Irisis

Infobox character | name = Irisis Stirm


real_name =
portrayer =
creator = Ian Irvine
species = Old Humans
gender = Female
first = Geomancer "(chapter 2)"
last = Chimaera "(chapter 81)"
last_cause =
age = early-twenties
occupation = Crafter
title = Crafter Irisis Stirm
family = House of Stirm
spouse =
children =
relatives =
footnotes =

Irisis Stirm is a main character in Ian Irvine's "The Well of Echoes" quartet. She comes from the wealthy House of Stirm and is not averse to using her body to get her way. She is a senior artisan at the manufactory near Tiksi and Tiaan Liise-Mar's rival. Irisis forms a romantic relationship with Xervish Flydd, this soon fails but they stay very close friends. Irisis' true love falls to Nish, though it is sometime before either realise their feelings. Irisis and Nish accompany Scrutator Flydd on many of his journeys and become two of his most trusted confidents.

Physical Appearance

Irisis is said to be one of the most beautiful women you could ever lay eyes upon. She has long hair of the most exquisite blonde and bright blue eyes. Her skin is flawless and she is taller than most women. She has a perfect figure and though she is not shallow, Irisis fears the mutilation of her beauty beyond almost anything else.

Characteristics

Irisis is brave and courageous. She is a loyal friend and a dangerous enemy. Some find Irisis to be ruthless, but the true nature of her personality is quite the opposite. She is caring, but the pressure her family puts on her, to reach the level of Crafter, is enormous. Irisis always wanted to be a jeweller, because of her remarkable craftsmanship. Irisis is prone to prophecising her own demise.

Irisis' Role

Geomancer

Irisis discovers that Tiaan is close to making a huge breakthrough and that it would mean that she would gain the position of Crafter. She lost her power to draw power from the field, a talent all artisans must have and needs away to become Crafter without anybody discovering. She then see's a humiliating scene between Tiaan and Nish and decides to use Nish to her advantage. She sleeps with him and discovers that he is not just a lowly artificer, but a prober in secret.

It is known that there is a traitor among the staff of the manufactory and Irisis decides that the only way to please her family is to frame Tiaan. She destroys one of her own controllers and says she found it in Tiaan's workspace. It is quickly discovered that it was not Tiaan who destroyed the controller, but not that it was Irisis.

Tiaan's work with strange new crystals give her powerful crystal dreams and it is believed that she has the terrible crystal-fever. When Tiaan is taken to the breeding-factory, Irisis is able to take credit for her discoveries.

Perquisitor Jal-Nish Hlar learns that Irisis and Nish were behind Tiaan's framing and orders them whipped, through dispatches. Querist Fyn-Mah arrives at the manufactory to head the investigation. Irisis and Fyn-Mah immediately have a dislike for each other.

Fyn-Mah hears of Irisis and Nish's vendetta against Tiaan and begins to believe that perhaps they were the traitors and that they drugged Tiaan to make her seem ill. The Querist interviews every person at the manufactory and soon discovers every detail.

Tiaan escapes from the breeding fatory and all sign of her vanishes.

Perquisitor Jal-Nish Hlar, Nish's father, arrives to take over the investigation from Fyn-Mah, though she continues to assist him. During an attack on the manufactory by the lyrinx, Irisis proves her courage and it becomes clear she is useful and not the traitor.

Jal-Nish introduces Irisis and Nish to Ullii, a hypersensitive young woman. She has a talent, that identifies her as a Seeker, to see the Secret Art in all its forms in a mental lattice. Irisis and Nish have special garments made that Ullii can wear without undergoing excruciating pain and then train her to look for Tiaan in her lattice. Jal-Nish gave Irisis this assignment because she was such a brilliant artisan, although nobody knows she cant draw power from the field.

Ullii discovers Tiaan and an extremely powerful crystal with her, in her lattice. A task force lead by Jal-Nish and Fyn-Mah and cosisting of a large contingent of soldiers, clankers, Irisis, Nish and Ullii set out to rescue the artisan who is thought to have been captured by the lyrinx.

The task force under goes a hazardous journey, in which Irisis make a great enemy of Jal-Nish who's nose she breaks when he attempts to abuse Ullii. The unit eventually ambush Tiaan's captores at an ice plateua. A great battle ensues but ultimately the battle is a loss on both sides. Tiaan and the lyrinx, Ryll escape. Beforehand Ryll battles the Perquisitor, mutilating him grotesquely. Jal-Nish pleads with Irisis to let him die but Nish asks her to save him, which she does. This furthers Jal-Nish's dislike of her.

Fyn-Mah leads the small force back to the manufactory, where Xervish Flydd, Scrutator of Einunar and Council member, awaits them. He stations himself at the manufactory and co-ordinates its defence against further lyrinx attack. Irisis becomes a friend of the Scrutator and he gives her a one year suspended sentence on the crimes she committed earlier.