Loque (low-k)

(a.k.a. Nessie | Loch Ness Monster)

Loque is a sauropterygian kaiju once lived within Loch Ness but now patrols the ocean with nothing to stop it.

Physical Description

General Physical Condition

Loque - for the longest time - was an anomaly that did not match any known species of reptile in the fossil or cryptozoological record. Its turtle-like shell combined with its swan or serpent-like neck has been an ongoing mystery for years. The shell itself does not provide the same protection as it cannot retract its head inside in the same way sea turtles cannot. This has only complicated the nature around and the perception of the kaiju, as it is not related to turtles at all. There was also much doubt that it even existed for a while as the description of the beast matched anachronistic and outdated reconstructions of plesiosaurs. DNA and isotope analysis combined with x-rays have revealed that the creature is actually some sort of sauropterygian, although it is currently uncertain whether it falls under the classification of nothosaur or placodont as it retains traits from both. Both orders of sauropterygian went extinct during the end of the Triassic Period, making Loque an endling. This would also make it one of the oldest living kaiju, clocking in at over 200 million years.

Body Features

Loque's biggest strength is its size, able to stand against other kaiju with sheer force alone.

Physical quirks

Its other advantages include being able to breathe underwater and traverse land quite easily. The great sea reptile can also absorb water from its environment and jettison it from its mouth, weaponizing the liquid into a high-impact water gun.

Special abilities

Like all other kaiju, Loque also possesses an advanced healing factor, able to heal broken bones and damaged body parts that would be unsalvagable for normal animals. The massive scaly hide and thick shell allow it to shrug off conventional human artillery and stand up to more unconventional mecha weaponry. However - unlike other kaiju - Loque is not immortal. Its lifespan ranges from several hundred to a couple thousand years, but it will eventually die of old age on its own.
To combat this, Loque has evolved to reproduce asexually via self-fertilization. Towards the end of its lifespan, it will nest and look after the egg until it hatches. Typically, only one egg is laid, but there have been rare cases of two or even three eggs. The last several years of its life will be dedicated to raising its infant - called a loqueling - until it passes, where its body is consumed by the environment and its own offspring. The hatchling will then grow and take its parent's place. Only one hatchling will grow to adulthood while the others will die of predation or starvation.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

• Species description: Lacusaurus lochnis
• Biological basis: Sauropterygian
• Diet: Omnivorous
• Size: 125 feet long

In 565 C.E., an Irish abbot and Christian monk known as Saint Columba was traveling Scotland and arrived at the River Ness, witnessing a local village attending a funeral. They claimed their fellow Pict had been killed by some sort of monster in the water. Columba - skeptical of the creature's existence - sent one of his followers by the name of Luigne moccu Min across the river to lure it out. A small reptilian creature broke the surface and curiously examined the vessel, only to be met by Columba shouting at it. The creature was scared away and fled south towards the Loch. The Picts believed Columba had banished the creature with the power of prayer and praised him as a true man of God.

It would not be until July 22, 1933, that another would be spotted again by humanity, traversing the land by everyday layman George Spicer and his wife. The creature was still small and scared by their car back into the safety of the Loch. Such a chance encounter caught the attention of the public, and the myth of the Loch Ness monstertook off. One night, the creature sailed up the river and traversed across the land into the open sea, leaving the Loch behind while investigators combed its waters trying to prove its existence.

A later sighting occurred when it visited a lighthouse in 1951, having misinterpreted the foghorn as a call. After the creature discovered the foghorn was not a fellow kaiju, it returned to the sea where it disappeared yet again.

Decades later was the great beast found on Graciosa Island in the Azores archipelago in hibernation with its egg, and a facility was built over it. The egg was taken to a research facility on the island where it hatched and was studied. A terrible landslide damaged the facility and woke the creature up, where it rampaged along the coast of the island until it was reunited with its infant before fleeing into the open ocean.

Intellectual Characteristics

The great sea monster is an incredibly gentle creature. Often it can be spotted attempting to accompany pods of whales at deep levels, mimicking their cries. They will flee its vicinity as they fear the creature, but on rare occasions have they joined it. The desire to join them seems to stem from a desire to protect as well as have company. Loque appears to be a rather lonely kaiju and enjoys the presence of others. It also behaves rather skittish around humans, although there have been rare close encounters where it will curiously journey close towards boats and submarines. Despite its calm nature, Loque is no stranger to violence and will bite, thrash, and tackle opponents into submission. The kaiju also utilizes its neck to whip opponents in similar fashion to dueling giraffes. It becomes fiercely protective of its young and showcases uncharacteristic aggression. Loque will not stay in one location for too long save only to nest. Eventually, it will continue its nomadic journey across the globe's waters. Naval sonar testing has been known to provoke the kaiju into retaliation, as it is believed it causes pain.

Environmental Impact

While it leaves massive destruction in its wake when provoked, its influence on the environment is profound. Its feces is high in protein - both natural and amniotic-addled - and benign nuclear isotopes that - after being absorbed by the soil and filtered into the water - cause immense population booms in the flora and fauna inhabiting its region. Flowering plants and trees will grow wildly, and animals experience high birth rates. Fish, whales, sharks, coral, and other marine life explode in population because of its presence. Animals often nest on its shell, and even entire coral reefs have manifested upon it when it has remained in one location long enough. Traversing the ocean allows it to spread biodiversity across the seven seas and help boost waning populations. Even with all this, Loque helps keep populations under control with its feeding habits.

Miscellaneous Information

Despite its presence and wide range, sea-based trade has largely remained unaffected. Loch Ness had been speculated to have been used twice as a nesting ground for young loquelings, based on data from the two confirmed historical encounters and the size estimates of the creature noted at the time. It has yet to return to the location after 1933 and is unknown if it ever will again. At least one Loque skeleton has been found on Monster Island .

Gallery

loque_water.png

Underwater variant from rochasaurus.

loque.jpg

Commission of Loque and its offspring from rochasaurus.

Social

Family Ties

• Loqueling: Offspring

Sauropterygian kaiju roaming the oceans of Earth.

View Character Profile

Current Status

Alive

Age

Prehistoric

Date of Birth

Triassic Period

Circumstances of Birth

Unknown

Birthplace

Loch Ness, Scotland, Earth

Current Residence

Oceans of Earth

Sex

Parthenogenetic

Eyes

Green

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Teal with brown shell

Height

125ft