Irnis Clan

Those of the Irnis clan average around slightly over 3 ft, rarely exceeding 5 feet in height. Their ears are similar to that of an elf but much longer at about 3 times the length and much larger, no less than twice that of an elf. The Irnis clan is divided into two distinct groups, the dark-skinned Convula, and the light-skinned Solana. The dark-skinned members have black hair and eyes with light brown to chocolate, brown skin, while the light-skinned members of the clan have white or blonde hair, white eyes, and pale white to light grey skin.

The bodies of the Irnis secrete a chemical through their sweat glands that has a peculiar sweet fragrance, this chemical acts as a sedative to those that consume it and as an aphrodisiac to those who inhale it. When in danger the chemical becomes smell-less and more potent causing drowsiness to those who inhale it, sometimes even causing hallucinations, but to those who consume the chemical, it is always fatal. Members of the clan are immune to the effects of the chemical and their saliva acts as a cure for its effects.   Although the Irnis live longer than humans, at around the ages 10-12 their bodies stop growing and they retain their youthful visage until around 100 years of age.

The light-skinned of the Irnis clan possess dark-vision for use in hunting in the absolute darkness of their homeland at night, although they are essentially blind during the day or when in well-lit areas. Both groups of the Irnis clan possess substantial hearing abilities being 3 times greater than that of a human, some may take this further and their hearing can improve to echolocation, but very few are born with this ability.

Male Names: Arshen, Vaghan, Khoren, Norhad, Kasbar, Armen   Female Names: Rouz, Kayaneh, Payl, Siran, Noune, Vanou   The Irnis tend to take the name of their current flotilla as a last name instead of having family names.

The Irnis do not look for a romantic partner by looks but prefer someone who can care for their every needs ensuring that they are always comfortable, never hungry and that they have new clothes. 

The Irnis reside on sailboats that support their day to day needs, they build no houses as they would just be washed away, it is a collection of these boats that form a flotilla, each boat is crewed by two members of the clan one dark-skinned the other light. These partners are decided at birth and they live most if not all their life together.    It is the responsibility of the dark-skinned Irnis to scavenge for any plant life or washed up fish left behind during the day, they also cook and tend to crops on the floating gardens attached to their ships. When night descends, waters rise from the many geysers that dot the subterranean wasteland flooding the sands and turning it into an abyssal, black ocean. It is on these nights that the light-skinned Irnis shine, taking advantage of their sharpened senses it is their job to catch the fish needed for everyday survival, it is also their responsibility to pilot the ship to avoid danger and collect freshwater, for the Irnis these light-skinned members are important for their survival.
 

The Flotilla

  Every once in a while a crew returns to the flotilla it is here they trade for anything that they could find or make themselves, being the hub for the Irnis a flotilla has many items from the outside world that many are eager to trade for. A commonly traded item is a perfume made from the saliva of the Irnis that is highly favored by denizens above ground, the Irnis trade this perfume for precious metals and wood they need to maintain their ships and tools, important components to their life that they can't attain through hunting, which has caused the perfume to become a form of currency amongst the Irnis. At the center of the flotilla is a ship much larger than the rest known as the flagship it is here that leaders of the tribe come to manage its every need and the place where Irnis go to be sent off on a pilgrimage.  

The Pilgrimage

  On rare occasions, a crew is called to the flagship to be sent on a pilgrimage above ground, mainly to find mates with the ever so low male Irnis population, but they are also sent to make a living up top and return with any knowledge or wealth they gain. However, many above have come to exploit this sacred practice of the Irnis, how, they are hunted for the special secretions that their bodies produce which can be processed into a powerful chemical weapon known as the Dreamcatcher, which submits the victim to an endless slumber until they eventually die. Thus the pilgrimage has become a sort of death sentence amongst many in the clan although still essential, some might say even more so since a flotilla may trade off a crew for items normally unobtainable to the Irnis.

At a young age, a pair of partners are given a ship when they are deemed ready to face the dangers of the sand sea, when they receive said ship they are sent off leaving behind the comfort of the flotilla to fend for themselves, only to return to trade or deliver supplies. This departure is celebrated by the entire flotilla and a new crew is given many gifts to aid them.   A crew only returns to a flotilla permanently when they are married and conceive a child although they are not allowed to return to their own tribe to ensure genetic diversity, an exception to this is a male-female pair since males are rare. Many female-only crews will tend to seek out the same mate as their partner or find one from the same tribe as their partner's mate, it has become more common for crews to find mates above ground. When they are finally wed a crew no longer strays away from the flotilla, but lives their lives contributing directly to its maintenance and raising children. There is traditional clothing that the Irnis wear when newlywed, a light work of fabric akin to a nightgown, but much more revealing, this cloth is worn until a child is conceived by the two. 

Not much is known of the origin of the Irnis clan many suspecting them to have originated somewhere near Brenia for their names which are closely related to early Draconis ones. What is known however is that they have been hunted down mercilessly for the toxin that resides in their bodies, almost to the point of extinction causing them to retreat below ground to avoid contact with foreign peoples.    Recently as of late many of the Irnis have begun to emerge from the wasteland they call home, given that there is less incentive for them to be hunted as scholars have found that the toxin the Irnis produce can be replicated without harming or killing the individual.