美服《激战2》：金环蛇（Krait）水中的阴影

激战2官方博客更新了一系列的文章，介绍了激战2充满战争和混乱的Tyria世界里一些稀少的种族。刚刚更新的水中的阴影（shadows in the water）一文详细介绍了金环蛇（Krait）。金环蛇是一种很聪明的生物，拖着长长的尾巴，要祭祀祖先的时候，他们会将俘虏送出水面。他们深信某一天，他们的祖先会回来这个世界，用深海淹没Tyria的表面。金环蛇用奴隶祭祀祖先表达敬意，以保证他们的祖先在另一个神秘世界中有人服侍。
 

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几个世纪以来，传言城市是在远海海底里升起来的。尖顶从海浪中升起，在任何地平线上都看不到陆地，他们的地基沉入海底，需要空气的生物不能存活。迷失的海员住在那里，他们的船被风暴吞噬。用木材玻璃制作的护栏闪闪发光，海盗藏的宝藏都露出了水面，大家都以为这些已经葬送海底。
事实就是这种地方的确存在着。传说使得他们更加美妙充满神奇。然而事实却是更加黑暗的故事。这些有着柱子的城市（pillared city）其实是奴隶的监狱，建造来使得被关押的人活着，一直到他们要被活祭的时刻。控制他们的是种极度危险的生物，他们每天都会来巡查，知晓何时奴隶们活祭的时间到来。奴隶们每天吃着俘虏他们的人扔给他们鱼的碎片，他们可悲的存在着，常常盯着水平线的地方祈祷，祈求能有人在金环蛇回来之前来解救他们。
深色的身影划过，印在水中的阴影。小心不要让你的孩子们走进岸边，小心你们自己不要靠近海水。太多太多的人消失在水中，没有一个人生还。
金环蛇充满智慧而邪恶，长长的尾巴使得他们在水中可以极速游动。尽管他们有鳞，角，和蜥蜴般的头部，但是他却有着人类的躯干。他们是极度邪恶的生物，对于其他生物的需求和生存从不在乎。濒临灭亡改变了他们，使得他们变形，更加难以摧毁。

无论是陆地还是海底，金环蛇从没有被Tyria世界中任何生物所威胁。这就是为什么金环蛇从来不会为与其他种族打交道而烦心。他们不需要陆地生物给予他们任何东西。除了他们需要一些奴隶用以祭祀。但是，他们自己可以无情的去抓些奴隶。
甚至是两栖动物hylek在水底战斗时都没有优势。没有任何Hylek部落可以打击金环蛇。Quaggan惧怕金环蛇，传言在海底建立了他们巨大的教堂。金环蛇从未被打败过，他们相信他们是不可战胜的一族。他们相信自己是被上帝眷顾并进化到世界最有优势的种族。

宗教信仰
金环蛇的社会是黑暗狂热的。由Oratuss领导，金环蛇遵守着他们种族深不可测的先知所定的古老教条，金环蛇常常预知先知们的回归。金环蛇的信仰依于一块巨大的方尖碑。它是由一块独特的深色石所造，这种石头仅仅只存在于Tyria的深海海底，而且数量非常稀少。金环蛇相信每一块方尖碑都是依于金环蛇先知升天的地址，在那里他们的先知进入到一个神秘的世界，存于不同的空间，那里他们的先知建立起强大的军队，可以消灭其他所有的种族。

金环蛇没有文字。他们有着强大的记忆力，他们的神职人员可以背诵他们种族所有的宗教文本。这些文字非常难记，内容百纳海川。要成为金环蛇的神职人员“Oratuss”是个一生的过程并需要巨大的奉献精神。另外，金环蛇族类不知道，神职人员为了保证他们种族的力量，巧妙的改变宗教文本的内容，并确保无论他们需要什么样的解释，这些解释都在方尖碑上有提及。
陆地的历史学家和学者的关于海底方尖碑的理论并不神秘，只是金环蛇族类宗教角色和族长的古老纪念碑。因为金环蛇都是口头传说，有些信息丢失了几百年。他们已经忘记了方尖碑最初的目的，并以神秘的祭祀来代替。当然了，方尖碑非常光滑，上面没有任何的印记。因此并不能一下子和他们种族的历史相联系。Oratuss把这些纪念物的含义解释给他的人民。但是因为这些神职人员的肆意修改，方尖碑建立的故事和建立的目的被扭曲成宗教上的意义。

如同方尖碑，金环蛇族类非常坚信自己的信仰。他们的传说表明，不生活在水里的所有生物都是被他们的祖先驱赶出去的并禁止他们再进入到海水中来。尽管事实并不是这样，金环蛇拒绝听其他种族的解释，为了保护自己种族的信仰不被诋毁，他们认为摧毁其他生物是个有效的办法。
深海
金环蛇可以在深海及水面游动。海底的场景非常细致，充满珊瑚礁和天然山洞。代表关押奴隶的柱子是由沉船的残骸及其他从陆上军队偷来的材料建造的。金环蛇住在海底平坦的地方，崇拜着自己的方尖碑，享受着他们的猎物。人类及其他的需要呼吸空气的奴隶被关押在柱子上端小居室里，等待着自己被吃掉或者被祭祀的时刻。奴隶可以用火来烤熟他们分到的鱼，有时候远在几海里的地方都能看到他们点燃的火光，提示其他船只不要靠近金环蛇族类的老巢。

社会&生态
“小家伙们，要时刻谨慎！要灵活！最重要的是，一定要残忍！让我们族类的传说震撼住他们！”

金环蛇族类勇敢，邪恶，并充满智慧。他们孵蛋孕育生命。不分男女，都要接受教育和战争训练，都要承担一定的社会责任。金环蛇可以在水域外生存，但是他们更倾向在水中建立他们的城镇。他们的城市常常在方尖碑周围建立，包含孵蛋的地方，争斗的场地以及长长的发光的道路。甚至在城市上方几里地的地方游动，都可以看到这种荧光的道路。金环蛇是数学狂热者，常常使用数学和数字学（和魔力）来决定祖先归来的日期。
金环蛇非常的灵活，游泳技术高超。他们的生存分三个阶段：幼年，青少年，成年。幼年金环蛇弱小，常常被关在有人看守的巢穴处，直到他们掌握了游泳的技巧以及一些基本生存本领。青少年时充当侦察兵。成年的金环蛇便拥有了他们种族的能力和实力。所有的金环蛇都愿意必要的牺牲，也因此金环蛇的信仰和种族得以存活。
屏幕背后
在之前的激战游戏中金环蛇族类就是一大特色，先知在激战2中游戏制作者非常愿意继续他们的故事。我们对金环蛇的文化和社会了解甚少，随着游戏内容扩展到新的水下领域中，玩家会对此类种族越来越了解。
毫无疑问，金环蛇一直是一个邪恶的族类。在很多副本中我们都对每个邪恶的种族，文化和角色都提供了他们作恶的原因并有他们好的方面，但是金环蛇族类完全被设置成邪恶的混蛋。我们非常谨慎的从他们的信仰入手，因为我们了解先知“prophets”一词会引入现代宗教的理解。我们不想将金环蛇族类的信仰与现代宗教的思想有所混淆。金环蛇族类的先知是虚幻的角色，用来从思想上面控制他们的种族。他们种族的任何文化宗教信仰都没有以现代的宗教有关。
金环蛇族类崇拜的神秘方尖碑最初是为了无法言喻的艺术思想。他们引起了游戏设计者的注意，我们可以想象到一个种族如何信任这些塔是神圣的遗迹。激战2的画面也非诚的震撼，动画的细腻，战斗的凶猛。游戏开发组会沿着金环蛇的形象路线设计下去，并加入更多的种族。将故事扩展到水下城给了玩家不同于原先激战的体验。

Guild Wars 2 : The Krait Profiled
The latest in a series of articles spotlighting the lesser races of Tyria has appeared on the official Guild Wars 2 blog. Titled "Shadows in the Water", the post details the Krait. The Krait are intelligent creatures with long tails and who are known for keeping prisoners above water until required for sacrificial purposes.
Krait society is dark and fanatical. Led by their priesthood, the Oratuss, the krait follow an ancient doctrine handed down to them by their abyssal prophets and constantly foretell of the prophets’ return. The krait religion is based on massive obelisks of a unique, dark stone that can be found exclusively and rarely on Tyria’s ocean floors. The krait believe that each of these obelisks was raised upon the site of a krait prophet’s ascension into a mystic world, a world beyond this one, where these nameless prophets are building an army great enough to eradicate all other species. One day, they will return and drown the surface of Tyria beneath one massive sea. The krait sacrifice slaves to show reverence to the prophets and to ensure that the prophets will have servants in their mystical “other world.”

For centuries, tales have been told of pillared cities rising above the water far out at sea. Spires reach up from the waves with no land visible on any horizon, and their bases coil down into the ocean depths where no air-breather could survive. Lost sailors live there, their ships crushed by storms. Glittering parapets soar, formed from wood, glass, and pirate treasure long thought to be lost at sea.
The truth is that such places exist. Yet, while legends make them sound beautiful and exotic, reality is a far darker tale. These “pillared cities” are slave pens, built to hold land-dwellers alive above the waves until they are required for sacrifice. Those who live upon them are desperate, maddened creatures that gaze down every day into the dark waters and know that their time will soon come. Living on scraps of fish thrown to them by their captors, they eke out a pathetic existence while always watching for a sail on the horizon—praying, begging, and screaming for someone to rescue them before the krait return.
“Dark shapes slither through the water, shadows within shadows of waves. Watch your children if they walk too close to the shore. Watch yourself. Far too many have vanished into these waters, and none have ever returned from the deeps.” — Jarl Foxcoat, norn skaald

The krait are intelligent serpent-like creatures with long tails suited for speed in the water, but torsos and arms that are more humanoid—albeit with scales, horns, and lizard-like heads. They are incredibly vicious creatures, completely uninterested in the needs or well-being of others. Coming close to death transforms them, causing them to shape-shift out of religious frenzy; in such a state, they are even more difficult to destroy.

Equally comfortable above and below the water, the krait have never felt truly threatened by any of the land-dwelling races of Tyria. Perhaps that is why they have not bothered to communicate with other races. They have no need of anything land-dwellers can give them, other than slaves for their use and sacrifices for their rituals. However, the krait can seize those for themselves—with ruthless efficiency.

Even the amphibious hylek are at a disadvantage when fighting underwater. No hylek tribe has been able to mount an effective force against the krait. The quaggan are terrified of them and tell tales of their monstrous chantries beneath the sea. The krait have never been beaten, and do not believe themselves to be defeatable. They are convinced that they are blessed and elevated: the superior species in the world.

Behind the Scenes
The krait were featured in the original Guild Wars game, and we very much wanted to continue their story in Guild Wars 2. We knew so little about their culture and society; as we were expanding the game into new underwater regions, it was exciting to add new depth (pun intended) to an existing race.
The krait have always been an unapologetically evil race. While we take pains in many instances to provide two sides to any story and to show that even evil races, cultures, and characters have good reasons for their actions, the krait were designed to be straightforwardly “black hat.” We approached their focus on religion very cautiously, knowing that the word “prophets” would bring to mind modern religious references. It is important to note that we in no way want to compare krait fanaticism to any real-world faith. The prophets of the krait are false religious figures invented by a ruling priest caste to maintain their control. No part of the krait culture or religion is based on, or intended to resemble, any real-world parallel.
The mysterious obelisks that the krait revere were initially created by undefined pieces of concept art—dark, unadorned stone columns that looked unusual and stood out from other underwater terrain. They really caught the eye of the design team, and we could easily imagine how a race might believe these are holy relics. The GW2 art for the race is also amazing, very sinuous in animation and ferocious in design. We wanted to keep preexisting styles of krait (the hypnoss) and also add new ones. Expanding the story into their underwater cities gave us the perfect reason to introduce krait types that were not seen in the original Guild Wars.
 

Religion
Krait society is dark and fanatical. Led by their priesthood, the Oratuss, the krait follow an ancient doctrine handed down to them by their abyssal prophets and constantly foretell of the prophets’ return. The krait religion is based on massive obelisks of a unique, dark stone that can be found exclusively and rarely on Tyria’s ocean floors. The krait believe that each of these obelisks was raised upon the site of a krait prophet’s ascension into a mystic world, a world beyond this one, where these nameless prophets are building an army great enough to eradicate all other species. One day, they will return and drown the surface of Tyria beneath one massive sea. The krait sacrifice slaves to show reverence to the prophets and to ensure that the prophets will have servants in their mystical “other world.”
Krait have never developed a written language. They have excellent memories, and their religious texts are memorized, Vedic-fashion, by the priesthood. These texts are vast in scope and difficult to memorize; becoming a krait Oratuss is a lifelong journey and requires tremendous, all-consuming dedication. Furthermore, unknown to the krait people, the priests ensure the continuation of their power by subtly changing the words of the massive memorized texts, ensuring that whatever interpretation they require is upheld somewhere in the canon.
 

Land-based historians and scholars theorize that the obelisks on the sea floor are not mystical, but are ancient monuments to religious figures and societal governors of the krait. Because the krait memorize their lore, some information has been lost over the centuries. The krait race has forgotten the obelisks’ true purpose and has invented instead a mystic reverence for the monuments and those they represent. Certainly, the obelisks are eerily smooth and have no symbols on them, and thus cannot relate their history firsthand. The krait Oratuss are the ones who interpret the meaning of these monoliths for their people—and because of the fanaticism of these priests and priestesses, the story of the obelisks’ creation and purpose has been twisted to religious use.
Like the obelisks, the krait are steadfast and immobile in their beliefs. Their legends state that all the races living above water were driven out of the sea by the prophets and forbidden to return. Although these legends seem patently false to other races, the krait refuse to listen to any “heresies” from other races; destroying them seems a much more effective way to ensure that the krait religion is not defamed.
 

The Deeps
Krait structures stretch from the ocean depths to just above the surface. The underwater constructions are elaborate, built to incorporate coral reefs and natural caverns. The great pillars that mark the slave-pens are often built of shipwrecked wood or other stolen materials garnered from forays onto land. Krait live in the palatial grounds below, worship at the obelisks, and enjoy the fruits of their hunts. Humans and other air-breathing slaves are penned in small chambers at the top of the pillars until it is time to be eaten or sacrificed. The slaves are allowed small fires in which to cook their allotment of fish; sometimes the light from their flames can be seen for miles, warning away ships that might pass too near krait waters.
 

Society & Ecology

“Be wary, hatchlings. Be swift. But most of all, be cruel. Let the legends of our deeds frighten them as much as the pain.” – Nymfassa, krait hypnoss

The krait are aggressive, vicious, and intelligent. They lay eggs and keep hatcheries. Both males and females are given education and battle training, and both genders perform all general societal functions. Krait are capable of surviving outside of the water, but they prefer to build their cities and towns deep beneath the waves. Their cities are often built around one or more of the great obelisks and usually contain underwater hatcheries, arenas for gladiatorial combat, and long lines of glowing road markers. These incandescent paths are visible even to those swimming some distance above. The krait are ardent mathematicians, constantly using math and numerology—as well as magic—in a constant attempt to determine the date of the prophets’ return.
Krait are very flexible and are excellent swimmers. They have three stages of existence: larval, adolescent, and mature. Larval krait are weak and fragile. They are kept in guarded hatcheries until they master swimming and basic life skills. Adolescents serve as scouts. Mature krait exhibit the strength and dedication for which their race is famous. All krait are willing to die, if necessary, so that the krait beliefs and race can survive.