Iris Ephemeral

This character profile contains spoilers for Dawntrail.

Born in Solution Nine after dimensional fusion, this young artist struggled with levin sickness for much of their youth. After working as a graphic designer for the Arcadion, they joined the rebel organization Oblivion in opposition to Zoraal Ja. With that goal achieved, they looked to the world beyond Alexandria, and though they found friendship, recent events have drawn them back home.

Basic Information

Name: Iris
Epithet: Iris Ephemeral
Aliases: UltravioletAge: 21
Height: 62 ilms
Weight: 109 ponzes
Build: SlenderSkin Color: Pale
Hair Color: Silver (Dyed Violet with Magenta Highlights)
Eye Color: Violet (Right), Pink (Left)Gender Identity: Genderfluid
Preferred Pronouns: Any, Usually They/Them
Romantic Orientation: Panromantic
Sexual Orientation: Sex-ambivalent DemisexualBirthplace: Everkeep, Alexandria
Residence: Solution Nine
Languages: Alexandrian (Common), Turali (Receptive)
Profession: Adapter, Illustrator, Rebel, Graffiti ArtistMain Discipline: Kallitechnis (Pictomancer)
Side Disciplines: Goldsmith, Culinarian, FisherFavorite Food: Synthetic Fruit Pellets, Tender Shortcake
Favorite Drink: Cinnamon Cream Iced Coffee
Favorite Game: Electronic Gaming, Motocross
Favorite Place: Mosaic

Appearance

Slight, petite, and pale, Iris cuts an unimposing figure. Their hair, dyed violet with magenta highlights, cascades over the left side of their face in a jaw-length bob fastened by a black hairband. Despite being physically frail, their hair hides a scar above their left eye, an uncommon sight among Everkeep's sheltered denizens.Matching their highlights, they favor colorful makeup of purples and pinks, adorning their eyelids, nails, and lips in the color with makeup used to bring out the natural reds in their otherwise wan skin. Their black eyeliner helps hide the slight puffiness around their eyes from a lifetime of staring at screens and overcoming illness.Their youthful appearance is generally attractive and well-kept with trimmed nails, few wrinkles, soft and unblemished skin, white teeth, a subtle, powdery perfume, and a minty smell on their breath. The slight undertone of paint fumes tends to overpower the fragrance when they've been at work, however.A plethora of piercings gleam along their face in silver including a labret piercing, a tongue piercing, a left nostril piercing, and a right eyebrow piercing. Though not usually visible, fluorescent tattoos in the shapes of electrope circuits marked on their arms, legs, and back appear only when exposed to blacklight. They also lace lavender-colored iris flowers into their hair behind their left ear.Their fashion sense is typical of a denizen of Everkeep, favoring synthetic fabrics often woven with electrope insertions that enable dynamic temperature adjustment. They typically favor large jackets that help hide their small frame, and accessorize with a variety of rings, gloves, spectacles, and facemasks. Unusually, they've laced a few, violet flowers together to hang from their left ear.Their travel attire consists of a pearlescent white, waterproof, dirt-resistant jacket over a black sweater with underlying electrope circuitry. A black hood is usually pulled over their head, and when riding their air-wheeler or painting, they also tend to wear a black facemask to filter dust and fumes and prevent asthma attacks.Short, purple pants are worn beneath the sweater, long, sheer tights filling into their black boots with neon violet laces. At their back and left hip rest a brush and palette made of electrope and crafted by their own hand. The material and circuits within facilitate the changing of elemental aspect needed for their magicks.

Equipment

Electrope Raincoat:Interlaced with electrope circuitry, this modular raincoat uses elemental transformations to maintain a temperature of 20-degreees in Alexandrian units, offering protection from extreme heat and cold. It offers additional protection against electric shocks and its material resists water and cleans easily as one might expect of a raincoat. While usually kept white, its colors can be glamoured dynamically. The jacket's electrope components also promote Iris's aetherial flow when spellcasting, making it a valuable piece of equipment.

Respirator:Usually worn during travel or in crowded areas, this facemask aids Iris in controlling their breathing while also filtering out dust. When activated, the electrope circuits can also filter polluted or stagnant aether, and even prevent drowning by filtering out and converting pollution or water into clean, breathable wind energy. Iris has to clean its filter roughly once a month for upkeep.

HoloTablet:Carried at Iris's hip, the electrope geometries within this tablet not only provide aspected aether in place of the paints typically used in a pictomancer's magicks but can store a considerable amount of information, render complex imagery such as Iris's three-dimensional virtual paintings, and display its data via holographic projection. A small button near the power button allows Iris summon their Air-wheeler A9 from afar and, when in Yyasulani or Everkeep, it can remotely access the Alexandrian subnet.

Chromatic Wand:An electrope device heavily modified by Iris, this paintbrush works in tandem with their tablet to serve as a focus for their magicks. Closer inspection reveals arcane geometries etched onto its surface that accelerate the aetherial flow from tablet to brush. The head of the brush contains two smaller styluses that can be used to channel noncombative magicks or to paint on their HoloTablet.

Air-wheeler A9:Designed and built in Alexandria, this single-rider flying vehicle uses electrope to convert lightning to wind energy, which it expels to produce levitation and propulsion. While air-wheelers are extensively employed by the military, the A9 is a civilian model and does not come fitted with armaments. Iris has added a holster for their brush and tablet to the design. A private air-wheeler is uncommon even among Alexandrians, reflecting wealth in credits.

Everlink:An Alexandrian variant of a linkpearl, this small orb of electrope comes in a case of one-hundred and permits communication across long distances without fear of weather interference by using lightning energy to transmit sound via electromagnetic waves. While only made for Everkeep and the dome, the effective range is far longer than a common linkpearl. Iris often used these to coordinate with other members of Oblivion. They can also be used to play audio recordings saved on the HoloTablet.

Vacuum Flask:A ten-ilm long beverage container that keeps hot drinks at-temperature for twelve hours and cold drinks for a full day. Though Iris usually puts chilled water inside, they've also used it to store iced coffee or energy drinks purchased in Everkeep.

Perfect Meal Bars:Though formulated to never taste dull and sustain for a full day, Iris only uses their supply of perfect meal bars purchased from home if they find themselves running low on funds or unable to eat anything else, preferring to sample the fare of other cultures unless painting out in the wilderness with no easily-available food source.

Contact Lenses:A pair of clear lenses imperceptibly cover Iris's eyes, correcting their naturally poor eyesight. Wearing them can become tiring, and so they also own a small collection of conventional spectacles.

Glamour Prisms:Though when asked, Iris refers to "hair dye" or "makeup," much of Iris's appearance is maintained through the use of glamour magicks for their eye makeup, lipstick, nail polish, and hair color. Their natural appearance is seldom seen, as the glamours can last a week before needing to be recast.

Aetherolectric Bass:A standard electrope bass guitar made in Solution Nine, Iris bought this black model with blue and violet accents around the time they began working at the Arcadion. Though they never monetized their playing, they used the instrument to build their motor skills.

Personality

Iris is a quiet, soft-spoken person by nature, not given to outbursts of extreme emotion. Though passionate about their art and other interests, they're shy around large groups of people and tend to hide their face to avoid having their facial expressions read. Their blunt, matter-of-fact way of speaking can unintentionally offend.Far from unemotional, however, Iris carries a deep love for the people of Alexandria that compelled them to rebel against Zoraal Ja as part of Oblivion. Even before that, their steely determination saw them overcome debilitating levin sickness, learning to walk at the age of fifteen after years of physical therapy.Iris has a strong sense of pride and hates feeling looked down on or underestimated. They developed a reckless streak as a teenager, leading them to their death on three occasions in various accidents. Fortunately, being raised in a wealthy, well-connected family helped to offset the costs in credits and souls at the time.They also feel strongly against imperialism and war, having taken the history of the Storm Surge to heart. Iris also feels strongly against the soul management system, believing Alexandrians should remove their Regulators and return the souls to the aetherial sea.Since the deaths of their parents and defeat of Zoraal Ja, Iris feels somewhat disconnected from Everkeep. Taken by an incurable desire to explore the world beyond the dome, they hope to bring back artworks of places they visit in their journeys and encourage more Alexandrians to venture out into the world.

History

Born in Everkeep nine years after dimensional fusion, Iris suffered severe levin sickness, keeping them paralyzed from the waist down or more for most of their youth. Encouraged by their mother, they found a gift for magic through the medium of paint, and learned how to work the arcane geometries that power electrope technology.Iris's magicks helped lessen the symptoms and, over years of physical therapy, they learned to walk and run. Their art saw them hired at the Arcadion as an adapter and graphic designer, but after its shutdown they abandoned their Regulator and spent their teenage years rebelling against the tyrannical King Zoraal Ja.Since the breach of the dome and massacre at Everkeep, Iris has found themself in a slump. No longer content with remaining under the levin-filled skies of their homeland, they desire to see the world beyond the dome and bring back fantastical images to inspire their countrymen to explore beyond Alexandria's borders.

Stormbreaker

Named for the greatsword wielded by its nameless, androgynous, pink-haired hero, this five-year historical fantasy epic is one of the most popular subnet comics published in the last decade in Everkeep. Its tale takes place during the Storm Surge, and its use of graphic violence and depictions of death in a time before Regulators underscore an ultimately optimistic story of opposition in the face of oppression and hope in the face of despair.While its dark fantasy traits and modern-day allegory sparked controversy, they also drove its popularity among the younger generation. It's not uncommon for people to know the handle "Ephemeral" from Stormbreaker before they used it in Oblivion.

Timeline

Years After Dimensional Fusion0: Dimensional fusion brings Alexandria to Tural.9: Iris is born in Everkeep with severe levin sickness.12: Iris begins experiencing strange dreams of another world.13: Iris's mother encourages them to draw to build motor skills.14: Queen Sphene starts visiting Iris once per week.19: Iris discovers their innate talent for arcane magicks.21: Iris begins to undergo physical therapy to learn to walk.22: Iris posts the first pages of Stormbreaker to Everkeep's subnet.23: Iris begins studying electrope aetherology to join Origenics.24: Iris is able to walk comfortably without assistance.25: Iris fails to enter Origenics. They're hired by the Arcadion.26: Ultraviolet debuts at the Arcadion but loses in the semifinals.27: Geode invites Iris to join Oblivion as an adapter.28: Iris graffitis True Vue with agitprop using the name "Ephemeral."29: Iris steals classified Origenics files from their mother's databank.30: The dome is breached with the construction of Vanguard.

Hooks

Rumors

Tekawte Wanzih'pya

A strong and loyal Tonawawtan viper who loves the people he cares about openly and honestly. Acting before he realized Iris's origins, he saved their life when a levin sickness attack nearly caused them to choke to death on their meal in the Quicksand.As a Yyasulani native, Tekawte was quick to judge Iris for the crimes of their people, only to find their receptiveness and validation of that anger surprising. Since then, the two have formed something of a friendship, the first one Iris has made since leaving home.

Katekka Sokopehyen

The surrogate younger brother of Tekawte, this hot-blooded gunslinger first met Iris the day his brother saved their life. Having only just reconciled with Tekawte, his fear of Alexandrians and his fierce protective instinct keep him wary of Iris's intentions.Despite this, he's not objected to Iris's presence openly since their first meeting, and is hardly impolite to them. Iris seems to enjoy his company about as much as they enjoy Tekawte's, even if they're less casual in how they address Katekka by comparison.

Eleksander Cirillo

An astromancer of Sharlayan of considerable talent, Eleksander is heir to the prominent Cirillo name. As someone who can speak on aetherological phenomena, Iris often finds themself awestruck by the mage's gorgeous displays of celestial magic.Bearing the ability to glean the surface emotions of others, Lex often finds himself struggling emotionally. Lending him an ear, and later aiding in the destruction of a deeply personal artifact, Iris found in him a confidant to entrust with their feelings in kind.

Gallery

Out of Character

Character profile for Iris Ephemeral on the Mateus server of Final Fantasy XIV. Thank you for stopping by to take a look!I'm over 30 years old and I wish to roleplay with players and characters 18 years of age or older. I'm LGBTQIA+ friendly. My character is demisexual and genderfluid, typically using they/them pronouns. I myself am black and queer, and I use she/her pronouns.Walk-up roleplay is welcome, encouraged, and appreciated. I'm generally lore-abiding but I don't expect other players to know the game's lore inside and out. I also observe the time bubble but I don't expect, far less demand, others to do the same.I like short-term and long-term roleplay. Dark and mature themes are okay, provided there's a warning and consent between participating parties.