Unknown Orator

The Unknown Orator was a legendary Trebai writer, speaker, and compiler of texts who lived in the First Era. Though in his writings he kept his identity a secret, by the Fourth Era he was thought to likely be a man named Jezhek of Branderbeuren, who served the royal court of the province of Brakerk.   Jezhek's work spanned a wide variety of topics, from political commentary to children's fables. Jezhek was a supporter of strong, authoritarian rulers, arguing that they were guardians against chaos, often using the format of a dialogue with fictional characters to prove this point. In addition, he wrote treatises on health, science, nature, philosophy, and art. One of his most important works, Delere Regem, proved so influential that it would be used as a propaganda tool by the Trebai Ascendancy, as well as several rulers of the High Kingdom of Atla Vera.

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Jezhek was born sometime around the waning centuries of the First Era, probably around 5350. He was the third son of Kineslav and Fenna of Branderbeuren, and, per family tradition, as the third son he was trained to become an orator, while the firstborn and secondborn became a knight and a monk, respectively.   Becoming extremely skilled in his craft, Jezhek eventually rose to become the Royal Orator of House Braekerk, performing official verbal duties of the ruling family. It was at this time that he began to, during his free time, compose the works for which he would become most famous. Around 5385, he published Delere Regem, using his family's wealth to fund the copying of the text. The dialogue, which argued in favor of a powerful ruler, was well received by the elites of the time. Moreover, Jezhek's decision not to attach his name to the work was seen as a choice of extreme humility. Later, Fables was published and copied even more times, and was also met with high praise.   For the next fifteen years, Jezhek performed both his royal duties and published his writings. He also married, and had children of his own. Though he and his wife bore six children, only one of them survived until adulthood- an unusually low survival rate for the time and a source of deep depression for Jezhek. It was during this time that the orator began to publish his most grim works, deep philosophical essays that, unusually, were not written through characters, but rather in first person. Around this time, he also urged Trebai leaders, speaking as Jezhek, not to concern themselves with the violent Neo-Chipahau group in the east.   Unfortunately for him and the rest of the Trebai, he would be wrong about the Neo-Chiapahau. The group sacked the city of Peak, killing many and razing much of the city. Though the invaders were soon forced out, Jezhek's reputation was severely damaged, and many related to the victims of the sacking wanted revenge.   Jezhek's death was reported differently in different accounts. According to Brati the Younger, the wife of a soldier who had been ripped apart in the Battle of Peak snuck into Jezhek's house at night and stabbed him to death. Another account told of the orator being met by a group of surviving soldiers at a dock when Jezhek was trying to flee by boat in fear of his safety, and was executed; and another account claimed that the orator died of natural causes.   After his death, Jezhek was mourned by his family as well as by House Braekerk. When the Unknown Orator ceased to publish work, he was widely mourned across the Western Commons and an unfinished work, De Arte Militare, a tactical guide, was published posthumously.   Jezhek would be remembered as the greatest master of the Ancient Trebai language for years to come, even if some of his viewpoints would be met with criticism. By the Fourth Era, he was no longer a household name, but his works would experience a resurgence after The Twenty-Year War during the rise of the Trebai Ascendancy. The use of works, particularly Delere Regem, by the Trebai Ascendancy to maintain power, would be met with criticism by some, who claimed they were a misuse of the orator's words.