Firav Aeducan

The Lettuce Queen

> *"There are times where I look up at the stars in all their glittering, distant glory...and wonder if millions of people can be wrong when they say 'the sky cannot fall'."*
>
>

**Firav Aeducan** was the second child and only daughter to King Endrin Aeducan. A powerful and influential figure in Orzammar's noble circles, Firav was slated to inherit her father's throne, but family betrayal and false accusations of fratricide led instead to her exile.

Doomed to die in the Deep Roads, Firav sought out the Grey Wardens and joined their ranks. Leading the charge against the Fifth Blight and famously slaying the archdemon, she once again rose to prominence, becoming known as the Hero of Ferelden and later, a Paragon of Orzammar.

## Overview

### **Physical Appearance**

Topping at 4'7", Firav has always been considered beautiful, from childhood into adulthood, with "hair red as rubies and eyes like sapphires" (comparisons she'll gladly cling to, for the record). In good health, she has a curvy hourglass shape, with broad shoulders, powerful arms she *loves* to show off, and a well-defined back. All told, she's built like a warrior.

In addition to her natural beauty, Firav's vanity demands she always does what she can to make herself look good. Her armor is almost always polished to perfection; her fashion casual and formal alike always shows off her best assets; her hair is always well-brushed and styled, and her eyes always have a dab of darker eyeshadow to compliment the color.

Firav's tattoos are her most personal and defining feature, however. Clean and rather bold in design, they mark her cheeks, forehead, and nose in dark grey. She got them in an act of rebellion when she was fifteen years old in an effort to "have the most recognizable face in history". It stirred up quite a bit of controversy at the time; dwarf nobility did not often mark their faces as it was too closely related to the "branding" of the casteless. Firav, notably, didn't care.

### **Personality**

A **perfectionist** to the core, much of Firav's personality is forged around being the best she can be at everything she does. She **refuses to do anything by half-measures**; what she learns, she learns to its entirety; what she does, it's to the best and most complete outcome possible. It goes hand-in-hand with her **curiosity**. *Wanting* to learn, combined with the intense dedication she puts into it, has lent itself to making her an **intelligent** and **thoughtful**individual. Many in Orzammar believed that if she hadn't been so **ambitious** with a head full of crowns and stories, she would have made a fine scholar.

 With perfectionism though comes an **arrogance** that fluctuates throughout her life. She **struggles with admitting she's wrong,** to the point of oftentimes ignoring criticism and for a time deflecting her own mistakes onto others (specifically her younger brother, Bhelen). **Self-reflection is difficult** for her. She'll go from not acknowledging her faults at all to massively exaggerating them, telling herself she's a worse person than she actually is and playing mental gymnastics to prove it (and then pretending they're not there in the face others, because **public image is ultimately more important than self-care/realization**).

A part of her issue comes from **idealism.** A **love of stories** and **penchant for idolization** makes her prone to thinking larger of people than she realistically ought to, and latching onto certain ideals more than she should.

For all her focus on her own image, however, she's not inherently selfish. She's a **people-person**, charismatic and receptive to all those around her, recognizing their wants, needs, and desires. She's **generous,** giving out resources through the duration of Blight and beyond, and going out of her way to get gifts for her comrades as thanks for their assistance. **If someone needs help, she'll do all she can to aid them, and she has a particular soft spot for kids.**

**Other Notes:**

* Philosophical - She often enjoys talking about life and the universe at large, with her ponderings often being some level of whimsical and poetic rather than realistic.
* While she does believe in and worship the Stone and her Ancestors, Firav is open to other religions/religious interpretations and enjoys discussion on them.
* Big dog lover. If she ever retired, she'd love to become a mabari breeder.
* Known for having a "smug" air about her, from the way she holds herself to the tone of her voice.

### **Warrior**

* Took up general **sword-and-shield** training at the age of ten (which she continued to use and perfect through adulthood).
* Started undergoing specialized training as a **berserker** at the age of fourteen.
	+ Although no one believed her to be aggressive enough to become a real berserker, Firav very often utilized her early hatred of Bhelen and her anger over her mother's death to trigger her rage. Later on in life, she'd also come to use the repressed bitterness of various instances from her youth.
* Possesses a general understanding of dual-wielding, two-handed, and siege weaponry. (And no slouch in a fist-fight.)
* **High stamina.**
* Strategic combat thinker.
* As of 9:32 Dragon continues to hold the record for most one-on-one battles won on the Proving Grounds of Orzammar.

**Political**

* Instructed on politics the moment she could talk. Notable instructors include her parents, King Endrin and Queen Sida, and Lord Pyral Harrowmont.
	+ Early instruction on politics helped her to learn how to recognize various lying tells and manipulation tactics. (And, alternatively, how to lie/manipulate herself.)
* Gifted public speaker.
* **Natural leader.**

**Other**

* Experienced map reader/hobbyist cartographer.
	+ In particular, she's noted for having an impressive memory of the Deep Roads, having studied their maps since she was a youth and keeping up with any new blockages/openings.
* Basic understanding of first-aid. Took precautionary lessons as a youth in the event no herbalist or healer was available.
* Although no stonemason, she knows enough about architecture to tell the bad from the good
* **Can and will eat a whole head of lettuce if one is presented to her.**

**Also notable: She's absolutely abysmal at what would be considered "domestic" skills. Sewing, cleaning, basically anything a servant would do she has little to no knack for. *Especially* cooking.**

## **Relationships**

### **Companions - DAO**

**Nug (Dog):** Firav's best friend and closest companion, ever since he decided to imprint on her the two have been inseparable. Rare are the times he's not accompanying her on her journeys or resting by her side. Nights at camp he'll often curl himself around her and make himself her pillow; a great comfort on the nights she struggles. (And when she does find herself a mate, he still insists on sleeping with her. She needs him!)

**Alistair Theirin**: Although Firav and Alistair did get along, it was only on the surface level. Alistair struggled to see beyond the confident, implacable front Firav always put up, and Firav would come to disdain his submissive nature in the face of their struggles. When push came to shove, Firav refused to make Alistair king, and he was exiled.

**Morrigan:** The beautiful witch intrigued Firav almost immediately, and the two struck a fast friendship despite their very different upbringings. They share much of the same views in regards to survival and strength, and although Firav's more compassionate nature frequently made Morrigan's eyes roll, it's also something she grew to appreciate, just as Firav appreciated how straight-forward Morrigan can be.

**Leliana:**  Firav listened attentively to the Orlesian's songs and tales whenever they came up, and they enjoyed many a conversation, often finding comfort in each other's more romantic, idealistic views on life. Although Firav ultimately didn't believe in Leliana's apparent "vision", it was Leliana who got her thinking more about gods and the beliefs of others.

**Sten:** Firav and Sten like swords, and each other. Although it felt like at times she had to be careful in what she said/how she said it, and Sten at times questioned her stability as a leader, they were close, with Sten willingly teaching her how to meditate and Firav going out of her way to help him as well. Had she not felt obligated to the Wardens, she might have left with him to Seheron.

**Wynne:** Firav and Wynne enjoyed each other considerably. Wynne appreciated Firav's whimsical and at times child-like view of the greater world, and Firav relished in Wynne's more motherly nature, always listening to her stories and lessons even if she didn't agree with them all.

**Zevran:** The fact Firav had an assassin sent after her meant little seeing as she grew up surrounded by Orzammar's deadly politics. Despite an initially rocky start, Zevran was very much a rock for her throughout the Blight, and she was *ecstatic* when he stayed with her for a time after. They remain in touch and very close.

**Shale:** Although not as close as with her other companions, Firav and Shale shared much the same humor, and she was beyond happy to help Shale regain her memories and autonomy. Shale is without a doubt one of the few Firav would gladly go back into the Deep Roads to help.

**Oghren:** Although Firav would never go out of her way to say "Oghren's one of the best people I know", he's undeniably one of her best and closest friends. Nothing truly gets past each other, and many are the times they serve as each other's confidantes. Although Oghren's occasional dependency and general inappropriate attitude can grate on her nerves, there's little she wouldn't gladly do for him (and vice versa).

\***Loghain Mac Tir\*:** After his recruitment, Firav and Loghain got along surprisingly well for all the trouble he caused. They found each other easy to talk to, easy to *listen* to. They quipped and held each other accountable for their actions, kept each other company and talked about stars and regrets. What started as a tentative friendship bloomed slowly into affection at the end of the Blight, and months before Firav was dubbed Warden-Commander, they officially started what was only supposed to be a "friends-with-benefits" relationship.

(Dragon Age: Awakening): In the middle of the Darkspawn Civil War that followed the Blight, Weisshaupt ordered Loghain to Orlais on the basis the Wardens didn't want him "meddling in affairs". It was only a couple years after (and many, many letters to each other) that Firav accepted she was very much in love with him, and at her Wardens' insistence she "take a break to go be happy", she rejoined him in Orlais, living quietly with him, avoiding notice, before eventually slipping off to find a Cure for the Calling.

### **Other Notable Relationships:**

**Bhelen Aeducan:** King of Orzammar and the youngest of Endrin's children, Firav's relationship with her younger brother has always been tumultuous and unhappy due to her early neglect of him and his later betrayal. Although she tried to build a bridge by making him king, his first act of executing Lord Harrowmont burned the attempt to ashes. To date, she refuses to visit Orzammar or use the Aeducan name unless absolutely necessary.

**Lord Harrowmont:**  Firav's mentor and teacher in many things, she saw Harrowmont as family, even called him uncle. Although she recognized he was not the leader Orzammar needed and put Bhelen on the throne, one of her greatest regrets is that she never got to speak with him and explain herself before his unjust end.

**Trian and King Endrin Aeducan:** Her older brother and father respectively, they were the men Firav loved and respected more than any, despite how insulting and cruel Trian was to her in their later years. She very much looked at them with rose-tinted glasses and continues to do so, even though she recognizes that the way she was raised was ultimately unhealthy.

## **Miscellaneous**

#### **Fun Facts:**

* Astraphobic (having the fear of thunder and lightning).
	+ Firav states that the thunder makes her think that "the ceiling is about to cave in over their heads". She'll often cower or have to force herself not to "get out of the way".
		- Additionally, she cannot sleep during a storm, even when safe inside a building. "Keep Firav Calm" protocols during these times usually include plenty of blankets.
* Exceptionally sensitive to her Warden-induced nightmares, moreso than her fellows. Although they do calm following the Blight, there are still moments where she'll have to be forced awake to keep from thrashing about and hurting herself, or she will wake up and instantly become nauseated, rushing for a bush or pot.
* Bisexual.
* (Post-Blight) Has to wear spectacles to read. Age eventually worsens her eyesight further.
* In addition to her titles, Firav has three nicknames. Oghren calls her "Ruby". Loghain calls her "pretty lady", and most of the *Awakening* cast teasingly calls her "Mom".
	+ Ruby is a nickname stemming from her childhood, inspired by the color of her hair.
	+ Loghain calls Firav "pretty lady" on the sole basis he forgot her name when they first met, back when she was a little girl, and didn't fully remember her real name until after Ostagar. Oops.
* **She loves lettuce. So much. *Veggies.***
* ***She is, in fact, the unofficial Queen of Lettuce.***

## **Gallery**

* Firav/Loghain by Tzedekart.Go to https://tzedekart.tumblr.com/
* Derpy!Firav and Nug by JRMaxwell (me)
* Leliana's Song.
* Firav watching Shale kill a chicken.
* Christina Hendricks (Firav's FC)
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