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duocaeli mods ([personal profile] gamedevs) wrote in [community profile] duologs2023-06-03 06:15 pm

4.0 June Event Log

4.0 June Event Log


Air Quality Alert

In the ON world, Avisle's storm has fully cleared as of last month, but something still lingers in its usually beautiful skies. Not enough to obstruct trade, not quite, though those steering their airships may grumble a bit about the turbulence. Ash flutters in the air, clouds are replaced with dark plumes of smoke; it gets harder to breathe in a game where that shouldn't matter, and there's a strangely luminescent sheen in the sky, like oil, or the scales of a beast…

The air pollution will have effects over time, so those that overextend themselves exploring (or are just naturally sensitive to smoke) will find themselves with stinging eyes, chest pains, shortness of breath, etc. Overexposure can cause someone to collapse altogether, so be careful out there! Those aligned with fire or water may be able to soothe symptoms somewhat, both in themselves and others.

1. Guild Wars: GBF Do Not Interact

Despite the air quality warnings, the City is as active as ever, eager to carry out another time-honored tradition. Avisle’s Guild Hub has the honor of hosting Guild Wars this year, an all-month event run by the Interguild Alliance (IGA) to test (and reward!) the mettle of its members across Duocaeli. It has the hype of the Olympics, albeit with less sportsball and more RPG chaos.

Historically, Guild members band together to compete for accolades by demonstrating adventure-worthiness: completing quest board tasks, raiding dungeons, discovering new flora and fauna, etc. Guilds can also resort to ye olde methods of competition, like actual sportsball, epic party games, what-have-you.

This year, in addition to the above there is special focus on assisting a family of gemwalkers who have been separated by the ravaging storms from April.

The winning Guild is determined by overall group effort—whichever team brings in the most gemwalkers, bounty, discoveries, and victories will be crowned champions across the skies, and be rewarded with sweet, sweet loot. Participation perks are also quite generous, and all players are encouraged to join in regardless of skill level or willingness. In fact, the entire city seems quite obsessed with Guild Wars, and anyone caught sitting out will be eventually coerced into activities one way or another.

> Gemwalker Reunion

Only one of the golems has made it to Avisle City to request aid after a long and perilous journey, its core barely intact, and the remaining family members need to be located and brought back to the city. These missing golems will be inert after having sustained damage in the storm and are lost in the smoke, meaning each team will need to invent ways to transport heavy rocks through difficult terrain and smoky conditions. (Yahaha?)

Guild members will be given a device that senses when a missing golem is nearby, however they’ll be left to their own devices to figure out a way back to the City. Their search will take them to two potential locations, so players can tackle whichever is better suited to their strengths (or both!):

1. Windhaven Woodlands: The first of the gemwalkers hasn’t been blown too far from its original home, Aria’s Grove, however a pack of mischievous bloobettes of the woodlands have absorbed pieces of the poor golem into their gelatinous bodies. To make things even more difficult, the pervading smoke makes the woods even darker than usual. Characters will be virtually blind in here, and even the guiding wind that periodically blows through the trees is ashy and unpleasant.

2. Dandelion Fields: One of the golems is trapped high up on one of the floating, miniature islands… While typically one could hitch a ride on a wind whale, the smoke has temporarily beached them all to the ground. To make matters worse, the massive dandelion seeds collect soot and ash en masse, and tend to explode with both when they hit any surface. Whether it's by dealing with the altitude, the whales, or the seeds, characters are on their own to reach the golems above!


OOCly, players can opt to thread this out if they'd like, but we'll only be reading submissions filled out here. We'll be choosing a grand 'winner' based on creativity!

> Exploration

Besides the main gemwalker event, there's plenty of other ways to score a win for your guild(s)! Two new locations have been released specifically to celebrate the event:


Starstuff Crater: In the furthest reaches of the isle, the land suddenly gives way to a crater that rivals the size of Avis Isle City itself, apparently from the impact of a falling star long ago. Rising from the bottom of the crater are hundreds of tall earthy spires that house an array of bird species and alien flora from the dissolved starstuff. While smoke rises at the higher points of the crater, cool, clean water pools in the rocky crags at the bottom, and those with an alignment with darkness may notice that their powers are stronger here, nearly uncomfortably so. Meanwhile, those aligned with light may feel ill at ease, and drain of mana more quickly.

Bigge Tunelle: Within the mysterious depths of Windhaven Woodlands is an ancient tree that long ago tumbled to the earth, leaving behind a vast hollowed tunnel. Ever since the locals can remember, the tunnel has had a powerful gust of wind running through it, making it near impossible to traverse the tunnel. That is, if you're on the side where the wind exits. Those wandering close to where the wind enters might find themselves getting sucked into a weightless tunnel experience before being spit out the other side. It's possible to get stuck within the air currents of the tunnel itself; being aligned with wind or earth may make it easier to traverse, but everyone else should be prepared to be billowed by the suction and blown about! Try not to hit anything (or any monsters) on the way down.


Exploring these two areas may lead to new discoveries! Players can submit flora or fauna ideas for all to play with here for Guild Wars rewards. A reminder that smoke will be present in both these locations as well, and may agitate the local ecosystems… and also you?

> Earning EXP

Finally, characters can also earn points for their Guilds by participating in any of our the permanent quests and dungeons that are available! Completing threads or meeting a comment minimum is not required to earn points; we'll just be looking for an honest effort.

2. Dungeon Crawl - Smoke & Mirrors

Not looking to traipse about old dungeons? Raring for the newest content? Those Guildies searching for more still to do will be tasked with discovering the source of all the smoke surrounding Avisle to help ease the overall search for missing Gemwalkers. Directed to the very heart of the haze (where there's smoke, there's fire), they will begin to hear muffled voices–familiar ones.

Guess the Gemwalkers aren’t the only ones about to face some reunions.

Chamber 1: Into the Deep

Yet as you step through the smoke, you might suddenly find yourself sinking into the sand, greeted by the distant call of gulls. Blink once, blink twice - blink as many times as you’d like, but the image of the beach surrounding Crane City does not disappear. Weren’t you just in the ON world? You must’ve been. And yet any attempts to forcefully exit or quit the dungeon ahead of time fail - here you are to stay.

Explore a bit if you’d like, but do your best to keep your footing. Every now and then, the ground trembles beneath your feet as an earthquake reverberates through the area. The seas get choppy, but as you look out into the distance you might see a hand reaching out from beneath the waves. Along with it, the sound of a loved one from your home world calling from you. However, you will be the only person who hears this voice - your partner will not.

Will you be able to make it to the second part of the dungeon? Or will you get carried off by the waves before you even try? Once in the water, you will begin to feel deeply fatigued, yet calm. Maybe it’d be alright to let the waves lull you to sleep…

Chamber 2: An Offer You Can't(?) Refuse

Eventually, one earthquake hits harder than any of the others, falling just short of rupturing the sea open. A large silver serpent slides up from the waves, but rather than a roar or a cry heralding its arrival, there is only a flood of whispers.

Listen to me. Trust me. It’ll be okay. Don’t go. Close your eyes.

Different assurances - if they could be called that - flood your ears, but eventually the Serpent’s ask becomes apparent:

There is someone waiting for you. Will you swear to abandon your false comrades?

Images flash through your mind - inherently, you know the serpent refers to your guildmates, your false memories, your friends here in Crane City. In Duocaeli. Either. Both. (Neither?) Will you accept the whisper and make a promise to let go of these people who might very well be strangers in favor of the ones you can no longer see?

Those who choose to accept will find themselves slipping down the serpent’s throat. Inside the creature, a crimson red engulfs their vision and they will face a nightmare of betrayal. Their companion in the dungeon will also bear witness to the dream. Yet when they awake, they will have completed the dungeon and are free to take their spoils before leaving.

Those who deny the request will have to fight the Serpent in its element. It’s a strong foe - but there are moments in which it seems to entirely glitch out of existence. When it returns, it comes back weaker, more erratic in its movements. When it attacks the characters fighting it, it does not inflict physical wounds - no, instead it only gives feelings of despondence and guilt, and other emotional weights. It seeks to strip your will before your life.




BOSS: S̵̱̆e̴̝͋ŕ̵̙p̶͎͐ẻ̴͓n̷̯͠t̵̞̕
HP: 1̶͉̾0̴͖̃0̷̤̋0̷͍̕0̵̏ͅ
Difficulty: ★★★★☆
Weakness: Light, Dark, truth
Resistance: Water

Attacks
  • Traitor’s Twist: Inflicts emotional scars and wounds that linger for hours afterward.
    • Sleeping Sweep: Summons dark clouds of ash that linger both in the air and water - getting caught in one will sap at an individual’s strength and willpower. Inhaling too much will cause them to become passive, even submissive, and more likely to yield to the serpent’s suggestion. Mana transfer can dispel some of this effect.



As always, choice submissions will have an effect on the overall state of the game the following month, and can be submitted here!

OOC Notes

June's OOC Event Plotting Post is also here for your reference! Please visit it for submissions top levels, plotting, and results from May's log!



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ohthehumanities: niluhong @ twitter (steel blue)

[personal profile] ohthehumanities 2023-06-04 02:18 am (UTC)(link)
HELLO SWEET MODLIES is it at all possible to like... repair or mitigate the damage from the lack of structural healing, or do the efforts just get magically undone as soon as you blink?
duskspear: (40)

[personal profile] duskspear 2023-06-04 04:36 am (UTC)(link)
A. Windhaven Woodlands

[Roland squints. Although his eyes have adjusted to the darkness in a bid to spare some mana for the retrieval of the gemwalker, it's difficult to see more than a foot in front of him. He thinks he can see the outline of a gemwalker, but something is off.]

It looks . . . small.

[He reaches out to run a hand along the silhouette, pauses, and draws back with the slight furrow of his brow. That certainly is a bloobette encased up to his wrist.]

B. Starstuff Crater

[The rocky crags are dim—not so dark that they can't see, but enough to hamper their immediate line of sight. Roland shifts his weight with each step he takes along the water. Something about the gentle sloshing crawls up his spine, and he works out the restlessness by conjuring a small ball of flame atop his palm to light their way.

He faces his exploration partner, sounding somewhat breathless in his growing uneasiness.
]

How do you feel?

C. Dungeon crawl, chamber 2

[The emergence of the serpent pins Roland in place. He stands, frozen by the whispers and assurances—and sucks in a startled breath once he comes back to himself with a rejection.

He stumbles back and drops to a knee, face wet from the droplets of water that splashed against him with the serpent's rise. His head snaps in the direction of his party member. Did the whispers strike there, too?
]
reinherits: (artbook. 2)

b

[personal profile] reinherits 2023-06-04 04:47 am (UTC)(link)
[while hikari is glad to be further away from where the smoke is strongest—it reminds him too uncomfortably of fire, and a city burning—guess who's light-aligned? hikari looks pale, illuminated by roland's flame and the ball of light that drifts from hikari's own hand.]

... I cannot explain it, but something about this place—it makes my skin crawl.
bubblegumwhisky: @polarsirens on tumblr (022)

[personal profile] bubblegumwhisky 2023-06-04 06:17 pm (UTC)(link)
MODS my question is regarding the dream of betrayal after being swallowed by a serpent: is this literally a dream of your absent canonmates betraying you? Or is it simply waking up and being like oopsie doodle, got swallowed by a bigge snake?
painhub: (Default)

[personal profile] painhub 2023-06-04 10:55 pm (UTC)(link)
M'MODS... question about the voices of loved ones from their home world. Do these people have to be alive in their home world? Or could they have, say, died a long time ago?
duskspear: (01)

[personal profile] duskspear 2023-06-05 04:30 am (UTC)(link)
As does mine.

[But Hikari looks far worse than Roland feels. Surely Hikari sees this, too. Roland is direct enough to point it out as he extends his hand.]

You look unwell, friend. Take some of my mana.

[Now that he mentions it, he feels as if he might burst any second. There's something terribly wrong about this place.]
reinherits: (art. 3)

[personal profile] reinherits 2023-06-05 04:36 am (UTC)(link)
[jae it's just you and me here.......... :pleading_face:

hikari pauses, reluctant to just take someone else's energy like that.]


Are you certain? If you yourself are affected, then perhaps you should preserve your mana...
duskspear: (48)

[personal profile] duskspear 2023-06-05 04:41 am (UTC)(link)
[help.

The hand remains outstretched.
]

I assure you that I have the mana to spare—more so than usual, in fact . . .
reinherits: (nm. 17)

[personal profile] reinherits 2023-06-05 05:24 am (UTC)(link)
[... well, hikari isn't so stubborn that he'll keep refusing when roland is insisting, since that just makes it awkward for the both of them.]

... Then, you have my gratitude.

[but he takes roland's hand, gingerly in a combination of his initial hesitation and not. being someone who holds hands usually.]
duskspear: (37)

[personal profile] duskspear 2023-06-05 08:22 am (UTC)(link)
[The effect is instantaneous. The moment their palms touch, the churning unease in Roland's chest settles like a tide after the storm. He releases a cleansing breath and flits his eyes over to Hikari.]

Do you feel it?
ohthehumanities: abo1cab @ twitter (japanese carmine)

[personal profile] ohthehumanities 2023-06-05 06:03 pm (UTC)(link)
thank you!!
bubblegumwhisky: @twoeggyyolks on tumblr (013)

[personal profile] bubblegumwhisky 2023-06-05 06:40 pm (UTC)(link)
thanks i hate it :')
janescayre: (148)

[personal profile] janescayre 2023-06-05 09:03 pm (UTC)(link)
FUKAWA

A) ARE YOU SMOKING YET? (Windhaven Woodlands)


[Being but a wee lass with questionable lung capacity — or is the real problem her nose? — each time Fukawa has logged on of late, she is stricken with ever-growing dread. Avisle is supposed to be a bullshit city in a bullshit virtual reality, so why does she feel so damn bogged down the second she shows up?]

Puh-KACK! [Her footing fumbles. She slumps against a tree, arm thrown over her mouth as she continues expelling phlegm and air and ash. The wind rushes past her, tousling her frazzled hair but doing nothing to clear the air. It only carries the sound of her fit through the bush, then the graceless thud as she comes to hands and knees, heaving.]

Th-this...is s-such horseshit. [She spits onto the forest floor. There's a red tinge to the glob, and she can feel the raking sting at the back of her throat.] S-someone is messing with us for sure.


B) DODO-N'T STAND SO CLOSE TO ME

[Thank god the shenanigans in Crane City are significantly less dire than Avisle.

So as Fukawa takes refuge in the dorms, dressed in her nightgown and ready to settle in for some light bedtime reading, she is not prepared for the foreboding creak beneath her feet.]


Huh?

[Then the floor gives way.]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIEIEEEEE!!!

[Surprise! Several wood planks clatter down and now there's a whole girl belly-flopping on the foot of your bed. What do you do?]


C) NOBODY'S BEACHING ANYONE OFF (Dungeon Chamber 1 > 2?)

[The smog parts at last. She's got a cloth mask on, for all the good it does her. Fogging up her glasses as she breathes heavy, searching for the source of all this damn smoke. But she can tell there's light ahead. She hears the waves crashing. Fukawa pulls her spectacles off and wipes them clear, and replacing them she finally realizes the paradox they've walked into.]

What? Isn't th-this the... [She looks to her partner, brows drawn tight together.] Did someone r-recreate the Crane City beach here?


SYO

D) COOKING MAMA (Dodo House)


[When you're up late and traipsing to the communal kitchen for a midnight snack, you might find you're not alone. Perhaps it's the last person you'd expect to see humming away and fixing a snack: not often you catch a certified serial killer in the midst of such a pedestrian chore.

Syo whips around to face you, knife held high, the blade slick with mango juice, dripping thick on the cutting board where she'd been massacring herself a fruit bowl.]


Why, helloooo there! Fancy meeting you here!

[And that's when the power cuts out.]


E) KNIFE TO MEET YOU I'M NATASHA AN UNDERWORLD DOCTOR (closed to Knives)

[Gotta give the ON world credit where credit is due: it's rather fun to dress herself for once. Syo waits at the lip of the crater with her hip cocked and scissors threaded over her knuckles, peering over the thinning woods for any signs of life. She'd sent the message anonymously so she's keeping her expectations low. Who'd take an open invite from some online creep they never met? That's asking to get gutted and left dead in a ditch.

But call her curious! The man had such bold confidence in his success, it almost reminded her of her White Knight. And what few folks she's met here were either gone or guileless. It's time to branch out, isn't it? Make connections of her own, bolster her chances of success! Get that wish and get the fuck out of dodge!

If it's not just a fucking rip off like always. She rather expects it will be. You don't live under the thumb of Despair without putting proper suspicion on Hope.

Oh, oh, is that a shadow moving through the bush? Could it be? She pops a hand to her forehead and bends deep, peering ahead as if spotting land from a crow's nest]


Hi hi hi! Who goes there? Hundreds, thousands, or Millions Knives?


F) WILDCARD

((PM/plurk me or hit up my plotting comment for other options! Open to surprises too, down for anything with either gal.))
painhub: (28)

[personal profile] painhub 2023-06-05 11:43 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you!!
ohthehumanities: ggelus_ @ twitter (azure)

[personal profile] ohthehumanities 2023-06-06 02:37 am (UTC)(link)
A. hammer time

[Meanwhile, structural healing was the least prioritized, meaning buildings around town are in less than spectacular condition

Did you mean: Kaveh is having THE MOST STRESSFUL MONTH OF HIS LIFE? BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THAT SENTENCE MEANS TO HIM!!!

Kaveh will be spending most of his time this month working on structural repairs, since APPARENTLY if you want something DONE you have to do it YOURSELF (says I, pixi, who forgot to turn in my bingo card). You can catch him just about anywhere that needs repairs--in the dorm, around town, arguing with particularly stubborn or ignorant clients who want structurally impossible renovations--and he will absolutely appreciate it if you lend him a hand. Be warned, though, he's kind of pretentious and incredibly serious about his work, so you might be better off working with someone more patient if you're not sure what you're doing. (Or you can join him anyway because I think it's funny if he gets a stress ulcer.)]


B. nap time

[Of course, being a Workaholic and a Starving Artiste means that Kaveh is absolutely horrendous at taking care of himself. Between dealing with the stress of the new memories he's recently acquired, running himself ragged trying to repair the dorm and the city, having absolutely no defense against the terrible air quality, and engineering rescue machines for stranded gemwalkers (no Kaveh has not gotten to a single temple in TOTK thank you for asking), it's probably no surprise that he's quickly running on fumes and on the verge of collapse fairly often. You might find him conked out in various common spaces around Dodo House, probably dozing off at some kind of work surface with blueprints stuck to his face. Meanwhile, AutoCAD has crashed again. I'm sure that won't be an upsetting discovery at all.

Feel free to wake him up if you catch him sleeping. Or don't. You can rob him but he's broke so it'll just be a disappointing experience for everyone.]


C. guild wars and/or r/hyruleengineering time

[As a bleeding heart to the nth degree and (alhaitham voice) a master builder and craftsman, Kaveh is ALL ABOUT THIS QUEST. He doesn't even particularly care about the competition aspect--he would help these poor gemwalkers for free, and in fact may reject any rewards that come from helping them just because he's allergic to accepting things. But he's completely in his element here, planting his hands on his hips and surveying the area.]

Alright, where should we start?

[Alternatively, rope him into some other kind of guild wars? Drag him into party games?? WATCH HIM EMBARRASS HIMSELF AT SPORTSBALL BECAUSE HE'S NOT ATHLETIC??? Whatever your heart desires, I am here for you!!]

D. exploring time

[Kaveh's not really an adventurer, but he's curious and he likes knowing the area, so he will be checking out the new places! He'll have Mehrak with him, which is slowly regaining functionality. Yay!

At Starstuff Crater, he'll be carefully picking his way around the edge of the crater and trying not to fall.]


You know, this reminds me of Mawtiyima Forest. The land there is shaped differently, of course, but the water and the spires... I wonder if there's a path nearby?

[Meanwhile, at Bigge Tunelle, he has a slight advantage! Being aligned with earth means he's not totally defenseless--however, he's also a beanpole, so, uh. If you're with him, you might occasionally hear a--]

--Huh? Woah--!

[And--oop, there he goes. Yeet.]

E. closed to hikari (snake time, CW for violence and death)

[janjam /o/

BUT HERE THEY ARE. They've managed to make it past chamber 1, which means that uhhh Hikari probably got to hear Kaveh's dad's voice. Great! I'm sure that won't add even more trauma to this experience. For now, though, the important thing is this voice--Kaveh, who just went through the events of 3.6, grimaces and presses a hand to his head.]


Not this again.

F. wildcard time

[Open for anything!! If we plotted something that doesn't fit into the above feel free to toss me a comment here, or if you just wanna do something else feel free to slap something up. Plotting comment is here and my IC inbox is also open if you wanna thread sth there instead! o7]
ohthehumanities: ggelus_ @ twitter (atrovirens)

b!

[personal profile] ohthehumanities 2023-06-06 02:45 am (UTC)(link)
[I'm ready for them to eat shit

For now, though, they're just exploring!! Kaveh sticks close to Roland; he's been dabbling with other kinds of magic recently, so he's managed to make himself a light rod, but it's not particularly strong and conjuring it here is more draining than he'd anticipated.]


It's not particularly pleasant. [He doesn't want to say directly that he doesn't feel terribly comfortable down here, but he'll admit that.] It's kind of a shame--I'd like to study these formations a little more closely.

[Mehrak can scan them, but it's not the same...]
duskspear: (14)

[personal profile] duskspear 2023-06-06 02:52 am (UTC)(link)
[Help them.

Kaveh's kindness allows Roland a break from conjuring another ball of fire for his repeat trip down to the crags. This does mean that he's aware of the crater's odd effects on players, and he slows to a stop at Kaveh's comment. There's a beat of reluctance, but the desire to help wins out in the end as he extends a hand.
]

Exchanging mana will offset some of the discomfort. I have plenty to share if you wish to take time with the formations.
reinherits: (art. 7)

[personal profile] reinherits 2023-06-06 03:01 am (UTC)(link)
[kaveh probably got to hear hikari's mom's voice then, so we're really having parental issues up the wazoo here.

hikari frowns, likewise holding his head for a moment. well, at least mindfuckery is something he's learned to deal with (?) for years at this point, even if that doesn't make it pleasant.

... it's not as though he doesn't understand the allure of the offer. like he told kaveh, he has things to do back home. people he's sworn his sword to, people whose lives rest in his hands, unworthy as he may be. and ever since everything was upended and he left ku, in what feels like so long ago, his life has been permeated by a sense of longing for the familiar.

but in the end, it's just as well in this moment that he's spent so much of said life so concerned with greed, learned to deny temptations. hikari's convictions have never changed.]


... They're all important. [though said out loud, it's more to the serpent than to kaveh. like, are some friends—the ones back home, for that matter—more significant to hikari? yeah. but—

his grip tightens around the hilt of his sword.]


None should be abandoned for another.
reinherits: (nm. 7)

[personal profile] reinherits 2023-06-06 03:04 am (UTC)(link)
[...

it feels a little like healing magic. of course, what's being restored is different, but—perhaps the warmth has always come less from the healing, but from the care of his friends.]


... I do. Thank you, I do feel better now.
duskspear: (12)

[personal profile] duskspear 2023-06-06 03:52 am (UTC)(link)
[Roland's smile widens. Is it Hikari's gratitude or something else that warms his heart so? He doesn't recall mana exchange being this comforting, but perhaps that's to be expected in their current environment.]

Let us proceed with caution. If you find yourself feeling under the weather again, we can turn back and revisit this place another time.
chlorokyll: (pic#16460860)

wildcard, as discussed!

[personal profile] chlorokyll 2023-06-06 04:49 am (UTC)(link)
[ Now that Knives has discovered the music room, any time that he isn't in his suite is usually divided between there, the library, and the banquet room when necessary. He prefers to be by himself when he plays, meaning that he tends to settle in if he finds the room vacant.

He managed that today, though whether that's because the house is in even more disarray than usual or through pure luck, he could not say. The smoky quality of the air outside gives him even less incentive than usual to depart Domus Homus, and so his intention is to play until he feels hunger, eat something, and then log back in to Duocaeli.

The air is just as tainted online, he's already noticed. The two worlds are intertwined in ways that he's yet to understand, but he intends to.

At first, the stroking of the piano keys is relaxing, helping him to both focus on one task and escape his surroundings. But then, all of a sudden, the sounds from the keys start coming out all wrong, as if the piano is untuning itself before his very eyes (and ears).

With a grunt of confusion, Knives stands from the bench and leans forward to open the lid and take a closer look. ]

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