神光晶体战争

The Aetherium Wars

神光晶体战争

by Taron Dreth

塔隆德莱瑟著

Dedicated toKatria,

至卡特莉亚

my Friend andColleague

我永远的挚友兼战友

The end, whenit came, was swift. In the span of three

很难想象，战争的结束来得如此之快。在短短三年之中，那些天际省中的矮人

short years,the great dwarven cities of Skyrim, from

城市，从马卡斯到瓦洛西山脉，一个个随着至高国王军队的到来而沦陷。那些一

Markarth tothe Velothi Mountains, fell before the armies of the High King. Cities that hadheld fast against the

直排斥外族而近百年来不断抵制诺德人的城市突然被摧毁，连警告都无法传递给

Nords for overa hundred years crumbled abruptly and

其它人。

withoutwarning.

For centuries,scholars have marveled at the sudden

数个世纪以来，学者们一直为史书中记载的矮人城邦的突然消亡而啧啧称奇。即

collapse ofthe Dwemer city-states. Even the Nords seem to

使是诺德人，在短时间内连续拿下数座城池时也面带惊喜，虽然他们的史官很快

have beentaken by surprise, though their chroniclers were

反应过来并将他们的胜利归功于格里尔国王的英明指导和索尔的庇佑。

quick toascribe their success to King Gellir's inspired tactics and the blessings ofShor.

My researchsuggests a much different cause, however. In

然而，我的研究和调查却展现了另一个鲜为人知的原因。在那些天际的矮人都市

the decadespreceding their fall, the dwarven cities of

湮灭之前的几十年里，它们就因为内部无止尽的争论与内战而削弱了不少实力，

Skyrim hadbeen decimated by internal disputes and

而这些内乱的原因令人惊讶：神光晶体。

infightingover a most surprising cause: Aetherium.

Modernscholars know Aetherium as a rare, luminescent blue

近代及现代的学者把神光晶体看作一种能在某些矮人遗址中发现的稀有，

crystal foundin some Dwemer ruins. Most consider it little

发冷光的蓝色水晶。他们其中的一大部分人不仅将它当成一种装饰品，因为它已

more than acuriosity, as it has proven all but impossible

经被证明出一些不可思议的特点：它的四周包裹有一层魔法的磁场，且任何药剂

to work with:while it has a strong magical aura, it is

或草药都无法与其反应，现已知的任何工具都无法将它变形，熔化，塑形，压缩

alchemicallyinert, and no known process can enchant, smelt,

或摧毁。

mold, bind, orbreak it.

To thedwarves, of course, such problems were merely a

当然，对于矮人族来说，这些问题只不过是一种挑战。在哈拉德国王统治年间，

challenge. Inthe years following King Harald's reign, the

矮人们在最深的矿井处发现了一个重要的神光晶体来源。为了能够监督采集矿物，

Dwemerdiscovered a considerable source of Aetherium in

their deepestdelvings. An alliance of four cities, led by

加工及研究的整个过程，著名的研究者中心在马卡斯南部，由四个城市联盟建立，

Arkngthamz,the great research center in the southern Reach,

was formed tooversee its extraction, processing, and study,

同时，联盟还建造了一座“神光熔炉”来安全稳定地熔炼矿物。

and a new'Aetherium Forge' constructed to smelt it under precisely controlledconditions.

If theinscriptions I discovered are to be believed, the

如果我发现的那些铭文碑刻确实可信的话，那么矮人研究的结果不亚于一个奇迹：

results werenothing short of spectacular: the items produced by the Forge were artifacts ofimmense power,

熔炉中生产出的这种物质就像是强大力量浓缩而成，在将其灌注进器物的同时便

imbued fromthe moment of their creation with powerful

赋予其无与伦比的魔力。毫无疑问，矮人的联盟瞬间支离破碎，四座城市以及知

enchantments.The dwarven alliance shattered almost

情的其他竞争者都争先恐后地尝试着独吞那座共同建造起来的熔炉。

immediately,as the four city-states and their rivals attempted to claim the Forge.

We can onlyspeculate that none were successful. Decades

我们只能推测最后没有一方真正成功。数十年的内战使他们对外彻底虚弱，使得

of conflictmerely weakened them all, allowing for King

格里尔国王的军队有了可乘之机。虽然矮人族在一个世纪之后收回了失去的领土，

Gellir'ssubsequent conquests. And though the Dwemer reclaimed most of their lands acentury later, there is no

没有证据表明他们之后重新开始了关于神光晶体的研究。大概是因为这股神力所

evidence thatthey ever resumed their research on Aetherium.

带来的代价实在太过巨大了吧。

Perhaps thecosts had just been too great.

But nothinglike the Aetherium Forge described in the

但就现在在天际省发现的铭文记录来看，并没有什么类似于神光熔炉之类的

inscriptionshas ever been found within the borders of

东西存在。它可能在很久很久以前就被诺德侵略者或矮人自己摧毁了。或许，就

Skyrim. It mayhave been destroyed long ago, by the Nord invaders or the Dwemer themselves. Orperhaps it, like the

像神光晶体的秘密一般，仍然藏在不知名的某处，等待再一次的重见天日。

secrets ofAetherium itself, still remains to be discovered.

Locations：

Arcanaeum,in the southeastern part of the room, resting on a table.

冬堡，秘藏室，在房间的东南角一张桌子上。

BardsCollege, after the right turn from the entrance, on a small bookcase.

吟游诗人学院，从入口进入后向右拐，在一个小书架上。

DarklightTower, before the hagraven, in the room with the lever, on a cupboard's shelf.

暗光塔楼，乌鸦鬼婆之前，在有拉杆的房间里，一个橱柜的架子上。

DayspringCanyon, on topof a barrel in a tent of the camp outside Fort Dawnguard (only if the campexists).

拂晓峡谷，在黎明守卫要塞附近的营地帐篷里的桶上(如果有营地的话)

DeadDrop Mine, on a shelf under a wooden platform.

亡落矿坑，在一个木平台下面的架子上