To Heir is Human XVI-Playground Options

[jack cloudy]

Silhouette.

The Silhouette turned back to face the tower that rose up at the center of the city.
,,Very well, then commence the attack as you see fit, Savirien. But do know that I desire that tower to be ours as soon as possible. I believe that its roof would be quite suitable as a scouting position."

[Florodine of Hlaalu]

The Silhouette, His City


The Silhouette looked over the city with indifference. Emotions were not something he liked to use and with the faintest look of admiration he leapt off the wall and landed onto a building far below. He mad no sound as he worked his way towards the flotilla. He stood on top of the wall and shouted down in his hissing voice.
"Take no prisoners, I want the heads of all Cyrodillian citizens piled in the Green Emperor Way" he said in Akaviri. "Set fire to everything!" he hissed as he sent a large fireball shooting towards a large group of panicking citizens on one of the flotilla ships.
The cries of despair from all sides seemed to encase the Silhouette in a frenzy of glee, if anything actually did touch his emotions it was the joy of hurting others. He was Akaviri immortal, he had done magic that no other could do. He had avenged Akavir's failed attempt to take over.

This post has been edited by Florodine of Hlaalu: Jan 13 2008, 09:49 PM

[Lord Revan]

Karn, Flotilla

Karn's gaze flicked over Patholos' head, the fireball's light reflected off his crimson eyes.

"Get down!" He shouted, civilians and soldiers turned to look. Before Patholos could speak or turn his sensei knocked him down with a kick to the chest.

Karn threw himself down beside his XO, water splashed into his face. Three times his heart beat before a wave of heat blew past.

[jack cloudy]

Flint Ironwood.

Flint flexed his hand. The healer who had seen to him had already moved on to the next patient.
,,Note to self, never ever again approach a position likely to be stormed by katanawielding snakes." He muttered. His eyes grew big and he threw himself off the raft into the water.
,,For that matter, never take a boattrip in the middle of a warzone either!" He continued and spat out a mouthfull of water.
,,Now I'm beginning to wish I was born as an Argonian!"


Sinyaramen Fenasim, Cloud Ruler (Just so we won't forget about him)

Sin laughed.
,,I am a genius!" He howled and bent down to scoop up the pile of books, none of which was any larger than a fingernail.
,,Travel-sized books. This is pure brilliance!" He said to himself. Someone cleared his throat behind him.
,,Yes, very impressive and all that but you are going to return those books to their original size and put them back on the racks where they belong, won't you?" A Blade muttered in a very bored tone. Sin sighed.
,,Yes, sir."



OOC: I just counted. In all but one post, Sin has said that he's a genius at least once. He sure loves himself.

This post has been edited by jack cloudy: Jan 14 2008, 07:34 AM

[Agent Griff]

OOC: Um, wasn't the Sil's last action a bit...random? Anyway, I'm shouldn't be one to judge. He is your character afterall and you know what's best for him. Anyway.

Savirien

Before Savirien could properly answer his commander, the Silhouette had already leaped off the wall and landed on a building nearby. He then started making his way to the North of the island where the population of the city had gathered to prepare an evacuation.

Ever the hasty one. So be it.

Savirien soon called one of the higher ranked captains to him so as to organize the host properly and take the city in as little time as possible.

"Take three quarters of the army currently inside the city and lead it towards the docks of the city where the Tamrielics are preparing to evacuate the city. Protect our lord and master and support him in whatever tasks he might choose to undertake. Once you find him, you will grant command of your forces and resume your role as captain." Savirien said. The captain seemed slightly confused.

"And what will you do with the rest of our forces, general?" the captain asked after a short while in which he thought over his response. He remembered that Savirien was a reasonable man and that he did not have a temper akin to the Silhouette's fury.

"Our master's bidding of course." Savirien said, sketching a smile with his long, narrow, snout. "I shall proceed in conquering the great tower. Now go out and see to your duty! When we see each other again we will have either conquered the city or been defeated and expelled from it."

With grim determination he then set out to gather his troops and attack the White Gold Tower of the Imperial City.

This post has been edited by Agent Griff: Jan 14 2008, 08:41 PM

[Priest of Sithis]

Patholos

The stunning color scheme blazing overhead startled Patholos, and with his unique vision, he could see the traces from where the spell came from. Muttering a curse under his breath for the first time he could remember, Patholos unsheathed his special dagger and released the paralysis enchantment upon the blade with a small drop of his own blood. Patholos looked at the wasted bodies of three civilians crack and sizzle in magical torment, and a small fire grew in his soul.

For the first time since he had met Karn, Patholos thought him to be cunning and decisive with few personal emotions ever involving themselves in his plan. The Sensei looked burned, and Patholos wondered what the merciless Karn would have done before the Narza'Tai, before the End of The Dark Brotherhood, before the Silhouette... war changes everyone....

Patholos ordered three standing Narza'Tai to his side and like fluid shadows they immersed themselves into a battle formation. A squad of Tactical Akaviri were on the heels of a family running for the shore. Patholos didn't have to say anything, as the four together struck the squad. There was relatively no sound heard as the snakemen dropped to the ground, and the four Narza'Tai stood victorious. Cleaning the blades ritualistically and heading for the next squad, the Narza'Tai became a masterpiece of war, each in his own personal Requiem. There was tranquility on the Narza'Tai's faces, and they were at peace with the world.

Patholos was cleaning his blade for the third time when horror struck him. His split soul, the part devoted to Sithis eternally and the Changed Patholos, began to feel whole again. This sudden change meant either of two things; he was becoming a tool of Sithis again, or he was healing and he had grown strong enough to break a pact with a deity. He was astounded when a small shadowy hand came into view with strikingly similar features to his own. An akaviri necromancer had torn his shadowy soul out of his body and incarnated it into a dead host. Patholos's heart sank as the Battle Posture of the Black Hand was taken by his shadowy self. With a grim determination, he made ready to end the wrong he put on the world.

OOC: I gave Patholos a Baptism by Fire, taking what he had done in his life with regret and getting a chance to face it, what is going to happen i wonder....

[jack cloudy]

Flint Ironwood.

Wasting no further time complaining, Flint crawled back onto the raft.
,,Get the rafts clumped up together!" He shouted at the boatsman. The Imperial looked at him as if he'd gone insane.
,,Those are area effect fireballs, you moronic Breton! You want us all to get wiped out in one shot?!" He shouted back.

Flint nodded and a shimmering dome appeared over the raft they stood on.
,,And this is an area effect barrier. The closer together the rafts get, the more compact and dense I can make this thing." He said. Now the Boatsman simply nodded and began to row with grim determination. His collegues, those that hadn't panicked, realized what was going on and moved to rendezvous with Flint's raft.

,,Anyone who knows how to put up a barrier, no matter how weak, no matter how small, do it! Every little bit is another layer between us and fiery death!" The old man ordered. Absentmindedly, he bent down and picked up Aleatoire.
,,Now let's see. Any barriers in this thing?"

This post has been edited by jack cloudy: Jan 15 2008, 11:11 PM

[Lord Revan]

OCC: This is getting chaotic, I don't think Veric will have much backup other than Dalrus.....

Issac

"Satyana, come on!" Issac said as he helped her onto the nearest raft. The fireball had hit far away enough that the heat that reached them was not harmful. He glanced back at the place where the fireball struck, the grass and soil beneath it was as black as the ashlands of Vvardenfell. It extended many meters, and thankfully, had not been an explosive shot, the fire and heat simply spread upon impact.

Most of the people who'd been caught by the fire had died on the spot, the air within them igniting and searing their lungs. Everyone who wasn't dead that close enough to be harmed was so burned that their wounds didn't resemble flesh anymore.
Issac saw a shield dome materialize nearby on another raft, which manuevered to get closer to the others. The Altmer summoned the last of his waning magicka reserves to create a protective dome of his own. The Aegis would keep spells and projectiles from entering, but people could come and go freely.

He leaned against Satyana, sitting down on the raft, his eyes shut with concentration; ensuring the shield remained up was more about focus that magicka right now..... Issac clenched Satyana's hand comfortingly.

Ian

The screams of the civilians seemed distant to the vampire's ears. Everyone coming down from the Prison paid him and the Plys'Iea little heed, except for giving them a wide berth. Akaviri seemed to slither from everywhere, but they ignored the battle and pursued the civilians.

Ian's continued survival was more on his vampiric reflexes, instincts, and Kirana's support. The alien's staff whoosed at his chest once more and the vampire's movement came without conscious thought. He flowed around the hunter as he followed through with the thrust with a tackle.
"The flotilla isn't going to loiter around much longer, get going!" Ian grabbed the retreating staff and used the Plys'Iea's momentum to throw himself back in the direction of the rafts.

[The Metal Mallet]

Amrita

When Amrita reached the walls to the next district, she found them abandoned. It appeared that the retreat was in full swing now with the direct attack made by the enemy commander. The sounds of the Akaviri horde were rising quickly and Amrita knew she had to get to the flotilla. She continued on the path until she saw Ian facing the beast she had thought killed. Anger at leaving something unfinished rather than worrying about the safety of the vampire, Amrita launched a lightning strike at the beast.


Flogir

Flogir frantically waved on the civilians as they got onto the rafts. Behind him two large squads stood as a last defense for the people before they would sail to safety as well. Flogir cursed the Silhouette for ruining his defensive plans, but it appeared that they'd still have enough time to get everyone out of here without many more losses.

The sound of the approaching army was a frightening clock, warning that the city's time was soon to end.

"By the Divines, I hope they don't find Altair," Flogir muttered. Hopefully the resourceful politician and his powerful mage retainer would find a way out of the city.

[Florodine of Hlaalu]

Dalrus Varus, Gold Road

The smoke could be seen for miles. It seemed to rise up out of the valley from a great furnace. Wildlife and citizens alike looked on in mesmerized panic. Eastern Cyrodiil lay all but destroyed, the reletively unscathed west awaited the outcome of the battle. Bandits of course had been raiding over the countryside of Collovia, and who could blame them? All the soldiers and guards had gone off to fight in The Imperial City. Only the walled cities of Collovia could be counted on for safety, though since the siege of The Imperial City, raids had halted. A deer stopped gazing towards the Nibinay Valley and bent by a pool to drink.

Suddenly it sprinted off as a ball of energy seemed to appear out of no where, followed by around thirty more balls of energy. They soon materialized into fairly ordinary looking people, despite their odd clothing, which consisted of forest green robes for the men, and rosy pink robes for the women. In the center stood a breath takingly attractive young woman with dark, wavy, long brown hair tied up in a hasty pony tail. She smiled at the intense looking mages surrounding her and a few of the men seemed to be dumbfounded. This was of course Dalrus, new Archmage of the reformed Guild of Mages.

"Well I am surprised, more people have come than I would have thought, it seems all of the eastern guild halls were not completely wiped out," she said in a voice that seemed to hypnotize the listeners. But that was just Dalrus's way, she seemed to have a voice that made the listener think they were alone with her. As if she was their for them and only them. This was a Dalrus who was very different from the one who had been held by vampires for a year before, she was emenating a goodness, a power that was stable. She had succeeded in gathering up the other mages, the mages who the Guild had forced exile on. The Mages who felt the guild was unfair, the mages whom practiced in solitary, self imposed exile. All the masters were hear, all the former members of the mages guild, the threat that had destroyed most of the empire had united it's magic people.

"Now I cannot guarentee we will all surive this, as a matter of fact, I can guarentee that quite a few of us will die, but we are not doing this for us, we are doing this for the innocent none magic folks, the ones whom are being slaughtered as we speak. I see our Guild Guides successfully got us to the outskirts of the valley, now let us do our part in the war effort." she smiled, though this was not a happy smile, it was a smile of determination, of sadness but one that reassured her collegues. The robed group did not walk in any order, mostly scattered and prepared, the Warrior Mages (Destruction and Conjuration) leading followed by the Support Mages (Mysticism, Illusion) and in the back the Healers marched, and with these came most of the priests whom Dalrus had convinced in coming.

[Lord Revan]

Ian, and Plys'Iea

Not even the reflexes of a vampire could be used to dodge lightning, particularly if it struck one unawares. The electricity struck the alien in the back, some of it deflecting into random directions, or running along the extra-sensory spines.

The charge blasted along the staff, and into Ian before he even knew what was happening or could finish catapulting himself. The shock slammed him against the ground, his entire body seemed to alternate between numb and searing pain.
Ian blinked, trying to clear his vision, not only were the screaming and battlecries of the people around him painful to hear, but he felt light-headed and disorientated. "No one with the Akaviri would hit the creature; that Altmer girl probably cast it."

The vampire shook his head, but that didn't help clear things up at all. Painfully, Ian got to his knees and then to a shaky stand. Beside him the Plys'Iea shrieked in outrage, he gripped his staff furiously. The hunter slammed the weapon into the ground for leaverage before he stood and snarled at the all to familiar Altmer witch.
"I have known patience! Nineteen years I waited in Black Marsh before the Silhoutte came, but now I am tolerant no LONGER!!!" He yelled in heavily accented, but understandable Tamrielic. Summoning strength from his seemingly bottomless reserves of anger and resentment, the Plys'Iea roared and charged at Amrita.

"Now would be a very good time to go for the rafts, that creature is more pissed off than a berzerking Orc and those Akaviri aren't milling around either!" Ian closed his eyes, getting to the boat by sight was futile at this point.
Kirana guided him as best she could, and the injured vampire collapsed on the same raft as Satyana and Issac. "If I find out who fired that lightning bolt, I'll gut them and let the slaughterfish have the meat for.......lunch...." He muttered before unconsciousness took hold.

This post has been edited by Lord Revan: Jan 16 2008, 11:01 PM

[jack cloudy]

Flint Ironwood.

Flint nodded appreciatively to Issac when the young Altmer put up his own barrier. He doubted the fellow had seen it, but it was the gesture that mattered anyway.
,,I've been jumping all over the place." The Breton began to grumble as he tapped one end of his staff with a finger.
,,I've been stabbed, crushed, burned, pulled apart......And I swear, every time I take a rest and get healed, crap hits five seconds later! I've lost my swords and my staff is a complete nutjob! I'm telling you, I am getting too old for this. I've had it up to here and because of that, if you don't do something usefull I'm going to melt you down and shove your still bubbling remains down the Sil's throat! Now give me a barrier, Aleatoire!"

The water under the raft turned an odd shade of yellow, as well as gaining a peculiar scent. Flint sighed.
,,Oh, please. Not brandy! You're not turning the lake into brandy! Brandy has alcohol! And alcohol and fire is bad! It burned down a tavern once! Damn you!" He hammered the staff down on the raft in frustration but there was little he could do. A pool of brandy had formed and if a fireball hit now, they'd be in deep trouble. At least the beverage spread quickly. Soon, it would be too much mixed with normal water in order to burn.

[Priest of Sithis]

Patholos

Facing himself, Patholos made ready a high strike stance learned from the Narza'Tai. Patholos hoped the shadow of himself had no knowledge of the Narza'Tai, giving him an edge. The shadow of Patholos stooped low and picked up a weapon, a small handblade, about 50 centimeters long. The darkness perpetuated from the shadow was kept constant by the Necromancer snakeman, now in full concentration with his eyes closed. Patholos noticed the thick stream of magic being fed into the shadow, and it looked like a strong cable. Before Patholos returned his gaze to the shadow, it struck. Patholos parry high and punched hard where the abdomen would be. He was surprised when the Necromancer grunted, and the shadow made no noise. The Necromancer seemed to be controlling every aspect of the shadow through the cable of magic.

After a few moments of feinting and superfluous strikes, both Patholos and his shadow showed no visible damage. A Narza'Tai member looked to approach the fight, but then was engaged by another tactical snakemen squad. Patholos focused and sent a streaming bolt of fire towards the Necromancer and charged his shadow. The Shadow changed locations in a split second and absorbed the fire spell, faltering for a moment, then darkening again. The Necromancer hissed loudly, and seemed visibly fatigued, but Patholos was stunned. The fire spell he sent at the Necromancer was the highest level of fire magic he had ever learned. Only the Fingers of the Black Hand were able to conjure it, let alone maximize its potential. The fire had two effects; obvious immolation and explosion, and then magicka interference. The spell should had dissipated the shadow, and Patholos was counting on that. It amazed him that the Necromancer still stood and that the shadow was charging him again.

Patholos sustained multiple wounds on his forearms and thighs, as the Shadow was using the Secondary Take Down method of killing an opponent. Usually, this technique was only used if the user had poisoned weaponry, which made Patholos worry. He quickly examined his wounds to determine if he could see poison. To his surprise, there didn't seem to be any poison. But, the Secondary Take Down method was also used to bleed out a stronger opponent, one who could not be beat physically. The Necromancer must have learned all of this in mere seconds, which made Patholos ponder the strength of the Akaviri magic, and he wondered if it was the same type....

Mannimarco

Bodily rejection is a side effect of soul corrupting, and Mannimarco was vomiting blood not fifty yards from the campsite. His eyes were dilated and his veins were vivid through the Dark Elf complexion on his skin. His started turning pallid, darkness creeping into the corner of his vision. With a final grunt he stood up and with his last ounce of strength, cast a sealing spell to keep his soul inside the body while he was unconscious. The body would heal itself while unconscious, and Mannimarco could restore himself to full potency. While he sat in the unconscious body, he slowly reached his vision out to the River of Time, and began focusing on the breaks, the immortals. The river flowed and soon Mannimarco found what he sought, A small humanoid figure was removed from the river, and he had the telltale signs of vampirism. So did hundreds of others around him. But what distinguished him was that his soul was entwined with another....

[Dantrag]

Rann

Walking towards the prison, Rann spotted something charging at Amrita.

I thought we killed that thing!

He broke out into a run when he reached the bridge, hoping to join the fight before someone died. He realized that the beast's presence here was a major problem to the retreat, and the longer the reptilian monster was kept occupied, the better.

[The Metal Mallet]

Amrita

Amrita noticed the beast surging towards her and she nimbly leaped to the side, but not before leaving a towering spire of flame where she previously stood. Hopefully the momentum of the beast's charge would send it right into the flames.

[Lord Revan]

OCC: Ian won't be happy when he meets Amrita next, and no one is surprised that a seemingly dumb "monster" can speak their language.

Plys'Iea

When the space that the Altmer had formerly occupied blossomed into flame, the Plys'Iea had only a moments consideration. He planted both feet on the ground, Plys'Iea did not have large claws on their legs, but their feet and hands were designed for climbing, and could provide more traction that most plantigrade species.

His people built their guantlets and boots in the same fashion their hands and feet could grip surfaces. The hunter threw all of his weight forward, into the flames! But rather than being seared by the spire of fire (lol, that rhymes) his momentum and powerful leap exposed him to the heat too shortly to be harmed.
He hit the ground and rolled, shifting sideways to face Amrita.

"You have branded me no more that a beast, but I know what you are witch. You've killed before, taken life without reason. Who is the monster between the two of us? I kill for the same reason a hunter would, for my kind see all of yours as a hunter would see game." The alien rumbled, getting to his feet.

[Priest of Sithis]

Patholos

A disturbingly lifelike moan escaped from the shadow, and Patholos looked over at the Necromancer akavir. Patholos expected to see stronger cables attaching themselves to the shadow, but instead, there were cables coming from the shadow and attaching themselves to the necromancer. The Necromancer's own essence was being absorbed by Patholos's dark soul, and Patholos knew why. The Power of Sithis could not be returned, revoked or removed, it was in the Five Tenants. The Necromancer was attempting to control a tormented soul that had been woven by the Void. No amount of magic could possibly sustain control for more than a few moments over the colossal power of the Void. The shadow began to formulate words, or almost words as the Necromancer ailed. With a stunning display of willpower, the necromancer cut the cables attached to himself and to the shadow, but only had a moment's reprieve, as more cables issued out from the shadow.

Patholos's shadow drained the Necromancer completely, and the cables attached to the necromancer snapped into nothingness. The dried out husk of an akaviri soldier remained, and it looked as if every ounce of fluid inside his body was drained. The shadow seemed to bulk up, and then veins and a arteries appeared underneath a very thin layer of skin.

The shadow spoke, in a contra-alto tone, "To exist....on this plane.....as one of you......I need to become.....one of you....?"

Patholos was again shocked. The shadow was absorbing life and converting that raw energy into creating a body. What Patholos could do with that kind of power! Life energy converted into matter, it seemed impossible. While Patholos thought over what he saw, the cables of magic shot out to either side of the shadow and grabbed female Bosmer and another akaviri warrior. In a matter of seconds, both empty shells were tossed to the ground. Patholos wondered about the female Bosmer, she didn't even scream. That most likely meant that when the cables attached to you, they forced out your soul. Patholos kept that in mind as he circled near the shadow, now moments away from becoming mortal.

Mannimarco

Mannimarco gasped as he sat up, and the bodily convulsions started again. Mannimarco would have to shock his body into accepting the cellular processes that his soul would now control. Mannimarco would attempt a fusing of non-matter and matter, which required vast amounts of magic. Mannimarco wondered where he could find the magic he needed to cast this spell. The dark elf did not have nearly the stores that he needed, so Mannimarco would have to improvise. A violent cough sent bloody spittle a few yards away. Mannimarco would have to hurry, a body was tough, but when the body is trying to kill itself, it becomes terribly efficient.

[Agent Griff]

Dan, reaching the flotilla

As Dan limped his way closer and closer to the flotilla he could notice that all hell had broken lose. The Akaviri host was attacking in full strength and the flotilla would soon have to leave the city or face destruction at the hands of the enemy.

Dan wasn't in the state to fight properly so he looked to find a raft which he could board. Narrowly dodging the fierce fighting going on near the rafts he finally jumped into one of the rafts under the protective shield dome. Once there he simply laid down and rested. He was not a mage so he couldn't help with the dome even if he wanted to. Besides, all this running around had exhausted him.

[Lord Revan]

OCC: Kirana's more than just a voice in Ian's head now.

Karn

Sweat covered his face in a thin film, the Narza'Tai armor didn't help with unforgiving heat. Karn was thankful it hadn't caught fire. The sensei analyzed the situation in a glance, most of the soldiers and able individuals had moved up to try and hold off the first waves of Akavir.

Beside him, an assassin fired a crossbow at a tactical Akaviri fighting a Nord lad. The snake recoiled as the bolt was caught in its rib cage, and the Nord used the opportunity well, slamming his axe into the snakeman's shoulder.

Karn looked back at the rafts and was satisfied to see individuals channeling shields to protect against more fireballs and arrows. Our mages need a reprieve, He thought. Argonians appeared from the depths with some more supplies from the sewers.
As soon as they dropped their burden, they dived back down to get more. If only half of Tamriel was so dedicated.

Kirana

Ian was unconscious, but she made no attempt to rouse her friend. You've endured enough as it is, have some rest. Kirana remembered that Ian had allowed Cerpin temporary dominion of his body. She was willing to try doing the same while he was resting.

The sage focused, willing her essense to flow into the void that Ian had been in while conscious. An eternity stretched on before she felt the equivalent of a lock click open. Kirana opened her eyes and blinked. The environment came rushing to her, she had forgotten what it was like to live by her own senses.
The air was acrid after the Silhoutte's fireball strike, people were crying out, Akaviri were hissing and shrieking war cries, and Issac's shield shimmered all around the raft. Kirana, Ian's body, sat up and took a better look at the other occupants of the raft, particularly Issac and Satyana.

She moved beside the two young ones and set a hand above Issac's chest. Fortifying her "son's" reserves with some of Ian's bolstered magicka. Kirana turned to Satyana, studying her surrogate son's fiance for a heartbeat.

This post has been edited by Lord Revan: Jan 20 2008, 05:44 AM

[The Metal Mallet]

OCC: Ian won't be happy when he meets Amrita next, and no one is surprised that a seemingly dumb "monster" can speak their language.

Plys'Iea

When the space that the Altmer had formerly occupied blossomed into flame, the Plys'Iea had only a moments consideration. He planted both feet on the ground, Plys'Iea did not have large claws on their legs, but their feet and hands were designed for climbing, and could provide more traction that most plantigrade species.

His people built their guantlets and boots in the same fashion their hands and feet could grip surfaces. The hunter threw all of his weight forward, into the flames! But rather than being seared by the spire of fire (lol, that rhymes) his momentum and powerful leap exposed him to the heat too shortly to be harmed.
He hit the ground and rolled, shifting sideways to face Amrita.

"You have branded me no more that a beast, but I know what you are witch. You've killed before, taken life without reason. Who is the monster between the two of us? I kill for the same reason a hunter would, for my kind see all of yours as a hunter would see game." The alien rumbled, getting to his feet.

Amrita

Amrita grinned. "Sounds rather... beastly of you to picture us as mere game, creature," she retorted back, giving emphasis on the word the creature seemed to detest.

"If you truly believe that you're actually intelligent you'd know which side to choose. Obviously since you chose the wrong side, you no idea what intelligence is," she continued, belting out a laugh. "Any mere brute can swing a barbaric club, it takes intelligence to perform "witchcraft"."