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theroseofconnaught · 2 months ago

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EMPIRES AFLAME

Just as a preamble; This is going to be far from completely comprehensive. I'm just hoping to provide a broad-strokes look at the adventure. The PDF is available for free on Catalyst's store. https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-adventures-empires-aflame-pdf

Fiction

The book opens with a short piece of fiction from the perspective of Deputy Commanding General of the SLDF, Aaron DeChavalier. He's speaking with Aleksandr Kerensky regarding his plan to leave the Inner Sphere. Despite his personal distaste for the plan DeChavalier reaffirms his support for Kerensky. As they leave for Kerensky to announce the exodus to the gathered SLDF troops Kerensky is suddenly shot and killed.

World Profile

Next up is some world building specifically about the Republic of the Sphere circa ~3095 and its 'Material Redemption Program'. In short private owners of military materiel,primarily BattleMechs, are offered Republic citizenship,landholds and noble titles in exchange for their property. This is all part of a larger policy of disarmament across the Inner Sphere. The MRP has hit merc groups hardest of all and many after trading in their own materiel then sign on with the Republic's 'Department of Replacement and Requisition' basically as repo men.

There's also this big red excerpt about misjumps. Odd place to put that.

Persons of Interest

The 'POI' section lays out some guidelines for creating and adjusting the PC party for the adventure. It recommends that they work for the Republic either directly or as mercenaries,own no vehicles,be majority Mechwarriors,Pilots or combat vehicle commanders. At least two should have Technician skills with nothing further on what types would be helpful.

This last bit about requiring the players to have Clan technology becomes important later.

One last note about how to get the players into the adventure. The idea is that they've been hired by the Republic for a routine repo job, the sort thing they've done a dozen times before. If the party's been constructed as advised there's no reason they wouldn't accept. Lastly we have two NPC profiles for the captains of the party's DropShip,the E.F Marie, and JumpShip, the Celeste. Captain John Bean grew up in the Republic and is hoping to earn his citizenship through this work. Captain Leonardo Jackson is your stereotypical spacer, completely devoted to his crew,ship and nothing else. I like that the write-up mentions that he suffers from the effects of long term low gravity including significant skeletal damage.

Adventure Tracks

The book recommends that before running this adventure to have the PCs perform a few routine repo jobs basically so they don't expect anything unusual to happen on this job. This seems a bit hard to set up as you'd need a play group interested not only in playing the Republic era at all but also interested in participating in the MRP. Maybe have these Republic jobs be played between more ordinary mercenary work. Or maybe the unit is so down and out that trading their Mechs for cash and steady work is the best option they have.

Track 1: CRITICAL FAILURE!

So big surprise the Celeste misjumps. Right away all characters have to pass a BOD attribute check or suffer the effects of Transit Disorientation Syndrome. Characters with TDS suffer automatically. Main power is out on both ships and the GM randomly determines how many of the ~73 crew aboard are injured and how severely. The injuries range from minor cuts and bruises caused by shorted panels and conduit ruptures, to "bone disintegration and limb vitrification"!

The main gameplay here is putting things back together after the misjump, either tending to the wounded or making repairs. Then they report to the bridge to get a clearer picture of what's going on. They have in fact jumped to their destination, Rigil Kentarus but clearly things are not going as planned. Chiefly there's the issue of the Black Lion-class WarShip busy scrambling fighters towards the Celeste. The aggressors identify themselves as belonging to the "Terran Supremacy"

This bit is pretty on rails. The ship is going to be boarded and everyone arrested. The PCs can't do anything about it. Eventually they all end up aboard the TSS Michael Norman in the brig. Over time any high-ranking,>Lt., PCs or NPCs will be taken for interviews with TSDF Marine Major Gregory Cobb. During these interviews both parties are trying to pump the other for as much info as possible. After all the interviews the prisoners will be transferred planet-side.

Sourcebook

Now's a good time to skip to the back of the book for information on this alternate reality the PCs have found themselves in.

Changes

Divergence - After the death of Kerensky, DeChevalier fights to restore the Terran hegemony by force. While he managed to claim the worlds closest to Terra the Great Houses united against him and their own version of the Succession Wars went on for centuries.

Consequences - Obviously no Clans. Also no ComStar meaning no C-Bills, no MRBC or Holy Shroud. Major characters like Nicholas Kerensky, Conrad Toyama,Devlin Stone and David Lear still exist just in positions appropriate to the new setting. The book hand-waves aside issues like the Steiner-Davion line no longer existing,Devlin Stone being explicitly a constructed identity,etc.

Side Effects - Among myriad changes to borders, the removal of minor factions like Circinus and the Marians, the mercenary trade is heavily diminished. With lower demand and no governing body, mercenary units never reach regimental-scale.

Factions

Draconis Combine - Hilariously the Combine is explicitly almost exactly the same as canon. They did manage to capture New Avalon during the Fifth Succession War.

Confederated Suns - Somehow Michael Hasek-Davion managed to broker an alliance with the Capellans in 3025 with Hanse's tacit approval. In the 3030's they invade the Free Worlds League but their success is cut short by the Combine conquering New Avalon. The ruling family is relocated to Sian. Basically St. Ives writ large. I think the idea could be workable but the alliance needed to happen earlier in the timeline,probably before the Federated Suns invasion of Capella. But the writer's are obsessed with the 3025 cast so everything important needs to involve them.

Free Worlds League - This timeline hates the FWL. First the assassination attempt in 3035 killed Thomas Marik this time, leaving Duncan Marik in charge. The Suns and Terrans carve pieces from their League borders. In 3069 Andurien and Oriente led a vote of No Confidence in the Marik family, removing Duchess Alys Marik from power, replacing her with Sherryl Halas as Interim Captain-General. This has effectively split the League in half between supporters of either Marik or Halas GMs should familarize themselves with this material as the FWL plays a major role in this adventure.

Lyran Commonwealth - The Lyrans have been losing territory to their rivals for centuries. They even had to cede territory to a resurgent Rim Federation. Other smaller changes are present but don't matter much. GMs should take note of the Commonwealth's political situation as the LC is the other major player in the plot.

Magistracy of Taurus - An interesting note is that in this timeline the Terran Supremacy has been providing technical and military support to the Periphery to keep them a credible threat to the Great Houses. Besides that, this faction is just further proof that Catalyst's writers think mashing two factions together is a great idea regardless of how stupid the result is.

Outworlds Pact - TLDR the Outworlds had a civil war in the 3070's and completely restructured their government.

Rim Federation - A successor to the Rim Worlds Republic. Does not feature in the adventure.

Track 2: WELCOME TO THE TERRAN SUPREMACY...

The party spends the next few days being interrogated further. The objective during this phase is to convince the Terrans that the PCs are really from an alternate timeline. The Clan technology the adventure requires the players to have is suggested as compelling evidence. A bit of chatting and History checks can also help the PCs establish the exact divegence point of this timeline. A fun complication that the book suggests is the idea of one or two players having their own "doppelgangers" in this universe.

After convincing their captors of their story, the PCs will be remanded to what is effectively house arrest on the base. TSDF personnel will occasionally stop by because the PCs are a novelty more or less. After about three weeks of this prison life we move to the next track.

Track 3: JAILBREAK!

The PCs are visited by the Free Worlds League's Special Emissary for the Captain-General in Exile, Mary Durant.

She tells the PCs that they're in great danger and if they want to stay alive they'll follow her and break out. As things stand she's their best chance at escaping the prison and their only chance at getting off-world. The plan is to smuggle the PCs out of their quarters,through the spaceport and on to Durant's K-1 DropShuttle Durant has obtained assistance from at least four TSDF soldiers on the base, one of which will provide the PCs with technicians coveralls,PPE and badges as rudimentary disguises. At the spaceport gate Durant and her associates will attempt to keep the guards distracted enough to allow the PCs through with just flashing their technicians’ badges, but the PCs will need to make either an Acting Skill roll or CHA Attribute Check to get through. If the PCs make it to the shuttle without alerting any of the nearby guards or 'Mechs they'll then need to hide themselves in the ship's "smuggler's compartments" so that the routine pre-takeoff search doesn't find them. Once that's over and they've left Rigil Kentarus' atmosphere it's a smooth six-day ride out to a waiting JumpShip bound for Graham IV.

Track 4: YOU CAN'T GO HOME AGAIN...

When they reach Graham IV things get even more complicated. Durant reveals that she is not an emissary from the FWL but actually works for Loki, the Lyran Commonwealth's state terrorism department. Most of what she had told the party is true. The Captain-General is "fascinated by tales of the fantastic: alien visitors, spiritual beings, hyperspace monsters" and really does wish to meet the party. Durant however is planning to use this meeting as an opportunity to assassinate Alys Marik. Apparently both Alys Marik and Katherine Steiner II are courting the recently widowed First Lord Ezekiel DeChavalier and Katherine has decided to make herself the only option.

It's made quite clear that refusing to help is practically a death sentence. Durant (Agent Avitue to her Loki colleagues) doesn't even need to do anything. If she just doesn't complete the escape the PCs are doomed. Assuming the players agree to help, they'll make the jump to Graham IV then jump to Castor. While prepping to jump to Castor Durant will run them through the bare bones of the plan. Alys Marik has a private estate in a pleasant, lightly populated bit of countryside on Castor. As a guest of the Supremacy she has been granted not only asylum, but her own pick of security detail. As a result, TSDF presence in the vicinity of the target is light but an ample retinue of personal bodyguards and servants remain in place. Durant has access to some M-11J sneak suits for smuggling weapons for the hit. The M-11J in addition to baffling most sensor systems also foils manual pat-downs by compressing its contents and disguising them as part of the wearer's musculature or body fat. This is fairly uncomfortable for the wearer and imposes a significant penalty to draw the concealed weapon.

Whether the PCs go through with the assassination, turn on Durant, or just make a break for it, the written adventure ends here.

Debriefing

The last bit of the book serves as a bit of an epilogue for the various potential paths the PCs may have taken and offers some potential future adventures.

The Captain-General in Exile If the players kill Alys Marik it's made quite clear that despite the obvious immediate rewards that Katherine Steiner II may quickly decide that the PCs knowledge of the plot is too dangerous. Unless the PCs are firmly and openly in the camp of House Steiner they may find themselves on the other end of the same operation they completed.

If Marik is rescued things turn out a bit more hopeful. She'll leverage her diplomatic status with the Terrans to shield the PCs from the legal consequences of their jailbreak and offer them a place in the FWL, or at least the portion she still controls.

Closing Remarks

The book offers no potential for the PCs to return to their own timeline and plenty of information for continuing to play in the new one. Your enjoyment of this adventure will heavily depend on how interested you are in exploring this new setting. It works fairly well as a curveball one-shot but if you're interested in a longer campaign in the Empires Aflame-timeline you could try using the provided information to convert other adventures to the setting. Otherwise you'll have to write everything yourself.

#battletech #ttrpg #A Time of War #Atow

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divinemanicstate · 11 months ago

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rda base shenanigans when ardmore's not around

#miles quaritch #avatar fanart #avatar #jake sully #avatar the way of water #colonel miles quaritch #avatar way of water #quarjake #atwow #atow #avatar 3

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rotariime · 22 days ago

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—.✦︎ 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑 𝐏𝐄𝐎𝐏𝐋𝐄

CHAPTER 01: —.✦︎ Body in Flower Bath

↝ masterlist ⌇ ↝next chapter

Once a beloved son, always are until past his dead. What of a soul returns to Eywa, reborn within the realms of Light. In which the great mother, Eywa gives Neteyam a second changes to live between the children of mother Megabird. Shenanigans ensues as he navigates his life between the curious starkins.

a.notes: it's been awhile I have not written anything, like last year, please forgive me for possible grammar mistakes - english is not my first language.

w. count: 1k+

—.✦︎ sky:cotl's vocabulary

moth/sparrow: (newborn) young children starkin.

butterfly: youngster/pre-teen starkins, starkins which wear yellow wings/cape.

nest: a place for starkins to rest, a building for starkins habitation.

aviary village: village forgotten by time, village where starkins and spirits lives together in one place

Cold.

His body are cold, water filled his lungs as he breath upon it, ironically, he didn't find himself chocking as the water drown his body, he doesn't beg for air to breath, body as light as feather he drift forward in embrace of mother Eywa, such feelings as his body drift against gentle stream of river, his world filled with colors, so bright it hurt his own eyes.

Neteyam's breaths are calm, serene, soft. How different it was with his former pathetic self, crying and whimpering in front of his father and mother, his siblings, his family. If he can return to that exact moment, he would calm their worry, yet uncertain what he'll utter to help their tears over a dying son.

This is all of his fault at the end, isn't it?

Trembling fingers trails over his frail body, seeking the bloody injury that took his life in front of his family, the same wound that makes him vulnerable, crumble his wall that keep his emotions still, so loss of words, chocking upon his breath and tears, begging to return home.

The forest, the people, his family, his stupid annoying brother, his dearest sisters, his beautiful and strong mother, his admirable and inspiring father.

He had missed them all only for this pass hours, how he will survive without them for the longer hours, days, and possible years? He wants to cry more, to scream his vulnerability, to lash out his anger for his weak body, tear his skin apart until it bleeds more. Yet he could only pathetically whimper his plea,

"Oh, Great Mother, I beg you my mortal frail body, find a part that deep within your heart... a change for me to return to them, I can't... I miss them, i miss my brothers and sisters, i miss my mother, i miss my father. I miss my family."

Neteyam's breath hitches as he chockes, not realizing he's crying even more, more pathetic than how he was previously upon the cold boulder, "... I want to go home."

"Pleaseee?~"

"No."

The young butterfly squeak and whine your name repeatedly to make you finally look down at their tiny self, tugging your wings which almost making you stumbled upon your own feet, you're tired, absolutely floored after being candle running guider for your friends, it's you own offer to them after all, you want to spent more time with them once again after being gone for who know many moons...

You sigh exaggeratedly, now having both children tugging your wings, on both side whilst you try to keep your own balance. The Moth giggles and just mimicking what Vihiril does to you, you can't really be mad at them, they're just being a curious kid, following someone older than them in her little shenanigans.

"Fine, fine." you hisses at Vihiril, she only giggle and beam happily after you comply to your wish, you could only sigh and shake your head at his antic, at least she doesn't throw tantrum and fake crying on the ground and catch other starkins' attention in the aviary village, the last time you embarrassingly fall for the young starkin's antics, no longer you are now. You believed.

You're tired, you want to rest easy within your nest as fast as you can, after all of this is done, never you thought being a guider for newborn would be such a hassle, no wonder some of the veterans always awkwardly tell their own reasons.

No wonder not a lot of moths survive through the kingdom and dies right after, only selected few survive and thrives alone without help.

"What exactly you want to do, Vihiril?" you murmur, kneeling down to her height and look at her face-to-face, if the sun is not bright enough, then Vihiril double the light with beaming smile.

"Can you help me with Season of Moment tasks?"

you deadpanned, "Season of Moment?"

"Season of Moment!" she beams.

You want to refuse, but you cannot. Not when she looks at you with big sparkling eyes of hers, not when the moth she adopted beeping with excitement by her side - you really need to give a name for the little one, you can't always call them Moth until they grow up.

With defeat, you could only sigh in agreement, standing up to your full height as they beam and cheers whilst you start to walk through the village toward daylight prairie portal at the end.

First task done.

The guide is pleased by the young butterfly enthusiast in learning to operate the camera, it's heavy in her arm, almost the same size as her upper body nonetheless, she got confused with the angles she should took the photos, with your help and direction she manages it pretty well after that.

It's a same thing for the little moth as they excitedly show the photos they took, flaying it around the card in front of your response, which your response kindly with compliments and headpats.

"Next task! next task!" Vihiril beams, tugging your wings excitedly and grasping Moth's hand as she guides you toward your next destination - a cave with field of blue flowers as far as their eyes could see, both children immediately walk around in awe upon the view, each step they took makes the flowers glow.

While they immerse themselves upon the field - completely forgetting of the season task, a blue butterfly flutter it wings besides you, taking your attention immediately as it circles around your face and body, recharging your wings before, it flutters its small wings across the field, lightly beeping for you to follow.

Your eyes narrow with confusion before you start to follow its trails, giving one last glance with the children, immersed themself by playing around within the flower bath - they had forgotten about their season task immediately as they start to sit around the center and makes flower crowns for each other's.

The flowers glow softly as you passed by their path, your eyes continue to follow the unfamiliar blue butterfly further into the field, eyes in complete awe as it leads you to more group of butterflies circling around a particular spot on the field, they dance and flutter around with the wind, you're genuinely startled when they immediately scatters like burst of light as you steps closer to admire them, the wind blow with their fluttering wings and hits against your face, as much false effort you gives to shield your face, you yelped when some of these butterflies hits you straight on the face before flying away.

Huffing with groans following, you sway your arm around to shoo away the little light creatures, it flies away in its own divided groups to the sky above whilst some of them flying across the field to collect nectars.

You only shakes your head after that startling action, yet when you try to turn around and leave the blue butterfly beeping against your face once more, acting annoyed as you try to leave, it flutter pass you again to the same direction where other butterflies once were.

Curiosity filled you as it descent to the flower field further away, resting it wings and landing upon a small boulder - from what you could see from far, each steps you took closers makes the flowers glows gently under your feet, your eyes widen in awe at the sight you've never ever seen.

What you thought the blue butterfy was landing on top of a boulder was a mistake, it's a giant looking blue person lying upon the glowing flowers, its— his hair scattered across his face, the person seems to try to appear as small as possible from how it curl his own body, legs pulled near his stomach, both hands clasped near his chest.

Your eyes curiously look at the strange creature's feature, to say he's lacking in clothing is a big understatement - you wouldn't judge him, yet, darker hair with small locks and colourful beads with different shapes and size, larger body with longer limbs, adorned with darker shade of blue for stripes, tiny long ears, feline-like nose with his own tail on the back.

Yet what attracts you to him mayhaps the glowing freckles around his body, how it reminds you of the stars above, curiously you kneel besides him and poke on of the freckles on his shoulder, curious of possible reaction, yet received nothing in return.

You try to poke him several times, turning into shoulder grasp and start to shakes him, yet still no reaction.

Confused you lifted his arm, which pretty light and make his body shift upon the flowers to reveal his back.

Oh, a bloody wound.

Vihiril (oc) - butterfly (10-12 years old in human age) . she/her

Moth (oc) - moth (4-5 years old in human age) . they/them

a.notes: first chapter done~♪ I had the second chapter half done too, thought I'm not sure I'd publish it when my school now starting and it start to get busy, thank you for reading until the end, much appreciated. <3

#✎ᝰ. 💉 : rotariime's appointment #avatar james cameron #avatar #avatar 2 #avatar the way of water #atow #neteyam #neteyam sully #avatar x reader #neteyam x reader #neteyam te suli tsyeyk'itan #avatar the way of water x reader #atwow x reader #sky cotl #sky children of the light

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eeveethehyenafrog · 2 years ago

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Violetta Vee appreciation post

#I was looking through drafts and found this #So real though #a tale of magic #atom #the land of stories #a tale of sorcery #a tale of witchcraft #tlos #atos #atow #Violetta Vee

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eeveethehyenafrog · 2 years ago

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OMG OMG OMG OMG

I'M GOING CRAZY /POS

CRAZY? I WAS CRAZY ONCE. THEY LOCKED ME IN A ROOM-

AAAAAAAAAAAA

I LOVE IT SO MUCH

I LOVE YOUR SPIN ON HER DESIGN SM

AND SHE DEF WOULD WEAR COMBAT BOOTS

Lucy.

SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG EEVEE I WAS LIKE BURNT OUT ON ART FOR A HOT SECOND THERE BUT I'M BACK AND I'VE DONE IT YEEEEEEHAAWWWWWWWW.

Here you go, Lucy Goose, fresh from my drawing program. I took some liberties with the design (as I always do) and I just couldn't resist making Lucy have combat boots because. Listen. Tell me she doesn't.

Also, that limp wrist is just for you Eevee u_u. Idk, I imagine her saying something like "Yeah, we knew you were kinda" *limp wrists* "y'know? Y'know." And idk Xanthous is just there like :sobbing_emoji:.

ALSO, I TRIED TO DO FEATHER HAIR??? DIDN'T WORK. IT'S SO DIFFICULT. NO ONE TOLD ME IT WOULD BE THIS DIFFICULT. LIKE HUH??? HAIR??? FEATHERS??? Anyway, now it's a weird combination of feather hair. And looks kinda wonky. Sorry 'bout that.

But yeah! Yeehawwww. Oh, also, a P.S. to like everyone who has made an art request:

I'm going to be doing all the TLOS/ATOM-related ones FIRST! So if you have requested anything unrelated to The Land of Stories or A Tale of Magic, it might be a while before I get to them, just as a heads up!

#a tale of magic #atom #the land of stories #a tale of sorcery #a tale of witchcraft #tlos #lucy goose #atos #atow #mother goose

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sl-walker · 2 years ago

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Orphans.

A snippet from the next chapter:

The thought that Scotty needed to get them a bigger bed was one Len had been more and more sure of as time went on.

Part of that was sex; two fully grown men, even if they weren’t the largest their species had to offer, didn’t have a whole lot of room to roll around on a mattress mostly made for one person. And part of it was because Len actually tended to sleep hot, at least onboard ship, with either a light covering or none at all, while Scotty pretty much always wanted at least one blanket to go with his collection of really nice non-regulation pillows. Having more space would mean they could seek their respective preferences on those nights when they couldn’t settle into a compromise on it.

But the big reason was just how hard sleeping seemed to sometimes be for Scotty.

Unless he was exhausted or they’d just gotten done having a romp, he didn’t get there anything like easily; Len could close his eyes and be gone in five minutes or so, but his boyfriend was far more likely to be laying awake for a half-hour or more. So, on that front, having a bigger bed meant Scotty could move around if he felt like it, seeking whatever position he could get comfortable in, and wouldn’t do what he currently did, which was hold still so he wasn’t disturbing Len.

Earlier on, Len thought maybe it was just that Scotty had a hard time getting his mind to stop running -- he’d told Len that on a prior posting, he’d get some idea and go to work in his shorts and socks when he should have been sleeping -- but that didn’t count for all of it.

Because, as Len found out one night, Scotty had nightmares.

Bad nightmares.

They didn’t seem to be quite to the level of what Len would diagnose as a parasomnia -- mostly because they didn’t seem to really disrupt Scotty’s day-to-day much -- but definitely bad enough to rattle Len some.

Coming up out of a dead sleep only to find his boyfriend off the bed, on the floor, backed up to the wall with wild eyes had been a revelation; just how long it took for Scotty to wake up properly after was downright concerning.

And he was quiet; if not for the sound of his body hitting the floor, Len wouldn’t have even known he’d moved.

And then once he did manage to get himself reoriented, he was painfully apologetic about it. As if somehow a nightmare was something he’d gone courting and was inflicting on Len, and not something he’d been suffering.

Being apologized to for that was enough to jerk on Len’s heart and protective instincts both; he blinked off his own startle and held out his arms. “It’s fine, there’s nothin’ to apologize for. But I’d sure like to hold you, if you’re willing.”

It took probably a good minute more before Scotty climbed back into bed; even up against Len, he was still shivering for awhile, though eventually the cuddling and petting seemed to take the edges off enough for him to get back to sleep. Len lay awake for awhile after, just-- thinking about things.

He was glad he could help, but he had a feeling that wouldn’t be the last time his boyfriend came up out of a nightmare in motion.

And, it wasn’t.

#leonard mccoy #scotty #star trek original series #st:tos #atow adjacent

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