Tino grins as he holds up the mask inscribed with Irori's Master's Rebus. "Wow, these are fantastic! You didn't have to get us anything, but the gift is greatly appreciated. Thank you."
Takatorra admires their mask, red-faced with a long nose to cover their beak. Ji-yook smiles slyly as she considers hers, a blank white face with round circles for eyes and mouth. And Yabin gushes with delight seeing the golden sovereign dragon mask Hotcha has chosen for him.
"Good luck to you, too, friends! Though there are still several days before the fighting begins!"
***
The next morning, your schedule takes you to the Five Pillars Academy. The Five Pillars Academy is a series of wizards’ towers with alternating floors of libraries, scriptoriums, training dojos, and classrooms. Each tower is constructed of varicolored porcelain inlaid with a dizzying array of magical icons. The academy features prominently in Goka’s magic item exports and book trade. Currently, the school is graduating its first small class from a newly constructed tower, where professors teach the bevy of new techniques brought back by Hao Jin when she returned to Goka a few years ago. In honor of the Ruby Phoenix Tournament as well as the graduation, the Five Pillars Academy also hosts a festival of magical displays. Competing teams have each been invited to the academy during the week for a short exhibition.
Just two patrons are present at the academy’s jubilee when you arrive: Malaika Tao and Lord Aldunar Unmar. Hao Jin, incidentally, is also present as a guest of honor. In a short speech to all the gathered guests, Tao explains that the new department, the Tower of Balance, focuses on the training of unconventional magical gifts, especially sorcerers. Rather than focusing on texts, students here are given space to channel their emotions and explore the personal nature of their gifts with master sorcerers who have made similar self-discoveries.
One other team of tournament contenders is also on the scene at the same time as you: the Speakers to the Winds, a group of academics from the Magaambya Academy in central Garund. When Tao notices both of your teams, she invites you all to join her onstage, then introduces you to the crowd. "I wonder if you would be interested in a short demonstration of some of the most promising students' sorcerous techniques?" Tao asks. "A friendly bout where you can show off your preferred techniques for dealing with powerful arcane spells aimed at you?"
The hobgoblin's expression turns into a snarl when it becomes apparent the next demonstration is about warding off enemy magics. Aren't you supposed to just hit them harder?! A reluctant smile drives away the snarl as appearances do matter, but some hesitation remains. "Sure! As long as it doesn't get too rowdy. Hei Feng won't accept me not retributing in kind if ... things get heated, you see."
That was Yog'Moi's first lesson to the students.
Xin won't show it, but arcane magic is what he fears most. He's reasonably certain it's Three Men and a Fairy's achilles' heel. The only real response his team has to arcane shenanigans is to stab the magi faster.
However, saying no here would not only entail a loss of face, it would clue onlookers into the weakness. Better to take these students down hard.
"We would be delighted to try out your talents," says Xin.
"You may begin when ready."
The fight takes place in a cleared open courtyard outside. To prevent damage to the school or injuries to the onlookers, Hao Jin places four powerful walls of force around the battlefield, essentially creating a 50-foot-by-50-foot cage for the you and the students to fight in. The four students, two humans and two nagajis, bow to you and ready their staffs.
"Three Men and a Fairy versus the students of the Sixth Pillar!" Hao Jin declares. "Ready? FIGHT!"
Xin's battle cry leaves one of the students shaken!
Yog'moi acts true to his word and lightning strikes before the students can act. It's not that he has anything against them. He has something against getting hurt.
Xin explodes into a run the instant the call comes. Before the Magaambyans know what hits them, he is before them and ready. His loud cry is frightening.
Hotcha ▶️ moves to the rear, but her opponent is not the one in yellow. Red is between herself and Xin, and the guy looks kinda spacey. So he works as a first target!
“A phosphorus wave on a tropical sea is a cold fire! Contemplate it! Resistance is futile!”
Having weirded her opponent out with babbling words that popped into her head, Hotcha sinks into ▶️ Jellyfish stance, and—
Yog'Moi's lightning deals full damage to two of the sorcerers and half damage to the other two. Xin moves in and demoralizes one of the more wounded students, then Hotcha's flurry leaves the student badly wounded and momentarily stunned!
The wounded sorcerer recovers from the stun in time to cast a spell. He places a palm to his lips and exhale a cold breath, whipping up a gust of wind that freezes the air's ambient moisture into a flurry of jagged shards. The shards fly at Xin, and the wind picks the student up and carries him across the battlefield!
The other students split up. One moves closer to Yog'Moi and targets him with a transmutation, attempting to turn the hobgoblin into a little pig! A third student uses his magic to transform into an air elemental, flying up and away to put distance between himself and your team. The final student backs up and conjures a blast of compressed air to pummel Xin and Hotcha!
Curse them! Yog'Moi feels his body slip away from his senses and fights it as much as he can. Parts of him pop and plop into something that isn't hobgoblin. No matter what he does, things refuse to feel right again.
He balls that anger and causes it to crash on down over his foes. It's what Hei Feng would do.
Diving out of the way of the blasting spells, Wu Xin stays on the injured sorcerer's tail.
"Hotcha, get Yellow. Stay on him!"
"Esh! Flank Red!"
On the one hand, I'm glad nobody has to worry about any lethal consequences to these bouts, but on the other it's incredibly disconcerting to attack those that I have to particular antagonism towards in a way that by all rights should leave them dead. It's just another reminder that no matter how powerful I think I am, there are those who would find my best efforts to be child's play.
Regardless though, I carry on, curious to see how a group that are ostensibly "students" would fare against us.
Dodging is easy, especially in Jellyfish stance!
Hotcha ▶️ Energizes her wings and asks the boss—“Yellow? Right! I’m on him like a fly on a poop! …which can also fly.”
↩️ She strides upwardly-ish and flurries!
Yog'Moi unleashes another lightning blast, but this time, his first target is able to critically save and completely avoid the blast! The electricity grounds itself and sputters out.
Xin sends Hotcha into battle before moving to team up with Esh. As the elf strikes the wounded sorcerer, the marshal delivers the final blow to knock him out! He then levels a menacing glare at one of the other students!
Meanwhile, Hotcha flies up to attack the sorcerer that transformed into an elemental. She lands one hit, temporarily stunning her opponent!
The two sorcerers on the ground move up to take advantage of most of you being grouped together. Each of them unleashes a cone of bludgeoning winds from their hands!
Meanwhile, the sorcerer turned elemental shakes off the stun. He concentrates on staying in the air, taking a swing at Hotcha.
The winds batter and bruise Yog'Moi yet he remains standing. "Ha! It will take more than this to knock me over!" Still, there's a certain respect in his tone, for the students had managed to avoid his lightning altogether only a moment ago. Not many manage to do that.
He then conjures forth a menacing nine-ring sword made up from crackling force and swings with it at the students.
Hotcha can’t help but notice all three foes are in range of her ki storm!
“Grouping does have its advantage!”
She cat-falls to the floor and strikes (NOW—before the men rush the casters)!
Rather than be battered by the winds that scour the ground, Xin swirls his arms and is wafted into the air, directing the violent maelstrom around and past him. For an instant, he is surrounded by a perfect halo of leaves and dust glinting in the sun before he lightly descends, wind ruffling his hair.
”Perceive that which cannot be seen with the eye,” he says to Orange. “All man are the same except for their belief in their own selves, regardless of what others may think of them”
The sorcerers are putting up a good fight, but it's pretty clear how this battle will go. Despite my slow reflexes, my companions are all much quicker, and manage to avoid the worst of the magic. I bully my way through the gale, and attack.
Hotcha's ki storm catches the sorcerers off-guard. Each one takes the full force of the blast! As the storm dies down, Yog'Moi conjures a spiritual weapon that batters the nearest opponent. Xin urges Esh to flank the most wounded foe with him. The marshal's evangelizes leaves his opponent distracted, and as Esh delivers a critical strike, Xin stabs the sorcerer in the back and drops him!
The other sorcerer nearby steps to line up another cone of blasting winds. The flying elemental, meanwhile, attempts to polymorph Hotcha into a harmless bunny!
Hotcha becomes a bunny. Her beady red eyes stare in disbelief at her paws. Her ears perk up. Her head turns and gives the round, white nakedness one look.
The monk instinctively enters a meditative state, and without the usual (and now-much-needed) alcoholic beverage!
I’ve got to concentrate, concentrate, concentrate… I’ve – got – to CONCENTRATE, concentrate, concentrate… hello?
Her fat, fuzzy form reverts to her little red-headed, red-skirted self.
“You—ya just—why…??? YOU MADE MY BUTT HAIRY AND GIGANTIC!!” She shakes her little fist at the flying mage.
“You—ya just—why…??? YOU MADE MY BUTT HAIRY AND GIGANTIC!!”
I nearly drop my sword laughing at her outrage, though the unexpected blunder catches the sorcerer I was flanking with Xin off-guard and my blade strikes surprisingly true.
Xin starts to guffaw, but the thought of Hotcha's butt stops that in its tracks. Instead, he steadies his mind to a cold focus and lunges at the nearby mage, driving the point of his rapier so that it touches his ribs just where it would be most devastating if Xin were actually trying to kill him.
Esh and Xin team up for a devastating combination, swiftly taking out their opponent!
With just one student still standing, Malaika Tao raises her hand to call the fight. "A fine display of martial and magical talent. Thank you," she says, gesturing for a handful of healers to tend to the unconscious students.
Across the way, the Speakers to the Winds have successfully demonstrated their own talents, though the Magaambyan students relied more on magic to counteract and defend against their opponents' spells.
Malaika asks the audience to enjoy the rest of the festival then quietly invites you and the Speakers to the Winds to recuperate and enjoy some refreshments in a quiet faculty lounge. As thanks for taking part in the festivities, Malaika pulls some strings and offers to commission one magic item for each of you of your choice (15th level or lower) at half the usual Price. She can have the items ready for you after the exhibition showcase at the end of the week and before the Ruby Phoenix Tournament.
Yog's rabbit-like senses confuse and confound his inner hobgoblin and no matter what he does, from pulling his elongated ears to holding his nose while blowing on the back of his hand, his body refuses to turn back to normal!
After the battle, Hotcha asks one of the men to place her goblet on a table. She will meditate during a quiet moment. But… before that.
“Ooh! I really wanna upgrade my frosty runes. For half price, I can! I WILL!”
She fills her cup with Fire Nectar, drinking it up before grabbing a berry or chocolate or both!
"I would gratefully accept a greater corrosive rune," says Xin.
You put in your requests with Malaika as you relax and enjoy the refrehsments. The Speakers to the Winds congratulate you on your performance and make small talk about their excitement for the upcoming tournament as well.
The next day, you attend the next social event on your agenda. To promote the Pathfinder Society, Venture-Captain Amara Li has outfitted the Lantern Lodge as a sort of museum gallery for the duration of the Ruby Phoenix Tournament. Agents of the Pathfinder Society won the previous tournament a decade ago while also thwarting the corrupt schemes of the Golden League crime syndicate. This year, Li is eager to expand the Society’s reputation by promoting memories of the last tourney and drawing new visitors to the Pathfinders’ Gokan headquarters.
You arrive at the Lantern Lodge at the same time as Tino's Toughest. Tino and his friends are eager to learn more about Hao Jin’s famous treasures, and Tino and Takatorra in particular gush about their excitement with you. Ji-yook and Yabin, on the other hand, offer respectful silence as they peruse the gallery of relics from the last tournament.
Li has filled the Lantern Lodge with memorabilia from the last decade’s tournament, including the villain Wu Jefeng’s magical adamantine staff and broken pieces of armor that once belonged to the Pathfinder heroes. More importantly, however, she has also included choice excerpts from the Pathfinder Chronicles that describe some of the potential prizes being offered to this year’s Ruby Phoenix Champions. The prizes themselves are all still within Hao Jin’s vast vault of treasures, but the Chronicles describe a few of them in fabulous, tantalizing detail.
The guests can peruse the excerpts from the Chronicles themselves, but Amara Li is happy to expound on the excerpts herself. In particular, the chronicler describes the following five items from the Ruby Phoenix’s collection:
• The Solar Jian is a magical airship of exceptional make, with two parallel hulls and half a dozen wings, said to have been given flight by the spirits of two sacred birds called pengs. Although no one knows who built the original massive flying vehicle, it has spawned a few imitators, including the audaciously named Solar Jian II, built by the Goka-based Souran family and presented at the celebratory parade following each Ruby Phoenix Tournament for the past two centuries.
• Hao Jin’s personal amulet of the planes looks like a jade crescent moon on a chain of ruby beads. It is said to be flawless in accuracy, delivering the wielder unerringly to where they need to be (though not necessarily where they meant to go).
• A clockwork “spell engine” retrieved from the Clicking Caverns under Nagajor has served Hao Jin in a few legendary battles. With enough calibration, the machine is supposedly capable of casting powerful spells all on its own.
• A Mahwek master bowyer from northern Arcadia supposedly crafted the sky-piercing bow to summon rain in times of drought. The legendary longbow can split the sky and let its wielder travel as swiftly as an arrow. Hao Jin won it in a contest when she used a cantrip to split an arrow shot from the bow in midair.
• Hao Jin stole an indestructible shield called the August Dilemma from a centaur hero-god in Iblydos, though she failed to slay its villainous creator, who is hell-bent on reclaiming his relic.
You mingle with Tino's Toughest and all eight of the tournament's prospective patrons, who have all come to marvel at the displays as well.
Xin wanders the exhibit, politely engaging in small talk. He lingers over the Solar Jian, admiring its sleek lines. But it is the amulet of the planes that really captures his attention.
"One could visit anywhere with this. Other worlds. Elysium. Axis. The First World, the City of Brass. I don't think you could ever be bored. Of course," he says, pointing back towards Solar Jian, "combine them and you'd really have something!"
I follow the others, browsing through the accumulated history of dozens of different peoples and civilizations. It is relaxing.
"One could visit anywhere with this. Other worlds. Elysium. Axis. The First World, the City of Brass. I don't think you could ever be bored. Of course," he says, pointing back towards Solar Jian, "combine them and you'd really have something!"
"Indeed. It would certainly make an impression! I do enjoy traveling, though I admit, it can also be stressful. A ship like that would mean that you'd always have a roof over your head," I agree with Xin.
"Is there any place in particular you've always wanted to visit?" I ask him.
"I've never really thought beyond returning to Lingshen. But now, with it so near, I find I wouldn't care to stay. Things have changed for me here, Esh. I suppose I was happiest when we were traveling across Tian Xia, seeing new sights."
"This would be like that, only on a larger scale. Axis, eventually. To see if I could learn from The Old Man. But the City of Brass has always sounded exotic. I think I'd start there."
"What about you? See anything that sparks your imagination?"
Hotcha isn’t really tempted by all of the treasure. If fame and fortune were mutually exclusive, the choice would be obvious to the world’s tiniest attention addict.
When she gets a moment (to speak to Lady Qiu if available, else Miss Li), she tells the woman about the sprites she met. “I never met any other sprite in my life. I want to invite them, and they wanna see the first warrior-fairy they’ve ever met in action. But… is that a thing that can be arranged. Everyone’s so rich, so the seats must cost a lot.
“Though… y’know. If fighters can invite family or something, they’re the closest relatives I know.”
Lady Qiu listens to Hotcha’s request, then nods. ”Seating in the Grand Arena is limited, but as your sponsor, I can pull some strings to allow your fellow sprites to attend. I am sure you will put on a show that they will not want to miss! Leave to me, Miss Twinkletoes.”
“Yay!! Thank you so much!”
Her giddiness fades as she contemplates…
“Um, I should probably go get them. But in the meantime, is there a more private place we can chat for a bit?”
Hotcha’s face bears an unusually serious expression. That’s because she wants Lady Qiu to know her team was approached. Now that she has Lady Qiu’s ear, she can’t keep silent.
”Of course.” Lady Qiu peels away to speak to Amara Li, and within a few minutes, the venture captain has arranged a private meeting room for Qiu and Hotcha. ”Now, what’s on your mind?”
"I've never really thought beyond returning to Lingshen. But now, with it so near, I find I wouldn't care to stay. Things have changed for me here, Esh. I suppose I was happiest when we were traveling across Tian Xia, seeing new sights."
"This would be like that, only on a larger scale. Axis, eventually. To see if I could learn from The Old Man. But the City of Brass has always sounded exotic. I think I'd start there."
"What about you? See anything that sparks your imagination?"
I pause, thinking.
”One of the things about being ordained into two clergies is that I spent decades studying doctrine. And while I sadly don’t have the direct connection that some priests do, it’s still very important to me to constantly and deliberately… harmonize, I guess would be a good term, myself with my deities. So when I see something like this bow,” I point to the Sky-Piercing Bow, ”And I read its history, my first thought is to relate it to Shizuru’s teachings. In the same way that that bow was created first as a tool to summon rain, then as a weapon of violence, so too is my blade first a tool to help me achieve self-discipline, and only secondly as an implement of battle.”
I run my thumb across the butt of my weapon fondly.
”I don’t know that that truly counts as imagination though,” I shrug, ”There have certainly been times when people have been bored by my predilection towards making a parable out of everything.”
"How we hone our minds is far more important than how we hone our bodies. I've been known to indulge the occasional aphorism myself. It's part of the mental discipline my master taught me. The Way of the Void may be the way of no way, but the path to it is littered with pithy sayings."
"I didn't know discipline when I entered the tournament ten years ago. It still doesn't come naturally. Repeating the sayings of the Master and making up a few of my own has helped me to stay on course for years."
He pauses, looking one last time at the treasures, then back at Esh and Yog'Moi. "What are you two planning to do when the tournament is over?"
Hotcha sits on whatever object puts her at eye level with the women. It reminds her of the accommodation Yan Fei made for her.
So she starts there.
“It was really lovely dining with Her Majesty! She was so considerate, and we told each other so much in that one evening!
“She told me what she’d done at the age of fourteen, and that keeping corruption out of her empire’s important to her. And Miss Li, the way everyone talks about thwarting the Golden League’s attempt to cheat ten years ago, I believe you share this sentiment.
“It’s important to me too, so…”
She tells all about Kas Xi Rai.
After telling all, she notes, “Until Esh scared them off, they kept their cool. A part of me hopes they simply lied, hoping to find out which teams would refuse to throw a fight, and bet accordingly.
“And they were careful with word-choices. Everything they said was implicit. But they did name a price.
“I wanted to tell an enforcer that night, but I don’t know how corruption works. So after thinking it through, I thought I should tell you directly.”
Blushing a little, and doing all in her power to control her luminous skin, Hotcha adds, “Lady Qiu, I don’t know what Her Majesty told you about our private meeting. But it ended with an open invitation to see her at the palace again.
“I will do nothing that would violate her trust.”
Hotcha firmly believes remaining silent IS a violation of that trust.
"Of course. The empress trusts you, Miss Twinkletoes, so that means that I trust you as well. I will make sure the authorities are alert to any potential schemes the Golden League is cooking up. They are too big to go after directly without any hard evidence of wrongdoing, but we will keep our eyes and ears open going forward. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.
"The empress also mentioned her invitation. Whenever you have time, just say the word, and I can arrange for you to meet with her," Lady Qiu says with a smile.
Wu's question overwhelms Yog'Moi. The hobgoblin has been busy eyeing the treasures and imagining how much alcohol you can trade any of these trinkets and baubles for. That's the use he sees for most of the items, bar one. The one object he genuinely cares for is the skyship. Fantasies of sky-high parties and extraplanar escapades run vividly through his thoughts. Oh, his old Tengu mates would love that!
"Oh, I don't know. Have a drink, set sail to foreign places. Sample more drinks and kick those who deserve it in the face, and make the world a happier place by doing so. Ha! But I doubt I'll be sober enough to plan any of that. No, I don't know what I'll do next. First, we'll have to win, that's more than enough to occupy my mind for now."
Hotcha feels less burdened. If the people running the tournament and the authorities are aware, that’s good enough for Hotcha. Maybe Esh scared them off, or at least they gotta know there’s no profit in trying to get Three Men and a Fairy to lose!
"The empress also mentioned her invitation. Whenever you have time, just say the word, and I can arrange for you to meet with her," Lady Qiu says with a smile.
Hotcha would much rather talk about this.
“The boat ride took a really long time, so I just thought she meant after the tournament’s over. But after looking at all those magical things, now I’m wondering… is there a way I can get to the palace and back before the tournament.
“Because if there is, I would like that.” The glow of her luminous skin suggests her words are an understatement.
(Of course Hotcha has not forgotten the sprites. Assuming Lady Qiu needs some time to magically contact Yan Fei or something, Hotcha wonders if, before going to the palace—if that can happen so soon!—she might have time to get a hold of the three sprites and bring them here to introduce them to Lady Qiu.)
"After this week is done and each patron officially pledges their support to a team, there will still be one more week before the tournament," Lady Qiu says. "Plenty of time to visit the empress. I will make the arrangements."
“Really? Wow! I can’t thank you enough!” Hotcha is beaming.
Not forgetting that she came to Lady Qiu on the sprites’ behalf, she says, “I’ll try to meet up with Raq and the boy-sprites. After the official pledging, maybe I can introduce them to you?”
She rises from her perch, signaling she’s aware it’s time to adjourn this meeting.
"I look forward to it," Lady Qiu says with a smile.
***
You finish up your tour of the Lantern Lodge's gallery, returning to the Ruby Village to rest. The next day is the last one before the exhibition showcase, and you spend part of it on Shelyn's Comb, accepting General Kaso Hida's invitation to watch ships filled with tournament spectators sail into port.
Goka’s shoreline is mostly a jagged array of docks and marinas, new and old, but it also features locations of unparalleled natural beauty. Although primarily an industrial sector, the Oldtown district also offers access to one of Goka’s most famous natural landmarks, a series of tall basalt cliffs called Shelyn’s Comb. A cliffside temple to the goddess of beauty offers a spectacular view of the marina far below.
You chat with the general for a little while about previous battles you have fought in, and as the afternoon wears on, you bid him farewell. You are making your way back down to the shoreline when all of a sudden, a sudden chill fills the air. The sunlight seems to dim as everything around is cast in an ominous shade of electric purple. Dappled shadows on the water change shapes strangely as a truly massive extraplanar portal inexplicably manifests in the sky above. The circular rift looks like a tear in the fabric of reality itself, a rippling black disc warping the very sky around it.
As quickly as the portal forms, a group of mythological beasts emerges from the center of the eclipse! An enormous serpentine dragon writhes in the sky. The dragon appears angular and sharp; its scales glow as if superheated from within, and its hair flickers like tongues of flames. A pair of humongous scaly fish plummet from the eclipse, splashing into the waters of the bay below. The creatures seem to be in a confused rage, and they bear down on Goka's harbor, the people there screaming and scattering to try to get away from the rampaging monsters!
Hotcha falls to her knees in prayer. She may be a Cayden nun now, but she was still raised in a Shelynite convent. There has been no loss of love for the Goddess of Beauty. How she wants to dance for Her! But she doesn’t draw any attention to herself, and instead recites a silent prayer. She finds herself praying for her troupe—past friends she may never again see… and she’s okay with that.
She feels like her present with the three men is amazing—she never really believed she would be much of a challenge to big people. Not just people! A ten-foot-tall oni, unscathed! I got swallowed by a monster and busted out! Who’s afraid of BIG?
She asks Shelyn, Cayden, whatever deity might be listening, Why do smart people ask dumb questions?
It turns out everyone is afraid of big at the moment.
Hotcha calls out to the other teams, using her stage training to be heard, choosing words that she hopes will make a good impression on those who have yet to know her:
“WE’RE THE BEST FIGHTERS IN ALL OF GOKU! LET’S COMBINE OUR STRENGTHS, NOT AS MANY TEAMS, BUT AS ONE ARMY!
“OUR MISSION: PROTECT THE INNOCENT!!”
Hotcha jumps on Xin’s shoulder and says softly to him, “Oh, poo. We’re the only team here, aren’t we? So…
“Fight ‘em? Lure one to chase me? Plausible third option?”
While clinging to Xin’s shirt, Hotcha will prepare to energize wings or become invisible when the time is right—IF flight and/or invisibility is desired.
Where Hotcha treats the temple with the respect it deserves and the others might follow suit, the hobgoblin is the very face of irreverence as he snorts to clean his nose and asks where the alcohol is. It remains unclear whether the priest is doing this on purpose to assert some sort of 'dominance', or if he truly is being that big of a soft-headed muffin. The truth might be found somewhere in between.
---
It's when they've finally found comfort that disaster strikes. Yog resists the urge to throw his cup at the damned beasts (not that he could ever hit them from this distance) and quickly downs what's left before weaving a set of spells over Esh. Wu has his winged boots, Hotcha has her wings, and he himself, the thunderous Yog'Moi, well he is naturally buoyant.
"Focus the dragon. If it sets fire to the ships, those onboard will have no choice but to dive into the waters ..." The tone with which he speaks indicates he has found himself in such troubles before and for once, the hobgoblin isn't making light of the situation.