作者 主题: 【NLoS】《奈多,阴影之地》(Nidal, Land of Shadows)  (阅读 67443 次)

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奈多,阴影之地 Nidal,Land of Shadows
作者 Liane Merciel




内容提示
PF战役设定:奈多,阴影之地详述了一个虚构的国度,掌管痛苦、受难与折磨的邪神与其教会是这里的统治者。同样,本书中也包含了一些敏感概念与内容,包括肉体折磨和心灵折磨、借由恐惧来操纵他人情绪与心理、对暴力的描写与暗示、以及肉体恐怖。在将本战役设定的内容加入游戏前,你应告知玩家们这些内容的主题,并确保他们可以接受。如果哪怕有一个玩家对本书中某些概念感到不适,你应当将那部分的内容(或该书中全部内容)移除,并专注于你游戏中的其他情节。
当开展包含象本书中出现的恐怖元素的游戏时,玩家是否同意(包括GM)是最需要考虑的事情。请参考PFRPG惧怖冒险第190-191页中对该重要话题的更加深入的讨论。


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剧透 -  英文原图:

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居于阴影
« 回帖 #1 于: 2019-01-10, 周四 16:27:50 »
居于阴影 Living in Shadow
荒芜满地,夜主驱之。死亡猎命,夜主缚之。苦痛侵袭,欲碎人心。库松教诲,痛不足惧。蒙主恩典,成奈多人。蒙主恩典,吾掌黑夜。
库松子民,顺其旨意。荣归夜主,誉入吾心。星陨之灾,毁天灭地。帝国崩塌,万民凋零。贤人卫士,化兽相食;经师学者,沦为愚痴。
唯吾独善,唯吾独存。蒙主庇佑,直至今日。夜主之赐,唯吾称之;夜主之誉,唯吾荣之。
悠悠岁月,唯吾独存。夜主恩泽,唯吾独享。奈多其荣,唯吾当称。奈多其荣,唯吾当称。
——传统节日夜还节上的布道词

剧透 -   :
荒芜袭向我们,是午夜领主给予我们救赎。死亡狩猎我们,是午夜领主将其束缚。苦痛试图击垮我们,是宗-库松教导我们苦痛不值得畏惧。因其恩典,成就了我们奈多人。因其恩赐,我们得以掌控黑夜。
宗-库松所选定的子民们,服从主人的命令使我们自豪。我们要去为午夜领主追求荣光。纵观世界,万民之中,只有我们不因星陨之灾而分崩离析。当帝国崩塌,学者在废土中沉沦于愚昧,贤者与和平卫士化作只求生存的原始食人族时,只有我们我们毫发无损。只有我们值得宗-库松庇护,一直到今日。只有我们配得上他的恩赐,只有我们能为他带来真正的荣耀。”
“我们独存于漫长岁月。我们独享午夜领主之恩典。我们是奈多人。”
剧透 -  原文:
LIVING IN SHADOW
Desolation fell upon us, anD the MiDnight lorD gave us succor. Death caMe to hunt us, anD the MiDnight lorD gave us its leash. pain trieD to break us, anD Zon-kuthon taught us that it helD nothing to fear. by his grace we are niDalese. by his gifts we Master the night.
“chilDren anD chosen of Zon-kuthon, be prouD to serve your Master’s will. finD glory in the MiDnight lorD’s favor. for only we, aMong the varieD peoples of the worlD, stooD unbroken by the shattering of earthfall. we alone surviveD unscatheD when prouD eMpires cruMbleD, when scholars fell into the ignorance of ruin, when sages anD peacekeepers becaMe cruDe cannibals just to survive. only we were worthy of Zon-kuthon’s protection, anD so it reMains toDay. only we are still worthy of his gifts, anD only we can give hiM true glory.
“we alone holD the heritage of ages. we alone revel in the MiDnight lorD’s gifts anD grace. we alone are niDalese.”
 —traDitional festival of night’s return serMon
        奈多是一片被阴影束缚的土地。
        一万年前,当星陨降临,蔽日之灾摧毁了格拉利昂最伟大的文明时,古代的奈多马王们选择求救于他们的诸神灵。尽管这些祖先神灵没有回应,另一股力量却应声而至:宗-库松,午夜领主,阴影与痛苦之神。他提出了一项可怕的交易:用永恒的奴役换取他的救助。奈多人民能在星陨之灾中获得庇护,但代价则是绝对的服从——他们的,以及他们之后每一代子孙的。
        在恐惧与绝望中,古代奈多的人民同意了这份交易。他们发誓效忠于宗-库松,而这份忠诚也代代相传直至今日。
        如今,奈多与格拉利昂其他国家相比显得格格不入。自奈多人为自己铐上宗库山的锁链以来,已经过去了一百个世纪,这漫长的时光深深地塑造了这片土地及其居民。
        黑暗在字面意义上笼罩着奈多的腹地。广阔的乌斯克森林有着天然的树冠穹顶,只有些许日光得以下渗;而在影烁之城帕格莱斯,黑叶的树木使街道停留在永恒的薄暮。吸血鬼和卡利尼们自如地行走在苍白的林荫道上,不受太阳所困扰。
        奈多的文化也在午夜领主的奇想中被重塑。在由三位神秘人物组成的黑三角领导下,阴影朝廷负责确保奈多的人民服从宗-库松的意志。他们用纤细的低语和鸿毛般的轻触来维持统治,因为当低语轻触就能承载着无法想象的痛楚时,大喊大叫便显得毫无必要了。
        然而阴影朝廷的力量不是绝对的。叛逆的脆弱星火依然闪烁在奈多国土。偶尔也会有奈多人逃出宗-库松的魔爪。他们中有些人相信一切达成的交易都能被打破,而他们也终有机会将祖国从其酷烈主子的束缚中解放。尽管宗-库松的邪恶束缚是如此强大,仍有善良之士居住在奈多。在厚重的恐惧面纱底下,这些善良的人过着各自的生活,他们生儿育女,向午夜领主念几句必要的颂词,希望着终有一日他们的子孙能脱离苦海。
        虽然奈多以闭锁国门和不欢迎外人而闻名,但依然有很多好奇或有着雄心壮志的外来者来到了这里。奈多曾付出巨大的代价来自保,而作为结果,星陨之灾前诸多文明的知识与成果得以完整地流传下来,这在现代诸文明国度中是绝无仅有的。奈多所藏的宝藏大多古怪又扎手,但它们的确无与伦比。
剧透 -  原文:
Nidal is a land chained in shadow.
Ten thousand years ago, when the great cataclysm of Earthfall blotted out the sun and shattered Golarion’s mightiest civilizations, the ancient horselords of Nidal cried to their gods for help. Though their ancestral gods did not answer, another power did: Zon-Kuthon, the Midnight Lord, god of shadow and pain. He offered them a terrible bargain: salvation in exchange for eternal servitude. The Nidalese would find shelter from the devastation of Earthfall, but at the cost of absolute obedience—theirs, and that of all their descendants who should ever be born.
Terrified and desperate, the ancient Nidalese agreed. They bound themselves in fealty to Zon-Kuthon, and they have lived with the consequences ever since. Today, Nidal is like no other nation on Golarion. A hundred centuries have passed since the Nidalese locked themselves into Zon-Kuthon’s chains, and that toll of years has shaped the land and its inhabitants profoundly.
Literal darkness blankets the heartlands of Nidal. The immense trees of the Uskwood let little light through their canopy, and in the glittering shade city of Pangolais, the black-leaved trees cast the streets into eternal twilight. Vampires and caligni walk its pale boulevards with perfect ease, untroubled by the sun.
Nidal’s culture, too, has been transfigured by the Midnight Lord’s whims. The Umbral Court, led by the three mysterious figures of the Black Triune, ensures that the people of Nidal obey Zon-Kuthon’s will. They govern in murmurs and feather-light touches, for shouts are unnecessary when every whisper carries the promise of unimaginable pain. The Umbral Court and its agents bind ordinary Nidalese into servitude, using the twin whips of torture and oppressive terror, and they are pitilessly efficient.
Yet their power is not absolute. Fragile strands of rebellion glimmer across the nation. Occasionally, a Nidalese escapes Zon-Kuthon’s grasp. Some believe that any bargain made can be broken, and that it might be possible to free their homeland from its cruel master’s bonds. Though the evil yoke of Zon-Kuthon is strong, there are still good people who live in Nidal. Under a heavy veil of fear, these goodly people live their lives, raise their children, pay lip service as needed to the Midnight Lord, and hope against hope that salvation might someday come for future generations.
Though the nation is famously insular and unwelcoming as a rule, there is still much here to draw curious or ambitious outsiders. A great price was paid to preserve Nidal, and here—as nowhere else among known civilizations—the lore and learning of pre-Earthfall civilizations survive intact. The treasures of Nidal are strange and sharp, but they are unrivaled.

历史

         在星陨之灾震撼世界前,奈多人的部落民祖先们是一些卡利德马王(Horselord)。他们有着棕褐色的皮肤与一头黑发,过着半游牧的生活,根据季节变换和猎物迁徙而旅行私房,而将部落中的死者埋葬在巨石墓冢之下。萨满是他们的精神领袖,而酋长们则掌管部族的日常生活。
        大多数马王部族所崇敬的神祇已在漫长的时光中被忘却。有些部族信仰哥兹莱,奈多人在草原和翠林中得以见识这位自然之神的手笔;还有些则崇拜黛丝娜,梦境与旅者的女神,而时至今日,即便奈多已遍布宗-库松信徒,依然有奈多人从梦境女神身上寻得了隐秘的希冀。
        古代奈多人几乎没有永久定居点,他们更爱使用储备良好的各处小哨站。在当年,他们有着多彩的文化,而他们高超的养马技术则几乎傲视全世界。他们出产的良驹是古代世人追捧的珍品,而古代奈多人则视自己的坐骑为挚爱的家人。
        在-5293 AR,星陨之灾撕裂了大地。陨石激起的尘埃遮蔽天日,而部落民们则发觉他们的生活方式即将被迅速断绝。人可以逃入地下靠啃根茎和幼虫维生,但马不行。因此,当奈多人选择将自己的自由献给宗-库松时,他们至少有一部分原因是为了保护珍爱的马儿。讽刺的是,这些马儿如今早被遗忘,但它们的幽魂依然萦绕在这片土地。
        那些后来被悲惨地转化成黑三角的奈多人领袖们在与宗-库松达成交易时,并没有打算拯救自己子民以外的人。但当奈多人获得了午夜领主的庇护后,一些来自阿兹兰特、瑟西隆和更多其他地区的生还者们急切地找上门来。他们散落在奈多的各地,寻求一处安身之所。
        一夜之间,奈多从热爱自由的游牧民社会,变成了阿维斯坦的最后一处文明。宗-库松信仰变成了奈多文化的新核心。在黑三角的指引下,自称阴影朝廷的宗库松精英贵族团体得以崛起,并充当统治者们的耳目。这之后,奈多的势力撤出了混乱不堪的周边国度。奈多人日益醉心于各种神秘与奥术研究上,而对外部世界失去了兴趣。
        切利亚斯在4305 AR发起的进攻出人意料而又让人生厌。奈多人曾习惯于把自己可怕的名声作为对敌人的有力威慑。事实上,宗-库松信徒们乐于把那些痛苦不堪但还留有性命的入侵者逐个送回他们的家乡。但在信奉扩张主义的国王哈里亚德三世的领导下,切利亚斯人没有被吓住。宗-库松似乎选择不向入侵者降下其最深沉的惧怖,而尽管奈多人在狂热中凶猛地回击,并且也愿意继续战斗下去时,黑三角最终却向他们发布了相反的命令。在30年的战争后,奈多选择了议和。
        在4338 AR,奈多正式承认切利亚斯的战胜。这之后的数世纪被奈多人称之为影碎时期(Shadowbreak),因为这是他们自建国以来第一次见识到大规模的文化交流。在此期间,温和派宗库松信徒减少了信仰中那些最为残酷的暴行,奈多学者们也更多与敌国的同行们接洽,整个国家前所未有般地对外开放。谎言之屋就是在这个时期开门迎客,邀请全世界的牛皮大师进入乌斯克森林,诉说他们那些难以让人相信的故事。
        然后奥罗登死了,切利亚斯陷入了公民战争,而宗-库松的真信徒们得以知晓为何黑三角在300年前命令他们投降。遵从着午夜领主的意旨,奈多选择全力支持狠毒的特鲁恩家族派系,而当这群魔鬼信徒夺得大势后,宗库松信徒们和他们的前殖民者结为了盟友。
        影碎时期戛然而止。阴影朝廷立即把矛头指向了那些观念更加开放的宗-库松信徒,并将他们以异教徒的名义清洗出去。异见分子被迅速消灭,而黑三角再一次用锁链与皮鞭统治了整个国家。阴影朝廷建立了精钢卫队,一支旨在保护奈多不受外部威胁的常备军(更多关于精钢卫队请见p32的午夜大教堂章节。)
        然而并非一切都回到了从前。走出影碎的奈多发现自己手边便有一股能影响全世界的强大力量:奈多的唤影者施法者们(通常是专精阴影魔法的法师)正行走在切利亚斯各大城市的大街小巷,而奈多的建言者们则在切利亚斯的朝堂上地位尊崇。有了特鲁恩家族的支持,对宗-库松和他在格拉利昂的虔信者们而言,一切似乎皆有可能。
剧透 -  原文:
HISTORY
Before Earthfall sundered the world, the tribespeople who would one day become Nidalese were Kellid horselords. They were a tan-skinned, dark-haired people who lived a seminomadic existence, traveling to follow the seasons and the migrations of their prey and burying their dead beneath great stone cairns. Shamans were their spiritual leaders, while warlords ruled over daily life.
Most of these horselords revered long-since forgotten deities. Some worshiped Gozreh, the nature deity whose hand the Nidalese saw in the grassy plains and verdant forests alike. A few others venerated Desna, goddess of dreams and travelers, and even to this day, some Nidalese find secret hope in her despite the nation’s Kuthite pall.
The ancient Nidalese had few permanent settlements, as they preferred to make use of wellstocked outposts. They had a rich culture and their horse-breeding
techniques were among the most advanced in the world. Their horses were the wonder and envy of the ancient world, and the ancient Nidalese regarded their mounts as beloved family members.
In –5293 ar, Earthfall tore the land apart. The dust of the meteoric impacts drowned out the sun, and the tribes saw that their whole way of life faced a swift end. People might flee underground and survive on roots and grubs, but horses could not. Thus, when the Nidalese shackled themselves to Zon-Kuthon, they did so at least in part to save their cherished horses: an irony whose unremembered ghost still haunts the land today.
The Nidalese leaders who tragically transformed into the Black Triune had not intended to save anyone but their own people by striking their bargain with Zon-Kuthon. Once the Nidalese secured the Midnight Lord’s protection, however, they found others eager to join them. Survivors from the ruined empires of Azlant and Thassilon, as well as many other realms, straggled into Nidal seeking safety.
Almost overnight, Nidal transformed from a society of freedom-loving nomads to the last civilization in Avistan. Kuthite worship became the new locus of Nidalese culture. Under the Black Triune’s guidance rose the elite Kuthite aristocrats who called themselves the Umbral Court and served as the rulers’ eyes and ears. The nation withdrew from the troubled world around it. Occupied by their own increasingly inscrutable and arcane pursuits, the Nidalese had little interest in the outside world.
Cheliax’s attack in 4305 ar came as a deeply unwelcome surprise. The Nidalese were accustomed to wielding their fearsome reputation as a potent deterrent against enemies. In fact, the Kuthites delighted in sending agonized, still-living trespassers back to their homes in pieces. Yet somehow the Chelaxians, under their expansionist Emperor Haliad III, were undaunted. ZonKuthon seemed to hold back his worst terrors from the invaders, and though the Nidalese fought with fanatic ferocity and would have continued, they finally received different orders from the Black Triune. After 30 years, Nidal negotiated peace.
In 4338 ar, Nidal formally accepted the Chelish conquest. The following centuries progressed in a period that the Nidalese call Shadowbreak, which for the first time since the nation’s formation saw cultural exchange as moderate Kuthites tempered the faith’s cruelest excesses, Nidalese scholars engaged more with their mortal peers, and the nation opened as never before. The House of Lies opened its doors, inviting the world’s braggarts to venture into the Uskwood and tell tales too tall to believe.
Then Aroden died, Cheliax collapsed into civil war, and Zon-Kuthon’s true believers came to see why the Black Triune had ordered them to surrender 300 years before. In accordance with the Midnight Lord’s wishes, Nidal threw its weight behind House Thrune’s diabolical faction, and when the devil-worshipers prevailed, the Kuthites formed an alliance with their former colonizers.
The period of Shadowbreak ended abruptly. The Umbral Court turned viciously on the more open-minded Kuthites, who were purged as heretics. Dissident elements were swiftly destroyed, and once more the Black Triune ruled by lash and chain. The court established the Adamant Guard, a standing army sworn to protect Nidal from outside threats (for more about the Adamant Guard, see the Midnight Citadel section on page 32.)
Yet not all reverted to what it had been before. Nidal emerged from Shadowbreak to find itself at the elbow of a great world power. Its shadowcallers—spellcasters, often wizards who specialize in shadowy magic—walk the streets of Chelish cities. Its advisors stand high in Chelish courts. With House Thrune’s favor, all seems possible for Zon-Kuthon and his faithful on Golarion.

午夜领主的奴隶

        如今称为宗-库松的神祇并非一开始就是个怪物。在最初,他的名号为杜-巴尔。它是掌管美丽的女神莎琳之兄长,是神圣狼魂,嚎叫王子Thron的儿子。在一次与妹妹的争吵过后,杜-巴尔独自前往了一片位于现实世界里侧的黑暗领域,在那里他遭遇了无可言说的恐怖。当他回返时,他的身体残破不堪,心灵则陷入了疯狂,醉心于各种形式的痛苦之中。他成为了宗-库松——黑暗,嫉妒,失却与痛苦之神。他的嗜虐与残暴迅速引起了其他神灵的敌意,而他还击伤了自己的妹妹,腐化了自己的父亲,将其转化为可怕的锁链王子,并收为了宗库松自己的神使。
        显而易见的,如果宗-库松继续不受到惩罚,他的行为将激起一场神战。为了回避这场神战,作为律法之声,阿巴达尔设计出了一个方案。他向宗-库松提供了一个选择,只要太阳一天还挂在格拉利昂的天空,宗库松就得接受放逐,被囚禁在位于阴影位面的监狱领域Xocaikain。作为交换,阿巴达尔允许他在出狱后挑走一件原初宝库中的物品。无比耐心而又富有怪异洞察力的宗-库松接受了这个提议。多年后,当星陨之灾遮蔽住了太阳之时,被囚禁的宗-库松被释放出来,并依约挑走了原初宝库中那世上第一份阴影。之后他便回到了阴影位面,将旧日的囚牢化为了自己的神域。
        在这不久之后,古代马王部落中三位最为强大的领袖带领着萨满们踏上了横跨整片国土的旅程,在他们最能感应到神灵存在的各种地点祷告与冥想,以乞求部落神灵们的救助。当他们抵达平原东南部一个被称为泣泪之地(weeping fields)的地方时,马王的旅行队不禁面色发白。曾经苍翠的山丘如今被一团不吉的阴云所遮蔽,而骇人的黑暗浮现于地平之上。萨满们警告他们的领袖,一位邪恶而不祥的存在正潜伏在前方,并拒绝继续前行。但马王们不愿意放弃任何可能的帮助,哪怕它来自某种险恶的存在,于是便强迫队伍继续前行。
        他们迈出了封印奈多命运的第一步。
        正当马王们朝着浮现黑暗的地点,如今被称为阴影谷地的地方前进时,他们开始听到心中的低语声——这声音许诺道,只要他们献出举国上下的自由,甘愿祖辈身心都接受永恒的奴役,就能在星陨之灾中获得救赎。最终,一条通向阴影位面的裂隙映入了眼帘,而众人面面相觑,试图得出一个结论。仅仅瞥看了裂隙一眼,他们便目睹了若拒绝这份险恶力量的下场:在大难面前,他们的人民与挚爱的马匹全部灰飞烟灭。
        当三位马王领袖都点头同意后,他们眼前出现了幻象。幻象中,午夜领主亲自从裂隙中爬到了众人面前,浑身满是狂气与残伤。显圣的宗-库松逐个触碰了三人的前额,向三人展示了潜伏在现实之下那份不可言说的大恐怖的零星片段。
黑三角就此诞生,而宗-库松则露出险恶微笑。
        宗-库松的触碰为三位马王注入了一小股变异之力,而他们的人性也随之泯灭。他们的眼眸流淌着永无止境的空洞阴影,他们的心脏迸发出无穷的虚空与冰冷。他们就如同自己的新主人一般,除了痛苦以外再无任何的感觉,除了自己体内流淌的鲜血以外再无任何的温暖。
        自从黑三角带领恐慌奈多人民接受午夜领主的统治以后,奈多就一直维持着宗-库松的神权统治。在这片国度里没有政府文件,也没有宪章或法律,只有那些记录在教派最高教典,影庭散叶中的那些暧昧模糊的规定。唯一真正记载着奈多人与他们邪恶主神签订的那份奴隶条约的记录,则隐藏在他们不朽领袖们黑不见底的眼眸之下。
剧透 -  原文:
THRALLS OF THE MIDNIGHT LORD
The god who became Zon-Kuthon was not always a monster. In the beginning, his name was Dou-Bral. He was brother to the beauty goddess Shelyn and son of Thron, the Prince That Howls, a divine spirit-wolf. After a quarrel with his sister, Dou-Bral ventured into a dark realm beyond and behind reality, where he encountered an unspeakable horror. When he returned, he was maimed, mad, and enraptured by suffering in all its forms. He had become Zon-Kuthon—the god of darkness, envy, loss, and pain. His sadism and cruelty quickly made him enemies of the other gods and goddesses, and he wounded his sister and corrupted his own father into the horrific Prince in Chains, who now serves as Zon-Kuthon’s herald.
As god of law, Abadar devised a way to sidestep the divine war all knew Zon-Kuthon would incite if he went unpunished. Abadar offered Zon-Kuthon a choice to accept banishment to the prison realm of Xovaikain on the Shadow Plane for as long as the sun hung in the skies above Golarion, and in return offered him a single item from the First Vault. Patient and possessed of a strange insight, Zon-Kuthon agreed. Ages later, when Earthfall blotted out the sun, Zon-Kuthon was released from his imprisonment and allowed to claim his prize from the First Vault—the first shadow. He then returned to the Shadow Plane to make his former prison his deific realm.
Just a short time later, three of the most powerful leaders of the ancient horselords embarked upon a journey across the land with their shamans to beseech the tribal gods for salvation, praying and meditating at places where they most strongly felt the gods’ presence. When they reached a southeast stretch of plains called the Weeping Fields, the horselords’ traveling party blanched. An ominous and shadowy cloud now covered the onceverdant hills, and a sinister darkness loomed on the horizon. The shamans warned their leaders that a wicked and foreboding presence lurked ahead and refused to continue. Unwilling to turn away from any possible help, even something sinister, the horselord leaders pressed on.
It was the first step toward sealing Nidal’s fate.
As the horselords rode on toward the looming darkness in what is now the Umbral Basin, they began to hear whispers in their minds—promises of salvation from Earthfall for their people if only they’d submit their nation’s bodies and souls to perpetual servitude. Finally, a rift to the Shadow Plane came into view, and the whispers became screams. Promises of succor and dark power through submission tore through the leaders, and they looked to one another for wisdom. With that glance, they saw the obliteration that would befall their people and their beloved horses should they refuse this wicked force.
When all three leaders nodded their assent, the horselords beheld a vision of the Midnight Lord himself crawling from the rift before them, manic and mutilated. One by one, they each felt the touch of this manifestation upon their foreheads, showing fragmentary glimpses of the unspeakable horrors that lurk behind reality.
So the Black Triune was born, and so Zon-Kuthon spread his wicked grin.
Zon-Kuthon's touch imbued the horselords with a shard of that transformative power, and their humanity evaporated. The emptiness of unending shadow flooded into their eyes, the relentless cold of the void filled their hearts, and they—like the god to whom they were now pledged and bound—were denied any sensation, any warmth, except for the shock of pain and the spill of their own blood.
Ever since the Black Triune led Nidal’s terrified people into the Midnight Lord’s keeping, the nation has been a Kuthite theocracy. The country has no governing documents, and no charter or constitution beyond the vaguely prescriptive writings in Umbral Leaves, the religion’s high holy book. The only true record of the Nidalese’s servile contract with their evil patron is hidden behind their immortal leaders’ blackened gazes.
链缚的人民

        所有奈多人生来就当信奉宗-库松,他们自幼就被一直灌输这种信仰;虽然外来者们可以拥有其他合适的信仰,如阿斯莫迪乌斯等非善良神祇的小型神坛也为此而存在,但奈多人必须追随宗-库松,否则就得付出可怕的代价。
        在帕格莱斯和瑞德旺这些阴影朝廷控制力最强的城市中,此般思想灌输几乎是牢不可破的。这有时出于家族内部真心的忠诚,但更多时候是被恐惧所驱使。被打为异教徒的代价大到难以想象,而周围无数的耳目更让人谨言慎行。
        而在乌斯克森林外的北部地区和边境村庄里,坊间迷信和隐秘而禁忌的黛丝娜信仰则已一点点蔓延到(或依然保留在)民间信仰中。一整个小村都只在嘴皮上崇敬宗-库松的情况并不罕见。在宗教节日里,这些村庄可能显得很虔诚,但一旦离开牧师的视线,很多村民们会为能免受信仰中那些更加要命的仪典而感到高兴。哪怕在奈多,大部分普通市民都不会热爱痛苦。
        然而他们仍必须忍受痛苦。所有奈多人都必须参与这些大型仪式,因为正如他们被一遍遍提醒的那样,所有奈多人都归于午夜领主。
剧透 -  原文:
a PoPuLace in chainS
All Nidalese are born into Zon-Kuthon’s faith and indoctrinated in his worship from childhood. While foreigners may practice approved faiths, and small shrines to non-good gods such as Asmodeus exist for this purpose, Nidalese must follow Zon-Kuthon or pay a terrible price.
In the cities of Pangolais and Ridwan, where the Umbral Court’s control is strongest, this inculcation is near absolute. Sometimes this is due to a family’s true devotion, but often fear drives the show. The cost of heresy is inconceivable, and watchful eyes are everywhere.
In the northern provinces and border villages outside the Uskwood, folk superstitions and quiet Desnan apostasies have crept into (or persisted within) the populace’s beliefs. It is not uncommon for entire hamlets to pay little more than lip service to Zon-Kuthon. On religious holidays, such villages may appear pious, but outside the local cleric’s view, many are happy to avoid the more extreme obeisance demanded by their faith. Even in Nidal, most ordinary citizens have no love for pain.
Yet they must still endure it. All Nidalese must take part in the great ceremonies—for all Nidalese, as they are endlessly reminded, belong to the Midnight Lord.
引用
边栏:黑三角 Black Triune
组成奈多黑三角的三人是神秘莫测的邪恶后裔。虽然他们曾是强大的马王领袖,在接受宗-库松奴役的那一刻,他们的人性就已湮灭。身为宗-库松意志的显现,如今他们的状态介乎于活物与不死生物之间,并已用此憎恶之躯驻世一万年之久。
黑三角的三名成员早已细心地将他们昔日存在的所有记录统统抹除。没有人知晓黑三角成员的名号,而世间见过他们容貌的人也很少,因为这三人甚少公开露面。在公众场合,他们爱用回避侦测的法术与阴影魔法来隔绝觐见者的窥视,并进一步隐藏自己的身份。被全奈多畏惧与崇敬的黑三角得以从国家日常事务中抽身开来。
很少学者胆敢研究黑三角的过去,而这么做的人中大部分都会在自己的研究对象手里迎来悲惨的命运。不过也有极为稀少的勇敢研究者得以将古代资料和宗库松教派内那些零碎的狂言整合起来,找到了黑三角的真实身份:一位成为宗-库松卫道者(PF战役设定:内海神祇202)的骑将,一位成为宗-库松颂教者(内海神祇200)的游侠,和一位成为宗-库松传音者的女巫(内海神祇199)。
剧透 -  原文:
THE BLACK TRIUNE
The three individuals who make up Nidal’s Black Triune are mysterious scions of evil. Although they were once powerful horselord leaders, their humanity vanished when they entered Zon-Kuthon’s servitude. They now remain caught between life and undeath as 10,000-yearold abominations of Zon-Kuthon’s will made manifest.
The members of the Black Triune have carefully expunged all records of their former existences. No one knows their names, and few who live have seen their faces, for the members of the Triune seldom appear in public. In private audiences, they are fond of using identity-obscuring spells and shadow magic to unbalance their supplicants and further shroud their identities. Feared and revered throughout Nidal, they hold themselves remote from its day-to-day affairs.
Very few scholars have even attempted to learn more about the Black Triune’s past, and most of those who have done so eventually met horrible fates at the hands of their research subjects. A few brave researchers have pieced together ancient information and disparate Kuthite ravings to determine that the Black Triune consists of the following: a cavalier who became a sentinel of Zon-Kuthon (Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Inner Sea Gods 202), a ranger who became an exalted of Zon-Kuthon (Inner Sea Gods 200), and a witch who became an evangelist of ZonKuthon (Inner Sea Gods 199).

阴影朝廷  Umbral Court

        在奈多的权力等级中,黑三角之下便是阴影朝廷,被阴影所护佑的奈多贵族阶层。阴影朝廷大致保持有数十个到数百个不等的成员,而为其服务的阴影朝廷特工的数量则远多于此(更多关于阴影朝廷特工的信息,请见PF战役设定:进阶之路Page 58-59)。
成员资格并非世袭,而是基于虔诚度与功德而授予。奈多阴影朝廷的成员们没有正式的头衔,但惜命的外来者一般会尊称其为“大师”(Master)或“主母”(Mistress)。
        所有被晋升入阴影朝廷的人都必须经受一场仪式(详见Page8的加入阴影朝廷),这将转化他们的躯体以作为朝廷成员的标记。有些人会选择借此机会一并进行转化为吸血鬼,阴影生物(B4 238),阴影领主(B4 238)或其他骇人形体的仪式。其余人等选择保持自己原本的形态,但即便如此他们也已发生了改变。
        朝廷的显要人物如下。
        瑞德旺的艾罗安德 Eloiander of Ridwan(中立邪恶男性人类15级德鲁伊)这位躯体发白的乌斯克森林大师有着异域来客般的身姿:白发,黑眼,一身蛛网长袍是由活蜘蛛不停在其身遭吐丝而成。他领导着一个名为乌斯克之影的德鲁伊政治团体,该团体无法接受黑三角与切利亚斯的正式结盟,并密谋着对切利亚斯发起可怕的破坏行动。
        寇拉斯 Kholas(守序邪恶男性吸血鬼14级术士)身处艾格利安,这位女王阿伯罗盖·特鲁恩二世的奈多籍顾问显得温文尔雅而久经世故,虽外表让人不安,举止谈吐却无懈可击。他穿着朴素的银边黑袍,让人回想起他作为尘埃堂(Dusk Hall)唤影者的出身。寇拉斯十分看重奈多与切利亚斯的联盟,他将其视为奈多人民隐忍三百年换来的成果。因此,他无法容忍这好不容易赢取的将宗-库松影响力扩散到整个内海地区的机遇被任何事物所破坏。关于艾罗安德对切利亚斯的密谋,寇拉斯暂且只有些模糊的猜疑,但他很乐意证实这些猜疑;而若能掌握这位德鲁伊在乌斯克森林中所作所为的确切证据,他肯定会一跃而起,抓住机会扳倒自己的对头。
        黯日者米莲 Meleyne the Sun-Dimmer(中立邪恶女性半精灵9级诗人)可爱又巧言善诱的米莲是阴影朝廷最为成功的密探之一。她之所以被称为“黯日者”,是因为她精通如何散播嫉妒与猜疑,滋生怨愤,压垮目标的自尊,以达到破坏敌方人际关系的目的。米莲会孤立自己的目标,迫使他们在仇恨中自我毁灭,从而将其化为充满苦楚的活妒毒容器,以取悦宗-库松。米莲的目标通常是善良阵营国家的有影响力的领袖人物,但她也曾破坏平民的婚姻,或让手足之间因过往的不满而反目,只为品尝散布苦楚的喜悦。
        米寇斯·若里克 Mykos Roarik(中立邪恶男性吸血鬼10级战士)阴影朝廷中没有别人像米寇斯·若里克那样频密地离开帕格莱斯远赴外地了。这位有着欺诈性般绅士风度的吸血鬼是半雇佣军团精钢连队(Adamant Company)的领袖,该组织是奈多国家军队精钢卫队(Adamant Guard )的一个分支组织。虽然精钢连队形式上向阴影朝廷效忠,若里克手下的这批宗教狂热分子在空闲时也接受外部势力的租赁。他们对平民和俘虏的残暴臭名远扬,能高效地挫败敌对势力的士气。很多时候,只要精钢连队到达战场,再由他们的雇主向敌方保证立即投降就不会落入这群雇佣兵手中,他们就能简单地不战而胜。更多关于精钢连队,请见下文奈多的其他特工章节。
        帕格莱斯的维尼翰 Virihane of Pangolais(守序邪恶女性卡利尼B5 8级游侠/2级盗贼)挂有刺铁环流苏的炭灰色罩纱遮住了维尼翰的身体和脸,但却毫不妨碍她那行云流水般的步伐。她擅长追捕外来禁忌信仰的支持者,以及搜索这些敌对教派流入奈多的神器物品。当下,维尼翰正在追查夜冀竖琴( Harp of Night’s Hope)的下落,这是一件黛丝娜教派的神器,传闻中它能让其忠实教徒做上激励人心的好梦,驱除宗-库松留下的阴影。这把竖琴被遗失在了乌斯克森林,当时一位黛丝娜的密探将其带入奈多,试图将一头umbral shepherd(B3)驱除出他心爱之人的身体。这位黛丝娜信徒随即被抓捕并折磨至死,但他被捕前将神器隐藏了起来。更多关于夜冀竖琴,包括其数据,请见p39.
剧透 -  原文:
THE UMBRAL COURT
Beneath the Black Triune in the nation’s hierarchy is the Umbral Court, Nidal’s shadow-blessed aristocracy. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of court members at any time, with a significantly higher number of Umbral Court agents serving beneath them. (For more information on Umbral Court agents, see pages 58–59 in Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Paths of Prestige.)
Membership is not hereditary, but awarded based on piety and merit. No formal title attends elevation to the Umbral Court in Nidal, but foreigners who value their safety often address members as “Master” or “Mistress.”
All who are elevated to the Umbral Court undergo a ritual (see Joining the Umbral Court on page 8) that transforms them as a mark of their risen station. Some pair this ritual with other processes that transform them into vampires, shadow creatures (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 4 238), shadow lords (Bestiary 4 238), or other hideous villains. Others cling to their original forms, but even then they change. Notable members of the court include the following.
Eloiander of Ridwan (NE male human druid 15): Whitehaired, black-eyed, and garbed in a robe of webs continually being spun around him by living spiders, the albino master of the Uskwood presents an otherworldly figure. He leads the Shades of the Uskwood, a druidic cabal whispered to plot terrible sabotages against Cheliax, notwithstanding the Black Triune’s formal alliance with that empire.
Kholas (LE male vampire sorcerer 14): The Nidalese advisor to Queen Abrogail Thrune II in Egorian is an urbane, polished sophisticate of unsettling presence but faultless manners. He dresses austerely in silver-fastened dark robes that recall his origins as a shadowcaller of the Dusk Hall. Kholas places great importance on Nidal’s alliance with Cheliax, which he sees as the culmination of 3 centuries of Nidalese patience. Accordingly, he has no tolerance for anything that might jeopardize this hardwon opportunity to extend Kuthite influence throughout the Inner Sea region. Kholas has only vague suspicions of Eloiander’s plots against Cheliax (see page 14), but he is eager to substantiate them, and were he ever to obtain concrete proof of the druid’s activities in the Uskheart, he would leap at the chance to strike down his rival.
Meleyne the Sun-Dimmer (NE female half-elf bard  9): One of the Umbral Court’s most successful agents provocateur is the lovely, persuasive Meleyne, called “the Sun-Dimmer” for her specialty of destroying relationships by sowing jealousy and distrust, nurturing resentments, and undercutting her victims’ self-esteem. She isolates her targets and pushes them toward vengeful self-destruction, thereby turning them into instruments of bitter envy, to Zon-Kuthon’s delight. Her usual targets are influential leaders in good-aligned nations, but Meleyne has been known to casually destroy a commoner’s marriage or set siblings feuding by reminding them of some old grievance, for the sheer joy of spreading misery.
Mykos Roarik (LE male vampire fighter 10): No member of the Umbral Court ranges so far and frequently from Pangolais as the deceptively gentle-mannered Mykos Roarik, leader of the quasi-mercenary Adamant Company, an offshoot of the state-run army called the Adamant Guard. Although the Adamant Company is formally sworn to the Umbral Court, Roarik’s fanatics hire out to external employers when otherwise unoccupied. Their cruelty to civilians and captured foes is legendary and highly effective in demoralizing opposing forces. More than one battle has been won simply by the Adamant Company’s arrival on the field, followed by its employer’s promise that a swift surrender means no one will be given to the group’s mercenaries. For more information on the Adamant Company, see Other Agents of Nidal below.
external employers when otherwise unoccupied. Their cruelty to civilians and captured foes is legendary and highly effective in demoralizing opposing forces. More than one battle has been won simply by the Adamant Company’s arrival on the field, followed by its employer’s promise that a swift surrender means no one will be given to the group’s mercenaries. For more information on the Adamant Company, see Other Agents of Nidal below.
帕格莱斯的维尼翰

加入阴影朝廷
        阴影朝廷入会仪式的细节经常变换,但其机制保持相同,是如下文所述的一种神秘仪式。关于神秘仪式的更多信息,请见PFRPG:异能冒险的208页。[/size]
引用
入影廷 Enter the Umbral court
学派 死灵系;等级 8
施放时间 80分钟
成分 V,S,M(一条用目标身上剥下的皮肉编制成的长鞭),次要施法者(最少2个,最多7个)
技能检定 威吓DC31,2次成功;知识(位面)DC31,2次成功;知识(宗教)DC31,4次成功
范围 近距(25尺+5尺/主要施法者的人物等级)
目标 一个生物
持续时间 永久
豁免 意志无效;SR
反冲 所有施法者获得1个永久负向等级
失败 施法者们被立刻丢到阴影位面中一个距离Xovaikain(宗-库松的神域)5d100 英里远的
地点,如同位面传送法术。在到达1轮后,施法者们会被一批apostle链魔(PFRPG惧怖冒险240)攻击,其数量等同于施法者总数+3.
效果
在仪式开始之前,施法者们必须深入探寻目标的心灵,提取出目标所能想象的最私密最令人发指的折磨方式,而在仪式过程中施法者必须将这种折磨施加在目标身上。这通常包括长鞭,刺链,倒刺勾,或其他与目标皮肉有关的折磨元素。当目标忍受这般折磨时,它必须背诵描述奈多与宗-库松立约的寓言,而施法者们则交替地低声吟唱描述午夜领主步入世界里侧旅程的传奇诗篇,并讲述宗-库松能用何等叵测的惧怖震撼目标的灵魂。如果听到这些描述后目标不因恐惧而畏缩,仪式失败。
当仪式成功完成,目标的眼睛会充满如墨的幽影,而它能获得如下好处。它免疫来自幽影子学派和拥有阴影描述符的法术,不过它可以选择花一个标准动作来压制或重新获得这种免疫。目标还获得再生5(被善良武器与法术,以及银制武器击穿),以及DR15/善良或银。
如果目标的阵营还不是守序邪恶,那么仪式成功完成后其阵营会立刻偏移到守序邪恶。另外,该仪式将目标的一块灵魂碎片与宗-库松和他在阴影位面的神域相连。如果目标犯下了违反宗-库松信仰的行为,则有25%的机会(d100中骰出1-25),目标会在24小时内的随机时间点被位面传送法术送到Xovaikain中,午夜领主会为他挑选一个私人定制的永恒折磨方案。该效果无法被压制或移除。
剧透 -  原文:
Joining the umBraL court
The details of the initiation rites into the Umbral Court often change, but its mechanics stay the same, as described in the occult ritual below. For more on occult rituals, see page 208 of Pathfinder RPG Occult Adventures.
ENTER THE UMBRAL COURT
School necromancy; Level 8
Casting Time 80 minutes
Components V, S, M (a whip made of braided strips of skin flayed from the target), SC (at least 2 and up to 7)
Skill Checks Intimidate DC 31, 2 successes;
Knowledge (planes) DC 31, 2 successes; Knowledge (religion) DC 31, 4 successes Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./character level of the primary caster)
Target one creature
Duration permanent
Saving Throw Will negates; SR yes
Backlash All casters take 1 permanent negative level.
Failure The casters are immediately shunted to a single place on the Shadow Plane that is anywhere from 5 to 500 miles (5d%) from Xovaikain, Zon-Kuthon’s deific realm, as plane shift. Within 1 round of arriving, the casters are attacked by a number of apostle kytons (Pathfinder RPG Horror Adventures 240) equal to the number of casters plus 3.
EFFECT Before this ritual can be cast, the casters must reach deep into the target’s mind to extract the most personally heinous torture the target could imagine, and then the casters must inflict it upon the target during the casting. This often involves whips, spiked chains, barbed hooks, or other torturous elements usually constructed from the target’s own skin and viscera. While the target endures this torture, it must recite the parable of Nidal’s pact with Zon-Kuthon while the casters alternatingly chant epic poetry vaguely detailing the Midnight Lord’s travels behind reality and the unfathomable horrors that he is capable of inflicting on the target’s soul. If the target does not cower in fear at these descriptions, the ritual fails.
Upon successful completion of this ritual, the target’s eyes fill with inky black shadow, and it gains the following benefits. It is immune to spells from the shadow subschool and those with the shadow descriptor, though it can choose to suppress or restore this immunity as a standard action. The target also gains regeneration 5, bypassed by good weapons and spells and silver weapons, and DR 15/good or silver.
If the target’s alignment is not already lawful evil, it immediately shifts to such upon this ritual’s successful completion. Further, this ritual ties a shard of the target’s soul to Zon-Kuthon and his realm on the Shadow Plane. If the target commits a heretical act against Zon-Kuthon’s faith, there is a 25% chance (1–25 on d%) that at a random time within 24 hours the target is transported to Xovaikain via plane shift into a private, eternal torment-scape of the Midnight Lord’s choosing. This effect cannot be suppressed or removed.
奈多的其他特工
        在奈多,除了阴影朝廷,忠于朝廷的特工们也拥有行政执法和维护教义的权利。在这些特务组织中最臭名昭著的莫过于午夜卫队(Midnight Guard)和精钢连队(Adamant Company)。
        在官方层面,午夜卫队是一支由奈多施法者组成的精英势力,他们被特鲁恩家族和切利亚斯军队所租赁,并为其效力。午夜卫队成员的官方职责通常包括帮助镇压切利亚斯城市中的反叛势力,但他们也同样充当着黑三角的密探,在需要时向同胞传递有关他们盟国的信息。更多关于午夜卫队的信息,请见由Liane Merciel所著的PF Tales novels:《夜之镜》和《夜之刃》。
        另一方面,精钢连队则担任着黑三角在乌斯克森林内外的公开执行者。当黑三角的成员怀疑他们的人民可能有不忠诚或有煽动叛逆的行为时,根据需要,他们会派出这支半雇佣军化的连队荡平一切不良分子。有时,精钢连队,以及他们的领袖吸血鬼米寇斯·若里克 (见page 6),也会在连队有闲暇资源时接受非本国的委托。
剧透 -  原文:
other agentS of nidaL
In Nidal, the enforcement of tenets and policies falls to other faithful agents in addition to the Umbral Court. Among the most notorious of those groups are the Midnight Guard and the Adamant Company.
Officially, the Midnight Guard is an elite force of Nidalese spellcasters who work on loan for House Thrune and the Chelish military. Members’ official duties often involve helping quell Chelish rebellions in cities, but they are also covert spies for the Black Triune, passing information as needed to the Nidalese about their allies. For more on the Midnight Guard, see the Pathfinder Tales novels Nightglass and Nightblade by Liane Merciel
The Adamant Company, on the other hand, works far more openly as the Black Triune’s enforcers within the Uskwood and beyond. When the Black Triune’s members suspect that their people might be disloyal or fomenting rebellion, they send this quasi-mercenary company to stamp out undesirables as needed. The Adamant Company and its leader, the vampire Mykos Roarik (see page 6), sometimes accept nonstate jobs when the company’s resources permit.
阴影之民

        对外来者而言,奈多的人类还不算此地居民中最奇特的。这里还有其他族裔与他们共同生活,而在宗-库松的土地上代代繁衍后,他们也发展出了自己独特的次文化。
剧透 -  原文:
PEOPLE OF SHADOW
Strange as they may seem to outsiders, however, humans are not the most unusual people of Nidal. Other races live alongside them, and over the centuries they have developed their own distinct subcultures in ZonKuthon’s land.
卡利尼
        在命运之年时期,曾经有一个名为卡利格诺斯(Calignos)的商业哨站,它是伟大帝国阿兹兰特的其中一部。卡利格诺斯的人们为了躲避预言里即将到来的星陨之灾,选择逃入了地表之下的幽暗之地。在多年困居地底后,他们最终屈服于地底的幽影之力,逐渐被转化成如今被称为“幽暗子民”(dark folk)的生物。
        有时,在黑暗子民中会诞下形体与某位昔日卡利格诺斯居民相似的新生儿。这些苗条的灰皮人种自称卡利尼 (Caligni B5 P66),以纪念他们无人曾见识过的,早已失落的故乡。卡利尼们会充满敬畏地谈及这点,而且他们认为自己和普通的黑暗子民是两种不同的人种。很多卡利尼离开自己的家人,试图在幽暗之地的其他地方或是奈多找到新家园;毕竟,宗-库松的领地是地表上唯一对他们表示欢迎的去处。
        卡利尼的双亲是幽暗子民,而他们自己的子女通常也可能是幽暗子民。这对某些卡利尼夫妇而言乃是让人心碎的结果。他们有些人选择收养那些被遗弃的卡利尼婴儿;而有些更糟糕的家伙则会从自己的故乡偷走卡利尼小孩,或是聘请险恶的雇佣兵做相同的事情。
        奈多是卡利尼们的避风港,无论他们在此地出生,被收养,或是移民至此。宗-库松的幽影之地为强光敏感的卡利尼们提供了宜人的物理环境,而奈多人对与黑暗相连生物的敬畏则创造出了友善的文化氛围,因此他们很轻易就能融入这里的社会。有着善良心灵,选择拒绝宗-库松的恶毒宗教与其属国的卡利尼极为罕见。
剧透 -  原文:
caLigni
During the Age of Destiny, the people of a trading outpost called Calignos, part of the great empire of Azlant, fled into the subterranean Darklands in an attempt to escape the prophesied coming of Earthfall. Trapped underground, they eventually fell under the influence of shadowy powers that, over time, transformed them into the creatures now known to some as “dark folk.
Now and then, a child is born to the dark folk who resembles one of the original people of Calignos. These slender, gray-skinned individuals call themselves “caligni” (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 5 66), a term derived from a long-lost homeland that none of them have ever seen. Nevertheless, the caligni speak of it with reverence, and they conceive of themselves as a people separate and distinct from the dark folk. Many caligni leave their kin and seek homes elsewhere in the Darklands or in Nidal, for Zon-Kuthon’s realm is one of the only aboveground locales they find welcoming.
Caligni are born to dark folk, and their own children, in turn, are typically darkfolk. For some of them, this is a heartbreaking result for their parents. Some adopt caligni infants whose parents have abandoned them; the worst steal youngsters from their homes or pay wicked mercenaries to do the same.
Nidal is a haven for caligni, whether they were born in the shadowed nation, adopted, or immigrated there. The shadowed lands of Zon-Kuthon present a favorable physical environment to the light-sensitive caligni, and the Nidalese reverence of creatures linked to darkness creates a welcoming cultural milieu, so they integrate easily into society. Rare is the good-hearted caligni who rejects ZonKuthon’s wicked religion and its servitor state outright.
窃影鬼
        窃影鬼是那些多年前曾被阴影位面所玷染的人类所诞下的后代。他们体态通常纤细而脆弱,有着灰度不一的皮肤与发色,以及明亮的黄色眼眸。
        很多窃影鬼称奈多为家园,但他们并非像卡利尼那样得以无痕地融入这里的文化。相反,他们深受传说和迷信所害。由于他们的起源乍眼看与宗-库松的转化过程相仿,很多奈多人深信窃影鬼一定也经历了相同的惧怖。这种说法是错误的,但误解已深入人心。很多奈多的乡下人会畏惧和躲避窃影鬼,觉得他们一定是跟宗-库松本人一样被恶毒之力所扭曲。很少奈多村民知道哪怕“窃影鬼”这个绰号也是对这些人的一种侮辱,他们自己更希望被称为影人(kayal),一个借用邪灵语的词语,意为“阴影之人民”(shadow people)。
        出于以上原因,影人们通常生活在大城市,在那里他们更容易融入人群避开无知的平民。奈多的窃影鬼们通常世俗化而极度排外,而且对自己的家族团体无比忠诚。他们很少加入宗库松宗教,但他们也极不情愿与之作对。
剧透 -  原文:
fetchLingS
Fetchlings are the descendants of humans who were stranded on the Shadow Plane long ago. They tend toward a thin and fragile appearance, with skin and hair in shades of gray and luminous yellow eyes.
Many fetchlings call Nidal home, but they are not as seamlessly integrated into its culture as the caligni. Myths and misconceptions plague them. Because their origins bear a superficial resemblance to Zon-Kuthon’s transformation, many Nidalese believe that fetchlings must have endured similar horrors. This is incorrect, but the misunderstanding persists. Many provincial Nidalese fear and avoid fetchlings, believing that they must be as maliciously twisted as Zon-Kuthon himself. Few Nidalese villagers know that even the moniker “fetchling” is insulting to these people, who prefer to be called kayal, a word borrowed from Aklo that hints at “shadow people.”
For these reasons, kayal usually live in cities, where it is easier to blend into crowds and hide from ignorant peasants. Nidalese fetchlings tend to be intensely clannish, secular, and devoted to their own familial groups. They seldom join the Kuthite faith, but they are also greatly reluctant to cross it.
链魔
        即便在奈多,链魔(kyton B3 170)也不常见,但这里的大多数人一眼就能认出他们。普通奈多群众极度惧怕链魔。而阴影朝廷和其特工们对链魔的反应则五花八门,取决于当下的地位与具体行为。一个链魔的到来可能会被解释为宗-库松表露嘉许的荣耀讯息,也可能被雄心勃勃的特工们视为曲意逢迎来向这位神圣访客证明自己的大好机会,还可能是一番让人嫌恶的介入,或是要接管瞻前顾后的凡人特工手里的工作。但对叛逆者而言,链魔无疑只能是恐惧的信号,代表着他们的计划已经被发现,他们必须做出或战或逃的绝望抉择。
剧透 -  原文:
KytonS
While kytons (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 3 170) are uncommon even in Nidal, most people recognize them and their significance on sight. Ordinary Nidalese regard kytons with abject fear. Reactions among members of the Umbral Court and their agents vary widely, depending on their current positions and activities. A kyton’s arrival may be interpreted as a glorious sign of Zon-Kuthon’s approval, an opportunity for an ambitious agent to advance by ingratiating herself or proving her worth to the divine visitor, or an unwelcome interference in or usurpation of a mortal agent’s faltering efforts. To rebels, meanwhile, a kyton is a sure and dreaded sign that their schemes have been detected and the desperate choice to fight or flee is upon them.
引用
边栏:通向阴影位面的传送门
宗-库松长久以来在奈多的深重影响让这片土地上出现了若干位面裂隙,让阴影位面得以渗入凡俗世界。有名的通向阴影位面的传送门包括:位于帕格莱斯Exquiste Agnoy大教堂地宫中的单向传送门,它让来自影界的生物能降临物质位面;位于瑞德旺中心的门户通向深幽之暗(the deeping darkness),影界的极恶之窟;阴影风暴,一条在阴影谷地四处漫游、随机开合的巨大位面裂隙;尼斯罗切南边的黑硫池池塘;艾德迈拉的愚行,位于有着数百年历史的法师据点的废墟之内;以及无月之镜水晶之中那条不稳定的闪烁裂隙。其他永久传送门毫无疑问是存在的,但还未被人发现,而通向阴影位面的临时传送门在奈多全国都有可能毫无征兆地出现。
无论是永久还是临时的,这些传送门通常看起来像明灭不定,边界模糊的块状黑暗,就像滴入清水中的墨汁。在阴影位面,他们看起来则像模糊不清的明亮窗户。无论在哪边,都无法看到传送门对面的景象。
剧透 -  原文:
PORTALS TO THE PLANE OF SHADOW
Zon-Kuthon’s long and deeply entrenched presence in Nidal has caused several rifts to open across the land, allowing the Shadow Plane to seep into the mortal world. Known portals to the Shadow Plane include a one-way gate in the dungeons of the Cathedral of Exquisite Agony in Pangolais, which allows creatures from the Shadow Plane to cross into the Material Plane; the gate in the center of Ridwan to the Deeping Darkness, a particularly vile chasm in the Plane of Shadow; the Shadowstorm, an enormous roving portal that drifts about the Umbral Basin opening and closing at random; Blacksulfur Pool south of Nisroch; Edammera’s Folly in the centuriesold ruins of a wizard’s lair; and the unstable, flickering rift caught behind crystal in the Moonless Mirror. Other permanent portals doubtlessly exist, but have not yet been discovered, and temporary gates to the Shadow Plane can open unpredictably anywhere in Nidal. Whether permanent or temporary, portals typically appear as wavering panes of darkness with diffuse edges, like droplets of ink spilled into water. On the Shadow Plane, they are visible as windows of indistinct brightness. In neither case is it possible to see what lies on the other side.

奈多的生活

        尽管境况苛刻,但在奈多的日常生活也并不能一概而论。富有而又恰当地表露虔诚之人得以在国内大城市中纵情奢华,而村民则一边勉力过活,一边得向黑三角无处不在的耳目表露忠诚,免得为人惦记。
剧透 -  原文:
LIFE IN NIDAL
Although harsh in many senses of the term, daily life in Nidal is far from a static experience. The wealthy and suitably pious live in indulgent luxury in the nation’s great cities, whereas villagers often eke out a living while trying to keep the ever-watching eyes of the Black Triune placated with shows of loyalty.
城市生活
        外来者通常用那可怕的信仰来定义每一个奈多人,但即便宗-库松信仰支配了奈多的文化与政治,它也不是人们生活的全部。奈多有建筑师和农民,音乐家和医生,所有人在阴影朝廷的凝视下都尽全力生活和抚养自己的家庭。
        家庭在奈多通常规模小而关系紧密。避孕在星陨后的黑暗岁月中被广泛应用,以控制人口减少资源消耗,而这种习俗流传至今。很少家庭有超过两个孩子,但他们会极度溺爱自己的子女。阴影朝廷鼓励这种舐犊情怀,他们深知家庭羁绊对维持人民驯良极为有效。
        不要招惹阴影朝廷的怒火是常识。大多数奈多人并不精于自己信仰的各类事宜。他们可能知道主要节日和祷文,但那些更深入的奥秘是如此可怕,以至于很少普通市民愿意学习。相反,人们勤勉地进行日常祷告,并在节日时期参加各种夸张的展演。很多人会自己增添一些非正规的祷告词作为虔诚的额外体现;这有时被用于叛逆行为中传递暗号。
        阴影朝廷和其特工势力庞大,他们把持着所有官方军事和学术机构,从而控制所有大宗交易和建筑工程。没有人能不靠朝廷的许可就扬名发财。奈多城镇的有志居民经常精心策划能展现自己对宗库松信仰忠诚的展示,试图迎合某位当地显贵的口味,赢得他们的青睐。
剧透 -  原文:
city Life
Outsiders often define the Nidalese by their fearsome religion, but while the Kuthite faith dominates Nidal’s culture and politics, it is not the sole dimension of the people’s lives. Nidal has architects and farmers, musicians and chirurgeons, all living their lives and raising their families as best they can under the Umbral Court’s gaze.
Families in Nidal tend to be small and close-knit. Contraception has been widely practiced since the dark days after Earthfall, when the population had to be limited to survive on scant resources, and it remains routine.  Few families have more than two children, but the ones they have are fiercely loved. The Umbral Court, understanding the usefulness of family attachments in keeping their citizens docile, encourages such sentiments.
Fear of attracting the ire of the Umbral Court is a constant concern. Most Nidalese are not deeply versed in their faith’s particulars. They know the major holidays and prayers, but the deeper mysteries are so horrible that few ordinary citizens even want to learn them. Instead, people perform their daily prayers with great diligence and take part in dramatic displays at the holidays. Many add other, noncanonical prayers as an additional show of piety; these are sometimes used to mask subtle signs of rebellion.
The Umbral Court and its agents have a heavy presence in the cities and hold all official military and academic positions, thereby leveraging control over all major trade agreements and building projects. One cannot attain wealth or influence without the court’s favor. Ambitious urban Nidalese often stage costly, elaborate displays of their Kuthite dedication when trying to curry the approval of particularly influential members of the aristocracy.
乡村生活
        在奈多的乡村地区,炫耀性的苦修展示则比较少见。这里的人们既没有资源也没有必要进行或承受此类举措,因此乡村中的庆典活动显得相对普通。
        大多数情况下,乡村人民只需要听从一位村中牧师的指引,这通常是当地的某位狂信徒,或是黯然出局退居乡野的某个城市牧师。每年,乌斯克森林的德鲁伊或唤影者会造访这些村庄两到三次,村中最有潜质的孩子们会被他们带走并接受教导;但总的来说村民们过着平静的生活。只有当村里出现叛逆的苗头,阴影朝廷才会派特工荡平此地。由于阴影朝廷的特工们有时会假扮成外来的旅者以测试村人是否变节,村民们对此类陌生人通常都会谨慎对待。
        在阳光难以渗入大地的奈多,农夫们仍要依靠乌斯克森林的德鲁伊和他们的恩泽才能过活,而这进一步确保了他们的忠诚。小麦与黑麦是奈多的主粮,再加上从乌斯克湖捕来的白鱼,或是从征服者港湾和尼斯罗切港湾那捕来的更加寻常的鱼类,就构成了奈多人的一日三餐。乌斯克森林和Ombrefell也出产食物,但由于这些森林出了名的危险,只有最勇敢或陷入绝境的平民才会深入林叶之间。
剧透 -  原文:
ruraL Life
In the villages of rural Nidal, showy displays of selfmortification are seldom seen. People lack the resources necessary to perform or survive them, and so village celebrations are simpler.
For the most part, townspeople are left alone except for the guidance of a village cleric, who is most often a local zealot or a less ambitious washout from one of the cities. Two or three times per year, Uskwood druids or shadowcallers may pass through to collect the more promising youths for indoctrination, but in general the villagers live peacefully. Only when some whiff of rebellion reaches the Umbral Court do its agents clamp down. Since Umbral agents sometimes masquerade as traveling strangers to test for apostasy, strangers are typically met with caution.
Farmers remain dependent on the Uskwood’s druids and their gifts to grow crops under Nidal’s cloud-choked sun, which further ensures their loyalty. While wheat and rye are the country’s staple crops, gasping white fish from Usk Lake supplement the Nidalese diet, as do more ordinary fish pulled from Conqueror’s Bay and Nisroch Bay. The Uskwood and Ombrefell, too, produce food. Given the forests’ well-known dangers, however, only the bravest or most desperate peasants venture far beneath the leaves.
反抗势力

        不是奈多的每一个人都被阴影朝廷吓倒。
        在奈多的各处,如偏远的小村中,或是帕格莱斯黯淡的灯火下,总有那么些反叛的灵魂,希冀着有朝一日他们的国度能摆脱午夜领主的阴影奴役。这些反叛势力微小而缺乏组织,但他们依然存在。大多数情况下,他们的成员要么独自行动,要么则伴随着一只小帮手,或是一位信得过的同志。他们的行动规模小而且隐秘。
        走上反叛之路的原因不一而足。有的人要为被悲惨错判的家人报仇雪恨。有的人从外国友人那学到了不同的观念,例如一位常年与商人相伴远行的贸易伙伴,或是上流社会的孩子们接受外国导师的教导。还有的人自己就是外来者,他们潜入奈多,以对其暗中破坏。
        最后,还有那些黛丝娜信徒:这些侍奉梦境与幸运女神黛丝娜的先知与萨满们通常出身于阿特伦牧野。有时候,黛丝娜的信仰被隐秘地代代相传,直至整个家族彻底接受其教义;更多时候,黛丝娜教徒是外来的潜入者,他们传递的温和而充满希望的话语回荡在当地马王子嗣们的心田,有些甚至选择自己也加入到黛丝娜的信仰中。
        而在奈多腹地的城市与村落中,反叛者们的行动则悄无声息而充满谨慎。不过阿特伦牧野的黛丝娜信徒们也有着远大的计划。他们希望用魔法将黛丝娜坚贞、自由与安抚人心的讯息通过梦境传达到大众心中,以鼓励民众揭竿而起。他们也希望能将阴影之牧人逐出国人的躯体;而作为最远大的理想,他们还期盼有朝一日能打破宗库松对阴影朝廷的把持。
剧透 -  原文:
THE RESISTANCE
The Umbral Court does not cow everyone in Nidal.
Here and there across the nation, in provincial hamlets and under the muted lights of Pangolais, rebellious souls dream of a day when their enslaved nation might shake off the Midnight Lord’s shadow. This rebellion is small and largely unorganized, but it exists. Its members, for the most part, are individuals who work alone or with a tiny handful of trusted comrades, and whose actions are secretive and small scale.
People find many paths that lead toward rebellion. Some seek vengeance for a terrible wrong committed against a family member. Some learn of different ideas through foreign acquaintances, such as a merchant’s fartraveled trading partner or tutors teaching children of the upper classes. Others are foreigners themselves and have infiltrated Nidal for the purpose of undermining it.
And, finally, there are the Desnans: oracles and shamans who often originate from the Atteran Ranches (see page 16) to serve Desna, the goddess of dreams and luck. In some cases, Desnan worship is passed down clandestinely through the generations until the family finally acts on the doctrines. In other cases, the Desnans were outside infiltrators whose gentle and hopeful message resonated among the children of the horselords, some of whom adopted Desna’s faith themselves.
Within the cities and villages of Nidal’s heartlands, the rebellion acts quietly and with caution. The Desnans of the Atteran Ranches have grander plans, though. They hope to spread Desna’s message of faith, freedom, and
reassurance to the populace through enchanted dreams, thereby encouraging the people to revolt en masse. They hope, also, to find a way to force umbral shepherds out of their claimed bodies and, as their highest ambition, even break the hold that Zon-Kuthon has on the Umbral Court.
国际关系

        奈多在几乎整个格拉利昂都名声黯淡。
        邻国们大多对奈多人充满不信与恐惧,因此阴影朝廷很确信那些想逃出祖国的国民不会在外面过上好日子。来自外国人的敌意让很多奈多人甚至不去尝试逃跑。就算真有逃跑的家伙,他们面对的也是愤怒的群众或是怀疑的边境守卫,然后被毫不迟疑地遣返给自家政府。
        对于切利亚斯,奈多则无需耍各种阴谋手段。结盟的两国在许多问题上观点一致,而其关系也紧密而融洽。奈多的出口货品通常数量少,品类精,而且昂贵,包括切工刁钻的银首饰,骇人的兵器,瑞德旺出产的黑色宝石,以及产自乌斯克森林和阴影位面的各种奇珍。虽然很少人买得起这些玩意,但切利亚斯富饶又品味广泛,以至于奈多卖多少,切利亚斯人就能买多少。
        奈多还将数百位建言者派遣到切利亚斯和其殖民地。这包括折磨大师,唤影者,和军政专家,他们有着一代代的丰富经验,知晓如何用惧怖与纷争让百姓乖乖听话。阴影朝廷明面上派他们协助切利亚斯的外交势力,背地里则让他们一边窥探自家的盟友动向,一边暗中将盟友的决策引导至更有利于宗-库松的方向。
奈多和其他邻国则关系甚少。眩心山脉隔绝了奈多与摩尔苏恩和涅玛萨斯,而这两个国家都不想和奈多有啥瓜葛。
最近,来自盖布的外交使团与奈多开展了贸易谈判。这些谈判的内容大多不被公开,但有传闻说盖布的吸血鬼们对能保证自己远行而不受阳光伤害的奈多影铸(shadowcraft)技术很感兴趣。而奈多想交易什么仍然是个谜。
剧透 -  原文:
RELATIONS
Nidal has a bleak reputation across most of Golarion.
 As long as the nation’s neighbors distrust and fear the Nidalese, the Umbral Court can be assured that those trying to flee their homeland will find no easy refuge outside. The hostility of foreigners keeps many Nidalese from even trying to escape. It also ensures that those who do flee are met by angry mobs or suspicious border patrols who promptly return them to their own government.
With Cheliax, no such machinations are necessary. Nidal’s ally shares most of its views, and relations between the two countries are close and cordial. Nidal’s exports are relatively few, specialized, and costly: intricately cut silver jewelry, the terrible blades and dark gemstones of Ridwan, and exotic goods harvested from the Uskwood and carried from the Shadow Plane. Few can afford such things, but Cheliax is wealthy and has wide-ranging tastes, and the Chelaxians buy all that Nidal can produce.
Nidal also sends hundreds of advisors into Cheliax and its holdings. These include master torturers, shadowcallers, and political and military experts steeped in centuries of experience using fear and dissension to hold populations in obedient terror. The Umbral Court sends them to aid in Chelish diplomatic efforts, which they do, but they also spy on their Chelish allies and subtly guide their efforts in directions that better serve Zon-Kuthon’s agenda.
Nidal has few relations with its other neighbors. The Mindspin Mountains separate the land from Molthune and Nirmathas, and neither of those two nations wants much to do with Nidal.
Recently, a diplomatic delegation from Geb has opened trade negotiations with Nidal. The subject of these negotiations remains mostly secret, but rumors abound that Geb’s vampires are interested in Nidalese shadowcraft to protect themselves from the sun as they venture abroad. What Nidal might demand in exchange for such secrets is unknown.
时间线

        以下是奈多历史中的大事记。
引用
不明数支卡利德部落定居在今日被称为奈多的地方,形成了马王部落。
-5293 AR星陨之灾。无数陨石砸向了格拉利昂,击碎了大陆,摧毁了诸帝国。冲击扬起的尘土使得世界陷入一千年的黑暗。
-5293 AR在奈多,三位部落领袖来到今日瑞德旺所在地一条位面裂隙附近,祈求让自己的人民得到解救。宗-库松从自己阴影位面的流放所匍匐而出,穿过裂隙来到三人面前。三位马王接受了午夜领主用永恒奴役换取保护的交易,成为了被称为黑三角的不朽领袖,而他们的国家从此改变。
-5290 AR作为散落各地的人类文明生还者们最后的避难所,奈多吸纳了来自阿兹兰特和瑟西隆的知识分子。后世被称为齿与骨编年史在该年被开始编写。
约-5275 AR阴影朝廷崛起并巩固了自己对奈多的统治。黑三角成员的无穷寿命变得显而易见。Exquisite Agony大教堂在帕格莱斯奠基。
-4294 AR黑暗之年结束,但盘踞奈多的阴影并未彻底消散。
-4200 AR宗-库松信徒建立了一个能俯瞰泣泪之地的神坛,那里是黑三角与宗-库松达成交易的地点。这最终发展成了名为瑞德旺的城市。
-3803 AR链魔们向一批宗库松信徒施加了memory chain,后者开始为前者修建Embodied Wisdom大教堂。
约-3000 AR尼斯罗切作为一个海边渔村被建成。
约-1000 AR瑞德旺的Irogath提出了一套名为“肉体哲学”的思想体系,它提倡先将痛苦储存在自己的体内,然后再将其释放给他人。这成为了Irogath修道院的基本教义。
-432 AR大死灵师梅森德罗思·孤魔开始了对不朽的探索,他诱骗或强迫弱小的施法者们协助自己的研究,并向弟子们灌注各种血统诅咒,以强迫他们合作。
-398 AR一条通向阴影位面的裂隙开在了孤魔诸塔的主塔处,塔中的防护设施被吸入裂隙中,而影兽潮则涌入研究场所,使塔中居民陷入一片混乱。这里从此被封印和废弃,并被称为艾德迈拉的愚行。
-92 AR阴影朝廷召唤了阴影巨人,并让他们作为奈多永久居民定居在落荫森林。
1 AR 奥罗登从海中升起星石并成功登神。
64 AR卡利尼预言家Fiersythe开始收集那些前往黑暗未知的位面旅行者们的记忆与体验。在凡人所编纂的关于暗幕(Dark Tapestry)的记录中,她的这些藏品可谓一整套最详尽最绘声绘色的编年史。这些记忆藏品后来被整理成虚空旅记
187 AR艾利斯·洛林镇作为一个交通枢纽和河边小镇被建成。
4100 AR奈多的宗库松信徒旅行至林诺姆诸王国的约尔(jol),试图向当地民众传播午夜领主的信仰。这次尝试以失败告终,而这些宗库松信徒则被折磨和处死。
4305 AR切利亚斯国王哈里亚德三世发动了永恒战争,其中包括切利亚斯对奈多的入侵。两国之间展开了持续三十余年的激烈战争。
4338 AR在黑三角的命令下,奈多向切利亚斯侵略者投降,迎来了一个名为影碎的文化相对开放的时期。
4354 AR谎言之屋在乌斯克森林开张。
4608 AR切利亚斯公民战争开始。奈多立即选择支持特鲁恩家族,派遣由链魔、唤影者、以及精钢连队组成的“雇佣兵”支持魔鬼主义者的势力。身处奈多的非特鲁恩派切利亚斯外交使节和政要们则被悄然暗杀。
4634 AR影碎时期戛然而止,温和派宗库松分子被清洗出教会和阴影朝廷。他们被称为异端和背道者,被发放到Exquisite Agony大教堂接受数十年的苦刑,或是被“遣返”并充当链魔的饲料。
4640 AR特鲁恩家族赢得公民战争。
4676 AR影兽在夜里游荡在西冠镇的街头,Ilnerik Sivanshin手下的奈多唤影者和午夜卫队名义上负责遏制此类现象,但很多人认为他们反而助长了这些现象。
4704 AR“白色”艾斯崔德,哈格里姆的女国王(Halgrim,林诺姆诸王国之一),率领15艘长船向港口城市尼斯罗切发起了袭击。
4714 AR一支考察队重新发现并轻率地打开了Fiendlorn诸塔中,名为FIendslair的被深渊之力扭曲的废弃高塔。他们最终遭受了灾难性的失败,没怎么探索高塔就被迫离去。
4718 AR今年。
剧透 -  原文:
Date Event
Unknown Kellid tribes settle across modern-day Nidal, forming the horselord tribes.
–5293 ar Earthfall. Meteorites smash into Golarion, shattering continents and destroying empires. The dust from their impact casts the world into a thousand years of darkness.
–5293 ar In Nidal, three tribal leaders beg for their people’s deliverance near modern-day Ridwan, close to the rift where Zon-Kuthon emerged from his exile to the Shadow Plane. They accept the Midnight Lord’s offer of protection for eternal servitude, becoming the immortal leaders known as the Black Triune, and their country changes forever.
–5290 ar Nidal, as the last refuge for humanity’s scattered survivors, absorbs Azlanti and Thassilonian intellectuals. The beginnings of what would become The Chronicles in Tooth and Bone are recorded.
c. –5275 ar The Umbral Court rises and solidifies its rule over Nidal. It becomes apparent that the members of the Black Triune are ageless. The first stone for the Cathedral of Exquisite Agony is laid in Pangolais.
–4294 ar The Age of Darkness comes to an end, but the shadows do not fully lift over Nidal.
 –4200 ar Kuthite worshipers build a shrine overlooking the Weeping Fields, where the Black Triune struck their bargain with Zon-Kuthon. This eventually develops into the city of Ridwan.
–3803 ar Kytons bestow memory chains to Kuthites, who begin building the Cathedral of Embodied Wisdom around them.
c. –3000 ar Nisroch is founded as a coastal fishing village.
 c. –1000 ar Irogath of Ridwan develops a system of “physical philosophy” that advocates storing pain in one’s own body and then releasing it into others. This becomes the foundational teaching of the Irogath Monastery.
–423 ar The archnecromancer Mesandroth Fiendlorn begins his quest for immortality, enticing or coercing lesser magic-wielders into assisting him and infusing his descendants with various bloodline curses to force their cooperation.
 –398 ar A rift to the Shadow Plane opens in the base one of the Towers of the Fiendlorn, throwing the tower’s inhabitants into disarray as their safeguards are suddenly sucked through the rift and shadow creatures flood into the laboratory. The place is sealed and abandoned and thereafter known as Edammera’s Folly.
–92 ar The Umbral Court summons shadow giants and settles them in the Ombrefell as permanent residents of Nidal.
1 ar Aroden lifts the Starstone from the sea and ascends to divinity.
64 ar The caligni seer Fiersythe begins collecting the recorded experiences of planar travelers venturing into the dark unknown. Her collections, one of the most detailed and painstaking chronicles of mortals’ efforts to chart the Dark Tapestry, are archived as the Voyages into the Void.
187 ar Elith Lorin is founded as a transportation hub and river town.
4100 ar Nidalese Kuthites travel to Jol in the Lands of the Linnorm Kings and attempt to impose the Midnight Lord’s worship on the populace. This fails and the Kuthites are tortured and killed.
4305 ar Chelish Emperor Haliad III begins the Everwar, including a Chelish incursion into Nidal. More than 30  years of fierce fighting between Cheliax and Nidal ensues.
4338 ar Under orders from the Black Triune, Nidal surrenders to the Chelish invaders, ushering in a period of relative cultural openness known as Shadowbreak.
4354 ar The House of Lies opens in the Uskwood.
4608 ar The Chelish Civil War begins. Nidal throws its support behind House Thrune immediately, sending “mercenary” contingents of kytonbacked shadowcallers, as well as the Adamant Company, to support the diabolists’ faction. Non-Thrune Chelish diplomats and dignitaries in Nidal are quietly assassinated.
4634 ar Shadowbreak ends abruptly as moderate Kuthite elements are purged from the clergy and the Umbral Court. Declared heretics and apostates, they are consigned to decades of suffering in the Cathedral of Exquisite Agony and “repatriation” as kyton fodder.
4640 ar House Thrune wins the Chelish Civil War. 4676 ar Shadowbeasts stalk the streets of Westcrown by night, a phenomenon that Nidalese shadowcallers under Ilnerik Sivanshin and the Midnight Guard are nominally tasked with curtailing but are widely believed to encourage.
 4704 ar White Estrid, King of Halgrim, leads a raid of 15 longships on the port city of Nisroch.
4714 ar Fiendslair, an abandoned and Abyssally warped Tower of the Fiendlorn in the Umbral Basin, is rediscovered and briefly opened in an expedition that ends in disastrous failure, leaving the tower largely unexplored.
4718 ar The present year.
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地区志:奈多的文化
« 回帖 #2 于: 2019-01-10, 周四 16:29:12 »
地区志 GAZETTEER
        很少人胆敢闯入奈多的阴影之中,此乃明智之举。这个地方有着各种常人心智难以想象的文化习俗所束缚着;它怪异而古老,而怪异而古老的事物又常是变幻莫测的。你即将面对的一切,无法单靠“残酷”或“压迫”这些词来形容。奈多用恐惧束缚人民的心灵,因此它无需再用镣铐束缚人民的身躯。甚至连这些人民的思想都不属于他们自己,因为他们已经把自己的精神与灵魂都献给了那位黑暗主子。
        即便如此,奈多仍有着一份奇特的冷酷之美,它的魅力会像宗库松信徒肌肤上的铁钩一般,深深地嵌入你的灵魂。奈多存有着世界其他地方无处可寻的学问与知识,以及能动摇你对生命认识的各种骇人奇遇。无论好坏,你都永不会忘记这个地方。准确的说,你不能忘记这里,正如伤疤总是会伴随一生。

——即将卸任的切利亚斯大使 Thelassia Phandros,对她的接任者。
剧透 -  原文:
GAZETTEER
Few venture into the shadow oF nidal. that is wise. it is a strange and old place, capricious in the way that strange old things oFten are, and bound to traditions that no human mind ever dreamed. cruelty doesn’t begin to describe what you’ll see there, nor does oppression. it is a land that shackles the minds oF its people in Fear, so it has no need to chain their bodies. not even the people’s thoughts are their own, For they give themselves mind and soul to their dark lord.
 “and yet it has a curious cold beauty, and Fascinations that dig into your soul as surely as the kuthites’ hooks bite into their skin. there is knowledge and learning in nidal that exists nowhere else in the world, and terrible wonders that shake your understanding oF liFe. it is a place, For better or worse, that you will never Forget. you can’t. the scars remain Forever.” — outgoing chelish ambassador thelassia phandros, to her incoming replacement

        奈多所能追溯的历史,比大多数格拉利昂居民所能想象的还要久远。它的统治者寿元无尽;它的史学家们则见证并记录下世间诸国度的兴、盛、衰与亡。在宗-库松的铁幕下,奈多人避过了历史长河中一个个涡流,格拉利昂其余地区中那些被忘却的伟业与宝物,在奈多人手中得以流传至今。“古代”一词在奈多有着与他国不同的发音与含义:当其他国家可能因拥有3000年的传承而自夸时,奈多人对那些没达到5000年标准的文化都嗤之以鼻。对他们来说,奈多一直存在,也将永远存在。
        但光这轻描淡写一句话,明显是低估了奈多的过去对其现在的影响。奈多人不断地提醒自己和他人,他们是如何逃过星陨之灾的浩劫,而他们作为灾后生还者又是何等的优越。古代的习俗并非尘封在书册之中,而是融入到这里日常生活的点点滴滴。哪怕最穷的农夫家里,随便拿出点瓶瓶罐罐或者祖传器具,都可能有着几百乃至几千年的历史。在首都以外的地区,古体的谚语与口音十分常见;毕竟,能讲出这些源自数世纪或更久的祖先们留下的谚语本身就让人感到自豪。不过,帕格莱斯城中的新派潮流则是一季一变,与其中用到的那些古旧技艺与原材料形成了鲜明对比。这里的衣着风尚遵从着某种深邃的循环:最古老的,就是最典雅的。
        经历过宗库松的塑造,以及数千年的闭关锁国后,奈多比格拉利昂绝大多数国度都要统一。阿特伦牧野的养马人与帕格莱斯城中阴影朝廷的贵族间的确有着文化差异,但外来者很难区分这细小的差别。在相貌和礼仪上,奈多人都独具一格,与内海地区其他人种相去甚远。
剧透 -  原文:
Nidal is a nation with a history that stretches farther into the past than most of Golarion’s residents can imagine. Its rulers have outlived ages. Its historians have watched, recording all the while, as empires have risen, flourished, and toppled under their own weight. Insulated from history’s turmoil under the heavy veil of Zon-Kuthon, the Nidalese have chronicled wonders and preserved artifacts that the rest of Golarion has forgotten. The mere word “ancient” has a different tone and meaning in Nidal than it does most elsewhere, for where a nation might boast to uphold of a 3,000-yearold tradition, the Nidalese scoff at cultural touchstones younger than 5 millennia. For them, Nidal has always been and it will always be.
Yet even that undersells the influence of Nidal’s past on its present. The Nidalese constantly remind themselves and others of the oblivion that they escaped during the calamity of Earthfall and of the superiority that they claim their salvation from that disaster still grants them. The ways of the ancients are not locked away in dusty books here, but woven into the tapestry of everyday life. Even the poorest peasant home is likely to own a water pitcher or heirloom necklace that was made centuries, if not millennia, ago. Archaic phrases and accents are common in the provincial regions; indeed, it is a point of pride to use phrases and idioms passed down from ancestors who lived centuries or longer before. Meanwhile, trendsetting fashions in Pangolais are almost defiant in their incorporation of old techniques and materials in each season’s designs. The height of couture follows sweeping cycles in which the oldest historical trends and techniques are considered the height of sophistication.
Because of Zon-Kuthon’s influence in shaping his chosen land and the thousands of years of isolation that Nidal wrapped itself in, this nation is far more uniform than most in Golarion. Cultural distinctions separate the horse-tenders of the Atteran Ranches from the Umbral Court’s aristocracy of Pangolais, but these subtleties are likely lost on outsiders. In appearance and manner, Nidalese are distinctive and unlike any other peoples of the Inner Sea region.

奈多的文化

        在其外表之下,即便奈多文化已经将对宗库松的忠诚渗透到生活中的一点一滴,但其受午夜领主的影响还远不止此等恭顺。国家与地区的政治事务都跟阴影朝廷成员间静谧的权力斗争息息相关。同样,即使全国上下都庆祝那些祟邪的圣日,从各地庆祝方法的细微差别中,也能一窥当地群众对其邪恶主君的情感:畏怕、心存反抗、或是骇人地狂热追随。
        奈多的时尚反映出该国文化中禁欲寡言与拥抱痛苦之间的矛盾性。衣服通常是灰色或黑色,剪裁修身,款式可能精美,但绝不会有花哨的装饰。在帕格莱斯,当地风行的是轻盈的叠层丝绸与蕾丝服饰;而在尼斯罗切和瑞德旺,由整条或拼接过的皮革带缝制而成,附带必要战用配饰的服饰更受喜爱。人体穿刺、刺青、烙印、以及装饰性划痕在这里十分常见。奈多人喜好月长石、黑玛瑙和烟石,而那些色泽明亮的宝石则被认为是低俗之选。
剧透 -  原文:
NIDALESE CULTURE
 Beneath its outward appearances, Nidalese culture is influenced by far more than its subservience to Zon-Kuthon, though its devotion to the Midnight Lord seeps into all aspects of life. Politics at the national and local levels are closely tied to the quiet power struggles playing out among members of the Umbral Court. Similarly, though unholy high holidays are celebrated throughout the nation, subtle differences locally speak to shards of the populace’s fear, defiance, or shocking zeal for their evil liege.
Nidalese fashion reflects the culture’s tension between stoic silence and an embrace of pain. Clothes are gray or black, austerely cut, and may be elaborately structured but never gaudily ornamented. In Pangolais, local fashion runs toward floating, layered silk and lace; in Nisroch and Ridwan, glossy or welted leather carries the requisite martial note. Piercings, tattoos, brands, and ornamental scarification are common. Moonstones, onyxes, and smoky quartzes are fashionable in jewelry, but brightly colored gems are considered in poor taste.

阴影朝廷中的政治
        虽然阴影朝廷的全体成员都忠诚于宗-库松,并都曾在他神力之触下获得了各自的转化赠与,但阴影朝廷并非总是那么和谐与团结。成员们会留心对外隐藏起内部争议,对外国人和奈多低层民众营造出一层幻象:神灵麾下的阴影朝廷永远步调一致。
        实际上,阴影朝廷中充斥着政治性的联盟分合、恩怨情仇,乃至关于宗库松神学理论和奈多世界定位上激烈的理念分歧。有时候,寂静无声的权力斗争仅仅来自朝廷成员间一点琐事或一次争吵;而有时候,成员间的不和来自更深层的个人分歧。无论其起源,这些不和很少会进一步演变成公开施暴——那会破坏朝廷精心维系的,展示给世人的团结幻象。但在帷幕之后,成员间经常会败坏对手的名声,陷对手于险境,甚至相互厮杀。
        朝廷成员中最大的分歧有二,一是亲切利亚斯的扩张派与主张锁国的孤立派间的对立;二是贝勒维斯主义(Belevais Doctrine)信奉者与不死生物成员间的矛盾。几乎阴影朝廷的每一个成员都会在这两大分歧中选至少一个给定自己的立场,而围绕这两大分歧又衍生出了其下各种更小的政治争端。
在第一项分歧中,扩张派的主力为朝廷中精明世故的城里人和,来自艾利斯·洛林镇苍阳学院的毕业生们。他们追随着吸血鬼术士寇拉斯(见P6),将与切利亚斯的联盟视为奈多得以在格拉利昂扩大影响力、让更多灵魂投向宗库松怀抱的大好机会。而孤立派成员则主要为受朝廷成员瑞德旺的艾罗安德(见P7)所领导的乌斯克森林德鲁伊们,他们认为奈多完全无需关心他国人的事宜,因为此类人等并非午夜领主的选民,对他而言无足轻重。某些孤立派中的极端分子(包括瑞德旺的艾罗安德本人)则更进一步,他们希望能暗中破坏与切利亚斯的联盟,驱逐定居奈多的切利亚斯国民,让阴影朝廷的关注点回归到他们心目中更为恰当的事务上。
        而第二项分歧的焦点则是一种名为贝勒维斯主义的宗库松神学理论,其主要观点是,只有生者得配体验真正的痛苦(true pain),因为痛苦的原始功能就是为了对受到创伤或濒临死亡的生物发出警告。因此,贝勒维斯主义者们认为非生者——包括不死生物——无法感受到真正的痛苦,因为他们业已死去。贝勒维斯主义者们主张,不死者所遭受的苦痛(agony)主要来自精神和情感层面,这可以被归类为苦难(misery),但并非真正的痛苦。
        贝勒维斯主义还主张,在异界生物中只有链魔与众不同:它们中有的将鲜活血肉植入自己不朽之躯中,得以体验真正的痛苦;而有的则扭曲了自己的身形,以便感受真正的痛苦,更好地侍奉宗-库松。普通的异界生物,例如天使与魔鬼,则因其无凡躯肉体,无法领受宗库松之馈赠,贝勒维斯主义如是说。
        贝勒维斯主义的支持者们认为宗库松的不死者信徒是不那么虔诚的,因为这些不死生物已经无法用最为真实的形式体验宗库松的赐福。据此,他们主张,在宗教地位上,不死者不应位居同等虔诚的生者信徒之上。这自然激起了阴影朝廷中信奉贝勒维斯主义的生者成员与不死者成员之间的仇怨,后者常认为自己有着无尽寿元,可以永恒侍奉宗库松,虔诚度自然高人一等。大多数阴影朝廷的不死者成员们都极度蔑视贝勒维斯主义者,将这种理论视为生者篡夺不死者天经地义之超然权力的一种手段。而其余的不死者朝廷成员则仅将贝勒维斯主义视为一种挑战,他们总是热切地试图说服其信众踏上冰冷而强大的非生之路。
        贝勒维斯主义的政治影响力在岁月中有起有落。在某些年代,阴影朝廷的权柄会更多地倾斜到了不死者成员手中,因为他们不因年老而亡,能比自己的凡躯同辈多撑过好几代人。这通常会使得贝勒维斯主义者的数量增多,因为朝廷中的生者成员们需要团结起来,在理论层面和现实层面中压过不死者的同行们。作为结果,针对朝廷中不死者成员的谋杀会显著增多,直到双方势力回归到更为平衡的水平为止。
剧透 -  原文:
Politics in the Umbral coUrt
Although all of its members are dedicated to Zon-Kuthon and have been personally transformed by his divine touch, the Umbral Court is not always harmonious or unified. Members take care to conceal their arguments from outside eyes, fostering the illusion among foreigners and the Nidalese lower classes that the Umbral Court speaks with a single god-granted voice.
In reality, however, the Umbral Court is rife with shifting political alliances, personal enmities, and bitter philosophical disputes about Kuthite theology and Nidal’s place in the world. In some cases, quiet struggles for power simply reflect court members’ personal distaste for each other based on petty histories or even simple squabbling. In other cases, deep personal rifts fuel the discord between court members. Regardless of their origins, these disagreements hardly ever erupt into open violence—that would disrupt the carefully cultivated image of unity that the court seeks to project to the world. But behind the scenes, members frequently plot to discredit, endanger, or even kill each other.
The two deepest true divisions are between members of the court who are pro-Cheliax expansionists and those who are insular isolationists, and between adherents of the Belevais Doctrine and the court’s undead contingent. Nearly all members of the Umbral Court have taken a side in at least one of the two disputes, and those two rifts are key to the dynamics of all smaller political disputes around them.
The expansionist–isolationist dispute tends to pit the court’s sophisticated urbanites, as well as graduates of the School of the Pale Sun in Elith Lorin, against the Uskwood druids, who are led by court member Eloiander of Ridwan (see page 7). The first contingent, led by the vampire sorcerer Kholas (see page 6), views the Chelish alliance as a great opportunity for Nidal to expand its reach across Golarion and shepherd more souls into Zon-Kuthon’s keeping. The latter group sees no need to be concerned with foreigners at all, since they are not the Midnight Lord’s chosen people and are therefore of little interest to him. Some extremists in the isolationist camp, including Eloiander of Ridwan, would go as far as deliberately sabotaging the Chelish alliance and driving out resident Chelaxians in order to restore the Umbral Court’s priorities to what they see as their proper place.
The second point of friction centers around the teachings of the Belevais Doctrine, a Kuthite theology that holds the view that true pain is reserved for the living, as the natural purpose of pain is to warn living organisms of damage or death. Therefore, those who adhere to the doctrine believe that unliving creatures— including undead—cannot experience true pain, since they are already dead. The doctrine’s believers submit that the undead’s agonies are primarily spiritual or emotional and might be classified as misery, but not true pain.
The Belevais Doctrine also teaches that kytons are extraordinary among outsiders because, in some cases, they graft living flesh into their immortal bodies and are thus able to experience true pain; in other cases, kytons have warped their forms to feel true pain and adequately serve Zon-Kuthon. Ordinary outsiders, however, such as angels and demons, cannot receive the Midnight Lord’s gifts because they are not mortal, the doctrine teaches.
Adherents of the Belevais Doctrine consider undead to be less dedicated Kuthites, since they believe that undead creatures are no longer capable of experiencing Zon-Kuthon’s blessing in its truest form. Accordingly, they argue, undead should not be elevated above equally pious living worshipers in the hierarchies of the faith. This, naturally, causes animosity between living members of the Umbral Court who believe in the Belevais Doctrine and undead members, who often consider themselves superiorly pious simply based on the unending life they can devote to worshiping the Midnight Lord. Most undead members of the Umbral Court deeply despise those who believe in the Belevais Doctrine, viewing it as a vehicle for the living to try to usurp what they see as the true and naturally superior power of the undead. Other undead court members simply see the Belevais Doctrine as a challenge, and covet trying to convince its adherents to join the cold and powerful embrace of unlife.
The political influence of the Belevais Doctrine has waxed and waned over the centuries. At times, the Umbral Court’s numbers have skewed toward more undead members, since they do not die of old age and in peaceful times can outlast many generations of mortal contemporaries. This generally spurs a rise in the number of Belevais Doctrine adherents, as living members of the Umbral Court unite against their undead peers for pragmatic reasons as much as theological ones. The resulting increase in murderous plots against the court’s undead members tends to thin out their ranks to a more balanced proportion.

宗库松的大庆典
        宗库松信仰是奈多的国教,而其各大节日则被奈多全国记为“大庆典”(the Great Ceremonoies)。各个城市与乡村都会举办这些大庆,而每个市民也都被要求参加。连那些隐秘的异信者们也得找些表演性够强的手段以加入到集体公演之中,不过这些举措远没有仪式本身那么赤裸裸地邪恶。和其他奈多的宗库松式国家习俗一样,午夜领主的信仰有多恶劣,大庆典就有多糟糕。
        各大庆典的详情如下。
        永恒之吻 The Eternal Kiss 这场持续11天的庆典始于每年的第一次新月。在前10天,一位人牲——通常是信仰之敌、囚徒、或者是由村民投票选出——将享受到世间的极乐。而在最后一天,这个人会遭受折磨,然后宗库松信徒们会取出其内脏,试图从这可怕的仪式产物中卜问宗库松的意旨。
在城市中,人牲通常是智慧生物,选自附近村落中不够虔诚的村民或被俘虏的异乡人。而在乡村,当地人经常将祭品简化为猪或山羊,甚至是无生命的人偶,不过这么做无疑迟早会引来阴影朝廷的怀疑。
        夜还节 The Festival of Night`s Return 在每年的秋分,一天的黑夜又重新长于白昼之时,奈多人便会举办夜还节。该节日的内容主要包括篝火群、大型公众祷告、以及一场自笞游行,虔诚的信徒们会在游行中从城内主干道的一头走到另一头,并全程不断鞭打自己。
在乡村和小城镇你,篝火中通常会放入莎琳或塞恩蕾的肖像,象征着宗库松征服了美与光明。这与正确的做法有少许偏差,不过阴影朝廷通常会容忍这点小差错,他们认为这既无碍于平民的迷信,又有助于让民众厌恶宗库松的神敌。村民们通常用绳结或皮带来自笞,这样哪怕最投入的家伙也不会给自己留下永久损伤,而自笞游行通常以村民们分散为小组或成对庆祝以告终。
在城市中心,夜还节规模更大,也更阴森。篝火中不会提到其他神祇,因为他们都不配在宗库松的大典上被提及,而主礼者通常会将当年度人牲的尸骨与木料混合后进行焚烧。自笞游行会用到更为血腥的手段,因为那些想赢得阴影朝廷青睐的家伙会力图用他们能想象到的最新潮最骇人的手法展示自己的虔诚(也因为,在城市里能更易买到治疗法术来治疗伤口。)大型祷告会配以可怕的阴影魔法秀来增强效果,而节日的尾声也不会有庆祝活动,因为大多数自虐者此时已筋疲力尽,除了瘫倒以外啥也干不了。
        生还者之宴 The Feast of the Survivors 该节日位于十月(拉玛仕图月)的第三个月之日,人们会在这天将各种美食摆在一张用人骨制成的仪式用桌上,并开始这一年的收获季盛宴。在古代,这些骨头来自于奈多国境之外的饿死鬼,它们冰冷地提醒着每个奈多人,自己得以免受饥荒是蒙受了主君多大的眷顾。
而星陨之灾一千年后,随着奈多周围世界的改变,这场盛宴的意义也发生了变化。如今,这些人骨来自于曾在同一社区中生活过的上一代人的遗体。这些骨桌象征着宗库松成百上千年的庇护,以及在他看护之下奈多先祖的血脉得以代代传承直至今日。
        缚影庆 The Shadowchaining 在十二月(宗库松月)的第一天,宗库松牧师们会纪念宗库松将影兽(shadow animal)赠与奈多人这一壮举。拥有动物伙伴的宗库松信徒住民——无论它们是否已被阴影玷染——会走遍家家户户,而他们经过的每一户居民都要跪倒在地,并背诵一段关于谦恭与感恩的冗长仪式祷告词。动物伙伴们可以随意在途经的居民身上造成微小伤口,不过它们不准杀害或重创他人。在游行的最后,所有动物伙伴会被解除束缚,尽情撕咬某位外来的信仰之敌,直到围观群众们尽兴为止。
剧透 -  原文:
the Great KUthite ceremonies
Zon-Kuthon’s faith is the state religion of Nidal, and the major Kuthite holidays are marked across the nation with the Great Ceremonies. These are observed in every city and hamlet in the nation, and every citizen is required to participate. Even those who are secretly unbelievers find some performative way join in the public show, even if it’s not as blatantly evil as the ceremony itself, or else they risk inviting an unimaginable doom. As are all of Nidal’s Kuthite state traditions, the Great Ceremonies are as wicked as the religion itself. The Great Ceremonies include the following.
The Eternal Kiss: This 11-day ceremony culminates on the first new moon of the new year. For 10 days, a victim— either an enemy of the faith, a prisoner, or anyone the villagers collectively choose—is treated to the lap of luxury. On the eleventh day, that individual is tortured and eviscerated, and the Kuthites attempt to divine portents of Zon-Kuthon’s will in the terrible ritual’s details.
In the cities, the sacrificial victim is typically a sentient being chosen from among improperly pious villagers or a captured stranger. In villages, however, locals frequently substitute a pig or goat, or even a nonliving symbolical victim, though this last invites the Umbral Court’s suspicion by default.
The Festival of Night’s Return: Celebrated on the autumnal equinox, when night regains its dominance over day, this festival is marked with bonfires, mass public prayers, and a parade of flagellants in which devout worshipers parade from one end of the town’s main street to the other, whipping themselves the entire way.
In villages and small towns, the bonfire often includes effigies of Shelyn or Sarenrae, signifying Zon-Kuthon’s conquest of beauty and light. This is a minor deviation from proper forms, although one that the Umbral Court generally tolerates, seeing no harm in the peasants’ enthusiasm and some benefit to the populace’s hatred of Zon-Kuthon’s divine enemies. The villagers’ flagellations are done with knotted cords or leather straps, leaving little permanent damage on even the most devout, and the parade of flagellants usually ends with villagers breaking off to celebrate in smaller groups or as couples.
In urban centers, the festival is grander and grimmer. The bonfires acknowledge no other deities, for none is worthy of mention at Zon-Kuthon’s great rite, and celebrants often burn the bones of the year’s sacrificial victims mixed in with wooden pyres. The parade of flagellants involves much bloodier ordeals, as those seeking the Umbral Court’s favor strive to demonstrate their piety in the grisliest fashion they can imagine (and because, in cities, healing spells can be bought to remedy the damage afterward). The mass prayers are augmented with terrible shows of shadow magic, and there is no celebrating at the festival’s end, for none but the most masochistic are left in any condition to do anything but collapse in exhaustion afterward.
The Feast of the Survivors: Held on the third Moonday of Lamashan, this is a harvest feast laid out on a ceremonial table made of human bones. In older times, the bones were scavenged from those who had starved in the lands outside of Nidal, and served as a cold reminder of how much his people owed him for their salvation.
In the millennia since, however, the feast has evolved as the world changed around Nidal, and today the bones are gathered from past generations who lived and died in that community. These tables signify the centuries of Zon-Kuthon’s protection and the long chain of ancestors who preceded every living Nidalese in his care.
The Shadowchaining: On the first day of Kuthona, Kuthite clerics commemorate what they see as the Midnight Lord’s gift of shadow animals to the Nidalese, their masters. Kuthite residents with animal companions—whether they have been tainted by shadow or not—walk through the settlement while the inhabitants kneel and recite a long ritual prayer of humility and gratitude. The animal companions freely inflict minor wounds on the people they pass, although they are not permitted to kill or seriously injure anyone. At the end of the parade, the animal companions are all set loose to tear apart some outside enemy of the faith, to the delight and catharsis of the watching crowd.

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« 回帖 #3 于: 2019-01-10, 周四 16:30:07 »
地点
以下是被暗影玷污的奈多境内的一些重要地点。

艾维拉路口 Aevolar`s Crossing:尽管南乌斯科河的这段浅滩似乎能轻易让人涉水渡河,当地人却都避而远之。河床上散落着锈蚀的盔甲与布满青苔的尸骨——这些都是数百年前切利亚斯入侵奈多时一处军营的残留物。更多关于艾维拉路口,请见P43。
剧透 -  原文:
Aevolar’s Crossing: Though this shallow section of the southern Usk River seems to offer a tempting ford, locals avoid it. Rusted armor and algae-clad bones litter the riverbed—all that remains of a Chelish battalion that invaded Nidal centuries ago. For more information about Aevolar’s Crossing, see page 43.

信天翁镇  Albatross:信天翁镇坐落在一座能俯瞰征服者港湾的小岛上,是一座建在悬崖边上的宁静港口小镇。这座小镇与世隔绝,常年雾气缭绕,宁静得让人不安。镇上的渔夫主要经手奈多境内的生意,而岛上经常静得只能听见鸟鸣声,来自于途径此地的成群海鸥,以及在此地繁殖的白信天翁。这也成就了此地的地名。镇上的老人们声称,他们可以用群鸟不寻常的飞行轨迹中进行占卜,预知将至的死亡、不幸与风暴。
信天翁镇不只是一个破落的渔村;它还是阴影朝廷的流放地。那些在宗库松教会眼皮下犯下死罪,但又因政治因素无法轻易被处死的阴影朝廷的下属人员,就会被流放到这座苦闷、冰冷的岛屿上,过上既吃不好饭,又只有呆滞的村民相伴的无趣生活。这些犯人被禁止伤害村民,因此哪怕连以施虐取乐都做不到——此般境况能让大多数阴影特工不寒而栗。
乌斯克森林的阿凯娃 Alkaiva of the Uskwood (中立邪恶女性卡利尼B5 7级德鲁伊)便是这样的一位流放者,她曾和瑞德旺的艾罗安德吹反调,却在之后的政治斗争中一败涂地,多亏有两位身为阴影朝廷成员的小姨帮忙,她才保住了性命。如今,她只能呆在信天翁镇空耗时光。阿凯娃每日带着她的动物伙伴白狼赛牙克(Xiaq)漫无目的地漫步在悬崖之上,将一天的精力都花在训练海鸟们排演出更复杂更美丽的空中舞蹈。阿凯娃手里仍掌握着一部分关于艾罗安德的隐秘罪证,包括他在乌斯克之心的反切利亚斯行为的证据,她很乐意用这些来换来流放的结束——只要她能确信自己在揭露秘密之后不会死在狡猾敌人派来的刺客手里。事实上,阿凯娃在过去几年已经抵挡过数次秘密袭击,这让她深信,哪怕只是余生苟活在此地,那位强大的德鲁伊可能都不会放过自己。
剧透 -  原文:
Albatross: A quiet cliffside port town built on an island overlooking Conqueror’s Bay, Albatross is isolated, mistshrouded, and eerily peaceful. Its fisherfolk go about their business with Nidalese reserve, and often it seems that the only noise on the island comes from the squawking of its namesake birds: great flocks of gray-winged gulls and breeding colonies of white albatrosses. Elders of the town claim to be able to read portents in the birds’ unusual flight patterns, foretelling of death, misfortune, and storms.
Albatross is not only a humble fishing village; it is also where the Umbral Court sends operatives who have committed a capital offense in the eyes of the Kuthite clergy but who, for political reasons, cannot simply be killed. Here they are exiled to the boredom of a cold, miserable island with poor food and dull company. They are forbidden to harm the villagers and thus unable to amuse themselves even with sadism—a prospect that fills most Umbral agents with dread.
One such exile is the druid Alkaiva of the Uskwood (NE female caligniB5 druid 7), who crossed horns with Eloiander of Ridwan, lost the ensuing political battle badly, and now finds herself wasting away in Albatross, her life officially preserved thanks to two lower-ranking aunts who are members of the Umbral Court. Alkaiva wanders the cliffs aimlessly with her animal companion, the white wolf Xiaq, and spends her days training the seabirds to conduct ever more complicated and beautiful aerial dances. Alkaiva still controls a cache of hidden, incriminating secrets about Eloiander, including hints about his anti-Chelish activities in the Uskheart, and she would gladly trade these for an end to her exile—if she were confident that she could reveal her secrets without ending up dead at the hands of her uncanny enemy’s assassins. In fact, Alkaiva has fended off several covert attacks in the past few years, leading her to believe that perhaps the powerful druid is not content to allow her to simply while away the rest of her days.

灰烬谷 Ash Hollow:这座偏远的矿业村庄坐落在眩心山麓东北,靠近乌斯克河与静河交汇处,其人口约为150,是奈多缺少光照的首都重要的煤炭来源。它也充当了与涅玛萨斯境内微光要塞(Glimmerhold)之矮人的交易中心。不过,此地更为有名的乃是其相邻的山峰阿格·塔尔(Aghor Thal),以及那里夜还节的习俗。
在每年秋分,奈多全国都会庆祝夜还节,大部分地区的传统都是燃起篝火以及自笞仪式。但在阿格·塔尔,该节日的庆典要更为不吉。每年都会有上千人前往灰烬谷朝圣,他们聚集在山谷和周围的山麓处,以目睹阿格·塔尔的黑玫瑰(the Black Rose of Aghor Thal):坐落在山脉背风坡洞口的一尊由十层铸铁版层叠在一起铸成的大坩埚。在节日中,黑玫瑰会在盛大的篝火中被烧热,而献祭活动会从清晨一直持续到傍晚。
在如此献祭数千年之后,阿格·塔尔的黑玫瑰早已觉醒为一尊邪恶偶像(idol,PF战役设定:异能国度60页)。它被山丘守望者(the Watchers on the Hills)所照料和供养着。这群守望者是一批苦行派秘教徒,他们居住在山顶一处废弃要塞中,偶尔会下山到灰烬谷补充生活用品。他们的领袖是神秘莫测的贝格洛斯 Baegloth(中立邪恶男性人类9级先知 APG;在当地最早记载此类仪式的编年史中,曾经提及此人的名字,但没人能断言被记载之人是否就是如今贝格洛斯本人。灰烬谷的村民们相信贝格洛斯和其他秘教徒们都寿元无尽,能一直活到黑玫瑰被摧毁为止。
守望者们对灰烬谷几乎没有威胁,顶多就是在苦行者们入村采办时会引起村民的不安。不过,黑玫瑰总是欲求不满,旅行者们都会被劝告离阿格·塔尔远一点。虽然奈多国内许多人背地里将这批苦行者视为怪人乃至异端,大坩埚既然能一直运作至今,似乎也是获得了午夜领主的许可。
剧透 -   :
Ash Hollow: Situated in the northeastern Mindspin foothills, near the confluence of the Usk and the Gjurn rivers, this remote mining village of about 150 is an important source of coal for Nidal’s lightless capital. It also serves as a center of trade with the dwarves of Glimmerhold in Nirmathas. It is better known, however, for the neighboring mountain Aghor Thal and its observance of The Festival of Night’s Return.
The Festival of Night’s Return, held each year on the autumnal equinox, is celebrated throughout Nidal, most traditionally with burning effigies and self-flagellating processions. At Aghor Thal, it is a more sinister affair. Thousands make the pilgrimage to Ash Hollow each year, gathering in the valley and on the surrounding hillsides to see the Black Rose of Aghor Thal: a large iron crucible composed of ten concentric, overlapping panels, seated in a cave mouth on the mountain’s leeward slope. During the festival, the Black Rose is heated with a great bonfire, and sacrifices are made from dusk until dawn.
 Having been used in this capacity for millennia, the Black Rose of Aghor Thal long ago awakened as an evil idol (Pathfinder Campaign Setting Occult Realms 60). It is tended and fed by the Watchers on the Hill, a group of ascetic cultists who dwell in a ruined keep at the mountain’s summit and occasionally filter down into Ash Hollow for supplies. Their leader, the inscrutable Baegloth (NE male human oracleAPG 9), is mentioned by name in the ceremony’s earliest chronicles—yet whether these records refer to the same man or merely to another of his name none can say. The villagers of Ash Hollow believe that Baegloth and the other cultists are effectively ageless and will live until the Black Rose has been destroyed.
 The Watchers pose little threat to the people of Ash Hollow, as unsettled as the ascetics make the villagers when they venture into town. Still, the Black Rose is always hungry, and travelers are encouraged to give Aghor Thal a wide berth. Though many in Nidal quietly regard the ascetics as eccentrics or even heretics, the crucible’s continued operation would seem to indicate the Midnight Lord’s approval.

阿特伦牧区  Atteran Ranches:阿特伦牧区是位于乌斯克森林以北、古坟荒原西南方的平原地带,这些灰草地的主人乃是养马人、牧场主和驯马师。他们在先祖留下的土地上饲养着名为奈达玛尔斯(nidarrmars)的良驹,该马种以迅捷、无声、处乱不惊而闻名;他们还守护着另一种名为奇亚德玛尔斯(chiardmars)的矫健野马,其带灰白斑点的皮毛常被比作草原上的月影。这里的人们是星陨前一度统治奈多的马王之后裔。他们延续着许多先祖的传统,包括坚持陈旧的持矛战斗技巧,以及万年不变的殉葬地。
许多奈多的城市居民还相信,此地的牧场主们包庇了一些试图渗入奈多的黛丝娜异见者。这些传言并非空穴来风。黛伊·阿特伦 Daiye Atteran(混乱善良女性人类2级黛丝娜牧师)奥达拉克·黑鸦 Odarac Blackraven(中立善良男性人类2级吟游诗人)都是阿特伦地区名门之后,他们曾聆听并接受了星辰之歌的呼唤,但却因要对身边所有人隐瞒这一事实而承受着巨大的痛苦。
至今为止,黛伊的父亲、英俊的阿特伦氏族族长维迪·阿特伦 Vaide Atteran(中立男性人类4级游侠)正通过大张旗鼓地追捕不存在的煽动者,来掩护自己任性孩子们的行径。维迪雇佣了“捕梦人”(dream hunters)——来自阿特伦牧区之外的宗库松狂信徒和雇佣兵——来协办此事;这些外乡人不熟悉此地的部族,因此阿特伦家族能相对轻松地糊弄他们。
但维迪知道,纸是没法永远包住火的。早晚有一天,猎梦人中会有人无意中步入正轨,或是各大家族中会出现背叛者。没什么秘密能长久逃出阴影朝廷的法眼,而这可能会搭上当地居民的身家性命。
阿特伦牧区的其他主要地点包括古坟荒原(44页),述马者阿泰之冢 the Cairn of Attai HorseSpeaker(PF战役设定:格拉利昂的坟冢 5),卜鸦雕(32页),乌索力大草原(40页),和白丘镇(41页)。
剧透 -  原文:
Atteran Ranches: The horse breeders, ranchers, and trainers of the Atteran Ranches claim the gray-grassed plains north of the Uskwood and southwest of Barrowmoor. On these ancestral lands, they raise dark nidarrmars, a breed of horse known for its swiftness, silence, and discipline in the face of danger, and guard the quick, wild horses called chiardmars, whose dappled gray coats are often likened to moon shadows on the grass. The people here trace their heritage back to the pre-Earthfall horselords who once ruled Nidal. They maintain many of their ancestors’ traditions, including the practice of archaic spear-wielding combat techniques and millenniaold funerary rites.
 Many Nidalese in the cities also believe that the ranchers harbor Desnan dissidents trying to infiltrate Nidal. There is some truth to these rumors. Daiye Atteran (CG female human cleric of Desna 2) and Odarac Blackraven (NG male human bard 2) are two scions of leading Atteran families who have heard and been moved by the Starsong’s call, though they go to great pains to hide this fact from everyone around them.
  For the time being, Vaide Atteran (N male human ranger 4), Daiye’s father and the charming patriarch of the Atteran clan, is covering for the wayward children by conducting loud and clumsy hunts for nonexistent agitators. Vaide has hired “dream hunters”—Kuthite fanatics and hired muscle from outside the Atteran Ranches—to help in this pursuit; since the outsiders are unfamiliar with the clans, it is relatively easy for the Atteran families to mislead them.
  But the ruse cannot go on forever, as Vaide well knows. Sooner or later, one of the dream hunters will stumble upon the right trail, or someone from within the families will betray them. No secret stays hidden from the Umbral Court for long, and this one could well cost the region’s residents everything.
 Other points of interest in the Atteran Ranches include Barrowmoor (see page 44), the Cairn of Attai HorseSpeaker (Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Tombs of Golarion 5), Ravenscry (see page 32), the Uthori Steppes (see page 40), and Whitemound (see page 41).

阿金福德 Aguinford: 阿金福德是一座农业小镇,当地人喜好避开阴影朝廷的耳目,过着平静的生活。但现在,阿金福德的村民们遇到了一个他们可能无力解决的难题,对于是寻求幽暗主子的帮助还是尝试自力解决,当地人各执一词。这项抉择摆在了阿金福德独断专行的治安官,乔恩·马尔斯腾 Joeen  Malsten (中立女性人类4级猎人ACG)面前,她已经多次借着外交名义悄然拜访周边地区的领袖,以研究自己是否要借助帕格莱斯之力来解决面前如山的难题。
大约在一年前,一场暴雨使得镇子边缘发生了泥石流,露出了一尊光滑、带绿色斑点的黑石柱,石柱上刻有蜿蜒的图纹,一眼看去似乎在不停蠕动。这尊石柱让人极度不安,但它体积之大使得村民无法将其搬走,尤其是它似乎还以某种方式被固定在了地上。自从石柱出土以来,许多当地人都曾在夜间听到自己的家里传来一阵让人窒息的细微哀嚎声,但他们总是找不出任何声源j;而阿金福德全镇的鸡都开始产下蓝色革质的蛋,蛋里只有恶臭的粘液。更糟的是,自今年春季以来,连镇上的牲口都开始诞下充满粘液的半成形死胎。随着问题逐步升级,马尔斯腾和阿金福德的居民们越发渴望问题早日解决。
剧透 -  原文:
Auginford: The small farming town of Auginford is a quiet place where the locals are happy to live in peace and avoid the Umbral Court’s eye. At present, however, the people of Auginford are deeply conflicted about whether to seek out their shadowy superiors or try to deal independently with a problem that may be beyond their means to solve. The decision lies with Auginford’s autocratic sheriff, Joeen Malsten (N female human hunterACG 4), who has been quietly seeking audiences with other regional leaders under the guise of diplomacy to figure out whether she should involve Pangolais in this mounting problem.
Almost a year ago, a heavy rainstorm caused a mudslide outside town that revealed a toppled pillar of slick, green-flecked black stone carved into sinuous patterns that seem to wriggle beneath the eye. The pillar is profoundly unsettling, but it’s too large for the townspeople to move, especially as it seems to be anchored in the earth somehow. Since the pillar was unearthed, many locals have heard strangled, whispery wailing in the small hours of the night coming from inside their homes, though there is never anything to be found, and all of Auginford’s chickens have been laying leathery-shelled blue eggs with nothing but stinking slime inside. What’s worse, this past spring the town’s livestock also began giving birth to slimy, half-formed, long-dead offspring. As the problem escalates, Malsten and Auginford’s residents have become more desperate for answers.

古坟荒原 Barrowmoor:古坟荒原上总是弥漫着一股超自然的寒意。寒风吹拂着这里巨大的炭黑色墓冢,由燧石和马鬃编织成的殉葬装饰品在风中咯咯作响。更多关于古坟荒原,请见44页。
剧透 -  原文:
Barrowmoor: An intense, unnatural chill pervades Barrowmoor, where cold winds blow over immense charcoal cairns and rattle tomb decorations of flint and braided horsehair. For more information about Barrowmoor, see page 44.

黑硫池塘 Blacksulfur Pond:在尼斯罗切的西南方,有一处静谧的池塘。附近看不到有泉水或溪流流入池塘,而离远看池中乃是一片漆黑。靠近看,池中水其实十分清澈,但在池塘底看不到泥土或砂石,而是整一片闪着微光的黑暗。池塘波平如镜,并没有鱼类或昆虫生活其中,而池塘岸边一掌之内也没有任何植物。
这便是黑硫池塘。当地人最初认定池中一定有着裂隙,让来自幽暗之地有毒气体涌入水中,使得池水毫无生机,池底漆黑一片,池塘也就得名于此。实际上,池底是一个永久传送门,通向其在影界倒映的一处池塘中。
由于这座池塘在影界的镜像看上去平平无奇,池底被不透明的池水所遮蔽,因此很少来自对侧的阴影居民们知道,通向格拉利昂的门户就在池底。也因此,极少有东西从影界穿过传送门进入黑硫池塘——少到在数十年的休眠期之后,连阴影朝廷也松懈了对池塘的警惕。如今只有单一位当地阴影特工,尼斯罗切的利奥尔 Leorel of Nisroch (中立邪恶男性人类3级护法师)被分配至此,维持池塘的警报术法术和其他微不足道的防护措施。黑硫池塘距离最近的城镇大约需要骑行1个小时,利奥尔既不够忠于职责,也懒得把大把时间浪费在来回路程,因此他经常翘班,任由池塘的法术失效。
剧透 -  原文:
Blacksulfur Pond: Southwest of Nisroch is a silent pond, fed by no visible spring or stream, that appears black from afar. Up close, its waters reveal themselves to be clear, but there is a pane of shimmering darkness instead of mud or sand at the bottom of the pool. No fish or insects disturb the water’s stillness, and no plants grow within a hand’s span of its shores.
This is Blacksulfur Pond, so dubbed because locals initially believed that it must contain a fissure of noxious gasses bubbling from the Darklands below, given its absence of life and the darkness at its bottom. In actuality, however, the pond’s bottom is a permanent portal that opens to a mirror pool on the Shadow Plane.
Because the mirror pool does not appear out of the ordinary on the Shadow Plane, where its opaque waters obscure the pond’s bottom, few of the shadowy denizens on its other side have realized that a gate to Golarion lies on its floor. As such, it is rare that anything comes through the portal from the Shadow Plane into Blacksulfur Pond—so rare that, after decades of inactivity, the Umbral Court’s vigilance over the pool has waned, and now only a single local Umbral agent, Leorel of Nisroch (NE male human abjurer 3), is assigned with maintaining its alarm spells and other paltry protections. As Blacksulfur Pond is an hour’s ride from the nearest town and Leorel is neither dedicated to his duties nor fond of spending time on the road, more often than not he has let the spells lapse.

硫磺泉镇 Brimstone Springs :这座偏远小村坐落在眩心山脉的高处,以其涤魂浴(Soulsheen Baths)而闻名于世(或者说臭名远扬)。这种沐浴法的卖点为当地一系列因混有毒气与有毒矿物质而五彩斑斓的小瀑布与温泉水。奈多人常年来热衷于造访这些温泉,以进行一套据说能治愈种种病痛的简短养生温泉浴。而更为要命的一种泡浴法则是在毒泉里泡足一整天,假若泡浴者没因毒丧命,他们将能看到自己来生的景象,代价则是他们的皮肤上留下永久的黄色斑痕。大多数人认为这些泉水是天然形成的,但事实上,那些泡足一天而死的凡人会落入地狱的深坑中接受永恒的折磨。这些泉水其实是一只名为莱诺克斯(Reinoks)的溺亡魔(Drowning Devil B4)的工具,它听从着地狱第五层斯泰吉亚(Stygia)中幻妄之宫(the Palace of Delusion)的主人,炼狱公爵克罗赛尔(Infernal Duke Crocell)的号令。涤魂浴那与地狱中毒液无比相似的泉水使得它在富裕的切利亚斯国民之中大受欢迎,而它也成为了那些追寻特伦恩崛起史(the Thrune Ascendancy)之人心目中一处名胜。更多关于硫磺泉镇,请见PF冒险之路#93:Forge of the Giant God 66-67页。
剧透 -  原文:
Brimstone Springs: The remote village retreat of Brimstone Springs, located high in the Mindspin Mountains, is best known for its sulfurous Soulsheen Baths. The baths present a striking series of vividly colored cascades and springs that reek of toxic, leaching minerals. The Nidalese have long visited these springs to perform a series of short baths that are believed to cure a wide variety of ailments. Most infamous are the daylong poison immersion sessions that, if they don’t kill the bathers, grant them visions of their afterlives at the price of leaving their skin permanently stained yellow. Most believe that these springs are naturally occurring phenomena, but the truth is that these daylong sessions condemn mortal participants to eternal torments in the pits of Hell. They are tools of a drowning devil named Reinoks, who answers to Infernal Duke Crocell, the ruler of the Palace of Delusions in Stygia. The Soulsheen Baths’ superficial resemblance to the poisoned springs of Hell has made them popular among wealthy Chelaxians as well, and the springs have become an extremely fashionable destination following the Thrune Ascendancy. For more on the Brimstone Springs, see pages 66–67 of Pathfinder Adventure Path #93: Forge of the Giant God.

述马者阿泰之冢 Cairn of Attai Horse-Speaker:述马者阿泰是一位传奇的阿特伦酋长,他正在一万年前统治者自己的部落。他的长眠之地一直以来都遗落在古坟荒原不断变迁的墓穴中。传说中,他那雾气缭绕的墓冢依然未被指染,只有一尊风化的雕像和沉降到地表下的入口作为其标识。更多关于该墓冢,请见PF战役设定:格拉利昂的坟墓 4-13页。
剧透 -  原文:
Cairn of Attai Horse-Speaker: The final resting place of the legendary Atteran chieftain Attai Horse-Speaker, who ruled his tribe over 10,000 years ago, has long been lost under the shifting mounds of Barrowmoor. Yet legends persist that his cairn remains intact among the fog-wreathed tombs, marked only by a weathered statue and an entrance that sinks down into the earth. For more information about this cairn, see pages 4–13 of Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Tombs of Golarion.

囚日城堡 Castle of the Captive Sun:沃萨兹尼·德扎尔的这座乡间豪宅在奈多内外都赫赫有名,它以城堡内收藏的与光明相关的奇珍圣宝,以及被吸血鬼贵族所“邀请”到此地的稀罕客人而闻名。更多关于囚日城堡,请见45页。
剧透 -  原文:
Castle of the Captive Sun: Volsazni Dezarr’s country home is famed even outside Nidal for the collection of light-related artifacts and holy wonders kept within its walls, and for the unusual guests that the vampiric nobleman entertains. For more information about the Castle of the Captive Sun, see page 45.

基斯丹诺堡 Citadel Gheisteno: 地狱骑士十字架骑士团(Hellknight Ofder of the Crux)曾经将这座带颅骨装饰的不祥堡垒作为总部。在4663 AR,在揭露出十字架地狱骑士已经违背了自己骑士团的建团理念和地狱骑士核心信条“度量与镣铐”(the Measure and the Chain)之后,在特伦恩家族和艾奥梅黛骑士的支持下,天谴骑士团(the Order of Scourge)将基斯丹诺堡夷为平地,并将占据堡垒的异端分子统统斩于剑下。
二十五年之后,这座堡垒带着满身焦痕,在一夜间从废墟中崛地而起。执棒官沙克尼尔(Lictor Shokneir),曾经的十字架骑士团首领,如今成为了可怕的死墓骑士(graveknight),而他最信任的两名副官也和他一样靠自己的力量成为了死墓骑士。他们三人一起重新占领了堡垒。基斯丹诺堡如今荒凉而可憎,伫立在无尽的恐怖之中。更多关于基斯丹诺堡,请见PF小说:《地狱骑士》,以及PF战役设定:切利亚斯,魔鬼帝国15-16页。
剧透 -  译者注:
执棒官沙克尼尔本人曾在PF战役设定:再探亡灵中给出人物数据,是一位守序邪恶男性人类死墓骑士5级战士/10级地狱骑士。可惜这书出在11年,他又魅力奇低。。。
剧透 -  原文:
Citadel Gheisteno: The Hellknight Order of the Crux once claimed this foreboding, skull-adorned fortress as its headquarters. In 4663 ar, after uncovering incontrovertible proof that the Crux Hellknights had betrayed their order’s founding ideals and the Hellknight code of the Measure and the Chain, the Order of the Scourge, backed by House Thrune and Iomedaean knights, razed Citadel Gheisteno to the ground and put its heretical occupants to the sword.
Twenty-five years later, a fire-scarred replica of the citadel arose practically overnight. Lictor Shokneir, once the Crux’s leader and now a terrible graveknight, reclaimed the fortress with two of his most trusted lieutenants who had arisen as graveknights in their own right. Citadel Gheisteno stands under these villainous horrors today, lonely and accursed. For more information about Citadel Gheisteno, see Pathfinder Tales: Hellknight and pages 15–16 of Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Cheliax, The Infernal Empire.

十字松村 crosspine:十字松村是一座位于乌斯克森林东南边界的小村庄,该村由于定期输送极多的幼童前往各地修习奥术或德鲁伊之道,以至于被外界所关注。这其中最有名的村人是唤影者伊西姆(Isiem)和操影术士阿斯卡洛斯(Ascaros)。更多关于十字松村,伊西姆和阿斯卡洛斯,请见PF小说:《夜之镜》和《夜之刃》。
剧透 -  译者注:
这两位是小说的主角,而两本小说的作者之后就写了这本奈多设定集。。。
剧透 -  原文:
Crosspine: This village on the southeastern border of the Uskwood is primarily notable for sending an unusually high number of its children into arcane and druidic disciplines. Two of its more well-known natives are the shadowcaller Isiem and the shadowcasting sorcerer Ascaros. For more information about Crosspine, Isiem, and Ascaros, see Pathfinder Tales: Nightglass and Pathfinder Tales: Nightblade.

多芬纳葡萄园 Dauphenal Vineyard: 多芬纳葡萄园位于北部平原,是前特鲁恩时代切利亚斯占据奈多时留下的遗产之一。它建造于影碎时期,是当年帝国鼓励国人在其古怪幽暗的属国境内进行投资的一次尝试。其创始人,一个如今已被灭族,连名字都被从记载中除去的切利亚斯贵族家族,在葡萄园的山丘中种植了阿瓦尼诺葡萄(alvarinio),一种在切利亚斯大受欢迎、但在奈多并不出名的葡萄品种。
虽然鼓励后续投资的期望落了空,但多芬纳葡萄园本身却几乎立刻获得了成功。葡萄园的创始人精通葡萄栽培,他精心酿造出一种口感清淡但回味无穷的白葡萄酒,让切利亚斯社会各界都十分惊叹。他的后代维持着葡萄园,直至他们犯下了致命的错误:在切利亚斯公民战争中反对特鲁恩家族。那之后,阴影朝廷接管了此地产业,但出产的酒品质也大幅度下降,直至他们找来了一位毕业于艾利斯·洛林镇的名校,又接受过切利亚斯训练的葡萄栽培师,苍阳的伊莱斯 Ylise of the Pale Sun(中立邪恶女性人类3级德鲁伊/2级惑控师),来监管酒品生产。如今,多芬纳葡萄园的名声大体恢复了往日荣光,而其酒品价格也一如既往地高昂。
多芬纳的阿瓦尼诺葡萄酒的工艺十分讲究,其制造难度很高,但也广受买家欢迎。它入口清爽,以草本味为主,带有梨与柠檬香草的气息,在玻璃杯中有着浅灰色的光泽,仿似流动的月长石。在切利亚斯和塔尔多,它在夏季和南部炎热的城市中尤受欢迎。而在奈多,人们在一年四季都喜爱品尝它,不过阴影朝廷之外的人很难搞到一瓶这种昂贵的葡萄酒,因为它大部分产量都用于出口。因此,在奈多,一瓶多芬纳葡萄园的阿瓦尼诺葡萄酒可谓算得上一份重礼。
剧透 -  原文:
Dauphenal Vineyard: One of the relics of Nidal’s preThrune Chelish occupation is the Dauphenal Vineyard in the North Plains, founded during Shadowbreak in an attempt to encourage investment in the empire’s strange new shadowy holdings. The estate’s founder, a scion of a now-extirpated Chelish noble house whose name has been stricken from the records, planted the vineyard’s hills with alvarino, a cultivar of grape popular in Cheliax but not widely known in Nidal.
Although the hoped-for accompanying investments never materialized, the Dauphenal Vineyard was a success almost immediately. The founder was a skilled vigneron and, to the general astonishment of Chelish society, was able to coax a light but surprisingly nuanced white wine from the grapes. His descendants maintained the vineyards until they made the fatal mistake of opposing House Thrune in the Chelish Civil War. The Umbral Court claimed the property afterward, but the quality of the wine declined precipitously until they brought in a Chelish-trained vigneron and graduate of a prestigious Elith Lorin academy, Ylise of the Pale Sun (NE female human druid 3/enchanter 2), to oversee operations. Today, the reputation of the Dauphenal Vineyard is largely restored to its former luster, and its wine commands as high a price as ever.
Dauphenal alvarino is a finicky wine, difficult to produce but highly sought after. It is crisp and herbal, with notes of pear and lemongrass, and has a grayish luster in the glass, evocative of liquid moonstone. In Cheliax and Taldor, it is particularly popular in the summers and in the southern cities. In Nidal, it is popular year round, although it is difficult for anyone outside the Umbral Court to obtain a bottle of the costly wine, which is mostly reserved for export. A bottle of Dauphenal alvarino is, therefore, a significant gift in Nidal.

艾德迈拉的愚行 Edammera’s Folly:这座长年被刻有符文的大铁门闭锁的尖顶高塔曾是尘埃堂的艾德迈拉(Edammera of the Dusk Hall)的研究所,他是大法师梅森德罗思·孤魔(Mesandroth Fiendlorn)诸多薄命的助手之一。这座塔已经废弃了数百年,塔底的农田已经复归荒林。更多关于艾德迈拉的愚行,请见46页。
剧透 -  原文:
Edammera’s Folly: This slender spire, long sealed behind rune-scribed steel doors, was once the research laboratory of Edammera of the Dusk Hall, one of the archmage Mesandroth Fiendlorn’s many ill-fated assistants. It has stood abandoned for centuries, the farmland at its feet reclaimed by wild forest. For more information about Edammera’s Folly, see page 46.

艾利斯·洛林镇 Elith Lorin:艾利斯·洛林镇是一座横跨乌斯克河两岸的小城镇,人口约为1500,是奈多风景最为秀丽的居住点之一。其宽阔的贸易广场正中央是雕塑家尼斯罗切的梅莱迪尔( Meletir of Nisroch)的杰作,莎琳哀歌大喷泉(Fountain of Shelyn’s Lament),而广场周围则环绕着一排气派的石灰岩建筑物,这是永恒战争之后切利亚斯人于此地投资的结果。而另一座切利亚斯占领期遗留的华丽建筑,夸荣大桥(the Bridge of Vainglory),则横跨乌斯克河,联结着城镇的南北两岸。
艾利斯·洛林镇是奈多最重要的交通枢纽之一。其港口接纳着来自上游阿特伦牧区的牲畜和来自南边平原的产品,并将它们转运到西边的尼斯罗切和东边的帕格莱斯。曾居住着切利亚斯显要的豪华大宅中,一部分被改建为本国的官方办公地,诸多职工和使节被雇佣至此,以确保国家的各种需求。而其余部分则迎来了更黑暗的结局。艾利斯·洛林镇在黑三角掌控桀骜难驯的西部上扮演了重要角色,它充当了来自尼斯罗切的密探和他们的上司,来自帕格莱斯的审判官们一处便利的接头点。坐落在镇北一处能俯瞰全镇的山丘上的一座旧奥罗登教堂是著名的接头点之一,其坏名声使得当地人都称其为“帕格莱斯之眼”,他们大都模糊地知晓在此地发生的各种谍报行为。
然而,艾利斯·洛林镇最有名的,还属苍阳学院(the School of the Pale Sun),它占据着小镇南侧大片土地,是一座绿树成荫的庄严学府。作为排名仅次于帕格莱斯尘埃堂的学府,苍阳学院致力于培养将要在奈多境外工作的特工、外交使节、以及唤影者。教职工主要是切利亚斯人,因为大部分学生都需要广泛学习更多关于外部广阔世界的各种习俗与知识。苍阳学院的极少数奈多籍教师——包括学院的女院长帕格莱斯的维热西亚 Virexia of Pangolais(守序邪恶女性人类7级诗人【书卷学者APG】)——则负责监督学院内是否有反动活动,并教导学生能走遍世界各地而不易惹人注目的各种对午夜领主信仰的操持手段。和奈多其他大型学府一样,学院通过预言法术来招生,而生源主要来自帕格莱斯和瑞德旺。这里的毕业生会被冠以“苍阳的”头衔。
小镇的监管者是午夜堡的海希尔Helthir of the Midnight Citadel(守序邪恶男性人类5级审判者APG,一位来自于古老帕格莱斯家族的真信徒。他主要工作是确保来自尼斯罗切的混乱与懈怠风气不至于向东边蔓延,而为此他会使用各种各样的手段。多组情报人员会同时监管着镇上的访客,以及搜查来往驳船和货车。只有奈多最为显赫的居民才能期待自己的信件在途径艾利斯·洛林时不被开封检查。镇上与外界相对偏僻孤立的窃影鬼社区(大致集中在小镇北岸)是唯一能可靠地躲过海希斯耳目的区域,但这些社区对外来者就像对镇上其他人一样充满戒心。
帕格莱斯的维热西亚
剧透 -  原文:
Elith Lorin: Sitting astride the Usk River, the small town of Elith Lorin is home to about 1,500 souls and is one of Nidal’s most picturesque settlements. Its broad market square is home to the Fountain of Shelyn’s Lament, a masterpiece by the sculptor Meletir of Nisroch, and is ringed by handsome limestone buildings, a result of Chelish investment in the wake of the Everwar. The Bridge of Vainglory, another ornate remnant of the Chelish occupation, spans the Usk, connecting the northern and southern sides of the town.
Elith Lorin is one of Nidal’s most important transportation hubs. Its port collects livestock driven down from the Atteran Ranches and produce from the southern plains and routes them west to Nisroch or east to Pangolais. The grand residences that once housed Chelish dignitaries have been repurposed into offices for officials of the state, staffed by the clerks and legates who ensure that the country’s needs are met. Others have been turned to darker ends. Elith Lorin plays a key role in the Black Triune’s control of the unruly west, serving as a convenient meeting point for the spies of Nisroch and their directors, the inquisitors of Pangolais. A former Arodenite church, located on a hill overlooking the northern side of town, has become so notorious for this activity that it is now known locally as the “Eye of Pangolais,” and residents generally know in vague terms about the espionage based here.
Elith Lorin is best known, however, for the School of the Pale Sun, whose stately, tree-lined campus dominates the town’s southern side. Second in prestige only to the Dusk Hall in Pangolais, the School of the Pale Sun trains the agents, emissaries, and shadowcallers marked for service beyond Nidal’s borders. The faculty is primarily Chelish, as most students require extensive instruction in the customs and mores of the wider world. The Pale Sun’s few Nidalese instructors— among them Headmistress Virexia of Pangolais (LE female human bard [archivistAPG] 7)—are there mainly to monitor for seditious activity and to educate the students about various less conspicuous ways of practicing the Midnight Lord’s faith wherever they tread. As at Nidal’s other great academies, admission is determined by divination, and the student body draws mainly from Pangolais and Ridwan. Its graduates are styled “of the Pale Sun.”
The town’s overseer is Helthir of the Midnight Citadel (LE male human inquisitorAPG 5), a true believer from an old Pangolais family. His primary undertaking is to ensure that the disorder and laxity of Nisroch does not spread eastward, and he uses a broad array of powers in pursuit of that goal. Monitoring visitors are a diverse roster of informers, who also search barges and carts. Only Nidal’s most important residents expect correspondence sent through Elith Lorin to remain private. The town’s insular fetchling community, generally concentrated on the north bank, is the only reliable refuge from Helthir’s denouncers, but it is just as suspicious of outsiders as the broader population.

忘痛田野 Fields of Pain’s Forgetting:在落荫森林深处有一大片田野,田野上长满了荧光蘑菇、白罂粟和其他起镇定和迷幻作用的植物——其中包括在奈多极为罕见的,有强力镇痛和肌肉松弛作用的剥皮叶(Flayleaf,见GMG毒品与成瘾)。种植在忘痛田野的植物都能制成某种成瘾性毒品,而其中大多数能缓和或解除痛楚。
这并非巧合。田野中一小部分的作物被后天染上了其他毒素,然后被故意散布到可疑的黑市商人手中,以方便阴影朝廷抓出那些试图躲避宗库松赠礼的软弱者和非信者。但大部分的毒品则会在净化后被送往阴影朝廷,再被分发到各地大小教堂和独立的酷刑室中。监管这一复杂流程的是主母栽培者( Mistress Cultivator)普雷利·黛特 Preali Dhat(中立女性窃影鬼ARG 4级炼金术师 APG/2级德鲁伊),她也代表阴影朝廷来裁定此地田野的财产分配与相关申请。主母脾气暴躁而精疲力竭,这大部分归功于她并未获得朝廷的成员资格。虽然她本人声称自己对宗库松十分虔诚,但即便精通炼金和栽培,缺乏宗教狂热意味着她很难再提高自己的政治地位。
剧透 -  原文:
Fields of Pain’s Forgetting: Hidden deep in the Ombrefell are fields of luminous mushrooms, white poppies, and other narcotic and hallucinogenic plants— including, unusually for Nidal, the powerful painkiller and muscle relaxant flayleaf. Every plant grown in the Fields of Pain’s Forgetting produces some form of addictive drug, and many of them dull or negate pain.
This is not accidental. A small portion of the fields’ harvest is tainted with secondary poisons and deliberately diverted to suspected black marketers, enabling the Umbral Court to find the weaklings and unbelievers who try to avoid Zon-Kuthon’s gifts. Most of the drugs, however, are purified and then sent to the Umbral Court for distribution to churches, cathedrals, and independent houses of torture. Overseeing this complex operation is Mistress Cultivator Preali Dhat (N female fetchlingARG alchemistAPG 4/ druid 2), who also adjudicates distribution from the fields and related requests on behalf of the Umbral Court. The mistress is grumpy and jaded, owing in large part to her lack of membership on the court, and though she professes piety in Zon-Kuthon, her lack of zeal means her political status is unlikely to change despite her considerable alchemical and cultivating talents.

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地区志:G~R(不含两座大城)
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高沃路口  Ghorvaul`s Crossing: 在硫磺河以东,一个被激流冲刷而成的小山谷中,有一条不太为人所知的小山路,它能穿越眩心山脉抵达摩尔苏恩。这条被称为高沃路口的山道被一只强大的生物所守卫着,它的年岁能与横扫阴影谷地的暗影风暴媲美,而危险性则更有甚至。
高沃路口是埃罗泰传述者(Speakers of the Ehrotai)的家,它是一只藏骸巨像(charnel colossus,PF战役设定:内海怪物 10)。在星陨之灾降下的数年后,古代埃罗泰部落(Ehrotai tribe)的遗民们不得不承认,自己无法在新生的废土中生存下去这一悲惨事实,而这尊巨像正是他们努力的扭曲结果。该部落的人民拒绝需求奈多人的庇护,因为本就相互敌对的两个部落间的仇恨,在奈多人屈服于宗库松之后达到了新的高度。埃罗泰部族深信,要侍奉这样一位主子,还不如痛快地接受死亡。
尽管如此,埃罗泰的人民并不希望自己部落的文化传承也和他们一起逝去,因此部族内的所有灵语者和萨满举行了一次集体自杀仪式,试图让他们的鬼魂成为存载部落人民记忆的容器。这是个好想法,但却没能获得好的结果。埃罗泰的长老们的心灵和身躯被骇人地混合在一起,形成了一只拥有海量肢体的怪物。他们的确保留下了自己的记忆与习俗,但这一切也被毁灭性的不死惧怖完全扭曲。
在漫长的岁月里,奈多人和埃罗泰传述者达成了某种协议。唤影者们会偶尔为藏骸巨像带来祭品——通常是智慧生物;每有一位不幸者沦为巨像的收藏品,他便允许奈多人向它提一个问题(通常是有关巨像观察到的情况,或是最近有谁穿越了高沃路口,但有时则涉及更古老的知识)
特别见识渊博的活祭品有时能换来多个提问机会或是更有深度的解答,而厌倦人世的宗库松信徒为了获得人生最后一份奇异体验而自愿受祭的情况也十分常见。
埃罗泰传述者并不忠于奈多,无论是谁,只要向他献上够格的祭品,他就愿意为对方提供相称的资讯——或者是,让对方平安通过山道。而没能上供的家伙,则必须得在山路口面对这位绝不留情的大敌。
剧透 -  原文:
Ghorvaul’s Crossing: East of the Sulfur River, in a valley carved by its swift waters, a smaller and lesser-known pass leads through the Mindspin Mountains into Molthune. Ghorvaul’s Crossing is guarded by a creature nearly as old as, and perhaps even more dangerous than, the shadowstorms that roll through the Umbral Basin.
Ghorvaul’s Crossing is home to the Speakers of the Ehrotai, a charnel colossus (Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Inner Sea Bestiary 10) created a few years after Earthfall, when the last of the Ehrotai tribe bowed to the truth that they could not survive in this harsh new world. These people refused to seek refuge with the Nidalese, as their long-standing enmity had taken on a bitter new intensity when the Nidalese surrendered to Zon-Kuthon. Death, the Ehrotai believed, was preferable to serving such a master.
They did not want their tribe’s traditions to die with them, however, and so the spirit-speakers and shamans of the Ehrotai gathered in a ritual suicide that was meant to enable their ghosts to preserve the memories of who their people had been. The intent was benign, but the result was not. The elders of the Ehrotai rose as a many-limbed monstrosity, their minds and bodies bound together in a hideous amalgam. They kept their memories and traditions, but perverted with the all-consuming horror of undeath.
Over the centuries, the Nidalese have reached an agreement with the Speakers of the Ehrotai. Shadowcallers bring occasional sacrifices—often of sentient beings—to the charnel colossus, who allows the Nidalese to ask it one question (usually pertaining to what the colossus has observed or who has passed through Ghorvaul’s Crossing recently, but sometimes relating to older lore) for each of the unfortunates thus added to its collective bulk. Particularly worldly victims occasionally merit multiple questions or more in-depth answers, and it is common for jaded Kuthites to volunteer for consumption in search of one last extraordinary experience.
The Speakers of the Ehrotai have no loyalty to Nidal, and the charnel colossus can be persuaded to accept the same bargain of information— or, alternatively, safe passage—to anyone who brings it an adequate sacrifice. Those who fail to pay tribute, however, find an implacable foe in the pass.

神血裂隙 Godsblood Crevasse:在瑞德旺东南方,泣泪之地的废土中,有一条深邃蛇行的狭长裂隙,猩红的浓烟从裂隙中升腾而起,几乎没过裂隙两侧的黑石墙。此地被称为神血裂隙,它得名于裂隙之下存量极丰的矿藏:一种名为鸽血红玉的宝石。奈多人已经开采这种红玉数百年,而矿脉依然没有枯竭的迹象,这让很多人相信,红玉矿并非自然生成,而是宗库松赐予其子民的神圣赠礼。因此,在奈多上流社会的时尚圈中,它是唯一一种能被认为是高品位和受蒙神护佑的有色宝石。
尽管如此,除了精良的品质外,这些石头并没显露出其他来自异界的特征。不过,裂隙本身毫无疑问带有魔法:其内的浓烟有强腐蚀性和毒性,能在仅仅数分钟内杀死一切活物。因此,奈多人使用炼金硬化处理过的骷髅来开采神血裂隙。看管这批骇人劳工的是艾利斯·洛林的葛伦达 Grenda of Elith Lorin(守序邪恶女性死墓骑士 B3 9级战士),一位凶猛的施虐者。她曾是午夜卫队的成员,在晋升入阴影朝廷之时选择把自己转化为一位死墓骑士(Graveknight B3)。
这些骷髅大多数来自于死者的自愿遗赠。宗库松信徒们允许市民们售卖他们死后的劳动力,这通常是将他们的遗体转化为骷髅或僵尸,在类似神血裂隙这类对生者而言过于恶劣的环境中进行工作。不过,哪怕是这些非生者劳工,在矿下的腐蚀烟气中也只能撑个几年乃至几个月,而当自愿馈赠的尸体供应不足时,矿区的看管者们会肆无忌惮地用各种途径搞出新骷髅。
剧透 -  原文:
Godsblood Crevasse: Southeast of Ridwan, in the hissing wastes of the Weeping Fields, is a deep, snaking fissure filled with crimson-tinged smoke that rises almost to the blackened stone walls on either side. Known as Godsblood Crevasse, it holds an unnaturally rich deposit of gems known locally as pigeon’s-blood rubies. The Nidalese have mined those rubies for centuries without exhausting the find, leading many to believe that the rubies are not natural stones but a divine gift from Zon-Kuthon to his people. As a result, the rubies are among the only colored gemstones that are considered a mark of high taste as well as divine favor when incorporated into Nidalese high fashion.
Even so, nothing beyond the fine quality of the stones betrays any hint of otherworldly origin. The crevasse itself, however, is undoubtedly magical: the smoke that fills it is so caustic and poisonous that it kills any living creature within minutes. Accordingly, the Nidalese use alchemically petrified skeletons to mine Godsblood Crevasse. Overseeing this unsettling labor force is Grenda of Elith Lorin (LE female graveknightB3 fighter 9), a vicious sadist and former Midnight Guard member who transformed into a graveknight upon her ascension to the Umbral Court.
Most of these skeletons are voluntarily bequeathed. The Kuthites allow citizens to sell their labor after death, which generally entails raising their remains as skeletons or zombies to work in environments that would be too hazardous for the living, such as Godsblood Crevasse. The caustic fog destroys even these unliving laborers after a few years or even months, however, and the mine’s overseers are unscrupulous about how they secure new skeletons when their supply of volunteered corpses runs low.

灰叶潭 Grayfrond :在乌斯克湖西岸附近,湖水流入乌斯克河的地方,有一处深幽的水潭,潭水古怪地寒冷,而周围的植物也因寒霜而枯萎。渔民们偶尔会报告称看到了潭水深处有冰块在闪烁,虽然这些报告常被当成是醉汉的胡话或是发光潭水造成的错觉,但它们所言非虚:的确有一片冰封的小领地深藏在水面之下。
这片小领地是奇娅卢克 Kialuk 的家,她是一只爪鲁皮卢克水怪(qallupilluk B4 224),在为一个被窃走的儿童而与其姐妹们大打出手后,她被逐出了北方的故乡。受伤而绝望的奇娅卢克逃向南方,一路受尽当地人的敌意与驱赶,直到她最终抵达了乌斯克湖,被迫在此地过于温暖的湖水中搭了个不宜居住的小屋。幸好奇娅卢克难得地遇到了一队信仰宗库松的旅行商人,并在和他们搭讪的时候偷了几箱冻结剂(Liquid Ice UE),这足以让她在很长一段时间内把自己的小屋降至更为舒适的温度。奇娅卢克狡猾的举止,以及她天生暴躁的脾气,吓得湖中更弱的居民们俯首称臣,包括一些食人海怪(merrow)和水生巨魔(scrag)。奇娅卢克接受了她水潭女王的新角色,但她担心等到自己越用越少的冻结剂全部用光的时候,过于温暖的环境会迫使她寻找新的巢穴。为了尽可能维持现状,奇娅卢克已经开始派手下前往森林与河中,寻找能让她的冰封环境更为持久的任何物品或人物。
奇娅卢克
剧透 -  原文:
Grayfrond: Near the western edge of Usk Lake, where the lake outflows to the Usk River, is a deeper basin where the water is curiously cold and the surrounding vegetation is frost blighted. Fisherfolk occasionally report seeing ice glimmering in the depths, and though this is widely dismissed as a drunkard’s folly or a trick of the luminous water, they are correct: there is a frozen fiefdom deep beneath the waves.
This is the home of Kialuk, a qallupilluk (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 4 224) exiled from her northern homeland after a vicious fight with her sisters over a stolen child. Injured and desperate, Kialuk fled south, driven onward by hostile locals until she finally reached Usk Lake. There she built a miserable hovel in the lake’s too-warm waters, only slightly improved when Kialuk accosted an unlikely party of traveling Kuthite merchants and stole several crates of liquid ice (Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Equipment 108), enabling her to freeze her hovel to a more comfortable temperature for the foreseeable future. This display of cunning, combined with Kialuk’s naturally irascible personality, has cowed the lake’s lesser inhabitants, including several merrows and scrags. Kialuk has taken to her newfound role as a lake queen, but she fears that when her dwindling supply of liquid ice runs out, the warm environment will force her to find a new lair. Desperate to keep her status quo, Kialuk has begun sending minions into the forest and down the rivers in search of anything—or anyone—who could make her frozen environment more permanent

碎梦堂 Hall to the Broken Dream:这座令人不安的要塞位于眩心山脉南部,外貌如同由固体的阴影所建成。它的深灰色墙体怪异地朦胧不清,而少数一瞥此地的当地人则流传着此地在残忍链魔看守下的各色怪诞仪式的传言。更多关于碎梦堂的信息,请见47页。
剧透 -  原文:
Hall to the Broken Dream: This unsettling fortress in the southern Mindspin Mountains appears to have been hewn from solid shadow. Its deep gray walls are strangely blurry, and the few locals to have glimpsed the place tell stories about strange rituals taking place under the watch of cruel kytons. For more information about the Hall to the Broken Dream, see page 47.

赫斯皮里克庄园 Hesperix Manor:在瑞德旺东北方,阴影谷地的边口处,有一座荒凉的灰色庄园建筑,它遵从着一世纪以前,前特鲁恩时期的切利亚斯建筑风格,每一处构型都符合几何美学,充满了对称之美。这便是赫斯皮里克庄园,它曾是切利亚斯外交官佩里维尔·赫斯皮里克(Perivill Hesperix)的家,他在切利亚斯公民战争后已被抄家灭族。此后,该地的产权便回到阴影朝廷手中,但这座极其偏远而又衰败了数十年的庄园对朝廷成员而言可谓鸡肋。然而三十年前,帕格莱斯的塞勒芬 Celefin of Pangolais(守序邪恶女性半精灵15级法师),一位退休的阴影特工,买下了这座庄园,至今仍居住于此。
塞勒芬是贝勒维斯主义的公开支持者(见14页),她深信,能承受真正痛苦、献上真正虔诚的宗库松信徒,来自于生者之领域。这在当前的阴影朝廷圈子中并非流行的观点,因为朝廷中有着不少高等级不死成员。因此,尽管多年来不断申请,但塞勒芬从未能获准从阴影特工晋升为阴影朝廷的正式成员。当看清自己晋升之途上的政治阻力在有生之年内都不会消失之后,塞勒芬选择从政务中全身而退,满怀怨怼地在赫斯皮里克庄园中开始退休生活。
在隐退的三十年间,塞勒芬一心投入到研究和传播对抗不死生物的战术与武器的工作中。她定期发表该领域的论文,并在论文中使用假名和委托第三方转载稿件来隐藏身份,并与一批有着相同兴趣的外国法莱斯玛和莎伦莱信徒建立了难得一见的合作关系。
阴影朝廷有留意到她的行为,但他们选择视而不见,因为塞勒芬事实上并没有触犯奈多法律,其人又足够忠诚和强大,朝廷不值得为了强力谴责她而惹出一堆麻烦。不过,朝廷中也有一部分不那么宽容的成员,他们很乐意见到塞勒芬因鲁莽行事而受罚。
剧透 -  原文:
Hesperix Manor: Northeast of Ridwan, on the lip of the Umbral Basin, stands a lonely gray manor built in the pre-Thrune Chelish style of a century ago, all geometric forms and graceful symmetries. This is Hesperix Manor, once the home of the Chelish diplomat Perevill Hesperix, whose family lost their home and their lives after the Chelish Civil War. Ownership of the property then reverted to the Umbral Court, whose members had little use for such an out-of-the-way manor and in whose care it languished for decades. Thirty years ago, however, the formal Umbral agent Celefin of Pangolais (LE female half-elf wizard 15) purchased the manor, and it has served as her home ever since.
Celefin is a vocal adherent of the Belevais Doctrine (see page 14) and believes that true Kuthite suffering, and therefore worship, is the domain of the living. This is not a popular view in certain circles of the Umbral Court, which includes several high-ranking undead members. Thus, despite years of petitioning, Celefin was never promoted from Umbral agent to full-ranking member of the Umbral Court. When it became clear that the political opposition to her candidacy would not lessen within her lifetime, Celefin withdrew from governmental service altogether and retired to Hesperix Manor in disgust.
In the 3 decades since her retirement, Celefin has devoted her energies to researching and disseminating strategies and weapons that can be used against the undead. She regularly publishes treatises on the subject, using a false name and relaying the manuscripts through intermediaries, and has struck up an unlikely correspondence with a number of Pharasmins and Sarenites in other countries who share her interest.
The Umbral Court is aware of her activities but chooses to ignore them, as Celefin is not actually flouting Nidalese law and is of sufficient loyalty and power that any forceful reprimand would be too troublesome to be worthwhile. However, there are several individual members of the court who take a less charitable view and who would gladly see Celefin punished for her temerity.

谎言之屋 House of Lies: 这座位于乌斯克森林西北部、不断向外扩建的要塞型宅邸俯瞰着整条乌斯科河。由说书人和江湖骗子组成的,被称为谎言公会的松散组织占据着这里,他们每五年会在此地相聚一堂,参加一场比拼各自谎言高下的定期比赛。谎言之屋建成于文化开放的影碎时期,但与许多其他同时期的事物不同,阴影朝廷允许了谎言之屋延续至今。更多关于谎言之屋,请见48页。
剧透 -  原文:
House of Lies: A sprawling, fortresslike estate overlooking the Usk River in the northwestern Uskwood houses the so-called Guild of Liars, a loose society of storytellers and con artists that gathers every 5 years to regale each other in a competition of untruths. The House of Lies was founded during the Shadowbreak’s period of cultural openness, but unlike many other such endeavors, the Umbral Court has allowed this one to stand. For more information about the House of Lies, see page 48.

冰拱桥村 Icebow Bridge:尽管有着古色古香的幽黑风景,冰拱桥村之所以能为人称道却仅有一个原因:该村内有一座无光图书馆(the Library Without Light),一座收藏了各种当年阿兹兰特和瑟西隆难民们带入奈多的前星陨年代书籍文本的图书馆。这些文本并未按特定题材或地点进行分类;它们仅仅是一叠叠接近随机摆放的书籍、地图、记录和卷轴,它们都是原主人当年从随身财产中挑选出来的,自认为最值得流传到后世的物品。
因此,无光图书馆有着由上百种语言著成的各色藏书,其中很多语言早已在岁月中消亡,而其内容也极其广泛,从尘封的宗教仪式、到千万年前的贵族家谱,不一而足。它还收藏了未因星陨而分裂的大陆地图,以及大量早已灭绝的生物的求偶习性和生育方式的记录。实际上,图书馆内没有任何有关于当代世界的内容,因为哪怕来自古代先知最精准最长远的预言记录,也因奥罗登逝去、预言破灭之年到来而化为废纸。
尽管缺乏与时俱进,无光图书馆仍吸引了来自世界各地的探索者和学者,因为其文本记录中包含了许多过去看似琐碎无关的细节,为后世研究当代谜团之人提供了重要的线索。更重要的是,它是能提供前星陨时代诸帝国准确地图的极少数来源之一,有经验的学者可以从中推算出各种古代地点如今所在何方。来自奈多国内外的无数学者都试图申请进入无光图书馆进行研究。不过,他们都必须得到此地书籍的管理者,大师图书管理员(Master Librarian)黑尔·克拉格斯 Hale Craggox(中立邪恶男性人类4级调查员ACG/2级法师)的批准,后者掌管着在此地工作的大批助手和学徒。
由于无光图书馆中所蕴含的知识财富,也由于图书馆吸引了各种熟知外部世界知识的外国来客(他们有时还被要求支付在图书馆中有偿寻书服务的费用),有抱负的阴影特工和阴影朝廷成员们都将把冰拱桥村的职位视为美差。此地通常会驻扎有至少一位朝廷正式成员和三到四位特工,而与此相应,当地住宿和生活水平也要比同规模的村庄更高。
无光图书馆
剧透 -  原文:
Icebow Bridge: The village of Icebow Bridge, though quaint and darkly scenic, is unremarkable except for its single claim to fame: it holds the Library Without Light, a collection of pre-Earthfall texts that the fleeing survivors of Azlant and Thassilon carried with them into Nidal. The writings are not organized around any specific topic or locale; they are simply a near-random assortment of books, maps, records, and scrolls selected solely on the basis that their original owners felt that these, above all their other possessions, were most worth preserving for posterity.
Accordingly, the Library Without Light is written in a hundred different languages, most of which have been dead for centuries, and covers subjects ranging from obscure religious rituals to genealogies of noble houses that ceased to exist millennia ago. It holds maps of continents shattered beyond recognition in Earthfall and detailed notations on the mating habits and migration patterns of species that have been extinct for ages. Virtually nothing in the library pertains to anything recognizable in the world today, since even the farthest-sighted predictions of its ancient seers were negated when Aroden’s death put an end to reliable prophecy on Golarion.
Despite its lack of immediate relevance to the modern world, the Library Without Light draws seekers and scholars from far-flung lands, for its records contain many details, seemingly trivial or irrelevant at the time, that are of great significance to people chasing clues about present mysteries. Moreover, it is one of the few sources for accurate maps of pre-Earthfall empires, and skillful scholars can extrapolate present-day locations from the old ones. Scholars from across Nidal and even beyond petition to study at the Library Without Light. No one, however, is permitted access to the library without the express approval of Master Librarian Hale Craggox (NE male human investigatorACG 4/wizard 2), the arbitrator of its records, who has an enormous staff of acolytes and apprentices at his command.
Because of the wealth of knowledge contained in the Library Without Light, and because the library draws foreign visitors who can be plumbed for knowledge about the outside world and sometimes persuaded to pay for assistance in navigating the library’s collections, Icebow Bridge is considered a desirable posting for ambitious Umbral agents and members of the Umbral Court. It usually hosts at least one full member of the Umbral Court and three or four agents, and the quality of its lodgings and amenities is correspondingly higher than one might expect from a village of its size.

伊洛戈斯修道院 Irogath Monastery:伊洛戈斯修道院是在眩心山脉山脚的岩壁中凿刻而成,它是一处宗库松苦行僧的静居所,已经有数千年的历史。从此地出师的痂痕僧(scarred monk,PF战役设定:惊惧之地 12-13)在全奈多都赫赫有名,使得伊洛戈斯修道院的名气也随之传播开来。
修道院由凿刻入山侧的数十个相互连通的洞室组成,各洞室之间有的是上下相连,有的则靠普通的房门作为出入口。其外侧的洞室遵循极简主义而设计,以空无一物的陈设来鼓励门徒保持禁欲淡薄之心,坚定地面对生命之苦痛。阅读室中没有书桌或读经台,只有光秃秃的长凳,因为修道院中书籍所蕴含的智慧注定要经过一番苦功煎熬才能为人吸收。卧室中有从墙体上雕刻出的凹穴,但坚硬的窝穴中并未铺上软席;食物尽管精致,但分量却很少。许多房间中流淌着冰凉的水流,它们引自于山脉的融雪,并通过层层动力装置将激流转变为光照、钢铁与流水相互相成的夺目陈设。
修道院全年都会迎来大群的信仰宗库松的游客,但他们仅被允许参观外侧的洞室。只有那些真正想测试自己是否能掌控痛苦与恐惧之人才会向修道院的领袖,主母(Mistress)痂纹者梅琳达 Merinda the Striped(守序邪恶女性人类8级武僧【痂痕僧】)申请进入内侧的洞室。据说,无论申请者嘴上说得多动听,或是使用何种魔法增强,只要主母梅琳达和他四目对视,就能看破他对宗库松到底有几分忠诚几分亵渎。
根据传闻,伊洛戈斯修道院的内测洞室可以被分离到半空、封入伸手不见五指的黑暗、注满水火有毒蒸汽,或是其他致命的操作。某些洞室的地板被换成了一条条供人行走的刺链,刺链之下即是无底深渊。据说,更深处的洞窟中居住着前任试练者们的活体残躯,他们在痛苦与嫉妒中发狂,试图击毁新来的挑战者们。
没有人公开地谈及熬过这般险境之后到底能获得什么奖赏。那些通过修道院试炼之人都曾发誓永不提及此事。不过,只要是背上烙有刺链形状的伊洛戈斯痂印之人,总会表现出超凡的刚猛与坚毅本领,因此修道院门前总不缺少一心向道的朝圣者。
剧透 -  原文:
Irogath Monastery: Carved into the lower reaches of the Mindspin Mountains stands Irogath Monastery, a retreat for Kuthite ascetics dating back thousands of years. Many of its students have won renown across Nidal as scarred monks (Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Horror Realms 12–13), spreading the Irogath Monastery’s fame.
The monastery consists of dozens of interlocking chambers chiseled into the mountainside, opening as often from above or below as by standard doors. Its outer chambers are designed with minimalist purity to encourage stoicism and the unflinching contemplation of life’s sufferings. The reading rooms have neither desks nor lecterns; only bare benches, for the knowledge contained in the monastery’s books is meant to be discomfiting to absorb. Bedrooms have alcoves cut into the walls but no pallets to soften them, and the food is exquisite but served in tiny portions. Icy water flows through many rooms, channeled from the mountain’s snowmelt and diverted through layered kinetic sculptures that transform the streams into dazzling displays of light, steel, and water.
Kuthite visitors flock here throughout the year but are not permitted to venture beyond the outer chambers. Only those who wish to truly test their mastery over pain and fear petition the monastery’s leader, Mistress Merinda the Striped (LE female human monk [scarred monk] 8) to enter the inner chambers. It’s said Mistress Merinda can look into the eyes of a petitioner and immediately know her devotions to Zon-Kuthon and heresies, regardless of the hopeful’s arguments or any augmenting magic.
According to rumor, the inner chambers of the Irogath Monastery can be cut off from air, sealed into pitch darkness, flooded with water or noxious vapors, or otherwise made lethal. Some have lattices of spiked chains strung over abysses instead of solid floors. In deeper caverns, it is said, the maimed but living remains of previous contenders, maddened by agony and envy, try to tear down newer challengers.
No one speaks publicly of what, exactly, the reward for braving such hazards might be. Those who pass the monastery’s trials are sworn to silence on the matter. Yet those who bear the spiked-chain Irogath brand on their backs have performed such extraordinary feats of fierceness and fortitude that the monastery never lacks for aspirants making the pilgrimage to its doors.

影人村 Kayalhi: 影人村的约175位居民几乎全都是窃影鬼,让这座村庄在奈多显得独一无二,因为其他地区的影人通常散布在较大的城市中,以数家组成的小团体为单位居住在一起(更多关于奈多窃影鬼的信息请见8页)。造访影人村的人类都会被投以警惕的目光,或是受到更加露骨的怀疑。影人村的窃影鬼们享受着令人惊奇的平静而幸福的生活,这很大程度上归功于村落的贫瘠与自给自足的观念。
有趣的是,村内的窃影鬼并不特别虔诚,也没有向帕格莱斯表忠或迁就奈多人类的意愿。当然在极少数时候,阴影朝廷的严厉目光也会盯上他们,或是领走当地儿童回去效力。小村牢固的政治地位来自于影人村的大总管(Chancellor)泽尔维斯 Zelvith(守序中立女性老年窃影鬼 ARG 4级催眠师 OA,她定期造访奈多首都,向阴影朝廷歌功颂德,展现影人村对国家的忠诚,为了保护自己的村民远离宗库松信徒的威胁,她几乎会做出一切可做之事。
大多数窃影鬼村民并不能意识到,大总管为确保可怕命运永不降至于村落之上,做出了何等牺牲与艰难抉择。这份忽视对大总管而言是一种激励,她本人甚少提及自己在国都目睹的种种惧怖。事实上,除了外交游说,泽尔维斯还经营着由匿名驻外人士组成的精英人脉网络,其主要目的就是传回能维护影人村安全的有用信息。然而,再过不久,年迈的泽尔维斯就得寻找她的接任人,以免村落的命运在她去世后落入毁灭的旋涡。
无论这迫在眉睫的危机是否能解决,全奈多的窃影鬼都知道影人村的存在,并以此为荣。最近几十年里,大多数奈多主要村镇和城市中都建立了不注目的酒馆或其他聚居地,它们在非正式场合被称为“影人街”(the local kayalhi)。在这里,窃影鬼们可以获得饮食,以及和同族一起自在地享受时光。影人的婚礼、新生儿庆祝、周年聚会、以及追悼仪式,通常都会在当地的影人街举行。
影人街还充当着当地窃影鬼社群的重要经济和社会支柱,以及珍贵的流言集散地。各种关于阴影朝廷的镇压、可能会惹出麻烦的当地迷信者,或是其他潜在的有用或危险的传闻得以迅速在窃影鬼中蔓延开来,而其藤蔓之根源便是各地的影人街。
剧透 -  原文:
Kayalhi: Nearly all of the approximately 175 residents of Kayalhi are fetchlings, making this village unique in Nidal, where the kayal otherwise tend to live in small, tight-knit families spread throughout larger cities (see page 8 for more information about fetchlings in Nidal). Here, visiting humans are viewed with a wary eye, if not outright suspicion. The fetchlings of Kayalhi enjoy a surprisingly peaceful and prosperous existence, in no small part thanks to the village’s hardscrabble and selfsufficient outlook.
Perhaps curiously, the village’s fetchlings are not particularly pious, and they show no ambition of impressing Pangolais or appeasing the human Nidalese. Still, the severe gaze of the Umbral Court rarely turns upon them or seeks its children for service. The village’s solid political status is the work of Kayalhi’s Chancellor Zelvith (LN female old fetchlingARG mesmeristOA 4), who travels to the Nidalese capital regularly to sing the Umbral Court’s praises, present evidence of Kayalhi’s loyalty to the state, and generally do everything she can to keep her people safe from the Kuthites.
Most of the village’s fetchlings think little about the sacrifices and hard decisions the chancellor makes to ensure that harrowing fates never befall the settlement. The chancellor herself encourages this perception, and she speaks little about the horrors she’s seen in the nation’s capital. In reality, in addition to her diplomatic lobbying, Zelvith runs an elite network of anonymous spies stationed abroad, and it is primarily this flow of useful intelligence that keeps Kayalhi safe. Soon, however, the elderly Zelvith will need to find a replacement to bear her responsibilities, lest the village’s fate be left spiraling toward certain doom.
No matter the resolution to this impending dilemma, however, fetchlings across Nidal know of Kayalhi and take pride in its existence. In recent decades, most major towns and cities have established an inconspicuous tavern or other gathering place informally called “the local kayalhi.” Here, fetchlings can eat, drink, and be at ease among their own kind. Kayal weddings, new-baby celebrations, anniversary parties, and memorial services are often held at the local kayalhi.
Local kayalhis also serve as a crucial economic and social support for the fetchling community, and they serve as valuable clearinghouses for gossip. Information about Umbral Court crackdowns, superstitious locals who might make trouble, or other potentially helpful or dangerous tidbits are swiftly passed through the fetchling grapevine, which has its deepest roots in the local kayalhi.

失落小屋 Lost Lodge : 数百年前,一个小型黛丝娜秘教团曾在乌斯克森林深处建立了一个秘密据点,他们使用了遮掩建筑的神秘仪式(veil structure OA),将其隐藏在漆黑森林中四处追捕他们的白化德鲁伊的眼皮底下。这里存放着有关他们信仰的珍贵文物,以及补给品、武器,和他们能找到的所有关于自己信仰宗库松敌人们的计划与弱点之信息。
尽管这些黛丝娜教徒的谨慎使得小屋本身不被人发现,但在宗库松信徒们多年的追捕中,他们自己要么被彻底摧毁,要么被迫找地方隐藏自己。当最后一位黛丝娜密教团的成员死去后,他们的安全屋便彻底不知所踪,因为再没有旁人可以看到它。对不知晓小屋的人而言,这个地方看上去仅仅是一片林中空地。
为了防止日后有黛丝娜信徒重返失落小屋,乌斯克森林的的德鲁伊们在他们推测出的小屋所在地附近,设下了一巢死亡之网(deathsweb B3 65)以及其他寿元无尽的守卫,让它们潜伏在附近的森林中。但随着岁月流逝安全屋的存在本身已被人遗忘,而德鲁伊们也将目光投向了其他领域。
如今,失落小屋几乎完全从历史中消失,宗库松信徒们已煞费苦心地将其从各类记录文书中剔除。仅有的一些记载存留于某些散落的文本中,以及存放在帕格莱斯智慧体现大教堂(Cathedral of Embodied Wisdom)中某段受困的记忆中。就连乌斯克森林德鲁伊也不再记得死亡之网在森林这片地区肆虐的缘由,而其余的守卫更是被彻底遗忘。
剧透 -  原文:
Lost Lodge: Centuries ago, a small cult of Desnans built a secret lodge in the depths of the Uskwood, using a ritual of veil structure (Pathfinder RPG Occult Adventures 214) to conceal it from the albino druids who hunted them in that dark wood. Precious relics of their faith were stored there, as well as supplies, weapons, and all the information they could find on the plans and vulnerabilities of their Kuthite foes. Despite their caution, which protected the lodge itself from discovery, the Kuthites tracked the Desnan cultists down and, over several years, either destroyed or forced them into hiding. When the last of the Desnans died, their safe house fell into obscurity, for there was no one left who could see it. To the eyes of the uninitiated, the site appeared to be merely empty forest.
To prevent any future Desnans from returning to the Lost Lodge, the Uskwood druids set a nest of deathwebs (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 3 65) and other ageless guardians to dwell in the forest where they believed the lodge to be. As the years went by, however, the safe house’s very existence was forgotten, and the druids turned their attention to other matters.
Today, the Lost Lodge is almost completely unknown to history, for the Kuthites have taken pains to strike it from their record books. Only a few mentions survive in scattered writings and in a single trapped memory in the Cathedral of Embodied Wisdom in Pangolais. Even the Uskwood druids no longer remember why the deathwebs haunt that part of their forest, and all other guardians have been forgotten entirely.

无月之镜 Moonliess Mirror: 在一处能俯瞰尼斯罗切湾的悬崖上,嵌有一面闪闪发光的半圆形水晶版,大小约为25尺见方,水晶内翻腾着黑暗,就像是一锅沸腾的沥青。这块水晶被称为无月之镜,是永恒战争早期的一处遗物。当年切利亚斯的海军看到船队前方的峭壁上开启了一个通向影界的传送门,并认为这是来自奈多方面的某种防御。海军的法师们用反制法术和防护系法术轰炸了这个传送门,当奥术攻势停息后,他们看到一块闪光的半圆形晶体镶嵌在了轰炸过后的悬崖边。
火力全开的切利亚斯法师们成功遏制了传送门,但这夺目的动静引来了好奇的油舌者以索台(Yisaothai the Oil-Tongued),一只幽影领主黑暗娜迦(shadow lord dark naga,B4 238,B1 211),他在无月之镜对侧的影界开辟了一片领地,并潜伏至今。它会向任何路过的凡人低声许诺,只要对方能破坏这面挡道的镜子,他就会给予对方力量与财富。至今为止,还没有人接受以索台的交易,不过一位年轻渔夫威尔登 Wyldon(中立男性人类1级专家)非常想试一试——这位失恋而身无分文的年轻人渴望赢得当地一位美女的好感。
再过不久,娜迦可能甚至不用威尔登帮忙就能进入物质界。无月之镜的水晶不因时光流逝而减损,但它周围的峭壁可不一样,数百年来的海水侵蚀已经给周围岩石足够多伤害,使得镜体一天比一天更为摇摇欲坠。
油舌者以索台
剧透 -  原文:
Moonless Mirror: High in the cliffs overlooking Nisroch Bay is a gleaming crystal pane, slightly domed and easily 25 feet in diameter, behind which darkness seethes like a pot of boiling pitch. Known as the Moonless Mirror, this is a relic of the early days of the Everwar, when Chelish naval forces saw a portal to the Shadow Plane open in the cliffs before them and assumed it was some Nidalese defense. Naval wizards bombarded it with counterspells and abjurations, and when their arcane assault ended, they saw the glimmering half-circle embedded in the blasted cliffside.
The Chelish wizards’ fusillade successfully contained the portal, but the dazzling display drew the curiosity of Yisaothai the Oil-Tongued, a shadow lord dark naga (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 4 238, Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 211), who carved out a fiefdom on the Shadow Plane behind the Moonless Mirror and has lurked there ever since, whispering to any mortal who passes by with promises of power and wealth if only someone would break the mirror that holds him back. No one has taken Yisaothai’s bargain yet, but a young fisherman named Wyldon (N male human expert 1)—being lovelorn, penniless, and desperate to win the affections of a local beauty—has been sorely tempted to try.
Soon, the naga may not even need Wyldon to escape. The Moonless Mirror’s crystal is impervious to age, but the surrounding cliffside is not, and centuries of erosion have damaged the surrounding rock enough that the mirror shakes looser every day.

夜缚者码头 Nightbinder`s Wharf :就在尼斯罗切城外,有一处故意种满了黑叶树木以阻挡城中视线的地区。这便是夜缚者码头,一处被特意加固过的港湾,耐多的唤影者和其他特工会从这里乘坐外国船只,以进行境外任务。某些拥有影化或强大动物伙伴的奈多德鲁伊也会接到来自有钱的金主、阴影朝廷的成员、甚至来自国外政要的任务,并参与到某些境外的特殊工作中;他们的恐怖名声和魔法在国外可谓是巨大的优势。
大多数提供此类合约的外国人来自切利亚斯,他们要么是特鲁恩政权的特使,要么是希望能给自己事业或个人安全提供不一样保障的有财国民个体。尽管很少其他政府能同时保有招揽奈多裔打手的途径和欲望,偶尔也会出现此类暗中交易。但大体上,夜缚者码头的非切利亚斯造访者通常是些个人或私人组织,要是他们当地政府得知了这些人的计划,很大几率高兴不起来。
正因为此,也因为奈多官方派遣的任务明显要求高度保密,夜缚者码头才被建于尼斯罗切城外,以隔绝来自外部的窥视。阴影朝廷在此地附近维持着严密的暗中监视,所有踏入此地的潜在间谍——以及无辜百姓——都会落得人间蒸发的下场。
剧透 -  原文:
Nightbinder’s Wharf: Just outside Nisroch, screened from the city’s view by strategically planted stands of black-leaved trees, is Nightbinder’s Wharf: a fortified quay where Nidalese shadowcallers and other agents board foreign ships for service abroad. Some Nidalese druids with shadowy or powerful animal companions take commissions from wealthy benefactors, members of the Umbral Court, or even foreign dignitaries to participate in special assignments abroad where their fearsome reputations and magics are of great advantage.
Most foreigners who offer such contracts are Chelish, either emissaries of House Thrune or wealthy private citizens seeking an unusual edge in business or personal security. Few other governments have both the means and the desire to use Nidalese enforcers, although occasional clandestine arrangements do occur. In general, however, non-Chelish visitors to Nightbinder’s Wharf are individuals or private organizations whose governments might not be happy to learn of their plans.
Because of this, and because even the governmentally sanctioned operations have obvious security concerns, Nightbinder’s Wharf is located outside Nisroch to insulate its activities from prying eyes. The Umbral Court maintains tight secrecy around the location, and would-be spies—as well as innocent people who stumble into the area unknowingly—tend to vanish without a trace.

尼斯罗切 Nisroch: 阴沉而被咸风侵染的尼斯罗切可能是奈多诸城中最为无趣、最多禁忌的城市,这很大程度上是由于它作为奈多主要港口以及外国人入境点的角色。阴影朝廷为此有选择性地强化了尼斯罗切的某些特质,在外国人心目中制造出奈多与奈多人极为怪诞可怖的夸张印象,以阻止这些入境者长期逗留在奈多,或是干预其运作。尼斯罗切又被称为阴影之喉(the Maw of Shadow),其城中贫富差异极其悬殊,雄伟的乌斯克河将富人区幽暗华贵的别墅与穷人荒芜的棚屋分割开来。更多关于这座残暴而又充满活力的城市,以及其全景地图,请见PF战役设定:格拉利昂的城市 34-43页。
剧透 -  原文:
Nisroch: Gloomy, salt-stained Nisroch is perhaps the most joyless and forbidding of Nidal’s cities, in large part because it is the primary port and point of access for foreigners. As such, the Umbral Court selectively fosters certain aspects of Nisroch to create a grotesque and nightmarishly exaggerated impression of the nation and its people, thereby deterring outsiders from lingering in Nidal or interfering with its workings. Known as the Maw of Shadow, Nisroch is deeply divided along economic lines, with the mighty Usk River separating the darkly graceful villas of the rich from the desolate hovels of the poor. For more information about this brutal and teeming city, including a full-page map, see pages 34–43 of Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Cities of Golarion.

落荫森林 Ombrefell : 在阿特伦牧区以南,乌斯克森林以北,落荫森林的漆黑枝叶广泛分布于奈多的这片区域。与乌斯克森林相比,这座古老而暗藏阴影之森林的名气相对更小且更不骇人,但它也同样蕴含了属于自己的远古器物和危险。索斯克里克族(Xoskerik)的阴影巨人在此已经居住了数千年,和他们一同的还有森林龙兽(forest drake),险恶的精类,以及来自乌斯克森林的小型德鲁伊代表团。
落荫森林内的主要地点包括索斯·希尔(见36页),忘痛田野(见19页),以及翠绿铸造厂(见40页)。
剧透 -  原文:
Ombrefell: South of the Atteran Ranches and north of the Uskwood, the Ombrefell spreads its dark boughs across a wide swath of Nidal. This old and shadowed forest is smaller and less fearsome in reputation than the Uskwood, but it harbors relics and dangers of its own. The Xoskerik shadow giants have made their home here for millennia, as have forest drakes, malevolent fey, and a small delegation of druids from the Uskwood.
 Notable locations in the Ombrefell include Soth-Silir (see page 36), the Fields of Pain’s Forgetting (see page 19), and the Viridian Forge (see page 40).

欧若罗码头 Orolo`s Quay: 欧若罗码头曾经是一处繁忙的港口小镇,但由于瓦瑞西亚海岸边新建的定居点,此处在多年前遭到废弃,逐渐年久失修而无人问津。自那以后已经过去了数百年,曾经固守着小镇的切利亚斯要塞也已破败不堪,大部分沦为了海鸥和走私者的居所。
这群走私者的现任头目是布罗沃斯·鸥舌 Brovos Gulltongue(混乱中立男性半兽人6级拳师ACG,一位粗鲁但狡猾的瓦瑞西亚海盗。由于他从谜语港到玛格尼玛一路上招惹了太多仇家,比起继续呆在瓦瑞西亚湾,逃入奈多并向午夜领主献上点肤浅的虔诚似乎更加安全。如今,布罗沃斯和他的帮派(它有个极富创意的帮名“群鸥 Gulls”,这个名字既得布罗沃斯中意,又能起到迅速群嘲的效果)管理着此地下等贱民的走私生意,他们主要是将食品和酒类非法运入奈多,把稀罕的毒品和货物运出去。
偶尔,布罗沃斯也会接手走私人口的生意(如果价格够高,且有人能让他相信奈多当局不会盯得太紧),不过要是让他冒着打翻自己在欧若罗码头不牢靠的安乐窝的风险,或是叫他干可能会惹怒阴影朝廷的事,他是一万个不愿意。那些想寻求祂帮助的人最好得先认真编一个能引人同情的故事。布罗沃斯有一个软肋,他会帮助逃跑的奴隶和有需要的长者,因为他总有点想当个人民英雄。这个海盗还爱听别人的奉承,他总把自己当成个少妇杀手,但又丝毫不改自己用餐时爱把沾满泥巴的靴子翘到餐桌上的习惯,以及对一边吃生鱼、一边痛饮谜语港蝎子朗姆酒的喜爱(这份礼物和一个好故事几乎一样能赢得布罗沃斯的好感)。
然而,走私者和法外徒并非欧若罗卯兔的唯一危险。除了当地的鲨鱼和毒水母以外,旧港口的水下废墟中还住着一群摄人螺(Incutilis B4 157)。他们偶尔会逮住落单的走私者和难民以充当自己的僵尸。由于任何法外徒定居点中都充斥着无故失踪与暴力,至今为止无人注意到任何有关摄人螺袭击的异常。这群恐怖的水生生物谨慎地仅在夜间或在起浓厚海雾的白天里发起袭击,因此还没有人在看清这群僵尸之后还能逃跑传讯。
剧透 -  原文:
Orolo’s Quay: A derelict town that once served as a bustling seaport, Orolo’s Quay fell into disrepair and neglect with the settlement of coastal Varisia. Centuries have passed since then, and the crumbling Chelish fortress that once anchored the town has largely been abandoned to seabirds and smugglers.
The current leader of those smugglers is Brovos Gulltongue (CN male half-orc brawlerACG 6), a crude but cunning Varisian pirate who made so many enemies from Riddleport to Magnimar that fleeing to Nidal and paying superficial obeisance to the Midnight Lord seemed safer than staying in the Varisian Gulf. Today, Brovos and his gang (creatively named “the Gulls,” a name which Brovos is quite fond of and is quick to pummel people for mocking) oversee a ragtag operation that mostly smuggles illicit food and liquor into Nidal and rare drugs and oddities out.
Occasionally, if the price is high enough and he can be persuaded that the Nidalese authorities won’t look too closely, Brovos smuggles people as well, but he dislikes taking risks that might upset his comfortable but precarious perch in Orolo’s Quay or draw the ire of the Umbral Court. Those who seek his aid are well advised to hone a sympathetic story first. Brovos has a soft spot for helping runaway slaves and the needy elderly, since he fancies himself a bit of a people’s hero. He’s also susceptible to flattery, and the pirate considers himself a ladies’ man, notwithstanding his habit of propping his muddy-booted feet on the dinner table and his fondness for eating live fish chased with swigs of Riddleport scorpion rum (a gift that works almost as well as a good story in winning Brovos’s favor).
Smugglers and outlaws are not the only dangers in Orolo’s Quay, however. In addition to local sharks and venomous jellyfish, a colony of incutilises (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 4 157) has made its home amid the submerged ruins of the old harbor. They occasionally seize isolated smugglers and refugees to use as zombies. Unexplained disappearances and random violence are hardly unheard of in any outlaws’ settlement, and so far no one has noticed anything unusual to indicate the incutilis attacks. The aquatic horrors are careful to strike only at night or on days masked by heavy sea fog, and as of yet no one has gotten a clear view of the zombies and escaped to tell the tale.

晚夜平原 Plains of Night : 作为阿特伦牧区内少数并非完全由马王后裔掌管的地区,这处牧场的雇员中有相对较多的外国人,这不免引来些许怀疑的目光。此地的小本经营虽然境况良好,但也完全不能和家大业大的阿特伦部族相提并论,而其业主艾特莉西亚则靠屡屡展示自己高品质的育马流程而赢得当地人的尊敬,但这份尊敬主要是为艾特莉西亚提供被当地人视而不见(而非拥戴)的特权。更多关于晚夜平原的信息,请见49页。
剧透 -  原文:
Plains of Night: One of the few holdings in the Atteran Ranches not exclusively claimed by descendants of the horselords, this ranch is viewed with some suspicion for the comparatively large number of foreigners it employs. It is a sufficiently modest operation that doesn’t compete with the great Atteran clans, and its proprietor Etrixia has won the locals’ respect by repeatedly demonstrating the quality of her breeding program, but this has mostly won Etrixia the privilege of being ignored, not embraced. For more information about the Plains of Night, see page 49.

卜鸦雕 Ravenscry: 这座古代玄武岩建筑物雕有一只硕大展翼的渡鸦,栖息在下方的祭坛上。它是阿特伦牧区上一个小部落的遗物,这个小部落在数百年前选择与宗库松决裂,然后便化为乌有。祭坛上没留下部落的一切痕迹——哪怕是他们的名称。它之所以还伫立于此,只是因为负责摧毁部落的宗库松信徒们认为,将此地居民一个接一个献祭给他们崇拜的这尊胆敢逾越于宗库松信仰之上的魂灵,实在是充满了愉悦。由于信徒凋零,祭坛也丧失了伟力,宗库松信徒便将其留在此地,作为伫立在其子民尸骨上的坟头石。
数百年以来,这尊雕像都无人问津,其底座已经被灰草地所复盖。但最近,阿丹诺斯·黑鸦 Adannos Blackraven (守序中立男性5级战士),黑鸦部落的族长,却发现自己被这座祭坛所吸引。阿丹诺斯因自己的儿子奥达拉克而忧心忡忡,他准确地怀疑出奥达拉克已经成为了信奉黛丝娜的异端,而这会给部族带来巨大的危险。
为了理清头脑,阿丹诺斯经常单人匹马跨越阿特伦的草原。在一次这样的骑行中,他遇到了一只栖息在祭坛上的巨大渡鸦。渡鸦开口向他承诺,它会保护阿丹诺斯的儿子,甚至能引领其部落走向富贵荣华。虽然阿丹诺斯最初对渡鸦心存怀疑,但它最初的承诺被证明行之有效,而过去几个月渡鸦的睿智与魔法福利更是深深打动了他的心。他如今定期造访祭坛,寻求渡鸦的建言。他怀疑渡鸦终将会要求自己帮忙复活祭坛创造者所信仰的那位异端魂灵,而他也已经决定自己将来会答应这一请求。
然而,这只渡鸦其实并非什么神使。它是一只黑鸦爵(vilderravn B5 268),一种狠毒的精类。它企图引诱阿丹诺斯步入破灭之路,让他公开反抗宗库松信仰——而此战黑鸦部落不仅无望取胜,还定将走向受难与毁灭,落得和曾被黑鸦爵引诱,建造出此地祭坛的上一个部落相同的下场。
剧透 -  原文:
Ravenscry: This ancient basalt sculpture, depicting an enormous, spread-winged raven perched over a sacrificial altar, is a legacy from a splinter tribe in the Atteran Ranches that broke away from Zon-Kuthon and was extinguished centuries ago. Nothing remains of the tribe—not even their name—save this altar, and the altar stands only because the Kuthites who crushed the tribespeople thought it amusing to sacrifice them, one by one, to the spirits they had venerated over Zon-Kuthon. Desecrated and robbed of its worshipers, the altar became powerless, and the Kuthites left it to stand as a tombstone over the bones of its people.
For hundreds of years the statue has stood neglected, its feet whipped by windblown gray grass. Recently, however, Adannos Blackraven (LN male human fighter 5), patriarch of the Blackraven tribe, has found himself drawn to the altar. Adannos is worried about his son, Odarac, whom he correctly suspects of being drawn to Desnan heresies and therefore risks great danger.
To clear his head, Adannos goes on long solitary rides across the Atteran grasslands. On one such ride he encountered an oversized raven perched atop the altar who spoke to him, promising to help Adannos protect his son and, beyond that, lead his tribe to surpassing glory. Although Adannos was initially suspicious of the raven, its initial advice proved sound, and over the past few months he has been impressed with its wisdom and magical boons. He now visits the altar regularly to seek out the raven’s counsel. He suspects that the raven will eventually ask him to revive the heresies that the altar’s original creators followed and is steeling himself to make that decision soon.
In truth, however, the raven is no divine emissary. It is a vilderavn (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 5 268), a malevolent fey spirit that intends to tempt Adannos not only into apostasy, but into open warfare with Zon-Kuthon’s faithful—a war that the Blackraven tribe cannot hope to win, and which will surely end in their torture and destruction, just as became of the last tribe the vilderavn tempted into ruin with the very same altar.

河田镇 Rivercroft: 河田镇是一座人口约为300的渔业小镇,当地人以在乌斯克河与静河交汇处捕鱼为业,也负责维护两河浅滩处的两条收费桥梁。虽然过桥费的大头都上缴给了帕格莱斯,小镇还是从中捞足了油水,使其成为了奈多乡下地区中更为富裕的一个城镇,也相对更能吸引心怀抱负、希望能发展自己事业的宗库松教徒前来此地任职。
当前在此任职的是阴影特工贝尔迪尔·链舌 Beldiore Chaintongue(中立邪恶男性卡利尼 B5 7级魔战士UM/1级阴影朝廷特工;PF战役设定:进阶之路58)。最近,一位商人结束了对阴影盆地的考察之旅,并发现了一大块完好无缺的鹅蛋型暗影水晶(shadowglass,一种用乌斯克森林树木的灰烬制成的特殊材料);这块水晶约有20尺长5尺宽,里面封存了一具干瘪但保存完好的影巨人尸体(shadow giant B6 135页),尸体所用的殉礼风格至少已经在奈多消失了300年。该商人带着这尊宝物来到了河田镇,而贝尔迪尔将其视为自己晋升的良机。
暗影水晶中,死去的影巨人怀抱着一个刻有符文的闭锁黑曜石棺,其大小足以充当一副人类棺材。影巨人的手臂被刺链紧紧缠绕,而腕口早已干涸的血液表明,他曾故意用连在链条上的两把锋利的刀刃割开自己的手腕,让石棺沐浴饱含他生命的鲜血。石棺上的符文大多被巨人的臂弯以及一层厚重的干涸血泊所遮蔽,但贝尔迪尔相信自己曾经见过这些符文的样式。他怀疑,这些符文来自远古时代,可能要追溯到瑞德旺第一套虚空旅记 (Voyages into the Void)的时代。
虽然贝尔迪尔对棺材里放着什么,死去的影巨人为何如此绝望地抱着它,或是为何这整套器物会被封存在暗影水晶中,并在一场扭曲现实的阴影风暴中遗落至阴影盆地都毫无头绪,但他确信解开棺材之谜——以及若有必要,开馆确认内藏的物品——肯定能让他在仕途上鱼跃龙门,甚至能让他获得梦寐以求的亲身加入阴影朝廷的机会。贝尔迪尔已经悄然从邻国涅玛萨斯寻找冒险者和学者,以帮他揭开该谜团。
河田镇之谜
剧透 -  原文:
Rivercroft: The small fishing town of Rivercroft, with a population of about 300, makes its living by netting fish at the juncture of the Usk and Gjurn rivers, while also maintaining two toll bridges over the shallows of each waterway. Although the lion’s share of the tolls goes to Pangolais, the village takes enough of a cut to make it one of the wealthier towns in provincial Nidal and a relatively attractive posting for ambitious Kuthites hoping to advance their careers.
The current holder of that post is the Umbral agent Beldiore Chaintongue (NE male caligniB5 magusUM 7/ Umbral Court agent 1; Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Paths of Prestige 58), who sees an opportunity for advancement in a recent prize carried to Rivercroft by a trader who had just finished an expedition into the Umbral Basin. This trader had discovered a polished oblong of shadowglass—a special material created using the ashes of Uskwood trees—measuring nearly 20 feet long and 5 wide, within which lays the withered but well-preserved corpse of a shadow giant (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 6 135) in full ceremonial regalia of a style that vanished at least 300 years ago.
In his arms, the dead shadow giant clasps a locked casket of rune-inscribed obsidian, easily large enough to serve as a human coffin. The shadow giant’s arms are wrapped tightly in spiked chains, and the spill of longdried blood on his wrists suggests that he deliberately cut them open on two curved blades attached to those chains, soaking the stone coffin in his life’s blood. The runes are largely obscured via the giant’s arms and a thick layer of dried blood, but Beldiore suspects that they are ancient, perhaps as old as the first Voyages into the Void in Ridwan (see page 34), where he believes that he once saw such runes before.
Although Beldiore has no idea what might be in the casket, why the dead shadow giant clutches it so desperately, or how the entire artifact came to be encased in shadowglass and deposited in the Umbral Basin after a reality-warping shadowstorm, he is convinced that solving the coffin’s mystery—and, if need be, opening it to confirm what lies inside—will surely vault him upward in the Umbral Court’s esteem and possibly even provide his long-sought chance to join the court himself. Quietly, Beldiore has been seeking adventurers and scholars from neighboring Nirmathas to help him solve this mystery.
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地区志:帕格莱斯和瑞德旺
« 回帖 #5 于: 2019-01-10, 周四 16:33:17 »
引用
帕格莱斯 Pangolaisi
守序邪恶 大城市
腐败+3;犯罪+1;经济+2;守序+6;文化+3;社交+4
特质 学院,黑暗之城,孤立,宗教歧视(宗库松),祟邪之地(宗库松)
危险度 +30

人口统计

人口 18900(人类 11000,卡利尼B5 3500,窃影鬼B2 2400,其他 2000)
政府 独裁政府

重要NPC

阿斯特拉蒂安 Astarathian (守序善良雄性远古金龙)
守卫长 瑞德旺的厄希尔 Captian Irciel of Ridwan(守序中立女性卡利尼B5 8级武僧)
高阶祭司 大教堂的查塔尼 Hierarch Chartaigne of the Cathedral(守序邪恶男性吸血鬼13级宗库松的牧师)
崇高主母 阴影荒原的费兰丝 High Mistress Feylanthe of the Shadowmoor(守序邪恶女性半精灵5级宗库松牧师/5级法师/3级秘术师)
尼斯罗切的西诺 Theanor of Nisroch(中立善良人类4级幻术师)


市场交易

基础购买价值 8000gp;限额 50000gp;施法服务 9环
次级物品 4d4;中级物品 3d4; 高级物品 2d4

特殊特质

黑暗之城 City of Darkness: 帕格莱斯是宗库松残酷信仰的中心,其人口中有大量极度邪恶之人,他们利用国家和宗教法规来达成各种令人发指的操守与行为。宗库松的影响在城中无处不在,而城内永远不会沐浴到自然的明亮阳光。(守序+2,社交-2,危险度+20)
宗教歧视 Religiously Intolerant:帕格莱斯的居民要求城中每一个人,包括造访者,都要敬仰宗库松。那些公开贬低宗库松信仰之人极有可能会遭受监禁、酷刑,或更糟糕的事情。(宗库松以外信仰的成员必须花费1.5倍正常价格购买货物与服务,并且可能面临嘲笑、侮辱甚至暴力相向)
祟邪之地 Unholy Site 帕格莱斯在整个内海地区宗库松信仰中有着崇高地位。很多宗库松的高高等级祭司生活在这里,使得来自其他宗教的教徒很难不受干扰地在此生活。(腐败+2,施法服务+2环)
剧透 -  原文::
PANGOLAIS LE large city Corruption +3; Crime +1; Economy +2; Law +6; Lore +3; Society +4
Qualities academic, city of darkness, insular, religiously intolerant (Zon-Kuthon), unholy site (Zon-Kuthon) Danger +30
DEMOGRAPHICS Population 18,900 (11,000 humans, 3,500 caligniB5, 2,400 fetchlingsB2, 2,000 other) Government autocracy
NOTABLE NPCS Astarathian (LG male great wyrm gold dragon) Captain Irciel of Ridwan (LN female caligniB5 monk 8) Hierarch Chartaigne of the Cathedral (LE male vampire cleric of Zon-Kuthon 13) High Mistress Feylanthe of the Shadowmoor (LE female half-elf cleric of Zon-Kuthon 5/wizard 5/ mystic theurge 3) Theanor of Nisroch (NG male human illusionist 4)
MARKETPLACE Base Value 8,000 gp; Purchase Limit 50,000 gp; Spellcasting 9th Minor Items 4d4; Medium Items 3d4; Major Items 2d4
SPECIAL QUALITIES City of Darkness Pangolais is the center of the cruel faith of Zon-Kuthon and is populated largely by deeply evil people who use the nation and religion’s laws to perpetuate truly vile practices and behavior. Zon-Kuthon’s influence permeates the city and natural bright sunlight never shines here. (Law +2, Society –2, Danger +20)
Religiously Intolerant The people of Pangolais expect everyone in their city, even visitors, to pay obeisance to Zon-Kuthon. Those who openly disparage the religion run a high risk of imprisonment, torture, or worse. (Members of non-Kuthite faiths must pay 150% of the normal price for goods and services and may face insult, mockery, or even violence.)
Unholy Site Pangolais is the seat of the worship of Zon-Kuthon in the Inner Sea region. Many highlevel priests of Zon-Kuthon live here, making it difficult for adherents of other religions to go about their lives undisturbed. (Corruption +2, increase spellcasting by 2 levels)



帕格莱斯 Pangolais

        在乌斯克森林的黑色树叶之下,寂静的帕格莱斯城中的万千灰影闪闪发光。白色鹅卵石砌成的明亮街道就像一条条流淌着暗淡月光的溪流,穿行在有着尖拱顶和圆花窗的的各大教堂与大型学府之间。诸多古代图书馆的书架上收藏着来自星陨遗民的智慧结晶与凄苦挽歌,而墙面则饰有银与黑曜石制成的无数痛苦之魂的浮雕,学者们在馆室内钻研着关于暗幕(Dark Tapestry)与影界最深幽处的谜团。九曲之痛大教堂(The Cathedral of Exquisite Agnoy,请见PF战役设定:内海庙宇4-13页)——格拉利昂最大的宗库松神殿——坐落在城市的正中心。
        在优雅的咖啡馆中,吸血鬼与卡利尼们置身于馥郁的月光花海中,聆听着清脆凄厉的宗库松式带刃竖琴的旋律。他们与阴影朝廷的特工们以及一小部分外国显贵们谈天说地,不舍昼夜——生活在这座影庇之城中,昼与夜的边界早已模糊,又何必费心思辨别呢?
        对有钱有门路的人而言,帕格莱斯的生活可谓奢华而细腻。在城中,你能品尝精致的餐点,挑选工艺卓越的珠宝与玻璃制品,以及观赏各种盛大的演出,目睹宗库松舞者们如何巧妙运用镶嵌在自己苍白皮肉中的钩子,在丝带般飘荡的刺链中翩翩起舞。对那些受城市欢迎的市民而言,帕格莱斯乃是一座拥有无尽魅力与文化修养的城市,尽管这份黑白色调的魅力寂然无声,而这份文化修养繁琐到让人腻烦。
        对穷人和不幸者而言,帕格莱斯则完全是另一副模样:它是一座属于压迫者与施虐狂的城市,穷苦之人在此永无安居之隅。一点小小的过错,哪怕仅仅是不合时宜地发言,都可能导致一位奴仆被割掉舌头,甚至是被钉入交易广场上的闪亮银质雕塑中,沦为又一尊口不得言而饱受痛苦的艺术品供他人品赏。这一切完全在于其主人的一念之间,而众所周知,帕格莱斯的所有主人没有一个不是酷烈之辈。
        黑三角是奈多毋庸置疑的统治者,而据说他们就住在帕格莱斯。然而,除了在大型宗教庆典的场合外,几乎没有人能见到他们,而日常管理工作则落到了崇高主母阴影荒原的费兰丝的身上,她在阴影朝廷中有着极大的影响力,是帕格莱斯实际上的统治者。费兰斯是一位严厉的美人,柔顺的黑色长发间缀有象牙色的发丝,丝滑银灰色长袍与变色黑羽披肩是她的最爱。她是一位能干而公正的管理者,但其私生活却不太检点:她的幽会是如此荒淫无度,以至于没多少情夫能活过两次约会。这种癖好让费兰斯招惹了不少敌人,但至今为止,死者家属们还未有机会回击这位权势滔天的统治者。
剧透 -  译者注::
根据与本书作者的通信,费兰斯名字的前缀,阴影荒原(shadowmoor),指的是阿特伦牧区的某处灰草原。
剧透 -  原文::
Pangolais: Under the black leaves of the Uskwood, the hushed city of Pangolais glitters in a thousand shades of gray. Luminous white-cobbled streets run like rivers of dimmed moonlight underneath sharply arched, rosewindowed cathedrals and grand academies. Ancient libraries hold the collected wisdom and wrenching laments of Earthfall’s survivors, while behind walls adorned with ornately carved reliefs of tortured souls in silver and obsidian, scholars delve into the mysteries of the Dark Tapestry and the deepest reaches of the Shadow Plane. The Cathedral of Exquisite Agony (see pages 4–13 of Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Inner Sea Temples)—the greatest temple to Zon-Kuthon on Golarion—stands at the city’s heart.
In elegant cafes surrounded by fragrant moonflowers and the silvery, mournful melodies of Kuthite bladed harps, vampires and caligni converse alongside agents of the Umbral Court and a select handful of foreign dignitaries—for in the shade city, day and night are so indistinct as to be meaningless.
Life in Pangolais, for the wealthy and well connected, is gracious and smooth. The city offers exquisite dining, jewelry and glasswork of extraordinary craftsmanship, and spectacles including Kuthite chain-dancers who whirl spiked chains like ribbons and spin, suspended from hooks embedded in their pallid skin. To its favored citizens, Pangolais is a place of beauty and sophistication, albeit a curiously hushed and monochrome strain of beauty, and a particularly jaded sophistication.
For the poor and unlucky it is otherwise. For them, Pangolais is a city of predators, and there is no refuge from the sadists. An affront as small as speaking out of turn may lead to a servant losing his tongue, or even to being impaled on one of the gleaming silver sculptures that holds the silenced, agonized bodies of the tortured as artworks on display above the market squares. It is for his master to decide, and all masters in Pangolais are cruel.
The Black Triune is the unquestioned ruler of Nidal, and they are said to dwell in Pangolais. Few ever see them outside major religious ceremonies, however, and day-to-day administration falls to High Mistress Feylanthe of the Shadowmoor, an influential figure in the Umbral Court and the effective governor of Pangolais. Feylanthe is a lovely, severe woman with black-streaked ivory hair and a fondness for flowing gray gowns with capelets of iridescent black feathers. She is a capable and dispassionate administrator, although considerably less disciplined in her personal life, where she is given to such excesses that few of her lovers survive for a second assignation. This habit has won Feylanthe more than a few enemies, but as yet none of her victims’ bereaved relatives has had the opportunity to strike back at the powerful governor.

以下是对标注在27页帕格莱斯地图上各处地点的详述。

1,基里坦工作室 Atelier Kiritane:链魔们会不断反复尝试移植手术来改造自己,这意味着它们不仅要将受害者的活体组织移植到自己身上,还得移除自己原有的皮肉与骨骼,将其雕刻成得以永恒进化的新躯。
这些链魔的肉体材料有不少被运往基里坦工作室,帕格莱斯的一家热门而昂贵的服装店。店主窃影鬼设计师利姆丽丝·基里坦 Limris Kiritane(守序中立女性窃影鬼 B2 3级专家)会将链魔的皮骨改造成有型的配饰。许多虔诚的宗库松信徒以及追求时尚的富人都是她的忠诚顾客。基里坦的出品可谓精雕细琢、极尽奢华,连最挑剔的切利亚斯人都为之心醉,但它们也通常被设计为需要用扣环钩入肉体中来佩戴的样式,因此受到大量宗库松信众的追捧。有时候,光顾工作室的贵族会要求制作一套注入魔法之力的饰品,此时窃影鬼会招呼城内一些与自己关系良好的施法者商贩盟友们共同完成委托。
基里坦工作室的顾客当中,很多不那么热忱于宗教之人仅仅满足于将其饰品扣环无害地搭扣在外层的衣物上,但基里坦的狂热粉丝们对此嗤之以鼻。对他们来说,此类饰品乃是黑暗主神之宠仆赐予他们的馈赠,如此穿戴已算得上小小亵渎。这群狂热的顾客们认为,将链魔的血肉嵌入自己身上,乃是一件圣事,这代表自己效法链魔,向他们赐予受害者不朽之壮举致敬;哪怕少做了一分,都是对链魔、甚至是对午夜领主的不敬。靠着这种推论,嫉妒的顾客也有方便的借口,以“解放”之名夺走富人和不够虔诚之人的配饰——很多时候是这群狂热者自己根本买不起的配饰。诸如此类的事情总是被大众悄然忽略。
剧透 -  原文::
1. Atelier Kiritane: Kytons’ continual quest to reinvent themselves by grafting means that they are not only grafting portions of living victims’ bodies onto theirs, but also removing their own skin, flesh, and bone as they carve themselves into ever-evolving forms.
Much of that material finds its way to Atelier Kiritane, a popular and costly center of Pangolais couture, where the fetchling designer Limris Kiritane (LN female fetchlingB2 expert 3) converts kyton skin and bone into stylish accessories for an avid clientele of pious Kuthites and well-heeled fashionistas. Kiritane’s pieces are meticulously crafted and luxurious enough to impress the most jaded Chelaxian, but they are also generally designed to be worn by hooking them into one’s flesh with pierced rings, appealing to devotees of Zon-Kuthon. Occasionally, a noble demands a piece of couture infused with magic, and in these cases the fetchling works with a number of ally spellcaster-merchants she has cultivated throughout the city.
While many of Atelier Kiritane’s less dedicated clients content themselves with piercing the rings harmlessly into other layers of clothing, her more fanatical aficionados would never dream of wearing them that way. Indeed, they view it as a minor blasphemy
against the gifts entrusted to them by their dark god’s favored servants. To these fanatical clients, it is virtually a sacrament to reciprocate the kytons’ honor of immortalizing their victims by, in turn, binding the kytons’ flesh to their own. They see anything less as a dishonor to the kytons, and perhaps even to the Midnight Lord. That this line of reasoning also provides a convenient justification for these envious customers to “liberate” pieces from wealthier and less reverent owners—pieces that, in many cases, the fanatics could not otherwise afford—is quietly overlooked.

2,贝赞堂 Bezin Hall:这座三层建筑曾是一座为帕格莱斯儿童开设的孤儿院和宗教学校。但由于校长萨特里尔·贝赞(Satriel Bezin)被曝叛教并当众处决,它如今已破损失修。在废置多年以后,贝赞堂外表仍很阔气,但内里早已残破不堪。它伫立在一处偏僻的旧式街区内,那里生活着很多想保持低调的窃影鬼。
最近几周,街区的居民们曾看到这座建筑的上层窗户有透出光亮,也曾听到其尘封的大厅里传来锁链的摩擦声。原本在街道上游荡的乞丐和孤儿在一夜间全部失踪,而贝赞堂的破窗中则偶尔传出虚弱的哭喊声。
贝赞堂的新住客是一位lampadarius链魔(PF战役设定:内海诸神 315),他已经忘记了自己的本名,并选择使用其中一位受害者的名字,如今称自己为摩登(Mordain)。数月以前,摩登把一块被古魔侵蚀(qlippoth-blighted)的肢体移植到了自己身上,却没能辨别出期间的危险。充满罪孽的侵蚀之力彻底摧毁了他的身心,但由于lampadarius半虚体的幽影本质,这种毁坏在外观上并不明显。摩登隐约意识到自己的智力与理智正与血肉一起逐渐败坏,但他并不明白古魔侵染才是其根源;他只知道自己必须不顾一切地向躯体中植入更多的血肉,才能勉强追上身躯消融解离的速度。
随着古魔侵蚀日益加剧,摩登也越发拼命地摧残着整个街区。尽管窃影鬼社区一般会尽量回避奈多的神权执法者,但如果摩登继续捕猎这里的正直市民,社区领袖可能会咬牙寻求阴影朝廷的帮助。只不过,朝廷是否会因这种他们心目中微不足道的琐事,就对一个链魔采取行动——哪怕是一个患病且被腐化的链魔——实在是不好说。
剧透 -  原文::
2. Bezin Hall: This three-story building once served as an orphanage and religious school for the children of Pangolais. It fell into disrepair when the headmaster, Satriel Bezin, was exposed as an apostate and broken in the public square. Long abandoned, Bezin Hall has been an outwardly grand but derelict wreck for years. It stands in an unfashionable and out-of-the-way neighborhood where many fetchlings seeking to keep low profiles have chosen to live.
In recent weeks, neighbors have seen lights floating in the upper windows and heard chains groaning in its dusty halls. Beggars and orphans have been vanishing from the streets at night, and weak cries sometimes drift from Bezin Hall’s broken windows.
The new resident of Bezin Hall is a lampadarius kyton (Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Inner Sea Gods 315) who, having forgotten his own name, took one of his victims’ and now calls himself Mordain. Several months ago, Mordain grafted a qlippoth-blighted appendage onto himself, failing to recognize the danger it presented. The blight’s sin consumption has been destroying his mind and body, but because of the lampadarius’s half-corporeal, shadowy nature, this destruction is not visually obvious. Mordain is dimly aware that his intelligence and sanity are eroding along with his flesh, but he does not recognize that the qlippoth blight is the cause; he understands only that he must graft more flesh onto his body at a desperate pace to outrun the dissolution of his self.
Mordain’s depredations on the community have become more desperate as the blight consumes him. As he begins preying on upstanding citizens, community leaders may seek help from the Umbral Court, despite their preference for avoiding Nidal’s theocratic enforcers. Whether the court will act against a kyton—even a diseased and corrupted one—for the sake of subjects they deem unimportant is far from certain.

3,智慧体现大教堂 Cathedral of Embodied Wisdom :记忆锁链(Memory Chains)是链魔赐予奈多文明最早的馈赠之一,它们是一系列强大的神器,能捕捉和储存受害者的受难记忆,以供反复重温与分享。为了纪念非人恩主的神圣馈赠,宗库松信徒们将这些记忆收集起来,悉数收入智慧体现大教堂中。这座教堂是一座尖顶的建筑物,其条纹状色泽从底座最深的黑曜石黑开始一级级逐渐变浅,在钟塔顶端化为最浅的象牙白。
很多人乍眼一看会认为教堂的低层是由玄武岩建成,但实际上整座建筑物都是由用带刺钢链串联起的骨头组成。最古旧的骨头(有些甚至来自一万年前)在漫长时光的侵染下已经彻底发黑板结,所以看起来才像一整块漆黑的石材。
教堂内,一条条锁链穿过无数人类头骨的眼眶,组合成摆放于墙边的骨质架子。这些架子的迷人程度要高于其骇人程度,因为每个颅骨都白净无暇,每条钢链都光洁如新,而它们那整齐划一的几何排列,更是将每个头骨给人的强烈冲击感融为一体,形成了一种怪诞之美。大教堂的外观陈设呼应着其建造主旨:每一个个体的痛苦体验都蕴含于奈多的历史与社会之中。
在这些头骨架上,陈列着一件件艺术品般的折磨刑具,其奇巧程度在整个格拉利昂都无可匹敌。千万年来,奈多的施虐者一直前赴后继,试图发明出值得被大教堂收藏的新式刑具。由于记忆锁链所收集的每一段记忆都必须独一无二,因此在数十个世纪后,想获此殊荣可谓难于登天。如今,许多人都将能在这些架子上赢得一席之地视为毕生的事业。
但大教堂的锁链上有着比痛苦更多的东西。除了被折磨的记忆本身,锁链还会捕捉并提取出受术者个人经历与知识的碎片。许多早已失落信息的碎片隐藏在大教堂的苦痛回忆之中,哪怕是那些对链魔们的施虐受虐游戏不感兴趣的人,也会被大教堂的秘传学识所吸引。
智慧体现大教堂所收藏的秘密包括梦境黑暗之秘(Secrets of the Dreaming Dark,PF战役设定:神秘奥秘 62)原本的所在地;早已被忘却的魔印王(Runelord)的仪式;以及进入萨克利斯(Sarkoris,被世界之伤吞没的国家)早已死去的战争领主,巫绘者乌霍里克(Uhorik the Witch-Painted)带锁墓穴的口令词。同样广为人知的是,大教堂的宝库中能找到大量关于古瑟西隆与阿兹兰特的知识——甚至是关于他们之前的底栖魔鱼(aboleths)的知识。
这些知识的诱惑是如此强大,以至于很多宗库松信徒深信,是链魔们刻意在锁链的痛苦记忆中植入了这些隐秘,这样更方便吸引其他企图抵抗的灵魂落入他们的魔爪。所有人在体验大教堂的收藏之前,都必须先在架子增添一副新的独一无二的刑具藏品;这个规定已经有多个世纪的历史,以至于有数千份藏品是那些心地善良但又渴望一览宝库的探求者亲手献上的。
剧透 -  原文::
3. Cathedral of Embodied Wisdom: One of the kytons’ earliest gifts to Nidalese civilization were memory chains, powerful artifacts enchanted to capture victims’ experiences of torment so that they could be shared and relived again and again. To honor their inhuman benefactors’ holy gift, the Kuthites gathered these memories into the Cathedral of Embodied Wisdom, a sharp-peaked, ombré structure that gradates from obsidian-black at its base to palest ivory at the tips of its bell towers.
Many assume at first glance that the cathedral’s lower levels are built of basalt, but in fact the entire structure is formed from bones lashed together with spiked steel chain. The oldest bones—some nearly 10,000 years old— have merely become so worn and stained with time that they appear as dark and indistinct lumps of stone.
The cathedral’s inner walls are lined with shelves made of human skulls linked by spiked chains through their eye sockets. The effect is less horrific than fascinating, for the motif of clean bone and steel has a sterile look, and the geometric regularity of the arrangement gives it an eerie beauty that subsumes the individual shock of each skull. In this way, the cathedral’s physical appearance echoes its purpose and central observation: that each individual experience of pain is embraced in the whole history and society of Nidal.
Upon these skull shelves rests an assemblage of torture devices unrivaled in Golarion. For millennia, the sadists of Nidal have sought to outdo one another and invent some new torment worthy of inclusion in the cathedral’s collection. Each experience caught in its memory chains must be unique, and after all these centuries, earning that accolade is extremely difficult. It is considered the culmination of a life’s work to earn a place on those shelves now.
Yet there is more than pain caught in the cathedral’s chains. In addition to the memory of torment itself, the chains catch and extract pieces of the subjects’ personal histories and knowledge. Fragments of long-lost information are hidden among the cathedral’s memories of misery, and even those who have no interest in the kytons’ sadomasochistic games are drawn to the cathedral in pursuit of esoteric lore.
Among the secrets known to be held in the Cathedral of Embodied Wisdom are the location of an original copy of Secrets of the Dreaming Dark (Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Occult Mysteries 62); long-forgotten rites of the Runelords; and the passphrase to enter the warded tomb of Uhorik the Witch-Painted, a long-dead warlord of Sarkoris. It is also widely known that much of the lore of ancient Thassilon and Azlant—and perhaps even that of the aboleths who preceded them—may be found in the cathedral’s vaults.
So powerful is the lure of this knowledge that many Kuthites believe the kytons seeded those secrets among their memories of pain deliberately, the better to draw otherwise resistant souls into their grasp. No one is permitted to experience the cathedral’s collection without first adding a new and unique torment to its shelves—a requirement that has, over the centuries, led to thousands of contributions from good-hearted but desperate seekers

4,九曲之痛大教堂 Cathedral of Exquisite Agnoy:九曲之痛大教堂是帕格莱斯城中主要的神殿,也是全内海地区宗库松信仰的中心。它由炭灰色大理石和蹭亮的钢材所建成,其造型如同一尊来自于噩梦之中,有着带刺硬壳的大怪物。更多关于九曲之痛大教堂,请见PF战役设定:内海神殿 5-13页。
剧透 -  原文::
4. Cathedral of Exquisite Agony: The main temple in Pangolais and a major center for Kuthite worship across the Inner Sea region is the Cathedral of Exquisite Agony, built of charcoal-gray marble and polished steel in the form of a monster with a spiked carapace from a fever dream. For details on the cathedral, see pages 5–13 of Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Inner Sea Temples.

5,链堡 The Chainhouse:链堡是帕格莱斯的城市守卫,链卫军(the Chainguard)的基地,它是一座牢固的三层建筑,坐落在九曲之痛大教堂附近。守卫队长瑞德旺的厄希尔是链卫军的指挥官,并负责监管其日常运作。厄希尔队长并非宗库松理念的盲从者,而是一位实用主义者,处事毫无偏激与做作。“守卫队长”并非她的真正头衔,但比起“链卫军的指挥官,荫影的守护者,午夜领主静谧苦痛的崇高守卫”这个官方头衔,她更喜欢前者;厄希尔觉得,这一长串的头衔显得如此尴尬而可笑,会让她在严肃工作时分心。
链堡也有自己的地城,它位于主体建筑的地下,但主要用于保护性地拘留不合作的证人与市民,而非关押触犯宗库松法律之人。罪犯通常不会长时间在链堡中逗留,因为他们通常会被送往九曲之痛大教堂进行拷问,或是运到公共场所上处以酷刑。尽管如此,当厄希尔队长怀疑宗库松信徒们会不当地审查某些案件时,她会将罪犯留在自己的拘留所中,直至调查完成,而这种做法也为她赢得了名声。奈多的法律无比酷烈、且对弱者充满了不公,但厄希尔认为,尽可能不带感情与公正地执行法律,乃是她应负的职责。
剧透 -  原文::
5. The Chainhouse: The Chainguard, Pangolais’s city guard, is based out of the Chainhouse, a fortified threestory building located near the Cathedral of Exquisite Agony. Captain Irciele of Ridwan is the commander of the Chainguard and oversees its daily operations. Captain Irciele is not a Kuthite ideologue, but a pragmatist with no use for extremism or pretension. “Captain” isn’t even her real title, but she finds it preferable to “Commander of Chains, Guardian of Shade, and Exalted Keeper of the Midnight Lord’s Silenced Agonies,” her official title, which Irciele deems an embarrassing absurdity and a distraction from a job she takes very seriously.
The Chainhouse has its own dungeon, located beneath the main building, which is mainly used for holding uncooperative witnesses and people in protective custody rather than offenders of Kuthite law. Criminals are not kept at the Chainhouse for long, since they are usually sent to the Cathedral of Exquisite Agony for questioning or to the public squares for torture. Nevertheless, when Captain Irciele has doubts about whether the Kuthites will examine a case properly, she has been known to keep criminals in her own custody until the investigation is complete. Nidalese law is cruel and deeply skewed against the powerless, but Irciele considers it her duty to see that it is enforced as fairly and dispassionately as possible.

6,尘埃堂 Dusk Hall:这座通体由烟熏玻璃建成的高耸哥特式建筑充满了漆黑之美,其尖拱顶与狭长的窗户上影射出纹样众多的灰色阴影,整座建筑可谓一大奇观。尘埃堂是帕格莱斯历史上赫赫有名的魔法学院之一,其教学任务是教导奈多儿童掌握奥术技艺以及宗库松的种种神秘,这样他们离开校园后便能在世界各地为午夜领主效力。(更多关于尘埃堂的信息,请见PF小说:夜之镜)
剧透 -  原文::
6. Dusk Hall: Darkly beautiful, this soaring building of smoky glass is a gothic marvel of pointed arches and long, narrow windows tinted in myriad shades of gray. It is one of the storied magical schools of Pangolais, tasked with teaching Nidalese children to master the arcane arts and the mysteries of Zon-Kuthon so that they can go forth and serve the Midnight Lord across the world. (See Pathfinder Tales: Nightglass for more information about the Dusk Hall.)

7,霜降庄园 Frostfell Manor:这是一座由白石和锋利水晶所建成的童话般的公馆,其四周的空气中总是飘着晶莹剔透的雪花。霜降庄园专门用于接待来自伊利森的权贵,统治着那片永冻之土的是恶毒的冬女巫和风流放荡以至于腻烦的贵族,而宗库松信仰获得了他们中一部分人的认可。伊利森的世袭贵族被称为雅德维嘉(Jadwiga),寻常的奈多式简朴接待远远不能满足他们的奢华需求,因此奈多当局便修建了霜降庄园,以迎合客人们的品味。
这座庄园也有助于将雅德维嘉隔离起来,因为大多数奈多人认为他们品味低下、贪婪和没有修养;另外,庄园也让奈多人更容易监视这些客人。毕竟,伊利森并非奈多的盟国,而尽管单个伊利森人可能是信仰宗库松的同行,但奈多人对伊利森这个国家并不感兴趣。
剧透 -  原文::
7. Frostfell Manor: This fairy-tale mansion of pale stone and sharp-cut crystal is surrounded by a perpetual wreath of twinkling frost in the air. Frostfell Manor is reserved for visiting dignitaries from Irrisen, where Zon-Kuthon’s worship finds some favor among the vicious winter witches and the jaded, dissolute aristocracy who rule that ever-frozen land. Irrisen’s hereditary nobility, called the Jadwiga, are accustomed to greater luxury than Nidalese austerity typically affords, so Frostfell Manor was built to accommodate their tastes.
It also serves to isolate the Jadwiga, whom most Nidalese find distastefully greedy and undisciplined, and makes them easier to spy upon. Irrisen, after all, is not an allied power, and while individual Irriseni may be fellow Kuthites, the Nidalese have little regard for their nation

8,金蝎尾狮泉 Gold Manticore Fount:在帕格莱斯的穷人与失去地位之人之中,最为严守的秘密之一,便是金蝎尾狮泉。它得名于支撑着喷泉的巨大黑曜石水池的17座野兽雕塑中,有一只由黑曜石雕成的蝎尾狮,在它钢刺组成的鬃毛里,藏有三簇黄金质地的毛发。这个微妙的标识,使得整座喷泉与周边帕格莱斯更穷的居民区有所区别。
数百年来,一小撮受压迫的居民们共同保守着一份秘密,那就是如果在每个月的新月之夜,对着蝎尾狮的耳朵悄声许愿,那么只要这是他的真正需要,而许愿者又心地善良,这个愿望就可能会实现。忧心忡忡的父母为病儿许愿后一觉醒来,便发现孩子的病好了;许愿食物的饥民们发现有神秘人士在当地的蔬果店为他们开设了援助账户。在更罕见但更加传奇的情况下,许愿获得某些看似不可能之事情的居民会发现自家门口有来自外国的陌生人,正准备替他们排忧艰难。
喷泉之秘的真相是,在约定之夜,金龙(PF战役设定:再探巨龙38-39)阿斯特拉蒂安注视着这里。这位远古金龙以假的人类身份生活在帕格莱斯(并维持着蔬果店和店内的神秘慈善账户)。若阿斯特拉蒂安认为某个愿望值得满足,他会在不暴露身份的前提下尽他所能提供帮助——无论这是否涉及动用他自己的强大力量,还是以另一个假身份雇佣外来者来完成。
剧透 -  原文::
8. Gold Manticore Fount: One of the best-kept secrets among the poor and disenfranchised of Pangolais is Gold Manticore Fount, so named because one of the 17 sculpted beasts supporting the fountain’s great obsidian basin is a manticore carved from obsidian with three golden tufts hidden among the steel spikes of its ruff. This is the subtle sign by which the fountain can be distinguished from all the others in Pangolais’s poorer neighborhoods.
 For centuries, a handful of downtrodden citizens have shared the secret that a wish whispered into the manticore’s ear on the first night of the new moon each month might come true, if the wisher is of good heart and the wish is a genuine need. Worried parents who prayed for sick children have woken to find them well; starving paupers who wished for food have found mysterious accounts funded for them at a local greengrocer. On rare but legendary occasion, people who asked for seemingly impossible things have found foreign strangers on their doorsteps, ready to champion their causes.
The true secret of the fountain is that, on the appointed nights, the gold dragon (Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Dragons Revisited 38–39) Astarathian—who lives in Pangolais under a false human identity (and maintains the greengrocer’s shop with the mysteriously generous accounts)—watches over it. If Astarathian believes that the wish is worthy, he will assist however he can without compromising his identity—whether that involves using his own considerable power or, under a different guise, hiring outsiders to do so.

9,编年史大厅  Hall of the Chronicle:星陨降临后没过多久,奈多以外的地方便很难再找到用于书写的材料,因为幸存者们都只随身带着些许细软四处逃命。很少人想得到要在这混乱时期保住纸质文稿。因此,当外来者涌入奈多时,他们所带来的关于这场灾变的记录,大多是被粗糙地凿刻在石头和其他周边容易得到的材料上面。
这些骇人的记录便成为了齿与骨编年史(the Chronicles in Tooth and Bone),它以生动的第一手资料,讲述了在星陨之灾时期,整个内海地区的幸存者们曾经历过何种毁灭与荒芜。除了作为无价的历史文献以外,编年史中还保留了许多早已失却的方言、实体文物,以及宗教习俗——其中殉葬仪式格外多见,其原因既冷酷又显而易见。
奈多的档案工作者常年来不断将这些古代语言翻译成现代版本,他们一边翻译原文,一边查阅多个世纪以来的中间翻译材料,这些材料所提供的额外语境与词义理解世上可谓独此一家。由于奈多人可以从这些丰富而相互交织印证的材料中提取出无损的知识,因此在齿与骨编年史中锻炼出来的档案工作者,被公认为对这些罕见而早已逝去的文化有着最优秀的现代理解。
剧透 -  原文::
9. Hall of the Chronicles: In the immediate wake of Earthfall, writing materials were hard to come by outside Nidal as survivors fled for their lives with few possessions. Few thought to salvage parchment during this chaotic time. Accordingly, as outsiders poured into Nidal, they brought with them records of the devastation that they had etched with crude chisels fashioned from stones and other materials they found around them.
These grisly records became the Chronicles in Tooth and Bone, a collection of vivid firsthand recounting of the ruin that Earthfall’s survivors experienced across the Inner Sea region. In addition to being invaluable historical documents, the chronicles preserve numerous longlost dialects, physical artifacts, and religious customs— particularly, for grim and obvious reasons, funerary rites.
Nidalese archivists continually translate these ancient languages into modern forms, working from the original texts as well as from centuries of intermediate translations that provide additional context and understanding unavailable anywhere else in the world. Because the Nidalese can draw upon this rich tapestry of
unbroken understanding, the archivists trained in the Chronicles of Tooth and Bone are widely accounted to have the best modern understanding of these rare and longdead cultures.

10,飞蛾扑火酒馆 Moth and Flame:飞蛾扑火酒馆在帕格莱斯城中颇受欢迎,它以酒馆内交织着幻术魔法的精美节目秀而闻名,其中最受好评的桥段讲述了一位信仰黛丝娜的“飞蛾”是如何被另一位由链魔乔装而成的“焰火”所吸引,而表演的最后,扮演飞蛾的舞者会在观众面前遭受链缚之刑,看上去就像被献祭一般。舞者们身形飘逸而技术高超,而他们用幻术所营造出的虚假苦痛又极其逼真,因此此类节目秀总能赢得满堂喝彩。
这些节目秀同样为酒馆内的黛丝娜信仰器具提供了掩护,而其中有不少是真货。酒馆老板尼斯罗切的西诺,以及首席舞者,利法里亚 ·银蛾 Lephalia silvermoth(混乱善良女性人类3级诗人),都是星辰之歌的追随者,而飞蛾扑火酒馆也充当着黛丝娜信徒在帕格莱斯的秘密接头点。他们从不会在酒馆见面——这实在过于危险——但西诺和利法里亚会帮他们转发信息,安排补给点,有时还利用各种伪装,将相同信仰的同行们偷运入城或带离城市。
剧透 -  原文::
10. Moth and Flame: A popular tavern in Pangolais, the Moth and Flame is known for its elaborate, illusionaugmented floor shows, the most popular of which depicts a Desnan “moth” being drawn to a disguised kyton’s “flame” and ends with the moth dancer’s chained torment and apparent immolation in front of the crowd. The dancers are graceful and talented, and their illusory ordeals are extremely convincing, so the shows draw an appreciative crowd.
The shows also provide a convenient cover for the tavern’s Desnan paraphernalia, much of which is actually real. The proprietor, Theanor of Nisroch, and the lead dancer, Lephalia Silvermoth (CG female human bard 3), are both followers of the Starsong, and the Moth and Flame operates as the secret gathering point for Desnans in Pangolais. They never meet at the tavern—that would be far too dangerous—but Theanor and Lephalia relay messages, arrange supply drops, and sometimes smuggle fellow worshipers into or out of the city using a variety of disguises.

11,新卡利格诺斯 New Calignos: 帕格莱斯此处区域是卡利尼的聚居地,他们称这里称为“新卡利格诺斯”,并花费千辛万苦,将其重塑为他们想象中自己先祖们在阿兹兰特帝国原本居住地的应有之貌。
诸如高耸的屋顶轮廓以及华丽的马赛克瓷片走道等繁华的建筑风格,使得新卡利格诺斯的面貌与氛围都与帕格莱斯其他地方截然不同。在私人住宅窗台的花盆箱,以及十字路口中央的花座上,种满了一种白瓣紫蕊,被称为“阿兹兰特之星”的花,该品种在先祖花园(Garden of the Ancients,详见乌斯克森林)中得以保存至今,其为黑白色调的帕格莱斯带来一道稀有的明亮色泽。这种花让整个街区都笼罩着淡淡的芬芳,其香气能勾起卡利尼们印刻在内心深处的回忆。每间面包店都售卖填满托拉尼坚果酱的叶形小蛋糕,而每逢一年一度的为儿童命名的节日,每家的外婆都会拿出属于自己家族的独特食谱,为一家人蒸煮出一种名为“杜瓦”(duvai)的美味蒸饺。
这些习俗到底是不是正宗的阿兹兰特文化,往最好的说也只能算十分可疑。卡利尼学者们穷尽一生研究古代的文献记录,以挖掘出更多关于他们祖先的片段信息,但阿兹兰特帝国可谓疆域辽阔,而编织起新卡利格诺斯的乃是从阿兹兰特各个角落抽取出的丝线。卡利尼从这些零碎的想象中所拼凑出来的,只是一个不完美的记忆中的世界,而非其原本的真实复现。
但经过这么多代人之后,这一切近乎不再重要。无论新卡利格诺斯的习俗是否源自正宗阿兹兰特,对于那些每逢过节就能吃上外婆的饺子,闻着紫蕊花香,吃着坚果酱蛋糕长大的卡利尼而言,这些习俗早已深入他们的人生。就这样,这个由孤儿组成的社群(因为卡利尼必须依靠收养才能不断延续)便得以煞费苦心地为建立起一种既根深蒂固又脆弱的文化。
剧透 -  原文:
11. New Calignos: This section of Pangolais is heavily populated by caligni, who have dubbed it “New Calignos” and have gone to great pains to recreate what they imagine their ancestors’ original settlement in the Azlanti Empire must have been like.
Architectural flourishes such as swooping rooflines and ornately tiled walkways give New Calignos a look and feel that is distinct from the rest of Pangolais. Purple-hearted white flowers called “stars of Azlant”—a species preserved in the Garden of the Ancients, and a rare flash of color in monochrome Pangolais—fill the window boxes of private residences and tumble from plinths mounted at street crossings, perfuming the neighborhood with a subtle fragrance that hooks deep into caligni memories. Every bakery sells little leafshaped cakes filled with torani nut paste, and every grandmother has a unique family recipe for the savory steamed dumplings called duvai that are served at children’s namedays, one for each year.
Whether these traditions are actually authentic to Azlanti culture is dubious at best. Caligni scholars spend lifetimes poring over ancient records to mine fragments of information about their heritage, but Azlant was a wide and far-flung empire, and New Calignos is built on many different threads pulled from disparate corners of Azlant. What the caligni have cobbled together is a piecemeal imagining of an imperfectly remembered world, not an authentic recreation of its reality.
After so many generations, however, it hardly matters. Whether or not the traditions of New Calignos were authentic to Azlant, they have become deeply so to the caligni who grew up eating their grandmothers’ dumplings and celebrating feast days with nut-paste cakes decorated with purple-centered flowers. In this way, a society of orphans has painstakingly built a culture that is simultaneously deeply rooted and fragile, for it depends on continual renewal by adoption to survive.

12,奥罗谢尔大酒店 Orochel House:这座由黑石和灰色染色玻璃建成的优雅庄园坐落在切利亚斯大使馆附近,大多数来到帕格莱斯的外国人都会住在这里。阴影朝廷倾向于让外来者在奈多受到轻微但不间断的监视,因此其他旅店店主有的拒绝外国人入内,有的试图用高价让对方望而却步,有的甚至要求对方用血腥手段展现对宗库松的忠诚,而还有的则直接指引外国人改去奥罗谢尔大酒店入住。
虽然奥罗谢尔大酒店费用昂贵,但若有空房或是提前预约,其价格却极为适中。这里的食物精美,房间干净整洁,而侍从们也能干而有礼。唯一的缺点是,整座建筑物都处于阴影朝廷的监视之下。庄园各处都散布着窥视珠(译者注:scrysphere,出自PF小说《夜之镜》,一种能让制作者看到珠子附近事物的魔法物品,具体物品能力请见该小说在PFS的附赠单子)以及其他探知类器材,而每一位酒店的侍从都会向朝廷报告所见所闻。
剧透 -  原文::
12. Orochel House: This elegant manor of dark stone and gray-tinted glass located near the Chelish embassy is where most foreigners stay when visiting Pangolais. The Umbral Court prefers to keep outsiders under subtle but constant surveillance in Nidal, and so other innkeepers either refuse to accept foreigners altogether or try to dissuade them by overcharging, requiring gory displays of devotion to Zon-Kuthon, or simply directing them to Orochel House.
Although Orochel House is expensively, if sparely, appointed, its prices are surprisingly moderate. The food is good, the rooms clean, and the servants efficient and polite. The only drawback is that the entire building is under surveillance by the Umbral Court. Scryspheres and other spying devices are scattered throughout the premises, and every servant in the building reports to the court.

13,影晶工坊 Shadeglass Foundry:影晶工坊坐落在帕格莱斯的河岸附近,它用乌斯克森林的黑叶树木的灰烬,制造出一种独特的奈多玻璃,玻璃色泽中泛有超自然的灰色。其成品被称为阴影玻璃(shadowglass),无论周围光线有多强或多弱,它都能将射入的光线完美地散射开,投射出带各种各样繁复图纹的多重阴影。只有在完全黑暗的环境下,阴影玻璃才无法投射出其丰富的阴影图纹。
由阴影玻璃制成的窗户和工艺品在奈多境外十分稀有,在收藏者手中价值50至500gp不等,而更大更复杂的作品则要价更为高昂。在制造与阴影和幻术相关的魔法物品时,这种玻璃也大有用处
剧透 -  原文::
13. Shadeglass Foundry: Near the riverside in Pangolais stands the Shadeglass Foundry, where a unique type of Nidalese glass is produced using the ashes of the Uskwood’s black-leaved trees, which lend a supernatural gray tint to the glass. The finished product—called shadowglass—splits light into a multiplicity of shadows, casting them in varied patterns that are dense and complex no matter how much or how little light strikes the glass. Only in absolute darkness does shadowglass fail to create its profusion of shadows.
Shadowglass windows and artworks are rare outside Nidal and are worth 50 to 500 gp to collectors, with larger and more complex pieces commanding even higher sums. The glass is also valuable in crafting shadow- and illusion-related magical items.

14,大会殿 Shrine of Convocations:每年春秋各一次,阴影朝廷会齐聚于大会殿,以向奈多人民发布政令、解决朝廷成员之间的棘手纠纷,以及对被提交到朝廷增补名单上新成员的晋升事宜进行投票表决。阴影朝廷还会在此听取杰出成员和特工所作的报告,内容涉及外国政治,国内事务,神学和奥术研究,朝廷会确定下半年在这些事务上的行事方针。
对于那些非常重要的事项,黑三角可能会直接作出指示,其旨意无可违背。而在大多数情况下,阴影朝廷会在成员间深入讨论后达成一致。尽管朝廷中特定成员之间的分歧很深,但此类讨论在没有明确结果时就结束可谓极度罕见,因为所有成员都身受神力之委任,要放下个人利益,为奈多谋求最大的福祉。他们被允许在私下算计彼此,但不得在制定国策时侵害国家利益。
除非获得了明确的豁免,所有阴影朝廷的成员都必须强制出席大会,否则会在痛苦中死去。因此,这也成为了成员之间做掉彼此的主要方式之一,因为阻止对手参加集会通常无需显露太多自己的手腕,而一旦成功,黑三角将亲自下令处死对手。
剧透 -  原文::
14. Shrine of Convocations: Twice a year, in spring and autumn, the Umbral Court convenes at the Shrine of Convocations to issue proclamations to the people of Nidal, settle troublesome disputes between their members, and vote on the elevation of any new members whose names have been submitted for inclusion in the court. The Umbral Court also hears reports from prominent members and agents involved in foreign policy, domestic affairs, and theological and arcane studies, and determines the direction that these affairs should take in the next half year.
On matters of grave importance, the Black Triune may issue direct instructions, which may not be disobeyed. In most other cases, the Umbral Court reaches an agreement among its own members after thorough discussion. Despite the divisions that run deep among certain members of the court, it is exceedingly uncommon for these discussions to end without clear resolution, since all members are under a divine mandate to put their own interests aside and seek the best outcome for Nidal. They are permitted to plot against one another privately, but not to undermine the nation’s interests in setting policy.
Absent explicit dispensation, attendance at the convocation is mandatory for all Umbral Court members on pain of death. This is, accordingly, one of the primary means by which members plot to dispose of one another, since preventing a rival from attending a convocation can often be arranged without showing one’s hand and, if successful, results in that rival’s death by order of the Black Triune.

引用
瑞德旺 Ridwan
守序邪恶 大城市
腐败+3;犯罪+1;经济+0;秩序+6;文化+3;社交-2
特质 学院,黑暗之城,要塞,孤立,宗教歧视(宗库松)
危险度 +30

人口统计

人口 11400(人类 9700,卡利尼 1300,窃影鬼 200,其他 200)
政府 独裁政府

重要NPC

司令 瑞德旺的麦黛尔 Commandant-General Maidelle of Ridwan (守序邪恶女性人类9级战士)
司令 尘埃堂的谢利安 Commandant-General Xherian of the Dusk Hall (守序邪恶男性人类12级咒法师)
高阶祭司 暗焰的伊瑟琳 Hierarch Itherine of the Shadowflame(守序邪恶女性暮年人类14级宗库松的牧师)
午夜将军 瑞德旺的奇维希尔 Midnight General Kyvicir of Ridwan(守序邪恶男性卡利尼 B5 11级宗库松的审判者APG
黑夜发言人 乌斯克森林的薇瑞克 Nightspeaker Virique of the Uskwood (守序邪恶女性人类8级调查员 ACG


市场交易

基础购买价值 6400gp;购买限额 40000gp;施法服务 9环
次级物品 4d4;中级物品 3d4; 高级物品 2d4

特殊特质

黑暗之城 City of Darkness: 瑞德旺是宗库松残酷信仰的一大重镇,其人口中有大量极度邪恶之人,他们利用国家和宗教法规来达成各种令人发指的操守与行为。宗库松的影响在城中无处不在,而城内永远不会沐浴到自然的明亮阳光。(守序+2,社交-2,危险度+20)
要塞 Fortress 瑞德旺首先是一座军事城市,其内部设施与经济贸易都以军用为主。(经济-2,社交-2)
宗教歧视 Religiously Intolerant:瑞德旺的居民要求城中每一个人,包括造访者,都要敬仰宗库松。那些公开贬低宗库松信仰之人极有可能会遭受监禁、酷刑,或更糟糕的事情。(宗库松以外信仰的成员必须花费1.5倍正常价格购买货物与服务,并且可能面临嘲笑、侮辱甚至暴力相向)
剧透 -  原文::
RIDWAN LE large city Corruption +3; Crime +1; Economy +0; Law +6; Lore +3; Society –2
Qualities academic, city of darkness, fortress, insular, religiously intolerant (Zon-Kuthon) Danger +30
DEMOGRAPHICS Population 11,400 (9,700 humans, 1,300 caligni, 200 fetchlingsB2, 200 other) Government autocracy
NOTABLE NPCS Commandant-General Maidelle of Ridwan (LE female human fighter 9) Commandant-General Xherian of the Dusk Hall (LE male human conjurer 12) Hierarch Itherine of the Shadowflame (LE female venerable human cleric of Zon-Kuthon 14) Midnight General Kyvicir of Ridwan (LE male caligniB5 inquisitorAPG of Zon-Kuthon 11) Nightspeaker Virique of the Uskwood (LE female human investigatorACG 8)
MARKETPLACE Base Value 6,400 gp; Purchase Limit 40,000 gp; Spellcasting 9th Minor Items 4d4; Medium Items 3d4; Major Items 2d4
SPECIAL QUALITIES City of Darkness Ridwan is a major city of the cruel faith of Zon-Kuthon and is populated largely by deeply evil people who use the nation and religion’s laws to perpetuate truly vile practices and behavior. Zon-Kuthon’s influence permeates the city and natural bright sunlight never shines here. (Law +2, Society –2, Danger +20)
Fortress Ridwan is foremost a military settlement, and its amenities and economy are geared toward martial concerns. (Economy –2, Society –2)
Religiously Intolerant The people of Ridwan expect everyone in their city, even visitors, to pay obeisance to Zon-Kuthon. Those who openly disparage the religion run a high risk of imprisonment, torture, or worse. (Members of non-Kuthite faiths must pay 150% of the normal price for goods and services and may face mockery, insult, or even violence.)


瑞德旺 Ridwan

        要塞都市瑞德旺伫立于乌黑的天空之下。泣泪之地(见40页)扬起的硫磺烟云使得整座城市常年处于阴暗之中,它与帕格莱斯城中的阴暗一样浓郁而恒久不变,但却不像后者一般充满宁静。瑞德旺要塞的中心区域有一处巨大的位面裂隙,其边缘迸发出黑色的火焰,将空中的乌云染上了骇人的紫色。这处裂隙通向深幽之暗(the Deeping Darkness),影界深处的无光之窟。据说,在星陨降临之后,宗库松便是将这里作为自己踏出影界监狱之后的第一个造访地,并在不久之后于此地劝诱三位马王领袖为他建立奈多这座祟邪国度。(更多关于这些事件,请见5页)
        瑞德旺最初是一座建立在暗焰裂隙(Shadowflame Rift)周围的祟邪圣坛,后者是圣坛中央的一处通向影界的位面门户。在建成后的数百年间,这处圣坛先是被扩建为一座坚固的塔楼,后来又进一步改建为一座由粗糙黑石建成的不动要塞,黑石上布满了颗粒状的小水晶,如同无数面小镜子一般将裂隙的光焰投射到四面八方,直至今日。如今,这座暗焰大教堂(Shadowflame Cathedral)已成为宗库松信仰的主要圣地。它与午夜堡
(Midnight Citadel)可谓瑞德旺的两大支柱,而整座城市的唯一目的便是将狂热的信众们锻造成能为午夜领主击溃来自万千世界之敌人的坚韧武者。
        军事要塞几乎构成了瑞德旺的一切。它所在的泣泪之地内满地碎岩、蒸汽喷涌,还潜伏着各种惧怖,实在是不宜人居,而要塞附近也根本无法进行农业耕作。瑞德旺的食物要么需从外地进口,要么得依靠居住在当地教堂中的牧师们用魔法来制造。城里人偶尔也能吃上眼眶空洞,肉色如墨的鱼类与家禽,它们都来自裂隙对面的影界。
剧透 -  原文::
Ridwan: The fortress city of Ridwan stands under a blackened sky. Sulfurous clouds of smoke and dust belched from the fissure-riddled Weeping Fields (see page 40) cast the city into an eternal gloom as dense and unchanging as that of Pangolais, though far less serene. Fire tints the clouds’ bellies an eerie violet, for in the heart of Ridwan’s fortress is an immense rift, edged in black flame, that opens to the Deeping Darkness, a lightless chasm in the depths of the Shadow Plane. This is where Zon-Kuthon is said to have first emerged after Earthfall from his Shadow Plane prison, and where he shortly thereafter coaxed three horselord leaders into founding his unholy nation. (See page 5 for more about these events.)
Ridwan began as an unholy shrine built around the Shadowflame Rift, as the gate to the Shadow Plane at its center is called. Over centuries, it expanded into a fortified tower, then to its current state as a stern fortress built of rough, crystal-flecked black stone that reflects the rifts’ flame in innumerable tiny mirrors. Today, the Shadowflame Cathedral is a major holy site in the Kuthite faith. Together with the Midnight Citadel, it anchors a city whose sole purpose is to train and harden fanatic souls into warriors capable of crushing the Midnight Lord’s enemies in this world and beyond.
There is little other than the military fortress in Ridwan. The blasted expanses of cracked rock, hissing vapor, and prowling horrors that constitute the Weeping Fields are inhospitable to human settlement, and no farming is possible nearby. Ridwan’s food is either imported or conjured by the clerics who inhabit its halls, with occasional supplements of empty-eyed, inkyfleshed fish and fowl brought through the rifts from the Shadow Plane.

以下是对标注在31页瑞德旺地图上各处地点的详述。

1,酷炼堂 Crucible Hall:被送往瑞德旺接受训练的孤儿和弃儿们都会住进酷炼堂,一座枯燥无趣的斯巴达式宿舍学堂。在那里,孩子们会将除睡眠时间外的分分秒秒都用在磨炼身心、学习武艺和各种宗库松信仰的残酷秘传上面。大多数学员会在酷炼堂中至少待上十年,这主要是为了排除外界干扰,以免他们对自己信仰产生怀疑。当这些学员们得以动身前往附近的泣泪之地接受泣泪者之试炼(the Weeper’s Ordeal)之时 ,他们已经被锻造为忠诚的狂信徒。
剧透 -  原文::
1. Crucible Hall: Orphans and foundlings sent to Ridwan for training are housed in Crucible Hall, a charmless, spartan dormitory where children spend nearly every waking hour honing their bodies for combat and their minds for the cruel mysteries of Zon-Kuthon’s faith. Most trainees spend over a decade in Crucible Hall, purposefully isolated from anything that might cause them to question their faith, and by the time they leave to attempt the Weeper’s Ordeal in the nearby Weeping Fields, they have been forged into utter fanatics.

2,午夜堡 Midnight Citadel:作为一座被层层高墙所环绕的城市,瑞德旺城中有两大建筑物:一是位于城市中心的祟邪的暗焰大教堂,二则是午夜堡,一座由粗糙的灰黑石块建成,楼顶饰有巨大弧形带刺铁冠的令人生畏的大型建筑,宗库松的军队正是在此接受痛苦之锻造。
午夜领主的士兵们并不操练如何与凡人军队作战,因为在宗库松的庇护下,奈多既未有过将领土扩张至为神灵设定的边界以外的念头,又很少需要担心外敌入侵。相反,精钢卫队的训练目的有三:扼杀信众中任何异端的苗头,摆平可能会威胁到群众的脱逃奴隶或其他游荡的怪物,以及对抗那些能被宗库松视为真正敌人的不朽之敌。因此,尽管瑞德旺的午夜堡培育了许多战士,但它也同样训练出一大批审判者,魔法师(magi),游侠和战斗祭司。所有奈多的士兵们都会在午夜堡中接受至少数月的训练,但只有那些接受过泣泪者之试炼(the Weeper’s Ordeal)的最坚韧不拔之人才会被晋升入精锐云集的精钢卫队(Adamant Guard)中。
午夜将军瑞德旺的奇维希尔是阴影朝廷的一员,他负责管理整座要塞。自他往下,有三人分别负责不同的事务:司令瑞德旺的麦黛尔负责训练军队和管理精钢卫队;司令尘埃堂的埃堂的谢利安负责管理辅助要塞运作的施法者,以及束缚从裂隙中呼唤而来的可怕怪兽;最后是黑夜发言人乌斯克森林的薇瑞克,负责将泣泪之地中不断出现的神灵启示整理记录到史册和圣典中。要塞中还有三位使徒链魔他们会用苦痛祷告来奖赏虔诚的宗库松信徒,用劝诱言说来规劝那些任性的灵魂。
剧透 -  译者注::
使徒链魔 Apostle Kyton出自HA(果园未翻译),是一个可以套在类人或怪物人形身上的链魔模板,上文提到的苦痛祷告Agonizing Prayers 和劝诱言说 seductive orations是其特殊能力之二,前者会让目标受到大量非致命伤害和流血,后者会对目标造成大量感知伤害。
剧透 -  原文::
2. Midnight Citadel: The walled city of Ridwan is dominated by two structures: the Shadowflame Cathedral, its unholy center, and the Midnight Citadel, a forbidding edifice of rough black-and-gray stone crowned with immense curved spikes of steel, where Zon-Kuthon’s armies are forged in pain.
The Midnight Lord’s soldiers do not train against mortal armies, for Nidal has never held any interest in expanding beyond its divinely set borders and considers defense largely unnecessary while Zon-Kuthon shields their land. Instead, the Adamant Guard trains for three purposes: to crush any hint of heresy among the faithful, to neutralize escaped thralls or other wandering monsters that might threaten the populace, and to face the immortal foes that are the only true adversaries of concern to Zon-Kuthon. Thus, while Ridwan’s Midnight Citadel produces many fighters, it also trains a large number of inquisitors, magi, rangers, and warpriests. All Nidalese soldiers train in the Midnight Citadel for at least a few months, but only the most dedicated attempt the Weeper’s Ordeal that would elevate them to the ranks of the elite Adamant Guard.
Midnight General Kyvicir of Ridwan is the member of the Umbral Court responsible for overseeing the fortress. Under him, duties are divided into three branches: martial training and supervising the Adamant Guard, under the charge of Commandant-General Maidelle of Ridwan; the magical auxiliaries and the binding of nightmare beasts called from the rifts, under the command of Commandant-General Xherian of the Dusk Hall; and updating the histories and holy texts with the continual revelations of the Weeping Fields, maintained by Nightspeaker Virique of the Uskwood. Three apostle kytons also serve in the fortress, rewarding faithful Kuthites with their agonizing prayers and binding wayward souls with seductive orations.

3,红瓶工坊 Redbottle Foundry:红瓶工坊被建于瑞德旺城中只有几年的历史,其建立目的是为了与帕格莱斯城中老牌的影晶工坊分庭抗礼。凭借着产自泣泪之地各处冒烟裂隙中出产的细腻岩石粉料,红瓶工坊得以生产出一种能闪烁出绚红光泽的深黑色玻璃制品,这种玻璃制品在奈多销路不佳,但在魔鬼主义者统治的切利亚斯却大受追捧。
然而红瓶工坊并不仅仅出口玻璃制品。工坊的创始者瑞德旺的勒米亚斯 Lemias of Ridwan(中立邪恶男性11级法师)已人过中年,他既是一位杰出的玻璃工匠,也是一位对切利亚斯怀有深仇大恨的死灵法师。数十年前,他的女儿正是在西冠镇的午夜卫队当差时,被反政府人士所谋杀。勒米亚斯认为,女儿之死不仅来自切利亚斯反叛者的杀害,也来自于该国政府未能为其提供足够的保护,这些人都是他憎恶的对象。不过,勒米亚斯已找到了如何为女儿报仇雪恨的方法。奈多法律很少会将处决作为惩罚手段。无论犯人们犯下多么令人发指的罪行,让他们在酷刑和伤残中生不如死总是更好的选择。不过,犯人因用典过重而丧命也并不罕见,尤其是当他们已经因为地牢中的恶劣环境而变得虚弱时更是如此。
在意识到上述事实后,勒米亚斯贿赂了两位瑞德旺的施虐者,让他们“意外”杀死一些杀人犯,他本人再把这些杀人犯的精魂们束缚到自己制造的玻璃瓶上,成为其缚瓶灵(polong B5 196,一种虚体不死生物),并在日常贸易中将它们送往切利亚斯。勒米亚斯行事非常小心,他有时会传送到其他奈多定居点寻找目标,但会确保工坊每运出500个玻璃瓶,便会有一两只缚瓶灵落入不知情的买家手里。
反常的是,随着关于红瓶工坊的秘密附赠品之传言逐渐在切利亚斯传开,其玻璃瓶的销量却有增无减。尽管某些缚魂灵迅速干掉了自己倒霉的新“主人”,但另一些却发现自己的买主很乐意收下一位不死刺客。在那些对红瓶工坊之秘密起疑心的切利亚斯经销商当中,大部分人都倾向于保守这份秘密并从中获利。
剧透 -  原文::
3. Redbottle Foundry: Established in Ridwan just a few years ago, Redbottle Foundry positions itself as a competitor to the storied Shadeglass Foundry of Pangolais (see page 30). Using finely powdered rocks from the hissing rifts of the Weeping Fields, Redbottle Foundry produces a deep black glass with an iridescent red overlay that sees little demand in Nidal but has become extremely popular in diabolist-ruled Cheliax.
But glass is not its only export. The elderly founder of Redbottle Foundry, Lemias of Ridwan (NE male human wizard 11), is a master glassworker and a necromancer with a deep grudge against Cheliax, where, decades ago, rebels murdered his daughter while she was serving in Westcrown’s Midnight Guard. Lemias blames Cheliax’s government for failing to adequately protect his daughter and its rebellious people for killing her, and he loathes them all. But Lemias has figured out how to avenge his daughter’s murder: Nidalese law rarely prescribes execution as a punishment. Torture and mutilation are preferred for nearly all offenders, no matter how
egregious  their crimes. Yet it is not uncommon for the torments to be so severe that the subjects die, especially when the condemned are already weakened by poor treatment in the dungeons.
Recognizing this fact, Lemias has been bribing two of Ridwan’s torturers to “accidentally” kill the murderers in their care, then binding the murderers’ spirits into his bottles as polongs (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 5 196) and sending them out in ordinary shipments to Cheliax. Lemias is careful to keep his activities discreet, and he sometimes teleports to other Nidalese settlements to find his victims, but he ensures that one or two bottles in every shipment of 500 contains a polong to be delivered to some unknowing buyer.
Perversely, as rumors of Redbottle Foundry’s secret gifts become known in Cheliax, demand for the bottles has only increased. While some of the polongs end up in the hands of hapless “masters” whom they quickly kill, others have found their buyers perfectly delighted to be given undead assassins. The Chelish brokers who have begun to suspect Redbottle Foundry’s secret are, for the most part, inclined to keep it and profit from it.

4,暗焰大教堂 Shadowflame Cathedral : 暗焰裂隙(Shadowflame Rift)是当年宗库松与黑三角立约之地,而坐落在其旁边的暗焰大教堂
如今已成为该邪恶信仰最神圣的圣地。它是一座由粗糙黑石建成的塔楼,其地基部分显得巨大而笨重,反映出古代奈多人有限的建筑水平。塔楼的上层部分则受到了阿兹兰特和瑟西隆的共同影响,并创造性地融和了双方的特色,形成了现代格拉利昂中无处可寻的建筑风格,不过其建材依然是粗糙的玄武岩,这是当年唯一可用的建筑材料。这一切让暗焰大教堂成为了建筑学上的一大奇迹,无数学者历尽艰辛来到瑞德旺,只是为了能研究此等奇观。
暗焰大教堂的内部满是银箔镜、烟水晶和阴影玻璃制成的棱柱、和与其他饰品一同闪烁生辉的抛光钢链,它们构成了遍布整个教堂的暗色炫目光阵。所有这些饰品都映照着横贯整座教堂的细长裂隙中跃动的不洁火光,而光焰最盛之处便是暗焰裂隙的所在。宗库松之气息在教堂中可谓无处不在,哪怕最为迟钝之灵魂,都会被其真实无虚的祟邪神力所撼动。
教堂崇高的女主人和管理者,高阶祭司暗焰的伊瑟琳更是为其气氛增添了几分森严。数十年来,她一直在奈多内外营造着暗焰大教堂的可怖名声。伊瑟琳声称,教堂高墙阴影之下,那座最崇高的祟邪神坛,便是她的出生之所——她也因此自号“暗焰”。不过,某些午夜领主的牧师则私下里说,她其实只是被遗弃在教堂门阶上的一个弃婴。
每年冬至,最虔诚的宗库松信徒会齐聚于暗焰大教堂,参加一场名为午夜浸礼(the Baptism in Midnight)的宗教典礼。在典礼的最高潮,那些最勇于献身的宗库松追随者们会跃入暗焰裂隙之中,迎接自家主神对自己的个人审判。他们中有些人永远地消失在裂隙之中,但也有人在被转化、被摧残、或被祝福后归还,身上还带有象征午夜领主可怖神宠的印记。
浸礼的幸存者们都会用含糊不清的词句描述他们经受的奇迹与内心的骇人渴望,但众所周知的是,没有人可以二度尝试浸礼——以此举二度吸引宗库松的目光是后者无法容忍的轻慢之举——而有趣的是,阴影朝廷中似乎没有哪位成员接受过午夜浸礼。
暗焰大教堂的一侧专门用于排放一排排黑曜石球体,它们每个约有苹果大小,表面都被抛光得乌黑发亮。尽管存放球体的楼体侧翼内一片漆黑,但球体的表面却闪烁奇异的银色火花和暗淡虹彩,好像它们正倒映着来自其他世界的光源一般。
这种推测很可能是事实。这些球体被称为虚空旅记(Voyages into the Void),它们存放着从诸多位面旅行者收集而来的记忆,后者曾探寻群星之间的黑暗空间并返回,而返回之人有可能与出发时判若两人。由于词句不足以描述这般旅程,宗库松信徒们直接提取出记忆,然后将其珍藏于教堂中,这样那些有志重走宗库松所走之路之人,便可以先尝试一瞥自己神祇可能曾见过的片段景色。
并非所有此处收藏的记忆都是自愿给出的。链魔,唤影者大师,以及其他位面旅行者有时会在旅途中遇到一些迷失方向或沦落的探索者。他们有时会提取这些探索者的记忆与体验,而作为交换,后者会被护送到相对安全的奈多。
虚空旅记的使用权被严格控制,这不仅因为其信息的价值,也因为这些体验的直接本质可能让来自暗幕(Dark Tapestry)的潜伏之力接触到易感的心灵。由于那些对暗幕抱有浓厚兴趣之人本来就会在自己的研究中面临多种致疯源,而来自暗幕的险恶之力又可能极其狡猾,因此无法确切地证明某人之所以发疯,是因为通过虚空旅记间接性地重温他人的旅程。不过,许多学者都认为,上述的可能性非常大。
虔诚的宗库松信徒可以向阴影朝廷请求获得研究这些藏品的许可,而外来者则必须先向教堂缴纳什一税才会被考虑。无论哪种情况下,造访者在参观藏品之前和之后,都必须接受魔法审问。被认为不合适之人——包括那些会利用知识制造混乱之徒,例如旧日支配者(the Great Old Ones)的秘教徒——不会有机会离开暗焰教堂,除非是化为骷髅之流被送往神血裂隙挖矿(见20页)。
剧透 -  原文::
4. Shadowflame Cathedral: Built around the Shadowflame Rift where Zon-Kuthon made Kuthite Nidal’s formative pact with the Black Triune, the Shadowflame Cathedral is one of the evil faith’s holiest sites. It is a tower of rough black stone, its base built with a bulky crudeness that reflects the limited architectural sophistication of the ancient Nidalese. The upper levels incorporate Azlanti and Thassilonian influences, blending them with an inventiveness that exists nowhere else in the modern world, but rendered in the same basalt that was the only building material available at the time. The result is an architectural marvel that impels scholars to visit Ridwan merely to study the cathedral, notwithstanding the journey’s difficulty.
The interior of the Shadowflame Cathedral is filled with darkly dazzling arrays of beaten silver mirrors, smoky quartz and shadowglass prisms, and polished steel chains that gleam about the other ornaments. All these adornments reflect the fissures of tainted fire that erupt throughout the cathedral, culminating in the Shadowflame Rift. Zon-Kuthon’s presence hangs heavy throughout the cathedral, overawing even the most jaded souls with the undeniable aura of the unholy divine.
Adding to this ambiance is the cathedral’s overseer and high mistress, Hierarch Itherine of the Shadowflame, who has spent considerable decades building the cathedral’s notorious reputation within and beyond Nidal. Itherine claims to have been born of shadow within the very walls of the cathedral, on its highest unholy altar—thus her self-styled surname—though some clerics of the evil deity whisper that she in fact originated as a foundling on the church’s doorstep.
Each year on the winter solstice, the most devout Kuthites gather in the Shadowflame Cathedral for the Baptism in Midnight, a religious ceremony that culminates with the most devoted of Zon-Kuthon’s followers plunging themselves into the Shadowflame Rift in order to submit themselves to their god’s personal judgment. Some of them disappear into the rift and never return, but others emerge transformed, mutilated, or blessed with some token of the Midnight Lord’s awful favor.
All who survive the experience speak of it with inarticulate wonder and terrible yearning, but it is well known that no one may attempt the baptism twice—vying for his attention twice in this manner is an act of hubris that ZonKuthon does not tolerate— and, curiously, no member of the Umbral Court ever seems to undergo the Baptism in Midnight
One wing of the Shadowflame Cathedral is devoted to row upon row of obsidian spheres, each the size of an apple and polished to a glossy black. Although the spheres are kept in a darkened wing, curious silvery sparks and pale rainbows dance across their surfaces, as if they were reflecting lights from some other world.
This may well be the truth. Known as the Voyages into the Void, the spheres hold the collected memories of planar travelers who have ventured into the dark spaces between the stars and returned, not always as they were when they left. Because words are inadequate to describe such travels, the Kuthites extract the memories directly, then enshrine them in the cathedral so that those who wish to retrace their god’s footsteps can attempt to grasp some shard of what Zon-Kuthon might have seen.
Not all the memories in the collection are voluntarily given. Kytons, master shadowcallers, and other planar travelers sometimes find lost or ruined explorers in their journeys and may extract the memory of their experiences in exchange for shepherding those explorers to the relative safety of Nidal.
Access to the Voyages into the Void is carefully controlled, not only because of the value of the information, but because the direct nature of the experience may allow creeping influences from the Dark Tapestry to touch susceptible minds. Because individuals who are deeply interested in the Dark Tapestry tend to risk madness from multiple sources over the course of their studies, and because the malevolence of that world can be extremely subtle, it is impossible to prove conclusively that anyone has been driven insane by vicariously reliving another’s journey using the Voyages into the Void, but many scholars believe the possibility is very real.
Devout Kuthites may petition the Umbral Court to study the collection, while outsiders must make a generous tithe to the cathedral to be considered. In both cases, the visitors are subject to magical interrogation before and after visiting the collection. Those who are deemed unworthy— including those who would use the knowledge to foment chaos, such as cultists of the Great Old Ones—do not return from the Shadowflame Cathedral, except perhaps as skeletons that are sent to mine the Godsblood Crevasse (see page 20).

5,尖刺铸造厂 Spikeforge :在午夜堡的阴影之下,当链魔们将自己不要的躯体血肉切除下来时,宗库松的寂静侍者们便会将这些被遗弃的链条和铁刺收集起来。这些材料会被送往尖刺铸造厂,熔炉中的净焰会烧去链魔的残余血肉,将其锁链熔为铁水,以用于为瑞德旺军队铸造各种险恶的武器。
尖刺铸造厂的奥术铁匠们会在瑞德旺产的钢材中混入从链魔融化链条中回收的金属来制造武器。这些武器不仅在战斗中无往不利,还代表了来自宗库松的祝福,具有重要的宗教意义,可谓十分珍贵。每一把这些武器在被授予他人之前,都会被赐名,而据传武器名都是由提供铁链材料的那位链魔所定。
剧透 -  原文::
5. Spikeforge: In the shadow of the Midnight Citadel, silent servitors of Zon-Kuthon gather the chains and spikes that kytons discard when they cast aside chunks of their unwanted flesh. These pieces are taken to the Spikeforge and subjected to its cleansing flames, which burn away the kytons’ flesh and melt their chains into liquid metal that can be reforged into vicious weapons for Ridwan’s army.
The Spikeforge’s arcane smiths produce weapons using Ridwan’s steel mixed with the metal recovered from the kytons’ molten chains. Such weapons are prized not only for their terrible efficacy in battle, but also because they represent a significant blessing from Zon-Kuthon. Each of these weapons is named before it is bestowed, supposedly by the kytons whose chains it carries.

6,魂册 The Soulbooks
魂册乃是一系列记载着奈多全国人口出生与死亡的史册,宗库松的忠诚信者们负责其维护和保管工作,每年生还者之宴(The Feast of the Survivors)后都会对其进行数据更新。它被安置在午夜堡地底的三层厚墙和一座迷宫之内,有无数生者与非生者充当着此地的守卫。在黑三角的命令下,每个村庄与城镇都有义务定期上交人口记录,这些记录会被仔细校对,以免阴影朝廷因记录中出现纰漏而动怒。这是奈多最古老的律法之一,几乎是在星陨之灾后不久便被颁布,且至今未曾更改。
为何这些看上去平平无奇的记录对黑三角如此重要不得而知。与被半秘密的不和与狭隘的政治斗争所驱使的阴影朝廷不同,黑三角仅遵从宗库松的意旨而行事。
乡间迷信称,魂册束缚着所有奈多人的灵魂,是他们可畏神祇掌管他们死后精魂的手段。研究该问题的宗教和位面学者们也称这种迷信中可能含有部分真实之处。链魔以能用神秘手段将灵魂从法莱斯玛的审判中夺走而著称,而无论他们用到了何种仪式,魂册都有可能参与其中。
剧透 -  原文::
6. The Soulbooks: Beneath the Midnight Citadel, secured by triple walls and a labyrinth filled with guardians both living and not, Zon-Kuthon’s faithful keep the Soulbooks: the annals of all births and deaths in Nidal, updated every year after the Feast of the Survivors. By order of the Black Triune, each village and town is responsible for submitting its own records, which are meticulously maintained lest some error draw the Umbral Court’s wrath. This is one of the oldest laws in Nidal, having been issued in the immediate aftermath of Earthfall, and it has never been altered.
Why these seemingly mundane records should be of such importance to the Black Triune is unclear. Unlike the Umbral Court, which is riven by semisecret dissensions and petty politics, the Triune acts only in accordance with Zon-Kuthon’s expressed will.
Peasant superstition holds that the Soulbooks hold the souls of all Nidalese in bondage and are the means by which their dread god claims their spirits after death. Religious and planar scholars who have studied the matter suggest that there might be some truth to this hypothesis. Kytons are known to wrench souls away from Pharasma’s judgment by mysterious means, and it is possible that the Soulbooks may be involved in whatever rituals they use.

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« 回帖 #6 于: 2019-01-10, 周四 16:34:06 »
影穴 Shadow Caverns: 作为连接乌斯克森林与幽暗之地的通道,影穴的入口乍看之下很有欺骗性:它似乎只是一个位于冰凉泉水上方的古怪深穴。但那些趟过寒水进入洞穴深处之人会发现,此地乃是一处不为地表世界所知的恐怖的奴隶交易市场。执掌此地的是维切洛斯,他是一条影龙(Umbral Dragon B2 102),也是一位宗库松的虔诚信徒,他遵从着午夜领主的命令,负责维护此处贸易点的治安。在这里,来自格拉利昂的各地的倒霉俘虏们会被奈多上人们卖给那-沃斯(Nar-voth)的幽暗生物(dark folk),后者会把新买的奴隶们带入怪异而凶险的地底世界,大部分奴隶从此一去不复返。
奈多国内一部分最缺德的卡利尼也会来到影穴购买同族的幼儿。幽暗潜行者(dark stalker B1)博泽尔-欧什(Bozel-Oth)是一位臭名昭著的拐卖贩,不过实际上他的一切行动都听从着幽暗之魂们(Owb B1)的指示,后者在交易过程中得以隐藏于幕后而不必亲自露面。
选择在此市场中购置幼儿的卡利尼大多足够邪恶,他们通常用金钱达成交易,但有时博泽尔-欧什会开出更为敏感的价码:他会要求买家窃取某些信件、暗中搜查买家的盟友或主子、或是完成其他下至偷窃上至谋杀的各种任务。博泽尔-欧什从不解释自己(或者更准确地说,他的幽暗之魂主人)为何要发布这些任务,而且从不接受讲价。
更多关于影穴的信息,请见50页。
剧透 -  原文::
Shadow Caverns: A curiously deep cave above an icy spring is the only surface sign of the Shadow Caverns, the deceptively simple-looking point of connection between the Uskwood and the Darklands. Those who wade through the chill water into the cave’s depths find a horrific slave market hidden from the surface world’s view. Visceroth, an umbral dragon (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 102) and devotee of Zon-Kuthon, maintains the outpost’s peace as bidden by the Midnight Lord. There, Nidalese traders sell shackled unfortunates from across Golarion to the dark folk of Nar-Voth, who drag their newly purchased slaves into an alien and perilous realm from which few ever return.
The Shadow Caverns are also where the most wicked caligni of Nidal go to purchase infants. The dark stalker Bozel-Oth is an infamous trafficker, although in truth Bozel-Oth acts entirely on instructions from the shadowy owbs, who keep to the background and do not reveal their role in this trade.
The caligni who are evil enough to trade in this market usually purchase infants for money, but occasionally Bozel-Oth demands something more sensitive: purloined letters, a secret ferreted from a friend or patron, or a service that might range from petty theft to murder. Bozel-Oth never explains how these demands serve his interests (or, more accurately, his owb masters’), and these prices are never negotiable. For more information about the Shadow Caverns, see page 50.

影舍总部 Shadowreach: 这座布满常春藤的狩猎小屋坐落在乌斯克森林内,虽然其外表看上去充满田园风光,但数十年来当地人却一直避而远之。当地人都知道,在小屋周围有着数不清的致命阴影生物,更有传闻称某些更加凶险的玩意就潜伏在附近的树木中。更多关于影舍总部,请见51页。
剧透 -  原文::
Shadowreach: Though seemingly a rustic idyll, the locals have been avoiding this ivy-clad hunting lodge in the Uskwood for decades. It is well known that numerous deadly shadow creatures hunt around its grounds, and rumors persist of deadlier threats hidden among the surrounding trees. For more information about Shadowreach, see page 51.

雪坡村 Snowford :雪坡村位于眩心山脉的山坡上,距离奈多与摩尔苏恩国界不远。这里因出产香甜的山羊奶酪,以及一种名为雪蛇之吻(Snowserpent`s Kiss)的烈酒而闻名,后者在酒中加入了山薄荷与野花的成分,味道清爽提升。大约不到200位居民生活在这座慢悠悠的山间小村中。
雪坡村还以当地被称为璃月女巫(Glassmoon Witch)的奇观而闻名。距离小村约5里处有一片林中空地,其内有一座由黑曜石基岩围成的巨石圈,常年半掩在积雪之中。每年冬至日的午夜,巨石圈中会显现出一个造型古风的幽灵般的神龛。在神龛黑色梁柱下的底座上,伫立着一尊灯塔,它散发着柔和的灰色光芒,照亮了整个神龛,却不留下一丝灯影。
在当地的传说中,若有人在整整一年内坚持每月一次前往璃月女巫的神龛处进行朝拜与献花,就能在冬至之夜向此处的精魂许愿赐福。这份赐福必须对人有益或有治疗作用,而且不能施加到进行仪式之人自己身上——璃月女巫只为利他主义者降下祝福。这些传说以及巨石圈那真实无虚的功效历史极其悠久,可一直追溯到黑三角与宗库松达成交易的时代;有传言道是莎琳本人透过巨石圈施展神力,以抚慰被她刚愎兄长所残害之人。
无论其力量来源于何处,神龛的确能治愈兽化症、治疗病童,以及恢复那些因长时间注视不可名状惧怖之人的理智。尽管有着种种神异,雪坡村人却将璃月女巫的准确地址当做秘密严守于心,他们会对陌生人否认任何关于神龛的流言。无论是在面对阴影朝廷时淡化自己家族的精灵血统,还是将外乡人引离巨石圈,小村的狡黠村长,维斯提亚·琉翼 Wistea Glasswing(中立女性半精灵3级诗人)都显得游刃有余。雪坡村的神异放在在他国足以让人自豪,但在奈多却属于致命的异端邪说,因此村人们总是绝口不提自己的神秘恩主。
剧透 -  原文::
Snowford: On the slopes of the Mindspin Mountains near the border with Molthune stands the village of Snowford, noted for its sweet white goat cheeses and Snowserpent’s Kiss—a bracing, minty liqueur infused with mountain herbs and wildflowers. Just under 200 residents live in this sluggish, mountainside abode.
Snowford is also known for the curious local phenomenon of the Glassmoon Witch. About 5 miles outside Snowford is a glade with a ring of obsidian foundation stones half-buried in snow. At midnight on the night of the winter solstice, a ghostly shrine of archaic design materializes over the stones. Between its black pillars stands a single plinth, upon which a lantern shines with a soft gray light that casts no shadows.
Local lore holds that one who makes a monthly obeisance and gift of flowers to the Glassmoon Witch’s shrine for a full year may petition the spirit for a blessing on the night of the winter solstice. The blessing must be beneficial or curative, and it cannot be bestowed upon the one who has performed the rituals—the Glassmoon Witch grants boons only to altruists. The stories and the very real effects of the glade are as old as the Black Triune’s bargain with Zon-Kuthon, and some whisper that the power of Shelyn herself works through the glade to soothe her wayward brother’s victims.
Whatever its power source, the shrine is credited with curing lycanthropy, healing sick children, and restoring the sanity of those who looked too long upon unthinkable horrors. Despite these miracles, the exact location of the Glassmoon Witch’s glade is a closekept secret in Snowford, and the villagers disclaim all knowledge of the shrine to strangers. The village’s crafty mayor, Wistea Glasswing (N female half-elf bard 3), is well versed in the art of both downplaying her family’s elven heritage with the Umbral Court and deflecting out-of-towners away from the glade. What might be a source of pride in another nation is a dangerous heresy in Nidal, and so the people of Snowford keep silent about their mysterious benefactor. 

索斯-希尔 Soth-Silir : 索斯克里克部落(Xoskerik)是一支由阴影朝廷召唤而来的阴影巨人小部落,而位于落荫森林北部边缘的一块玄武岩石碑便是他们的信仰中心。这块约30尺高的石碑伫立在溪岸边,它非对称的几何学设计使其在日落时分能在溪水中投射出让人难以忘怀的阴影。巨人们则居住在石碑周围的树林中;落荫森林内高耸的铁杉与鹅掌楸下长满了灌木,而他们在灌木丛中开辟出了自己宽敞的巢穴。
在祭司萨利菲斯 Salifeth(守序邪恶男性阴影巨人 B6 7级女巫 APG)的领导下,索斯克里克部落在夜间巡视着阿特伦牧区,他们可谓是奈多北部的儿童以及穿越瓦瑞西安边境进入奈多的黛丝娜煽动者们心目中最可怕的妖魔鬼怪。在执行日常工作时,他们喜好独自出行,神不知鬼不觉地走遍山林与月光下的平原;但若被征召时,他们也能展现出骇人的武力。
阴影朝廷主要以两种方式来支付索斯克里克巨人们工作的报酬:第一种是取自欧勒斯树(oleth tree)的具有防护效果的汁液,这种汁液需要从离群索居的影界蚁族(d`ziriak,B2 113)手中才能买到,还得穿过帕格莱斯九曲之痛大教堂地下的传送门才能从影界带回奈多;第二种则是各种异教徒(及其遗孤),巨人们在举行宗教典礼时会将他们用作祭品。献祭前的准备工作十分繁琐,其中包括一次扶乩仪式,以决定哪些贡品可以被献祭。未能通过仪式检验之人通常会被吃掉。不过也有极少数人被排除在献祭名单之外,然后被带往北边的乌索力关口(Uthori Pass),最后被释放至瓦瑞西安,而个中原因只有萨利菲斯才知晓。如有可能,阴影特工们会密切关注这些被解放的人祭——一方面是为了探查更多有关阴影巨人神秘宗教信仰的信息,另一方面则是方便帕格莱斯的管理者们了解哪一些贡品很可能被巨人们废弃。至今为止,他们还未得出确切的结论。
剧透 -  原文::
Soth-Silir: This basalt monolith, located near the northern edge of the Ombrefell Forest, is the center of worship for the Xoskerik, a small clan of shadow giants (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 6 135) summoned by the Umbral Court. It stands nearly 30 feet in height on the bank of a creek, its skewed geometric design casting dramatic shadows along the water at sunset. The giants make their homes in the surrounding woods, shaping large dens out of the brush that grows beneath the Ombrefell’s tall hemlocks and tulip trees.
Led by their priest Salifeth (LE male shadow giantB6 witchAPG 7), the Xoskerik giants patrol the Atteran Ranches by night, serving as bogeymen both for the children of northern Nidal and for Desnan agitators across the Varisian border. In the ordinary course of their duties, they prefer to travel alone, passing undetected over the wooded hills and moonlit plains, but when called upon, they are capable of terrifying shows of force.
In exchange for their service, the Umbral Court provides the Xoskerik giants two principal forms of payment: the protective sap of the oleth tree, purchased from the reclusive d’ziriaks (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 113) of the Shadow Plane and brought through the portal beneath the Cathedral of Exquisite Agony in Pangolais; and heretics (and the orphans thereof) for use as sacrifices in their religious ceremonies. The preparation of the sacrifices is quite involved and includes a sciomantic rite to determine whether each offering will be accepted. Those who fail the rite are typically eaten. A rare few, however, for reasons known only to Salifeth, are set aside, then carried north through the Uthori Pass to Varisia. Where possible, Umbral agents keep a close eye on these freed sacrifices—partly to discern more about the shadow giants’ mysterious religion, and partly to help the administrators in Pangolais determine which of their offerings are likely to be wasted. So far, their findings remain inconclusive.

风暴谷 Stormhollow : 风暴谷曾经是一处亡命徒聚居的村落,但在遭遇了一场阴影谷地中特有的扭曲现实的阴影风暴(Shadowstorm),又在风暴期间被一批链魔突击队血洗之后,这里只剩下梦魇般的断壁残垣。
此地曾经有一座名为洛拉谷(Lorra`s Hollow)的临时村镇,其中曾住满了难民与叛教者。它得名于一位半身人逃奴,据说正是这位女半身人建立了此地的据点。其他试图逃离切利亚斯与奈多的艰苦生活之人不断加入她的行列,随着岁月流逝,尽管居民们过着仅能果腹的生活,周围也总是充满危险,小镇中却逐渐洋溢着坚定而幸福的气氛。
而当洛拉谷被一场阴影风暴吞噬时,这一切便戛然而止。与黑色风暴一同降临的是数不清的链魔,他们从风暴在物质界撕开的位面裂隙中一涌而出,开始惨无人道地玩弄起眼前的镇民们。阴影风暴不稳定的魔法特性,配合链魔自身的邪恶本领,使得他们可以对被捕的无辜居民们随意施加各种可怕的改造。当风暴停息后,链魔们潇洒离去,只留下他们满地的杰作。
如今,行走在风暴谷街道上的只是些有着人皮外壳的阴影。这些步履蹒跚的人形躯骸如同穿衣戴帽的可怕高等幽影(greater shadow B1 245),他们只懂得发出永无止息的回响,用支离破碎的词句反复念叨着对过去的怆痛与悔恨。他们中有些被固定在自己过去的家中,无数粗铁刺穿透了他们全身关节与眼眶,将其紧紧钉死在墙体上;这一部分“居民”某程度上似乎比街上的同类更加鲜活,更能理解到自己的处境。
风暴谷内的建筑物大多东歪西倒,其房钉全部外翻,看上去就像是链魔的刺桩。在屋内,所有儿童玩具的脸上都流着永不干涸的阴影之泪。屋外的田野上满是一排排枯萎蜷缩的褐色植物残骸,而田间的鸡群则秃毛灰躯,它们挺起断裂的鸡脖,迈开流血的鸡爪,围着空无一物的石块啄食着不存在的饲料。
风暴谷
剧透 -  原文::
Stormhollow: The nightmare village of Stormhollow is all that remains of an outlaw settlement that was caught in one of the Umbral Basin’s reality-warping shadowstorms and scoured by a raiding party of kytons during that storm.
Refugees and apostates once huddled in the makeshift town of Lorra’s Hollow, named for the escaped halfling slave who supposedly founded the settlement. Others fleeing the hardships of life in Cheliax and Nidal came to join her, and over time the place took on a determinedly cheerful air, despite its inhabitants’ hand-to-mouth existence and the perpetual danger of their surroundings.
All that ended when a shadowstorm engulfed Lorra’s Hollow. Kytons came with the black blizzard, stepping through the rift it tore in reality, and they made cruel sport of the townspeople they found. The storm’s magical instability, coupled with the kytons’ own vicious gifts, enabled them to work awful transformations on the innocents they caught. When the storm ended, the kytons left, but their handiwork remained behind.
Today, only husks of skin filled with gasping shadow walk the streets of Stormhollow. Little more than gruesomely dressed greater shadows (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 245), these shambling wrecks nevertheless whisper with echoes of their old voices, repeating fragmentary snatches of old regrets. Some are pinned up in their former homes, affixed to the walls by their robes of skin with rough iron spikes hammered through their wrists and eye sockets, and these seem to be somehow more alive and cognizant of their plight.
The buildings in Stormhollow are skewed and disjointed, their nails driven backwards so the points jut outward like kytons’ spikes. Inside the homes, all the children’s toys weep incessant tears of liquid shadow. Outside, the fields are filled with dead brown plants hunched and curled up in their rows, and bald gray chickens with broken necks and bleeding feet peck at the stones for nonexistent food.

夏日林地 Summer Grove: 并非乌斯克森林(见38页)中的一切都充满恶意,而夏日林地便是其中之一,它仅会在盛夏时节出现,而其余时间则会神秘地从森林中消失。夏日林地是一片美丽而祥和之地,在林地芬芳的菩提树和樱桃树下,遍地是鲜艳的野花与翠嫩的青草。乌斯克森林的苍白德鲁伊们,以及他们手下的蜘蛛怪物们,似乎都对此地一无所知,因为他们从未打破过此地的安宁。
在夏日林地中入睡之人会梦到自己美好的未来,而梦境内容通常十分灵验;而在林地中诞下的儿童则天生有着善良体贴的性格——尽管这在奈多并非总是一种祝福,但这些孩子还拥有非凡的好运,他们中很多人得以离开自己不幸的故乡,或至少能在这里过上宁静安稳的生活。
没人知道是什么生物或力量保护着夏日林地,甚至没人知道它在哪里。邪恶之辈似乎完全无法找到它,但哪怕是盛夏时节,心地善良之人也未必能到达此地。夏日林地的具体位置似乎会在乌斯克森林中不断变化,那些曾一度涉足其中之人可能永远无法二度造访此地。
剧透 -  原文::
Summer Grove: Not everything in the Uskwood (see page 38) is malign. The Summer Grove is one such place, accessible only in the midsummer months and strangely absent from the woods during the rest of the year. It is a place of beauty and serenity, bright with wildflowers and lush grasses beneath fragrant linden and sweet cherry trees. The albino druids of the Uskwood and their monstrous spiders seem blind to the place, for they have never disturbed it.
Those who sleep in the Summer Grove dream of pleasant futures that often come true, and children conceived in its glades are born with kind hearts and gentle natures—not always a blessing in Nidal, but such children are also favored with good fortune, such that many of them find a way out of their benighted homeland or, at least, are able to lead quiet and peaceful lives within it.
 No one knows what creature or power protects the Summer Grove, or even where it is. Evil beings seem unable to find it at all, but those of goodly heart also find it elusive even while it is accessible in the summer. Its location seems to shift within the Uskwood, and those who have stumbled across it once can never retrace their steps to it again.

无日池塘 Sunless Pond :在星陨后的岁月里,奈多人必须在暗无天日的世界中种植作物。为了满足此需求,宗库松将无日池塘赐给了他们:在乌斯克森林的深处,一口泉眼不可思议地从地底涌出,形成了一汪墨染般的黑色水潭。池塘中的水能起到如同植物滋长法术中丰沃的效果,它能确保植物得以全年生长,不受季节或日照条件所限。
如今,乌斯克森林的德鲁伊们继续为他们治下的农民们分发罐装的这种宝贵池水。每年,他们会一边派发数量精准计算过的池水罐,一边替阴影朝廷收税,以及测试当地儿童的奥术资质。哪怕奈多大部分地区已经能沐浴到微弱的阳光,农夫们仍得依靠无日池塘的黑水,才能确保庄稼足够强壮而不会凋零。因此,尽管内心充满不悦,但他们中很少人胆敢错过德鲁伊们每年一次的召集。
剧透 -  原文::
Sunless Pond: In the years after Earthfall, the Nidalese had to grow crops in a sunless world. To address this need, Zon-Kuthon gave them the Sunless Pond in the Uskwood: a pool of ink-dark water that bubbles up from an unearthly spring in the depths of the Uskwood. The pond’s water conveys the enrichment effect of plant growth and enables plants to grow for a full year with limited or no sunlight.
Today, the Uskwood druids continue to distribute jars of the precious water to the peasants under their rule. Each year, they hand out carefully counted jars as they collect taxes for the Umbral Court and test the local children for arcane potential. Even with the weak sun returned to much of Nidal, farmers rely upon the waters of the Sunless Pond to strengthen their crops enough for survival, and so few of them dare to miss these annual gatherings, despite the unpleasantness they entail.


特鲁恩之机遇 Thrune`s Chance :对于宗库松的扭曲统治,大多数奈多人要么心怀恐惧,要么坦然接受这份宿命,有些甚至对此感到无上光荣。但还有一小部分人,他们仍不死心地梦想着自由。在阴影朝廷的赐福下,驻扎在帕格莱斯的切利亚斯大使馆特地为这些人开设了特鲁恩之机遇,它是一座位于两国交界海岸边的小屋,约有50位切利亚斯外交人员和来自炼狱王座的特工们在此工作。
每年,切利亚斯驻帕格莱斯的大使馆会选出5名奈多居民,他们被允许在特鲁恩之机遇中生活一年,并在期间负责奈多与切利亚斯进出口贸易的各项工作。在特鲁恩之机遇内,他们能与完全由切利亚斯人组成的外交团一同生活工作,而前任切利亚斯海军军人,海军上将(Admiral)费丽西亚·罗恩 Ferixia Rone(守序邪恶女性人类4级游荡剑客 ACG)则是该外交团的领导者。
在工作期满后——只要任期内没和外交团结下仇怨——这些奈多人会获得50gp的报酬,并正式获得切利亚斯公民的资格,他们可以自由地移居入帝国境内,追求他们盼望已久的新生活。理论上,进入此地的人选是随机的;任何有意愿报名的奈多居民都有机会从每年的名单中脱颖而出。但实际操作中,绝大部分(乃至全部)候选名额都会根据行贿数额以及其他利益交换的情况进行内部分配,留给随机挑选的名额少之又少。
阴影朝廷之所以允许特鲁恩之机遇一直开放,一部分原因是为了将那些本来会选择非法出逃甚至举旗叛逆之人的精力转移到这里。一个孩子入选的背后是整个家族的全力付出,而他们恰逢其会的成功又能鼓励后来人纷纷效仿,将自己全部希冀与家财都投入其中。显然,对此怀有兴趣之人会暴露自己对奈多的不满,这也对阴影朝廷十分有用。
但这份希冀真实无虚,很多靠这种方法获得自由之人也在切利亚斯得到重用。不过,一旦选择成为切利亚斯公民,他们就被禁止回到奈多。
剧透 -  原文::
Thrune’s Chance: Most Nidalese accept their lot with fatalism or fear, while some actively glory in the twisted rule of Zon-Kuthon. For a few, however, dreams of liberty die hard. It is for them that the Chelish embassy in Pangolais, with the Umbral Court’s blessing, administrates Thrune’s Chance, a hamlet of about 50 Chelish diplomats and agents of the infernal crown along the shoreline between the two nations.
Each year, the Chelish embassy in Pangolais selects five Nidalese citizens who are permitted to move to Thrune’s Chance for a year and work on assignments of joint import to Nidal and Cheliax. While in Thrune’s Chance, they are at the mercy of an all-Chelish contingent, led by Admiral Ferixia Rone (LE female human swashbucklerACG  4), formerly of the Chelish Navy.
Upon their service’s completion—provided they’ve made no enemies during their tenure—the Nidalese are given 50 gp, formally sworn in as citizens of Cheliax, and set free in the empire to pursue whatever lives they wish. In theory, the selection is random; any Nidalese citizen who petitions for consideration may be chosen from the annual list of names. In practice, most if not all of the candidates are arranged in advance based on bribes and other favors, and little is left to chance.
The Umbral Court permits Thrune’s Chance to continue to operate in part because it diverts the energies of those who might otherwise turn to illegal escapes or even rebellion. Entire families throw their efforts behind a single child’s chances, and they succeed just often enough to encourage others to invest all their hopes and fortunes in similar attempts. Their interest identifies them as discontented, of course, which is also useful to the Umbral Court.
But the hope is real, and many of those who obtain their freedom in this way go on to become valuable citizens of Cheliax. Once they’ve become Chelish citizens, however, they are not permitted to return to Nidal.

影斜塔 Tower of Slant Shadows :这座锈迹斑斑的铁塔伫立在北部平原(North Plains)的灰草地中,它自地表斜斜探向高空,如同日冕的指时针。不为大多数人所知的是,它是一座星塔(star tower),是宗库松铸造的数根巨大铁钉之一,其深深钉入地表之下,用于囚禁怪物之神洛瓦古格。更多关于影斜塔的内容,请见52页。
剧透 -  原文::
Tower of Slant Shadows: This jagged iron tower rises diagonally from the gray grasslands of the North Plains, leaning over the land like a sundial’s gnomon. Unknown to most, it is one of the Star Towers, gigantic spikes forged by Zon-Kuthon and driven into the earth to imprison the monstrous god Rovagug. For more information about the Tower of Slant Shadows, see page 52.

阴影谷地 Umbral Basin :阴影谷地位于摩尔苏恩与奈多交界,它是一条常年被黑暗所笼罩的狭窄山道。阳光似乎总是从山谷两侧的石壁外一掠而过,这种古怪的现象并非由于地势险峻,而是因为阴影风暴(Shadowstorm)总是席卷在山道之间,后者是一种不稳定且不断移动的位面传送门,其风眼处与影界相连。这股风暴行踪叵测,它会随机将物质位面的生物与物体卷走,而抛出各种来自影界的事物。它乃是阴影谷地的一大公害,也是当地各种有关能撕裂现实的黑色风暴传说的来源。
除了危险的阴影风暴以外,阴影谷地还是大量阴暗怪物的家园,其中包括吉亚杀什  Kiashach(守序邪恶男性阴影巨人 B6 4级拳师ACG),一位无比强大的阴影巨人。近年来,一些狂热的窃影鬼与人类秘教徒们开始将吉亚杀什当做神祇来崇拜,而阴影巨人本人也开始计划一举统治整片谷地。更多关于吉亚杀什与阴影谷地,请见PF战役设定:纷争之地 44页。
剧透 -  原文::
Umbral Basin: On the border between Molthune and Nidal is the Umbral Basin, a narrow mountain pass shrouded in perpetual gloom. Sunlight seems to glance away from the rocky walls on either side, a phenomenon explained not by their steepness but by the fact that a perpetual shadowstorm roils in the pass, an unstable and constantly mobile portal to the Shadow Plane at its heart. This storm, which unpredictably seizes creatures and objects from this world and exchanges them with those from the Shadow Plane, is a major menace in the Umbral Basin and the source of local legends telling of realityripping black storms. In addition to the menacing shadowstorm, the Umbral Basin is home to numerous murky monsters, including an incredibly powerful shadow giant (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 6 135) named Kiashach (LE male shadow giantB6 brawlerACG 4). Of late, frenzied fetchling and human cultists have taken to worshiping Kiashach as a god, and the shadow giant has begun putting plans into motion to dominate the entire basin. For more about Kiashach and the Umbral Basin, see page 44 of Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Lands of Conflict.

谷下驿站 Undervale :作为阴影谷地中少有人知的一处路边驿站,关于谷下驿站的各种鼓舞人心的传言却在切利亚斯与奈多半身人奴隶之间口口相传。若传言属实,在充满幽暗威胁的山道之中,隐藏着一处隐秘的安全屋,勇敢而幸运的半身人可以靠它逃向摩尔苏恩乃至世界各地,告别危险的奴隶生涯。然而,很少人能断言这份故事属实,而当地的危险也足以让英雄好汉们望而却步。对于切利亚斯富豪家族的家仆而言,能动摇他们身份地位的最恶毒的指控,莫过于被指控试图寻找谷下驿站,哪怕只是心里想想都不行。更多关于谷下驿站的内容,请见53页。
剧透 -  原文::
Undervale: A little-known way station in the Umbral Basin, Undervale is the subject of fevered rumor and whispered hope among the enslaved halflings of Cheliax and Nidal. If the tales can be believed, there is a secret safe house hidden among the shadowy perils of that pass, and through it, brave and lucky halflings might escape to Molthune and beyond to safety. Few can say for certain whether the stories are true, however, and the dangers involved would give the hardiest hero pause. That a household servant in a wealthy Chelish mansion would even consider trying to find Undervale is, perhaps, the most damning indictment possible of their position. For more information on Undervale, see page 53.

乌斯克湖 Usk Lake :湖岸呈不规则菱形的乌斯克湖微波粼粼,它经常被比作星光之海。这不仅仅是写意的辞藻;湖水的确散发出柔和的光泽,在奈多的无尽黑暗中闪闪发光,水中事物的阴影也被水光投射到岸上,而非落在湖面之下。在某些夜晚,湖面会倒映出不存于天空的星辰,而在另一些夜晚,当繁星终于穿透奈多超自然的浓云洒下光辉时,湖面的倒映却有如无星之夜。无论如何,乌斯克湖的湖水中从未出现过太阳的倒影。
很多人相信,乌斯克湖的湖面并非对应现实世界的星空,而是倒映出当年宗库松褪去旧我化身痛苦亲王(the Prince of Pain)的那处位于群星之间、现实之后的扭曲空间。这种说法可能有几分属实,因为湖中的确生活着异常多的被阴影玷污的精类和水系怪物,它们大多异常长寿而残酷,其中包括马形水怪(kelpie B2 172)和水泽妖女(rusalka B3 232)。根据当地传说,湖水中的某些成分也会在长期接触中逐渐改变水下居民的身躯。湖中的鱼类印证了该传说的真实性,这些鱼的身上长满了带刺的白色鳞状物,鱼眼空洞发黑,而鱼牙则像是由黑曜石打造。据说,更长寿的生物身上也会发生更深刻的变化。
剧透 -  原文::
Usk Lake: Still and subtly luminous, the twisted diamond of Usk Lake is often likened to a sea of starlight. This is not merely poetic license; the lake does emanate a gentle radiance that gleams in Nidal’s continual darkness, casting shadows up from the water instead of down across its face. Some nights, the water glitters with reflected stars that are nowhere to be seen in the sky, while on other nights, it fails to reflect the handful of stars that break through Nidal’s supernaturally dense clouds. It never shows any glimmer of the sun.
Many believe that the surface of Usk Lake does not reflect the terrestrial sky, but rather shows glimpses of the distorted space between stars and behind reality where Zon-Kuthon shed his former self and became the Prince of Pain. There may be some truth to this belief, for certainly the lake harbors an unusually high number of shadow-touched fey and aquatic monsters of extraordinary age and cruelty, including kelpies (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 172) and rusalkas (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 3 232). According to local legend, something in the water also transforms its inhabitants over the course of long exposure. The truth of this tale is evidenced in its fish, which have become spiky, white-scaled things with blank, black eyes and obsidian teeth. Longer-lived creatures are said to change in more profound ways.

乌斯克之心 the Uskheart :乌斯克之心位于乌斯克森林的最深处,它是乌斯克森林之影(the Shades of the Uskwood)成员们年代久远的大本营。森影们(the Shades,乌斯克森林之影的简称)最近新发现了一种怪诞可怕的生命类型——一个生来就要吞噬或转化身边一切的奇异生物种族。某些文献称这些外星来客为巢兽 hive (他们则用某个人类无法发音的邪灵语词汇指代自己),他们是一种与格拉利昂自然生态全然对立的独特物种,但又并非异界生物或超自然的存在。
对乌斯克森林之影而言,巢兽乃是自然界生物如何走向歧途的有趣实例,它们的存在与宗库松在远古发生的转变遥相呼应,更加证实了森影们的信仰。(更多关于巢兽的内容,请见PFRPG:惧怖冒险)具体上说,瑞德旺的艾罗安德成功地帮助其手下设法捕获了一只巢兽女王(hive queen HA 236)并将她运回了乌斯克之心。森影们致力于研究巢兽的生命机理,希望能找出有效控制其对外扩张和腐蚀能力的手段。这仅仅是森影们诸多危险研究中之一,进入乌斯克之心的探险者们会发现,等待着他们的是无数种炮制肉体、心灵或灵魂的手段。
更多关于乌斯克之心,包括乌斯克森林内该区域的地图,请见PF战役设定:惧怖之地的42-45页。
剧透 -  原文::
The Uskheart: The deepest redoubt in the Uskwood is the Uskheart, the age-old stronghold of the Shades of the Uskwood. The Shades have recently uncovered a singularly vile and frightening form of life—a race of strange creatures that live to consume or transform everything they find. Known in certain texts as the hive, these aliens (who refer to themselves using an Aklo word that human voices cannot speak) represent a wholly inimical form of life unlike anything in the natural order on Golarion, yet they are not extraplanar or supernatural entities.
In the hive, the Shades of the Uskwood have found an intriguing example of nature run amok in a way that echoes Zon-Kuthon’s ancient transformation and confirms their beliefs. (See Pathfinder RPG Horror Adventures for more information about the hive.) More specifically, Eloiander of Ridwan helped to engineer the capture of a hive queen (Horror Adventures 236) and brought her to the Uskheart. The Shades seek to explore the mechanisms of the hive and, they hope, devise a method of controlling the corruptions it spreads. This dangerous project is but one of many the Shades pursue, and explorers who enter the Uskheart will discover no shortage of ways to lose their bodies, minds, or souls. For more on the Uskheart, including a map of the area within the Uskwood, see pages 42–45 of Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Horror Realms.

乌斯克森林 Uskwood :在奈多的腹地,有一片辽阔的大森林,其林叶异常茂密,以至于整片森林区域内都不见天日。这便是乌斯克森林,它是被称为乌斯克森林之影(Shades of the Uskwood)的苍白德鲁伊们的家园,而森林深处的乌斯克之心(见38页)则是他们戒备森严、诡秘叵测的核心区域。作为阴影朝廷的要员,瑞德旺的艾罗安德(见7页)领导着乌斯克森林之影,不过组织内其他强大的领袖们也追随着伟大的宗库松信仰行走于森林四方。这些领袖包括“白眼”佩莱斯 Peloise White-Eyes(守序邪恶女性人类9级先知 APG【双重诅咒先知 APG】)以及发言人(Speaker)特拉莱希 Tralayhi(中立邪恶女性窃影鬼 ARG 8级召唤师 APG【影唤师 ARG】),她们是艾罗安德在乌斯克森林内的两大副手。据说,无论黑暗森林中发生什么事情,都不可能同时瞒过这两位,也就都逃不出艾罗安德的法眼。不过,这些强大的宗库松信徒们一直未能找到夜冀竖琴(一件黛丝娜信仰的神器,被一位星辰之歌的特工在临死前藏在森林某处),这一尴尬事实总是让他们烦心不已。(更多关于神器夜冀竖琴的内容,请见6页以及本页的边栏。)
乌斯克森林的外围区域相对而言不那么危险。该区域的植被主要由山毛榉,榆树,枫树和橡树组成。旅行者可能仅仅会发现森林中异常安静,阳光相对黯淡,而林中的阴影则无光自动,显得十分诡异。乌斯克森林的叶荫下有着不少小村庄,极度迷信的农夫与牧民们在此过着谨小慎微的生活,他们在屋舍中挂有用毛发和玉米壳制成的小雕像与树枝编成的护身符,一方面是为了辟邪,另一方面也是充当宗库松信仰的浅显饰品,以免引起德鲁伊们的不悦。
然而,越往深处走,森林的变化也就越大。这里的林木怪诞而古老,它们有着漆黑的树叶与银色的树干,彻底遮掩了每一分日光与月华。森林是如此寂静,连空气都似乎凝固停滞。幽静的林中空地中伫立着由鹿角和白骨搭成的苍白祭坛,而祭坛上方的树枝则缠满了幽灵般的蛛网,它们无风自动,如同翻腾的的白浪。就连白骨菜篮(the Bonebaskets)——一种悬挂在树枝上的骇人菜圃,里面填满了从入侵者身上抽取的脂油,以用于种植食物,供忠诚信徒们享用——也仅仅算得上乌斯克森林树荫下各种畸形事物的九牛一毛。,乌斯克森林的苍白德鲁伊们的统治毋庸置疑,没有得到他们的许可,谁也别想穿越宗库松的这片梦魇庭院。
森林中遍布着独立的小花园,德鲁伊们在其内精心培育着各种珍贵的草药,瑰丽的奇葩,坚果树和水果丛,用于制作香水的馥郁花卉,以及能制成染料的植物根茎,其染料的色泽在森林外可谓是无处可寻。此地的德鲁伊们自古以来便知晓如何用魔法来让植物在恶劣环境下正常生长,一些格拉利昂的古老物种正是在他们手中才得以幸免于难。在宗库松成千上万年的影响下,这些古老植物品种也和他们的照料者一般发生了巨大的变化。源自阿兹兰特和瑟西隆的鲜艳花卉失去了原本的色泽,变为了鬼魂般的青白色调。曾经每日需要数小时充足阳光才能生长的植物,如今就算种在幽深的阴翳中也能存活。
尽管不复往昔模样,但与那些早已随诸帝国一道灭亡的传奇植物相比,花园中的植物依然是与其先祖最为相似的仍健在于世的品种。如今,世界各地的豪富之人们争相用这些曾被魔印王和其子民们品尝过的瓜果飨宴宾客,并因自己使用的香水提取自与远古品种同款的珍贵茉莉花与夜昙花而自鸣得意。植物学家和草药学家有时甚至敢于前往奈多研究这些非凡的物种。那些用毒大师们在花园内也能收获颇丰,只要他们能确保自己旅途上一路平安。
剧透 -  原文::
Uskwood: An immense forest cloaks the heartland of Nidal, blotting out the sun beneath its unnaturally dense leaves. This is the Uskwood, home to the albino druids known as Shades of the Uskwood and the Uskheart (see page 38), their fiercely guarded and deeply secret center of power. Eloiander of Ridwan (see page 7), a prominent member of the Umbral Court, leads to the Shades of the Uskwood, though other powerful leaders tread here under the mighty Kuthite. They include Peloise White-Eyes (LE female human oracleAPG [dualcursed oracleAPG] 9) and Speaker Tralayhi (NE female fetchlingARG summonerAPG [shadow callerARG] 8), who act as Eloiander’s lieutenants in the Uskwood. It’s said that nothing happens in this dark wood without one or both of these Kuthites knowing and, in turn, without Eloiander himself finding out. The fact that the location of the Harp of Night’s Hope, a Desnan artifact that a murdered agent of the Starsong hid in the forest, continues to elude these powerful Kuthites is a source of endless frustration to them. (See page 6 and the sidebar on this page for more information about the artifact called the Harp of Night’s Hope.)
The outer reaches of the Uskwood, however, are not obviously threatening. Beech, elm, maple, and oak form the majority of its outer growth. Travelers may notice nothing other than a curious quiet to the wood, a wan quality to the sun, and the odd movement of shadows that do not seem beholden to any light. Small villages of superstitious farmers and foragers live cautiously at the Uskwood’s eaves, hanging hair-and-cornhusk effigies and wicker talismans in their cottages, and also as ostensibly Kuthite ornamentations to ward off the druids’ displeasure.
Deeper in, however, the forest changes. Strange and ancient trees, black-leaved and silvery-trunked, crowd out any trace of sun or moon. A glassy stillness holds the air. Pale altars of antler and bone stand in lonely clearings, and ghostly cobwebs billow among the upper branches. The Bonebaskets—grisly hanging gardens in which trespassers are flensed and used to grow food for the faithful—are but one of the many monstrosities hidden beneath the Uskwood’s leaves. Here, the pale druids of the Uskwood rule unchallenged, and none can pass through Zon-Kuthon’s garden of nightmares except by their leave.
Pocketed throughout the forest are isolated gardens where the druids carefully nurture medicinal herbs and flowers of rare beauty, nut trees and fruiting bushes, richly fragrant blossoms used in perfumes, and roots that produce dyes in colors not seen elsewhere. The druids from ages ago used magic to sustain the plants through an inhospitable world, ensuring that a fraction of the old world survived Golarion’s great loss. After millennia under Zon-Kuthon’s influence, the original plants have changed as profoundly as their caretakers. The vibrant flowers of Azlant and Thassilon have lost their original colors, changing to ghostly hues of white and bluish silver instead. Plants that once required hours of intense sunlight now can survive only when nurtured in deep shade.
They are not what they once were, but the plants in these gardens remain the closest living comparisons to the legendary plants of those long-dead empires. Today, wealthy people across the world try to impress their guests with fruits and nuts once tasted by the runelords and their subjects, and pride themselves to think that they wear fragrances distilled from the same luxurious jasmines and night-blooming tuberoses. Botanists and herbalists sometimes even dare to visit Nidal to study these extraordinary specimens. If they can manage the trip, master poisoners can find much of interest in the gardens, as well.
Besides its great dangers and its great dark beauties, there is much of interest in the Uskwood, including the Summer Grove (see page 37), the Sunless Pond (see page 37), and the Uskheart (see page 38).

引用
边栏:夜冀竖琴(次等神器) Harp of Night`s Hope(Minor Artifact)
栏位 无;CL 20;重量 75磅
灵光 强烈防护系
这台竖琴做工精美,有着刻有蝴蝶雕饰的胡桃木琴身,一排黄金制成的踏板,以及银制的琴弦。其乐声圆润柔和,温暖人心。
若在繁星之夜演奏整一个小时,夜冀竖琴会为1200尺范围内所有善良阵营的生物带来安稳的睡眠,以及一场振奋人心的好梦,使他们在接下来24小时内所有豁免骰和技能检定获得+1士气加值。该士气加值不与自身叠加。另外,当竖琴提供士气加值时,其影响范围内所有正遭受持续负面效果(例如附身,惑控子学派的法术,或是类似效果)的生物(不限阵营)都可以立刻进行一次附带+1加值的新豁免检定来尝试解除该效果。如果该效果原本就不允许进行豁免,则竖琴也无法提供豁免机会。
若竖琴在同一位置连续两晚(24小时后)被演奏整一个小时,除了能延续其对善良阵营生物的士气加值以外,竖琴还会再一次如上文所述般为生物提供对抗持续负面效果的新豁免机会,但这次的加值变为+3。若在第三晚,竖琴仍在同一位置被演奏整一个小时,士气加值会继续延续,而遭受持续负面效果的生物能获得第三次豁免机会,这次加值变为+5.
在连续演奏三晚之后,竖琴在之后一个月内无法再用于提供士气加值或新豁免骰。
摧毁
若夜冀竖琴被一只链魔带往宗库松位于影界的神域Xovaikain,然后再被由一个犯下渎神之举且至死都未赎罪的黛丝娜信徒的指骨削制而成的骨刃切断每一根琴弦,它就会化为灰烬。
剧透 -  原文::
HARP OF NIGHT’S HOPE (MINOR ARTIFACT)
SLOT none CL 20th WEIGHT 75 lbs. Aura strong abjuration
 This beautifully made concert harp features intarsia butterflies on its walnut frame and column, golden pedals, and silver strings. It produces a warm, mellow tone.
 If played for a full hour during a starry night, the Harp of Night’s Hope grants restful sleep and heartening, reassuring dreams to all good-aligned creatures within 1,200 feet, granting those creatures a +1 morale bonus on all saving throws and skill checks for the next 24 hours. This morale bonus does not stack with itself. Additionally, when the harp grants its morale bonus, each creature of any alignment within range that is subject to an ongoing negative effect (such as possession, a spell of the compulsion subschool, or a similar effect) can immediately attempt a new saving throw with a +1 bonus to break free of the effect. If the effect does not ordinarily allow a saving throw to resist it, the harp does not grant one.
If the harp is played for an hour in the same place on a second consecutive night (24 hours later), in addition to extending the duration of the morale bonus provided to good-aligned creatures, the harp grants a new saving throw to creatures under ongoing negative effects as described above, this time with a +3 bonus. If the harp is played for an hour in the same place on a third consecutive night, the morale bonus is again extended, and creatures suffering from ongoing negative effects receive a new saving throw to break free, this time with a +5 bonus.
 After being played for 3 consecutive nights, the harp cannot be used again to grant morale bonuses or new saving throws for a month.
 DESTRUCTION The Harp of Night’s Hope crumbles into ash if a kyton takes it to Zon-Kuthon’s stronghold of Xovaikain on the Shadow Plane and there severs each of its strings with a blade made from the sharpened finger bones of a Desnan who committed a heresy and did not atone before death.

乌索力大草原 Uthori Steppes :在阿特伦牧场主领地的西北边,眩心山脉的山脚下,有一片大草原。在这片灰绿色的“海洋”中,牧养着通体漆黑的柰达玛尔斯马,以及带有梦幻灰白斑点,野性难驯的奇亚德玛尔斯马。这便是乌索力大草原,一片不太“野”的荒野之地,它自古便是马王及其后裔的家园。灰斑猫在草场中徘徊,猎鹰在天空盘旋,而牧场主们则警惕地提防着偷猎者与窃贼。
但这些牧场主有时也不比偷猎者和窃贼好到哪里去。艾佛伦·乌索力 Ephoren Uthori (中立邪恶男性人类4级专家)是乌索力氏族的族长,他深深嫉妒着自己的老对头,维迪·阿特伦。艾福伦一直渴望搞到卡迪亚的Al-Zabriti 部落中有着巨灵血脉的马种。他深信,要是能搞到一匹Al-Zabriti 的种马,就能让自己家财更胜阿特伦家一筹。他愿意为此付出几乎任何代价——乃至资助一些盗马的外乡人远赴卡迪亚偷一匹;但这种动物在奈多实在难以获得,且至今也没有靠谱的窃贼前来接活。每次来的总是些江湖骗子,只能让艾福伦心烦,让他部族的刽子手发笑。
剧透 -  原文::
Uthori Steppes: In the northwestern reaches of the Atteran ranchers’ domain, at the foot of the Mindspin Mountains, is a sea of gray-green grass where both the dark nidarrmars of the Atteran Ranches and the untamed, foam-pale chiardmars graze. These are the Uthori Steppes, a wild land that is not quite wild, having been home to the horselords and their descendants since time out of memory. Spotted gray cats prowl through the grass, hawks wheel overhead, and the ranchers watch vigilantly for poachers and thieves.
They are not always above poaching or thievery themselves, however. Ephoren Uthori (NE male human expert 4), patriarch of the Uthori clan and a bitterly envious rival of Vaide Atteran, has long lusted after the genie-touched horses of the Al-Zabriti tribes in Qadira. Ephoren believes that an Al-Zabriti breeding stallion would lift his clan’s fortunes above the Atterans’. He is prepared to pay nearly any price to get one—or even to sponsor some horse-thieving foreigners’ expedition into Qadira—but such animals are almost impossible to obtain in Nidal, and thus far no convincing thieves have presented themselves. Only would-be fraudsters have come forward, to Ephoren’s annoyance and his clan executioners’ mirth.

青翠铸造厂 Viridian Forge :在落荫森林的边缘,有一处由巨大的玄武岩粗石块搭成的巨型铁匠铺。来自影界的无光之焰在铁匠铺的火炉中熊熊燃烧,而炉边的两个大铁毡以及周围同样巨大的淬火桶上则刻满了各种神秘的符文,这些符文伴随着炉火的明灭而不断闪烁着。
阴影巨人(Shadow giant B6 135)乌科维亚克(Ukorviak)是这座青翠铸造厂的主人,他能锻造出由青绿色的活钢(Living steel UE 51)制成的超凡武器。活钢是一种带有独特的青翠光泽,并能在受到损伤时自我修复的材料,而落荫森林中就有一处小树林能产出这种特殊材料。
在整个索斯克里克部族中,只有乌科维亚克一个人懂得如何收获和锻造活钢的秘法。一方面,售卖活钢武器是索斯克里克巨人们重要的经济来源,而另一方面乌科维亚克也靠其在部族中获得了极高的地位,因此他小心翼翼地守护着这份秘法以防外传。然而,乌科维亚克并不那么稀罕活钢武器本身。他将自己有限产量的绝大部分都卖给了阴影朝廷,但也不介意偶尔卖给切利亚斯商人或其他外来者一两把兵器,只要对方能接受阴影巨人开出的高价以及各种一时兴起的无理要求。
剧透 -  原文::
Viridian Forge: On the fringes of the Ombrefell is an immense smithy built of rough, enormous basalt chunks. Its forge glows with the lightless flame of the Shadow Plane, and eldritch runes echo the glow of those flames on the smith’s two massive anvils and around the equally enormous quenching barrels.
Here, in the Viridian Forge, the shadow giant (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 6 135) Ukorviak crafts extraordinary weapons of green-hued living steel (Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Equipment 51). The trees of the Ombrefell include a grove that produces the extraordinary material, which carries a distinctive viridian sheen and regrows to repair itself when damaged.
Ukorviak alone among the Xoskerik tribe commands the secrets of harvesting and working living steel. He guards those secrets jealously, for trade in living steel weapons is a source of considerable wealth for the Xoskerik giants, and is therefore key to Ukorviak’s high status among them. However, Ukorviak is less rabidly possessive about the weapons themselves. He reserves most of his limited production for the Umbral Court, but he is not averse to selling the occasional blade to Chelish merchants or other foreigners, provided they can afford the shadow giant’s high prices and often unreasonable whims.

泣泪之地 Weeping Fields :泣泪之地这个名字可追溯到马王的年代,它曾经是一片贫瘠的荒原,很少有部落敢在其内巡游。最初,他们只是单纯认为这片原野地势险峻,土壤又不够肥沃,不宜部落生活。但在星陨之灾摧毁旧文明,宗库松从影界的囚笼脱身并降临于物质位面后,泣泪之地也逐渐变得更为不祥。黑云终日笼罩在空中,而荒野间的阴影似乎要对每一个途径之人伸出魔爪。那之后,马王领袖们于此地与午夜领主达成了那份决定性的交易,并被转化为黑三角,这也敲定了泣泪之地的命运。如今,这片荒野充当着通往阴影谷地的不祥入口,有无数的恐怖静候于此。只有少数胆大的人类和窃影鬼秘教徒和隐士定居于此,而阴影蕨(shadow fern 见62页)和成群的影兽(shadow aniaml 见60页)也生活在其间,它们都是天生的凶狠捕食者,会在阴影中捕猎一切入侵者。更多关于泣泪之地,以及奈多人在此立下的祟邪交易,请见5页。
在黑三角达成那份决定后世命运的交易以后,泣泪之地也变成了宗库松军队的练兵场,至今已有近万年历史。士兵们在崎岖险峻的山岩与裂隙间进行着体能和战斗训练,还得面对有毒烟气和能划破皮肉的黑曜石的挑战。而在训练的最后,他们会面临泣泪者之试炼(the Weeper`s Ordeal),接受试炼的新兵会孤身一人被丢到泣泪之地的一处荒无人烟之地,身上只能携带自己选定的3件装备。试练者必须穿越整个泣泪之地,克服各种艰难险阻,直至到达目的地恐怖峡谷(the Chasm of Fears),一处烟雾弥漫的暗焰裂隙。在那里,试练者要俯身跪地,一边大口呼吸着毒烟,一边向午夜领主祷告,而她的眼前将浮现由最能刺痛其灵魂的一切惧怖与痛楚所组成的神赐幻象。
很多试练者要么没能走完全程,要么则在幻象中彻底崩溃。那些活到最后之人得以宣誓加入精钢卫队(the Adamant Guard),尽管在奈多境外名声不显——与午夜卫队不同,除非被分派到精钢连队(the Adamant Company),否则他们很少会离开国境——但奈多本国国民都无比敬畏和畏惧精钢卫队的成员。
剧透 -  原文::
Weeping Fields: Carrying a name that dates to the time of the horselords, the Weeping Fields were once a barren stretch of land where few of the tribes dared to roam. Before, this was merely a matter of practicality based on the fields’ treacherous geographic location as well as its disagreeable and infertile soil. However, when Earthfall ended civilization and Zon-Kuthon emerged from his Shadow Plane prison onto the Material Plane, the Weeping Fields began to transform into something far more sinister. Dark clouds perpetually loomed overhead, and the shadows themselves seemed to reach out menacingly at any who traveled through. Then the leaders who became the Black Triune made their fateful bargain with the Midnight Lord here, and the Weeping Fields’ fate was set. Now, these barren fields mark the sinister entrance to the Umbral Basin, where all manner of horrors await. A few hardy human and fetchling cultists and hermits live here, as do shadow ferns (see page 62) and herds of shadow animals (see page 60) that viciously hunt trespassers in dark parody of their natural predatory behavior. For more information about the Weeping Fields and the unholy bargain the Nidalese struck here, see page 5.
For millennia since the Black Triune struck that fateful deal, the Weeping Fields have also been the proving grounds for Zon-Kuthon’s military. Soldiers conduct their physical training and combat exercises across the viciously unforgiving rocks and treacherous rifts, braving poisonous smoke and lacerating obsidian. Their training culminates in the Weeper’s Ordeal, wherein a trainee is brought to a desolate reach of the Weeping Fields and abandoned with nothing but three pieces of equipment selected by the trainee. The trainee must make her way through the Weeping Fields and all their hazards until she reaches the Chasm of Fears, a smoke-filled shadowflame rift. There she prostrates herself in prayer to the Midnight Lord, breathes deeply of the poisoned smoke, and is gifted a vision of whatever terrors and pains cut most deeply into her soul.
Many fail on the field or are broken by their visions. Those who survive are sworn into the Adamant Guard, and though they are little known in the outside world— since, unlike the Midnight Guard, they seldom venture abroad unless assigned to the Adamant Company—they are respected and greatly feared within Nidal.

白丘镇 Whitemound: 坐落在眩心山脉山脚,阿特伦牧区与乌索力大草原的交接处,是名为白丘的寂静小镇。它是奈多北部平原的社会经济核心。每年夏天,这里的人口会暴增至250左右,牧场主们会在村里扎下织顶帐篷,并在这里做交易和举办婚礼。和奈多的其他事物一样,这里的婚礼要比其他地区的更安静,也更充满恐惧,但这已经是苦受压迫的奈多国内音量最接近“刺耳”级别的活动了。
白丘镇最初是星陨前的一处圣地,其最初是为了作为抵御乌斯克河泛滥而建造的共用粮仓。最初这里只是小村落,但后来围绕着粮仓慢慢建成了现在的城镇。白丘镇的畜牧市场如今是奈多食物供应链的重要一环,而由于宗库松信徒对皮革需求旺盛,当地熟练的制革工总是工作繁忙。
和大多数奈多小型定居点一样,白丘镇本质上也是自治型社区。不过,由于此地临近通向乌索力关口(Uthori Pass)的道路——一条穿越眩心山脉通往科瓦萨的通路,阴影朝廷对小镇一直密切关注。这份被认为是朝廷属下特工所摊上最苦的差事,最近落到了尼斯罗切的因塞维尔 Insevier of Nisroch(守序邪恶男性人类3级调查员ACG)头上,他在接二连三出现工作失误之后,被贬谪至此。虽然白丘镇居民都一直有意避开他,他依然待在小镇祟邪的教堂中维持着日常监视工作;除了在大型节日,或是阴影特工潜入小镇确保镇民忠诚时会被使用外,该教堂的也就只剩这点用途了。
虽然监控关隘曾经是必要之事,但因塞维尔的苦功最近全打了水漂。近年来,一只拟声尖牙兽(Leucrotta,B2 178)潜伏在白丘镇附近的山岭中,用其嗓音引诱了不少有志气逃离奈多的家伙(以及一堆好奇的孩子)自投罗网。镇民们称呼这只拟声尖牙兽为“无影人”(the Ascian),因为据说其并没有身影,以表现出对午夜领主的蔑视。还有传言说,无影人会假扮成它最近一位受害者的样子潜入镇中,以更好地研究下一个猎物。无论这些传言是真是假,如今只有索斯克里克部族的影巨人们够胆穿越乌索力关口,而村民们深信,比起那些午夜领主的追随者,拟声尖牙兽更能威胁到他们的生命。
剧透 -  原文::
Whitemound: Located at the foot of the Mindspin Mountains, where the Atteran Ranches give way to the Uthori Steppes, the quiet little town of Whitemound is the social and economic heart of Nidal’s northern plains. It is here where the ranchers often come to trade and hold marriage ceremonies, every summer greatly expanding the town’s typical population of about 250 with their braid-decked tents. Weddings, like everything in Nidal, are far more muted and infused with fear than any such celebrations would be elsewhere, but these events are among the closest anything ever gets to raucous in oppressed Nidal.
A sacred place in the days before Earthfall, Whitemound was eventually established as an ideal site for a communal granary to insure against the Usk’s periodic flooding. Once just a hamlet, the town grew up slowly around this granary. Whitemound’s livestock market is now a key part of Nidal’s food supply, and its master tanners are kept busy by the Kuthites’ demand for leather.
Like most of Nidal’s smaller settlements, Whitemound is essentially self-governing. However, since it lies near a trailhead leading to the Uthori Pass—a passage through the Mindspin Mountains to Korvosa—the Umbral Court keeps a close eye on the town. That duty, widely considered the worst posting that any agent of the court might receive, currently falls to Insevier of Nisroch (LE male human investigatorACG 3), who is in disgrace after successively failing several assignments. Shunned by the people of Whitemound, he keeps his watch from the town’s unholy cathedral, which sees little other use except for high holidays and when Umbral agents skulk into town to ensure the villagers’ loyalty.
While it was once necessary to monitor the pass, Insevier’s efforts are currently wasted. For years now, a leucrotta (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 178) has stalked the mountains near Whitemound, luring a number of aspiring escapees—and a handful of curious children— to their doom. The townspeople call this leucrotta “the Ascian,” for it is said that he casts no shadow, as a show of defiance to the Midnight Lord. It is said, too, that the Ascian walks the town in the skin of his most recent victim in order to better study his prey. Whatever the truth, only the Xoskerik shadow giants now brave the Uthori Pass, and the villagers are convinced that the leucrotta poses more of a direct threat to their existence than the Midnight Lord’s devotees do.

冬日花园 Winter Garden :
这座偏僻的屋舍曾经是阴影朝廷的一位死灵法师,奥里洛赫 Auriloch(守序邪恶男性阴影领主shadow lord B4 11级法师)的乡间精舍。作为身居高位之人,他的心灵要比同僚们更为脆弱敏感,因此他选择在这里排解心中烦恼,一边整理自己收藏的稀有书籍,一边打理着小屋外种有黄杨木、柏树和温柏树的精致花园。如今,这里化为了他的监狱。在那命运之夜,当奥里洛赫再也无法忍受内心痛苦时,他召唤了记忆魔(mnemor devil PF战役设定:异能怪物 21)勒西迪姆(Lethidim)来修改他最为痛苦的记忆。此可谓犯下了宗库松信徒中最严重的异端行径,而它也立刻招来了惩罚——一股浓雾彻底笼罩了奥里洛赫的领地,而他被困于其中,直到今日。如今,奥里洛赫乃是一位受阻领主(cursed lord),他的领域包括小屋本身,其杂草丛生的花园,以及周围的数处农场。让人迷失方向的迷雾包围着这一片区域,而天空中则下着永不停息的冬雪,奥里洛赫的实验品们便如同幽灵一般在大雪中四处飘荡,他们反复重演着自己所遭受的惧怖,有时也将其施加在不幸的过路人身上。勒西迪姆也自由地游荡在这片领地中,并尽情享用着受困的农夫及其家人,以及受他们庇护的旅人的记忆——迷雾会欣然地让那些宗库松认为有可疑信仰之人进入其中。
奥里洛赫
剧透 -  原文::
Winter Garden: This secluded cottage once served as the country retreat of Auriloch (LE male shadow lordB4 wizard 11), a necromancer of the Umbral Court. Having an unusual degree of sensitivity for one of his position, he came here to relieve his troubled mind, cataloging his collection of rare books and planting an elaborate garden of boxwood, cypress, and quince. Now it is his prison.
One fateful night, when his suffering became too much to bear, Auriloch summoned Lethidim, a mnemor devil (Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Occult Bestiary 21) to alter his most painful memories. As punishment for this heresy—among the most egregious for worshipers of Zon-Kuthon—a dense fog settled around his land, and he remains trapped there to this day.
Auriloch is now a cursed lord (Pathfinder RPG Horror Adventures 235), his domain encompassing the cottage, its sprawling garden, and several surrounding farms. Within the disorienting mists that surround these lands, the subjects of Auriloch’s experiments wander as ghosts beneath an unending snowfall, reenacting the horrors they suffered and in some cases inflicting them on unfortunate passersby. Lethidim wanders freely throughout the territory as well, preying on the memories of the trapped farmers, their families, and the travelers they shelter—for the mists readily admit anyone whose faith Zon-Kuthon doubts.

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昏暗中的威胁
« 回帖 #7 于: 2019-01-10, 周四 16:35:06 »
昏暗中的威胁 Threats In the Gloom
        当她用那副插满针的嘴朝我们微笑,并示意我们进入塔中时,我当时觉得事情正在往好的方向发展。
        最初我们心想,她只是用一条带结绳索来测试我们能不能爬向绳那边的奖品:一打闪亮的魔法玩意。太简单了。但当我们开始朝闪光处攀爬时,才发现这根本不是绳。这玩意是血肉。它就像一大艘塔尔多战船的帆缆绳,只不过是由人手、人脚以及人脸所组成,它们在我们一路攀爬时发出悲鸣。
        在我们大概爬到一半的时候,那堆人手追上了我们。它们抖落了扭曲交织的皮肉,露出了锋利的指骨。Dharmos开始尖叫,直到它们把他的喉咙挠破。Lira试图救他,于是它们也把她挠了上去。我没能抓稳,从五十多尺的地方摔回到石走廊上,在落地时折了一边腿。但我是幸运的。我逃出来了。

——Beylin Ettervatter,退役的盾徽财团特工。
剧透 -  原文:
THREATS IN THE GLOOM
I knew thIngs were lookIng south when she smIled wIth a mouth full of needles and gestured us InsIde the tower.
“at fIrst we thought she was testIng us wIth a sImple clImb up a knotted rope net toward our prIze: a dozen glItterIng magIc baubles. easy enough. but when we started to clImb toward the shInIes, we knew thIs weren’t no rope. It was flesh. lIke the rIggIng of a great taldan warshIp, ‘cept these were arms and legs and faces that moaned as we hauled ourselves along.
“we were about halfway up when hands came up out of that twIsted weave of skIn, wIth sharp, bony claws. dharmos screamed untIl they tore hIs throat out. lIra trIed to save hIm, and they tore her up too. I froze. lost my grIp and fell more than fIfty feet to the stone walkway, and broke a leg when I landed. but I was the lucky one. I got out.”
—beylIn ettervatter, retIred aspIs consortIum agent


        奈多有着内海地区最久远的历史,而其国土各处地点都见证了这久远而糟糕的过去。它们中有些已经在昏暗中延续了数千年,其间的悲惨或险恶之力已经育出了恐怖之果实,正等待着无辜者自投罗网。而另一些地点则在新近孕育出了危险,在宗库松信徒邪恶统治的掩护下得以生根发芽,独霸一方。确实,那些幽影般的威胁源自于盛行在奈多大地的施虐之邪恶中,可谓源源不断;而更多更大的威胁则潜伏在黑暗之中,哪怕足智多谋的冒险者也未必能想象得出来。本章节给出了一些范例地点,在那里冒险者们会遇到巨大的危险与恐怖,以及惊人的奖励。
剧透 -  原文:
Nidal has one the longest histories in the Inner Sea region, and numerous sites across the land have risen as testaments to that long and troubled past. Some have lingered in the gloom for millennia, their tragic or malevolent energies building to horrifying results as they wait for innocents to stumble into their maws. Others are more recently gestated dangers, taking advantage of the cover of Kuthite wickedness to carve out lairs where they reign uncontested. Indeed, there is no shortage of shadowy threats in Nidal that stem from the sadistic evil that prevails in this nation, and there are many more threats lurking in the darkness here than even wily adventurers might imagine. This chapter contains some examples of places where adventurers can find great danger and horrors, as well as incredible rewards.
奈多冒险地点
对那些够胆挑战的冒险者而言,以下的奈多地点充满了幽影般的危险和无穷的机遇。



艾维拉路口 Aevolar`s Crossing
被水中之惧怖所守卫的水底宝藏

地点 南乌斯克河,麦纳多山脉附近
掌控者 无敌者希尔夸 Xhilqua the Unmatched(中立邪恶雌性水元素长老4级战士)
住民 朽战尸(draugrs B2),泥霸(mudlords B4),各种体型的水元素
特点 被遗弃的宝藏,军事历史,扭曲的元素生物和复苏的死者士兵


        随着眩心山脉逐渐低矮成丘陵,再化为乌斯克森林南部的一片广阔平原,南乌斯克河也同样逐渐变宽,地从一条凶猛的激流转为了一条宽阔、平缓的水路。河边的陆路随着蜿蜒的水路一同在山间绕行,但却没有桥梁能横跨此处宽阔的河水,想渡河之人必须涉水穿越浅滩。在一个被称作艾维拉路口的地方,曾有一整支军队尝试这么做——从散落在河床上和被冲往下游的护甲、武器、货车、货箱、木桶等早已锈蚀腐烂的装备来看,他们这次尝试灾难性地失败了。过路人如果靠近点看,甚至能从水底一副还散发着光亮、肯定附有魔法的胸甲上认出旧切利亚斯帝国的镀金纹饰。
        虽然艾维拉路口处的河水又浅又缓,但却没人从此处渡河。空气中弥漫着一股不同寻常的凉意,这股凉意夺去了河流附近本该有的声响。没有虫鸣,没有鸟鸣,也没有鱼儿敢跃出平静的水面。当地人谈及艾维拉路口时都只敢悄声细语,他们总是远远避开此地,仿佛午夜领主亲自在这藏了位祟邪特工一般。他们说这地方闹鬼,因为当年宗库松正是在此向胆敢带着刀兵闯入他神国的家伙展露其神怒。当地人承认这里可能埋藏着宝藏,但探索者们得付出生命的代价——或者更糟——所以当地的财宝猎人们没有哪一队敢探访这让人噤声的地方。
        这些故事中有一部分是事实。在永恒战争时期,的确有整一营的切利亚斯军队陷落于此。当年指挥官艾维拉命令她的部队朝奈多进发,作为切利亚斯北部邻国中第一个攻击目标。大军在此地整营陷落,除了被遗弃的大量装备以外再无生还者。虽然大多数普通物资已经在之后的数百年中遗失,但仍有大量金银珠宝和魔法装备留了下来,有些甚至诱人地显露在低浅的水流之下。
        关于闹鬼和麻烦的不死生物的故事有一部分是迷信,不过真相则来得更为复杂。当年摧毁了指挥官全军的惧怖之首并非宗库松的侍从,而是一只名为希尔夸,自封为“无敌者”的残忍水元素。希尔夸已经占据了南乌斯克河的这片地区万年之久,甚至早于星陨之灾,当年曾有一个通向水元素位面的传送门出现在了上游。居住于此的元素生物和它们生活在其他位面交接或元素位面内的那些与世无争的亲戚们有着天壤之别
        曾经,希尔夸以及追随她的低等元素和泥霸们曾经在此过着平静的生活,哪怕位面传送门关闭了也是如此。然而,随着宗库松降临奈多,附近城镇的居民——如今早已消逝——开始向这位邪神举行各种祟邪而充满痛苦折磨的仪式。那些仪式所引发的能量扭曲了元素生物们,让希尔夸和她的同伴变得嗜血而残忍。最初,他们只是将怒火发泄在途径的行人身上。但后来,元素们开始猎杀那些离他们巢穴太近的镇民,而此地的传奇故事就此生根发芽。
        在永恒战争时期,当指挥官艾维拉在那次命定的行军开始渡河时,元素们有了第一次大开杀戒的机会。这群杀人如麻的生物愉悦地出现在入侵者面前,把涉足自家领地的士兵们一个个撕成了碎块。随着岁月流逝,这些死者所遭受的可怕暴行,以及当年让元素们变得嗜血的同一股能量,让一部分士兵重新活化为朽战尸。如今,任何想轻松搜刮河底宝藏的财宝猎人都得面对以上全部的致命威胁——而结局总是他们的毁灭。虽然很多人曾试图劫掠艾维拉路口,至今还没人能带着宝藏活着逃出此地。
剧透 -  原文:
AEVOLAR’S CROSSING Drowned Treasures Guarded by an Aquatic Horror Location Southern Usk River near the Menador Mountains Master Xhilqua the Unmatched (NE female elder water elemental fighter 4) Inhabitants draugrsB2, mudlordsB4, water elementals of various sizes Features abandoned treasures, military history, warped elementals and soldiers risen from the dead
As the Mindspin Mountains ease into foothills and then into a broad plain south of the Uskwood, the Southern Usk River likewise broadens and flattens, transforming from a swift-churning torrent to a wide, calm waterway. A road runs alongside the river as it winds along the mouth of the pass through the mountains, but no bridge spans the wide waters here, and anyone looking to cross must ford the currents. At the site called Aevolar’s Crossing, an entire army once tried to do exactly that—and failed catastrophically, based on the mass of rusted, decaying equipment strewn along the riverbed and carried downstream: armor, weapons, wagons, crates, barrels, and more besides. A passerby looking closely enough might even see the gilded insignia of the old Chelish empire on a still-gleaming, certainly magical breastplate.
No one crosses the river at Aevolar’s Crossing, though the river here is shallow and the current is sluggish. An unnatural chill pervades the silent air, which is bereft of any of the usual sounds of river activity. No insects sing, no birds call, and no fish dare break the still surface. Locals speak of Aevolar’s Crossing only in hushed whispers, and they avoid the place like it might an harbor unholy agent of the Midnight Lord himself. They say the place is haunted, that it is here where Zon-Kuthon enacted his vengeance against those who would dare bring arms to bear against the god’s own realm. There may be treasure to be found here, the locals agree, but the cost is the seeker’s life—or worse—and so no hordes of local treasure-hunters descend on this hushed locale.
Parts of the tales are true. An entire battalion of the Chelish army was indeed lost here in the early days of the Everwar, when Commander Aevolar led her troops north into Nidal in what was to be the first attack against Cheliax’s northern neighbor. The entire battalion was lost, leaving no survivors but a wealth of abandoned equipment. Though most of the mundane supplies were lost to the intervening centuries, plenty of gold, jewels, and magical gear survives, some of it tantalizingly visible beneath the shallow currents.
The tales of haunts and troubled undead is partly superstition, though the truth here is far more complex. The leader of the terrors that devastated the commander’s troops and all looters since is no servitor of Zon-Kuthon, but a fierce elder water elemental named Xhilqua, who styles herself the Unmatched. Xhilqua has claimed this stretch of the Southern Usk River for millennia, since long before Earthfall, when a portal to the Elemental Plane of Water once existed just upriver. The elementals here are a far cry from the insular, nonaggressive creatures typically found near planar founts or on the Elemental Planes.
For a time, Xhilqua and the lesser elementals and mudlords that followed her lived here peacefully, even after the planar portal closed. However, following ZonKuthon’s descent into Nidal, the villagers from nearby towns—now long-gone—began practicing fell and torturous rituals to their evil god. Those rituals pulled forth energies that warped the elementals, rendering Xhilqua and her allies bloodthirsty and territorial. At first, they simply visited their wrath on passing locals. Soon, though, the elementals began hunting townspeople who ventured too close to their lair, and the seeds of the legend of this place began.
The elementals happened upon their first chance at widespread destruction when Commander Aevolar led her fateful foray across the river during the Everwar. The elementals descended upon the invading force gleefully, tearing them limb from limb as the soldiers waded through the murderous creatures’ watery territory. As the decades have passed, the horrific violence of their deaths and the same rank energies that turned the elementals bloodthirsty has reanimated some of the soldiers as draugrs. Now, any treasure hunters hoping for an easy score must face all of these deadly threats—always to their ultimate doom. Thought many have tried to raid Aevolar’s Crossing, none have yet escaped with any of its many treasures.



古坟荒原 Barrowmoor
古代马王的殉葬地

地点 奈多北部、乌斯科河附近
掌控者 迪里德恩·古什 Dridehn Goish(中立男性老年人类9级通灵者 OA
住民 阿特伦的魂语者和看守者(spirit talker and caretaker),与古奈多马王相关的传奇英灵(Legedary spirit,PF战役设定:异能国度 10-11),无羁魅影(Unfettered Phantom B5
特点 远古作祟和陷阱,地灵(loci spirits OA),古代人民的记录,与精魂交流


        古坟荒原是一个统称,它指代这一片大小坟冢山丘星罗密布的神秘地区,其历史可以追溯至古奈多的马王时代。来到此地的外来者会发现自己迷失了方向,总是在同一座山头附近打转,而指南针也旋个不停、失去作用。作为马王们的后裔,阿特伦牧区的人们在谈及古坟荒原时总会带有悄然的敬畏,但就连它们都甚少在此地徘徊。
        大部分关于古坟荒原的传说从核心上是正确的:这里的山丘都是古坟,里面长眠着内海地区留存至今的最古老文明之一的先祖。这些古坟最小的大约有一间小农舍那么大,而最大的则比这大三倍;每一座坟墓旁边都围着一圈烧尽的炭木栅栏。许多古坟上还建有由发黑的木料搭成的奇特骨塔,塔尖直指天空,塔边则饰有燧石和马鬃编成的简易饰品,以证明有古人长眠于此。虽然外行人通常统称为“鬼魂”,但其实徘徊在古代坟冢之间的精魂种类繁多,且善恶兼有。
        作为一处古文明的殉葬地,许多历史学者都对古坟荒原有着浓厚兴趣。这里有着格拉利昂唯一一支熬过星陨之灾的文明的考古记录,而其中某些文物甚至能追溯到古阿兹兰特时代。在这些坟墓中,用马鬃编织成的挂毯上详尽地记载了千百年来当地的马匹育种记录。那些宗教研究者也能从中了解许多关于黑暗之年以前、宗库松的铁拳还未挥落这片土地时,此地卡利德人的生活风俗。投机的探险者们则坚称,这里一定有着数不尽的宝藏,古代马王们曾带着它们一起被埋葬于此。涉足秘传知识之人则想从历史中寻求智慧,或试图与仍徘徊于生前熟知土地的精魂们进行交流。
        尽管古坟荒原有着种种诱惑,但哪怕旅行者够胆面对从地表和地底挂起的怪异寒风和变化不定的山丘地貌,他们也很难成功掠夺这里的墓穴。古奈多的马王们早已预见到外来者可能会侵犯自己的殉葬地,因此他们将自己的坟冢建得极其牢固。很少古坟有入口;即便有,通道上也设有能熬过无尽岁月的致命陷阱。奇妙的是,新近的古坟也采取了和最古老的前辈们完全相同的防护措施。这其中最主要的一样技术便是使用假门,它们被设在显眼处,装饰得像是能通向墓穴更深处,实际则是被束缚于此的恶灵的寄居地:它们会毫不留情地袭向触碰自己居所的入侵者。这项技术与古奥斯里昂所发现的技术惊人地相似,但还没有学者找出两个文明之间的其他联系。
        除了这些预设的防护措施以外,另一些守护者也逐渐出现,这包括强力的作祟,虚体不死生物,乃至极少数决心看守着坟场,担任起精魂与活人沟通桥梁的当代在世马王后裔。虽然流浪于此地的凡人们并没有正式的机构或社区,但古坟荒原非官方的看守者首领是一位名为迪里德恩·古什的老人,数十年前,因为与死者之间有着诡异的联系,又能自在地活在死人堆中,他被从自己家族位于古坟荒原附近的农场赶了出来。自那以后,他就一直在这里生活。据说,古什知晓这些坟冢的每一处角落,还能聚集起此地海量的不死能量与生物来对抗入侵者。对于那些想了解更多关于这片远古之地的人而言,寻求古什的建言可谓是明智之举,不过没人确切知道他的住址,而据说他只会留意那些最为尊重古坟荒原的历史之人。
        虽然古坟荒原很诡异,但它并不邪恶——的确,这里有作祟,还经历了一段可怖的历史,但长眠于此的死者大多数在生前并非邪恶,也未被时光所玷染。如果给出恰当的敬意,很多徘徊于此的魂灵并不会有恶意,它们之所以留在主物质位面通常只是因为有未了的心愿,或是寰宇间的某些差错让他们没法前往骨园。
        这些地灵(Loci Spirits)可能会直接在旅者面前现身,向他们伸出援手,以换取某种帮助;又或者他们会用一点小小法术与眷顾,来护佑那些曾保护过他们在世后裔免受奈多国土上各类邪恶之力的友人。还有些魂灵会教导那些知晓如何运用精魂之力的人以大智慧:这可能是一位通灵者传奇英灵的跟脚,一位先知的骸骨秘示,秘学士所佩戴的各种灵器,甚至是传说中被骑将们称为幽灵骑手的鬼魂坐骑。显然,这些赠与非常罕见,而想获得这些大智慧的人也得做好充足的准备;阿特伦牧区的养马人和他们的先祖固然不会太敬重奈多的阴暗主子们,但他们也不会随便欢迎来自国土之外的旅行者。
剧透 -  原文:
BARROWMOOR Burial Mounds of Ancient Horselords Location northern Nidal near the Usk River Master Dridehn Goish (N male old human mediumOA 9) Inhabitants Atteran spirit talkers and caretakers, incorporeal undead, legendary spirits (Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Occult Realms 10–11) tied to the ancient Nidalese horselords, unfettered phantomsB5 Features ancient haunts and traps, loci spiritsOA, records of ancient peoples, spiritual connections
Barrowmoor is ultimately a thoroughly descriptive name, applied to this eerie region of enormous burial mounds that date back to the ancient culture of Nidal’s horselords. Outsiders traveling the region find themselves lost, looping around the same handful of hillocks over and over again, their compass needles twirling uselessly. The people of the Atteran Ranches, who are the horselords’ descendants, speak of the place with quiet reverence, but even they tread here only rarely.
At their core, many of the tales of the Barrowmoor are true: the mounds are burial mounds, where one of the oldest surviving cultures in the Inner Sea region laid their fallen to rest. The smallest of these hills stands at the size of a small cottage, while the largest reach three times that, each enclosed by a cage of burned charcoal logs. Many further bear strange, skeletal towers of blackened wood reaching into the sky above them, and decorations of simple flint and braided horsehair offer a testament to those interred within. Though the uninitiated simply tell of “ghosts,” in truth many spirits roam the ancient mounds, both benevolent and malign.
As the burial ground of an ancient culture, Barrowmoor holds much of interest to scholars of history. Here lie archaeological records of one of the only civilizations on Golarion to have survived Earthfall, with some relics reaching as far back as those of ancient Azlant. Within these tombs, detailed tapestries of knotted horsehair track horse-breeding records over the course of centuries. Those studying religion find much to learn from those Kellids who lived in this part of the world before the Age of Darkness and Zon-Kuthon’s iron fist descended upon the land. Opportunistic explorers insist that treasures untold must certainly lie here, buried alongside those horselords who bore them in life so long ago. Individuals steeped in eldritch lore seek wisdom from the past or connections to the spirits who still roam the lands they knew in life.
For all the temptations Barrowmoor offers, even a traveler brave enough to face the unnatural chill rising from the ground and the subtle, eerie shifts in the mounds would find these tombs difficult to plunder. The horselords of ancient Nidal foresaw that outsiders might seek to pillage these burial lands, and so they constructed their barrows accordingly. Few of the mounds contain
entrances, and those that do have entryways also bear deadly traps that have survived countless ages. Oddly, newer mounds employ the same protections as the most ancient of them. Chief among these is a technique strangely akin to one found in ancient Osirion, though no scholars have yet found any other links between the two cultures; false doors, prominent and decorated to appear as portals to an inner tomb, serve only to house malevolent spirits bound within, eager to lash out at any who dare trespass upon their demesnes.
Around these intentional protections, a host of other defenses has arisen, from potent haunts to incorporeal undead to the very few living descendants of the horselords who have taken it upon themselves to serve as caretakers of the burial ground and as conduits for its spirits to the living world. Although there is no formal structure or society among this area’s mortal wanderers, the barrows’ unofficial lead caretaker is an aged man named Dridehn Goish, who has lived here since he was cast out decades ago from his family’s nearby farm for his unsettling connections to and comfort with the dead. It’s said that Goish knows these tombs’ every nook and cranny and can marshal the area’s significant undead energies and creatures against intruders. Those who seek information or other riches from this ancient place are wise to seek Goish’s counsel, though it’s unclear exactly where he lives, and he’s said to brook the attentions of only those who show the utmost respect to the Barrowmoor’s past.
As unsettling as the moor is, the place is not evil— haunted, yes, and weighted under a tremendous history, but most of those who lie at rest here were not evil in life and have remained uncorrupted by time. Many of the spirits that wander here are not malevolent if treated with appropriate respect, and they simply linger on the Material Plane because of some unfulfilled wanting of the soul or some cosmic confusion that bars them from reaching the Boneyard.
These loci spirits may take form and offer aid to travelers directly in exchange for succor, or they might simply offer support in the form of minor spells and solicitude to beneficiaries who protect their living descendants from the nation’s many evils. Other spirits offer great wisdom to those individuals who know how to harness them: many a medium’s legendary spirit can be found with roots here, as can an oracle’s mystery of bones, various implements wielded by the occultist, or even the ghostly steeds of the fabled cavaliers called ghost riders. These offerings are rare indeed, and those who seek to garner such wisdom had best prepare themselves accordingly; the horse tenders of the Atteran Ranches and their ancestors bear no great respect for Nidal’s shadowy masters, but neither do they welcome travelers from beyond their borders.



囚日城堡 Castle of the Captive Sun
受虐癖不死者的奢华宅邸

地点 乌斯克森林北部,帕格莱斯西侧
掌控者 沃萨兹尼·德扎尔 Volsazni Dezarr (守序邪恶男性吸血鬼10级催眠师 OA
住民 被吓倒的善良阵营人士(神裔,天界血脉术士,艾奥梅黛和塞恩蕾的牧师),吸血裔B2,凶暴狼,吸血鬼
特点 吸血鬼的黑暗晚宴派对,堆积如山的魔法物品与神器,吸血鬼衍体


        虽然沃萨兹尼·德扎尔在帕格莱斯有一座大宅——就像所有奈多上流人士那样——但囚日城堡才是他最爱的住处,他一年里大部分时间都居住于此。从外面看,这座宅邸像是一座传统的乡间豪宅,有着修建齐整的草坪和一尘不染的建筑,和其他国家中的乡间别墅没什么不同。但奈多永恒的阴影让宅邸变得暗淡,其内在与外表更可谓大相径庭。
        首先,沃萨兹尼是一位吸血鬼,也是一位热诚的宗库松信徒,他以一种只有真正生于黑夜的物种才能做到的独特方式拥抱着苦痛。
        囚日城堡得名于沃萨兹尼的“客人”,一群有着天界血脉的俘虏。他们在城堡里过着无上奢华的生活,身边则环绕着堡主多年来收集到的海量与神圣和太阳相关的奇物珍宝。沃萨兹尼关押了神裔、塞恩蕾信徒、和其他神圣生物作为他最爱的人畜,因为他们那流淌着神圣之力的血液不仅能饱腹,还带着让人愉悦的灼痛。而对那些神器与奇物,吸血鬼则用它们向自己的黑暗主神献上厚重的虔诚:他会引动这些奇物的光明之力,将其直接照射到自己和数位在囚阳城堡建成前收下的吸血裔子嗣的肉体上。
        沃萨兹尼让他的客人们尽享奢华,但他们都被束缚在餐桌旁的镀金长椅上。围绕在这些客人身边的除了吸血鬼和他的衍体以外,还有数不清的陷阱、法术,以及堡主的凶暴狼守卫。沃萨兹尼会定期举办晚宴派对,并邀请其他吸血鬼贵族作为晚宴的嘉宾,在为期两周的派对中将俘虏们一步步折磨至绝顶。
成为堡内的俘虏也就意味着能免受外界的威胁,而新来的一位客人则借助了这份保护。阿拉斯托斯·尼安纳 Alastros Niannah (守序善良男性人类5级血脉狂怒者 ACG正躲避着沉默执法者(Slinet Enforcers);虽然城堡早已臭名远扬,但阿拉斯托斯知道自己血脉中的天界祝福能让他在城堡中得到保护。眼下,这位艾奥梅黛信徒正等待着时机,他已经被堡垒内真正的恐怖吓软了脚。现在他想找到逃跑的方法,以拯救自己身处尼斯罗切受尽折磨的爱人。
        沃萨兹尼收藏的奇物珍宝在奥术学者、历史学家和财宝猎人中同样名声远扬。这些物品中有的仅仅是一根昼明术魔杖,有的则可能是无价的神器。然而吸血鬼本人并不特别看重哪一件奇珍;他很乐意卖出任意一件宝物,只要对方能给出新的有用小玩意作为交换。不过想尝试这种交易的人最好准备妥当,因为沃萨兹尼蔑视那些把自己藏品当成商场摆卖之人,而想当着这位古代领主的面行窃的家伙则只会大难临头。
剧透 -  原文:
CASTLE OF THE CAPTIVE SUN  Luxurious Estate of Masochistic Undead Location northern Uskwood, west of Pangolais Master Volsazni Dezarr (LE male vampire mesmeristOA 10) Inhabitants cowed good-aligned individuals (aasimars, celestial bloodline sorcerers, clerics of Iomedae and Sarenrae), dhampirsB2, dire wolves, vampires Features dark vampiric dinner parties, hoards of magic items and artifacts, vampire spawn
Though Volsazni Dezarr maintains a townhouse in Pangolais—as all members of Nidal’s high society do— the Castle of the Captive Sun is his favored abode and the location where he spends the vast majority of his time. From the outside, the estate seems a traditional country manor akin to one that might be found in any civilized nation, given its manicured lawns and pristine architecture. But the perpetual gloom of Nidal’s shadows dims the estate into a gray monotone, the first sign that the great house is not what it seems.
First of all, Volsazni Dezarr is a vampire, as well as a devout Kuthite who embraces agony in a way that only a creature truly of the night can.
The Castle of the Captive Sun takes its name from Volsazni’s “guests,” a collection of celestial-blooded captives kept in utter luxury alongside an astounding treasury of holy and solar-related artifacts gathered over the years. Volsazni keeps aasimars, Sarenites, and other holy creatures as his preferred feeding stock, as their divinely tinged blood offers a delectable, searing pain in addition to sustenance. The artifacts, meanwhile, the vampire uses in profound devotions to his dark god. He wields their light-bringing powers upon his own flesh and that of several dhampir offspring he sired in the years before establishing the Castle of the Captive Sun.
Volsazni keeps his guests in the height of luxury, though they are chained to their gilded chairs at the feast table. Volsazni’s guests are hemmed in not only by the vampire and his spawn but also by countless traps, spells, and his dire wolf guardian. From time to time, Volsazni even hosts decadent dinner parties during which other noble vampires stay as honored visitors and escalate the captives’ torment to despicable heights over the course of a fortnight.
What keeps the captives in also keeps them safe from outside predations, and one recent arrival has taken advantage of that protection. Alastros Niannah (LG male human bloodragerACG 5) is on the run from the Silent Enforcers; though the castle’s full reputation was no secret, Alastros knew that the celestial blessings in his blood would grant him sanctuary within. Now, the Iomedaean bides his time, aghast at true horrors of the castle. Now he seeks a way to escape so that he can rescue his tormented lover in Nisroch.
The collection of artifacts Volsazni keeps has its own reputation among arcane scholars, historians, and treasure seekers. Some items are no more remarkable than a wand of daylight, while others are priceless artifacts. Yet the vampire regards few with any particular affection; he is more than willing to part with any if offered a new useful trinket. Those attempting such trades had best be prepared, though, as Volsazni scorns any who think they can treat his collection as a mere shopping arcade, and woe to those who think to outright steal from the ancient lord.



艾德迈拉的愚行 Edammera`s Folly
跨越位面的古代实验室


地点 奈多西部,乌斯克河分叉口西北侧
掌控者 凯达娄斯 Kaidalous(守序邪恶无性别邪验魔B3 6级调查员 ACG【法医UI】)
住民 邪窥魔(augur kytons B3),邪验魔( interlocutor kytons B3),幽影领主脑泥怪(shadow lord B4 brain oozes B3),各种幽影(shadow)和高等幽影(greater shadow)
特点 通向影界且不断变换的神秘传送门,徘徊在阴影中的恐怖,外科手术室


        神秘的大法师梅森德罗思·孤魔(Mesandroth Fiendlorn)在奈多奥术学者中非常有名;这位古代法师在穷极一生对不朽的追求中造就了海量的知识,包括各类异界生物、死灵系的造诣、新防护法术,等等——但就是没能揭开不朽之谜。和很多伟人一样,孤魔疑心重、城府深,他把自己各领域的研究分别安置在国境内多处不同的研究场所,每一处都由他其中一位学徒来掌管。没人知道这样的研究所一共有多少,因为它们中只有一小部分被后人发现,且在被发现时内部都已全毁。
        艾德迈拉的愚行就是一处这样的研究场所。地名上提及名号的这位法师是孤魔的一位学徒,他负责维持着这座崭新的研究设施——一座由钢铁和玻璃建成的,刻有密密麻麻的清晰奥术符文的无菌白高塔。和孤魔的其他设施一样,这里的防护措施几乎滴水不漏,以确保大法师本人能尽情使用塔内的设备。他在塔内进行研究造成的动静,塔外几乎完全无法察觉;大多数看到高塔边缘闪烁阴影图样之人只会将其归功于笼罩奈多全域永恒的昏暗。
        若有探险者能进入设施中——这并不简单,此人必须搞定层层奥术防护和数道加固过的大钢门——她将发现高塔内部也几乎看不到没落的迹象。恒定的光亮术散发着柔和的光芒,照亮了整个大厅,而研究室和外科手术室中则配有更强的光源,在类人生物踏入房中时发出白昼般的光亮。
        当然,这些光照仅限于设施在物质位面的部分——当踏遍设施内几乎所有门廊后,这点就非常明显了。孤魔那背信弃义的性格在此展露无遗:他把设施内部所有门口都替换成了通向高塔位于影界扭曲镜像的传送门。这些传送门是永久的,但并不固定。它们会随机通向对侧镜像高塔的某一条走廊,而传送地点还会在每次使用后改变,哪怕两个生物通过时间只隔了一刹那也是如此。机智的探险者们会意识到他们可以手拉手来确保被传送到同一处,但这样又会在面对传送门对侧的威胁时丧失先机。
        艾德迈拉的愚行在影界的部分是由黑化的锈铁和染血的黑曜石建成的,和物质位面的无菌白高塔形成强烈反差;而高塔那渗人的静谧也变成了痛苦的尖叫和喘息。一群邪验魔和邪窥魔充当着这里的守卫,把一间间实验室当成了理想的艺术间,以方便他们对彼此,对从影界抓来的可悲灵魂,以及从传送门跌入的家伙进行“艺术创作”。凭借天生的位面传送类法术能力,链魔们可以轻易行走于艾德迈拉高塔各处,不过高塔内充足的照明实在让他们不悦,因此通常而言他们会避开这些光亮区域。传言中,此地链魔中最强大者,凯达娄斯,与当年的艾德迈拉正是同一人。
        艾德迈拉高塔在物质位面的住客们要比影界那边的更加安静,但危险程度丝毫不减。艾德迈拉的研究主要是如何利用泥怪的天生特质来抵抗岁月流逝,而当迅速排除掉那些无心智的品种后,奇特而聪慧的脑泥怪(B3 43页)便成为了她下一个实验项目,因为传言中这种生物就是另一个试图成就不朽的种族的产物。被艾德迈拉带进高塔的大批试验品中,只有一小部分还活在这里,其余的要么落入了孤魔手里,要么在经手人逝去后成批死去,要么沦为了影界来客的猎物。
        从传送门泄露出的暗影精华深深地渗入了这些残存脑泥怪的躯体中,如今他们全员都获得了幽影领主(shadow lord B4)模板。它们非类人生物的躯体不会激活塔内的照明,因此这些生物可以悄然穿行于设施内的阴影中,而无需穿越传送门。当然,高塔还是幽影和高等幽影的家园,它们总是来回穿梭于自己的本土位面和物质位面之间,寻找着沿途的受害者。
        少数投机者们发现,艾德迈拉的愚行塔内半稳定的通向影界的传送门,可以用于在两个位面之间的旅行。该尝试得面临多方面的挑战:旅行者不仅要避开或安抚位面两边高塔的居民,还得找到稳定传送门的方法,以确保一条能让他离开影界高塔的路,而非永恒地在两座高塔中盲头打转。诚然,某些冒险者愿意冒此生命危险,以夺取被废弃在阴暗设施内的各种研究材料和魔法物品。
剧透 -  原文:
EDAMMERA’S FOLLY Ancient Laboratory Straddling the Planes Location western Nidal, northwest of the Usk River’s fork Master Kaidalous (LE agender interlocutor kytonB3 investigatorACG [forensic physician] 6; Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Intrigue 33) Inhabitants augur kytonsB3, interlocutor kytonsB3, shadow lordB4 brain oozesB3, various shadows and greater shadows Features mysteriously mobile portals to the Shadow Plane, roving shadow horrors, surgical laboratory
The mysterious archmage Mesandroth Fiendlorn is well known among Nidalese scholars of the arcane; the ancient wizard’s lifelong quest for immortality produced a wealth of knowledge on various outsiders, necromantic arts, abjurations, and more—if not the desired outcome. Like many great minds, Fiendlorn was paranoid and secretive, and he segmented his various areas of research into separate laboratories across the land, each in the care of one of his many apprentices. No one knows how many such lairs exist, as only a few have been discovered and explored, and all proved destroyed from within.
Edammera’s Folly is one such location. The titular wizard, an apprentice of Fiendlorn, maintained this pristine research facility—a sterile tower of steel and glass etched with meticulous columns of precise arcane runes. Its protections were near absolute, save that this tower, like all of Fiendlorn’s facilities, remained accessible to the archmage. The damage he wrought within its halls during his research is nearly imperceptible from without; most who see flickering shadows crawling along the sides of the tower simply attribute the shifting pattern to the perpetual Nidalese gloom.
If an explorer were to gain access to the facility—no small feat, given the layered arcane protections atop the reinforced steel doors—she would find that the interior likewise shows few signs of its downfall. Permanent light spells gently illuminate the halls, while the laboratories and surgical theaters are enchanted such that much brighter lights flare into near daylight when a humanoid creature enters the space.
Of course, this illumination is limited to those spaces that exist on the Material Plane—a fact that becomes clear upon stepping through nearly any doorway in the facility. Here, the treachery Fiendlorn unleashed becomes evident: every interior doorway in the entire facility has been replaced with a portal to a twisted replica of the tower on the Plane of Shadow. These portals are permanent, but they are not fixed. Each connects with a doorway in the counterpart tower at random, and the destination changes from use to use, even between two creatures passing through only moments apart. Savvy explorers might realize they can at least ensure they pass through together by joining hands, although this leaves them rather disadvantaged against whatever might await them on the other side of the portal.
The Shadow Plane version of Edammera’s tower is forged of blackened, rusting iron and blood-spattered obsidian in place of the Material Plane’s sterile steel and glass, and the eerie silence is replaced by screams and gasps of torment. A cabal of interlocutor kytons and the augur kytons who act as their sentinels use the laboratories here as an ideal location for them to work their arts upon one another and upon pitiable souls captured from the Shadow Plane or who have crept through the portals. The kytons navigate their portion of the tower courtesy of their innate plane shift spell-like ability, though they find the plentiful illumination of Edammera’s tower distasteful and typically avoid it. The greatest of these kytons, Kaidalous, is rumored to once have been Edammera herself.
The residents of Edammera’s tower on the Material Plane are far more subtle but no less dangerous than their Shadow Plane counterparts. Edammera’s research focused on harnessing the innate abilities of oozes to withstand the ravages of time, and while she quickly dismissed the mindless varieties as an unviable option for her efforts, the peculiar and intelligent brain ooze (Bestiary 3 43) came to the fore as a candidate for her experiments, its reputation bolstered by the rumors that these creatures themselves were the result of another race’s efforts to achieve immortality. Of the dozens of specimens Edammera kept here at the facility’s height, only a handful remain, the rest having fallen into Fiendlorn’s hands, wasted away in captivity once their handlers had perished, or fallen prey to guests from the Plane of Shadow.
These few remaining brain oozes have been thoroughly infused by the shadow essences seeping through the portals, and now all of them bear the shadow lord template. Since their non-humanoid presence doesn’t activate the tower’s lights, the creatures can slink along the shadows throughout the facility without passing through the portals. Of course, the tower is also home to shadows and greater shadows, who consistently slide from their home plane to the Material Plane and back, looking for victims along the way.
A few opportunists aware of Edammera’s Folly have considered whether the facility’s semistable portals to the Plane of Shadow could be used as a means of transit between the two planes. The challenges facing such an endeavor are manifold: not only would a traveler need to avoid or appease the denizens of each planar tower, but she would also need to find some way to stabilize the portals enough to secure a route that lets her exit the Shadow Plane’s tower rather than shifting randomly between the two for what could become eternity. Of course, some explorers are willing to risk that fate in the hope of gaining access to the wealth of research material and magical items that are no doubt abandoned within the shady facility.



碎梦堂 Hall to the Broken Dream
刁滑链魔和其狂热信众的秘密教派

地点 眩心山脉南部,基斯丹诺堡东北方
掌控者 斯克里亚斯肯 Skrialsiken (中立邪恶女性lampadariu kyton 8级催眠师 OA【操影师】;PF战役设定:内海诸神 315,内海战役设定:异能国度 16)
住民 满怀希望的秘教徒,lampadarius链魔
特点 离奇的塑肉和塑魂实验(flesh- and soulwarping experiments),秘教徒招揽者,喧主链魔(kyton demagogue,链魔的半神)的神坛


        坐落在奈多南部的碎梦堂的外观像是完全由阴影铸造而成,它是一个有趣教派的根据地,而教派成员们的忠诚与奸智发生了意料之外的变化。该教派由lampadarius 链魔(PF战役设定:内海诸神 315)和狂热的凡人信众组成,他们崇拜维沃若(Vevelor),被称为破碎之梦(the Broken Dream)的链魔喧主(kyton demagogue)。教派的首领,斯克利亚斯肯,自称是维沃若在格拉利昂的神使,不过她想借此身份带领其链魔教团所欲何为还不得而知。
        无论任何,阴影朝廷都已注意到了碎梦堂。事实上,碎梦堂每年都会派出一支代表团前往帕格莱斯,以感受大城市的氛围、沐浴隐伏在城内的苦难气息,以及悄然向任何愿意驻足聆听之人讲解他们这尊特殊的信仰。他们会公开地赞颂破碎之梦是如何从一只链魔荣登喧主之位,并会敏锐地反驳一切支持宿命论的学说。
        若是其他团体够胆在奈多如此传教,阴影朝廷想都不想就会把肇事者弄得生不如死。的确,大多数朝廷成员都公开地厌恶奈多国内除宗库松以外的一切信仰,哪怕维沃若是来自影界的一尊强力邪神也是如此。但是,碎梦堂的信徒们坚称,自己之所以信仰维沃若,仅仅是为了反抗他们心目中束缚了宗库松仆从们的宿命。在该问题上,阴影朝廷意识到,绝大多数的奈多居民很难分辨维沃若和宗库松信仰的区别。他们希望避免发生在午夜领主教会内的内斗,因此碎梦堂的代表团得以继续前往帕格莱斯执行自己的黑暗使命而不受到外界报复。
        在他们前往奈多首都的旅途中,教徒们也会暗中物色潜在的人选以壮大自己的教派。在乡村和小城镇等地区,他们会寻找那些对自己生活感到不满的宗库松信徒或潜藏的无信者,希望能激发和强化这些人心中顽强不屈的意志,直至在这个国家难以容身的地步。
        至今为止,该教派中约有十来位非链魔教徒,他们都在碎梦堂中接受了可怕的仪式和手术,以效法维沃若所经受的灵肉之旅。大多数这些教徒渴望把自己转化为链魔,不过也有一小部分人有着别样的目标,例如变成另一种类的邪恶生物。
        教派非常小心地隐藏起自己招揽信众和塑肉塑魂的举止,以免其失去与阴影朝廷成员之间的脆弱和平。不过,阴影朝廷也不傻,朝廷中某些人已经猜出了真相。由于他们手头没有证据,而斯克里亚斯肯又有一些强大的盟友,这些阴影朝廷特工们正物色一队强劲的代理人,以派去剿灭这个刁滑耍赖的链魔据点。
斯克里亚斯肯
剧透 -  原文:
HALL TO THE BROKEN DREAM Cult of Rogue Kytons and Fanatics Location southern Mindspin Mountains, northeast of Citadel Gheisteno Master Skrialsiken (NE female lampadarius kyton mesmeristOA [umbral mesmerist] 8; Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Inner Sea Gods 315, Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Occult Realms 16) Inhabitants hopeful cultists, lampadarius kytons Features bizarre flesh- and soulwarping experiments, secret cultist recruiters, shrine to a kyton demagogue
Seemingly constructed from pure shadowstuff, the Hall to the Broken Dream in southern Nidal is home to a curious sect of malignant beings whose loyalties and machinations have taken a perhaps unexpected twist. The sect is made up of lampadarius kytons (Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Inner Sea Gods 315) and fanatic mortals who revere Vevelor, the kyton demagogue known as the Broken Dream. Their leader, Skrialsiken, claims to be Vevelor’s herald on Golarion, though what actions she has planned for her cult of kytons regarding that role are unclear.
Regardless, the Umbral Court is aware of the Hall to the Broken Dream. In fact, every year, a contingent from the hall visits Pangolais to soak in the urban atmosphere, bathe in the latent suffering that looms so large in the city, and quietly explain their particular faith to any who will listen. They openly discuss the Broken Dream’s apotheosis to first a kyton and then a demagogue, and they adroitly argue against any possible merits of fatalism or predestination.
Were any other contingent to dare such proselytizing in Nidal, the Umbral Court would visit torturous sufferings on the perpetrators without thought. And indeed, most court members openly dislike the worship of anyone other than Zon-Kuthon in Nidal, even if Vevelor is a powerful, evil deity from the Plane of Shadow. However, the hall’s faithful insist that their adherence to Vevelor is simply defiance of the predestination that they believe limits Zon-Kuthon’s servants. For their part, the members of the Umbral Court realize that the vast majority of Nidalese citizens can discern little difference between Vevelor and Zon-Kuthon. They wish to avoid the appearance of infighting within the church of the Midnight Lord, and so the hall’s contingents continue to travel to Pangolais on their dark missions without reprisal.
During their trips to the Nidalese capital, the cultists also clandestinely look for potential recruits to join their sect. Among rural villages and back urban alleys alike, they seek Kuthites or secret atheists who are discontent with their lot in life, and wish to translate indomitable wills into more power than the state would ever allow.
So far, the sect contains about a dozen non-kyton cultists, all of whom undergo horrific rituals and experimentations at the Hall to the Broken Dream as they try to map Vevelor’s journey of the flesh and soul. Most of these cultists hope to transform themselves into kytons, though some seek very different and specific goals, such as becoming another type of evil creature.
The sect has carefully hidden its recruitment and flesh- and soulwarping activities lest it lose its very tentative peace among members of the Umbral Court. Nevertheless, the Umbral Court is wily, and some of its members suspect the truth. Because they have no proof, and because Skrialsiken has a few powerful allies, these Umbral Court agents quietly seek a powerful team of agents who can be sent to eliminate the rogue outpost.



谎言之屋 House of Lies
闹鬼的公会大堂和宝物库

地点 乌斯克森林西北角
掌控者 塔克希娜 Takhina(混乱中立女性中年人类9级通灵者 OA【说书人 OA】)
住民 谎言公会,阴影朝廷特工,不安的守护之魂
特点 奥术和异能财宝,作祟与陷阱,超自然的强大防卫措施


        影碎是奈多历史中的一段反常时期,它大约持续了3个世纪,在此期间奈多与他国之间的帷幕被拉起,奈多国民得以一瞥世界上其他地区的生活,而外来的冒险者们偶尔也被准许进入这处阴影国度。正是在这个时期,在签署了与切利亚斯的主权条约以后,德拉里斯·伊文吉奥(Delaeris Iovengio )建下了谎言之屋。
        作为一位精明的企业家,德拉里斯看到了新近开放的奈多国界会所带来的机遇。他在建成这座宅邸后,开始邀请有名的说书人们前往奈多,让他们惊叹于这座曾经难以接触的国家。当然,这些客人需要交纳一笔客观的费用才能前往这座奢华的宅邸,而对外部世界感到好奇,想聆听各种故事的奈多籍客人们,同样需要花大价钱才能搞到剧场中的座席。
        为了进一步引人注目,德拉里斯开设了一项比赛。每5年,全内海地区最有天赋的说书人们都会被邀请来参加一场争夺“真相编造者”(truth maker)头衔的比赛。当然,参赛者需要在比赛期间住在谎言之屋内,但参赛费上仅需要参赛者为狂宴之屋的藏品贡献一件独一无二的奇珍即可。于是,古怪的考古文物,秘传典籍,独特的魔法物品,谜题盒,以及其他千奇百怪的玩意都被送进了藏品库。而每届比赛真相编造者的真正大奖,便是历届参赛者所献出的海量宝物的使用权。胜利者们可以尽情研究这些宝物,但不能将它们带出奈多国境。
        总的来说,这是一次成功的尝试。谎言之屋的名号,获得奈多第一手体验的机会,以及海量奇珍藏品的诱惑,年复一年地吸引着造访者。那些参加过比赛的家伙,无论输赢,都开始自称是谎言公会(Guild of Liars)的一员。德拉里斯在退休时家财万贯,而他家族后辈则将宅邸一直维持到了今日。
        就连管理者伊文吉奥家族,也没意识到阴影朝廷对谎言之屋的暗中影响。自谎言之屋开张第一天以来,奈多的特工们就已经在监控和引导着公众对此地的理解认知。最初,这宅邸的名称仅仅暗示着其内讲述的故事的虚假性,但随着时间流逝,这种欺诈故事逐渐成为了谎言之屋的主流,直至其明文规定,在此地讲述的故事都必须是完全虚构。谎言公会被宣传为由一群谎话大师所组成的机构,其成员参加的乃是一场史诗级的谎言比赛。因此,奈多居民们所能听到的外界故事统统都是谎言——这进一步巩固了阴影朝廷对外部世界的信息管制。
        随着切利亚斯公民战争爆发,奈多重新收紧边界,谎言之屋遍布国内外的名声也戛然而止。然而,谎言公会仍然延续着,他们每5年便在此聚集,以评选出新一任的真相编造者,获得谎言之屋多年来收集的无数珍贵藏品的使用权。
        现任的真相编造者名叫塔克希娜,她是一位曾游历四方的伽伦德女性,和探索者协会有着不甚牢固的关系。自从在比赛中胜出后,她就一直居住在谎言之屋,并在数年内逐步从伊文吉奥后人手中接过了对宅邸的管理权,如今乃是谎言之屋毫无争议的女主人。虽然据说她当年是在协会的要求和赞助下参加比赛,但在获胜后,她一直拒绝允许其他探索者专员分享她所掌管的奇珍藏品。为了警告那些头脑发热的造访者,塔克希娜召唤出了一批精魂徘徊在宅内,让奈多人口中这间大宅闹鬼的传言部分成了事实——讽刺的是,这让她成为了第一位字面意义上的真相编造者。
塔克希娜
剧透 -  原文:
HOUSE OF LIES Haunted Guild Hall and Repository of Curiosities Location northwestern corner of the Uskwood Master Takhina (CN female middle-aged human mediumOA [storytellerOA] 9) Inhabitants Guild of Liars, Umbral Court agents, unquiet guardian spirits Features arcane and occult treasures, haunts and traps, supernaturally strong security
The Shadowbreak was an anomaly in Nidal’s history; it was a 3-century period during which the veil between Nidal and other nations was drawn back, Nidalese citizens gained a glimpse of life in other parts of the world, and adventurous souls were, occasionally, permitted to travel within the shadowy realm. It was during this time, not long after the treaty granting Chelish sovereignty was signed, that Delaeris Iovengio built the House of Lies.
A savvy entrepreneur who saw a particular opportunity in the newly opened Nidalese borders, Delaeris established this estate with the intention of inviting renowned storytellers to Nidal to marvel at the previously inaccessible country. Of course, such guests would pay a fine price to visit this luxurious retreat, and Nidalese guests, curious to hear tales of the outside world, likewise paid well for seats in the theater.
To further drive attendance and interest in his venture, Delaeris began a contest. Every 5 years, the most talented storytellers from across the Inner Sea region were invited to compete for the title of “truth maker.” Contestants were, of course, required to lodge at the House of Lies at exorbitant festival rates, but entering the contest merely required the participant to contribute a unique curiosity to the  house’s collection. Archaeological oddities, eldritch tomes, unique magic items, puzzle boxes, and all manner of strange objects made their way into the collection. Each time, the truth maker’s true prize was access to the amassed curiosities garnered from competitors over the years. The winners could study the curiosities but were not permitted to take them from the site.
It was a thoroughly successful venture. Word of the House of Lies, the opportunity it provided to experience Nidal firsthand, and the allure of its collection of curios drew visitors year after year. Those who had taken part in the competition, winners or not, began to call themselves the Guild of Liars. Delaeris retired a wealthy man, and the younger generations of his family have kept the institution going to this day.
Not even the Iovengio management realized the subtle influence the Umbral Court has had on their institution. From the first days the House of Lies opened its doors, Nidalese agents have watched and steered the public perceptions and understanding of the locale. While at first only the estate’s name hinted at the false nature of the tales told within its halls, as the years passed, such deception became more and more central to the house’s operations, until it was explicitly stated and then even outright required that the stories told within its halls be firmly in the realm of fiction. The Guild of Liars was advertised as consisting of individuals with the best lies, who competed in a contest of falsehoods on an epic scale. Thus the only stories from outside of Nidal that citizens heard were lies—further reinforcing the Umbral Court’s control over information about the outside world. The regional fame of the House of Lies came to an abrupt end with the Chelish Civil War, as Nidal again tightened its borders. However, the Guild of Lies continues, meeting every 5 years to declare a new truth maker, who gains access to the invaluable collection of artifacts in the house’s collection for the years to come.
The current truth maker is Takhina, a well-traveled Garundi woman with a rocky relationship with the Pathfinder Society, who has lived in the House of Lies since winning the contest. In the years since, she has gradually taken over administration of the manor from the remaining Iovengios and is now its unequivocal mistress. Though she allegedly entered the contest at the Society’s request and using Society funds, she has since refused to allow other Pathfinder agents to share in her access to the manor’s curio collection. To warn away overeager visitors, Takhina has summoned several spirits to linger within the premises, lending some veracity to the Nidalese claims that the site is haunted—and ironically making her one of the first literal truth makers.



晚夜平原 Plains of Night
黛丝娜神秘学使们的堡垒

地点 阿特伦牧区
掌控者 星触者艾特莉西亚 Etrixia Star-Touched (混乱善良女性神裔6级黛丝娜的牧师/8级异能者 OA
住民 黛丝娜神秘学使,奈多裔逃亡者
特点 梦境魔法,神秘仪式(occult rituals),成功隐蔽在牧场内的有组织抵抗势力


        奈多的土地上容不下黛丝娜信徒,但一代代黛丝娜信徒们仍前来这里,试图捍卫他们善良女神治下的黑夜,不至化作宗库松的领域。多年来,许多黛丝娜宗派都渗入了奈多西北部的牧区,但有一个被称为护梦使(Dreamtenders)的团体,他们在传教工作中所用到的工具与手段,和大多数信奉低语之歌的同事相比,可谓大相径庭。
        在能否彻底推翻奈多的幽暗政权的问题上,护梦使不抱有任何幻想。尽管阴暗朝廷和宗库松就和切利亚斯的魔鬼一样公然把持着朝政,但他们对这片国土的掌控可能要比邻国与地狱的合同更加牢不可破。在奈多境内的武装起义无疑会被宗库松的幽暗仆从们碾碎——碎片大小取决于叛乱的严重程度——而尽管有传言道一些黛丝娜的特工们正在潜入阴暗朝廷,千万年的历史早就证明,在暗无天日的苍穹下,这种颠复政权的努力结不出什么好果子。相反,护梦使们把工作重心转到了归属他们女神掌管的晚夜和梦境上。
        护梦使们是一群神秘学(occult and mystical)学者,他们欢迎那些试图躲避酷烈主子的奈多裔逃亡者。黛丝娜信徒们向这些弃民们提供居所和庇护,而护梦使们还擅长通过心灵咨询、魔法、或其他更加神秘的手段,来帮助曾受奈多折磨的受害者们克服各类创伤。这些手段包括各类仪式,它们不仅是治愈伤者的良药,更是护梦使在这片阴暗国度中赖以生存的武器。 黛丝娜的学者们在漫长岁月中走遍世界各个角落才找到了这些仪式,它们能将受术者的惨痛记忆和梦魇从心灵中提取出来,显化出物理形态。这些半实体的梦境生物中大部分都不受控制,必须被彻底摧毁,但其中一些可控性强的品种则成为了护梦使们的武器,被派去寻找和袭击该份苦痛的始作俑者。梦境怪兽们极难被追踪;探寻它们来源的预言法术所找到的记忆线索,通常只会指向正与怪物搏斗的奈多特工本人,这使得它们成为了一种有效而恼人的武器。
        晚夜平原是一处规模不大但经营良好的养马场,它距离最近的村落有一定的路程,是护梦使的行动基地。远离文明社会让护梦使可以把新客人带入牧场,而不必担心引起过多注意,而饲马既能给予黛丝娜信徒们明面上的合法身份,又能在执行某些开销巨大的任务时提供资金来源。他们和周边的乡间近邻们维持着友好关系,但仍会严密保守自己的叛乱行为。虽然自古以来阿特伦的居民就默许黛丝娜信徒进入自己的社群,但面对奈多当局的时候,他们也同样愿意供出这些外来客。
        大多数护梦者是通灵者,催眠师,异能者和唤魂师(请见PFRPG:异能冒险第一章)。他们的首领是星触者艾特莉西亚,一位拥有着天界血脉,而曾在童年时期遭受阴影朝廷迫害的奈多裔逃亡者。虽然她已经通过治疗他人的行为痊愈了自己的精神创伤,但她仍然背负着被宗库松牧师刻下的肉体伤痕,他们当年曾想让她在缓慢而痛苦的死亡中受尽非人的折磨。她拒绝谈及自己如何从对方的魔爪中逃出,但哪怕只听闻这段不完整的经历,就足以让人明白为何她会全力投身到护梦者的工作当中。
        晚夜平原会雇佣员工来负责牧场的运作。这些马夫由艾特莉西亚亲手挑选;他们一部分是曾接受过护梦者的援助,决心前来作出回报,一部分是并不信奉黛丝娜,但也无法继续在这邪恶国度中过活的逃亡者,而其余的则是单纯手艺熟练而又值得信任的工人。艾特莉西亚愿意对任何需要帮助的人伸出援手,只要他们不是双面间谍。他们会定期前往欧若罗码头,在售卖良马的同时掩护逃亡者们离开奈多。
        护梦者们有着一项次要任务,他们对此更加守口如瓶:自成立以来,他们就一直寻找着夜冀竖琴(见39页),一件黛丝娜信仰的圣器,据说拥有能将听到其乐声之人从宗库松的阴影魔爪中解放的力量。尽管这项搜索最初源自一位护梦者听说了关于神器的传闻,并推测它可能为组织工作提供助力,但艾特莉西亚最近收到了一些风声,称阴影朝廷中一位成员已经独自承担了神器的搜索工作(这是真事;见第六页关于帕格莱斯的维尼翰的介绍)。这意味着神器的力量强到能引发如此高级别的关注,让护梦者的搜索工作变得迫在眉睫,他们一直留心关注着有没有可靠的特工能帮忙寻找圣器。黛丝娜信徒们的预言法术给出了一些关于竖琴所在地的线索,但寻找和回收圣器的旅程注定无比凶险。
剧透 -  原文:
PLAINS OF NIGHT Stronghold of Desnan Occultists Location Atteran Ranches Master Etrixia Star-Touched (CG female aasimar cleric of Desna 6/psychicOA 8) Inhabitants Desnan occultists, Nidalese refugees Features dream magic, occult rituals, successful ranch obscuring organized resistance
The plains of Nidal are no place for Desnans, and yet for generations Desnans have come here, fighting to defend the night as the realm of their virtuous goddess rather than the domain of Zon-Kuthon. Though various sects have slipped into Nidal’s northwestern reaches over the years, those known as the Dreamtenders approach their work with methods and tools far removed from those of most followers of the Whispered Song.
The Dreamtenders harbor no illusions about the effectiveness of an outright rebellion against Nidal’s shadowy rulership. Though the Umbral Court and ZonKuthon’s hand are just as overt as devils’ grasp on Cheliax, their grip over the land is perhaps even stronger than their neighbors’ contracts with Hell. Armed rebels in Nidal would be utterly crushed by Zon-Kuthon’s shadowy servitors—depending on the perceived severity of the insurrection—and though whispers speak of Desnan agents infiltrating the Umbral Court, millennia of history prove that subversive efforts bear little fruit under the sunless sky. Instead, the Dreamtenders focus their efforts on the night and the dreams that fall under the purview of their goddess.
Scholars of the occult and mystical, Dreamtenders welcome Nidalese refugees who seek to escape the land’s cruel masters. The Desnans offer these pariahs of the state shelter and safety, and the Dreamtenders are well versed in helping victims of Nidal’s torments overcome the trauma of their abuse, whether through counseling, magic, or more esoteric means. These methods consist of rituals that are not only a salve to those Nidal has wounded but also a weapon the Dreamtenders bring to bear against the shadowy realm. Discovered in far corners of the world by traveling Desnan scholars over the ages, the rituals pull the victims’ traumatic memories and nightmares out from the psyche to manifest in physical form. Many of these quasi-real dream creatures are unmanageable and must be destroyed, but some of the more pliable specimens become the Dreamtenders’ weapons and can be sent to find and assail the root of the afflictions that caused them in the first place. The dream-beasts are difficult to trace; divinations seeking their origin find that such psychic threads typically lead back to the Nidalese agent who finds himself fighting them off, making them an effectively anonymous weapon.
The Plains of Night, a modest but successful horse ranch some distance from the nearest village, serves as the base of operations for the Dreamtenders’ efforts. The distance from civilization allows the Dreamtenders to bring new guests to the ranch without drawing overmuch attention, and the horses raised here help the Desnans claim a legitimate identity in the region and finance some of their more expensive operations. They maintain amenable relations with their rural neighbors but remain careful to keep their rebellious activities under close guard. For all that the Atteran residents have allowed Desnans into their communities in the past, they have been equally willing to purge those same outsiders when challenged by the Nidalese authorities.
Most of the Dreamtenders are mediums, mesmerists, psychics, and spiritualists (see Chapter 1 of Pathfinder RPG Occult Adventures). They are led by Etrixia Star-Touched, a Nidalese refugee persecuted since early childhood by agents of the Umbral Court due to her celestial blood. While she has healed her spiritual scars through the practice of healing others, she still bears the physical scars inflicted by the clerics of Zon-Kuthon, who meant to torture her to a slow and agonizing death. She refuses to speak of how she escaped their clutches, but those who hear even this much of the tale realize the dedication it has inspired in her for her work with the Dreamtenders.
The Plains of Night employs staff to handle the ranch’s operations. These hostlers are handpicked by Etrixia; a few are those the Dreamtenders have helped who then decided to repay the service, some are non-Desnan refugees who can no longer face life in this evil nation, while others are simply experienced hands who have been found trustworthy. Etrixia loathes turning away any who might need her help, so long as they’re not double agents, and the hands’ periodic journeys to Orolo’s Quay to sell the ranch’s quality steeds double as cover for the refugees escaping Nidal.
The Dreamtenders have a secondary mission that they keep an even closer secret: since their formation, they have been seeking the Harp of Night’s Hope (see page 39), a Desnan relic said to have the power to free those who hear its song from the grasp of Zon-Kuthon’s shadows. Though the search began when a Dreamtender heard tales of the artifact and suggested it might aid in their work, Etrixia has recently caught wind of a rumor that a member of the Umbral Court has personally undertaken the search for the artifact (this is true; see page 6 for more information about Virihane of Pangolais). The implication that its power is great enough to merit such high-level attention has given their search more urgency, and the Dreamtenders keep a careful watch for trustworthy agents who can assist in finding the relic. The Desnans’ divinations have given them several clues as to the harp’s location, but the journey to find and procure the relic is certain to be treacherous indeed.



影穴 Shadow Caverns
奴隶们前往幽暗之地的入口

地点 乌斯克森林,帕格莱斯附近
掌控者 维切洛斯 Visceroth(守序邪恶老年雄性影龙 B2
住民 幽暗生物(dark folk),幽暗之魂(owbs B4),地下怪物,战蜥人(troglodyte)
特点 幽暗之地的入口,龙之军势,奴隶贸易


        大约在400年前永恒战争时期,这些位于乌斯克森林中,帕格莱斯西南方的阴暗洞穴首次被发现,第一批进入洞穴深处的是一队倒霉的切利亚斯军团,而如今此地早已不仅仅是他们的埋骨地。在影碎时期(见48页),试图搞清这批失踪部队下落的探险家们发现,这座之前未被探索洞穴的深度超乎所有人的想象,它深入地表之下,直通幽暗之地最上层的那-沃斯(Nar-voth)。在与一处名为劳路斯(Rauhols)的定居点内的幽暗生物们达成了友好和平条约后,这些洞穴便充当起奈多与幽暗之地间,近乎最划算最活跃的奴隶贸易商路,直至今日。
        影穴的洞口是一条不起眼的石缝,必须趟过一处冰冷的天然泉水才能到达此地——这种经历被很多奈多裔奴隶视为向自家神祇表示虔诚的恰当表现。前几个洞室显得平平无奇,一些流动的蜥蜴人团伙为洞穴之主看守着这里,他们负责赶走那些因意外或好奇心而造访此地的家伙。那些被允许进入洞穴更深处的人会看到当年切利亚斯失踪军团士兵们的遗骸,以及许多粗制铁笼,里面关押着被镣铐岛海贼们俘获并带至奈多的各种类人生物,这些倒霉蛋最终会被卖给劳路斯的幽暗生物居民。监管着影穴日常交易的是影龙维切洛斯,一位午夜领主的忠诚信徒,他既守卫着洞穴,又确保奴隶们的售价能给奈多商人们提供足够的利润。
        劳路斯虽然只是个小村,但却极其繁荣。作为一处通往那-沃斯的交通门户,它在格拉利昂地表的入口相对而言比较好找。劳路斯和小村下方,位于幽暗之地中层塞卡米纳(Sekamina)的斯沃斯匹姆城(Sversqpume),在奴役贸易上有着激烈的竞争关系。劳路斯闭塞的幽暗生物居民们时刻保护着自己的家园,任何想通过此地的旅行者——无论是想前往地表还是想从上方进入幽暗之地——要么得支付昂贵的过路费,要么得向村民证明自己是奴隶主们的宝贵财产。
        劳路斯经常被一位或多位神秘的幽暗之魂所光顾(它们掌控着幽暗生物的命运)——由于幽暗之魂缺乏可分辨的体征,又浑身笼罩着黑暗,当地人几乎不可能分辨每次造访的恩主和之前是否同一位。无论如何,它们的造访又为当地居民打开了另一条独一无二的生财之道。在地表,帕格莱斯有着可观的卡利尼定居人口,他们会毫不犹豫地购买卡利尼婴儿作为自己的后人,而不会过问这些婴儿到底是被自愿献出的还是被偷来的。而奈多全域中,再没有比影穴更合适的地方来寻求此类交易了。尽管这种买卖可能会让大多数外来者目瞪口呆,但交易的当事人们对此都非常满意:卡利尼获得了家人,幽影子民们避免了让这些离群子嗣们在家乡引发令人厌恶的矛盾冲突,而奴隶贩子则赚到了可观的利润。
剧透 -  原文:
SHADOW CAVERNS Slavers’ Entrance to the Darklands Location Uskwood near Pangolais Master Visceroth (LE old male umbral dragonB2) Inhabitants dark folk, owbsB4, subterranean monsters, troglodytes Features Darklands entrance, dragon’s hoard, slave trade
First discovered during the Everwar some 4 centuries ago, these caverns in the Uskwood’s shadows southwest of Pangolais have become far more than the tomb of the unfortunate Chelish legionnaires who first found their way into the caverns’ depths. Explorers during the Shadowbreak (see page 48), intent on learning what had become of the lost troops, found that the previously unexplored caverns delved far deeper into the earth than anyone would have expected, eventually opening into the Darklands layer of Nar-Voth. Once peaceful contact and amicable relations were established with the dark folk of the settlement called Rauhlos, the caverns took on their present-day role as perhaps the most profitable and active slave-trade route between Nidal and the Darklands.
The caverns’ mouth is an unassuming crack in the stone, accessible only by wading through an ice-cold natural spring—an experience that many Nidalese slavers consider a suitable display of devotion to their deity. The first few caves appear ordinary enough, and the roving bands of troglodytes working in service to the caverns’ master are sufficient to drive away those who happen here by chance or curiosity. Those permitted access deeper into the caverns find the remnants of that lost legion of Chelish soldiers, alongside rough iron cages holding all manner of captive humanoids brought to Nidal by pirates from the Shackles. These unfortunates are ultimately sold off to the Rauhlosian dark folk in regular exchanges overseen by the umbral dragon Visceroth, a devotee of the Midnight Lord who both guards the caverns and ensures that the slaves are sold at rates that garner sufficient profit for the Nidalese traders.
Rauhlos, though a relatively small village, is tremendously prosperous. As a gateway into Nar-Voth with relatively easy access from the surface of Golarion, it maintains a fierce rivalry in the slave trade with the Sekamina city of Sverspume located beneath it. The insular dark folk inhabitants of Rauhlos are protective of their holdings, and any travelers looking to pass through the settlement—whether to gain access to the surface or to reach the Darklands from above—must either prove themselves a valuable asset to the residents or purchase passage at exorbitant rates.
Rauhlos is frequented by one or more of the mysterious owbs that control the fate of the dark folk— the owbs’ lack of distinguishing features and its shrouds of darkness make it nearly impossible to tell whether it is the same benefactor who visits each time or if they are different creatures. Regardless, their visitations grant the settlement yet another unique means of generating income for its denizens. Aboveground, Pangolais holds a sizable population of caligni residents who without hesitation would buy a caligni infant to raise as their own, without regard for whether the infant was freely given or stolen. Nowhere else in Nidal is this exchange carried out with such deliberate frequency as the Shadow Caverns. While such an arrangement would leave most outsiders aghast, it appears to work perfectly well for those directly involved in the exchanges: the caligni gain families, the dark folk avoid any unpleasant confrontations with estranged offspring stirring up trouble in their homeland, and the slave brokers make a tidy profit.



影舍总部 Shadowreach
废弃后又被重新发现的暗影大师的老巢

地点 乌斯克森林南部
掌控者 瓦尔尼卡·希宛塞恩 Valnica Sivanshin(中立邪恶女性吸血裔B2 4级术士)
住民 肉食性植物,吸血裔 B2,影兽和阴影蕨(请见60页和62页)
特点 关于一位已死恶魔领主(demon lord)的文献,一个古代文明的记录,被阴影束缚的秘密


        那些在乌斯克森林中旅行的人都知道,一定要当心外表过于安全和美好的地方,因为这种场所出现在奈多简直是奢望。在一处古代红橡木林的深处,就有这样的一座乡村小屋。从外表看,它像是一处风景宜人的林间隐舍,有着高耸的石烟囱、牢固的木墙和百叶窗。然而烟囱中没有飘出炊烟,而藤蔓也在一年年攀上建筑的墙体。更让当地人和警惕的旅行者避而远之的是弥漫在此地的阴影瘴气,以及匍匐在屋舍周围昏暗灌木丛中的可怕影兽守卫。
        虽然当地人都远离这座屋舍,声称它被宗库松的侍从所庇护,但很少人能猜出此地的真正本质。在一个世纪以前,一位名为伊尔尼瑞克·希宛塞恩(Ilnerik Sivanshin)的半精灵探索者协会专员曾经带着一尊古代神器逃出了西冠镇(Westcrown),这尊神器与威瑞阿瓦苏斯(Vyraivaxus),掌管阴影的恶魔领主相关。虽然该恶魔领主神祇早已逝去,但它的力量残留在了神器之上,吸干了专员的生命力。这位半精灵在死后复生为一只吸血鬼,他在乌斯克森林的林荫中找到了一处庇护地,并在此建下了安全屋,以方便研究带给他如此伟力的神器。他把这里取名为影舍总部,一半是为了嘲弄探索者协会在艾巴萨罗姆的总部要塞,另一半则描绘出伊尔尼瑞克的终极目标,他希望把这座小屋从单纯的住所,发展为由当地被阴影玷污的新士兵和希宛塞恩的吸血鬼奴隶组成的小型老练雇佣兵团的总部。
        伊尔尼瑞克对改变他命运的神器所具有的幽影之力的研究成果累累,尽管他本人和手下的雇佣兵在大半个世纪前离开此地,回到了他的故乡西冠镇,但在苦心经营多年之后,他仍然在影舍总部留下了许多奥秘。在小屋引人注目的图书馆中,一部分丛书记载着海量关于铸造了伊尔尼瑞克手中幽暗神器的失落文明杰特利安(Jaytirian)的知识,而另一些书籍则无比精确地记录了一系列亵渎仪式的流程与功效,它们之前被世人认为早已随着威瑞阿瓦苏斯逝去而遗失。但其中最危险的,当属希宛塞恩收集的各种能操纵奈多幽影造物的秘密知识与宝物,这包括曾在西冠镇街头横行无忌的影兽。
        虽然伊尔尼瑞克离开了影舍总部,他并没让此地毫不设防;他的幽影生物(shadow creature B4),黯翼(gloomwing B2),暗影蕨(见62页)和更多更怪诞的阴影守卫们守卫着屋舍的里里外外。尽管它们中大多数仍遵循着失踪主人留下的最后命令,那些接受早期影缚(shadowbinding)实验的受术体的行为则更加叵测。希宛塞恩认为,能获得这些生物提供的额外守备力量,偶尔少一两个雇佣兵也是可以接受的。
        这座屋舍虽然外表看上去平平无奇,但内部结构却错综复杂。每个厅堂和房间里都布满了伊尔尼瑞克的幻术,包括出入口数目永远在变化的过道,以及由阴影构成,能让人在环路中永恒徘徊的无尽长廊。奥术和机械陷阱也同样等待着粗心的入侵者,而存放有最贵重知识的区域还复有超自然的黑暗,让这些陷阱变得更加致命。这座屋舍毫无疑问要比普通的乡村小屋要大得多:在其基层之下,是庞大的地下楼层;而屋舍另一些部分则处在类似于由魔绳术所创造的异位面空间中。
        最近,这座屋舍有了一位新的女主人。她是伊尔尼瑞克的吸血裔女儿,瓦尔尼卡·希宛塞恩,其父亲的遗赠流淌在她体内的术士阴影血统之中。这位优雅而残暴的吸血裔最近结束她在午夜卫队的短暂兵役回到了这里,并在几位性格相投的吸血裔朋友的帮助下,试图掌握影舍总部中秘传的学识。至今为止,不少旅行者和村民的失踪都归功于瓦尔尼卡的追捕和实验,这让乌斯克森林的危险程度进一步提升。不过,此地分散的人口使得“猎物”资源并不充裕,而瓦尔尼卡现身的消息定然能很快传入阴影朝廷的耳中。
剧透 -  译者注:
关于伊尔尼瑞克·希宛塞恩在西冠镇的详情,请见PF冒险之路盗贼议会系列的第三、第四册。此处译名参照了果园中solomon翻译的第三册内容
剧透 -  原文:
SHADOWREACH Abandoned and Rediscovered Shadowmaster’s Lair Location southern Uskwood Master Valnica Sivanshin (NE female dhampirB2 sorcerer 4) Inhabitants carnivorous plants, dhampirsB2, shadow animals and shadow ferns (see pages 60 and 62) Features archive of a dead demon lord, records of an ancient culture, shadowbinding secrets
Those who travel the Uskwood know to beware sites that appear overly wholesome, as such locales in Nidal are almost always too good to be true. Such is the case with this rustic lodge tucked into a thick stand of ancient red oaks. From the exterior, it resembles an idyllic woodland retreat adorned with a tall stone chimney, stout log walls, and shuttered windows. But no smoke rises from the chimney, and climbing vines cover more of the structure’s exterior every year. Further driving locals and wary travelers away are the crawling, miasmatic shadows drifting through the area and the fearsome shadow beast guardians that prowl the dusky undergrowth around the dwelling.
For all that the locals avoid the lodge, claiming it is protected by Zon-Kuthon’s servitors, few would guess the site’s true nature. Over a century ago, a half-elf Pathfinder Society agent named Ilnerik Sivanshin fled Westcrown carrying an ancient artifact dedicated to Vyriavaxus, demon lord of shadow. Though the icon’s demon lord patron was long deceased, its power remained, and it siphoned away the agent’s life force. After his death, the half-elf arose as a vampire, seeking the shelter of the Uskwood’s gloom and building a haven in which he could study the artifact that had given him such power. Christened Shadowreach, part in bitter mockery of the Pathfinder Society’s Absalom stronghold and part describing Ilnerik’s ultimate goals, the lodge grew from a solitary abode to the headquarters for a small but talented mercenary crew of local shadowtouched recruits and Sivanshin’s vampiric thralls.
Ilnerik’s research into the shadowy powers granted by the artifact that shaped his fate was fruitful, and though Ilnerik and his mercenaries departed half a century ago to return to his home in Westcrown, Shadowreach still holds many of the secrets into which he delved during his years here. One section of the lodge’s remarkable library houses expansive lore about the lost Jaytirian culture that forged Ilnerik’s shadowy artifact, while another catalogs with startling accuracy a host of profane rituals and boons long thought lost with Vyriavaxus’s demise. Most dangerous of all, however, are those secrets and treasures Sivanshin collected to gain control over Nidal’s shadowy creations, not least of which are the shadow beasts that famously plagued the streets of Westcrown.
Though Ilnerik left Shadowreach, he did not leave it undefended; his shadow creatures, gloomwings, shadow ferns (see page 62), and far stranger shadow guardians defend the lodge both within and without. While many of these still follow the last commands given them by their absent master, subjects of earlier experiments in shadowbinding are less predictable. Sivanshin considered the occasional loss of one of his mercenaries a fair price for the additional security these creatures provided.
The lodge, though seemingly simple enough from the outside, is a confounding maze within. Ilnerik’s illusions lie heavy over every hall and room, from the entryway with an ever-shifting number of exits to unending corridors of shadowstuff that lead victims to wander in infinite loops. Arcane and mechanical traps alike await unwary intruders, all the more deadly in areas cloaked in preternatural darkness, where the most valuable lore lies. Unquestionably larger than the simple cottage containing it, the lodge extends down into an expansive sublevel carved into the earth and stone beneath its foundation; other portions, though, are more akin to extradimensional spaces not unlike those created by a simple rope trick spell.
Recently, a new mistress arrived at the house. She is Ilnerik’s dhampir daughter, Valnica Sivanshin, who carries her father’s legacy in her sorcerer’s shadow bloodline. The elegantly cruel dhampir has recently returned from a brief stint with the Midnight Guard and seeks to master the eldritch lore of Shadowreach with the help of some like-minded dhampir friends. So far the disappearances of those travelers and villagers due to Valnica’s predations and experimentations have been attributed to the typical dangers of the Uskwood, but there are only so many sources of prey in the sparsely populated region, and word of Valnica’s presence here is sure to reach the Umbral Court soon.



影斜塔 Tower of Slant Shadows
挂满鲜活肉体布帘的铁塔

地点 奈多西南部平原
掌控者 修女拉维尔 Mother Ravel(守序邪恶女性人类14级炼金术师apg【活体解剖师UM】/7阶诡术大师;PFRPG神话冒险 44页)
住民 洛瓦古格的秘教徒,魔孽(demodand B3), 血肉魔像,撕皮魔(shredskin B4),skincrawler B6,缝皮傀儡(skinstitch B4
特点 混合信仰,贯穿毁天巨兽牢笼的星塔,鲜活血肉织成的布帘


        在奈多西南部平原棕褐色的草场上,伫立着坚固无比的影斜塔,它就像一根大铁刺,从云端直插入大地。关于这座高塔有着许多传闻,例如有研究称其地底深度还要比地表高度多100尺以上;或是有人断言高塔是刺入宗库松血肉中的一根铁钉,是从其神域中显化到格拉利昂之上的。很少有学者意识到,斜影之塔与散落在格拉利昂各地的另一些高塔是出自同一系列的建筑,而更少人知道,正是宗库松的前身铎-布拉尔(Dou-Bral)雕刻出了这些高塔,以作为被关押在行星内部的邪神洛瓦古格之监牢的一部分。
        许多故事中提到了高塔的主祭,修女拉维尔。在故事里,她自远古时代就已守卫着此地,且会让胆敢踏足高塔之人在无尽折磨中死去,而大多数这些故事依然与事实相去甚远。大多数人都称修女拉维尔为血肉织工,她花费了千万年,把各种生物编织成了由剥落的血肉交织而成,带有部分知觉的血肉活挂帘,并将其挂满了自己高塔的内部。化身挂毯的大部分生物仍保有大部分生前的记忆,包括历史事件的第一手记录,或是在当代早已失落的奥术知识。有些布帘上的生物还穿戴或携带着他们当年落入修女拉维尔之手时带上的财宝:最常见的物件有戒指、护腕和项链,不过某些武器和奇物已经从活体织物上滑落。那些血肉织工不想挂上布帘的财宝则被简单地扔开,落入近乎无穷深渊的塔底,在那里成堆地等待腐朽崩坏——而其中肯定有不少珍贵的财宝。
        修女拉维尔偶尔会欢迎那些能对她表示足够尊敬和献上够格供奉的造访者,此类“供奉”通常是能增添到其织物上的奇特新种生物,不过有时她也会让客人们进入塔中上下攀爬,以欣赏他们屈服于活挂毯的饿爪的全过程。这类客人会发现自己正攀爬着活动的血肉长绳,周围则满是由活体生物编织而成的帘带。从四周皮肉中延伸出的无面之嘴会用空洞而气绝的低语声祈求外来者结束其受难;其指骨会试图将攀爬者的手从绳网上撬开;而其四肢则会不停地踢挠攀爬者,试图将其拉入这怪诞的活布帘中。在这过程中,修女拉维尔会让血肉织物给予挑战者某种协助,比如点出某具知晓特定趣闻的灵魂合并体,或是让一大群手掌从昏暗中现身,在这片起伏的血肉之海中指出一条延绵数百码的生路。特别大胆的冒险者们可能会试图拯救被卷进挂帘的盟友或同伴,但他们必须把自己的战友从一大串不停流血和尖啸的血肉绞索中切除出来(并准备好面对修女拉维尔的盛怒)。
        洛瓦古格的教徒们总是对拆除星塔怀有几分兴趣,因为这么做能削弱囚禁他们神祇的牢笼。影斜塔也一直面对着这类教徒的定期监视和不定期的袭击。这些教徒在草原南部一处植被茂密的峡谷中建立了一个小型的非法据点。他们偶尔也得抵御来自黛丝娜斗士们的袭击,后者希望能从切利亚斯和奈多的夹缝中求得一席之地。然而最近,这两个团体都面临着第三方的袭击——由蓬毛和墨油魔孽(shaggy and tarry demodands,B3 69,71)组成的战团也盯上了影斜塔。这些可憎生物遵从着一位暴亡泰坦(thanatotic titan,B2 267)的号令,它本人则被封印在一处靠近深渊(Abyss)的位面监狱之中。魔孽们并不想摧毁高塔,而是希望能将其伟力为己所用,把他们的泰坦主子主带入物质位面。它们的企图激怒了洛瓦古格的教徒,后者认为魔孽们想要肆意鼓弄封印自己神祇监牢的其中一把钥匙;与此同时,该地区的黛丝娜信徒们也因魔孽的举措而开始行动起来,他们要阻止如此毁灭性的邪恶之力被带入物质位面。
        虽然正常情况下,这两尊神祇的信徒们永不会自愿合作,但在面对魔孽时,他们发现双方可谓吴越同舟,而一小部分混乱中立的成员甚至形成了某种将两派神学体系桥接在一起的离奇哲学思想。这种怪异混合思想的信众们在两边信仰的阵营中都不受待见,他们在高塔落下的阴影中建立了自己的公社,作为抵御魔孽袭击的最后防线——不算入修女拉维尔的话。高塔的守卫者至今仍未对塔外各大势力的纷扰采取任何行动,不过无论哪一方成为乱斗的赢家,在实施各自对高塔的计划前,都得先面对拉维尔的怒火。
剧透 -  原文:
TOWER OF SLANT SHADOWS Iron Tower of Living Flesh Tapestries Location southwestern plains of Nidal Master Mother Ravel (LE female human alchemistAPG [vivisectionistUM] 14/trickster 7; Pathfinder RPG Mythic Adventures 44) Inhabitants cultists of Rovagug, demodandsB3, flesh golems, shredskinsB4, skincrawlersB6, skinstitchesB4 Features hybridized religions, Star Tower piercing the prison of the Rough Beast, tapestries of living flesh
In the umber grasslands in Nidal’s southwestern plains, the rugged Tower of Slant Shadows stands like a massive iron spike cast from the heavens into the ground. Tales about the tower abound, from the simple theories that the structure extends far deeper into the earth than the hundred or so feet it rises into the sky to the assertion that the tower is one of the iron needles that pierces Zon-Kuthon’s flesh, manifested in his realm on Golarion. Rare is the scholar who realizes that the Tower of Slant Shadows is one of a series of similar structures found across Golarion, and rarer still is one who knows the origin and true purpose of these Star Towers hewn by Zon-Kuthon’s former incarnation Dou-Bral as part of the prison holding the evil god Rovagug captive within the planet.
Tales tell of the torturous deaths that the tower’s curate, Mother Ravel, inflicts upon those who dare trespass upon the tower she has guarded since time untold, and most of these tales still fall short of reality. A weaver in flesh, as they call her, Mother Ravel has spent millennia braiding all manner of creatures into vast, living tapestries of semisentient flayed flesh stitched together to span the interior of her tower. Many of these creatures retain no small portion of the memories they knew in life, whether firsthand accounts of historical happenings or arcane lore long lost among the living world. Others retain the treasures they carried or wore when they fell into Mother Ravel’s clutches; rings, bracelets, and necklaces are the most common of these trinkets, though some weapons and wondrous items peek out from the weave. What equipment the fleshweaver chooses not to incorporate into her tapestries is simply cast aside, left to molder in a heap at the bottom of the tower’s seemingly infinite depths—among which there are certainly no small number of valuable treasures.
Mother Ravel occasionally welcomes visitors who offer her sufficient deference and offerings, typically strange new creatures to incorporate into her weavings, though sometimes she allows guests into her tower for the sheer sport of watching them succumb to the hungry claws of the tapestries. Such guests find themselves clambering along the animate stretches of flesh, beset by animate ribbons of the creatures from which the weavings were made. A mouth set within a faceless stretch of skin implores outsiders to end its torment in hollow, breathless whispers; fingers pry a climber’s hands loose from the web; and limbs scratch and kick at creatures trying to creep along the grotesque tapestry. In the event that Mother Ravel demands the flesh weavings’ cooperation, perhaps to identify an incorporated soul that holds some tidbit of information, an eerie congregation of hands rises in the gloom to point the way across hundreds of yards of this lumpy flesh sea. Particularly bold adventurers may seek to rescue a companion or an ally woven into the tapestry but find they must slice their comrade out from the bleeding, screaming tangle of flesh strands (in addition to facing Mother Ravel’s wrath).
Cultists of Rovagug have always maintained some level of interest in dismantling the Star Towers, as they ever seek to weaken the bars of the prison around their god. The Tower of Slant Shadows faces fairly regular surveillance and the occasional attack by such cultists, who maintain a small, unruly outpost in an overgrown gulch in the grasslands to the south. These cultists find themselves occasionally fighting off attacks by Desnan fighters seeking to carve out a niche against both Cheliax and Nidal here. Recently, though, both groups have come under attack by a third party: a war party of shaggy and tarry demodands (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 3 69, 71) with its sights set on the tower. These hateful creatures plot at the behest of a thanatotic titan (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 267), itself sealed away in a planar prison adjacent to the Abyss. Rather than destroy the tower, these demodands seek to channel its power into their own efforts to bring their titan master to the Material Plane. This plot has enraged the cultists of Rovagug, who see it as tampering with one of the keys to their deity’s prison, but it has also galvanized the efforts of the Desnans in the region to prevent the introduction of such a destructive force of evil.
Though normally followers of these two deities would never willingly cooperate, they find themselves strange bedfellows in opposing the demodands, and a few chaotic neutral individuals have formed a bizarre philosophy bridging the two divine portfolios. Not welcome in the camps of either of their patrons, the followers of this strange and  hybrid faith have formed their own commune nearly in the tower’s strangely angled shadow, serving as the last line of defense against the demodands’ attacks—other than the caretaker Mother Ravel herself, of course. The tower’s keeper has so far refrained from taking action against any of the various factions struggling over her tower, though whichever group found itself the victor of this conflict would surely face her ire before it could enact its plans upon the tower.



谷下驿站 Undervale
被幻术掩蔽的玲花驿站

地点 阴影谷地
掌控者 兰德里·特瑟提恩 Landry Tethertine(混乱善良男性半身人6级吟游诗人)
住民 侏儒,半身人,过往商人
特点 构装体,遍布阿维斯坦的自由斗士,幻术


        很少人愿意前往阴影谷地。哪怕奈多本地人也尽量避开这里,这里的超自然幽影雾气,和隐藏其中的捕猎者,都足够让人敬而远之。崎岖不平的地貌容易让坐骑崴脚算是是这里最寻常的危险,而传言中此地还有着更多险恶的存在:坚不可摧的碎片人(Splinter Men),成群结队的阴影巨人,以及能扭曲现实的黑雾风暴。
        但还是有人克服恐惧走进这片不祥之地。此类勇士中最有名的乃是往返于摩尔苏恩和瑞德旺之间的半定期商队,赚钱是他们铤而走险的源动力,而商队也会聘请精锐的雇佣兵全程守护他们的旅程。不那么为人所知的则是玲花会(Bellflower Network)的半身人,凭借山间迷雾,以及附近穿越麦纳多山脉的通路,他们带领着来自奈多和切利亚斯的被解放的奴隶潜入摩尔苏恩,再从那前往内海地区和其他地区中更为好客的国家,获得完全的自由。
        居住在谷下驿站的半身人们十分精明狡猾,他们利用阴影谷地中广为人知的各类危险,为其在该地区的行动提供掩护。几乎每个走入该地区的旅行者都会在看到雾气中显露出幽暗的身形后选择转身逃跑,因此至今还没人发现,徘徊在山麓处这一小片空谷的的生物只是身披幻术幽影的黄铜骨架,而远方传来的刺耳嚎叫声也只是来自吟游诗人或法师的小小戏法。玲花特工们带领着一群又一群向往自由的前奴隶,他们知晓哪些身影和声响是来自谷下驿站的同伴,以免在路上毫无防备地遇到真正的敌人。
        这个定居点是一处与周边环境格格不入的惊人社区,它建造在谷地的翻腾幽影之中,有一半是处于地表之下。在小心隐藏好的墙体后面,旅行者会发现自己进入了一个明亮而充满喜悦的社区,每一个壁炉中都燃着温暖的火光,每一个人都哼唱着轻快的歌谣,每一份空气中都飘扬着佳肴的香气。
和奈多其他地方相比,谷下驿站的氛围可谓截然不同,它更加充满欢欣,更有活力。其内居民大部分是是半身人,不过也有一部分侏儒留在这里,寻求时刻面对传奇般危险的刺激生活体验,并协助维护驿站周围各类幻术和魔像等防护措施。摩尔苏恩商队的雇佣兵偶尔也会在迷雾中“走失”几天,期间他们会为谷下驿站居民们补充生活所需,不过高个子的造访者可能会在驿站中不太舒服,必须得曲身适应小体形尺寸的住所。半身人兰德里·特瑟提恩管理着谷下驿站,他负责审查潜在的住民,并监控着玲花会的各类行动和各处构装体和幻术的防御措施。
        尽管谷下驿站的专家们成功在内海地区中危险系数最高的区域开辟出自己的据点,但从切利亚斯和奈多前往膜苏恩的这条路径可不是胆小鬼能走的。从切利亚斯通向麦纳多山脉的山路危险而崎岖,远离文明社会;而山路出口的阴影谷地边陲又离宗库松信徒掌管的瑞德旺只有一步之遥。虽然奈多和切利亚斯当局都不太可能去追捕一批逃入谷地的奴隶——他们深信一小群贱民根本无法从这里的骇人危险中幸存——但如果说派一支地狱骑士小分队在麦纳多南侧山口处巡逻,在逃奴进入山道之前就抓住他们,那就相对合情合理了。谷下驿站的猎手们会尽力把路途上更危险的敌人清理干净,但阴影谷地可谓危机四伏,其间许多危险很难完全拔除。无论如何,这些半身人的勇气和韧性都令人敬佩,而阴影迷雾下潜藏的自由希望鼓舞着玲花会的特工们,他们会定期使用这条密道带领着他人走向自由。
兰德里·特瑟提恩

剧透 -   :
UNDERVALE Illusion-Cloaked Bellflower Waystation Location Umbral Basin Master Landry Tethertine (CG male halfling bard 6) Inhabitants gnomes, halflings, passing merchants Features constructs, freedom-fighting plots spanning Avistan, illusions
Few souls travel the Umbral Basin willingly. Even Nidalese locals avoid the place, warned away by the unnatural shadow mists and the many predators hiding and hunting within. The most mundane of the dangers is that of laming a steed on the rocky, uneven surface underfoot, and tales abound of far more sinister forces: the indestructible Splinter Men, leagues of shadow giants, and reality-warping storms of black fog.
But some do brave the terrors of this foreboding locale. The semiregular merchant caravans between Molthune and Ridwan are the best known of these hardy travelers, prompted by economic need and making the journey under the protection of elite mercenary guards. Less well known are the halflings of the Bellflower Network, who take advantage of the mist and the nearby pass through the Menador Mountains to shepherd freed slaves from both Nidal and Cheliax into Molthune and, once there, to freedom in the many welcoming nations of the Inner Sea region and beyond.
The halflings of the settlement of Undervale are a canny lot, leveraging the widely known perils of the Umbral Basin to provide cover for their own activities in the area. Nearly every traveler through the region would sooner flee than investigate a shadowy shape emerging from the mist, and so no one yet has discovered that the creatures stalking this particular hollow of the foothills have skeletons of brass cloaked in illusory shadows or that the eerie howls from the distance have no source other than a bard or wizard’s simplest cantrips. The Bellflower agents leading each group of freedom-seeking former slaves know which shapes and sounds are created by their Undervale kin, preventing them from being caught off guard when a true foe wanders across their path.
The settlement is a shockingly out-ofplace community, built half underground among the basin’s roiling shadows. Once within its carefully hidden walls, travelers find themselves welcomed into a bright, cheery community where fires burn on every hearth, songs carry from one person to the next, and the cozy scent of a hearty meal pervades the air.
The atmosphere of Undervale is vastly different, more cheerful, and more full of life than any place in Nidal proper. The vast majority of its residents are halflings, though a few gnomes remain in residence for the thrilling experience of living amid such legendary danger, helping to maintain the illusions and golems of all sorts that defend the waystation. Molthuni caravan mercenaries are occasionally “lost” in the mists for a few days while they convey supplies to the Undervale residents, though any taller visitors among them find themselves at a disadvantage in the settlement, forced to crouch and adapt to the half-sized accommodations. The halfling Landry Tethertine manages Undervale, vetting potential residents and overseeing both the Bellflower operations and the construct and illusion defenses.
For all that Undervale’s experts have achieved in carving out their way station in one of the most hostile environs in this part of the Inner Sea region, the journey from Cheliax and Nidal to Molthune via this route is not for the faint of heart. The pass through the Menador Mountains from Cheliax is a difficult and dangerous passage, far from any bastions of civilization, and the mountains open into the edge of the Umbral Basin perilously close to Kuthite-dominated Ridwan. While neither the Nidalese nor Chelish authorities are likely to pursue a group of fleeing slaves into the basin— for surely a ragtag band of little folk could never survive the overwhelming dangers to be found there—it would not be so unreasonable for a detachment of Hellknights to patrol the southern end of the Menador pass in an effort to catch fleeing slaves before they reach the pass. Undervale hunters do their best to keep their route clear of more dangerous foes, but the Umbral Basin is a perilous place, and many of its dangers are difficult to truly stave off. These halflings’ bravery and tenacity are formidable, however, and the promise of freedom beyond the shadowy mists encourages agents of the Bellflower Network to make regular use of this hidden route to freedom.
« 上次编辑: 2023-10-16, 周一 22:32:28 由 丞相 »

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怪物志:随机遭遇表
« 回帖 #8 于: 2019-01-10, 周四 16:45:55 »
怪物志  Monster Codex
        我们知道没有野兽会像这样猎杀马匹——它们的尸体被撕咬得到处都是,就像被猪啃过一样。我心想,这大概是那些在帕格莱斯当差的白皮缚链怪物们干的事。所有人都知道它们喜欢鲜血与折磨,但没人胆敢大声议论它们。所以不管怎样,我、老大和其他九个人开始了一次捕猎。当时我们都认为,正在追踪的肯定不是什么野兽。现在看来,这个猜测可能既正确又错误。
        随着踪迹,我们来到了古坟荒原附近,有理智的家伙都不敢闯入那里,不过幸运的是它后来转入了一个箱型峡谷。三头狮子潜伏在峡谷岩壁的阴影中等待着我们到来。感谢老大那双明亮的眼睛,他在狮子们一跃而上之前就发现了它们。这是我们还能活下三人的唯一原因。

——Rollo Bespar,阿特伦牧区的帮工
剧透 -  原文:
We kneW no animal Would kill horses like that—savaging the corpses and rolling around in the guts like a pig in dung. i had a mind it Was the Work of those pale, chain-Wrapped monsters that serve as courtiers doWn in pangolais. everyone knoWs they love blood and suffering, but no one With any sense talks about them out loud. so off We Went on an animal hunt anyWay, me and the boss and nine others, knoWing that it Weren’t any animal We Were tracking. turned out maybe We Were both right and Wrong together.
“the trail led us near the barroWmoor, Where no one sane prefers to venture, but thankfully it soon veered away into a box canyon. three lions were waiting for us, hiding in the shadoWs of the canyon Wall. bless the boss’s sharp eyes, he saw them before they sprang. that’s the only reason Why three of us survived.”
 —rollo bespar, atteran ranches hand

随机遭遇表

        本页列举的遭遇表格并不意味着它们已穷举了居于奈多各大地区的所有生物,但当PC们在这些地区中旅行或冒险时,这些表格能为GM提供便利。有些遭遇结果可能对PC而言过易或过难,或可能与某个特定地点不搭配;若是如此,GM可以随意重骰,或重选另一项遭遇。
        黛丝娜革命团(CR4):这些团体正试图激起民众对黛丝娜,混乱善良的梦境、星辰与旅行者之女神的同情。每个团体包含三位混乱善良的侍祭(acolytes,PFRPG NPC志 244),以及一个骗子(charalatan,NPC志 145)。如果PC们似乎并非隶属于阴影朝廷,这些团体可能试图招揽他们,以击倒邪恶之敌或传递秘密情报。侍祭们是纯正的黛丝娜信徒,但骗子则只是想跟着搞事的。
        宗库松判官团(CR7):这些团体承担着搜查对阴影朝廷和奈多无上至尊,邪神宗库松不忠者的职责。每个团体包括一名解剖者牧师(vivisectionsist cleric,NPC志 48)以及他手下的两名威吓干架者(bullying brawlers, NPC志 96)。这些团体会认定PC们是间谍或罪犯,并试图活捉PC,以便严刑审讯。
        可疑的旅行者(CR2):这些团体推着残破的手推车,推车表面上装着些不值钱的货物,以掩饰他们其实携带着可观的钱财。每个团体包含三位珠宝商学徒(apprentice jewelers,NPC志260)以及担任保镖的一位老水手(old sailor,NPC志260)。这些团体试图避开PC们,因为他们觉得路途上遇到的所有人都是土匪假扮成的。
剧透 -  原文:
RANDOM ENCOUNTER TABLES The encounter tables presented on this page are not meant to be exhaustive lists of creatures that dwell within all major regions in Nidal, but they are presented for the GM’s convenience when PCs are traveling or adventuring in each of the indicated regions. Some results may be trivial or too difficult for the PCs, or might not fit with a specific location; if so, GMs should feel free to roll again or choose a different encounter.
Desnan Revolutionaries (CR 4): These groups are stirring up sympathies for Desna, the chaotic good goddess of dreams, stars, and travelers. Each group consists of three chaotic good acolytes (Pathfinder RPG NPC Codex 244) and a charlatan (NPC Codex 145). If the PCs don’t appear to be affiliated with the Umbral Court, these groups may attempt to recruit them to defeat evil foes or carry secret messages. The acolytes are genuine worshipers of Desna, but the charlatan is only out to stir up trouble.
Kuthite Inquisitors (CR 7): These groups have been charged with ferreting out disloyalty to the Umbral Court and to the glorious patron of Nidal, the evil god Zon-Kuthon. Each group consists of a vivisectionist cleric (NPC Codex 48) in command of two bullying brawlers (NPC Codex 96). These groups assume that the PCs are spies or criminals and attempt to capture them alive to torture confessions from them.
Suspicious Travelers (CR 2): These groups haul battered carts with valueless goods to disguise the fact that they are carrying a substantial amount of money. Each group consists of three apprentice jewelers (NPC Codex 260) with an old sailor (NPC Codex 260) as a bodyguard. These groups attempt to avoid the PCs, as they assume that all the people they meet are brigands in disguise.
阿特伦牧区
d% 结果 平均CR 出处
1-211巨渡鸦(giant raven)1B6 240
22-33可疑的旅行者2见上文
34-451幽影(shadow)3B1 245
46-56黛丝娜革命团4见上文
57-661d6影兽(shadow animal horses)5见60页,B1 177
67-761d3影兽狮子(shadow animal lions)6见60页
77-862绿鬼婆(green hag)7B1 167
87-961d3链魔(kyton)8B1 185
97-100 1海人马(nucklavee)9B3 203
                            眩心山脉
d% 结果 平均CR 出处
1-262d8兽人(orcs)3B1 222
27-481夜魇(night gaunt)4B4 203
49-641d4食人魔(ogres)5B1 220
65-791魒骻吉(pukwudgie)7B3 223
80-921d6巨魔(trolls)8B1 268
93-971火巨人(fire giant)10B1 148
98-991人面树(jinmenju)11B4 161
1002d4+1山丘巨人(hill giants)12B1 150
北部平原
d% 结果 平均CR 出处
1-221d4窃影鬼盗贼(fetchling rogue)1B2 123
23-34可疑的旅行者2见上文
35-461幽暗屠戮者(dark slayer)3B2 75
47-57黛丝娜革命团4见上文
58-671冰魔蝠(ice mephit)与1盐魔蝠(salt mephit)5B1 202
68-771d4野牛(bison)6B1 174
78-872司门魔(ostiarius kytons)7B4 176
88-951大地尸骸(guecubu)8B3 145
96-1001乳齿象(mastodon)9B1 128
                            阴影谷地
d% 结果 平均CR 出处
1-221督教魔(suffragan kyton)5见58页
23-371d6幽影(shadow)6B1 245
38-52宗库松判官团7见上文
53-642链魔(kyton)8B1 185
65-761黑暗呼唤者(caller in darkness)9B5 48
77-871d6+1施瓦塔法黑灵(svartalfar)12B4 256
88-951d6灰烬巨人(ash giant)14B3 126
96-1002阴影巨人(shadow giant)15B6 135
乌斯克森林
d% 结果 平均CR 出处
1-211d4 战蜥人(troglodytes)3B1 267
22-331暗影蕨(shadow fern)4见62页
34-451司门魔(ostiarius kyton)5B4 176
46-561幽暗之魂(owb)6B4 210
57-661莽巢兽(hive brute)8见56页
67-76 2死亡之网(deathweb)8B3 65
77-861吸血鬼术士(vampire sorcerer)9B1 270
87-961d4炼狱树人(fiendish treants)11B1 294,266
97-1001邪验魔(interlocutor kyton)12B3 174
                            西海岸
d% 结果 平均CR 出处
1-241d4卡利尼盗贼(caligni rogue)1B5 66
25-421烟影(smokeshade)2见63页
43-571d6+2窃影鬼盗贼(fetchling rogue)3B2 123
58-691水生巨魔(scrag)5B1 268
70-802幽暗匍匐者(dark creepers)与1幽暗潜行者(dark stalker)6B1 153,154
81-90宗库松判官团7见上文
91-961d4食人海怪(saltwater merrow)8B2 189
97-1001邪刻魔(sacristan kyton)10B4 177

索引:
莽巢兽(Hive Brute )CR8
愉悦者(Joyful thing)CR6
链魔,督教魔 (Kyton,Suffragan) CR5
影兽 (Shadow animal) 模板
暗影蕨 (Shadow Fern) CR4
烟影 (Smokeshade) CR2 进阶魔宠

剧透 -   :
译者注:有中文译文的怪物已附带果园译文超链接,无中文译文的怪物已附带PRD(男神站)超链接。
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怪物志:莽巢兽(附带巢兽亚种介绍)
« 回帖 #9 于: 2019-01-10, 周四 16:48:34 »
莽巢兽 Hive Brute CR8
这只庞大的四脚兽的身上复盖有着厚重的几丁质甲板。冒烟的酸液从它的胃囊中滴落在地面。
XP 4800
中立邪恶 大型异怪(巢兽);PFRPG惧怖冒险 233
先攻+6;感官 盲感60尺,盲视10尺,巢群心智;察觉+14

防御

AC 21,接触 11,措手不及 19(+2敏捷,+10天生,-1体型)
hp 102(12d8+48)
强韧+7,反射+8,意志+11
防御能力 酸蚀血液(1d6 强酸),体温适应;免疫 寒冷

进攻

速度 40尺,攀爬 20尺
近战 啮咬+15(1d8+7),2爪抓+15(1d6+7/19-20),尾扫+10(1d8+3)
占据 10尺;触及 10尺
特殊攻击 酸雾喷射,濒死爆散(12d6,DC 19)

数据

力量 24,敏捷 15,体质 16,智力 6,感知 13,魅力 3
BAB+9;CMB+17;CMD 29(33对抗摔绊)
专长 精通重击(爪抓),精通先攻,钢铁意志,闪电反射,健壮,要害打击
技能 攀爬+15,察觉+14,隐匿+7,生存+12
语言 邪灵语(不能说)
SQ 目盲

生态

环境 任意
组织 独行,成对,或成巢(1-10 外加 1-50巢兽工虫与武士 外加 1女王)
财宝 附带

特殊能力

酸雾喷射 Acid Spray(Ex)每1d4轮,以一个标准动作,莽巢兽可以朝30尺锥形范围内喷射出一团酸雾。在此区域的生物会受到6d6强酸伤害。在之后的1d3轮内,因酸雾喷射而受伤的生物,每轮还会继续受到6d6点强酸伤害。成功通过DC19反射豁免的生物可以将初始伤害减半且免除后续伤害。该豁免DC基于体质。



在乌斯克森林的中心,乌森之影(the Shades of Uskwood)的成员们把一只巢兽女王囚禁在魔法牢笼中,但她的影响力并非这么简单就能隔绝。在乌斯克之心(Uskheart)附近,女王的衍生体非常常见。这其中大多数是巢兽武士(hive warrior,HA 237),巢染的类人生物(hive-corrupted humanoid,HA 24 ),或是拥有巢兽生物简易模板的动物(hive creature simple template,HA 249),但还有其他种类的衍生体。那些拒绝充当巢兽幼虫(hive larvae)孵化容器的动物或其他凶悍怪物,有时会凭借自己的力量成为另一种强大的巢兽生物:莽巢兽。
莽巢兽常见于单独或成对徘徊在乌斯克森林各处,而非在乌斯克之心附近群居。它们缺乏同族拥有的智力与狡猾,但它们用更加强悍的肉体能力弥补了这一缺点。当与大群其他巢兽生物在一起时,巢兽会协助工虫和武士工作,充当着力畜和战斗兽。

剧透 -  原文:
Hive, Hive Brute
This hulking, four-legged beast has thick, chitinous plates covering its body. Steaming acid drips from its snapping maw.
Hive Brute CR 8
Source Nidal, Land of Shadows pg. 56
XP 4,800
NE Large aberation (Hive)
Init +6; Senses blindsense 60 ft., blindsight 10 ft., hive mind; Perception +14
Defense
AC 21, touch 11, flat-footed 19 (+2 Dex, +10 natural, -1 size)
hp 102 (12d8+48)
Fort +7, Ref +8, Will +11
Defensive Abilities corrosive blood (1d6 acid), heat adaptability; Immune acid
Offense
Speed 40 ft., climb 20 ft.
Melee bite +15 (1d8+7), 2 claws +15 (1d6+7/19-20), tail slap +10 (1d8+3)
Space 10 ft., Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks acid spray, death throes (12d6, DC 19)
Statistics
Str 24, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 6, Wis 13, Cha 3
Base Atk +9; CMB +17; CMD 29 (33 vs trip)
Feats Improved Critical (claw), Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Toughness, Vital Strike
Skills Climb +15, Perception +14, Stealth +7, Survival +12
Languages Aklo (can't speak)
SQ blind
Ecology
Environment any
Organization solitary, pair, or hive (1-10 plus 1-50 hive workers and warriors plus 1 queen
Treasure incidental
Special Abilities
Acid Spray (Ex) A hive brute can spray a fine mist of acid in a 30-foot cone as a standard action once every 1d4 rounds. Creatures in this area take 6d6 points of acid damage. Additionally, creatures damaged by the hive brute’s acid spray continue to take 6d6 points of acid damage each round for the next 1d3 rounds. A creature that succeeds at a DC 19 Reflex saving throw halves the initial damage and negates the ongoing damage. The save DC is Constitution-based.

At the center of the Uskwood, the Shades of the Uskwood keep a hive queen imprisoned in a magical cell, yet her influence is not so easily contained. Near the Uskheart, the queen’s spawn are very common. Most of these creatures are hive warriors, hive-corrupted humanoids, or animals with the hive creature simple template, but sometimes they are different creatures altogether. Animals or other monstrous beasts that reject their role as incubation vessels for hive larvae sometimes instead become powerful hive creatures in their own right.

Often found wandering the Uskwood alone or in pairs rather than as part of the central hive near Uskheart, hive brutes lack the intelligence and cunning of their kin, but they make up for the deficit with more primal physical abilities. When in a large group of other hive creatures, brutes assist both workers and warriors in their tasks, serving as beasts of burden and war beasts in equal measure.

引用
HA 233页:巢兽 Hive

巢兽是一种异怪类型的入侵物种,它们会像蝗虫一样蚕食世界。除非在生物数据中特别提到,巢兽生物拥有以下特性。

| 免疫强酸。

| 目盲 Blind:巢兽生物天生目盲。它免疫凝视攻击、视觉效果、幻术和其他依赖视觉生效的攻击形式。和其他异怪不同,巢兽生物没有黑暗视觉。

| 盲感60尺。

| 盲视10尺。

| 酸蚀血液 Corrosive Blood(Ex):巢兽生物的血液有着高度腐蚀性。每当巢兽受到穿刺或挥砍武器的伤害,攻击者会受到如表格所示的强酸伤害(如果该次攻击是重击的话,强酸伤害会变成两倍)。使用长触及武器的攻击者不会受到该效果影响。如果巢兽拥有活吞能力,它会将该伤害加之其活吞伤害中。
巢兽生物的体型强酸伤害量
中型或更小1d4
大型 1d6
超大型1d8
巨型2d6
超巨型2d8

| 垂死爆散 Death Throes(Ex):当巢兽生物死亡时,它会在其占据方格内爆散为一滩酸蚀血泊。血泊会在三轮内对任何位于这些方格中的生物和物体造成巢兽生物HDx1d6的强酸伤害(反射减半)。该强酸会伤害到血泊所在的地面,如果它对地面造成了足够的伤害,酸液会落到下层的地面上并继续造成伤害。该豁免DC基于体质。

| 体温适应 Heat Adaptability(Ex)在对抗高温气候时,巢兽生物总视为拥有忍耐环境法术的效果。

| 巢群心智 Hive Mind(Ex):巢兽生物没有自己的语言,它们仅靠信息素和肢体语言就能与其他拥有巢兽亚种的生物进行交流。使用该能力需要双方有视觉线。如果某一只巢兽生物能在突袭轮中行动,所有和它有视觉线的巢兽也就都能在突袭轮行动,而且巢兽生物不会夹击,除非他视觉线内所有的巢兽生物都被夹击。

| 巢兽生物无需饮食和睡眠。

剧透 -  原文:
Hive
Source Horror Adventures pg. 233

The hive are an invasive species of aberrations that consume worlds like locusts. Hive creatures have the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).
Immunity to acid.
Blind: A hive creature is blind. It is immune to gaze attacks, visual effects, illusions, and other attack forms that rely on sight. Unlike other aberrations, a hive creature doesn’t have darkvision.
Blindsense 60 feet.
Blindsight 10 feet.
Corrosive Blood (Ex): A hive creature’s blood is highly caustic. Every time the hive creature is damaged by a piercing or slashing weapon, the attacking creature takes acid damage according to the table below (or double damage if the attack is a critical hit). Using a reach weapon does not endanger the attacker in this way. If the hive creature has the swallow whole ability, it adds this damage to its swallow whole damage.

Size of Hive Creature   Points of Acid Damage
Medium or smaller   1d4
Large   1d6
Huge   1d8
Gargantuan   2d6
Colossal   2d8

Death Throes (Ex): When a hive creature dies, it exudes a pool of its corrosive blood in the space it occupies. This pool deals 1d6 points of acid damage per Hit Die of the hive creature for 3 rounds to objects and creatures in those squares (Reflex half ). This acid damages whatever surface it is on, and if it deals enough damage to destroy the surface, the acid falls down to any subsequent floor below and continues to deal damage. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Heat Adaptability (Ex): Hive creatures are considered to always be under the effect of endure elements with regard to hot climates.
Hive Mind (Ex): Hive creatures have no language of their own, instead communicating simple concepts via pheromone discharge and body language that other creatures with the hive subtype understand. This ability functions within line of sight. If one hive creature is able to act in the surprise round of combat, all other hive creatures in line of sight can also act, and a hive creature isn’t flanked unless all hive creatures within line of sight are flanked.
A hive creature doesn’t need to eat, drink, or sleep.
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