Irisclan
Irisclan is a clan centered around its' leader YYY,
a strong bardic mage with a fervent desire to enjoy life thoroughly.
It was founded by YYY's ancestor in an endeavor to rediscover the enjoyment for life YYY lost long ago.
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Occupies the territory outlined in pale blue on the map, home of the Landmark called The Threestones.
The Threestones is said to enhance the magical power of any performance, speech, or song given at its top. It is rumored that once a bardic storkatten sung a forest fire into peaceably stopping from the top of the Threestones, saving the forest from annihilation.
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Irisclan is a clan founded upon hedonism and the belief that one's life is meant for enjoyment in the moment with little consideration for the future tense. The mantra "I'm here for a good time, not a long time" applies readily to this group. As such, the clan puts a high value on magics with the ability to create spectacle and entertainment. The most valuable magics within the clan are bardic magic, trickster magic, and love magic, though plant magic is also considered of high importance due to its ability to cultivate grapes and other fruits to be used in making wines. Irisclan does not deny membership to any magic type and is thus considered to be a great refuge for cats who were turned away by other clans prior, particularly The Aether Group, with whom they have a longstanding rivalry. The clan is very accepting of others and celebrates differences, so long as members are comfortable with their lethargic lifestyle of parties and relaxation, they'll fit right in! Irisclan puts a lot of emphasis on having fun and enjoying oneself, whether that be with feasting, drinking wines, participating in romantic affairs, pursuing the arts-- or any other way! They're a very loving and affectionate group who will cultivate the talents of those within without pushing them particularly hard. What's important to them is enjoyment over progress. They do not believe in censorship and celebrate free speech, making them particularly popular with arcane and runic mages, artists of many kinds, philosophers, politicians, and other such free-thinkers.
Irisclan is not a particularly militaristic clan. Most of their combat strategy revolves around tricking their opponents into leaving them well enough alone with sleight of hand spells, illusions and songs. Irisclan excels in persuasion and charisma, so its members can usually swindle their way out of a confrontation-- and if they can't get out of a spat, then they can disorient their enemies with their magics until they leave them be. That being said, there is a reason why Irisclan has one of the smaller territories on the map. They've lost several spats with bordering clans, particularly Aether, and tend to be pacifists who avoid conflict altogether.
Irisclan is permeated by an air of feasting and party culture, and is notorious for being a clan where cats constantly fall into and out of love with hobbies, passions, and one another. Some cats see this nebulousness as a flaw, but cats within the clan consider trying many things to be the mark of a good cat not a weak-willed one. They're classic humanitarians in their belief that to experience and appreciate life appropriately, one has to try many different things. They also believe strongly in appreciating and being connected with nature. Their clan is home to many beautiful gardens due to this fact. They celebrate life both in the traditional hedonistic self-centered sense, but also in honoring and preserving the life that exists in the world around them.
That being said, irisclan's leadership structure is somewhat lineage-based. YYY is the descendent of the original founder, but that's not the only factor that goes into being selected as the leader of Irisclan. Irisclan is more or less a cult of personality, and the leader of this clan of performers and charismatics tends to be the one with the most alluring voice. YYY had to really work to refine his craft in order to get the clan leadership back to his lineage. The clan's leader is usually advised as well by the body of the clan, and so the leadership structure functions more like a democracy than anything else. Irisclan's leader is usually seen as an object of adoration and desire for the clan's members, and is more often than not coveted by many suitors.
Many of Irisclan's rituals involve song, dance, and spectacle, and involve gathering around the Threestones for a performance. The most important rituals to the clan are those nights on which the red moon shines, because under the red stars the whole clan gathers around the Threestones and sings a song that brings the clan in the stars closer for one night, allowing cats to mingle with those who have departed before them. They also have ceremonies on which they retell stories of their clan's great historical heroes in song and dance. One common misconception about the clan is that they do not value the past because they live so intently for the present moment. Irisclan doesn't believe this kind of present-tense mindset necessitates ignoring the past, though it does place less importance on the future. Irisclan actually places a lot of value in the stories of the past and Irisclan cats take deep pride in their clan's extensive oral history. Bardic tales involving old clan heroes or the storyteller's own ancestors are common subjects of reverence. Irisclan also has a big celebration for welcoming in the summer months that focuses both on the budding harvest and on the season of love! When the Summer Festival comes around, Irisclan cats are known to put together a massive feast for its residents to enjoy. The main event of the festival though is in the exchange of flower crowns with one's date or dates of the afternoon. Each cat makes up flower crowns to trade with others in a display of affection, and the cat(s) with whom one shares their flower crown with is said to share with them in a boon of love for the coming year. Many relationships are blessed on this fateful day, and it's a time of great mirth for all who attend.
Overall, Irisclan is a clan that lives for the here and now. They are a passionate and revelrous group who value art, performance, and the lived experience. They're a free-thinking clan that love nature and loathe fighting. Pacifistic and open-minded by nature, the Irisclan cats are very kind and accepting of others. Their laid back attitude often gets them into trouble, and their lack of belief in a binary right or wrong has gotten them in trouble with Aether clan more than once. Despite this, Irisclan continues to be friendly and peaceable, continuing on in their mirthful ways.