Heria could have ended just like her parents but she grew up wanting to be exactly the opposite, and the catalyst for this choice was her brother Markus, whose life and later death had a profound impact on heria.
Markus was a rarity among the taldan nobles, a caring soul enamored with the stories of valor and justice from Taldor of old. Values he took at heart and teached to his little sister, Heria. Markus saw the blatant injustice of Taldan society for what it was and argued vehemently against it. While this was seen as an amusing distraction by most nobles, including his parents it also didn't win Markus many friends in high society and later on ended getting him killed by the minions of one of the many nobles who felt insulted and threatened by a member of their own caste who dared question the constituited order.
This event had shattering effects on Heria and her family. While her parents raged and plotted they revenge out of wounded pride and vengance but ultimately condemned the philosophy that Markus endorsed as dangerous and foolish, Heria saw the death of her brother as proof he had been right all along. There was very little honor left in Taldor and even less justice. Her brother's been right, yet his only mistake had been fatal, he wasn't strong enough to back up his claims and exposed himself too much, making himslef an easy target. Yet what people needed was an example, someone they could proudly follow, someone strong enough to challange the injustice of So Heria took upon herself to become that person.
In a martial city like Zimar it wasn't difficult to find people who could trian her. Yet finding discreet ones was another matter entirely. Knowing her parents would never approve if they knew what she was up to Heria needed someone who would help her become strong, yet did it while not arousing suspicion. For a while Heria despaired yet one day fate answered her prayers. While raiding along a crowded street she witnessed a lone woman, armed with a mere stick put down 4 guards of a noble who was bullying a local merchant. While most people run away, fearful of arousing the nobleman's wrath, the woman looked unconcerned and sent him packing, laughing in his face, then, showing great nimbleness and stealth she disappeared into an hallway as if she never existed. Heria had seen what she needed to see. She decided she wanted the yet unnamed warrior woman to be her teacher.
It took Heria no less than half an year to track down the woman, learn her name and... meet with disappointment. The woman, Bellara, seemed not to have any intentions to train "a spoiled aristo brat" and left her standing alone in the hallway where she had finally found her.
But Heria was nothing if not stubborn, and had improved quite a bit at traking down her quarry. It took her a couple of weeks to find Bellara again, this time in a shady tavern on the side of the Jalrune river. Again she was rebuffed and again she tracked Bellara down. The outcome was the same. In the end Heria stubborness won out but not as she expected. One evening, while checking on a lead she tought promising Heria found trouble. A woman was being attackd by a couple of thugs, and without thinking she stepped in. Her basic training wasn't something that could allow her to keep up with the two brutes and soon she found herself on the defensive, capitulation only a matter of time. Things looked dire, then from the shadows leaped a shadow. Bellara, who took down the two goons in a matter of seconds. Then she looked at Heria, bloodied but unbowed and just nodded and introduced her to her particular branch of the gorumite faith, in which the battle loving faithful channelled their fighting energy towards picking up a fight with tyrants and opressors of the weak.
Heria began her training as Bellara's aprentice and it took years in which she had to manage the rigorous phisical and mental training she was receiving with mastering discretion and stealth in order to avoid her parents suspicion about her frequent trips to the city. It took years but in the end the Lioness was born.
