邊境荒漠Borderlands
After my encounter with the savage dune thresher (see Encounter with Burrowing Death, entry 004), one might think it natural were I hesitant to venture into the wastes surrounding Caldeum. Those who have set foot upon the Borderlands' burning yellow landscape and looked out upon its miles of barren sand roiling with terrible wildlife would surely agree with this sentiment.
在見識過兇猛的沙丘長尾蜥之後（詳見第004號記錄：沙丘長尾蜥），是人都不會想再次闖入卡迪安周邊的荒漠了。那些親身涉足過邊緣荒漠的茫茫黃沙，見過四處出沒的凶悍生物的探險者們，肯定都是這麼想的。
It was not always thus. In years past, I could have ventured forth
with no concern for my safety. Though the Borderlands are among the
most savage habitats in our world, even these deadly lands were no
match for the superior resolve of Caldeum in its prime.
然而，事情並不完全是這樣，在過去幾年裡，我也不顧自身的安危多次前往進行探索。邊境荒漠可以說是世界上環境最為惡劣的地區，但即使這樣也很難跟全盛時期卡爾迪恩的死亡之地相比。
The Borderlands were originally devoid of any but the most hardened (some would say crazed) prospectors until the great military city of Lut Bahadur (literally, "city of the gate") was built to keep the lacuni in their cliff dwellings safely away from Caldeum. Lut Bahadur's solitary watch over the desolate wastes came to an end four hundred years ago when precious ore was discovered in the region known as the Stinging Winds. The town of Alcarnus was quickly established as the center of all mining in the area, with several other smaller settlements springing up in its wake. When the Dahlgur oasis was discovered and a third town was erected there, Caldeum's dominance over the Borderlands was complete. The Borderlands could reliably depend on fresh supplies of food and water from Dahlgur's caravans, protected by the might of Caldeum's Dune Guard.
在大型軍事要塞魯巴哈杜爾(Lut Bahadur)（意即「守護城市的柵欄」(city of the
gate)）還沒建立起來之前，邊境荒漠除了那些最強壯(或者說, 瘋狂)的採礦者以外什麼都沒有,
直到為了讓卡爾迪恩不會受到那些居住在峭壁上的豹人侵擾,才建立塞魯巴哈杜爾這個強大的軍事城池。魯巴哈杜爾一直孤獨地看守著這片荒蕪的地區,這樣的情況直到四百年前在被稱作刺骨寒風(Stinging
Winds)的區域發現了珍貴的礦藏之後才宣告終止。很快地, 名為阿爾卡努斯(Alcarmus)的小鎮被建立了起來,
並作為整個礦區的中心. 其他的小型據點也如同雨後春筍般冒了出來。然後，人們又在附近發現了達格倫(Dahlgur)綠洲，並在那裡建立起第三座城市。卡爾迪恩完全控制了邊境荒漠。邊境荒漠的各個城鎮可以透過大篷車運輸線從達格倫得到穩定的淡水和食物供給，也受到卡爾迪恩沙丘守衛的保護。
But Hakan II, our young and inexperienced
sovereign, has seen fit to withdraw the support of Caldeum from the
wastes and leave those who live there to their own devices. Now, no
caravan is safe, and refugees from the Borderlands beat against the
gates of Caldeum in an endless wave of displaced humanity, desperate
for the salvation our city once provided. I have spoken with many of
these poor folk at length, and the tales they share would give even
the most stalwart adventurer pause. Though their stories of a secret
cult intent on raising a demonic army are obviously embellished due
to their lack of knowledge pertaining to such things, their hysteria
and suffering have convinced me that something terrible indeed
stalks the Borderlands.
然而，我們那年輕稚嫩的新君主哈肯二世，決定停止卡爾迪恩對邊境荒漠所提供的物資援助，就這樣把那些人拋棄在荒漠之中。現在，沒有人會在保護補給運輸線的安全，無數無家可歸的難民從邊境荒漠湧向了卡爾迪恩，期望能夠得到卡爾迪恩的救援。我曾與許多難民長交談過，他們所說的故事足以讓最勇敢的冒險家停下腳步。由於他們大多都缺少學問，所以我覺得他們那個秘密邪教組織準備召喚出一支惡魔大軍的傳說可信度不高。但是他們那歇斯底里的情緒以及痛苦的樣子，使我深信確實有可怕的東西悄悄降臨在邊境荒漠了。境荒漠了。境荒漠了。境荒漠了。境荒漠了。境荒漠了。
