Iris Agate

Iris Agate is a Martian Loyalist currently residing in The Tower on Mars. She is a member of Blue Goldstone's council.

## Appearance

Iris Agate is a typical Agate in height and build, with a slightly square head, a pointed nose, and full lips similar to those of Garnet's. Her skin is pale yellow, and her Gemstone is on her right arm, just above her elbow. Her eyes are dull green with a brighter green around her pupils. Her hair is mostly gold, and pulled back in a large, wide ponytail that gradually turns to a bright red near the end. Iris Agate wears a purple sleeveless uniform with a purple top, darker purple pants, and very dark purple and white thigh-high boots. Over her shoulders, she wears a blue shawl with Blue Diamond's insignia, near-identical to Holly Blue Agate's.

## Personality

Iris Agate is a serious, no-nonsense Gem that has, intentionally or not, painted herself as a perfect soldier in the eyes of her fellow Loyalists. She speaks very little; when she does speak, it is rarely in the form of a sentence over three words long. Instead, she lets her actions show her intentions and loyalties. Consequently, she also does not engage in the constant flattery of superiors that other Agates are notorious for.

Iris Agate is not nearly as abusive as some Agates, mostly due to a subtle difference in attitude. However, she is known to threaten lower-ranking Gems by summoning her whip if she believes they are out of line. This tends to prove more than effective with the Gems of the Tower, as they know she doesn't make empty threats.

## History

Iris Agate was sent to Blue Diamond's outpost in the early days of Mars' development, to keep the soldiers stationed there in line. She did her job well, but met an unforeseen challenge: a sudden revolt on the neighboring colony Earth, which eventually turned into a full-scale war. She worked diligently to not only keep her soldiers in line, but also try and prevent panic from ensuing. Surprisingly, her endeavors were mostly successful even as the war was lost and the entire star system was abandoned. Despite countless Gems being stranded on Mars, the Tower became a haven for Gems seeking normalcy, partly due to the work of Iris Agate. Blue Goldstone took notice of the Agate, and asked her to join a council she was arranging to help govern the newly forming Martian Loyalists. Iris agreed, taking a place as one of Blue Goldstone's advisors.

## Abilities

As an Era 1 Gem, Iris Agate has standard Gem abilities.

### Natural Abilities

* **Superhuman Strength:** As an Agate, Iris Agate not only displays superhuman strength, but is considerably stronger than the average Gem.

### Skillset

* **Whip Proficiency:** Like most Agates, Iris Agate has a whip, and can summon and use it easily.
* **Leadership:** As an Agate, Iris Agate is a natural born leader, and conducts herself in such a way that other Gems, Quartz or otherwise, look up to her.

## Relationships

### Blue Goldstone

Iris Agate respects Blue Goldstone's status, and is willing to give her advice as a member of her council. She also expresses some care towards the Goldstone's well-being.

### The Diamond Authority

Despite their separation, Iris Agate maintains loyalty towards the Diamond she was made for. However, she dislikes discussing the Diamonds in general, and the other council members believe she is somewhat bitter due to Mars being abandoned by the Authority.

### Moonstone

Iris Agate and Moonstone have had a mutual respect for one another since the Rebellion.

### Yellow Tourmaline

Iris Agate despises Yellow Tourmaline, only barely tolerating her upbeat attitude, informal demeanor, and eccentric behavior. However, she still recognizes the Tourmaline as a member of the council, and begrudgingly treats her with respect.

## Trivia

* Iris Agate's pallet is designed to mirror her Gemstone's gradient, with red, orange, and yellow hair, green eyes, a blue shawl, and a purple bodysuit.
* Iris Agate's pallet has fourteen separate colors (including the white on her boots but not including her Gemstone), making her pallet the second broadest for a character in the Mars AU (tied with Crazy Lace Agate). The overall broadest pallet belongs to Tiger Iron, who has fifteen separate colors in their pallet.
* Iris Agate was designed for a Monthly Gem Challenge, and to (literally) add more colour to the Mars AU.

## Gemology

Gemstone Information

* Iris agate, occasionally referred to as "rainbow quartz," is a name used for a rare variety of finely-banded, translucent agate that, despite being inconspicuous normally, shows a brilliant rainbow effect when cut properly and backlit.
	+ Despite the alternate name, iris agate is not to be confused with the treated aura quartz called rainbow quartz.
	+ While considered rare, it's possible that iris agate is more common than most believe, due to the specific conditions it requires to show play of color (and thus be defined as iris agate)
* Iris agate, unlike most gemstones, can only be appreciated under certain lighting conditions and is therefore not a good stone for jewelry, since its signature play of color will not normally be seen when set in a typical ring, brooch, or pendant.
	+ The best use for iris agate in jewelry is in the form of dangling earrings; however, its effect will still only seen if the wearer is being viewed in front of a strong light source.
	+ An ideal use for iris agate is as a decorative stone in an area where it will be lit from behind; for example, on a sunny window or in a case with backlighting.
* Agate in general is a zodiacal stone for Gemini and an alternate birthstone for September. It is also a gemstone to be given on the 12th and 14th weddings.
* The alleged metaphysical properties of iris agate are not well-documented. However, it is said to be a stone of truth and courage.