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Esquestria: The House of the Sun - A pony cultist experience

Reader mode
ses said:
Investigator action doesn't mean hostile action. Just fact finding. We're not sending constables after him.
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The dude who left because he was convinced the law was going to come down like a hammer on the cult and who got to hear about the bureau cleaning up shop where the largest remnants of said cult were is probably going to interpret any investigators sent his way as a prelude to the hammer being dropped on himself.
 
Talon Tiger Dino said:
The dude who left because he was convinced the law was going to come down like a hammer on the cult and who got to hear about the bureau cleaning up shop where the largest remnants of said cult were is probably going to interpret any investigators sent his way as a prelude to the hammer being dropped on himself.
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And that was when they weren't actually investigating him, they just happened to be in the same town bcuz of Cadance/Velvet. And the Bureau sniffing around would probably be even more alarming, seeing as they are an organization that's publicly dedicated to handling threats against Equestria rather than 'just' the Royal Guard.

Edit: Just going to leave this here.

IF: Bureau on Quarry w/ Selene + Mareinette (Introduce SH), DoA + Cherenkolt (Grail) on City (w/ artifacts), Get Your Hooves Dirty

Quarry of Yuxtabai
Knock: +85 (+40 Base, +20 Selene, +25 Velvet)
Moth: +80 (+40 Base, +20 Selene, +20 Velvet)
Lantern: +70 (+40 Base, +10 Bureau, +20 Velvet)
Winter: +85 (+40 Base, +5 Bureau, +20 Selene, +20 Velvet)
Forge: +70 (+40 Base, +10 Bureau, +20 Velvet)
Edge: +95 (+40 Base, +10 Bureau, +20 Selene, +25 Velvet)
Grail: +110 (+60 Base, +30 Mareinette, +20 Velvet)
Heart: +85 (+40 Base, +30 Mareinette, +15 Velvet)
Secret Histories: +70 (+40 Base, +10 Bureau, +20 Velvet)

Choked City
Knock: +80 (+50 Base, +30 DoA)
Moth: +50 | +65 (+50 Base, +15 Artifact?)
Lantern: +70 (+50 Base, +20 Artifact)
Winter: +75 (+50 Base, +25 Artifacts)
Forge: +80 (+50 Base, +30 Cherenkolt)
Edge: +65 (+50 Base, +15 DoA)
Grail: +45 (+30 Base, +15 Cherenkolt)
Heart: +65 (+50 Base, +15 Artifact)
Secret Histories: +65 (+50 Base, +15 Artifact)

Alternatively, have Cherenkolt recalibrate to SH, Moth, or Heart for an extra +15 in those areas.

With this, I have admittedly become more amenable to scrying the City to ensure that there are definitely no social obstacles there, and have changed my vote to reflect that.
 
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Greymere said:
IF: Bureau on Quarry w/ Selene + Mareinette (Introduce SH), DoA + Cherenkolt (Grail) on City (w/ artifacts), Get Your Hooves Dirty
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Umm, does get your hooves dirty count as the only requirement for long expeditions?

Because I don't think that's the case which would leave us with only three Velvet ap on helping Cadance at most. (and no Mareinette ap which I heavily suspect is worth around two Velvet ap on this)

Besides Quarry of Yuxtabai probably has a bunch of valuable stuff that would go to the Bureau instead of Velvet anyways so I'd prefer Bureau on Choked City.
 
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Idly speculating if we could use the Husk for personal Lantern Sacrament... but otherwise, eh. Does a choice being hard make it correct? The intention to harm... But we are out of time. Sacrament, Name befriending... I'm still naive enough to hesitate, but honestly. Damn it. Damn it all. I'm starting to sympathize with Cauldron from the Parahumans series, of all things.

[X] (ALL IN) You will NOT attempt the "All In" expedition.

[X] (MAREINETTE) Accept her "Invitation to Dinner" (Prisoner)

[X] (MOOD) Mareinette was oh so interested in the Bureau, after your introductions.
 
Actually hold on a minute here.

OurLadyOfWires said:
The roots of the Woods are still ablaze, under this ocean of Ash and ash. They still blaze, and the secrets that they held for so long are now boiling to the surface of this ashen ocean like bubbles of air escaping from the lungs of a drowning pony.
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The Woods can't hold their secrets anymore.

So what happened to the corpse of Velvet?

I kinda assume that when the Hour Velvet died she had managed to crawl back to the Woods for her end and had her body/secrets taken by the Woods.

The remains of a Moth/Heart Hour are valuable.

I wonder if we can scry for it?
 
Greymere said:
...okay? That has no relevance to what I wrote down there because DoA and Cherenkolt are, in fact, two people.
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Yeah sorry I admit I didn't see cherenkolt was full size in that. I admit it works as a plan, since the purification doesnt require rolls from him and therefore he can safely use the winter 4 artifact. It does rankle though at the inefficiency.
 
How attached do we feel to the Knock 2 artifact btw? Alternatively, how strong of feelings do people have about making a Lantern 1 reagent for a MitL summoning by Selene? Since it seems like the general vibe is "just risk the suspicion, doesn't matter right now".

Because since summoning a MitL involves Edge, we can also have Smiles take a shot at summoning one. Same +70 to Lantern w/ artifact as Selene, autosucceeds on Edge, so would just need a bit of help on the Knock rolls. Technically we could also ask Jade to study the Knock artifact rather than the Moth one, but the Moth one would be more useful for the Choked City (probably), seeing as DoA already has the Knock bonus well in hand.

Downside is, ofc, that if we make a Knock reagent for Smiles we can't then make a Lantern one for Selene.
 
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Greymere said:
How attached do we feel to the Knock 2 artifact btw? Alternatively, how strong of feelings do people have about making a Lantern 1 reagent for a MitL summoning by Selene? Since it seems like the general vibe is "just risk the suspicion, doesn't matter right now".

Because since summoning a MitL involves Edge, we can also have Smiles take a shot at summoning one. Same +70 to Lantern w/ artifact as Selene, autosucceeds on Edge, so would just need a bit of help on the Knock rolls. Technically we could also ask Jade to study the Knock artifact rather than the Moth one, but the Moth one would be more useful for the Choked City (probably), seeing as DoA already has the Knock bonus well in hand.

Downside is, ofc, that if we make a Knock reagent for Smiles we can't then make a Lantern one for Selene.
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If we want Smiles to summon a MITL he just burns one of our Wrong Keys that are close to expiry anyway. I'm confused at this question. That's Knock 3 and takes Smiles to autosuccess on the Knock roll. Smiles(Wrong Key) and Selene raw both have 89.1% chance of MITL summon due to being one Lantern level short plus chance of critfails, a Lantern 1 reagent can take one of them to 97%, the maximum without Confident Certainty rerolls to remove one of the critfail chances.

EDIT: Selene has a knock reroll so her chances are slightly better. But that's irrelevant.
 
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DelightedOne said:
We really should not say "fuck it" and just summon recklessly, not only because of the Wolf cult. Baldomare could just get us summoning places again couldn't she?
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Not in the same turn, I don't think. And only if we want to potentially give up on Lantern Sacrament depending on if Selene can extend the doom clock.
 
DelightedOne said:
We really should not say "fuck it" and just summon recklessly, not only because of the Wolf cult. Baldomare could just get us summoning places again couldn't she?
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The risks of "suspicion" among the servants was stuff like "If you build up high suspicion from multiple failures you wont be able to safely go on Expeditions personally without risking your allowance getting cut off."

Stuff similar in vein to when Hill put us on a travel ban and cut our allowance for fucking up the Canterlot visit and being disfavored by bugbutt!Luna

We have disabled basically every route that suspicion has to causing us actual problems. And what few problems could be possibly caused by it both wont happen from one or two failed rolls on followers doing summonings in the barn, and can easily and cheaply be crushed by Velvet's personal power as the 3rd most powerful politician in the country and the most powerful that isn't an immortal demigoddess. Suspicion of the type caused by doing summoning rituals or other spooky stuff from personal actions was always intended to become a non-issue by lategame.
 
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Hmm, good arguments. But for the sake of the future, I must ask.

@OurLadyOfWires have we gotten to a point where suspicion doesn't really matter or are there still significant consequences?
 
ses said:
If we want Smiles to summon a MITL he just burns one of our Wrong Keys that are close to expiry anyway. I'm confused at this question. That's Knock 3 and takes Smiles to autosuccess on the Knock roll. Smiles(Wrong Key) and Selene raw both have 89.1% chance of MITL summon due to being one Lantern level short plus chance of critfails, a Lantern 1 reagent can take one of them to 97%, the maximum without Confident Certainty rerolls to remove one of the critfail chances.
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I forgot about the Wrong Keys is why :V
 
Shaper47 said:
Actually hold on a minute here.



The Woods can't hold their secrets anymore.

So what happened to the corpse of Velvet?

I kinda assume that when the Hour Velvet died she had managed to crawl back to the Woods for her end and had her body/secrets taken by the Woods.

The remains of a Moth/Heart Hour are valuable.

I wonder if we can scry for it?
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Ignoring how likely it is it would be there, we can only scry things in the Wake. Otherwise we would have definitely scried the mansus expeditions to know which influences to bring on them.

DelightedOne said:
We really should not say "fuck it" and just summon recklessly, not only because of the Wolf cult. Baldomare could just get us summoning places again couldn't she?
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Kind of irrelevant, Baldomare's actions are too valuable to use on getting another temporary summoning place.

We need her for Lantern lesson (which makes us ready for Lantern Sacrament), we need one action for her expedition/SH Sacrament, AND we need 1 action for the SH influence if we want to try for personal SH sacrament.

...actually, if we get the lvl 7 book this turn and give it to her immediately, we can then do both sacraments in the same turn on turn 24, at the cost of basically both her actions and 3 Velvet actions. It was probably mentioned already, but I'll mention it again just in case.
 
Pittauro said:
Kind of irrelevant, Baldomare's actions are too valuable to use on getting another temporary summoning place.

We need her for Lantern lesson (which makes us ready for Lantern Sacrament), we need one action for her expedition/SH Sacrament, AND we need 1 action for the SH influence if we want to try for personal SH sacrament.

...actually, if we get the lvl 7 book this turn and give it to her immediately, we can then do both sacraments in the same turn on turn 24, at the cost of basically both her actions and 3 Velvet actions. It was probably mentioned already, but I'll mention it again just in case.
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If you intend to double up on SH Sacraments (which I strongly disagree with for as long as we're under the doom timer) there's literally no reason to do the Lantern lesson. Not to mention spending 3 Velvet AP and 2 Baldomare AP is a lot of AP to spend in a turn just to double up on a single Lore, especially when we still need to get Smiles's progress to 40/40.
 
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I know it's a bit late, but I'm going to ask: Should we consider scrying for Neighnia? Next two turns we might have the time for her, in theory, depending on how things go with Celestia.

If we scried her now, and got her on turn 24, we might be able to rush Winter Sacrament and/or Neighnia Friendship on turn 25 IF Selene can buy us a turn.

...then again, considering how next turn we're already busy with 2 long expeditions, 2 sacraments, and the defusing, maybe it would make more sense for us to scry for her on pre-turn 24 instead IF we have the time and resources for her.



On a different topic, I'm not quite fully decided on next turn. 4 actions on Celestia feels like an acceptable investment, and we obviously want to work on both Forge 6 and Lantern 7 expeditions, on our own or with Bureau.

I'd like to be able to fit Steppe's Fleeting Opportunity gift though.

OurLadyOfWires said:
-The following Fleeting Opportunities will be available.
--HELP CADANCE (assuming the current vote wins, can use Velvet actions, Velvet social action, or Mareinette)
--Contact "Someone" from Steppes' parting gift (this FO will not disappear, but it will become weaker the more turns you take to pick it)
--An FO on how you want to deal with Filthy Rich (it will be a write-in, and will be a free action, where you specify how to Confidante Filthy Rich)
--Options to deal with your current wound.
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Healing is not a real problem I think. at an action cost of ZERO we get one roll to heal. If we want, we can spend 30 bits for an autosuccess, otherwise we'd roll... +30 from heartifact, +15 from heart 3, DC 70... I forget if we add a stat (and which one).

in any case, 30 bits is potentially acceptable, just to be safe.


For Cadance, less than 3 actions is downright stupid, and I think current consensus is 4 or maybe even 5 (counting Mareinette as equivalent to Velvet action for simplicity's sake, though it could easily be more effective, and it would be weird for it to be LESS effective. But we can't say by how much).

so, we should have... 4 base actions, 1 free social, probably 1 from constables, and probably at least 2 from cover your bases. That should be 8 actions.


4 or 5 go to Celestia/Cadance. 2 go to Moth and Grail Sacraments.

that leaves 1 or 2 other actions. I'd like to be able to take Filthy confidant (which we MIGHT be able to use the following turn to convert bits to Smiles points, maybe, by asking him to recruit minions for us) and Steppes gift (mistery box, but we DID invest a decent bit into him, so it's likely to be useful).

Was there anything else specifically using Velvet APs we were planning to take next turn?

Greymere said:
If you intend to double up on SH Sacraments (which I strongly disagree with for as long as we're under the doom timer) there's literally no reason to do the Lantern lesson. Not to mention spending 3 Velvet AP and 2 Baldomare AP is a lot of AP to spend in a turn just to double up on a single Lore, especially when we still need to get Smiles's progress to 40/40.
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Smiles is a priority compared to a SECOND SH Sacrament, sure.

It might be possible to get both though.

and Lantern is a separate manner. it has no risk to us, for once, and doesn't require actions, just for us to offer Baldomare some minions.
 
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[X] (ALL IN) You will NOT attempt the "All In" expedition.
[X] (MAREINETTE) Accept her "Invitation to Dinner" (Prisoner)
[X] (MOOD) Mareinette was oh so interested in the Bureau, after your introductions.
[X] (BOOK) Knock 5
[X] (SCRY) You do not wish to scry for any expeditions at this point.

Why are people so happy to read The Way Home? The changeling hive is not something we can concern ourselves with outside of the Bureau. We simply don't have enough time to waste it on silly side-quests.
 
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Pittauro said:
Healing is not a real problem I think. at an action cost of ZERO we get one roll to heal. If we want, we can spend 30 bits for an autosuccess, otherwise we'd roll... +30 from heartifact, +15 from heart 3, DC 70... I forget if we add a stat (and which one).
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It's +9 from Martial I believe, for an 85% success rate. That's 200 bits for healing a wound equivalent, compared to 30 bits to avoid a 15% chance of not healing. I dont think we bother taking the healing this turn. If we fail our check next turn we can think about it. Even then we likely might continue to just roll it.

Pittauro said:
so, we should have... 4 base actions, 1 free social, probably 1 from constables, and probably at least 2 from cover your bases. That should be 8 actions.
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We dont get constables AP, they're doing one of the Befriending Expeditions.

Pittauro said:
that leaves 1 or 2 other actions. I'd like to be able to take Filthy confidant (which we MIGHT be able to use the following turn to convert bits to Smiles points, maybe, by asking him to recruit minions for us) and Steppes gift (mistery box, but we DID invest a decent bit into him, so it's likely to be useful).
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Filthy Rich's befriending is a free action, per the last threadmark infobox. Mostly just an in-character decision on if we want the narrative to be wrecking his marriage or something else we write-in to fix his issue.

Mareinette is almost certainly stuck helping with Expeditions this turn, so we have 1 social AP, 4 base AP, -2 for sacraments, and 2 for bases for 5 Cadance AP max. Or 4 if we feel like risking cutting down for something important, such as saving Mayor Mare at the risk of dooming the entire country.
 
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ses said:
Mareinette is almost certainly stuck helping with Expeditions this turn, so we have 1 social AP, 4 base AP, -2 for sacraments, and 2 for bases for 5 Cadance AP max. Or 4 if we feel like risking cutting down for something important, such as saving Mayor Mare at the risk of dooming the entire country.
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I think I'd be fine cutting down to 4, though it's definitely subjective. We can't exactly estimate the risk level.

I think no amount of action will give us an auto-success, except maybe full turn commitment, so basically the more we do the better. Who knows, maybe with more actions we'll get lucky and get some side-benefits like Celestia actually calming down for a turn on Cadance rolling extremely well... Especially if we also get a good Roll from Luna next turn.
 
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In which Love starts to understand
In which Love starts to understand

You are Princess Cadance and you will spend the rest of the day with your best friend.


You know there is so much more to do. The situation with Princess Celestia's rooms was something you did not expect and you feel like there is more about it.


But Velvet said this might help you deal with things better, that you could be stronger if you take the time to learn. You believe her.


The truth is that since that night with Velvet and Mareinette(that you still can't quite remember) you have learned things about the World that somehow make as much sense as the love you carry in your heart.



And Velvet Covers will tell you more about these things. She said she wanted to see you at her office in the Lunar Bureau.


You are not exactly supposed to be here at the moment, but your title is quite useful when you need it to be.



Even though you were here not too long ago her office seems... different, almost like the room itself was prepared for this. You can notice this even at your place at the door.


And there she is, at her table, with a tea set ready for your little not-exactly-permitted meeting.


"Cadance!" Your friend greets you. "You are right on time. Come in."


"Oh, I hope you don't mind the choice of drink. A friend of mine told me how to make it." She explains.

"Here." She lifts a teacup with magic and fills it with the contents of the kettle.

"I don't mind at all." You reassure. "But I thought we were supposed to talk about... You know."


"And we will, but there is no reason to not enjoy some tea while we talk isn't there?"

"I... guess it doesn't." You admit, your voice coated with exaustion. "Sorry, I just- this month was..." Your voice trails off.

"I know, Caddy, I know." She says and you believe her, she spent a good chunk of it helping you so you had time to solve the issue with Princess Celestia's quarters.


"Well, are you ready then?" She asks, measuring your willingness to keep on this new path. Giving you a chance to turn back.


"I am." a resolute answer comes from you. You know this is important somehow, that you need to learn more about... these strange things.


"Good." A smile, slight but still sincere. Then she says you should try the tea.


So, you take a sip of your tea-


__


​
And you can see the moment she seems to go still, with a calm smile on her face.

"Cadance, do you remember the last time we spoke?" There is slight chill in the air as she pauses. "What we talked about I mean." She clarifies.

"Yes?" Your voice takes a confused tone. Your face pinches as you hear the confusing phrase that leaves your muzzle.

"Good. Now to give a bit more context to what I was saying."

"Everything ends eventually, that is something that you need to know to understand the beauty of Winter".

"So keep yourself calm and remember that this will end one day. So we may leave it in the past where it belongs."


You can't say a word, not because she doesn't let you, but because her words, as few as they were, are more than enough. In fact, you have a suspicion they exceed what is necessary and that she only said that much because you could not grasp the meaning of her silence.


Silence that takes over the rest of the short time you made to talk to her.


And as you leave you can't stop thinking about how cold it was in her office... and how you didn't even notice it until she opened the door for you to go your own way.


Princess Cadance has learned to draw strength from patience.

Princess Cadance has reached Winter 1.


__​

​
Watch as she starts from to tap a slow but constant rhythim with her hoof.


The rhythm is achingly familiar and comforting, a promise of safety and growth over eternity as long as the music doesn't cease.


Then suddenly it- she stops. But there is no place for silence here so the moment Velvet Covers withdraws her hoof you hear her voice say.


"This is just a basic side of the laws of preservation."

"Few things last that is true, but there are echoes that travel far and wide. Showing that even if one instrument of the orchestra stops working another will take its place."

And she keeps talking, but the sound becomes background noise to your ears, because you are still focused on that song.

It almost scares you how much those simple motions captivated you. Almost.


The only reason it didn't was that... for some reason... You felt as if it was safe, as if the sound was telling you how to protect anything dear to you.


And so your voice took over when she had finished her part, and her followed yours as you kept your conversation in motion. Every moment filled with sound.


When it is time for you to leave, you realize that none of your time with her was spent in silence and that the sound of your heartbeat could not be ignored for the rest of the day.


Princess Cadance has learned about perseverance.

Princess Cadance has reached Heart 1.


__​



And then you notice a mischevous smile make its home in her face.


"I just felt like you needed a break". She says. "Just some time to enjoy yourself."


"I feel like what you really need is to be able to savor more of the experiences that you have access to." She lifts a hoof nonchantly. "Sure, you are a Princess but deep down you are a mare too. Asking you to carry so many responsibilities without rest is just horrible."


That smile becomes softer, as if it is trying to convince you to trust her. Even if that is not necessary anymore.


So you keep talking to her. Jokes, gossip, gushing about your husband.


Anything that makes your life taste a little sweeter.


And when it is time to leave, you find you are not sated, not fully. That you wish for something like this to happen again.


But now you don't feel guilty from wanting this.


Princess Cadance has learned how to use her time to have fun and recover.

Princess Cadance has reached Grail 1.


__​


And watch as she starts to explain to you what all those small moments meant.


How they were meant to guide you to this specific moment with her.



So that she could teach you everything you should learn. Everything you need to learn, if you're going to succeed.


Princess Cadance has learned all you could teach her in this short amount of time.

Princess Cadance has reached Level 1 in Winter, Heart and Grail.



You are Velvet Covers. After all, who else could you be?

As you watch Cadance leave, the usefulness of Baldomare's Sacrament is the only thing on your mind.

The chance to take a peek at those choices you couldn't or wouldn't make, those possibilities that are closed to you forever now that History has moved forward.


That is a tool you are glad you have access to. And you can't wait to see what your Sacrament will reveal.

Another one done!

This is pretty basic Velvet uses Baldomare's Sacrament to see if she did the right choice in how to teach Cadance the lores, either she taught her one or all of them. Based on Selene's introductory lore lesson.

Probably not how that works, but it was fun to think about.
 
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Rafuki22 said:
3 Velvet + 1 Mareinette feels enough to me, but if people vote for 5 Velvet helping Cadence actions i would understand, it is not something we can leave to chance.
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There will be zero Mareinette actions unless we get paid Mareinette's befriending bonuses in advance of us actually performing her Invitation, which I really really doubt will happen. Mareinette has only 1 AP this coming turn and it needs to be spent on an Expedition.
 
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