Cecaelias resemble humans with octopus tentacles instead of legs. These oceanic hunters are agile and intelligent creatures, but proud. Their inquisitiveness often brings them into contact with strangers, where a poor turn of phrase or an unintended insult can quickly spark their legendary tempers.
Cecaelias live nomadic lives, hunting and scavenging along coastlines for food and tradeable trinkets. They engage in frequent trade with terrestrial communities, offering anything from seafood to treasures retrieved from sunken vessels in exchange for goods not readily available underwater. Some take to piracy or hire themselves out as mercenaries, but their quarrelsome disposition invariably leads to them going their own way again before too long. The only non-cecaelia communities that maintain long-lasting relationships with cecaelias are those of the remarkably laid-back locathahs, who coexist with cecaelias in the city of Xidao.
Cecaelias live in warm waters along verdant ocean reefs or coastlines, often near humanoid settlements. Able to adapt rapidly over a few generations, cecaelias adopt the physical features of their closest humanoid neighbors, which sages liken to an octopus's natural camouflage.