Eldrin’s brows lift ever so slightly as understanding settles in—no lifting, no hauling, no scraping rubble. Just life-threatening hazards. A marked improvement.
He exhales in subtle relief, then turns his gaze to Norbus, expression unreadable but for the faintest flicker of amusement behind his eyes.
“Ah,”he says dryly, “that kind of clearing. My apologies—I’d simply assumed you were following dwarven tradition: dig too deep, find something you can’t handle, then complain when it bites back.”
Meira nods to the dwarves, turning then to look at all that had been excavated. She finally looks back at them. "I see your point. This is your excavation. Your offer of an even split is acceptable to me." She then looks over at the rest of the party. "Assuming the others agree as well."
Yarina nods in agreement with Meira, folding her arms as she studies the dwarves. “A fair offer,” she says. “We’re not here to take what’s yours—just to make sure you live long enough to enjoy it. If clearing out these creatures means securing the site, we’ll see it done.”She glances toward the ruins with a thoughtful frown. “Hm, puddings?” Her brow furrows slightly as she tries to recall any mention of such creatures in her training.
Growing up in the Icescale Brotherhood clan included rigorous training, not just martial but mental as well. This training included being taught in-depth knowledge of the evil that lurks in the bowels of the world. You've read about various kinds of Ooze creatures described as pudding, jelly, and gelatinous. You recall reading that some of them have the ability to blend into their surroundings and can climb walls or stick to ceilings with ease.
"Ah, yes, I learned about Oozes during my training with the Icescale Brotherhood, but this will be my first time dealing with them in person. They can blend in and hide on walls or ceilings. It should be alright if we keep a careful eye out...Hopefully these won't be special talking ones."
Zephyros strokes his long, brown beard. He thinks aboutLyra and Meira, and their attempt to gain even more riches. 'Why try to gain even more than what we deserve? We were already promised a lot- half of what they found!'
Ironheart let's out a sigh of relief when the dwarf brothers refuse to give in. 'Do my comrades not understand a hard laborers' wage? physical labor is no small feat.'
Brushing off all other notions of wealth, Zephyros turns his attention to the 'Ooze' situation.
"Well, in my particular line of work, I've learned something quite applicable- everything can be killed somehow."The warrior grins.
He glances at Yarinastanding beside him, spins the trident he holds, and says, "Shall we?"
The undaunted man then begins marching into the shrine, unless anyone tells him otherwise.
Meiraquickly speaks up, addressing Yarina."Are there any tricks you know of for fighting these ooze creatures? Vulnerable to water? They can't be smashed?" She tries to imagine pounding on pudding with a hammer - it doesn't seem effective to her. But what does she know!
She waits to hear the answer before just marching on in. And to be honest, she's fine letting most the others go ahead.
"Okay, okay, forget I even said anything!"Lyra replies to the dwarves, who — for once — seem of one mind on the matter of the treasure, instead of their usual bickering.
Before entering the ruins, the trickery cleric asks, "Are we going to try and sneak in? Stealthy-like? Silent as mice and all that? If so, I can bless one of you with my Lady's gift to help with sneaking around. Who wants to give it a try?"
Blessing of the Trickster. Starting when you choose this domain at 1st level, you can use your action to touch a willing creature other than yourself to give it advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks. This blessing lasts for 1 hour or until you use this feature again.
Yarina tilts her head thoughtfully at Meira’s question, her silver-scaled brow furrowing. “There are many types of oozes from what I recall, so I can't be sure about elemental weaknesses for these. But bludgeoning...” She chuckles softly, a rare glint of amusement in her eyes. “Hitting something made of slime with a hammer might just give it a massage.” She turns to Lyra, then casts a glance toward Zephyros. “What do you think, Zephyros? Fancy Tymora’s blessing for your trip into enemy lines?”
Zephyrosstops short of the temple entrance as Yarina asks her question. The bull of a man turns back towards the group and thinks for a moment on the topic of slime and tries to recall what his Captain told him about such things, but he concludes he likely can't remember anything in addition to what Yarina has already shared so he drops the thought.
Nodding with respect the burly man says, "No, thank you. Give your blessing to someone else." Inside the warrior adds, 'The gods seem fit only to curse me. I want nothing to do with them.' However, he doesn't allow the thought to break through his respectful exterior.
As he turns back towards the temple entrance, Zephyros drops his pack, fishes out his tinder box and a torch, lights it, and walks towards the entrance. Torch in his right hand, trident in his left he strides forward with a sense of purpose. As he goes, he says, "Even if these monsters do talk, I will silence them."
Dazlyn nods with respect at Yarina as she states her desire to keep the dwarves alive. "Aye, a fine goal! One I can get behind. Speaking of behind..." He moves to put you in between him and the entrance to the temple. "...we'll wait out here."
Norbus nods his head in agreement at Dazlyn's statement. The two dwarves put their backs to the nearby wall and smile as the group approaches the entrance.
Zephyros,
Your torch catches quickly and begins to shed bright light in the area.
Everyone,
The temple double-doors are held open by metal spikes driven into the ground. The ceiling only comes 10 feet tall and, thanks to Zephyros' torch, even those of you without darkvision can see the temple choked with dusty rubble. A door to your left opens up into a rubble filled room that ends in what appears to be a cave-in. Directly ahead, past another set of double-doors spiked to remain open, the hallway opens up into a large room that has four pillars holding the ceiling up. At the far end of the room barely visible in the dim light is a stone alter of some kind.
Lyrahad already stretched her hand toward Zephyros, but she quickly pulled it back as the fighter stated he didn't want her blessing. The halfling blinked in surprise. Who in their right mind rejects a goddess’ blessing, she wondered — especially after being so noisy? Lyra looked deep into the burly man's eyes, searching for a reason, though she said nothing of it and instead turned to Yarina. (Insight check on Zephyros: 24)
If the dragonborn accepts the blessing, she touches Yarina's scaly forearm, saying...
(ooc: If Yarina doesn't accept, the cleric will follow this thought instead)
Since the armored warriors had rejected the blessing, Lyra herself couldn't be blessed — why she couldn't bless herself, she didn't really understand, but she wasn't about to question Lady Tymora — and Meira was already pretty good at moving unseen, hat left only two options. Eldrin, but she didn't really picture the wizard rushing ahead to scout a place that might be crawling with monsters (and perhaps even a few traps). So finally, the cleric turned to Gareth, touched his forearm, and said...
"I solemnlyswear that we are up to no goo—" she begins, then glances at the pair of dwarves, smiles nervously, and quickly corrects herself, "I mean... of course, we are up to the greatest of goods!"
The cleric feels the blessing taking place, and a faint golden shimmer surrounds the recipient before vanishing in the blink of an eye.
With that settled, Lyra steps into the temple carefully, but lets her taller companions proceed first. She's quite interested in the altar and plans to investigate it once they reach it... but without touching anything, just in case!
Assuming that Eldrinwill be keen to investigate the room, the small cleric absentmindedly reaches for the wizard's arm, hoping to give him a little spark of inspiration.
(OOC: Is Religion ok for the altar, once the party reaches it? 21. If it has to be Investigation, then it is a 19)
Yarina nods, accepting the curious blessing. It is strange to feel so...sneaky, but as the slimes are prone to sneak attacks she believes it may come in handy. She crouches and slips into the shadows with her greatsword drawn as if it is the most natural thing in the world and follows Zephyros at a distance.
Stealth: 19 (normal roll since disadvantage from armor cancels out advantage from blessing)
Meirawill try to move quietly as she enters, hopefully allowing Zephyros, Yarina, and Garethproceed first. She keeps a close eye out for any of these pudding things. She has her short bow ready in her hand. (Stealth: 13; Perception: 17)
Eldrin lingers a half-step behind the others as they press into the temple, his boots making the faintest sound against stone slick with dust. As he passes Norbus and Dazlyn near the entrance, he pauses, not long enough to suggest hesitation, just enough for a glance and a quiet word.
“Roughly how far did you get before you encountered the puddings?” he murmurs.
He pauses, continuing to look down the dim corridor. The scent of old earth and iron drifts through the air—familiar and unwelcome.
The dwarves give you a quizzical look that turns into amusement as you recite your prayer and bless Yarina.
You get the sense that Zephyros is genuine in his desire to respectfully decline your offer. You can tell he's holding back and might be harboring negative thoughts towards the gods in general. You don't believe these thoughts are directed towards Tymora specifically. Perhaps some past trauma has brought the mountain of a man to this current mindset.
With that settled, Lyra steps into the temple carefully, but lets her taller companions proceed first. She's quite interested in the altar and plans to investigate it once they reach it... but without touching anything, just in case!
Assuming that Eldrinwill be keen to investigate the room, the small cleric absentmindedly reaches for the wizard's arm, hoping to give him a little spark of inspiration.
(OOC: Is Religion ok for the altar, once the party reaches it? 21. If it has to be Investigation, then it is a 19)
Good to know, I'll keep this in mind once you reach the altar. Religion is perfect for this check.
Yarina,
You silently follow Zephyros into the temple. Being so stealthy initially feels awkward, but it quickly grows on you.
You feel both gods' presence within you Bahamut and Tymora. It feels like an internal conflict at first and you begin to panic for a split second. However, the feeling passes quickly, and you are left with an overwhelming joy as both gods smile down upon you.
[[ OOC: You have been inspired. You may reroll one d20 of your choice at any time prior to knowing the results.]]
Meira,
Moving into the temple, you keep an eye out for any movement.
You're not sure, but you think the ceiling above the altar is undulating slightly. However, It's hard to tell in the dim light from this distance.
Eldrin,
"Great question, sir." Dazlyn responds. "Norbus told me it tried to bite him when he got close to the altar on the far end of the large main area. Isn't that right Norbus?" Norbus nods in agreement. "Aye... it was on the ceiling above the altar."
Knowing the right questions to ask at the right time is richly rewarding. [[OOC: You have been inspired. You may reroll one d20 of your choice at any time prior to knowing the results.]]
Meira quietly tries to speak to the others. "Think I see movement above the altar. Not positive at this distance."
"Copy that," Zephyros states in a quiet but firm voice.
Before the burly man enters the door way, he poises his trident for attack. He swiftly searches both sides of the room, his eyes darting from right to left. Then, his gaze flashes to the ceiling above with practiced caution.
Gareth follows behind Zephyros and Yarina, keeping his eyes peeled for any signs of these "puddings." He's decided he prefers that term to oozes as it's funnier and more memorable. For a moment, he wonders how in Faerûn will he be able to take a trophy from a pudding monster. The thought makes him grin even as they move into the dim, dusty temple that seems to demand solemnity.
At Meira's words, the ranger glances above the altar, trying to discern what may be there, but he doesn't see anything other than what Meira already saw. "You said these things like to stick to ceilings?" Gareth asks Yarina in a low voice.
Eldrin quickens his pace just enough to fall alongside Meira, Gareth and Zephyros his gaze narrowing as it traces the contours of the distant altar. The light from Zephyros's torch flickers across the pillars, casting long, shifting shadows that do little to ease his growing unease.
“Confirmed,” he says softly, just loud enough for the group to hear. “Our dwarven friends encountered their first ‘pudding’ clinging to the ceiling above that altar.”
He lifts his chin slightly, ice-blue eyes scanning upward. “So I’d suggest keeping your eyes above as well as ahead.”
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Eldrin’s brows lift ever so slightly as understanding settles in—no lifting, no hauling, no scraping rubble. Just life-threatening hazards. A marked improvement.
He exhales in subtle relief, then turns his gaze to Norbus, expression unreadable but for the faintest flicker of amusement behind his eyes.
“Ah,” he says dryly, “that kind of clearing. My apologies—I’d simply assumed you were following dwarven tradition: dig too deep, find something you can’t handle, then complain when it bites back.”
Meira nods to the dwarves, turning then to look at all that had been excavated. She finally looks back at them. "I see your point. This is your excavation. Your offer of an even split is acceptable to me." She then looks over at the rest of the party. "Assuming the others agree as well."
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
Yarina nods in agreement with Meira, folding her arms as she studies the dwarves. “A fair offer,” she says. “We’re not here to take what’s yours—just to make sure you live long enough to enjoy it. If clearing out these creatures means securing the site, we’ll see it done.” She glances toward the ruins with a thoughtful frown. “Hm, puddings?” Her brow furrows slightly as she tries to recall any mention of such creatures in her training.
Arcana/Nature (same modifier): 14
Yarina,
Growing up in the Icescale Brotherhood clan included rigorous training, not just martial but mental as well. This training included being taught in-depth knowledge of the evil that lurks in the bowels of the world. You've read about various kinds of Ooze creatures described as pudding, jelly, and gelatinous. You recall reading that some of them have the ability to blend into their surroundings and can climb walls or stick to ceilings with ease.
DM for Tyranny of Dragons and Phandelver and Below, two in-person campaigns that meet weekly on Friday and Saturday nights.
"Ah, yes, I learned about Oozes during my training with the Icescale Brotherhood, but this will be my first time dealing with them in person. They can blend in and hide on walls or ceilings. It should be alright if we keep a careful eye out...Hopefully these won't be special talking ones."
Zephyros strokes his long, brown beard. He thinks about Lyra and Meira, and their attempt to gain even more riches. 'Why try to gain even more than what we deserve? We were already promised a lot- half of what they found!'
Ironheart let's out a sigh of relief when the dwarf brothers refuse to give in. 'Do my comrades not understand a hard laborers' wage? physical labor is no small feat.'
Brushing off all other notions of wealth, Zephyros turns his attention to the 'Ooze' situation.
"Well, in my particular line of work, I've learned something quite applicable- everything can be killed somehow." The warrior grins.
He glances at Yarina standing beside him, spins the trident he holds, and says, "Shall we?"
The undaunted man then begins marching into the shrine, unless anyone tells him otherwise.
Meira quickly speaks up, addressing Yarina. "Are there any tricks you know of for fighting these ooze creatures? Vulnerable to water? They can't be smashed?" She tries to imagine pounding on pudding with a hammer - it doesn't seem effective to her. But what does she know!
She waits to hear the answer before just marching on in. And to be honest, she's fine letting most the others go ahead.
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
"Okay, okay, forget I even said anything!" Lyra replies to the dwarves, who — for once — seem of one mind on the matter of the treasure, instead of their usual bickering.
Before entering the ruins, the trickery cleric asks, "Are we going to try and sneak in? Stealthy-like? Silent as mice and all that? If so, I can bless one of you with my Lady's gift to help with sneaking around. Who wants to give it a try?"
Blessing of the Trickster. Starting when you choose this domain at 1st level, you can use your action to touch a willing creature other than yourself to give it advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks. This blessing lasts for 1 hour or until you use this feature again.
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
Yarina tilts her head thoughtfully at Meira’s question, her silver-scaled brow furrowing. “There are many types of oozes from what I recall, so I can't be sure about elemental weaknesses for these. But bludgeoning...” She chuckles softly, a rare glint of amusement in her eyes. “Hitting something made of slime with a hammer might just give it a massage.” She turns to Lyra, then casts a glance toward Zephyros. “What do you think, Zephyros? Fancy Tymora’s blessing for your trip into enemy lines?”
Nature/History: 13
Zephyros stops short of the temple entrance as Yarina asks her question. The bull of a man turns back towards the group and thinks for a moment on the topic of slime and tries to recall what his Captain told him about such things, but he concludes he likely can't remember anything in addition to what Yarina has already shared so he drops the thought.
Nodding with respect the burly man says, "No, thank you. Give your blessing to someone else." Inside the warrior adds, 'The gods seem fit only to curse me. I want nothing to do with them.' However, he doesn't allow the thought to break through his respectful exterior.
As he turns back towards the temple entrance, Zephyros drops his pack, fishes out his tinder box and a torch, lights it, and walks towards the entrance. Torch in his right hand, trident in his left he strides forward with a sense of purpose. As he goes, he says, "Even if these monsters do talk, I will silence them."
Dazlyn nods with respect at Yarina as she states her desire to keep the dwarves alive. "Aye, a fine goal! One I can get behind. Speaking of behind..." He moves to put you in between him and the entrance to the temple. "...we'll wait out here."
Norbus nods his head in agreement at Dazlyn's statement. The two dwarves put their backs to the nearby wall and smile as the group approaches the entrance.
Zephyros,
Your torch catches quickly and begins to shed bright light in the area.
Everyone,
The temple double-doors are held open by metal spikes driven into the ground. The ceiling only comes 10 feet tall and, thanks to Zephyros' torch, even those of you without darkvision can see the temple choked with dusty rubble. A door to your left opens up into a rubble filled room that ends in what appears to be a cave-in. Directly ahead, past another set of double-doors spiked to remain open, the hallway opens up into a large room that has four pillars holding the ceiling up. At the far end of the room barely visible in the dim light is a stone alter of some kind.
DM for Tyranny of Dragons and Phandelver and Below, two in-person campaigns that meet weekly on Friday and Saturday nights.
Lyra had already stretched her hand toward Zephyros, but she quickly pulled it back as the fighter stated he didn't want her blessing. The halfling blinked in surprise. Who in their right mind rejects a goddess’ blessing, she wondered — especially after being so noisy? Lyra looked deep into the burly man's eyes, searching for a reason, though she said nothing of it and instead turned to Yarina. (Insight check on Zephyros: 24)
If the dragonborn accepts the blessing, she touches Yarina's scaly forearm, saying...
(ooc: If Yarina doesn't accept, the cleric will follow this thought instead)
Since the armored warriors had rejected the blessing, Lyra herself couldn't be blessed — why she couldn't bless herself, she didn't really understand, but she wasn't about to question Lady Tymora — and Meira was already pretty good at moving unseen, hat left only two options. Eldrin, but she didn't really picture the wizard rushing ahead to scout a place that might be crawling with monsters (and perhaps even a few traps). So finally, the cleric turned to Gareth, touched his forearm, and said...
"I solemnly swear that we are up to no goo—" she begins, then glances at the pair of dwarves, smiles nervously, and quickly corrects herself, "I mean... of course, we are up to the greatest of goods!"
The cleric feels the blessing taking place, and a faint golden shimmer surrounds the recipient before vanishing in the blink of an eye.
With that settled, Lyra steps into the temple carefully, but lets her taller companions proceed first. She's quite interested in the altar and plans to investigate it once they reach it... but without touching anything, just in case!
Assuming that Eldrin will be keen to investigate the room, the small cleric absentmindedly reaches for the wizard's arm, hoping to give him a little spark of inspiration.
(OOC: Is Religion ok for the altar, once the party reaches it? 21. If it has to be Investigation, then it is a 19)
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
Yarina nods, accepting the curious blessing. It is strange to feel so...sneaky, but as the slimes are prone to sneak attacks she believes it may come in handy. She crouches and slips into the shadows with her greatsword drawn as if it is the most natural thing in the world and follows Zephyros at a distance.
Stealth: 19 (normal roll since disadvantage from armor cancels out advantage from blessing)
Meira will try to move quietly as she enters, hopefully allowing Zephyros, Yarina, and Gareth proceed first. She keeps a close eye out for any of these pudding things. She has her short bow ready in her hand. (Stealth: 13; Perception: 17)
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
Eldrin lingers a half-step behind the others as they press into the temple, his boots making the faintest sound against stone slick with dust. As he passes Norbus and Dazlyn near the entrance, he pauses, not long enough to suggest hesitation, just enough for a glance and a quiet word.
“Roughly how far did you get before you encountered the puddings?” he murmurs.
He pauses, continuing to look down the dim corridor. The scent of old earth and iron drifts through the air—familiar and unwelcome.
Lyra,
The dwarves give you a quizzical look that turns into amusement as you recite your prayer and bless Yarina.
You get the sense that Zephyros is genuine in his desire to respectfully decline your offer. You can tell he's holding back and might be harboring negative thoughts towards the gods in general. You don't believe these thoughts are directed towards Tymora specifically. Perhaps some past trauma has brought the mountain of a man to this current mindset.
Good to know, I'll keep this in mind once you reach the altar. Religion is perfect for this check.
Yarina,
You silently follow Zephyros into the temple. Being so stealthy initially feels awkward, but it quickly grows on you.
You feel both gods' presence within you Bahamut and Tymora. It feels like an internal conflict at first and you begin to panic for a split second. However, the feeling passes quickly, and you are left with an overwhelming joy as both gods smile down upon you.
[[ OOC: You have been inspired. You may reroll one d20 of your choice at any time prior to knowing the results.]]
Meira,
Moving into the temple, you keep an eye out for any movement.
You're not sure, but you think the ceiling above the altar is undulating slightly. However, It's hard to tell in the dim light from this distance.
Eldrin,
"Great question, sir." Dazlyn responds. "Norbus told me it tried to bite him when he got close to the altar on the far end of the large main area. Isn't that right Norbus?" Norbus nods in agreement. "Aye... it was on the ceiling above the altar."
Knowing the right questions to ask at the right time is richly rewarding. [[OOC: You have been inspired. You may reroll one d20 of your choice at any time prior to knowing the results.]]
DM for Tyranny of Dragons and Phandelver and Below, two in-person campaigns that meet weekly on Friday and Saturday nights.
Meira quietly tries to speak to the others. "Think I see movement above the altar. Not positive at this distance."
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
"Copy that," Zephyros states in a quiet but firm voice.
Before the burly man enters the door way, he poises his trident for attack. He swiftly searches both sides of the room, his eyes darting from right to left. Then, his gaze flashes to the ceiling above with practiced caution.
Perception: 18
Gareth follows behind Zephyros and Yarina, keeping his eyes peeled for any signs of these "puddings." He's decided he prefers that term to oozes as it's funnier and more memorable. For a moment, he wonders how in Faerûn will he be able to take a trophy from a pudding monster. The thought makes him grin even as they move into the dim, dusty temple that seems to demand solemnity.
At Meira's words, the ranger glances above the altar, trying to discern what may be there, but he doesn't see anything other than what Meira already saw. "You said these things like to stick to ceilings?" Gareth asks Yarina in a low voice.
Perception - 10
Extended Signature
Characters: Bryony Alderleaf (Phandelver and Below) ♦ Vesta Trevelyan (Vecna: Eve of Ruin) ♦ Ada Kendrick (Curse of Strahd) ♦ Gareth Blackwood (Dragon of Icespire Peak) ♦ Karys Velthune (Out of the Abyss) ♦ Surina Xarith (Simple, Heroic Adventure)
DM: Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus
Eldrin quickens his pace just enough to fall alongside Meira, Gareth and Zephyros his gaze narrowing as it traces the contours of the distant altar. The light from Zephyros's torch flickers across the pillars, casting long, shifting shadows that do little to ease his growing unease.
“Confirmed,” he says softly, just loud enough for the group to hear. “Our dwarven friends encountered their first ‘pudding’ clinging to the ceiling above that altar.”
He lifts his chin slightly, ice-blue eyes scanning upward. “So I’d suggest keeping your eyes above as well as ahead.”