THE KETHERIC-HIVE AFFAIR (Balder's Gate 3 in Space! Quest)

BORN TO TIEF, WORLD IS FUCK
NAME: Karlach Cliffgate
RACE: Tiefling
HIT DIE/MELEE DAMAGE: 1d12 | HIT POINTS: 21/21 | LUCK: 6/6
PROFF: +2
XP: 0 | LEVEL: 2

STRENGTH​
DEXTERITY​
CONSTITUTION​
INTELLIGENCE​
WISDOM​
CHARISMA​
16 (+3)​
16 (+3)​
13 (+1)​
8 (-1)​
10 (+0)​
12 (+1)​
Save: +5​
Save: +5​
Save: +3​
Save: +1​
Save: +2​
Save: +3​

RACIALIZED TRAITS
Darkvision: Can see 100 feet in darkness without colors. Born this way, ma called it 20/Evil vision.
Light Sleeper: Only needs four hours of sleep for a long rest. Learned this in CapFor - nap when you got it.
Energy Resistance [Fire]: Take 1/2 damage from fire. This is why we got the cheap apartments, near the radiators.
Speed Malus: -1 meter of movement per round. Gorby Jr. is a pain in the ass.
Hider: Can hide when even only lightly obscure. Learned to duck pretty fast in the military.
ABLITIES
Action Surge (1/rest): Can take an extra action, refreshes on a short rest.
Reckless attack: Can gain advantage on Str based attacks while giving enemies advantage to hit you.
Rage (2/day): can go into a rage for 1 minute, gaining advantage on str checks and saves, +2 to str damage, reistance to B, P and S damage. Can't cast spells while raging.
Fighting Styles: Defensive (+1 to AC while wearing armor), Ranged (+2 to hit with ranged weapons), Blind Fighting (gain blindsight to 10 ft)
Second Wind (1/rest): Can use a bonus action to get 1d10+Level HP.
Natural Explorer: Ensure that the group has enough vac-suits and full tanks unless enemies take specific actions to negate it. When trapped with limited resources, double what the GM says you have. Create 3 shifts as a crew, rather than 2. Can patch suit as a free action. once per session, you can declare one thing to be true about a space station, habitat or spaceship - if the GM refuses, you're given a Luck Point.
Favored Enemy (Fascists): Get advantage on Wisdom (Survival) to track them and Intelligence rolls to know about their tactics.
Broad Proficiency: Martial Weapons, Heavy Weapons
Single Proficiency: Vac-Suits, Light, Medium, Heavy
Tool Proficiency: Repair, Shuttles, Armored Fighting Vehicle
Fighter's Luck: Get x3 LP per level.
Skills [8]: Skilled in Athletics, Acrobatics, Stealth, Perception, Persuasion, Performance, Intimidation, Insight
Expertise [2]: Expertise in Athletics and Stealth (double proff bonus.)​

GEAR

Armored Vac Suit (AC 19, 7 Bulletproof)
Bulletproof: AC applies to gunfire. If an enemy rolls 8-17, remove 1 bulletproof.)​
M-Gloves: Can create two mage hands as a free action, controlled by focused

Collapsable Knife: +5 to hit, 1d12+3 damage
Concealable: Advantage to hiding, -1 intimidation
Sharp: Deals 3 damage on a miss.​

MP-5: The Solar System's sexiest SMG
Effective Range: 0-25 Meters | 25-50 Meters
Damage: 1d4+3| Caliber: Medium | Recoil: 4 | ROF: 8 | Magazine: 30+1 | Intimidation: +3
Special: Tacti-Cool (comes with a built in, infinite use wand of Ray of Frost, which can be fired from the weapon whenever you want.)
Underslung DC8-ROFW: 60 foot range, 1d8 frost damage, reduces enemy movement speed by 10 feet on a hit.​

Arachne 9mm
Effective Range: 0-50 Meters
Damage: 1d4+3 | Caliber: Medium | Recoil: 7 | ROF: 3 | Magazine: 15+1 | Intimidation: +2
Special: Frangible - you can buy Small Caliber rounds for this to reduce the recoil to 4.​

23 magazines fully stocked of 9mm rounds

Standard patch kit
Effect: It can patch any hole of about palm size or smaller. Unfortunately, since they're designed to be 'slap and forget' patches, they can't really patch bigger holes effectively. Fortunately, you can apply them as a free action.

Computer Tool Kit
Effect: The computer tool kit is the collection of various lengths of wire, soldering gun, screwdriver (magnetized) and other nibbly little bits you need to do repair work on a computer, physically speaking. This won't do anything to debug it, unless you're being really literal about debugging here.

Cuffband
Effect: A plastic set of restraints. Good for dissidents, bounties and, until the Supreme Court's decision re Staton V Solarium Primary School, unruly children.

FINANCES

Q-Card: +0
Specie: 1 Gold

LEGALITY
Current Hab Legality: Not in Hab
Intimidation: Not in Hab
Total Criminality: Not in hab


STARSHIP - USAF-SGF Short Sword (Drizzit Class)
Acceleration Max: 3Gs | Handling: +4
Sensors: 5 Locks, 2 Jams

STRUCTURE SPACES: 300
Thrusters (10): 25 [10 Armor]
Externalities (9-4): 85 [0 Armor]​
Weapons: 72​
2 Fore, 2 Starboard, 2 Port, 2 Aft, 2 Dorsal, 2 Ventral S&R Draconic Limited Twin Linked 40mm PDCs
1 Dorsal Multipurpose 32cm Launch Tube​
EW/COM: 5​
D98 Panopticon Installation​
Cargo: 6 Tons​
Life Support (3): 39 [10 Armor]​
Radiators: 10
Water Recycling & Air Filtering: 15
Cabins: 10 (6 Bunk Rooms, 3 Cabins, 1 Officer's Cabin)
Sickbay: 5
Mess Hall: 5​
Command, Control & Communication (2): 5 [10 Armor]
Engines (1): 90 [10 Armor]
ARMERMENT
S&R Draconic Limited PDCs
Range: 0 | Damage: 1 Damage
ROF: 4d10 | Special: +5 to hit Torpedoes

32cm Launch Tube
Range: N/A | Damage: Per torpedo
ROF: 3 per round | Capacity: 17 Torpedoes

MD-82b Armor Piercing Chemical Torpedoes (12)
Special Note: These use high density hydrogen fuel bricks and have an extremely short duration
Acceleration: 20G | Handling: +4
Structure: 3​
Thrusters: -
Externalities (9-4): 1 [Armor 1]​
Weapon: 1​
High Yield Armor Piercing Warhead: 30 damage​
Life Support: -
Command, Control & Communication: -
Engine: 1​

T2-9 Tactical Nuclear Interplanetary Ballistic Missiles (5) [INOPERABLE]
Special Note: These use Zevar drives and have infinite range.
Acceleration: 10G | Handling: +4
Structure: 3​
Thrusters: -
Externalities (9-4): 2​
Weapon: 2​
Tactical Nuclear Warhead: 300 Damage (5km radius)​
Life Support: -
Command, Control & Communication: -
Engine: 1​
Description: A 300 ton warship, the Short Sword comes armed with 12 point defense cannons capable of covering every angle of attack and a 3 tube dorsal mounted torpedo bay, with 20 torpedoes, currently stocked with 15 MD82b antiarmor torpedoes that burn high density hydrogen fuel (making them high speed, short range), and 5 IPBMs with 30 kiloton tactical nuclear warheads. These have Zevar drives. They do not have "range" limitations.
 
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The fact that Logan's Run is described as "90s" has me dying. (I know that in this crazy multiverse, maybe their 90s in whatever century it is is the equivalent of the 1970s here in real life, but still...)

I personally have not watched Suspiria, unfortunately, whether it's the original or the remake.

The current year is 614, so, if it's the early 80s, then calling something 90s is like calling something 60s from our POV.

Which isn't even right, Karlach, it's a totally 70s movie
 
[X] Superman

I get that Logan's Run is a classic and all but it feels very silly to make in D&D land
 
[X] Logan's Run

This means Fantasy Arnold Schwarzenegger exists and did Twins with Fantasy Danny Devito
 
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So, we're currently tied between Logna's Run and Superman but I must point out: Halloween is REALLY scary

Shadowheart or Lae'zel may need someone to hold onto!!
 
[X] Halloween

Let's get our spook on. Hopefully Lae'zel's fear response doesn't involve destroying the tape player!
 
Carousel (3.7)
The hands were raised and you counted them. "All right, Logan's Run it is!" you said, then put the VHS tape into the projector. You walked to a pillow beside Lae'zel and sat down next to her, then whispered.

"Why'd you vote for Logan's Run over, like, any of the other ones?"

She gave you a withering look. "It had an elf on the cover. And not that absurd frivolity. A pumpkin? And who cares who is coming home, I don't know anyone involved in this Hall-O-Ween."

"...Lae'zel, it's a movie about, like, a psycho murderer who stalks a suburban house and kills everyone in it," you said as the stringent IPFB warning about copying tapes flashed up on the screen, followed by a a grainy black screen with white text STAY TUNED FOR OUR UPCOMING FEATURES.

"They have advertisements in these?" Gale asked.

"Yeah," you said, leaning back on your palms. "Where's the fast forward..."

"I wouldn't mind watching," Gale said as the first trailer started playing. The narrator's gravely voice came over the speakers. The carpeting you had put down really did drop echoes, natch.

It was foretold by witches. It was concieved through sorcery. And it was to be destroyed by all that is evil...but the courage of one mortal saved it. And so, into an age of darkness, in a time of mysticism, sacrifice and plunder, there came a new light...The Beastmaster...

"Oh, man, Beastmaster!" Dr. Halsin said, beaming brightly as the blond human on the screen swirled his sword around on the screen. "I saw this in theaters a few years ago. It was fun. Not really accurate to how ecotechs work, even in the olden days, but, uh, fun, very fun. I kinda wished I had some ferrets after."

Lae'zel was watching the screen, her eyes wide as saucers, her ears perked up with rapt attention.

"Pretty cool, huh?" you whispered as the evil wizard played by Rip Torn without a beard - things dwarves did for Hollywood, seriously - mimed throwing a fireball and the trailer cut to an explosion.

"It's like...an illusion contained in a box..." Lae'zel whispered.

"Magnets," you said, nodding.

The next trailer was for another film - this one was Canary Row, which was a really fun looking romantic comedy dealy involving fishermen during the Republic of Q'sol, on Old Laturr. Once it was over and the actual MGM titlecard was playing before the beginning of Logan's Run, Lae'zel muttered to you softly. "Is it me or are all of your film-esss set in the days of your ancient homeworld?"

"This one isn't!" you said, cheerfully.

The movie began - eerie music and an establishing shot of an asteroid that was clearly filmed by someone who was not the film crew and later repurposed for this. The interior was all cheap sets and third rate illusions, but thanks to movie magic, it really popped as the film started to unfold. Lae'zel, as it turned out, was the kind of person who watched movies by sitting very still, pursing her lips and leaning forward. Gale, meanwhile, was the kind of person who whispered quietly to Wyll, and you caught every other word of it - what's that? What's a sandman? What's Carrousel? And Wyll, a dear heart who was a better woman than you'd ever be, didn't beat him to death with his own grimorie. Instead, he quietly reminded Gale that it was a movie.

"It'll all make sense soon."

And lo!

It did!

Logan's Run was whack movie. An asteroid utopia in the far future, where inequality between kith was finally sorted out by killing everyone at thirty years old, thanks to crystals in their palms that changed colors. Anyone who ran got zapped by these guys called the Sandmen, and they had this big hoax that people who got killed were reborn again. The main character, Logan, was played perfectly by this sneering elf, who started to realize he was gonna live for centuries if he didn't get shot, and, so, he went on a run. Hence! Logan's Run.

Made sense!

Once it was over, everyone clapped.

"Not the most rational basis for a utopia, if you ask me," Gale said, shaking his head. "Why not use magic to make everyone live longer."

"It's symbolic, innit it," you said.

"For what?" Gale asked.

"...I d...I dunno," you said, shrugging.

"She was mostly interested in the girl's tits," Lae'zel said, grinning wickedly.

"She did skewer you with that one," Gale said, grinning as you mimed throwing popcorn that you didn't have at Lae'zel.

***
Gale, Lae'zel, Shadowheart and Raphael were all on the bridge as you approached Centarus' mass buoy, so, you had to be there too. Wyll was sitting back in his piloting chair, and flicked the microgravity warning. The three tone blat rang through the ship, while the radio crackled. "Trade Frigate Workhorse, you are cleared for arrival. Welcome to Centarus, we'll be sending a tug to pull you into dock."

"Workhorse?" you asked. "What about Notaloid!?"

"The name was tied the entire trip," Wyll said.

"I don't see-" Raphael said, frowning intently.

One second, the tiny pinprick that was Centarus was a tiny white dot. The next second, it was a dwarf planetoid parked a hundred kilometers off the brow. The entire ship hummed and glowed green as the Feather Fall Unit kicked on the instant you were within range of the mass buoy. Technically, it was always trying to cast feather fall, but, like, feather fall didn't work until you were falling at something, so, it had to turn on the instant you were falling towards the buoy. Very nice, very elegant. Gale blinked at the smooth orb and pointed at it.

"It's spinning!" he said.

"Sure is," you said. "The past two centuries, the Colonials have been hollowing it out using some pretty clever magic shit. Uh, earth tremor, acid blast, clouds of daggers, in like, I saw a documentary about it - tremor breaks up the stone, then acid...does...something, they also did shit with lots of pumping water. It's fuckin' complicated, end result? They got a big...uh, ice...metal core. Then mirrors, around it, and they just, focused sunlight on it until the ice melted, and steam made it round and, like, plated the inside with shit."

"But it's huge," Gale said, gaping at you.

"It took a long ass time!" you said. "I dunno man, big shit can get done if you have a long ass time! And, like, they had DEWS systems running for decades to fill up the middle. They mined out metal and smelted it in foundries so much that the Colonials have the second biggest fleet. They had beholders and shit helping them."

"That's amazing..." Gale whispered. "Why doesn't everyone live here?"

You shrugged. "I dunno."

Docking on Centarus wasn't hard for you. Two tugs came out, clamped on, and flew towards the huge, spinning orb. The docking lattices were built into the polar regions, allowing ships to simply dart inside of the interior without worrying about centrifugal gravity. There was a huge docking berth here, with elevators that would smoothly take you from the polar regions to the equatorial regions. Huge warehouses were built to store the immense trade that flowed through Ceres, but from your perspective, it was all grayish tunnels and tubing. Finally, as gravity shifted from barely present to firmly pressing you down, the airlocks clunked and the doors opened to you and your buddies and to a Colonial inspector and two of his bodyguards.

The Colonial's did have spiffy uniforms at least - blue and black, with a golden beholder for the pin. He was Kith, human or elf, you weren't sure which, and he looked in at you and your group.

"...guessing this is an interesting story," he said, dryly. "What brings you to Centarus?"

"Refit, resupply, looking for work," you said, smiling slightly.

"Hum," the Colonial inspector said. "We don't have any treaties with the United States or the Republic involving extradition - but it cannot escape my attention that you arrived in what is clearly a stolen United States gunfrigate. We'll be keeping a very close eye on you and the Workhorse's crew. Restrict yourselves to Earth, and we'll be fine."

"What is...Earth?" Lae'zel whispered.

"This," you said, five minuets of walking through corridors later. "Is Earth."

The doors opened and you stepped out into darkness. The building attached to the spaceport sat alone in a vast, flat gray plain of undifferentiated stone. Overhead - maybe a mile or two - was a ceiling of undifferntiated stone. It felt like being inside of a curved canyon, with a horrible, vertigo sense of being glued to the wall. You tried to not look up, left, or right. Instead, you just looked forward, to the narrow train station that was built nearby. The air smelled faintly stale and empty.

"What the..." Gale whispered.

"Centarus," Dr. Halsin said. "Is...a remarkable example of the failure of long term megastructure engineering. They spent two centuries hollowing out a world, spinning it up with remarkable feats of engineering. But now, they're trying to recreate the biomes of Laturr. Earth, the first level, is on the outermost level. One level up, there's another sphere, which contains Water. Then Fire, then Air. Each one is named after an elemental plane and each one was supposed to cover the bredth of Laturr's biomes. But then the Earth ecosystem collapsed. They have a fine spread of ecotechs around the major cities, trying to keep and expand it - but most of the interior is...like this. Dead."

"That's why no one moved here," you said, snapping your fingers.

"So, they spent two centuries building the solar system's most amazing place," Gale said. "...and...it failed? Because they can't get grass to grow?"

"Sucks, doesn't it?" you asked, grinning at him.

"I..." Gale put his fingers to his temples.

"It was more complex than just not getting grass to grow!" Dr. Halsin said, hurriedly. He started to go down the list of ecological breakdowns, and it started to run in and out of your ears as you and the group reached the train station. There was no train, but there were half a dozen other crews waiting - a thick cluster of people that still seemed haunted and tiny compared to the echoing vastness surrounding you. Lae'zel frowned as she looked around herself. Her ears were drooping slightly.

"What's up?" you asked.

"In...failing...your people...did something...I don't...think mine have," she said, very meekly and quietly.

---
What do you even say to that?

[ ] "Yeah."
[ ] Write in

hey, did you know I have a patreon? That you can support me on? some people don't and I am trying to be more strident about it! give me da money!
 
[X] Well, it sounds like you all have been really busy with the whole "kill all mind flayers" thing, so maybe when you don't have to worry about that anymore (by recognizing that the MFs of today are innocent people and the ones who enslaved the gith all died centuries ago) the Githyanki Empire will be able to build something even better than this rock.
 
Any of the last three will do, but I choose...

[X] Write-In
- [X] "That's rough, buddy."
 
Adhoc vote count started by DragonCobolt on Oct 20, 2024 at 2:31 PM, finished with 8 posts and 6 votes.

  • [X] Write in
    - [X] "That's rough, buddy."
    [X] Well, it sounds like you all have been really busy with the whole "kill all mind flayers" thing, so maybe when you don't have to worry about that anymore (by recognizing that the MFs of today are innocent people and the ones who enslaved the gith all died centuries ago) the Githyanki Empire will be able to build something even better than this rock.
    [X] Write in
    -[X] "Wow, your people are so good that failure is alien to you?"
    [X] Write in
    -[X] "Damn that sucks bro"
    [X] Write in
    -[X] "That's kinda fucked, huh."


THe delay was not actually me being lazy, it was me going, "...shit, how do I do...this next plot part" then my girlfriend had a genius idea, so, thank you Luci, everyone say thank you Luci

11, not good enough
DragonCobolt threw 2 10-faced dice. Reason: Sense Motive Total: 9
8 8 1 1
 
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That Was Weird (3.8)
"That's rough, buddy," you said, reaching out and gently putting your hand on Lae'zel's shoulder. She scowled at you and shrugged it off - but despite the scowl, despite the jerk of her muscular arm, despite all that...you saw her blushing and her ears twitching up in pleasure. SHe turned away and sniffed.

"We could have built something better, if we wanted too," she said, confidently.

You grinned and shook your head slightly - while suddenly, a figure jounced into you. You stumbled, Little Gorty almost falling off your back. You stumbled, half turned - and blinked as you looked at the woman who had bumped into you. She was pretty, elfish, brown haired, and was wearing a spacer's jacket. She grabbed your arm, and said.

"Long flight?"

You blinked at her. "Uh...no...more of a, ya know, normal flight?"

Her brow furrowed. Then she gave a big old smile. "Sorry, sorry, thought you were someone else."

Then started off, just as the train arrived - whirring smoothly along magnetic tracks. The train doors opened and you and the rest of the crew walked in, the doors hissing shut. The train had seats, and you ended up with Lae'zel, Gale, Raphael and Wyll all in a four seat thingy with a window, which started to show the empty, grayish landscape that the train was heading through. Raphael and Gale had their eyes glued on the window, while Wyll grinned slightly. "So, think we can get work here?" he asked.

"Oh definitely," you said, nodding slightly.

"What kind of job should we even try and get?" Wyll asked. "Our ship can accomplish a lot. And the Tears is a pretty big place."

"I mean, they're just colonials," you said. "Not that many people."

"Ehh..." Wyll made a waggling gesture with his hand. "Demographically, about a quarter of the solar system lives out here."

"...no fuckin way?" you asked.

"It's true," he said, nodding.

"Fucking seriously?" you asked. "I thought it'd be, like, half the Republic, half the US."

"Nah," Wyll said, sighing. "THis is the kind of stuff that made my family dinner conversations so exciting..." He said, smiling slightly. "But, basically? The United States has more people, thanks to their number of Coatl Cylinders. The Republic's population is smaller, thanks to the whole First Magister thing."

"First...Magister?" Gale asked, drawing his gaze from the window.

"Back in the day, the Republic of Zeue was big in trying to...enhance the amount of magicians they have access too," Wyll said. "There were a lot of nasty things that happened back in the day.' HIs voice had dipped down to a spooky cadence, perfect for ghost stories.

"...like what?" Gale asked.

"Oh does he have to spell it out for you?" Raphael snapped, then frowned as he looked back at the window. "How big is this place?"

Big. The answer was big. And every kilometer that passed was more empty...until it wasn't. Then, there was the first signs of the failed ecology. The rows of dead trees, arranged in gray, gridlike patterns, the old trellises for the sun lamps taken apart and the machinery pulled back to where it was needed, the dead grass left to gray, the topsoil that had been scraped away, revealing dull brown beneath. Then, bit by bit, it started to come to life. Some grass there, some trees there, and then the sunlamps arrayed out around trees that were still in the grid pattern...but they were surrounded by more and more brush and bushes. You could see ecotechs among them, holding clipboards, waving their hands, speaking to small animals, and generally doing their ecotech business. You did notice a lot of them were armed.

The train slowed with a gentle whirr and Lae'zel smirked, slightly, nodding. "It pleases me to see such labor being spent on what the gods make," she said, quietly. "It...reminds me of home somewhat. Save we use mere will, not magery."

You nodded, then muttered. "Kinda wish they'd finished the sun mirror."

But that was Centarus. No plants. No new citizens. No money. No sun.

"Kind of a fuckup..." you muttered as a voice called out.

"New visitors! New visitors! Come here!" An absolutely drop dead gorgeous elf in a Colonial uniform with a medtech patch on her shoulder was standing on a stacked up cargo crate that was set out near the train - it looked like they had been unloaded ages ago and were waiting to be re-loaded at some future date. The traingoers all gathered up, and an astro whistled at her cheerfully, right before you'd been planning too. The woman chuckled, her voice picked up by a collar mic and bounced out through the PA so everyone could hear clearly. "Hi everyone, I'm Isobel Aylin! I'm from the CDA - the Colonial Druidic Administration. I hope you've all enjoyed your flight to Centarus. Now, we have some very basic safety regulations you all need to hear and understand!"

She started to pace back and forth on the crate. "Firstly? We have the first and only truly wild ecology in the Solar system-"

"What about Gallion!" Someone with a thick Zeusian accent called out.

She smiled. "Welcome, our Republican guests - a pleasure to have you here. Galion's seas remain mostly anerobic, but we're sure that their seas will soon be overflowing with life. But in Centaurus, we have three levels of ecology. The region around Harper City..." She gestured back at the buildings that rose from the darkness, their windows glowing brightly, sunlamps hanging from everywhere. "Is called the Safe Zone. We call it that because there are enough ecotechs to ensure it is safe for everyone here. That means you. However, there are these posts, like..." She paused, then turned back. Someone standing behind the crate held up a narrow plastic post with a yellow reflector on it. She held it up and waggled it from side to side in the most adorable way. "...like this! This marks the end of the Safe Zone and what we call the Shadowvale, or, if you prefer, the Danger Zone!"

She turned back and held the pole down. A silvery hand snatched it back. "Thanks, babe," was picked up by the microphone, causing the elf to blush as she spun back around, clapping her hands together. "A-Anyway, the Shadowvale is where the ecology has shifted from an Exodite supporting biosphere into a primarily necrotic region. Threats include blights, molds, carrion crawlers, and other dangerous life forms. So, please, do not leave the Safe Zone! If we see you heading out, you will be stopped." She smiled. "Now, any questions?"

A man raised his hands.

"Isn't...aren't blights dangerous?" he asked.

"Fortunately, the CDA and the HCPD are in close cooperation to ensure everything is kept secure for you - but if you do see a blight moving inside of the safe zone, do not engage it, please, just immediately withdraw and then alert the nearest ecotech or police officer you see!"

---
Got any questions?

[ ] Write in question
[ ] Look around for that weird elf that bumped into you. Something about her seemed weird.
[ ] Wait, bored, for this boring shit to end
 
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