Hera

"Everyone in this world has a role to fill. Some of us are made to follow, some are made to rule. Too many have delusions about which role they occupy."

-Hera, Queen of Olympus

Hera is the Queen of the Olympian Pantheon, and the Goddess of Marriage, Childbirth, and Women. The youngest, most beautiful, and most powerful daughter of Kronos, Hera is married to Zeus, her youngest brother, and is the mother to all his legitimate offspring, the two most notable of which are Ares and Hephaestus. Vain, charismatic, and magnanimous when the need calls for it, Hera can rightfully be called one of the faces of the Olympian Pantheon, as she often hosts and attends interpantheon social gatherings. While she has a somewhat intimidating reputation as a result of her legendary pride, fierce temper, and infamous ability to hold a grudge, and yet, many admire Hera for her grace, wits, and unshakable commitment to her husband and her family.

Early Life and Titanomachy
The last and most beautiful daughter of Kronos and Rhea, Hera was swallowed by her father shortly after her birth, and grew up in his belly with most of her other siblings. Upon being freed by her brother Zeus, Hera, and her other siblings fled the Titan palace upon Mount Othrys to Arcadia, the realm where Zeus had been raised by their grandmother Gaia in secret from their father. There, Hera and her other siblings were warmly embraced by their mother Rhea. Fierce and hot tempered, Hera was the first to call for her siblings to declare war against their father in vengeance for what he had done to them. Save for her sister Hestia, all of Hera's siblings agreed with her.

Expedition to the Pit
Hera journeyed to Tartarus with her siblings to free and enlist the help of her uncles, the Cyclopes and the Hekatokhieres, and in return, they forged her the Scepter of Radiance, which she employed in battle against the Titans.

Post War Negotiations
After the defeat of her father, Kronos, Zeus was crowned as his his successor, and Hera's brothers began establishing a rule of their own to succeed the rule of the Titans. While they busied themselves doing that, Hera took it upon herself to visit the Titans who had remained neutral during the war. Now a seasoned warrior with a powerful new weapon at her command, the fierce young goddess went before the Titans with an ultimatum: Swear their allegiance to her brother Zeus, or remove themselves from his new domains. Most gave her their fealty, too intimidated to gainsay her. Others removed themselves, to found pantheons of their own. Some made so bold as to fight her. Perses, the Titan of Destruction, had sat out the war hoping that Kronos would be overthrown, and he might be able to reign unchecked, but was too fearful of reprisal if he sided with the Olympians and they lost. Scornful of "some bitch with a stick", he attacked Hera, but was driven into submission and banished, though Hera allowed his children to remain, accepting their oaths of fealty.

The House of Oceanus and Tethys
Hera last journeyed to the court of Oceanus and Tethys, her uncle and aunt, and the eldest of her parents' siblings in their realm of Atlantis. There, she received a warm welcome, so warm, in fact, that she remained at their abode for several months. The couple showed their niece such a great deal of kindness, that it earned her eternal affection. The great love between the pair that had produced over six thousand children, and kindled within Hera a desire to have the same sort of marriage for herself. Hera was greatly saddened when the pair announced that they would be leaving to found a pantheon of their own, but sent them off with her blessing.

Seduction by Zeus
Upon her return to Olympus, Hera found herself plagued by suitors from the residents of the new court that had taken form around Olympus. Hera's sisters, Hestia Demeter was plagued by similar problems. Being the more beautiful of the three, Hera's return initially saw her attracting more attention, but her fiery temper put far more of them off. Hera's brother Zeus, the new king of Olympus, was the most persistent and vexing of them all. Handsome, charming, and of course, king, Zeus was one of the most eligible bachelors in all Creation. Hera admittedly found him quite attractive, as he was able to make her laugh and made continuous and ostentatious gestures of affection which she found quite endearing. Though she did spurn them, Hera greatly enjoyed the attention she received from Zeus and her other suitors, her pride and vanity swelling.

Of them all though, Zeus was easily her favorite. There was a problem however: Zeus was a notorious womanizer. Furthermore, he had also forcibly transformed his first first wife, Metis, into a fly and swallowed her, after receiving a prophecy that any son she bore would be greater than his father. With this in mind, Hera refused Zeus's marriage proposals. Attractive as she did find his brazen swagger and cocky charm, she wanted a marriage like Oceanus and Tethys had.

Eventually, Zeus made a bet with Hera. If he could convince her to tell him too his face that she loved him, and in return she would marry him. Dismissive of her brother's boast, Hera smiled, rolled her eyes, and agreed, confident she could thwart whatever attempts he came up with. Zeus created a great storm, and took the form of an injured cuckoo, which Hera took in and cared for. The bird was so affectionate and cuddly that Hera said that she loved it, whereupon the cuckoo transformed into Zeus. Impressed by the intellect Zeus had shown, and secretly thrilled at the prospect of marrying him, Hera upheld her end of the bargain.

Physical Appearance
Hera is tall for a woman, possessed of a slender, athletic figure, and is fairly well endowed, though not to the same degree as her sister Demeter. However, Hera is the most beautiful of all Kronos's daughters, possessed of rich, dark brown hair that flows over her shoulders in a magnificent wave, stunning features, and piercing green eyes that glow with sparks of emerald lightning whenever she is agitated.

Personality
Like her husband, Zeus, Hera is imperious and proud, though to a much higher degree. Like Zeus, Hera tolerates no slight or insult against her or her loved ones, but she is far more prone to lashing out with open displays of force when such insults are given, and is always willing to speak her mind whenever roused to fury. As a result, visitors to Olympus are often even more wary of her than the king. Of all her siblings, Hera is the most hot tempered, with her brother Poseidon being a close second. Hera, unlike her brother, is far more apt to nurse long grudges, however, never forgetting slights of any sort, and being perfectly willing to plot for years to avenge them. She is particularly cruel and spiteful towards her husband's many lovers and illegitimate children, often irrationally so.

This stems from the fact that Hera is extremely possessive, especially of those she cares about, and easily grows angry and envious towards anyone who attempts to take what she believes is hers. Unhealthy as this might be, Hera's possessiveness does have some positive aspects, as she is ferociously protective of those she cares about.

The Queen of the Heavens is also potently charismatic, possessing an air of regal authority that makes others quick to fulfill any command she might give. Hera is also extremely charming, well versed in exchanging pleasantries and weaving words to manipulate others. Indeed, Hera is quite sly, using her charm and intellect to weave all manner of schemes and machinations, and is perfectly willing to use people like pawns to get what she wants. However those servants who impress her, earning her respect and admiration, always gain a staunch and unwavering ally in Hera, as a result of her possessive nature.

In addition to being possessive, among Hera's deepest flaws are her pride and vanity. She loves receiving attention and admiration, and enjoys making people "hers". Her craving to be loved and adored is what makes Hera so utterly intolerant of insults of any kind, as when she feels unappreciated or spurned, the blow to her ego usually causes her to seek vindictive revenge against whoever slighted her.

Despite her shortcomings, however, Hera does possess one extremely notable redeeming quality: She always keeps her word. She rarely gives it, as doing so limits her ability to have leverage over others, but when she does, Hera honors the spirit of oaths she makes, rather than just the wording. More than anything else, this is out of pride, as Hera enjoys the respect that she receives by behaving in such an honorable manner.

Additionally, proud and prickly as she can be, Hera also has a soft spot the weak and helpless, especially babies, which played a role in her status as Goddess of Childbirth and a protector of children. Generally speaking, when confronted with something cute and in need of protection, her first instinct is to shelter and nurture it.

Zeus
Hera's relationship with her husband is astoundingly complex. On the one hand, the two share a deep and passionate love for one another. Hera admires her husband's strength, his courage, his intellect, and his fierce devotion to family, and knows that he in turn admires her wit, unyielding spirit, and willingness to speak her mind. She shares many of the burdens of rule with Zeus, and against all odds, they have kept their family together, just as against all odds, they have kept their marriage together. She unveils many of her worries and gripes to him, and he to her. Though they have had countless disagreements, even an instance where Hera led a full fledged rebellion against him, each time, they have forgiven one another. Hera would not hesitate to fight to her last to protect her beloved, and knows he would do the same for her.

And yet he cannot stay faithful to her. Time and time again, he has committed adultery, and time and time again, she has forgiven him for it and welcomed him back into her arms. That fact always makes it ever more infuriating and painful for her whenever he repeats his infidelity, driving her into irrational rages focused towards his innocent offspring, and the marginally less innocent lovers. What frustrates Hera the most is that for all the times she has asked him, Zeus has never told her why he repeats these infidelities. That question is one she would pay dearly to have answered. Secretly, she wonders, hopes even, that each dalliance is an elaborate and deliberate attempt to make her jealous, so that her husband can experience the wild and ferocious make-up sex they always have afterwards, and that it is all out of desire for her that he infuriates her in such a manner. Deep down, much as he drives her mad, Hera knows that she is Zeus's one true love.

That said, she is not at all above manipulating her husband, using every means available to her. In fact, she does take a deal of pleasure in the sway she has over him, relishing having one of the most powerful beings in Creation almost to at her whim. Almost.

Stats
Power Level: 4

Traits
Strength: 8

Dexterity: 10

Endurance: 9

Intelligence: 10

Charisma: 11

Perception: 11

Skills
Academia: 8

Artistry: 7

Brawl: 6

Charm: 10

Command: 9

Craft: 6

Deception: 9

Empathy: 11

Intimidation: 10

Intrigue: 11

Leadership: 8

Marksmanship: 9

Medicine: 8

Melee: 9

Occult: 7

Performance: 10

Seduction: 8

Stealth: 7

Stewardship: 7

Survival: 5

Torture: 7