What you see above is an example of the Kashlanin language from my Varan & Meredith stories. The larger glyphs are consonants, and the smaller geometric shapes are vowels.

The text is the inscription on the tomb of the Empire's first ruler, Zrand son of Kazid. He's revered as the Savior of the Race for his efforts in unifying the shlani and directing their energies out to the stars.

The Tomb itself is a black marble sarcophagus, topped by a three-sided obelisk. It's located on the western shore of Lake Schobrin, the holiest spot on the Imperial Homeworld. It's a mark of the reverence that the shlani hold for him that he is the only Sovereign to be buried; all of the others were cremated after they died (yeah, I know, it'd be pretty silly to cremate them while they're still alive).

What follows is the transliteration of the inscription, formatted as poetry, and the English translation.

________________________________________________________________


Zrand, k’chat e’t Kazid
Ka Azrinrem n’Lanya
Ka Knegrhek e’t ka Shlani


Mekā min z’shifni korna:
Ninjir, tis ka bakat zā yōr kirhīat.
Zhazhsāērā lēsaf lir dayen thīsh;
Zhazhsāērā zītef dah limjirin z’rempar;
Ēn tovod ni’ tay’ fābandhe dine’ min
Z’shifni dah mir sh’priji
Ka Shlan ulmal fazāch rōkh
Tis ka Azr mal fābandh rītākh aan.


***


Zrand, son of Kazid
The Imperial House n’Lanya
The Savior of The Race


I have given you two dreams:
Unity, and the desire to seek outward.
I may be vilified after my death;
I may never sleep in a quiet grave;
But know that if you hold these two
Dreams in your hearts
The Race will never end
Nor will the Empire ever fall.