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 Magroth - Southport, Senate Square, with Bo, the Guards and half a Dozen Addressing the officer with a voice of calm authority, "Hold your fire. You know who I am, you know my credentials. The moment she gets shot, her mob will likely go berserk: I have ordered those under my command to intercept them if that happens to save your men as best we are able. I'll see if I can divert her, get her to fall back and send them towards my people so we can neutralise them harmlessly. No-one else here has to die today." He moved exceedingly swiftly to intercept Morrigu. "Not one step closer! They're under orders to kill you in particular, do not get into range! We only have one chance, one opportunity to achieve our objectives and salvage this. Send your people along the edge of the square, definitely not across it, to form up with mine, only together do we stand the slightest chance. It's all up to you now."
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Sep 4, 2017 16:40
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| # ? Apr 27, 2024 04:18 |
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 Bo Ruknamal - Senate Steps, Southport BP: 0 Bo started and muttered, “If the Senate’s Guard is so ill disciplined even the gods can’t save us now.” He shook his head and looked at the crowd. So many eyes on him. He felt it. He turned to the guard captain. “I am Prince Bonur of the Ancient House of Ruknamal! Brother of the King!” He stated boldly, flashing a signet ring likely worth as much as the man’s armor. He brought his voice down to a whisper, “My advice, free as a token of goodwill: If she comes, take her in as a guest under guard. If she leaves let her go. I know her name. She is foolish and if her own people do not eat her alive she will be lucky to be found by yours and cleanly executed.” Before the Captain could speak he put one finger up in the air to stop him. “Ah, that information is of value, and I will give it for a price. Admission to see the Senate for myself and Master Magroth.” He motioned to the Lifemage and muttered, Oh she already dug her grave. Let it be. He returned his attention to the Captain. “I know the Senate has been fearful of my efforts in education, but through that effort I believe that myself and Master Magroth-who has been on a similar but more universally well received crusade- Have the knowledge that can help the Senate see Southport through this crisis.” Im trying to charm, barter, intimidate, and justify my meeting with the Senate. +8 speech check to get in the door.
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Sep 5, 2017 16:27
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To clarify, I did not mean "go back to your homes". I was trying to imply that if you need to get revenge out of your system, now is the time and if you do it somewhere else I'll still welcome you, but the bigger group needs plausible deniability BP: 1 Morrigu stops her approach. She was gambling all on this moment. Her life, of course, but more than that. The future of all of Southport was at stake. With each breath, she felt herself more of a zealot to the cause. The Cassandra of a few hours ago would not have put herself in this much danger. Morrigu had seen no other moral option. She had placed herself between hammer and anvil. She could not advance, but to turn back would render it all for nought. Her whisper to Magroth is tense. "You have earned my respect, but not my full trust. Just a few minutes ago you threatened to stop me. I see your group, and how different they appear. I do not understand it, but you should appreciate why I am reluctant to risk the people who follow me. I wish to work together, but only as equals. You have spoken of stopping violence? I see only one group eager to kill. You have the power to grant victory to them, to those who risk their lives for a better future, or help find a compromise. I will not beg or threaten. If I am dead, I will not care. Do as your morals tell you. Only you will have to live with your choice." What I'll say to the crowd depends on Magroth's response Zeppelin Insanity fucked around with this message at 17:11 on Sep 5, 2017 |
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Sep 5, 2017 16:45
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Magroth - Southport, Senate Square, with Morrigu and half a Dozen Looking weary and drawn, but not unkindly, the healer spake, "Is it really still about victory for you? This is no mere game, nor truly is it a war. Very well, then. Do you know what victory is? Victory is that man on the front line of your forces going home to his wife and children this day. Victory is the eyes of the mother of that guard being dry of tears this night. Victory is the grievances that brought these men and women here being answered and resolved, not brushed aside in the wake of violence perpetuated by the same people most in need of aid. You think that group eager to kill? Tell your people to go home, and if they listen to you, no-one dies. Tell them to go forward, and so much blood will be spilt to no good end, and the opportunity we have here to make lasting change will be utterly lost. Do you think they will listen to you? I look at them, and I see people on the edge, barely in control. That's where my people can help. That's where we can make all this so much less volatile. My morals say 'Take the course of action that will result in saving everyone's life if possible', My morals always say that. If you truly want a compromise, then we can take violence off the table for both sides. I can have my bodyguards protect you, negotiate your safe approach and have them escort you to the meeting point, but the threat of the mob needs to be averted for their own sake first. If they won't take a retreat order, then only my own people can calm them down and leave them unharmed. It all depends if you want them all to live, or to throw away their lives in a vainglorious fit of pique."
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Sep 8, 2017 16:56
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BP: 1 "Make no mistake. Our goals are aligned closer than you think. If you say that you seek avoidance of further bloodshed and the answering of grievances, then so do I. Do you see the size of the group? Do you think that it would be this small if I called for the overthrowing of the state, if I called for righteous vengeance? I have spent a tremendous amount of my support in preaching a peaceful resolution. But unilateral disarmament is surrender and death. That is not an option. You say you wish to take violence off the table for both sides? Excellent, but the key word is both." "I hope you will understand that it is easier to trust one with my life than with that of others. But... I suppose that if you were to act against me, whether I trusted you or not will make little difference at this stage. I will take the leap of faith, see me not for the monster I now appear, but for the reformer I long to be. Believe me when I say that I have spoken of unity, that today's events are not fully my doing. I may have been the spark, but the tinder had been laid over many years. I am doing my best to make the violence that already happened mean something, to soften the tragedy with good." "There are further conditions. First, I must speak and rebuild trust, lest the group not accept this plan. This may rile the guards up more. You must guarantee that any way you use to reduce anger and bloodthirst you will equally use on the guards and nobles. Then, your formation should meet mine halfway, and we can stand side by side." "Can you accept this?"
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Sep 8, 2017 21:05
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Magroth - Southport, Senate Square, with Morrigu and half a Dozen He exhaled, and gestured back towards the guards. "We're not dealing with some monolithic entity here. Not some big, bold concept like 'the state' or 'the guard'. We're dealing with people, actual, living, breathing people, with families, kin, lives. They get up in the morning, they do an honest job, they go to bed, just like the rest of us. Every last one of them has a name, has a history, and if I have any say in it whatsoever, a future. The same goes for those at your back: If they go home, they get to go home. That's it. They're not going to be pursued and hunted down. We're not going to allow for crackdowns or reprisals, provided we have a leg to stand on there in the negotiation. But the thing about those people back there, the few against the many? They're scared, Cassandra. They are fearing for their lives and for their families, and they're holding weapons. All it takes is one of them, just one of them to have their fear override their discipline and there will be a bloodbath. What I ask of you, all I ask of you, Don't give them more to fear. If I order my forces into the square, it will only be with their backs turned to the guards, all of them facing south. The best body language of all for not posing a threat. And that's an 'if': Advancing into the square is a monumentally bad idea, even advancing around it is a risk.I can promise you that I will attempt to bring peace to all of hostile intent here. We really are short of options and we don't have room to make demands of one another. I can see a path out of this, a path that leads to peace and people going home alive, but I cannot convince you to walk it without your own volition. If our goals are remotely close, work with me here. Minimise all provocations. Make what has gone before mean something by drawing a clear line under it and making a fresh start for this city and all its people."
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Sep 8, 2017 22:23
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 Ingrid - Bjornhold Ingrid's recruitment attempt had, in truth, gone better than expected. True, a dozen men was not a lot if you compared it to the small armies a few of the contenders could finance, but for an unknown man of low birth (as far as anyone knew, at least), it was more than respectable. Besides, there would be advantages to a smaller group, not least of all the ability to move more quickly. With the matter of their party settled, Ingrid's mind turned back to the issue of provisioning and preparing for the journey. For a small group, already fairly well-equipped for fighting, they would likely be able to avoid excessive expenses; on the other hand, though, these things had a way of adding up. Fortunately, Ingrid still had access to the money Jarl Gunnar had brought with him on the journey - hardly an exorbitant amount, but she expected that the coin that had been "saved" by the untimely deaths of her travelling companions would be more than enough to provision the group on their journey. After coordinating with Bjorn, she chose two of the new recruits - the ones that seemed most suited to assisting with more administrative tasks, based on her brief conversations with them - and set out to provision the group. Ingrid is going to try to cover all the general preparations/provisioning needed for the forthcoming expedition. She doesn't really have any skills that apply, but given that she should still have the money that was supposed to be spent on accommodations/food/etc. for the jarl's whole party, I feel like it shouldn't be too difficult.
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Sep 9, 2017 02:38
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 Jian - Esperas BP: 3 Jian shook his head. "No questions, your Highness." Yep.
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Sep 9, 2017 02:52
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BP: 1, spending When I said halfway I meant according to your plan, but we both move half of the distance. "I am aware that the guards before as are people. I have always said that all lives should be seen as equal. That does mean that I value them as well. I agree to your plan. Let us work together." Morrigu shakes Margoth's hand, if he allows it. "Understand that what I am about to say is necessary. The people behind me are full of anger and grief. A person who speaks for them is not sufficient to stay their hand. They must feel that there is a person who fights for them." With that, she turns back towards the senate building. She takes a deep breath and attempts to push exhaustion to the back of her mind. Mixing the conflicting emotions of anger, grief, moral right, hope with all the authority she can muster into a speech directed at the senate building, but meant for her men. "My name is Morrigu, and I am here in the name of the people of Southport! I risk my life for them; I know you want to kill me! But my death would spark a flame that would consume you. I have told the people you need not be enemies. I have told them you will see reason. If you prove me wrong, you will declare war on the city itself! Then, you will hill tens of thousands, but your blood will stain the steps of the Senate as well! Or perhaps one of your enemies will seize the opportunity and give the people your heads! Or perhaps you will kill all, and rule a mountain of ash! Do you think that once you empty your vaults and destroy the source of your wealth that the families of other Republics will take pity on you? Would you? You know full well that they will laugh, point to your crimes, and then tear you apart!" "The people suffer. They starve. They die of exposure, for they lack a roof over their heads. They get sick, infect others and die of disease. They lose limbs working, and cannot earn a livelihood. They beg in the streets, and nothing is done to help them. The system has robbed people of dignity, and of life. In Southport, the barbaric practice of slavery is still tolerated, despite being outlawed in nations we would consider less enlightened. All this must, and will change! "Your names are written in history. Some of you come from Founding Families who sought a fairer form of government!. Some of your Houses have distinguished themselves over the centuries with heroism in protecting the people! You can reform Southport, make all prosper and be remembered a thousand years hence, or spit on your legacy, kill me and in doing so commit painful, drawn out suicide! The people will have their justice one way or the other! The difference is in how much of your own blood you wish to spill in a futile attempt to deny it! The choice is yours!" Following her speech, she takes another deep breath. Imagining the pain of an arrow but gambling nonetheless, Morrigu takes a single, slow and confident step forward. I'm agreeing to Magroth's plan, but first I need to go little bit further. Making a speech to try to regain some of the lost faith of her group. Inspires Devotion [+4], Flair for Drama [+2] and spending 1 BP. If that's the way the rolls go, I actually don't mind if Cassandra ends up dead - it'd be a good conclusion to the character arc. Zeppelin Insanity fucked around with this message at 09:24 on Sep 9, 2017 |
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Sep 9, 2017 09:16
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Magroth - Southport, Senate Square, with the mob and half a Dozen When it became clear that Morrigu was going on yet another meandering blood and thunder rant, he shook his head sadly, and quietly said, "That is the only thing that I asked you not to do." The small mercy was that she was standing in the middle of the square facing north, her back to the mob, her mouth angled away from them in theory making her much harder to be clearly heard. Abandoning her to her fate, he headed down south to address the mob himself, hands by his sides, palms forward in a clear gesture of non-aggression. On the way he looked for familiar faces, people whose lives he had improved or whose kin he had healed. As he got into speaking range, he began to address them as individuals, not shouting, but speaking with a calm, assured authority. "Colm Smith's son, I hope you are well. Is the leg giving you any more trouble? Zedek Rahm, I trust your mothers recovery continues? Raheem, are Elia and little Sammel back to how they were before that horrible ague?" He then addressed the crowd all together, his expression and tone kindly. "You all know who I am. I heal people, I try to save lives. The senate is empty, there's no one there to hear you right now. Let her shout at an empty building, we've all got better things to do. Let's leave this stupid little standoff and go somewhere we can make a difference: I know where the senators live. Come with me." He sent one of his half-dozen to go get the rest of his people to rendezvous somewhere else away from the square if this worked, then tried to lead the mob away to get pacified somewhere safer. Using Lifecrafting Maestro +6 to invoke all the good work I've done to improve their lives, health and the health of their loved ones, reinforced by the crowd control specials of the Dozen. Scrounging Gleaner +2 because this plan is scraping the bottom of the idea barrel. Cunning Innovator +2 because at least it's an idea, and using two entirely true but unrelated statements (He knows where the senators live but intends to pacify the mob before they get anywhere near there, with 'somewhere we can make a difference' being the rendezvous point with the infected legion) being as best a cunning innovation as he can manage. Calling upon the reputation as the Healer in White where it is needed.
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Sep 9, 2017 22:29
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 Skadi - Castle Library, Bjornhold 2bp Just as suspected, there was at least one snoop. Now she had to choose, Skadi decides to look in more obscure tomes, multiple references would help her build a bigger picture anyhow, and hopefully if she went through enough tomes, she could come back to the larger one later after her watcher had decided they had gotten what they wanted. Going for the more obscure tomes to throw off the tail. [Skald and Shaman+4]]
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Sep 10, 2017 13:05
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Bo Ruknamal - Senate Steps, Southport The guard captain certainly seemed shamed by your admonition, but definitely perked up at the terms of your offer. “I’m afraid the Senators are not present at the moment, as a precaution they have retired to a safe point outside of the city proper. However, if you can disperse the crowds, I can certainly promise you will receive an audience with the full Senate once the crisis has calmed. You have my word of honor on that.” As Cassandra continues to advance, the Captain leaves, working to keep his men under control, and it works. It would seem you words have motivated him to try and keep the lid on the situation. At least, until suddenly two of the crowds begin to leave, and he looks over to you in confusion. Ingrid - Bjornhold You along with your two de facto assistants head out to purchase supplies. The markets of Bjornhold are built into great buildings connected by tunnels to avoid the blizzards that troubled the city in winter. As you traveled through them they bustled with activity. Supplies were a bit more expensive than you had hoped, no doubt the various challengers were also provisioning their own groups and thus putting a dent in the normal surplus in supplies. Still, you had more than enough to cover the supplies you might need for the expedition ahead. There wouldn’t be much left over for other things, but you had provisions enough for months of travel, assuming you supplemented them with regular hunting. Jian & Hildegarde - Esperas “Very well.” Sigmund responds. Turning to Zan’Drel he says, “It was good to see you again, old friend. Let me know if there’s anything you need.” And with that the royal audience is over, Sigmund stands and staff escort you out as he returns to his desk, and begins to examine some papers. Zan’Drel leads you to a common room in what Hildegard knows is the barracks of the Hero’s Order. Sitting down at a table there. He looks to both Hildegard and Jian and speaks, his voice friendly. “So, it looks like we’ll be working together for a while. We should probably do introductions. I’m Zan’Drel, a ‘senior’ member of the Hero’s Order, well as senior as someone can be for a group that’s only formally existed for less than five years. I fought with Sigmund since the early days of the rebellion, which is why he’s trusting me with this delicate of a mission. Hildegard here is my apprentice, but I’ll let her introduce herself.” Morrigu - Senate Square You move forward, your words are stirring oratory, but their effects are blunted from the fact that you are far from the crowd and facing away from them means you are barely heard. Moreover, they are drowned out by Magroth’s appeal to the crowd. The guard’s hold, you can see the man Bo was speaking to talking to his men, and they do not fire upon you. However, you can see movement, but they aren’t looking at you. Turning around you can see the crowd leaving. Magroth - Southport, Senate Square While Cassandra attempts to hold her authority with the crowd, which was tenuous to begin with, you rely on past deeds, and offer them exactly what they think they want. They begin to follow your lead, heading for your trap. Skadi - Castle Library, Bjornhold You continue onwards, successfully concealing the nature of your quest from prying eyes. However, as a result you must limit yourself to more obscure or less directly connected tomes. Still, this proves more useful than you might have initially expected. It would seem that the Archon of Ice was widely reported to have disappeared not long after the end of the first Djiksteran Invasion. Legend says he went north, and your investigation reveal those legends have a basis in fact. It would seem after leaving the capital, he was spotted in several smaller settlements, traveling alone. From the dates of the sightings, each mentioned only in passing in the annals of various towns and other books, you could piece together a northern trajectory. It wasn’t much, the Archon had vanished two hundred years ago after all, but it was a start.
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Sep 11, 2017 06:05
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Magroth - Southport, with the mob, the infected legion and his Dozen He led the way swiftly away from the square, mindful of Morrigu's remaining loyalists such as Vidar but trusting them to either remain in place to support her or to come along anyway. There was little need for words here:He knew precisely where he was going, and made sure he radiated that as best he could, the remainder of his dozen around him until they could meet up with the other seven with the infected as arranged. "Here's the rest of our people. Form up, everyone: We're stronger together." He let the infection take its course, to pacify the angry mob. Using Lifecrafting Maestro +6 to invoke the pacification pathogen as well as the crowd control of the Dozen, and Cunning Innovator +2 to keep it all together long enough for everyone to be made peaceful under the guise of joining forces to better sock it to the man. If it was successful, if it had solved the issue, it was his intention to dispatch on of the Dozen to meet with the officer commanding in Senate Square, give him Healer Magroth's compliments and apprise him that Healer Magroth had taken care of the crowd.
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Sep 16, 2017 17:14
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Skadi - Markets, Bjornhold 2bp Well that was something, at least that had a lead, albeit not the most solid of ones. Skadi records the information for later use, they'd have to find out more from the local village shamans as they made their way through. Hopefully their lineages had been as scrupulous in maintaining the Lore as her own had been. The Northern Kingdom would be nothing without its traditions holding back the depredations of the Empire, dwarves, and the land itself. This still left a promise she had made earlier. She said she'd be back at the market today, and intended to keep it. Skadi makes a quick trip back to the Kneecap and informs the others of what she's found, her plans and gets updated on theirs. Arriving at the market she looks to find the old beggar she had teamed up with before, made the same terms of sharing the pot and began. This time however, the lyrics are a bit more adlibbed, showering praise on Bjorn and making his place in the contest known (not the details of what he was going to do but the fact he was doing it). She tries to phrase the recruitment pitch in Northern terms, an opportunity for adventure with occasional blood shed, she wanted outdoorsy types rather than pure berserker marauders after all. Sequel to the performance at the market from yesterday. Trying to use it to attract interest in Bjorn's quest. Trying to use [Dashing Upstart] and [Skald and Shaman+4] here.
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Sep 16, 2017 23:30
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Bo Ruknamal - Senate Steps, Southport BP: 0 With the crowd apparently leaving Bo cast a long look at the Lifemage before scribbling down a scroll to the Senate, outlining in the rough his idea to allow the people a better voice to the Senate. A Congress of Representatives from each ward of the City to inform the Senate of the needs of the people. It would be better than the current situation, at least. Bo marched to the doors of the Senate and stabbed his knife to hold the scroll to the wall. He turned and raised his fist in exultation and exclaimed, “The Senate will meet with me and your representatives when it reconvenes! They have fled the City!” Bo gave a derisive jerk toward’s Morrigu’s group. “Those who would tear down rather than build have fled! Go back to your homes, organize among yourselves and from every Quarter choose a respected Representative to join me in bringing the Voice of the People to the Senate Floor!” He said much, much more quietly to the Guard Captain, “I’ll be paying for the damages. Leave it up for now if you would. A notch is better than charred, eh?” A token gesture to give the crowd something satisfying while I redirect their energy towards choosing someone to speak to the Senate on their behalf. Literacy +2 For the Senate Memo, Confidence +2 For the Ballsy move and backing my conviction. Business Acumen +2 These people are in a way currently my clients, and I had to deliver them something and advise them on their next move. Inconsiderable Wealth +2 Because I can afford to give up a scroll, and bronze knife, and entertain the notion that I might replace the damage to the door.(That knife-mark is a historical treasure if this goes well though) Total +8 to mollify my group and have them go back to their Wards/Quarters and pick representatives instead of burning down the loving City.
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Sep 17, 2017 06:10
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Ingrid - Bjornhold Her preparations largely complete, Ingrid found herself wondering if Skadi had completed her research. It would be rather unfortunate to have gone to all this effort of preparing for the journey if they didn't have a destination. Upon her return to their makeshift base of operations, however, she was informed that she had just missed the other woman - that she had gone back to the market for a recruitment pitch of her own. Perhaps the skald could do a better job than Ingrid had, it was true, but she worried they wouldn't have the supplies for too many more followers. She put the matter out of her mind, however, and instead set herself to work plotting a course based on the information Skadi had recovered and relayed to Bjorn. It was fairly vague - she hoped Skadi had ideas for how they might narrow things down later on - but there was enough to determine what direction to go in, at least, which would allow Ingrid to plan out the first steps of their trip. Ingrid is going to try to plot out the beginnings of a route, though she's mostly just killing time. She and I are both ready to go.
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Sep 17, 2017 08:55
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Jian - Esperas BP: 3 Jian paused a moment before introducing himself. "I am Jian, 8th Year Initiate of the Yueh at the Temple of the Moon. Or, at least I was. The Temple of the Moon was razed during the war, and I know of no other survivors. I've been on the road since then." Think we might have lost Hildegard. Rhjamiz fucked around with this message at 16:51 on Sep 17, 2017 |
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Sep 17, 2017 12:23
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