|| - Personality - ||

Loligo is rough and loud, often rash and impulsive. Though she's actually quite intelligent, she thinks with her heart as opposed to her head even when she knows she probably shouldn't. She tends to be stubborn, especially when it comes to matters that involve the well-being of her friends (whom she is very protective over).

She isn't as quick to anger as many assume and is usually pretty calm, casual, and laid-back. It's easier to make her sad than it is to make her angry, though the former often quickly fuels the latter. If not, she expresses her sadness with silence and solemnity. When angry she lets her rage take over, acting irrationally and becoming very prone to violence.

Loligo is used to criticism and disagreement, so when it comes to being complimented or being shown affection she gets baffled. She gets easily flustered, and will usually just mutter "uh... thanks" and look away, hoping she's not blushing visibly. She tends to deny having any feelings toward others and is very private about her relationships. Most people assume she's a pretty dominating person, but the truth is that when it comes to being treated kindly she just sort of melts and doesn't know what to say. Fortunately for her, at the very least Venith doesn't need her to say a word.

|| - Backstory - ||

Loligo's childhood was nothing terribly special; it was pleasant and something that could be looked back on fondly. Her family was very close-knit - or, at least, that's how Loligo saw it.

When Loligo was 15 her mother, Lonaga, went missing. Her family feared the worst as this was a period when their world was plagued by natural disasters and pirates from other worlds searching for the key to immortality, supposedly achieved by devouring the flesh of merpeople. Lodega, her father, assured Loligo and her younger sister, Lanaga, that everything would be fine and that he would find their mother unharmed ASAP. He was a very accomplished man; Lodega was known for being an excellent fighter, magician, and explorer so the sisters had no reason to doubt him. They cheered him on as he left Loligo in charge and headed out to sea, promising to return within days.

For a year they waited, but their father didn't return.

Loligo soon became concerned not only for the well-being of her parents, but of her sister as well. Lanaga was gentle and fragile, and though she put on a strong face Loligo knew Lanaga was probably more distressed than she was. With pirate attacks becoming more and more frequent in the area, Loligo decided their best option was to go out and search for their parents - or, at least, find somewhere safe and maybe kick some intergalactic pirate ass along the way.

Together the two ventured across the planet in search of leads, eventually stumbling upon evidence that suggested that legends that were once spoken to them before bed were true. According to them if a number of magical artifacts were brought together at an island beneath the waves at the center of the planet, the gods would grant the wishes of all present. Convinced this was their best hope of finding their parents unharmed, the two began their trek to recover the artifacts.

The years continued to pass, the sisters' stockpile of magical artifacts piling higher and higher as they became stronger and smarter. Eventually, silently losing hope that their parents were alive somewhere, they subconsciously decided that now their life was more about the journey than the destination. Though their encounters with pirates, treasure hunters, monsters, and plenty of other unpleasant beings threatened their lives every day, they grew ever closer and ever happier.

Eventually they hit a drought when it came to collecting the artifacts. The two discussed if maybe it was time to stop and think about living their lives realistically and safely - not to mention the artifacts they had collected could grant them plenty of perks even if they didn't just sell them - but they decided they might as well see their journey through to the end. After plenty of research and investigating dangerous places to get dangerous info out of dangerous people, they learned that a group of pirates was hoarding them.

The journey was hazardous and almost cost the sisters their lives even more times over than the rest of their quest, but after at least another year of searching they finally found the pirate ship that would mark the end of their adventure and the return of their parents.

So, needless to say, the two were surprised to find that the leader of the band of pirates - a group of merpeople (as opposed to the usual foreign humans) seeking to gather the magical artifacts for themselves - was none other than their father, Lodega.

Unwilling to explain himself in any manner, Lodega requested they give him the artifacts they had gathered and leave immediately. As their conversation grew more heated and personal, Lanaga insisted they listen and just stop. Loligo was having none of it and, convinced the man was some sort of disgusting mockery of her real father, attacked.

The ensuing battle was bloody and violent, stretching on longer than it ever possibly should have. In the end, Loligo was on the verge of death and Lodega had the upper hand.

The last thing she saw was Lanaga approaching her father from behind, and then everything went black.

When she next awoke, Loligo was on a small boat in the middle of nowhere. Lanaga informed her that their father was dead.

For a while, they did nothing. They ambled aimlessly through towns, saying nothing to each other. Sometimes they would try to speak, but nothing meaningful ever came out.

After a week or so, Lanaga confessed that she wanted to resume their journey. They had all of the artifacts they needed; now they just needed to find the underwater island and make a wish. Maybe there was still a wish they could make to make things right again - their mother could still be out there, they could bring their father back, they could bring happiness to the world... they had gotten so far, she reasoned, that it would be a shame to stop here. Hesitantly, Loligo agreed.

On their most hazardous mission yet, the two ventured to the deep sea where few dared to venture, facing all manners of beasts and unsavory characters who were dangerous enough to survive in such a place. They heard stories that were never meant to be heard, things that were never be meant to see. But, having nothing left, they continued onward.

At long last they reached the legendary undersea island with the artifacts in tow, ready to complete the last leg of their journey and find out where to place them all. However, the two were confronted by the self-proclaimed guardian of the island: a very much alive Lodega.

Shocked, Loligo immediately began questioning him and once again found her questions going unanswered. Frustrated, Loligo once again initiated the fight her father seemed to be asking for. This time, however, Loligo came out as the victor, only kept from killing Lodega by Lanaga's sudden and severe protests.

Sobbing, Lanaga asked Lodega why he was so prepared to risk his life for her when they would all lose in the end either way. Even if he killed Loligo she wouldn't stop moving; all that would do was lengthen their despair and rob the world of someone precious. And if Loligo were to kill Lodega instead... things would progress as normal, only Lodega would be dead and Loligo would be alone and miserable.

Fed up with her questions going unanswered, Loligo angrily demanded to know what the hell was going on. As the end was nigh, Lanaga decided it would be unjust to deny her the answers she craved.

The Anuwau line, she and Lodega explained, was one of gods.

Lonaga hadn't been kidnapped by pirates - rather, she learned both natural and human chaos were spreading across the planet and knew it was her time to ascend to divinity as all of the line's mothers were destined to. What happened to previous matriarchs to cause them to suddenly neglect their duties was never known, but there was no way to ask aside from ascension.

Lanaga knew this, and that she did was entirely an accident. She overheard an emotional conversation between Lonaga and Lodega one night and quickly butted in, her parents having no choice but to explain. Lanaga insisted that she be the one to ascend during the next generation instead of Loligo, as Loligo had the strength and determination to help others in the physical world that she lacked. The three of them quietly agreed not to tell Loligo; if she ever needed to know it would be when Lanaga was preparing to ascend herself.

When Lonaga disappeared, it was of her own will and very suddenly. It followed a string of arguments between her and Lodega about ascending - he insisted she not do it, that she had responsibilities in the mortal realm, that things weren't so bad, that she was too young to ascend, that she had so much to live for. But Lonaga, having a strong love for the world much like Lanaga's, knew ascending and mending the world's sorrows was her duty.

Lodega knew exactly where she had gone - to the undersea island to ascend. He fed the girls a theory about pirates and set off to stop her, hoping he would succeed and return soon.

He caught up with her, he explained, and then he killed her.

It wasn't intentional, he swore. They were arguing again, fighting more fiercely than ever before, that he was screaming at her that she didn't know what horrors awaited her, what burdens she would have to bear, that if Anuwaus had to keep sacrificing themselves any generation to stop disaster from consuming the planet that something utterly horrific had to happen to those who ascended. And in a fit of blind passion, of rage, of despair, he killed her from suffering the horrid fate she wouldn't pry herself from.

When he returned to his senses, he realized what he had done. He had killed his beloved wife, he had ended the life of the mother of his children. How could he face them? How could he face anyone? And now he was faced with an even worse realization - that because Lonaga was unable to ascend, Lanaga would be forced to do so in her place far earlier than she was supposed to.

No, he thought. He couldn't let that happen. Whatever he did, he couldn't let Lanaga reach the undersea island. He couldn't lose both his wife and his daughter, especially not so soon.

Determined to save Lanaga's life, Lodega took the artifacts necessary to access the undersea island (the nonsense about wishes was only a story their mother fed to them in lieu of the truth), the artifacts they had stored safely within their very own home, and scattered them across the planet. He sold them to the highest bidder and used the money to make the process of hiding them easier, building a ship and paying a crew to guard the remainder of the artifacts.

Once Lodega had been gone for a while, Lanaga realized something must have gone horribly wrong. When Loligo suggested they go search for their parents Lanaga quickly agreed, hoping she would find out what happened. As they began to hear tales of magical artifacts that granted wishes, Lanaga began to piece things together to some extent - when they met Lodega later, his suspicious and unhelpful behavior all but confirmed her theories.

Seeing Lodega's hesitancy and certainly not wanting Loligo to die, Lanaga incapacitated Lodega and left with Loligo, stealing the artifacts and getting as far away as possible. She knew her father was only trying to protect her, but she knew by the dangers they faced on their journey that things would only get worse if she didn't fulfill her destiny, however prematurely.

Lanaga pushed Loligo onward, intending to tell her the full story only when it was too late. She hated to lie, she hated to withhold truth, but she knew if Loligo knew everything she would immediately sacrifice herself instead. She couldn't live with that. Loligo deserved so much more, was capable of so much more. The burden of divinity - the true duties and consequences of which could only be vaguely assumed - was hers alone to bear. Loligo had so much more of a life to live.

And there they were, with Loligo on her knees struggling to cope with the realization that she had been manipulated her entire life into bringing despair to the people she adored the most. It was in her hands to determine the fate of her family - she could spare the undoubtedly terrible fate that awaited Lanaga by killing her as her father had done to her mother, she could kill her father so Lanaga could ascend and save the planet, or she could desperately try and figure out how to ascend herself.

She took a while to think, still trying to make sense of the reality that was crumbling around her. There was no way to make everyone happy. She tried to think with the minds of those she loved - she thought selfless thoughts, thoughts of the majority, thoughts of happiness.

If Lanaga was sure this was what she wanted, Loligo would support her. She knew Lanaga would make a great god - someone who could handle everything and still love everyone regardless. She wouldn't trust the world with anyone else. And if she was so insistent that Loligo not sacrifice herself... that had to mean something. She couldn't make all of her sister's work for nothing and, more importantly, she couldn't leave her alone with the knowledge that she had failed despite her best efforts.

If that was something Lodega couldn't accept, Loligo would stop him herself. She understood where he was coming from and found herself unable to blame him for his actions, but, however precious it was, no matter how much it meant to them, Lanaga's life wasn't worth the end of the planet she and her mother both loved so dearly. If the world fell to ruin, their sacrifices and all of the sacrifices before theirs would be rendered meaningless. If they were brave enough to face their fates so selflessly, they needed to be brave enough to stay behind and make their pain and strife worth it. It was the least they could do.

Lodega stood down. Lanaga, overcome with emotion, thanked them both for making her life worth living, for making the world she prepared to become one with worth protecting. Their goodbyes were laconic - short but filled with more than could ever be put into words.

And, just like that, Lanaga was gone.

Slowly but surely, the world became more serene - the way Loligo remembered it in her earliest memories. Not knowing what to say to each other, Loligo and Lodega quietly parted ways.

Time passed slowly, and the years Loligo spent utterly alone were night unbearable. But she had to keep living, if only for Lanaga's sake. She was sure that if she stayed happy, Lanaga would have the strength to keep going no matter what she was going through.

Eventually she heard rumors that pirates from distant worlds had returned, and that the chaotic days she hoped Lanaga's sacrifice had stopped were returning. Fearing the worst, Loligo immediately began investigating, traveling the planet and asking all of the allies and enemies she had made over the years if the rumors held any weight.

Her search led her to a scouting group evaluating the planet in the name of All-Conquering Overlord Hadris Torant. Not liking the sounds of that, she immediately (and rather violently, to say the least) demanded an audience with him.

Things went surprisingly well. Though it took at least a year of convincing amidst constant rebellion attempts by Loligo, she eventually came to realize that Hadris' intents were sincerely good. The world he sought to create was the kind of world Lanaga would have wanted - a world that maybe, Loligo hoped, would ease whatever burdens she was bearing. Still a bit begrudgingly, Loligo stood down and agreed to help Hadris take over as peacefully as possible.

It didn't take long for Hadris' rule - more like guidance and guardianship, honestly - to be accepted, if only because no one particularly cared. Hadris asked if she was interested in joining him in changing other worlds as well, and she accepted after giving it some thought. A world that was in both his and Lanaga's hands had to be well-off. Lanaga had wished for the happiness of Loligo and everyone around her, and what better way to honor her wishes than by spreading peace to planets that were worse off than their own had ever been?

She could never ask, but Loligo was sure Lanaga would have wanted her to say yes.

At the same time, she made the silent decision not to continue the Anuwau bloodline.

|| - Powers/Abilities - ||

Loligo has the ability to use water-based magic, allowing her to integrate it with physical attacks or use it on its own. As implied, Loligo knows a lot about hand-to-hand combat. She's pretty powerful physically and is remarkably durable, having the survivability of a shonen anime protagonist. Naturally, given her species she's an excellent swimmer and can survive underwater indefinitely.

Of note is that without enough water in the area (or at least in the air) Loligo can't do much with her magic. Her effectiveness is dramatically lowered when she's dried out, making dry heat and the cold hazardous to her survival in more ways than one.