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Characters belonging to the Blood Angels, both on the Tabletop and in the novel series.

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     Blood Angels 

Sanguinius

One of twenty Primarchs created by the Emperor of Mankind, Sanguinius and his brothers were scattered to the stars by the Chaos Gods. Landing on Baal Secundus, Sanguinius' time in the Warp caused a mutation; angelic wings appearing on his back. Found by 'the People of the Pure Blood', a tribe that had experienced some limited mutation from the nuclear wars, Sanguinius went on to unite Baal and its moons. When the Emperor found Sanguinius, he immediately bowed before his father, who gave him command of the IX Legion of the Adeptus Astartes, renamed the Blood Angels.

During the Great Crusade, the Blood Angels mirrored much of Sanguinius's nature, including his gentle spirit and appreciation of beauty. At the same time, the Blood Angels also became the Imperium's best shock troops, mirroring Sanguinius's own desire to come to grips with his foes in close quarters combat. Sanguinius became close friends with Horus, but that friendship was shattered when Horus fell to Chaos and the Horus Heresy began. At the climax of the heresy - the Siege of Terra - Sanguinius participated in the defense of the Imperial Palace, and joined the Emperor and Rogal Dorn in their journey to the Vengeful Spirit, but became separated during teleportation. Finding Horus first, Sanguinius battled his brother and former friend, but having fought for several days before, was not at full strength and only managed to cause a chink in Horus' armor. Legend has it, this was perhaps the only thing that afterwards enabled the Emperor to defeat Horus. Sanguinius was subsequently killed by his brother, and the psychic shock of this manifests itself in the rest of the Blood Angels as 'The Flaw' from that day on.

  • Ancestral Weapon: The Spear of Telesto, forged by the Emperor for Sanguinius as a gift.
  • Beware the Nice Ones: He is the originator of the Black Rage and the Red Thirst, despite his constant kindness.
  • Bling of War: Almost mandatory for Primarchs, but Sanguinius generally took it the extra mile, especially with the strands of fine silver chain and pearls strung in his wings.
  • Cain and Abel: Abel to Horus' Cain
  • The Conscience: For Horus before he went mad.
  • Cultured Badass
  • Cultured Warrior
  • Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?: During the Horus Heresy, he fought Ka'Bandha, a Bloodthirster of Khorne, and had his legs broken on Signus Prime. During the Siege of Terra, he paid Ka'Bandha back by breaking its spine over his knee!
    • Incident on a Signus Prime shows that broken legs are definitely not enough to stop the Angel. Despite his wounds, Sanguinius kept fighting and managed to banish both Ka'Bandha and Kyriss.
  • Dreaming of Things to Come: His most well-known psychic ability.
  • The Dutiful Son
  • Evil Former Friend: Inverted, he was Horus' most beloved brother.
  • A Father to His Men
  • Four-Star Badass: Was designed to be this.
  • Gentle Giant: Moreso than any of the other nice primarchs.
  • Heroes Prefer Swords: Wielded a force sword during the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy.
  • Heroic Sacrifice/Dying Moment of Awesome: Revered above all the other Primarchs in the Imperium for his sacrifice.
  • Incorruptible Pure Pureness: It's said that each Primarch inherited a trait from their father–Rogal, his determination; Magnus, his potent psychic powers; Horus, his ambition; etc.–and it's generally agreed that Sanguinius inherited The Emperor's Humanity.
  • King in the Mountain: Notably averted. Despite every other First Founding Chapter having legends about their Primarch returning for a final battle with Chaos, it's explicitly stated that there are no provisions for the second coming of Sanguinius. It's partly why Rafen has so much trouble believing Arkio is Sanguinius reborn.
  • Master Swordsman: In Deus Sanguinius, Mephiston says that Sanguinius was the match of any warrior who ever lived.
  • Mayfly–December Romance: Apocryphal earlier editions suggested he was or had been at one point married to a normal mortal woman.
  • Meaningful Name
  • Messianic Archetype: First to the natives of Baal and later to the Imperium
  • Nice Guy: Was practically a saint by 40K standards.
  • One-Man Army: Enough to carve through a horde of Bloodletters like so much grass, and then have enough fight in him to kill their commanding Bloodthirster by snapping its spine over his knee.
    • When Custodes and Imperial Fists were forced off, Sanguinius stood alone guarding the Eternity Gate against daemonic hordes and Black Legion troops. Should Horus wait a little longer with his duel, the Angel would have wiped his entire legion.
  • Papa Wolf
  • The Paragon: Horus even said so himself.
  • Parental Favoritism: Daddy's favourite after Horus.
  • Pretty Boy: Was very handsome. As in, eunuch Space Marines from legions not known for their aesthetic appreciation gibbered a bit at the sight of him.
  • Pretty in Mink: Many depictions have him with something resembling a leopard skin either thrown over one shoulder of his armor, or used as a cape.
  • Psychic Powers: While not as demonstrably prolific a psyker as Magnus or Lorgar, Sanguinius has shown the gift of foresight, the ability to use a force sword, telekinesis powerful enough to safely land a crashing starship, and a Battle Aura he put to good use while fighting Ka'Bhanda on Signus Prime.
  • Raised by Natives: Raised by the tribesmen of Ba'al Secundus.
  • Red Baron: The Great Angel, Lord of Angels, All-Beloved, the Pure One.
  • Tender Tears: From a heart so pure, gentle and kind that they were said to have turned into diamonds when they hit the ground.
  • Winged Humanoid
  • You Shall Not Pass!: During the Siege of Terra, he held the Eternity Gate to the Imperial Palace, by himself, against one of the traitor legions, and paid back Ka'Bandha by breaking his spine. And lived.

Commander Dante

"For eleven hundred years, I have fought and I have seen the darkness in our galaxy. I have seen the vileness of the alien and the heresy of the mutant. I have witnessed the sin of possession. I have seen all the evil that the galaxy harbours, and I have slain all whose presence defiles the Emperor. I have seen what you will see. I have fought what you must fight, and I have slain what you must slay... so fear not and be proud, for we are the sons of Sanguinius, the protectors of Mankind. Aye, we are indeed the Angels of Death."

Commander Luis Dante is the Lord of the Host and Bringer of Sanguinius' Light. A golden angel descending from the skies, bringing hope to the loyal citizens of the Imperium. Alive for more than one and a half millennia, Dante possesses the experience of war unlike any other non-Dreadnought Space Marine.

Such is his experience that he was the overall commander of the Second Battle for Armageddon forces, given full command by Marneus Calgar and Tu'Shan.

He is well known for his perfect mastery of flight, being able to fall from the skies with incomparable precision.

  • Big Good: During the Second War for Armageddon. Unofficially for his and all other Blood Angel descendant chapters.
  • Commanding Coolness: That's Lord Commander Dante.
  • Death from Above: He is so skilled with this that he never misses.
    • In a special Apocalypse Formation, not only does his formation never miss, but it can charge in the turn they deep strike.
  • Death Glare: He wears the Death Mask of Sanguinius. Just by being present, it curses an opponent. When assaulted by him, your close combat skill can drop to 1.
  • Determinator: He believes that he has lived far longer than he should. The only reason he keeps fighting is his faith in the Emperor, and his unwavering belief that one day, he will be the golden warrior of a prophecy that will stand between the Emperor and the darkness.
  • Elite Army: Heads the Sanguinary Guard, the Chapter's elite troops and successor to Sanguinius' bodyguard.
  • The Faceless: He is one of the few Space Marines commanders always depicted wearing his helm or the deathmask that comes with his office. Only in private will he take his mask off. It is an indicator of how desperate the situation is toward the end of The Devastation of Baal that he takes his mask off when addressing the remainder of the Blood Angels and their successor chapters before what they believe is their last stand against Hive Fleet Leviathan.
  • Four-Star Badass: Notable in that among a council of other Chapter Masters, all of them unanimously deferred to Dante as their supreme commander during the Armageddon War. This council included Logan Grimnar, the Great Wolf of the Space Wolves who generally does not take a back seat to anyone else. He made an exception for Dante.
  • Fragile Speedster: He can be insta-killed by any weapon with high enough strength. However, he is really fast - both in movement and close combat.
  • Genius Bruiser: Tactical genius, thousand plus years of experience, and also a hard hitter.
  • Good Is Not Nice
  • Hand Cannon: His can destroy Land Raiders.
  • Incorruptible Pure Pureness
  • It's Raining Men: Master of it.
  • Lightning Bruiser: He's a Space Marine. Though more Lightning than Bruiser.
  • Mask of Power: His curses an enemy. Also, it makes the enemy weaker in close combat.
  • Miles to Go Before I Sleep: Older than most Astartes by many centuries, there is a part of him that longs for rest. But prophecies from the age of Sanguinius foretell a time when the Emperor will be in grave peril and depend on a golden warrior to defend him. Dante believes there is at least a chance this refers to him, so he will not let himself die until this has come to pass. The Devastation of Baal strongly implies that the spirit of Sanguinius himself will not let Dante die.
  • The Musketeer: Power Axe and Infernus Pistol
  • Officer and a Gentleman: Over a millennium of war experience with his Blood Angel refinement make him this.
  • Old Soldier: 1,500+ years and still kicking. He has been Chapter Master of the Blood Angels for 1,100 of those years. In Dante's case, it's even more notable as Blood Angels often succomb to the Black Rage before reaching old age (at least for a Space Marine). Dante has, for some reason, managed to suppress it not only longer than anyone else in the chapter, but longer than most of the citizens (and warriors) of the Imperium has been alive.
  • Powered Armour: Golden Artificer's Armour.
  • Really 700 Years Old: The oldest non-Dreadnought Space Marine in the Imperium. He's over 1,500 years old, and he has been Chapter Master for 1,100 years.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure
  • Tranquil Fury
  • Who Wants to Live Forever?: Has shades of this. The Devastation of Baal shows that he craves the release of death. Only his sense of duty and belief in the prophecy keep him going, though the spirit of Sanguinius may also have something to do with it.

Mephiston

Chief Librarian of the Blood Angels and Dante's right hand man. Born Calistarius, he participated in the Second War for Armageddon. During the Battle of Hades Hive, he fell to the Black Rage and was inducted into the Death Company. At the final assault on the Ecclesorium building, he was buried under rubble for seven days and seven nights, his mind teetering on the edge of madness and his body on the verge of death. Through sheer will alone, Calistarius cast out the Black Rage and burst from his tomb as Mephiston, Lord of Death. After tearing through several bands of Orks and punching straight through the biggest one there, Mephiston made the long walk back to Imperial lines. Eventually ascending to the rank of Chief Librarian, Mephiston has served as the lieutenant and friend of Dante for years.

  • Death Glare: It's an actual tabletop rule.
  • Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?: Once throttled the life out of a daemon with his bare hands!
  • Glass Cannon: YMMV: Subverted, he is extremely tough (toughness 6 to be specific) and one of the most powerful characters on the tabletop, but he lacks any sort of invulnerable save unlike most other Blood Angels HQ.
  • Heroic Willpower: One of only two Blood Angels to come back completely from the Black Rage.
  • I Call It "Vera": Vitalis.
  • Lightning Bruiser: Thanks to his "Wings of Sanguinius" psychic power, he can fly, and is also one of the hardest hitting characters in the entire game.
  • Magic Knight
  • Theres No Kill Like Over Kill: His "Sword of Sanguinius" Psychic power can double his strength to the maximum stat, and, because he can use his force weapon in the same turn, he can have strength 10 instant-death attacks.
  • Number Two: To Dante.
  • One-Man Army: On the Tabletop people will throw whole squads at him and he still takes them.
  • Psychic Powers: The most powerful psyker among the Blood Angels, and a contender for the most powerful among the Space Marines.

Corbulo

Leader of the Sanguinary Priests (the Blood Angels Apothocaries), Corbulo's duty is to guard the Red Grail, a cup used to carry the blood Sanguinius lost in the battle with Horus.

  • Badass Preacher
  • Chainsaw Good: Carries Heaven's Teeth, a irreplaceable Chainsword from the Great Crusade.
  • Combat Medic: He is the high priest of the Blood Angels; not only he is skilled in combat, but he's on a continuous search for the cure of the Flaw.
  • Feel No Pain: Every Sanguinary Priest grants this to every battle brother that is close to him.
    • Even more, such is his skill and power, that when making a Feel No Pain save, he will only fail one time out of six.
  • Generation Xerox: Noted as bearing a great resemblance to Sanguinius.
  • MacGuffin Guardian: His task to protect the Red Grail.

Astorath the Grim

"Treat them with honour, my Brothers. Not because they will bring us victory this day, but because their fate will one day be ours."

Astorath the Grim is the Blood Angels' High Chaplain, and also the Redeemer of the Lost.

Being the Redeemer of the Lost, Astorath possess a unique job: to grant mercy to every Death Company Battle Brother that didn't fall in battle, in the form of a clean death. It was long ago decided this duty would be one best suited for a single brother, and thus far a single brother has been all that was needed. However, as he is the only one responsible for the culling of these lost men, he must travel far and wide amongst each Blood Angel successor fortress, and find those who are soon to fall.

  • Blessedwith Suck: One of the reasons he became Redeemer of the Lost is due his power to "feel" those Battle Brothers that will fall to the Black Rage.
  • Grim Reaper
  • Lightning Bruiser: He is fast, like most of the Blood Angels. However his axe allows him to hit really hard, and, since he is a Chaplain, he makes himself even stronger when he assaults.
  • The Magnificent
  • Mercy Kill: This is his job, and responsibility to the entire Death Company.
  • My Significance Sense Is Tingling
  • Powered Armour: Red Artificer Armour.
  • Sci Fi Writers Haveno Senseof Scale: How is he supposed to take care of every single Battle Brother that falls to the Black Rage?
    • Lemartes takes on his duties within his own chapter the majority of the time, which helps alleviate the burden.
  • The Dreaded: To his own Chapter and their Successors. Because he can sense who will fall to the Black Rage before the victim himself does, he often arrives just before the onset of symptoms. This has turned into a superstition that his arrival causes people to fall to the Rage, where quite the opposite is true. However, no one dares argue with him while he holds the axe.
  • Unstoppable Rage: In-game he can make the army fall to the Red Thirst half of the time.

Erasmus Tycho

Captain of the Third Company following the Second War for Armageddon, where he assumed command after his captain was killed fighting the Orks. He was scared during the battle and bore a hatred of the Orks ever since. After Armaggedon, he oversaw the destruction of Orilan, and was saved by Ramius Stele from a daemon of Chaos. Which is what Malfallax may have wanted Tycho to believe. During the Third War for Armageddon, Tycho succumbed to the Black Rage and inducted to the Death Company, where he was killed fighting Orks.

Lemartes, Guardian of the Lost

Chaplain Lemartes is the warden of the Death Company and never have they been such a potent force as under his guidance. Though Lemartes himself is afflicted by the accursed Black Rage, his formidable willpower has allowed him to remain in control of his actions, leaving him free to lead the Death Company in glorious charges that eclipse all the deeds of legend.

  • Ancestral Weapon: His Blood Crozius; it is said to be the personal weapon of the first High Chaplain of the Blood Angels.
  • Attack! Attack! Attack!: He is part of the Death Company.
  • The Berserker: He is this to the Blood Angels, so that should tell you just how angry he is!
  • Badass Preacher
  • Determinator: He stands in the very brink of the Black Rage. All the time.
  • Lightning Bruiser: He is as fast as Dante and the Sanguinor and can be even faster when charging. He also hits the enemy like a truck.
  • Limit Break: His Fury Unbound rule. Wound him if you dare. That'll break his limits and he'll hit even harder.
  • Major Injury Underreaction: You just wounded him? Thanks, now he has three times as many attacks as usual and he hits even harder.
  • Screaming Warrior: He is a chaplain. He is in a state of complete fury. Do the math.
  • Unstoppable Rage

Rafen

The protagonist of the Blood Angels series, Rafen was born to Akam of the Broken Mesa clan of Baal Secundus, and the elder brother of Arkio. During the initiate rights, he failed a test by Brother-Sergeant Koris, while his brother Arkio passed, and went into the deserts to redeem himself. During the self-imposed quest, the Thunderhawk carrying Koris and the initiates crashed in the desert, and he saved the lives of the others. Koris deemed him worthy of being a Blood Angel, and since another initiate had died, he was allowed to travel to Baal and join the Blood Angels. He eventually served in Koris's squad in the Sixth Company while Arkio went on the Bellus Expedition.

  • The Atoner: For allowing Fabius Bile to abscond with a vial of Sanguinius's blood.
  • Big Brother Instinct: He promised his father to protect his brother.
  • BFS: Uses a power sword in Red Fury and Black Tide. Probably the one he used against Arkio.
  • Cain and Abel: Uniquely, he's the Cain, but he's upholding God's will. Sort of.
  • Declining Promotion: After stopping Arkio's schism, he is offered a captaincy, a massive promotion for a mere battle-brother. He turns it down in exchange for Arkio's surviving followers being subjected to rites that have a chance of cleansing and redeeming them instead of being summarily executed.
  • Fatal MacGuffin: Narrowly subverted. He reclaims the vial of Sanguinius's blood by injecting it into himsef to keep it away from Bile. This naturally has near-fatal side effects and he's only narrowly saved by being put back into the sarcophagus he was incubated in while being implanted as an Astartes, which manages to drain the excess Primarch blood from his system.
  • Go Mad from the Revelation: Absolutely loses it when he learns that Fabius Bile is planning to make a clone of the Emperor. Any Space Marine would feel the same way.
  • Only Sane Man: Genuinely feels like this during Deus Encarmine and Deus Sangiunius.
  • Sergeant Rock: During Red Fury and Black Tide.

Arkio

Brother of Rafen and son of Akam of the Broken Mesa Clan. His mother died giving birth to him, so his father charged Rafen with his wellbeing. Passing the Blood Angels initiate tests, he joined the Bellus Expedition under Captain Simeon and Inquisitor Lord Ramius Stele to locate the long lost Spear of Telesto, a weapon used by Sanguinius during the Great Crusade. After using the Spear in battle, he begins to mutate into a physical reincarnation of Sanguinius, and the other Blood Angels feel that he is Sanguinius reborn. Which is exactly what Stele wants to lead the Blood Angels to Chaos.

Sachiel

Born into what could be considered aristocracy among the tribes of Baal Secundus, Sachiel considered his passing of the Blood Angels initiate tests to be a matter of course. Joining the Sanguinary Priests, he became an Apothecary and joined the Bellus Expedition. By the time the Bellus returned to known space, Sachiel had become a High Priest and the ranking Chaplain of the Expedition, as his predecessor had died. As people begin to believe that Arkio is the reincarnation of Sanguinius, Sachiel became one of his trusted advisers. Just as Stele had intended.

Koris

A veteran sergeant of the Sixth company, Koris recruited and a number of initiates, including Rafen, Arkio, and Sachiel. When belief begins to spread that Arkio is the reincarnation of Sanguinius, Koris maintains a healthy skepticism.

Turcio

A battle-brother of the Fifth Company, part of Koris's squad along with Rafen.

Corvus

A battle-brother who joined the Bellus Expedition.

     Imperium of Man 

Inquisitor Lord Ramius Stele

Raimus Stele is an Inquisitor in the Ordo Hereticus, tasked with seeking out heretics against the Imperial Church. After glancing at some forbidden material, he began studying the Warp in the hopes learning more. However, his attempt to cast a spell of binding on Orilan released the daemon Malfallax, causing mutations that forced the Adeptus Terra to declare an Exterminatus on the planet. Escaping with his bodyguard and former lover Marian, Stele managed to brook safe passage onto Captain Tycho's ship, where he finally pledged himself to Malfallax, killed Marian to avoid being exposed, and was credited with saving Tycho from Malfallax. Earning the gratitude of the Blood Angels, he was given a blood debt and later placed in charge of an expedition to find the Spear of Telesto. Now he plans to use Arkio as a false messiah to turn the Blood Angels to the Chaos Gods.

Gabriel Seth

Chapter Master of the Flesh Tearers, one of the Blood Angel's 2nd Foundings for the past 280 years. When he took over he was placed of a chapter with a 0% Approval Rating for their reckless slaughter of anything and the chapter's losses (form both casualties and the Black Rage) was at the point were there recruitment can no longer replace them. Seth vowed he will save their chapter in other their reputation and form themselves. Plays a major role in Red Fury.

  • Anti-Hero: Well, it's the role he plays. Where the Blood Angels reflect all that is good about Sanguinius, the Flesh Tearers represent Sanguinius' wrath.
  • The Berserker: He holds himself in check only through iron will, and is well aware that the Flesh Tearers can slip into this at the drop of a hat.
  • BFS: Bloodreaver, a massive chainsword.
  • Brutal Honesty: Flat out tells Dante that the Blood Angels should disband due to the losses they suffered.
    • Seth considers his role to be akin to that of Nasser Amit: he speaks frankly and honestly and calls out people when he has to (which is almost always).
  • Combat Pragmatist: He will kick you in the nuts.
  • Do Not Go Quietly: Having learned that the Flesh Tearers are eventually going to die out from attrition, Seth has decided that if they're going to die, they'll do so in combat.
  • Fire-Forged Friends: With Dante during the events of Red Fury: starts out telling Dante to disband the Blood Angels to being the first to aid them.
  • Good Is Not Nice: Seth is as good as any of the Blood Angels, but he's not nice about it.
  • Jerkass Has a Point: Seth is the exact amount of dick at the exact right time to get his point across and make you realise that yes, he's right.
  • Old Soldier: He has served as Chapter Master for over 280 years. That's not even taking into account how long he was serving before he became Chapter Master.
  • Pragmatic Villainy/Shoot the Dog: Somewhere in the middle of the two. Very Pragmatic and doesn't matter what he needs to do to save his Chapter.
  • Token Evil Teammate: He comes off as this, but he's just as good and noble as any of the Blood Angels sucessors.
  • Vitriolic Best Buds: Ends up as one with Dante. Being unafraid to Speak Truth To Power also helps in this regard.

     Chaos 

Malfallax

A greater daemon of Tzeentch, Malfallax spent years trying to turn Inquisitor Ramius Stele to Chaos, until he finally succeeded on Orilan. Over the next few decades, Stele and Malfallax concocted a plan with Warmaster Garand of the Thousand Sons to turn the Blood Angels to Chaos Undivided using Arkio as a false messiah.

Garand

A Warmaster of the Word Bearers, Garand is a powerful Chaos Space Marine. He conspires with Malfallax and Stele to turn the Blood Angels to Chaos Undivided.

Iskavan

Dark Apostle of the ninth host of the Word Bearers, Iskavan the Hated lead the ninth host on Cybele against the Blood Angels of the Sixth Company. After being forced to retreat, Iskavaan headed to Shenlong, where he planned to battle the Blood Angels and regain his honor. In truth, he was to be sacrificed by Garand as part of the plan for turning the Blood Angels, because of the ninth host's failings.

Fabius Bile

Once the Chief Apothecary of the Emperor's Children, Fabius Bile fell to Chaos along with the rest of his Legion during the Horus Heresy. Cast out for not worshiping Slaanesh, Bile sold his services to the rest of the Chaos Space Marines by becoming the "Primogenitor", making clone stock for the Traitor Legions recruits. Impersonating a dead biologist, Bile managed to abscond with a vial of the blood of Sanguinius, which he intends to trace back to its source—making a clone of the Emperor of Mankind.

  • Big Bad: Of Red Fury and Black Tide.
  • Clone Army: His trade is making them. Also, he's cloned himself multiple times which has the twin benefits of allowing him to work on multiple tasks at once and be very difficult to kill. After Rafen and his colleagues kill him three times, they're left wondering how many more of him are out there. The answer, of course, is at least one more.
  • Cruel and Unusual Death: Rafen flings him off the tallest tower in his facility and he's torn apart by Tyranids as soon as he hits the ground.
  • Dead Person Impersonation: How he was able to get onto Baal; he took the identity of Harans Serpens, a noted Imperial biologist who had disappeared several decades earlier to gain Apothecary Caecus's trust (the Blood Angels only found out Serpens was dead when it was too late to stop Bile.
    • He also planned to escape the destruction of his facility in Black Tide by teleporting onto the ship that brought Rafen and his men while wearing Blood Angels power armour, hopefully allowing him to pass unnoticed long enough to trigger a bio-weapon designed to target Blood Angels to let him take control of the ship.
  • Evilutionary Biologist: As his "New Men" will attest.
  • Genuine Human Hide: We at TV Tropes are required to remind at every possible chance that Fabius Bile's labcoat is made of human skin!
  • Mad Scientist: From the perspective of anyone outside of Chaos.
  • Why Won't You Die?: Because he cloned himself.

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