections. These fingers form a simple " hand " these hands allow the Modern Squibbion's to better manipulate objects and to handle objects better then there ancestors. This ability to handle objects better has lead to a new wave of innovation in Squibbon weapons such as long spears, lances sharper and more complex stone knifes, and the invention of bows and arrows to kill prey from a distance.
Another recent innovation is Clothing which was first made from simple hides to keep Squbbion's try in the very wet Northern Forest. Now clothing is cut from other Terra Squid mantel's to fit around there mantle and tentacles although it's normally only worn in the monsoon season to keep dry.
Leaving in larger community's has also lead to the evolution of more complex languages. Language in Squibbion's is a funny thing as a Cephalopod they lack any vocal cords and thus like all Terra Squids communicate by forcing air in and out of there syphon's this result's in a language made of many complex chains of burping hissing and flatulence sounds mixed with the clatters of their beak. Squibbon language also incorporates a large portion of body language as the Squibbion's are a highly visual species using many tentacle gestures that resemble human hand signals.
the closet thing I could think of as to what they sound like is this. Subnautica Crabsquid Sounds - YouTube
Squibbion's live in large beehive shaped nests derived from small bird like nests of branches that they would sleep in at night. These structures are made by weaving sticks together were up to a dozen Squbbion's can live in at a time. This structures are built on large conifer trees up to 50 feet high safely away from the jaws of predators
An example of an early Squibbon settlement with houses hung high up in the trees this community this one in particular is on the smaller side with about 24-30 individuals living in it.
Squbbion's like all Terra Squid are Ovoviviparous having their eggs hatch internally in the females central mantle cavity similar to some some modern day freshwater snails after 2 months the baby Squbbion's are birthed out of the females Syphon in pairs Squibbon have between 2-6 baby's at once the young will spend the first few months under the care of their family as there cuttlebone's solidify and the young learn how to stand and walk. From that point Squibbion's can follow there family around although Higher concepts like tool use and learning language don't come naturally and must be learned from their elders this can take up to 2-3 years for Squibbion's to learn depending on the individual. Squibbion's naturally live for around 15 years although with living in squads and communal care it's not uncommon for Squbbion's to live to 30 years.
Like modern mollusks female Squibbon are larger then the males although reduced compared to other Stalk Eyed Terra Squids were females can be substantially larger then males. Because of the size difference larger females are scene as more beautiful by the Squibbion's beauty standards and choosing of mates is done exclusively by the females as such males compete with each other by showboating by showings of strength or hunting. Like there wild ancestor's female Squibbon will stay in there birth Squad for there hole life were as males will often leave to find other troops and to prevent inbreeding.
Squibbon family squads are very closely knit and highly territorial of the area around their homes driving off any foreign Squibbion's who enter it these conflicts are generally none fatal usually ending with the intruder scared off by the family.