Editing ZAL'KAZZIR (section)

== Background ==
Born to nobility in Sharuun, Zal'Kazzir was bred to a life of intrigue. Reared on the politics of the court of the false Sussar, Zal'Kazzir quickly learned the lessons of power politics, learning to read faces and situations even as he learned to read poetry from the court library. He likely would've pursued a political career if not for a trauma during his adolescence: his mother Tannah, always a kind woman with a love of learning was discovered while teaching several young children, including Zal'Kazzir and his older sister Zara, to read. Zal'Kazzir was able to hide before the Legate, Olaf Black-Blade, and his orcish entourage spotted him, but his mother and sister and the others were not so lucky. Olaf murdered Tannah, and then used his dark magic to curse the area, causing her to rise as a hungering fell. At Olaf's command, the Tannah-Thing fell upon the helpless children, mauling and devouring them. From that day forward, Zal'Kazzir swore vengeance on the Corpse-God and all his works, though his attitude has mellowed with age. 

He continued his political activities, but became a parasite on the system, rather that a true part of it; he began trading in illicit alcohol, drugs and information, forming a clandestine network of corruption and sowing discord and chaos whenever possible. In spite of, or perhaps because of his corrupt image, he and his family continued to gain in prominence, and was a frequent guest of the Shanduz. He used his privilages of travel to act as a wandering trader, smuggler and spy, but also secretly supplying the resistance with information. His brother Zaki did not approve of his activities, seeing him as a traitor and a collaborator, and much to his family's detriment, left to find glory and honour with the free riders on the plains. In order to preserve his family honor, and to avoid reprisals, Zal'Kazzir planted a story that Zaki had committed suicide, and quickly covered up his brother's existance, even going so far as to cremate the corpse of a refugee to throw off suspicion, further cementing Zaki's hatred of his brother.

He met, fell in love with, and eventually married Aisha of Sezsen, the low-ranked daughter of a powerful Sharuun house, but the match was a poor one, and their marriage was largely unhappy, thought they long maintained it for decorum's sake. They had two children, a daughter, Zia, aged 10 and a son, Zahir (Now Deceased), aged 11. Zal'Kazzir dotes on his daughter, a bright girl with a rapacious intellect, and loves, but was somewhat distant from his son, a mischevious, bullheaded boy, a situation he now gravely regrets. 

His home is in Sharuun, where he lived with his wife, children and his aged father, Zoltan, in the family estate, called 'Whitefields' due to the preponderance of waterlilies that surround it. Currently he is travelling, and his home is empty.