#TYSM!!! 🫶🫶🫶 heron fan number one COMING THROUGH

[cacturne]

helloooo how about 2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 20, 23 and 25 for Heron >:)

heron ATTACK‼️‼️ this got long so theres a readmore 👍

2. are they skilled in The Grand Game?

Yes and no, Heron took very well to the instructions given to her at the Winter Palace (never reveal any of your intentions, dance around a topic as much as possible, be polite and butter people up) as, to be honest, it was just an extension of what she was already doing to be a good Inquisitor (never reveal you are still the person from your past to some extent, dance around being or not being The Herald as much as possible to keep the religious folk happy, be polite and treat everyone with utmost respect) not to mention the starting representation she has as Qunari makes her work extra hard for the respect of others, so the social aspect of it she does have down. You could safely bring her to important Orlesian meetings and parties, in that regard (a godsend for Josephine LMAO)

The actual practical stuff she is not very good at, though. Planning things to take down a competitor, sabotaging the party, Heron could not do that (or do it and get away with it) without direct instructions from others. She doesn’t know enough about the inner workings of Orlais to feel confident in being able to do something herself without being caught or leaving a trail of evidence. Use her as a little trophy Inquisitor but don’t make her play the Game part of The Grand Game!!!

4. attitude towards Andrastianism?

Honestly, indifference? Heron knows about it well, The Free Marches is as full of it as almost any other place in Thedas, but she personally never grew up with it. After fleeing the Qun her parents did not really want anything to do with any religion anymore personally, and Heron adopted this attitude in turn.

Though there is no disrespect involved! A few other Tal-Vashoth in the Valo-Kas followed Andrastianism and she always treated them and any religious needs they had like the needs of any other.

After the events of Inquisition she feels a little weirdly guilty towards Andrastianism for kind of using it to improve the Inquisition’s reputation, but it’s only a bit of a nagging feeling that only comes up when the topic itself is brought up.

5. attitude towards the Chantry?

UNCOMFORTABLE. On the very surface they seemed fine enough but the older she got and the lower she dug it just became so much worse over time. Their attitude about mages, the way they “deal” with them, the way they seem to think that any other way of thinking is a personal attack on them, the way they want to “cover all of Thedas in the Chant of Light” ETC. itttt sucks!!! And Heron kind of hates it!!!

The Inquisition is her own hell dimension in that regard because Chantry support is almost necessary for them to be trusted in any capacity especially early on and Heron does not like having them be her biggest supporter one bit, even if it is their best course of action. She will still yield to it of course, but she will grit her teeth through it and try to distance herself and the Inquisition from them as much as possible.

Of course none of this is made any better by being named The Herald of Andraste, without having any choice in the matter, and basically having everyone in her circle begging to just play along with being put on an impossibly high pedestal in front of the institution who thinks your entire existence is a danger. “What a week, huh?” “Inquisitor, it’s wednesday.”

6. attitude towards the Qun?

Heron thinks the Qun can do a lot of good to those who wish to follow it, but does not want anything to do with it herself. She heard many things from her parents personal experiences over the years which only really solidified this view. It’s not as inherently evil as almost everyone around her claims, but just as the notion of forcefully spreading the Chant of Light makes her uncomfortable so does forcefully spreading the Qun.

Overall though it’s met with the same indifference as Andrastianism. She doesn’t really think about the Qun much and while she is generally more curious about it since it’s more directly tied to her, that doesn’t really do much to change anything. Follow the Qun? Cool. Don’t want to follow the Qun? Cool. Hate the Qun outright for stupid fear mongering reasons? Uncool.

9. what is their love language?

Acts of service! Heron in her quest from respectable mercenary company squad leader to sanitized religious figure even your kids can like kind of managed to hit this middle ground in her personality that is very princely. Courageous and self sacrificing, understanding and kind to even the common man, effortlessly elegant yet dedicated and ruthless, diplomatic and respectable, also a bit of a dork sometimes but only friends get to know that one.

She isn’t clumsy with words, but she prefers to let actions speak regardless. Oh, can’t reach that? Here you go. Oh, carrying a lot? Let me take some for you, tell me where to put it. Oh, you are about to get arranged married to a guy you don’t like? Give me a day of studying the tradition and subsequently the rapier as i send out a request for a duel. Seeing people relieved to get some help in a world that does everything in its power to put more weight on them makes her happy, and she will gladly carry as much of their weight as she can.

She also enjoys physical closeness though, doesn’t necessarily have to be touch (though she enjoys that too) just being in the vicinity is enough already. Perhaps because that means she can keep an eye on them out of habit. Heron is nothing if not dedicated to her squad, Valo-Kas or Inquisition.

10. are they good horse riders?

YES you have no fucking idea how sad Heron was when she found out she could not take her horse on the ship to Antiva. Throughout the game she used the Free Marches breed because her parents used to keep those, and while she did not start out a very skilled rider she quickly improved and in turn she and her horse became almost inseparable when solo out in the field. A prince needs her steed after all. I also HC that was the horse she rode in on to the Exalted Council instead of the standard Fereldan brown.

This is actually secret Heron lore i’ve had in my head for ages without finding an outlet to talk about it so thank you. Heron is a tiny bit of a horse girl.

11. what are there religious beliefs, if any?

None! Though specifically in an Agnostic way. Heron doesn’t know if there is a Maker or anything of the sort out there and she certainly can’t know if there isn’t, so she will leave that question for when her time comes. Religion is not on her mind very often.

Though, if she had to choose a religion she was most inclined to, it would probably be the Avvar and their gods.

12. attitude towards Mabari?

She doesn’t really get the hype at first (cringe) because she has not really been in contact with any outside of fighting them but after Cullen gets one and it and Heron get properly introduced… she might secretly want one. Though you would have to pull this truth out of her. Or be clued in on it by the occasional longing stares she will give any she sees while out.

13. their thoughts on the Grey Warden order?

Heron feels they are extremely disorganized and badly set up (mercenary squad leader mindset) but that does not undo the good they have done and continue to want to do. She feels a lot of people were too harsh on them for a mistake that only cost them their own in the end, and happily lets the Wardens rebuild. Yes, what happened was not okay and an example of how badly the order is managed, but that does not mean these scared good men and women who were only doing what they thought was right deserve exile. She isn’t their number one fan or anything, but she does respect them and hopes that this lesson will help them avoid more incidents like these in the long run.

She does kind of side-eye everyone in Weisshaupt though, thinking they’re too uninvolved in their own orders affairs. A good leader should be in the field with their men, or at the very least be involved and communicating. With how Wardens talks about the place, neither of those seem to be the case which annoys her to no end (mercenary squad leader mindset again)

20. where would they like to be buried?

Wherever Josephine gets buried honestly #LoveWins but if that is not an option then back at her parents place in the Free Marches!

23. do they have, or want to have, children?

She does not have any children and is not planning on having any but is open to the idea. It’s just that the both of them are extremely busy currently with The State Of The World so there just would not be time for it until Solas is dealt with. Afterwards, though, Heron wouldn’t mind having a kid or two.. i mean, the family is going to need heirs anyway, right? And i mean, her old mercenary buddies would be over the moon about it. And i mean, her parents would certainly enjoy becoming grandparents… <- trying to not admit she wants children.

25. what did they plan for their life to look like before the events of the game happened?

Business as usual! Be one of the best assets in the Valo-Kas, maybe even take over from old Shokrakar once he finally croaks (affectionate). Her pay was good, her men were good, life was good, if nothing happened in that conclave she would have gone back and kept doing it until she was either cut down on the job or retired. While quite a ways away her retirement plan was going back to the Free Marches and setting up a farm, maybe take some of her boys who would also be retiring at that point and hire them as workers if they were up to it. Nothing like a good farm.