| “ | "Dark magic" is a term used by warlocks who are afraid of their own powers. For someone like me who can harness those powers, all magic is equal. | ” |
–Iris talking to Clary about her views on dark magic, Dust and Shadows | ||
Dr. Iris Rouse was a warlock and a notorious dark magic user. As her cover among mundanes, Iris was a physician with her own clinic.
Biography[]
History[]
Iris's record at the New York Institute.
Iris worked as a midwife for mundanes from 1741 to 1867. She never truly allied or affiliated herself with the Clave but has done work for the Institutes in London, New York, Paris, and Copenhagen.[2] At one point, she and Magnus Bane crossed paths at the ruins of la Bastille.[3]
Since the early 1900s, however, Iris's dark magic practice got the attention of the Clave. Most of her violations were related to necromancy until finally, she was arrested by Shadowhunters in 1975 and imprisoned in the City of Bones for eight years.
Eventually, she became a doctor and opened up a private practice, specializing in internal medicine. In addition to her mundane practices, Iris began taking in various mundane women, such as Leigh, whom she would have her own private demon impregnate to "host" warlock children, after which she would wipe their memories. She also lived with Madzie, a young warlock child she introduced as her goddaughter.
Blood oath[]
In 2016, Iris was approached by the Shadowhunter Clary Fairchild to bring her mother back. Having formed a plot in her mind to counter what she saw as the impending extinction of her kind, specifically due to Valentine Morgenstern's actions, Iris agreed to help Clary in exchange for a simple favor instead of her typical fee, which the young Shadowhunter wouldn't be able to afford.
She sealed the deal with a blood oath, and though Clary changed her mind in the end, the binding oath had been made. Cashing her favor in, Iris trapped Clary in a room with her demon with the intention of letting the demon rape and impregnate her to create a part-Shadowhunter, part-demon warlock species that would be much harder to kill. Knowing that this wasn't normally possible, Iris made a concoction she suspected would help circumvent this and tricked Clary into drinking it. Clary was able to destroy the demon, however, and was subsequently saved by her friends. Iris escaped but vowed to return for Clary's debt.[2]
When Iris was found by Valentine Morgenstern, he took Madzie hostage and used her to blackmail Iris into stealing Magnus Bane's counter-spell book. Iris infiltrated Magnus's apartment by disguising herself as a cat. During a Shadowhunter party thrown at his apartment, Iris toyed with the Shadowhunters' minds by giving them hallucinations. Magnus was able to see through the mind tricks and took out his heavily-protected spellbook to counteract the spell, allowing Iris to steal it right out of Magnus's hands. Magnus was able to figure out that the infiltrating warlock had been the new cat he'd welcomed earlier, he immediately put his wards up, but not before Iris could hand the spellbook to Valentine. Magnus and the others hunted her down and Iris, overpowered, demanded that Clary—still bound by their blood oath—look for Madzie before Magnus Portaled her to the Clave.[3]
Imprisonment[]
Iris remained imprisoned at the Gard for a couple of weeks. At one point, Jia Penhallow, the Consul, asked Iris to resurrect Valentine so she could interrogate him. Iris refused, and Jia moved up her execution date.
Her execution happened to be on the same day as Clary's, who was sentenced to death for compelling a wish from the Angel Raziel. While watching those called before them burning to death, Iris told Clary about Jia's demand. Clary offered to bring Valentine back with her Necromancy rune to at least momentarily postpone her own execution. Iris was among the prisoners who were released by the briefly resurrected Valentine, and Iris immediately ran off.[4]
"Madzie will finally have her Nana back."
One evening, Iris Portaled into the home of Magnus Bane where Madzie was sleeping over for the night. She tried to take the child with her, but Madzie objected and alerted Magnus and Alec to her presence. She fled but, having learned from the encounter that Magnus had no magic, she confronted them once again and took Magnus with her. She tried to reach into his mind and memories to find out where they hid Madzie next, but Magnus fought and instead showed her various unrelated memories.
After a while of digging, and just before she could move onto torturing Magnus for the information, she received a note from Madzie's new guardian, Catarina Loss, that said she was going to give Madzie back to her. It was a trap set by the Shadowhunters, and Iris was ambushed and bound by Isabelle Lightwood with her whip. She was brought to the New York Institute before she was Portaled back to the Gard with the Consul.[5]
Shortly after, Iris was taken to an off-the-books facility for the illegal research dubbed Project Heavenly Fire where, eventually, Iris was picked out from the selection of prisoners and subjected to an experiment with a serum made of heavenly fire. Iris lost her powers, devastating her. When she overheard Raphael Santiago telling Simon Lewis that he was grateful for being made mundane, Iris was horrified and interrupted them, telling them that she felt robbed of her very being. When a turncoat Shadowhunter arrived and asked them for help in destroying the rest of the heavenly fire to prevent the purging of Downworlders, Iris volunteered to help. To allow the others to escape to the lab, Iris distracted the Shadowhunter guards by threatening a prisoner but was quickly killed when a guard threw a blade that went through her skull and eye.[6]
Personality[]
Iris was an expert liar, able to keep up a facade as she lied for her benefit and was still able to keep a straight face even when caught. She was able to easily manipulate others for her gain. She was protective of her kind, intent on preserving the longevity of warlocks, and her family. She was also very secretive about her warlock mark.
Skills and abilities[]
- Immortality: As a former warlock, Iris was granted immortality and stopped aging at a certain age in her life.
- Magic: As a former warlock, Iris had access to magical powers. She specialized in botany and interdimensional-transition magic, understanding of runic magic, and potions.
- Necromancy: Iris was able to easily perform necromancy, though it may have unpredictable results at times.[2]
- Shapeshifting: Iris was able to take the form of other beings, including a cat.[3]
- Energy projection: She was able to project red-orange blasts of energy at a target as seen during her duel with Magnus Bane.
- Time manipulation: By use of spell, Iris could release a wave of energy that freezes whoever it hits in time. This could even affect shadowhunters although Warlocks such as Magnus could protect themselves.
Appearances[]
| Season Two (2A) appearances: 2/20 | ||||
| This Guilty Blood: Absent |
A Door Into the Dark: Absent |
Parabatai Lost: Absent |
Day of Wrath: Absent |
Dust and Shadows: Appears |
| Iron Sisters: Absent |
How Are Thou Fallen: Absent |
Love is a Devil: Appears |
Bound By Blood: Mentioned only |
By the Light of Dawn: Mentioned only |
| Season Three appearances: 3/22 | ||||
| On Infernal Ground: Absent |
The Powers That Be: Absent |
What Lies Beneath: Absent |
Thy Soul Instructed: Absent |
Stronger Than Heaven: Absent |
| A Window Into an...: Absent |
Salt in the Wound: Absent |
A Heart of Darkness: Absent |
Familia Ante Omnia: Appears |
Erchomai: Absent |
| Lost Souls: Appears |
Original Sin: Absent |
Beati Bellicosi: Absent |
A Kiss From a Rose: Absent |
To the Night Children: Absent |
| Stay With Me: Absent |
Heavenly Fire: Appears |
The Beast Within: Absent |
Aku Cinta Kamu: Absent |
City of Glass: Absent |
| Alliance: Absent |
All Good Things...: Absent |
Trivia[]
- Iris apparently favored Old French spells.[3]
References[]
- ↑ Writer Zac Hug Delves Into The Emotional Episode 'Dust And Shadows' - Shadowhunters | Freeform
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2x05: Dust and Shadows
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 2x08: Love is a Devil
- ↑ 3x09: Familia Ante Omnia
- ↑ 3x11: Lost Souls
- ↑ 3x17: Heavenly Fire