After my encounter with the savage dune thresher (see Encounter with Burrowing Death, entry 004), one might think it natural were I hesitant to venture into the wastes surrounding Caldeum. Those who have set foot upon the Borderlands' burning yellow landscape and looked out upon its miles of barren sand roiling with terrible wildlife would surely agree with this sentiment.

在见识过凶猛的沙丘长尾蜥之后（详见第004号记录：沙丘长尾蜥），是人都不会想再次闯入卡迪安周边的荒漠了。那些亲身涉足过边缘荒漠的茫茫黄沙，见过四处出没的凶悍生物的探险者们，肯定都是这么想的。

It was not always thus. In years past, I could have ventured forth with no concern for my safety. Though the Borderlands are among the most savage habitats in our world, even these deadly lands were no match for the superior resolve of Caldeum in its prime.

然而，我偶尔也会很奔放的。在过去的几年当中，我不顾自身安危的在进行探索。诚然，边缘荒漠绝对算是世界上环境最恶劣的地区之一，但是这也无法阻挡我探索卡迪安的决心。

The Borderlands were originally devoid of any but the most hardened (some would say crazed) prospectors until the great military city of Lut Bahadur (literally, "city of the gate") was built to keep the lacuni in their cliff dwellings safely away from Caldeum. Lut Bahadur's solitary watch over the desolate wastes came to an end four hundred years ago when precious ore was discovered in the region known as the Stinging Winds. The town of Alcarnus was quickly established as the center of all mining in the area, with several other smaller settlements springing up in its wake. When the Dahlgur oasis was discovered and a third town was erected there, Caldeum's dominance over the Borderlands was complete. The Borderlands could reliably depend on fresh supplies of food and water from Dahlgur's caravans, protected by the might of Caldeum's Dune Guard.

最早的时候，在大型军事要塞鲁巴哈杜尔（意即“关口之城”）还没建立起来之前，会在边缘荒漠活动的仅仅只有那些最强悍（或者疯狂）的探矿者。鲁巴哈杜尔建立的初衷是为了保护卡迪安免受居住在悬崖地区的豹人的侵扰，这座城市孤零零的在戈壁上履行着自己的使命，直到400年前人们在这片被称为“刺骨之风”的地方发现了珍贵的矿石脉。名为阿尔卡努斯的城镇作为这一地区的采矿业中心迅速崛起，周边的较小的居民点也如雨后春笋般冒了出来。然后，人们又在附近发现了达尔古尔绿洲，并在那里建立起第三座城市。那时，在强大的卡迪安沙丘守卫的保护下，边缘荒漠的各个城镇可以通过大篷车运输线从达尔古尔得到稳定的淡水和食物供给，边缘荒漠已经完全为卡迪安势力所控制。

But Hakan II, our young and inexperienced sovereign, has seen fit to withdraw the support of Caldeum from the wastes and leave those who live there to their own devices. Now, no caravan is safe, and refugees from the Borderlands beat against the gates of Caldeum in an endless wave of displaced humanity, desperate for the salvation our city once provided. I have spoken with many of these poor folk at length, and the tales they share would give even the most stalwart adventurer pause. Though their stories of a secret cult intent on raising a demonic army are obviously embellished due to their lack of knowledge pertaining to such things, their hysteria and suffering have convinced me that something terrible indeed stalks the Borderlands.

然而，我们那位年轻稚嫩的新君主哈坎二世，自以为是的切断了卡迪安对边缘荒漠的支援，把那些人就那样抛弃在荒漠中。现在，没有人再去保护补给运输线的安全，无数无家可归的难民从边缘荒漠涌向卡迪安，期望能再次得到卡迪安的救援。我与许多这样的难民长谈过，他们讲述的故事甚至可以吓住最坚定的探险家。由于他们大多缺乏知识，所以我认为他们讲述的关于一个秘密邪教组织准备弄出一支恶魔大军的故事不太可靠，然而他们那近乎疯狂的精神状况和身体所遭受的折磨却使得我相信，边缘荒漠目前的确被什么可怕的东西威胁着。

中文翻译：AFenixZ@uuu9.com || 专题制作：bloodconan@uuu9.com