Guest vlogging continues! There's no intro this time because it's really just the second half of last week's epic one-hour marathon, but the players are back to tell you more of their opinions. And they're just enjoyable.
Question: A lot of Scions are going to be illegitimate children of their divine parents. Could you mention the social ramification for bastard children in the different cultures we have Pantheons for?
Question: In any of your games, have Scions ever been revealed to the public? If so, how did the public react - to both their existence, and their parents existence?
Question: My group constantly fights. Nothing much gets done. We're all good friends in real life, but when we sit down for a game everything goes to hell. Mostly it is the fault of Virtues, but not always. Any advice?
Question: It seems like Scion is full of great victories and horrible failures. What would you say are your best MVP Scions and worst screw-up Scions in your games?
Question: Is Vidar proud of Folkwardr? I'm curious as to Vidar's fatherly feelings towards his new son.
Question: Bring in the players for this one! If YOU were a Scion, which pantheon would you like to be a Scion of? Which pantheon (speaking strictly from their Virtues) do you think you'd be a part of by that metric? For bonus points, what purviews and Epics would you give yourself or see yourself getting? I've seen too many arguments from recent questions, hopefully this one is just pure fun. Right? Please?
Our players are some pretty great folks. A round of applause to them for doing this and being such sports about it!
Showing posts with label guest blogs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label guest blogs. Show all posts
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Sunday, December 22, 2013
It's Been a While Since Someone Uncomfortably Explained the Origin of Vaginas in Mythology
Okay, vlogging has been challenging this weekend. First, we didn't get a vlog done yesterday, because it was my birthday so we were off doing birthday things instead of working. Then, we filmed a vlog today about abilities (as promised!), but John's iPad is throwing a massive tantrum and failed to render it three times in a row, after which is has now failed to upload it twice and counting. We're trying to get it to behave itself, but it may be a little while coming.
But that's okay, because we have a very special guest star to the rescue: GriffinGuy24, our friend who is a South American mythology wizard, recorded this excellent vlog about the Guarani and their myths, particularly the Amazonian god Yurupari. Some of you may have seen it when he posted the link in our last vlog, but in case you didn't, here it is - go forth and learn about crazy jungle gender politics!
Hooray! I love guest blogs!
But that's okay, because we have a very special guest star to the rescue: GriffinGuy24, our friend who is a South American mythology wizard, recorded this excellent vlog about the Guarani and their myths, particularly the Amazonian god Yurupari. Some of you may have seen it when he posted the link in our last vlog, but in case you didn't, here it is - go forth and learn about crazy jungle gender politics!
Hooray! I love guest blogs!
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Like a Flat Fish
Question: Hey, boss. Wanted to ask you guys whether any of your players have ever played a PC of the opposite gender? If so, how did they role-play that character?
Question: Hey, John and friends! Just wanted to know whether any of your players have played a PC of the opposite sex in any of your games. If so, how did they manage it? Playing a PC's that's not the player's gender has always been kind of strange area in the games I've been in.
Question: Have any of your players ever played a character of the opposite gender?
We suspect that these may be the same person resubmitting the question a few times, which is totally our own fault - we've been meaning to answer it for a while, and in fact did answer it a while ago in that vlog that our computer ate, and then we put it off because we figured we'd bring in a guest blogger and everybody had life concerns that took up time. The upshot is that we apologize that this post took so long, but here it is, larger than life!
To start with, yes: while we don't usually encourage it because it so often causes players trouble, we have had one player play a PC of the opposite sex, and it was the fabulous Seph, who despite being a dude played psychotic little war machine Shanti. Since he was the guy actually doing the opposite-sex playing, we thought we'd invite him to do a little guest blogging to tell you about his feelings on the subject. Here goes!
Please allow me to begin by expressing my apologies for not getting around to this sooner. It’s all my fault, John and Anne asked me to comment a long time ago, but I got sidetracked. So blame me – not them.
So, thoughts on playing cross-gender characters. Please bear in mind, I am no expert on such things – and I’m purely shooting from the hip here…
First, I should say that one of the things I love about roleplaying, and tabletop especially, is the opportunity to explore characters and perspectives that differ significantly from myself. I suppose it’s also what interested me in theater as well, but theater, as a largely visual medium, is more limited. I’m a 6 foot plus, average to large build, white guy with brown hair and blue eyes – and while I could play Duncan, or a very tall Iago, it’s highly unlikely that I’ll ever play Lady Macbeth or even Othello.
Roleplaying, and tabletop especially, allows us to play characters that run the gambit of human experience. I can play young or old, rich or poor, criminal or law abiding, egalitarian or elitist, a different race, religion, nationality, or anything else – and rarely is this even commented on. To my mind, it seems strange that given this vast, and unlimited spectrum of diversity that we so often cut ourselves off from 50% of the human race by exclusively playing one gender.
That said, there are challenges in playing against type. First, it’s important that you approach the character, particularly in regard to their differences, with respect. Yes, sexism and racism are unfortunate realities in both our history and into the modern day, and perhaps, these will bleed through into certain situations confronted by the character during the game. However, using a character as a spring board to mock a different gender, race, etc. is ignorant and wrong. So, if you don’t think that you can play a different gender/race/etc. without making them the butt of every joke because of those differences – don’t do it.
Second, make sure that your gaming group is okay with this decision. I was fortunate that the group that I’m playing with was patient, understanding, and generally awesome – so there wasn’t too much of a reaction. However, if playing a different race or gender is going to cause a disruption in the group – you should probably avoid that too.
Third, and only because this is the internets. Figure out where you and your group draws the line regarding romantic entanglements. Personally, I’m much more of a “fade to black” type person.
Finally, whenever playing a character with fundamental differences from you – particularly in a historical context – you need to decide how this difference is going to impact your character. For example:
Many of these questions are things that you should likely be asking yourself anyway as part of your character creation process. However, because of a fundamental difference in your character – you should likely spend some additional time considering these issues as your “gut reaction” as a person, may not be the same as a result of this difference.
So yeah… those are my thoughts. Welcome the differences and the challenges/opportunities they provide, remain respectful and thoughtful. Good rules for life and for playing cross-gender characters in my limited experience.
Seph hit most of the high notes, so there's really not much more to say; the most important thing to keep in mind for playing a character of a different sex - or race, or religion, or anything else - is to make sure that you can do so meaningfully and respectfully. It's not just about not intentionally being offensive, but also about remembering that we all have strongly internalized stereotypes and gender roles that come from our upbringing and culture, so it's easy to be accidentally offensive as well. If you can't portray a different kind of character from yourself without reducing it down to stereotypes, you may want to think again. And, also important, examine why you want to play a different sex or gender, what you want to explore by doing so and how you hope to bring something new to your playing experience by doing it.
Basically, players who come into it with a vision, a firm character concept or a good reason to want to play a different sex or gender can do fun and meaningful things with it, but not every genderbent character concept is a good one; it's what John refers to as "advanced roleplaying". If you prefer to just build characters on the fly and run them through adventures without bothering much with deep personalities or subtext (which is a totally valid way to want to play, and nobody should feel like it isn't!), it's much more likely that your genderbent-on-a-whim character will either have no difference because you don't play the opposite sex any differently than you play your home one, or at worst will be offensive because you're not paying much attention to it and therefore have a higher chance to make thoughtless blunders that may upset others.
It's also absolutely true that the comfort and tolerance level of your fellow players and Storyteller are all-important; if there are people at the table who are of those other sexes (or races, or religions), they may be very sensitive to anything that looks like an offensive portrayal, and it also may be true that some players simply aren't comfortable with genderbending at the table at all. If any of that is true, you may want to avoid playing a different gender altogether, even if you think you'd really do the concept justice; if the players are uncomfortable and not having fun, you could be the most badass roleplayer in the universe and it'll still hurt the game overall. It never hurts to check with the Storyteller first or take the group's temperature before rolling in with a character concept that might potentially throw others off.
We'd also like to add that it's much easier to pull off different-sex character in an online game than a face-to-face one. When you play over the internet, you might as well be either sex anyway for all anybody can tell if you don't advertise your gender, and if you're playing it well it's likely that nobody will bat an eyelash. When you're in person, however, and you're actually looking at a person obviously of a different gender than the one they're playing, it can become harder to suspend disbelief or easier to pick out stereotypes or playstyles that make other players uncomfortable. It's odd indeed that we can handle the idea of playing PCs of different religions and occupations and races from our own with ease but that some Storytellers and players still tweak when confronted with the idea of playing a different gender, but the internet's veil of anonymity makes avoiding that a lot easier.
Playing a character of a different gender or sex can be a rewarding and interesting experience, both for the player doing it and the game it's done in. It's all about why and how you do it, however, and it's not always the best fit for every game. Use your judgment, talk to your group, and have an awesome time.
Question: Hey, John and friends! Just wanted to know whether any of your players have played a PC of the opposite sex in any of your games. If so, how did they manage it? Playing a PC's that's not the player's gender has always been kind of strange area in the games I've been in.
Question: Have any of your players ever played a character of the opposite gender?
We suspect that these may be the same person resubmitting the question a few times, which is totally our own fault - we've been meaning to answer it for a while, and in fact did answer it a while ago in that vlog that our computer ate, and then we put it off because we figured we'd bring in a guest blogger and everybody had life concerns that took up time. The upshot is that we apologize that this post took so long, but here it is, larger than life!
To start with, yes: while we don't usually encourage it because it so often causes players trouble, we have had one player play a PC of the opposite sex, and it was the fabulous Seph, who despite being a dude played psychotic little war machine Shanti. Since he was the guy actually doing the opposite-sex playing, we thought we'd invite him to do a little guest blogging to tell you about his feelings on the subject. Here goes!
Please allow me to begin by expressing my apologies for not getting around to this sooner. It’s all my fault, John and Anne asked me to comment a long time ago, but I got sidetracked. So blame me – not them.
So, thoughts on playing cross-gender characters. Please bear in mind, I am no expert on such things – and I’m purely shooting from the hip here…
First, I should say that one of the things I love about roleplaying, and tabletop especially, is the opportunity to explore characters and perspectives that differ significantly from myself. I suppose it’s also what interested me in theater as well, but theater, as a largely visual medium, is more limited. I’m a 6 foot plus, average to large build, white guy with brown hair and blue eyes – and while I could play Duncan, or a very tall Iago, it’s highly unlikely that I’ll ever play Lady Macbeth or even Othello.
Roleplaying, and tabletop especially, allows us to play characters that run the gambit of human experience. I can play young or old, rich or poor, criminal or law abiding, egalitarian or elitist, a different race, religion, nationality, or anything else – and rarely is this even commented on. To my mind, it seems strange that given this vast, and unlimited spectrum of diversity that we so often cut ourselves off from 50% of the human race by exclusively playing one gender.
That said, there are challenges in playing against type. First, it’s important that you approach the character, particularly in regard to their differences, with respect. Yes, sexism and racism are unfortunate realities in both our history and into the modern day, and perhaps, these will bleed through into certain situations confronted by the character during the game. However, using a character as a spring board to mock a different gender, race, etc. is ignorant and wrong. So, if you don’t think that you can play a different gender/race/etc. without making them the butt of every joke because of those differences – don’t do it.
Second, make sure that your gaming group is okay with this decision. I was fortunate that the group that I’m playing with was patient, understanding, and generally awesome – so there wasn’t too much of a reaction. However, if playing a different race or gender is going to cause a disruption in the group – you should probably avoid that too.
Third, and only because this is the internets. Figure out where you and your group draws the line regarding romantic entanglements. Personally, I’m much more of a “fade to black” type person.
Finally, whenever playing a character with fundamental differences from you – particularly in a historical context – you need to decide how this difference is going to impact your character. For example:
- How is the difference likely to impact your character’s interactions with others? As society progresses, we’ve become more egalitarian – however, in the 1800’s (the time period in which our game takes place) this was not the case. Everyone had a very clearly defined role based on their age, race, gender, marital status, etc. Ask yourself if your character fulfills the gender-role expected of them or do they rebel against it? If they do rebel – is this an internal struggle or an outward one? And how does your character cope with the consequences of their choice?
- How does your character view people differently as a result of being a different gender? Do they expect people to fulfill their gender-roles, even if the character isn’t doing so?
- Did your different gender impact your character’s ability to learn certain things (should you rethink portions of your character’s stats as a result of differences in opportunity) – and if so, did you overcome these barriers and if so, how and why? Does your character think they were fortunate for the opportunity to break through the barrier, or are they resentful because the barrier existed in the first place?
- Are there behavioral differences as a result of your character’s gender – based either on societal expectation or biology?
Many of these questions are things that you should likely be asking yourself anyway as part of your character creation process. However, because of a fundamental difference in your character – you should likely spend some additional time considering these issues as your “gut reaction” as a person, may not be the same as a result of this difference.
So yeah… those are my thoughts. Welcome the differences and the challenges/opportunities they provide, remain respectful and thoughtful. Good rules for life and for playing cross-gender characters in my limited experience.
Seph hit most of the high notes, so there's really not much more to say; the most important thing to keep in mind for playing a character of a different sex - or race, or religion, or anything else - is to make sure that you can do so meaningfully and respectfully. It's not just about not intentionally being offensive, but also about remembering that we all have strongly internalized stereotypes and gender roles that come from our upbringing and culture, so it's easy to be accidentally offensive as well. If you can't portray a different kind of character from yourself without reducing it down to stereotypes, you may want to think again. And, also important, examine why you want to play a different sex or gender, what you want to explore by doing so and how you hope to bring something new to your playing experience by doing it.
Basically, players who come into it with a vision, a firm character concept or a good reason to want to play a different sex or gender can do fun and meaningful things with it, but not every genderbent character concept is a good one; it's what John refers to as "advanced roleplaying". If you prefer to just build characters on the fly and run them through adventures without bothering much with deep personalities or subtext (which is a totally valid way to want to play, and nobody should feel like it isn't!), it's much more likely that your genderbent-on-a-whim character will either have no difference because you don't play the opposite sex any differently than you play your home one, or at worst will be offensive because you're not paying much attention to it and therefore have a higher chance to make thoughtless blunders that may upset others.
It's also absolutely true that the comfort and tolerance level of your fellow players and Storyteller are all-important; if there are people at the table who are of those other sexes (or races, or religions), they may be very sensitive to anything that looks like an offensive portrayal, and it also may be true that some players simply aren't comfortable with genderbending at the table at all. If any of that is true, you may want to avoid playing a different gender altogether, even if you think you'd really do the concept justice; if the players are uncomfortable and not having fun, you could be the most badass roleplayer in the universe and it'll still hurt the game overall. It never hurts to check with the Storyteller first or take the group's temperature before rolling in with a character concept that might potentially throw others off.
We'd also like to add that it's much easier to pull off different-sex character in an online game than a face-to-face one. When you play over the internet, you might as well be either sex anyway for all anybody can tell if you don't advertise your gender, and if you're playing it well it's likely that nobody will bat an eyelash. When you're in person, however, and you're actually looking at a person obviously of a different gender than the one they're playing, it can become harder to suspend disbelief or easier to pick out stereotypes or playstyles that make other players uncomfortable. It's odd indeed that we can handle the idea of playing PCs of different religions and occupations and races from our own with ease but that some Storytellers and players still tweak when confronted with the idea of playing a different gender, but the internet's veil of anonymity makes avoiding that a lot easier.
Playing a character of a different gender or sex can be a rewarding and interesting experience, both for the player doing it and the game it's done in. It's all about why and how you do it, however, and it's not always the best fit for every game. Use your judgment, talk to your group, and have an awesome time.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Knocked Up
Question: So what's the deal with Sangria and Geoff? Their relationship is like a divine version of Knocked Up where Geoff marries her because he feels responsible for getting her pregnant. Does Sangria love or care for the poor guy at all? Or is she just an emotionless psychopath that's just using him for breeding stock?
Question: Geoff and Sangria - sometimes I think their relationship is kind of cute, but then other times it seems like it's just awful. Do they regret getting married? What's life like for Geoff being stuck with a crazy woman who would probably gut him if she could get away with it?
We've had a couple of questions about this lately, so I figured now, with all this interest about Geoff's love life, was a good time for a guest blog by the man himself. I sent these questions off to Geoff's player for his perspective, and because he is a champion he actually sat down and wrote something instead of telling me that he's a very important lawyer who doesn't have time for this kind of stuff. Check it out:
What a couple of questions. Welp, I guess I should start at the beginning…
Geoff originally decided to marry Sangria after Pan called down a bacchanalia. If you read Geoff’s origin story (which by the way is an amazing piece of fiction and gets me right in the feels every time) you know that his mother never married and never took another lover after Baldr. Geoff watched his mother grow old alone, but never saw resentment or anger at what had happened. She felt she was blessed to have such a wonderful child. When Geoff was old enough to realize what had happened, he made a vow that he would never abandon his children or the mother of his children. At first it was because he felt it was his duty, and that he would be dishonoring the memory of his mother if he were no better than his divine father. He had to do what was right.
While Sangria was an amazing physical specimen and at this point I think divinely beautiful (besides the bone arm), it still felt like a burden. It was a duty Geoff had taken on; he had to protect his family, and to honor the mother of his unborn child. After the birth of Aren, everything changed. Geoff had a family again. He had only briefly met his father, who as soon as he had appeared was gone again. But now he had a child, but it wasn’t only his child - it was Sangria’s as well. They shared something so powerful and amazing that as he immediately was filled with love for his child, he began to grow to love the woman who had carried and brought this child into the world. She was the vessel that had given him what he had always wanted: a family.
Another way to look at it is like an arranged marriage. When he and Sangria first tied the knot (literally), he only knew about her as the terrorist, the warrior, the cold-blooded killer and mother of monsters. But as the battles passed, as his family grew closer, he learned more about Sangria; about her unwavering and completely selfless loyalty to her family. How she would sacrifice everything she had or was to make sure that no harm befell her children or her husband. He learned that she had never known nor felt love. She had only ever known duty, and that after their marriage day her duty shifted to include him. He came to learn that she would never be the wife who gave him a hero’s welcome home, or weep at seeing him leave. But she would never leave him, never betray him, and always keep him and their children safe. She would honor Geoff. That came to be enough.
A long way down the road after they both had achieved apotheosis, Geoff began to learn more about his wife. She had acquired a nahualli, a bat named Cuacitlali (Eater of Stars). This creature, this animal, was basically her emotions or her id. All the emotion she had built over the years for Geoff and never understood or been able to express, Quacitlali could. It is one thing to be snuggled by a beautiful woman, and quite another to be snuggled by a human-sized vampire bat.
As it stands in the game currently, Sowiljr loves Eztli. He even affectionately calls her Xochiyotl (it means "gentle flower"). It amuses him, but also shows how in his mind Sangria is his everything. He is rebuilding his pantheon as the new All-Father, and he is going to be a better father to his family and to his people than those before him. His mother raised him better than that.
Hope that helped with the people who have trouble seeing how this relationship works.
TL;DR - It was rough at the beginning, got better once children started showing up, post-apotheosis realized how much she cared about him, and now are very happy together (although she is still dumb as a brick, so that has its own challenges).
Life together, on the other hand, is a loaded question. It is a constant struggle making sure that Eztli doesn’t dash off into the stars to try and destroy everything in her path. Ptah had a good idea when he figured out a way to distract and control Sekhmet all the time. As I said above, she is real dumb, but powerful. Together they are an unstoppable force, which as a player is how I like to think of them. She is the warrior, the unflinching soul who will wade into the middle of Hell itself, while Geoff is the king, the politician or general who has plans and plays the game of thrones (I couldn’t help myself). There is no regret from Geoff for having married Sangria. He would like for her to be able to smile and laugh and be happy (and trust me, he is working on it ;)). So I would have to say that life remains…exciting... yes, that is the word I will choose.
Thanks, everyone, for your interest in our game and in Geoff and Sangria! I never thought that this character would grow so much and gain an actual following! It always makes me smile when I hear that you guys are talking about him or thinking about him. =)
Hugs and Kisses,
Geoff
(Mat)
So there you guys have it, straight from the sun-god's mouth. As for Sangria's perspective, I'm not going to get as detailed as he did, but I will say that if she were going to go out and pick a guy just to use for breeding stock, it would probably not be a Norse dude.
What you guys should be worried about is Eztli versus Folkwardr. Every game that one of them doesn't try to murder the other is like a miraculous victory.
Question: Geoff and Sangria - sometimes I think their relationship is kind of cute, but then other times it seems like it's just awful. Do they regret getting married? What's life like for Geoff being stuck with a crazy woman who would probably gut him if she could get away with it?
We've had a couple of questions about this lately, so I figured now, with all this interest about Geoff's love life, was a good time for a guest blog by the man himself. I sent these questions off to Geoff's player for his perspective, and because he is a champion he actually sat down and wrote something instead of telling me that he's a very important lawyer who doesn't have time for this kind of stuff. Check it out:
What a couple of questions. Welp, I guess I should start at the beginning…
Geoff originally decided to marry Sangria after Pan called down a bacchanalia. If you read Geoff’s origin story (which by the way is an amazing piece of fiction and gets me right in the feels every time) you know that his mother never married and never took another lover after Baldr. Geoff watched his mother grow old alone, but never saw resentment or anger at what had happened. She felt she was blessed to have such a wonderful child. When Geoff was old enough to realize what had happened, he made a vow that he would never abandon his children or the mother of his children. At first it was because he felt it was his duty, and that he would be dishonoring the memory of his mother if he were no better than his divine father. He had to do what was right.
While Sangria was an amazing physical specimen and at this point I think divinely beautiful (besides the bone arm), it still felt like a burden. It was a duty Geoff had taken on; he had to protect his family, and to honor the mother of his unborn child. After the birth of Aren, everything changed. Geoff had a family again. He had only briefly met his father, who as soon as he had appeared was gone again. But now he had a child, but it wasn’t only his child - it was Sangria’s as well. They shared something so powerful and amazing that as he immediately was filled with love for his child, he began to grow to love the woman who had carried and brought this child into the world. She was the vessel that had given him what he had always wanted: a family.
Another way to look at it is like an arranged marriage. When he and Sangria first tied the knot (literally), he only knew about her as the terrorist, the warrior, the cold-blooded killer and mother of monsters. But as the battles passed, as his family grew closer, he learned more about Sangria; about her unwavering and completely selfless loyalty to her family. How she would sacrifice everything she had or was to make sure that no harm befell her children or her husband. He learned that she had never known nor felt love. She had only ever known duty, and that after their marriage day her duty shifted to include him. He came to learn that she would never be the wife who gave him a hero’s welcome home, or weep at seeing him leave. But she would never leave him, never betray him, and always keep him and their children safe. She would honor Geoff. That came to be enough.
A long way down the road after they both had achieved apotheosis, Geoff began to learn more about his wife. She had acquired a nahualli, a bat named Cuacitlali (Eater of Stars). This creature, this animal, was basically her emotions or her id. All the emotion she had built over the years for Geoff and never understood or been able to express, Quacitlali could. It is one thing to be snuggled by a beautiful woman, and quite another to be snuggled by a human-sized vampire bat.
As it stands in the game currently, Sowiljr loves Eztli. He even affectionately calls her Xochiyotl (it means "gentle flower"). It amuses him, but also shows how in his mind Sangria is his everything. He is rebuilding his pantheon as the new All-Father, and he is going to be a better father to his family and to his people than those before him. His mother raised him better than that.
Hope that helped with the people who have trouble seeing how this relationship works.
TL;DR - It was rough at the beginning, got better once children started showing up, post-apotheosis realized how much she cared about him, and now are very happy together (although she is still dumb as a brick, so that has its own challenges).
Life together, on the other hand, is a loaded question. It is a constant struggle making sure that Eztli doesn’t dash off into the stars to try and destroy everything in her path. Ptah had a good idea when he figured out a way to distract and control Sekhmet all the time. As I said above, she is real dumb, but powerful. Together they are an unstoppable force, which as a player is how I like to think of them. She is the warrior, the unflinching soul who will wade into the middle of Hell itself, while Geoff is the king, the politician or general who has plans and plays the game of thrones (I couldn’t help myself). There is no regret from Geoff for having married Sangria. He would like for her to be able to smile and laugh and be happy (and trust me, he is working on it ;)). So I would have to say that life remains…exciting... yes, that is the word I will choose.
Thanks, everyone, for your interest in our game and in Geoff and Sangria! I never thought that this character would grow so much and gain an actual following! It always makes me smile when I hear that you guys are talking about him or thinking about him. =)
Hugs and Kisses,
Geoff
(Mat)
So there you guys have it, straight from the sun-god's mouth. As for Sangria's perspective, I'm not going to get as detailed as he did, but I will say that if she were going to go out and pick a guy just to use for breeding stock, it would probably not be a Norse dude.
What you guys should be worried about is Eztli versus Folkwardr. Every game that one of them doesn't try to murder the other is like a miraculous victory.
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