Author's note:
This first chapter is an introduction to my Inquisitor character, so I guess you can skip this if you'd like? After this anything I write will be about her interactions with the Inner Circle.
To say that no one expected the Herald of Andraste to be a Qunari Tal-Vashoth, would be a massive understatement. Everywhere Adaar went people would point and stare, whisper to their neighbor with wide eyes, or express some other variant of disbelief and awe. At first no one had believed the rumors that a Qunari, of all beings, held the title of Andraste's Herald. But as Adaar continued to conquer every challenge put in her path, and grew to be the famed leader of the Inquisition, there was no more room left for doubt.
Opinions of the Inquisitor were a different story altogether, and varied wildly depending on who one asked. To the Orlesian court she was regal, charming, and yet somewhat cold. She was a master of The Game and quite the force to reckoned with, not to mention that her height and the horns that swept elegantly over her head made her quite intimidating.
Villagers of small towns called her a blessing, upon first glance she was as the Orlesians thought, but once Adaar smiled all fear was melted away. She was calm and soothing, strong in her determination to help and swift to take whatever action necessary. Yet despite these traits she maintained a distance from the people she saved, not wanting to show any sort of favoritism or linger for too long in any one place. So while she was glad to help and offer kind smiles, Adaar kept meetings polite and brief before moving on to the next task. The shortness of her visits did nothing to sway the people's relief and sense of safety when she swept by on patrols or missions, for Inquisitor Adaar's presence only brought peace and the vanquishing of foes.
Her army followed and defended her with a fierce loyalty, Adaar was a fair and kind ruler, she held a strictness about her but never overstepped. She knew what her warriors were capable of and while there was always a push for improvement, there was never unhealthy strain or disregard for lives. Everyday she patrolled Skyhold and everyday she bid hello, or nodded in acknowledgment to an innumerable amount of people. They weren't pawns or disposable peons, they were part of something grand, and more than happy to follow Adaar in her quest for peace.
It was her inner circle that knew Inquisitor Adaar the best, however. They saw how loving and soft she could be when comfort was needed, and they also saw the cold rage and power she wielded on the battlefield. They saw Adaar laugh herself breathless or fall asleep in the gardens after a long night, they saw her play with Skyhold's children and fondly care for her steed. They saw her gray, freckled complexion spattered with blood and mud, they saw her white-haired mohawk wild with bedhead, or her purple eyes locked hungerly on a good book. They were her closest friends and they saw Adaar as a person, not just an idol, a brutish Qunari, distant noble, or great war leader.