[ Animal Lords ] of the [ Land | Past | Skies | Tundra | Waters ]
[ Anglerfish | Crocodile | Fish | Octopus | Shark | Swan | Whale ]
Shark Lord
Seyhrain Squalus, Ngurdungurdu. Planar animal lord [she/her] N
Realm: Beastlands / Krigala / Threefold Ocean / Tiger Shark’s Dreaming
A very long time ago, when the animals and fish were still finding their place, there was a Tiger Shark. He was larger and faster than the dolphins, and his teeth were pointier, and he was always hungry. He ate octopus and porpoise, fish and whales, and even the orca were not safe. The other creatures of the deep were terrified of him, and ganged up against him. Ultimately, it was the Whale Lord who finally told him “Tiger Shark, you cannot live with us!”
They drive out Tiger Shark from their deep ocean, and so he swam towards the reef. When the colourful coral fish saw him coming, they hid in their homes and would not come out. Even the Eel Lord was afraid of Tiger Shark. Eventually the Fish King appeared and drove the shark away, saying “Tiger Shark, you cannot live with us!”
And so the Tiger Shark was forced to swim to the coast, where the waves crashed against the shore. But the waters here were too shallow for Tiger Shark, and as he thrashed around in the surf his energy carved out the coastline of Krigala. Where once the land met the Threefold Ocean in a nice smooth beach, as Tiger Shark swam he created all of the coves and cliffs and bays of Krigala. The Wallaby Lord threw rocks at him, creating stacks and arches on the coastline. All of the noise disturbed the Crocodile Lord’s slumber, and he swam out into the shallows. “Tiger Shark!” he called.
”Let me guess,” said Tiger Shark gnashing his teeth. “I cannot live with you.”
Crocodile replied with a long pause, as was his way, as he surveyed the destruction of the coastline. “Clearly not, Tiger Shark. You are meant to live in the deep waters.”
“But the other beasts fear me and will not let me live with them”, replied Tiger Shark.
Crocodile thought for a long time before he answered. “You are feared by everyone, are you not? And this also includes the humanfolk. Fear of you will keep the hunters from lingering long on the Threefold Ocean, and thus they will pose less of a threat to the others. Of course, you will hunt them as well—but this is the Way of the Beastlands.”
And so Tiger Shark returned to his deep seas, where he explained to the whales and the dolphins and the octopus that he would protect them from the humanoid hunters and fisherfolk. And in return, he would be allowed to hunt in moderation himself. The other beasts agreed, for this was the Way of the Beastlands.
The current Shark Lord is a great white, one of the fierce ones. She uses the notoriety to her advantage, intimidating would-be hunters like the githyanki Astral whalers and Ysgardian seal hunters. The dark is though, is that she’s a bit of a pussycat really—at least to her allies.
As the paragon of all shark-kind, the Shark Lord embodies the primal essence of all sharks, from the swift reef hunter to sleepy wobbegong to the ancient deep-sea dweller. She views all of the vast sea as her rightful domain, and upholds the ancient ocean pact to protect all water creatures from external predation, while being mindful about her own hunting. She’d argue that when her shark wards hunt, they’re catching only the weak, the old and the sick—and in this way they’re ensuring the fittest creatures can thrive. All very well, so long as you’re not one of the slow ones…
When the Shark Lord chooses to deal with land-dwellers, she takes on a rather striking humanoid form. She appears as a tall woman with an athletic, streamlined build. Her skin has a subtle grey-white tone, catching the light almost like fine scales. Her eyes are dark, deep-set, and unnervingly still and intense. She respects those who’re able to meet her gaze without flinching. Her facial features are sharp, and while she rarely smiles openly, when she does her teeth are many and pointed. Her hair is the colour of the deep ocean, streaked with silver, although she usually wears it covered with a pointed hood. She moves with a fluid economy, projecting an aura of contained power and predatory grace—even when she stands still.
The current Shark Lord has been associated with the Hawaiian power Kāmohoali’i, a shapeshifting power of sharks. It could be that they are partners, or it might be that they’re actually the same being—the Shark Lord is a solitary cutter and the two have never been seen together. They share a similar ethos however, which is why most cutters think they must be aligned. Kāmohoali’i is more likely to lead lost sailors away from the Threefold Ocean and back home, while the Shark Lord is more likely to just eat them—but both are staunch defenders of the sea’s beasts.
Source: Jon Winter-Holt. Canonwatch: The shark lord is homebrew. The story of how tiger shark created the coastline is based on the Dreaming lore of the Yanyuwa Aboriginal people.