Here, while my thumb is healing, have something older that I never uploaded here. In particular, there's a lot of Ru-related visual media--calligraphy and such--that I have heretofore only shared in private with a narrow, linguistics-inclined audience. Now YOU can be a nerd too!

This is a naval ensign from TFAL, a pen-and-paper naval wargame set in Ru that I have been slowly working on in the background. (Fans of Jutland (Avalon Hill, 1967) would recognize some of the dice mechanics for gunnery. They might not, however, be expecting the dreadnoughts to fly or use cloud formations for concealment.) Specifically, this is a large ceremonial battle ensign flown on the flagship of the Éqrachí Second Fleet, currently led by one Qrézhawíze (Admiral) Chíchì, an intimidating gay brick shithouse of a Ru gryphon whom I've gotta draw one of these days. (He's kinda cute.)

Inscribed on the ensign is a war chant. Of course, the crews know it already, so they don't need to read it off the ensign. It's entirely for looks--the only necessary identifying features are the red background, spear-and-crescent, and large Ru numeral ró (2) on the lower right.

Transcription and translation:

Chírá éqraqà ivíwí (Flowers take root (lit. "nest") in peace upon the mountain)
Záchírá zézheyú yà'iví (And their petals fly peacefully upon the wind)
Zhawízerá éqrawá zeyú (The fleet rises from the mountain into the sky)
Wíze'éqrachíwárá lí'éalŭyú (The ships of Éqrachí fly in Éa's light)

Chìrá éqra'u chívíwí (Fire blooms like flowers over the mountain)
Wezì'ă'éqrachíwárá qàyú (There the wings and spears of Éqrachí fly)
Vrírá éqra'u ivíwí (The clouds nest peacefully atop the mountain)
Wízerá qàwá záchíví zàyyú ([As] ships fall like petals among them)

Lí'éalŭyà zìráqrà! (By Éa's light, our spears shall strike!)
Zìrá zìrá zìráqrà!

The last two lines are also sung as a refrain between the first two stanzas. Thus, there are twelve lines in total--an auspicious number to Ru, invoked here for good fortune in battle.

As with most Ru choral music, drummers carry the beat, striking large bass drums with their wings and tails. (We tend to keep all four paws on deck unless we're doing something delicate.) Thus, every Ru warship ever built has been equipped with at least one bass drum, while larger vessels such as battleships may synchronize multiple drum stations from a central metronome via indicator lamps. Yeah, we know how to make speakers and amplifiers--but it just ain't the same as a Ru beating a huge drum. Nothing fires up a talon-flock like translating violence directly into bass.

Thumpin' and yellin', that's how we like it.