#oc: heron adaar

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^ tiny heron holding a chicken. you agree

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wanted to draw Heron's fucked up arm ever since i read that flavor text in Sera's little logbook during Trespasser because i can imagine it got Bad if just the sight of it had people grimacing the way they did throughout the DLC

also some post-Trespasser HCs under the cut:

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OH RIGHT i was going to doodle all of them but i genuinely cant draw anymore so i only got the inquisitors

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heron's epic winter palace look, also known as everything is the same except for a tiny bit of makeup and also fancy horn caps

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birdies and the types of youtubers they are

vulture: very sporadic uploads, only gets like 4 views on any given video on average, its just her explaining how to do basic things with a grainy camera and 0 editing. Uploads these videos for other people specifically but doesnt know how to unlist them so theyre just public

hawk: WILDLY POPULAR BEAUTY GURU. Gets into and participates in so much fucking drama throughout her career but is never able to be successfully cancelled. People come for her personality mostly but she does serve looks. Its just that everyone pays more attention to the drama. Randomly abandons her channel out of nowhere and becomes a youtube mystery. “WHAT HAPPENED TO HAWK?” (Thumbnail is her face greyscaled with a censor bar and DIED? in red text underneath it). Potentially comes back years later and just keeps going like nothing happened, but abandons the drama and turns it into more of a drew gooden style commentary channel. Does not address her disappearance at all.

buzzard: calm and friendly cooking videos/tutorials with minimal editing. Probably has a tumblr following just from the fact that thats a very obvious dyke, doesnt know about any of this because as a person she is very offline. Reads and responds to most comments within the first day of uploading as well. Randomly drops a video one day that is not cooking but instead is him training and sharing tips and tricks and the sapphic community explodes.

heron: uploaded stupid rowdy stunts in the past that got a lot of views, then the policy changes of the website demonitized all her content and she did a hard pivot into safe reaction commentary videos after nuking all her old videos which lost her a lot of subscribers. Titles are usually like “former mercenary reacts” and is gaining a new following through her earnesty and also being a good reaction content creator that transforms it. Later just makes general commentary videos on things she finds interesting and is seen as an old school creator by the community.

shrike: nightcore videos with grainy edgy 2000s anime backdrops. AMVs set to three days grace and skillet. After a few years of dormancy comes back, unlists all her old videos and becomes a rant youtuber. Subsequently gets into rant channel drama, gets dogpiled and crashes out, deleting all her rant videos and going dark. Creates a new channel and becomes a mildly successful book reviewer that wants to leave the past behind her.

rook: youtube shorts creator, does parkour and store hauls. Also does touristy international content too and gets called out for parkouring in disrespectful places (“watch me jump over the ✨ sunken star ✨ in the nevarran grand necropolis 😆”) but they ignore it and nothing changes because nobody that watches youtube shorts gives a shit. Raking in shorts money.

stork: mark rober type edutainment videos that always get like a million views, interspersed with genuine educational videos meant to open up discussion among peers (those videos do very badly but she appreciates their fans). Has gotten flack for being an open mortalitasi and mourn watcher which she pays no mind to because she isnt online enough to care.

magpie: phone camera nature and animal videos that get like 2 views (she is both views). More a personal archive than a proper channel.

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nevermind i forgive them for everything

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outside of getting to dress up your wife (WOOHOO!!!) i think another big plus to heron regularly being josephines plus one at diplomatic parties post-game is that everyone talks about the huge scary former inquisitor qunari woman when the real threat is standing right next to her

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doodled heron sick in bed for no reason other than i am a twisted person

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everybody cheer its heron picture hour

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character creation questions: 16, 19, 20 for as many of them as you feel like!! give me The Lore

YOU GOT IT!! COMIN IN HOT!!

16. Is there any memes or running jokes associated with the character, both in- and out of universe?

Out of universe Vulture has the running joke of being short. Because i think it’s so very funny. My manlet of a woman. A little bit smaller than average for an origins elf in a world where the elves keep getting taller with each new game she’s COOKED!!! SHE’S SHRINKING!!! AND NOT JUST WITH AGE!!!

Rook has the in-universe gag of people saying “rook, like the chess piece?” And them annoyedly replying “no, like the bird!” Every single time.

They also have the gag of people criticizing them for the way they’re doing something and them replying “i’m the lords ruins expert and best climber, not [whatever they’re getting shit for]!”

19. What is your general favourite thing about the character? What is your least favourite? (this is going to have an answer for all of them so warning: LONG) (LIKE REALLY LONG THIS IS GOING TO INCLUDE A DELUGE OF WIPS AND VAULT ART AFTERWARD)

For Vulture my favorite thing about her is her relationship with her family. They love each other so very much and it’s clear that Vulture would do the sixth blight solo if it meant keeping them safe. Adding onto that, i really like how she breaks her own rule about not seeing anyone else as family with Morrigan. I mean, she didn’t for a LONG time, but when you kind of raise your son together your view starts to shift a bit! Who knew! I dunno i like that moment very much, it says a lot about just how much she means to her. <- made it about the situationship again SORRY!! SORRY!!!

My least favorite thing about her is that she just fucked off!! Like Vulture darling i would love to expand on your relationships with your, you know, OTHER friends but you’re pulling a Tom Scott and going off the grid so of course the only person capable of finding you is your situationship!! Go home!! Visit Alistair!! Visit literally anyone!!

My favorite thing about Hawk is that she’s genuinely just really entertaining?? I like thinking about her because her dramatics and theatrics and her attitude are just so silly so fun! I know i talk about her mental illness all the time but she is for real like really fun to be around if you like her style. It’s just that the world hates her badly and she wasn’t built for that amount of pressure.

My least favorite thing about Hawk is in fact her mental illness. I’m getting kinda sick of it! For the love of god, TALK TO YOUR LOVED ONES!!! STOP STUFFING IT AWAY AND ACTING LIKE YOU’RE FINE!!! Hawk survives the fade AU is made so that she can finally be happy yes but it’s also made because i deserve to be able to have a break from her self destructive antics and force her to be genuine for once. God. I love her so much but GET HELP.

With Buzzard my favorite thing about him is that he’s a brick wall of a person. I think that’s such a cool character archetype. Being both physically cracked but also emotionally immune to intimidation in combat is sick, i will not lie!! I like making my characters just a little bit nearing overpowered, i can’t help it!! The way he shrugs off any kind of wound or blow like it’s nothing and never takes a step back makes me want to make stupid anime noises (uuohh sugoi!! Kakkoii!!! <- fucking cringe) and the way he always protects everyone else no matter the damage done to him in the process… wicked cool. This is why you should hire her as your bodyguard, you won’t find anyone better!

My least favorite thing about her though is that she’s out of canon pretty lackluster as a character, which is my own fault. I turned up the cool factor on her so much i don’t really know what to do with him while preserving it, it’s difficult trying to flesh him out because he has a very simple worldview of protect people he loves -> take care of them through any means necessary -> profit. That’s something i should work on myself though! I still love him in the meantime, he just isn’t as deep as my other guys which makes me sad because she deserves better than that.

My super very favorite thing about Heron is her princely attitude.. i can’t help it.. i see a gentlewoman i get red in the face!! The circumstances under which she developed this weren’t very good of course, but i don’t think she hates it for that, or hates it at all. Uoohh i love her so much she’s so charming she’s so sweeties… come sweep me off my feet Heron Adaar..!!!

My least favorite thing about Heron is her passivity. She puts up with so much shit during Inquisition and just politely takes all of it for the sake of the Inquisition and the Herald’s image. Her finally snapping at the end of Trespasser was so very satisfying but my goodness girl.. that was three years of letting yourself get kicked by all of Ferelden and Orlais. Repeatedly. You deserved better than that. Even after the Veilguard timeskip i think she still struggles with it, especially since she still regularly goes to political balls and parties with Josie, but that one is much more understandable because i would also take any hit for Josie.

My favorite Shrike trait is definitely just how much she develops during the game! From Immature Angry Girl With Issues to Decently Competent Leader is honestly such a feat and i am genuinely very proud of her. She gets removed from her harmful environment, makes her first friends, finds love, she finally gets to live as a person (not very much but certainly more than she allowed herself to live in the Circle) and it really brings out the good parts of her personality. It reveals that, shocker, when not constantly angry and stressed she can actually be quite a lovely person!

My least favorite trait of hers is that even after realizing her anger isn’t good for anyone especially herself Shrike instead kind of veers into the “i’ll show them..” mindset. She ends up genuinely liking necromancy (eventually) but initially the only reason she chose it as her specialization was because she wanted power and the mortalitasi called to Skyhold promised her that people would fear her. She realized she couldn’t be angry anymore even though she wanted to be so instead she wanted to fill that gap in purpose with becoming powerful and feared. (This whole phase was hilariously short though as the Inner Circle (except Dorian) unanimously disagreed with her decision and made it known which in turn made her feel awful and abandon those convictions almost immediately)

My favorite thing about Rook is that they’re such a silly billy. Like all the way to goofytown big fun loving goober. But what i especially like about this is that under that goofyness they’re still pretty down to earth and not “on” all the time. Like they’re silly, but they’re not grating. Cringe maybe depending on the person but you can just chill with them without them pulling any stupid stunts or saying lame jokes. They’re not a sunshine person, they’re too smug for that, but their laid back positive attitude can certainly improve the mood of a room!

My least favorite thing about Rook is that they don’t really care all that much. They’re so into what they love doing (pirating, ruins, climbing, partying with friends) but anything outside of that can’t really keep their interest or attention that much. Their parents probably assume they’re dead at this point with them having gone missing as a teenager, but they don’t care enough to make themselves known or consider how much it might have hurt them. As an elf they have a rich culture and past, but they don’t care about any of that stuff Dalish or City and think it’s kinda weird to care as much as a lot of elves do. They aren’t very considerate of anything outside their little world, which is tragic! Hopefully with a partner and some friends they can start broadening their horizons a little now!

Stork’s best trait to me is her chill attitude. Like she’s an unconventional but great leader, an accomplished researcher, a crypt baby, but most of all she is chill as fuck. Fantastic addition to the blunt rotation. She doesn’t worry too much about what life throws at her unless it’s dire and goes with the flow, the world with its life and its death is beautiful and she wants to experience all of it! Really takes in the little things as much as the big things and goes at her own pace.

Stork’s worst trait to me is just how much she tends to neglect things in favor of her research. She has on occasion cancelled plans just to attend a specific lecture or because inspiration struck and she needed to test a theory, which is kind of sucky of her. She doesn’t really do all this while consciously knowing it could make others feel bad, but that’s no excuse. It’s really something she should consider, especially at her age!! This isn’t something she does ALL the time she isn’t entirely inconsiderate but it still happens and is something she needs to work on.

My favorite thing about Magpie is her love for nature, and how gentle she is with it in direct opposition with how harsh her Crow life has been. There’s been a lot of pain and tears and many marks to remember it by but she won’t become that harsh person no matter how many times her behavior needs to be “corrected” to become a better assassin.

My least favorite thing about her is that she tends to blame herself for everything regardless of if something actually bad happened or not. Growing up with the First Talon constantly calling her a stupid idiot in her ear might have affected her on a deep level and made her believe she is incompetent no matter what!! And that’s very understandable, but Magpie dear you just got world record in the 100 meter sprint stop apologizing for not being ten milliseconds faster!!!!! You’re SWAG stop telling people you’re CRINGE!!!

20. Bonus question: share any additional thoughts, art, favourite scenes, anything you've been waiting for a chance to ramble about

ALRIGHT!!! RANDOM BULLSHIT GO!!!

Embarrassing but Vulture actually directly inspired me to get my buzzcut (thank you)

I honestly already ramble about whatever i want to ramble about on the blog so instead i will be releasing things from my vault (crowd cheers)

^ unreleased hawk doodle because it turned out bad

^ teenie tiny unreleased vulture i made testing brushes as well because its too small to justify posting

^ unreleased pigeon doodle because her mabari looked bad

^ hawk ill never finish

^ very early stages of a hawk drawing i never did too

^ vultures kieran maybe

^ magpies i dont know if im ever gonna turn into anything

^ shrike doodle i dont know if ill ever finish because that would mean i have to read hard in hightown to accurately describe the plot. and i dont want to

^ escaped the fade AU hawk i dont know if ill ever finish

^ older hawk i release from my embarrassment prison

^ another hawk ill probably never finish

^ random heron doodle

^ concept for a big piece i will probably never do (plus timestamps making something funnier)

^ hawk funny i abandoned because it looked bad and i dont remember the punchline anymore

^ very loose doodle i never intended to finish. i like baseball uniforms they look nice

^ shrikes i doodled trying to get a feel for her

^ thing that was going to be an entire scene i quickly and feverishly worked on while 100% situationshipbrained ill and later went "wait this is so embarrassing" so im never going to finish it

^ vulture in the da2 grey warden armor. will i ever finish this? i dont know. does it hurt to see me never finish this? absolutely do you know how long i spent on that armor. oh my god.

^ vulture wip ill probably never finish that i feel just as horrible about abandoning. do you have any idea how long this took.

AND AS A THANK YOU FOR REACHING IT THIS FAR IN THIS TRAINWRECK OF A POST

^ a peek of my big wip ive been slowly working on for months, from really far away

thank you for getting through this catastrophe of a post i had a blast

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tell me more about Heron!!! i need to know more!! what’s she like, is she romancing anyone, general attitude about being inquisitor? :)

OOHH YAY HERON TALK!!!

Let’s start with the whole Inquisitor thing first. Heron was honestly!! A tiny little bit freaked out!!! Like going from partly amnesiac prisoner to fake religious symbol (though even the people ensuring this would be an act seemed to believe it to some extent) to having leadership of the ENTIRE THING thrown into her hands was. A rollercoaster to say the least.

From the start Heron had been very cooperative, both to prove her innocence and because whatever she did in the conclave she wanted to set it right. She never thought it was her fault, she knew it wasn’t, but obviously that wound on her hand had something to do with it and fighting back will only make everything worse for everyone. She wanted this whole thing fixed as much as anyone else.

While in her mercenary group she was a great leader, and commanded squads of her own to great success while supporting them from the rear with her magic. She put the lives of her men over the job and respected everyone greatly, and thus was respected in return. As a person she was generally kind but also definitely crass in the way mercenaries are, she wasn’t afraid to throw playful insults and COULD drink you under the table. And she’d bet thirty silvers on that.

When prisoner and eventually joining the Inquisition she quickly stuffed all those crass traits into a closet somewhere and dedicated herself to trying to be the very symbol of humble and kindness. Everyone was already extremely skeptical about her because of the whole Qunari Apostate claiming to be the Herald of Andraste thing so she did everything in her power to come across as the most model citizen, which luckily worked and her reputation has greatly improved!

After the Inquisition starts gaining more notoriety and the bonds between Heron and the companions grow closer she does start to let that stuff slip more often during things like Wicked Grace or other general hangouts. It’s NOT anything drastic she just becomes like, a little witty and competitive instead of being the whole stalwart virtuous leader.

I think Varric actually said it best in a cutscene he was like “i’ve seen the inquisitor, but i haven’t seen you.” He hit the nail RIGHT on the head there. It’s not like Inquisitor mode is drastically different from who Heron usually is she does believe in what she does but outside closed doors she’s quick to not show… herself, really. She wouldn’t know the reason why if pressed but subconsciously it’s a fear of basically losing favor with people. Being seen as the stereotype they thought of her as and basically having the worst fall from grace ever because they have postured her as a person above all the others. Heron doesn’t know it but the expectations weigh heavy on her, especially because she never believed she was a Herald in the first place.

As for romance, she is romancing Josephine!! Because Josephine is literally the cutest i love her so much. There’s honestly no crazy dynamic or anything they just got along really well and it worked out in the end! Heron generally just spent more time with her because Josephine’s offices have been relatively quiet and she is like, one of the more normal people in both Haven and Skyhold. Which when you are grappling with the weight of the world on your shoulders is just a very nice atmosphere to be able to rest in. I could honestly not get over them waltzing at the Winter Palace they are SO prince and her princess… sorry.

Overall i would describe Heron as someone with a lot of burdens that she willingly carries, who is tremendously strong both as a person and a leader doing what she can to keep her people safe (even if that means having to eliminate others) while respecting them and being humble enough to always credit their part in a successful mission. She wants to lead with her people, not above her people. She’s kind and understanding and values diplomacy unless you’re a real piece of work. And she’s also just an absolute powerhouse on the battlefield, as she should be. She’s well-liked and if not liked she is at least respected, and she respects those she does not like back in turn.

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funny guy question for you: what kind of demon each of your Dragon Age girls is most susceptible to and why?

this might not be very accurate as i feel like demons and temptation from said demons is for some reason a blind spot for me?? Maybe im just not very smart but i never could understand exactly how it worked throughout all 3 games (vg not counted because it doesnt care about lore) so im going off what i remember and interpreted here..

Vulture i think would be most susceptible to a Sloth demon. She’s pretty suspicious of deal making or alluring with promises demon or no so i think a Sloth demon would have the most success with her, fooling her into a state of apathy or contentment instead. I HC it actually took quite a while for her to break free from the illusion in Kinloch Hold, but because the Fade has fucky time it didn’t really impact anything else, it’s just for flavor!

Hawk would be most susceptible to a Pride demon. I was thinking Desire at first but i think she would be too skeptical of promises and can break out (or at least be aware) of things like mind control as she did in the Blooming Rose. A powerful Pride demon could easily talk her into fucking herself over if given enough time and opportunity, she does that to herself already anyway!

Buzzard could be susceptible to a Sloth demon as well i think. Talking isn’t his style, he won’t even listen to those demons, but the illusion of life going back to normal? Of everyone just being happy together? She would be embarrassingly fooled by it. Just having no worries, no more responsibilities outside of the usual ones of an older sister sounds so nice.. nice enough to spend an eternity in it..

Heron… i think she would be most susceptible to a Pride demon. She is proud, and while she’s tough and not easily tempted at all put her in a room long enough with a Pride demon and i think it would be able to chip away at her until she breaks.

Shrike would be most susceptible to a Desire demon, it’s honestly the most basic possession. A mage gets offered a deal, she takes it. She already almost fell to the demon during her Harrowing, i don’t think it would be very hard at that point. It’s Desire specifically because Shrike wants so many things, she wants power, she wants freedom, she wants a normal life, deep down she wants her family back, there’s so many targets a Desire demon could hit. Rage is a close second, though.

Honestly? I think Rook could be susceptible to a Hunger demon. More treasure! More fun! Hedonism!!! They’d be the perfect target for a Hunger demon methinks. They don’t concern themselves much with deals or promises, they like treasure but they want to be the one earning their treasure too! No cheating! So the smooth talking demons are out of the question. Rage is something they don’t really identify with, so Hunger is primed to take them. Also i think they should bite someone, just for fun.

Stork would be the hardest person to tempt out of everyone, as spirits are literally her subject of study, but i think she would be the most susceptible to a Desire demon. Perhaps it goes along with her, assures her that this deal will be just for study, and she will gain something from it won’t she? For free, even, considering this is all meant to be for research. This wouldn’t bend her under normal circumstances, but it is the only temptation that could give her cause to consider, even if only for a moment.

Magpie would 100% be susceptible to a Despair demon. Her life with the Crows already being pretty miserable, it could so easily bend the facts into taking away any hope she has to escape from it. She tries not to listen to it at first but well, once it hits a sore spot or she just breaks under the thoughts it’s over.

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thinking about inquisition inevitably makes me think about heron (and shrike but its like. A chain reaction. Think about one, think about the other) and here is another epic heron fun fact she was completely inexperienced in the rapier. I imagine sending the dueling message and getting a response took a day or two at least in canon time so heron straight up just grabbed as many books about dueling as a tradition/fencing/swordplay she could find and locked herself in her room with a dummy to practice. Obviously this does not go entirely unnoticed but like everyone wants to see the outcome of this. To be honest.

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WAITTT i never realized josie stands on her tippy toes when hugging her AUAUUGHH

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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.

[cacturne]

1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 10, 15, 16, 19, 20 and 23 for my friends Heron and Stork >:)

YAAYY!! 1, 2 and 4 have already been answered for heron so she will jump in a little later!

1. What memory would your OC rather just forget?

Stork would say regret prison at first, then she thinks for a bit and goes wait, i can get valuable research from my experience, make me forget when Bellara and Emmrich walked in on me playing the piano instead. She isn’t very concerned about forgetting things, memories are one of the things that separates the living from the dead and informs their very existence after all, even if they are negative experiences. Embarrassing experiences however…

2. What's something about your OC that people wouldn't expect just from looking at them?

Honestly i don’t think people would expect her combat and leadership skills from her. She’s very smiley and easygoing, someone you would expect to see as a quirky Librarian instead of on the battlefield snuffing out a war between undead. She does appreciate the sentiment though, she knows she’d look great in a Librarian outfit. This woman was built to wear glasses in a glasses-less world.

4. When scared, does your OC fight, flee, freeze or fawn?

I think Stork doesn’t realize she’s scared until it hits her later, that’s when a flee response really kicks in which she then manages through various mental exercises.

5. How far is your OC willing to go to get what they want?

Heron will go as far as she needs to as long as it does not risk the lives of her allies. That’s a hard line that she draws, the safety of her people come first and foremost to her. She also won’t do overtly bad things such as taking innocents captive and burning down their homes to get a leg up on someone or something like that, she will instead try to find more moral alternatives that could still give her that advantage. Within those boundaries though? Heron will go as far as she needs to, even if it costs her personally.

Stork goes further than Heron, whatever it takes, quite literally. She will let people sacrifice themselves for a goal if it’s a big enough goal to warrant something like that. She does still draw a hard line at remaining moral, no orphan torture here or whatever, but if her and her squads lives need to be given for the sake of their duty then they will go in there and fight to the last. When it’s something less serious than a war or two evil gods though she does draw the line at casualties, there’s no use in sacrificing yourself in a battle you can retreat from and come back to. They’ll do what they can and get out if it gets too hairy to draw new plans and re-evaluate the situation.

9. Do you have a specific lyric or quote which you associate with your OC?

No :( for both… i apologize, most of the music i listen to is in a language i don’t understand and i tend not to look up the lyrics so song/lyric assignments for my OCs are rare. Same with quotes, i’m not really sure how assigning quotes works? Is it just from anywhere? Does it have to be poetry, or..? You can tell i’m extremely uninvolved in this aspect of OC stuff LOL i live under a rock. Everyone throw tomatoes at me i can’t make you want to chew drywall through a perfectly tailored lyric assignment except for like… a singular one for Hawk.

10. What's an AU that would be interesting to explore with your OC?

Heron’s actually been pretty interesting to explore in a co-Inquisitor AU! (Shoutout Dragons) it’s fun to see what role she takes when not the only one at her high stature and the dynamics that come from it!! Somehow she’s simultaneously more and less stressed, it’s a Schrödinger’s miracle.

For Stork… hmmmm i think she could be interesting to put in a non-mage AU, considering her magic is a key factor for the majority of her research having her work ten times as hard and adapt to various non-magic methods of study would be cool!! Kind of like what i ASSUMED Bellara had going on before i learned that she’s actually a mage.. still a betrayal to me.

15. Does your OC have a faceclaim? If so, who?

Again i live under a rock i <:) don’t know a majority of popular people. Or remember their faces very well. I just make my guys in a funny character creator and draw them and that is their face… i apologize…

16. What is your OC's pain tolerance like?

Heron has a pretty high pain tolerance, she tends not to flinch from blows unless they put her off-balance and can quickly retaliate or react afterward. While very resistant to blows open wounds do tend to make her flinch for a second, but depending on the size of them she quickly fights through that pain. Messing with her balance is the most surefire way to defeat her in combat.

Stork surprisingly actually has a lower than average pain tolerance, which is tragic because she has a habit of accidentally walking into doorframes or tables when distracted by her thoughts. This is one of the reasons she keeps such a distance in battle, both because that is her combat style but also because she can quickly become dazed or stunned when receiving a heavy blow which is hard for her to recover from. She still fights through any pain when she can, but becomes a bit sluggish and can easily be targeted and taken down when not careful.

19. How does your OC behave when enraged?

Heron gets a little petty. She gets a little spiteful and sarcastic. When you get her angry to that degree i’d say all politeness and courtesy is OUT and you will get the colorful mercenary vocabulary in return, with low blows and everything. Shouted at you, as she grabs you by your shirt. She’d probably become more impulsive and hateful to the point of being a bit careless, but only careless to herself. This is really rare though, i don’t think you could get her to this point unless you’re seriously provoking her. Even the angriest she’s been (Exalted Council) was just… being really angry, tired, stressed and in pain. Not enraged. Heron probably wouldn’t like how ugly she becomes very much either and would walk out if possible before becoming enraged.

Stork gets loud and firm when she’s angry, but when she’s enraged i think she just becomes silent and commanding, impatient. You will listen to her or there will be consequences. I don’t think she’s above bodily threats either, or playing into the Necromancer stereotype to get a fear response. Again, this is rare, she’s only ever gotten that angry before with Solas in Minrathous but it does tend to stick with people considering how it’s a pretty drastic shift. She’s got a mean glare.

20. Does your OC have a tendency to get jealous? If so, how does this manifest?

Heron gets a little jealous… she’s a little embarrassed about it but she is very much a Is That Man Bothering You Queen type of person when about her wife. She doesn’t become super possessive or confront the guy or anything, but she will just kind of hover around Josie whenever that happens. Just in case, you know. In general though? She's pretty content on that front, nothing to really be jealous of.

The only thing Stork Ingellvar has ever been jealous of is people that have Corpse Whispering, incredibly so if you catch her in the wrong mood, and she deals with it by ranting in her head about how she deserved to have it when taking a bath. Other than that? Stork is a jealousy free person who just rides the waves of life. She’s also rather oblivious to any jealousy from other people, which can lead to tragic misconceptions.

23. What emotion is the hardest for your OC to process? How about express?

Heron isn’t good at processing her stress, it just kind of builds up in the background over time without her really realizing it until it’s debilitating. As for expression, Heron isn’t very good at expressing her sadness. It’s just not something she knows how to do well, especially crying. It always just comes out very awkward and unnatural to her and she doesn’t like it.

Stork doesn’t really know how to process or express her fear, growing up in an environment where most things people are afraid of are normalized and never really leaving it until much later has made it difficult for her to really know how to react to it, considering all the things people usually fear are normal for her. She just kind of uses exercises taught to her or distracts herself when able and hopes that the feeling will eventually go away.