作者 主题: 【Artifacts Unbound】Praxis p136-137  (阅读 8042 次)

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【Artifacts Unbound】Praxis p136-137
« 于: 2019-01-07, 周一 18:48:51 »
…PRAXIS…
剧透 -   :
The painted elf stared at the rift, the ultimate physical
reminder of his good friend Dunkelzahn. It was an impressive thing; eight meters across at the furthest edges of the
ellipse. He stood alone in the massive chamber, surrounded
by deserted sensors and monitors where the UCAS Army
otherwise would have been keeping an eye on the rift and any
possible emissions. Astrally, the chamber was also empty.
It had become attuned to the magical energies used by the
Army to study the rift, as well as from the presence of spirits
and magicians whose job was to keep anything that might
emerge from the rift from leaving the heavily warded chamber.
Harlequin did not know why the chamber, not to mention the
entire bunker complex in which he was standing, would be
deserted this evening. Someone of considerable political power
within this city must have pulled every string and cashed in
every favor they had to pull this off; his suspicion rested on a
certain white-haired nubian elf.
脸涂油彩的精灵盯着裂缝,他的挚友黑牙最后的追忆物。让人惊叹;椭圆长径有八米长。他独自站在巨大的密闭空间内,周围是UCAS军队遗弃的传感器和监视器,本该用来监视裂缝以及任何泄露。在星界,这里依然空荡荡。UCAS军方用于研究的魔法能量将其同调,此外负责阻止裂缝来客离开重重守护的精魂和法师的存在也参与其中。哈勒奎恩不知道为何这个房间,还有他所处的整个堡垒构造,会在今晚无人值守。这座城市内的某些强大的政治势力一定百般调动千般奔走才达成目的;他的怀疑落在一位白发努比亚精灵身上。

剧透 -   :
Though he was alone, that would not last for long. He felt
the presence of another and witnessed the form of a massive
orange great dragon circling around the damaged Washington
Monument to approach the bunker from the east, directly above
Virginia Avenue. Harlequin stood and watched as she slowed,
hovering above the building before taking a human form and
landing on the balcony that ringed the chamber level some
twenty meters above the street below. She passed through the
security doors without objection. The elf watched her silently
until they stood face to face a few meters from the rift.
虽然他现在独自一人,但不会太久。他感到了别的存在,看着一头巨大的橘色巨龙在损坏的华盛顿纪念碑周围盘旋,直接飞越维吉尼亚大道,从东边靠近掩体。哈勒奎恩站立注视着她减速、盘旋,最后化作人形落在离街道约20米高的房间外侧阳台上。她毫无障碍地穿过了安全门。精灵安静地注视着她,直到两者面对面,距离裂缝仅有几米。
剧透 -   :
“No joke? No clever witticism? I’m insulted,” she said. The
shifting glow of the rift shimmered in her deep orange eyes as
she stared at the rift with a mix of curiosity and fear. She could
only imagine the hell that Ghostwalker experienced before he
tore his way out of the rift, which spilled magics onto this plane
that only a few of her kind could even begin to understand.
“I was summoned here, like you, against my better judgment.”
“As if your judgment was worth anything,” a male voice
announced from the shadows. Ehran emerged from the inky
blackness slowly, and with a pronounced limp. Frosty had informed her mentor of what had transpired on the ship as it
sailed across the Pacifc Ocean. She emerged shortly after he did,
and took her place at Harlequin’s right side.
“没有笑话?没有俏皮话?我觉得被侮辱了,”她说。她盯着裂缝,夹杂好奇和恐惧,裂缝变幻的光芒在她深邃的橙色双眼上闪烁。她只能想象幽魂行者撕开裂缝逃离前经历了怎样的地狱,它溅入这个位面的魔法仅有少数同胞能理解。
“我被召唤至此,和你一样,并非我愿。”
“好像你的愿望值多少似的,”阴影中传来一个男性的声音。埃兰缓慢地从墨迹般的黑暗中现身,有明显跛足。寒霜已经通知过她的导师船在太平洋航行时发生了什么。她随后接着出现,站到了哈勒奎恩的右侧。
剧透 -   :
Beyond the walls of the Watergate Rift Bunker, people
were moving about with purpose of action. Whatever political
favors had been called and moves made, the military personnel
of the UCAS, along with troops from megacorporations, foreign
armies, and mercenaries that were garrisoned across the river
at the UN Mission within the DC National Airport, had become
increasingly alarmed at the presence of the magic that otherwise
should have concealed the presence of Hestaby and the others.
Too many people started asking questions, and their trained
response after the years of chaos and violence that had plagued
this metroplex was to respond with overwhelming force. This
time, though, their forces would not be nearly enough.
在水门裂缝堡垒的高墙之外,人们为了各种目的行动。无论是怎样的政治回报移开了UCAS的军方人士以及驻扎在河对岸DC国家机场联合国代表团的超企军队、外国军队、雇佣兵,希丝塔比和其他存在本应被隐蔽的魔法都越来越让人警觉。太多人开始打探,而他们被长年困扰这个大都市的混乱与暴力训练的回应则是压倒性的暴力。但这次,他们的力量完全不够。
剧透 -   :
The next two arrivals were eerily silent, even for this morose assembly. Lugh Surehand and Jonathon Reed entered the
rift chamber accompanied by their paladins, mercenaries, and
shadowrunners. Surehand carried the Sextant of Worlds, which
emitted a powerful aura on the astral plane that even the mundanes in the room could probably sense. The runners possessed
the Phaistos Disc and Shantaya’s Compass. With the three
artifacts together, the rift began to twist and distort. The glow
fluctuated in color and intensity as the air around them crackled
with energy. The artifacts, against all their normal inclinations,
wanted to be together. The rift wanted them.   
接下来抵达的两人安静得让人起疑,甚至对这一阴郁得组合也是如此。卢·休尔汉和乔纳森·里德(Jonathon Reed)进入裂缝间,带着他们的圣骑士、雇佣兵还有狂奔者。休尔汉拿着世界六分仪,它在星界散发着强烈的灵光,甚至房间里的凡俗都可能有所察觉。狂奔者持有斐斯托斯之碟(Phaistos Disc)和沙塔雅罗盘(Shantaya’s Compass)。三件奇物同处一处,裂缝开始扭曲变形。光芒的颜色和强度波动,周围空气发出噼啪的放电声。三件奇物违反了通常的倾向,渴望结合。裂缝渴求它们。
剧透 -   :
“These mortals should not be here,” a woman’s voice said,
breaking the silence. It came from a tall Persian woman who
approached the rift without any further acknowledgement of the others as she stood within reach of the planar fissure. She
held out her hand toward the rift, almost touching it. Blue
electricity arced toward the woman, and she hesitated before
pulling her arm back.
“这些凡人不该在这里,”一个女声打破了平静。这是一位高挑的波斯女性,她对其他人再无表示,靠近裂缝,站在了泛位面裂缝触手可及之处。她将手伸向裂缝,几乎与之相触。蓝色电弧向她逼近,她迟疑片刻,将手收回。
剧透 -   :
A chill ran down Harlequin’s spine for the frst time in centuries. He recognized Aden in his gender-bending human form.
From afar Harlequin admired the wyrm’s subtle jabs at the metahumanity’s assorted biases and assumptions. Standing in the
presence of the unexpected visitor, though, caused him to realize
that Ghostwalker had deceived them all.
几世纪以来哈勒奎恩第一次后脊发凉。他认出了亚丁改变性别的人类外形。哈勒奎恩从远处赞赏这头飞龙隐晦地指责泛人类的各种歧视和固有印象。但意外来客的出现,让他意识到幽魂行者把他们都骗了。
剧透 -   :
“Nor should you,” Surehand growled. “Lofwyr and the humans are massing armies beyond these walls. If they knew you
were here, they would destroy this city from above just to end you.”
“Lofwyr knows better,” Hestaby said, interrupting them
as Surehand and Aden squared off. Aden carried a box in “her”
other hand, and Surehand smiled at the sight of it. He noticed
Reed staring at the box as well, and turned to face his former
protégé with a knowing yet sadistic smile.
“你也不该出现,”休尔汉低吼道。“洛菲尔和人类正在墙外集结军队。如果他们知道你在这里,他们会空袭毁掉这座城市,就为了了结你。”
“洛菲尔明白事理,”希丝塔比插话,打断了休尔汉和亚丁摆出的架势。亚丁另一只手中拿着一个盒子,休尔汉看着盒子微笑。他注意到里德也在盯着盒子,于是转身面对自己的前学徒,脸上挂着了然而施虐式的微笑。
剧透 -   :
“Please, everyone, maintain some level of decorum.” The voice
belonged to Aina Dupree, his dear friend. Her voice carried authority in this room whether anyone wanted to admit it. She
was responsible for this conclave being possible after all. Aina
walked into the chamber alongside a very somber looking human.
Harlequin eyed the man with some curiosity, and tried to fgure
out his old friend’s game. As they walked into the middle of the
group, he fnally remembered where he had seen this serious human. They once fought alongside each other at the gates of Vienna. Harlequin shook his head and then began to laugh outloud. And yet many here considered him to be the fool.
“Well, where is he?” Surehand asked aloud. He had unfnished business with most of the people in the chamber, and
he was not exhibiting the patience with his equals that he had
shown as High Prince.
“各位,请保持基本礼节。”声音属于他亲爱的朋友,埃娜·杜普雷。她的声音在这个房间有某种权威,不管其他人是否愿意承认。毕竟是她负责让这次密会成为可能。埃娜和一位看起来十分阴沉的人类一同走进房间。哈勒奎恩有些好奇地打量这个男人,试图研究出老朋友在玩什么游戏。他终于记起在哪里见过这个严肃地男人。他们曾经在维也纳大门外并肩作战。哈勒奎恩摇摇头放声大笑。
但这里还有很多人当他是愚者。
“好了,他在哪?”休尔汉大声发问。他和房间里地大多数人还有没了结的事务,他不会把高等亲王的耐性用在和他同等的人物身上。
剧透 -   :
As if to answer his question, the rift began to expand and
energy crackled and burst forth from within it, striking the walls
with enough intensity to burn and blast chunks of ferrocrete
into the air. The entire building shook, and all assembled within
converged together in front of the rift as it destroyed the roof and
floor surrounding it. The roof completely crumbled, then was
vaporized into dust by the combined protective magics of those
present. With the roof gone, they could all see what was coming:
The massive white great dragon descending down toward the rift
as the building was surrounded by an armada of military craft. None dared take action—history was flled with conflagrations being lit by much smaller sparks.
Ghostwalker stopped just above the group, his massive wings flapping slowly as everyone looked up at him. Everything
that happened, every move made, and every possible outcome
had shaped this one moment. The dragon wanted the artifacts
that he considered to be his alone, and that goal was now within
his reach. Harlequin had to admire the white wyrm for that if nothing else. He played a bunch of schemers like only he or his
clutchmate could.
仿佛是回答他的提问,裂缝开始膨胀,能量从内部迸发,噼啪作响,足以点着并炸开钢筋混凝土的能量冲击墙壁。整栋建筑在颤抖,所有人集中在裂缝正前方,看着它摧毁屋顶和周围地板。屋顶完全倒塌,随后被在场者的保护魔法蒸发成灰烬。屋顶消失后,他们都能看见来者:一头庞大的白色巨龙朝裂缝降落,建筑被一支军用载具组成的舰队包围。没人敢行动——历史上更小的火花燃起过燎原野火。
幽魂行者停在一行人正上方,巨大的双翼缓慢扇动,所有人抬头看着他。所有已定之事、所有已成之举、所有可能之后果,共同塑造了这一时刻。这头龙希望得到这些他视作属于自身的奇物,目标就在眼前。哈勒奎恩必须欣赏这头白龙这一点。他以只有他或他的同类才会的方式耍了一帮阴谋家。
剧透 -   :
The rift fnally began to stabilize. Surehand offered up the
sextant, and it rose to the dragon’s right claw. He then turned
and looked at the runners. They were out of their league, and
out of their element. They looked at each other with a measure
of grudging acceptance, and offered up the two artifacts in their
possession. Ghostwalker extended his right claw to receive them,
and offered everyone a glimpse of the Piri Reis map pressed
against his torso. Finally, Aden looked down at the box, and the
back up at Ghostwalker. He released his grip on the box, which was immediately taken by the hovering lizard.
With all of his tools in hand, the giant white dragon began
to perform an ancient magical ritual. The rift began to expand
outward and above him, creating a tunnel-like entrance. He was
preparing to enter hell, and Harlequin began to wonder if he was
going to drag them all in with him. It was also possible that
Ghostwalker might simply unleash hell on this patch of Earth.
He glimpsed over at Hestaby, and then at Aina. He saw fear in
their eyes. They had to do something, but he could not even speak.
The energy of the rift began to unravel from the portal-like
shape it had maintained for almost two decades, and it unraveled into tendrils of energy that wrapped around Ghostwalker as
he came in closer. He began to turn incorporeal and was passing
through them and their magics as he entered the rift. What
seemed like an excruciatingly slow process suddenly shifted, and
Ghostwalker simply vanished into the rift. Or what was left of
the rift. It shrank and faded behind him until it was a small
point of light.
终于裂缝开始稳定。休尔汉交出六分仪,它升至巨龙的右爪。他随后转头看向狂奔者。他们相形见绌,格格不入。他们不情愿地认命似的互相看,交出了持有的两件奇物。幽魂行者伸出右爪收下,让所有人瞥见了贴着他腹部的皮里·雷斯地图。最后,亚丁低头看看盒子,又看回幽魂行者。他松开抓着盒子的手,盒子立刻被盘旋的蜥蜴接收。
所有工具皆在手中,巨大的白龙开始进行古老的魔法仪式。裂缝向外膨胀,盖过巨龙,形成了隧道似的入口。他即将进入地狱,哈勒奎恩好奇他是否打算把所有人一起拖进去。还可能,幽魂行者只是要将地狱释放到这个地球上。他看向希丝塔比,然后看向埃娜。他在她们眼中看见了恐惧。他们得做点什么,但他甚至无法发声。
裂缝的能量开始从维持了近二十年的形态散开,散成卷须,缠绕住靠近的幽魂行者。他开始变得失去形体,穿过他们和他们的魔法,进入裂缝。看似痛苦而又漫长的过程突然转变,幽魂行者消失在了裂缝中。或者说叫裂缝的残留部分。它在他身后收缩消散,最后成为一个小光点。
剧透 -   :
Harlequin breathed. He found himself able to move and
blink just in time to feel a blast of pure mana sweep over hum.
Damn the pale wyrm, he thought. Ghostwalker slammed the
metaphorical door behind him so that none could follow. He
didn’t care to inform the assembled beings that closing the rift
would expel a large amount of energy back onto this plane roughly equivalent to the nuclear weapon Dunkelzahn used to open it
in the frst place. Equilibrium needed to be maintained. Harlequin
didn’t have time to think. He wrapped himself in defensive magic.
Everyone tried to save themselves. Raw mana tore at itself in slow
motion as he felt a thread of mana reach into his soul. He could
not sense anything, but he knew who was responsible. Aina was
performing some sort of ritual only she would understand. The
elves, the dragons, and even the Crusader all became as one with
her in the heart of their gestalt.
She used their combined magic and tricks to warp reality
around them. A surge of mana could not be simply be dispersed,
or absorbed, or channeled into something else. Harlequin simply
could not comprehend what she was doing as his entire being
was consumed in a white light, and felt that his fate was being
rewritten before the white light was replaced by the dark emptiness of … death?
No. Life.
哈勒奎恩重新呼吸。正当他发现自己能够移动、眨眼时,一阵纯粹的法力冲击波扫过他。该死的白龙,他想。幽魂行者将泛位面之门关上,好让任何人都无法跟上去。他没费心提醒在场者,关闭裂缝会向这个位面释放巨大的能量,威力几乎等于黑牙用来打开裂缝的核武器。必须维持平衡。哈勒奎恩没有时间思考。他用防御魔法包裹自己。所有人都在试图拯救自己。原始的法力以慢动作撕裂自身,他感到一丝法力触碰他的灵魂。他感觉不到任何东西,但他知道是谁。埃娜正在进行某种只有她知道的仪式。精灵、巨龙,甚至圣战士,在自身构成的中心,全都与她同在。
她运用共同的魔法和技巧扭曲周遭现实。法力巨浪无法被简单驱散、吸收,或导入它物内部,哈勒奎恩无法理解她在做什么,他的全部存在被白光淹没,他感到他的命运在被改写,然后白光被黑暗的虚空替代……是死亡?
不。是生命。
« 上次编辑: 2019-08-05, 周一 01:18:11 由 马非鱼 »
If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's probably an Andrik