THE NIA DINZEO'S STORY
A young Lady born to a Warrior and his companion in the city of Rovere. Her memory of her original family Home Stone does not exist beyond her education and spending time at home with her father. Her mother had died when Nia was still too young to really remember her. She was often told she had her mother’s hair and spirit. She had heard stories of her mother being a panther long before she was inevitably companioned to her father but the truth of any of this was often veiled in kept close as if there were some secret her father did not wish to tell her. She often wondered if her mother simply did not have what it took to be a Free Lady and returned to the forest. The truth about Rora, her mother was something she would never learn. Nia was raised alone by her father with the help of a couple of slaves of course. She was being guided in her learning towards the Scribes, she had a knack for numbers and loved the art of the written word. Despite this as her father’s only child and his desire for a son she was often subjected to weapons training, much to what Nia would imagine would have been her mothers’ dismay and her fathers’ joy. Mikey, her father had learned the art of making weapons and would craft Nia her own blades as gifts teaching her to fight and hunt. She never really had any great talent for any of it, but she enjoyed the time with her father as they were extraordinarily close. The young girl began to grow into a young woman.
It was in her late teens when everything changed. She had been traveling with her father often by wagon from one city to the next. The reason for this was not divulged to Nia, she simply enjoyed the ride. Though there was something darker going on in her father’s life she was not aware of. They eventually set sail headed to the Islands of COS. Nia had never been on a ship, nothing ever bigger than a small fishing boat. She was overwhelmed with excitement as the journey began, often leaning over the rails watching the water as it seemed to part just for her. This joy did not last long as the ship soon fell under attack. Nia was collected bound and taken from the ship and soon found herself a nameless, naked soul in a cage stripped of everything she once was, beginning an entirely new life as nothing more than stock in a slavers kennel.
The journey of a slave took her up the Vosk, this was her first time seeing the great river she had only heard stories of. She had no idea in that moment the Vosk would soon become her compass for the rest of her life. He travels as a slave found solid footing at the gates of Fina. There she was greeted by her one day Master, the Ubar of Fina, Maddog Gadsby, of course she had no way of knowing this at the time. Nia was sold to the city kennel and would begin her training as a kajira. Life was not easy for her, the adjustment was not quick. She was not a stranger to slaves, she grew up in a home with two serving her every moment of her life but to be one, this was different. She behaved and tried to accept her fate, she served the city faithfully for many years. Eventually her service was noticed by the Ubar who decided to purchase her. Nia had always been terrified of this man but the moment she felt his collar around her neck and the tumble of the lock as he turned the key something changed. A true kajira was born in that moment bound to her true Master. She found herself turning into something she had never dreamed of and eventually Nia, the dancer emerged.
Nia began dancing in the tavern, prior to being owned by the Ubar she never really enjoyed it. It was forced and commanded but never felt. It was not till After she was purchased, and she finally found her true slave heart the dancer grew into a force. Her dances took on a life of their own, telling her stories of desire, need, heartbreak. Her Master began entering his girl into competitions and she would win nearly every single one she ever entered. If she did not win she at least got 2nd. The girl’s reputation as the greatest dancer there was traveled far, slaves would drop out of competitions if they saw her name on the lineup. It was during this time she was announced as the First Girl of Fina an honor the Free Woman Nia would never admit, means more to her than anything ever, even to this day. As dance brought forth the pride of her Master and the true nature of the beast she was, dance would ultimately took everything she had grown to love away.
Nia’s Master had taken a companion and this companion did not like having the girl around. Nia was often training for her dances and busy in the city but the distance as her master pulled away was felt significantly. He was always the source of the fire in her dances and without him her dances were difficult to perform. Nia began to learn a dance she had never done before, one she had never really felt, the Sa-Ela. The Sa-Ela is the dance of the loved starved slave begging for her Masters affection. This was a new feeling for Nia but one she lived in as her dance took on a life of its own and she dwelled in that as she prepared for the next competition. She would always show her Master her dance seeking approval prior to performing. This time she was in the company of him and his companion as she did her preview. Her Master applauded. A time later Nia could only assume after his companion explained the dance to him properly did, he truly understand the defiance behind the performance. Nia’s Master put her on a boat taking her down the Vosk to drop her off and removed her collar tossing it in the river “You are no longer my girl” leaving her on the banks alone heart broken. Nia walked back to Fina submitting to the Free Lady Shoshawna Dharma who allowed her to dance in the coming competition. It was the Ubar’s goal to leave the girl unowned and without permission to dance but a slave is a slave and she found a new home. Nia danced her last dance, winning First place in the competition but having lost everything. Her former Master even showed up with his companion in an effort to intimidate that girl but if anything, it fanned the flame fueling the dance. After the dance competition Nia’s new Mistress freed the girl formally and the life of Nia the Free Woman Bee Keeper was born.
Nia was now a woman and free and lost. She had no known family to search for, her slave heart was broken, and she desired nothing but her Master who did not want her. She left the city of Fina walking out of the gates lost, broken and with nothing but her manumission papers. She journeyed to a nearby peasant village seeking refuge. It was there Nia found the bees. Nobody wanted to tend to them, they were all afraid. Nia found comfort in the hives, she found safety in the bees. At this point in Nia’s life she no longer cared if she saw tomorrow so walking into a swarm was welcoming the end of her personal torture. Nia approached the hive holding her arms out defeated “come on, sting me.. take me away” She was so comfortable in ending her own life the bees did not sense a threat and left her alone. She looked around surrounded by the bees confused.. why were they not stinging her? Nia made her way all the way to the hive reaching in grasping the loaded honeycomb pulling it out. Still nothing. This was when Nia the Beekeeper was born.
Nia found comfort among the bees, they kept her safe, they helped her avoid human contact. She became the village beekeeper, her honey was popular but she was seen as the wild Lady living with the bees. As Fina fell the village moved on. Nia picked up her home stone packing it in her bag venturing down the Vosk. Her next stop was Port Victoria where her honey trade really took off and she first established her name. The Port eventually fell and she found her way to Telnus. Maybe she subconsciously went there with hopes of finding her father if maybe he survived the journey long ago but still she was isolated working her hives trading enough to survive with a great deal extra as it compared to her humble life. Once again, the city fell.
Nia landed in Turmus with barely enough stock to make her a season. Here she was alone and she was starting over. What she found in Turmus was nothing like she had ever seen. The city seemed deprived of honey. The administration catered to her quickly providing everything she needed to be successful and to do it quickly. Nia had never lived in the city walls as a peasant she did not claim a Home Stone aside from the one she carried with her. Living in a city was a shock to the isolated Lady who lived wild and free in the hives. Citizens were kind to her, they welcomed her.. Her honey was popular talked about all over the city. Nia was overwhelmed with support. The City of Turmus took her in and wrapped her up safely in their arms allowing her everything she needed to acclimate to civilized life again. Eventually after the city provided her with wealth beyond her own need and contracts, she could barely keep up with it. She decided to make the hard decision to surrender her peasant life and apply to join the Merchant Caste and ultimately swear to the first official Home Stone of her free life. The simple Beekeeper flourished and her eyes and heart opened in so many complicated ways but the one thing that never wavered was the loyalty she had for the ones she loved.
Do not fear the wild woman in the hives, she has the sweetest reward you will ever find and all it will require is for you to simply say “Greetings Lady
