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The Heir of the Dragon: A Rhaenyra Targaryen Quest

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Gore17 said:
Except even Targaryen personal arms use the three headed dragon, just with either minor alterations or additional details. Well, unless you count the Great Bastards as being part of House Targaryen(it's very unclear!), in which case we have two examples in Bittersteel and Bloodraven, who used a horse with dragon wings(based on his mothers House emblem) and a single-head white dragon respectively. Both, I'll note, are ones that completely foreswore any claim to the throne in favour of another.

Having the three headed dragon is a reminder that yes, Rhaenyra is a Targaryen and by extension, the heir.

Incidentally, you were accidentally cooking with the inclusion of a star, though it should be seven-pointed/sided: it's a symbol of the Faith of Seven, from which knighthood is derived from. Adding it would simultaneously be seen as us being pious(useful), a little reminder that Rhaenyra has sworn the oaths to the Seven and a sneaky reference to Alicent if she does indeed become a Septa.
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Rhaenyra is a dragonrider she has no greater indicator that she is a Targaryen then that, also there isn't a question as to whether or not she is. Again she's not really going to be confused with anyone else if she rolls up to a nobles home for a visit via dragon back. The star thing is a good idea at the same time Rhaenyra isn't exactly the pious type and the gods she worship are the 14 flames. Plus I'm not sure what the rules are for add a religions symbol on a sigil are, Jona of arc Rhaenyra is not. So simple stars that can give a nod in that general direction without the equivalent of slapping a cross into the design.
 
Zimmerwald1915 said:
This is not true now, with Velaryon dragonriders; and it will be less true in the future, with one Martell dragonrider of our children's generation and presumably a line of them descending therefrom.
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There's just no way we can let the Martells permanently become a dragonriding house. That's asking for Westeros to explode in like 2 generations.
 
Quetzalcoatl said:
It's her personal sigil she's not going to pass it down to her kids so not an issue really.
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Dragonriding is not unique to House Targaryen now, and probably will not be unique to House Targaryen throughout our lifetime. Designing a personal sigil around the idea that "showing up on a dragon is enough to show I'm a Targaryen and the queen, thus I can eschew the two extra dragon-heads that symbolize how I am both" is, therefore, designing a personal sigil around an idea that is not true.
 
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I understand the impetus to think about the sigil purely as a propaganda tool, but customizing it solely to max out the PR value feels like it's missing some of the point. This is a rare kind of opportunity for creative expression, in and out of character, and it's the emblem of how [Defiant] Rhaenyra wants to present herself to the world. Beyond that, we've seen several times in-universe that these concerns really don't make too much difference.

The worst sigil flub in any era is probably Stannis, who emphasized the fiery heart of the red god way more than the Baratheon stag, and he still had no trouble scooping up most of Renly's host to fight beneath that banner. And then, now that he's stuck with the dregs at the wall, it's genuinely more inspiring to most of his remaining forces.

Not to get too meta, but Teen Spirit has been clear from the start what's more important here is telling a good story, and they put up the option themselves. People who hate us will find something to critique in whatever sigil we choose, including if we stick to the standard Red Dragon, Black Field. I see very little reason to think that, for example, a one-headed dragon instead of three is going to seriously undermine our legitimacy by any amount worth noting.
 
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Quetzalcoatl said:
Rhaenyra is a dragonrider she has no greater indicator that she is a Targaryen then that, also there isn't a question as to whether or not she is. Again she's not really going to be confused with anyone else if she rolls up to a nobles home for a visit via dragon back. The star thing is a good idea at the same time Rhaenyra isn't exactly the pious type and the gods she worship are the 14 flames. Plus I'm not sure what the rules are for add a religions symbol on a sigil are, Jona of arc Rhaenyra is not. So simple stars that can give a nod in that general direction without the equivalent of slapping a cross into the design.
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It's not banned, at least three houses have it as part of their arms, and IRL the use of religious symbols was extremely popular. And her not being particularly pious herself is not an issue, the appearance of respect/piety is sufficient for our purposes. Also, Rhaenyra is not particularly faithful, but as a knight she is officially a follower of the Seven-in-One.

And, as I mentioned, I'm imagining it being more of a secret reference to Alicent, her "shining, faithful star" if you will. :p
 
Well it more the fact that no other house has the seven pointed star on their sigil. Not even the Hightowers with their close ties to the faith use it.

So I assume it's kinda like the red cross on white for us that symbol isn't used unless there are medical personnel on location or to mark medical equipment. You can get in trouble for using the red cross even just to advertise said medical insurance.
 
Gore17 said:
And, as I mentioned, I'm imagining it being more of a secret reference to Alicent, her "shining, faithful star" if you will. :p
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guiding star
we light the way
ah fuck
I tried to have it look up at a single star, but the fit was too awkward. Maybe a better designer can make it work. But I think a halo made of seven stars is a pretty awesome look on a dragon who's already flying in a black sky with the moon and the sun under its wings.
 
Quetzalcoatl said:
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Sample sheet for everyone's enjoyment
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Pretty cool! I feel like the sun blends into the background though, especially since it's so small. What would a red dragon with a yellow sun look like?

(Or... a red sun with a yellow outline? The moon can have a blue outline then. Unless it's a bad idea color-wise. Or too busy...)
 
Quetzalcoatl said:
Well it more the fact that no other house has the seven pointed star on their sigil. Not even the Hightowers with their close ties to the faith use it.

So I assume it's kinda like the red cross on white for us that symbol isn't used unless there are medical personnel on location or to mark medical equipment. You can get in trouble for using the red cross even just to advertise said medical insurance.
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I literally, in the post you quoted, mentioned that there's at least three who do.

House Sunglass in the Crownlands, who have 7 seven pointed stars in a circle. These may actually our direct subordinates, as they're sworn to directly Dragonstone in the War of the Five Kings.

House Tarbeck in the Westerlands, who have a seven-pointed star in the centre. They're one of the two houses Tywin Lannister established his reputation by crushing.

House Templeton in the Vale, who have a seven-pointed star in centre an X made up of 8 six-pointed stars. Technically only landed knights, they're a rich, historied and powerful house regardless. Sadly supported Arnold Arryn.
 
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Interlude: Victory Feast Part II New
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    • Interlude: Victory Feast Part II​
    Once enough time had passed that you felt safe to mingle, you made your way over to Laena, taking a seat across from her and her uncle Vaemond. He largely seemed indifferent to your arrival, leaving you and your cousin free to chat.

    Laena was dressed elegantly and richly, her dress accented heavily with gold, the arms separate from the main dress, all three ending just below her shoulder. Today, all of the Velayrons were dressed in particularly expensive attire that heavily used gold. The Sea Snake was not subtle when he wanted to flaunt his wealth.

    Laena was happy to see you, thanking you for convincing her to stay for the feast. She was glad to have her full family back in King's Landing, if only for a brief moment. While she did not look down upon Driftmark, it became clear as the two of you talked that King's Landing was just as much home to her as her family's island.

    You couldn't blame her. The two of you had grown up in this city. It would always be your home to you in a way. Sometimes, you found yourself tempted to move to Dragonstone full time, free yourself of the strain of living in the capital and have the freedom to pursue your studies and interests how you saw fit. But even beyond how much that would hurt you politically, to say nothing of leaving your father, it would hurt to be away from this city for so long. It was familiar to you, comforting in it's own way.

    The conversation soon changed topics to your intended husband and it quickly became clear she seemed less than impressed with Qoren. It wasn't the typical dislike of the Dornish as you saw from so many lords recently. She even gave you praise for 'conquering' Dorne so easily, but as she put it it.

    "This Prince of your seems nice and all, but not the kind of man you'd bring on an adventure," she lamented.

    After some probing from you it became apparent that Laena thought him physically weak, not frail but lacking the strength and fighting spirit she wanted from men of his status.

    Qoren was not a fighter. You were fairly certain even he wouldn't deny that. And in terms of raw strength, you were confident you had him beat easily, but that suited you fine. Sure, marrying another skilled warrior like Harwin had it's allures, but you found Qoren's charm and acceptance of your strength rather appealing in it's own right. The two of you debated for a while and you were quick to defend Qoren's prospects as a husband, largely defending your choices more than actually defending the man himself. But it quickly became apparent that Laena just wanted something quite different from Qoren. She wanted a bold husband. A man of action who also deeply valued his family and home.

    Laena would have been miserable married to your father. You loved the man for all his faults, but you could never describe him as a man of action. Even before his illness, you couldn't recall the last time he had picked up a sword for anything but a ceremony. He would have bored her, if not made her completely miserable.

    That had you thinking about Laena's own marriage prospects. Despite all but physically throwing her at your father a few years ago, the Sea Snake had been content to leave her unmarried since then. With him no longer distracted by events in the Stepstones, you were curious if that might change.

    Vaemond gave you an annoyed stare for moment before returning to his food.

    Laena was evasive on the subject, but it seemed her father was considering a number of prospects at the moment. She wouldn't say who and you knew you had no right to pry, but you could tell she was uneasy about the prospect.

    Laena was clearly a woman who knew what she wanted. Every instinct in you was pushing to tell her that she should push for what she wanted. Most women had such little control over who they could marry, but after Lord Corlys made a fool of himself trying to marry Laena to your father, he might listen to her. Or rather, Princess Rhaenys would listen to her daughter and she would convince her husband.

    Speaking of her mother, if there was anyone who could convince Lord Corlys to delay any marriage, it was Princess Rhaenys. Laena was still young, and the daughter of the richest man in the Seven Kingdoms. She'd be just as good of a marriage prospect in ten years as she was now. She wasn't heir and she wasn't destined for any major political position. There was no reason to rush. A girl like her should get a chance to enjoy life more before marriage.

    You could also tell her to to trust her father's instincts, but you knew that was a terrible idea. The man had tried to marry her when she was barely two and ten years old. Maybe he might see reason after his failures, but that seemed a remote prospect.

    You could also stay silent. This was ultimately not your family after all and you had little stake in it besides concern for a cousin and fellow dragon rider.

    Relationship with Laena Velayron has Improved

    What do you say?

    [] [Romantic] Encourage Laena to push for the kind of man she wants.

    [] Tell Laena she should try and delay a marriage if she can, she has so much more life to enjoy first.

    [] Tell Laena to Trust her Father's Instincts.

    [] Offer Sympathies but Otherwise Stay Silent on the Matter.
    After your conversation with Laena had run it's course, you spotted an empty seat besides Alicent as her father left to chat up Lord Tarly for one reason or another. You quickly made your way to Alicent's side, earning you a broad and warm smile from your lady. The throne room was filled with the sound of drunken laughter and numerous war stories being told, and Hightowers were seated at the far end of one of the rows. Only Gwayne was anywhere near close enough to overhear the two of you unless you started shouting and he was distracted by a conversation with one of the knights serving his father.

    "Please tell me my dear knight did not just empower my cousin purely for my sake," Alicent whispered, a hint of worry in her tone despite her smiles.

    "No, of course not," you replied, which was basically true. "I needed someone I knew wouldn't just roll over for Lord Corlys. I think your cousin is a good fit and your father owes me big time now. So that's a win-win as far as I'm concerned."

    "Still, this Septa idea of yours would be using a lot of political leverage," Alicent still seemed unsure. "I can't ask you to do that for me."

    The two of you had discussed the Septa idea after your talk with your intended, and while she seemed to quite like the idea, she also realized it was an incredibly large ask of her father, as Alicent would give up her last name and never marry if she became a Septa.

    "You didn't ask," you cheekily pointed out, earning a sigh from Alicent. "Besides, I think it works out great for everyone involved. You have no desire to marry so this makes it so you never have to worry about that."

    "Women don't want to get married," Alicent interrupted. "It's a duty that's expected of us. I can handle being married, eventually."

    You stared at Alicent for a moment, tempted to mention that you knew several people in your life who had been quite eager for marriage, but since that involved your family, you knew it was going to lead to another round of someone telling you how much your family's marriage traditions disturbed them, so you decided to keep silent on that particular matter.

    "But as a Septa you would be able to do your duty to both your family and the faith in a way that fulfills you and brings you joy," you argued. "The faith would have a spiritual guide that the heir to the Iron Throne would actually listen to, your father would have you as my close advisor for life, and you would be there to help teach and raise any heirs I have. You're happy, I'm happy, the faith wins, and your father wins. Works out for everyone I think."

    "Do you really think they'll see it that way?" Alicent questioned.

    "Qoren's convinced he can find a convent that is acceptably permissive," you said delicately, "And who is going to take issue with a royal being close to the faith?"

    "You promise me we're not just taking advantage of the faith, right?" Alicent asked. "If we do this, I will take my duties to the faith seriously."

    "Of course," you replied as you held her hand beneath the table. "I'm just finding a way for us to be true to ourselves while still doing our duties."

    "You have been very good at that as of late," Alicent's eyes glanced at Prince Qoren. "Well, if you can convince my father, I'm all for it. But again, you don't have to do this Rhaenyra."

    "I'll keep that mind," you assured her as your mind shifted to more pleasent topics. "Now, do you have anything scandalous to share about the other guests?"

    Alicent was no spymaster, but she had a good ear for gossip. Back before you were fighting, one of your favorite things at any event from tourneys to weddings was to share gossip in quiet corners with her. And this was really the first chance the two of you have had to do that since you've grown so much closer.

    "I must confess I can't tell if half of what the Dornish servants say is true, but word is Ser Fowler over there," she nodded towards a dusty-blonde haired lad who was currently deep in conversation with Lord Dayne, "is only here because there's a servant girl back home hiding a belly under her dress and he's afraid his lady mother will force him to marry her. Apparently he had expected the wedding sooner and had hoped to stay here the whole winter."

    "Marry a servant girl?!" you were downright scandalized by the notion. That seemed absurd for a noble house of any prestige, maybe a cadet branch or a landed knight.

    "He's fourth in line for his mother's seat," Alicent explained. "And apparently the servant's family is a favorite of hers, so she's very annoyed that her son has dishonored them like this."

    "Well that explains it I suppose," you muttered. "Still rather drastic."

    Even for the Dornish that seemed like an absurd action.

    "I'm curious, has Qoren told you any rumors of interest?" Alicent inquired. "I can't imagine he'd say anything scandalous about his vassals, but you never know."

    You weren't about to mention Qoren's little spill in so obvious a place but there were plenty of other things he mentioned you could bring up.

    "Well, did you hear about what happened with the Santagar heir?" you asked.

    "I've not even heard of House Santagar," Alicent remarked.

    "Landed knights, but they're ancient and their castle is not far from Sunspear so they're more respected than most," you explained. "But according to Qoren, he had to send their heir back to the ships early because he wouldn't stop throwing snowballs at Lord Selmy."

    "Snowballs?" Alicent was incredulous. "Did the prince bring a child with him?"

    "The man is three and thirty years old," you barely contained a giggle as you spoke. "The man saw a group of children playing in the city and decided it looked like a good one. Threw one at Lord Semly on a whim, the old lord did not take kindly to that, much to the delight of Ser Santagar. Apparently he went at this for three days before my father and Qoren had to put a stop to it."

    Were it a lord from any other region, it probably would have barely been noticed, but the Selmys were marcher lords. By day three, the man was drawing his sword, fully prepared to duel. There was something amusing about such important diplomatic work being threatened by something so minor and silly.

    "Some men never stop being children I swear," Alicent muttered, trying to hide the smirk on her face.

    The two of talked for what felt like hours more, gossiping about various lords and even servants. You talked about the food, the dancing, who's dress you liked the best or least, you talked about anything and everything really. Your conversation could have been hours long or just a few minutes, you lost track and didn't care either way. As much as you preferred to spend your time doing something productive or at least keeping your hands busy, you couldn't deny that sometimes you wanted nothing more than to spend the day with Alicent. Doing something romantic, reading the histories together, or just chatting about nothing really. It didn't matter to you as long as the two of you were together.

    Relationship with Alicent Improved

    -5 Stress

    "Excuse me girls, I hope I'm not interrupting anything important," Qoren said as he approached you and Alicent, "but I would like a dance with my intended."

    You looked around. The feast was still ongoing, but you could tell things were just starting to slow down. The dance floor was not particularly filled and the music didn't have the same energy it had earlier.

    "Of course, dear Prince," Alicent nodded respectfully. "Have fun you two."

    Qoren extended his hand. Personally you would have enjoyed spending the rest of the night talking with Alicent, but of all the people you could dance with, Qoren was a pretty good alternative.

    You took his hand and let him escort you to the dance floor. You felt so many eyes focusing on you as you walked and you could see a number of lords from the Stormlands all but glaring at the two of you as you walked.

    "I think I attracted less attention when I danced with Lady Jeyne," you remarked.

    "They're just jealous of me," Qoren declared with an easy grin, "knowing they will never be able to dance with such a fine beauty like yourself."

    You chuckled a bit at his words. "You really do enjoy laying on the charm as thick as you can, don't you?" you remarked.

    "It got you to smile, did it not?" Qoren teased.

    "I suppose," you smirked, rolling your eyes for dramatic effect.

    To absolutely no surprise, Qoren knew how to dance. What was a surprise was just how different the experince felt. You no longer felt as though you were moving through you paces but rather flowing through them, Qoren guiding you as a gentle river might guide a stone along it's banks.

    Each movement he made didn't just feel well practiced, but almost instinctive. Each step and twist coming across like he had been doing them all his life. Your mind went to your training, how you were taught to make the sword more than just a weapon, but to have it become part of yourself, to wield your blade as you might wield your fists. You could see he took dance seriously, honing himself as you had.

    Some might dismiss the effort he put into the dance as a waste for a man, but how many times have you been told that gatherings and festivals could be just as important politically as a small council meeting? You couldn't deny your admiration for his skill and dedication.

    Your breathed heavily as he spun you around the floor. If you didn't already have Alicent in your life, you could easily see yourself falling head over heels for this man.

    Then, suddenly, the dance shifted. Qoren awkwardly brought you in close, his movements hitching slightly as he adjusted the two of you. You looked into his eyes, finding him starring towards your father.

    You followed his gaze and saw one of the Kingsguard whispering to your father, his expression growing more concerned with each passing moment.

    "Something's wrong," you whispered, the distraught look on your father's face telling you something dire had just happened, but what?

    Johanna was sitting next to him, looking on with concern as the Kingsguard finished delivering his message. While Daemon had been dancing with Laena, something you had not even noticed until this moment, he now had stopped and marched towards the throne. Everyone important to your father was here in this room, so what could he be so worried about?

    Then suddenly your father stood up and made his way to the door, flanked by Kingsguard, Daemon and Otto following quickly behind him, bringing the feast to a sudden halt as the crowd looked on in confusion.

    You and Qoren quickly followed after them, only stopping to grab Alicent.

    "What's going on?" Alicent asked, calling out to her father.

    "There's been an incident in the Maester's quarters," it was Lord Commander Westerling who answered.

    "What sort of incident?" you asked.

    "No time to explain!" Westerling said urgently.

    Only a few minor Maesters had been involved in the feast, most of the older ones found the festivities too loud and exhausting for them to even bother attending, to say nothing of the general dislike many in the order had for Daemon.

    The group quickly made it's way to the Maester's quarters in the Red Keep, finding a number of Maesters standing around the entrance with looks of horror upon their faces.

    You followed your father in, to find a shocking sight awaiting you.

    Six Maesters were gathered around a large table, clearly holding a small feast of their own. All six of them, inculding Grand Maester Mellos, were dead.

    None of them had died well. They had all turned ghastly shades of blue and purple, their eyes bloodshot and bugling out of their skulls. Some of them had even begin to claw at their own necks in a desperate effort to breath. The Grand Maester himself was collapsed on the table, his lifeless eyes starring at you as blood ran from his mouth and mixed with his spilled wine.

    Your father stared in shock, covering his mouth in disbelief while Otto rushed to shield Alicent and remove her from the scene. You and Qoren found yourself starring in disbelief, trying to make sense of it.

    "Stand back!" The Lord Commander of the Kingsguard ordered, "they've been poisoned!"

    That much was apparent, but it made no sense to you. Who would poison Maesters of all people, particularly an old man like Mellos-

    Your eyes quickly turned to Daemon, who was standing next to your father, a hand covering his mouth. If you didn't know any better you would say he was suppressing a smirk.

    He couldn't have. No, there's no way? Your uncle was many things, few of them good, but this kind of savagery... No. Why would he do such a thing?

    It didn't make sense, and yet you could think of no one else who had the means or anything resembling a reason. But that couldn't be it. There's no way you uncle killed so many just on one conversation.

    Those men weren't dead because of you, were they?

    "Who could have done this?" your father asked in disbelief.

    That's when you spotted Maester Orwyle standing in the corner, tears rolling down his face as he stared at you fearfully.

    He didn't say a word but you could read it in his face. The Grand Maester was dead, poisoned, and Orwyle thought you the killer.

    You turned back towards your uncle, gazing at him in disbelief.

    'Daemon, what have you done?' you wondered.

    +5 Stress

    Grand Maester Mellos is Dead

    Maester Orwyle Thinks You Are a Killer

    The Queen's Pregnancy is at Greater Risk

    QM's Notes: So yeah, Daemon's reaction to your words was to give the Grand Maester the purple wedding treatment. You maybe wondering why Daemon picked poison since that didn't seem his norm but I will say there are very specific reasons why he killed in this manner. I'll admit I was a bit emotionally exhausted working on this one which is why I kind of summarized the Laena section and I do apologize. To be clear, nothing Rhaenyra would say to Laena would stop her from dancing with Daemon, Laena's a woman with her own desires and wants. If you wished to stop them dancing then you should have danced with one of them. I will say the voting options aren't without effects though.

    I will also note that I have more hours at work coming up in May so I will regretfully less time to work on this for a bit, I don't know how long. Updates should still be coming out at a decent pace but it will be slower. Thank you.
     
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    • Problem: dealt with
    The next Grand Maester: cowed
    Opinion on Daemon's abilities and ruthlessness: adjusted closer to reality
    And all it cost us was one Conversation, five Stress, being seen as a cold-blooded murderer by one pretty cool guy, and an improvement in relationship with Daemon (probably the worst one :V)

    Laena pls he is a chaos gremlin, I beg u

    The gossip was delightful, that Dornishman throwing snowballs because he finally experienced snow sent me
     
    I know the Orwyle fear is stressing Rhaenyra out, but it's honestly so funny to me.

    Orwyle just becoming a very stiff yes-man to all of Rhaenyra's proposals on the small council. All according to cake.
     
    [X] Tell Laena she should try and delay a marriage if she can, she has so much more life to enjoy first.

    It be a good way to keep Leana from jumping to Deamon in desperation from a bad pick from dear old dad. Besides with a bit more life experience the shiny man of action will seem less appealing especially if she were to talk to Rhea at some point. She still quite young so the idea of someone like Deamon seems like a good fit but I doubt he'd give her the consideration that solid and stable relationships are made of.
     
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    Alpaca27 said:
    I know the Orwyle fear is stressing Rhaenyra out, but it's honestly so funny to me.

    Orwyle just becoming a very stiff yes-man to all of Rhaenyra's proposals on the small council. All according to cake.
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    Poor man was just trying to help and now all his co workers are dead. It's to bad the other maeters died when they were just there and at no fault.

    I'm surprised the Queens pregnancy is at greater risk. I'd figure it be the same but we'll see what happens.
     
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