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[Lord Ex]

碎域：创世之碎片

　世俗和宗教的创世故事都暗示是一场大爆炸诞生了宇宙。碎域——我们现在知道的太阳系行星——根据某些宇宙论，是之后形而上学残骸中尤其大块的那些。这些裂界反映了秘学法则，被认为是古神——朱庇特、玛尔斯、墨丘利等——的界域。我们能在天文学和相应十二宫——以此我们能是“玛尔斯子民”或“墨丘利废物”——的平常谜题中看到它们的影响。

　行星对异界旅行者来说就是科学革命中的谜团。根据以太子嗣探索者的档案描述，这些行星直到最近都是独立世界，有适宜大气和本土生命。然而现在，科联智慧的冷酷之手已将这些世界打成了旋转的原生质大锅和冰冷石头。某些以太子嗣认为，在地球奇迹和类似命运间的唯一阻拦，就是法师拒绝让这种事发生。我不知道此话真不真实，但这个想法值得考虑。

　无论传说中在水星或火星上的历险是真发生在这些行星上，还是在它们的影界碎域里，有明确记载的是，现代法师偶尔会旅行至比尘世科学家让我们相信的还要远的地方。如今碎域按人类估计，都或多或少“死”了；若伟大的神玛尔斯的家仍在那颗红色岩石球上，那么他藏得很好。尽管如此，以太子嗣和虚空工程师仍派遣太空飞船前往各个行星和他们的卫星，偶尔还会在它们表面发现毁坏弋天者和其它神秘事物。虽然更明显的魔法现象似乎仍局限于碎域… 至少现在是… 但我们太阳系的秘学历史明显比普通人可能相信的还要多。

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Shard Realms: Fragments of Genesis

　Genesis stories both secular and sacred allude to a Big Bang that birthed the universe. According to certain cosmologies, the Shard Realms – which we now know as the planets of our solar system – were especially significant chunks of metaphysical debris. Reflecting mystic principles, these Fragmenti were considered the realms of ancient gods: Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, and so forth. We can see their influence in the everyday puzzles of astrology and the corresponding zodiac, through which we are “children of Mars” or “littered under Mercury.”

　To Otherworldly travelers, the planets are enigmas of the scientific revolution. According to the archives of Etherite explorers, those planets were, until recently, worlds unto themselves, with workable atmospheres and indigenous life. Now, though, the cold hand of Technocratic wisdom has reduced these worlds to spinning protoplasmic cauldrons and icy stone. Certain Etherites suggest that the only things standing between Earth’s wonders and a similar fate are the mages who refuse to let such things happen. I don’t know how true that is, but the idea is worth considering.

　Whether or not the fabled adventures on Mercury and Mars actually took place on the planets themselves or within their Umbral Shade Realm reflections, it is a matter of record that modern-day mages occasionally travel further than Earthly scientists would have us believe. These days, the Shards are more or less “dead” by human estimations; if the great god Mars still makes his home on that red ball of rock, he’s hiding his presence well. Still, the Etherites and Void Engineers send spaceships to the various planets and their moons, occasionally finding ruined Skyriggers and other mysteries on those planetary surfaces. Although the more obvious magickal phenomena seem restricted to the Shade Realms… at least for now… there has clearly been more mystic history throughout our solar system than the average person would possibly believe.

 

[Lord Ex]

外太空：深宇宙

　在小行星带和其真穹界之外，深影界（或深宇宙）是最强大的劫夺者与灭世者——因太不稳定而无法被尘世接纳的法师——的所在地。传言称九宗和科联曾在二战期间和之后联手，将这些疯狂生物赶出了穹界。这个故事还声称，这些派系加厚了一或两大穹界，以将疯子、堕落者和他们的各种宇宙恐怖之物留在远方。然而若这为真，那么地球穹界的防护很脆弱——一个强大法师能轻易绕过它。但这个故事除此之外还有另一个巨大的逻辑缺陷：若穹界应将邪恶巨物挡在深空之外，那为何如此多的科技吏官和以太子嗣，都致力于离开地球，深入黑暗冒险？

　因为，是的——天界虚空的确有邪恶存在。这是有记载的。就像海洋最深处有对陆地来说太过巨大的生物一样，深影界也充满了能将哥斯拉当成轻食吃掉的存在。虚空工程师有他们的空界行动部队来处理这类威胁，但他们的记录最多也就是小插曲。外星人入侵的古老恐惧显然是有根据的，并且虽然工程师和以太子嗣在深空仍保持着尘世上的敌对关系，但他们在面对共同威胁时，也会有共同友谊和偶尔合作。

　所以为什么去那儿呢？因为矛盾——地球上的魔法灾祸——在深空完全不存在。一个强大到能裸体在宇宙中飞行、同时从屁股发射火球的法师，能在深空中做到这些，而不被现实拍打到下一周。“真实空间”和“影界空间”的区别，在穹界外会变得很模糊。虚空中的科学和魔法似乎有同样的可能。

　深影界如此形而上学的模糊，让它成为疯子——疯狂到能创造自己的袖珍宇宙——的天然游乐场。强大法师能，且的确可以，在小行星和遥远星球上建立宏伟要塞，并抽取宇宙中的外星魔素来实现地球上不可能的壮举。遥远的卫星和太阳系据说也有大量灭世者据点。出于显而易见的原因，深影界对想按自己想法重塑现实的法师来说，似乎是个诱人目的地。

　问题是，绝大多数法师无法在这种环境中生存。把任何科技吏官——和其他几乎任何人——扔出气闸门，她就死定了。不出意外，她的信仰就会杀死自己。被灌输了更少科学太空观的旅行者在这些情况下生存机会更大，但即使是最原始的行愿者也得吃喝… 而这类资源在虚空中并不常见。一个没有某种太空船或门户的旅行者可能得花上数世纪来从一地到另一地。同时她还可能因无比单调而发疯。将太空想成无际沙漠，偶尔出现的绿洲也会被令人头疼的宏伟虚无所分隔。当你意识到这个深影界究竟有多大时，有人能从那儿回来就已经是个奇迹了。

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Outer Space: The Deep Universe

　Out past the Asteroid Belt and its True Horizon, the Deep Umbra (or Deep Universe) plays host to the most powerful Marauders and Nephandi – mages too unstable for Earthly confines. Rumor has it that the Traditions and Technocracy joined forces during and after World War II to drive these demented creatures out past the Horizon. Afterward, the story claims, those factions thickened one or both Horizons to keep the Mad Ones, the Fallen, and their various cosmic horrors on the far side. If that’s true, however, then Earth’s Horizon is a poor protection – a powerful wizard can get around it easily enough. Beyond that, though, the story has another major flaw in its logic: if the Horizon is supposed to keep sinister titans out in deep space, why have so many Technocrats and Etherites been dedicated to leaving Earth behind and venturing off into the dark?

　Because, yes – there are demonic entities out there in the Void of Heaven. That much is a matter of record. Just as the deepest seas contain creatures too vast for dry land, so the Deep Umbra teems with creatures who’d eat Godzilla for a light snack. The Void Engineers have their Pan-Dimensional Corps to deal with such threats, but their record is spotty at best. The age-old terror of alien invasion is apparently valid, and although the Engineers and Etherites maintain their Earthly rivalry in deep space, they also share camaraderie and occasional cooperation in the face of mutual threats.

　So why go there to begin with? Because Paradox, the scourge of magick here on Earth, does not exist in deep space at all. A mage who’s powerful enough to fly through space naked while shooting fireballs out his ass can do so without Reality slapping him into next week. The difference between “realspace” and “Umbraspace” gets hazy out beyond the Horizon. Both science and magick seem equally possible in the Void.

　Such metaphysical ambiguity makes the Deep Umbra a natural playground for the Mad Ones, who’re crazy enough to create their own bubbles of personal space. Powerful wizards can, and do, construct majestic fortresses on asteroids and distant planets, tapping cosmic sources of alien Quintessence to fuel deeds that would be impossible back on Earth. Distant moons and solar systems supposedly hold Nephandic strongholds of cyclopean scope. For obvious reasons, the Deep Umbra seems like a tempting destination for mages who want to remake Reality in their own image.

　Thing is, most mages can’t survive in this environment. Toss any Technocrat – and almost anyone else, for that matter – out an airlock door, and she’s dead. If nothing else, her own belief will kill her. Travelers who’ve been less indoctrinated by the scientific view of space stand a better chance of survival in those situations, but even the most primal willworkers still have to eat and drink… and such resources are not exactly common in the Void. Without some sort of spaceship or portal, a traveler could spend centuries getting from one place to another. In the meantime, she’d probably go mad from sheer monotony. Think of space as an infinite desert, featuring occasional oases separated by mind-numbing stretches of epic nothing. When you realize how vast this Deep Umbra truly is, it’s a wonder anyone comes back from there at all.

[Lord Ex]

回归内在体验

　据说深空能回到地球界域。我听说影界旅行者偶尔会在我们海洋的最深处出现，而深海旅行者曾发现通往太空的门户。宇宙自我重复的古怪特性再次将“外面”和“里面”联系起来。也许就像空间大师所说，所有地方其实都是一个地方。它们间的距离不过是个幻觉，若我们学会忘掉自己认为和知道的一切事，我们就能超越这些距离。

　就这么想吧：你现在可能站在一个公园，或坐在一个房间里，而你的心智正在宇宙中漫游。我的话语可能跨越遥远时空来到你的身边… 然而，我们至少在一小会儿里同处一个时空。若我们能分享魔法可能为何物、我们世界可能为何物以及人类潜力可能为何物的愿景，就能超越我们认为自己知道的东西，跨越永恒而不挪一步。

　同行者们，这，就是最真实的魔法所在。


宏微观

　在被叫做宏微观的古老概念中，小事物象征大事物，反之亦然。人体反映宇宙，而宇宙也能在指尖的细胞中找到。根据神秘学中的犹太卡巴拉学说，神圣存在通过一阵巨大闪电，将自己分裂成无数小的，从而诞生了宇宙。你是否选择称那个存在为上帝由你决定；根据绝大多数人的推测，有多神、一神或完全无神。无论你选择遵循什么信条，据说所有存在都和那个原初的宇宙源头有联系… 因此万物在这个意义上仍是一体和相同的。

　科学理论坚称我们是大爆炸——一场宇宙级别的爆炸，令人想起卡巴拉学说里的闪电——的产物。根据这一解释，我们正如歌曲所说，由群星组成。那么深空也是内空。虚空成了汪洋，成了组成我们的分子。千年旅程能在一瞬间发生，而无需在空间中移动。

　在这种生活中——在寻找终极真理的阴影中徘徊——很容易迷失。而你越是觉醒，就越易迷失。这当然很危险… 但正如平常的危险那样，它也是美丽的。若你回忆起宏微观，那么你会把自己旅程的地图保存在自己深处。我无法保证你会安全通过或有个开心结局——嘿，每个人最后都会死——但我可以向你保证：奇迹和历险就和你希望的一样近… 真的，和你手上的皮肤细胞一样近。

　所以当你走出门，进入我们这个陌生的世界时，请睁大双眼，保持热心。回忆你自己和你周围世界的联系。正如沃尔特·惠特曼所说，你是无限的。你包含了众多。照镜子就是凝视无限，而在你同伴的所有巨大潜力中看到他们，就是看到了上帝活生生的面孔。

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Return to the Inner Experience

　Supposedly, deep space leads back into the Earthly realm. I’ve heard that Umbral travelers occasionally wind up in the blackest regions of our oceans and that deep sea travelers discover portals into space. Once again, recursive quirks in the universe connect “out there” with “in here.” Perhaps, as the Masters of Correspondence say, all places really are one place. The distance between them is merely an illusion we can transcend if and when we learn to forget everything we think we know.

　Just think of it this way: right now, you could be standing in a park or sitting in a room while your mind roves out across the universe. My words might come to you across vast distances of space and time… and yet, for a while at least, we occupy the same space and time. By sharing visions of what magick could be, what our world might be, what human potential might be if and when we stretch beyond what we think we know, we can span eternity without moving a step.

　And that, fellow traveler, is the truest magick there is.


Microcosm, Macrocosm

　In that old concept called microcosm and macrocosm, small things symbolize large things and vice versa, too. The human body reflects the universe, and the universe can be found in the cells of a fingertip. According to the mystic Jewish Kabbalah, the Divine Presence split Itself into infinity through a titanic thunderbolt that birthed the universe. Whether or not you choose to call that Presence God is your decision; there are, by most reckonings, many gods, a single God, and no gods at all. Whatever creed you choose to follow, it’s been said that all existence remains tied to that Original Cosmic Source… and so, in that sense, all things still are One and the same.

　Scientific theory asserts that we’re the product of a Big Bang – a cosmic explosion that essentially recalls that Kabbalistic thunderbolt. By that explanation, we are, as the song says, all made of stars. Deep space, then, is inner space as well. The Void becomes the Ocean becomes the molecules from which we’re made. The journey of a thousand years can take place in a moment without moving through space at all.

　It’s easy to get lost in this life – to wander through shadows searching for Truth. And the more Awakened you are, the easier it can be to get lost. Sure, it’s dangerous… but, as danger often is, it’s beautiful as well. And if you recall the microcosm and the macrocosm, you’ll keep the map of your travels deep inside yourself. I can’t guarantee you safe passage or a happy ending – hell, everybody dies in the end – but I can promise you this much: miracles and adventures are as close as you want them to be… as close, really, as the cells of the skin upon your hands.

　So when you step out the door and into this strange world of ours, keep your eyes open and your mind keen. Recall the connections between yourself and the world around you. As Walt Whitman said, you are infinite. You contain multitudes. To look in the mirror is to gaze into infinity, and to see your fellow entities, in all their vast potential, is to view the living face of God.