Barnacle Lil
Barnacle Lil or Hunted-By-All-Men is a Brightwater Rokea.
Biography
Fishermen in Australia tell stories of a famous shark fisherman called Alf Dean, who broke the record for the largest shark ever brought on board by rod and reel — four times. The shark he could never catch, however, was nicknamed Barnacle Lil.
Barnacle Lil is a Brightwater, and in 1959, before her Long Swim, she was baited into biting Dean's hook. They fought for over five hours, Dean wrestling with the line, Lil trying to break away. Finally, as she was tiring, a new sensation came to her — death was imminent. Desperate to survive and identify this new sensation, she dove, pulling with her Dean's line, rod, reel, and seven feet of the boat's railing. Barnacle Lil — or Hunted-By-All-Men, as she is known to the Rokea — survived to become a great warrior for the Kunspawn. She never joined a slew, preferring to swim alone. She cruises the waters of Australia and New Zealand — and sometimes the docks and ports — to this day. No fisherman has succeeded in catching her (as a shark or a woman) since Alf Dean. They have tried, of course. As a woman, she is oddly attractive, especially for a Rokea.
She has a direct, blunt manner and a love of the sea that any fisherman or surfer can feel. As a shark, she is over 25 feet long and weighs close to 4500 pounds — a sure record for the fisherman who lands her. Lil is notable chiefly for her fame among the humans. Darkwaters of her acquaintance are quick to remind her that the dirtwalkers wish to show their respect for her by dragging her from the water and slaughtering her, but she is still flattered by the attention. If she hears a fisherman call her by name while cruising the Bight, she leaves his ship in peace. If a fisherman aims a harpoon or bang stick at her, she leaves his ship in pieces.