The Life of Zumii ~ Part 1

Zumii originates from the city of Korvosa. Korvosa is the largest city in the region of Varisia & is known as being the primary hub for trade, with many cultures and goods flowing in & out of its gates. Like many cities there is the land of the nobles and the land of the poor, to which the later was the fate to which Zumii was born into.

Daell, Zumii’s father & Sylver, Zumii’s mother resided in the Midland (the part of the city most visitors come to recognise, this district is the friendliest and is home to many of Korvosa’s docks) until a unfortunate boating accident occurred which lead to the sudden & unexpected death of Daell. This tragedy lead to a heavily pregnant Sylver, struggling to maintain her store; The Reef Boutique & make ends meat. Several months passed & with the birth of her daughter Zumii, Sylver was depleted of virtually all financial resources and with no family to fall back on things were looking dismal. In a now constant state of melancholy Sylver had to weigh up the options that would best provide for her new family & as a last resort The Reef Boutique was sold on to a human merchant for a respectable price. This provided Sylver with the option to relocate into Old Korvosa, the poorest and most overly crowed area in the whole of Korvosa or to take her chances on a merchant vessel (if one could be found that would be so willing, to transport a young lady & newborn to a different isle … for a small fee of course). The merchant option no matter how appealing was unrealistic, there was no guarantee of a safe journey & although the Midland was relatively crime free could the same be said when boarded on a merchant vessel, with no means of escape? Plus what added payment would be required for new ‘shipmates’ that were unable to contribute to the workload? With the two options carefully considered, Sylver headed to Old Korvosa with a backpack & baby in tow.

Standing on the threshold of the town Sylver stood back in awe, all that could be seen on the horizon of what was soon to become her new family home was grime, decay & poverty.  Over the narrow & dilapidated bridges lay a bustling madness, where beggars awaited those that crossed over into their world of despair & devastation. The smell was so horrific that it seemed almost tangible to the naked eye, like a veil of fog that was relentless & unwilling to release its hold on the ruins that lay within its grasp. Sylver grasped her dusty travel worn cloak closed  & prayed to Aroden & Ileosa that the cloak would shield her from drawing unwanted attention. The clothes underneath were not of a noble design but were of modest materials. Materials that in a place like Old Korvosa  could easily result in muggings or worse. So Sylver made her first goal to obtain clothing to enable her to blend in with the other townsfolk, tattered rags and a fight against the elements were soon to be an everyday occurrence.

Every alley & street was lined with the homeless & the diseased that had been left to face their own futility. Following a narrow winding alley Sylver came by a threadbare ramshackle dwelling that once had possibly been a small humble abode. The only tell-tale sign of inhabitance was the sound of skittering paws that were scuffling around in dark crevices and gnawed out rat tunnels.

To be continued …