优先遵循ANK汉化
第一要塞起义
阅读
2022-08-04更新
最新编辑:Lu_23333
阅读：
更新日期：2022-08-04
最新编辑：Lu_23333
第一要塞起义
“你曾经告诉过我，如果她的兄弟赢了的话，那她就成为了途歇城国王的妹妹了。那么雷曼就会娶她以便与途歇王国结盟。但是她的哥哥赫尔赛斯现在失败了并且和他的母亲一起逃到了晨风。雷曼怎么现在还没有离开她而来娶我为妻呢？”贾列妮女士慢慢地吸了一口水烟后深深地吐出了一口气。带有鲜花芬芳的气息弥漫在了那镀金的房间。“你给我的建议非常的不好，凯尔。也许我该向克劳德雷斯特或是阿里诺的国王求爱而不是王后莫加的那个国王丈夫”
凯尔清楚的知道如果此时他向贾列妮说明了第一要塞国王已经爱上了他的那位黑精灵王后的话，那将会伤害到她的那颗爱慕虚荣的心。因此，他准备给她几分钟时间安静并从她的阳台上眺望那座矗立在悬崖之上的古代首都的王宫。月光如水晶的碎片那样撒落在阿比西恩海的那片青蓝色的海面上。在这里永远都是春天，这时他明白了她为什么要当这片土地上的王后而不是克劳德雷斯特或者阿里诺王后的原因了。
终于，他又开口了：“人们都与你同在，我尊敬的女士。他们是不会同意雷曼死后他的黑精灵后代来统治这片土地”
“我在想”她很平静地说道”我想如果国王为了同盟而不愿意放弃他的王后，她自己是否会因为害怕而放弃呢？对于第一要塞所有的人来说，谁最不喜欢黑精灵的势力影响到王宫呢？”
“这是一个很有趣的问题。我尊敬的女士”凯尔回答。“特雷比特僧侣们，他们的信条就是净化夏暮岛上的高精灵血统，特别是在王室家庭中。但他们的实力还很弱”
“这我知道”贾列妮说道，沉思中的她又吸了一口水烟，笑容突然间爬上了她的脸庞。“莫加已经知道了这一点。她想要把他们全都清理掉，但鉴于那些僧侣们对人民做出的那一切，国王雷曼会坐视不管吗？如果他们能意识到他们已经有了一位强大的女施主，一位和第一要塞王室有着密切关系的，在国王的面前最有影响力的妾室；她的父亲，天望的国王有大量的资金可以给他们提供武器装备，那他们会怎么样呢？”
“充足的武器装备和人民的支持是很强大的背景”凯尔点头道。“但是作为你的顾问，我必须要提醒你：如果你真准备与莫加女王正面为敌的话，那么你就一定要胜利。因为她继承了她母亲巴兰兹雅女王的智慧和复仇的本性”
“她一开始是不会知道我是她的敌人的，如果她知道的话那么一切都晚了”贾列妮耸了耸肩后说道。“去特雷比特僧院，并把弗雷亚·林里姆给我带来。我们必须要一起商讨我们的计划”
两个星期以来，国王雷曼一直听到有关乡间不友好的声音：那些农夫们把莫加称作了”黑女王”，但他对这些并没在意。他现在把他的注意力集中到了卡莱斯·拉尔小岛上那些猖獗的海盗身上。那些海盗比以往都要更加棘手，不久前他们又组织袭击了沿海的王家泊船。为了给予那些海盗沉重地打击，他组织了他手下民兵并准备亲自率领军队进攻卡莱斯·拉尔岛。
在国王出征后的几天，特雷比特僧侣就开始在首都地区暴动了。袭击王城的行动非常有条理而且事先并没有任何警告。卫兵队长在没有接到指示的情况下就先于那些慌乱的仆从们冲进了莫加的卧室。
“我尊敬的女王陛下”他喘着气说道，“这是一场暴动”
而此时的贾列妮并没有睡觉，当凯尔进来传递消息的时候她正坐在窗边，抽着水烟看着远方山顶上的火光。
“莫加正在宫中”凯尔说道，“我想他们已经告诉了她特雷比特僧侣们策划了这次的暴动，起义军们将在明早到达城市的大门”
“起义军和王家卫队相比有没有胜算？”贾列妮问道。
“形势在我们这边”凯尔说道。“尽管起义军没有我们想象中的那么多。那些憎恨女王的农夫们只攻击了一小会就解散了。现在我们的军队是由僧侣们自己和一帮你父亲雇佣的佣兵组成的。简单地说，他们比一般的暴民更有组织性也更有战斗力。他们是真正的军队”
“但这样也不能使黑女王退位的”贾列妮笑着说道，她从椅子上慢慢地起身。“那个可怜的人儿现在大概在努力使自己不紧张吧，我真想飞到她的身边去享受这一切”
但当贾列妮看见莫加走出王宫的时候，她失望了。莫加刚刚从梦乡中被暴动的吵闹声所惊醒并花了几个小时的时间与她手下的军队商讨事态的发展。她看起来很美丽，从她那双明亮的红眼睛中能清楚地看见那骄傲与轻蔑的火花。
“我的女王陛下”贾列妮哭道，她使劲地从眼睛里挤出了一些眼泪。“在我听见这些喊声的时候我就赶来了。我们全都会被杀死吗？”
“这是毫无疑问的”莫加很简略地回答道。贾列妮试图从她的脸上读透她，但她失败了。莫加脸上的表情比那些高精灵们更难读懂。
“我甚至怪自己到现在还要来提醒你”贾列妮说道。“但是引起这些暴乱的人其实就是你，如果你放弃当这个国家的王后的话，这场暴乱就会被平息的。请你理解这些，我的女王。我只为这个国家的前途和我们自己的生命考虑”
“我知道你建议的真正意思”莫加笑着说道。“但是我是不会接受这种建议的，相信我。我已经考虑过类似的这种建议了，但是我想我是不会就此放弃的”
“你正在策划保卫你自己吗？”贾列妮问道，她尽量地使自己表现出那种充满希望的模样。
“国王出征前留下了不少战斗法师”莫加说道，“那些暴民大概以为我们只有一些卫兵和少量的士兵吧。但当他们到达王城大门的时候迎接他们的将会是一波波的火球，我想他们应该会落荒而逃吧”
“那不是对于那些袭击者来说最好的屏障吗？”贾列妮用她那看似平静的口吻说到。
“如果他们知道这点的话，那应该会有应对的措施。但我想在那群暴民里应该不会有使用恢复系魔法的法师吧。如果有这些法师的话他们就可以用魔法盾把自己罩住。这样我的战斗法师使用的魔法将会反弹到他们自己身上。这样的话我们的形势就糟糕了，但如果他们中间真的有足够的法师可以使用这项魔法的话我想这种情形也是不会发生的。没有一位元战区指挥官会作出这种方式的决定，除非他清楚地知道他将要面对的是什么敌人。但到那时候，陷阱就已经发动了”莫加眨着双眼说道。“现在开始组织法术的话已经太晚了”
“真是一个狡猾的计策，我的陛下”贾列妮铭记于心道。
莫加说要准备离开去见那些战斗法师了，贾列妮则给了她一个拥抱。凯尔站在王宫的花园里等着他的主人。
“在雇佣军部队里有法师吗？”她很快地问道。
“有几个”凯尔回答道，他对贾列妮的询问有些疑惑。“他们大多是被赛伊克教会驱逐出去的，但他们还是懂得一些在学院里学得的最常用的法术”
“你必须到城门外去告诉弗雷亚·林里姆，在他们近攻以前让这些法师释放一些反射法术到战斗的前线”贾列妮说道。
“这可不是一个正规的战斗策略”凯尔皱着眉头说道。
“我知道这一点，傻瓜，这就是莫加所想要的。他们有一大帮战斗法师等待在城门口，迎接我们军队的将会是漫天的火球”
“战斗法师？我以为国王雷曼带着他们去和那些海盗战斗了”
“你可以这么想”贾列妮大笑道，“但到那时我们都被击败了。好了，你现在马上给我出城！”
弗雷亚·林里姆听了凯尔的话后也觉得很奇怪，到目前为止还没有听说过在战斗前就在自己部队身上释放反射法术的。这种作战方式是不合情理的。作为一个特雷比特僧侣，他仔细地衡量了各方面的各种因素。在另一方面，他的部队里并没有太多的治疗法师，他们不能在施放反射法术的时候浪费自己的法力。
在黎明的阳光刚照射到大地的时候，叛军们已经看到了远方闪着亮光的第一要塞的众塔。弗雷亚·林里姆把那些懂得法术基础和深熟法术运用的法师都集中到了一起。他们中的一些人还是法术运用的大师级人物。他们的加入使得部队的战斗力更加强悍。一阵强力的魔法波冲洗了整支军队，爆裂声，嘶嘶声全都注入了这支可怕的部队之中。当他们抵达王城大门的时候，每一个士兵都清楚，没有一种法术能在短时间内伤害到他们了。
弗雷亚·林里姆看着他的军队猛烈地进攻着城门，一种强烈的满足感涌上了他的心头。他正好用出奇不意的进攻手段抵消了城门内那些顽强的抵抗。想到这里，他的脸上露出了满意的微笑。
但是他们在战场上遇见的并不是一支战斗法师部队，而是一支由王宫卫兵组成的弓箭手。漫天的火弹落在了城外那些叛军的身上，那些治疗法师急忙跑到伤者旁试图用治疗法术为他们疗伤。但治疗法术却从那些伤者的身上反弹到了治疗者自己的身上，一个紧接着一个。那些进攻的叛军们突然意识到自己现在是那么的无助，他们开始慌乱并在没有组织的情况下向后撤退了。弗雷亚·林里姆在抵抗了一会后也迅速逃离了战场。
战后，盛怒之下的弗雷亚·林里姆向贾列妮女士和凯尔寄了一封言辞激烈的信件，但不久之后，那封信被退回来了。就连他手下最优秀的特使也不能找到他们两人的下落。
接下来，经过了一系列的严刑拷打，叛乱者们很快就交代了他们反叛国王的阴谋。凯尔被处决了，而贾列妮则被送回了天望的她父亲处，她的父亲仍然准备给她找一个丈夫。而国王雷曼在这场风波后也决定不再纳新的妾室了。第一要塞的民众们都认为国王修改这项草案是由于那位邪恶的外来的黑王后的影响所致，抱怨声开始此起彼伏。
The Firsthold Revolt
The Firsthold Revolt
You told me that if her brother won, she would be sister to the King of Wayrest, and Reman would want to keep her for the alliance. But her brother Helseth lost and has fled with his mother back to Morrowind, and still Reman has not left her to marry me." Lady Gialene took a long, slow drag of the hookah and blew out dragon's breath, so the scent of blossoms perfumed her gilded chamber. "You make a very poor advisor, Kael. I might have spent my time romancing the king of Cloudrest or Alinor instead of the wretched royal husband of Queen Morgiah."
Kael knew better than to hurt his lady's vanity by the mere suggestion that the King of Firsthold might have come to love his Dunmer Queen. Instead he gave her a few minutes to pause and look from her balcony out over the high cliff palaces of the ancient capitol. The moons shone like crystal on the deep sapphire waters of the Abecean Sea. It was ever springtide here, and he could well understand why she would prefer a throne in this land than in Cloudrest or Alinor.
Finally, he spoke: "The people are with you, my lady. They do not relish the idea of Reman's dark elf heirs ruling the kingdom when he is gone."
"I wonder," she said calmly. "I wonder if as the King would not give up his Queen for want of alliances, whether she would give herself up out of fear. Of all the people of Firsthold, who most dislikes the Dunmer influence on the court?"
"Is this a trick question, my lady?" asked Kael. "The Trebbite Monks, of course. Their credo has ever been for pure Altmer bloodlines on Summurset, and among the royal families most of all. But, my lady, they make very weak allies."
"I know," said Gialene, taking up her hookah again thoughtfully, a smile creeping across her face. "Morgiah has seen to it that they have no power. She would have exterminated them altogether had Reman not stopped her for all the good they do for the country folk. What if they found themselves with a very powerful benefactress? One with intimate knowledge of the court of Firsthold, the chief concubine of the King, and all the gold to buy weapons with that her father, the King of Skywatch, could supply?"
"Well-armed and with the support of the country people, they would be formidable," nodded Kael. "But as your advisor, I must warn you: if you make yourself an active foe of Queen Morgiah, you must play to win. She has inherited much of her mother Queen Barenziah's intelligence and spirit of vengeance."
"She will not know I am her foe until it is too late," shrugged Gialene. "Go to the Trebbite monastery and bring me Friar Lylim. We must strategize our plan of attack."
For two weeks, Reman was advised about growing resentment in the countryside from peasants who called Morgiah the "Black Queen," but it was nothing that he had not heard before. His attention was on the pirates on a small island off the coast called Calluis Lar. They had been more brazen as late, attacking royal barges in organized raids. To deliver a crushing blow, he ordered the greatest part of his militia to invade the island -- an incursion he himself would lead.
A few days after Reman left the capitol, the revolt of the Trebbite Monks exploded. The attacks were well-coordinated and without warning. The Chief of the Guards did not wait to be announced, bursting into Morgiah's bedchamber ahead of a flurry of maidservants.
"My Queen," he said. "It is a revolution."
By contrast, Gialene was not asleep when Kael came to deliver the news. She was seated by the window, smoking her hookah and looking at the fires far off in the hills.
"Morgiah is with council," he explained. "I am certain they are telling her that the Trebbite Monks are behind the uprising, and that the revolution will be at the city gates by morning."
"How large is the revolutionary army in contrast to the remaining royal militia?" asked Gialene.
"The odds are well in our favor," said Kael. "Though not perhaps as much as we hoped. The country folk, it seems, like to complain about their queen, but stop short of insurrection. Primarily, the army is composed of the Monks themselves and a horde of mercenaries your father's gold bought. In a way of thinking, it is preferable this way -- they are more professional and organized that a common mob. Really, they are a true army, complete with a horn section."
"If that doesn't frighten the Black Queen into abdication, nothing will," smiled Gialene, rising from her chair. "The poor dear must be beside herself with worry. I must fly to her side and enjoy it."
Gialene was disappointed when she saw Morgiah come out of the Council Chambers. Considering that she had been woken from a deep sleep with cries of revolution and had spent the last several hours in consultation with her meager general force, she looked beautiful. There was a sparkle of proud defiance in her bright red eyes.
"My Queen," Gialene cried, forcing real tears. "I came as soon as I heard! Will we all be slaughtered?"
"A distinct possibility," replied Morgiah simply. Gialene tried to read her, but the expressions of women, especially alien women, were a far greater challenge than those of Altmer men.
"I hate myself for even thinking to propose this," said Gialene. "But since the cause of their fury is you, perhaps if you were to give up the throne, they might disperse. Please understand, my queen, I am thinking only of the good of the kingdom and our own lives."
"I understand the spirit of your suggestion," smiled Morgiah. "And I will take it under advisement. Believe me, I've thought of it myself. But I don't think it will come to that."
"Have you a plan for defending us?" asked Gialene, contorting her features to an expression she knew bespoke girlish hope.
"The king left us several dozen of his royal battlemages," said Morgiah. "I think the mob believes we have nothing but palace guards and a few soldiers to protect us. When they get to the gates are greeted with a wave of fireballs, I find it highly likely that they will lose heart and retreat."
"But isn't there some protection they could be using against such an assault?" asked Gialene in her best worried voice.
"If they knew about it, naturally there is. But an unruly mob is unlikely to have mages skilled in the arts of Restoration, by which they could shield themselves from the spells, or Mysticism, by which they could reflect the spells back on my battlemages. That would be the worst scenario, but even if they were well-organized enough to have Mystics in their ranks -- and enough of them to reflect so many spells -- it just isn't done. No battlefield commander would advise such a defense during a siege unless he knew precisely what he was going to be meeting. And then, of course, once the trap is sprung" Morgiah winked. "It's too late for a countering spell."
"A most cunning solution, your highness," said Gialene, honestly impressed.
Morgiah excused herself to meet with her battlemages, and Gialene gave her an embrace. Kael was waiting in the palace garden for his lady.
"Are there Mystics among the mercenaries?" she asked quickly.
"Several, in fact," replied Kael, bewildered by her query. "Largely rejects from the Psijic Order, but they know enough to cast the regular spells of the school."
"You must sneak out the city gates and tell Friar Lylim to have them cast reflection spells on all the front line before they attack," said Gialene.
"That's most irregular battlefield strategy," frowned Kael.
"I know it is, fool, that's what Morgiah is counting on. There's a gang of battlemages who are going to be waiting on the battlements to greet our army with a barrage of fire balls."
"Battlemages? I would have thought that King Reman would have brought them with him to fight the pirates."
"You would have thought that," laughed Gialene. "But then we would be defeated. Now go!"
Friar Lylim agreed with Kael that it was a bizarre, unheard-of way to begin a battle, casting reflection spells on all one's troops. It went against every tradition, and as a Trebbite Monk, he valued tradition above every other virtue. There was little other choice, though, given the intelligence. He had few enough healers in the army as it were, and their energies could not be wasted casting resistance spells.
At dawn's light, the rebel army was in sight of the gleaming spires of Firsthold. Friar Lylim gathered together every soldier who knew even the rudimentary secrets of Mysticism, who knew how to tap in to the elementary conundrums and knots of the energies of magicka. Though few were masters of the art, their combined force was powerful to behold. A great surge of entangling power washed over the army, crackling, hissing, and infusing all with their ghostly force. When they arrived at the gates, every soldier, even the least imaginative, knew that no spell would touch him for a long time.
Friar Lylim watched his army batter into the gate with the great satisfaction of a commander who has counteracted an unthinkable attack with an outrageous defense. The smile quickly faded from his face.
They were met at the battlements not by mages but by common archers of the palace guard. As the flaming arrows fell upon the siegers like a red rain, the healers ran in to help the wounded. Their healing spells reflected off the dying men, one after the other. Chaos ruled as the attackers suddenly found themselves defenseless and began a panicked, unorganized retreat. Friar Lylim himself considered briefly holding his ground before fleeing himself.
Later, he would send furious notes to Lady Gialene and Kael, but they were returned. Even his best secret agents within the palace were unable to find their whereabouts.
Neither had, as it turns out, much previous experience with torture, and they soon confessed their treachery to the King's satisfaction. Kael was executed, and Gialene was sent back with escort to her father's court of Skywatch. He has still to find a husband for her. Reman, by contrast, has elected not to take a new royal concubine. The common folk of Firsthold consider this break in palace protocol to be more of the sinister alien influence of the Black Queen, and grumble to all who will listen.
沪公网安备 31011002002714 号