#the players have to scale/leap around on pillars

[shipaholic]

I am rereading Pyramids (Discworld no. #7), and it has given me a hankering for a HP AU where Harry and co. attend the Assassins Guild

[rpgsandbox]

Ryoko’s Guide is a 350+ page book bursting with incredible kaiju, inspirational player options, and game-enhancing mechanics that revolutionise Gargantuan scale combat in D&D 5e. Stories and folktales of yokai paint a vibrant, dangerous world, giving GM’s the power to breathe life into any setting. Inspired by ancient mythology through to contemporary popular culture, enhance your game and expand the 5e system with Ryoko's Guide!

Kaiju Battles

Conjure stratospheric levels of excitement and panic as players scale, leap, and desperately battle rampaging kaiju. Totally transform combat with a rules expansion to 5e, as adventurers exploit unique vulnerabilities, adapt to chaotic, changing behaviours, and utilise ingenious ninja prosthetics to overcome unbelievable odds.

New Class: Element Bender

Harness elemental forces! Wield pillars of flame, redirect torrents of icy water, and surf on a storm of rising winds. 

The bender class allows you to mix and match elements as you progress in levels. You can specialise in one element or dip into them all to become a master of earth, water, fire, and air!

New Spells! Master over 40 new spells! Enhance your abilities with the full versatility and power of raw, primordial magic.

Immersive Subclasses

Become a master of shadows, stealth, and silent warfare as a shinobi wizard, a living weapon as bones burst from your flesh as the skeletal blade fighter, and Wild Shape into mysterious, spellcasting creatures as the circle of yokai druid. Or embrace any of the other 12+ subclass options for established 5e classes…

Vibrant, Playable Races

Invoke your yokai ancestry, combining blade with spell as a hanataka-tengu. Skip across lakes and oceans as a blossoming fuyo-ren,  or channel the colossal strength and frigid resilience of mountains as a hulking, ape enkoh. Become one with the yokai realms as any one of 10+ races (14 subraces total!).

These lore-rich race options allow the creation of NPCs and player characters that seamlessly blend into any setting.

Dynamic Combo Attacks

How does the world’s biggest collaborative TTRPG not have combo attack mechanics?

Act simultaneously with the rest of your party to unleash devastating combo strikes! Hurl allies through the air, enhance their weapons with bursts of magic, bolster an ally with a defensive charge, and shift the tide of battle as your sword falls in a dazzling strike of flame and steel.

A Full Bestiary of Mighty Yokai

Surprise your players with unfamiliar creatures, where every stat block tells a story, and danger lurks behind every corner... 

Populate your landscape with the magic of tricksy and dangerous yokai, with incredible twists and original mechanics in every stat block. With more than 50 creatures, this book is a bestiary unto itself!

A Menagerie of Cute Familiars

What’s better than defeating a kaiju? Biomancing its blood into an adorable yokai companion that follows you around! Even better, each of the 10 new bespoke familiars comes with a unique tech tree compatible with the Tamer class (first introduced in Heliana’s Guide). Choose your upgrades and craft your ultimate companion to become the very best that no-one ever was.

A Hoard of Magic Items & Prostheses

Unlock your imagination with over 80 new pieces of incredible adventuring equipment, magic items, and Sekiro-inspired prostheses.  Swing, grapple, and launch yourself through the air with a plethora of exciting new gear to expand your combat proficiency.

Harvest and craft using a versatile and deep crafting system first introduced in Heliana's Guide. Transform the remains of defeated kaiju into a vibrant arsenal of magic items, or craft their soul into a living companion. 

Free Playtest Materials!

Dive into the yokai realms early! Explore pre-released player materials or take on a kaiju in the epic adventure: The Ascendant Cascade.

Playtest the Tengu and Atatsu races here!

Playtest the Dodomeki and the Onryo here!

Playtest the Ronin Ranger and the Spirit Caller Sorcerer here!

Playtest The Ascendant Cascade Kaiju adventure here!

Kickstarter campaign ends: Thu, October 12 2023 3:59 PM BST

Website: https://linktr.ee/dnd_shorts

[patkinsel]

The enterprise version of the great re-bundling & vendor consolidation trends

One of the strongest trends I’ve seen over the past few years is the desire amongst enterprise buyers to have fewer vendors and to consolidate services. 

I’ve seen this for several years in my own experiences selling software. It is yet another reason why we made the leap from a point solution (Notarize) to a platform (Proof) and we will continue to add more services to Proof to take advantage of this trend. I feel strongly that we’re now on the other side and we’re now seen as a consolidator, evidenced by customers asking us to provide adjacent services to our core offerings. 

This ties into the discourse around the great unbundling and re-bundling that's occurring, but I think most of that commentary focuses on how bundled super apps provide user experience benefits and economies of scale for consumers. There's a larger trend in the enterprise focused on cost savings and risk mitigation.

This trend isn’t just buried in Proof’s and my own selling experience, broader market data reveals this plain as day. 

These were taken from the 2023 CIO survey conducted by Piper Sandler, essentially predictions to start 2023. 

As we enter 2024, the same report suggests these trends are dissipating. 

FWIW, I don’t agree with this at all. The 2023 report suggested that the primary motivation was Cost Savings. The 2024 report makes clear elsewhere that buyers plan to spend more money this year - perhaps the pressure to reduce costs is off or not top of mind.

BUT, risk and InfoSec are still HUGE drivers for vendor consolidation. We are seeing this everywhere. Sophisticated customers want less risk and using fewer vendors is a way to achieve this. Not only for its direct sake, but because each vendor relies on their own set of vendors so it is a geometric problem for the enterprise buyer. And let's face it, startups don't always pick the best vendors. We're seeing this articulated by customers as "4th party risk," which they very much want to control.

This is pushing us to consolidate our own vendor stack and to insource more of our own technology. This can be at odds with enterprise requirements for redundancy and disaster recovery - or it means when you insource, you really need to do it right so it is highly scalable and redundant. You can't just hot swap from external vendor 1 to vendor 2.

So much for being in an era of micro-services and cheaper development costs. The reality is that if you want to play to win, you eventually have to just do the goddamn work.

At Proof, we are becoming the trust layer for critical commerce and we cannot win without the largest players on our platform. Being enterprise grade means much more than people appreciate - and costs much more too. I believe this trend will accelerate and the companies who solve for these issues will become the pillar platforms with the right to consolidate what's around them.

PS - Shout out to Rob Owens at Piper Sandler. Big fan of their work.

[fandom-collective-writers]

a two player game | obey me | leviathan

title | a two player game fandom | obey me! character | leviathan genre | smut, mild comedy? (situational)  warnings | includes sexual activities kinks | tentacles, bondage, suspension, sensory deprivation intended gender audience | female pov | second word count | 2869 words (haha, 69)  written by | @mythiica requested by | @jennacat84​ other comments | i return, and ofc it’s with smut. this turned out pretty well! there’s more banter than usual and i had a grand time writing it

“And what are you doing with this game~?” 

It’s an innocent enough question until Leviathan tips his head back to glance at the game in question. 

“How did you sneak hentai into the House of Lamentation? I would have expected Lucifer to have some anti-porn devil dog to confiscate these types of things.” Your fingers are perfectly curled over the main character’s lewd expression as she’s ravaged by… tentacles. 

“Uh–” 

You smile slyly and drape your arms over his shoulders as the blush settles across his cheeks. 

“I got it as part of a promotion. People pay me to review games, y’know.” It’s the best excuse he can give really, but he is at fault for not hiding it better. “Now give it here so I can put it inside of my desk. If Mammon finds this, I’ll hear about it for the next century.” Leviathan paws at the box, but you hold it just out of reach. 

“You haven’t opened it.” “It’s a two player game.” “You plus me equals two.”

Leviathan laughs a bit and scratches the back of his neck. “Very perceptive. You don’t even know what the game is about.” 

“Play as Haru or control the tentacle monster that has her locked up in its underwater dungeon. Win the game by resisting the orgasms or by bringing the second player to their knees,” you read from the back of the case. “Sounds easy enough. Wouldn’t it be funny if you were getting pegged by tentacles though, and I was the one to control them?” 

Levi finally manages to swipe the game from your hand and sets it down on a stack of papers. “You’re into that? I think we skipped over that in last week’s kink-meeting.” The demon laughs at his own joke. (There had not, in fact, been a kink meet between the two of you, but it makes you giggle as well.)

“You never asked! I’d be down to try it with you.” 

His nose brushes against yours gently and his hand finds yours. As Levi’s fingers lace with yours, you reach for the box with your opposite hand, click it open, ignore the surprised hey! and hold on tight so that the game absorbs the two of you. 

Maybe you jinxed it when you teased Levi about getting pegged, because now you’re the one bound and half suspended in the air. When you try to move your wrist, the kelp-like ties around your wrist only grow tighter. “Kinky,” you mutter under your breath. 

There’s a loud crashing sound outside of your cell, but it is quickly followed by Levi’s familiar voice. He looks damn good as a merperson: dark purple hair floats just above his shoulders, an iridescent tail, and of course (likely the best scene of them all) his more-than-usual pronounced abdominal muscles flecked with purple scales. 

“Finally! I found you– I’ve been going through this maze for ages, just looking for you.” 

“Did you miss the sign that says ‘human sex prisoner here’? Maybe turn the neon lights on.” 

This earns a laugh from Leviathan before he leans against a pillar. “You look good,” he comments, checking you out in the same manner you had. When your face turns into a quizzical frown, Levi fetches one of the mirrors on the other side of the room. Upon holding it up, you realize he’s not entirely wrong. You are sporting a half ripped bikini top (calling it meager would be generous) and a sheer skirt that hangs from your hips. 

“Are we underwater?” 

“Technically, yes– at least according to the game we’re meant to be. Don’t question things too much, this game is still in its beta stages.” He pushes his bangs back and fusses with one of his gold rings. 

“Oh, I see.” You continue to hang in place. “...What now?” 

Leviathan lifts a hand. “Well… you read the instructions. Either you cum and I win, or you hold out and win.” 

It takes a moment before you hear similar crashing noises. Swallowing hard, you turn your head back and see shadows darting around in the shadows. Finally, they emerge into the light: tentacles. They’re not attached to anything in particular. In fact, you can’t tell where they have come from, but your attention is quickly pulled back towards Levi. 

He grasps your chin with one hand and smiles almost devilishly. “Y’know, I was going to be nice, but you were so cocky that I think I’ll just edge you and make you cum.” Levi has the ability to control these tentacles, and suddenly, you’re being held in place by said appendages rather than the kelp bindings. 

“So, what, you’re going to take meme with your fancy new toys?” 

One of the limbs climbs up your right leg, pulling your thighs apart. It doesn’t feel sticky in particular, but you can’t help but yelp at the sharp sensation of cold air hitting your now semi-exposed cunt. You yelp meekly and try to keep your legs closed, but there is no way you can overpower the tentacles. 

Levi makes his way over to you and brushes his fingers over your collarbone. “Hm.. I think I will. This will be entertaining, no?” He lowers his head slightly to press a kiss to your lips. “Tell me if it hurts, alright? There might be some glitches because of the game.” 

You’re not entirely sure how he’s controlling the tentacles, but before you can manage a response, one begins to prod at your entrance. It’s cold and sticky, but makes you moan nonetheless. “Levi!” 

“What, did you orgasm just from that? I’m only testing things out.” 

“Get on with it–” 

“Oh? Gladly..” Levi covers your eyes with his hand and keeps the other at your jaw. Driven by a seemingly animalistic urge, he presses his hips against yours while stealing wet kisses from your lips. The tentacle moves in sync with Levi’s motions: every body roll translates to a languid stroke from the extra appendage. When he captures your nipple with two fingers, a suction cup finds your clit and pulls at it teasingly. 

It’s a plethora of sensations, all at once, and is almost overwhelming. You’re being ravaged by Leviathan and his tentacles at the same time, but the worst part is that you can’t even see his beautiful expression as he wrecks you. How could anyone last in a game like this? 

Saliva dribbles from your swollen lips and you open your mouth to say something, call his name– anything to warn him that your underwater tryst might come to an end faster than you could have anticipated. 

A pathetic moan rolls off your tongue, but it’s cut short when something smacks your ass. Another tentacle?! How many are there?! 

Not that you could count them, even if you wanted to, because Levi keeps his hand firmly over your eyes. It’s torture at this point, feeling every little thing and listening to the intense lewd sounds, but not being able to see them. 

“Levi,” you whine with desperation. “I can’t see– I want to see you.” 

“Eh?” He moves his hand back, and you nearly squeal with delight at his expression. Leviathan is blushing more than usual, as if he’s feeling pleasure from what the tentacles are doing to you. “Better? Does it hurt?” 

You shake your head. “You’re so cute…” 

“Cute?” Levi huffs. “I’m fucking you with tentacles made of pixels and you call me cute?” Now he laughs a bit and a few suction cups stick to your ass, pulling your cheeks apart. “I can’t do you anally though, that’s Level 2.” 

Now you’re the one laughing, tears prickling in the corners of your eyes. “Are you serious?” 

“Yes, I actually am. No matter who wins, with each level increase, more toys and positions are unlocked. That’s kind of smart actually.” 

“But Levi, don’t you want to put your tentacle in my ass?” 

This makes him shiver, and you know what the answer is. Regardless, it seems like any attempts to make the tip of the tentacle get closer to your second hole, nothing happens. With a pensive sigh, your hips meet the side of his tail so that you’re grinding on both Levi and the tentacle simultaneously. “This will have to do.” 

Up until this moment, the tentacles hadn’t actually entered you, but instead danced around your hole and focused on your clit. However, your momentary leap of authority gives him a figuratively boner, since he doesn’t technically have a visible dick. It might be in his tail somewhere… but you aren’t about to ask where he’s hiding his cock. That would be weird. 

“Hey Levi?”

He grunts back in response, obviously focused on other things. 

“Do you think you can penetrate me? I’m sure you’ll win if you do–”

“It’s not as easy as you think– I have to give each thing something to do or my stats drop.” “You have stats?!” You lean back slightly and eye Leviathan. 

“Yeah, just flex your palm.” You give Levi a flat stare. “It’s kind of difficult to do that when my wrists are bound.” 

The tentacle holding your right hand releases slightly, giving you enough room to do as he’s suggested. A small screen appears in front of you. “Moaning level 2, cockwarming level 1– wait I can change the size of my breasts?!” 

Levi pauses for a moment long enough to look at the small screen. “Oh, yeah, I had dick options too, but I didn’t mess with them yet.” 

This makes you blink a few times in astonishment, thinking that this game is far more complicated than the first one you played. You want to look through the menu more and see what other things you can do– your mind drifts to the actual purpose of the game. Could there be a power up that would help you resist the tentacles? 

Before you can continue scrolling, the slick sound of something penetrating you fills your ears. He’s done what you’ve asked him to, and is absolutely merciless about it. Now that Levi’s found a way to fuck you hard, he’s not going to let up any time soon. In fact, chances are that he won’t stop until the Congratulations, you’ve made your bitch cum screen pops up over his head, if that’s even how the game works. 

A string of curses fly off your tongue, meant to be praises than anything else, but you don’t hear your own voice. “Why don’t it let me say ----?!” you screech, dragging your fingernails across Levi’s bare shoulders. “I just wanna moan for you, Levi–” 

“Curse words are censored, but that’s stupid, I don’t know why. Is it possible you changed the settings?” 

You’re frustrated now because, now you’ve finally accepted that you’re his and the stupid game won’t let you call out for him. It’s not a problem for very long though, because the next thing you know, he’s kissing you. A burning sensation ignites your entire body now, and your mind can’t anchor a single coherent thought for more than a few moments at a time. 

The strangest thing: it actually feels like he’s the one fucking you. Not the tentacles, but rather, it feels the same as if Leviathan were fucking you in his bed. This makes you happy, so happy that saliva begins to dribble down your chin as the inevitable pressure of an orgasm starts to fill your lower abdomen. You arch your back in such a way that the bikini straps give away, releasing your breasts from the fabric. 

Next thing you know, you’re subconsciously grinding against the biggest tentacle– the one fucking your mercilessly– in search for more delicious friction for your clit. At this point, it doesn’t matter who wins or loses, you just really want to cum and see if those tentacle things of his will splurt out some cum. 

“Levi–”

“Hm?” His lips dance over the crook of your neck, and the last thing you need now is for him to suddenly decide to be all daddy-merman. You bet anything that his tongue is wetter than your pussy is right now, and the way his teeth graze over your skin–

And then you’re cumming. 

Something breaks inside of you, and then it feels as though you’re drowning but breathing at the same time. Is it part of the game? Is this what a simulated orgasm feels like? Your body pulsates like never before and you understand the appeal of sex games. Another moment passes and your mind goes blank, but only for a second because you feel the budding warmth of seed running down your legs. 

So the tentacles can cum.

You manage to find the minimal strength it takes to just open your eyes, and you’re met with Leviathan’s beautiful expression as he crashes down from his high as well. He freezes for a split second, almost as if the game is glitching or overloading from the sheer impact of both orgasms taking place. You pray that he remains like this for just a bit longer, giving you the chance to lean your head against his chest. 

Levi’s skin is soft, but covered with a thin, inexplicable film of perspiration. If anything, it just makes you giddy again, but you’re not sure that either of you could last for Level 2 in this sorry condition. Running your tongue over his pronounced clavicle, you nip the skin there and suck on it just as he buffers for a moment and releases a painfully loud moan. 

His heart thunders loudly, echoing in your ears. It’s the only thing you can hear until his hand lands on your cheek. “Are you okay?” Leviathan’s voice grounds you, and then you realize that the tentacles are no longer in sight, but have retreated into the shadows the first emerged from. 

“Yeah… but I think you froze for a second there– we should do it again, y’know, to make sure we can review the game correctly.” 

This makes him laugh. The beautiful sound prompts a giggle from you as well, so you throw your arms around his neck for a tight hug. It doesn’t really matter that your skirt has magically disappeared, you’re pleased with the experience. 

A screen flashes in front of the two of you, but you’re actually surprised to see the congratulations message. 

“We both lost?!”

“How? I made you cum.” 

You read the small print: “Haru successfully made the sea monster cum first, but unfortunately succumbed to the tentacles.” With a huff, you scroll through and read the extended audit log of your ‘underwater’ sex adventure with Levi. “That’s bull----! Ugh! I still can’t ----ing curse!” 

Levi shushes you gently before brushing your hair back and offering you a consolation kiss. He taps the ‘return to main screen’ button, and the two of you are transported back to the real world. 

Nothing’s changed since you left: in fact, it’s only been a few minutes, according to the clock on Levi’s nightstand, that you even opened the game in the first place. Before you can say anything, Leviathan closes the box and throws it into the desk drawer. “No more hentai games for you. I need a cold shower and something to eat after that.” 

You stretch and massage your wrists. Although there is no physical evidence of the bindings, you can sure as hell feel where his tentacles kept you in place. Disappointed though, your eyes follow the outline of Levi’s body, happy to see that his normal legs have returned… with a third, very aroused, appendage sitting comfortably between the two of them. 

“Levi~” 

“Yeah?” 

“Two things. One, give it a good review, but say that I need to be able to curse when I cum.” 

He raises an eyebrow, but then nods. “And the second thing?” 

Now, you’re smiling and reaching for the bulge in his pants. “I think you need a second orgasm to take care of this, no? But no game– this one, I’ll give it to you and make sure it’s real.” 

Levi just swallows and shoos you away, calling you silly and that he doesn’t have any energy for that because he knows you’ll leave him an absolute mess. You can’t help but laugh at his reaction though, because now he’s both painfully hard and blushing brighter than a virgin on a windy day. 

“Hey Levi?” 

“What is it now?” 

You just smile and wave your hand. “No, it’s nothing like that– I was just thinking, maybe next time we’ll be in reversed positions. Wouldn’t that be fun?” 

He contemplates this for a second. “Why, you want to try and win?” 

“Well yeah!” “In your dreams, Haru.”

“I was really worried you’d moan the in game character’s name instead of mine. That would have been awkward as hell.” 

Levi extends his arm, offering you a place to sit on his lap. “I wouldn’t do that. But let’s keep this between the two of us for now. Okay?” 

You nod and nestle against his chest. Regardless of who the game declared, or didn’t, the winner, you like to think that both of you won. At least for a moment.

. 

[deprecavi]

Following Aether up the path toward the Dawn Winery, Kaeya couldn’t help wondering how the blonde had convinced his brother to allow use of the property for a game that involved people running about with little concern for their surroundings. It was well past nightfall as well, indicating Diluc would likely not be around, considering his usual nighttime activities. Aether’s power of persuasion was indeed formidable. Kaeya was not surprised to see Zhongli had also agreed to another round, the other man giving him a small nod of greeting as he, Eula, and Aether joined him. The fourth player was nowhere in sight, but Aether went inside for a moment and returned with Diluc, much to Kaeya’s surprise. Maybe Diluc’s stipulation for use of the winery grounds was that he would be a player and supervise the event. 

“It seems we will be on the same team after all,” Kaeya commented to Zhongli as Aether instructed Diluc on the expectations of a hunter. “I hope you’ll do a bit better hiding than you did in Springvale, hm? You too Eula,” he added, nudging his fellow captain with his elbow. She rolled her eyes at him but gave him a small smirk of challenge. Zhongli also smiled and nodded. Kaeya observed the vineyard, noting the numerous barrels scattered among the grapevines as potential hiding places. 

Aether had also come up with something new for this round, similar to the invisibility token but without the limited application. It would allow them to, for all intents and purposes, appear as one of the lanterns Diluc had around the winery. Kaeya was looking forward to testing that one out and was already considering potential hiding places, though as he glanced up at the sky he realized the illusionary lantern’s light would potentially give them away with how late it was.

Satisfied that Diluc was ready, Aether climbed into a good vantage point and signaled for the rebels to head into the field to hide. The trio split up, all heading in different directions. Kaeya rounded the manor, ignoring Moco and Hillie trying to catch his attention, though he made a mental note to see what they needed after the game. Activating the lantern token, Kaeya wished he had a mirror to see the effect as he scaled the side of the building and positioned himself in front of one of the lit windows to blend in with the lights from inside the manor. He realized almost immediately that if he had to hang here for the entire duration of the game, his fingers were going to cramp, but he carefully balanced on the window ledge anyway.

He heard Aether give the signal for Diluc to start the hunt and saw his brother making methodical checks of the low perimeter wall around the winery, verifying that each lantern was in fact a true lantern. He went right under Kaeya without noticing him, absorbed in his task. Neither Eula or Zhongli were in the area of the wall either, as Kaeya didn’t hear any announcements for them getting captured even when Diluc was out of sight. Diluc was back on this side of the building again, now checking with the sensor Aether had given him. It pinged under Kaeya and Diluc looked around in confusion. 

“Is this thing broken?” he heard Diluc muttering, shaking the device once and trying it again, prompting another ping. Kaeya suppressed the urge to laugh as Diluc looked under the tables and around the barrels, never once looking up at the window or walls. A third ping with no discernable rebel made Diluc stuff the sensor in his pocket in annoyance and head out into the vineyard. Kaeya’s fingers were indeed starting to cramp now, but he stayed put. If Diluc never looked up, he’d never notice Kaeya.

Aether announced the arrival of the usual favor and Kaeya saw Diluc change directions out in the vineyard and go for it. A beam of light marked Kaeya seconds later and he swore under his breath, dropping from the window immediately and releasing the guise of a lantern in preparation to run. Of course his brother would target him specifically. Diluc rounded the corner of the building, victory in his eyes as he came toward Kaeya, who took off at a dead sprint, leaping the low stone wall into the vineyard. 

“Kaeya, if you crush my grapes I will fucking kill you,” he heard Diluc holler after him, but he didn’t waste the breath on a reply, hurdling two rows and dashing up a third, the irritating light above his head still giving Diluc a clear view of where he was even if he wasn’t in direct line of sight. He hadn’t even stirred the leaves in his leaps, though it had been years since he’d gone jumping over grape vines. He and Diluc had used to chase crystal flies in the vineyard, competing to see who could catch the most. One flitted past Kaeya as he ran, a reminder of those long ago pastimes. 

Kaeya glanced back over his shoulder and saw Diluc still chasing him, though he’d lost some ground by going around the first two rows of grapes rather than leaping over them as Kaeya had. With this bright beacon illuminating him, it was unlikely Diluc would leave him alone to search for the other two rebels. Kaeya caught a glimpse of them both up on the winery roof, looking down at him as he leapt over another row of grapes, neither in disguise at the moment while Diluc was so clearly focused on him. He clambered back over the low wall onto the winery’s patio area, eager for more level ground to sprint on. Diluc followed suit, though he veered the other way, clearly trying to circle the building and cut Kaeya off. Kaeya had always been faster than Diluc, but Diluc had learned some tricks to catch him in other ways, though they didn’t always work.

Kaeya realized Diluc’s current plan almost too late, seeing Diluc round the corner of the building ahead of him as he circled it himself. He quickly changed directions, nearly skidding and falling but barely managed to keep his balance. The pillar of light marking him thankfully dissipated and he leapt back over the wall into the vineyard, triggering the invisibility token Aether had given him. He ducked behind a barrel directly next to the low wall, crouched with his heart pounding in his ears, breathing hard from the exertion of his sprint. The token wore off quickly, as usual, but it had done its job. Diluc had lost track of him, if the muttered swearing from a few feet away was any indication. 

Kaeya realized he wasn’t the only one who had noticed Zhongli and Eula on the roof as Diluc turned back to the winery and began to scale the building. He moved at a crouch, keeping the wall between him and Diluc until the building was between them instead, heading back toward his original hiding place. The capture notices for Zhongli and Eula were fairly close together, indicating the two hadn’t gotten far when Diluc joined them on the roof. Diluc was surveying the grounds from the roof now as Kaeya inched his way back up onto the window, lantern guise back in place. He knew the time limit was getting close, he just had to slip under Diluc’s radar for a little bit longer.

Diluc jumped from the roof on the same side of the building Kaeya was clinging to, glider wings spread. Kaeya realized Diluc had spotted him from the new vantage point and groaned inwardly at the thought of another round of sprinting through the vineyard, but prepared to drop as Diluc clambered onto the small deck railing that put him at nearly the same level as Kaeya’s window. 

“Oh no you don’t,” Diluc growled as Kaeya dropped, and he took a flying leap from the railing, tackling Kaeya to the ground with such force that the wind was knocked out of both of them and Kaeya wouldn't have been surprised if he cracked a rib on impact with the ground. Kaeya wheezed as Diluc pinned him in place with a triumphant expression, trying to catch his breath. Aether joined them with a laugh, displaying the remaining time as less than ten seconds.

“That was a close round!” he announced. “Victory goes to the hunter!”

“You can let me up now” Kaeya grumbled, struggling for air with Diluc’s weight still mostly on his chest. Diluc stood and dusted himself off, not bothering to offer a hand to help Kaeya up, but at least Aether had the courtesy to do so. Zhongli and Eula joined the trio as Aether began to pass out the special coins he’d created for his game, though Kaeya had yet to discern any real purpose for them aside from potential bragging rights for having a lot of them.

“That was impressive,” Zhongli commented, though he was complimenting Kaeya, not Diluc’s victory. “I did not expect you to evade him for so long with the beacon marking you.”

“Neither did I,” Kaeya admitted with a pained laugh, wincing as he checked himself over for bruises. “Though I couldn’t help notice you two just watching instead of hiding.” Zhongli had the grace to look momentarily abashed, but Eula just shrugged.

“Your skilled evasion drew the hunter’s attention and I confess I was caught up watching the pair of you to the point of forgetting my own objective temporarily,” Zhongli stated. Kaeya chuckled.

“My ‘skilled evasion’ seems to have earned more ire than warranted, my ribs will be sore all week.” Diluc pointedly ignored the remark, thanking Aether for his time and heading into the vineyard to check for damage to his precious grapes, though Kaeya hadn’t really seen Eula or Zhongli go into the fields. Diluc wasn’t likely to take his word that he hadn’t done any damage himself in his frantic leaps to get away. He still didn’t understand what had prompted Diluc to accept Aether’s game being hosted here at all, but supposed it wasn’t really his place to ask, not any more. 

Kaeya excused himself and headed back toward Mondstadt, fully intending to pay a visit to the cathedral for his sore ribs. If he was going to accept another invitation to Aether’s game in the future, he wanted to be able to run without wincing. Still, it had been kind of amusing to see Diluc tearing around after him, a nostalgic moment that let him forget the walls that lay between them now for a bit. It was worth a little pain for that brief return to happier times.

[darkelfshadow]

Session Summary - 89

AKA “The Sewers Of Phlan”

Adventures in Taggriell

Session 89  (Date: 10th July 2020)

Players Present:

- Rob (Known as “Varis”) Elf Male.

- Bob (Known as “Sir Krondor) Dwarf Male.

- Travis (Known as “Trenchant”) Human Male.

- Paul (Known as “Labarett”) Elf Male.

- John (Known as “Ragnar”) Dwarf Male.

- Arthur (Known as “Gim”) Dwarf Male.

Absent Players

- Nil

NPC

- (Known as “Naillae”) Elf Female. <Controlled by Travis>

Summary

- Fireday, 12th Gozran in the year 815 (Second Era). Early Summer.

- The party begin this session, late in the evening, underground in the sewers of Phlan. With the Dragon Vorgansharax and the Dracolich Throstulgrael flying above the skies of Phlan, the only viable option to the party is to stay hidden in the sewers.

- The party now has the option of proceeding via multiple directions. Roughly carved marks in the wet stone walls point towards one of the paths but the party decide to ignore this and instead go the opposite way.

- Shortly afterwards Sir Krondor and Gim, leading the party, step onto a well made and hidden pressure pad. With a click, the trap releases two large heavy battle axes that swing down into the rear of the party, slicing Varis and exposing him to poison.

- After the party recover from the surprise of the trap, Trenchant asks, “So do we continue this way?”

- Sir Krondor smiles, “Of course! This must the right way, otherwise why put traps here!”

- Trenchant adds, “But the marks on the wall say we should go the other way.”

- “Exactly! That’s what they what us to do,” replies Sir Krondor with confidence and a smile, as he once again moves forward.

- Labarett asks, “Who’s they?”

- Naillae and Varis both shrug they have no idea and then move to the front of the party to check for traps as they move onwards.

- The party travel for some time, exploring the winding and bending sewer paths. Each time a junction is found, the party ignore the carved marks on the walls and go the other way. Each time this leads to the party encountering another trap.

- After some time, and after dealing with yet another trap, Ragnar finally speaks, “I don’t think we are doing this right. We keep running into traps. And where exactly are we going?”

- Sir Krondor shakes his head, “Listen lad, I know it’s hard but let me explain how dungeon exploring works. You put traps where you don’t want people to go. So, if we follow the traps we will find what ever is down here.”

- Naillae, also looking unconvinced speaks, “Then why are there marks on the wall showing us a way? A way we are not taking.”

- Sir Krondor, his confidence failing a bit, “To confuse us. What other reason could there be?”

- Ragnar speaks, “To guide people, through a sewer already filled with traps, to show people how to avoid the traps.”

- Naillae nods, “Yes, those traps are very well made and constructed. And there is a lot of them. And they appear to be relatively old. The marks scratched onto the walls look rough, and a lot newer.”

- Gim nods his head, “Yeah those marks on the wall look like they are only a few weeks or months old.”

- Trenchant speaks, “If what Olisara told us is correct, the disappearances started a few weeks ago. Perhaps who ever is doing it, is transporting the people via the sewers and needed a safe way to avoid the traps?”

- Sir Krondor snaps, “Then who put the traps here?”

- Varis speaks, “Could be the local thieve’s guild. I think Rolk called them The Welcomers. It’s not uncommon for a thieving group to do that. The Crescent Moon guild did something similar to discourage people from sneaking about the city without their knowing it.”

- Sir Krondor starts looking around the sewer intently, “Wait, wait. I think I’ve worked this out. The marks were placed there … to give a safe path …. past the traps that were already here! Of course! Basic stuff really for a seasoned dungeon explorer like me myself. Alright, what’s everyone standing around for? We need to follow the marks. Let’s go!”

- The Dwarf Knight strides off, back the way the party came, as everyone else looks at him dumb founded.

- Now that the party is following the marks on the wall, they proceed for the next half an hour, moving through multiple sewer corridors and junctions without encountering any more traps.

- The party slow down as they see light ahead from a series of alcoves set into the walls, filled with many large candles. Each of the alcoves has thick glass set in a lead frame which is locked.

- The party move forwards cautiously, suspicious of a trap or ambush. Two offset side passages go off either side and each ends in a closed portcullis. Large pillars are visible lining the stone walls at regular intervals.

- As the party suspected, this well lit junction is indeed an ambush. They find themselves under fire from volleys of arrows coming from the long straight corridor ahead of them and also from the closest side passage. A desperate close quarters fight occurs when two strange robed figures, hidden behind some of the pillars, leap out and attack the party. These humanoids have strange glistening skin and their limbs move in unusual and weird ways. Emotionless reptilian eyes track the party and without speaking a single word these robed Serpentine Monks attack without mercy. The only sound they make, is a low hissing, snake like, when they are injured by the party.

- The party is forced to try and breach the side passage, to try to avoid the arrows coming from ahead. Initially trying to put out the many candles that light up the party’s position, the party give up when they realise how long this will take. Instead Trenchant covers the party from sight by casting a Stinking Cloud ahead in the main passage.

- Meanwhile, Ragnar has managed to force three enemy archers behind one side portcullis to flee as he places a Flaming Sphere right at the portcullis. As they run, the light from the fire shows these archers to have pale yellow skin, with faint almost invisible scales. As they open their mouths to scream in pain from the fire, forked tongues dart out. The three Yuan-ti Purebloods, flames licking all around them from the Flaming Sphere, run away and into the darkness, as the party follow now that Labarett’s Mage Hand spell has opened the portcullis from the other side.

- The party are now pushing forward on two fronts. Sir Krondor first, and then with his cousin Gim reluctantly following have run through the Stinking Cloud to face a group of Pureblood Archers, guarded by Serpentine Monks.

- The rest of the party is fighting their way down a side passage, and also via a hidden passageway.

- Eventually, the party all reunite, having now flanked the last remaining Yuan-ti forces. One by one the enemy forces are dispatched but the party has suffered severely, taking a beating from the ambushers.

- A closed portcullis is found at the end of the forward passageway, flanked on either side by two small metal statues of coiled snakes. Trenchant and Naillae discover that the heads of the snakes seem to be able to be moved, though only with some effort. After attaching some rope to each snake head, the party pull the snake heads down and with a loud click, watch the portcullis start to raise up.

- Beyond the now open portcullis is a small passageway that then descends down a set of stairs, where light is visible.

<And as the party stand at the entrance of an unknown hideout, heavily guarded by Yuan-ti forces, that is the end of the session.>

XP Allocation

Group - Combined (This is equally divided by the number of players who were involved)

Quests (Only quests that are completed or rendered undoable, during this session, are shown here)

- “Trail of Bread Crumbs” - Arrive at hidden lair without setting off any traps = FAIL

- “Balance The Scales” - Optional Quest - The Eyes Of Dendar - The Order = 1000 XP

Creatures Overcome

- Yuan-ti Purebloods = 1800 XP

- Serpentine Monks = 3600 XP

Individual (This is only given to that person and is not divided amongst all players)

Special Bonus (Outstanding Role Playing)

Nil

XP Levels and Player Allocations

Player : Start +  Received = Total  (Notes)

Rob : 114512 + 914 = 115426

Arthur : 91713 + 914 = 92627

John : 85935 + 914 = 86849

Travis : 105310 + 914 = 106224

Paul : 92893 + 914 = 93807

Bob : 103457 + 914 = 104371

NPC (Naillae) : + (457) <Level up>

[notcatherinemorland]

More Hamlet Thoughts because i leave everything to the 11th hour . production continues to be the 2018 globe w/ Michelle Terry

Hamlet and Ophelia’s uhhhhh fight 

Ham’s personality twists into cruel mockery of her at the line ‘Where’s your father’ and OHO the facial expressions

Ophelia kept trying to hold onto Hamlet’s hand and body and curl her fingers around hamlet’s hand and it was very heartbreaking . Hamlet was a ball of chaotic energy who scrabbled her hands off himself. rlly interesting to watch

this turned around with hamlet scrubbing over her face as he presents her to the audience’s 4th wall for the make up lines. and shoves her down to the floor at the end

the physical manipulation hamlet takes out on ophelia is a super interesting segue to the players scene

2 b / x 2 b

ham sat in the middle of the front of the stage and held the hand of an audience member who he talked he speech to. very intimate and closed and really interesting interpretation

im a nerd so i really like the juxtaposition of such a grand and philosophical speech being told on such an intimate and small scale

Hamlet’s still got his smudged clown makeup on

hamlet and horatio come across Very gay in the ‘something too much of this’ line. i vibe 

hamlet decimated his friendship with R&G and i LOVED how Horatio held him and then forced him away to give him just a touch more character. this Ht loved R&G as well and i appreciate the bit of character we all try to give horatio

Horatio’s Emotions over R&G’s impending death is a++ give this man some emotional range

OH the ‘if your mind dislike anything, obey it’ can we PLEASE listen to horatio the lone voice of reason within elsinor’s halls

that’s not me being gay, that’s a legit analysis of Hamlet in that everyone in Elsinor has a twisted sense of reality and morality and Horatio as an outsider is immune and must watch in horror

the argument is flawed with R&G but hey it’s not my theory.

THE TRUMPETS . there’s live trumpets 

the music they played to signal the half time of the play was wonderfully dissonant and i VIBE WITH THAT that is the ENERGY of Elsinor right there

honestly im annoying and i don’t particularly care for the play scene as an audience member. like academically the play within a play is rife with analysis but like. to just sit and watch it feels like such a halt in the energy

plus i really dislike it when they use gross physical comedy in the dumb-show because again. im annoying

anyway they only do the dumb-show (more tollerable than a lot) and they use drum beats and purcussion in place of lines, and have hamlet explain what’s going on with his lines. it’s certainly different and its a lot quicker than the text is

This Claudius is Prime Smarmy Politicians and is very indignant as he tries to pray and i REALLY LIKE HIM

The scene transitions are .. non existent in this play and i LIKE IT 

the lines follow on immediately between scenes as the other characters are leaving the stage 

i love how it supports the theme of acting this play has and how it breaks down the barrier for the audience of personal vs private 

thats not quite what i want to say uhhhhh. in other productions some of the scenes are really discreet from each other- like how pearl necklaces have stoppers between the pearls- and that’s especially evident in films, but here it’s the opposite and the scenes bleed into each other to create a really fast paced and chaotic energy and i REALLY LIKE IT

‘personal vs private’ is on god my favourite theme in hamlet and the way it works with the audience creating it here is GREAT

Closet scene... OH BOY

this hamlet is CRUEL oml 

the ghost enters after hamlet spends 3 minutes berating his mother and she’s crying on the floor by the audience and hamlet immediately stops and starts weeping 

‘oh save me’ sounds so small and childlike and it really showcases the love between them

not that kind of love, sigmund fucking freud. get your mind out the gutter

the disdain hamlet has for gertrude absolutely breaks my heart but that’s a me thing because i haven’t been able to see my mother in person for coming up on a month due to quarantine :(

added an extra hug before ham leaves .. v sweet

Claudius comes barreling in and picks up ham’s dropped sword. :eye emoji: doesn’t put it down until Hamlet’s brought in for questioning. but he’s still holding a book (english dictionary presumably?) and this act of holding a sword for 2 scenes WILL be reiterated time and time again in ever hamlet essay i write forever to whatever end i so desire because it’s easy to manipulate to my own purposes. bless this moment

There’s a seagull that keeps interrupting claudius at perhaps the funniest possible moments in his soliloquies and honestly WHERE is it’s Olivier

Ophelia’s madness isn’t as explicit as it is in other versions, but watching her tumble into emotions and lack of restraint is so, so heartbreaking.

this is one of the productions of hamlet that makes a really convincing case for ‘madness’ in elsinor being synonymous to speaking one’s mind and being truthful about one’s heightened emotions and like. i Love that interpretation

lets be real i love 99% of hamlet interpretations

the 1% is freud. fuck that guy

I’m Digging the parallel of Ophelia’s emotional outburts of grief (in madness) to Laertes incensed outburst of grief . ohoho

Laertes gets rosemary and pansies, Claudius gets fennel and columbines, Gertrude gets the rue, Audience member gets the daisy and the thought of violets

unfortunately i once wrote a shite poem about gertrude and weather she know of the poison in the cup at the end and unfortunately that’s all i can think about for the last 40 mins of the play hfdhgjgghjhgj

im annoying so i read along with the play and the duets Claudius and Laertes make of the meter and the word formatting on the page comes across really different on stage, which is super interesting. 

not to be really fucking dramatic but i read in the info packet of this play that the pillars on the stage are actually tree trunks carved and painted to look like marble and considering how many times i had to hear the words ‘appearance vs reality’ in my english class, i think im allowed to use the smirk emoji about how the setting of the globe is Integral to Hamlet as a play

i am itching to write an entire 4000 word tirade about the use of the physical body in hamlet because between the actual acting on stage, polonius, ‘one auspicious and one dropping eye’ and all whole host of references made to physical body parts i am going feral 

PLUS this one incorporates sign language 

i actually hate the word incorporates but needs must  

The Ophelia’s death speech is of course wonderful, but i can’t stop thinking about how John Everett Millais made his model (who’s name escapes me in a terrible irony because i got this information from an exhibition about the female pre-raphalites) sit in a cold bath for hours on end whilst he sketched and it made her very ill because the fire went out and she was sat nude in a bath of cold water for hours.

Gravedigger only has the songs and the hamlet interaction, and he wears a high vis jacket. he’s also played by the ghost’s actor, which whilst understandable in such a small cast, amuses me greatly

Hamlet’s got his hair tied back and in a military style jacket, and marches around with Horatio who’s in a hoodie and a black duffle coat (absolutely a student) and the same tight plait. Ham’s definitely meant to be sane now, he speaks very brusquely and all but marches around the stage

Not To Make An Edelgard Reference But edelgard’s cause in 3H was also cemented by a timeskip and a military outfit and a brusque personality hehehe 

Hamlet gets into the ‘grave’ to chat to Yorick which, again, i will use in every relevant essay i will write and manipulate this scene to whatever end i desire and on god i thank this production for this 

a level me would have gone feral

current me is also going feral

Grave Scene: a terrible one for your family to walk in and ask what the fuck you’re watching

Polonius’ actor plays the priest. yes, capsule wardrobe of a cast, i know but i’m an english student it’s my duty to wring every irrational inch of analysis out of this thing

i won’t trail on about unsubstaniated interpretations of Polonius’ parenting skills and fate in Hamlet but on god i will find an essay about it

i always enjoy it when someone leaps in the grave .. the melodrama... the meaning... the liminal spaces...

the DRAMA of seperating feral laertes and the really calm and imposing hamlet is excellent and a bit hilarious and the camera is going nuts

i’m very aware that everyone is now traipsing about over the grave in the middle of the stage and THAT’S a fun dynamic you don’t get from film or text

ok I’ve just noticed the video has the ‘top chat replay’ going and the very first line i saw is ‘what if hamlet had tiktok’ and i am CRYING 

Ophelia’s actor also plays Osric and is a) absolutely hilarious and b) again, capsule wardrobe of a cast will not stop me from analysing everything and anything this play may or may not offer me. 

im not saying hamlet is a play about inheritance and the burden of it, but also... isn’t it :eye emoji:

if bloody fire emblem fates can do it so can i, step off

Fencing scene: oh thank god it’s nearly over

The hearts on their fencing get ups parallel Hamlet’s clown outfit with a heart on the sleeve Very Nicely

Gertrude isn’t wearing her headpiece anymore .. ohoho dispelling the trappings and suits of dishonesty, if you will

The duel is a) bloody terrifying because sword fighting and b) judged by Osric (Ophelia) and the poetry of having ham & lae’s duel waged over and judged by Ophelia is absolutely excellent

Claudius’s aside (or to laertes? camera didn’t follow) had no right to be as humorous as it was jdfsghfkd

Gertrude figured out it was poison in this one. Nice

I like the call and response effect of ‘Treachery! Seek it out! / It is here Hamlet’ they made with Hamlet running around they stage to find little propped up Laertes

The dramatic eye contact of Hamlet and Claudius as he forces him to drink the poison.... OH HECK YES 

the way they sink to the floor in a pair, with hamlet crawling over his body to make sure he dies... oh LORD 

the swing hamlet does with his arm to the audience to cast them as ‘the unsatisfied’ was EXCELLENT and i would like that in every production of hamlet please 

the tussle of horatio and hamlet over the cup..... iconic.... and i enjoy the parallel of that to hamlet with claudius as they’re stood in the same corner 

The harsh projection of Hamlet’s voice and the blunt manner of his words about Fortinbras’ inheritance of denmark against the soft way Horatio rocks Hamlet back and forth ... i want to CRY

Horatio got to have emotional range in this production .. wonderful

i always enjoy the way the play tails off with politics in a room of dead bodies.. the layers the absolute onions

how none of the drama within the castle has any meaning to anyone outside of it is Excellent 

and then the way the prison and enclosure of elsinor is finally broken with military force in parallel to the tumultuous interpersonal relationships within it... i vibe yet more

they actually ended with ‘go bid the soldiers shoot’ which i enjoy a lot!!!! and the music is wonderful

then they all start doing this dance which i think is meant to be about the themes of the play and to be perfectly honest it’s a bit crunchy for me but the music absolutely slaps!!!

final thoughts:

that sure was a hamlet production and i thought it had a lot of heart and did some new things very very well!!!

and i loved the emphasis they put on the costuming!!!! 

overall: a solid hamlet. very nice. i greatly enjoyed it!!!! 

[stupendousdazetheorist-blog]

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Role of CEOs in the Mutual Fund industry & 4i strategy

Does the role of CEOs matter big in the mutual fund industry? Yes does, in a big way and the people should know why it does.The corner office occupants always play an important role in every industry and sector, marshaling their troops in the battles for market share and business almost on a daily basis. Mutual fund industry is not an exception on this for sure; but the role of the CEOs in mutual fund industry which is highly regulated, is exceptionally critical when compared to the other industries and sectors (non-financial) in many ways.

Unlike many industries, mutual funds industry is highly regulated and controlled just the way they are regulated the World over. Though not many CEOs are often visible in public and media due to the highly regulated nature of the sector and plus they aren't listed entities which do not make them interact as often as their listed counterparts, but their roles are much more critical than that of the other non financial industries and sectors, many of which are not regulated the way the mutual funds are.

The roles of the CEOs in the mutual fund industry have been evolving and transforming in a big way over the last 25 years, precisely since 1993 when the mutual funds industry was thrown open to the private and foreign players in this country, which was otherwise dominated by a handful of PSUs led by UTI. Ever since, the growth of the industry has been phenomenal, but even more phenomenal in the last 10 - 12 years or so, during the time the equity markets also scaled new peaks due to higher economic growth coupled with the rising awareness among the investors about mutual funds in India.

Pre-1993 era was largely dominated by UTI and few other PSU bank sponsored mutual funds, which more or less functioned in the old fashioned way, but the liberalization of the sector saw the entry of various categories of mutual funds, chief among them being private standalone, JVs, foreign, private bank sponsored making the industry highly competitive and much more transparent.The entry of the new players redrew the rules of the game drastically, thereby shaking up the entire foundations of the industry in a big way.

Many innovations in the fund industry ( such as daily NAV which are now common and taken for granted) came up post 1993, putting the fund industry at the forefront of a phenomenal growth trajectory over the next 25 years. What was an industry which just managed few thousand crores of assets as a whole has now grown to managing in excess of 23 lakh crores of investors wealth and that’s mind boggling growth by any measure.

Owing to the change in the industry dynamics, the roles of the CEOs also underwent massive changes during the growth phase. CEOs in the industry also came into the industry in different versions, from sales, investment, broking and banking backgrounds, each coming with different sets of skills, functioning in their own styles of management. Nevertheless the CEOs are always on a tight spot in the industry considering the pressure from all the sides, be it investors, promoters, various stakeholders along with the usual peer pressure. Since the industry handles the money of the investors, the responsibility of that lies with the CEOs of the mutual funds, though there are layers of accountability at various levels as mandated by the regulator. But eventually the buck stops at the CEO, by being the head of the organization.

Importance of CEO's role in the mutual fund industry can be evaluated and measured on number of parameters, but largely they stand on the success of four pillars called 4i strategy.

4i strategy - 4i stands for Investors, Investment process, Intermediaries and Individuals

Investors: CEO's role always should and will primarily be centered around the investors and their interests, who put in not just their money, but their trust and faith in the mutual fund house. And this industry caters to several lakhs of retail investors who chip in their savings for better returns. 'Customer first' approach is paramount for any CEO, but in the mutual funds industry, keeping customers satisfied on host of factors such as fund performance, customer service and other things play a vital role in the success of a fund house.

Investment process: Investment process is unique to this industry, for the simple reason that the fund houses manage lakhs of crores of investors money. Though the industry is well regulated and well monitored, both by external agencies and internal checks and balances, losing sight on the investment process can cost a great deal for the mutual fund houses. Eventually the returns alone do not matter, but the means and ways of achieving those returns matter the most. Successful CEOs always know that keeping a hawk's eye on the investment process is extremely important for all the stakeholders of the fund.

Intermediaries: Play a vital link in the business value chain of the mutual fund industry. With a network of intermediaries spread far and wide, across various categories and geographies, they bring in the investors to the mutual fund fold on an incremental basis, talking to them on a day in day out basis. Keeping the intermediaries in the loop in the ever changing industry dynamics becomes all the more important for the simple reason that they spread the message of the fund houses to wide section of the investors.

Individuals: This industry specializes on having highly skilled individuals across various functions - managing funds, designing products, selling funds, servicing the customers to name a few. Developing the right talent and nurturing it plays a vital role not just for the success of the organization, but for the entire industry.  

Of course, the CEOs have the pressure to constantly work on their firm’s market share and profit generation as part of their core, but just by effectively following the basics of managing the 4i has put the best of them in the pedestal in the industry. If we look at some of the successful CEOs in the industry who have been around for a long time, their success mantras have always been due to the effective management of the 4i and the fruits of market share have always followed the 4i. With the industry poised for a quantum leap in terms of assets growth, the success of the CEOs will continue to center around the 4i strategy which will continue to lead the transformation of the industry led by the elite club of corner office occupants!

V Gopalakrishnan

[draegonkin]

Beneath Shadowed Wings: Chapter 9 – Cliffkeep

(Alternate Title: The Session in which we owe victory to half a dozen screaming mushrooms)

There were a few preparations that took place the night before the group left for Cliffkeep: supplies were purchased, axe beak mounts were rented (or bought, depending on if they survive the trip), and the group convinced Thog (with a bit of gold) to come with them rather than stay at the stronghold and try to kill an orc he’d set his eyes on.  Thyme spent the evening performing in the Common grounds, and in the morning, they set out for the abandoned city of Cliffkeep.

Making it across the anvil of the sun was as much of an ordeal as ever.  Taking the axe beaks with them sped the journey along and kept the party from becoming too exhausted, though it did cause a drain on Kizzy and Bitsy providing water for their mounts.  Along the way their only encounter was with a passing Gabran patrol that, once they had confirmed the group’s Writ of Permission from the Ember Chief, let them go on their way.

Midmorning of the fourth day they came to end of the broken rocks of the Anvil, and to the open sands surrounding Cliffkeep.  It immediately became clear to them that they would need to be careful.  They could see before them dozens of pits dotted across the desert; pits that they learned were the dens of antlions.  Absinthe and Bitsy’s sharp eyes noticed forms swooping in and out of the openings high in the façade of the cliff face the city was built into.  They weren’t sure what they were yet, but they knew the needed to be careful and they approached the city cautiously.

The city was a series of tiers, built into the red stone of the half mile high cliff face that marked the border between the Akken Desert and the Highlands.  As the group probed the passages and rooms there they found a city thoroughly empty and abandoned.  Five thousand years had given ample time for any trace of life here, beyond the rooms and artwork carved into the living rock, to have been destroyed or taken.

Delving only far enough into the cliff to determine if each path provided a way up they slowly made their way to a terrace of the city where they found the monolith that Rufus had told them they would find.  Being wary of the flying creatures, identified as harpies as they’d neared the city, Absinthe and Thyme moved with as much stealth as they could to try and translate the words on the monolith’s face.  Absinthe was able to cast comprehend language as Thyme took a rubbing of the language that he was quickly becoming familiar with.

“The Sanctum Lies Beneath the Sands/Where the antlions make their nests/Hidden there in plainest sight/There our oldest fallen kings do rest”

As they each finished and Absinthe had jotted down the words into her notebook they all heard a high, tempting song.  The ladies looked up to see harpies descending on them, on singing the eerie song, while the men went glassy eyed and started to walk mindlessly towards the winged beasts.

What followed was a short, ugly encounter for both sides.  Seeing that she had charmed half of the party the first harpy flew out the edge of the terrace and lured those caught in her charm closer. Thyme, unable to fight the impulse, walked right off the edge and fell fifty feet below, injuring himself greatly.  Kizzy, having to choose where to cast her spell chose to help the larger number of her allies and cast calm emotions, freeing Olek and Thorn from the grasp of the charm, while Absinthe cast sleep into Thyme far below, hoping to keep him from repeating the leap to a lower level with even worse consequences.

By the time everyone had reached the fight Absinthe had fallen to another harpy’s song.  The charm was short lived as Bitsy, in her Giant Spider form, shot a web that encased the offending creature and dropped it 150 feet to its death, freeing the endangered bard.  The last harpy tried the same trick as her fellows, disengaging from combat with Absinthe, only to find her song fell on deaf ears and an illusionary creature distracting her enough to be easily killed by Thorn and Kizzy. The last harpy, ready to flee, was brought to the ground with an earthbind by Bitsy, and hacked to bits by Olek. Any others that may have been watching quickly fled back into their den above.

After helping Thyme they searched a part of the city that appeared to be a temple.  It was of no gods they had ever seen before, and Bitsy and Kizzy began to wonder if they were gods at all.  While they pondered that they found an amulet discarded amongst some broken rocks in the corner of the room that matched the style of the one they’d found outside of Svanith’s tomb, though with a different symbol.

Meanwhile Spider-Bitsy scaled the cliffs to take a look in the harpy nest, finding nearly a dozen more harpies gathered, speaking to their matriarch.  Very quietly she made her way back, suggesting they just avoid raiding the nest as Thorn was contemplating.  The spent the rest of their night pondering the meaning of the monolith’s riddle, keeping watch and recovering from the day.  They came to the conclusion that one of the antlion pits was likely fake and hiding the real entrance.

When they looked at them in the morning they noticed they had moved.

What followed was amusing attempts discover which holes contained antlions in an attempt to find the one that didn’t.  Olek, Thorn and Thyme led the effort by cutting up harpies from the battle the day before and throwing the meat into holes.  Unfortunately, their limited supply of harpy bits wasn’t enough to uncover the real hole.

Kizzy spent the day carefully drawing a map from her vantage in the cliff homes of the city and the relative cool they provided.

When they woke the following morning, with no incursions from their harpy friends, they looked to see that the antlions had indeed moved again.  Using Kizzy’s map, they found a pit that seemed to be a likely candidate, threw in some wolf meat that Bitsy had kept with her, and got no reaction. Excited, but cautious, they decided to scout the path ahead before venturing fully in.  The question was how to do it.

Obviously, the best choice was for Olek and Thog to play stone, parchment, shears to see who got to cannonball in.  The first game Thog one, but Olek claimed it was because he wasn’t sure if they were going on three or go, to which Thog replied, “Everyone knows the civilized rules call for going on go.  Only those that degrade themselves with common go on three.”

Thog won the next game too.

And cannonballed into the pit with a rope tied to him.

Now, to be fair, that part of the plan went fine.  Pulling him out didn’t.  Thyme, Thorn and Olek liked up, in that order, on the rope to pull him out.  The rope went taught, Thorn was lifted off the ground between the other two, and all three were pulled right in.  They found themselves in a dark cave with a smooth floor that seemed to lead towards Cliffkeep.

After some effort, and Bear-Bitsy, they got everyone out of the pit and spent the rest of the day preparing for their trek into the tomb.  There was a lot of question about how to take care of the axe beaks. Ultimately they found the deepest most remote corner of the homes built within the cliffs, left them with food and water, and hoped for the best.  They rested for the night, and Thorn thought he heard the distant sound of harpy song outside the city, but nothing that concerned him.  In the morning they headed into the tomb, taking both Thog and Rufus with them.

After a fair distance down the tunnel they came across an altar with a crystal sphere upon it. Thyme identified it as some kind of magical key.  To what, his magic didn’t say.

But probably the maze that sprung up when they touched it.

They got a look at the room beyond before they picked it up.  More than a hundred feet wide, twenty feet tall, with a smooth stone ceiling, and a perfectly flat sand floor interrupted only by three narrow pillars evenly set around a stone dais at the center.  A sand floor that sprung up into solid stone walls when they picked up the keystone.

Olek, claiming a surprising wisdom, led them through the maze keeping one hand on the wall to keep from losing themselves.  This led to finding one of the stone pillars they’d seen where an inactive stone was set. Touching it with the keystone activated it and caused the maze to shift around them to a different configuration.

Several people cursed. (Some of them were the players.)

(Here is the map.  The point at top is pillar one, the bottom left pillar two, the bottom right pillar three.  The number at the bottom represents which one is on or off.)

 It took several hours to navigate the maze, but eventually they reached the middle and activated the larger glass stone there. It gave off extremely bright light and the maze dropped back into perfectly calm sand once more and silence seemed to fall.

Feeling confident in his performance in the maze Olek took the lead and stepped onto the sand only to have Thorn immediately yell at him to stop.  There had been movement in the sand, moving closer to him with each step, but once he stopped so did the movement.  Quickly he stepped back to the stone dais to contemplate their situation.

There were many contemplative looks, trying to logic a solution out of the situation.

Olek pulled out the bag of beans and planted it in the sand.  He had no idea what would happen, but he was feeling good.  Slowly little mushrooms began to grow.  Bitsy let out a little “Awww” when she saw them.  As they grew larger and sprouted little eyes it was a little squeal of glee.

The mushrooms responded by shrieking back with an unending, gods awful sound.  It made them all grab their ears and cringe.  Fortunately, it drove away whatever was beneath the sand, letting them cross the sand to another entry way.  They searched it quickly finding a hidden room where they found treasure and a series of murals portraying the world ending in fire.  In them they saw columns of light protect groups of people while leaving others to the fire.  Three figures rose up and restored the land, finally holding aloft three gems while surrounded by a field of pillars.

Finally there was only one way to proceed.

Opening the door sent a chill through them as they entered a hall line on both sides by a total of sixty statues, each showing a king with a crown, a bow, and an amulet.  Each slightly different than the next.  Just like Svanith’s tomb.  Down to the trapped floor.  (They discovered this by throwing the shriekers onto the floor to set off a nearby statue. It fired a flaming arrow that nicely roasted the mushroom…which Bitsy stuck in her pack.)

At the end of the hall they were face with another door which led to a chamber nearly identical to the one they had confronted Svanith in.  Olek told Bitsy to hold back on the spirit stuff for now, and for Thyme to stow his book.  This time Gbranth was waiting for them already as they entered.  His red wraith-like form was clad with iron armor and stood waiting for them at the top of the room opposite them.

“Leave this place. You do not belong here.”

Familiar words.  Just as before he was not interested in talking. While saner than his brother king, he had kept his silence for more years than they could contemplate.  He needed no friends. No allies.  He wanted to rest and keep his secrets with him.

Thyme failing miserably didn’t help, and may have contributed to Gbranth drawing his bow and golems dropping from the ceiling.

[seanmalatesta]

7 Attributes of a Healthy Business

Early in my career, there were many times I didn’t have a handle on the true state of business. As information makes its way to leaders, it gets filtered. You don’t receive the bad news you need to properly course correct. Especially if culture is out of line. To accurately monitor the health of your business, you can’t rely on internal reports. You’ll need to get intentional about tracking down the truth.

One way to improve your understanding of business health is to grow in self-awareness as a leader. This can take place through reading leadership books, investing in coaching calls, and completing self-assessments.

To help you pursue health, my team and I created a free tool called the Business Health Assessment. It’s built around seven pillars. I recently recorded a live coaching call with a business owner from Chattanooga, Tenn. We discussed his Business Health Assessment results and zoomed in on key areas needing improvement. To apply those coaching lessons to your own work, listen to our call here.

For a quick overview on the Business Health Assessment, view the 7 pillars of business health below.

1. Vision

Many people spend too much time trying to distill a vision into a clever tagline when what they really need is a clear statement. Your vision should be concrete and specific. State it as though it already exists. This adds power and intensity. Then keep the vision visible. You’re the voice of the vision. If you don’t give voice to it, no one will.

2. Focus

Focus is the application of vision. This may require pruning. Some leaders view this as a step back, but in reality, it helps you leap forward. Focus is as much about choosing what not to do as it is about choosing what you’ll pursue.

3. Team

Recruit team players based on character, competence, chemistry, and conviction. As a leader, it’s your job to call out greatness in others. Show them what they can’t see. Set standards. When they miss the mark, acknowledge their underperformance and remind them they are capable of more. High standards attract A-players. Expect results and get results.

4. Culture

Bad culture destroys business. Get serious about culture by writing down a set of core values. Let these values drive what you reward. Get clear about what’s not tolerated. Then make sure you follow your own rules. Leaders’ commitment to company values will trickle down the org chart. Build trust and engage employees by investing in your culture.

“ You’re the voice of the vision. If you don’t give voice to it, no one will.

—MICHAEL HYATT

5. Clients

Bad clients can take you out of focus and off vision. During slow seasons, you may take on demanding or unprofitable clients. Until your client list is full of highly profitable and low-maintenance brand evangelists, segment your list and give the bulk of your time and attention to your best clients.

6. Data

Data is essential to strategic planning. Good data not only tells the history of your business but also lights a path forward. This should be collected on a regular basis. Set up regular financial reports and forecasts. Then build a dashboard of key metrics so you can head off trouble before it even begins.

7. You

The best way to measure You is to review how you delegate. If you don’t scale yourself through delegation, your business will stop when you walk out the door. This is a difficult area for many leaders because much of their early success comes from their own contributions. To improve delegation, consider your Desire Zone. This is where your greatest passion and greatest proficiency intersect. This area should drive the most critical results for the business. It may involve three to five activities. Any activity outside of this area is a candidate for elimination or delegation.

Chances are you haven’t had a business checkup in a while. Click here to take the 5-minute Business Health Assessment.

  from Michael Hyatt https://ift.tt/3jrLmib via IFTTT

[buildercar]

New Post has been published on http://www.buildercar.com/sera-trimbles-rise-to-the-top-of-the-ranks-of-stunt-driving/

Sera Trimble’s Rise to the Top of the Ranks of Stunt-Driving

Sera Trimble isn’t trying to scare me, but she does.

By stomping a Lamborghini Huracán Spyder’s V-10 and flinging the wheel, she kicks out the tail abruptly in a plume of dust. I’m scoping her technique from the passenger seat before directing her in a video shoot, and despite the raucous, pebble-launching powerslides in a $300,000 car on a dirt road, the petite driver remains eerily calm.

Trimble, it turns out, is one of the last humans on Earth to warrant concern. As one of Hollywood’s most sought-after stunt drivers, her skill set has navigated her through a labyrinth of peculiar automotive scenarios. She’s jumped a ’72 Chevelle, drifted an Infiniti on polished concrete within inches of actors, steered, accelerated, and braked from the footwell of a Subaru while a dog “drove,” dodged explosions in a Camaro, maneuvered a Kia while wearing a hamster suit, and launched a Porsche 928 onto a dock that collapsed into a lake. The drifting-a-Lambo-on-a-dirt-road thing? Essentially a nonevent.

This particular driver embodies every automotive-obsessed personality trait you’d expect, despite the usual stereotypes associated with XX chromosomes. Case in point: She outfitted her Los Angeles home with a Gulf-liveried kitchen and a Martini Racing-themed bedroom and is more likely to chitchat about weight distribution and suspension mods than shopping or fashion. But in the grand scheme of things, the car bug took some time to mature.

Trimble must assume any number of appearances such as a hamster for Kia, a character on TV’s “The Goldbergs,” and as a stunt double for Oscar-nominated actress Ruth Negga.

She was born 80 miles north of Seattle in the tiny town of Sedro-Woolley an unspecified number of years ago. (Like many a Hollywood player, she prefers not to disclose her age.) A deep-seated automotive iconography is embedded in her psyche, including an irrational attraction to ’66 Sting Rays, a warm spot for the Jaguar E-type hearse from “Harold And Maude,” and a self-proclaimed giggle reflex triggered by big-bore muscle cars. But the serious signs didn’t manifest until later. Her first car, a Nissan Pulsar NX with seafoam green paint, was simply an escape vehicle from her parents and a way to make a few bucks in high school by delivering pizzas. After two years at art school and a job at Blockbuster, she valet parked cars at a Seattle hotel. Spoiler alert: True love, no matter how circuitous its path, eventually wins.

“I drove everything,” she recalls, “then I started having feelings about everything.” Darting between parking structure pillars revealed handling quirks, and opinions of cars were quickly polarized. That black-on-black Land Rover Discovery she coveted? Its lazy turning radius burst the bubble. The Mercedes-Benz S-Class? Surprisingly nice lumbar support. Any Dodge Neon? Don’t get her started.

“If you say, ‘I think there’s a better way we could do this,’ no matter who it offends, you live with someone being pissed off and not putting someone in the hospital.”

And then, the fate-shifting moment: Director Doug Taub, in town shooting a Lincoln commercial, happened to spot Trimble as she whipped cars around at the valet. “Have you ever thought about driving for a living?” he asked her. “What do you mean?” she answered, pointing to the valet stand. “Look at all these cars I drive for a living.”

Based on her facile maneuvering (and perhaps aided by her quick wit), Taub offered her a gig as a production assistant so she could dip her toes in the precision-driving business. Sensing an opportunity for change (and admitting to herself that her art education wasn’t doing her any good as a valet anyway), she paid a friend $40 to cover for her on a Saturday. “When I think back,” she recalls, “that $40 was the best possible career investment I’ve had to this day. I’m glad he covered that shift because it was totally life-changing.”

As with any rise, Hollywood or otherwise, success was anything but overnight. She kept in touch with the crew she worked with, and nearly a year later in summer 2007 she moved to Los Angeles and started working as a runner on commercials. Although fixed on her goal of being a driver, she methodically learned how a set worked: who was in charge, who (in her words) kissed whose ass, and how the puzzle pieces of hierarchy fit together. More crucially, she observed what made an exceptional driver, why top drivers demand respect, who hires them, how they save the production money, and why they never seem to complain. Before long she met acclaimed stunt driver Brent Fletcher, who heard she wanted to drive. “I don’t want to sleep with anyone to do it,” she announced, when asked about her aspirations. “I’ve only been in L.A. for a few months, but I’m beginning to understand that that’s an actual way people get work here. I want to get hired one day because I’m really good at what I do. I don’t want to hook up with some producer, and he gives me two jobs as a stunt driver, and everyone thinks I’m an effing joke.”

Leveling with Fletcher laid the foundation for a career-long friendship and mentorship. “When I knew that driving was all I wanted to do,” she remembers, “I never wanted to be on set and have an excuse that I couldn’t do what I was there to do.” That meant investing heavily in driver training, diverting much of her earnings into instruction over the next several years. She attended schools from virtually every major automaker—BMW, Jaguar, Mercedes-AMG—as well as every conceivable type of course—Skip Barber, Bridgestone Winter Driving, Team O’Neil, and Dirtfish rally schools.

Trimble enjoys some rare time behind the wheel of one of her own cars, a 1986 Porsche 911 Carrera with extensive suspension modifications.

The pressure of stunt driving can be immense, and the expectations — especially for a woman — are often crushingly anachronistic. For instance, the common request for Ken Block-like maneuvers must be tempered by a realistic portrait of the vehicle and conditions in question. In other words, a director who thinks a Chevy Cruze can pirouette in a cloud of smoke might need to rearrange his or her expectations. “The fact of the matter is if you seriously, seriously hurt someone, you have to live with that forever,” Trimble says. “If you say, ‘I think there’s a better way we could do this,’ no matter who it offends, you live with someone being pissed off at you and not putting someone in the hospital.” Also unsurprising is the tendency for some directors to be naturally biased against female drivers. If told a certain maneuver can’t happen, some directors “don’t want to hear it. They look at me like I’m a hack, like I’m a girl, obviously I don’t know how to drive, I can’t make it work, and I’ve wasted their whole day.”

On Preferred make of stunt car: “Any car with brakes. You really take brakes for granted, they boil over, and you almost go over the mountain or into a helicopter or camera-car crane.”

Ensuring she can deliver on her promise of automotive acrobatics requires vigilant attention to detail and exhaustive spatial awareness, often without the luxury of advanced preparation or in-depth rehearsal. Drifting the Infiniti around those actors on polished concrete was particularly stressful. Grip levels changed constantly because fresh rubber was laid down with each take, which could dramatically alter the car’s handling characteristics. Upping the X factor was the repositioning of actors and lights between takes, requiring on-the-fly recalibrations of turn-in and apex points. Some 17 takes later, the director was eventually satisfied and called, “Wrap!” Trimble recalls the aftermath: “I was so mentally exhausted, when I got home I couldn’t even feed myself. My brain just turned off because I had to focus so hard and couldn’t change anything.”

Maintaining a routine is essential when it comes to prolonged concentration. If Trimble takes a bathroom break and someone has reset her seating position because the car had to be moved, her whole world has changed. One of her favorite examples concerns a stuntman who’s about to leap through a plate-glass window and fall 20 stories. The stunt involves a detonating charge to break the window, but the stuntman senses that something isn’t quite right. There’s a small chance the charge will detonate at his head, so he asks for it to be repositioned by a foot. Stunt coordinator Andy Armstrong, aware of the importance of the stuntman’s opinion, stops everything. The helicopter lands, the crew resets, and they start over. The stunt then goes off without a hitch. “Every human has things they like to focus on, and sometimes they’re super crucial in moments like that,” Trimble explains. “I love the idea, and I will always think of that moment where this big thing is about to happen, and it’s like, ‘How does this feel? Does everything feel good? Are you comfortable with this?’ Because that stuntman’s ability to move something one foot completely changed his energy.”

Once that sense of rightness is established, there are countless degrees of subtlety involved with precision driving. Although she once rated her brake-pedal effort on a scale of 1 to 10, trading notes with fellow stunt driver and racer Tanner Foust inspired her to increase the resolution of her stopping effort, expanding it to a scale from 1 to 100. That exacting level of control can make it difficult to stomach rogue external forces, like ham-fisted Uber drivers. Even though she essentially operates as an aerobatic pilot in two dimensions, her fortitude flies out the window when she’s a passenger. “I’ve gotten ill in taxicabs more than probably anyone who exists,” she confesses. “During one trip to Thailand I puked on every moving form of conveyance.”

When the stakes can be life or death, Trimble’s preferences for stunt cars get improbably binary. When asked what carmaker makes her stunt-driver heart go pitter-patter, her response is simple: “Any car with brakes. You really take brakes for granted until driving on a mountainside, they boil over, and you almost go over the mountain or into a helicopter or camera-car crane.” She adds, “Any day I’m on the set and my car stops when I want it to stop, it’s a good day.”

Trimble’s personal 1968 Dodge Charger took two years to source and was discovered in Indiana by her so-called Mopar mentor, Mike Musto.

As for her personal automotive tastes, her garage reveals some rather varied proclivities. Her fleet includes a Porsche Macan S, an air-cooled 911 Carrera, a Ford Focus ST, and a meticulously restored ’68 Dodge Charger that speaks volumes to her eye for detail. After enlisting fellow ’68 Charger enthusiast and owner Mike Musto (host of “The House of Muscle” on Motor Trend on Demand), the two embarked on a two-year quest to find her ideal black-on-red steed. Although she started searching for a 440 (the inspiration behind her Instagram handle, @Trims440), her so-called Mopar mentor led her through a journey that involved a seemingly Sisyphean process of sharing listings of prospective cars, to which he invariably responded, “Sera, this one’s a big sack of shit.” When your prepurchase inspection involves a list of 36 detailed questions (and your undercarriage viewing process is “like, a 3,500-point inspection”), the wheat separates from the chaff fairly quickly. The search eventually led her to a 572-cubic-inch-powered Charger in Indiana. “I was like, ‘700 lb-ft of torque? Of course I need 700 lb-ft of torque. And 768 horsepower? Of course I need 768 horsepower.’ It’s like an Indy cylinder head with these crazy headers I can fit my calves into. Holy headers, Batman.”

Based on her car collection alone, Hollywood appears to have been very good to Trimble. But she plays down the lavish array with the fact that she lacks overhead such as kids, adding that her specialized focus on driving makes her a rare breed in an industry where most stunt people are well-rounded in the fields of weaponry, martial arts, and all manner of physical badassery. “Since I’m technically more ‘useless overall,’” she says, “I would be less likely to be brought along on movies for that reason. The fact I survive on a living wage at all baffles me, especially considering the amount of amazing talent out there.”

Follow Sera on Instagram @trims440

For someone who drives for a living, Trimble has little affinity for nonprofessional motoring, save the occasional jaunt up Angeles Crest Highway with friends or the Robin’s Rally, an annual on- and off-road shred she does with a small group of air-cooled Porsche driving buds. As for real racing, she is surprisingly nonplussed by the lure of competition. “I have no personal need to take corners away from people,” she explains. “I have more fun at slow speeds being super technical than I do going as fast as I can.”

As for my Lamborghini video shoot, after my initial ride-along I climb out and shoot car to car with a cameraman, calling instructions through a walkie-talkie for Trimble to execute. She tells me when things don’t feel right, and I adjust the shot as required. But when she’s on, she’s on, coaxing the Lambo with precise authority, driving with balletlike grace as the gray machine cuts an elegant arc through the desert.

I know she has reached that “just right” state when she executes a perfect high-speed drift in the dirt, nailing a satisfying yaw angle while staying completely in control. It is at that moment that Trimble once again proves her mettle, allowing me to finally let go and enjoy her performance.

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