骷髏 Undead

   The undead are a pox upon our world, yet no one sees fit to look into their existence and find a way to rid us of them once and for all. How long until we are confronted by the terrifying specter of an undead army of skeletal warriors raised by some crazed sorcerer or would-be demigod? Do not let the scarce reports of skeleton attacks lull you into assuming we are safe; we are never safe from these unholy legions. They are coming, mark my words.

       骷髏是世界上的毒瘤，但是卻沒有人敢質疑他們的存在並且堅決剷除它們。什麼時候我們才能站起來抵抗那些由瘋狂的法師或者自認為神人的人召喚出來的骷髏戰士組成的不死幽靈軍隊？不要以為骷髏沒有攻擊我們就安全了，我們在這邪惡的地方永遠不會安全的。它們即將來臨了，記住我的話。

Despite the fact that skeletons seem mischievous or imbecilic, they are nothing to scoff at. We should neither dismiss them from our consideration, nor ignore the problem they represent. It is far past the time for serious inquiry into their exact nature. Since I am overly qualified on many subjects pertinent to this area of inquiry, apparently it falls to me to rectify this lack of understanding. After completing many months of long, arduous study, I now present the information I have gleaned from my research into these unholy monstrosities.

　　儘管骷髏看起來很愚蠢，但是我們不能輕視它們。我們更不能將它們從顧慮中解除，或者忽視它們存在的問題。現在已經不是時候深入探討它們真正的本性。由於我研究過許多這方面的問題，讓我來糾正對它們錯誤的認知。在經過幾個月的漫長艱辛的研究後，我現在要將研究這些邪惡怪物所發現的信息公開。

      Contrary to what I had assumed, a reanimated skeleton is actually constructed from bits and pieces of any number of different skeletons, not a single one. Their diverse composition gives them the ability to form and reform, and makes them easily summoned, permitted there is adequate raw material at hand. Still, this is not to say that a skilled necromancer could not call forth a cadre of skeletal warriors to do his bidding anywhere he chooses. He merely requires less effort to construct a skeleton army in a graveyard than in the middle of a forest.

　  我曾經以為，一個召喚的骷髏實際上由來自不同骸骨的骨頭組成，而不是來自一副骸骨。它們不同的構造能讓它們能夠拆散和重新組合，只要有足夠的骸骨，就能很容易的召喚出骷髏。這並不是說一個熟練的巫師就不能到處召喚出骷髏戰士。只是他在墳場會比在森林中更容易召喚出骷髏軍隊。

      Furthermore, I have come to believe that a skeleton's intelligence is limited by the power and scope of the spell used in the creature's creation. Theoretically one could have a single astute skeleton servant or a rather dense army of a hundred for the same expenditure of magical energy. I am at a loss to explain the average skeleton's somewhat ludicrous mental predisposition, however. Perhaps the implausibility of its own existence makes the skeleton think it hilarious to hide in a barrel, cackling intermittently for some three hundred years until a victim happens by?

　　此外，我相信一個骷髏的智力是取決於巫師召喚時所耗費的能量。理論上相同的魔法消耗能召喚出一個精明能幹的骷髏僕人或是一隊幾百人的愚蠢軍隊。也許覺得骷髏的存在是那麼的荒誕，所以三百年來都認為它們喜歡躲在桶子裡，不時地發出咯咯的聲音，直到有不經意的受害者路過。

      In contrast to the other undead horrors our world has been plagued with – namely the mindless zombies and the pack-hunting ghouls – skeletons are much more dangerous as a whole because of their ability to be organized and directed. Based on the evidence, it takes only slightly more energy to imbue skeletons with enough intelligence to use shields to defend themselves and their allies. These "shield skeletons", as I like to call them, are alarmingly common, though not as numerous as a basic skeletal warrior.

　　與其他沒腦袋的殭屍和群體獵食的食屍鬼等不死相比，骷髏總體上厲害得多，因為它們可以被組編成軍隊和指揮。證據顯示，只要消耗多一點能量，骷髏就可以擁有足夠的智慧來使用盾牌保護自己和同盟。我稱它們為「盾牌骷髏」，它們雖然不像基本骷髏戰士那樣數目龐大，但是卻很常見。

      If my aforementioned points do not convince the skeptic of the gravity of this issue, consider the case of the skeletal summoner. This advanced skeletal warrior is specifically created with a higher intelligence that gives it the ability to replenish the undead ranks as needed. Yes, adding summoners to the unholy, undead mix results in a nauseating recipe for a self-sustaining army, capable of renewing itself in perpetuity so as to fulfill whatever diabolical ends its master called it forth to pursue.

　　如果我上面所說的幾點都不能說服那些懷疑這個嚴重問題的人，就看看那些骷髏召喚者。這些高智慧的骷髏戰士是專門召喚來補充不死軍隊的需要。在這個混合不死軍隊加入召喚者能是它們成為一支能夠永遠重生自立的軍隊，追隨著它們的主人。

      It should be apparent to all intelligent readers that any madman needs only the raw material of skeletal remains to create these armies of the undead. The obvious solution is to disinter the graveyards and begin burning the skeletons posthaste. Only then can we be certain that we have removed this deadly threat from the arsenal of those who would do us harm.

對聰明的讀者來說，狂人只需要粗糙的骷髏就可以創造這些不死的軍團。明顯的解決方法就是挖掘墳墓，然後盡快的焚燒這些骷髏。唯有如此，我們才可以確認已經把這個致命的威脅給移除，徹底拆毀這個會為我們帶來傷害的"兵工廠"。

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Abd al-Hazir is a renowned gentleman, historian, and scholar. He has recently taken up the unprecedented task of investigating, researching, and compiling information about the unique locales and denizens of our world.

作者簡介

阿卜杜勒‧阿哈茲(Abd al-Hazir)是一個著名的紳士、歷史學家和學者。他對我們世界所有相關的獨特語言環境和居民們採取了前所未有的調查、研究和編制工作。