Something that a lot of people don't realize is that the gods are just like us. They're only as cunning as we are. They make the same mistakes that we do. So, while they may deserve our respect, they don't deserve our worship.

Hey remember when I said I was going to wrap up this storyline with this Thursday_Prompt haha
Anyways, I really wanted to use Outrun as one of the titles so this was perfect :3c
Also, trying some things with different fonts now that PDFs are viewable without downloading them :D
Question, should I increase the font size at all? I know that you can zoom in on a PDF, but I'm not sure how this story looks on different computers and such...

Glossary:


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

magic/spell: 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.

esper demon: Although rationalized by alks as another subset of monsters, most esper demons are not truly monsters. Instead, they run the gamut of various mental disorders, from schizophrenia to ADHD, and more besides.

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

parer: It's easy to forget...

Ceremona: The forgotten goddess of life, hospitality, and union. The only clue as to how widespread her influence used to be is the fact that every alk of every nation, no matter their language, uses the word "ceremony" to describe the same thing. Even though few actively worship her, she is the second most involved goddess in the affairs of mortals.

Dutuin (moon): The larger of Alka's two moons. It is undeniable that it has a serious sway on the tides of the world, both etherial and physical. When it is absent from the sky, the nights are cold, dark, and full of monsters. When it is full, many cultures hold celebrations and party on into the morning.

Glidd: The smaller and more colorful of Alka's two moons, going through a wide spectrum of hues throughout its cycles. Stories disagree heavily on the origin of its name: some claim that Glidd was a mortal woman that impressed Dutuin to the point of elevating her to a celestial status, while others say it was the result of one of Sarqquni's pranks.

Dutuin (goddess)/Dutuin's Weave: The twin goddess of ice, wisdom, and magic. The carefully-preserved ancient texts in her temple read: "From nothing, she created the River of ether that flows through the world of Alka. In that way, she provided an opportunity for life to flourish forever more."

Halik: The twin god of fire, war, and magic. The weathered and cracked carvings in his temple read: "At the beginning, he laid out the Edicts, shaping and constraining the flow of ether. In that way, he set the paths for mortals to follow to great glory and fortune."

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.

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.

zoomorphic: Sometimes, alks, especially snakes, birds, and mers, are born missing certain anthropomorphic traits or with extraneous ones, more closely matching their animal counterparts. Depending on the culture, such differences are either accepted or even celebrated, or they are erased with impunity.

mer: The common term for any sort of marine alk, but especially fish alks.

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. Even those living in the most remote areas of Alka know at least a few words of Verdish.

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.

The Peaks: The high concentration of mountains, volcanoes, and rocky spires have led many to come up with all sorts of nicknames for this continent: The Hedgehog, The Pincushion, The Needles, That One Trick With the Swords Stabbin' into the Barrel, and more. Its inhabitants, the Peaksfolk, do not care, so long as no one bothers them needlessly, and as long as they do not bring along their wicked magic.

Scourgebane: A title bestowed by the king of Verdania to the brave knight who not only fought off the monstrous hordes to the south, but also decimated the barbarians, bandits, and black magicians. Everyone in Verdania knows of him, but few know that he wielded the sword of Ceremona: Ceres. (To learn more about Linara and the Scourgebane, read Animus.)

gryphon: This noble magical animal used to be known as the symbol of Ceremona, but they were all hunted to extinction, along with the rare few gryphon alks.

Zzix: The secretive god of insects, connections, and the reviled. They rule over the Deadlands, far away from any of the other gods.

Deadlands: Though it is a land of constant warring, the insect alks of the Deadlands endure. Though they have been cut off from the weave of ether, they persevere. Even should the last plant wither and the last lake dry up, they will survive. They take their joys where they can find them, knowing that tomorrow may never come to pass.

Parzil: The slumbering god of the earth and all of its inorganic bounty, and once, honor and virtue. Due to a grave betrayal in the past, he has withdrawn from the affairs of alks. Though, whether he realizes it or not, he continues to affect the mortal world as he tosses and turns in his sleep.

Meric: Given the difficulty of sound traveling through water, mers devised a language that uses hand signs, not spoken words. In the lands above the waves, it is used for a different purpose, leading to its second name: thieves' cant.

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.

rigouren: On Earth, this esper demon is called OCD: obsessive-compulsive disorder.

aesidhe: A Peaksfolk word for witch, warlock, or even a magician of any kind. Aesidhen and their spells are so feared, the Peaksfolk have figured out many different ways to combat them, defending their land.

Verdanian dragon: The most valuable Verdanian currency, named after the stereotype of dragon alks hoarding gold and other treasures.