特别感谢版主大人所翻译的印记城黑话..
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By Magnum Opus
Translated by Artoria
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“原萃”（Quintessential）一词在外层位面并不十分常用——它更多时候被称为第五元素领域（the fifth Elemental Province）（请参见我在同一层的诸位面溯源的展览以获得更多此类信息）。然而贤者与哲学家们依然使用这个字眼来强调存在于所有种族体内的本原之质的重要性。最广为所知的原萃是奇点（Primus），魔冢（modron）的统治者与所有律法的象征。那么其他的位面原生种族的呢？
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是的，只有“纯粹”的种族拥有原萃领袖。确实，巴特兹（baatezu）们有九重地狱领主（Lords of the Nine），塔那利（tanar'ri）们则有深渊领主（Abyssal Lords）；亚空神族（archon）拥有他们的诸王（Thrones），爱剌神族也有他们的仙后女王（Fairy Queen）。尽管他们都是如此强大的存在，然而主导其他的位面原生种族的哲学所表现出本质并不是他们。
* k* Q7 ~' R# t6 ~$ n) `7 n7 }7 J我们所见共有五个原萃的位面原生种族：魔冢，万物皆循律法；史拉蟾（slaad），混沌的具像；盖丁神族（guardinal），纯粹的善良；尤格罗斯魔（yugoloth），彻底邪恶的内心。以及介于四者之间的御衡者（rilmani），代表完全的中立。这些种族中只有魔冢拥有显见的领袖，然而进一步钻研，我们发现所有这五个种族之间的相同之处要多于第一眼偶瞥所见到的。
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尽管多元宇宙的其余部分都知晓魔冢之主奇点，似乎魔冢们自己却并不知道。在这些疯狂的方盒们奇异的等级制度中，每个阶层只知晓其直接的上级与下级。因此在所有的魔冢中，只有位处第二阶层才知道奇点自己的存在。而种族的其余成员仅仅是承认他们存在一个领袖，并且根据他们对于自然优越的信仰，他们的原萃统治者是永恒不变的。
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转换话题，在御衡者的神话中，他们同样有一位统治者，尽管对于外界他们从未承认或否认过。传说这个种族的领袖不是别人，正是痛苦女士（Lady of Pain）本人。证据有这些：她和他们一样居住于无极尖峰；她和他们一样冷漠避世、了无牵挂；她同样是一派金属色调，她的力量神秘莫测。据推测，御衡者们对此保持沉默的原因，除了他们习以为常的谜样天性之外，在于女士自己并不知道她是他们的领袖偶像，而她也毋须知道。为什么不？伙计，谁知道，也许御衡者们生怕她因为崇拜她而将他们中的大多数人活剥了，虽然按理说他们理应被活剥！
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对于混乱的史拉蟾；首先，似乎这些生物太过无序，无法拥有一位统一的领袖，确实在他们的宗教和社会结构中都没有这种领袖。然而他们的确服从一个依据颜色和力量划分的森严等级制度。稍弱的史拉蟾惯于顺从他们更强的兄长们，这种阶级组织延续直至顶端。似乎史拉蟾们承认他们拥有一位统治者，虽然似乎他们并不知道那是什么，或许他们知道？位面行者们常常对史拉蟾们聚集在他们的产卵石（Spawning Stone）周围的古怪倾向作出评论。难道这块明显无辜的石头事实上是某种意义上的种族领袖吗？至少这是一种理论。
5 u3 B2 s. g8 T. P# [- e1 Y尤格罗斯魔的情况如何呢？虽然这些恶魔至少和御衡者一样神秘，对于他们的信仰外界仍知晓更多。也许那是因为你不可能像贿赂一个尤格罗斯魔一样贿赂一个御衡者！这些恶魔中最邪恶的家伙很明显信仰并且畏惧他们的领袖，那也许是焦炎地狱（Gehenna）的那位传奇将军，当然也许不是。如果不是，则这个领袖有可能是极少被提起的“巴恩氏族”（Clan Baern）。看上去似乎高等罗斯魔（ultroloth）正统治着种族，我有确实可靠的依据表明只有高等罗斯魔们知晓比他们自身更纯粹和危险的邪恶的生物的存在。遇到这些血族中的一个可真是叫人不寒而栗！
2 m. C& z4 y! c3 f1 A5 K# c# B) O* S最后来看看善良的原萃，在这里似乎没有单一的答案；依据你所询问的目标，你会被灌输不同的论调。我的一个尤格罗斯魔线人（）坚持赌咒发誓说曾经存在过一位善良的领袖，只不过千万年以前被塔那利杀死了。盖丁神族们，也许你能想象他们对这种说法的冷嘲热讽，并全心全意反驳说事实完全不是如此。但私下里他们似乎在此事上有所分歧。一些盖丁神族坚信他们一直预言中的伟大领袖（Great Leader）尚未到来，必须耐心等待它出现的标志与预兆。位面学家们（Planologists）几乎每年都预言它的降临，尽管似乎根据他们编造的话什么都没到来。其它的盖丁神族估计他们的救世主已经出现了（指出数不清的含糊先兆来支撑他们的声言），也许他们中有一个教派正积极寻求它的存在，无论它以何外形出现。诽谤者们（Detractors）争辩说当救世主出现（返回？）之时善良阵营理所应当会知晓！最后一派人声称他们压根就没有一位领袖，而且这完全无关紧要，因为邪恶最危险的敌人即是邪恶本身，无需借助任何事物来对抗它。
2 E, g; E% p% s/ p+ |哎，我一个字都不能证明。
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: L1 d8 Y# c' @8 Z原萃（Quintessential）：第五元素，构成外域生命的源质，共有五种，分别代表绝对的善良、邪恶、秩序、混沌和中立，也是本文讨论的焦点。为顺口我摈弃了上一篇中的“精华”，编造出了“原萃”这个古怪的词。
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奇点（Primus）：魔冢之主的名讳，这个译名来自异度风景某篇文章
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产卵石（Spawning Stone）：产卵石是史拉蟾种族延续之所系，传说为已经登神的两位史拉蟾之王所创造用以标定种族的形貌，详见位面手册“混沌海”章。此译名来自Spector大人的翻译( G: \" d9 Y6 J* [9 Z8 r# Q
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巴恩氏族（Clan Baern）：据称是多元宇宙形成之初的某个纯粹邪恶的种族，由巴恩（女性）所领导，也可能指巴恩本人。见http://uk.geocities.com/mchevallier/planescape/chronomancy/history.htm
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焦炎地狱的那位传奇将军（the legendary General of Gehenna）：指焦炎将军，首位高等罗斯魔，详见位面手册
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位面学家们（Planologists）和诽谤者们（Detractors）：可能是盖丁神族中的派别
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文中还有诸多错漏，欢迎指正
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"Quintessential" is a term not often used on the Outer Planes -- it refers most often to the fifth Elemental Province (see my exhibition on the Ancient Planes in this very mezzanine for more information on that). However, sages and philosophers also use the word to signify the embodied essence of an entire race. The best known Quintessential is Primus, the symbol of all Law and the ruler of the modrons. But what of the other planeborne races? ' h: [/ ~; }1 a3 D
- a; }1 y F1 j6 ?Well, only the "pure" races have Quintessential leaders. True, the baatezu have their Lords of the Nine, the tanar'ri have Abyssal Lords, the archons their Thrones and the eladrin the Fairy Queen. But powerful though these being may be, they are not the essences of philosophy that leaders of the other planeborne races represent.
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See, there are five quintessential planeborne races: the modrons are all that is Law, the slaad embody Chaos, the guardinals are pure Good, and the hearts of the yugoloths are utter Evil. Between them all, the rilmani represent total Neutrality. Of all these races, only the modrons have an obvious leader, but delving deeper, we find that all five races have more in common than first meets the casual gaze.
Though the rest of the Multiverse knows of Primus the Modron King, it seems the modrons themselves do not. In the bizarre hierarchy of the barmy boxes, each rank is only aware of the caste immediately above and below itself. Thus of all the modrons, only the secundi know of Primus himself. The rest of the race merely assumes that there is a leader, and through their belief in natural superiority the Quintessential ruler is sustained.
0 m- E' K- K6 Y( U' N8 vThe chant goes that the rilmani also have a ruler figure in their mythology, though they have never confirmed nor denied this to the outside world. It's rumoured that the leader of their race is none other than the Lady of Pain. Consider the evidence: she dwells at the Spire as do they, she remains as aloof and uncaring as the rilmani themselves, she too is metallic in colour, and her powers are unknown and mysterious. It's reckoned the reason the rilmani keep so quiet about it, aside from their customary enigmatic nature, is that the Lady herself does not know she is their figurehead, and nor must she know. Why not? Who can say, cutter. Perhaps the rilmani are worried that she'd flay the lot of them for worshipping her, even though by rights they ought to!
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As for the chaotic slaad; these creatures would at first seem to be too disorganised to have a unifying leader, and indeed, none is present in their religious or social structure. They do, however obey a rigid caste system of colour and strength. Weaker slaad are deferential to their stronger brothers, and this hierarchy continues right to the top. It seems that slaad assume their have a ruler, though they seem to have no idea what it might be. Or do they? Planewalkers have often commented upon the slaad's curious tendency to congregate around their Spawning Stone. Could this apparently innocent rock in fact be some sort of racial leader? It's a theory, at least.
0 U1 U, G4 M+ [' IWhat of the yugoloths? While these fiends are at least as secretive as the rilmani, more is known of their beliefs. Maybe that's because you just can't bribe a rilmani like you can a yugoloth! These most fiendish of fiends apparently believe in and fear their leader, who may or may not be the legendary General of Gehenna. If not, the leader may be of the rarely mentioned "Clan Baern". While the ultroloths appear to rule the race, I have it on good authority that only the ultroloths know there are creatures of more pure and dangerous evil than themselves. I'd dread to meet one of those bloods!
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Finally, the good Quintessential. There seems to be no single answer here; depending upon who you ask, you'll be fed different chant. A yugoloth source of mine steadfastly swears that there used to be a leader of Good, only the tanar'ri slew it thousands of years ago. The guardinals, who you might expect would sneer at this and refute it wholeheartedly in fact do not. Privately, they seem divided on the issue. Some guardinals believe their oft-prophesied Great Leader has not yet arrived, and wait patiently for signs and omens of its appearance. Planologists predict its arrival almost yearly, though nothing has yet come of the flam they seem to talk. Other guardinals reckon that their saviour has already arisen (pointing to countless obscure harbingers to back up their claims), and maybe there's a sect of them out there actively seeking it out, in whatever guise it may have adopted. Detractors argue that when the saviour emerges (returns?) good-kind will surely know about it! A final bunch claim they don't have a leader, and that it doesn't matter a fig, because evil is its own worst enemy and don't need anything to oppose it.
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Alas, I cannot prove a word.
