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Post by Shara Tiinedra on Mar 29, 2016 16:19:24 GMT -6
Leaving Lycia was the most obvious course of action for Shara. It was not necessarily the sour memories that drove her away, though they nagged at her far more than she cared to admit. No, it was simply that she felt it necessary to lay low. Showing up to a client, the sole survivor of a mercenary group, and claiming the reward all for herself was inherently suspicious. After all she wasn't even a mercenary! She was a "mage in training" from Nabata.
Ilian or Etrurian parentage of course, depending on who asked. She did NOT look the part of a Nabatan either way.
Etruria was stable, solid, and strong...but a touch paranoid. One with a fabricated history looking to lay low could probably find a better part of Elibe to hide in. Bern was in the midst of a rebellion. Intriguing, yes, but it would inevitably draw Shara out to the fields themselves. And soldiers may be focused on surviving or at least killing their enemies, but a beauty in red tended to be distracting to the most disciplined men. Colour of passion and so forth. Either way she would be doing no hiding in Bern: she wanted to see the rebellion herself.
Ilia was, of course, the country being rebelled against. Dreadfully cold and barren. It was also a bit far from Lycia. As for Nabata, well, there was simply no way in hell that Shara intended to return to Nabata.
However, halfway between the two, was Sacae. She'd stick out like a sore thumb in Sacae. Even her most modest and humble dress would, to the average Sacaen, look like that of an Etrurian noblewoman's (they really had the best fashion, with Bern right behind them). However Sacae was still an easy place to lay low in, one simply needed to either afford an inn in Bulgar or get friendly with the locals.
Of course that was easier said than done. Sacaens had this thing against lying, or at least most of them did. Shara was a serial liar who was a bit too good at it to stop.
Though there was no guarantee they'd know it.
After careful consideration Shara had decided to leave Lycia, hitching rides from multiple carriages through the country en route to Sacae, taking the route through Araphen into the land of the green sea. Shara had seen the grassy plains before, with the mercenary company she had tagged along with, but it was still a refreshing sight. Grand architecture and bustling cities did grow tiresome.
"Of course grass tends to grow duller even quicker..." The dragoness thought to herself. Unfortunately she hadn't been able to convince the carriage to take her to the nearest tribe or village. So she had to find such a place herself...and she'd had little luck. The dragoness was running low on water and food, as well.
In fact, getting past the lovely red dress she was wearing, she actually looked pretty worse for wear. Exhausted, she staggered with each step she took. If she didn't find a safe place to rest, with food to eat, she'd likely collapse. Of course she could try to tap into her dragonstone, but if she still didn't accomplish these goals it would only speed up the process.
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Post by Midori on Mar 30, 2016 13:24:50 GMT -6
It had been another quiet day on the plains. Midori was alone in her journey back to her tribe's main village. This was rare for the young troubadour as she was often accompanied by either her mentor or by another of the village guards. Usually this other guard was Skai the sniper and general pain in Midori's side. Her task today was to deliver a message between the main village and a smaller village. This path or road between the two villages was very safe and well traveled by the Chaklai tribe.
Midori had traveled this many times. She traveled it so much that even Ashes her horse had memorized the way. As the pair of them walked something had caught the healer's eye. Off in the distance she could see a red something or rather a someone. She squinted her eyes slightly and raised her hand towards her forehead in order to block the sun's rays. She could now see that the red was a part of someone's clothing. Now from this distance she can't tell if the red was part of the dye or if that person was bleeding. Midori carefully tugged on Ashes reigns and guided the horse out towards the red clad stranger. As she got closer she could see that the person was a woman. A rather pretty, fair skinned woman, with long blonde hair. She could sense something faint coming off the woman but was unsure what it was. Persons who use magic all seemed to give off the same sort of vibe. The scripture and books of magic mentioned it. That there was a certain aura or spirit that casters gave off that tied them to the element of their choosing. Midori only had a basic understanding of the principles behind the magic. And even with that knowledge she could only just barely sense it.
It felt similar to what Lady Lucy felt like whenever she cast her magic. Whenever Lady Lucy fired her light magic, Midori could sense a strange heat kind of like sunlight, coming off of the Valkyrie. But Lady Lucy's "heat" was different then this woman's. She felt "warm" like a campfire. It was strange but it was nice. Regardless of what it was she was kind of happy to be around it. But the woman seemed to be worn out from traveling through the plains. This was not uncommon. Travelers far and wide often had trouble dealing with the plains. She stopped Ashes a few paces away from the woman and started speaking.
"Excuse me, but are you alright?"
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Post by Shara Tiinedra on Mar 30, 2016 13:57:58 GMT -6
"Who'd have thought...all those years spent in Nabata, and yet the Sacaen sun beating down on my back is too much for me. Pitiful." Of course it was not the heat that was doing Shara in. Just exhaustion, fatigue. But where would she rest?
Soon she heard someone call out to her. Shara glanced up at them and focused her mind on the person. A rider, Sacaen, with pink hair and interesting robes. Didn't look like the typical light clothing Sacaen warriors wore but it was no doubt cut from the same cloth. She looked like a mounted healer, like Etruria typically employed. Perhaps Sacae had them as well? Fascinating...when she was well she would have to learn more about Sacaen mages and healers. The manakete was certain they would be different from their Etrurian and Lycian counterparts.
Shara's vision briefly went blurry and she had to shake her head gently to focus on the other woman once again. Right, there would be a time for learning and prying later. For now she had to focus on this rider, in the hopes she could be her salvation.
"Oh...I have certainly been better." Shara replied weakly, giving the pink haired rider a small smile. "I suppose I just bit off more than I could chew with this journey. I have run low on food and water, and could really use a rest...I don't suppose you know a place that would welcome a weary traveler?"
Sacaens were proud and noble people. Some, especially nobles and the ignorant of other countries, viewed them as savages for how they chose to live. In huts and tents over houses and proper buildings. Yet they were simply modest, respectful of their land. At least that was what Shara's books had said. There had also been a Sacaen archer in her old mercenary troop. A quiet lad, reserved, but he was forthcoming and honest.
The information Shara had on Sacaens was enough to make her trust that this pink haired rider would be kind and hospitable. Perhaps not especially generous, but culture could run deep in one's veins.
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Post by Midori on Apr 1, 2016 12:57:22 GMT -6
Midori kept looking at the lady in red. She certainly did seem to be very worn. The healer carefully descended down off of her horse, grabbed a pouch of water from her bag, and approached the woman. She unhooked her staff from Ashes saddle bags in case she needed to heal the woman. Midori offered the woman the leather canteen of water. She would offer the woman food too if she had it. But the journey between villages was so short that she did not feel the need to bring food.
"Here. Have some water." Midori smiled softly hoping to make a good impression. The Sacean healer took a moment to carefully eye the woman for any injuries. She didn't look like she had any injuries. At least not any obvious ones like cuts, scrapes, or bruises. It was entirely possible that the woman in red had a sprained ankle or headache. Midori was almost certain of the headache. As it was one of the first symptoms of hunger and dehydration.
"I apologize for not having any food to offer. I can take you to the nearest village. There's an inn where you may rest and regain your strength. Do you have enough strength to mount a horse?" The pink haired healer asked in a curious voice. Midori was confident in Ashes's strength to ride with two people. Midori had given rides to people before. The horse would probably be slowed down a bit but would other wise still be mobile.
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Post by Shara Tiinedra on Apr 1, 2016 13:16:41 GMT -6
Shara was relieved when the healer offered her a leather canteen of water. "Oh thank you. Thank you so much..." The manakete gratefully accepted the offer and chugged back a few gulps of the liquid. It was so relieving, soothing on her throat, but obviously she would not feel the benfits to this water immediately.
"An inn? Thank you that...that sounds perfect." The healer had no food, but the water was more satisfactory: especially since she provided Shara with such useful information. An inn and a village. Good information to have. It meant Shara had at least been somewhat on the right track despite not being familiar with Sacae, at least not enough to make such a journey. Clearly she had needed rest before even setting off. The manakete was normally not so reckless. Perhaps that...incident...had gotten to her more than she cared to admit.
"If you can give me a hand I think I can manage to mount your horse." In truth Shara did likely have the strength to climb onto it herself, however she was certain if an ordinary human woman of her stature could manage the feat on her own. Shara constantly had to balance under and overestimating the physical capabilities of humans. Even centuries with them in Arcadia had only been so enlightening on the matter.
Shara approached the horse's side and extended a hand up to the pink haired healer, giving a small and weak smile as she waited for the woman to take it. "Also, I feel I should know my savior's name, so allow me to introduce myself. I am Shara, Shara Tiinedra."
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Post by Midori on Apr 1, 2016 19:55:26 GMT -6
“You are welcome m’lady.” Midori took back her canteen once the woman was finished with it. The woman in red seemed to be relieved that there was a village nearby. Midori gave a slight bow to the woman. As she had a suspicion that this woman had to have been someone of higher class. Regular travelers do not wear such elegant clothes. Midori was both relieved and ecstatic as it wasn’t too often she got to show off her home village to outsiders. Hopefully, with a little more exposure the Chaklai could get a little more notoriety. Midori took a step back and returned the canteen back to her pouch. Shara Tindera. How exotic. And how fitting.. She.. does kinda feel like warm embers.
“Oh I’m no savior. I just happened to be here at the right time. The village is still about an hour away. Pleasure to meet you Lady Shara. My name is Midori. Midori of the Chaklai and this” She gave a few affectionate pats to her horse’s head.
“This is Ashes.” The gray mare gave a slight whip of her tail. The horse was not much of a talker. Midori carefully mounted her horse and adjusted herself so that there would be room enough for Shara.
“Mounting the horse is a bit tricky. Put your legs in the leg holster pull, pull yourself up, swing a leg over, take a seat, then grab my waist.” Midori smiled softly and grabbed the woman’s hand and helped her onto the saddle.
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Post by Shara Tiinedra on Apr 3, 2016 0:14:30 GMT -6
Midori of the Chaklai. Information gathered: the rider was of a tribe known as the Chaklai. Shara did not have a satisfactory amount of knowledge regarding known Sacaen tribes, only that there were many. Some old and some new. She would have to see where the Chaklai fit in compared to the other tribes. What separated them? Made them unique? Was it their use of mounted healers?
"Thank you Midori..." Shara followed Midori's instructions and was able to successfully mount the horse. Thankfully this hadn't been her first time mounting a horse, but it had been her first time doing so whilst exhausted and slightly dehydrated. Her vision blurred from the sudden movement but she was able to keep steady. Shara gave the horse a gentle pat. "And thank you, Ashes."
Sacaens treated their horses differently from most. Knights, particularly Lycians, were stated to treat their steeds as extensions of themselves. Of course not everyone followed that, but Shara trusted the book she had read regardless. Sacaens, however, treated steeds as individuals. Equals. They cherished their lives just as they did the lives of their tribesman. A good way to earn the trust and respect of a Sacaen was to treat their steed with the same respect you treated them. It showed good character.
Or, rather, it showed a basic understanding of Sacaen culture.
"It's a pleasure to meet you both. And even if the trip is an hour long, you may as well be my savior. Who knows what would have happened had you not found me." Death, possibly, but that was a rather extreme result. More likely she would have transformed and flew to the nearest isolated body of water, causing a massive scene for any who saw her. At best she'd be mistaken for a very large wyvern.
"And if this journey is to take an hour then..." Shara brought a hand to her forehead and massaged it. She did not feel pain, but it helped her focus. "Then we'd best get better acquainted, lest the journey be long. You plan on taking me to your village, with the...Chaklai, was it?" Shara hadn't forgotten the name, not even for an instant. But an outsider picking up on the name of a Sacaen tribe so swiftly, especially whilst exhausted and dehydrated, would no doubt prove odd. Shara had to keep to the situation she was in and allow it to limit her.
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Post by Midori on Apr 6, 2016 15:46:06 GMT -6
Ashes gave a small grunt as Shara climbed up onto her back. THe healer was happy that Lady Shara managed to climb up onto her horse without much help. If that failed then she would have to have given Ashes a command to lie down. Which probably would have caused more problems. Midori adjusted her seat so as to accommodate Shara. Then Midori guided Ashes down the path to home. Their destinations were westwards. Out towards the mountains. The Chaklai’s base village was located in the one of the plateaus of the mountains.
“You are welcome Lady Shara.” The young troubadour cheeks were flushed with a light pink. It wasn’t often she had a relatively complete stranger so close to her on horse back. Let alone someone who could possibly be of a higher class. The whole experience seemed to make her heart race a tad bit. But she kept her composure and kept Ashes going at a steady pace. Lady Shara had asked about Midori’s home village.
“The tribe name is Chaklai. The place we are going to.. We call it Seinaru Mura. Which.. Simply means ‘holy village’. Due to the fact that we have our holy temple there. It’s also like our capital.” I think I should explain.
“The Chaklai aren’t like most of the Sacaen tribes. Other tribes tend to roam around the land following the seasons. We don’t do that since, we have a settlement.” She looked and smiled softly. She wanted to appear friendly and hospitable. But she was also concerned for the health and safety of her passenger.
“If you are tired you can rest your head on my shoulder.”
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Post by Shara Tiinedra on Apr 8, 2016 19:20:12 GMT -6
The young healer seemed a touch nervous, for some reason. Shara could easily rule out the reasons that she was not nervous; Shara carried no weapons or armour, had few possessions on her person beyond her clothing and her back carrying more clothing, Shara by nature was not horribly intimidating. If she was nervous it was likely a more personal thing. Shara's clothing implied great wealth or even potential status. Sacaens were humble and modest, or so her books had said. Midori was simply no different in that regard. Unfortunate, but far from terrible.
Shara focused as best she could on Midori's words and this time her vision did not give out on her. It seemed the Chaklai's largest difference compared to other tribes was simply that they chose to live in a rooted village. They were not the nomads of the plains that other Sacaen's were. This did make things easier for Shara in terms of recovering. No risk of showing up to the settlement just as they had plans to relocate for one reason or another. Of course, if they had rival tribes, it also meant they were easy pickings. Any other tribe would always know their location after all. Apparently Sacae was rather unified around this time, however. The larger threat Etruria possessed was the cause of this, along with the rebellion in neighboring Bern.
"Interesting..." Was Shara's response as she deconstructed the information provided. Per the healer's request Shara gently laid her head against the pinkette's shoulder, quieting her voice so as not to speak too loudly so close to her ear. "Do you have any idea why your tribe decided against a nomadic lifestyle? Why the village is called the holy village?"
Knowing the facts was the greatest importance, but what the facts meant was also important. Shara understood that the Chaklai were different in some regards to the other tribes, but now she needed to know why they had chose to be so.
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Post by Midori on Apr 11, 2016 18:05:33 GMT -6
The healer’s heart skipped a beat when Shara put her head on her shoulder. Even though she had offered the gesture she wasn't exactly prepared for it. Midori wasn't accustomed to people being so close to her. She could feel that her face had gotten a lot warmer all of a sudden. A sign that she was blushing hard. Midori pushed back her nerves and tried to relax. And fortunately for her Shara asked her a few questions about her tribe. Midori was almost all too happy to recite her people's history. It would help distract her from her own personal nerves. But, she felt like she had to shorten it down. Her clan's history was quite long and filled with many people. Many leaders of both important religious significance and warriors. Lady Shara might be lulled to sleep if she even tried to recite it. Midori fell asleep a few times in learning the history. And apparently this wasn't uncommon.
“I.. shall try my best to give you a short hand version. Long ago.. before the scouring our people were nomads. We followed together ancient paths of our ancestors and lived off the land as best we could. During.. the scouring… Our people became… divided. We lost.. many people through the ages. Towards the end of the Scouring.. our leader at the time.. saw fit to find a home for what remained of our people. After some divine revelation we settled in the mountains close to the Bernese borders.” She sighed softly. She wanted to say so much more.
“It's a holy place for many reasons. The most common being that the summit of the mountain was where our chief got his divine revelation to settle the area.” She paused for a bit to think. Then spoke.
“I'm not sure if it was divine revelation or just hallucinations from exhaustion. But whatever it was it ended up being good for the Chaklai. It took many generations and a lot of work but we managed to make a settlement. Now it is home.”
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Post by Shara Tiinedra on Apr 12, 2016 17:30:04 GMT -6
Midori offered a shortened version for why her tribe defied the nomadic lifestyle of others, settling for one home instead. Shara would have preferred the longer version but she wasn't about to argue. The right questions and a sharp mind could squeeze out any extra information she might need or desire. So Shara listened to Midori carefully, quietly, and patiently. The girl had a good voice for story telling, or at least Shara thought as much. It was clear but pleasant.
"Ah, yes. The Scouring inspired many radical decisions, or so the texts say." Shara was fortunate to have been born long after the Scouring, so she wasn't one of those hidden drakes that had to hide any involvement or still bore painful memories from that time. Still, she decided to keep any and all mention of dragons out of her answer. Better safe than sorry. "
"So the chief claimed a divine revelation. Fascinating. I have to wonder if this revelation came from Father Sky? Or Mother Earth?" The question was purely curious, though it likely could be taken as sarcasm.
Yes, Shara knew of them. These odd gods of nature that the Sacaens worshipped. It was still significantly less silly than worshipping a mere mortal woman like the rest of Elibe did. Shara never had the pleasure of meeting St.Elimine, but she was convinced that the woman had been nothing more than a truly gifted user of soul magic. Those gifts didn't come from up on high, from the heavens, but from within herself.
"Alas that was a rather simplistic answer, but it sounds honest enough. Thank you for sharing, Midori." Shara paused before going on. "Was there anything else unique to your tribe that you could share?"
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Post by Midori on Apr 13, 2016 17:36:49 GMT -6
Midori found herself smiling and giggling a bit at Shara’s comment about which celestial beings of the world gave their first leader a divine vision. While the Chaklai believed in Father Sky and Mother Earth they also worshiped other things. And it seemed that Lady Shara was interested in learning more about it. But perhaps this trip through the plains wasn’t the best time for such conversation. Why bother talking about it when there was probably a good chance that she was going to witness it first hand later today.
“We.. have many unique things. Our.. first leader.. Unified us. His family and followers.. They were appalled by the state of the world after the scouring. They.. were tired of war. Once, we established our selves. We regrouped. We rebuilt. We focused inwards in spiritual reflection. We wished to see a world unified in peace. The clan prides itself on that belief. So.. we tend to focus on a bit more pious life. Like farming, crafting, arts, and eventually our clan began reaching out to other people.” She looked down a bit. They were roughly a little over halfway to their destination.
“Some.. other tribes do not favor our way of life. They frown at us for being so open to outsiders. But it is thanks to outside influence like Bern and Lycia that our tribe has managed to survive. We have come a long way.” She looked up and smiled. She had pride for her clan and their methods.
“Oh.. but.. I’m sorry. I’m probably talking your ear off. I’m sure you probably just want to rest.”
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Post by Shara Tiinedra on Apr 15, 2016 11:28:28 GMT -6
Midori continued on discussing her tribe, which worked rather perfectly for Shara. It helped pass the time and also fed her insatiable curiosity. It seemed this tribe was rather peaceful, which only made sense. No need to be so warlike if they had a set home. There was little risk of trespassing the current territory of another tribe, or at least the risk was diminished. Their focus on spiritual reflection could also be why Midori was not the sword or bow wielding Sacaen that one would expect, but rather a healer.
However Midori also spoke of being ostracized and judged by other tribes. That was inevitable. Even if her tribe was no different from the standard they would still be criticized for something or another. That was just the human way: always separating other members of their own species for differences that either did not matter or did not even exist. Their concept of "race" was amusing, fascinating, and yet so backwards. Etrurians and Sacaens, for example, were only so different, and Shara would view them as "human" over their country of birth regardless. As for differences that didn't exist, well, borders weren't drawn in the land, after all. Just defined by the imaginations of man and the fictional drawings on maps.
As soon as Midori apologized Shara chuckled softly. "Please, I insisted on you sharing this information. You aren't talking my ear off at all." Rather, she was making an otherwise dull trip tolerable. "I am not surprised other tribes do not approve of your ways. Even though they are drastically different, I assure you other tribes would find some fault in yours regardless of how your tribe chose to live."
Shara paused for a moment to compose her next question, shifting her head slightly into a more comfortable position on the healer's shoulder. "You mention peace and spiritual reflection. Is that why you were taught the ways of the staff instead of the bow and sword?" She could speculate, but it was still best to confirm the knowledge.
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Post by Midori on Apr 23, 2016 12:11:21 GMT -6
“Finding fault in things seems to be a part of the human condition. We have come to terms with that. We understand the tribe is not without faults. As the saying goes, nothing is perfect.” Midori gently kicked Ashes side. The horse gingerly picked up the pace. They could see mountain ranges of home now. And even this far out one could see the various thin wisps of smoke from the various camp fires.
There were few simple fences dotting small patches of land around them. They were getting closer and closer to civilization.
“Yes. Our scriptures and peaceful ways of living is what guided our tribe to the staff. I was raised in the temple with the monks,sisters, and other orphans. Although we work to try and live a peaceful existence and be courteous to our neighbors… we understand that the world.. is chaotic. Not all people do not look at the world with such.. kind ambitions. So we raise a handful of fighters to help defend us. We are also notorious for adopting outsiders into our clan. They pass a spiritual trial and swear an oath. It is usually them who make up a bulk of our fighting force. Unless, it's harvest or planting season. Then everyone is a farmer.” She joked lightly.
“Regardless of where they come from once you are sworn in you are a Chaklai for the remainder of your life.” She smiled softly. But then frowned lightly.
“As.. nice as I am making the tribe out to be.. it isn't all grand. Like all civilizations we have laws and customs. If the law is broken.. then punishment is dealt. Sometimes this punishment is merciful sometimes.. it is not.” The troubadour sighed softly. She had spoken enough about her tribe for the time being. They were close enough now to see the black gates of the town.
“Tell me a bit about yourself Lady Shara.”
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Post by Shara Tiinedra on Apr 25, 2016 10:54:05 GMT -6
It seemed Midori had some rather apt bits of wisdom to share. Granted much of it was already known to the dragoness, such as humanity's tendency to focus on faults, but she still appreciated that the pinkette also understood this. Shara's eyes shifted to some rather simple fences. Fences in Sacae? They had to be getting close.
Apparently the Chaklai were willing to take in outsiders. Did that include non-Sacaens? Deserters from other tribes? It seemed foolish, and yet perhaps it was that sort of foolishness that was so needed in Elibe. A willingness to be open and accept others. It was so tragic that such behavior could easily lead to one's total annihilation. "I applaud your tribe's openness. I do hope it does not come back to haunt you, though."
Evidently they had strict laws. Understandable. All tribes in Sacae had strictures and rules. All civilizations required laws of some sort in order to function. Midori seemed a bit troubled, sharing that fact. Perhaps she had bore witness to the more...merciless punishments. Probably things like exile or hanging, though the latter sounded more like a Bernese punishment.
Before Shara could prod further information from the Sacaen she found herself on the receiving end of a question. It would be rude not to answer, and Shara supposed Midori had spoken enough. Still, for a life as long as hers, it was difficult to fabricate a "human" starting point. Details would need to be forged as she spoke, but if she could get away with a more simplistic answer than she had little to worry about: she had that prepared.
"I was born in Nabata, believe it or not, to two Ilian parents." Shara began, speaking softly. "Home was...nice, but, a bit dull, so I didn't waste much time in leaving to strike out on my own. Since then I've traveled about Elibe with a mercenary company. We'd since parted, and so I came here on my own...woefully unprepared, I might add."
Shara chuckled softly. "That's all I can really think of off the top of my head. Unless you had some more specific questions to ask of me."
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