Talk:Nightblood/@comment-75.72.106.125-20170407045104

Okay Here is a possible solution to the role of Heda before Lexa brought the last one (Azgeda) into her coalition. IT is shown that each clan has its own leader and for the most part it seems like each clan leader handles most of the day to day decision making even when there is a Heda led coalition. Before Lexa it is likely that the role of Heda was more Religious than political in nature. The Heda was given varying degrees of respect and deference and most likely was used to arbitrate disputes between the various Clans. Over time the resolutions would probably have led to closer relations between warring clans and also allowed the Heda to be given more and more influence  between the Clans she had brokered peace with. I would guess that a 'coalition' of sorts probably already existed at the time but was almost definitely strengthened by the time the Mountain Men came on the scene. Their predations would definitely have accelerated the formation of much more cooperation between clans. It probably didnt take too long after the mountain men emerged as a threat to the grounders (some 50 years before the show begins) for the role of Heda to alter from more of a quasi-religious figure of respect to a sort of War Chief. If, as seems to be the case, the Heda was not always from the same clan then various different clans at times would have felt invested and trusted the title. After the mountain men emerged the necessity for closer military alliances between clans would definitely have been recognized. It probably wasnt long after the emergence when the first coalition that acknowledged Heda as more than a respected religious figure and an actual political ruler came about. Since Trikru seems to have suffered most (due to proximity) from Mountain Men predations it would stand to reason why they have such a Warrior-centric culture as well as why the Coalition shows evidence of being heavily influenced by Trikru. Trikru would have been one of the earliest and most staunch supporters of a Heda led coalition since they appear to have had the most to lose. I would assume that the Coalition already existed in some form before Lexa ascended. IT doesnt seem like she was some 'Great Unifier' who created the Coalition out of nothing. I could be wrong but the only clan she is given credit for bringing into the Coalition is Azgeda, which seems to have had the luxury of being far enough away from Mt. Wheather to have had little fear of them. It seems that Azgeda was actually taking care of its own without the alliance and was actually forced into the coalition. Azgeda is also the only Grounder group that is ever called anything but 'clan' or 'kru'. It is called a nation which had a King or Queen (not sure I've heard of anyother grounder groups having those either) as well as an established hereditary succession. This indicates that Azgeda was far more politically 'advanced' than any of the other groups. As well as having a relatively long period of stability. I think that perhaps when They took Lexa's girlfriend they were in fact trying to gain control of Heda Lexa and thereby the Coalition she lead. This backfired and because of the quasi-religious nature of Heda, Azgeda was forced to join the Coalition under Lexa to avoid civil war. The Azgeda people appear to have just as much reverence for the Heda role as any other clan, Its the leadership that did not. Azgeda joined the coalition because it knew it could not win a war with the Coalition while also putting down civil unrest that war WITH Heda would likely have caused amongst the Faithful within Azgeda itself.