九狱诸领主The Lords of the Nine

索引：【神与类神总录】

索引：【类神力】

索引：【大魔鬼】

## **简介**

### **类神力Near-Powers**

　　在诸位面的万千屁民中，从下三滥爬到万人之上并非闻所未闻。但毫无疑问，爬得越高、敌人就越多，他们在那个巅峰呆的时间可不会太长。而这一残酷的事实并不能劝退每个恶棍的攀登尝试，时不时仍会有少数一两个幸运儿爬上山顶、死抓着权力之柄、与所有后来者殊死搏斗。

Among the creatures of the planes, it's not at all uncommon for lowly beings to rise to heights of great power. No doubt they'd stay there longer if it weren't for the fact that the higher a body gets, the more enemies he has. But that doesn't stop every basher in the multiverse from trying to improve, and every once in a while a lucky few claw their way to the top, hold onto power tenaciously, and fight off all comers.

[印记城黑话：Body——就是"someone"在位面间的说法；Basher——某人，中性词。一般但不总是，暗指其是个暴徒或打手.]

　　本章中所写的老鸟并非神明（至少暂时还不是），但也差不离了。祂们像散发着恶臭的尸体般、浑身弥漫着神性的气息。你瞧，靠着爬上尸堆坟头，祂们打响了自己的名号，并从脚下的家伙身上唬弄到了赞美与敬拜。当然，祂们的力量等级差别贼大。最鶸的 深渊领主Abyssal lord，也不是 万兽园the Beastlands 动物领主animal lord 中的最强鸟可以匹敌的。但名望可以转化为原始的力量。某一老鸟让越多人知道自己，越有可能进入诸神的领域。

The bloods in this section aren't gods - yet. But they're close. The smell of divinity surrounds them like the stench of a reeking corpse. See, by climbing the heap, they made names for themselves, and are rewarded with praise and worship from those beneath them. Course, they have vastly different levels of strength. The toughest animal lord on the Beastlands is still no match for the weakest Abyssal lord. But fame does translate into raw power. The more folks who know a blood's name, the more likely it is that he'll pass into the realms of mythic belief.

[印记城黑话：Blood——专家，智者或是任何领域的老鸟。一个角斗士冠军可以是一个 blood, 一个强大的巫师也可以是blood.称呼某人为blood是对其特别尊敬的一种表示.]

　　并非所有 类神力near-powers 都“想”成为羽翼丰满的神明；祂们自觉力量已经够了，并且时不时会屈尊纡贵地与凡人发生些瓜葛。但无论如何，所有类神力都是些危险存在，能给位面行者的最好建议就是远远避开。

Not all near-powers *want* to become full-fledged gods; they feel they have plenty of strength as it is, and they aren't above interacting with mortals. But all of these beings are dangerous, and the best advice for a planewalker is to steer clear.

[印记城黑话：Planewalker——位面行者．指在位面间旅行，寻求冒险，金钱与光荣的人――即位面旅行冒险者．通常，指称某人为planewalker时，都会带有一种尊敬语气，因为这样的个体被认为是能干的，知识渊博且阅历丰富的强鸟．]

　　这些老鸟看守着 九层地狱the Nine Hells，祂们便是 巴托地狱Baator 各层面的头儿。祂们的存在让 深狱炼魔pit fiend 看上去就是些残废的游魂，而且据说，这些家伙便是各自领地的真正具现。毕竟地狱的每个层面都反映了其领主的个性，反过来，每位领主也都反映着他那一层面的特质。这两者之间以一种奇怪而神秘的方式互相作用，那些下层位面学者们相信，祂们最终将在一些邪恶的灿烂闪光中达成联盟。

These are the bloods who watch over the Nine Hells, the rulers of the layers of Baator. They make pit fiends look like crippled lemures, and it's said they're the vely embodiments of their respective lands. Each layer reflects the personality of its lord, and each lord reflecls the personality of his layer. The two act on each other in ways strange and mysterious, and lower-planar scholars believe they'll eventually achieve union in some brilliant flash of evil

[印记城黑话：Blood——专家，智者或是任何领域的老鸟。一个角斗士冠军可以是一个 blood, 一个强大的巫师也可以是blood.称呼某人为blood是对其特别尊敬的一种表示.]

九位领主中，有七位众所周知并留有名讳Seven of the nine lords are known and named：

　　●迪斯帕特大公Archduke Dispaler，第二层（迪斯）领主Lord of the Second (Dis)

　　●第三层（弥瑙洛斯）子爵the Viscount Minauros of the Third (Minauros)

　　●菲尔娜Fierana，第四层（弗莱格索斯）女士Lady of the Fourth (Phlegethos)

　　●第五层（斯泰吉亚）莱维思图斯亲王Prince Levistus of the Fifth (Slygia)

　　●马拉嘉德Malagard，第六层（玛尔博吉）鬼婆女伯爵the Hag Countess of the Sixth (Malbolge)

　　●“堕落执政官”特里尔Triel the Fallen Archon，第七层（马拉多米尼）大公Archduke of the Seventh (Maladomini)

　　●莫里克罗斯Molikroth，第八层（卡尼亚）男爵Baron of the Eighth (Cania)

　　据说第一层的真正领主已被她的督军——深狱炼魔 拜尔Bel——囚禁，后者目前正在她的宫殿中统治着 阿佛纳斯Avernus。至于第九层领主——就像 奈瑟斯Nessus 的大部分地方一样，仍然是个谜。传言说他的出现早于其祂领主，并且揣着一根标示着他在九层地狱秘密会议统治权的红宝石权杖。

The true Lord of the First is said to have been imprisoned by her warlord, the pit fiend Bel, who now rules Avernus in her place. And as for the Lord of the Ninth - well, he's still a mystery, just like most of Nessus itself. Chant is he predates the other lords and carries a ruby rod to signify his rulership over the conclave of the Nine.

[印记城黑话：chant—表示新闻，本地闲话，事实，情形或者其他任何有关当前局势的事情. ]

　　是的，当前在任的领主们并非很久以前凡人记录的那几位，这可不是什么秘密。在原任领主们膝下奉承的巴特祖贵族很好地从主子那里学会了怎么玩弄政治，并最终推翻了在位统治的巴佬。毫无疑问，这些原任领主是被自己的仆人蹶下来的。事实上，在过去的亿万年间这种事可能发生了几十次。

It's no dark that the current lords aren't the same ones who came to mortal knowledge long ago. The noble baatezu serving below the original lords learned the politics of their masters well and eventually overthrew the domineering berks. No doubt they were overthrown by their servants in turn. Fact is, its probably happened dozens of times over the eons.

[印记城黑话：Dark——任何秘密可称为dark. "Here's the dark of it,"等于说 "I've got a secret and I'll share it with you." ]

[印记城黑话：Berk——巴佬。一个笨蛋，尤指那些因为搞不清状况而把自己卷入大麻烦的家伙。]

　　在那些原任领主（就是那些古人所知晓的家伙们）身上发生了什么？大部分可能都变成了肉，很可能就是被丢进了阿佛纳斯的虫窝里喂那些幼虫。如果祂们重生为了低级形态的魔鬼，祂们也无疑未显露出自己曾经辉煌的天赋才华。但原任领主群体中有两位完好无损地幸存了下来：迪斯帕特Dispater，第二层领主；以及 提亚玛特Tiamat，邪龙族类的女王。当然，她已经被降级为被拴在 迪斯Dis 入口的看门狗——这和支配着整个层面可不一样。不过，最近的传言说她从未当过地狱领主，这倒是与大众的一般认知相悖。

What happened to the original lords —the ones known to ancient mortals? Most're long since meat, probably consigned to the larva pits of Avernus. If they were reborn into lesser forms, they've certainly not shown the aptitude for brilliance they once had. But two of the original pack have survived intact: Dispater, Lord ot the Second; and Tiamat, queen of evil dragonkind. Course, she's been relegated to a watchdog position at the entrance to Dis — hardly the same as commanding an entire layer. Besides, chant today says she never a lord, contrary to popular belief.

　　那么现任领主们的巴特祖仆人们仍在尝试推翻他们的主子吗？你最好把问号去掉，巴佬。不过在表面上，他们可是碧血丹心、忠贞不贰。他们会尝试羞辱自己领主的对手或是让对方丢人来提升自己。当然，这些领主也在鼓励下级们之间互相如此相待，因为这将促进弥漫在整个位面的邪恶。

Do the bautezu servants of the current lords still seek to overthrow their masters? Better believe it, berk. But on the surface, they're loyal. They seek to elevate themselves by embarrassing or humiliating their lord's rivals. Naturally, the lords encourage this sort of interplay among their inferiors, for it increases the evil that permeates the plane.

　　诸领主之下邪魔贵族的等级制度极其繁复晦涩。巴特祖魔鬼是故意为之，这样，就只有贵族们知道谁该站在哪里。自认在与某一贵族作对的低级邪魔（和凡人们）们，可能反而在帮助对方。在学会玩转这个阴谋游戏前，你需要先置身巴托的政治之网、好好了解这个游戏。

The hierarchy of noble fiends below the lords is devilishly complicated and convoluted. The baatezu keep it that way on purpose, so only the nobles know exactly who stands where. Lesser fiends (and mortals) might be helping a noble when they think they're working against him. In the web of politics of Baator, a body has to understand the game before he can learn to play it.

[印记城黑话：Body——就是"someone"在位面间的说法.]

　　当然，强鸟们可不会把所有乐趣都留给自己的仆人。据说 九狱诸领主the Lords of the Nine 彼此憎恶，不停计划将另一人废黜来扩张自己的权位。祂们一会组成临时、善变的同盟，一会又轻易地彼此背叛。祂们比多元宇宙的任何老鸟都更了解阴谋诡计的来龙去脉，也热衷于使用这些陷阱坑害自己的同侪。

Course, the high-ups don't leave all the fun to their servants. It's said the Lords of the Nine hate each other, and they constantly scheme to dethrone one another and grab more power for themselves. They form temporary, shifting alliances and betray each other just as readily. They know the ins and outs of legal trickery better than any blood in the multiverse, and they're not averse to using these traps on each other.

[印记城黑话：High-up—强大的。这可以指一个咒语，地位或任何在可衡量范围内充满着力量的事物 。也可以是一个有权有势的人，高层，比如说，派系长老就是 high-ups。如自称是“high-up”，则不会是什么好事，这个词是其它人用来表示尊敬的。]

　　传言说九狱诸领主甚至能绞杀地狱的真神——不过出于尊重，祂们选择不这样做。如果此言为真，这些领主可以说是相当的宽容。如果这是个谎言，那么祂们的宣传机器的确给力，因为巴托地狱的诸神的确没有显露出任何挑战诸领主的迹象。

Chant is the Lords of the Nine could even give the rope to the true powers of the plane - but they choose not to, out of deference. If it's true, the lords are remarkably tolerant. If it's a peel, they've got a remarkably good propaganda machine, because Baator's deities show no inkling of challenging the lords.

[印记城黑话：Give the rope—给条绳子。指绞刑。那些没有逃脱法律制裁们的被判刑的罪犯们的下场就是这样，通常只有盗贼们才用此词。]

　　当然，赛特Set 是个例外，他对任何人能想到的任何情况都有一份计划预案。有个别巴特祖魔鬼声称赛特甚至在计划推翻 第五层领主Lord of the Fifth 莱维思图斯亲王Prince Levistus。显然，这位胡狼兽神明已经受够了与莱维思图斯对其沙漠神国疆域的争吵。

Set's an exception, of course - he's got a plot for any circumstance a body could imagine. A few baatezu've said that Set's even planning on overthrowing Prince Levistus, Lord of the Fifth. Apparently, the jackal-headed god has had enough wrangling with Levistus over the size of his desert realm.

[印记城黑话：Body——就是"someone"在位面间的说法.]

　　或许这些领主们就是该位面一些巴特祖魔鬼的信仰对象——祂们受到恐惧与尊重并非是什么秘密。一些家伙说九狱诸领主是真神而非类神力。无论如何，在无可计数的岁月中，这些领主已经被研究、分门别类，有关祂们的存在富有争议、存在争论，而依托祂们产生的凡人祭司，有些没有获得什么能力，有些则被授予了惊人的威力。

Perhaps the lords are worshiped by some of the baatezu of the plane - it's certainly no dark that they're feared and respected. And some say that the Lords of the Nine are true gods, not near-powers. In any case, for ages beyond reckoning, the lords've been studied and catalogued, their existences debated and fought over, mortal priesthoods established with no abilities forthcoming to some and staggering powers granted to others.

　　如果有什么值得吸取的教训，那便是：无论祂们是个啥，这些领主都想保守自己本质真相的秘密。祂们会尝试毁灭所有证据的痕迹，不过祂们的动作还不够快，不足以平息诸位面间乱飞的谣言。

If there's a lesson to be learned, it's this: Whatever they are, the lords want the truth of their natures kept dark. They try to destroy all scraps of evidence, but they're not fast enough to squelch all the rumors flying around the planes.