Jora Blackheart
Jora Blackheart was the first playwright in existence. Over time, the scripts and books had been lost. It wasn't until 1352 that anyone tried to look for them. A certain historian reading through old records made by the nobility kept seeing the name Jora Blackheart appearing, as well as mentions of plays that were "moving", and "awe-inspiring." He searched throughout the villages around Aesir Falls for any surviving documents and came across one, Death By Melancholy. The historian went on to show off her work, and it became rather famous. Other historians searched for her lost plays, also researching the old archives for mentions of the performances. Most of the plays she wrote and performed were only mentioned in ways such as "Jora Blackheart's stirring play was performed for his lordship" without ever mentioning the titles. None of these "untitled plays" were ever recovered. The most well known of her unrecovered plays was the first one ever written, Song of Lia.
The "second play to be uncovered" was By Right of Way. It is called the second play, but it was not uncovered in full. It was discovered in an old records book where the recorder wrote the entire play, act by act, scene by scene, character by character, but never transposed the dialogue. For a time, attempts were made to rewrite the play, but all endeavors were dropped as no one was interested in a recreation.
The most famous of Jora Blackheart's plays was Fire's Last Breath. It was uncovered in 1390 by the most famous playwright in history, Malzo Andrusian. So moved by it was he, that he went on to become a playwright himself. A year later, he also discovered the lines from the first act of her play, Fortunate, though the rest is still missing. It is categorized as tragic due to the lines that were recovered.
All Jora Blackheart's plays are described with strong emotions. Artists and historians have often romanticized what other plays of hers may have been like. Old journals from the 300s often say her plays were full of tragedy, valor, and heroism. Fire's Last Breath is considered the epitome of her plays and is often looked at as the greatest she wrote as well as the basis for the power and beauty of her others.
Jora Blackheart was born in the city of Uriah in 328. During those days, it was a very powerful city, home of the Irutan faction. She joined the faction as a swordsmith when she was twelve, apprenticed to the blacksmiths there. During those times, she would listen as the soldiers that came in for weapon and armor repairs talked of their adventures. She began to write down the stories they told, then invented stories of adventures she wished she could go on. When she turned nineteen, she became a shield-maiden for the Irutan. Despite the dangers of the wilds surrounding Uriah, she only saw action twice. The first, when she was twenty. An enemy faction (name unknown) ambushed the party she was riding with. She avoided injury, but her best friend was killed. The second time, there was a great battle between the Irutan and another faction (supposedly the same that instigated the first ambush). Jora's husband and daughter were killed, and she sustained a major injury in her left arm, resulting in amputation. Riddled with grief and unable to return to her duty, she turned to her story writing once more. It was then she wrote her grand plays that still captivate audiences today. Jora married again and lived out her years writing plays and occasionally acting in them. Her son and daughter by her second husband went on to become soldiers, inspired by their mother's plays to make their own adventures and become heroes. Her play, Fire's Last Breath, is said to be a metaphorical story alluding to her children's deeds and their tragic end. It was her final play. She died in 367 in Uriah and was buried there.
Her Works Include
Song of Lia (unrecovered)
Death By Melancholy (recovered)
By Right of Way (not fully recovered)
Fortunate (not recovered)
Fire's Last Breath (recovered)
A dozen or so other plays and books of poetic short stories were also written by her but remain unrecovered.
The "second play to be uncovered" was By Right of Way. It is called the second play, but it was not uncovered in full. It was discovered in an old records book where the recorder wrote the entire play, act by act, scene by scene, character by character, but never transposed the dialogue. For a time, attempts were made to rewrite the play, but all endeavors were dropped as no one was interested in a recreation.
The most famous of Jora Blackheart's plays was Fire's Last Breath. It was uncovered in 1390 by the most famous playwright in history, Malzo Andrusian. So moved by it was he, that he went on to become a playwright himself. A year later, he also discovered the lines from the first act of her play, Fortunate, though the rest is still missing. It is categorized as tragic due to the lines that were recovered.
All Jora Blackheart's plays are described with strong emotions. Artists and historians have often romanticized what other plays of hers may have been like. Old journals from the 300s often say her plays were full of tragedy, valor, and heroism. Fire's Last Breath is considered the epitome of her plays and is often looked at as the greatest she wrote as well as the basis for the power and beauty of her others.
Jora Blackheart was born in the city of Uriah in 328. During those days, it was a very powerful city, home of the Irutan faction. She joined the faction as a swordsmith when she was twelve, apprenticed to the blacksmiths there. During those times, she would listen as the soldiers that came in for weapon and armor repairs talked of their adventures. She began to write down the stories they told, then invented stories of adventures she wished she could go on. When she turned nineteen, she became a shield-maiden for the Irutan. Despite the dangers of the wilds surrounding Uriah, she only saw action twice. The first, when she was twenty. An enemy faction (name unknown) ambushed the party she was riding with. She avoided injury, but her best friend was killed. The second time, there was a great battle between the Irutan and another faction (supposedly the same that instigated the first ambush). Jora's husband and daughter were killed, and she sustained a major injury in her left arm, resulting in amputation. Riddled with grief and unable to return to her duty, she turned to her story writing once more. It was then she wrote her grand plays that still captivate audiences today. Jora married again and lived out her years writing plays and occasionally acting in them. Her son and daughter by her second husband went on to become soldiers, inspired by their mother's plays to make their own adventures and become heroes. Her play, Fire's Last Breath, is said to be a metaphorical story alluding to her children's deeds and their tragic end. It was her final play. She died in 367 in Uriah and was buried there.
Her Works Include
Song of Lia (unrecovered)
Death By Melancholy (recovered)
By Right of Way (not fully recovered)
Fortunate (not recovered)
Fire's Last Breath (recovered)
A dozen or so other plays and books of poetic short stories were also written by her but remain unrecovered.