I.F. Ister
Fortifying The Thread
- Pronouns
- He/They
17d6
I'm going to say no, as it gets confusing on when everything happens and so on and so forth.
I'll also need someone to roll a d100, to see if bad luck strikes
NorseQuest (A Norse Xianxia)
- Thread starter I.F. Ister
- Start date
- Original Fantasy Action
-
- Tags
- norse mythology (mythology) original xianxia cultivation western cultivation ask sirihand did your mother tell you anything? discussion pleases yggdrasil farming gloating gets people killed granary management hubris is a coward's word you will die norsemen do not die when they are killed the qm has a bad memory the qm is bad at math viking courtroom drama (legal drama) vikings
I'll also need someone to roll a d100, to see if bad luck strikes
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I'll try a Silver-Tongue roll.
EDIT: Yeesh. That's only 5 successes, and probably fails. What are our total bonuses and penalties on this?
EDIT: Yeesh. That's only 5 successes, and probably fails. What are our total bonuses and penalties on this?
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- Pronouns
- He/Him
You got 8, which isn't great, but a success even with penalties. I got a 5 which probably isn't.
@Imperial Fister can we spend Odr on these? I honestly would've added that to the plan if I'd thought of it. I need to remember to do that on social rolls.
I.F. Ister
Fortifying The Thread
- Pronouns
- He/They
Total bonus: +2 (First Impressions, Friendly)
Total malus: -7
You cannot spend odr retroactively, I'll say. You can, however, spend Reward Dice
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Alright, I'll burn a Reward Die on my roll then. And remember to use Odr in the future.
EDIT: Okay, +2 successes and not an outright failure.
I.F. Ister
Fortifying The Thread
- Pronouns
- He/They
You did get a success, if only barely
Damn, that's a good fuckin' roll
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- Pronouns
- He/Him
Okay, we need one more Silver Tongue roll from somebody. Shouldn't be me after that last one.
FancyMolasses
Schnoz Enthusiast
- Location
- Nowhere interesting
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I'll go for it and burn a reward dice if it's not successful
- Location
- Southampton, Great Britain
- Pronouns
- He/Him
@Imperial Fister Is my roll just for avoiding bad luck or do we get anything beneficial from a high roll?
I.F. Ister
Fortifying The Thread
- Pronouns
- He/They
That's 6 Successes, before the bonuses and maluses, which bring it down to just 1, I believe
Just for avoiding bad luck, which is beneficial in of itself
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Which is technically a success...that gives us 3 successes, 2 successes, and 1 success on the three rolls, after modifiers and the Reward Die I used. Also, given that the average roll on 17 dice is more like 11-12 successes, a bunch of awful rolls.
Hopefully that's not too bad...we may need to pay something for the hospitality? Or something?
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I.F. Ister
Fortifying The Thread
- Pronouns
- He/They
It's still a success. You don't get anything out of it beyond a warm place to rest your head and some food, but that's the basic of what one can expect when you just show up out of the blue.
By being good hosts, the landowners get orthstirr out of it
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- Pronouns
- She/Her
Hurray for Nordic hospitality
Edit: Also, holy shit we are like absurdly rich. 2000 silver? 150 gold? We could have filled up 10 of our boats with trade goods no problem! Crazy.
Edit: Also, holy shit we are like absurdly rich. 2000 silver? 150 gold? We could have filled up 10 of our boats with trade goods no problem! Crazy.
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Alectai
Speaks Words of Wisdom... On occasion
Presumably, we also can prepare some nice gifts to thank them for it, right? If only in the form of silver?
Halla is very successful on the whole, though relatively little of this is sustainable income (Though she doesn't lack for that either)
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- Pronouns
- He/His/etc
How much of our liquid wealth are we going to carry with us and how much will be stashed in the Hole?
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Our farm is to keep our family alive our riches are to fund Projects. So many projects. Endless projects. There's never enough time in the day.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Yeah. We're doing well for ourselves.
Our current sustainable income from the farm, assuming we maximize it, is the equivalent of 112 oz. silver per year, after taxes, for the record.
We probably brought some cash but not in truly huge amounts. I think exact details are a bit up in the air.
I.F. Ister
Fortifying The Thread
- Pronouns
- He/They
Finished Sten talk, research, training, and lodgings, moving on to kare talk and alvar talk
Current Time: ~50 minutes
Current Time: ~50 minutes
This is one of the things that I really hope is leaned into when we move away from Halla as a protagonist. I hope that it is addressed that we're always busy with something and rarely choose to spend meaningful time with our kids and almost never with our husband. I'm not saying that Halla is a bad mother or wife, I'm just hoping to see some acknowledgement that our priorities have always been elsewhere.
- Location
- United States
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Except that's never been the case. Just because the updates don't point it out explicitly doesn't mean we don't spend time with the kids. Time still exists in between shown moments and Halla isn't spending every waking hour on these things.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I'm pretty sure this isn't actually true, is the thing. Most of our time is spent with our husband and kids...the mechanically relevant actions are just those actions which are plot relevant which is a very small percentage of Halla's time. IF has definitely stated a few times that writing domestic stuff is harder, which is fine, so it gets left out. That doesn't mean it isn't happening.
Each turn is 2 months...our total actions that go into updates in that time are usually less than a week of time, total. Halla definitely spends time working, but not to the degree she's primarily focused elsewhere than her family.
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I.F. Ister
Fortifying The Thread
- Pronouns
- He/They
Finished Kare and Alvar's bits and have made them suitably weird, moving on to your arrival in Hedeby and options.
Current Time: ~1:10
Current Time: ~1:10
Gotland Calls | Denmark 0
I.F. Ister
Fortifying The Thread
- Pronouns
- He/They
(Bad Luck Roll: 98) You're safe and sound, good roll
0~0~0
0~0~0
Speaking with Kare Wolf-Seek
Kare Wolf-Seek scratches at his elongated snout as he stares at the tafl board between the two of you. With the wind in the sails, there's no need for rowing—which leaves you plenty of time to get to know your crew.
Kare Wolf-Seek is an interesting man, to say the very least. Sometime between you returning home from your adventure in Wessex and now, Kare developed a wolf's head to replace his old one with. It's a bit disconcerting, truth be told. Watching his jaw snap open and shut as he talks, his tongue flopping around when exhausted, his ears flicking this way and that in response to noise.
Still, it doesn't seem to have affected his cognition at all—as he demonstrates by beating you for the third time in a row. He's a smart fellow, that much is certain.
He offers hand your way as he grins a toothy grin, "Looks like you lose again, Hallsa." He pronounces your name in an odd way, like he's got some kind of mostly-controlled speech impediment, "You did very well, though, almost had my king a couple-a times there."
"You as well, Kare," you cheerfully take his hand—his palm rough with warrior's callouses. "You're a fine tafl player, that's for sure."
He shrugs, an embarrassed flush rising on his furry cheeks, "Ah, well, it isn't all that impressive." He tries waving it off half-heartedly, the praise clearly raising his spirits.
0~0~0
Speaking with Alvar Half-Elf
One evening, as you, Alvar Half-Elf, and Abjorn make your way towards the ship to tell the crew the good news regarding the night's lodging, you figure you might as well strike up a conversation with the young... man? Is he a human?
You're not all too sure, now that you think about it. On the surface, his eyes are as normal as anyone's, but rather then dilate like a normal person's, his pupils extend and retract in response to light. His ears are as long as the sax on your belt and his chin is sharped than any blade. His lips are lacking in the extreme while his hair is speckled with an odd dust. His skin seems to burn far easier than most, if the size of his hat's brim is anything to go off of.
Alvar sighs as he catches your stare, "No, I'm not an elf. Yes, my father was one. No, I haven't met him. I haven't met any elves." You go to apologize but stop as he raises a hand—his fingers longer than any two of yours put together. "Sorry, that was rude of me."
"No, I was staring," you wave him off with a laugh, "I was the rude one!"
"If you say so." He shrugs and scratches at his chin, eyes flicking off to the side, "I, uh, I sometimes have trouble telling who is in the right versus who is in the wrong." He speaks in an odd way, like his mouth isn't right for his face.
"Well, I was in the wrong here," you grab Abjorn's attention with a poke, "Right, Abjorn?"
He blinks, "I wasn't paying attention."
Alvar chuckles at that, the noise like waves splashing against the shore.
0~0~0
Speaking with Sten
Early one morning, as you help your children and younger siblings to wake up, you find yourself alone with Sten as you carry drowsy-eyed youngsters to the ship beached upon the shore. Laying Sigurdr's still-sleeping body gently against some empty sacks, you greet the rising sun with a yawn and a stretch.
"Your children doing okay?" Sten asks as he too yawns, eyes sunken with heavy bags. "Drifa's being a real," another yawn breaks his words, "handful."
"About as well as can be expected," you scratch your face as Asgeirr trods up the gangplank, a sleeping Hallbjorn in his arms. "Siggy's just full of questions."
"Drifa's the same way," he laughs and nods to where she's curled up in a tight ball, a stuffed bear clutched tight to her snoring chest, "'least she drops like a rock once worn-out."
Asgeirr falls face-first into a pile of rope, his snores gently rising soon after. You shake your head, a small smile on your face, and help him get comfortable as Sten does the same with his youngest children.
As the last of the children are stowed safely away, you find yourself completely alone with Sten—the rest of the group still either waking up or assembling for a light breakfast in Sturli Longtrot's large house, the man who fed and lodged you for the night.
Sensing the opportunity, you turn and grab hold with both hands.
"So, Sten..." You begin as he sends a brow arching your way, "If you're not comfortable talking with me about this, that's fine, but I was just wanting to know about the true nature of Steel."
He stares at you for a long time, the only sound the call of seabirds on the gentle wind, "Are you planning on making it?"
"Not at all!" You hurriedly answer, "I'll even swear an oath!"
"No need. I know you and I know that you'll go ask someone else if I don't tell you myself," he sighs and hooks thumbs into his belt, the breeze playing through his red hair, "You wanna know what Steel is?" He snorts, letting his head dangle from side to side as he takes a deep breath, "Steel is the antithesis of progress. Steel is stagnancy made manifest, the physical status quo of existence. It doesn't change, it doesn't grow, it simply is."
"Thats..." you frown, struggling to wrap your head around it, "I don't understand."
The sky darkens as the sun fails to rise. Shadows drape themselves off Sten's body as he looms like a specter in the night, suddenly towering over you like the mountains in the distance.
"You wanna know what the the Price of Steel is?" He whispers, time seeming to stutter to a halt as your heartrate picks up to an ear-splitting pitch. "It's you," he pokes you in the chest. "It's me," he drives a thumb into himself, his eyes never leaving yours for even a moment. "It's all of our children," he waves a hand across the ship, gesturing at each and every thing he speaks of, "It's the very ground beneath our feet. It's the air we breathe. It's every damn blade of grass growing in every damn field! The Price of Steel, the price to lock the present in place," he drives a finger towards the heavens as hundreds of headless fish bob in the churning waves, "is the future!"
Sten breathes heavily as the skies clear up over head.
"How," you whisper, voice full of frozen horror, "how do you defeat it?"
"I," Sten collapses in on himself, face contorted in agony, "I don't know. My teacher died before he could tell me."
"Fuck," you whisper, wishing very much that Blackhand were here with you.
"Fuck is right," Sten whispers in response, eyes locked to the blood-slick seas.
0~0~0
The wooden walls of Hedeby stretch high in the distance as you pull into shore. Built on a river near to the border between Saxony and Denmark, Hedeby needs good, strong walls to keep itself safe. A city of well over a thousand people, Hedeby is one of—if not *the*—biggest city in all the Norselands.
And yet, it still doesn't compare to Winchester.
What would you like to do in Hedeby? (You'll get up to 3 turns to do stuff in Hedeby before moving on)
[ ] Look for people willing to buy and sell cargo
[ ] Mingle with the populace, see whose who in the city and surrounding lands
[ ] Listen to the local Skalds, learn what news there is in Denmark
[ ] Go to the Jarl's hall and greet him
[ ] Wander the roads, see what you can't find
0~0~0
AN: And there we go, update written and done.
No moratorium.
[X] Plan We Have Silver-Tongue For A Reason
-[X] Talk to a Crewmember
--[X] Sten
--[X] Ask him about the true nature of Steel, including its Price. We understand his concerns, much better now than when we first spoke of it years ago. We have no desire to forge Steel for any useful purpose, and are willing to swear an oath to that effect. But we need to understand more about it if we are to learn how to defeat it, as we may need to deal with Steelfathers in the future. If he says this is impossible, remind him of our grandfather.
--[X] Using various means to ensure this is as private a conversation as we can arrange (Sten may have his own methods, we'd do Eyespeech and Warding and likely do it somewhere a bit away from others on land). If Abjorn, Eric, or our huscarls want in they could potentially do so, but nobody we know less well.
--[X] Kare Wolf-Seek
--[X] Get to know him better, with an eye towards seeing if he's a recruitment target
--[X] Alvar Half-Elf
--[X] Discuss with him what elves are actually like, if he's willing to open up about it. We've met dwarves and trolls and other creatures, but never actually dealt with elves.
-[X] Night 1
--[X] Lodge with local landowners (Silver-Tongue Check, -1 Success for every 10 crew you have, +1 Morale)
-[X] Night 2
--[X] Lodge with local landowners (Silver-Tongue Check, -1 Success for every 10 crew you have, +1 Morale) (again)
-[X] Night 3
--[X] Lodge with local landowners (Silver-Tongue Check, -1 Success for every 10 crew you have, +1 Morale) (and again)
-[X] (Research)
--[X] Teach Eric and Stigmar Eyespeech. If we can set up a class and teach more of our retainers for the same investment, we would do so – 6 Research
-[X] (Training) Hamr (511 xp to rank up)
--[X] Train Stoker State 64xp (32xp)
--[X] Train Glima 24xp (12xp)
-[X] (Training) Hugr (254 xp to rank up)
--[X] Train Silver-Tongue 32 xp (16 xp)
-[X] (Training) Fylga (102 xp to rank up)
--[X] Train Fylgja itself 48 xp (24xp)
-[X] (Pockets)
--[X] Add Tafl Board, Weighted Harness, Fylgja Training Harness, Silver Drinking Horn, Forged Iron Chain, and Mastercraft Cooking Pot to our Pockets.
-[X] (Shapeshifting Slots)
--[X] Assign our empty slot to High-Twitch Muscles
-[X] Talk to a Crewmember
--[X] Sten
--[X] Ask him about the true nature of Steel, including its Price. We understand his concerns, much better now than when we first spoke of it years ago. We have no desire to forge Steel for any useful purpose, and are willing to swear an oath to that effect. But we need to understand more about it if we are to learn how to defeat it, as we may need to deal with Steelfathers in the future. If he says this is impossible, remind him of our grandfather.
--[X] Using various means to ensure this is as private a conversation as we can arrange (Sten may have his own methods, we'd do Eyespeech and Warding and likely do it somewhere a bit away from others on land). If Abjorn, Eric, or our huscarls want in they could potentially do so, but nobody we know less well.
--[X] Kare Wolf-Seek
--[X] Get to know him better, with an eye towards seeing if he's a recruitment target
--[X] Alvar Half-Elf
--[X] Discuss with him what elves are actually like, if he's willing to open up about it. We've met dwarves and trolls and other creatures, but never actually dealt with elves.
-[X] Night 1
--[X] Lodge with local landowners (Silver-Tongue Check, -1 Success for every 10 crew you have, +1 Morale)
-[X] Night 2
--[X] Lodge with local landowners (Silver-Tongue Check, -1 Success for every 10 crew you have, +1 Morale) (again)
-[X] Night 3
--[X] Lodge with local landowners (Silver-Tongue Check, -1 Success for every 10 crew you have, +1 Morale) (and again)
-[X] (Research)
--[X] Teach Eric and Stigmar Eyespeech. If we can set up a class and teach more of our retainers for the same investment, we would do so – 6 Research
-[X] (Training) Hamr (511 xp to rank up)
--[X] Train Stoker State 64xp (32xp)
--[X] Train Glima 24xp (12xp)
-[X] (Training) Hugr (254 xp to rank up)
--[X] Train Silver-Tongue 32 xp (16 xp)
-[X] (Training) Fylga (102 xp to rank up)
--[X] Train Fylgja itself 48 xp (24xp)
-[X] (Pockets)
--[X] Add Tafl Board, Weighted Harness, Fylgja Training Harness, Silver Drinking Horn, Forged Iron Chain, and Mastercraft Cooking Pot to our Pockets.
-[X] (Shapeshifting Slots)
--[X] Assign our empty slot to High-Twitch Muscles
Glima 5-6
Stoker State 6-7
Silver-Tongue 5-6
Stoker State 6-7
Silver-Tongue 5-6
Research
0~0~0
Teaching Eric and Stigmar Eyetalking
In the break time between travel and rest, you set to teaching Eric and Stigmar how to Eyetalk. After a few days of that, you and your retainers are fully capable of holding conversations between the three of you.
All in all, a resounding success!
0~0~0
Teaching Eric and Stigmar Eyetalking
In the break time between travel and rest, you set to teaching Eric and Stigmar how to Eyetalk. After a few days of that, you and your retainers are fully capable of holding conversations between the three of you.
All in all, a resounding success!
Roll 1: 3 Successes. Roll 2: 2 Successes. Roll 3: 1 Success
None of the landowners you lodged with were all too pleased with your presence, but none dared to do anything about it. They feed you basic vittles, gave you beer to drink, and let you rest your heads under their roofs, but nothing more than that.
While you weren't welcomed as friends, you weren't met as enemies—and that's all you can really ask.
None of the landowners you lodged with were all too pleased with your presence, but none dared to do anything about it. They feed you basic vittles, gave you beer to drink, and let you rest your heads under their roofs, but nothing more than that.
While you weren't welcomed as friends, you weren't met as enemies—and that's all you can really ask.
Speaking with Kare Wolf-Seek
Kare Wolf-Seek scratches at his elongated snout as he stares at the tafl board between the two of you. With the wind in the sails, there's no need for rowing—which leaves you plenty of time to get to know your crew.
Kare Wolf-Seek is an interesting man, to say the very least. Sometime between you returning home from your adventure in Wessex and now, Kare developed a wolf's head to replace his old one with. It's a bit disconcerting, truth be told. Watching his jaw snap open and shut as he talks, his tongue flopping around when exhausted, his ears flicking this way and that in response to noise.
Still, it doesn't seem to have affected his cognition at all—as he demonstrates by beating you for the third time in a row. He's a smart fellow, that much is certain.
He offers hand your way as he grins a toothy grin, "Looks like you lose again, Hallsa." He pronounces your name in an odd way, like he's got some kind of mostly-controlled speech impediment, "You did very well, though, almost had my king a couple-a times there."
"You as well, Kare," you cheerfully take his hand—his palm rough with warrior's callouses. "You're a fine tafl player, that's for sure."
He shrugs, an embarrassed flush rising on his furry cheeks, "Ah, well, it isn't all that impressive." He tries waving it off half-heartedly, the praise clearly raising his spirits.
0~0~0
Speaking with Alvar Half-Elf
One evening, as you, Alvar Half-Elf, and Abjorn make your way towards the ship to tell the crew the good news regarding the night's lodging, you figure you might as well strike up a conversation with the young... man? Is he a human?
You're not all too sure, now that you think about it. On the surface, his eyes are as normal as anyone's, but rather then dilate like a normal person's, his pupils extend and retract in response to light. His ears are as long as the sax on your belt and his chin is sharped than any blade. His lips are lacking in the extreme while his hair is speckled with an odd dust. His skin seems to burn far easier than most, if the size of his hat's brim is anything to go off of.
Alvar sighs as he catches your stare, "No, I'm not an elf. Yes, my father was one. No, I haven't met him. I haven't met any elves." You go to apologize but stop as he raises a hand—his fingers longer than any two of yours put together. "Sorry, that was rude of me."
"No, I was staring," you wave him off with a laugh, "I was the rude one!"
"If you say so." He shrugs and scratches at his chin, eyes flicking off to the side, "I, uh, I sometimes have trouble telling who is in the right versus who is in the wrong." He speaks in an odd way, like his mouth isn't right for his face.
"Well, I was in the wrong here," you grab Abjorn's attention with a poke, "Right, Abjorn?"
He blinks, "I wasn't paying attention."
Alvar chuckles at that, the noise like waves splashing against the shore.
0~0~0
Speaking with Sten
Early one morning, as you help your children and younger siblings to wake up, you find yourself alone with Sten as you carry drowsy-eyed youngsters to the ship beached upon the shore. Laying Sigurdr's still-sleeping body gently against some empty sacks, you greet the rising sun with a yawn and a stretch.
"Your children doing okay?" Sten asks as he too yawns, eyes sunken with heavy bags. "Drifa's being a real," another yawn breaks his words, "handful."
"About as well as can be expected," you scratch your face as Asgeirr trods up the gangplank, a sleeping Hallbjorn in his arms. "Siggy's just full of questions."
"Drifa's the same way," he laughs and nods to where she's curled up in a tight ball, a stuffed bear clutched tight to her snoring chest, "'least she drops like a rock once worn-out."
Asgeirr falls face-first into a pile of rope, his snores gently rising soon after. You shake your head, a small smile on your face, and help him get comfortable as Sten does the same with his youngest children.
As the last of the children are stowed safely away, you find yourself completely alone with Sten—the rest of the group still either waking up or assembling for a light breakfast in Sturli Longtrot's large house, the man who fed and lodged you for the night.
Sensing the opportunity, you turn and grab hold with both hands.
"So, Sten..." You begin as he sends a brow arching your way, "If you're not comfortable talking with me about this, that's fine, but I was just wanting to know about the true nature of Steel."
He stares at you for a long time, the only sound the call of seabirds on the gentle wind, "Are you planning on making it?"
"Not at all!" You hurriedly answer, "I'll even swear an oath!"
"No need. I know you and I know that you'll go ask someone else if I don't tell you myself," he sighs and hooks thumbs into his belt, the breeze playing through his red hair, "You wanna know what Steel is?" He snorts, letting his head dangle from side to side as he takes a deep breath, "Steel is the antithesis of progress. Steel is stagnancy made manifest, the physical status quo of existence. It doesn't change, it doesn't grow, it simply is."
"Thats..." you frown, struggling to wrap your head around it, "I don't understand."
The sky darkens as the sun fails to rise. Shadows drape themselves off Sten's body as he looms like a specter in the night, suddenly towering over you like the mountains in the distance.
"You wanna know what the the Price of Steel is?" He whispers, time seeming to stutter to a halt as your heartrate picks up to an ear-splitting pitch. "It's you," he pokes you in the chest. "It's me," he drives a thumb into himself, his eyes never leaving yours for even a moment. "It's all of our children," he waves a hand across the ship, gesturing at each and every thing he speaks of, "It's the very ground beneath our feet. It's the air we breathe. It's every damn blade of grass growing in every damn field! The Price of Steel, the price to lock the present in place," he drives a finger towards the heavens as hundreds of headless fish bob in the churning waves, "is the future!"
Sten breathes heavily as the skies clear up over head.
"How," you whisper, voice full of frozen horror, "how do you defeat it?"
"I," Sten collapses in on himself, face contorted in agony, "I don't know. My teacher died before he could tell me."
"Fuck," you whisper, wishing very much that Blackhand were here with you.
"Fuck is right," Sten whispers in response, eyes locked to the blood-slick seas.
0~0~0
The wooden walls of Hedeby stretch high in the distance as you pull into shore. Built on a river near to the border between Saxony and Denmark, Hedeby needs good, strong walls to keep itself safe. A city of well over a thousand people, Hedeby is one of—if not *the*—biggest city in all the Norselands.
And yet, it still doesn't compare to Winchester.
What would you like to do in Hedeby? (You'll get up to 3 turns to do stuff in Hedeby before moving on)
[ ] Look for people willing to buy and sell cargo
[ ] Mingle with the populace, see whose who in the city and surrounding lands
[ ] Listen to the local Skalds, learn what news there is in Denmark
[ ] Go to the Jarl's hall and greet him
[ ] Wander the roads, see what you can't find
0~0~0
AN: And there we go, update written and done.
No moratorium.