Sea of Stars - OOC III

[Haval]

Spoiler: Doctor Anika Vanhal

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Name: Doctor Anika Fazira Vanhal
Age: Early 40s
Career: Seneschal (Purser) (Rank 3)

WS: 32 (advance +5) - 37
BS: 31 (Advance +10) 41
S: 30
T: 31 (New Horizons -3) (Advance +5) 33
Ag: 34 (Advance +5) 39
Int: 37 (Savant & New Horizons +6) (Advances +10) 53
Per: 33 (Advance +10) 43
Wp: 34 (Nobleborn -5) (Advance +5) 34
Fel: 32 (Nobleborn +5) (Advances +10) 47

Wounds: 11 (Sound Constitution 2)
2/13 at the daemon fight
Fate:3/3

Insanity: 31 (2 + 5 for Yu'vath gribblies + 1 for the Ark + 3 for going outside in the Processional + 19 for Processional salvaging + 1 for Eldar spooky door)
Corruption: 18 corruption after the processional

Spoiler: Origin Path

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Homeworld: Nobleborn
Birthright: Savant
Lure of the Void: New Horizons (Seeker of Truth) (100xp)
Trials and Travails: Lost Worlds (Beyond the Pale) (100xp)
Motivation: Renown
Career: Seneschal
Lineage: A Long and Glorious History (Prominent Ancestry) (200xp)

Spoiler: Skills

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Trained
Awareness +10 (Per)
Barter (Fel)
Charm (Fel)
Ciphers (Underworld)
Commerce +20 (Fel)
Common Lore (Koronus, Underworld +10) (Int)
Deceive +10 (Fel)
Dodge (Ag)
Evaluate (Int)
Forbidden Lore (Archeotech, Heresy, Pirates, Xenos +10) (Int)
Gamble (Int)
Inquiry (Fel)
Literacy (Int)
Logic (Int)
Performer (Musician)
Scholastic Lore (Archaic, Legend) (Int)
Scrutiny (Per)
Secret Tongue (Rogue Trader) (Int)
Security (Ag)
Silent Move (Ag)
Speak Language (Eldar +10, Low Gothic, Trader’s Cant, Fllurlokr) (Int)
Tech-Use (Int)
Trade (Archaeologist) (Int)

Basic
Carouse (T)
Climb (S)
Command (Fel)
Concealment (Ag)
Contortionist (Ag)
Disguise (Fel)
Intimidate (S)
Search (Per)
Speak Language (High Gothic) (Int)
Swim (S)

Spoiler: Talents

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Basic Weapon Training (Universal)

Enemy (Pirates)

Exotic Weapon: Shuriken Pistol

Good Reputation (Thousand Sons)

Melee Weapon (Primitive)

Peer (Academics, Nobility, Military, Thousand Sons, Underworld)

Quick Draw

Resistance (Fear)

Pistol Weapon Training (Universal)

Talented (Commerce)

Talented (FL Xenos)

Spoiler: Traits

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Etiquette: Nobles are schooled in how to comport themselves in all manner of formal situations. They gain a
+10 bonus on Interaction Skill Tests when dealing with high authority and in formal situations.

Legacy of Wealth: To be born an Imperial noble is to inherit a legacy of staggering wealth. Even a scorned scion enjoys access to resources beyond the wildest dreams of the toiling masses. This adds +1 to the group’s starting Profit Factor.

Seeker of Lore: The Seneschal may spend a Fate Point to automatically succeed at any Ciphers, Lore, or Logic Test. Doing so means that the Test is resolved in the minimum time required. In addition, the Seneschal adds one bonus Degree of Success to any successful Commerce, Inquiry, or Evaluate Test.

Supremely Connected: Nobles have extensive connections, and they know that dropping the “right” names into a conversation can open more doors than a fistful of Thrones. A starting noble born character begins play with the Peer (Nobility) Talent. Also, to reflect his family’s power base, he also gains one additional Peer from the following list: Academics, Adeptus Mechanicus, Administratum, Astropaths, Ecclesiarchy,
Government, Mercantile, Military, or Underworld.

Vendetta: Every noble house has its sworn enemies and rivals who would do it and its members harm. Even the protection of a Rogue Trader’s mission merely forces those who wish you harm to be a bit more cautious and subtle in exacting their vengeance. As a result, starting noble born characters have powerful enemies, perhaps in the shape of a rival noble house or some other powerful group. The details of these enemies are left to the player and the Game Master to define, working together to create a formidable threat. Whilst they do not
dog the character’s steps at every turn, these enemies aim to inconvenience, harm, or kill him whenever he crosses their path. The noble character, of course, is free to return the favour when it’s expedient to do so.

Immune to Fear (1) Due to all the Insanity gained from the Processional

Purser: When replenishing Morale by spending Achievement Points (ROGUE TRADER page 226), the Purser only has to spend 25 Achievement Points, and may always make a Routine (+20) Barter Test instead of a Charm Test. (This test is always Routine, no matter how many times Morale is replenished in this manner.)

Spoiler: Wargear

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Best Craftsmanship hellpistol, Common Craftsmanship boltgun. Xeno mesh armour. Autoquill, dataslate, micro-bead, multikey, two sets of robes, synskin, chrono, cameleoline cloak.

Acquisitions
Preysense Googles
Lingua Vox-Servitor (Into the Storm 136) (Servo-Skull) (Treat all Speak Languages as basic skills) - Jacob
Mono Sword (Common + Scarce, Good Craftsmanship)
Amasec (Scarce)
Pict Recorder (Common)
Travel Survival Kit (Rare- Into the Storm 138) (Good Craft) (+20 to Survival tests)
Auspex
Wideawake (Trivial supply)
Survival Suit
Twist Pistol (Faith and Coin)

Flechette Blaster (See beginning of Hollowed Ground - xenos merchant)

Possibles
New gun
Sight for the bolter
Inferno shells for the bolter (rare)
Clip harness for climbing (Common)
Survival Suit (Plentiful)
Auspex (Scarce)
Concealed Holster (Scarce Storm)
Emergency Hab (Scarce Strm)
Long Range Auspex (Very Rare)

Spoiler: Advances

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Total XP: 12, 550 total (after the ork hulk) / 100 to spend (check the maths)
added 1200 after Scintilla
added 1000 after the Eldar device
14,750 total

Character Creation
First 400xp spent on origin path
Performer (Musician) (100)

Rank 1
Awareness (100)
Charm (100)
Sound Constitution (200)
Dodge (100)
Secret Tongue (Rogue Traders) (100)
Security (100)
Silent Move (100)

+5 WS (250)
+5 BS (250)
+5 T (250)
+5 Ag (250)
+5 Int (100) +5 Int (250)
+5 Per (100) +5 Per (250)
+5 Wp (500)
+5 Fel (100) +5 Fel (250)


Rank 2
Commerce +10 (200)
Melee Weapon (Prim) (100)
Scrutiny (200)
Trade (Archaeologist) (200)
Gamble (200)
Tech-Use (200)
Common Lore (Koronus) (200)
-1300

Rank 3
Awareness +10 (200)
Commerce +20 (200)
Speak Language (Eldar) (200)
Exotic (Scorpion Chainsword) (500)
Exotic (Fllurlokr gun) (500)
Common Lore (Imperium) (200)

Sound Con (200)
Quick Draw (200)

Rank 4
BS +5 (500)
Common Lore (Underworld) +10 (200)
Decieve +10 (200)
Logic (200)
Talented (Commerce) (200)
Ciphers (Underworld) +10 (200xp)
Exotic Weapon (Shuriken Pistol) (500xp)

Special
Forbidden Lore (Heresy) (200)
Talented (FL Xenos) (200)
Speak Language (Fllurlokr) (100)
Resistance (Fear) (100)
Speak Language (Eldar) +10 (100xp)
Forbidden Lore (Xenos) +10 (200xp)

Spoiler: Background

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Messy version until I can do a better job

Background
Anika is the daughter of a mid-ranking noble family from the spire of Hive Tarsus on Scintilla. The Vanhals have a prestigious ancestry dating back to one of the lesser companions of Saint Drusus, and have a long history of military service in the Scintillan Fusilliers. Both her parents have minor administrative positions in the Lucid Court. Some of her brothers and sisters are serving in the Margin Crusade and the Spinward Front. Most notably, her grandfather was a Lord General before his retirement.

By the standards of this family Anika was something of a disappointment growing up. She could fight, but was only ever considered average with a sword. Matters of military history, tactics and memorising the Tacita Imperialis bored her and she wasn't afraid to show it when she even showed up for her lessons. While she read extensively on other subjects, few were considered suitable by her parents. There was a brief attempt to marry her off to try to bring some honour to her family, but she managed to get out of it and in doing so created a vendetta with the other family that continues until this day. Finally, her parents gave up trying to force her. She would be sent to be educated at the Lexis Maxima in Hive Sibellus in order to make something of herself on her own terms. A small allowance would be provided for her in exchange for the promise that she would try her best not to embarass her family name too much.

Anika's school operated under the umbrella of the Hetaireia Lexis, which was a nominally a body that operated independently from any oversight from the Sector government or the Adapta. This independence made it popular with some parts of the Calixian nobility, who saw a place like the Lexis Maxima as a finishing school for their children. The patronage of the nobility helped give the Hetaireia Lexis it's reputation for free-thinking and ocasionally being a breeding ground for dangerous ideas, and Anika fit right in, even eventually becoming a member of the faculty herself.

She was officially a Doctor of History specialising in the time of the Angevain Crusade. The study of history attracted her in part because it undermined the pretensions of noble families like her own. Over a long enough time scale even the greatest families in the sector came from low origins, and the only difference between her famiy and the lowest of underhive scum was historical accident. Through research, she now strongly suspects that her own families claims to be descended from one of Saint Drusus' companions was made up by one of her ancestors a few centuries ago.

While she was still obliged to teach occasionally, Anika's work as a student and eventually as staff gave her an excuse to get away from Scintilla for the first time. She travelled the civilised parts of the Calixis Sector for academic conferences, and increasingly began travelling to the fringe to do fieldwork in archives and archaeological digs. Here, her work began to stray into trying to better understand everything that was here before the Crusade, including humans living outside the Imperium's borders and xenos races such as the Yu'vath. She firmly believed that it was better to uncover as much as possible about what was here before the Imperium.

Not even the Hetaireia Lexis would condone such interests, at least officially, as encouraging it was understood to attract the attention of the Inquisition. The school's reputation had long gained it the Inquisition's notice, where it was seen alternatively as a source of potential acolytes or of potential heretics that they might one day have to hunt down. Anika is unaware of whether her work was ever noticed or how it might have been judged if it was.

Eventually Anika had been travelling farther afield into the fringes of the Calixis Sector or beyond it into wilderness space, and this led to her expedition to the Kadath system on the edge of the Periphery. She had heard a second hand account with accompanying picts from a Rogue Trader acquaintence of hers. The picts detailed a site of immense carved stone ruins on one of the system's planets. Perhaps these were the bones of some city once inhabited by a long-lost xenos species, but there was no signs of life or technology to be found and it was not clear what else the ruins might have been intended for.

...(Insert Beyond the Pale here

The resulting expedition to study these ruins ended Anika's career and made her an outcast from her school.


-expedition leads to recovering a load of alien writing from the main building at the centre of the city - Anika hopes to one day translate it

-exploring a series of tunnels located below the city and waking up the creatures living down in the tunnels - who proceed to pick off many members of the expidition until they finally escape to the shuttles

-Anika lost friends and colleages on the expedition and has ocasional nightmares about it to this day)....

After returning from Kadath Anika lost her position at the Lexis Maxima, and was avoided by many of her old colleages out of a fear that the bad luck associated with the expedition would rub off on them. For her employers part, fear that news of what Anika and others had witnessed on Kadath would reach the Inquisition and it would reflect badly on those who had helped to fund it.

Joined a Rogue Trader ship as it is the only way she can travel. Grateful for anyway that she can continue her work. Wants to see what is out there and be known as the one to write about it. Whether she can publish it and be known throughout the sector, or merely to be known amongst her old colleages, including those that rejected her after Kadath.

Her previous life meant she has had alot of contact with people at alot of different levels of society, and so she is a natural Seneschal, even if she only considers the position a means to an end.

Personality
Although a dislike for many nobles has led to Anika trying to move away fron her upbringing, being born into a life of wealth and privilage has still left a mark on her. She long ago learned to talk or lie her way out of trouble, as it at least could make things easier, yet if she has no reason to hide how she really feels, or even if she doesn't care enough to try, she ocasionally reverts to being one of the arrogant noble class that she grew up with.

Appearance
Anika prefers not to dress formally for her role as a Seneschal to a Rogue Trader. Partly this is due to a lingering nobleborn ambivalence about working for someone else, which is particularly an ambivalence for working for someone like Macharius, who she has known for a long time and views as more or less an equal. Yet her attitude is also consistent with her previous career as an academic, where she viewed the obligations of her job as something to be avoided whenever they didn't interest her. Yet as a concession to her rank on the ship she does try to at least stay tidy, if only because it makes it easier to draw on the authority of her position when she has to deal with people in an official capacity.

For most everyday business she dresses for practicality. Her black hair is cut short and she wears clothes that are worn for comfort first as it is never entirely predicatable what she might have to do aboard ship. Over the top of these is worn a grey and much-patched Imperial Guard greatcoat that shows no sign of rank or regiment. Inside the coat are many pockets including those that she has added to herself over the years. The pockets are full of such useful items as her dataslate, knives and hellpistol. Most of her more valuable gear including her robes of office are normally left in her quarters until she needs some underling to fetch them for her.

Lord General Konrad Vanhal

Spoiler: Notes

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Voinovich - died on Kadath
Yu'vath box souvenir?

Spoiler: Auction Post

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Eldar weaponry - Anika has already identified these. Here's the stats now that you own them.
Scorpion Chainsword: (1d10+4, AP3, Tearing, Balanced) - uses Chain weapon proficiency.
Shuriken Pistol: (30m, S/3/5, 1d10+2R, Ap4, Clip 40, Rld 2Full) - this was supplied with one clip. You can make an upkeep test to obtain more. Count the availability as Very Rare. Needs an Exotic weapon proficiency.
Mandiblasters: (3m, S/-/-, 1d10+3E, AP2, Clip 30, Rld Full, Reliable) - these are fired once per round as a free action, and can be used in melee similar to a pistol. They are normally mounted to a helmet. Separate Exotic proficiency for these.
You also get 2 plasma grenades and two demolition charges. These are identifiably alien, but function identically to Imperial versions.

Fingerbones relic
The Fingerbones of Saint Asceline were a full set of the digits from the saint's right hand, as well as some of the hand bones, wired together with silver and set with the fore and middle fingers extended and the thumb across the palm, as though the Saint were granting a benediction in death. They were held in a small jeweled reliquary of dark wood and deep red silk, with a glass cover to allow the relics to be viewed. Strips of parchment covered in litanies were wound through the curled fingers, trailing downwards to gather in a pile at the base of the reliquary.

Asceline is a patron saint of explorers, and her touch is supposed to protect ships from the harmful influence of the warp. The presence of the Fingerbones aboard a vessel allows that vessel's navigator to re-roll their Navigation (Warp) test for Steering the Vessel. Additionally, whoever is carrying the relic gains the effects of the Resistance (Psychic Powers) talent.

Mixed firearms
These are predominantly SP guns, with a handful of Las mixed in. All of them are common craftsmanship, so it's more a matter of quantity. Lots of, as you put it, perfectly serviceable average guns. It'll let you get away without worrying about buying guns if you ever decide to outfit a small army. Count yourself as owning basically everything out of the SP section of the rules, as well as up to a squad's worth of lasguns/laspistols.

Navis memoirs
Katarina's memoirs were brought out - an unassuming looking leather-bound folio in hardcover. "A first edition," the auctioneer said, holding up the book for everyone to see. It wasn't small, but neither was it so large that he required both hands to lift it. "Finely bound by Fenksworld Publishing, this copy is nevertheless superior to the edition held by the Library of Knowing, as it has been annotated by both Tinde Alois, the famed Imperial lexographer, and by Katarina herself, several years after the initial print run." He flipped open the cover to display the title page, pointing to a scrawled name across the lower portion of the parchment. "See here, the author's signature!"

Initially, these are worth +10 on any Lore test to know something related to House Nostromo.

Pulse Carbine
Exotic weapon. Profile on p120, Into the Storm, reproduced here.
(Basic, 60m, S/-/3, 2d10+2E, AP4, Clip 24, Rld Full, Gyro-Stabilised, 6kg). Gyro-stabilised means you always count targets as being no further than Long Range. You still can't shoot at anything outside max range, though.

Medicae Servitor
Ravia knew a great deal about this particular pattern of servitor - it was relatively common, as specialised medical servitors went, largely because of its reliability and precision. It could be issued instructions remotely through an internal micro-bead, and featured a pair of injector mechadendrites and a broad array of implanted surgical tools. It would be an ideal assistant, but was also capable of operating on its own, fulfilling many of the functions of proper medical staff.

This particular model appeared to have been designed as a custom piece, built to the highest standards and fitted with pure white laquered armour plates with gilded trim. It also looked as though many of its tools were designed to be easily swapped out if they became worn from overuse.

This is right out of Lathe Worlds, p67. The important things are that it tests Medicae vs. 100 base, and that you can give it directions so it can function as an assistant. This particular version is Best Craftsmanship, and has +5 to Int, +5 to Strength, and +2 armour over the normal version. Int bonus is already included in the 100 medicae.

Engineer's Pocket Ref.
this exceptionally rare book dates back to the early days of the Imperium. It holds a wealth of knowledge, information on a variety of materials and subjects. It may not look it, unassuming as it is, but within these pages is information any junior tech adept would fall over themselves backwards to have.

This book allows anyone to count as trained for the purposes of providing assistance on Tech-Use. It also provides +5 on tests made to Craft items.

Scintillan Locker Contents.
None yet. You need to actually go look in the mystery box first.

Prognosticator Set
This took the form of a small brass device, formed of concentric rings, with a miniature cogitator at its core. The rings had slots for various circuit runes, and the device plugged in to a board of coloured lights. "This form of divination," the auctioneer assured the assembled crowd, "is based entirely on logical principles, and does not rely on occult ritual or esoteric knowledge. The more complete the information you provide, the better the device's predictions will be.

This device allows its user to employ the Logis-Prophesying Skill, counting as Trained. It doesn't give you the skill, just lets you use it. Logis-Prophesying is in Lathe Worlds, p56-57. Effectively, it allows you to make an Int test to make educated guesses about likely future events, based on patterns provided by past events. It goes a little further than that, of course. Harder checks let you make predictions using increasingly less actual information.

Gilded Orrery
Then the gilded orrery was brought out; it was large, about the size of a munitorum fuel drum if you included the polished wooden stand table it was set into. A pair of blue lumen globes in the center slowly rotated about each other, and around those were multiple planetoids, each represented by a tiny gold ball set with faceted gemstones. The whole thing was in constant motion, the planets on their rings spinning about the center, and a holographic starfield tracking the motion of constellations across the miniature sky. It was powered by a rechargeable power cell, and represented no known system - it being a binary star would narrow the field considerably, but the galaxy was large, and much of it remained unmapped.

"There is a maker's mark on the casing, which may be seen here." The auctioneer said, pointing to a small brass plaque inset on one of the legs of the supporting wooden table. "It was constructed by Magos Arcan Paratus, of the Adeptus Mechanicus, some hundreds of years ago. As to its acquisition..."

"It was part of the family collection when I took the warrant," Calligos said. It was the first he'd spoken since taking his seat at the side of the stage. "Archivists said Elbor picked it up, some time in 535. Bought it at auction, part of an estate sale. Fitting to send it on in the same way, don't you think?"

As yet, this device has no known effect, beyond looking cool and being a conversation starter. Perhaps it will reveal more if you manage to find the system it depicts.

Laser Panthers
Ok, so this one I'm not sure how much to give you. Do you want a full statblock for these? What do you intend to use them for?

Spoiler: Malfi

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The bar that Frost had directed her towards was called the Seraphim’s Lament. It was located in one of the more run down districts of the continent spanning hive on the western landmass of Malfi.

Anika was supposed to be at an academic conference but had snuck out for this side trip. From what she had been told it was safe enough for her to be down here, but she had already heard the distant sounds of gunfire since she got off the tram. There were such places back home and she had visited them there without fear. Her family's influence was one thing, but the Hetaireia Lexis had clout with the right people in the lower hive and everyone seemed to know what might happen if anyone messed with the students or the faculty if they wanted somewhere out of the way to drink. Here she carried her bolter openly slung over one shoulder and tried to give the impression that she knew what she was doing.

At the door, the bouncer seemed to be augmented in some way that wasn’t immediately clear. His back bulged under his suit in ways that reminded her of a Tech Priest, and he stood at almost twice her size besides that. Yet he will sniff dismissively at her and wave her through anyway. Apparently they did not care enough even to confiscate her weapons.

Inside most of the clientele looked to her like off duty factory workers who were here to drink, but she could see how most people were armed as she was. Everything seemed congenial enough though, perhaps due to the presence of the people she was here to see. At the back of the bar was a dangerous looking trio of a man and two women in green armoured bodygloves. All carried swords slung over their backs and pistols of an unfamiliar design. They were clearly more interested in watching the crowd then drinking. With them was a figure that managed to be larger than the bouncer outside. The Ogryn was tucking into a giant platter of meat and seemed to be their backup. The man they were all there to guard waves her over just as one of the women reaches out to stop her passing.

She had been told that Strahne was an associate of the Malfian Kasballica and a go between with certain parties that liked to trade in the proscribed and the forbidden. You couldn’t grow up in the spires of Hive Sibellus without hearing of such people. Go to the right parties and you even saw some of it, but Strahne was supposed to be one of the best at the trade, and he had been away a long time before she had hired him. At least he looked the part. White hair and an expensive dark suit and some signs of gene tailoring. Strahne himself didn’t look armed but that was clearly what his hired muscle was for.

Anika will shake his hand and sit down gingerly, ‘So...do you have it?’ Best get it over with. She didn’t like to think about what else the man dealt in but the offer was too good to pass up.

Strahne will grin and hand her a package that had been sitting on the seat beside him. ‘Your money is good Doctor. Didn’t I tell you I’d even give you a discount if the rumour didn’t pan out?’ He is more interested in watching her reaction. ‘Go on unwrap it.’

He had a point. No point in leaving without checking her purchase was what he said it was. Inside the oil cloth was an iron bound chest about the size of her thesis. Inside was a book inscribed with the words Travels with Erasmus Harlock. The book looked singed around the edges but was basically intact. In the early days before things had gotten unpleasant, Joachim Kemmler had served as a priest on the famed Rogue Trader’s vessel and had written about his journeys out beyond the fringe. The man had been experienced enough a voidfarer to include maps. The book had long been declared heretical just from its association with Harlock. Anika had read the commentary on this book which declared most of Kemmler’s account to be unusually fanciful. She couldn’t say for that one way or the other but there was usually some truth to be gained from accounts like this. Plus, maps of the territory beyond the Calixis sector were few and far between. If she intended to go out there she needed to start somewhere.

Strahme leans back in his seat, still smiling, ‘You know I asked around about you. Perhaps you're a well educated dillenate but you ask the right questions and you know how to be discreet. That’s useful to know.’

‘What’s your point?’ She’ll close the box and rewrap it as she prepares to leave.

‘Well I pick up things here and there that you might be interested in. Have you ever heard of an Eldar spirit stone? My contact told me there’s a place where there’s a whole lot of them just lying around. There’s all kinds of xenos and archaeotech out there if that’s what you’re into. I can put you in contact with the right people if you’re interested and don’t mind the commission? I can show you where it’s buried.’

His grin widens as she can’t quite keep her interest from showing on her face. ‘And what is your fee Mr Strahne?’ It didn’t have to mean anything, she could judge everything on it’s merits. Dealing with this man was a necessary evil.

‘Oh, I’m sure I’ll think of something.’

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