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Dice Into the Ruins - Exalted 3e OOC

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This brings up another question concerning Essence and Motes. So, the more Artifacts a character is attuned to, the less Motes they can use? Or is that Mote number just there to put a cap on how many artifacts one can be attuned to?
Hmmm... if you think of motes like a resource, or currency... Then attuning an artifact is like moving funds to a Certificate of Deposit/Savings Account. The motes still exist, but they are harder to access and the artifact only works when the motes are committed (ie. when the funds are in the Savings Account). To spend motes on charms they have to be uncommitted (ie. Withdrawn).

You'll notice I use the term committed here, it's actually used for more than just attuning an artifact. See, when you use a charm with a duration longer than Instant, those motes behave in the same way. They are set to the side in reserve and then spent when the duration ends.

Why all the complexity for charms now too? Well the designers thought it'd be a good idea to prevent a character from being able to recover motes spent on the effect of an ongoing charm/magic/artifact. So they concocted this scheme to basically reserve motes in a way to reflect that they are "in use"... At the table though, it's another layer that can slow things down and make things a bit annoying for those not fond of having to do a ton of bookkeeping. So opinions on this decision may vary.

For what it's worth, I believe Exalted Essence deleted this concept from their ruleset, so I'll let that bit of trivia speak for itself.
 
Holy cow. How very... "clunky." That's going to take some getting used to. I have never recorded "power/mana" in this sort of way.

So... if you use a Charm that costs five Motes and it lasts one Scene, you're basically out that five Motes for the entire Scene until you pay for it at the end?

You can't use an artifact at all unless you're attuned to it? So if you have an artifact sword, you can't even cut with the thing unless you're attuned to it? Or you just can't use its other benefits?
 
You can't use an artifact at all unless you're attuned to it? So if you have an artifact sword, you can't even cut with the thing unless you're attuned to it? Or you just can't use its other benefits?
Mostly correct. It's like trying to use a hand drill without a battery. An unattuned sword/Daiklave is like trying to swing a vaguely sword-shaped anvil, when attuned it feels near weightless.

Edit:
So... if you use a Charm that costs five Motes and it lasts one Scene, you're basically out that five Motes for the entire Scene until you pay for it at the end?
Yes
 
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For what it's worth, I believe Exalted Essence deleted this concept from their ruleset, so I'll let that bit of trivia speak for itself.
Rykon Rykon Exalted Essence deleted this concept?

I don't understand (mind, I've got some brain fog going on on my end; sorry). Are we using the aforementioned Mote concept?
 
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Exalted Essence deleted this concept?

I don't understand (mind, I've got some brain fog going on on my end; sorry). Are we using the aforementioned Mote concept?
Exalted Essence is a different, more recent, edition of the game that hasn't fully completed the publication process since they did their kickstarter.
 
Exalted Essence is a different, more recent, edition of the game that hasn't fully completed the publication process since they did their kickstarter.
Any idea when this "Exalted version 4.0" will be out?
 
So... Evocations are Charms on Artifacts that are potentially losable. Artifacts, just by being attuned to them, reduce your overall ability to use other Mote-fueled powers/actions. Instead of magic items making your character overall more powerful in broad manner, they simply offer a difference in the "builds" you can choose with what Motes your character has to play with.

So basically, one had better love the Artifacts one has, be able to use them long-term, and be able to hold on to them, or they're probably not worth having. It feels limiting, but at the same time, I think I can see how characters can become extremely powerful without some form of limitation. Still, it makes it a little hard to get too excited about magic items now (which possibly explains Exalted Essence's move).

I remember looking through everyone's character sheets when I was first rolling up Fat Cat and wondering why folks weren't choosing more Artifacts. Now I think I get it. As always, thanks for the points of view and education. =)

I think from here on out, I'll have Fat Cat just choose items that take few or no Motes to use and focus more on his character development and things he can't lose like Abilities, Charms, Willpower, and the like. I'm having a great time with those! =) Unless it is right up his alley, I imagine Fat Cat will be passing on a lot more items in the future (as he really likes the ones he has so far).

EDIT: Unless I've got this wrong somehow? Does one take any unattuned Artifacts and just stow them away until they want to change their Character's build? What happens to XP invested into Artifacts that your PC becomes unattuned to? They don't have to pay again, do they (I imagine not)?
 
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In general, each significant artifact in your panoply, like Amara's sword and armor, have a unique story to it. The exception to this is the more common utilitarian devices like the Hearthstone Pendant or a Collar of Dawns Cleansing Light that were more mass produced. Its like Elric and his blade Stormbringer, even if the item is not nearly as powerful as that dark sword. The user of the item builds on the legend of the item, until that Exalt falls once more.

A powerful Exalt doesn't need an artifact to be able to do damage or soak it up, but it does help if you get the right item that goes with your character.
 
The wood spirit looks to Fat Cat and says, "The ghost is the angry shade of one of the Exalts that . . . killed my friend all those years ago. He wasn't a Dynast, but was instead some other kind of Exalt. The details of that elude me for some reason. It is old and it hates the Solar Exalted, and it has killed another Solar that had found her way here, many years ago."
Sounds to me like this ghost was a Sidereal.
 
Question? Latent powers cost 6 XP. Can one buy them using both Normal XP and Lunar XP? Or is it only one or the other?
 
Question? Latent powers cost 6 XP. Can one buy them using both Normal XP and Lunar XP? Or is it only one or the other?
If it's not a native Lunar charm, you can buy it with Lunar XP. So if you can, only spend normal XP on native charms unless you absolutely have to snag something that cannot wait (this is an exceedingly rare situation in my honest opinion). Anything that's not a native charm that you still want, I'd pickup with Lunar XP.

Yes, this does mean sorcery spells, martial arts charms, and evocations can be bought with Lunar XP because those are specifically not native lunar charms. This will also be your goto means of advancing attribute or ability scores you'd like to improve. Same with Willpower and any baseline natural traits.

Last word of advice here, don't underestimate the value of having a solid foundation of natural traits as supernatural ones almost always will cost you essence to use in the moment. Natural traits are free to use anytime as well as help your supernatural ones scale to greater heights.
 
Natural traits are what I'm used to building up. As a 1st Edition Werewolf: the Apocalypse player, I was into the habit of building the character and collecting items. XP went straight into (what I think you're referring to as) natural traits (the Totem Background being one notable exception).

In Exalted here, it seems to be more like a video game (like Final Fantasy XIV) where you can switch up your "build" via the Artifacts and other magic items you collect (that which runs on Motes)? If we're going sneaky, then only Attune to the Artifacts that'll help with that, but if we have time to prepare for some majorly-loud combat, then Attune to those items that will blast the most bad guys (depending on what we're up against). Kind of like Pathfinder or Palladium-style games except now one has limitations based on what they can bring from their inventory?
 
Any idea when this "Exalted version 4.0" will be out?
It's not so much "Exalted v4.0" as "Exalted v3, lite"; they stripped out and simplified a bunch of the complexities so that it would run faster and easier.

That's overall probably a good thing - but (IIRC) they took out the dynamic-initiative / Withering / Decisive combat that for me is one of the Unique Selling Points of Exalted 3. I think it's a really neat system, and worth its complexity in a way some of the other stuff (I'm looking at you, Crafting XP) isn't.
 
Why, bud?
There is a thing with the Sidereals in 2.0 where it's hard to remember details about them. Two people talking about any given Sidereal will have multiple versions of what they look like and what they did, all because of the way Fate is bent around them. It sounded to me like Antonia is under the same effect from the 'strange Exalt' that killed her Solar friend.
 
Oh? That sounds like they have something like Arcane from Mage: The Awakening! And lots of it. How cool!
 
It's not so much "Exalted v4.0" as "Exalted v3, lite"; they stripped out and simplified a bunch of the complexities so that it would run faster and easier.

That's overall probably a good thing - but (IIRC) they took out the dynamic-initiative / Withering / Decisive combat that for me is one of the Unique Selling Points of Exalted 3. I think it's a really neat system, and worth its complexity in a way some of the other stuff (I'm looking at you, Crafting XP) isn't.
Chowlett Chowlett
Oh, really? They went back to the drawing board, I suppose. Sometimes that's a really good thing.

That's one of the things I enjoy about both White Wolf and Palladium systems - unlike a lot of systems out there, you can put Real Life experience and know-how to use in ways that feel fluid and natural with those two.

A Player I once knew came back from a D&D game in a real huff. He studied martial arts. He was just learning D&D. During a melee in the game, the Player was upset at the Dungeon Master for a... I'll use the word "terrible" call he felt the DM had made.

The Player wanted to attack a solider (maybe a knight). Some bad guy who was wearing plate mail armor. The DM OKed it. The Player rolled the d20 and rolled low enough to miss. The DM told the the Player as much. The Player began to argue. "How can I miss him? He's wearing plate mail and he's within sword reach! There's no way I can miss that in Real Life!"

Now... I was listening to this and not even a teenager yet then and I was in the same martial arts school as this guy. I could see his point but even then, I felt he was missing out on three important things:

1. It's a game. Games are made up with events of chance. If you can't ever miss, what's the point?

2. He was taking it personally. "How can I miss him?" "There's no way I can miss that..." Except he's not the one in the game; his Character is. Hence the term PC (Player Character). Being a new PC, he was getting the concept confused (honestly, he was not the brightest light in the harbor).

3. I tried to explain it to him. "The word 'miss' in D&D is probably different than in martial arts. It might just mean that your Character attacked but just failed to cause damage." Now... that happens all of the time in martial arts. Back to him being stubborn and close-minded? I don't think he ever got the point. He got so comfortable being wrapped up in being "right," that he let the facts slide right by him.

Palladium and White Wolf are really good at letting the imagination fly for those with Real Life combat know-how. And by that, I mean people who have a scientific understanding of how physics, people, and combat often work. You don't need to be a cop or a soldier; any medical examiner or paramedic can explain why the concrete wins when you have an "injuries from a fall" call. It's called gravity. It always rolls a Natural 20).

I've learned something else though. All this martial arts + RP talk doesn't hardly mean a thing to people who have little to no interest in martial arts. Having never experienced it, these are the folks who don't know that firearms have a kick and a loud bang when you pull the trigger. Nothing wrong with it; everybody knows something about something. So if I ever start going on about Fat Cat's sword-style or anything like that, don't be afraid to remind me - I might be the only one here who's interested.

And that's O.K.. We're all here to Roleplay and have a good time together! =)

Honor and fun,
Dann =)
 
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I think it's a really neat system, and worth its complexity in a way some of the other stuff (I'm looking at you, Crafting XP)
I'm looking forward to understanding the combat system better. =)

I've noticed no one here seems heavily into the Crafting system? I take it something is wrong with Crafting XP?
 
I've noticed no one here seems heavily into the Crafting system? I take it something is wrong with Crafting XP?
As a general rule, Craft is a heavy duty xp sink. I am not as familiar with it in 3e, but in 2e, you would need high levels in multiple Craftwork lines in order to be able to have a realistic chance of forging a new artifact from scratch, and that is long before you get into Charms to bolster your efforts.
 
Also, before I put them on my character sheet, I wish to make sure that everyone is good with Amara taking the bracers and the boots. I don't wish to hog all the cool items from everyone else.
 
Chowlett Chowlett Eonivar Eonivar jaydude jaydude Psychie Psychie Rykon Rykon Sherwood Sherwood =)
Yah! It seems like that's the way folks want to divide da loot! Yaaay loot! =)

Amara - Future Sight Boots. Fire Dancer Bracers.
Aredin - The magical Lute.
Grey Stone - Jewel of Hero’s Panoply.
Mercy - The magical inkwell. Key of Mastery Hearthstone.
O Mighty Fat Cat - Sirrush Devil Caster. Water Hearthstone.
Silent Glade - Jade Hearthstone Amulet.

Given your level of skill and some time, I am comfortable with you being able to divine out what the various artifacts are and what they can do.

Starting out with the Lute. When the owner attunes the instrument for 3m, it grants two (2) extra dice and one (1) success to any Performance rolls dealing with playing it.

The boots.
Future Sight (White Jade Boots ***) User: Zan, Kendra
Smith: Zan
Era: War of the Gods
These boots were built and named during the Godʼs War. After the war it became increasingly more difficult to create or use time dilation
magics. Zan first used them to give himself more time to learn from the Jadeborn. Later on he used them to make more gear in a day than would be normally possible.
However, Future Sight took on a much different use after the war had ended. With time dilation all but impossible, they sat on Zanʼs workshop shelf for several decades. They were passed on to a promising young student named Kendra. Kendra watched Zan reforged them with plates of white Jade to aid the young terrestrial in her duties to the Realm.

Evocation of Future Sight
The user of Future Sight no longer tires from travel on foot, be that a forced march across desert or a slow push through dense forest (they can still be fatigued by exertion, such as combat). Their feet never get cold or hot and are never swollen or blistered.
Future Sight costs 5 motes to attune.

Long Haul
Cost: -;Min: Essence 1
Type: Permanent
Keyword: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite: none
Future Sight significantly improves the userʼs speed on foot. While walking the user can cover 10 miles an hour, if they run they can cover 30 miles an hour, terrain permitting. When used in combat the user is considered to have a +2 Speed Bonus as if mounted. Often allowing them to run down all but the fastest of mounts.

Stealing from the Future
Cost: 3 or 4m per hl; Min: Essence 3
Type: Simple
Keyword: Dissonant
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite: Long Haul
After decades Zan managed to get some of the original time dilation of Future Sight working again. It manifested in a very odd way but still
proved useful, especially since Kendra was a poor healer. The user of Future Sight may borrow health from their future self.
At the cost of 3 motes per Bashing or 4 motes per Lethal the user may heal themselves. This comes with a cost- for every Health Level healed they replace one die in their dice pools with an inauspicious die. Every “1” rolled by an inauspicious die subtracts one success from the roll. This can cause the roll to fail or botch. These dice remain in the userʼs die pool until they roll a “1”.
Dissonant: A character dissonant with Jade also subtracts one success on the roll of a “2” on an inauspicious die. This removes the die from their pool as well.

The Inkpen, like the Lute, adds two dice and one success to any written Linguistics rolls for the cost of just 1m.

The Bracers.
(Starmetal
Hearthstone Bracers ***) User: Josse Martinus
Smith: Josse Martinus
Era: Dreams of the First Age
Originally planned to be a simple modification of Hearthstone bracers, Fire Dancer took on a life of its own as Josse forged it. The young Battles Castes Sidereal originally just wished for a set of bracers that could hold two heartstones, but during his labor he poured his hopes and dreams into Fire Dancerʼs creation.
Each night he would slave away at the forge speaking to Fire Dancer as if the pair were a person telling the bracers of the world and where
he would take them. Together they would dance the night away on both the battlefield and the ballroom to keep Creation safe.

Evocations of Fire Dancer
A user of Fire Dancer may place one of their Intimacies, which must be Defining, as their “innermost desire”. While the Intimacy is set and Fire Dancer is worn the user increases their Withering Damage by 4 when fighting for a cause related to the Intimacy.
Equally, while set the Intimacy is blatantly obvious to any observer. A character that has “Love of my wife” set so cannot hide that Tie. The chosen Intimacy cannot be used to defend against social actions while connected to Fire Dancer.

It costs 4 motes to attune Fire Dancer which has two hearthstone sockets placed on the forearms lined by an etching of dancing couples.

Dance the Night Away
Cost: -;Min: Essence 1
Type: Permanent
Keyword: -
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite: None
Josseʼs musings and overly romanticized creation of Fire Dancer along with his auspicious nature bleeds through.
The user rolls at target number 6 for Performance and gains the Specialty “Dance” while wearing Fire Dancer.

The two hearthstones.
Jewel of Hero’s Panoply (Solar, Greater)
Keywords: Dependent, Linked
While this glittering white gem is socketed in an artifact, reduce that artifact’s attunement cost by two, to a minimum of one.

Key of Mastery (Solar, Greater)
Keywords: Dependent, Linked
When a sorcerer places this diamond-bright jewel in an attuned hearthstone socket, she gains the opportunity to awaken the following Evocation:
Purity of Sorcerous Focus
Cost: —; Mins: Essence 1
Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: None
The sorcerer gains new insight into a spell of the Terrestrial Circle, imprinting its Essence upon the stone. The chosen spell provides all the benefits of a control spell for as long as the stone remains attuned.
The sorcerer can switch to a different spell once per story.
At Essence 3, the sorcerer can instead imprint a spell of the Celestial Circle. At Essence 5, she can choose a spell of the Solar Circle.

The devil caster taken from Kerwin is:
(Blue Jade Devil Caster,
Artifact ••••)
The Solar champion Vaznia took up dozens of artifacts across the ages, but few held her interest for long. Among those arms were Sirrush and Anshar, a pair of artifact flame pieces she commissioned to match a favored concubine’s eyes. She gifted them to her lieutenant Rylo
Stormsong without ever wielding them in battle. A thrill-seeker, Rylo went looking for trouble in every teahouse and dark alley of Old Wu-Jian. Thus she entangled herself in all manner of violent altercations, from battling armies of thugs sent by double-crossed crimelords to stealing relics from hidden shrines to forbidden undersea gods. In extricating herself from such situations she employed her twin devil casters to deadly effect. Eventually she found herself outmatched, hunted by an affronted sorcerer’s seademons. Leaping from the pinnacle of the Crescent Temple into the sea-spray to escape pursuit, she never surfaced.
Sirrush was found a thousand years later by Wu-Jian mudlarks. It worked its way up through the city’s teeming layers in cutthroat deals and throat-cut thefts, until one of the now-defunct Lords Criminal traded it to the outcaste pirate Storm Mother’s Son for a cargo of firedust.
Sirrush’s counterpart Anshar remains lost.

Attunement: 5m
Type: Medium (+12 DMG, OVW 4)
Accuracy: Close +1; Short +5; Medium +3;
Long +1; Extreme −1
Tags: Lethal, Archery (Short), Flame, One-Handed,
Mounted, Slow
Hearthstone slot(s): None
Era: Dreams of the First Age

Evocations of Sirrush
Firedust-Gathering Practice
Cost: 1m; Mins: Essence 1
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Dissonant
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: None
As the wielder fires Sirrush, a breeze draws fresh grains of firedust from her ammunition pouch into its barrel. Activating this Evocation reloads the weapon without an action.
Special activation rules: Unless the Exalt is dissonant with jade, she unlocks this Evocation for no experience cost when she first attunes to Sirrush.

Lightning Draw Method
Cost: —; Mins: Essence 1
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: None
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: None
Sirrush all but leaps into its wielder’s hand when danger looms. On the first round of combat, she may treat her Initiative as (Wits) higher than it actually is to determine when she acts in the round, but must use her turn to make an attack.
Special activation rules: This Evocation awakens at no cost when the wielder wins Join Battle against at least one non-trivial foe.

Storm-Dueling Maneuver
Cost: 5m, 2i; Mins: Essence 2
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Clash, Uniform
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Lightning Draw Method
Sirrush responds to threats before its wielder can even process that they’re there. Whenever she is the target of a surprise attack (Exalted, p. 203) from close or short range, she can activate this Evocation to clash with a withering or decisive attack, reflexively drawing Sirrush if it isn’t ready. She cannot use this Evocation to clash an ambush. This doesn’t count as her combat action for the turn.

Fiery Gale Barrage
Cost: 4m, 1i; Mins: Essence 2
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Uniform
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Storm-Dueling Maneuver
With a wild barrage of fire, the Exalt shatters every obstruction between her and the perfect shot. This Evocation supplements an attack against a target behind cover, treating the attack roll as a feat of strength to destroy whatever provides the cover, as long as it doesn’t require a Strength higher than 5 to attempt. Cover thus destroyed provides no protection against the attack.

Forked-Lightning Flame Attack
Cost: 10m, 3i, 1wp; Mins: Essence 2
Type: Simple
Keywords: Decisive-only
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Fiery Gale Barrage
As forked lightning peppers the earth, Sirrush sprays the air with fire. The Exalt applies a single decisive attack roll against up to (Wits) opponents within an 180-degree arc in front of the wielder. This cannot target opponents behind cover. Divide up her Initiative equally among all targets hit, rounded up, for rolling damage, up to a maximum of the wielder’s (Essence + 3) dice per target. Against battle groups, there’s no limit on how much damage is rolled and the wielder doubles 10s. After activating this Evocation, the wielder must make an ammunition check.
This Evocation can only be used once per scene, unless reset by crashing a non-trivial enemy or routing a battle group.

Devil’s Last Gasp
Cost: 3m; Mins: Essence 2
Type: Simple
Keywords: Decisive-only
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Forked-Lightning Flame Attack
Rylo Stormsong was prone to expend her firedust profligately, so she and Sirrush learned to make do with the dregs of wind and fire. If the wielder hasn’t reloaded Sirrush after attacking, she can activate this Evocation to coax a blast of scorching air from the weapon. This is
a difficulty 3 gambit that, if successful, knocks the target down and back one range band. On a successful gambit, she may reflexively aim at that enemy.

Inferno-Drinking Stance
Cost: —; Mins: Essence 2
Type: Permanent
Keywords: Dissonant
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: Firedust-Gathering Practice
Sirrush now feeds directly on flame. This Evocation augments its prerequisite, allowing Sirrush to reload by pulling in tongues of flame from any bonfire or larger flame within short range, rather than firedust. Whenever the Exalt does so using an Evocation requiring an ammunition check, Sirrush completely consumes all nonmagical flames within short range. Flames beyond that range may spread back into the radius normally.
Special activation rules: As long as the wielder isn’t dissonant with jade, this Evocation awakens at no cost when she fails an ammunition roll while fighting to uphold one of her Intimacies.

Wind-Fire Twister
Cost: 5m, 5i, 3a; Mins: Essence 3
Type: Simple
Keywords: Dissonant, Perilous
Duration: One scene
Prerequisites: Devil’s Last Gasp, Inferno-Drinking Stance
Mingling air Essence, its wielder’s bonfire anima, and far too much firedust, Sirrush spits forth a twisting vortex of wind and fire. This fire whirl is an environmental hazard with difficulty 5, Damage 4L/round that fills an entire range band within close range of the wielder.
Any flammable objects the whirlwind passes over are set ablaze. On each subsequent turn, the wielder may direct it to move one range band in any direction as a miscellaneous action. After activating this Evocation, the wielder must make an ammunition check (Exalted,
p.202). This Evocation ends and the fire whirl dissipates if the wielder is crashed.
Wind-Fire Twister can only be used once per day.
Dissonant: Characters dissonant with jade cannot awaken this Evocation.

And his hearthstone is set in a hearthstone amulet.
Hearthstone Amulet (Tiara, Bracer, etc.)
A wide variety of decorative artifacts exist whose sole purpose is to provide a socket into which an attuned hearthstone may be placed. The most common form of these artifacts are amulets wrought of the five magical materials, though hearthstone bracers are nearly as popular, and some Chosen—particularly Sidereals—prefer circlets or tiaras which fix the hearthstone in the center of their forehead, directly over their Caste Mark. All such items cost a single mote to attune.
If a character wears magical armor of the same material as a worn hearthstone amulet (tiara, bracer, etc.), then the amulet’s socket is considered to be part of that armor for the purpose of dependent hearthstones (see p. 604).

The stone is:
The Fountain-Summoning Stone (Standard)
Keywords: Steady
This hearthstone is a dark oval emerald, cold and moist to the touch. If the Fountain-Summoning Stone is buried in the soil and left undisturbed for a short period (ranging from a minute in fertile riverlands to half an hour in the desert), it will presently spring back to the surface atop a gushing fountain of water, which persists until the sun rises and sets. The Fountain-Summoning Stone won’t operate anywhere that a spring couldn’t possibly appear, such as a balcony garden or in a barrel of soil aboard a ship.
 
FWIW, speaking to the ghost is what I'm supposed to do to get Solar XP too so... It'd be weird if I didn't jump of this chance as the Eclipse.
 

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