1. Ishgardian (if that's what you want to do) is totally plausible. Ishgard and Gridania are very close allies and offer support to one another on a variety of issues. Ishgard also didn't become all isolation-y and seal its gates to all outsiders until sometime between 1557~1562. So 15-20 years ago. Which makes it entirely plausible that your character's mother and father met and mingled either in Gridania or Ishgard depending on how you want to move your story along.
2. Yes! Absolutely, we have lore proving that Ishgardian Knights do actually engage and pursue heretics beyond their own borders and the Gridanians sanction them to do this within the Twelveswood. It comes as part of the two nations' alliance and friendship since the time of the Autumn War 100 years ago. Here's a link to "The Foreboding Forest":
3. Hmmm... if, as a heretic hunter from Ishgard, you were wanting to play on the whole Holy Halone kind of thing, then I would say you could play with having an affinity to ice magic. So, if you're wanting to avoid Thaumaturgy, Conjury is technically another canon way to use Ice elemental magic. And as a Gridanian/Ishgardian Conjury is certainly a skillset within your reach. You might catch flak for it, IDK?, but as far as I'm concerned A) if you're character is older than 5 years old, 1.0 lore is canon to your character, and B) no lore was EVER released explaining exactly why Conjurers suddenly and inexplicably lost the ability to commune with Fire, Thunder, and Ice Elementals. So werk it!
4. If it were me... I'd wear what heretics wear, but maybe with an Ishgardian twist? Idk that's difficult question. =0
5. You could be a knight or retainer of the one of the noble houses or one of the lesser noble houses? You could be a Holy Knight or a squire for one of the Holy Knights? That is assuming you want to work from the Ishgard side of things? If you want to be on the Gridanian side of things, maybe as a Gods Quivermen who guides the Ishgardian Holy Knights when they enter the Wood on one of their Hunts? Or maybe as a Conjurer from Stillglade Fane who quiets the Elementals that the Knights presence disturbs, only you begin to hear the call of the Elementals directing you to the heretics in hiding, or warning you of the heretic ambush ahead...
2. Yes! Absolutely, we have lore proving that Ishgardian Knights do actually engage and pursue heretics beyond their own borders and the Gridanians sanction them to do this within the Twelveswood. It comes as part of the two nations' alliance and friendship since the time of the Autumn War 100 years ago. Here's a link to "The Foreboding Forest":
3. Hmmm... if, as a heretic hunter from Ishgard, you were wanting to play on the whole Holy Halone kind of thing, then I would say you could play with having an affinity to ice magic. So, if you're wanting to avoid Thaumaturgy, Conjury is technically another canon way to use Ice elemental magic. And as a Gridanian/Ishgardian Conjury is certainly a skillset within your reach. You might catch flak for it, IDK?, but as far as I'm concerned A) if you're character is older than 5 years old, 1.0 lore is canon to your character, and B) no lore was EVER released explaining exactly why Conjurers suddenly and inexplicably lost the ability to commune with Fire, Thunder, and Ice Elementals. So werk it!
4. If it were me... I'd wear what heretics wear, but maybe with an Ishgardian twist? Idk that's difficult question. =0
5. You could be a knight or retainer of the one of the noble houses or one of the lesser noble houses? You could be a Holy Knight or a squire for one of the Holy Knights? That is assuming you want to work from the Ishgard side of things? If you want to be on the Gridanian side of things, maybe as a Gods Quivermen who guides the Ishgardian Holy Knights when they enter the Wood on one of their Hunts? Or maybe as a Conjurer from Stillglade Fane who quiets the Elementals that the Knights presence disturbs, only you begin to hear the call of the Elementals directing you to the heretics in hiding, or warning you of the heretic ambush ahead...