Dr Archeville
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Semi-holiday themed rumble to gauge interest
Dr Archeville replied to Spacefurry's topic in Archives
"Come up to the Surface, we'll get together, have a few laughs..." Artificer's in! -
Horrorshow Davyd could not help but smile -- he knew his "aunties" would react to this positively, but he wasn't prepared for just how positively! Of course, there was some bitter-sweetness in Lynn's reaction, and he immediately joined Daphne in giving her a warm hug. "That's, ah, incredibly generous," he finally replied to Daphne, "and I will definitely take you up on that offer... but not just now. You see, I've already got a bit of a start!" A seam opened in the palm of his right hand, from which a dingy yellowed business card emerged. "Ace Danger gave me a card for an agent -- Saul Humberto, in Parksige -- and I'll be calling him soon. But Ace has also arranged for me to conduct an interview with someone at Claremont, for Danger Media!" "Oh, that reminds me," he pivoted so he still had one arm around Lynn, but was looking at Daphne, "I might need some gear from you, if Ace's people can't come up with something. Some audiovisual equipment, that I can carry & operate no matter what my size or form. Does Baby have anything like that?"
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Horrorshow Davyd took the card Ace offered with wide-eyed wonder, "oh, wow, thank you so much!" He knew hanging out with Veronica Danger would get him places, but he hadn't imagined it would happen so fast! "I'll be sure to give him a call. Oh, uh, does he have experience handling... empowered talent?" He nodded at the next question, "yes, sir, I graduated this past June. An interview? Oh, yeah, that'd be great!" He turned to face Andromeda and smiled, "yes, I believe everyone in this room knows about Claremont," he winked at Veronica, "we can talk openly about it. Have you seen it?" She looked too old to be a student, but she could still have an interest, he figured. "Oh!" He looked to Veronica and Ace, "if I am to be using my abilities while doing search & rescue, or exploring, or nature documentaries, or interviews, or whatever, I may need," his right arm bulged slightly, and his hand opened like a flower, revealing the GoPro which Andromeda had handed him, "something more than this. Not that I don't appreciate it," he quickly added, bowing his head in her direction, "but I may need something that can stick with me no matter how I change my form or size, yeah?" To drive his point home, he shifted smoothly through a variety of forms: a human-sized anaconda that slithered towards Ace, then a clapping seal, then an eagle that flew around the room before shifting into a parrot and landing on Veronica's shoulder, morphed into a rat and ran down her leg, a squirrel as he ran up a table and leaped to a book shelf, an otter and then a fox running along the shelves, shifting into an orangutan mid-leap to the middle of the room, swelling up to become a brown bear before melting down into an amorphous horror, then finally back to his human form. "I mean, yeah, I could add human hands to almost any of those forms, but that wouldn't do if I'm trying to blend in with some animals, yeah?"
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Done and done by Mike So somehow, with my last Edit Request for Horrorshow, the "Combat Summary by Form" bit at the bottom of his sheet was never updated. Let's fix that. This Should be changed to this: Thanks!
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Artificer Heroditus followed Danica as close as he could, despite the spectral Tortoise glowering at him. Better some social discomfort than that broiling death. "I would like to know more of this 'solar still,'" he replied to Danica, feeling his strength -- and curiosity -- returning. Now he was beginning to feel more like his usual self, and that meant he was better able to apply his mind to their problems. As they traveled, he adjusted his goggles, which did more than just protect his eyes. A quick incantation and the lenses began glowing softly, as Atlantean script ran along a heads-up display, providing more details and information about what he saw. Since his magical sense worked through his eyes, it also enhanced that sense, giving him a better idea of just what type(s) of magic were at play in the cave. A second incantation caused the fasteners holding the straps of the goggles to elongate and curl around his ears, and now he could perceive their surroundings by the sounds bouncing off and around all surfaces. Not as sharp as a whale's sonar, he thought, but a decent approximation.
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I've been wanting to get Horrorshow into some more scrapes. He's a recent Claremont graduate, and I'm keeping him at PL 10 (though when he's not in either of his 'combat forms,' he's only PL 8 offensively), so he might be a good fit. And if his uncle's mafiya connections are linked to this... well... DRAMA!
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Horrorshow Muscular!Davyd again emerged from the Kamaz support truck, and helped with unloading what needed to be unloaded, singing something in Ukrainian as he did, a tune his mother would hum as she worked in the garage. After that was done, he took a moment to look over their surroundings, both the other competitors and the Great Sand Sea beyond their camp. There's a lot that could go wrong out there, he thought, if anything happened to your vehicle out there, you could be stranded for who knows how long. I'm sure they've got search & rescue teams on hand, drones to keep an eye on things, but we want to make sure we all get to the finish, yeah? His attention shifted to the Ecocapsules they'd be sleeping in. Oh yeah, Veronica had sad something about "individual accommodations." Never imagined it'd be something like that! He leaned in a bit, shifting his eyes to a more birdlike form to give him better distance vision, looks like there's enough room for two in those -- I could really stretch out! Oh, his head jerked back, now there's a thought. Could I turn into one of those? To provide shelter for others? He leaned forward again, studying the mobile dwelling in more detail, I can go big enough, I think, provide a warm environment... but what else? He hopped off the crate he'd been sitting on and started walking towards one of the pods.
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Horrorshow Davyd laid it all out for them, haltingly at first, but with a growing smoothness. Some of it, like his original (pre-accident) plans of becoming a make-up effects artist, and his later thoughts of becoming a stunt performer -- the perfect Stunt Double -- they well knew. Others, like his musings on becoming a secret agent, he'd kept from them, though Daphne had had some inkling of that train of thought. Then there were the newer ideas, working search & rescue operations or various expeditions with Danger International. They knew of his trips with Veronica Danger, so those weren't too big a surprise. But the last one -- working as a performer or even journalist for Danger Media (though he was careful not to mention the still-being-built Danger News Network) -- was perhaps a bit of a shock. "So, yeah, that's where my little quest for post-Claremont purpose has taken me. Maybe not quite a Campbellian "Hero's Journey"," he shrugged, "but it certainly had some moments of revelation, yeah. But, before I say anything more," he sat up a bit straighter and clasped his hands, "I'd like to know your thoughts are on all this."
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Horrorshow "Auntie!," he exclaimed, not really expecting Daphne to arrive so suddenly. "No, no, not late at all -- I knew you had League stuff to do, I never imagined you'd come down here right away! But, well, you're here now, and that's great!" "So, ah," he leaned back against a wall, trying to look nonchalant, "you two know I've been trying to figure out what I'll do with myself since I'd graduated from Claremont, yeah? Well, I managed to talk with some people I'd been trying to get in touch with -- and some folks I'd never dreamed I'd get a chance to meet -- and I think I'm getting a good idea for my future. But," he pushed himself off the wall, and looked them both in the eyes, "I wanted to run some things by you two, before making any final decisions. And to, ah," he scratched the back of his head, "see if either of you had any suggestions or whatever." "So, uh," he leaned to one side a bit, looking at the customers in the book store, then back to Lynn, "is now a good time?"
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Horrorshow (Cabin 1) "Sure, sure," Davyd said, nodding at Lulu, then turned to Micah and Judy, "we can stretch our legs over in the dining car. Or whatever it's called. Ah, unless," he tilted his head a bit, "you two wanted to eat together, alone, in one of the cabins?" He gave Micah a nod and smile, letting his roommate know he'd be fine with such an arrangement. "I'm sure I can find somewhere comfy, do some people-watching, yeah?" Davyd knew there would be a few awkward moments on the trip, what with him being the only one without an S.O. to share the journey with. But there'd be plenty of time for group activities, and he by no means begrudged his friends their time alone for more intimate moments. He could use the time alone to think about himself, his post-Claremont future, what he'd be doing with his life... or at least start doing so. Besides, maybe he'd meet someone on this trip! Stranger things had happened, certainly.
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Artificer Heroditus knew Parkhurst was fully capable of restoring itself, but what kind of budding civil engineer -- or responsible mechano-mystic -- would he be if he didn't help in the repair process? He left the others to crow about their victory; a noble feat, to be sure, but not the sort of praise he sought. He did, however, make time to share some parting words with a few of the other mages. "It was an honor to be allowed here," he said with a bow to Phantom and Ouroboros, "and to see you both at work." He saluted them both, fist over heart and then to temple. "Though the role of Master Mage may have begun in Atlantis, it is good to see the Surface world has produced mages of equally exceptional skill, and that the Old Ways have not been forgotten." To Blackstaff, "I hope to meet with you again, sir, so that we may continue discussion of enchanted items, both Surfacer and Atlantean. I am sure there is much I could learn from you, and hope you find some value in my techniques, novice as they are." Then he noticed something, a burning smell, and turned to Wilona. "Oh! Hold on, I may have something," he said as he rushed to her side, fishing out components from the pouches of his bandolier. "I do know a bit about medicine -- my mother is a biomystical engineer, and I have picked up some lessons from her -- and I may have something here that can help..."
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Horrorshow "Well, that's fittingly ominous, yeah?," Davyd remarked as Silver Scream winked out, more thinking aloud than addressing anyone specifically. "We should probably report this to someone, both her appearance and the hint that she was working with someone. Or something. Hey Grim, you think-" he turned to his mentor, but caught her last few words to Ghost before she faded from sight. Wait, was she flirting with him? Well, I might as well put in a good word for her. He approached Ghost, hand out, all smiles. "Nice work you did there! We four made a pretty good team, you and me and Grimalkin and Sjhadowborne. I've been working with Grim for some time, learned a lot! If you're looking for a mentor, she's a solid choice, yeah."
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post counts Infinity Awaits - October 2021 Post Counts
Dr Archeville replied to Thevshi's topic in Archives
Thevshi Veronica Danger: 3+9+3+2+3 = 20 posts, +5 (from Velocity) = 25 posts = +3pp (is now MAXED!) Sri Kath'lana: 2+2 = 4 posts, + 6 (from GM) = 10 posts = +2pp Multi-Girl: 1+5+3+2 = 11 posts = +2pp, +1 [Mod/Ref] = +3pp Paradigm [MAXED]: 1 post, to The Void Synapse [MAXED]: 1 post, to The Void Velocity [MAXED]: 6+1 = 7 posts; 5 to Veronica Danger, 2 to The Void GMing: 4+1+1 = 6 posts = +12 posts; 6 to Sri Kath'lana, 6 to The Void Mod/Ref: +1pp, to Multi-Girl -
Horrorshow Excited barely began to describe his reaction! Davyd's jaw dropped and eyes bulged, far more than any human should be able to, but he quickly regained his composure with a vigorous shaking of his head. "This is amazing!" He instantly began rifling through them. He had a few of the issues already (gifts from Uncle Sasha), and bits of others as low-res pdfs on his computer (from the publisher's initial attempts at online distribution), but this was a treasure trove! "Where did she find all of these? And how mu- oh, wow, this one takes me back!" He picked up one issue of Fangoria, which has the original articles he'd first seen reprinted in a limited edition special Fangoria Legends he'd gotten when he was 11... and, a few moments later, he's shrunk down and was his eleven-year-old self! He barely seemed aware of the shift, so engrossed he was in the magazine, until he remembered the reason for his visit that day. "Oh, yeah, I came by to tell you something. Maybe ask something, too. You and Daphne. It's not, like, time-sensitive or anything, but- when did you get so tall?" he asked, finally tearing his eyes away from the lurid images and looking at -- up at -- Lynn. He looked down at himself, raised one hand to his face, then the other; his expression went from shock to embarrassment to amusement. "I guess nostalgia's a powerful thing, yeah?"
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Silberman's Books 2021, Mid-November (not long after Spies Like Us and Friend Like Me), a weekday afternoon Davyd Palahniuk had graduated from the Claremont Academy some five months ago, yet was still unsure what to do with his life. He'd sought out advice from family and friends, and friends of friends -- including some rather (in)famous folks! -- and was getting a better idea of what he'd wanted to do with himself. (At the very least, he'd learned some harsh truths which made him rethink and discard some ideas.) There was one more stop he wanted to make on this quest, two women who'd already offered him an immense amount of guidance and assistance, who he'd come to view as surrogate aunts: Grimalkin and Miss Grue. The silver bell above the door jingled merrily as he entered, just audible over the few customers in the store. In one spot, two young men were arguing by the comics section over which writer "got" the Raven better. Elsewhere, a woman was looking at dice sets, waiting for her daughter to pick out her first one. And over at the counter, chatting with one of the store's regulars, was Lynn Epstein. Davyd waved at her, then slowly began walking around the store, waiting until the owner was free to talk. Ooh, the new Best Horror of the Year anthology is out!
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Artificer "I do," Heroditus replied, in English. He nodded to Geckoman, then rose to his feet. "I am called Artificer, though that is as much a title as it is a code-name. To others I am known as..." He paused a moment, unsure whether or not to reveal his family or personal name. That is normally how one would introduce themselves to a new mentor, back home, but here, among the "superhero community," things seemed a bit more complex. He decided to remain guarded. "Well, perhaps that should come later. May I ask, what sort of mentorship will you be providing for us?" He turned slightly to address Geckoman, "will you be sharing your expertise of technology, or of combat? Or both?"
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Artificer Ah, so our mentor is only slightly more prepared for this environment than I am, Heroditus thought to himself. But he was careful to keep such bitter musings to himself. He took some faltering steps to stand nearer to Danica, and felt a strange sensation. She spoke true, he did not feel as hot or thirsty while in close proximity to her, though he was still far from comfortable. But he also saw the ghostly image of a great tortoise, formed around her like a suit of armor. And while Danica was all kindness and smiles, as she so often was, the Tortoise gave him the same disapproving glare it always did. Heroditus wasn't sure if it was contempt or pity that Tortoise felt for the young Atlantean, who came from and required such a diametrically opposed environment -- he just knew it made him feel decidedly uneasy. He tried to distract himself by focusing on the others, and their environment. "I must point out," he said, feeling a bit of his strength return, "that if there is something nasty down in that dark cavern, Naomi's invisibility may not be of much help, if it is used to hunting in the dark and so does not rely on sight. But," he quickly added, looking directly at her and hoping he sounded somewhat encouraging, "I know you can do far more than that, so I am confident you can provide ample cover for us."
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Artificer 4 posts = 1pp A Gathering of Mages (1) The Kids are Alright (1) Survival Class: Prussian Blue (2) Horrorshow 12 posts = 2pp Calling on the Aunties (6) Dakar Rally (1) Eurotrip: The Rhythm of the Rails (1) Friend Like Me (1) Silver Screen Dreams (1) Tyger Tyger, Burning Bright (2) Protectron 0 posts = 0pp, +1 [Mod] = +1pp ??? --Titanium Characters-- Dead Head 0 posts, to ??? Bedlam in Bedlam: Let Him In (0) Doktor Archeville 0 posts, to ??? ??? --Other-- Mod point, to Protectron
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In order to make sure the Refs accurately count all your IC posts and award you the due amount of power points, please post with a list of all the threads in which your player character, NPC or sidekick posted IC this month (including the News forum). Also list any threads which you are GMing. GM posts count as double and can be assigned to whichever of your characters needs a 'push'. This topic will automatically close on the seventh day of the following month (i.e., December 7th, 2021 at Midnight EST). When you make your list, post a link to your first post for the month for each IC thread so we can jump right to it. When you start a thread, make sure IC is the first tag and topic prefix of the In Character thread, and OOC is in the first tag and topic prefix of the Out Of Character thread. It's not required, but additional tags including the major players and locations are viewed as a courtesy. Please list your threads in alphabetical order. Please clearly note any threads in which you are both player and GM/running an NPC. In threads where you are both player and GM/an NPC, please be sure to mark each post so we can tell who it should be allocated to. Please list your threads in a timely manner. Extending the deadline one week into the following month is already a grace period. If you've done any "extracurriculars" -- artwork, HellQ, 20 Questions, NPC, vignettes, guidebook pages, etc. -- please be sure to list them along with your active threads. For more information on ways to earn power points, see Character Advancement and Awards in the House Rules section of the Guide. Post counts should be formatted similar to the following: To make clear how many posts from rollover and GM posts are assigned to each character. Failure to comply with these guidelines may result in the ghosts of angry turkeys hunting you down your post counts being postponed or skipped completely. If you missed the deadline, see this thread.
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Horrorshow "Oh, no, no," Davyd chuckled at Andromeda, holding up one hand defensively, "I have no desire to become a paparazzi! Those guys are just mean." He put the GoPro into his pocket -- though a more observant viewer would have noticed that he'd really put ti next to his hip, and something like a mouth opened there and swallowed the camera -- before responding to Ace, pointedly ignoring what Andromeda was saying about naked body photos. "No pitches, no. Not yet, at least. Well, maybe... no, no." He shook his head, "heh, y'know, I'd watched a lot of public access television growing up, both the new stuff and the older stuff my dad loved." He nodded, "I could see myself doing that, yeah, though probably not full-time. Maybe a recurring guest star, yeah?" He shrugged, smiled, "but stunt work for some of the productions DI is involved in would be great!"
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Horrorshow "They... probably would, yeah," Davyd replied, mindful of their backseat conscience. "Like, what if they needed it for their job... or to visit a sick relative!" Davyd's mouth abruptly disappeared, the flesh on his lower face now a smooth blank, as he realized that "sick relative" might be a sore spot for Liz. He shifted his focus back to the GPS, then to the passenger's side window and the rolling dunes outside. Okay, we all know Something Weird is going to happen on this trip. Something always happens when Claremont Students are out and about. So what will it be this time? The Dakar Rally's been going on for a few decades, but is this the first time it's been here, in Egypt? We might be disturbing some mummies or scorpion-people or something. Or maybe some supervillain will attack, looking to steal some cutting-edge vehicle tech that's being tested out here... like our car's batteries! He looked back to Micah, and pictured the power cells behind him.
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Artificer Heroditus had always been eager to seek out mentors among Claremont's staff, so he could learn as much as possible. He was, of course, most interested in learning about both the technologies and magics of the Surface World, but he never turned down a chance to learn about anything Surfacer-related. Last month's survival class had been particularly educational, if for nothing else but to show just how dangerous the Surface World could be. He had mostly recovered from that ordeal, and hoped this new experience would go more smoothly. There was no mention of us being taken anywhere, so we will probably stay at the Academy. Yes, in the nice, familiar Academy. He knew of Geckoman and Phalanx, having read through the big news articles about them, and even checking out some of the old Claremont Yearbooks. Geckoman's choice as a mentor for him was clear: he used a wide array of technologies, and his acrobatic style of combat pointed to a 3D spatial awareness which Atlanteans developed early on but which most Surfacers lacked. Phalanx's choice, though, was less obvious. He was a hero in fine standing, holder of the legacy of The Centurion, one of the greatest heroes of the Surface World. But he wasn't known for being tech-minded, or mystically-inclined. Perhaps he was there for a more general mentorship? To introduce them to other aspects of the Surface world? Whatever the case, he would conduct himself with all the honor and propriety that would be expected of an Atlantean. He arrived on the scene a few moments after James, flashing back to when they first met, and nodded to his fellow student. He wore a version of his standard breeches & tunic outfit, in Claremont blue-and-gold, with brown Gladiator-style sandals and bandolier slung across his torso. When he saw Phalanx, he fell to one knee, raised his left fist to his heart and then to his temple, and gave a lengthy greeting in the bright click-pop language of his people, filled with honorifics and expressions of gratitude for being allowed to learn from the elder hero. After he spoke, he remained on the ground, hands on one knee, looking up with reverence to his new mentor.
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Horrorshow Davyd still wasn't sure what Andromeda's "deal" was, but he couldn't help but like her. When she handed him the GoPro (which the theatre kid easily recognized), he took it with all the reverence due a Gutenberg Bible. He inclined his head, "thank you, Miss Andromeda. I can do much with this -- to comfort the disturbed, and disturb the comfortable, yeah?" He tilted his head, new thoughts suddenly careening through his mind. "Hunh. I'd first heard that phrase applied to art, but I've also heard it applied to journalism. Maybe..." He let the idea slide to percolate in the back of his mind, and re-focused on the Dangers. He smiled broadly, first to Veronica, "of course I would have loved helping on those missions! Though," his smiled faded a bit, "it may have been for the best that you hadn't called, since I had my studies to focus on. But that's behind me now, yeah? And Danger Media," he twisted his torso to face Ace, "I thought they just handled the licenses and broadcast rights for all the existing stuff?" He wasn't entirely certain on that -- DM didn't make any big horror or sci-fi pieces, so he'd never paid that much attention to them. "They make new stuff, too? Jungle Patrol: The Next Generation?"
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Horrorshow Davyd seemed unfazed by the sudden shift of scene, thanks both to his own malleable nature and his love of horror movies. His outfit had shifted to fancy dinner dress, black tail coat over a white shirt, cotton vest/waistcoat, and bow tie, high-waisted black trousers and black patent leather Oxford shoes. He raised a glass to their hostess-captor, "a marvelous show, simply marvelous!" He spoke with the same Mid-Atlantic accent Hammond used, "such attention to detail! The shadows, the chills -- terrific! But, why would you want to give this all up?" He lowered his glass and tilted his head, "you're really showing your range of talent not, and you can do so much more! Would you really give all this up, just to live in... New Jersey? Much has changed much since you were last here." Really wish I had some of that Grue telepathy, to better coordinate with the others. But maybe they'll pick up what I'm putting down... "And I don't just mean the city -- the people, too!" He gestured to the other heroes, "they view the type of horror you've known as passé, a quaint amusement. Monsters just don't scare people like they use to," he said with a touch of regret. "Oh, you still have your admirers, certainly," he turned back to her and nodded respectfully, "and they already flock to you, revere you in their own way. But would you really want to come out here, and learn an entirely different type of acting? And if you did leave, and one of us took your place... how do you know we'd give it back? You might not be able to return to your kingdom -- do you really want to take that chance? To lose your starring role, and become another unnamed extra in the background?" Hammond was a diva in life, maybe this will get her to back down.
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Artificer Heroditus quickly recovered form the wave of nausea that washed over him at Aquaria's opening display of power, and was soon running all about the chamber. He had used components from his bandolier to construct a pair of bulky gauntlets, which he used to warp and weave the battlefield about them to best shield the defenders of this realm. Floorboards curled up to swat beetles away. Carpeting reared up and stiffened to steel hardness, bouncing back errant blasts from his teammates or deflecting attacks from the invader. Bannisters and rails reared up and away from the stairway and slithered towards her, moving to wrap around her arms and head. What else what else what else -- ah ha! He ducked behind the bar and flung several bottles into the fray, then with a flick of his wrist made them explode. The potent potables streaked towards the Carrion Queen -- hopefully increasing her susceptibility to Effigy's attacks -- while the glass and crystal shards flew towards and then encircled both Ouroboros and Phantom, providing them with some cover from attack but leaving their line of sight unimpeded.