Craziness Encouraged (Closed)

[Starblaydia]

OOC: Please do not post in this thread. If you would like to discuss its contents, please do so in the World Cup Discussion Thread, thank-you.

Craziness Encouraged's original dust jacket, 2093

Craziness Encouraged, subtitled An Unofficial History of the NationStates World Cup was written by former Starblaydi international football player and ex-President of the World Cup Committee Simeone Di Bradini. It documents the World Cup from its earliest beginnings all the way to the modern era and, uniquely, attempts to place the various winners of the World Cup in a historical perspective, breaking the Cup down into various Eras or Epochs. It was first published in 2093 by the Starblaydi Calendar, in the year before World Cup 45.

The book was written in his spare time in the Dreamed Realm while working as the Assistant Coach to The Holy Empire national football team. Due to the unique nature of both time and space within the Dreamed Realm, Simeone had ample time to research, collate and generally make sense of the many years of history that had gone into the world's most popular and long-running sports competition.

The current eight different eras identified by Di Bradini are, by their very nature, subjective. There is no established timeline other than the lists of individual host, participant and winning nations themselves so any undertaking to present them in terms of natural groupings will give rise to debate. Craziness Encouraged is often cited as being written from a Starblaydi perspective, with particular focus given to the Starblaydi World Cup victories and, by extension, the story of the many World Cup titles won by the famous Atlantian Oceania region. It also focuses on Simeone Di Bradini's personal World Cup triumphs as a player-manager with The Holy Empire. The book does, however, give all credit where due to other nations and regions in an attempt to preserve the history of all the championship winners of the World Cup wherever possible.

The current chapters of the book, and the World Cups they cover, are:

• Those Halcyon Days (1 - 11)
• The Rise of Karela (12 - 18)
• Three Region Domination (19 - 30)
• Ancient and Attacking Arts (31 - 39)
• Realities and Rivalries (40 - 49)
• This World is on Fire (50 - 59)
• Everything Old and New (60 - 69)
• Three Region Domination: Redux (70-Present)

The book is updated with new chapters every few tournaments and digital subscribers can automatically receive updates. Craziness Encouraged is, however, often four or five World Cups (and therefore anything from six months to twenty years, depending on one's timeline) behind the present day. Historical trends are much more simply identified with time, and a recent World Cup winner can either be a footnote or the beginning of a new thematic era in the history of the Cup itself that can only be identified after a few further iterations.

The NationStates World Cup is undoubtedly the pinnacle of sporting achievement throughout the multiverse. It has become such a gargantuan endeavour in itself that there are scores of stories of individuals and particular nations that occur in every single edition. It would be impossible to realistically put every single one of these points of interest into a single volume, or even a single encyclopedia, within the foreseeable future. What is possible, however, is to look at the Cup as a whole, from start to finish. There are stories that spread across the years, themes running through that characterise differing periods in its history. Dice, Qualifiers, Ranks, Bonuses, Systems and, most importantly, Champions. "First is first, second is nowhere"; no-one remembers the Runners-Up, never mind the Semi-Finalists. The disclaimer to that is, however, that every football fan remembers their team's players, honours and achievements. To break the bonds of nationality, to be truly remembered by those outside our continually super-patriotic countries, requires tremendous effort on the part of nations, never mind individuals. When the lists of all-time greats are formed, the nations who have been and gone require the memories and handed down myths of those who remain in order to keep the places of honour they deserve. I would hope that this book serves as a waypoint, preserving the achievements and some of the stories of those teams who have departed beyond our immediate collective memory. Untold billions, trillions, even, of football fans across the world have poured their hearts and souls into their national football teams, and this book, hopefully, serves as something of an epitaph to all the blood, sweat and tears shed in the pursuit of the World Cup.

This book was written with preventing that epitaph from disappearing. Anyone can look back through lists of results and try to infer what was going on at the time, but only those who were truly there can give us the real stories and impart the lessons learned from footballers across the world before most nations were even formed. Fame and notoriety are fleeting, intangible qualities that can disappear on the wind as soon as they are spoken. When written down, however, they can give perspective to the present and inspire the future. It is with this ideal in mind that I present Craziness Encouraged, An Unofficial History of the NationStates World Cup.

- Simeone Di Bradini, The Dreamed Realm, 2093 (Starblaydi Calendar)

[Starblaydia]

Chapter 1. Those Halycon Days

Charting World Cup 1 to World Cup 11

"It is not surprising that the idea to bring nations of the world together to play the greatest game in the world came from a nation made up of a group of nineteen individual islands. The world owes a great debt to the people of Ariddia for first creating the World Cup. Although then it was not quite as we know it now, the representatives of thirty-two nations still flocked to those islands in the Uhuhland region to compete for the first ever trophy.

Though fate would repay them in kind much, much later, this was the amateur era of international football. Nations rose quickly and fell quicker, as seemingly every tournament saw something new debuted that would shape the game we know today. The first great players and great nations arose, including some names who still live on to this day, and gave all of us a standard to meet, and a benchmark to try and beat.

In those first Cups, the sporting gods really did play dice, but TnUI stopped all that with technical wizardry while introducing Qualifying. Hosts soon automatically qualified for the Cup as the essential laws that govern our game were laid down. "

- Simeone Di Bradini

The first World Cup in all it's chaos and randomness was held in Ariddia - a nation that remarkably still exists today - and won by the team from Crosshill. What actually happened, as with almost all tournaments from this era, is a mystery outside of who won, lost to the mists of time. One of the most intriguing and extensive journeys in the World Cup begain with eventual four-times Champions, the legendary Alasdair I Frosticus, currently the sole remaining participants of the first World Cup, who would also host the second. By World Cup 3 everyone knew the name of the greatest player yet to play the game: the sentient Zucchini striker playing for champions Giant Zucchini, called simply Urk. Many names would follow in his footsteps. The first nation to disappear in a cloud of uncertainty came along, too, in the form of World Cup 2 champions Al Quds. The team who, just like Crosshill, won their maiden World Cup went on to be awarded hosting rights for the fifth World Cup and promptly vanished from the face of the earth. 'Al Quds Syndrome', as it was soon known, would be the driving force behind the two-host bid, eventually enshrined in the World Cup's Constitution. Dennisov became the fourth champions in the tournament's history, defeating surprise finalists Jurassica thanks to a goal by defender Brian Leetch, making the first for his country a championship-winning goal at the San Chavez International Stadium.

If no team in those early days proved themselves completely dominant, the stricter regulations brought in by the administrators of Total n Utter Insanity, who would later go on to found the Under-21 World Cup, proved to cement the popularity of the Cup itself as for the first time a Qualifying stage was required to whittle the prospective participants down to the final thirty-two, again a practice still in existence today as hundreds of nations try to enter the World Cup Finals.

Soon the first truly dominant team came on the scene: Brazillico. So good were they, finishing third in WC4 and becoming the first ever consecutive two-time champions thanks to victories at WC5 and WC6, that the phrase 'just like watching Brazillico' was coined. If you were a fan of football in those early days, you were a fan of the Chillibats and their inspirational captain and midfield play-maker: Esteban De Jesus. It was during WC6, however, when the BFA announced that they would not enter the next competition due to upheaval of the Brazillican governmental system, but this only proved to spur their players on all the more as they took their second title. The tree-loving peoples of Errinundera would soon take up the mantle with players like antarcticad, moschatuma and longipesp.

Many other nations who would write their names large across sports' history made their appearances there, notably later four-time champions Bedistan and eventual twice winners Liverpool England, who got their first title in the 8th edition. Who can forget the touching scene of top scorer (and later Sir) Paul Dussis consoling Bedistan's goalkeeper Olivia Bream after their Final in WC8? Europa Britannia became the second team to win two Cups, first in World Cup 8 and then again in World Cup 11 as they became the first team to appear in the Final three times.

The Cup in these years was not only known for heroes, but also for villains. The nation of Spaam, who's officials would be so instrumental in later codifying the laws that governed international football, were drawn in the same group as their sovereign territory East Spaam in the Qualifiers for World Cup 9. East Spaam topped the group at the expense of Spaam, who finished outside of the qualifying positions. East Spaam, under alleged pressure from the Spaamanian Football Association, withdrew from the World Cup with what was only interpreted as the outrageous aim of allowing Spaam to Qualify in their place. The World Cup Committee, however, decided to avert the suspicious situation and award the spot to the 4th placed team: the now much-acronym'd Kaze Progressa, who, co-incidentally enough provided and maintained the 'KP' portion of the KPB rankings that was invented during the same cup.

In terms of tournament organisation, none of the first eleven editions can really be said to be the same as the "modern" World Cup. Although Qualifiers were well in place to ensure only the best teams made the final 32, and a two-host bid system was quickly set in place, there weren't the ever-dependable rankings system that we know today in the form of the KPBs. Though techniques for scorekeeping and performance analysis were simple compared to contemporary methods, they were all in place in recognisable form as we would encounter them today. As this era ended, the next would give rise to some of the great triumphs and contests of the age, and the very next World Cup would usher in the beginnings of the first truly dominant team and play style.

[Starblaydia]

Chapter 2. The Rise of Karela

Charting World Cup 12 to World Cup 18

"Never is a football fan more confused than when they first hear about Rejistanian Systems. Those short dark-skinned fellows with the silly accents and their not-lose culture certainly made their mark on the world. They very quickly set the standard for what it meant to be a top team in the World Cup, even if the ordinary fan thought they were incredibly boring to watch. For the purists, their uniquely effective brand of defensive-minded football was a more total and complete series of bus-parking than at the local public transport storage facility. The All-Out-Defence of System Karela was decidedly terrible to play against, but it was proven to be the most effective strategy at international level that the world had yet seen.

It was also a time of intense political back-and-forth, perhaps more so than at any other time in the tournament, as both Communists and Capitalizts took a hold of the championship, sparking fierce debates that you wouldn't have expected the average fan to ever engage in."

- Simeone Di Bradini

With two hosts, Qualifiers and KPB rankings, World Cup 12 was probably the first obviously recognisable Cup from a more modern perspective and there was one team that would bookend this particular era of the Cup: Rejistania. The Orange-Blues played a defensive brand of football, born from their home league's customary desire to not-concede and not-lose every match, making a 1-0 win the perfect scoreline. They called it System Karela, most famously played by the highly successful Rejistanian club side Karela Lines, and it quickly took control of the Cup's later stages. Teams that would make themselves legendary in the future like Audioslavia, Bedistan and Commerce Heights often failed to break down the tight defensive lines and the unyielding shield wall of orange shirts and blue shorts. They took their first title in World Cup 12 by beating Audioslavia, who would go on to lose six further Championship Matches in their long history and be considered Final 'chokers' for the next fifty tournaments.

Rejistania couldn't manage to defend their title on home soil in the next tournament, but finished as Runners up in World Cup 14, and took third place, again at home in the 16th edition. What came after that, however, was dominance that the world had not yet seen as they won two further titles back-to-back to become the most successful team in history. They had the highest KPB ranking of all time at that point, up until the formula was changed in subsequent years and higher ranking points were available. Their professionalism and determination crushed all before them during that time and All-Out-Attack strategies had to be developed to overcome them. Though they'd never regain their number one spot, they set a marker for the world that everyone else had to follow.

In between Rejistania's dominance, however, was a remarkable political rivalry that became a footballing one, as the communists of Eauz and the capitalizts of Commerce Heights dueled for political and sporting supremacy at the same time. Two teams, so vastly separated by the beliefs of their governments that fans often came almost to blows over their debates, trading world titles in the teens of the Cup as the likes of Vilita, Starblaydia, Krytenia and Sarzonia were first entering it. At the same time, Bedistan was coming closer to the forefront, making the Top Three twice.

[Starblaydia]

Chapter 3. Three Region Domination

Charting World Cup 19 to World Cup 30

"There had been a 'Big Three' before, as the Wysteria, Texas and the Heartland all collectively battled for the title of best Region in football, but it wasn't until the World Cup was leaving its teens that the concept of regional unity really took off in the sports world. Regional Championships quickly became all the rage with tournaments like the AOCAF Cup springing up in between World Cups. International football suddenly became much more local, as teams supported and feuded with their regional friends and rivals as they were climbing the KPB rankings. The Heartland, the League and Atlantian Oceania became the three great centres of sporting prowess in the multiverse, and they fought great battles on the pitches throughout this period.

It started a time of unprecedented domination for what was, at the time, the young up-and-coming region of Atlantian Oceania, young nations from the same area all looking to take their place at the top table, much to the consternation of the old guard in the form of the League and the Heartland that had come before and paid their dues in the tournaments of the past, determined to keep their places on top."

- Simeone Di Bradini

The Heartland had been represented by, among others, Liverpool England since WC5. The League, too, had its fair share of world championships thanks to Rejistania, but Atlantian Oceania's representatives were many and varied, but all determined to write their names into history. Beginning with WC14, Atlantian Oceania sides like Vilita and Krytenia began to enter the world stage, soon joined by countries like Starblaydia, Sarzonia and the fleeing refugees of Bedistan, and ultimately the Unified Capitalizt States of Commerce Heights itself. These nations quickly threw themselves into the organisational side of football, with Vilita hosting WC17. Turori WC19, Druida and Starblaydia WC20, and so on. It was from this era that the myriad conventions of old really became codified, and disparate pieces of information began to come together into single, consultable texts. In a way, the jockeying for position of these Big Three brought a professionalisation to the World Cup Committee, one that set it on the path it has reached today as a huge multinational governing body for the game.

The first Atlantian Oceania winner, however, came from one of the most unlikely of sources. Crystilakere, in their bright blue and white kits, shocked the world by taking the 19th tournament by storm. Despite never really being in the running before or since, the Crystils hold the honour of being the first AO nation to win the World Cup. This was soon replicated by AO's founding nation, Vilita, as they won the title in Atlantian Oceania itself. Bedistan's first championship, too, came as an Atlantian Oceania nation as their refugees fleeing the invasion of Terranordalis by Tingitana stepped up to claim the prize at a time of renewed patriotism in the country. Sarzonia made it four in a row for AO, as the famed naval nation's footballers defeated the Bedistani defending champions in the Semi-Final along the route to their single tournament victory.

It wasn't all Atlantian Oceania's way, however, as first Rejsitania became the most successful side in history, winning their fourth World Cup. They had started this era as the highest-ranked team in the history of football, the KPBs reflecting their Third, First and First places in WCs 16-18, and World Cup 23 was the time they took their place as the most successful team ever by defeating AO's Druida. The very next tournament saw the Heartland come storming back with Liverpool England's second championship, again beating an AO side in the final, in the form of Sarzonia. World Cup 25 was, however, back to Atlantian Oceania, with Starblaydia's debut victory over Rejistania. This was the final nail in the coffin for The League and, although Rejistania continued to compete in the World Cup, they would never again reach quite this high in a World Cup. For Starblaydia, on the other hand, the story was just beginning.

Starblaydia's WC25 win started a string of six consecutive victories for Atlantian Oceania sides and a three-way tussle at the top of the world rankings between Bedistan, Liverpool England and Starblaydia themselves. Between World Cup 27 and 30, the three nations essentially had the Semi-Finals locked down, as they'd make eleven top-three appearances between them over five tournaments: Bedistan made the final four times and won three of them, Liventia lost two finals, and finished third twice, while Starblaydia finished first, second and third in this period. The three nations, in various combinations, made up the top three of the World Cup for 27, 28 and 30. World Cup 29 was the only blip for these three, as Liverpool England crashed out in the Second Round on penalties to Rejistania after, predictably, a 0-0 draw, then Starblaydia and Bedistan were each knocked out by a co-host in the Quarter-Finals, Krytenia and Casari respectively, who would go on to finish Third and First. Audioslavia also helped made their reputation in WC29 with a fourth straight loss in a World Cup Final: the bridesmaidiest nation in history.

World Cup 30 saw Bedistan be the second nation to win four World Cups, defeating Starblaydia in a reverse of the World Cup 28 Final's result, but this, with Liverpool England finishing third after again losing to Bedistan in the Semi-Final, brought an end to the Heartland and the League's competition with Atlantian Oceania. Although new regions would soon rise to take up the fight, for now Atlantian Ocenia claimed supremacy over the football world.

[Starblaydia]

Chapter 4. Ancient and Attacking Arts

Charting World Cup 31 to World Cup 39

"The debt that was owed to Ariddian football was surely repaid in full during this period. They had been away for a long time from their creation, which had blossomed into the world's greatest and most prestigious event by the time they returned. When they came back, the people from the 19 islands came to claim it for themselves. Only the outrageously attack-minded Bettians would have a say in denying them, playing the anti-Karelan, all-out-attack of System Takil so popular in that serene nation, a style of play developed entirely to counter the excessively defensive tactics that the Rejistanians had defined an entire era playing. There were, of course, Gnomes and others to contend with in this period, but the ultimate story is one fight for the top between the originals and the most attack-oriented team the world had yet seen."

- Simeone Di Bradini

World Cup 31 was the first edition since World Cup 18 without an Atlantian Oceania team in the Final. Though both long-time AO stalwarts Oliverry and Krytenia made it to the last four they were defeated, leaving long-time participant Squornshelous to defeat New Montreal States in the Final. World Cup 15 had previously been the last time that the Sqournshelans had featured in the championship match and their eventual victory was highly deserved, albeit highly belated. New Montreal States themselves were no starlet newcomers, either, having been long-time participants over the years.

Late rewards for these nations who had appeared in some of the earliest editions reached their zenith over the next five editions as, finally, the founders of the World Cup themselves, Ariddia, made it to the top of the world - and in some style, too. The Rouge-Et-Noirs defeated Jeruselem in World Cup 32 to be crowned kings of the tournament they had initially organised more than thirty editions before. The war dance of the Ulek echoed around Geisenfried's national stadium in advance of Hanifah Kyaw and her side defeating a Jeruselem team strangely not led by Dazza Dallas.

Ariddia lost out in the next edition as Atlantian Oceania's own ultra-attacking Bettia side defeated a fellow AO nation in the form of the naked gnomes of Az-cz, returning the World Cup to Atlantian Oceania. The Rouge-Et-Noirs immediately came storming back to regain their second title, however, by defeating Milchama on home soil in the Final of World Cup 34. This tournament was also notable for the Third Place won by Elves Security Forces, who would later take the cup by storm, but under a different name.

A Super-Final in World Cup 35 came about between Bettia and the defending two-time champions Ariddia, with Bettia coming out on top as each nation now claimed two titles apiece. Ariddia, however, would have the last laugh in the next edition, as they defeated another participant from the very earliest days of the Cup, Errinundera, for a glorious third world title won in just five editions - a new record.

Though defeated in World Cup 33's final, Az-cz came storming back from seemingly nowhere to win two consecutive titles in World Cup 37 and 38. Former champions Squornshelous couldn't stop them, nor could the likes of Bettia, as they made their own gnome-shaped mark on football history. The 38th edition is also notable for being the first of six consecutive top-three appearances by Valanora. It was quickly overshadowed by the second world title for Commerce Heights, now known as Capitalizt SLANI, on home soil in World Cup 39. They last won the title in World Cup 15, making 24 tournaments as the new record for the longest time between winning two championships. Though just five teams had won the cup in the previous nine editions, that level of domination was nothing compared to what would follow over the next five editions.

The next era of the World Cup had unknowingly seen its conception in World Cup 38 with two distinctly different teams, but it did not bear fruit until World Cup 40, with the unstoppable run to the top of Valanora and return to power of Starblaydia.

[Starblaydia]

Chapter 5. Realities and Rivalries

Charting World Cup 40 to World Cup 49

"Ariddia and Bettia had traded titles and Bedistan, Liverpool England and Starblaydia had fought for dominance, but nowhere before had the struggle for being the best in the multiverse come down to a straight fight between two nations. Had it not been for two Semi-Finals losses, the Eternal Realm of Valanora could easily have won five World Cups in a row. Those two losses came against their footballing nemesis, Starblaydia, who seized upon this opportunity to become the most successful nation the world had yet seen.

"But the struggles didn't just start and finish with Starblaydia and Valanora. As one rivalry was waning, Candelaria And Marquez and The Holy Empire began an extraordinary series of matches - Starblaydia and Valanora faced each other in two Semis and a Final, while these two incredibly managed to meet each other three times in the final itself. The stark contrast between the two was never more apparent, as the reality-warping Holy Empire of the Dreamed Realm crashed straight up against the most down-to-earth society imaginable, where anything remotely out of the ordinary was instantly and entirely repressed from its people. Quite how anyone explained anything to anybody in this scenario is a matter better left shrouded in mystery, because if someone wrote a book about it, you'd say it was too unbelievable. Even for the World Cup."

- Simeone Di Bradini

This first half of this chapter is, simply, the story of two teams from Atlantian Oceania. World Cup 38 had seen the Valanora win the Third Place match, but this was only the beginning of their success. For the next seven editions after, their worst finishing position was Third Place, undoubtedly the greatest sustained era of success for any nation in the entire history of the tournament. World Cup 38 also saw Starblaydia rejoin the international stage after a three-tournament hiatus, and though they finished Runner-Up in their Baptism of Fire, the two-time champions quickly rose through the ranks, and quickly met Valanora. In World Cup 39 the two teams met in the Quarter-Final, with Starblaydia suffering what still stands as their heaviest ever defeat on the wrong end of a 7-1 thrashing.

World Cup 40, where this chapter really begins, saw Starblaydia host the championships alongside Krytenia. The 'Uberbid' of World Cup 40 still leaves Starblaydia as the only nation to have hosted all three major tournaments in a single WCC cycle, cementing their reputation as a destination for global sports. The 40th edition saw Valanora take their first victory as they defeated Bazalonia. The very next edition, however, Starblaydia got their revenge and knocked the champions out in the Semi-Final, going on to win their third title, a first since World Cup 28. The Elves, in turn, came storming back, winning World Cups 42 and 43 and joining the likes of Az-Cz, Bedistan, Rejistania and Brazillico to become back-to-back champions.

Again, though, Starblaydia would prove to have Valanora's number, as when the two met in the Semi-Final of the 44th World Cup in Candelaria And Marquez and Kura-Pelland, again it was the team in white who proved victorious, and went on to win the title over Cafundeu, equaling Bedistan and Rejistania's record total of four World Cup Championships. Starblaydia had stopped, it seemed, an unheralded "five-peat" of Vanorian victories, their immovable object managing to halt the unstoppable force of Valanora to prove to the rest of the multiverse that, yes, it could be done. It was assumed, in the following tournaments, that the two nations had already reached their peak, and now it was their turn to fade away into the background and let other nations take their turn at the top of the mountain. But fate had one last idea in mind, and it wouldn't be for a few editions yet.

In the 47th World Cup, held in Kura-Pelland and Valanora, the world's top nations fought each other in the final stages. Starblaydia would defeat Daehanjeiguk, Cafundeu and then co-hosts Kura-Pelland on their way to the Final, while Valanora would repeat their World Cup 40 result and beat Bazalonia and Sorthern Northland along the way to a titanic meeting at the aptly-named Battleground in Raynor City, Valanora, to decide the 47th World Champions. If Valanora won, they'd have a fourth title and join Rejistania, Bedistan and Starblaydia at the top table. A Starblaydia victory would give them the most titles of any nation in history. In the end it was Starblaydia, defeating Valanora for the third time in a row in the World Cup, taking up the mantle of most successful nation the World Cup had ever seen. The debate of who was the best ever was put to an end, for the moment, but the World Cup soon moved on to find new superstars to hail, has it always does.

The new superstars, however, had already been in the spotlight in WC45. Candelaria And Marquez met The Holy Empire in a clash of worldviews, one where anything you could imagine was possible, and the other where anything imaginary was impossible, thanks to the Candelariasian state policy on the non-existence of non-human sentients. The Holy Empire had been competing on and off since the very first World Cup, the only nation still maintaining a presence in the World Cup at that time from those earliest days, while the Candelariasian side were from the relatively new sporting region of Rushmore, with the Big Blues making it the first of many victories for a Rushmore side. Their first final was almost thought to be something of a blip, as it came in after five straight finals where Starblaydia or Valanora had taken the crown. The multiverse moved on, Dancougar won their solitary title, and the third great era of the World Cup started with the 47th edition an Starblaydia laying down a new marker for what it meant to be called 'the best'.

But, immediately, there was a rematch of the WC45 final and the Dreamed Realm took the title, giving the author of the book his first World Cup Winner's medal, providing the cross for... either Juan Tzimisces or Ug-Ug, no one really knew at the time, and there's been no definite proof one way or the other in the endless replays since. It didn't finish the rivalry between the two nations, either. Even with AO nation and former world champions Sarzonia making it to the Semi-Final twice at this point, they just couldn't break into the last match thanks to the Big Blues, twice in a row. WC49 saw Candelaria And Marquez take a second popular and deserved victory, but within two more tournaments they disappeared from the scene, declining to enter World Cup 52 onward. The period of these two rivalries, in terms of directly vying with each other for the World Cup, was over. Shortly after the multiverse would be painted pink, and then promptly set on fire.