Held Yggdra

"I am not fit for God's duty."

- Held

Held, regarded as the Tree of Held and later the Millennium Tree, was one of the four gods of the Evillious universe. Incarnated as a tree during the Third Period, Held became the guardian of the forest in Elphegort. After witnessing the creation of the Seven Deadly Sins, he tasked Elluka Clockworker with collecting the vessels and watched over her progress throughout the centuries.

Early Life
Since time immemorial, Held and his kindred enjoyed paradise in their world. When their world suddenly collapsed, the gods boarded the ark Sin and traversed the black sea until finding a new place. There, they created the Second Period and prospered in the new paradise for a thousand years. When the Second Period faced destruction, the gods dubbed the cause "Malice". The earth god and 71 of his kin successfully escaped the world's destruction on Sin, sailing to another new place.

Heading the creation of this Third Period, the sun god tasked the other gods with the creation of individual aspects of the world, Held focusing his efforts on creating the lands and oceans of the new world. While the gods Levia and Behemo were creating the humans, the earth god was used as the model for the Elphe race by the sun god. During the process, 62 of their kin died and, grieving their loss, Held took their souls and buried them in the middle of the Third Period's earth, resulting in a massive forest sprouting there.

The surviving ten then completed their creation by BT 528. When the sun god shared his plans to leave their new paradise in the hands of the humans they created, Held gave his support to the idea while the other eight gods opposed it. After Levia and Behemo were incarnated as Levia-Behemo and rebelled against the sun god's rules with the other six kin, the god sealed the dragon in the Sin ark he had dropped in the third world's north where the humans founded Levianta.

Held was then incarnated as a tree in his forest by the sun god, tasked with protecting the non-human creatures from the twin gods. Required to not directly involve himself with human affairs, he ordered the spirits he created to never leave the forest or go near humans. Some time afterward, the Tree of Held became known to the people in the nearby country of Heldogort and was worshiped as part of a cult sect in the Levin religion.

Original Sin
"If you do not want to interfere with the human world, then why did you give me this mission?" "Elluka... because Sin has been produced. Since I have no direct relationship with it, I cannot interfere, and for that reason, I send you, a “human”, out to gather them."

- Elluka and Held

After the events creating the Original Sin in EC 001, Held ignored them, believing he should not interfere with the mortal world. At some point, Held secretly met and became close with the sorceress Elluka Chirclatia. Once Hänsel and Gretel murdered Eve and split the Original Sin into the Seven Deadly Sins in EC 014, Held realized the danger they posed.

Having no direct connection to the Sins, Held summoned Elluka in EC 015 and tasked her with collecting them in his place. Expecting Elluka to complete her mission in about a century, the earth deity placed the responsibility upon her and awaited her mission’s completion. At some point, Irina Clockworker, in the form of a red cat, began visiting Held, appearing with different female bodies as her mediums with each visit.

Venomania Event
Some time after the Venomania Event of EC 137, Elluka visited the god and described her failure to acquire the vessels of sin owned by Duke Sateriasis Venomania and Count Karchess Crim. During the conversation, she described the chaos caused by the event and how one of the girls in Venomania's harem, Mikulia Greeonio, shared Eve Moonlit's appearance. Held also learned Elluka had swapped bodies with Lukana Octo, granting her the Loop Octopus clan's unique prophetic dream ability.

Trials of Gloom
"Oh, well, well. A visitor more unusual than the last one has come."

- Held regarding Irina Clockworker

Centuries later, Elluka visited Held again in EC 325 and mentioned that one vessel, the Twin Swords of Levianta, had been located at Levin Church in Lucifenia. The sorceress returned sometime later and Held understood something must have occurred. Disappointed to hear the Twin Swords of Levianta she collected were fake, the god was punched in the face as Elluka became frustrated by her continued failures. After noting how hitting him was pointless, Held brushed it off, saying they could only be patient.

Outraged, Elluka reminded him that she was only volunteering to find the vessels born in his forest and the god countered that she was the reason the Demons of Sin were freed in the first place. After the sorceress admitted her part in destroying the Magic Kingdom Levianta, she punched him in the face again and he reiterated that it didn't hurt him before mentioning how the magic kingdom had been rebuilt.

Elluka then assured him they were nothing alike and were unlikely to have inherited the Magic Kingdom's legacy. Still uncertain, he voiced his worry of them recovering his era's relic. The spirit Michaela then perched on Held's branches and greeted the sorceress before being promptly sent away. Elluka asked how many spirits served him. The earth god admitted he didn't remember and asked if she wanted to discuss something related to Divine Levianta but the sorceress brushed it off, claiming there was something else bothering her.

Elluka then explained how she had forcibly hired a new servant and the god asked if her odd choice was because the individual had magical talent, though the sorceress stated she had none. Curious, Held asked why the woman was traveling with her. Once Elluka mentioned Mikulia Greeonio, Held recalled what she had said about her and realized she meant that the girl also had the Original Sinner's appearance.

As Elluka questioned how so many had the failed Ma candidate's face if she had no descendants, Held brushed off her worry as something that happened in his Period as well, although seemingly more pronounced in the current world. The sorceress inquired why and Held told her to ask Levia-Behemo, claiming they were the creators of the world's humans, not him. After the sorceress questioned where she could find them, Held remained silent before asking whether Mikulia had a demonic presence in her.

Once Elluka confirmed neither she nor her servant had such a presence, Held reassured her that their likeness to Eve was only accidental. Questioning if the sorceress brought her along, Elluka claimed she'd wreak havoc on the spirits and left her locked at their residence. Noting her cruelty, he ask if he left her any food and the sorceress, shocked, remember she had forgotten and quickly left.

Several hours later, Held saw Irina approach him with a male medium and asked what she wanted. Noting he'd never see her use a man before, Irina responded that it was a necessity, though refusing to divulge the details. As the cat scratched his trunk, he told her it didn't hurt him and told her to stop. The sorceress asked for Elluka's location in return and Held scoffed at her unusual request; the cat explained that she was disturbing one of her subordinates and wanted to try to reclaim her.

Refusing to tell her, the god questioned if she'd turn him to ashes if he answered. Irina pointed out that doing so would fail to kill his real self and Held added that he in turn was helpless to stop her in his tree form. Explaining how he would likely stop existing in the mortal world if his body was destroyed, he mentioned the possibility of using his godly power to destroy her in the moment before he left.

Admitting she wished to avoid that outcome, Irina continued scratching Held's face and he reminded her not to damage his trunk. Interrogated on why he never told Elluka about her, he answered that the two of them couldn't meet, claiming it wasn't about the mage's HER. Stating her plans to approach Elluka herself eventually to take both sides of "that" from her, Held questioned if that meant she wasn't planning to approach her now.

The sorceress reiterated that she only desired to reclaim her "pawn" and would send her other subordinates since she was so busy and continued scratching him. Commenting how even if he told her, his trunk would take time to regenerate, Held remained silent throughout Irina's interrogation until the sorceress finally conceded and left. Immediately after, the god called for Gumillia and tasked the spirit with telling the other spirits to strengthen the forest's barrier to keep out individuals with powerful magic.

Gumillia then noted that Elluka would be unable to enter in that case and he brushed off the concern, stating it was probably for the best. When the spirit inquired if they had gotten into a fight, Held confirmed it was a separate problem. Struck with an idea, Held told Gumillia he may one day need the spirit to leave the forest in order to protect Elluka from a certain person. Questioning how the spirit would manage that, he stated he'd think about it until that time came and entrusted the barrier to her. Yawning, he decided to return to sleep.

Disappearance of Conchita
Some time after, once the barrier set up around the forest had been lifted, Elluka returned to Held and described her failure to acquire the wine glass vessel of sin owned by Duke Banica Conchita. During the conversation, she related the resulting chaos caused by Banica's necromancy to the god and how she had lost the vessel to the "servant" she had captured.

First Apparent Success
"The Princess of Lucifenia... You speak of Riliane? You exorcised the demon that had taken possession of her, did you not?"

- Held

During the latter half of the 5th century EC, Held learned from Elluka that she had joined the Kingdom of Lucifenia's side in a war, becoming close with its king, queen, and her comrades Leonhart Avadonia and Mariam Futapie. Around EC 492, Elluka visited the god and related how she had exorcised a demon from Princess Riliane and sealed it in a hand mirror vessel of sin owned by a traitorous minister at the palace.

Reign of Evil
"Elluka. What you are attempting might not be "just" by any means conceivable. It might be better for the world if countries like Lucifenia were to perish." "I know... I know all that. From the beginning, we didn't act for things like justice! But still, if the Demons of Sin are the cause of Lucifenia's collapse, it's my dut to prevent it, right?"

- Held and Elluka

In January of EC 499, Elluka returned to Held, warning him that she a prophetic dream of Lucifenia's destruction under the princess' rule; she then asked if it was possible to incarnate some of his forest spirits as humans to become her disciples to prevent it. Sighing, Held noted how few pilgrims visited anymore when Elluka interjected that she didn't come to listen to an old man complain. Lamenting that she was an impatient old woman, the earth god closed his eyes and considered her puzzling suggestion.

He then pointed out how she thinking up whimsical things as usual, agreeing that it was possible since she specialized in the transmigration arts. After thinking it over, Held opened his eyes and expressed his doubt that such a large country could be destroyed. Elluka responded it was connected to the Demons of Sin. Held immediately noted her implication that the prince would bring calamity Dukes Conchita and Venomania before her. The god then inferred the mage was referring to Princess Riliane, questioning her previous claim that she had already sealed the demon possessing her.

Elluka reiterated that she had exorcised the demon before and that it somehow repossessed her and rooted itself deeper into her soul, making regular exorcisms ineffective. Realizing the mage's intent, Held stated that she wanted to use the Clockwork Secret Art, warning her that if she failed, it could potentially destroy the entire nation.

After the god reminded her what had occurred with her own country, Elluka brushed it aside and insisted it would work with an apprentice. Held then reiterated his worry. When the sorcercess questioned why Riliane was still under demonic possession, the god speculated that the mirror Elluka exorcised and sealed was only a piece, with the rest of the vessel living somewhere else.

Held then asked the specifics of Elluka’s premonition and she related that she saw four images: Princess Riliane being executed, armed people invading the royal palace, Lucifenia invading Elphegort, and Mariam Futapie stabbed dead in the palace gardens. He then asked which of the four was her purple dream. Once Elluka related that her invasion of Elphegort was inevitable future, the earth deity asked Elluka what she would do if she failed. When Elluka declared she would simply leave and avoid the mess, Held mused that saying that was just like her before pointing out that it was different for her this time.

After a brief silence, Elluka questioned what he meant and he elaborated that she was afraid to lose the people she cared for, hence her unusual eagerness. He then pointed out she would also rather cast her loved ones aside and escape than watch them die and repeat her experience with the Levianta Castastrophe. Enraged, Elluka punched Held's face and threatened him, unaffecting his composure.

The god of the earth then lectured that what she was attempting might not be just, reminding her that Lucifenia’s destruction might actually be a benefit for the world. Hearing Elluka retort she was aware, understanding from the very beginning that they hadn't acted because it was just; she then insisted it was still her duty to prevent Lucifenia's destruction if the demon's of sin would be the case. After another short silence, the god agreed to think over the "apprentice" matter before admitting he was suddenly getting tired, yawning. Despite Elluka's attempts to stop him, the deity closed his eyes and slipped into a slumber.

Family Matters
"In that case, how about this arrangement? I will give you two spirits. One will be your disciple and the other one will stay in Elphegort and look for the Sin fragment. With this, all of the problems will be addressed at the same time."

- Held

He awoke later that month, learning that Michaela, one of his forest spirits, had fled the safety of the forest and was missing. Later on, Held roared upon Michaela’s return, reproaching her the entire night for breaking his regulations and being caught by humans in the nearby village.

The next day, Held heard Michaela’s apology, calmly explaining that he just wanted her to learn from her mistakes, describing how important she was to him and how worried he had been. After Michaela apologized again, Held forgave her then slipped into another slumber.

Days later, Held awoke and was immediately approached by Michaela, who explained that a woman named Clarith prayed to him while he slept. Held explained the discrimination facing the Netsuma Clan, noting that, with her mother sick, Clarith would be unable to flee. As Michaela pressed the tree deity for a solution, he reiterated that the spirit should not interact with humans, as not even god should interact with the human world.

With a timely arrival, Elluka retorted that she never expected Held to say that, asking then why she was given her mission. Held explained his reasoning and Elluka asked if he made his decision. Expressing that he had forgotten their conversation from weeks prior, Elluka angrily chastised the tree god. She then told him that she believed he was right and related that she recently sensed a potential vessel fragment in Elphegort. Meditating on this, Held looked upon everyone for a long while.

He then agreed to allow her to take two of his forest spirits for transmigration, one to become her apprentice while another would search for vessel in Elphegort. Met with Elluka’s surprise that he readily assissted her, the god expressed his guilt for the vessels of sin born in his forest leaving and causing chaos for humanity, hence his reason for helping.

When Ellluka asked who would be appropriate, Held responded that Gumillia would be an excellent disciple and also help keep the mage from slacking. Secretly deciding to have Michaela succeed him as the Millennium Tree, Held used the opportunity to prepare Michaela, asking her if she would like to be the locator.

Met with confusion, the god clarified that, due to her fascination with humans, he offered her a rare chance to learn about them. Held then told Elluka that he would give them three years to complete her plan. After the sorceress accepted Held's conditions, the two discussed different topics before she departed west with the two spirits to transmigrate them.

Green Hunting
"It was abominable, being fooled by that old man..."

- Elluka

When the Millennium Tree Forest was burned in EC 500, Held was worried for all the life in the forest; due to Elluka’s intervention, a rainstorm doused the flames, saving Held and much of the forest from destruction. At the conclusion of The Green Hunting, Held was approached by Elluka and Gumillia, curious as to why Michaela’s body became tree saplings.

Held then revealed to them that his mortal form depended upon the life of the Millennium Tree and that it was soon his time to depart from the mortal plane. Explaining his plan for Michaela and his reasons for sending her with the sorceress, Elluka intensely argued with him before finally accepting it. Afterwards, Gumillia told the earth god that she chose to remain human and help Elluka; saddened, he accepted her decision and then fell back into another deep slumber.

Reunion
"Is it here, Clarith?" "Yes, this should be her original home."

- Rin and Clarith while planting Michaela with Held

In EC 505, he contemplated his fate, entrusting the resolution of “Sin” to humanity and his successor. He watched as two visitors, Clarith and Rin, came to him, praying before planting Michaela’s sapling in the ground. Seeing his child return to him, he decided to impart all his knowledge to her, finding it to be his atonement for his past mistakes. Witnessing their interchange before returning to prayer, the god wondered who Rin was apologizing to and why she was crying.

Shortly afterward, Clarith joined her in asking for forgiveness and the god watched as they cried like that until nightfall. After Kyle Marlon was possessed and transformed by the Demon of Pride, Gumillia, Yukina Freesis, and Germaine Avadonia fled into Held's Forest; Gumillia consulted the deity on how to defeat Kyle. Held answered that the only way to defeat Kyle was to strike during the full moon, which would bring Gumillia's magical power to its peak.

The deity then clarified that the possessed Kyle would also be at his full strength during that time. During Kyle's battle with the group two weeks later, Held convinced Michaela to sing to help subdue Kyle and she complied, helping to pacify the possessed king. Around the EC 530s, Held's earthly form perished and he passed on from the mortal realm, leaving Michaela with what he taught her.

Confronting Sickle
Sometime after his return to the Second Period, Held discovered a black box floating in the sky and peeked inside to find Allen Avadonia sleeping within its confines. Held later saw the Master of the Heavenly Yard approach, noting how he was still farming even though cultivating the "ended world" was meaningless. The god of creation countered that the old world hadn't "ended" but was a place for everyone to return to after death.

The green-haired god pointed out how his friend's mentality would infuriate Levia for ignoring the Hellish Yard. Asked his thoughts on the issue, the Master of the Court described his belief that selection was necessary and that mixing good and evil was what caused the Second Period's downfall, citing he should at least isolate HERs from the rest. The sickle-wielding god then questioned why he had left Michaela as a successor, despite obeying the duty he was assigned.

Held remained silent before changing the subject, pointing out the black box in the sky and stating he too was plotting something and questioned why the boy was being given special treatment. After the Master of the Heavenly Yard explained it was because he was "irregular" and outside his realm of creation, the perplexed Held considered that his friend was excluding the boy, though the scythe-wielding god denied it. Once the Heavenly Yard's master refused to continue their conversation, Held admitted that Sickle had free reign to do as he liked, as the world's creator, and left.

Legacy
"The sorceress Elluka has been asked by the guardian deity of the forest, Held, to go out on a journey... and to collect the seven vessels of sin. The characters are most confusing."

- Excerpt from Gammon Octo's writings

After Held's earthly demise and departure from the mortal plane, Michaela succeeded him as the new Millennium Tree, acting as the guardian of Millennium Tree Forest and mankind. Centuries after his "death", Ma and Gammon Octo wrote several screenplays concerning Held and his interactions with Elluka and Michaela. The scripts were subsequently reviewed by the Master of the Court, considering Held's disappearance from the mortal world crucial to the theater's origins.

Personality and Traits
"Sin was born from the filth of the forest. I would do it myself, but as you can see, I cannot leave the forest. Even so, I cannot make this as an excuse for everything. I pushed the responsibility so I have considered helping you..."

- Held to Elluka

Held was calm, meditative, and reserved, carefully considering a situation and its repercussions before making a decision or taking action. As a result, he was very cautious and did everything within his power to prevent anything worrisome from happening. Despite this, he considered himself negligent in preventing the Demons of Sin from leaving his forest.

Observant of others as well as himself, Held recognized everyone's strengths and flaws, and listened carefully to everything he was told before giving his input. Because of this, he often appeared sagacious, supplying prudent advice or insight regarding affairs. Coinciding with this, the god spoke like an enigmatic old man, almost always speaking with a low, calm voice despite originally having a more youthful appearance.

Due to his cautious nature, Held was stubborn and rarely budged on his regulations, though willing to concede in special circumstances. Though he rarely expressed anger, even when ignored or disrespected, Held could be provoked if his forest spirits were threatened, especially when due to their disobedience. Held also had a degree of laziness and randomly fell asleep for months at a time without finishing a discussion, sometimes even forgetting that the discussion ever took place.

Similarly, he didn't bother to remember how many forest spirits he had. Likewise, because of his long life, the god sometimes struggled to recall certain people or events he had been told about in the past. Because of his failures with the vessels of sin, Held believed he failed in his duty as a god, deciding to instead entrust Michaela with his knowledge as atonement and allow a newer generation to succeed him.

Believing heavily in segregation and a defined order, Held blamed the mixing of both good and evil to have caused the end of the Second Period. He also considered both HERs and the Demons of Sin to be dangerous and a serious threat to the Third Period's survival. As a result, he found the Master of the Heavenly Yard's choice to allow all humans, even HERs, a place in the Heavenly Yard was foolish.

Similarly, he disagreed with Sickle's lack of consideration for Levia and the Hellish Yard, recognizing the god of creation had purported the twin gods' anger. Still, the god respected the creator deity's wishes, keeping his existence secret from everyone else, and acted according to his regulations for the Third Period, though refusing to explain his plans for Michaela when the creation god pressed him for answers.

Held also believed humans to be aggressive by nature and that it was not the place of either gods or spirits to interfere with humanity, limiting his influence in their affairs whenever possible. However, the god sometimes complained about humans' increasing independence from the divine and was disappointed by the increasing decline in pilgrims visiting his tree over the centuries; regardless, he considered humans to be stronger than gods and had faith in their ability to solve the Seven Deadly Sins issue.

Although largely staying out of human affairs, Held often interacted with Elluka and Irina Clockworker, becoming close friends with the former and bitter enemies with the latter. Since meeting Elluka, Held had given her advice and acted as her longtime friend. Holding a great amount of trust in her, the god believed she could easily collect the vessels of sin within a century.

He also was worried for her wellbeing, knowing she was a vessel for Levia-Behemo, and did everything he could to keep her from knowing about either the twin gods or Irina. In the same vein, he felt guilty for pushing the responsibility of collecting the Seven Deadly Sins on Elluka while he was rooted to the forest. At the same time, he considered Elluka emotionally evasive and sometimes cruel, usually being assailed by her when she vented her anger.

As its guardian, Held loved all the humans, animals, and plants in his forest, considering the forest spirits he created to be his children, and was extremely concerned with their safety. Like a protective parent, the god was strict with his spirits' interactions with humans and forbade them from leaving the forest. Similarly, he was saddened to hear Gumillia wished to remain a human, though respecting her decision, and overjoyed to see Michaela return to him when she was planted by Clarith and Rin.

Skills and Abilities
"God’s power and mine cannot be compared."

- Elluka

As a god, Held wielded divine power over life and the earth, capable of spotaneously generating an entire forest around him and all the life in it, including the spirits with their great magical power. Similarly, he had the capability to manipulate life, providing the means for the forest spirits to transform into physical animals while in his forest, allowing them to interact with the world, and turning Michaela into a tree sapling after her physical death.

Conversely, he could eradicate a mortal being's soul should he will it, assuming he knew of the entity's location. Worshipped as part of the Levin religion, Held implicated he was responsible for providing bountiful harvests to humans before they began mastering the land themselves. He could also extend human lives, though unable to make them immortal per Sickle's rules of time.

Because he was incarnated as a tree by Sickle, Held was unable to move, being rooted in the ground, and therefore had to assign others tasks that he himself couldn't complete. Similarly, he was unable to perform any action that could cause physical harm to the Third Period, forcing his incarnated form to only create and extend life, not destroy or shorten it. Likewise, his divine power was also limited, stretching only as far as the borders of his forest.

He was also unable to defend himself from being attacked and could be easily damaged or harmed. However, his body was also unable to feel pain and the tree could regenerate over time, making him resilient to torture or other violent means. His tree sap also held strong medicinal properties and would invorgate any who ingested it. Should his mortal form be destroyed, the god could momentarily use his full power in the Third Period. He was an impressive heavy sleeper as well, easily slipping into a comatose state for months at a time.

Character Connections.
Elluka Clockworker: An old friend of Held. Held valued Elluka's skills as a sorceress and trusted her to collect the Seven Deadly Sins, although he was disappointed when she failed to complete the task with a century. He often urged her to be more cautious and considerate in her endeavours, but ironically would hide information from her for what he believed to be her own good, such as concealing Irina's existence.

Michaela: Held's creation and successor. Held deeply cared about Michaela and was often worried about her safety, furious when she disobeyed his orders and discouraging her interest in humans. At the same time, he valued this same interest as necessary for when he chose her to be his successor, maintaining the hope that she would be able to correct his past mistakes. Held considered her most dear to him among all the forest spirits.

Gumillia: Held's creation. Held recognized the value of Gumillia's serious and methodical nature as a means to keep Elluka on track, and so trusted her to be the magi's apprentice. He was saddened to learn of Gumillia's intention to remain a human rather than returning to him, although he openly accepted it; Held continued to give her aid in the future, such as helping her to stop the possessed Kyle.

Master of the Heavenly Yard: A fellow god and good friend of Held. The two were close from before the creation of the Bolganio continent and Held aided him in the maintenance of the Third Period. Held demonstrated great respect for the Master of the Heavenly Yard and his rules for the world, knowing they were his to create as he wished. Despite this, Held was at times frustrated by his friend's enigmatic and indiscriminately benevolent nature, and hid from him his true intentions concerning Michaela.

Levia: A fellow god. Held and Levia were presumably close before the Third Period, but after Levia and her brother caused trouble for the people of Bolganio he saw it necessary to protect others from their malice. Despite this, he considered her feelings more carefully as a result of Sickle's actions, such as when her Hellish Yard was neglected as an afterlife.

Behemo: A fellow god. Held and Behemo were presumably close before the Third Period, but after Behemo and his sister caused trouble for the people of Bolganio he saw it necessary to protect others from their malice.

Master of the Court: An awakened vessel of sin that shares Held's title of "Master of the Court."

Conceptualization and Origin

 * Held's name is derived from the Old English word eld, meaning "old age" or "antiquity"; in Swedish, it means "fire".
 * Trees and tree spirits often appear in mythology as holy or sacred entities of nature and the universe, such as the Yggdrasil of Norse mythology and the Kodama of Japanese mythology.
 * Master of the Court's relation to the Court is connected to the event of Judgment in Hieronymus Bosch's The Seven Deadly Sins and the Four Last Things.

Curiosities

 * Held, ironically, falls asleep easily, loosely connecting him to Elphegort, where his forest resides, which is associated with laziness, sleep, and the sin of Sloth in general; similarly, the Elphes were modeled after his appearance during the Second Period.
 * Interestingly, Held refers to the Seven Deadly Sins as "filth of the forest", paralleling Hänsel and Gretel's lines from Chrono Story about the "filth" created by their "pretentious mother".

Gallery
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