艾可莉 - Echolie

森林德鲁伊 - Sylvan Druid

Our today's guest is Echolie, a mysterious and mystical elemental, whose powers can mimic both friend and foe alike!

我们今天的嘉宾是艾可莉，一位神秘又神奇的元素生物，其力量可以模仿朋友和敌人！

Like many other creatures of the Murmurwoods, Echolie was not born, but formed — a living tapestry shaped by the woods’ primal instinct to imitate and preserve. Somewhere between dream and intention, the forest breathed her into existence. Some druids believe her to be a rare form of an elemental that has been invited by the forest itself to study the world and learn its patterns and arcane trails. Though she walks in a form that mirrors elven grace, her essence is fluid, capable of mimicking the appearance and bearing of nearly anyone she has observed.

如同低语森林的许多其他生物一样，艾可莉并非天生，而是逐渐形成的——如同一幅活生生的挂毯，由森林模仿和守护的原始本能编织而成。在梦境与意念之间，森林赋予了她生命。一些德鲁伊相信她是一种罕见的元素生物，受森林本身的邀请，来研究世界，学习它的规律和奥术轨迹。虽然她的行动姿态模仿自精灵的优雅，但她的本质是流动的，能够模仿几乎所有她所观察到的人的外貌和举止。

She does not speak in her own tongue, for she has none. Instead, her voice is a patchwork of borrowed phrases — echoes of words once spoken in the forest’s shadow. Touch is her conduit: with it, she conjures fleeting, whispering reflections of others — not quite illusions, not quite real — like memories called forth from the bark of old trees or surface of still water that defy reality in wondrous manner.

她不会说自己的语言，因为她没有母语。相反，她的声音是由借来的短语拼凑而成的——仿佛是曾经在森林阴影下说过的话语的回声。触觉是她的媒介：借助触觉，她能唤起他人转瞬即逝、低语的倒影——并非幻象，也并非真实——如同从老树皮或静水面唤起的记忆，以奇妙的方式挑战现实。

What Echolie seeks, if she seeks at all, remains unknown. But wherever stories are told in murmurs and voices repeat what none should speak, she is never far — her presence marked by an aura of raw mana floating in the air.

艾可莉所追寻的事物，如果她真在追寻的话，也无人知晓。但只要有低语诉说故事，有声音重复着不该说出口的话，她便会出现在附近——空气中飘荡着一股原始法力的气息，昭示着她的存在。

SPECIALIZATION: Murmuring Copy: Starts with the "Masterful Mirror Copy" spell. This version of the spell can target enemy creatures. While casting this spell, effective Spell Power is increased by 1 every 3 levels.

英雄特长：低语复制 - 初始法术为“精湛镜像复制”。此版本法术可指定敌方生物为目标。施放此法术时，有效咒力每 3 级提升 1 点。

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Since the dawn of the series, the mystical and fable-like forest towns have been one of the mainstays of the Heroes of Might and Magic games, with only one notable absence in Heroes VI. Though present all around, nature factions varied a lot from one game to another. In Heroes I and II it was represented by magical, almost fairy-tale-like towns of Sorceress. Heroes III included mystical Rampart and elemental-based Conflux. Heroes IV focused its Preserve around animal creatures — both mythical and real — and in the world of Ashan the central figures of the Sylvan faction were wood elves.

自系列诞生以来，神秘而充满寓言色彩的森林城镇一直是《英雄无敌》系列游戏的支柱之一，只有在《英雄无敌六》中才有一次明显缺席。尽管自然阵营随处可见，但它们在不同的游戏中却差异巨大。在《英雄无敌一》和《英雄无敌二》中，自然阵营以充满魔力、近乎童话般的女巫城镇为代表。《英雄无敌三》则包含了神秘的壁垒和基于元素的元素城。《英雄无敌四》的自然则以动物为中心——既有神话中的，也有真实的——而在亚山世界，森林阵营的核心人物则是木精灵。

To summarise, each game tried to showcase a different aspect of nature. In Olden Era, we have decided to fuse the two themes of Sorceress town from Heroes II — the fairy-tale-like and the elemental sides of it. This way we are bridging it closer to its original form that was split in two in Heroes III. Fusing the elemental and forest themes back into one town gave us a unique opportunity to reimagine the four elements and give them forms that are more in-tune with the original motif behind the Sorceress. To do this, we have ventured into some less known and popular mythologies, using their stories and depictions to form the basis for our creatures such as the iriyads or aqualotls.

总而言之，每款游戏都试图展现自然的不同面向。在《上古纪元》中，我们决定融合《英雄无敌二》中女巫镇的两大主题——童话般的一面和元素的一面。这样，我们就能让它在《英雄无敌三》中一分为二的原始形态中更贴近它最初的模样。将元素和森林的主题重新融合到一个城镇中，给了我们一个独特的机会来重新构想这四种元素，并赋予它们更符合女巫镇原始主题的形态。为此，我们探索了一些鲜为人知的热门神话，并利用它们的故事和描述，作为我们创造生物（例如伊利德或水螈）的基础。

Focusing on the powers of the natural world and grandeur of elements, descendants of Sorceress’ faction ebbed and flowed like the waves on the coast and changed their forms like the seasons — each change showcasing a different aspect of the living world — yet at their core they have always remained a Forest town, where nature and mysticism are at their highest.

女巫派系的后裔专注于自然界的力量和元素的宏伟，他们像海岸上的波浪一样起伏，像季节一样改变着自己的形态——每一次变化都展示了生物世界的不同方面——但在他们的核心，他们始终是一个森林小镇，在那里自然和神秘主义达到顶峰。

How does that translate to gameplay in Olden Era?
这对于 Olden Era 的游戏玩法有何影响？

Before we talk about the faction skill, let us introduce to you Focus and Focus Charges — a special combat resource in Olden Era. It is used by Unit and Hero Abilities and is generated by attacking and taking damage, casting certain spells and at the beginning of each round. Its generation can be further boosted by some subskills and some of them can even take it away from your enemy. Focus Charges are shared between all of your units, so you have to be wise about spending them.

在讨论种族技能之前，我们先来介绍一下专注力和集能点——这是上古纪元中的一种特殊战斗资源。它由单位和英雄技能使用，并通过攻击、受到伤害、施放特定法术以及在每回合开始时生成。某些辅助技能可以进一步增强它的生成，有些辅助技能甚至可以从敌人手中夺取它。专注充能由所有单位共享，因此你必须明智地使用它们。

Without further ado let’s talk about Murmuring, the Sylvan faction skill. It’s exclusive to Wardens and Druids, who always start with it. At the beginning of each combat, it generates up to 3 Focus Charges based on its level. In addition, its subskills can give you more options on how to spend the charges and even expand their limit beyond the default one.

闲话少叙，我们来聊聊森林种族技能“低语”。它是守护者和德鲁伊的专属技能，他们始终会以它为初始技能。每场战斗开始时，它会根据其等级生成最多 3 个集能点。此外，它的子技能可以让你更灵活地使用充能，甚至可以将充能上限扩展到默认充能上限之外。

Just like all the other factions, Sylvan will have access to Faction Laws. They are a new feature available to all factions that acts like a technology tree for them. We would like to mention a few examples: some of the Sylvan’s faction laws will further enhance their strengths by making the most of their units’ abilities. For instance, one of them expands the Focus Charge limit even further for all heroes, another makes all of your elemental units’ abilities require fewer charges to be used. There are also Laws that improve your economy and empower your heroes, as well as increasing unit growth for your town or dwellings.

与所有其他派系一样，森林派系将拥有派系法律。这些法律是所有派系均可使用的新功能，如同派系的科技树。我们想举几个例子：森林派系的一些法律将通过充分利用其单位的能力来进一步增强其实力。例如，其中一项法律进一步扩大了所有英雄的集中充能上限，另一项法律则降低了所有元素单位使用技能所需的充能次数。此外，还有一些法律可以改善您的经济状况，增强您的英雄，并增加您城镇或住所的单位数量。

As we have already showcased it during one of the unit reveals, one central aspect of Sylvan’s elemental units are their awakenings, which heavily boost their stats and unlock their special, very powerful abilities. For example, Thunder Qilins can exchange all of their defense for additional attack to deliver one major, lethal blow or use Ball Lightning to suddenly teleport across the map and deal area damage once awakened.

正如我们在一次单位揭晓中展示的那样，森林元素单位的核心特性之一是觉醒，觉醒可以大幅提升他们的属性，并解锁他们特殊的强力技能。例如，雷麒麟可以将所有防御力转化为额外攻击力，从而发动一次致命一击，或者使用球状闪电突然传送到地图各处，并在觉醒后造成范围伤害。

However, Sylvan units will also have other abilities, Phoenix’s Rebirth being the most iconic one. Depending on which upgrade you go for, they will either turn into a pile of ashes that has to be destroyed to stop them from coming back or continuously regenerate themselves over time.

然而，森林单位也会拥有其他技能，其中最具标志性的是凤凰重生。根据你选择的升级方式，它们要么化为一堆灰烬，必须将其摧毁才能阻止其复活，要么随着时间的推移不断再生。

As a faction closely attuned to nature, Sylvan heroes are more likely to learn Primal Magic and many of them will specialise in spells from that school. This means that when expanding your mage guild, it is wise to focus on upgrading primal spells as they are the most likely to be unlocked in Sylvan towns. Of course, the choice is always up to you.

作为一个与自然紧密相连的派系，森林英雄更有可能学习原初魔法，其中许多人会专精于该流派的法术。这意味着，在扩张你的法师公会时，专注于升级原初法术是明智之举，因为它们最有可能在森林城镇中解锁。当然，选择权始终在你手中。

One last thing — with Kelarr still nowhere to be found, we’ve initiated a searching party for him. In the meantime, a courier from Murmurwoods brought an intricately crafted letter to him from Miss Vatawna. Perhaps we can gain some insight from her missive.

最后一件事——凯拉尔仍然下落不明，我们已经派出搜寻队去寻找他。与此同时，一位来自低语森林的信使给他带来了一封瓦塔瓦娜女士写得非常精致的信。或许我们能从她的信中得到一些线索。

…What may appear to be the most wondrous of sights within Murmurwoods is perhaps the grand forest itself. The Mycelium root network twists below, connecting all that sprouts from the ground. Every tree, every mushroom, every blade of grass here is part of this web, infused with primal mystical power.

……在低语森林里，最令人叹为观止的景象或许就是这片宏伟的森林本身。菌丝根系在下方盘旋，连接着所有从地里萌发的生灵。这里的每一棵树，每一朵蘑菇，每一片草叶，都是这张网的一部分，都蕴含着原始的神秘力量。

In some ways, what you shared in your notes about Tularean Forest does compare to Murmurwoods, but in others these two natural wonders are vastly different. In particular, Murmurwoods haven’t developed a mind of their own. Rather, the Mycelium acts as a conduit for the mingling of all minds of those who dwell above and beside it. All creatures in Murmurwoods — from the smallest insects to the lumbering trolls — can feel the Mycelium to some degree. Many are not conscious of it, only subtly interacting with the surrounding forest’s mystical entanglement, but others are much more aware of it.

在某些方面，你在笔记中分享的图拉利昂森林确实与低语森林相似，但在其他方面，这两个自然奇观却截然不同。尤其是低语森林尚未发展出自己的思想。相反，菌丝体充当了所有栖息于其上和周围的生物思想交流的管道。低语森林中的所有生物——从最小的昆虫到笨拙的巨魔——都能在某种程度上感受到菌丝体的影响。许多生物并没有意识到它的存在，只是与周围森林神秘的纠缠进行着微妙的互动，但其他生物对此的感知则更加敏锐。

The roots that bind Murmurwoods run deep, tapping into the very elemental forces that form our world. While there is no doubt that the Mycelium is an organic part of nature, I cannot help but feel an aura of intelligent design about it. And indeed, folktales and druidic studies point to the Mycelium’s origins lying somewhere in that Time of Wonders before the Silence, when great powers shaped the world using fantastical tools. Naturally, as with many aspects of that nearly forgotten era, details are clouded, the truth elusive. However, if the enigmatic, godlike benefactors the Forefathers spoke about are not a mere legend, it would likely be them who created the Mycelium; or perhaps the Four Scholars themselves have done so under their guidance. Its connection to the elemental forces is so unique that the elements imbue the very plants and animals that surround me and my fellow druids. This unique attunement also allows mirrored energies of light and dark to make their presence known through wisps. Yet it all pales before the sight of the majestic phoenixes, which embody the endless cycle of life, death and rebirth, and remind us of fire’s beauty as a source of warmth.

连接着低语森林的根系深邃，汲取着构成我们世界的元素之力。菌丝体无疑是自然界的有机组成部分，但我却不禁感受到它散发着一种智慧设计的气息。事实上，民间传说和德鲁伊学说都指出，菌丝体的起源可以追溯到寂静之前的奇迹时代，当时强大的力量运用奇异的工具塑造了世界。当然，正如那个几乎被遗忘的时代的许多方面一样，细节模糊，真相难以捉摸。然而，如果先祖们所说的神秘莫测、神一般的恩人并非仅仅是传说，那么很可能就是他们创造了菌丝体；又或许是四位学者在他们的指导下创造了菌丝体。它与元素之力的联系如此独特，以至于这些元素渗透到了我和我的德鲁伊同伴周围的动植物之中。这种独特的协调也使得光与暗的镜像能量能够通过缕缕光辉显现出来。然而，在雄伟的凤凰面前，这一切都显得苍白无力，凤凰象征着生命、死亡和重生的无尽循环，并提醒我们火作为温暖源泉的美丽。

I believe there is some sort of seasonal cycle to the forest’s connection to the elements. From what I was told by the older druids, in the last few centuries the roots have been much more “awake” — and the bridge betwixt realms much more frequently crossed — than in the eons past. Much residual elemental energy stems from that and mixes with raw mana that permeates Murmurwoods, colouring its many glades and meadows a beautiful shade of scarlet. But through all the change that has been to Murmurwoods since at least the time of the Silence, two intermingling groups have been greatly in tune with the forest and its Mycelium: sprites, fauns, satyrs, leprechauns and other faerie creatures abound in the deeper Murmurwoods, dwelling in a variety of lairs and villages — commonly known as the fey, the sídhe or the seelie, my very distant kin. No less fickle than the elements, the feyfolk can be anything from innocently playful to dangerously cruel. Alongside them are the druids of many lineages — who have studied the forest for centuries and raised many henges to focus its energies. The unicorns also live in Murmurwoods, yet remain unapproachable to most and seem to have their own goals under their king’s guidance.

我相信森林与元素的联系存在某种季节性循环。据老德鲁伊告诉我，在过去的几个世纪里，树根比过去亿万年更加“苏醒”——连接不同领域的桥梁也更加频繁地被跨越。大量残留的元素能量源于此，并与弥漫在低语森林的原始法力混合，将其众多林间空地和草地染成美丽的猩红色。但至少自“寂静时代”以来，低语森林经历了诸多变迁，但有两个相互交织的群体与这片森林及其菌丝体保持着高度的和谐：妖精、法翁、萨提尔、矮妖精和其他妖精生物在低语森林深处大量存在，栖息在各种各样的巢穴和村庄里——通常被称为妖精、精灵或雪精灵，它们是我非常远的亲属。妖精族的变幻无常丝毫不逊于元素，他们既可能天真顽皮，也可能危险残忍。与他们并肩作战的，是来自不同血统的德鲁伊——他们研究森林数百年，并建造了许多巨石阵来凝聚森林的能量。独角兽也生活在低语森林，但大多数人都难以接近它们，似乎在它们国王的指引下，有着自己的目标。

I may still be a novice, compared to many other druids within the woods, yet I have already learned much from them, as well as the Mycelium itself. Once you and your colleagues are able to visit, I will gladly help you deepen your understanding of its marvels.

与森林里的其他德鲁伊相比，我或许还是个新手，但我已经从他们身上学到了很多，也了解了菌丝体本身。等你和你的同事们能来拜访，我很乐意帮助你们加深对菌丝体奇妙之处的理解。