作者 主题: 【SG】无形之触章首故事,P180~181  (阅读 5898 次)

副标题: 奴隶主之末路

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【SG】无形之触章首故事,P180~181
« 于: 2019-07-22, 周一 08:22:42 »

这可能发生在任何一个人身上。

一切都过去之后,幻像(Eidolon)的朋友们安慰他,但他们的话只会让事情变得更糟。在开车去他安全屋的路上,他们的话在他脑海中回响:

别担心了,伙计。

也许你只是累了。

不管原因是什么,正如奥菲莉亚(Ophelia)所说这不仅仅是“表现焦虑”。这是一种更深层次的东西,就在他周围视野的边缘,有些难以捉摸的东西。

我是一名咒术师,幻像走进他寂静的房间时对自己说。我召唤东西。我就是这么做的。

如果是这样的话,那么为什么在逃跑的过程中没有精魂响应他的召唤呢?如果幻像是一个真正的咒术师,他会毫不费力地抓住一个火元素,浮士德(Faust)也不会把他送出去。然后幻像就有了一枚元素火炬,以照亮整个“明解大厦”(译注:“明解”是神秘服务提供商)的安全细节。或者他可以命令精魂维持他的一些法术,这样他就可以专注于其他法术。

但是没有。该死的东西不听他的。更糟的是,他在逃亡过程中试图召唤的精魂完全没有理睬他。他听过关于粗鲁精魂的古老萨满故事,但任何精魂都是可以被支配,即便是粗鲁的。

休息几天。队伍一逃到安全的地方,浮士德就下了命令。想清楚了,否则我们会找到一个新的咒术师。

幻像摇摇头。也许他只是累了。

但是精魂世界呼唤着他。他没有休息,而是坐在莲花图案风格的赫尔墨斯圆环内。他在星界空间游荡了数小时,直到他的身体和星界形态之间的联系变得微弱。

正当他要瘫坍塌回到自己身体时,一个新生婴儿形状的小团在他面前盘旋。

别发牢骚了,人精魂说道。如果你闭嘴,亲王(El Infante,译注:西班牙语)也许会为你提供一项服务。交易吗?

幻像不敢相信自己的运气。成交,他说。星界能量卷须缠绕在他和精魂之间,随后他回到了他的肉体。

精魂,他通过他们的星界连接问道,你们为什么不回应我的召唤?

你已经知道为什么了。亲王回答道。

不,我不懂。

相信我,你懂了。

幻像皱起眉头。然后……他施咒强迫精魂说出真相,问道:为什么我不能召唤你的弟兄们。

很好。亲王说道。

当法力的触须扎进他的灵光时,幻像立刻感到一种坠落感。这种感觉来得快去得快,随即他开启星界感知想要去质问他的精魂。

咒术师,亲王命令道,为什么我的弟兄们不听从你的呼求?

咒语之力将他的内心话拽了出来:因为我把精魂当作工具,而不是平等对待,我让他们受苦使之服从于我,得到任何我想要的东西。因为我是一个彻头彻尾的精魂渣滓,每一位泛位面的居民都对我避之不及。

幻像瘫倒在肉界,喘着粗气。他自身星界存在的松动,意味着亲王即将离开,服务的条件已经满足。

等等!幻像对着天空大喊。告诉我该怎么做才能挽回这一切!

回应他的只有沉默。精魂早已离去。



剧透 -   :
It can happen to anyone.
Eidolon’s friends consoled him after everything went south, but their words only made things worse. During the drive to his safehouse, their words echoed in his head:
Don’t sweat it, chummer.
Maybe you were just tired.
Whatever the cause, it wasn’t just “performance anxiety,” as Ophelia had claimed. This was far deeper, something elusive just beyond the edge of his peripheral vision.
I am a summoner, Eidolon told himself upon entering his silent doss. I summon things. That is what I do.
If that was true, then why had no spirits answered his summons during the run? If Eidolon was really a summoner, he would’ve snagged a fire elemental without a problem, and Faust wouldn’t have gotten winged. Then Eidolon could’ve had the elemental torch the Ming Solutions building’s entire security detail. Or he could’ve ordered the spirit to sustain some of his spells so he could focus on other ones.
But no. Damn things wouldn’t obey him. Worse still, the spirits he had tried conjuring during the run just flatout ignored him. He’d heard old shaman tales about impolite spirits, but any spirit could still be dominated, even impolite ones.
Take a few days off, Faust had ordered once the team had escaped to safety. Figure this out or we’ll find ourselves a new summoner.
Eidolon shook his head. Maybe he was just tired.
But the spirit world called to him. Instead of resting he sat lotus style at his hermetic circle. For hours he wandered astral space until the connection between his body and astral form grew tenuous.
Just as he was about to collapse back into his body, a little wisp in the shape of a newborn babe hovered before him.
Quit whining, the spirit of man said. If you’ll shut up, El Infante will perform one service for you. Deal?
Eidolon couldn’t believe his luck. Deal, he said. Intertwining tendrils of astral energy passed between him and the spirit, and he returned to his meat body.
Spirit, he said through their astral link, why do none of your kind answer my summons?
You already know why, said El Infante.
No, I don’t.
Trust me, you do.
Eidolon scrunched his eyebrows. Then … cast a spell to compel truth from me and ask why I cannot conjure your brethren.
Very well, El Infante said.
Eidolon momentarily felt a sensation of falling as tentacles of mana dug into his aura. The sensation quickly passed, and he shifted to the astral perception to face his accuser.
Summoner, El Infante demanded, why do my brethren refuse to answer your calls?
The energy of the spell yanked the words from him: Because I treat spirits as tools rather than equals, by subjecting them to spiritual discomfort, disruption, and anything else I want. Since I’m a complete and total drekhead to spirits, every inhabitant of the metaplanes knows to avoid me.
Eidolon gasped and collapsed back into meatspace. The loosening of his own astral presence meant El Infante was departing, the conditions of the service having been met.
Wait! Eidolon shouted into the ether. Tell me how to fix this!
Silence answered him. The spirit was gone.


引用
> 很多人——包括那些在他们的简历上有博士学位或其他令人印象深刻的项目的朋友——认为他们知道很多关于精魂和精魂世界的具体实际情况。然而,他们当中没有一个人能比得上多名之人。信不信由你,他从事这一行的时间甚至比我还长,如果他一生中花在星界的时间比他在物质界的时间还多,我也不会感到惊讶。他也确实写了好几本关于精魂的书。
我不关心你是否认识一个兼职魔法师,或者你是否有几十年指挥星界存在的经验。除非你想成为一个懒散精魂的生意伙伴,或者发现自己亏欠于精魂世界,否则读懂多名之人所说的就是对你自己负责。
> 公牛(Bull)
剧透 -   :
> A lot of folks—including chummers with doctorates in thaumaturgy or other impressive line items on their résumés—think they know a lot of concrete facts about spirits and the spirit world. However, none of ’em can hold a candle to Man-of-Many-Names. Believe it or not, he’s been in this line of work even longer than I have, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s spent more time in astral space during his lifetime than he has the physical plane. He literally wrote the book on spirits—a number of times.
I don’t care whether you know a part-time conjurer or if you’ve got a few decades of experience commanding astral beings. Unless you fancy being on the business end of a slotted-off spirit or finding yourself in arrears to the spirit world, you owe it to yourself to read what Man-ofMany-Names has to say.
> Bull
« 上次编辑: 2019-07-22, 周一 09:19:42 由 失语 »