[Note: over the years the idea that the Aquallia have any connection to the other insaan seemed farfetched. Some consider it fairy tales and others dismiss it as they’re superior to them regardless of how they started.]
Cw: last paragraph contains eugenics.
The Aquallia are often separated from the rest of the Elesaan, this is due to the fact they spent their time in the oceans. The water elementalis and the nolosha badda have always worked in great harmony, so of course, the nolosha badda answered the call of their friend. With this the Aquallia were born, a group of insaan who, while having the ability to control water on land and even become water should they choose [however like Fire and Wind Elesaan they’d shrink and need time to recover] they can also transform into a cross between a nolosha badda and an insaan or fully become one of the nolosha badda.
Just like with the Anima, each family has a bond with a different nolosha badda [example: one family having a bond with a great white shark which allows them to take on attributes of the shark.] Also, like Anima, Aquallia’s base form different from the typical insaan. This includes gills. While in the oceans their gills work as intended, when they come onto land a transformation takes place where their gills close up and the lungs that also reside in them expand fully from their previously shriveled form, allowing them to breath air. Their base form also has scales, a tail and eyes like the nolosha badda, except their retain their eyelids and thus must blink.
For the most part Aquallia aren’t seen on the surface. It’s a rare experience as many don’t see the point of traversing over there when they have everything they need down there. They have their own communities, they can speak with the nolosha badda, and most importantly it’s safe.
However as always, the youth yearn for adventure so when an Aquallia is seen above they’re often young. Thanks to generations of adventurous youth before them, young Aquallia of today make sure to do their research before heading out. They learn this from those that returned in the way all info is retold with Aquallia: oral storytelling.
“When out of the water it’s true that our gills retract and so do our tails in order to make room for the fleshy legs of the insaan…however not all of our scales retract! And worse, we dry up so fast!! I think it’s because we are always in the water but if you do not make sure you’re hydrated and lotioned your skin will crack and bleed. It’s so painful!!”
Of course the youth don’t know what “lotion” is and so the settled adventurer will then reveal one of their treasures: a bottle of lotion, before discussing the purpose and how it works. This fills the youth with a stronger urge to seek out the surface.
When it comes to their relationship to the water elementalis, the Aquallia view it as their Mother. It’s thanks to it that they could thrive as they do so they often hold celebrations for Mother, along with their personally bonded nolosha badda. The water elementalis feels it didn’t do anything special but to it this is further prove it made the right chose. All beings have worth, it did right by goddess Naima by reaching out to the first insaan along with their friends.
A difference between Anima and Aquallia:
While “chimera” is the term used for these beings and they are discriminated against, for the Aquallia they are revered. The name they are given “Quwwa” because their existence is a show of great power and strength. Whether they become someone who is incredibly strong due to their parentage or end up struggling to thrive is irrelevant. The attempt to make all Aquallia stronger is all that matters and thus it is a practice that they encourage. As is the act of having many children.