Everyone has his or her own idea of what beauty is. For beauty that Saihens strive for, public recognition is a major thing. “Beauty becomes beauty only when there is somebody to contemplate it”, they think.

Saihens believe they are the most talented and gifted of all the erlanies. In fact, this is really so. However, oftentimes Saihens are so confident they are the most unique nation in the world, that they forget that talent alone is not enough.

Of course, they are smart and sociable, they are good at convincing others and they are fond of “being magnificent”. Each of them believes he or she is unexcelled in fine arts, such as poetry, singing, dancing, fencing, jeweler’s art, diplomacy, and much more... Even a common farmer who works in fields from daybreak till late night is recklessly convinced he is talented in fine arts; so whenever a couple of spare moments occur, he will either play reed-pipe, or carve wooden sculptures, or... in a word, he is definitely also an “artist”. If only you make it clear to him that you can find some time for him, such an “amateur” will certainly demonstrate to you all his primitive talent’s achievements – very often, though, these achievements are quite questionable.

Entire lives of Saihens pass in rivalry, as if their lives are some kind of “arts tournaments”. Surely, material and utilitarian stuff is also present (one can’t avoid it), but it is not emphasized. It is not common to discuss grain crop yields or family mess in public: “some Faldorts, Giltaries, Bushtargs would be apt to talk about this stuff, but this has nothing to do with us!”

Fashion trends in metropolitan cities and the latest achievements of guild chiefs is what everyone is concerned about. Whenever a traveler comes to distant villages, the first thing he or she will be asked is: what is the fashion for clothes? for hair style? for songs? And – what is the current price for spices from the Whispering Desert?

The thing is that Saihens remarkably combine such characteristic features as strive for beauty and ability to find common language with the most different erlanies– those who differ both in character and in religion. It is not that Saihens have really deep insight into other people’s psychology, or deliberately “manipulate” those people – this talent is rather inherent and instinctive to them. Hence, Saihens are skilled merchants and they like the process of dealing. Certainly there are merchants among every erlanies, but it is Saihens who would accomplish long and sometimes extremely dangerous trips and manage to supply the scarcest merchandise to the islands where there’s demand for them. It had nothing to do with any hackneyed foodstuffs – in the first place this concerns the goods that Saihens consider noteworthy, such as spices, jewels, uncommon arms, cloth, etc.

Saihens are attracted to traveling not only because it is a possibility to earn some money and to see other countries (actually, they are pretty much indifferent to foreign cultures and traditions) – in the first place, they are fond of traveling because it is a chance to find “something pretty”, something unusual to boast to their congeners about. Saihens are ardent collectors: their houses look like museums displaying various knickknacks.

However, it should be emphasized that Saihens’ love for beauty is considerably different from Giltaries’ urge for harmony. In Giltaries’ houses all the elements form a single whole to make the houses interior proportioned and balanced (in terms of material, energy, and aesthetics). Saihens, though, are above all concerned about possessing a large amount of things which are beautiful in themselves. When such things are gathered together they might display fabulous eclectics (just as a drop of honey or a lump of sugar will accentuate the flavor of any dish, while an attempt to eat a whole jug of honey will discourage your taste for it for a long while).

Speaking of Saihens’ wizardry we may say it is both effective and efficient. Achieving a result is not enough for a Saihen wizard, what’s also important is the process of achieving this result. Hence, spells of these erlanies go together with tremendous visual effects and sounds. Vision of such charms is a performance which can amaze even the most sophisticated and experienced travelers. Thus, battle spells have additional advantage because they distract the enemy’s attention.

Saihens make use of water in all its manifestations: they can generate water flow, hail, and snow. The power of Saihens also enables them to produce lightning and to use light for destroying their enemies.

The most talented Saihen wizards can influence their opponent’s mind directly: they can subdue them, cloud up their senses, and create illusions. This enables wizards to become invisible. Also Saihens can withstand magic influence. Their arsenal also includes ability to travel through space (teleportation, flying, transition through the spectral world).

As mentioned, all these actions are accompanied with bright visual affects which themselves are yet another level in art of wizardry.

Saihens adhere to the same principle of combining spectacular effects and efficiency, when war is concerned. It was these erlanies who introduced an idea of martial arts. Naturally, other nations also master their methods of war fighting, but only Saihens introduced certain aesthetics which concerns everything: armor, weapon, methods of war declaration, magnificent military parades, and demonstrative tournaments… Someone may think this approach to be pompous, and Saihens to be helpless motley fools. But the ceremonies, helmet feathers, shining armor, swords sparkling with jewels – all this stuff doesn’t prevent Saihens from defeating their opponents, when necessary.

As far as polity is concerned, Saihen lands are governed by an ohret-n-adihr. A council including fifteen most influential representatives of the nation’s largest clans (as well as chiefs of the largest supreme guilds) is subordinated to the ohret-n-adihr. Besides, Saihens are one of the most skilled intriguers in Ragnesis. “Court masquerade” (an art of plotting as they call it) engages everyone – from the most noble council members to their servants. Certainly, each person contributes to plot-weaving in a manner available to him or her.

Religion for Saihens is yet another chance to show off and to brag about. No other nation of Ragnesis has such pompous temple celebrations, so many holy festivals, such sumptuous priestly garments and majestic temples. Ahlarenn, the creator of Saihens, graciously accepts not only prayers of these erlanies: He also allows priests to accept beautiful things as offerings. This way Saihens sacrifice the dearest things they have, things they appreciate above all.

In general, in the life of Ragnesis this nation resembles a freakish uncle – such a peevish guy whom all the family likes and who is far from being really mediocre. Sometimes he will cause troubles, but life would have been much more boring without him!...