LORE EXPANSION – 01: NPC’s.
This is a lore expansion for the IEF. These will pop up from time to time, either as players discover more notable content, or as I find the time to add the entries. These won’t happen too often (because it’ll be time efficient to do large updates than several small ones), but they will happen from time to time.
This one is focused on the NPC’s surrounding your characters. They play major and minor roles in the story.
Final Note: NPC’s in the Crew and Command sections of the IEF use ranks akin to the US Navy, though with some renamed to better befit the fact that they are in space. NPC’s in the EF Detachment, like PC’s, use US Marine Corps ranks. This further distinguishes the roles that each section of the IEF plays—there is a clear difference in the command structure of the EF, and in the command structure of the crews they protect. In general, jurisdiction is given to the highest ranked officer. The only exception being if a situation appears that is within the domain of a specific discipline. IE: Crew of equal rank have final say on ship functions, expeditionary forces of equal rank have final say on alien worlds or in dangerous situations.
There are exceptions to the command line, but they are few and far between, and typically require the authority of senior officers. (Ex: Finding a senior officer to be unfit for duty.) You won’t need to know them all.
Here is the full list of IEF Ranks.
Below are the list of NPC’s on record that your characters should know about, as it’s pertinent to their lives. You can look them up whenever you need to.
The IC is going live soon... (Thursday or Friday.)
You can access my Discord with this link. It is my Discord server, and it has a channel for the IEF Venture, as well as channels for general conversation. If you’d like to keep up with developments for the RP as they happen, or just want to coordinate better with other players, you may find this a useful tool.
This is a lore expansion for the IEF. These will pop up from time to time, either as players discover more notable content, or as I find the time to add the entries. These won’t happen too often (because it’ll be time efficient to do large updates than several small ones), but they will happen from time to time.
This one is focused on the NPC’s surrounding your characters. They play major and minor roles in the story.
Final Note: NPC’s in the Crew and Command sections of the IEF use ranks akin to the US Navy, though with some renamed to better befit the fact that they are in space. NPC’s in the EF Detachment, like PC’s, use US Marine Corps ranks. This further distinguishes the roles that each section of the IEF plays—there is a clear difference in the command structure of the EF, and in the command structure of the crews they protect. In general, jurisdiction is given to the highest ranked officer. The only exception being if a situation appears that is within the domain of a specific discipline. IE: Crew of equal rank have final say on ship functions, expeditionary forces of equal rank have final say on alien worlds or in dangerous situations.
There are exceptions to the command line, but they are few and far between, and typically require the authority of senior officers. (Ex: Finding a senior officer to be unfit for duty.) You won’t need to know them all.
Here is the full list of IEF Ranks.
These are the ranks correlating to your organization. These are based on US Marine Corp ranks.
NCO’s: NCO’s are Non-Commissioned Officers. Within the Expeditionary Forces, these represent the front line staff that serve as soldiers, medics, scientists, engineers, and diplomats.
*From the rank of Sergeant and up, squad-level command tasks become far more common.
**There can only be one of these at any given time, per vessel in the IEF Fleet.
Officers: Officers are officially educated persons tasked with the responsibility of managing NCO’s. It is possible for an NCO from the rank of Sergeant and above to obtain an Officer’s Commission based on merit, but it is more common for higher ranked NCO’s to obtain an Officer’s Commission than lower ranked ones. If your character achieves an officer rank, they will generally outrank most of the crew, and other players around them—this is a great responsibility.
*A Captain in the Expeditionary Forces does not have the same authority as one in the Command & Crew line. They have the equivalent authority to a lieutenant in the Command & Crew line.
**Generals are always beholden to the commands of the admiralty, also known as Fleet Command. The only exception is if they can verify that an order is being committed with the intent to advance the political interests of an individual nation state within the IEF, or if it would result in unnecessary fatalities via unreasonable risk. The IEF Venture does not start with a general on board, and they are often not found on starships at all.
NCO’s: NCO’s are Non-Commissioned Officers. Within the Expeditionary Forces, these represent the front line staff that serve as soldiers, medics, scientists, engineers, and diplomats.
*From the rank of Sergeant and up, squad-level command tasks become far more common.
**There can only be one of these at any given time, per vessel in the IEF Fleet.
- Private First Class (PFC)
- Lance Corporal (LCpl)
- Corporal (Cpl)
- Sergeant* (Sgt)
- Staff Sergeant (Ssgt)
- Gunnery Sergeant (GySgt)
- First Sergeant
- Sergeant Major (SgtMaj)
- Sergeant Major of the Ship** (SgtMajEF)
Officers: Officers are officially educated persons tasked with the responsibility of managing NCO’s. It is possible for an NCO from the rank of Sergeant and above to obtain an Officer’s Commission based on merit, but it is more common for higher ranked NCO’s to obtain an Officer’s Commission than lower ranked ones. If your character achieves an officer rank, they will generally outrank most of the crew, and other players around them—this is a great responsibility.
*A Captain in the Expeditionary Forces does not have the same authority as one in the Command & Crew line. They have the equivalent authority to a lieutenant in the Command & Crew line.
**Generals are always beholden to the commands of the admiralty, also known as Fleet Command. The only exception is if they can verify that an order is being committed with the intent to advance the political interests of an individual nation state within the IEF, or if it would result in unnecessary fatalities via unreasonable risk. The IEF Venture does not start with a general on board, and they are often not found on starships at all.
- Second Lieutenant (2ndLt)
- First Lieutenant (1stLt)
- Captain* (Capt)
- Major (Maj)
- Lieutenant Colonel (LtCol)
- Colonel (Col)
- Brigadier General (BGen)
- Major General (MajGen)
- Lieutenant General (LtGen)
- General** (Gen)
These are the ranks coordinating to the organization of the crew and command level staff that run the ship around you. These are based on US Naval Ranks.
NCO’s: NCO’s are Non-Commissioned Officers. Within the Crew, these rank as the every day personnel that fix every day things. There are no Command staff at this level.
*POTC’s start at the equivalent rank of a Corporal in the Expeditionary Forces, meaning that PFC’s and LCpl’s are effectively incapable of ordering any of the crew around.
**MCPO’s have specializations aboard the ship, and their rank insignia specifies this. The specializations are: Medical, Engineering, Maintenance, and Science. Further specializations may appear as is necessary, but these are the four that matter the most.
***There can only be one of these at any given time, per vessel, per specialization in the IEF Fleet.
Officers: Officers are officially educated persons tasked with the responsibility of managing NCO’s. It is possible for an NCO from the rank of Chief Petty Officer and above to obtain an Officer’s Commission based on merit, but it is more common for higher ranked NCO’s to obtain an Officer’s Commission than lower ranked ones. There shouldn’t ever be a PC member of the Crew, so this only applies to NPC’s who you can help or harm with your actions and words.
The Command staff are all Officers. There are some among the Crew who have achieved these ranks as well—typically senior Medical, Engineering, Maintenance, and Science division staff.
*There should only ever be one of these persons at this rank aboard any ship in the IEF Fleet at any time, and generally speaking, short of a medically proven case of insanity, their authority should go unquestioned.
**Admirals do not generally serve aboard ships. They may take command or accompany ships if they should so desire, or if their duties require them to do so, but they will almost always be found aboard IEF stations or in IEF offices on Earth. If your career somehow reaches this point, your days on the front line are long, long gone.
***In the US, this rank is reserved for wartime only. In the IEF, the Fleet Admiral speaks on behalf of the admiralty board as a figurehead. He is almost equivalent to a president in terms of his sheer, executive powers.
NCO’s: NCO’s are Non-Commissioned Officers. Within the Crew, these rank as the every day personnel that fix every day things. There are no Command staff at this level.
*POTC’s start at the equivalent rank of a Corporal in the Expeditionary Forces, meaning that PFC’s and LCpl’s are effectively incapable of ordering any of the crew around.
**MCPO’s have specializations aboard the ship, and their rank insignia specifies this. The specializations are: Medical, Engineering, Maintenance, and Science. Further specializations may appear as is necessary, but these are the four that matter the most.
***There can only be one of these at any given time, per vessel, per specialization in the IEF Fleet.
- Petty Officer Third Class* (PO3)
- Petty Officer Second Class (PO2)
- Petty Officer First Class (PO1)
- Chief Petty Officer (CPO)
- Senior Chief Petty Officer (SCPO)
- Master Chief Petty Officer** (MCPO)
- Master Chief Petty Officer of the Ship*** (MCPON)
Officers: Officers are officially educated persons tasked with the responsibility of managing NCO’s. It is possible for an NCO from the rank of Chief Petty Officer and above to obtain an Officer’s Commission based on merit, but it is more common for higher ranked NCO’s to obtain an Officer’s Commission than lower ranked ones. There shouldn’t ever be a PC member of the Crew, so this only applies to NPC’s who you can help or harm with your actions and words.
The Command staff are all Officers. There are some among the Crew who have achieved these ranks as well—typically senior Medical, Engineering, Maintenance, and Science division staff.
*There should only ever be one of these persons at this rank aboard any ship in the IEF Fleet at any time, and generally speaking, short of a medically proven case of insanity, their authority should go unquestioned.
**Admirals do not generally serve aboard ships. They may take command or accompany ships if they should so desire, or if their duties require them to do so, but they will almost always be found aboard IEF stations or in IEF offices on Earth. If your career somehow reaches this point, your days on the front line are long, long gone.
***In the US, this rank is reserved for wartime only. In the IEF, the Fleet Admiral speaks on behalf of the admiralty board as a figurehead. He is almost equivalent to a president in terms of his sheer, executive powers.
- Ensign (ENS)
- Lieutenant Junior Grade (LTJG)
- Lieutenant (LT)
- Lieutenant Commander (LCDR)
- Commander (CDR)
- Captain* (CAPT)
- Rear Admiral** (RDML)
- Rear Admiral Upper Half (RADM)
- Vice Admiral (VADM)
- Admiral (ADM)
- Fleet Admiral*** (FA)
Below are the list of NPC’s on record that your characters should know about, as it’s pertinent to their lives. You can look them up whenever you need to.
Name: Aaron Tynnava.
Age: 32.
Role:Commanding Officer of the IEF Venture.
Rank: Captain. (C&C Branch.)
Nationality: American.
Species: Human.
Subtype: None.
Appearance
Interesting Notes
Public Record: Aaron Tynnava is a US citizen who was fast tracked from a young age into working for US Special Forces, tasked with secret operations. The official story is that he was tasked with ensuring that riots would be stopped before they ever started, but there are many doubts as to this story. His assignment to the IEF Venture caused some concern from Russian officials, who claimed that the United States was trying to create a puppet ship from their own endeavours, however, Aaron Tynnava has gone on public record stating that if the IEF were to ever suspect him of such acts, he would voluntarily step down from the position.
He has two parents, and a brother. His wife and son are deceased.
While he has publicly shown a disregard and strong dislike of Artificial Intelligences, he has yet to ever act on his sometimes vocal distaste for them. He has voted in favour of restricting AI rights in the past via referendums—it is, perhaps, the only black mark on his otherwise illustrious career. Which may go on to explain why he is only a captain, and not an admiral.
Age: 32.
Role:Commanding Officer of the IEF Venture.
Rank: Captain. (C&C Branch.)
Nationality: American.
Species: Human.
Subtype: None.
Appearance
- Height: 5’11”
- Weight: 165 LBS.
- Hair Colour: Dark brown, with hints of grey starting to appear at the roots.
- Hair Style: Short, well trimmed.
- Eye Colour: Red.
- Ethnicity: Caucasian.
- Combat Gear: Classified.
Interesting Notes
- Secret Ops: Captain Tynnava engaged in multiple secret operations for the United States Government. He keeps their secrets, and has engendered their loyalty as well as given his own. There is far more to this man than meets the eye.
- Red Eyes: His official records list him as having been born with this oddity. It does not appear to cause any medical defects, but his official medical records are sealed.
- Avid Reader: He enjoys reading books.
- Clockwork: The inner workings of old timey clocks seem to fascinate the man.
Public Record: Aaron Tynnava is a US citizen who was fast tracked from a young age into working for US Special Forces, tasked with secret operations. The official story is that he was tasked with ensuring that riots would be stopped before they ever started, but there are many doubts as to this story. His assignment to the IEF Venture caused some concern from Russian officials, who claimed that the United States was trying to create a puppet ship from their own endeavours, however, Aaron Tynnava has gone on public record stating that if the IEF were to ever suspect him of such acts, he would voluntarily step down from the position.
He has two parents, and a brother. His wife and son are deceased.
While he has publicly shown a disregard and strong dislike of Artificial Intelligences, he has yet to ever act on his sometimes vocal distaste for them. He has voted in favour of restricting AI rights in the past via referendums—it is, perhaps, the only black mark on his otherwise illustrious career. Which may go on to explain why he is only a captain, and not an admiral.
Name: Teague O’Connel.
Age: 43.
Role: Expeditionary Forces Detachment Leader—IEF Venture. (Aka: Your boss.)
Rank: Major. (EF Branch.)
Nationality: Irish—Republic of Ireland.
Species: Human.
Subtype: None.
Appearance
Interesting Notes
Public Record: Teague O’Connel was born in southern Ireland, and was initially considering a career in politics before switching at the last minute to the military. He has a degree in political sciences, and was rather infamous for using his natural charisma to win over both colleagues, and women. He was deployed to a couple locations in India to help with riot control, as well as instructing those involved—and was instrumental in discovering government cover-ups after information was leaked about their corruption.
When he returned to his homeland, he was instrumental in keeping riots and other issues down. A bombing in Middleton and his efficient yet charismatic way of resolving the issues there made him into a local legend among his people—O’Connel, The Savior of Middleton.
He was picked up by the IEF to serve aboard the IEF Venture as its head of Expeditionary Forces there. While he agreed to the position, it is known that he often disagrees with the admiralty board’s decisions concerning EF quarters and EF equipment. He even once disagreed over whether or not to allow the EF forces aboard the Venture to drink or not. Thanks to him, they can—but this put concerns that his career may be permanently stymied, or even trashed, if he does not wisen up to the politics of space, rather than his homeland.
Age: 43.
Role: Expeditionary Forces Detachment Leader—IEF Venture. (Aka: Your boss.)
Rank: Major. (EF Branch.)
Nationality: Irish—Republic of Ireland.
Species: Human.
Subtype: None.
Appearance
- Height: 5’8”
- Weight: 150 LBS.
- Hair Colour: Red.
- Hair Style: Buzzcut.
- Eye Colour: Green.
- Ethnicity: Caucasian.
- Combat Gear: Standard Infantry.
Interesting Notes
- Savior of Middleton: After a local bombing shocked the town of Middleton, Teague O’Connel was the man responsible for leading the mix of military and police forces in to hunt down those responsible. Within a month, he brought the town back from a state of Martial Law, to regular living—having captured all suspects involved. As a result of his efficient and charismatic way of dealing with the problems of Middleton, he was given the rank of Major when he joined the IEF. He is also something of a folk hero among his own people.
- Drill Instructor: Mock him for his height, he will make you do pushups. Do it again, and he’ll kick your ass straight into the medical bay.
- Go Lucky: O’Connel, when not treated with disrespect, tends to have a carefree attitude toward the men and women under his command. He was the one who ordered the gym section of the ship for the Expeditionary Forces include a hot tub, after all.
- Machine Heart: He was once stabbed breaking up a bar fight, and had to get a mechanical replacement for his heart. It is discomforting for him, and once every two years, he has to see a doctor to replace its internal battery via open heart surgery—lest he perish. This essentially means that he counts every minute he lives.
Public Record: Teague O’Connel was born in southern Ireland, and was initially considering a career in politics before switching at the last minute to the military. He has a degree in political sciences, and was rather infamous for using his natural charisma to win over both colleagues, and women. He was deployed to a couple locations in India to help with riot control, as well as instructing those involved—and was instrumental in discovering government cover-ups after information was leaked about their corruption.
When he returned to his homeland, he was instrumental in keeping riots and other issues down. A bombing in Middleton and his efficient yet charismatic way of resolving the issues there made him into a local legend among his people—O’Connel, The Savior of Middleton.
He was picked up by the IEF to serve aboard the IEF Venture as its head of Expeditionary Forces there. While he agreed to the position, it is known that he often disagrees with the admiralty board’s decisions concerning EF quarters and EF equipment. He even once disagreed over whether or not to allow the EF forces aboard the Venture to drink or not. Thanks to him, they can—but this put concerns that his career may be permanently stymied, or even trashed, if he does not wisen up to the politics of space, rather than his homeland.
Name: Toyama Maeko.
Age: 22.
Role: Superior NCO.
Rank: Lance Corporal. (EF Branch.)
Nationality: Japanese.
Species: Human.
Subtype: Telepath.
Appearance
Interesting Notes
Public Record: Toyama is a Japanese Traditionalist from the outskirts of the metropolis of Tokyo. Like her parents before her, she was educated in the ways of the traditional Japanese culture, and joined the police in the hopes of maintaining the peace. She was fast tracked into becoming one of the lead interrogators for the police forces in Tokyo, thanks to her telepathic powers. About a year and a half into her career, she ended up interrogating a man and burning out most of his neurons in a bloody affair after she panicked in the midst of discovering that he was a serial killer, and the grotesque nature of his crimes.
This black mark, though forgiven as extenuating circumstances, essentially ended her career as an officer. She left to join the IEF forces, and due to the incident’s dubiously performed investigation by her own police department, she placed at a low rank within the IEF Forces—just a Lance Corporal. Nonetheless, undeterred, her only recorded public statement concerning the situation that ended her career are three words: “Shikata Ga Nai.”
Age: 22.
Role: Superior NCO.
Rank: Lance Corporal. (EF Branch.)
Nationality: Japanese.
Species: Human.
Subtype: Telepath.
Appearance
- Height: 5’4”
- Weight: 135 LBS.
- Hair Colour: Black.
- Hair Style: Pixie Cut. (Above the ears, bangs kept short to keep them out of her eyes.)
- Eye Colour: Brown.
- Ethnicity: Mongoloid.
- Combat Gear: Standard Infantry + Telepath accommodations.
Interesting Notes
- Telepath: Toyama Maeko is a Level 3 Telepath, and among some of the stronger of her kind. She has a rather profound sense for unusual danger.
- Traditionalist: The Japanese people are divided between Modernists, who believe in embracing a technological revolution, and Traditionalists, who believe in maintaining their humanity and old ways of life. Conflict only arises between them in terms of the political arena—never with arms, which maintains a peaceful if sometimes politically tense coexistence. Toyama is a traditionalist, who believes in preserving the old ways of her people—which makes her professional and sociable, but often times emotionally reserved and distant concerning certain intimate subjects. She will staunchly use her cultural prefixes when addressing others, and though she does not expect it in return, she will often appreciate it.
- Police Family: Her family has served among the police forces of Japan for generations—tracing back all the way to World War 2 with the ethically dubious Kempeitai. Nonetheless, through her family, she has several connections throughout the Eastern hemisphere.
- Black Sheep: To this day, Toyama is one of the only Telepaths who has ever killed someone with her powers rather than a firearm.
- Red Armband: She wears a red armband at all times around her left forearm. There is no reason given as to why.
Public Record: Toyama is a Japanese Traditionalist from the outskirts of the metropolis of Tokyo. Like her parents before her, she was educated in the ways of the traditional Japanese culture, and joined the police in the hopes of maintaining the peace. She was fast tracked into becoming one of the lead interrogators for the police forces in Tokyo, thanks to her telepathic powers. About a year and a half into her career, she ended up interrogating a man and burning out most of his neurons in a bloody affair after she panicked in the midst of discovering that he was a serial killer, and the grotesque nature of his crimes.
This black mark, though forgiven as extenuating circumstances, essentially ended her career as an officer. She left to join the IEF forces, and due to the incident’s dubiously performed investigation by her own police department, she placed at a low rank within the IEF Forces—just a Lance Corporal. Nonetheless, undeterred, her only recorded public statement concerning the situation that ended her career are three words: “Shikata Ga Nai.”
Name: Maitreya Sunder.
Age: 27.
Role: Superior NCO.
Rank: Sergeant. (EF Branch.)
Nationality: Indian—India.
Species: Human.
Subtype: None.
Appearance
Interesting Notes
Public Record: Maitreya Sunder grew up among a rich family in India. When he was two years old, he contracted a strange disease—it was incredibly rare. It caused his voice box to become inflamed, making it difficult for him to breath, and impossible for him to speak. The overwhelmed hospital at the time decided to make the call and, rather than risking his life and his hospital bed that others could use for weeks on various treatments, they took out his voice box. This became a national incident concerning the needs of one patient versus the needs of future patients, though most in modern times have forgotten it, and need to be reminded that it happened.
Nonetheless, his parents funded research into replacing his voice box. They had to settle for a mechanical prosthetic that was used in older AI’s, which could be fashioned to work within a human throat. Unable to intonate, he began to adjust his speech patterns, and use body language, to communicate how he felt to others.
He once again hit minor news headlines after joining the military and acting as riot police. He refused to fire on a pair of young children in spite of being ordered to do so—they were known as untouchables, and he refused to pull the trigger.
His family cut him off from their money. Soon after, they were convicted of aiding and abiding corruption within the Indian government. Maitreya, on the other hand, was spared—and he joined the IEF soon after to give his life purpose once more.
Age: 27.
Role: Superior NCO.
Rank: Sergeant. (EF Branch.)
Nationality: Indian—India.
Species: Human.
Subtype: None.
Appearance
- Height: 6’1”
- Weight: 185 LBS.
- Hair Colour: Brown.
- Hair Style: Crew cut.
- Eye Colour: Brown.
- Ethnicity: Mongoloid.
- Combat Gear: Standard Infantry + Medic.
Interesting Notes
- Mechanical Voicebox: Maitreya lost his voice box early on in his life, and it was replaced with a mechanical adaptation. Unlike AI’s that have highly developed artificial voice boxes that allow them to mimic human intonations, his lacks this capacity entirely—it is mechanical sounding, with no outward emotion capable of being shown outside of the volume of his voice.
- Indian Riot Police—Venerated: He was at the heart of the Indian riots, time and again. He was never once convicted of abusing his powers.
- Medically Trained: As part of his education with the IEF, he took a basic course in medicine so as to specialize as a medic. He is no doctor, but he can patch up the wounds of his allies if necessary.
- Pocket watch: He has a gold-trimmed pocket watch, which he keeps in his pocket. A momento of old times.
Public Record: Maitreya Sunder grew up among a rich family in India. When he was two years old, he contracted a strange disease—it was incredibly rare. It caused his voice box to become inflamed, making it difficult for him to breath, and impossible for him to speak. The overwhelmed hospital at the time decided to make the call and, rather than risking his life and his hospital bed that others could use for weeks on various treatments, they took out his voice box. This became a national incident concerning the needs of one patient versus the needs of future patients, though most in modern times have forgotten it, and need to be reminded that it happened.
Nonetheless, his parents funded research into replacing his voice box. They had to settle for a mechanical prosthetic that was used in older AI’s, which could be fashioned to work within a human throat. Unable to intonate, he began to adjust his speech patterns, and use body language, to communicate how he felt to others.
He once again hit minor news headlines after joining the military and acting as riot police. He refused to fire on a pair of young children in spite of being ordered to do so—they were known as untouchables, and he refused to pull the trigger.
His family cut him off from their money. Soon after, they were convicted of aiding and abiding corruption within the Indian government. Maitreya, on the other hand, was spared—and he joined the IEF soon after to give his life purpose once more.
((Episode 1 is authored by @Nilum & @Kadaeux ))
23rd of December, 2119. Message is as follows.
[Voice Recognition: Unknown] “It appears to be of a highly reflective material, 98.56% reflective. The trajectory changes observed by the probe have since stopped as of two days ago. There are static certain key phrases, they static affirmative, it is as cold as the space around it. There is little explanation beyond static first contact unlikely, but protocols advised. Awaiting further orders.”
[Voice Recognition: Admiral Cartwright] “Send the IEF Venture to investigate. Nobody is to know of what is going on here until we know for certain whether this is a threat to international security or a graveyard in space. Cartwright, out.”
23rd of December, 2119. Message is as follows.
[Voice Recognition: Unknown] “It appears to be of a highly reflective material, 98.56% reflective. The trajectory changes observed by the probe have since stopped as of two days ago. There are static certain key phrases, they static affirmative, it is as cold as the space around it. There is little explanation beyond static first contact unlikely, but protocols advised. Awaiting further orders.”
[Voice Recognition: Admiral Cartwright] “Send the IEF Venture to investigate. Nobody is to know of what is going on here until we know for certain whether this is a threat to international security or a graveyard in space. Cartwright, out.”
The IC is going live soon... (Thursday or Friday.)
You can access my Discord with this link. It is my Discord server, and it has a channel for the IEF Venture, as well as channels for general conversation. If you’d like to keep up with developments for the RP as they happen, or just want to coordinate better with other players, you may find this a useful tool.
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