[Spoiler... sort of?] Sri Lakshmi

[Enla]

Who says the person Lakshmi is base don wasn't human, just like Garuda? Over time, the legend morphs bit by bit and we end up with this human looking half snake hybird that the Anata think is their perfect beautiful god. Flawless beautiful skin, but still an Anata with the snake lower half.

^ This. Given that most of the beast tribes have some Allagan influence or origin in ARR it wouldn't surprise me if the Anata were similar. Especially given the Lamia enemies you find in some Allagan ruins and Melusine in particular.

[Shouko]

Fun fact all the primals in the game are based on something in real life mythology.

Lakshmi- Hindu goddess akin to Aphrodite
Garuda- Hindu bird-like creature but also ties in with the harpy from Greek mythos
Ifrit, or Efreeti are supernatural creatures in some Middle Eastern stories.
Ramuh or Lahmu known to the Akkadians is a deity from Akkadian mythology that represents the zodiac, parent stars, or constellations.
Leviathan is kinda self explanatory big sea serpent
Titan mixture of greek and fantasy Dao Earth Genies (D&D)
Susanooi in Japanese mythology is the powerful storm god of Summer
Shiva is the "destroyer of evil and the transformer" within the Trimurti, the Hindu trinity that includes Brahma and Vishnu. (not associated with ice)

Mind you these are just what their names mostly are based on, some of them obviously are different looking from folklore but it's interesting to know some of where they came from.

[Malzian]

Well I'm more concerned about her face. No fangs... no scales, no slit eyes... Nothing about her screams 'part snake', they even hid her legs despite the promo-art.
I think it's a sname when the normal npc are so damn gorgeous, haha...

Sri Lakshmi is the personification of 'perfect beauty' as the Anata perceive it. That may just be how they envision her and that's all that really matters.

[BillyKaplan]

If you go through the quests for Bismark and Ravana's Ex modes, the tales you're told are not completely unlike the tales of Nidhogg and Ratatoskr. So how did they go from ancient dragons to a sky whale and a beetleborg is likely how the Ananta's deity is the way she is.

Given that most of the beast tribes have some Allagan influence or origin in ARR

It's not until HW you discover it, and then it's only the Ixali. What other beast tribes were affected by the Allag?
If anything, I'd say the one thing they all have in common is actually the Ascians, as they're the ones teaching everyone how to summon Primals.

[SigmaOZ]

She is way too fishy and considering all mermaids have human bodies from the waist up, I'd say Lakshmi is no exception and she's got a huge snake body under that ridiculously big dress!...

Why would Ananta worship a humanoid female and not one of their own kin!?... I'm sure that answers most questions about Lakshmi's nature!...

[Kaethra]

I'm going to throw this one out there.

Primals look as the viewer perceives them. We're talking aetherial beings made manifest. Lakshmi make look snakelike to the Ananta, and human to the human races (that includes Miquote and Au Rah).

[Rokke]

The answer is probably in the realms of fanservice and SE being too lazy, lol...

Fanservice is the correct answer. The original design was deemed "not cute enough" so devs waifu'd the design. (jp source) (translation)

I wish they stuck closer to her concept art at least. Seeing her huge snake tail during her ult would have been neat :c

[DarkDedede]

That's somewhat disappointing.

I would like to see the original "not-so-cute" concept design.

[BubblyBoar]

Lakshmi is a summon is previous games and has always been a beautiful woman. She was going to be that way in FFXIV too. The only reason she was changed to have a snake lower half is to make her fit in with the Anata better. It was picking fan service, but not only that type of it.

[Rokke]

That's somewhat disappointing.

I would like to see the original "not-so-cute" concept design.

Im on the fence. Au Ra are so disappointing once you see what could have been. Sometimes ignorance truly is bliss lol

Lakshmi is a summon is previous games and has always been a beautiful woman. She was going to be that way in FFXIV too. The only reason she was changed to have a snake lower half is to make her fit in with the Anata better. It was picking fan service, but not only that type of it.

I mean, its not like they’re honor bound to not have any fun with the design. Making her more like indian artwork of gods (or giving her a snake tail) wouldn’t make her inherently hideous, Yoshi just wanted her to be super kawaii :P