【EN】4E精灵国家第六章：西方王国，西方王国的传统

[Knightblaze]

一楼防惧魔


水平有限，已附上原文，欢迎指正错误

[Knightblaze]

西方王国的传统

虽然格维登罗人民长期以来都在效仿龙之林的精灵宫廷，但更早期的建立，以及与龙林的距离，让他们发展出了少数完全属于自己的仪式与信仰。


Draesis ti’Morel: 生命之轮

除去个别例外，格维登罗人沿生命之轮追随传统的Sa’mistishsa道途。追随生命之轮的想法被普罗大众浪漫化了，他们的生活专注于生存，而不是旅途深奥的要求。追随命轮被认为是一种更适于雷涅尔贵族的生活方式。
严格遵守命轮的贵族更受同辈与臣民的尊敬，因此他们晋升得更快。一个发现自己能够追随生命之轮的普通精灵可能会赢得周围贵族的尊重，甚至通过婚姻获得权力。然而，他们同样有可能被视作企图超越自己地位的暴发户。
在西方王国，其他授名者种族追随命轮是不合适的。

道途之追随者

通常只有少数授名者能够成为习艺者，但西方王国雷涅尔的成员遵从门类的频率要高得多。他们几乎普遍遵守命轮的严格阐释，这极大地限制了贵族追随门类的数量，并迫使个体在他们的一生中数次重新开始。虽然他们仍有能力使用前一条道途的门类天赋，但对于道途追随者来说，依赖于此是一种重大的冒犯。只有在踏上领主之道时，追随者才可以自由使用全部的旅行者技能。除非另有明确说明，否则所有贵族的道途追随者都已经成功受到了过去可接受门类的训练。

劇透 -   :

Draesis ti’Morel: The Wheel of Life
With few exceptions, the Gwydenro follows the traditional Sa’mistishsa path along the Wheel of Life (see p. 20). The idea of following the Wheel of Life is romanticized by the common folk, their life focused on survival rather than the esoteric requirements of the Journey. Following the Wheel is seen as a lifestyle more appropriate for the nobility, those born amongst the ranelles.
Nobles who strictly adhere to the Wheel are more respected by their peers and subjects, thus they rise through the ranks more quickly. A common elf that finds themselves able to follow Draesis ti’Morel may earn the respect of the nobles around them and even marry into power. It is just as likely, however, that they are perceived as upstarts trying to reach above their station.
In the Western Kingdoms, it is not seen as appropriate for members of other Namegiver races to follow the Wheel.

Followers of the Path
While typically few Namegivers are capable of becoming adepts, members of Western Kingdom ranelles take to Disciplines far more frequently. They almost universally follow a strict interpretation of the Wheel, which greatly restricts the number of Disciplines followed by the nobility and forces individuals to begin anew multiple times throughout their lives. While still available to them, it is considered a grave trespass for followers of one Path to rely on talents from a previous Path’s Discipline. Only upon treading the Path of Lords are all the traveler’s skills freely available to them. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, all noble followers of a Path successfully received training in previously acceptable Disciplines.

Lew Teyrn：效职誓言

效职誓言的传统要早于格维登罗与龙之林的统一。它是不同盖里斯领主间的特殊宣誓。其中一名承担君主的角色，另一名则为封臣。一名君主可以与多个封臣进行宣誓，但一个封臣只能有一个君主。
君主和封臣之间的效职誓言持续一年零一天或直到一方死亡。君主发誓保护和救助封臣，封臣则发誓以任何可能的方式帮助他们的君主，包括在协议结束时支付预先安排好的税收。这些誓言通常在爱之竞争的一周宣誓。
每个盖里斯都至少参与了一场誓言。瑟瑞萨是包括凯尔萨拉在内几个有影响力王国的誓约君主。凯尔萨拉是瑟瑞萨的封臣，同时是几个更小邻国的君主，其中一个是艾夸。艾夸可以作为另一个王国的君主进行宣誓，但它正在努力维持自己的生计，没有资源来承诺援助其他王国。这些王国通过效职誓言的传统约束在一起，组成了更大的格维登罗。

劇透 -   :

Lew Teyrn: The Oath of Service
The tradition of Lew Teyrn predates the Gwydenro’s unification with Wyrm Wood. Lew Teyrn is a special oath made between lords of different gerryth. One takes on the role of liege and the other of vassal. A single liege can enter into Lew Teyrn with multiple vassals, but a vassal may only have a single liege.
The Oath of Service between liege and vassal lasts for a year and a day or until the death of one of the parties. The liege vows to protect and aid the vassal while the vassal vows to help their liege in any way possible including the payment of a pre-arranged tax at the end of the agreement. These oaths are typically sworn during the week of Cariad Castald.
Every gerryth is involved in at least one Lew Teyrn. Sereatha is a sworn liege to a handful of influential kingdoms including Caelshara. Caelshara, vassal to Sereatha, is liege to several neighboring smaller kingdoms, one of which is Aiqua. Aiqua could enter into Lew Teyrn as liege to another kingdom, but is struggling to support itself and does not have the resources to promise aid to other kingdoms. Bound together through the tradition of Lew Teyrn these kingdoms make up the larger Gwydenro.

Cariad Castald：爱之竞争

第一次爱之竞争由最高理事于精灵宫廷的黑暗时期宣布举行。竞争的获胜者成为安威尔，被爱者。安威尔被许诺获得人民和激情的祝福，并被期望在艰难的时期带来希望。首位安威尔甚至取得了远超所有方面的成功，她来到龙之林，得到了橡心的祝福，成为法伊拉女王统治了几个世纪。
从那之后的每个年头，爱之竞争作为现今古老的传统如期举行。竞争举行于仲夏时节，为期一周。在格维登罗，这七天都被视为假日。任何精灵都可以参加竞争，但他们必须完成每一日的挑战才能继续下一场，完成前五日挑战的精灵可能在最后一日出席，被考虑担任安威尔的角色。

头五日的试炼代表了生命之轮的旅途，通常由格维登罗各地受人尊敬的探求者设计。传统上，试炼在瑟瑞萨的空地上进行，观众可以从尖塔俯瞰。
爱之竞争的第一日是勇士的试炼。虽然这可能意味着战斗，但更典型的内容是对勇气或耐力的内在挑战，常常缺乏当即明确的答案。第二日是学者的试炼。这里出现的挑战通常是一个复杂的谜题，需要常人的智力和敏捷的巧思。第三日是旅者的试炼，要求挑战者回忆久远的学识和事物。第四日是贤人的试炼，通常涉及真正困难的，针对个性的测试。第五日是君主的试炼，由奠基雷涅尔的成员组织。这一挑战可以是任何内容，但在主题上更可能把先前挑战的各方面结合起来。
五日试炼之后，第六日是一场巨大的庆祝活动。它用以祝贺所有的竞争者，并突出那些成功完成试炼，将被允许参加第七日被爱者试炼的人们。
第七日，恰逢一年中最长的一日，每位有资格的竞争者都要展示他们独立创造的爱之劳动。这一项目的形式取决于挑战者。据说，法伊拉和阿拉基娅都以表演时刻构思的优美诗句赢得了竞争。而另一方面，几十年来身在安威尔之位的马尔德温总以一幅描绘格维登罗人民进步与团结的画作获胜。这些艺术作品需要在竞争前的几个月里花费数百个小时准备。
第七日的太阳落下之后，今年的安威尔就会在列席者迸发的欢呼声中决出。这个非正式的过程之后，瑟瑞萨的四名议会成员来到胜利者身边，并授予他第五个席位。严格来说，尽管要求其他恩惠是极其罕见的，安威尔可以就议会席位提出任何要求。阿拉基娅就曾要求去龙林宫廷待一段时间，天灾临近尾声时，马尔德温要了最好的船只和精心挑选的船员离开瑟瑞萨。到目前为止，议会从未拒绝过安威尔的要求，因为这样做将象征性地否定整个格维登罗的欲求。

下一位安威尔

有一部分人担心爱之竞争的传统受到了威胁。三年前，当最高理事伊奥林接管格维登罗时，那是一段混乱与恐惧的时期。几个世纪以来，竞争第一次由于对外界攻击的担忧而没有举行。两年前，伊奥林裁定阿拉基娅女王已被不可挽回地玷污了，而这一悲剧的标志是爱之竞争的取消。去年，伊奥林再次推迟了爱之竞争。他陈述道，安威尔必然希望荣膺橡心的祝福，但随着龙之林的陨落和橡心的污化，再没有理由去任命一个不能实现这个目标也无法联合余下精灵国家的安威尔。时间到了今年，人们发出抗议要举行他们一周的庆祝活动，这表明最高理事想第要四次推迟竞争可能会有些困难。

劇透 -   :

Cariad Castald: The Contest of Love
The first Cariad Castald was enacted by the High Steward during a dark time in the Elven Court. The winner of the contest became Annwyl, the Beloved. This Annwyl was promised the blessing of the people and the Passions and was expected to bring hope during trying times. The first Annwyl succeeded in all that and more. She travelled to Wyrm Wood and received the blessing of Oak Heart, becoming Queen Failla and ruled for centuries.
Every year since, the contest has been held with few breaks in the now ancient tradition. The contest takes place over an entire week in the mid-summer. All seven days are recognized as a holiday throughout the Gwydenro. Any elf may enter the competition but they must complete each day’s challenge to move on to the next and those who have completed the first five may present on the final day to be considered for the role of Annwyl.
The trials over the first five days represent the Journey of the Wheel and are usually devised by respected Questors from throughout the Gwydenro. Traditionally, the trials are performed in clearings in Sereatha proper, with spectators observing from overlooking spires.
The first day of Cariad Castald is the Trial of the Warrior. While this may mean combat, it is more typically an internal test of valor or endurance that lacks an immediately clear answer. The second day brings the Trial of the Scholar. The challenge presented here is usually an intricate puzzle that requires general intelligence and quick wits. The third day is the Trial of the Traveler and requires the challenger to recall lore and things long past. The fourth day is the Trial of the Sage and typically involves a truly difficult test of character. The fifth day is the Trial of the Lord, developed by members of the Founding Ranelles. This challenge could be anything but is likely to thematically bring together aspects of the previous challenges.
After all of this, the sixth day is an enormous celebration to congratulate all of the competitors and highlight those who have successfully completed the trials and will be allowed to partake in the seventh day, the Trial of the Beloved.
The seventh day, which falls on the longest day of the year, has each qualified person present a labor of love which they alone have created. The nature of this project is up to the challenger. It is said that Failla and Alachia both won the contest with beautiful poems conceived in the moment of performance. On the other hand, Maldwyn has been Annwyl for decades and always wins with a painting depicting the progress and unity of the people of the Gwydenro. These works of art require hundreds of hours over the months leading up to the competition itself.
The year’s Annwyl is then selected after the sun has set on the seventh day by an outpouring of acclaim from those in attendance. After this informal process, the four consortis of Sereatha approach the victor and offer their fifth seat. Technically, the Annwyl may make any request of the consortis though it is exceedingly rare that other boons are requested. Alachia asked to attend Court at Wyrm Wood for a time. At the end of the Scourge, Maldwyn requested the finest vessel and a hand-picked crew to sail out from Sereatha. The consortis have thus far never refused a request from an Annwyl. To do so would symbolically be denying the desires of the entire Gwydenro.

The Next Annwyl
Some fear the tradition of Cariad Castald is being threatened. When Steward Iolyn took over the Gwydenro three years ago, it was a time of turmoil and fear. For the first time in centuries, the contest was not held due to concerns of outside attack. Two years ago, Iolyn ruled Queen Alachia had been irrevocably tainted, and the tragedy was marked by cancelling Cariad Castald. Last year, Iolyn delayed Cariad Castald again. He stated the Annwyl would surely wish to be presented to Oak Heart. With Wyrm Wood lost and Oak Heart tainted, there was little reason to appoint an Annwyl unable to achieve that goal and unite the remaining elven nations. This year, the people are clamoring for their week of celebration, and it may prove difficult for the High Steward to delay the contest a fourth time.