Trivia / Beyond Heroes

• Author Appeal: The use of Varric as the narrative character and the specific pairing of Varric/Bethany are both very common in Lady Norbert's Dragon Age fics. She describes this story in one of her author's notes as being "blatant self-indulgence."
• Contest Winner Cameo: The character of Horizon, a Skyhold runner who interacts with Varric in a few scenes, belongs to Tumblr user “savvylittleminx,” who won a giveaway conducted by the author. The prize was a small part in this story.
• Fandom Nod: After Kieran goes into the Fade, Bethany decides to refer to his grandmother as Flemythal.
• Shout-Out:
  • Word of God states that Revered Mother Cressida, who officiates at the wedding late in the story, is named for Cressida Cowell, the author of the How to Train Your Dragon series. Lady Norbert is fond of the movies.
  • One of Bethany's lines to Varric after the wedding, concerning the antics of certain of their friends, is a direct reference to a conversation the author herself had with Mary Kirby (Varric's writer) on Twitter.
  • The final chapter has a shout-out to This Very Wiki, when Varric makes a joke which the author found on the Fridge page for Dragon Age: Inquisition. He summarizes their adventures as having been “part of a big effort to help a dog get his ball back.”
• Virtual Soundtrack: It has a short one, as confirmed by the author in one of her notes.
• Working Title:
  • For a long time, the story was titled Varric Tethras and the Continual Nervous Breakdown.
  • It's also known colloquially as “Bethquisitor” among the author and her friends.