罗浮古纹拓片考察 Investigation of Ancient Pattern Rubbings from the Luofu

一位学士在洞天各处留下的纹样拓片，似乎是在描绘仙舟历史中的事件… A scholar left rubbings of ancient patterns all over the delve, seemingly depicting events from the history of Xianzhou...

迷梦造舸 Ethereal Shipcraft

{Img#1}

{Img#1}

按照仙舟本土的纪年法来看，他们将「启航之日」视作星历的起始，因此启航前的历史——也就是被称为「古国时代」的历史常常被人们忽略。

According to the calendar era system used by Xianzhou, the day of departure is deemed as the beginning of the Star Calendar. Hence, things that took place before the departure, called the history of the Primeval Imperium Era, are often neglected.

「仙舟出航前源自某个古老的文明世界」，这并不是什么秘密。但这颗世界的坐标却早已亡佚不存。也许它被仙舟人抹去，也许它单纯只是失落了，总之，它早已成了不能触及的空白。这空白中，却有一则神话流传至今。

It's not a secret that the Xianzhou originated from a certain famous ancient world before it departed. However, the coordinates of that world, whether erased by the Xianzhou people or just lost in time, have long since become a secret and unreachable place. From there comes a myth that is still well-known to this day.

在那个文明世界里，名讳业已失落的帝王逐一击溃了星球上残存的对手（如同大部分星球上的征服者战争历史一般）后，却遭遇了外星文明入侵（根据过去我们考察到的史料，这些天外生物生有双翼，被仙舟的先民称为「造翼者」）。在对外战争中，帝王意识到这些异族几乎不会衰老，只要愿意，他们可以无休无止地活下去。

In that civilized world, the sovereign whose name is no longer remembered eliminated their remaining opponents on the planet one by one, just like most other conquerors on their planets. After that, the invasion of an alien civilization took place. (According to the historical sources we have studied, these aliens were born with wings and called "wingweavers" by the ancient people of the Xianzhou.) In the battle against the aliens, the emperor discovered that the aliens hardly aged and could live on for as long as they liked.

垂老的帝王心中被贪欲所填满，想要攫取永恒的生命。他（或者是她，反正从未有人能明确这位上位者的性别）召集天下的工匠，打造出最初的仙舟，派遣忠臣良将深入星空，寻访仙药。

Blinded by greed, the dying sovereign yearned for eternal life. He (or she, as the gender of the sovereign has never been confirmed) summoned craftsmen from all over the world and ordered them to build the first version of the Xianzhou ship. Then, the sovereign sent wise officials and valiant generals to space to search for the immortality elixir.

对于如今学者来说，我们已然知晓长生赐福与「丰饶」星神有关。但古国先民在出发之时，究竟知道自己在寻找什么吗？我不好说，根据我的经验来看，他们只是从天外来者手上抢下了星图，急于追寻一个不切实际的目标。

For modern scholars like us, we know that the blessing of immortality is related to the Aeon of Abundance. Did the ancient people know what they were looking for when they departed? I am not sure about that. Based on my experience, I think they were just pursuing an unrealistic goal based on the astral chart they seized from the aliens.

孤航时代 Lone Voyage Era

{Img#1}

{Img#1}

以九艘巨船启航，远扬天海为开始，仙舟文明真正出现了。

The departure of the nine massive ships signaled the beginning of the Xianzhou civilization.

博识学会收集过一些极为古老的航船日志副本。这些古籍的记录印戳按琥珀历换算足以上溯到七千年前。那时候这艘巨船还不是现在的样子的，里面住着短生种船员（也即是仙舟人的祖先）。按考据，那是他们用被称为「守眠制度」的方式轮换休眠，尽力延长一代人的服役时间。航船途中，仙舟人观测到了许多银河奇观，比如星空生态学派最爱研究的虚空歌鲸、琥珀王构筑的星墙……等等。

The Intelligentsia Guild once had copies of ancient ship logbooks in their collection. Judging from the stamps, the ancient books could be traced back to seven millennia ago if converted from Amber Era calculations. At that time, the ship looked nothing like its current appearance, and it was populated by a short-life species (the ancestors of the Xianzhou people). According to research, the crew took turns to rest using a Watchful Sleep System to extend the service time of a generation by as much as possible. During the voyage, the Xianzhou people observed many cosmic wonders, such as the void song whales (the favorite of Astral Ecology School), the starwall built by the Amber Lord, etc...

航行并非一帆风顺的观景之旅，仙舟人至少在两类长生种手里吃过大亏，其中之一被他们称为「视肉」。视肉是一种奇特的胶质生物，如今已经几乎灭绝。据说这些东西会随意改变形态，长出用作武器的器官，并且以肉身横渡星空，可以称得上是宇宙级的疫病。

The voyage was not all smooth sailing, as the Xianzhou people had suffered greatly when facing two types of long-life species. One of them is called the "viscorpus," a peculiar creature with a gelatinous texture that is almost extinct today. It is said to be able to change its body shape freely to develop organs that can be used as weapons. Being able to traverse in space with its bare body, it is fit to be called a cosmic epidemic.

在逐退了视肉后，他们又遭遇了「岁阳」。博识学会的记录中极少有关于「岁阳」的记载，但按照仙舟人的说法，它们是会说话的火焰，能吸干魂魄和欲望，将人当作傀儡般操纵的精怪。我猜测那多半是某种无形目魂精科的生物。

After eliminating the viscorpi, the crew encountered the "heliobi." There are few entries about the heliobi in the Intelligentsia Guild's records. According to the Xianzhou people, the heliobi are flames that can speak. Heliobi can suck the soul and desires out of humans and control them like puppets. I suppose they belong to the Shapeless Order and the Spirit Essence Family.

最后，旅途航行的尾声，仙舟人第一次接触到了能进行和平对话的外来文明——也就是公司和博识学会。很有趣吧。我们为仙舟人展示了全新的文明准则，给了他们从未接触过的技术，也让仙舟融入了了星海的大家庭中，成为琥珀王庇护的盟友之一。文明交流，知识交换，双向获益，这就是博识学会存在的意义。

Toward the end of the voyage, the Xianzhou people met alien civilizations that could communicate with them peacefully for the first time — the IPC and Intelligentsia Guild. Isn't it interesting? We showed the Xianzhou people a new code for civility, shared with them technologies they had never seen before, and welcomed them to the big galactic family and become one of the allies protected by the Amber Lord. Exchanging knowledge for mutual benefit is the spirit of the Intelligentsia Guild.

建木降临 Ambrosial Arbor's Arrival

{Img#1}

{Img#1}

要说仙舟历史上最具划时代意义的事件，必然是「丰饶」星神的示现了。传闻中，药师出现在仙舟航路上，随后建木降临，将仙舟人转变为长生种。

The manifestation of the Aeon of Abundance is undoubtedly the epochal event in the history of Xianzhou. Legend has it that following Yaoshi's appearance during the voyage, the Ambrosial Arbor arrived to convert the Xianzhou natives into a long-life species.

在仙舟人获得长生后的四百年间，是仙舟所谓的「黄金年代」。在此期间，仙舟人以建木神迹为基础，创造了无数后世难及的奇迹——在生物学领域，尤其是仿生学领域，他们飞速发展，创造出「木无患」、「息壤」、以及「仙丹」，甚至还有能改造肉身的「自在应身」……而晶石计算机「玉兆」被发明出来，为仙舟人带来了超乎过往的计算能力。

The four centuries that followed were the so-called "Golden Age" of Xianzhou. During this period, the Xianzhou people created countless unparalleled miracles based on Ambrosial Arbor. They achieved rapid development in biology, especially the field of bionics, and invented Ligneous Freeroamer, Fallow Earth, miracle pills, and the altered flesh that could modify one's body... The invention of the jade abacus, a crystal computer, boosted the calculation ability of the Xianzhou people tremendously.

当然了，这些技术，如今许多已不再能复现，因为仙舟人随后又经历了漫长的动荡时代失去了他们的仙迹。若是有机会深入考察史料，辨析古物，我有自信能和博识学会的同僚们复现其中的一些成果：比如，建木所带来的长生药……当然，仙舟人对长生讳莫如深，设下众多禁制。这样的念头，咱们想想就好。

Of course, many of these techniques are no longer recoverable now, as the Xianzhou natives later went through a long era of turmoil and lost their celestial traces. If I have the chance to further examine the historical sources and antiques, I believe I can work with my Intelligentsia Guild colleagues to recreate some of their inventions, such as the elixir of immortality brought by Ambrosial Arbor... Still, the concept of immortality is taboo to the Xianzhou people and they have created many containment mechanisms to guard against it. It is wise to let it remain an idea.

生劫火劫 Living and Flaming Catastrophes

{Img#1}

{Img#1}

根据我的考察，「三劫时代」是仙舟历史上最为黑暗的岁月。乱世之中，长生种连「活下去」都变成了一种奢望。《禁火节怀古》（苍城仙舟人白晓所著）曾写到：「三劫炽，天地炘如炙。饶是百般雄主现，奈何万类皆如彘。」

According to my study, the Three Sufferings Era is the darkest time in the history of Xianzhou. In such chaotic times, even survival was a luxury to the long-life species. A Reminiscence of the Fire Taboo Festival by Bai Xiao, a Cangcheng citizen, wrote, "During the three great calamities, the sky and the earth were on fire. Although many mighty rulers appeared, everyone was as helpless as pigs."

正是所谓的「生劫」，开启了这段「万类皆如彘」的黑暗历史。彼时，长生种已然意识到自己的无尽寿数将会引发巨大的社会问题，却出于人道理由，无从解决。很快，庞大的人口数量就引起了内乱，掌握社会资源的「贵胄」与失去生存目标的「褐夫」之间爆发了持续不断的战争。

The Living Catastrophe brought about the dark period when "everyone was as helpless as pigs." The long-life species had realized the grave social problem stemming from their immortality, but there was no humane solution. Soon, the booming population led to internal strife. A long-lasting conflict ensued between the nobles that controlled the resources in society and "the coarse" that could not see the meaning of their lives.

这一系列内争以仙舟「圆峤」的倾覆而告终。这并非因为人们对无辜身陨的一千三百亿圆峤人心怀愧疚，而是因为在此之后不久，为了维系仙舟的存在，金人开始了对贵胄和褐夫的无差别屠戮。人们不得不联合起来，对抗共同的敌人。

The conflict ended when the Yuanqiao capsized. It was not because people felt bad for the 130 billion innocent Yuanqiao souls that perished. The aurumatons began a massacre that killed both the nobles and the coarse for the sustenance of Xianzhou. Therefore, both the nobles and the coarse had no choice but to join forces to eliminate their common enemies.

战后，金人的智能被彻底剥夺。而因为人口的大量减少，社会矛盾也不再严重（这是个不好笑的笑话）。可仙舟人尚未来得及喘上一口气，造翼者，丰饶民中最为适应宇宙环境的劫掠者们，带着他们那棵吞噬群星的「穹桑」逼近了仙舟。

After the battle, the aurumatons were relinquished of their intelligence for good. Society became more peaceful due to the drastic dwindling in the population (this joke isn't funny). The Xianzhou people barely recuperated when the wingweavers, plunderers among the Denizens of Abundance that adapted to the cosmic environment the best, approached Xianzhou with their star-devouring Muldrasil.

如是，「火劫」便开始了。

Just like that, the Flaming Catastrophe came.

天裂一射 A Shot From the Sky

{Img#1}

{Img#1}

在仙舟民间的说话文学中，「浴火化神」乃是最为常见的主题之一：在「火劫」时代，一位因贵胄迫害而被囚禁的英雄，为了摧毁造翼者的巢穴「穹桑」，与岁阳一族的首领「燧皇」合作，用神矢摧毁了穹桑，英雄也就此灰飞烟灭。但这却并非英雄生命的终结，此后这位终结了「火劫」的英雄升格为神明，成为了「巡猎」，也即是仙舟人口中的「帝弓司命」。

One of the most common literature themes in Xianzhou is fire deification. In the era of the Flaming Catastrophe, a hero was sabotaged by the nobles and imprisoned. The hero later worked with Flint Emperor — the leader of the heliobi — and destroyed the Muldrasil, the wingweavers' lair, with a divine arrow. The hero's body dissipated, but it was not the end of his life. Instead, he ascended to become The Hunt, also known as the Reignbow Arbiter by the Xianzhou people.

不过事实上，没有任何证据可以表明这位英雄即是「岚」。几乎所有支持此说的理论，都可以追溯到《帝弓迹躔歌》这一孤证上来，绝对算不得严谨可信。所以即使这一说法在联盟民间广为流传，但联盟官方却从未对此发表过看法。该怎么说呢…他们虽然不曾否认「浴火化神」传说的真实性，但我们都清楚，从官方的立场上来看，这已经是一种否认了。

However, there is no factual evidence to show that the hero is Lan. Almost all theories that support this assertion are less-than-credible, given that they can all be traced back to a single origin, which is the "Ode to Reignbow Path." This is why the Alliance has not made its stance clear about this assertion, although it is widely circulated among the folks. Well... Although the Alliance has never denied the authenticity of the fire deification myth, we all know it is equal to a denial from the Alliance's standpoint.

魔阴空劫 Mara and Null

{Img#1}

{Img#1}

除了「长生」，仙舟上另外一桩禁忌的话题，便是「魔阴身」。

Besides immortality, the status of mara-struck is another taboo on Xianzhou.

尽管仙舟人并不愿意透露出更多细节，但诸多「丰饶之民」的存在就是最好的参考对象。常有人说，「长生不死并不是恩赐，而是一种诅咒」。那些「丰饶之民」身体上的异变直观地证实了这一点，没人会愿意变成这种怪物。但仙舟人不一样，同样是长生种，他们外表却格外体面，与我们无异。至少从身躯面貌上看不出有任何不妥之处，这一点着实让人羡慕。

Although the Xianzhou people are tight-lipped about this matter, many clues can be gained from the Denizens of Abundance. Many opine that immortality is not a blessing, but a curse. This is directly confirmed by the mutations that can be observed on the Denizens of Abundance. No one would be willing to become such a monster. On the other hand, the Xianzhou people are different. Although they are also a long-life species, they look similar to us and do not look odd physically, which is quite enviable.

不过，就像死亡在生命终点等待我们短生种一样，传闻仙舟人会堕入名为「魔阴身」的疯狂状态。在数不清的光阴后，仙舟人失去了对生命中的欢愉和喜悦的体验，转而被过往经历里的悔恨与创伤所支配，渐渐失去了为人的同理心。这听起来十分可怖，又极其讽刺：「死亡」被抹去，但生命尽头等着他们的却是比死亡更恐怖的「疯狂」。

Like how death awaits us at the end of our lives, it is said that the Xianzhou people might go berserk and enter a state named "mara-struck" at the end of theirs. They will stop finding life exciting and enjoyable and become overwhelmed by the regret and trauma of their past. Gradually, they will lose their humanity. This process sounds scary and ironic at the same time. Although they will not experience death, what awaits them at the end is something even more terrifying — madness.

最近发生在罗浮之上的变故，令我亲眼目睹了「魔阴身」的可怖。我很确信，那绝不只是某种精神层面的变化，而是自他们被转变成长生种时起就获得的本质。我想，我也许该换一些研究方向了……

I witnessed how scary it was to be mara-struck during the recent incident on the Luofu. I strongly believe that it is not just a spiritual change, but the intrinsic nature they have had since their conversion to a long-life species. Perhaps, it's time for me to switch to a new focus in my research...

镇伏玄根 Divine Root Subdual

{Img#1}

{Img#1}

据《仙舟通鉴》记载，龙尊雨别率领数百龙师，将整个波月古海转移到罗浮洞天之中，又施云吟术，将建木玄根「封印」在水下，使其永世不能以「寿瘟」惑乱众生。

According to the "History of the Xianzhou," Yubie, the High Elder of the time, moved the entire Lunarescent Depths into the Luofu delve with the help of hundreds of Preceptors. He cast cloudhymn to seal the Ambrosial Arbor roots under the water to prevent them from corrupting the folks with plague.

对于「封印」建木玄根的实际手段，《仙舟通鉴》只写了「以云吟镇之」这寥寥五字，看不出什么端倪。《沧海实录》更过分，在相关记载中直接写着「以秘传圣法镇之」几个字，令我哭笑不得。说到底，无非是因为长生种喜欢神秘化他们掌握的各类技术。这用于封印建木玄根的所谓「秘传圣法」，也不过是某种持明密不外传的科学技术而已。

About the actual means of sealing the Ambrosial Arbor roots, the "History of the Xianzhou" only describes that they are "suppressed with cloudhymn." "Actual Record of the Vastness" leaves me even more speechless, as it merely records that the roots are "suppressed with a secret spell." It's all because the long-life species prefers to keep their technologies a secret. The so-called "secret spell" is actually just a scientific technology of the Vidyadhara that is kept classified.

镇伏玄根之后，还有持明龙师建造了显龙大雩殿和龙尊造像来纪念雨别。其中出资最多的龙师溸湍还在造像的基座上刻了一篇《龙师溸湍为龙尊造像记》。据我了解，很多持明族非常厌恶这篇歌颂龙尊「抚六御诸公，开兆载太平」的《造像记》，这并不难理解。毕竟对于持明而言，他们献出了自己从故土带出的最宝贵的净土，还有他们引以为傲的「龙脉」——打个比方，就像学会献出大图书馆中最珍贵的知识圣典来换取栖身之地。

After the roots were subdued, the Vidyadhara Preceptors built the Dragonvista Rain Hall and a statue to commemorate Yubie. Sutuan, the Preceptor that contributed the most financially, engraved "The Account of Preceptor Sutuan Crafting a Statue of the High Elder" on the statue base. To my knowledge, many Vidyadhara loathed the story that praised Yubie for "pacifying the Six Charioteers and creating a peaceful era." Their sentiment is not hard to understand. From the Vidyadhara's perspective, they offered the precious sacred realm from their hometown and the Ichor Lines they took pride in. For an analogy, it is like the Intelligentsia Guild offering the rarest tome in its library in exchange for a place to stay.

趁着这场变故中鳞渊境内的巨大混乱，我和我忠实的调查员朋友对此处做了一些简单的考察。首先，确如典籍所载，持明族以某种不可知的技术将水体环绕聚拢于「建木」的根系处。其次，覆水深处曾掩藏着惊人古迹。我不知道当年贝尼尼老师从里面带走了什么。但我想，我很快会弄明白的……

While the upheaval in the Scalegorge Waterscape was ongoing, my investigator friend and I did a simple research. First of all, we found that the Vidyadhara had indeed used an unknown technique to gather water around the roots of Ambrosial Arbor, like how it was written in the books. Secondly, we discovered an amazing relic hidden in the depth of the water. I have no idea what Bernini took from it back then, but I believe I will figure it out soon...

云上五骁 High-Cloud Quintet

{Img#1}

{Img#1}

博识学会旁证、甚至参加过仙舟人与丰饶民联军的多次大战，并备有详细记录，解读仙舟人的战法与技术。每一场战争的残酷黑暗，总能让那些闪亮鲜明的灵魂显得耀眼。除却像「帝弓七天将」这般在联盟外也赫赫有名的人物，仙舟本土还有诸多留名青史的传奇英雄。

The Intelligentsia Guild once witnessed and even participated in the multiple battles between the Xianzhou people and the Denizens of Abundance to record and interpret the Xianzhou people's tactics and techniques. The brutality and darkness of every battle had always helped those dazzling souls shine. In addition to the well-known figures like the Seven Arbiter-Generals, there are many legendary heroes on the Xianzhou who have left their names in history.

「云上五骁」就是倍受仙舟人偏爱的英杰史话，以同长生种不相称的短暂辉煌而令人倍感其绚烂。

High-Cloud Quintet is a historical story of the beloved heroes of the Xianzhou people. As members of the long-life species, they only had a short-lived brilliance, making their story even more splendid.

在丰饶之民纠集起惊人的大军攻向玉阙时，来自不同仙舟上的五位英雄聚首一处，其中既有箭无虚发的狐人飞行士，也有抵达仙舟求艺的短生种。五人履踏险地，斩阵成功，击碎了丰饶民所唤醒的活体星宿，挽救了玉阙的覆亡。

When the Denizens of Abundance had gathered a massive army to attack the Yuque, five heroes from different Xianzhou ships came together. Among them was a sharpshooting foxian pilot and a short-life species that came to Xianzhou to learn. The five ventured to perilous lands and successfully killed the enemies. They destroyed the incarnosphere created by the Denizens of Abundance and prevented the Yuque from collapsing.

这一传奇激发了仙舟诗人和狐人幻戏的创作激情，令五位英雄一时名声鹊起，不同于「帝弓七天将」背后浓重的历史色彩，「云上五骁」的故事更似一出由民间创作的豪侠奇谭。

This legend inspired many Xianzhou poets and foxian immersia, and their works made the five heroes famous. Unlike the historical background behind the story of the Seven Arbiter-Generals, the story of the High-Cloud Quintet is more like a heroic tale created by the folks.

但很遗憾的是，属于「云上五骁」的传奇时代却极短暂，仅有百年不足。英雄星散，故人凋亡，更有黑暗的传言暗示着五人中有堕落、背叛的不祥结局。以至于如今，除了身居高位的景元将军依然活跃在台前，而剩下四位主角却早已经谢幕，连名字都绝少被提及。

Unfortunately, their heyday did not last long. In less than a century, the heroes parted ways and passed away. There was even a dark prophecy hinting at depravity and betrayal among the five. Other than General Jing Yuan, who can still be often seen in public now, the rest of the group has faded into oblivion and is hardly mentioned.

可作为一种文化现象，「云上五骁」却仿佛从未消失一样，与联盟一同在漫长的时间中存续着。这令我想起一件无关的事：在有一本连载了三十多年的历史小说，叫做《十七日王冠战纪》，故事背景是被反物质军团攻灭的墨洛温王国历史上一个只存在了十七天的政权。那伟大的王权只存在了十七天，但关于它的故事却仿佛永远也不会结束。

As a cultural phenomenon, the High-Cloud Quintet seems to have always existed alongside the Alliance over time. This reminds me of a serialized novel that has been active for more than 30 years. There is a story titled 17 Days of Crown, which centers around a regime in the history of the Morrowen Kingdom that existed for only seventeen days, destroyed by the Antimatter Legion. Despite the short reign, the story of the regime will never end.

也许仙舟人对于「云上五骁」的态度也是如此，只要人们继续讲述，英雄们的故事就会永远继续下去，联盟最美好的时代也会永远继续下去。这也没办法，怀旧的幻觉总是容易使人沉迷其中，再难自拔。

This is probably how the Xianzhou people perceive the High-Cloud Quintet. As long as people keep telling their stories, the stories will go on forever, and so will the best times of the Alliance. After all, it is hard not to be entranced by the illusion of nostalgia.