There are two sets of endings: Set 1 is the overall bad/good/best ending that wraps up the plot. Set 2 are the romantic/non-romantic endings. These can be combined in different ways (unless you get a bad ending, in which case you never get to see the Set 2 endings).
There's a scene that will be added into early chapter 3 that explains the 'gameplay', so to speak. Basically it comes down to in order to avoid a bad end, you have to spend time with all three characters. Putting all your attention on one guy will leave the other two without the sparring/hunting experience they need and they WILL die in the final battle if they don't have that experience--ending your adventure prematurely (about a full chapter before the game is 'supposed' to end). Even Makani is killable if you aren't careful enough with your choices.
So yes, bad endings aplenty :P
Oh Riu...he tries so hard not to be cute XD I'm glad you like his appearance too! I thought it would fit to make him look a little more fabulous striking since his color scheme is essentially monotone as opposed to Vane and Makani's bright, warm colors that help them stand out from the cooler backgrounds and Kameckt's contrasting black, white, and gold. The races have all been really fun to design, and I wanted to do something different with my merfolk since they're based more on actual sea life than mythology. I've had a blast world-building for this story!
Thanks for playing through again! I'm working on getting the final game out as fast as I can!