The Saihrwn Project - Physical Appearance
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Most Saihrwn are shorter and lighter than the average human. Due to their enthusiastic lifestyle and plant-heavy diet, most have a significant amount of muscle and not much fat. Their lifespans are comparable to humans, the average Saihrwn living just past 100 years. They have natural endurance and flexibility greater than most humans. Saihrwn eyes are light-sensitive due to their nocturnal nature, and they see pretty well in the dark, though their caverns are lit by firelight most of the time.
Saihrwn have skin tones on the darker end of human, with rainbow tints occasionally finding their way in. (If they ever stood in the sun, their skin would shimmer as if iridescent.) Like most touched by magic, Saihrwn’s ears are ever so slightly pointed, and some sport an small, second point along the backs of their ears. If they have freckles, they’re usually either a deep color or silver and sparkly.
Saihrwn hair grows in every color of the rainbow, except for the boring human ones like blonde and brown, and in every texture. Their eye color tends to match their hair, though that’s not universal. Their nails are usually tinged with the color, as well. Their eyebrows and eyelashes tend to be thick and highly visible, though they grow very little hair elsewhere on their body. They wear their hair long. It’s strange but not taboo to cut one’s hair, though even the rebellious teenagers that do don’t normally go shorter than their shoulders. Hairstyles are simple, if worn at all. Woven braids are favored by the men who mine or garden. They hardly ever wear their hair up, except at the end of the night, when they all twist their hair into buns or rolls.
A newborn Saihrwn will have a pastel-toned hair color that becomes more saturated as they grow. During a few preteen years, aka during puberty, their hair will be an almost fluorescent color that calms later. Young adults have very attractive jewel tones that deepens as they approach middle age. At about 60-70 years old, Saihrwn hair will begin to lighten again, though it never completely fades to white.
Different families of Saihrwn are distinguishable by coloration. One family may have coppery skin and fire-colored hair, while another’s members are tan with various hues of blue. In the case of intermarrying, genetics don’t always “mix” - that is, a red-haired Saihrwn and a blue-haired Saihrwn don’t necessarily make a purple-haired baby, though that sometimes happens. More often, the baby will take after its mother.
The dyes that many Saihrwn work with stain their hands, sometimes intentionally. It’s not unusual to see a Saihrwn with swirled purple on their fingers, or deep blue coating their hands like gloves. Sometimes, a particularly artistic Saihrwn will paint their hands and arms in different patterns. (Patterns are reminiscent of Celtic woad.) This is more common for special occasions rather than for everyday wear.
Many Saihrwn also have a few thin, crack-like scars on their elbows, shoulders, or knees. It’s bad manners to ask about them. (More about these later.)
Saihrwn love jewelry. They don’t pierce their skin, but they wear copious amounts of thin, gold-alloy bangles around their wrists and ankles. The jewelry adds another percussive layer to the music, whether they’re pounding away on a drum or spinning with their arms flung wide. They like to wear metal in their hair, as well, to hold it back or cap braids. Rings and necklaces are uncommon, as those snag and tangle more easily. There is marriage jewelry, usually in the form of a band around the upper arm, though some families, especially those that travel outside of the caves more often, prefer multiple thin rings.
Saihrwn wrap personal stone jewelry boxes in layers of fabric, each box containing dozens of bracelets. These boxes usually have a separate spot for long pins, used at the end of the night to pin their hair up.
Like everything else about Saihrwn, their clothing is colorful. They mostly use their own fabrics, occasionally trading or buying heavier kinds from other races. They like the occasional subtle pattern, though something like stripes or plaid or even damask would be too much for them. A metallic or patterned border would be just right. Most of the fabric is light and airy, doesn’t wrinkle, and is often sheer. When it is sheer, they wear something underneath. Many Saihrwn prefer to cover their legs.
Saihrwn prefer styles of clothing that allow freedom of movement. A typical Saihrwn’s outfit in the current fashion would feature long pants with wide hems, a sleeveless shirt that ends at the sternum, a flowing jacket or vest, and a tied belt, each in a different color. Some prefer pants cinched at the ankles. Some women like leggings with high-slitted skirts or a long piece of fabric, draped asymmetrically and secured with the tied belt. Many men forgo the tighter undershirt.
There is a little metal incorporated into the Saihrwn clothing, as well. They use it to weigh down certain items, like the ends of sashes or the front corners of a jacket. There aren’t usually metal clasps, drawstrings and ties are used instead. Metal decorations aren’t unheard of, though those change wildly according to fads and fashions - for example, small beads sewn to the borders of sleeves, or tiny sections of chain mail on the shoulders.
The Saihrwn do prize individuality, so they try to make a wide variety of colors and styles available, and young Saihrwn are encouraged to learn how to make their own clothing. This skill later proves useful when young adults find themselves with a ripped seam and no parents nearby to fix it.
