Sarqquni's gift of inspiration... Some may call it a blessing, but I've seen what it does to people. The stress it puts them under. If it were not for the others in my caravan, I would not have survived it myself. It is...all too easy to forget one's own body in the pursuit of one's dream.

Hey guess what this Thursday_Prompt kinda hit home for me haha
Anyways hope next week I get a less resonant prompt oof :3c

Glossary:


pinedrake: Named after their distinct pinecone-like scales, although in truth, they are mammals, not reptiles. On Earth, they are better known as pangolins.

alk: The anthropomorphic residents of Alka call themselves alks to differentiate themselves from the animals that they resemble.

Sarkuul: A vast, mostly flat land consisting of windblasted grasslands, scorching deserts, shifting swamps, murky thickets, and more. The nomadic people of this region, the Sarkuuli, are as diverse as the landscape and its climates, and they are known for their uncanny good fortune.

Rayy Delat: This large caravan is the chief locus for anyone wishing to study magic in Sarkuul. Even mages from other countries are welcomed with open arms and happy smiles.

spell/magic: Every spell in Alka requires ingredients of some kind, and many of these spells come in the form of potions. The art of spellcraft involves careful measurements, specific techniques, and also a touch of etherial manipulation. Without a mage's inborn talent, not even a person following a spell's recipe to the letter can hope to create one for themselves.

ether: Sometimes called lifeforce or mana, this is a mysterious energy that suffuses the world, allowing mages to cast spells and giving rise to many strange, magical plants and animals.

cloak: Sarkuuli cloaks are more precious to them than life itself. The cloaks are gifted to them from birth, and as they grow older, they readjust the cloaks to fit them, adding more and more cloth, patches, and decorations. Foreigners often call them garish and ugly, but to Sarkuuli, each addition to the cloak tells another part of their life.

anthunter: This is a different, more polite word that most alks use instead of anteater.

Sarqquni: The fickle wind god of wanderers, merchants, artists, smiths, laborers, ingenuity, impulsiveness, and whatever else they might be interested in at the time. Most importantly, she, or they, or he, is the god of the Sarkuuli.

Belbatoria: The proud goddess of order, light, and knowledge. Of all of the gods and their followers, hers are the most numerous, with devotees across the entire world.

Luuz'kafir: Translates to the "Grand Mysteries." Ostensibly, they are the highest ranked members of Sarqquni's clergy. But in the same way that Sarqquni subtly manipulates all manner of events, so too do the Luuz'kafir. Trained in the secret arts of shadow magic, they are the best spies in the world of Alka.

roonge: A corruption of the word caaroonge, roonge is used as a general, yet strong, insult in the Sarkuuli language.

alkemy: While spellcraft is the art of creating already discovered spells, alkemy is the pursuit of discovering new ones. It is more difficult by several degrees, given that a faulty recipe could turn to poison, explode unexpectedly, or even drain the alkemist of all of their ether.

albahr engine: This magical piece of equipment is the keystone of Kamaal's airship design. When the airship is in the air, the albahr engine simulates a lake of water around the craft, providing the buoyant force needed to keep it aloft. Other means are needed to actually get the airship airborne, such as a springboard, ramp, high ledge, or (hopefully safe) explosive spell.

Verdania: With its numerous trade routes, wealth of magical resources, and status as the seat of Belbatoria's worship, it is not uncommon to hear people say that Verdania is the center of the world.

Toria: The city of Toria was founded on the Bay of Anat, and it is this bay that shaped the capital of Verdania into what it is today. Once a place of orthodox order as the supreme seat of Belbatoria's worship, the constant flux of trade in and out of the harbor brought alks from all over Alka, each one changing the city bit by bit. Now, it is known as the most diverse and free city in the world.