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I gotta agree with the swarm and vote Able for MVP. That Thalmus kill, just 
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Mar 25, 2021 11:08
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Chronojam posted:Rumors abound that starting them up could cause a black hole I've got 99 problems and (black) more-rauders are
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Mar 26, 2021 04:43
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Well played again all mechwarriors! The revolution will (not) be televised but it is going along. A breakout, a kill of an important enemy target, a new ally and signs of possible dissension in the ranks of the occupation force. One major loss that will go down as a martyr and a hero. One for the record books. And my favorite narrative mission in either BT campaign.
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Mar 26, 2021 21:18
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TheParadigm posted:MVP: Able Nameless for being a hero, a story and a mascot all in one. When you're right you're right
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Mar 26, 2021 21:26
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Wow, those Hadron OmniFighters just killed a whole bunch of allies. Even the ones on the west side that were chasing us or guarding the prison got destroyed.PoptartsNinja posted:After-Action Report: Environment MVP: Flammable Atmosphere - Without the smoke from the fires, our Player MVP: Able Nameless - for dying free and inspiring Charlie Free OpForce MVP: The Thalmus - for opening a rip into hyperspace
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Mar 26, 2021 21:43
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TheParadigm posted:MVP: Able Nameless for being a hero, a story and a mascot all in one. There really isn't any alternative.
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Mar 27, 2021 04:26
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Voting for Able and the Von Neumann himself, both of whom made the mission possible and winnable.
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Mar 27, 2021 12:47
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TheParadigm posted:MVP: Able Nameless for being a hero, a story and a mascot all in one. Nthing.
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Mar 27, 2021 14:25
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We should call him Able Free imo
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Mar 27, 2021 17:35
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Pattonesque posted:We should call him Able Free imo He called himself Nameless. Least we can do is honour that.
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Mar 27, 2021 17:41
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TheParadigm posted:MVP: Able Nameless for being a hero, a story and a mascot all in one. I have to go with this one.
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Mar 27, 2021 23:36
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TheParadigm posted:MVP: Able Nameless for being a hero, a story and a mascot all in one. Yeah, I can agree with that vote. Pretty close to a perfect mission, this. Hoping to see the Society shook up even a little bit from it, but who can say?
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Mar 28, 2021 10:04
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Forgive a digression, but I was shitposting the Battletech cartoon intro elsewhere and "Renegade HPG" / @ArtofBattletech has been remastering the series. I haven't watched any of the episodes yet, just the intro, but still. Seems pretty phenomenal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNoHg2JTKSc
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Mar 29, 2021 02:27
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Political vote is coming soon, but probably not today. I somehow managed to give myself food poisoning (not convinced this is the case, last time I had food poisoning didn't involve a fever) yesterday, and haven't been able to get anything accomplished today.  VVV I've had my first vaccine shot, fortunately, with the next one coming up in a couple of weeks. The fever's already gone, I'm just fighting off the after-effects. PoptartsNinja fucked around with this message at 22:42 on Mar 31, 2021 |
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Mar 31, 2021 22:08
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Get tested for covid, yo.
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Mar 31, 2021 22:26
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Began reading the start of this thread and I'm feeling very lost. It feels like a soft reboot, but should I read an earlier thread to be able to understand it better?
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Apr 5, 2021 02:23
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The Lone Badger posted:Began reading the start of this thread and I'm feeling very lost. It feels like a soft reboot, but should I read an earlier thread to be able to understand it better? Might as well. It's a fun read through.
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Apr 5, 2021 02:27
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jng2058 posted:Might as well. It's a fun read through. There is no link in the OP that I could see.
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Apr 5, 2021 02:29
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The Lone Badger posted:There is no link in the OP that I could see. Ah this should be it. https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3383329&pagenumber=1&perpage=40&userid=0#post387169278
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Apr 5, 2021 02:37
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The Lone Badger posted:There is no link in the OP that I could see. There isn't, which is a weird omission!
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Apr 5, 2021 03:15
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The Lone Badger posted:Began reading the start of this thread and I'm feeling very lost. It feels like a soft reboot, but should I read an earlier thread to be able to understand it better? Yeah, this is part two after a very long first thread that tilts the classical setting's history quite significantly based on all the votes we took over the years. I'd stick to reading the fiction entries for the earlier part of the old thread because until PTN really found his stride with the maps it's a lot harder to follow the action.
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Apr 5, 2021 03:18
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I'm not sanguine about people missing all the extra features we did but that's the most reasonable way to read the thread.
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Apr 5, 2021 03:26
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You can't go wrong reading just the PTN fiction.
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Apr 5, 2021 03:32
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Volmarias posted:You can't go wrong reading just the PTN fiction. It's a shame that the sanguine saga would be missed though.
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Apr 5, 2021 08:20
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We're ten years deep. I've learned most of what I enjoy about Battletech from the discussions, but I got in pretty early on. Based on free time available, I'd reduce it down to fiction including battle fluff to learn about the amazing dice moments.
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Apr 5, 2021 17:14
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Farseli posted:We're ten years deep. I've learned most of what I enjoy about Battletech from the discussions, but I got in pretty early on.  I had very little knowledge of BattleTech before I started reading this thread, and this, plus lore discussions on another forum, jump started my knowledge that I further enriched with Sarna binges, and eventually checking out some sourcebooks at an FLGS and now the HBS game and some Discord chats since then.
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Apr 5, 2021 18:45
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Political Vote 5 The man known as the Black Pearl sat placidly in front of his holocameras. Resplendent in austere white robes of grief, he exuded a quiet dignity that kept others from acting with undue haste. The holocameras obscured his identity automatically, leaving his bare skin and hair completely black and featureless to the observers. The holograms of a half-dozen others joined him to form a circle of seven, their own features similarly hidden by strong colors: red, blue, green, violet, white, and yellow. They knew one another only by code names, their identities were obscured for the sake of their own protection: if a cell was uncovered or subverted, they couldn’t reveal the identities of those who lead other cells. In practice, they all worked tirelessly to dig up whatever information they could about one another. Even the slightest hint of another’s identity gave them leverage. In that sense, the Black Pearl was simultaneously at a supreme disadvantage and an impossible advantage. They all knew precisely who he was: without Theodore Kurita, their endeavors were entirely meaningless. He had all the time in the world to unravel their plots, to see where their interests lay and winnow down their identities without fear of reprisal. He was above their little games, and anything he did learn put him in a position to ruin them. From Emerald’s furtive movements, he could tell she was stealing glances to either side, as if she was conducting this meeting at a desk. She was a new addition to the council, the handpicked successor of the previous Emerald. Her elevation had come hot on the heals of the death of Duke Ishi Tahiro, the former CEO of Matabushi Incorporated. Duchess Sayuri Tahiro was the current CEO of Mutabushi, and the Black Pearl had no doubt that corporate paperwork kept her distracted. He gave no sign that he knew, of course—but many of the others had similar tells. Among the assembled leadership of the kokuryu-kai’s cells, there was only one about whom the Black Pearl knew absolutely nothing. Ruby was a ghost—if Ruby was even a ‘he.’ He was supremely careful, his build, his voice, it all changed from meeting to meeting. Only the way he used language was consistent—undoubtedly he used surrogates to sit in on the meeting, and either fed them lines or used voice modulation to further disguise himself. He had called the meeting, which was rather a rarity. When he spoke, it was direct and tactless. Like a military officer, but with a degree of arrogance that would have been discounted. Either the man was a warlord—which the Black Pearl considered unlikely—or the directness of his speech was yet another carefully cultivated ploy in a long-running shell game. The Black Pearl suspected Ruby likely showed an entirely different demeanor in person. He—or she—was certainly polite to a fault; and likely a stickler for decorum. Unfortunately, in the Draconis Combine, that did not much narrow the field. “I believe the young Hiro Davion to be plotting against the Draconis Combine,” Ruby announced suddenly. “As you know, the Clan assassination attempt on the coordinator very nearly created the opening we would have needed to put him into power. For all that the boy is a Davion dilettante, he is equal parts a Kurita—which means ambition surely burns in his heart.” “If we can present him with an opportunity, he will undoubtedly seize it—and once he has eliminated one of his siblings—once we have a proper man leading the Draconis Combine once more, he will surely turn his ambitions on his brother in New Avalon, and the Draconis Combine will once more return to our true path: the conquest of the Inner Sphere.” The Black Pearl moved not an inch as the other leaders of the Kokuryu-kai glanced his direction. Most tried to disguise it, but save for Amethyst who sat opposite his position, they all had to move a little. He gave no sign of approval or disapproval, and simply let Ruby speak. He didn’t share the man’s confidence but agreed that the Draconis Combine needed a strong leader. Yumi was proving to be far more capable than Thedore had expected; but if her brother were to seize power he doubted any of the warlords would be quick to seek vengeance. After all, the true crime of the Amaris Coup hadn’t been that the man had succeeded. It had been that he hadn’t been able to fully secure power afterwards. A leader who could not secure power, either by force of arms or through winning over the people—would face endless rebellion. Wherever House Amaris vanished after the SLDF’s failed counter-coup, the Inner Sphere was better off without them. In Theodore’s experience, the only thing the people truly respected was strength. “What makes you think,” Topaz sounded breathless, “that Hiro Kurita-Davion plots against his siblings? He has shown no signs in the past.” “He received orders to return to Federated Suns space,” Ruby answered. “He has done so in only the most technical of ways. My network puts him in the Demilitarized Zone, on Marduk—” “My network can confirm,” Sapphire interjected. “—and that he has requested the Khans of the Hell’s Horses, Warlord Li Dok To of New Samarkand, and Duke James Sandoval of Robinson join him. What else could this be, other than an attempt to secure a power base?” “Robinson and New Samarkand have been at one another’s throats for the better part of three centuries,” Amethyst pointed out. “Why would he seek support from both of them? Better to pit one of them against the other.” “Perhaps he intends to,” was Ruby’s flippant reply. “Offering the one who offers the most support the head of the other on a silver platter would be a very Kurita thing to do. I merely ask for your support: if we provide Li Dok To with some off-the-record backing, he will undoubtedly be able to offer the young Kurita-Davion far more than the Duke of Robinson will.” Ruby stood dramatically, then knelt down directly in front of the Black Pearl. His question was bold and direct as ever, “My Lord. Will you support this plan?” ******************************************************************************** “I haven’t called you here to argue,” Hiro rested his chin on his left palm, as he stared bleary-eyed at the representatives of Robinson and New Samarkand. They were so near to blows once again that even the ceremonial Elemental bodyguards provided by the Khan and saKhan of Clan Hell’s Horses were starting to look uncomfortable. If it hadn’t been for the calm support of the Joshitai bodyguards—his friends—standing beside him, Hiro likely would have already given up. He stood, and vaulted the round table to stand in the open space in the center. The choice of a round table had been a Clan suggestion, to put all assembled on the same footing. The open space at the core was a neutral ground, a pristine no man’s land which Hiro had just violated. Only Sasha Mitchell and Jotun Seidman, the Khan an saKhan of the Hell’s Horses, looked pleased by Hiro’s maneuver. As far as Hiro could tell, Li Dok To had never smiled once in his entire life; and while he knew for a fact that James Sandoval could, the demeanor of today’s James Sandoval was a far cry from the one who’d brought him Christmas presents as a child. “You all have forces that are sitting around accomplishing nothing of value save to hold one another in check,” Hiro’s voice was calm, but carried well enough even though he realized—belatedly—that he’d forgotten to turn on his microphone again. “Duke Robinson, Warlord Li, your troops sit fallow. Their skills grow rusty, their war machines succeed only at gathering maintenance reports and dust, while the Hell’s Horses are trapped in the middle and forced to wonder which of you will strike first—and whether or not they should act first before your feud puts their new homes and communities at risk.” He stared at each in turn, the clear recognition in the eyes of the Hell’s Horses saKhan told him he’d struck that particular nail on the head. Li Dok To at least seemed to be listening intently, the Duke of Robinson had begun turning an interesting shade of purple. He’d have to smooth that over later, the implication that the Robinson Rangers could grow rusty undoubtedly rankled. James Sandoval was an old campaigner, and no stranger to battle. He was every bit the warlord his counterpart from the Draconis Combine was. Hiro’s next words were gentler, “I’m not asking any of you to disarm. Quite the opposite, I want Robinson to be strong. I want New Samarkand to be strong. I want the Demilitarized Zone to be strong. What I’m asking for is a temporary reassignment of some forces, in equal numbers, from all sides; because soldiers with nothing to do will pick a fight that neither the Federated Suns, Draconis Combine, or Hell’s Horses can afford.” “I have assembled you here because I wish to put together an independent command of at least one regiment in size, assembled from volunteers from New Samarkand, Robinson, and the DMZ. As we speak, the Draconis Combine is going all-in on a counterstrike against the Clan ilKhanate. As we speak, my brother is trying to come up with a solution to the combined Capellan and Taurian problems—a solution that will inevitably put the Federated Suns at war once again.” “You have excellent troops, some of the best in the whole Inner Sphere. I’m asking you, for the sake of the nation: allow me to take some of them and put them in places where they’ll be helpful. I wish to form a cavalry, as it were—a fast reaction force that can be dispatched to aid either the Federated Suns or the Draconis Combine; and I can’t do that without support from all of you. I wish to take equal numbers from all sides, so that none of you will be disadvantaged. Please,” Hiro paused, staring each regional leader in the eyes before moving on, “Let me give your soldiers a real enemy to fight once again; before both of our nations are lost.” Li Dok To sucked in a breath, but scowled. James Sandoval’s color began to return to a more normal huge—but both seemed about to spit out refusals when the saKhan of the Hell’s Horses spoke. Hiro didn’t know much about him, save that Jotun Seidman was an elemental and looked to be as huge as his namesake. He had an easy smile, and fierce eyes. “I am certain the Hell’s Horses are game if our esteemed colleagues from the Federated Suns and Draconis Combine are,” Seidman had a voice like a rock tumbler, as if he chose to speak as infrequently as he could get away with. The Khan, Sasha Mitchell nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, it would be nice to allow our warriors a chance to prove themselves in real combat once again—rather than sitting around here, pointing our weapons at enemies we know we will not be permitted to fight. Is it not best for us all to take the fight to more mutual enemies we can all fight with all of our courage and skill?” That sentiment hung heavily in the air, like the humidity of an encroaching thunderstorm. That the core of Sandoval’s displeasure had been spoken so openly. He and Li Dok To would be considered traitors if they pursued the battles they both so desperately wanted, and their territories would be devastated by reprisals if they chose to pursue those battles anyway. Giving their troops a chance to blow off steam fighting the Capellans or Taurians or the ilKhanate was better than letting it all boil over. Neither Ian nor Yumi would tolerate an incident. Hiro was second in line for two thrones—he was offering them both a pressure relief valve only he could supply. “If my counterpart from the Draconis Combine agrees,” Duke Sandoval spoke gravely. “We will permit you to seek volunteers among the regiments of Robinson.” Li Dok To let out a breath. His eyes never left James Sandoval, but after a few moments he nodded—and smiled. It looked alien, and out of place, but it was a smile all the same. “New Samarkand agrees. As long as the young master keeps his word to take equal numbers, and permits us to review all volunteers before acceptance to avoid stripping all of New Samarkand’s regiments of all our best personnel.” “Agreed, then, with the same stipulations,” James Sandoval replied. Hiro inclined his head a precise degree. Sasha Mitchell laughed, and leapt over the table to clap Hiro on the shoulder. “Well bargained and done, then. Now—while the mood is still good and tensions are at an all-time low, let us summon the servants with some food and wine before one of our esteemed guests eats another.” ******************************************************************************** “The Capellans have begun a counter-invasion. This may be the last opportunity we’ll have to seize any reparations from the Taurian Concordat.” “That’s what you said last year, Victoria. And the year before that,” Kamea Arano stared at the holotank. The Aurigan Directorate’s spy network wasn’t as good as the Confederation’s, but they could keep some tabs on troop movements. To her eyes, this year didn’t look any different than any of the other supposed ‘invasions’ by the Capellan Confederation. Troop strength looked largely the same as it always did. Victoria pointed at the rimward border of Taurian space, which bordered nothing but nothing and the occasional pirate moon. The Directorate’s information about those worlds was spotty at best. “Their thinning their Rimworld defenses down to company or even lance strength in some places. We could seize Argos, Regis Roost, even New Vandenburg before the Capellans can. We might even get as far as Spitz, and the Capellans will probably let us keep them since we’ll have made their invasion just a little easier.” “I don’t know, Victoria.” Kamea continued studying the map. The risks were great, the Taurians had them outnumbered and outgunned—even selling the Argo to House Kurita in the 3030s and using that money to recruit mercenary Mechwarriors had scarcely made a difference. With no actual production, every new ‘Mech the Directorate got their hands on was precious enough to be worth its weight in fissionable materials. “It’s what my father would have wanted,” Victoria pressured. Kamea squeezed her eyes shut—she missed uncle Santiago dearly. He’d always held the Aurigan Reach dear to his heart, and his advice had always been good. When the old council had stagnated, it was his advise that had helped Kamea revitalize the reach by centralizing power in her hands. He’d been dead for a decade, but even now that she was in her sixties, she still struggled to take decisive action at times. A part of her wished she saw in herself all the promise that Santiago Espinosa had claimed to see, back when she’d first taken the throne in 3025. “Ready the troops, Victoria,” she acceded, “but I still need time to think. If we’re wrong, we won’t survive the Taurian counterattack.” Political Vote 5: Reinforcement 1) Hiro Kurita-Davion A) Accept Elite Volunteers - - - Recruit 1 Regiment B) Accept Veteran Volunteers - - - Recruit 2 Regiments C) Accept All Volunteers - - - Recruit ??? Regiments 2) Federated Suns A) Deal with the Capellan Problem - - - Attack the Capellan Confederation B) Deal with the Taurian Problem - - - Attack the Taurian Concordat 3) Aurigan Directorate A) Attack the Taurian Concordat - - - Aggression +5 B) Wait for a Better Opportunity - - - Economy +1
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Apr 8, 2021 00:38
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1: A 2: B 3: A
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Apr 8, 2021 00:49
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1: C 2: B 3: A Everybody pile on the Taurians
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Apr 8, 2021 00:53
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OOrochi posted:1: A This. LegendairyBovine posted:Everybody pile on the Taurians Yup. gently caress nuke-happy Space Texas. They gotta go.
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Apr 8, 2021 01:07
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1: A 2: B 3: A When pressured, won't the Taurians start tossing nukes? Let's see what happens. Did Kamea Arano kneecap the noble Houses herself then?
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Apr 8, 2021 01:18
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CAB Wanna get those Capellans! Hiro should be smart enough to realize that they're a threat long term, and that without the Taurians to act as bicker buddies for them they'll lose another check on them. Better to divide the region than let it unify under the Capellans. The Aranos hopefully realize the same; without the Taurians, and without more local manufacturing capabilities, it's very possible that they would just get gobbled up as a snack in a year with no one else having much reason to care.
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Apr 8, 2021 01:24
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1. C 2. A 3. B
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Apr 8, 2021 01:26
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A B A
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Apr 8, 2021 01:38
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PoptartsNinja posted:Political Vote 5 My bet's on sphere-ized clanners just flipping a coin for who gets to pretend to be supreme great leader. Hells horses or sea foxes. I hope to be wildly proven wrong but a worker's union to representation is something that's antithetical to the great houses, that can't be it. wolverine remnants are paranoid enough to pull it off
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Apr 8, 2021 01:57
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TheParadigm posted:I hope to be wildly proven wrong but a worker's union to representation is something that's antithetical to the great houses, that can't be it. Organized labor is alive and well in the Commonwealth and League, thank you very much.
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Apr 8, 2021 02:10
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OOrochi posted:1: A I support this vote.
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Apr 8, 2021 02:15
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1. B 2. B 3. A Death to Space Texas
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Apr 8, 2021 02:20
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B A B
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Apr 8, 2021 02:26
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B A A
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Apr 8, 2021 02:31
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