The Barded Lady, Mother Serpent, What is she?

Something that I've been wondering about since the Bilgewater event, was what the Bearded Lady was. She obviously had some power in Bilgewater in an ancient time due to her temple, but it sounds like River King has more sway then here in this day.

What stuck me most however, was Gangplank's last line, “Everything must have a purpose. Cut it off, I’ve got work to do.” This doesn't simply sound like the words of a man with a plan, but a man who believes there is a plan for him, a man of some faith. I have a feeling that Gangplank believes that he still has the Bearded Lady's favor, and that the loss of his arm was part of a grander plan for him, and that he may be her champion.

Back to what the Bearded Lady is, I don't think she's an eldritch void horror as some people think, or a sea serpent as her literal name suggests. Serpents are not often connected to the sea or 'beards' in lovecraft stories, and sea serpents are not often depicted with beards of hair. This causes me to think that the Bearded Lady may be some form of Eastern style Sea Dragon, which are often depicted with a flowing mane and a long serpent body.

An interesting thing as well is that the Bearded Lady is given a specific gender. This suggests that at some point the Mother Serpent was seen either nurturing a child, or speaking directly to people, perhaps even teaching them in her temple. She may even have a connection to Ao Shin, whenever he is finally finished.

Perhaps I am reading into this too much and it is just some sea dog's tale. But in the world of Runeterra, I doubt that when people pray to a god of some kind, there isn't one listening.

TLDR: The Bearded Lady is most likely an easter style Sea Dragon.