上古纪元#开发日志4#招魂术

There can be no necromancers without necromancy, that much is a fact. Throughout the franchise’s history this unique school of magic has gone through multiple transformations, much like humans’ concept and belief of death. From raising simple skeletons, to awakening liches, dragons and vampires, necromancy has been one of the most controversial abilities that’s been considered extremely powerful if not outright overpowered by most players. In Heroes III it was possible to obtain a powerful set to further empower it, whilst in Heroes V it was limited by Dark Energy.

没有亡灵巫术就不可能有死灵法师，这是事实。在整个系列的历史中，这个独特的魔法学校经历了多次转变，就像人类对死亡的概念和信仰一样。从复活简单的骷髅，到唤醒尸巫、龙和吸血鬼，亡灵巫术一直是最具争议的能力之一，大多数玩家认为它即使不是完全被压倒，也是极其强大的。在《英雄无敌3》中，可以获得一套强大的套装来进一步增强它的能力，而在《英雄无敌5》中，它受到黑暗能量的限制。

How does it work in Olden Era?

它在上古纪元如何运作？

We wanted to preserve the feeling of power and grandeur raising the dead gave you in the previous games, whilst at the same time trying to ensure it doesn’t get too crazy too quickly. In order to do that, we made it so that necromancy affects ALL of your units - however, it can only raise units that you already have in the army (so no farming peasants to get vampires during the first week) and the amount of units raised is based on the total health pool of enemies slain in combat. We hope that by introducing these checks and balances on Necromancy both the Necromancer and the potential skele…We mean, the enemy player will enjoy facing each other off. We’ll definitely keep an eye on it and adjust it should there be any concerns in the future.

我们希望保留前几款游戏中给你带来的力量和宏伟的感觉，同时努力确保它不会变得太疯狂太快。为了做到这一点，我们让亡灵巫术影响你的所有单位 - 但是，它只能提高你军队中已有的单位（因此第一周无法通过 杀死农民获得吸血鬼）和单位数量提高是基于战斗中杀死的敌人的总生命值。我们希望通过对死灵法师和潜在骷髅引入这些制衡机制……我们的意思是，敌方玩家会喜欢彼此对抗。如果将来有任何问题，我们一定会密切关注并进行调整。

That is not all, though. Whilst uncovering this knowledge for you, we’ve come across an arcane page from our scholarly friend’s lexicon where he records a conversation with his dark but rather friendly acquaintance. Here’s what it says:

但这还不是全部。在为您揭开这些知识的同时，我们从我们的学者朋友的词典中发现了一个神秘的页面，其中他记录了与他的黑暗但相当友好的熟人的对话。它是这样说的：

Kelarr: Many legends and rumors surround you and your kind. Some call necromancy “the magic of death”.

克拉尔：许多传说和谣言都围绕着你和你的同类。有人称亡灵巫术为“死亡的魔法”。

Khel: True in a way, but the more precise term would be “the applied science of death”. The art of necromancy has its roots in alchemy even more so than in magic, though darker magical practices are certainly important as well. We study death and what happens with the spirit after death. Necromancers strive to perfect the process of resurrecting the dead, to remove any limits to it that traditional spirit magic might have, and achieve immortality.

凯尔：在某种程度上是正确的，但更准确的术语是“死亡的应用科学”。亡灵巫术的根源更多地源于炼金术，而不是魔法，尽管更黑暗的魔法实践当然也很重要。我们研究死亡以及死后灵魂会发生什么。死灵法师努力完善复活死者的过程，消除传统精神魔法可能存在的任何限制，并实现永生。

Kelarr: And you have been working towards those goals for a long time now — in Jadame and elsewhere.

克拉尔：很长一段时间以来，您一直在贾达姆和其他地方努力实现这些目标。

Khel: Indeed, necromancy began centuries ago. Among magicians and clerics there were those who sought to peer beyond the veil of death, to master it, which would allow them to avoid it as well as gain more power and knowledge. One can say that such studies coalesced into what is now known as necromancy when a mage first came back to life as a lich in the west — in Enroth. But many students of death made important discoveries separately from each other, as it oftentimes is with various fields of science.

凯尔：确实，亡灵巫术在几个世纪前就开始了。在魔法师和牧师中，有些人试图超越死亡的面纱，掌握它，这将使他们能够避免死亡并获得更多的力量和知识。可以说，当法师第一次在西方——恩洛斯——以尸巫的身份复活时，这些研究就融合成了现在所谓的亡灵巫术。但许多研究死亡的学者各自取得了重要的发现，就像不同科学领域经常发生的情况一样。

Kelarr: And yet eventually you “death scientists” became quite organized.

克拉尔：然而最终你们这些“死亡科学家”变得非常有组织。

Khel: It was only natural for practitioners of an art like ours to form an order that would help us share knowledge with colleagues, coordinate research efforts and protect ourselves. But although the Necromancers’ Guild operates worldwide, its branches across different lands and continents are quite autonomous. The ways they operate also vary. Here in Jadame, necromancers don’t have a solidified ruling body — the Guild acts more like a support network. While in Antagarich, for instance, Guild members rule a feudal monarchy called Deyja, the kingdom of death. And in Enroth, our colleagues are subjects to the crown and the Mandate of Heaven, though not easily accepted by the populace.

凯尔：对于像我们这样的艺术从业者来说，形成一个秩序是很自然的，这将有助于我们与同事分享知识、协调研究工作和保护我们自己。尽管死灵法师公会在全球范围内运作，但其遍布不同土地和大陆的分支机构却是相当自治的。他们的运作方式也各不相同。在贾达姆，死灵法师没有一个稳固的统治机构——公会更像是一个支持网络。例如，在恩塔格瑞，公会成员统治着一个名为 Deyja（死亡王国）的封建君主国。在恩洛斯，我们的同事受到王权和天命的约束，尽管不容易被民众接受。

Kelarr: From what I gather, there is actually more than one chapter of the Guild in Jadame alone.

克拉尔：据我所知，实际上仅在贾达姆就有不止一个公会分会。

Khel: The most well-known and currently strongest one in terms of military is based in the Shadowspire region of eastern Jadame, as you are well aware. But there are indeed others. it is much more a land. I myself belong to a different branch operating in the isles of the Ifarine Sea. Though we do work closely with the Shadowspire Guild, and I visit those parts rather frequently and with pleasure.

凯尔：众所周知，目前军事方面最强大的基地位于贾达姆东部的暗影尖塔地区，正如你所知。但确实还有其他人。它更像是一块土地。我本人属于在伊法林海群岛开展业务的另一个分支机构。尽管我们确实与暗影尖塔公会密切合作，但我也相当频繁且愉快地访问这些地方。

Kelarr: And your reputation as a researcher does precede you… That reminds me. My apologies, but which spelling of your name is correct?

克拉尔：你作为研究员的声誉确实领先于你……这让我想起了。抱歉，您名字的哪个拼写是正确的？

Khel: *chuckles* I know a genie who has been asked the same thing. I prefer “Khel” a bit more, but “Kehl” is also an acceptable way to spell my name.

凯尔：*咯咯笑*我认识一个精灵，他也被问过同样的问题。我更喜欢“Khel”，但“Kehl”也是拼写我名字的一种可接受的方式。

Kelarr: Thank you. Regarding Shadowspire, while it is an important stronghold of necromancers today, and has been in the past, it is actually ruled by vampires.

克拉尔：谢谢。至于暗影尖塔，虽然现在和过去都是死灵法师的重要据点，但实际上它是由吸血鬼统治的。

Khel: I would say this is rather simplifying it but they do hold sway there, yes. Although the relations between us necromancers and the children of the night have not always been easy (or peaceful), we have enjoyed fruitful cooperation with vampires for several centuries now. Our cultures are indeed separate, but they are intertwined — both in Jadame and other lands. The Necromancers’ Guild itself is rather young by vampire standards. Our history began during the first several centuries after the Silence, and they have been around since millennia before that. Having similar powers and their own brand of immortality, they sometimes help us in our studies, also learning much themselves.

凯尔：我想说这相当简化了它，但它们确实在那里发挥着影响力，是的。尽管我们死灵法师和黑夜之子之间的关系并不总是轻松（或和平），但我们与吸血鬼的合作已经有几个世纪了。我们的文化确实是分开的，但它们是交织在一起的——无论是在贾达姆还是在其他国家。以吸血鬼的标准来看，死灵法师公会本身相当年轻。我们的历史始于沉默之后的最初几个世纪，而在此之前它们已经存在了几千年。他们拥有相似的力量和自己的不朽品牌，有时会帮助我们学习，自己也学到很多东西。

Kelarr: I suppose the fact that the current head of the Necromancers’ Guild in Shadowspire is a vampire certainly helps.

克拉尔：我认为暗影尖塔死灵法师公会的现任会长是吸血鬼这一事实肯定会有所帮助。

Khel: Oh, yes! Lord Thant doesn’t hail from Jadame, but has made quite a name for himself here. A powerful practitioner and researcher of Nightshade Magic, some of his creations have done much to help his vampiric brethren in their endless struggle with the sun, gaining Thant favor with the legendary Nosferatu Korbu himself — and Thant is certainly a highly talented necromancer himself, an asset to the Guild.

凯尔：哦，是的！山特勋爵并非来自贾达姆，但在这里已经声名鹊起。作为夜影魔法的强大实践者和研究者，他的一些创造物为帮助他的吸血鬼同胞与太阳进行无休止的斗争做出了很大贡献，赢得了传奇人物诺斯费拉图·科尔布本人的青睐——而坦特本人无疑是一位才华横溢的死灵法师，公会的资产。

Kelarr: And not only that. As far as I know, his policies actually helped bridge the gap between necromancers and common people.

克拉尔：不仅如此。据我所知，他的政策实际上有助于弥合死灵法师和普通民众之间的差距。

Khel: Also true. Many living people that dwell alongside necromancers (or under our rule) in various towns and regions of Jadame entrust us with the remains of their dead. While those sanctimonious priests from the Temple of the Sun constantly blame us for “interfering with the passing of souls” and whatnot, at times the funeral rites we perform actually help the spirit ascend.

凯尔：也是如此。在贾达姆的各个城镇和地区，许多与死灵法师一起居住（或在我们的统治下）的活着的人将死者的遗骸托付给我们。虽然太阳神殿那些道貌岸然的祭司不断指责我们“干扰灵魂的传递”之类的，但有时我们举行的葬礼实际上有助于灵魂的升华。

Kelarr: However, it should be noted that this is not the only reason Sun clerics and others revile your kind. They say necromancers prey upon life itself, much like vampires drink blood. To restore life the way you do, you need to get life energy somewhere.

克拉尔：然而，应该指出的是，这并不是太阳神职人员和其他人辱骂你们同类的唯一原因。他们说死灵法师以生命为食，就像吸血鬼吸血一样。为了按照你现在的方式恢复生命，你需要从某个地方获取生命能量。

Khel: Practicing our art does require such sacrifices.

凯尔：实践我们的艺术确实需要这样的牺牲。

Kelarr: Sometimes, quite literal ones…

克拉尔：有时候，非常字面意思……

Khel: True, but many necromancers are beginning to shy away from ritual sacrifices. They prefer to draw life from the land, and use more subtle, slow ways.

凯尔：确实如此，但许多死灵法师开始回避祭祀仪式。他们更喜欢从土地中汲取生命，并采用更微妙、缓慢的方式。

Kelarr:We’ve talked about the Sun worshippers, but the Moon Temple is no less relevant to the necromancers…

克拉尔：我们已经讨论过太阳崇拜者，但月亮神殿与死灵法师的关系也同样重要……

Khel: The twin Churches of Sun and Moon have competed for the hearts and minds of people across the globe for so long now, sometimes clashing openly. While our order is separate from the Church of the Moon, we naturally prefer them over the Sun clerics, and many Moon clerics practice necromancy and employ undead in their armies. Those in our Guild who are more religious actually practice either the Moon faith or its offshoot called the Path of Dark. I myself am more of an agnostic when it comes to powers that be.

凯尔：太阳教会和月亮教会长期以来一直在争夺全球人民的心和思想，有时甚至公开发生冲突。虽然我们的教团与月亮教会是分开的，但我们自然而然地更喜欢他们而不是太阳牧师，并且许多月亮牧师练习亡灵巫术并在他们的军队中使用不死生物。我们公会中那些更虔诚的人实际上信仰月亮信仰或其分支，称为黑暗之路。当谈到权力时，我自己更像是一个不可知论者。

Kelarr: While I agree that the Necromancers’ Guild has been rather peaceful for a long time, there are some necromancers and vampires who may disturb that peace. Like the certain someone I’m sure you have heard about…

克拉尔：虽然我同意死灵法师公会长期以来一直相当和平，但有些死灵法师和吸血鬼可能会扰乱这种和平。就像我相信你听说过的某个人一样……

Khel: Ah, Galthran. Freshly bitten, and very young by vampire standards, he does indeed seem rather ambitious and warlike. Galthran’s experiments with skeleton transformation are both admirable and risky. I have been privy to many talks among our leaders regarding what should be done about him, if anything at all. He seeks to gain power separately from the Guild. While he has every right to try and do so, he could get himself and others in trouble that way.

凯尔：啊，加尔瑟兰（H3骷髅特长凯瑟瑞）。刚被咬过，而且以吸血鬼的标准来看还非常年轻，他确实看起来相当雄心勃勃、好战。加尔瑟兰的骨骼改造实验既令人钦佩又充满风险。我了解我们领导人之间关于应该对他采取什么措施（如果有的话）的许多谈话。他寻求独立于公会而获得权力。虽然他完全有权尝试这样做，但他可能会给自己和他人带来麻烦。

Kelarr: I only hope that the people of Jadame will not have to suffer from that.

克拉尔：我只希望贾达姆的人民不会因此而受苦。

Khel: Time will tell.

凯尔：时间会证明一切。