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Iris Blanchimont

2016-07-24T06:59:20Z

Iris Blanchimont:

{{Infobox-TMI
| name = Iris Blanchimont
| image = IBlanchimontPortrait.jpg
| pronounced = Eye-riss Blahn-shh-mohn or Blahn-chuh-mohnt
| meaning = Flower of the White Mountain
| gender = Female
| nameday = 10th Sun of the Second Umbral Moon
| born = Circa 6AE 1550
| citizenship = Ishgard
| race = Miqo'te
| clan = Keeper of the Moon
| guardian = Llymlaen and Halone
| alignment = Neutral Good
| height = 5 fulms 1 ilm.
| weight = 112 ponze
| physique = Wet noodle
| hair = Ice blue and lilac
| eyes = Amethyst
| skin = Pale
| hobbies = Aetheric research, ruins exploration, and dancing
| motivation = Understanding the world and learning new things
| accomplishment = Becoming a Royal Marine of Nym
| regret = Losing her first love in the Calamity
| profession = Scholasticate lecturer
| soulstone = Scholar and Summoner
| advantages = Extraordinary intelligence, magic
| limitations = Weak, fragile
| weapon1 = Grimoire of the Royal Nymian Marines
| armor = Doman light armor
| noncombat = Encyclopedic knowledge, very clever, pretty good chef
| username = Andromeda
| timezone = Eastern
| server = Lamia, Balmung
| characters = [[Izayoi Tokushi]] [[Illua Corcavo]]
| freecompanies = WRECK
| linkshells = Tantalus Theatre

}}

== Appearance ==
Iris used a Fantasia to attain her current appearance. Her tail has a darker and bushy tip and she usually wears flower petals in her ice-blue hair, which is typically style in an over-the-shoulder side ponytail. Iris' eyes are purple and she sometimes wears glasses, though she doesn't actually need them. Iris often wears either elegant clothes befitting her station as an Ishgardian noble or a gold-trimmed suit of Doman samurai's light armor. Iris is barely more than five fulms tall but, due to some good luck, has rather short friends.

== Personality ==

=== Hobbies ===
::* Investigation of ancient ruins, especially Nymian.
::* Aetheric research.
::* Airship design and development
::* Dancing. Even the most hardened researcher needs to let some steam off.

=== Likes ===
::* '''Alchemy''' was going to be Iris' career before the Calamity, and still is what she practices in her spare time to unwind.
::* '''Airships''' are a fascination of Iris', and she has dedicated some time to studying the airship designs in Arche Koeln.
::* '''Science''' is, to Iris, the study of how aether works. She is absolutely in love with that approach to understanding the rational, fundamental nature of magic.
::* '''Tonberries''' and really all things Nymian. She has an immense respect for the Tonberies, especially those who resist the Rancor.

=== Dislikes ===
::* '''The Gridanian faith in 'the Elementals'''' is superstitious drivel she has no patience for. It is why she didn't want to become a White Mage, despite her aptitude for healing.
::* '''Flirtatious men''' are annoyances, partially because she has no interest in them but primarily because they tend to be more successful than Iris.
::* '''Alcohol''' usually ends badly for Iris.
::* '''Teaching at the Scholasticate''' annoys Iris. While she enjoys educating people in a mentor/apprentice relationship or as peers, her preferred method is one-on-one education. She was pressured into taking the position as part of her noble responsibilities.

=== Favorites ===

*'''Color: ''' Purple
*'''Food: ''' Rolanberry Cheesecake
*'''Drinks: ''' All kinds of lassi
*'''Scent:''' Old books
*'''Place:''' Nym
*'''Festival:''' Starlight Celebration

=== Flaws ===
::* '''People-Pleaser''' - Iris has trouble saying no to others, even if she is suspicious of their motives.
::* '''Misunderstanding''' - If the opportunity arises for Iris to take something in a way other than intended, she likely does.
::* '''Calculating''' - Iris plans things in such detail that it seems annoying to others, and it often causes problem as things rarely go to plan. She does not rush in.
::* '''Easily Wounded''' - Iris is likely to take failure too seriously and insult too personally. She often blames herself, especially when the loss of other's lives is concerned.

=== Fears ===
::* '''Loss of Control''' - Iris deeply fears not being in full control of her faculties, so rarely drinks and is deeply bothered by mind-affecting magic.
::* '''Marbols''' - Her disgust with Marbols had evolved into a fear of encountering them in the wild. She hates them and will either avoid them or melt their faces off in an attempt to be rid of them.
::* '''Loneliness''' - The most intangible fear Iris has is of being alone. She has a lot of experience feeling isolate and ears never finding someone to walk the path with.
::* '''Death''' - The abyss has claimed loved ones and friends in the past that the thought of death coming for her or others drives her into a panic, which is why her attention to the healing arts has intensified since the Calamity.

=== Talents ===
::*'''Alchemy''' - Iris was adopted by a family with a long history of alchemical talent, so she has worked with an alembic since she can remember. She is not the best in the world or anything, but is confident in her abilities.
::*'''Arcanima''' - Iris has a great aptitude for summoning creatures from the aether, be it carbuncles, egi or fairies. She has developed a deep bond with these aetheric entities and has used the knowledge she's gained from mastering them to become a master of disease as well, curing or inflicting plagues with the same science that summons her allies.
::*'''Research''' - Outside of her customs work, most of Iris' time consists of expeditions to ruins or reading books in libraries, and as such she is a blossoming expert in a variety of subjects. She has been working lately on researching the Gran Grimoire possessed by her company, Arche Koeln.

== Abilities and Skills ==

=== Weapons ===
'''Wisdom''' - While Iris has passing familiarity with a number of weapons and combat styles, she prefers to outwit opponents and, if possible, avoid combat altogether.

=== Magic ===
'''Aetheric Manipulation''' - While the work of conjurers and thaumaturges seems too superstitious for her, the science of aetheric manipulation appeals to her.

=== Crafting ===
'''Alchemy''' - Iris' stock and trade is alchemy. It is the Blanchimont's family tradition as well as something she has studied in detail in Eorzea.

'''Cooking''' - "Cooking is a degenerate form of alchemy."

'''Goldsmithing''' - It started as a way to make gifts for her first girlfriend Eliza Scarlet. Though she stopped practicing it after Eliza's disappearance in the Calamity, she has recently renewed her efforts and mastered the trade.

'''Weaving''' - She has found sewing relaxing for some time and recently became one of the more skilled clothiers in Limsa.

== Family and Relationships ==
♥ Love/ Mate ♥ Sexual Desire ♥ Platonic Love

● Family ● Friend ● Neutral ● Enemy

'''''Relatives'''''
:♥ Eliza Scarlet (Former fiancee, Midlander, deceased)
:● Felt Blanchimont (Adoptive father, Wildwood)
:● Audrey Slaith du Blanchimont (Felt's wife, Midlander)
:● Visse Blanchimont (Adoptive mother, Wildwood, deceased)
:● Beatrix du Blanchimont (Adoptive aunt, Wildwood)
:● Paracelsus du Blanchimont (Adoptive great-uncle, Wildwood)

'''''Known Associates'''''
:● Shou Han (Former crush, Midlander)
:● Ariyon Durandel (FC Leader, Midlander)
:● Yumi Hikaru (de facto FC Leader, bestie, Sunseeker)
:● Itsu Neir (Yumi's wife, bestie, Midlander)
:● Taji Tribal (Research Associate, Moonkeeper)
:● Prim Rose (Raen, Missing in Action)

=== Positive ===
::* [[Shou Han]] was the first person Iris had deep affection for in almost a year when they met and is the reason she joined Arche Koeln. She and Iris have been on a date and though Iris fancied Shou, deep ideological differences over the use of magic drove them apart. Shou left Arche Koeln, and though they've tried to patch their relationship, the ideological difference remains.
::* [[Taji Tribal]] and Iris began working together to study the Codex Grimoire. Despite how often she has to correct Taji, Iris is convinced the other arcanimist is fairly smart.
::* [[Itsu Neir]] is fascinating to Iris, both as an example of someone able to balance being an adventurer and a wife at the same time and in the odd connection she has with winds. Iris admitted to Itsu that she counts her among her closest friends.
::* [[Yumi Hikaru]] is Itsu's wife, and one of the most energetic people Iris knows. Another of her closest friends, Yumi is someone Iris believes to be of excellent moral character and beyond reproach. She also credits Yumi with the survival of Arche Koeln during the absence of the company's leadership.
::* [[J'yhun Arun]] isn't someone Iris knows well, but she thinks he is a fellow intellectual. That erns him respect in her opinion, despite his first impression not being something stellar.

=== Neutral ===
::* [[Menoly Fiore]] isn't someone Iris actually dislikes but someone she enjoys playing word games with and mocking. She actually, secretly, enjoys the verbal sparring with Menoly and looks forward to it.

=== Negative ===
::* [[Beatrix Blanchimont|Beatrix du Blanchimont]] is Iris' aunt and rival for control of House Blanchimont. Beatrix considers a non-blood relative and unbeliever being Matriarch to be inappropriate.
::* '''Paracelsus du Blanchimont''' is Iris' great-uncle, younger brother of her deceased grandfather Arstide. Paracelsus is an exceptionally gifted alchemist and siege engineer, and he hates Iris with a passion. He believes that unbelievers have no place in Ishgard, let alone in a Noble House, and has attempted to get the Inquisition to confront Iris to no avail. He now supports Beatrix as Matriarch, following his own failed bid at the position.

== Affiliations ==
::* '''House Blanhimont''': Iris is Matriarch of a house of lesser nobility in Ishgard.
::* '''Arche Koeln''': Iris is an Acolyte in the company charged with studying the Codex, the Gran Grimoire the company protects.
::* '''Mealvaan's Gate''': Iris has spent years working as an Assessor.
::* '''Saint Endalim's Scholasticate''': Iris is a guest lecturer on the subjects of Nymian healing sciences and arcanima strategy.
::* '''The Redbills''': The sky pirate band flying ships she helped design ask her to occasionally study and decode treasures they obtain.

== Rumors ==

Note: This section is editable by anyone. Just keep in mind that the rumors here may be both true or false.

===General Rumors===
* "Iris Blanchimont... is that the girl who keeps hittin' on the female employees?" - Gold Saucer Patron
* "Do not, under any circumstances, let her drink alcohol." - Quicksand Waitress
* "Why does that name sound familiar? Did she cure the Choco Plague a few years back?" Tailfeather Hunter
* "Some minor noble house won't shut up about Iris du Blanchimont, like she's some salacious scandal. If she was, I'm sure I'd have heard of it." Forgotten Knight Rumormonger
* "I hear tell that she's the gal went and got herself locked up in the Great Lib'ary for a spell a few moons back." - Idyllshire Adventurer
* "She's teaching arcanima at the Scholasticate in Ishgard, right? Not sure how I feel about that, but we're allies again, right?" - Mealvaan's Gate Assessor
* "Lady Blanchimont? She is a curse, I tell you. A Voidsent swathed in shadows here to destroy our society. Lady Iceheart herself could not tear Ishgard apart as effectively as this monster." - Lesser Noble of Ishgard

===First-Hand Accounts===
* "I remember her when she was blue! Ahahahaha! Crazy cat took a Fantasia when her pallies in the Risin' Stones was chased out from Ul'dah. Liked her cute li'l tail better then but the paleness is kin'a cute too." - Maelstrom Lieutenant
* "Blanchimont? I remember she was a passable Alchemist before learning all those Radz-at-Han tricks. Now her approach to the craft is utter nonsense." - Ul'dahn Alchemist
* "NE❄GIGIGI★❄... HeR WoRk Is BaReLy BeTtEr ThAn SpIt-ShInInG a BiG rOcK." - Goldsmith Guild Mammet
* "She got lost in a Castrum during Operation Archon and accidentally stole a Reaper. I've never seen someone be less help during an operation of greater magnitude." - Scion of the Seventh Dawn
* "Ah, the young mistress? She is an exceptional scholar and leader of our little family. She will be reading this, yes?" - House Blanchimont Attendant.

===PC Rumors===
* "An excellent example of a Scholar. Intelligent and willing to consider solutions beyond 'swing a sword at it until it goes away'. I can respect that." -[[J'yhun Arun]]
* "Oh, she's easily one of the smartest people I know! If you're writing a thesis, definitely get her to check your work. She'll keep you honest. ...Not much use as a wingman or a sidekick, though, she tends to strike out spectacularly in subjects not involving books..." -[[Taji Tribal]]
* "She holds a compassion for others that easily outshines mine. Her care for her Garuda is respectable. I hope we can become good friends." - [[Itsu Neir]]

== History ==
=== Name and Lifestyle ===
Iris Blanchimont, originally named Ahnci Strahl (though is unaware of this name). Iris is a scholar in everything she does and can often be found in the Gubal Library in the Sharlayan ruins, House Blanchimont in the Pillars of Ishgard or the Arche Koeln library in Mist.

Her full title is Lady Iris, Matriarch of House Blanchimont and Dame in the Service of House Fortemps.

==== Nicknames and Aliases ====
"Lily of Limsa Lominsa" and "Alchemist of Arche Koeln", though those are titles. She briefly went by the pseudonym "Flameu Vhisnato" when concealing her true identity and though she does not know it, her birth name is "Ahnci Strahl".

==== Current Residence ====
House Blanchimont in Ishgard, located below the airship dock in the Pillars. She also maintains an office, Atelier Iris, in the Arche Koeln estate in Mist.

==== Pets ====
'''Ivy''' is a Peridot Carbuncle given a measure of self awareness using a particularly well-crafted mammet core as the ruby set in her forehead. Iris is unsure if Ivy is aware she is not a real Carbuncle and is studying her. Ivy is loyal and curious.

'''Tio''' is a Gaelikitten Iris rescued from Dravania. Tio spends most of his time fluttering around Mist looking for all the world like a stray and only bothers coming home when Iris offers food to him. Tio is named after the great dragon Tioman.

'''Dour''' is Iris' faithful Pumpkin Butler, who she rescued from Voidsent during All Saint's Wake. Dour usually fetches Iris things she needs while working at her Atelier, and loves the smell of citrus. He is loyal and distrusts members of the Spoken Races other than Iris.

'''Odelia''' was originally am Allagan datastore node from Azys Lla that Iris, with the help of Garlond Ironworks, repurposed into a lab assistant. Wedge insisted she give the node a name, and she decided Odelia was suitable. Odelia expresses a curiosity for more information, which makes sense given her function.

'''Elusmus''' and '''Palaxius''' are her Maelstrom and Ishgardian chocobos, respectively. Both are named for legendary alchemists of bygone eras. While she has had Elsumus for some time, Palaxius was her father's Black Chocobo she was given as a gift when she became Matriarch. As such, Elusmus is rather friendly while Palaxius has an aloof and disinterested personality.

=== Birth and Childhood ===
Iris was born as Ahnci Strahl to parents in Garlean-occupied lands. She was being smuggled to Sharlayan when her ship was blown off-course and crashed into an island off the coast of Cedarwood. She was found among barrels adrift in the sea by the Elezen trader Felt Blanchimont, owner and captain of the Lominsian trade ship ''Yuveria''. Felt worked at length with Mealvaan's Gate assessors and the Baracudas to find the parents of the abandoned kitten, but no indication of the ship's name or manifest was ever found and its arrival at Limsa was not expected.

After several moons with no word o the kitten's parents, Felt and his sister Visse elected to adopt the kitten, naming her Iris Blanchimont (dropping the Ishgardian 'du' particle as they had done in their own names) and electing to raise her as if she was their blood. Visse taught Iris the basics of alchemy and medicine as well as the importance of taking care of others. Felt, when he wasn't making trade runs, taught Iris about commerce and the great big world off the shores of La Noscea and inspiring in her a love of travel.

As she grew up, she heard little from the rest of her adoptive family. She came to realize that it was because Felt and Visse were estranged from their estate in Ishgard. Simultaneously, the young Iris was enamored and afraid of the Holy See after learning this, and she began to read about her family's homeland. When she learned the history of the Starlight Festival - a festival for Ishgardian orphans - it immediately became her favorite time of year. She would decorate the Blanchimont home in Limsa, or her father's ship, and run around in red giving gifts to other children, simple alchemical creations she made with her mother.

She was a curious, but happy, child.

=== Teen Years ===
Iris thinks of 6AE 1564 as the year her childhood ended. When the Amalj'aa summoned Ifrit in the Mythril Pit, Visse was contacted by the Alchemist's Guild in Ul'dah. She took a teleport to the nearest aetheryte and began to treat wounded survivors of the incident. When she joined a team of Brass Blades to look for more survivors. They never returned from the Pit. Along with the Blades, Visse Blanchimont was declared missing, presumed dead.

Iris met many of the other Blanchimonts for the first time when they traveled to Ul'dah for funerary rites. Her 'grandfather', Lord Arstide du Blanchimont, was exceptionally kind (especially compared to most other Blanchimonts) and bonded with her over the loss of Visse. His wife, Lady Jeanne, was emotionally cold from losing her oldest daughter.

It took some time for Iris to find a suitable way to honor her mother. Eventually, a correspondence from Jeanne du Blanchimont suggested Iris travel with Felt to Ul'dah to learn alchemy from the masters at Frondale's Phrontistery. She studied alchemy in the city and traveled on the ''Yuveria'' with Felt, reading books in her father's library. Studying went from a way to sate her curiosity to her all-consuming devotion for Iris. She learned more about alchemy, Ishgard, her family and everything else she could get a book on.

In Thanalan, Iris met a young hyur named Nox Lemouri. Nox was a scrappy swordfighter and slightly skillful conjurer that was a year or so Iris' elder. The two wanted to grow up to be famous; The Alchemist of Eorzea and the Sand Rat. They bonded over everything from those grand dreams, to losing their mothers, to the what girls caught their eyes on any given day.

Her practice with arcanima began in her teens as well, as it was the preferred approach to magic that Visse had used. While Visse did little more than summon a simple carbuncle, Iris still thought it was worth learning.

=== Before the Calamity ===
In the years leading up to the Seventh Umbral Era, Iris took up odd jobs with Azeyma's Shields and, eventually, the Maelstrom. This lead her to team up with members of a few different companies. Misfits, a group based out of the Black Shroud, were the team of her friend Nox and a few dedicated friends of hers. The other 'shell she had a pearl for was a band called Restoring Honour. Both groups helped her in different ways, expanding knowledge and allowing her to travel through the eerie ruins of Mor Dhona to her father's homeland, Coerthas.

Iris was recruited as a promising alchemist by Restoring Honour by a man named Dracorian Silverblade. He was something of a mentor in the ways of combat, a field that she did not successfully study in her youth. He also introduced her to another member of the company, Eliza Scarlet. Iris and Eliza became fast friends, and soon something far greater.

She also worked with Jeanne du Blanchimont, though mostly by correspondence, on Jeanne's attempt to combat the plague affecting Ishgard's chocobo stocks. While Iris was not exceptionally gifted, she was traubed by Visse well enough to provide some useful insights. And where Jeanne was either in Ishgard or Tailfeather, Iris ha the resources of Frondale's Phrontistery. Admittedly she was little more than a sounding board and research assistant, but it was still thrilling to work with her grandmother.

As the conflict with the Garlean Empire heated up, the Maelstrom asked Iris and Felt to travel to Radz-at-Han in an attempt to preserve supply lines should all-out war become inevitable. Iris left Eliza and her companies to deal with what would become the Battle of Carteneau and went overseas with her father and the crew of the ''Yuveria''.

If the Calamity had never happened, Iris would likely have gotten Eternally Bonded with Eliza and moved to a small house in central Coerthas. But, alas, while she was overseas the godsdamned moon fell out of the sky.

=== Seventh Umbral Era ===
The first full year after Carteneau, Iris was stuck in Radz-at-Han with the ''Yuveria''. She heard nothing from the friends she left behind in Eorzea, and instead turned her attention to the locals. While on the island, she studied the foreign alchemy practiced there as her father worked with the local shipping fleets. It was during this time that Iris developed a love for lassi.

After some time, an order to return home finally came from Limsa Lominsa. When Iris arrived she was greeted with a litany of bad news. Eliza was missing. Iris always hoped that her love had been one of the Warriors of Light. Her homeland was blanketed in snow and her grandmother, Jeanne, died shortly after the chill swept the land. Worse still, the Gates of the Fury were closed so she could not return the kindness her grandfather had shown after Visse's death. Both her bands of friends and companions had disbanded, having lost leaders in the Battle of Carteneau. Even the Shirlds weren't an active force in Eorzea anymore.

Nox, by the grace of the Navigator, had survived. She was helping build up a trade port at Vesper Bay so supplies for the reconstruction could easily travel. It was her suggestion that convinced Iris to take a position at Mealvaan's Gate as an Assessor. The two coordinated many shipments of raw supplies for the reconstruction of Eorzea, with the assistance of Felt and the ''Yuveria''.

As 7UE 5 began, Nox extended another interesting proposal. The Path of the Twelve - a group Iris thought of as 'that cult Nox is in' - had rebranded itself as the Scions of the Seventh Dawn and were in need of someone with Iris' keen understanding of aetheric studies. Iris consulted with some of the Sharlayan experts in the organization and helped develop some of the more bold strategies they embarked upon. When Nox was crippled in her service as one of the adventurers in the orginzation, Iris offered to take her place in the field.

And that's how Iris, who was not an experienced fighter, wound up invading Castrum Centri with the Scions during Operation Archon. Iris had not the first clue what in Llymlaen's name she was doing, which lead to her getting horribly lost and barely escaping the Castrum alive. She managed her escape by stealing a Magitek Reaper and literally rocketing to safety, leaving the team snt to stop the Ultima Wepon to whatever fate awaited them. Thankfully, they didn't really need her.

=== Seventh Astral Era ===
Iris found herself drifting from Company to Company. A small but loyal band called Warpath lost their way and disbanded shortly after the success of Operation Archon, from there she tried to help manage a small Coerthas-based company called the White North to no avail, and eventually she sided with a group called the Knights of the Rose. She did not feel at home with them, but liked them and they did seem more stable than the other companies she had found since the end of the Umbral Era.

Everything was going pretty well: she was helping train the new Crystal Braves, she was operation her own Atelier at her Company's estate and she was working with several High Houses in Ishgard. And then, once again, things came crashing down. She was cooking a meal for the Sultana when the Crystal Braves knocked down her door and she, like every other Scion, was forced to flee Ul'dah.

At least she had somewhere to go. Days after her exile, her grandfather died. She and Felt traveled to Ishgard to attend the memorial for Arstide du Blanchimont, who died defending the city from an attack by
dragons. While in Ishgard, Iris had one of her old Scion contacts bring her a Fantasia. She also had her friends in the Dutiful Sisters of the Edelweiss furnish her with a false identity so she could return to Eorzea as Flameu Vhisnato.

This false identity didn't last overly long, but her new appearance stuck.

===Matriarch of House Blanchimont===
{{Spoiler|Heavensward and Revenge of the Horde}}
With Arstide's death, House Blanchimont was thrown into chaos. A large faction of the family found Felt, with his disinterest in Ishgardian affairs, Miqo'te daughter and his apathy toward the Halonic faith, unfit to be the new Patriarch. Some supported Felt's youngest sister, Beatrix, while still others flocked around a deeply conservative and xenophobic uncle Paracelsus. House Blanchimont's patrons, Durendaire, seized on the opportunity presented them by a leaderless House Blanchimont to quietly shuffle them off their titles and holdings despite the heroic death of the last Patriarch and spare themselves the burden of the vassal house so plagued by scandal and uncertainty.

This family crisis caused Iris to turn her attention to the Scions' voyage into Dravanian lands, in an effort to find a cause just and true enough to restore her family's honor. She helped Garlond Ironworks design the Manacutter class of airship (which made her fascinated with shipwrights) and joined the Templars in fortifying the city during the Siege of Ishgard. After Nidhogg's defeat, Iris was one of the only Scions on hand to help rescue Ser Aymeric from the Vault.

A small team of Scions, who were happy to see Iris had trained some since Operation Archon, breached the Vault along with some aide from House Foretmps. As the strike team gave chase to the Archbishop, one of the more prominent members of Fortemps was fatally wounded. Iris did her best to heal him with Nymian arts but she was unable to save him.

House Fortemps, thankful for assistance Iris provided their favorite foreigner in helping develop the Manacutter and her efforts to save the lives of their bastard son, and mindful of the House's contributions to Ishgard in recent years, restored the titles and holdings of House Blanchimont as a vassal of House Fortemps.

In recognition of the fact that their status was restored because of Iris, enough members of the family supported her as the new Matriarch that Paracelsus and his hard-line supporters accepted her ascension. Her public policy of agnosticism toward the Halonic faith was accepted given the situation the Church faced following the incident at the Vault and her race and progressive views were seen as less important than her nobility of action. Before leaving for southern Eorzea again, Iris appointed Felt's wife, Audrey, to be her proxy in family affairs.

When the Warrior of Light came to Ishgard on dragonback after the fall of the Archbishop, Iris was summoned by Ser Aymeric as the new leader of House Blanchimont. She, Aymeric and the de facto leader of the Scions, Alphinaud, met to discuss next steps for the Holy See. Iris was the newest noble and was the only person elevated after Archbishop Thordan fled Ishgard, so while the Scions got to go on an exciting mission to make peace with dragonkind, Iris was left in the city, charged with helping quell the tension between the people and the Church. She harbors resentment toward the Warrior of Light for, as she sees it, creating a situation of unrest that she now needs to clean up.

As the Dragonsong war drew to a close, Iris took a more active role in negotiating Ishgard's future. She enlisted the assistance of [[Andromeda Dulaque]] in promoting Ishgardian reforms through popular opinion and set to attend the Second Colloquy of Ishgard where she spoke about the need for the Holy See to turn its attention to helping its people in the new era of peace. Her speech at the Colloquy was her most visible act as a noble and was extremely well-received from the moderate and progressive factions of Ishgardian society.
{{End-spoiler}}

=== Arche Koeln ===
Iris joined the Company Arche Koeln after the Scions were granted amnesty. She moved her Atelier to their estate and met several members of the company. She had dinner with Shou Han and developed a really poorly executed crush on her and she shared some of her central interests with the Company's master Ariyon. She spent a lot of her time studying in the Arche Koeln library in her early moons with the Company.

She took a sabbatical from her work with Mealvaan's Gate to help track down a missing member of the company. The sabbatical was significantly extended when the keeper of a sacred book in the company died and left the book behaving strangely. Iris vowed to work with [[Taji Tribal]] to research the book and try to restore it to functional order. She suspected the book left behind by Crysola Tsara was a neophyte Gran Grimoire which would develop one day into one of the most powerful books in Eorzean history.

A break in the study of the Codex came when one of Iris' fellows from Radz-at-Han turned up in Dravania. An aetheric researcher named Ardashir came to seek insight from the Sharlayans regarding his Anima project, an attempt to create an artificial pseudo-soul. Iris offered to help him find a way to stabilize his faux-soul in the hopes that the finished result could be used to restore some semblance of proper function to the Codex and free Taji from being it's keeper.

After late work at the Scholasticate one evening, Iris' teleport was hijacked. She and a series of people, many of whom she knew, were trapped in a strange, aetherless construction. Iris was badly injured by a voidsent, but was able to ascertain the reason they were unable to teleport out with the aid of an operator's manual. But on her way to resolve the problem, she was slipped alcohol and tempted by a void relic which promised her the influence to make Ishgard a more egalitarian and progressive society. Eventually, by defeating a Marbol Queen voidsent posing as [[J'yhun Arun]]'s sister and reconnected the Void Ark aetheryte to Eorzea and evacuated the team to Costa del Sol.

== Plot Hooks ==
===General Hooks===
:* Iris is an expert in aetheric science, particularly arcanima. She has authored several books on the subject and is constantly undertaking new research projects. She's often available at her atelier for consultation or just general geeking out about magic.
:* As Matriarch of House Blanchimont, Iris is one of Ishgard's most progressive nobles. She is willing to offer non-natives who prove themselves noble in action a place in her House. She also is known to dedicate her family's resources to causes she believes she can help with.
:* Iris has a love of history and enjoys traveling to ruins around Eorzea. She sometimes contracts research assistants for more expansive (and dangerous) ruins.
:* When not spending time at The Pillars in Ishgard, a lot of Iris' time is spent in Limsa Lominsa or at her atelier in the West Shroud. She likes to drop by Mealvaan's Gate and the Wench on her trips into Limsa.

===Current Projects===
:* Though it's become something of a back-burner project for Iris, she has been studying the Rancor, part of the illness affecting the Tonberry population.
:* Iris is working on a research project on Gran Grimoires and their interactions with humaniod hosts. The knowledge about such books being as esoteric and scattered as it is, Iris has spent a lot of time looking for any scraps of knowledge on the subject that she can find.
:* Iris has been a guest lecturer at Saint Endalim's Scholasticate teaching Nymian healing artes and advanced strategies as part of the House Blanchimont project to soothe tensions in Ishgard following the events of Heavensward. She has used the position of influence in her active opposition the the old regime of Ishgard.
:* Iris is studying the operations manual for a Void Ark and believes them to be a series of Mhachi airships designed to conduct clandestine void magic research. She is exceedingly interested in Void Arks for this reason.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:IrisPainting.jpg|A painting of Iris that hangs in the Blanchimont estate.
File:BlueIris.png|Iris as she appeared before her use of Fantasia.
File:Iris1point0.jpg|Iris and her lost lover Eliza Scarlet, before the Calamity.
File:AzysIris.png|Iris and her bodyguards investigating Azys Lla.
File:ScoldingTaji.png|Iris scolding [[Taji Tribal]].
File:ScolasticateIris.png|Saint Endalim's Scholasticate Lecturer Iris Blanchimont
File:CodexandTonberries.png|Arche Koeln rescues a group of Tonberries from would-be attackers.
File:ReadingIris.png|Iris in her noble attire.
File:Yumiplot.png|Yumi, Itsu and Iris after Yumi's brother's escape.
File:NamedayIris.png|Celebrating Iris' twenty-eighth Nameday.
File:ColloquyIris.png|Iris speaking at the Second Colloquy of Ishgard.
</gallery>

==OOC Notes==
I am game for pretty much anything in terms of RP. I don't use Skype too often, but I am willing to upon request. I write paragraph responses, though due to the nature of in-game RP these often lean on the short side in the interest of time. Feel free to ask me for pick-up scenes or the like any time.
The template used here is of my own design, borrowing elements from several other formats and adding a few of my own.

[[Category: Player Character]]
[[Category: Miqo'te]]
[[Category: Miqo'te Keeper of the Moon]]
[[Category: Ishgardian]]
[[Category: Character]]

Iris Blanchimont

2016-07-24T06:58:56Z

Iris Blanchimont:

{{Infobox-TMI
| name = Iris Blanchimont
| image = IBlanchimontPortrait.jpg
| pronounced = Eye-riss Blahn-shh-mohn or Blahn-chuh-mohnt
| meaning = Flower of the White Mountain
| gender = Female
| nameday = 10th Sun of the Second Umbral Moon
| born = Circa 6AE 1550
| citizenship = Ishgard
| race = Miqo'te
| clan = Keeper of the Moon
| guardian = Llymlaen and Halone
| alignment = Neutral Good
| height = 5 fulms 1 ilm.
| weight = 112 ponze
| physique = Wet noodle
| hair = Ice blue and lilac
| eyes = Amethyst
| skin = Pale
| hobbies = Aetheric research, ruins exploration, and dancing
| motivation = Understanding the world and learning new things
| accomplishment = Becoming a Royal Marine of Nym
| regret = Losing her first love in the Calamity
| profession = Scholasticate lecturer
| soulstone = Scholar and Summoner
| advantages = Extraordinary intelligence, magic
| limitations = Weak, fragile
| weapon1 = Grimoire of the Royal Nymian Marines
| armor = Doman light armor
| noncombat = Encyclopedic knowledge, very clever, pretty good chef
| username = Andromeda
| timezone = Eastern
| server = Lamia, Balmung
| characters = [[Izayoi Tokushi]] [[Illua Corcavo]]
| freecompanies = WRECK
| linkshells = Tantalus Theatre

}}

== Appearance ==
Iris used a Fantasia to attain her current appearance. Her tail has a darker and bushy tip and she usually wears flower petals in her ice-blue hair, which is typically style in an over-the-shoulder side ponytail. Iris' eyes are purple and she sometimes wears glasses, though she doesn't actually need them. Iris often wears either elegant clothes befitting her station as an Ishgardian noble or a gold-trimmed suit of Doman samurai's light armor. Iris is barely more than five fulms tall but, due to some good luck, has rather short friends.

== Personality ==

=== Hobbies ===
::* Investigation of ancient ruins, especially Nymian.
::* Aetheric research.
::* Airship design and development
::* Dancing. Even the most hardened researcher needs to let some steam off.

=== Likes ===
::* '''Alchemy''' was going to be Iris' career before the Calamity, and still is what she practices in her spare time to unwind.
::* '''Airships''' are a fascination of Iris', and she has dedicated some time to studying the airship designs in Arche Koeln.
::* '''Science''' is, to Iris, the study of how aether works. She is absolutely in love with that approach to understanding the rational, fundamental nature of magic.
::* '''Tonberries''' and really all things Nymian. She has an immense respect for the Tonberies, especially those who resist the Rancor.

=== Dislikes ===
::* '''The Gridanian faith in 'the Elementals'''' is superstitious drivel she has no patience for. It is why she didn't want to become a White Mage, despite her aptitude for healing.
::* '''Flirtatious men''' are annoyances, partially because she has no interest in them but primarily because they tend to be more successful than Iris.
::* '''Alcohol''' usually ends badly for Iris.
::* '''Teaching at the Scholasticate''' annoys Iris. While she enjoys educating people in a mentor/apprentice relationship or as peers, her preferred method is one-on-one education. She was pressured into taking the position as part of her noble responsibilities.

=== Favorites ===

*'''Color: ''' Purple
*'''Food: ''' Rolanberry Cheesecake
*'''Drinks: ''' All kinds of lassi
*'''Scent:''' Old books
*'''Place:''' Nym
*'''Festival:''' Starlight Celebration

=== Flaws ===
::* '''People-Pleaser''' - Iris has trouble saying no to others, even if she is suspicious of their motives.
::* '''Misunderstanding''' - If the opportunity arises for Iris to take something in a way other than intended, she likely does.
::* '''Calculating''' - Iris plans things in such detail that it seems annoying to others, and it often causes problem as things rarely go to plan. She does not rush in.
::* '''Easily Wounded''' - Iris is likely to take failure too seriously and insult too personally. She often blames herself, especially when the loss of other's lives is concerned.

=== Fears ===
::* '''Loss of Control''' - Iris deeply fears not being in full control of her faculties, so rarely drinks and is deeply bothered by mind-affecting magic.
::* '''Marbols''' - Her disgust with Marbols had evolved into a fear of encountering them in the wild. She hates them and will either avoid them or melt their faces off in an attempt to be rid of them.
::* '''Loneliness''' - The most intangible fear Iris has is of being alone. She has a lot of experience feeling isolate and ears never finding someone to walk the path with.
::* '''Death''' - The abyss has claimed loved ones and friends in the past that the thought of death coming for her or others drives her into a panic, which is why her attention to the healing arts has intensified since the Calamity.

=== Talents ===
::*'''Alchemy''' - Iris was adopted by a family with a long history of alchemical talent, so she has worked with an alembic since she can remember. She is not the best in the world or anything, but is confident in her abilities.
::*'''Arcanima''' - Iris has a great aptitude for summoning creatures from the aether, be it carbuncles, egi or fairies. She has developed a deep bond with these aetheric entities and has used the knowledge she's gained from mastering them to become a master of disease as well, curing or inflicting plagues with the same science that summons her allies.
::*'''Research''' - Outside of her customs work, most of Iris' time consists of expeditions to ruins or reading books in libraries, and as such she is a blossoming expert in a variety of subjects. She has been working lately on researching the Gran Grimoire possessed by her company, Arche Koeln.

== Abilities and Skills ==

=== Weapons ===
'''Wisdom''' - While Iris has passing familiarity with a number of weapons and combat styles, she prefers to outwit opponents and, if possible, avoid combat altogether.

=== Magic ===
'''Aetheric Manipulation''' - While the work of conjurers and thaumaturges seems too superstitious for her, the science of aetheric manipulation appeals to her.

=== Crafting ===
'''Alchemy''' - Iris' stock and trade is alchemy. It is the Blanchimont's family tradition as well as something she has studied in detail in Eorzea.

'''Cooking''' - "Cooking is a degenerate form of alchemy."

'''Goldsmithing''' - It started as a way to make gifts for her first girlfriend Eliza Scarlet. Though she stopped practicing it after Eliza's disappearance in the Calamity, she has recently renewed her efforts and mastered the trade.

'''Weaving''' - She has found sewing relaxing for some time and recently became one of the more skilled clothiers in Limsa.

== Family and Relationships ==
♥ Love/ Mate ♥ Sexual Desire ♥ Platonic Love

● Family ● Friend ● Neutral ● Enemy

'''''Relatives'''''
:♥ Eliza Scarlet (Former fiancee, Midlander, deceased)
:● Felt Blanchimont (Adoptive father, Wildwood)
:● Audrey Slaith du Blanchimont (Felt's wife, Midlander)
:● Visse Blanchimont (Adoptive mother, Wildwood, deceased)
:● Beatrix du Blanchimont (Adoptive aunt, Wildwood)
:● Paracelsus du Blanchimont (Adoptive great-uncle, Wildwood)

'''''Known Associates'''''
:● Shou Han (Former crush, Midlander)
:● Ariyon Durandel (FC Leader, Midlander)
:● Yumi Hikaru (de facto FC Leader, bestie, Sunseeker)
:● Itsu Neir (Yumi's wife, bestie, Midlander)
:● Taji Tribal (Research Associate, Moonkeeper)
:● Prim Rose (Raen, Missing in Action)

=== Positive ===
::* [[Shou Han]] was the first person Iris had deep affection for in almost a year when they met and is the reason she joined Arche Koeln. She and Iris have been on a date and though Iris fancied Shou, deep ideological differences over the use of magic drove them apart. Shou left Arche Koeln, and though they've tried to patch their relationship, the ideological difference remains.
::* [[Taji Tribal]] and Iris began working together to study the Codex Grimoire. Despite how often she has to correct Taji, Iris is convinced the other arcanimist is fairly smart.
::* [[Itsu Neir]] is fascinating to Iris, both as an example of someone able to balance being an adventurer and a wife at the same time and in the odd connection she has with winds. Iris admitted to Itsu that she counts her among her closest friends.
::* [[Yumi Hikaru]] is Itsu's wife, and one of the most energetic people Iris knows. Another of her closest friends, Yumi is someone Iris believes to be of excellent moral character and beyond reproach. She also credits Yumi with the survival of Arche Koeln during the absence of the company's leadership.
::* [[J'yhun Arun]] isn't someone Iris knows well, but she thinks he is a fellow intellectual. That erns him respect in her opinion, despite his first impression not being something stellar.

=== Neutral ===
::* [[Menoly Fiore]] isn't someone Iris actually dislikes but someone she enjoys playing word games with and mocking. She actually, secretly, enjoys the verbal sparring with Menoly and looks forward to it.

=== Negative ===
::* [[Beatrix Blanchimont|Beatrix du Blanchimont]] is Iris' aunt and rival for control of House Blanchimont. Beatrix considers a non-blood relative and unbeliever being Matriarch to be inappropriate.
::* '''Paracelsus du Blanchimont''' is Iris' great-uncle, younger brother of her deceased grandfather Arstide. Paracelsus is an exceptionally gifted alchemist and siege engineer, and he hates Iris with a passion. He believes that unbelievers have no place in Ishgard, let alone in a Noble House, and has attempted to get the Inquisition to confront Iris to no avail. He now supports Beatrix as Matriarch, following his own failed bid at the position.

== Affiliations ==
::* '''House Blanhimont''': Iris is Matriarch of a house of lesser nobility in Ishgard.
::* '''Arche Koeln''': Iris is an Acolyte in the company charged with studying the Codex, the Gran Grimoire the company protects.
::* '''Mealvaan's Gate''': Iris has spent years working as an Assessor.
::* '''Saint Endalim's Scholasticate''': Iris is a guest lecturer on the subjects of Nymian healing sciences and arcanima strategy.
::* '''The Redbills''': The sky pirate band flying ships she helped design ask her to occasionally study and decode treasures they obtain.

== Rumors ==

Note: This section is editable by anyone. Just keep in mind that the rumors here may be both true or false.

===General Rumors===
* "Iris Blanchimont... is that the girl who keeps hittin' on the female employees?" - Gold Saucer Patron
* "Do not, under any circumstances, let her drink alcohol." - Quicksand Waitress
* "Why does that name sound familiar? Did she cure the Choco Plague a few years back?" Tailfeather Hunter
* "Some minor noble house won't shut up about Iris du Blanchimont, like she's some salacious scandal. If she was, I'm sure I'd have heard of it." Forgotten Knight Rumormonger
* "I hear tell that she's the gal went and got herself locked up in the Great Lib'ary for a spell a few moons back." - Idyllshire Adventurer
* "She's teaching arcanima at the Scholasticate in Ishgard, right? Not sure how I feel about that, but we're allies again, right?" - Mealvaan's Gate Assessor
* "Lady Blanchimont? She is a curse, I tell you. A Voidsent swathed in shadows here to destroy our society. Lady Iceheart herself could not tear Ishgard apart as effectively as this monster." - Lesser Noble of Ishgard

===First-Hand Accounts===
* "I remember her when she was blue! Ahahahaha! Crazy cat took a Fantasia when her pallies in the Risin' Stones was chased out from Ul'dah. Liked her cute li'l tail better then but the paleness is kin'a cute too." - Maelstrom Lieutenant
* "Blanchimont? I remember she was a passable Alchemist before learning all those Radz-at-Han tricks. Now her approach to the craft is utter nonsense." - Ul'dahn Alchemist
* "NE❄GIGIGI★❄... HeR WoRk Is BaReLy BeTtEr ThAn SpIt-ShInInG a BiG rOcK." - Goldsmith Guild Mammet
* "She got lost in a Castrum during Operation Archon and accidentally stole a Reaper. I've never seen someone be less help during an operation of greater magnitude." - Scion of the Seventh Dawn
* "Ah, the young mistress? She is an exceptional scholar and leader of our little family. She will be reading this, yes?" - House Blanchimont Attendant.

===PC Rumors===
* "An excellent example of a Scholar. Intelligent and willing to consider solutions beyond 'swing a sword at it until it goes away'. I can respect that." -[[J'yhun Arun]]
* "Oh, she's easily one of the smartest people I know! If you're writing a thesis, definitely get her to check your work. She'll keep you honest. ...Not much use as a wingman or a sidekick, though, she tends to strike out spectacularly in subjects not involving books..." -[[Taji Tribal]]
* "She holds a compassion for others that easily outshines mine. Her care for her Garuda is respectable. I hope we can become good friends." - [[Itsu Neir]]

== History ==
=== Name and Lifestyle ===
Iris Blanchimont, originally named Ahnci Strahl (though is unaware of this name). Iris is a scholar in everything she does and can often be found in the Gubal Library in the Sharlayan ruins, House Blanchimont in the Pillars of Ishgard or the Arche Koeln library in Mist.

Her full title is Lady Iris, Matriarch of House Blanchimont and Dame in the Service of House Fortemps.

==== Nicknames and Aliases ====
"Lily of Limsa Lominsa" and "Alchemist of Arche Koeln", though those are titles. She briefly went by the pseudonym "Flameu Vhisnato" when concealing her true identity and though she does not know it, her birth name is "Ahnci Strahl".

==== Current Residence ====
House Blanchimont in Ishgard, located below the airship dock in the Pillars. She also maintains an office, Atelier Iris, in the Arche Koeln estate in Mist.

==== Pets ====
'''Ivy''' is a Peridot Carbuncle given a measure of self awareness using a particularly well-crafted mammet core as the ruby set in her forehead. Iris is unsure if Ivy is aware she is not a real Carbuncle and is studying her. Ivy is loyal and curious.

'''Tio''' is a Gaelikitten Iris rescued from Dravania. Tio spends most of his time fluttering around Mist looking for all the world like a stray and only bothers coming home when Iris offers food to him. Tio is named after the great dragon Tioman.

'''Dour''' is Iris' faithful Pumpkin Butler, who she rescued from Voidsent during All Saint's Wake. Dour usually fetches Iris things she needs while working at her Atelier, and loves the smell of citrus. He is loyal and distrusts members of the Spoken Races other than Iris.

'''Odelia''' was originally am Allagan datastore node from Azys Lla that Iris, with the help of Garlond Ironworks, repurposed into a lab assistant. Wedge insisted she give the node a name, and she decided Odelia was suitable. Odelia expresses a curiosity for more information, which makes sense given her function.

'''Elusmus''' and '''Palaxius''' are her Maelstrom and Ishgardian chocobos, respectively. Both are named for legendary alchemists of bygone eras. While she has had Elsumus for some time, Palaxius was her father's Black Chocobo she was given as a gift when she became Matriarch. As such, Elusmus is rather friendly while Palaxius has an aloof and disinterested personality.

=== Birth and Childhood ===
Iris was born as Ahnci Strahl to parents in Garlean-occupied lands. She was being smuggled to Sharlayan when her ship was blown off-course and crashed into an island off the coast of Cedarwood. She was found among barrels adrift in the sea by the Elezen trader Felt Blanchimont, owner and captain of the Lominsian trade ship ''Yuveria''. Felt worked at length with Mealvaan's Gate assessors and the Baracudas to find the parents of the abandoned kitten, but no indication of the ship's name or manifest was ever found and its arrival at Limsa was not expected.

After several moons with no word o the kitten's parents, Felt and his sister Visse elected to adopt the kitten, naming her Iris Blanchimont (dropping the Ishgardian 'du' particle as they had done in their own names) and electing to raise her as if she was their blood. Visse taught Iris the basics of alchemy and medicine as well as the importance of taking care of others. Felt, when he wasn't making trade runs, taught Iris about commerce and the great big world off the shores of La Noscea and inspiring in her a love of travel.

As she grew up, she heard little from the rest of her adoptive family. She came to realize that it was because Felt and Visse were estranged from their estate in Ishgard. Simultaneously, the young Iris was enamored and afraid of the Holy See after learning this, and she began to read about her family's homeland. When she learned the history of the Starlight Festival - a festival for Ishgardian orphans - it immediately became her favorite time of year. She would decorate the Blanchimont home in Limsa, or her father's ship, and run around in red giving gifts to other children, simple alchemical creations she made with her mother.

She was a curious, but happy, child.

=== Teen Years ===
Iris thinks of 6AE 1564 as the year her childhood ended. When the Amalj'aa summoned Ifrit in the Mythril Pit, Visse was contacted by the Alchemist's Guild in Ul'dah. She took a teleport to the nearest aetheryte and began to treat wounded survivors of the incident. When she joined a team of Brass Blades to look for more survivors. They never returned from the Pit. Along with the Blades, Visse Blanchimont was declared missing, presumed dead.

Iris met many of the other Blanchimonts for the first time when they traveled to Ul'dah for funerary rites. Her 'grandfather', Lord Arstide du Blanchimont, was exceptionally kind (especially compared to most other Blanchimonts) and bonded with her over the loss of Visse. His wife, Lady Jeanne, was emotionally cold from losing her oldest daughter.

It took some time for Iris to find a suitable way to honor her mother. Eventually, a correspondence from Jeanne du Blanchimont suggested Iris travel with Felt to Ul'dah to learn alchemy from the masters at Frondale's Phrontistery. She studied alchemy in the city and traveled on the ''Yuveria'' with Felt, reading books in her father's library. Studying went from a way to sate her curiosity to her all-consuming devotion for Iris. She learned more about alchemy, Ishgard, her family and everything else she could get a book on.

In Thanalan, Iris met a young hyur named Nox Lemouri. Nox was a scrappy swordfighter and slightly skillful conjurer that was a year or so Iris' elder. The two wanted to grow up to be famous; The Alchemist of Eorzea and the Sand Rat. They bonded over everything from those grand dreams, to losing their mothers, to the what girls caught their eyes on any given day.

Her practice with arcanima began in her teens as well, as it was the preferred approach to magic that Visse had used. While Visse did little more than summon a simple carbuncle, Iris still thought it was worth learning.

=== Before the Calamity ===
In the years leading up to the Seventh Umbral Era, Iris took up odd jobs with Azeyma's Shields and, eventually, the Maelstrom. This lead her to team up with members of a few different companies. Misfits, a group based out of the Black Shroud, were the team of her friend Nox and a few dedicated friends of hers. The other 'shell she had a pearl for was a band called Restoring Honour. Both groups helped her in different ways, expanding knowledge and allowing her to travel through the eerie ruins of Mor Dhona to her father's homeland, Coerthas.

Iris was recruited as a promising alchemist by Restoring Honour by a man named Dracorian Silverblade. He was something of a mentor in the ways of combat, a field that she did not successfully study in her youth. He also introduced her to another member of the company, Eliza Scarlet. Iris and Eliza became fast friends, and soon something far greater.

She also worked with Jeanne du Blanchimont, though mostly by correspondence, on Jeanne's attempt to combat the plague affecting Ishgard's chocobo stocks. While Iris was not exceptionally gifted, she was traubed by Visse well enough to provide some useful insights. And where Jeanne was either in Ishgard or Tailfeather, Iris ha the resources of Frondale's Phrontistery. Admittedly she was little more than a sounding board and research assistant, but it was still thrilling to work with her grandmother.

As the conflict with the Garlean Empire heated up, the Maelstrom asked Iris and Felt to travel to Radz-at-Han in an attempt to preserve supply lines should all-out war become inevitable. Iris left Eliza and her companies to deal with what would become the Battle of Carteneau and went overseas with her father and the crew of the ''Yuveria''.

If the Calamity had never happened, Iris would likely have gotten Eternally Bonded with Eliza and moved to a small house in central Coerthas. But, alas, while she was overseas the godsdamned moon fell out of the sky.

=== Seventh Umbral Era ===
The first full year after Carteneau, Iris was stuck in Radz-at-Han with the ''Yuveria''. She heard nothing from the friends she left behind in Eorzea, and instead turned her attention to the locals. While on the island, she studied the foreign alchemy practiced there as her father worked with the local shipping fleets. It was during this time that Iris developed a love for lassi.

After some time, an order to return home finally came from Limsa Lominsa. When Iris arrived she was greeted with a litany of bad news. Eliza was missing. Iris always hoped that her love had been one of the Warriors of Light. Her homeland was blanketed in snow and her grandmother, Jeanne, died shortly after the chill swept the land. Worse still, the Gates of the Fury were closed so she could not return the kindness her grandfather had shown after Visse's death. Both her bands of friends and companions had disbanded, having lost leaders in the Battle of Carteneau. Even the Shirlds weren't an active force in Eorzea anymore.

Nox, by the grace of the Navigator, had survived. She was helping build up a trade port at Vesper Bay so supplies for the reconstruction could easily travel. It was her suggestion that convinced Iris to take a position at Mealvaan's Gate as an Assessor. The two coordinated many shipments of raw supplies for the reconstruction of Eorzea, with the assistance of Felt and the ''Yuveria''.

As 7UE 5 began, Nox extended another interesting proposal. The Path of the Twelve - a group Iris thought of as 'that cult Nox is in' - had rebranded itself as the Scions of the Seventh Dawn and were in need of someone with Iris' keen understanding of aetheric studies. Iris consulted with some of the Sharlayan experts in the organization and helped develop some of the more bold strategies they embarked upon. When Nox was crippled in her service as one of the adventurers in the orginzation, Iris offered to take her place in the field.

And that's how Iris, who was not an experienced fighter, wound up invading Castrum Centri with the Scions during Operation Archon. Iris had not the first clue what in Llymlaen's name she was doing, which lead to her getting horribly lost and barely escaping the Castrum alive. She managed her escape by stealing a Magitek Reaper and literally rocketing to safety, leaving the team snt to stop the Ultima Wepon to whatever fate awaited them. Thankfully, they didn't really need her.

=== Seventh Astral Era ===
Iris found herself drifting from Company to Company. A small but loyal band called Warpath lost their way and disbanded shortly after the success of Operation Archon, from there she tried to help manage a small Coerthas-based company called the White North to no avail, and eventually she sided with a group called the Knights of the Rose. She did not feel at home with them, but liked them and they did seem more stable than the other companies she had found since the end of the Umbral Era.

Everything was going pretty well: she was helping train the new Crystal Braves, she was operation her own Atelier at her Company's estate and she was working with several High Houses in Ishgard. And then, once again, things came crashing down. She was cooking a meal for the Sultana when the Crystal Braves knocked down her door and she, like every other Scion, was forced to flee Ul'dah.

At least she had somewhere to go. Days after her exile, her grandfather died. She and Felt traveled to Ishgard to attend the memorial for Arstide du Blanchimont, who died defending the city from an attack by
dragons. While in Ishgard, Iris had one of her old Scion contacts bring her a Fantasia. She also had her friends in the Dutiful Sisters of the Edelweiss furnish her with a false identity so she could return to Eorzea as Flameu Vhisnato.

This false identity didn't last overly long, but her new appearance stuck.

===Matriarch of House Blanchimont===
{{Spoiler|Heavensward through Revenge of the Horde}}
With Arstide's death, House Blanchimont was thrown into chaos. A large faction of the family found Felt, with his disinterest in Ishgardian affairs, Miqo'te daughter and his apathy toward the Halonic faith, unfit to be the new Patriarch. Some supported Felt's youngest sister, Beatrix, while still others flocked around a deeply conservative and xenophobic uncle Paracelsus. House Blanchimont's patrons, Durendaire, seized on the opportunity presented them by a leaderless House Blanchimont to quietly shuffle them off their titles and holdings despite the heroic death of the last Patriarch and spare themselves the burden of the vassal house so plagued by scandal and uncertainty.

This family crisis caused Iris to turn her attention to the Scions' voyage into Dravanian lands, in an effort to find a cause just and true enough to restore her family's honor. She helped Garlond Ironworks design the Manacutter class of airship (which made her fascinated with shipwrights) and joined the Templars in fortifying the city during the Siege of Ishgard. After Nidhogg's defeat, Iris was one of the only Scions on hand to help rescue Ser Aymeric from the Vault.

A small team of Scions, who were happy to see Iris had trained some since Operation Archon, breached the Vault along with some aide from House Foretmps. As the strike team gave chase to the Archbishop, one of the more prominent members of Fortemps was fatally wounded. Iris did her best to heal him with Nymian arts but she was unable to save him.

House Fortemps, thankful for assistance Iris provided their favorite foreigner in helping develop the Manacutter and her efforts to save the lives of their bastard son, and mindful of the House's contributions to Ishgard in recent years, restored the titles and holdings of House Blanchimont as a vassal of House Fortemps.

In recognition of the fact that their status was restored because of Iris, enough members of the family supported her as the new Matriarch that Paracelsus and his hard-line supporters accepted her ascension. Her public policy of agnosticism toward the Halonic faith was accepted given the situation the Church faced following the incident at the Vault and her race and progressive views were seen as less important than her nobility of action. Before leaving for southern Eorzea again, Iris appointed Felt's wife, Audrey, to be her proxy in family affairs.

When the Warrior of Light came to Ishgard on dragonback after the fall of the Archbishop, Iris was summoned by Ser Aymeric as the new leader of House Blanchimont. She, Aymeric and the de facto leader of the Scions, Alphinaud, met to discuss next steps for the Holy See. Iris was the newest noble and was the only person elevated after Archbishop Thordan fled Ishgard, so while the Scions got to go on an exciting mission to make peace with dragonkind, Iris was left in the city, charged with helping quell the tension between the people and the Church. She harbors resentment toward the Warrior of Light for, as she sees it, creating a situation of unrest that she now needs to clean up.

As the Dragonsong war drew to a close, Iris took a more active role in negotiating Ishgard's future. She enlisted the assistance of [[Andromeda Dulaque]] in promoting Ishgardian reforms through popular opinion and set to attend the Second Colloquy of Ishgard where she spoke about the need for the Holy See to turn its attention to helping its people in the new era of peace. Her speech at the Colloquy was her most visible act as a noble and was extremely well-received from the moderate and progressive factions of Ishgardian society.
{{End-spoiler}}

=== Arche Koeln ===
Iris joined the Company Arche Koeln after the Scions were granted amnesty. She moved her Atelier to their estate and met several members of the company. She had dinner with Shou Han and developed a really poorly executed crush on her and she shared some of her central interests with the Company's master Ariyon. She spent a lot of her time studying in the Arche Koeln library in her early moons with the Company.

She took a sabbatical from her work with Mealvaan's Gate to help track down a missing member of the company. The sabbatical was significantly extended when the keeper of a sacred book in the company died and left the book behaving strangely. Iris vowed to work with [[Taji Tribal]] to research the book and try to restore it to functional order. She suspected the book left behind by Crysola Tsara was a neophyte Gran Grimoire which would develop one day into one of the most powerful books in Eorzean history.

A break in the study of the Codex came when one of Iris' fellows from Radz-at-Han turned up in Dravania. An aetheric researcher named Ardashir came to seek insight from the Sharlayans regarding his Anima project, an attempt to create an artificial pseudo-soul. Iris offered to help him find a way to stabilize his faux-soul in the hopes that the finished result could be used to restore some semblance of proper function to the Codex and free Taji from being it's keeper.

After late work at the Scholasticate one evening, Iris' teleport was hijacked. She and a series of people, many of whom she knew, were trapped in a strange, aetherless construction. Iris was badly injured by a voidsent, but was able to ascertain the reason they were unable to teleport out with the aid of an operator's manual. But on her way to resolve the problem, she was slipped alcohol and tempted by a void relic which promised her the influence to make Ishgard a more egalitarian and progressive society. Eventually, by defeating a Marbol Queen voidsent posing as [[J'yhun Arun]]'s sister and reconnected the Void Ark aetheryte to Eorzea and evacuated the team to Costa del Sol.

== Plot Hooks ==
===General Hooks===
:* Iris is an expert in aetheric science, particularly arcanima. She has authored several books on the subject and is constantly undertaking new research projects. She's often available at her atelier for consultation or just general geeking out about magic.
:* As Matriarch of House Blanchimont, Iris is one of Ishgard's most progressive nobles. She is willing to offer non-natives who prove themselves noble in action a place in her House. She also is known to dedicate her family's resources to causes she believes she can help with.
:* Iris has a love of history and enjoys traveling to ruins around Eorzea. She sometimes contracts research assistants for more expansive (and dangerous) ruins.
:* When not spending time at The Pillars in Ishgard, a lot of Iris' time is spent in Limsa Lominsa or at her atelier in the West Shroud. She likes to drop by Mealvaan's Gate and the Wench on her trips into Limsa.

===Current Projects===
:* Though it's become something of a back-burner project for Iris, she has been studying the Rancor, part of the illness affecting the Tonberry population.
:* Iris is working on a research project on Gran Grimoires and their interactions with humaniod hosts. The knowledge about such books being as esoteric and scattered as it is, Iris has spent a lot of time looking for any scraps of knowledge on the subject that she can find.
:* Iris has been a guest lecturer at Saint Endalim's Scholasticate teaching Nymian healing artes and advanced strategies as part of the House Blanchimont project to soothe tensions in Ishgard following the events of Heavensward. She has used the position of influence in her active opposition the the old regime of Ishgard.
:* Iris is studying the operations manual for a Void Ark and believes them to be a series of Mhachi airships designed to conduct clandestine void magic research. She is exceedingly interested in Void Arks for this reason.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:IrisPainting.jpg|A painting of Iris that hangs in the Blanchimont estate.
File:BlueIris.png|Iris as she appeared before her use of Fantasia.
File:Iris1point0.jpg|Iris and her lost lover Eliza Scarlet, before the Calamity.
File:AzysIris.png|Iris and her bodyguards investigating Azys Lla.
File:ScoldingTaji.png|Iris scolding [[Taji Tribal]].
File:ScolasticateIris.png|Saint Endalim's Scholasticate Lecturer Iris Blanchimont
File:CodexandTonberries.png|Arche Koeln rescues a group of Tonberries from would-be attackers.
File:ReadingIris.png|Iris in her noble attire.
File:Yumiplot.png|Yumi, Itsu and Iris after Yumi's brother's escape.
File:NamedayIris.png|Celebrating Iris' twenty-eighth Nameday.
File:ColloquyIris.png|Iris speaking at the Second Colloquy of Ishgard.
</gallery>

==OOC Notes==
I am game for pretty much anything in terms of RP. I don't use Skype too often, but I am willing to upon request. I write paragraph responses, though due to the nature of in-game RP these often lean on the short side in the interest of time. Feel free to ask me for pick-up scenes or the like any time.
The template used here is of my own design, borrowing elements from several other formats and adding a few of my own.

[[Category: Player Character]]
[[Category: Miqo'te]]
[[Category: Miqo'te Keeper of the Moon]]
[[Category: Ishgardian]]
[[Category: Character]]

Iris Blanchimont

2016-07-24T06:54:57Z

Iris Blanchimont: /* Gallery */

{{Infobox-TMI
| name = Iris Blanchimont
| image = IBlanchimontPortrait.jpg
| pronounced = Eye-riss Blahn-shh-mohn or Blahn-chuh-mohnt
| meaning = Flower of the White Mountain
| gender = Female
| nameday = 10th Sun of the Second Umbral Moon
| born = Circa 6AE 1550
| citizenship = Ishgard
| race = Miqo'te
| clan = Keeper of the Moon
| guardian = Llymlaen and Halone
| alignment = Neutral Good
| height = 5 fulms 1 ilm.
| weight = 112 ponze
| physique = Wet noodle
| hair = Ice blue and lilac
| eyes = Amethyst
| skin = Pale
| hobbies = Aetheric research, ruins exploration, and dancing
| motivation = Understanding the world and learning new things
| accomplishment = Becoming a Royal Marine of Nym
| regret = Losing her first love in the Calamity
| profession = Scholasticate lecturer
| soulstone = Scholar and Summoner
| advantages = Extraordinary intelligence, magic
| limitations = Weak, fragile
| weapon1 = Grimoire of the Royal Nymian Marines
| armor = Doman light armor
| noncombat = Encyclopedic knowledge, very clever, pretty good chef
| username = Andromeda
| timezone = Eastern
| server = Lamia, Balmung
| characters = [[Izayoi Tokushi]] [[Illua Corcavo]]
| freecompanies = WRECK
| linkshells = Tantalus Theatre

}}

== Appearance ==
Iris used a Fantasia to attain her current appearance. Her tail has a darker and bushy tip and she usually wears flower petals in her ice-blue hair, which is typically style in an over-the-shoulder side ponytail. Iris' eyes are purple and she sometimes wears glasses, though she doesn't actually need them. Iris often wears either elegant clothes befitting her station as an Ishgardian noble or a gold-trimmed suit of Doman samurai's light armor. Iris is barely more than five fulms tall but, due to some good luck, has rather short friends.

== Personality ==

=== Hobbies ===
::* Investigation of ancient ruins, especially Nymian.
::* Aetheric research.
::* Airship design and development
::* Dancing. Even the most hardened researcher needs to let some steam off.

=== Likes ===
::* '''Alchemy''' was going to be Iris' career before the Calamity, and still is what she practices in her spare time to unwind.
::* '''Airships''' are a fascination of Iris', and she has dedicated some time to studying the airship designs in Arche Koeln.
::* '''Science''' is, to Iris, the study of how aether works. She is absolutely in love with that approach to understanding the rational, fundamental nature of magic.
::* '''Tonberries''' and really all things Nymian. She has an immense respect for the Tonberies, especially those who resist the Rancor.

=== Dislikes ===
::* '''The Gridanian faith in 'the Elementals'''' is superstitious drivel she has no patience for. It is why she didn't want to become a White Mage, despite her aptitude for healing.
::* '''Flirtatious men''' are annoyances, partially because she has no interest in them but primarily because they tend to be more successful than Iris.
::* '''Alcohol''' usually ends badly for Iris.
::* '''Teaching at the Scholasticate''' annoys Iris. While she enjoys educating people in a mentor/apprentice relationship or as peers, her preferred method is one-on-one education. She was pressured into taking the position as part of her noble responsibilities.

=== Favorites ===

*'''Color: ''' Purple
*'''Food: ''' Rolanberry Cheesecake
*'''Drinks: ''' All kinds of lassi
*'''Scent:''' Old books
*'''Place:''' Nym
*'''Festival:''' Starlight Celebration

=== Flaws ===
::* '''People-Pleaser''' - Iris has trouble saying no to others, even if she is suspicious of their motives.
::* '''Misunderstanding''' - If the opportunity arises for Iris to take something in a way other than intended, she likely does.
::* '''Calculating''' - Iris plans things in such detail that it seems annoying to others, and it often causes problem as things rarely go to plan. She does not rush in.
::* '''Easily Wounded''' - Iris is likely to take failure too seriously and insult too personally. She often blames herself, especially when the loss of other's lives is concerned.

=== Fears ===
::* '''Loss of Control''' - Iris deeply fears not being in full control of her faculties, so rarely drinks and is deeply bothered by mind-affecting magic.
::* '''Marbols''' - Her disgust with Marbols had evolved into a fear of encountering them in the wild. She hates them and will either avoid them or melt their faces off in an attempt to be rid of them.
::* '''Loneliness''' - The most intangible fear Iris has is of being alone. She has a lot of experience feeling isolate and ears never finding someone to walk the path with.
::* '''Death''' - The abyss has claimed loved ones and friends in the past that the thought of death coming for her or others drives her into a panic, which is why her attention to the healing arts has intensified since the Calamity.

=== Talents ===
::*'''Alchemy''' - Iris was adopted by a family with a long history of alchemical talent, so she has worked with an alembic since she can remember. She is not the best in the world or anything, but is confident in her abilities.
::*'''Arcanima''' - Iris has a great aptitude for summoning creatures from the aether, be it carbuncles, egi or fairies. She has developed a deep bond with these aetheric entities and has used the knowledge she's gained from mastering them to become a master of disease as well, curing or inflicting plagues with the same science that summons her allies.
::*'''Research''' - Outside of her customs work, most of Iris' time consists of expeditions to ruins or reading books in libraries, and as such she is a blossoming expert in a variety of subjects. She has been working lately on researching the Gran Grimoire possessed by her company, Arche Koeln.

== Abilities and Skills ==

=== Weapons ===
'''Wisdom''' - While Iris has passing familiarity with a number of weapons and combat styles, she prefers to outwit opponents and, if possible, avoid combat altogether.

=== Magic ===
'''Aetheric Manipulation''' - While the work of conjurers and thaumaturges seems too superstitious for her, the science of aetheric manipulation appeals to her.

=== Crafting ===
'''Alchemy''' - Iris' stock and trade is alchemy. It is the Blanchimont's family tradition as well as something she has studied in detail in Eorzea.

'''Cooking''' - "Cooking is a degenerate form of alchemy."

'''Goldsmithing''' - It started as a way to make gifts for her first girlfriend Eliza Scarlet. Though she stopped practicing it after Eliza's disappearance in the Calamity, she has recently renewed her efforts and mastered the trade.

'''Weaving''' - She has found sewing relaxing for some time and recently became one of the more skilled clothiers in Limsa.

== Family and Relationships ==
♥ Love/ Mate ♥ Sexual Desire ♥ Platonic Love

● Family ● Friend ● Neutral ● Enemy

'''''Relatives'''''
:♥ Eliza Scarlet (Former fiancee, Midlander, deceased)
:● Felt Blanchimont (Adoptive father, Wildwood)
:● Audrey Slaith du Blanchimont (Felt's wife, Midlander)
:● Visse Blanchimont (Adoptive mother, Wildwood, deceased)
:● Beatrix du Blanchimont (Adoptive aunt, Wildwood)
:● Paracelsus du Blanchimont (Adoptive great-uncle, Wildwood)

'''''Known Associates'''''
:● Shou Han (Former crush, Midlander)
:● Ariyon Durandel (FC Leader, Midlander)
:● Yumi Hikaru (de facto FC Leader, bestie, Sunseeker)
:● Itsu Neir (Yumi's wife, bestie, Midlander)
:● Taji Tribal (Research Associate, Moonkeeper)
:● Prim Rose (Raen, Missing in Action)

=== Positive ===
::* [[Shou Han]] was the first person Iris had deep affection for in almost a year when they met and is the reason she joined Arche Koeln. She and Iris have been on a date and though Iris fancied Shou, deep ideological differences over the use of magic drove them apart. Shou left Arche Koeln, and though they've tried to patch their relationship, the ideological difference remains.
::* [[Taji Tribal]] and Iris began working together to study the Codex Grimoire. Despite how often she has to correct Taji, Iris is convinced the other arcanimist is fairly smart.
::* [[Itsu Neir]] is fascinating to Iris, both as an example of someone able to balance being an adventurer and a wife at the same time and in the odd connection she has with winds. Iris admitted to Itsu that she counts her among her closest friends.
::* [[Yumi Hikaru]] is Itsu's wife, and one of the most energetic people Iris knows. Another of her closest friends, Yumi is someone Iris believes to be of excellent moral character and beyond reproach. She also credits Yumi with the survival of Arche Koeln during the absence of the company's leadership.
::* [[J'yhun Arun]] isn't someone Iris knows well, but she thinks he is a fellow intellectual. That erns him respect in her opinion, despite his first impression not being something stellar.

=== Neutral ===
::* [[Menoly Fiore]] isn't someone Iris actually dislikes but someone she enjoys playing word games with and mocking. She actually, secretly, enjoys the verbal sparring with Menoly and looks forward to it.

=== Negative ===
::* [[Beatrix Blanchimont|Beatrix du Blanchimont]] is Iris' aunt and rival for control of House Blanchimont. Beatrix considers a non-blood relative and unbeliever being Matriarch to be inappropriate.
::* '''Paracelsus du Blanchimont''' is Iris' great-uncle, younger brother of her deceased grandfather Arstide. Paracelsus is an exceptionally gifted alchemist and siege engineer, and he hates Iris with a passion. He believes that unbelievers have no place in Ishgard, let alone in a Noble House, and has attempted to get the Inquisition to confront Iris to no avail. He now supports Beatrix as Matriarch, following his own failed bid at the position.

== Affiliations ==
::* '''House Blanhimont''': Iris is Matriarch of a house of lesser nobility in Ishgard.
::* '''Arche Koeln''': Iris is an Acolyte in the company charged with studying the Codex, the Gran Grimoire the company protects.
::* '''Mealvaan's Gate''': Iris has spent years working as an Assessor.
::* '''Saint Endalim's Scholasticate''': Iris is a guest lecturer on the subjects of Nymian healing sciences and arcanima strategy.
::* '''The Redbills''': The sky pirate band flying ships she helped design ask her to occasionally study and decode treasures they obtain.

== Rumors ==

Note: This section is editable by anyone. Just keep in mind that the rumors here may be both true or false.

===General Rumors===
* "Iris Blanchimont... is that the girl who keeps hittin' on the female employees?" - Gold Saucer Patron
* "Do not, under any circumstances, let her drink alcohol." - Quicksand Waitress
* "Why does that name sound familiar? Did she cure the Choco Plague a few years back?" Tailfeather Hunter
* "Some minor noble house won't shut up about Iris du Blanchimont, like she's some salacious scandal. If she was, I'm sure I'd have heard of it." Forgotten Knight Rumormonger
* "I hear tell that she's the gal went and got herself locked up in the Great Lib'ary for a spell a few moons back." - Idyllshire Adventurer
* "She's teaching arcanima at the Scholasticate in Ishgard, right? Not sure how I feel about that, but we're allies again, right?" - Mealvaan's Gate Assessor
* "Lady Blanchimont? She is a curse, I tell you. A Voidsent swathed in shadows here to destroy our society. Lady Iceheart herself could not tear Ishgard apart as effectively as this monster." - Lesser Noble of Ishgard

===First-Hand Accounts===
* "I remember her when she was blue! Ahahahaha! Crazy cat took a Fantasia when her pallies in the Risin' Stones was chased out from Ul'dah. Liked her cute li'l tail better then but the paleness is kin'a cute too." - Maelstrom Lieutenant
* "Blanchimont? I remember she was a passable Alchemist before learning all those Radz-at-Han tricks. Now her approach to the craft is utter nonsense." - Ul'dahn Alchemist
* "NE❄GIGIGI★❄... HeR WoRk Is BaReLy BeTtEr ThAn SpIt-ShInInG a BiG rOcK." - Goldsmith Guild Mammet
* "She got lost in a Castrum during Operation Archon and accidentally stole a Reaper. I've never seen someone be less help during an operation of greater magnitude." - Scion of the Seventh Dawn
* "Ah, the young mistress? She is an exceptional scholar and leader of our little family. She will be reading this, yes?" - House Blanchimont Attendant.

===PC Rumors===
* "An excellent example of a Scholar. Intelligent and willing to consider solutions beyond 'swing a sword at it until it goes away'. I can respect that." -[[J'yhun Arun]]
* "Oh, she's easily one of the smartest people I know! If you're writing a thesis, definitely get her to check your work. She'll keep you honest. ...Not much use as a wingman or a sidekick, though, she tends to strike out spectacularly in subjects not involving books..." -[[Taji Tribal]]
* "She holds a compassion for others that easily outshines mine. Her care for her Garuda is respectable. I hope we can become good friends." - [[Itsu Neir]]

== History ==
=== Name and Lifestyle ===
Iris Blanchimont, originally named Ahnci Strahl (though is unaware of this name). Iris is a scholar in everything she does and can often be found in the Gubal Library in the Sharlayan ruins, House Blanchimont in the Pillars of Ishgard or the Arche Koeln library in Mist.

Her full title is Lady Iris, Matriarch of House Blanchimont and Dame in the Service of House Fortemps.

==== Nicknames and Aliases ====
"Lily of Limsa Lominsa" and "Alchemist of Arche Koeln", though those are titles. She briefly went by the pseudonym "Flameu Vhisnato" when concealing her true identity and though she does not know it, her birth name is "Ahnci Strahl".

==== Current Residence ====
House Blanchimont in Ishgard, located below the airship dock in the Pillars. She also maintains an office, Atelier Iris, in the Arche Koeln estate in Mist.

==== Pets ====
'''Ivy''' is a Peridot Carbuncle given a measure of self awareness using a particularly well-crafted mammet core as the ruby set in her forehead. Iris is unsure if Ivy is aware she is not a real Carbuncle and is studying her. Ivy is loyal and curious.

'''Tio''' is a Gaelikitten Iris rescued from Dravania. Tio spends most of his time fluttering around Mist looking for all the world like a stray and only bothers coming home when Iris offers food to him. Tio is named after the great dragon Tioman.

'''Dour''' is Iris' faithful Pumpkin Butler, who she rescued from Voidsent during All Saint's Wake. Dour usually fetches Iris things she needs while working at her Atelier, and loves the smell of citrus. He is loyal and distrusts members of the Spoken Races other than Iris.

'''Odelia''' was originally am Allagan datastore node from Azys Lla that Iris, with the help of Garlond Ironworks, repurposed into a lab assistant. Wedge insisted she give the node a name, and she decided Odelia was suitable. Odelia expresses a curiosity for more information, which makes sense given her function.

'''Elusmus''' and '''Palaxius''' are her Maelstrom and Ishgardian chocobos, respectively. Both are named for legendary alchemists of bygone eras. While she has had Elsumus for some time, Palaxius was her father's Black Chocobo she was given as a gift when she became Matriarch. As such, Elusmus is rather friendly while Palaxius has an aloof and disinterested personality.

=== Birth and Childhood ===
Iris was born as Ahnci Strahl to parents in Garlean-occupied lands. She was being smuggled to Sharlayan when her ship was blown off-course and crashed into an island off the coast of Cedarwood. She was found among barrels adrift in the sea by the Elezen trader Felt Blanchimont, owner and captain of the Lominsian trade ship ''Yuveria''. Felt worked at length with Mealvaan's Gate assessors and the Baracudas to find the parents of the abandoned kitten, but no indication of the ship's name or manifest was ever found and its arrival at Limsa was not expected.

After several moons with no word o the kitten's parents, Felt and his sister Visse elected to adopt the kitten, naming her Iris Blanchimont (dropping the Ishgardian 'du' particle as they had done in their own names) and electing to raise her as if she was their blood. Visse taught Iris the basics of alchemy and medicine as well as the importance of taking care of others. Felt, when he wasn't making trade runs, taught Iris about commerce and the great big world off the shores of La Noscea and inspiring in her a love of travel.

As she grew up, she heard little from the rest of her adoptive family. She came to realize that it was because Felt and Visse were estranged from their estate in Ishgard. Simultaneously, the young Iris was enamored and afraid of the Holy See after learning this, and she began to read about her family's homeland. When she learned the history of the Starlight Festival - a festival for Ishgardian orphans - it immediately became her favorite time of year. She would decorate the Blanchimont home in Limsa, or her father's ship, and run around in red giving gifts to other children, simple alchemical creations she made with her mother.

She was a curious, but happy, child.

=== Teen Years ===
Iris thinks of 6AE 1564 as the year her childhood ended. When the Amalj'aa summoned Ifrit in the Mythril Pit, Visse was contacted by the Alchemist's Guild in Ul'dah. She took a teleport to the nearest aetheryte and began to treat wounded survivors of the incident. When she joined a team of Brass Blades to look for more survivors. They never returned from the Pit. Along with the Blades, Visse Blanchimont was declared missing, presumed dead.

Iris met many of the other Blanchimonts for the first time when they traveled to Ul'dah for funerary rites. Her 'grandfather', Lord Arstide du Blanchimont, was exceptionally kind (especially compared to most other Blanchimonts) and bonded with her over the loss of Visse. His wife, Lady Jeanne, was emotionally cold from losing her oldest daughter.

It took some time for Iris to find a suitable way to honor her mother. Eventually, a correspondence from Jeanne du Blanchimont suggested Iris travel with Felt to Ul'dah to learn alchemy from the masters at Frondale's Phrontistery. She studied alchemy in the city and traveled on the ''Yuveria'' with Felt, reading books in her father's library. Studying went from a way to sate her curiosity to her all-consuming devotion for Iris. She learned more about alchemy, Ishgard, her family and everything else she could get a book on.

In Thanalan, Iris met a young hyur named Nox Lemouri. Nox was a scrappy swordfighter and slightly skillful conjurer that was a year or so Iris' elder. The two wanted to grow up to be famous; The Alchemist of Eorzea and the Sand Rat. They bonded over everything from those grand dreams, to losing their mothers, to the what girls caught their eyes on any given day.

Her practice with arcanima began in her teens as well, as it was the preferred approach to magic that Visse had used. While Visse did little more than summon a simple carbuncle, Iris still thought it was worth learning.

=== Before the Calamity ===
In the years leading up to the Seventh Umbral Era, Iris took up odd jobs with Azeyma's Shields and, eventually, the Maelstrom. This lead her to team up with members of a few different companies. Misfits, a group based out of the Black Shroud, were the team of her friend Nox and a few dedicated friends of hers. The other 'shell she had a pearl for was a band called Restoring Honour. Both groups helped her in different ways, expanding knowledge and allowing her to travel through the eerie ruins of Mor Dhona to her father's homeland, Coerthas.

Iris was recruited as a promising alchemist by Restoring Honour by a man named Dracorian Silverblade. He was something of a mentor in the ways of combat, a field that she did not successfully study in her youth. He also introduced her to another member of the company, Eliza Scarlet. Iris and Eliza became fast friends, and soon something far greater.

She also worked with Jeanne du Blanchimont, though mostly by correspondence, on Jeanne's attempt to combat the plague affecting Ishgard's chocobo stocks. While Iris was not exceptionally gifted, she was traubed by Visse well enough to provide some useful insights. And where Jeanne was either in Ishgard or Tailfeather, Iris ha the resources of Frondale's Phrontistery. Admittedly she was little more than a sounding board and research assistant, but it was still thrilling to work with her grandmother.

As the conflict with the Garlean Empire heated up, the Maelstrom asked Iris and Felt to travel to Radz-at-Han in an attempt to preserve supply lines should all-out war become inevitable. Iris left Eliza and her companies to deal with what would become the Battle of Carteneau and went overseas with her father and the crew of the ''Yuveria''.

If the Calamity had never happened, Iris would likely have gotten Eternally Bonded with Eliza and moved to a small house in central Coerthas. But, alas, while she was overseas the godsdamned moon fell out of the sky.

=== Seventh Umbral Era ===
The first full year after Carteneau, Iris was stuck in Radz-at-Han with the ''Yuveria''. She heard nothing from the friends she left behind in Eorzea, and instead turned her attention to the locals. While on the island, she studied the foreign alchemy practiced there as her father worked with the local shipping fleets. It was during this time that Iris developed a love for lassi.

After some time, an order to return home finally came from Limsa Lominsa. When Iris arrived she was greeted with a litany of bad news. Eliza was missing. Iris always hoped that her love had been one of the Warriors of Light. Her homeland was blanketed in snow and her grandmother, Jeanne, died shortly after the chill swept the land. Worse still, the Gates of the Fury were closed so she could not return the kindness her grandfather had shown after Visse's death. Both her bands of friends and companions had disbanded, having lost leaders in the Battle of Carteneau. Even the Shirlds weren't an active force in Eorzea anymore.

Nox, by the grace of the Navigator, had survived. She was helping build up a trade port at Vesper Bay so supplies for the reconstruction could easily travel. It was her suggestion that convinced Iris to take a position at Mealvaan's Gate as an Assessor. The two coordinated many shipments of raw supplies for the reconstruction of Eorzea, with the assistance of Felt and the ''Yuveria''.

As 7UE 5 began, Nox extended another interesting proposal. The Path of the Twelve - a group Iris thought of as 'that cult Nox is in' - had rebranded itself as the Scions of the Seventh Dawn and were in need of someone with Iris' keen understanding of aetheric studies. Iris consulted with some of the Sharlayan experts in the organization and helped develop some of the more bold strategies they embarked upon. When Nox was crippled in her service as one of the adventurers in the orginzation, Iris offered to take her place in the field.

And that's how Iris, who was not an experienced fighter, wound up invading Castrum Centri with the Scions during Operation Archon. Iris had not the first clue what in Llymlaen's name she was doing, which lead to her getting horribly lost and barely escaping the Castrum alive. She managed her escape by stealing a Magitek Reaper and literally rocketing to safety, leaving the team snt to stop the Ultima Wepon to whatever fate awaited them. Thankfully, they didn't really need her.

=== Seventh Astral Era ===
Iris found herself drifting from Company to Company. A small but loyal band called Warpath lost their way and disbanded shortly after the success of Operation Archon, from there she tried to help manage a small Coerthas-based company called the White North to no avail, and eventually she sided with a group called the Knights of the Rose. She did not feel at home with them, but liked them and they did seem more stable than the other companies she had found since the end of the Umbral Era.

Everything was going pretty well: she was helping train the new Crystal Braves, she was operation her own Atelier at her Company's estate and she was working with several High Houses in Ishgard. And then, once again, things came crashing down. She was cooking a meal for the Sultana when the Crystal Braves knocked down her door and she, like every other Scion, was forced to flee Ul'dah.

At least she had somewhere to go. Days after her exile, her grandfather died. She and Felt traveled to Ishgard to attend the memorial for Arstide du Blanchimont, who died defending the city from an attack by
dragons. While in Ishgard, Iris had one of her old Scion contacts bring her a Fantasia. She also had her friends in the Dutiful Sisters of the Edelweiss furnish her with a false identity so she could return to Eorzea as Flameu Vhisnato.

This false identity didn't last overly long, but her new appearance stuck.

===Matriarch of House Blanchimont===
{{Spoiler|Heavensward}}
With Arstide's death, House Blanchimont was thrown into chaos. A large faction of the family found Felt, with his disinterest in Ishgardian affairs, Miqo'te daughter and his apathy toward the Halonic faith, unfit to be the new Patriarch. Some supported Felt's youngest sister, Beatrix, while still others flocked around a deeply conservative and xenophobic uncle Paracelsus. House Blanchimont's patrons, Durendaire, seized on the opportunity presented them by a leaderless House Blanchimont to quietly shuffle them off their titles and holdings despite the heroic death of the last Patriarch and spare themselves the burden of the vassal house so plagued by scandal and uncertainty.

This family crisis caused Iris to turn her attention to the Scions' voyage into Dravanian lands, in an effort to find a cause just and true enough to restore her family's honor. She helped Garlond Ironworks design the Manacutter class of airship (which made her fascinated with shipwrights) and joined the Templars in fortifying the city during the Siege of Ishgard. After Nidhogg's defeat, Iris was one of the only Scions on hand to help rescue Ser Aymeric from the Vault.

A small team of Scions, who were happy to see Iris had trained some since Operation Archon, breached the Vault along with some aide from House Foretmps. As the strike team gave chase to the Archbishop, one of the more prominent members of Fortemps was fatally wounded. Iris did her best to heal him with Nymian arts but she was unable to save him.

House Fortemps, thankful for assistance Iris provided their favorite foreigner in helping develop the Manacutter and her efforts to save the lives of their bastard son, and mindful of the House's contributions to Ishgard in recent years, restored the titles and holdings of House Blanchimont as a vassal of House Fortemps.

In recognition of the fact that their status was restored because of Iris, enough members of the family supported her as the new Matriarch that Paracelsus and his hard-line supporters accepted her ascension. Her public policy of agnosticism toward the Halonic faith was accepted given the situation the Church faced following the incident at the Vault and her race and progressive views were seen as less important than her nobility of action. Before leaving for southern Eorzea again, Iris appointed Felt's wife, Audrey, to be her proxy in family affairs.

When the Warrior of Light came to Ishgard on dragonback after the fall of the Archbishop, Iris was summoned by Ser Aymeric as the new leader of House Blanchimont. She, Aymeric and the de facto leader of the Scions, Alphinaud, met to discuss next steps for the Holy See. Iris was the newest noble and was the only person elevated after Archbishop Thordan fled Ishgard, so while the Scions got to go on an exciting mission to make peace with dragonkind, Iris was left in the city, charged with helping quell the tension between the people and the Church. She harbors resentment toward the Warrior of Light for, as she sees it, creating a situation of unrest that she now needs to clean up.
{{End-spoiler}}

=== Arche Koeln ===
Iris joined the Company Arche Koeln after the Scions were granted amnesty. She moved her Atelier to their estate and met several members of the company. She had dinner with Shou Han and developed a really poorly executed crush on her and she shared some of her central interests with the Company's master Ariyon. She spent a lot of her time studying in the Arche Koeln library in her early moons with the Company.

She took a sabbatical from her work with Mealvaan's Gate to help track down a missing member of the company. The sabbatical was significantly extended when the keeper of a sacred book in the company died and left the book behaving strangely. Iris vowed to work with [[Taji Tribal]] to research the book and try to restore it to functional order. She suspected the book left behind by Crysola Tsara was a neophyte Gran Grimoire which would develop one day into one of the most powerful books in Eorzean history.

A break in the study of the Codex came when one of Iris' fellows from Radz-at-Han turned up in Dravania. An aetheric researcher named Ardashir came to seek insight from the Sharlayans regarding his Anima project, an attempt to create an artificial pseudo-soul. Iris offered to help him find a way to stabilize his faux-soul in the hopes that the finished result could be used to restore some semblance of proper function to the Codex and free Taji from being it's keeper.

After late work at the Scholasticate one evening, Iris' teleport was hijacked. She and a series of people, many of whom she knew, were trapped in a strange, aetherless construction. Iris was badly injured by a voidsent, but was able to ascertain the reason they were unable to teleport out with the aid of an operator's manual. But on her way to resolve the problem, she was slipped alcohol and tempted by a void relic which promised her the influence to make Ishgard a more egalitarian and progressive society. Eventually, by defeating a Marbol Queen voidsent posing as [[J'yhun Arun]]'s sister and reconnected the Void Ark aetheryte to Eorzea and evacuated the team to Costa del Sol.

== Plot Hooks ==
===General Hooks===
:* Iris is an expert in aetheric science, particularly arcanima. She has authored several books on the subject and is constantly undertaking new research projects. She's often available at her atelier for consultation or just general geeking out about magic.
:* As Matriarch of House Blanchimont, Iris is one of Ishgard's most progressive nobles. She is willing to offer non-natives who prove themselves noble in action a place in her House. She also is known to dedicate her family's resources to causes she believes she can help with.
:* Iris has a love of history and enjoys traveling to ruins around Eorzea. She sometimes contracts research assistants for more expansive (and dangerous) ruins.
:* When not spending time at The Pillars in Ishgard, a lot of Iris' time is spent in Limsa Lominsa or at her atelier in the West Shroud. She likes to drop by Mealvaan's Gate and the Wench on her trips into Limsa.

===Current Projects===
:* Though it's become something of a back-burner project for Iris, she has been studying the Rancor, part of the illness affecting the Tonberry population.
:* Iris is working on a research project on Gran Grimoires and their interactions with humaniod hosts. The knowledge about such books being as esoteric and scattered as it is, Iris has spent a lot of time looking for any scraps of knowledge on the subject that she can find.
:* Iris has been a guest lecturer at Saint Endalim's Scholasticate teaching Nymian healing artes and advanced strategies as part of the House Blanchimont project to soothe tensions in Ishgard following the events of Heavensward. She has used the position of influence in her active opposition the the old regime of Ishgard.
:* Iris is studying the operations manual for a Void Ark and believes them to be a series of Mhachi airships designed to conduct clandestine void magic research. She is exceedingly interested in Void Arks for this reason.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:IrisPainting.jpg|A painting of Iris that hangs in the Blanchimont estate.
File:BlueIris.png|Iris as she appeared before her use of Fantasia.
File:Iris1point0.jpg|Iris and her lost lover Eliza Scarlet, before the Calamity.
File:AzysIris.png|Iris and her bodyguards investigating Azys Lla.
File:ScoldingTaji.png|Iris scolding [[Taji Tribal]].
File:ScolasticateIris.png|Saint Endalim's Scholasticate Lecturer Iris Blanchimont
File:CodexandTonberries.png|Arche Koeln rescues a group of Tonberries from would-be attackers.
File:ReadingIris.png|Iris in her noble attire.
File:Yumiplot.png|Yumi, Itsu and Iris after Yumi's brother's escape.
File:NamedayIris.png|Celebrating Iris' twenty-eighth Nameday.
File:ColloquyIris.png|Iris speaking at the Second Colloquy of Ishgard.
</gallery>

==OOC Notes==
I am game for pretty much anything in terms of RP. I don't use Skype too often, but I am willing to upon request. I write paragraph responses, though due to the nature of in-game RP these often lean on the short side in the interest of time. Feel free to ask me for pick-up scenes or the like any time.
The template used here is of my own design, borrowing elements from several other formats and adding a few of my own.

[[Category: Player Character]]
[[Category: Miqo'te]]
[[Category: Miqo'te Keeper of the Moon]]
[[Category: Ishgardian]]
[[Category: Character]]

Iris Blanchimont:

2016-04-18T07:16:30Z

Iris Blanchimont:

{{Infobox-TMI
| name = Illua Corcavo
| image = illua.jpg
| birthname = Illumina Cadena tol Corcavo
| pronounced = Ill-loo-ah Core-kha-voh
| nicknames = Illua the Nightshade
| gender = Female
| nameday = 15th Sun of the 2nd Astral Moon
| born = 6AE 1550
| citizenship = Garlemald
| race = Hyur
| clan = Garlean
| guardian = None
| height = 5 fulms 8 ilms.
| weight = 127 ponze
| physique = Athletic
| hair = Blue
| eyes = Blue
| skin = Pale
| hobbies = Magitek engineering
| fears = World domination
| motivation = Atonement for her crimes as a Legionnaire
| profession =
| soulstone = Machinist
| advantages = Quick, excellent marksmanship
| limitations = Magically inert
| weapon1 = Garlean Pistol
| weapon2 = Magitek Bow
| armor = Guardian Armor
| noncombat = Magitek
| username = Andromeda
| timezone = Eastern
| tumblr = [http://ixth-illua.tumblr.com ixth-illua]
| server = Balmung
| characters = [[Andromeda Dulaque]]
| freecompanies =
| linkshells =

}}

== Appearance ==

== Tastes ==

=== Hobbies ===
::* ''' '''

=== Likes ===
::* '''Magitek''' can basically accomplish anything, and she absolutely loves that.

=== Dislikes ===
::* '''The Emperor''' and, by extension, the empire. Anyone who wishes to rule the world shouldn't be able to, simple as that.

=== Favorites ===

*'''Color: ''' Black
*'''Food: ''' Eft
*'''Drinks: ''' Mango seltzer
*'''Scent:''' Roses
*'''Place:''' Revenant's Toll
*'''Festival:''' All Saints' Wake

== Personality ==

=== Flaws ===
::* '''Traumatized''' - While she has her issues with the Legion mostly under control, she occasionally still gets powerful, vivid and agonizing flashbacks to her time as a Frumentarii.
::* '''Adverse Reactions to Aether''' - When exposed to high amounts of aether - like that required to summon Eikons - she gets a powerful burning sensation throughout her body, essentially rendering her helpless.

=== Fears ===
::* ''' ''' -

=== Talents ===
::*''' ''' -

== Abilities and Skills ==

=== Weapons ===
'''Guns''' - Since leaving the Legion, she has preferred the use of firearms to blades, seeing swords as the symbol of her old life. To an extent, the same marksmanship applies to the use of her magitek bow.

'''Swords''' - Illua is exceptionally skilled with swords, but refuses to use them.

=== Magic ===
'''None''' - Despite attempts to kickstart her aetheric abilities, Illua remains magically impotent.

=== Crafting ===
'''Magitek''' - She studied the basic principles of magitek while in the Legion.

== Family and Relationships ==
=== Positive ===
::*

=== Neutral ===
::*

=== Negative ===
::*

== Affiliations ==
::* '''Garlean Special Operations''', under the command of Gekkai the Blind. She served as a Frumentarii of the IXth Legion while not on various black ops across the Known World. Her job lead her to a lot of travel and to pick up a lot of cultural information about Imperial-occupied lands. She has deserted, however.
::* The '''Hystmill Militia''' has been the place her talents have been employed for several moons. Protecting the hamlet from Ixal attack has been a way to train herself in using a bow as opposed to the more 'civilized' pistol she used to use.

== Rumors ==

Note: This section is editable by anyone. Just keep in mind that the rumors here may be both true or false.

===General Rumors===
:* "They say that she always wears a circlet to hide a godsdamned Garlean eye. Can't be, though, can it? I mean, she does have a funny bow and wear weird clothes..." - Hystmill Wood Wailer

===First-Hand Accounts===
:*

===PC Rumors===
:*

== History ==
=== Name and Lifestyle ===

==== Nicknames, Aliases and Titles ====
She was nicknamed "Illua the Nightshade" by the legate of the IXth legion, due to her unusual hair color and work with covert operations.

==== Current Residence ====
Illua has been laying low at Hystmill since desertion.

==== Pets ====
''' '''

=== Birth and Childhood ===

=== Teen Years ===

=== IXth Garlean Legion ===

=== Calamity ===

== Plot Hooks ==
===General Hooks===
:* Illua is a deserter of the IXth Legion, which she served in as a special operations liaison.
:* She participated in an experiment as a young officer that attempted to enhance Garlean aetheric abilities. Despite the experiment being classified as a failure, Illua has exhibited slight physiological changes as a result. This might be worth studying.

===Current Projects===
:*

==Gallery==

<gallery>
</gallery>

==OOC Notes==
I am game for pretty much anything in terms of RP. I don't use Skype too often, but I am willing to upon request. I write paragraph responses, though due to the nature of in-game RP these often lean on the short side in the interest of time. Feel free to ask me for pick-up scenes or the like any time.
The template used here is of my own design, borrowing elements from several other formats and adding a few of my own.

[[Category: Player Character]]
[[Category: Hyur]]
[[Category: Garlean]]
[[Category: Character]]