Time of the Gods: Into the Amber Age

[Sivantic]

So don't do the fighting in our own village, not that we haven't killed our dudes at -2 before.

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Fighting abroad is much more expensive and requires prep actions that cost even more DE. Having done it before is hardly a recommendations to do it again.

Hypothetically if we had released the appeasement and not gained 2 more points of fear would you be advocating a churn turn this round? Isn't that basically the spot we are in? 5 Fear either way.

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??? If we had released Appeasement, we'd been at 7 right now, but growth would be reduced.

 

[PrimalShadow]

Oh, before I forget.

Spoiler: I told you so. (Warning: Contains Excessive Smugness)

Oh, we are going to be short on DE?

What a shame. How could we possibly have predicted that?

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Don't be ridiculous. You're about to near-unanimously vote to launch a slave rebellion, and we haven't even gotten to the potential fallout from saying hi to the fox you embarrassed so thoroughly. Even with your comparatively poor DE gain, you should have enough Vehemence to at least get close to cap.

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Spoiler: Devotional Energy: 109, Population Modifier: -2/-26

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[Sivantic]

DE: 109-7(Keshketev)-8(Stars)-6(Lure)-40(Moon)-18(Blessings) = 0/109
Ambrosia: 0/4
Sustenance: 26-1.5(Saiga)-1(Keshketev)-0.5(Seski)-1(Decrees)-1(Stars)-1(Innovate) = 20/40

[] Plan Witness The Moon
Divine Actions:
-[] Bless Petitioner for Sacrifices - Expend some of your DE to empower those who come to your shrine or pray to you in exahange for more offerings. Current Skills that can be blessed: Astrology, Omen Reading, Mysticism, Navigation, Perform (Trickery), Fishing, Leadership, Innovation, Survival.
--[] Expend 18 DE on Astrology
-[] Moonlight** - The moon shines bright this night, revealing things that hide in the dark. Can cause Weird, also empowers a number of relevant actions (Astrology, Perform (Trickery), Water-element Influence Actions, etc.). Costs: 20 DE x2
--[] In your territory x2
-[] Control Waters*** - You have innate lordship of water and all it's forms, but you have especially strong ties to The Sea. Costs: 10 DE x3
--[] Command Sea [How] x3
---[] Calm the waves in sync with Saiga's blessings. x3

Avatar Actions:
-[] Study Stars - Study the skies and stars, seeking patterns that will tell you what was, what is, and what may yet be. (Highly Enhanced Effectiveness of all sub-actions)
--[] Read the Future - Look forward to what has not yet been, but may yet be. Will aid you in a number of ways during the turn, including direct mechanical bonuses with high enough success, and warn you of potential dangers in future turns. Costs: 8 DE
-[] Lure - Seduce and enchant the incautious, leading them to their doom. Costs: 6 DE
--[] For punishment purposes
-[] Innovate something!
--[] Ultramarine

Commune Actions:
-[] Meet with Saiga. Costs: 0.5 Sustenance per option
--[] Request that he be freed of the Crone's demands.
--[] Request that he coordinate his blessing efforts with you again.
--[] Request Ambrosia from him to meet your promise with Saitev.
-[] Meet with Keshketev. Costs: 0.5 Sustenance per option, 7 DE (One time)
--[] Learn about him
--[] Learn more about Niogg (has a maximum limit on successes)
---[] Ask him about the Crone and her discs
-[] Play with Seski
--[] Sing with her as she plays the flute.
-[] Issue Decree - You take form, or manifest your avatar in order to issue a decree about the right way to live and how to worship you correctly. Maximum Decrees: 2/7 x2
--[] Cancel the Decree of Appeasement
--[] Bring you that which gleams in the light or shines in the dark.

Okay, pop mod recovered to baseline enough, so we can ease off on the Growth blessings, and we can turn the Moon on again. Have to be conservative with Sustenance we want to try to leave SOME ambrosia free, so I'm going all into blessing Astrology(and then buffing those with double moons). Since it's our strongest skill, which Stargazer buffs, which Moon buffs, which our Wonder buffs, we should get a fair crop of DE from it.

Weirds probably would happen. That's good.

Click to shrink...

...didn't we just see that this kind of plan doesn't with Appeasement? @PrimalShadow was right, Blessing churn is the name of the game for now.

 

[ninjafish]

DE: 109-7(Keshketev)-8(Stars)-6(Lure)-40(Moon)-18(Blessings) = 0/109
Ambrosia: 0/4
Sustenance: 26-1.5(Saiga)-1(Keshketev)-0.5(Seski)-1(Decrees)-1(Stars)-1(Innovate) = 20/40

[] Plan Witness The Moon
Divine Actions:
-[] Bless Petitioner for Sacrifices - Expend some of your DE to empower those who come to your shrine or pray to you in exahange for more offerings. Current Skills that can be blessed: Astrology, Omen Reading, Mysticism, Navigation, Perform (Trickery), Fishing, Leadership, Innovation, Survival.
--[] Expend 18 DE on Astrology
-[] Moonlight** - The moon shines bright this night, revealing things that hide in the dark. Can cause Weird, also empowers a number of relevant actions (Astrology, Perform (Trickery), Water-element Influence Actions, etc.). Costs: 20 DE x2
--[] In your territory x2
-[] Control Waters*** - You have innate lordship of water and all it's forms, but you have especially strong ties to The Sea. Costs: 10 DE x3
--[] Command Sea [How] x3
---[] Calm the waves in sync with Saiga's blessings. x3

Avatar Actions:
-[] Study Stars - Study the skies and stars, seeking patterns that will tell you what was, what is, and what may yet be. (Highly Enhanced Effectiveness of all sub-actions)
--[] Read the Future - Look forward to what has not yet been, but may yet be. Will aid you in a number of ways during the turn, including direct mechanical bonuses with high enough success, and warn you of potential dangers in future turns. Costs: 8 DE
-[] Lure - Seduce and enchant the incautious, leading them to their doom. Costs: 6 DE
--[] For punishment purposes
-[] Innovate something!
--[] Ultramarine

Commune Actions:
-[] Meet with Saiga. Costs: 0.5 Sustenance per option
--[] Request that he be freed of the Crone's demands.
--[] Request that he coordinate his blessing efforts with you again.
--[] Request Ambrosia from him to meet your promise with Saitev.
-[] Meet with Keshketev. Costs: 0.5 Sustenance per option, 7 DE (One time)
--[] Learn about him
--[] Learn more about Niogg (has a maximum limit on successes)
---[] Ask him about the Crone and her discs
-[] Play with Seski
--[] Sing with her as she plays the flute.
-[] Issue Decree - You take form, or manifest your avatar in order to issue a decree about the right way to live and how to worship you correctly. Maximum Decrees: 2/7 x2
--[] Cancel the Decree of Appeasement
--[] Bring you that which gleams in the light or shines in the dark.

Okay, pop mod recovered to baseline enough, so we can ease off on the Growth blessings, and we can turn the Moon on again. Have to be conservative with Sustenance we want to try to leave SOME ambrosia free, so I'm going all into blessing Astrology(and then buffing those with double moons). Since it's our strongest skill, which Stargazer buffs, which Moon buffs, which our Wonder buffs, we should get a fair crop of DE from it.

Weirds probably would happen. That's good.

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yeah, you know what?

id vote for that.

but we need to hit the crone again next year, don't feel good giving her to much time to build up.

 

[veekie]

I thought that was only if we go under ten?

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We will eat ambrosia at the start of turn unless we're above 30. Under 10 is when we get cranky

So don't do the fighting in our own village, not that we haven't killed our dudes at -2 before. We have enough fear to seriously benefit from a spat of murder and make sure we have the ambrosia needed for next turn. Hypothetically if we had released the appeasement and not gained 2 more points of fear would you be advocating a churn turn this round? Isn't that basically the spot we are in? 5 Fear either way.

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Personally, we don't need to get complicated.
Double Moonlight, Bless Astrology hard.
The stacked bonuses should refill pretty much the DE tank without hurting the growth mod.
We're rolling: 2d10+1(Strong, enhancement) +20(Weak, Skill) +[5-20](Weak, Moonlight) for Astrology Blessings. On average it should recover our fuel tank. More if I skip growth entirely and focus 100% into Astrology with Silver Moon instead of Calm Seas.

 

[Sivantic]

Oh, before I forget.

Spoiler: I told you so. (Warning: Contains Excessive Smugness)

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I'm sorry to have doubted you. What do you think of this?

[] Plan Finishing Up
-[] Bless Petitioner for Growth - Expend some of your DE to empower those who come to your shrine or pray to you, granting them a bounty of life-giving things. Current Skills that can be blessed: Navigation, Fishing, Survival.
-[] Expend <101> DE on petitioners for Navigation
-[] Study Stars - Study the skies and stars, seeking patterns that will tell you what was, what is, and what may yet be. (Highly Enhanced Effectiveness of all sub-actions)
--[] Read the Future - Look forward to what has not yet been, but may yet be. Will aid you in a number of ways during the turn, including direct mechanical bonuses with high enough success, and warn you of potential dangers in future turns. Costs: 8 DE
-[] Cancel Appeasement
-[] Meet with Saiga. Costs: 0.5 Sustenance per option
--[] Request something
---[]"You don't have to do this no more, do wut u want hubby <3"
-[] Play with Siska
-[] Mother Ghette

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[veekie]

...didn't we just see that this kind of plan doesn't with Appeasement? @PrimalShadow was right, Blessing churn is the name of the game for now.

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Hmm, lemme reshuffle the water out and shove a whole lot more astrology in. I just recalled we can gain ambrosia from astrology as well so...

 

[Captain Spatula]

So guys, a plan for when we next meet the fox.

1) Convince Saiga to go hunt some arctic foxes. Make us a pimping fox skin fur coat.
2) Meet the fox spirit. Tell him he's a smug jackass and we're gonna fuck up his village.
3) Roil seas and use blood moon on his cities.
4) Arrive to see him crying over his destroyed village.
5) Tell him he shouldn't of been a smug jacksss. That's our job.
6) Rake in the fear for the turn after so we can destroy the crone.

Is there anything I'm missing here?

 

[veekie]

DE: 109-7(Keshketev)-8(Stars)-6(Lure)-65(Moon)-23(Blessings) = 0/109
Ambrosia: 0/4
Sustenance: 26-1(Saiga)-1(Keshketev)-0.5(Seski)-1(Decrees)-1(Stars)-1(Innovate) = 20.5/40

[] Plan Witness The Moon And The Stars
Divine Actions:
-[] Bless Petitioner for Sacrifices - Expend some of your DE to empower those who come to your shrine or pray to you in exahange for more offerings. Current Skills that can be blessed: Astrology, Omen Reading, Mysticism, Navigation, Perform (Trickery), Fishing, Leadership, Innovation, Survival.
--[] Expend 23 DE on Astrology
-[] Moonlight** - The moon shines bright this night, revealing things that hide in the dark. Can cause Weird, also empowers a number of relevant actions (Astrology, Perform (Trickery), Water-element Influence Actions, etc.). Costs: 20 DE x2
--[] In your territory x2
-[] Silver Moon* - The silver moon, gray and dull upon an indigo night, colored to better contrast the stars and reveal their incredible secrets. Very strongly alters Astrology actions and empowers Wind Influence acts. Costs: 25 DE
--[] In your territory

Avatar Actions:
-[] Study Stars - Study the skies and stars, seeking patterns that will tell you what was, what is, and what may yet be. (Highly Enhanced Effectiveness of all sub-actions)
--[] Read the Future - Look forward to what has not yet been, but may yet be. Will aid you in a number of ways during the turn, including direct mechanical bonuses with high enough success, and warn you of potential dangers in future turns. Costs: 8 DE
-[] Lure - Seduce and enchant the incautious, leading them to their doom. Costs: 6 DE
--[] For punishment purposes
-[] Innovate something!
--[] Ultramarine

Commune Actions:
-[] Meet with Saiga. Costs: 0.5 Sustenance per option
--[] Request that he be freed of the Crone's demands.
--[] Request Ambrosia from him to meet your promise with Saitev.
-[] Meet with Keshketev. Costs: 0.5 Sustenance per option, 7 DE (One time)
--[] Learn about him
--[] Learn more about Niogg (has a maximum limit on successes)
---[] Ask him about the Crone and her discs
-[] Play with Seski
--[] Sing with her as she plays the flute.
-[] Issue Decree - You take form, or manifest your avatar in order to issue a decree about the right way to live and how to worship you correctly. Maximum Decrees: 2/7 x2
--[] Cancel the Decree of Appeasement
--[] Bring you that which gleams in the light or shines in the dark. You're building a temple soon and you need worthy materials.

Silver Moon intro(which gives Vehemence because oh god the moon changed again!) and another 5 more astrology blessings for sacrifices.
The future's gonna be fuckin READ.

Also the Decree there is to prepare for the temple, plus if we wanted to build the shrine extension, we need shiny materials.
Canceling Appeasement because the mortals are mostly intact again, we can turn on the Crone or Fox next year.

EDIT: Going out now for groceries, will vote it in when it unlocks later

 

[PrimalShadow]

...didn't we just see that this kind of plan doesn't with Appeasement? @PrimalShadow was right, Blessing churn is the name of the game for now.

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It might actually work now that we've more than doubled our VE income. The general rule of thumb is that Blessing-churn (which gives income directly and bypasses pop mod) has a comparative advantage when our VE multiplier is low, and other actions have a comparative advantage when the VE multiplier is high. x8 is reasonably high.

I'm sorry to have doubted you. What do you think of this?

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We won't get back to cap, sadly. Returns on Blessings churn aren't remotely in the +100% range, which is where they would need to be to fill up.

 

[PrimalShadow]

Hmm, lemme reshuffle the water out and shove a whole lot more astrology in. I just recalled we can gain ambrosia from astrology as well so...

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We gain 1 Ambrosia on average per 6 actions; it isn't exactly a reliable method.


Also, could you PLEASE turn off the Rite this turn? We don't want to have it up next turn, too.

EDIT: And if you've canceled the rite, I think that means you can drop the Lure reserved for it too.

 

[veekie]

We gain 1 Ambrosia on average per 6 actions; it isn't exactly a reliable method.


Also, could you PLEASE turn off the Rite this turn? We don't want to have it up next turn, too.

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Err:

-[] Issue Decree - You take form, or manifest your avatar in order to issue a decree about the right way to live and how to worship you correctly. Maximum Decrees: 2/7 x2
--[] Cancel the Decree of Appeasement

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We gain 1 Ambrosia on average per 6 actions; it isn't exactly a reliable method.

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Alas, I'm putting Silver Moon to buff the Astrology sacrifices then. It should also be good for Vehemence the first time people see it. Not much, but some, because Oh God The Moon changed color again.
Going to run the math on that when I get back

 

[ninjafish]

[X] Plan VE Liberation

 

[mc2rpg]

??? If we had released Appeasement, we'd been at 7 right now, but growth would be reduced

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My point is we are currently at the level of fear we would have been if we released appeasement last turn but didn't gain 2 ranks of fear. We have enough to gain a bunch of DE that way and top off, rather than from churning.

 

[Sivantic]

@veekie. I can only request that this,

--[] Request that he be freed of the Crone's demands.

Click to shrink...

Be replaced with this,

---[]"You don't have to do this no more, do wut u want hubby <3"

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Because that's how Powerofmind said it should be. Other than that, if Primal says it's okay then
[X] veekie
Not a lot of fun to be had this turn...
With that I'm going to bed.

 

[Azel]

[X] veekie

 

[TSNLollipops]

[X] sivantic

 

[PrimalShadow]

I feel like we are stuck in a disadvantageous situation, and the standard Faith approach isn't going to work. Here is my reasoning:

We need to fill up on Ambrosia so as not to renege on our previous agreement with Saitev. It would be preferable if we could fill up on DE as well.
We could get Ambrosia in a pinch via trade, or by doing a lot of Astrology actions and crossing our fingers, but that won't solve the DE problem.
We simply don't have enough DE for blessing-churn to fill us up to max.
We could use Moonlight x2 with Blue Moon and Control Seas x3 to get some solid growth and decent DE returns, but it won't be enough to get to our cap of 195 DE with enough left over to form the Ambrosia we need. Not to mention, our cap will go up by 30 DE when we restore Fear to 7.
We could direct some of the actions to hurting our population instead of helping them... but then we are eating up our Pop instead of growing it.


So. You know what? I think the way to go is an attack.
Cast Moonlight x2 + Blood Moon + Control Water x3 on the crone, with a Future Telling to figure out the best timing. Then, eat her salty, salty tears.

As an addendum, talk to Saiga/Keshketev and trade for some Ambrosia; offer crafting goods. I'm sure they can use 'em.

 

[veekie]

Theres always Weirds...

 

[veekie]

DE: 109-7(Keshketev)-8(Stars)-6(Lure)-65(Moon)-23(Blessings) = 0/109
Ambrosia: 0/4
Sustenance: 26-1(Saiga)-1(Keshketev)-0.5(Seski)-1(Decrees)-1(Stars)-1(Lure) = 20.5/40

[X] Plan Witness The Moon And The Stars
Divine Actions:
-[X] Bless Petitioner for Sacrifices - Expend some of your DE to empower those who come to your shrine or pray to you in exahange for more offerings. Current Skills that can be blessed: Astrology, Omen Reading, Mysticism, Navigation, Perform (Trickery), Fishing, Leadership, Innovation, Survival.
--[X] Expend 23 DE on Astrology
-[X] Moonlight** - The moon shines bright this night, revealing things that hide in the dark. Can cause Weird, also empowers a number of relevant actions (Astrology, Perform (Trickery), Water-element Influence Actions, etc.). Costs: 20 DE x2
--[X] In your territory x2
-[X] Silver Moon* - The silver moon, gray and dull upon an indigo night, colored to better contrast the stars and reveal their incredible secrets. Very strongly alters Astrology actions and empowers Wind Influence acts. Costs: 25 DE
--[X] In your territory

Avatar Actions:
-[X] Study Stars - Study the skies and stars, seeking patterns that will tell you what was, what is, and what may yet be. (Highly Enhanced Effectiveness of all sub-actions)
--[X] Read the Future - Look forward to what has not yet been, but may yet be. Will aid you in a number of ways during the turn, including direct mechanical bonuses with high enough success, and warn you of potential dangers in future turns. Costs: 8 DE
-[X] Lure - Seduce and enchant the incautious, leading them to their doom. Costs: 6 DE
--[X] For punishment purposes
-[] Innovate something!
--[] Ultramarine

Commune Actions:
-[X] Meet with Saiga. Costs: 0.5 Sustenance per option
--[X] Request that he be freed of the Crone's demands.
---[X]"You don't have to do this no more, do wut u want hubby <3"
--[X] Request that he helps you with Saitev's shrine next year by consecrating it with Ambrosia.
---[X] Offer Amber in trade if reluctant.
-[X] Meet with Keshketev. Costs: 0.5 Sustenance per option, 7 DE (One time)
--[X] Learn about him
--[X] Learn more about Niogg (has a maximum limit on successes)
---[X] Ask him about the Crone and her discs
-[X] Play with Seski
--[X] Sing with her as she plays the flute.
-[X] Issue Decree - You take form, or manifest your avatar in order to issue a decree about the right way to live and how to worship you correctly. Maximum Decrees: 2/7 x2
--[X] Cancel the Decree of Appeasement
--[X] Bring you that which gleams in the light or shines in the dark. You're building a temple soon and you need worthy materials.

 

[PrimalShadow]

Theres always Weirds...

Click to shrink...

We only have 50% odds on that; I'm not comfortable leaving it up to chance.

Much as I dislike it, I think this time I'm going to bite the bullet and just eat the 2 Fear loss, and try for an attack turn.


On a separate note - does anyone know if the Crone's villages are farming villages? I'm thinking of stealing all of their water, but I'm not sure if trying for a drought makes any sense geographically. Though I do have a fun alternative...

 

[PrimalShadow]

DE: 109-12(Travel)-2(Blessings)-65(Moon)-30(Water) = 0/109
Ambrosia: 0/4
Sustenance: 26-1(Travel)-1.5(Saiga)-0.5(Seski)-1(Decrees)-1(Innovate) = 21/40



[X] Plan VE Liberation

Divine Actions:
-[X] Bless Petitioner for Sacrifices - Expend some of your DE to empower those who come to your shrine or pray to you in exahange for more offerings. Current Skills that can be blessed: Astrology, Omen Reading, Mysticism, Navigation, Perform (Trickery), Fishing, Leadership, Innovation, Survival.
--[X] Expend 2 DE on Astrology
-[X] Moonlight** - The moon shines bright this night, revealing things that hide in the dark. Can cause Weird, also empowers a number of relevant actions (Astrology, Perform (Trickery), Water-element Influence Actions, etc.). Costs: 20 DE x2
--[X] In the crone's territory x2
-[X] Blood Moon* - The bloody red moon, eclipsed by the earth and denied the light of the sun, casts curses and suffering upon the earth in spite. Transforms the Flesh and induces Bestial Madness. Costs: 25 DE
--[X] In the crone's territory
-[X] Control Waters*** - You have innate lordship of water and all it's forms, but you have especially strong ties to The Sea. Costs: 10 DE x3
--[X] Snow is nice. But repetition is so dull. Why not try something with a little more punch? Like... hail. x3

Avatar Actions:
-[X] Travel to the nearest village with a standing Crone shrine (12 DE).
--[X] So you can pummel the village with Hail and turn the moon a beautiful shade of Red.
-[X] Innovate something!
--[X] Ultramarine

Commune Actions:
-[X] Meet with Saiga. Costs: 0.5 Sustenance per option
--[X] "You don't have to do what the Crone asked any more; do wut u want hubby <3"
--[X] Request that he helps you with Saitev's shrine next year by consecrating it with Ambrosia.
---[X] Offer materials Amber in trade.
--[X] Tell him about the Oxen. If he is looking for something new and exotic to hunt...
-[X] Play with Seski
--[X] Sing with her as she plays the flute.
-[X] Issue Decree - You take form, or manifest your avatar in order to issue a decree about the right way to live and how to worship you correctly. Maximum Decrees: 2/7 x2
--[X] Cancel the Decree of Appeasement
--[X] Bring you that which gleams in the light or shines in the dark. You're building a temple soon and you need worthy materials.




Asking Saiga for him to use the Ambrosia next turn is so that we don't have to hold the Ambrosia ourselves, since we are liable to eat it if we don't get enough DE or turn it into 1/3 of an Amber if we do get enough DE.

 

[mc2rpg]

[X] Plan VE Liberation

Hail is an interesting touch, I like it. With the moon buffs on water action those should be ruinous.

 

[veekie]

We only have 50% odds on that; I'm not comfortable leaving it up to chance.

Click to shrink...

Sure?
There should already be enough ambrosia, since we get one passive, and trading gets us two, then we eat two for sustenance.
Hmm, I could squeeze out an extra ambrosia by dropping innovation, so we'd be at Sustenance 20.5, so we only eat one ambrosia...

 

[Van Ropen]

[X] Plan VE Liberation

I like it. Really disappointed we can't get a Read the Bones in there though. From what I understand, Omen Reading is the more useful for immediate prediction? Then again, our Astrology skill is super high and it's boosted way up.