World Cup 76 - RP Thread

by **Ceni** » Mon Sep 26, 2016 6:30 am

RP Thread | Rosters Thread | Results Thread | Bid Thread | World Cup Discussion Thread

This thread is for RPs only. Please direct your rosters to the Roster Thread and any OOC comments to the World Cup Discussion Thread. Any posts in this thread that are not RPs or cutoffs will be reported as spam to the mods, and you may be deducted RP bonus!

The Republic of Ceni is a tiny speck of land just off the coast of Electrum in the Terranean area of Rushmore, close to New Gelderland, Electrum, and Eura. Its major city and capital is Cenial, and other major cities include New Oxford and City Centre, but a good portion of Ceni is covered with one huge agglomeration of cities. Its economy is a service-based economy, especially financial services and trade, with major contributions by pharmaceuticals, research and development, technology (biotech and information technology especially), and real estate. A good part of its energy comes from wind turbines, solar power, and tidal power, and Ceni is known for its eco-friendly populace and green atmosphere. Several major Rushmori firms are based in the Cenial business district, including Air Terranea, Telluric Pharmaceuticals, Endais Chemicals, Selaphoros (an oil company), Solar Solutions, Pharos Media Group, and the world-wide Cityscapes architecture company. Many of these companies serve the large Euran market, which is quite close by, exporting high-tech, high-expertise products, and maintaining a trade surplus with one of the world's largest economies. Cenial International Airport is a hub for Air Terranea, which flies to almost 300 destinations throughout the world, and New Oxford International Airport adds to Ceni's international air transport capacity. Ferry services also link Ceni with Eura and Electrum. On the culture scene, Cenial is widely regarded as a highly cultured and diverse city, with large Avaerilonian, Euran, Electrumite, Hispanic, Endemian, Asian, and other populations, and it supports a vibrant food and arts scene. Football-wise, Ceni has 'enjoyed' a long spell of poor results in World Cup competitions, dating from World Cup 67 and Baptism of Fire 54, before finally qualifying for the World Cup in World Cup 73, where they notched their first World Cup win, over Free Republics. They qualified for World Cup 74 and 75 but had disappointing results, with a 1-4-4 record in three World Cup group stages. While football is only the second-most popular sport in Ceni, behind tennis, its popularity is growing, and its league is burgeoning and gaining more followers and revenue every year. The World Cup should increase the standing and popularity of football in Ceni even further, and hopefully should impel Ceni’s national football team to actually get results in front of a home crowd.

Electrum is a very large but sparsely populated nation, with large swaths of uninhabited areas between the major cities. Electrum borders Eura, Rio Oscuro, Rhodesiah, and New Gelderland. To its East, across the sea is Ceni. The Electrum economy is based on finance and international commerce -- it is what gives the small nation an advantage over other nations in the region. In terms of Football, Electrum debuted in the 55th Baptism of Fire and the 68th World Cup, and has participated in all available tournaments since, whether it was World Cup Qualifications, Cup of Harmonies or World Cup Finals. After World Cup 70, in the 62nd Cup of Harmony, Electrum came in fourth place, behind Cosumar. It would take Electrum 6 attempts at qualification before they finally qualified in WC73 and have qualified ever since. Electrum shares a deep friendship with Ceni, with continued co-operation over many realms, including corporation and business ties (eg the merger of Ceniana and AirElectrum), a free trade agreement and more. They also share similarities in sporting preferences; with tennis being the top sport in Electrum, and football taking runners-up. The World Cup will see teams travelling all over the country with state-of-the-art stadii, from the garguantuan Olympic Stadium in Centralis to other regional venues across Electrum.

This is the thread to post your RPs, whether they be match reports, stories, novellas, or whatever else. More information - pots, groups, and schedule - will be posted within due time.

Schedule
The first half will be scorinated by Ceni and the second half will be scorinated by Electrum.
Ceni's cutoff times: between 2300 (on the date specified) and 0200 (the day after the date specified) UTC
Electrum's cutoff times: 0800 (on the date specified) UTC

Note that all dates are for UTC -6 (American dates). Please keep track of the dates for your time zone accordingly!

Qualifying Pots and Groups
Pots

Groups

World Cup Pots and Groups
Pots
Pot 1
Unified Sunrise Islands
Valladares
Audioslavia
Farfadillis
Eura
Nephara
Electrum
Ceni

Pot 2
Royal Kingdom of Quebec
San José Guayabal
Barunia
Valanora
Pasarga
Cosumar
Vilita
Brenecia

Pot 3
Krytenia
Chromatika
Semarland
Turori
Gregoryisgodistan
The Holy Empire
Abanhfleft
Osarius

Pot 4
Flardania
Ficiscia
Damukuni
Red Blackiland
Savalen
Fluvique
Chiata
Port Christopher

Groups
Group A
Ficiscia
Ceni
Brenecia
Osarius

Group B
Valanora
Eura
The Holy Empire
Flardania

Group C
San José Guayabal
Abanhfleft
Audioslavia
Port Christopher

Group D
Savalen
Barunia
Krytenia
Valladares

Group E
Vilita
Damukuni
Electrum
Semarland

Group F
Chiata
Turori
Royal Kingdom of Quebec
Unified Sunrise Islands

Group G
Chromatika
Nephara
Fluvique
Pasarga

Group H
Red Blackiland
Gregoryisgodistan
Cosumar
Farfadillis

Matchday 1: 1v4, 2v3
Matchday 2: 4v3, 1v2
Matchday 3: 2v4, 3v1

Round of 16: A1 vs D2, C1vs B2, B1 vs C2, D1 vs A2, E1 vs H2, G1 vs F2, F1 vs G2, H1 vs E2
Quarterfinals: R1 vs R2, R3 vs R4, R5 vs R6, R7 vs R8
Semifinals: Q1 vs Q2, Q3 vs Q4
Third-place playoff: Loser of S1 vs Loser of S2
Final: S1 vs S2

Finals Schedule
NOTE: All dates and cutoffs in UTC :
Group A-D (in Ceni, scored by Electrum) - UTC: 0800 - 1100
Group E-H (in Electrum, scored by Ceni) - UTC: 2300 of the day before - 0200 of the day (Approx. six-eight hours before Electrum cuts off)

MD1: October 30
MD2: November 1
MD3: November 3
R16: November 7
QF: November 9
SF: November 11
3PPO/F: November 13

by **Ceni** » Mon Sep 26, 2016 6:30 am

About Ceni
Ceni is a small island country of around 5500 km2 located in the eastern parts of the Rushmori region of Terranea. Although it has no land borders, the nearest countries are Electrum, from which it is separated in the west by a narrow strait, and the Isles of Avon, a small republic located to the east in the same island chain. With a population of just over 13 million, this makes Ceni one of the densest countries in Rushmore, at around 2360 people per sq km. Ceni is also one of the most urbanized countries in Rushmore, with the three major cities, Cenial, the capital, City Centre, and New Oxford, forming one large urban agglomeration, with the city petering out around the edges of the metropolis. Climate-wise, Ceni has a temperate oceanic climate, with the influence of the ocean helping to moderate both the summers and the winters - temperatures are almost never extreme either way, cold or hot.

Historically, Ceni was first settled by a group of people, ancestors of the Fererldan, who spoke a language, Ancient Cenian, that is almost extinct except for a few speakers (but it survives in many Cenian names, both surnames and given names), which is related to modern day Avaerilonian (the prevailing theory suggests that these people migrated from an area in New Gelderland, across a land bridge to Ceni, and then across to Avaerilon, where they settled later in time). The name Ceni itself comes from a corruption of an Ancient Cenian word for 'White Cliffs', which described the cliffs near the present day Dover. These people stayed in the area around Cenial for a while until a group of settlers from Eura arrived and settled in the southern half of Ceni, displacing some of these populations. A Spanish population from Valladares arrived and set up a colony in the north of Ceni, hoping to set up a port for the growing nation, but when the city of Junin was settled, these settlers were disappointed, nonetheless deciding to stay and send seafood to the Valladar communities as well as lobbying the government to set up a port in the north. These communities formed the backbone of a thriving Hispanic population in Ceni.

In the face of a rising Euran threat, these various colonies - the Fereldic population, the Spanish in the North, and Euran/Cenian mix in the South - decided to unify their solitary island in order to coordinate their defenses and reduce infighting. As the Euran threat died down, the Cenian government retooled its economy to provide services and goods to the growing Euran industrial economy while still remaining a bit on edge. As the economy bloomed, a group of Avaerilonian refugees settled in Ceni after escaping one of that country's long wars, establishing a Cenian tradition. These refugees contributed to Ceni's rising high-tech and service economy as the country moved into the 21st century.

Ceni's government is a parliamentary system with a one-chambered parliament, the Cenian Assembly, which has 235 representatives in it; the Prime Minister is the head of government, while a ceremonial President is the head of state. More locally, Ceni is divided into 14 districts, which serve to administer most of the government's services to the people and giving them local control, with a Chief Minister heading the government in each district; most districts have a District Council of either 7 or 9 councilpersons, headed by the Chief Minister. The Cenian people love their elections, with more than 80% turnout most times. Economically, Ceni has a large financial sector along with large pharmaceutical, high-tech, education, real estate sectors, and renewable energy sector. Ceni has a large GDP due to its proximity to Eura and the Euran economy and also a large GDP per capita, one of the largest in the region. Cenians enjoy a high standard of living as well as a large social welfare net and free education, courtesy of a Scandinavian-style liberal government.

Map of Ceni

Transportation and Other Practical Concerns
Being a relatively small island nation, it is very easy to get around in Ceni. Most major hotels are close to and within walking distance of subway stations. In turn, the seven stadiums are very close to subway stations as well. City Centre and Cenial, where three of the four venues are located, are both located around Lake Cenial. Ferries transport passengers across the lake, and the same subway system connects City Centre and Cenial. As for the fourth venue, located in Santiago de Ceni, light rail connects the city to City Centre and Cenial, while a high-speed rail system dramatically decreases the transport time to other areas of the country. The high-speed rail system also connects Cenial with New Oxford and Whitehaven. In the cities themselves, most are very walkable. There aren't many cars in Ceni, and, with the subway system and the closeness of many major attractions, most of Ceni is very walkable, and pedestrians can get almost anywhere.

To get to Ceni, there are several options. Air Terranea, Ceni's major carrier, is based out of Cenial, and has links to many of the sporting world's premier nations, making it very easy to fly to Ceni. Cenial International Airport, located north of Lake Cenial, is the main gateway to Ceni, serving general aviation and most commercial flights. New Oxford also hosts a low-cost airport, but mostly the carriers operating out of New Oxford stick to Rushmori routes. Airports in Southpoint and Santiago mostly serve small private planes and general aviation, but they are less traveled and less conspicuous if your team wants a less... obvious entrance into Ceni. There are numerous ferry and commuter flight services linking Ceni with many Electrumite and Euran destinations, meaning that it's pretty easy to get between the two host nations.

Cenial
Cenial is Ceni’s capital city; as such, the Cenian executive, legislative, and judicial branches are all located in Cenial. The President has his home and offices here; office buildings for executive departments are also located in Cenial. The capitol building of Ceni, the meeting place for the Cenian Assembly, was recently redesigned and sits at the head of a park stretching to the President’s home. Judicially, the highest court in Ceni, the Supreme Court, meets here, as well as one of Ceni’s eight appellate courts. In elections, Cenial’s citizens are very active, with more than 85% turnout in national elections and 75% turnout in local elections.

Cenial attracts people from all over the region and the world with its world-class universities—the University of Ceni and the University of Cenial its two most prominent. The University of Ceni is renowned for its instruction in architecture, business, the humanities and history, politics, and law, while the University of Cenial focuses its academic investments in the science section. In fact, the University of Cenial is a leading research university in the fields of biotechnology and engineering.

A large part of Cenial consists of parks and greenery. One of the largest parks in the nation, Lake Cenial Park, stretches along the coast of Lake Cenial and provides opportunities for hiking, biking, canoeing and kayaking, Frisbee golf, and just plain old fun with friends and family. In the spring, when the cherry blossoms are in bloom, Lake Cenial Park is a very pretty sight, and its beautiful fountains are available year-round for all to enjoy. Another major park in Cenial is the Capitol Mall, a park stretching from the Capitol to the President’s House, with its memorial reflecting pool. Other green attractions in Cenial include the Japanese garden, in that section of the city, with its beautiful ponds, pagoda, and rock garden section for peaceful meditation, and the National Botanical Garden, with specimens from all over the world and exhibits of most major climates in the region. Not only is Cenial renowned for its green spaces, it is also renowned for its green attitude. Cenial is among the world’s leading cities in the proliferation of green technology, with a large number of buildings with energy saving measures. Many homes have solar panels, and the government has invested money into increasing the amount of renewable energy in the city; around 35% of the city’s electricity comes from renewable sources.

Cenial has a tolerant attitude and welcomes people from all over the world. As a result, Cenial has an incredibly diverse population. People from all over the world—from Asia, Africa, the Social Liberal Union, and all other regions of the world—have chosen to make Cenial their home. Because Cenial is very welcoming to all people, including refugees, Cenial supports a large population from Ciqi and Coconutstan, two countries ravaged by war. Because of its ethnic diversity, Cenial also has religious and language diversity. Hundreds of languages are spoken in different parts of Cenial, although English is mainly used in day-to-day communication. Religiously, no single religion makes up a majority of the population of Cenial. Atheism is the major religion in Cenial, with around 30% of people, although Christianity (almost equally split between Catholics and Protestants) (25%) and Islam (15%) both make up significant fractions of the population. Cenial has one of the world’s largest and most significant Chinatowns, while Little Saigon and Little Lyndainium are also significant ethnic enclaves. Ethnically, Cenians, Avaerilonians, Eurans, Electrumites, and Spanish make up a total of 75% of Cenial’s population, and there is a large diversity in the remaining 25%.

Cenial, as the cultural center of Ceni, is Ceni’s hub for performing arts. Cenial has the largest number of theatres, concert halls, and exhibition centers in all of Ceni. Cenial’s Royal Shakespearian Theatre Company is well renowned for its performances of Shakespeare’s plays, as well as other plays of Victorian English authors. Because of its diversity, Cenial has a large variety of ethnic restaurants of all kinds—from Westerheimian and Avaerilonian to Persian and Vietnamese, which are found mostly in ethnic sections of the city. Homemade Chinese noodles can be found in Chinatown, while Vietnamese culture is prevalent in Little Saigon. There are a number of excellent Avaerilonian restaurants in Little Lyndainium. Popular street foods in Cenial include Middle Eastern and Indian dishes. In the city centre, there are a large number of upscale restaurants catering to legislators, lobbyists, and richer tourists, while small cafes serving Cenian cuisine dot corner sides. Because of Ceni’s proximity to, and reliance on, the sea, Cenian cuisine places a large emphasis on fish and seafood. Popular Cenian dishes include Cenial Clam Chowder, widely regarded as one of the world’s best, various fish stews, and fish & chips. Other significant Cenian dishes contain crab, lobster, sea scallop, and cod. Alcoholic beverages are fairly common in Ceni, and there are a fair number of pubs, including some chain and local pubs. Cavalier Brewpubs and Machu Picchu Pubs, two famous chains, both originated out of Cenial. At night, a fair number of nightclubs serve alcoholic drinks and provide the citizen or tourist with the opportunity to party.

Cenial Halcyon National Stadium

Newly built to host a tournament like this, the Cenial Halcyon National Stadium hosts most of the Cenian national team's home matches. With a capacity of 85,000, the stadium has an unique roof which is retractable in case of inclement weather, preserving the optimal climate for spectators inside the stadium. The stadium also has won plaudits from national team players who say the stadium is one of the best grass pitches they have played on. Cenial United also hosts its home matches in this stadium. The stadium is currently the biggest in all of Ceni at this point and is fairly close to both of the major airports in Ceni, easily accessible by subway to those areas as well as most other areas of Cenial. It was built by the renowned Sky High Architecture in a southern area of Ceni, near the sea.

When elected as the host of the Baptism of Fire, the Cenian FA decided to upgrade some of the facilities at the stadium, including the press box and VIP box, as well as installing WiFi access for all seats, following the example of the Alexander I National Stadium. Notably in the history of the Cenial Halcyon Stadium, Ceni has never lost at this stadium when it was first used during qualifying for World Cup 73, and the Cenian national team defeated Gregoryisgodistan on penalty kicks to qualify for its first ever World Cup. The Halcyon National Stadium counts itself as one of the greenest buildings in Ceni, making use of solar panels wherever possible, recycling water and heat through its system (so that water used to water the pitch can be used in the toilets, etc.), making use of recycled materials in constructions, and other eco-friendly measures to reduce its energy footprint.

Hosting: MD 1 - Eura vs The Holy Empire
MD 2 - Ficiscia vs Ceni
MD 3 - San José Guayabal vs Audioslavia
Final Match - S1 vs S2

Shadow B'Betsy Stadium

Shadow B'betsy Stadium served for a long time as Ceni's home stadium for World Cup matches, including the team's first ever World Cup match. The stadium also served admirably in the Cup of Harmony 63, where Ceni reached the semifinals. With the advent of the Cenian Premier League, the stadium grew ever more in demand, and 1860 Azoth and Cenial United both called this stadium home for their home matches. However as both team's fan bases grew, the stadium was no longer big enough for the teams' demands, and Cenial United began clamoring for a new stadium. The travails faced by Ceni's national team (a draw with Octinstine most notably) at this stadium also led to the construction of the Cenial Halcyon National Stadium. Nonetheless, this stadium still is Ceni's second largest stadium, a capacity of 63,126 people. Shadow B'betsy is closer to the city center of Cenial than the Halcyon Stadium, and is very accessible by subway and public transportation, as well as bicyclists.

Hosting: MD 1 - Ficiscia vs Osarius
MD 2 - Brenecia vs Osarius
MD 3 - Eura vs Flardania
Round of 16 - B1 vs C2

Lake Cenial Stadium

Lake Cenial Stadium is the home of Sporting Cenial, one of the many Cenial teams vying for spots in the increasingly competitive Cenian Premier League. This stadium also hosted matches during the 63rd Cup of Harmony. Located along the shores of its namesake, Lake Cenial, the Stadium is part of a larger sports complex, with tennis courts, which hosts the Cenial Masters every year, as well as facilities for badminton, squash, and other sports. In turn, the sports complex is located within a big park that surrounds Lake Cenial. In the spring its cherry trees delight visitors, but in all other times, there are still plenty of things to entertain visitors at the park, including gardens and an exquisite Japanese Garden. The stadium is also known for its green-friendly architecture, with solar panels covering a good portion of the exterior and, of course, the park surrounding it. It is also very friendly for bikers and pedestrians. Overall, the stadium seats 53,241 at full capacity.

Hosting: MD 1 - San José Guayabal vs Port Christopher
MD 2 - Valanora vs Eura
MD 3 - Barunia vs Valladares
Round of 16 - D1 vs A2

Bicentennial Stadium

Designed especially for World Cup 76, the Bicentennial Stadium also was designed to celebrate Ceni's 200 years as a unified country, which managed to coincide with this World Cup. The stadium, which seats 75,000 people, is the epitome of modern stadium standards, with modern amenities and television screens along every corner. The stadium was designed with a modernist view in mind, with curving lines as well as interesting use of 3-D texture, and the seats inside being ergonomic and comfortable for viewers. The home of Phalanx AF, Bicentennial Stadium is located in the heart of the bustling city of Cenial, near the University Green and the location of several major Cenian universities, so the stadium is the favorite of many a college kid coming in to watch a game. The fact that this stadium could fit in the city center is a testament to Cenian urban engineers' prowess in getting the maximum out of every square meter of space.

Hosting: MD 1 - Abanhfleft vs Audioslavia
MD 2 - The Holy Empire vs Flardania
MD 3 - Ficiscia vs Barunia
Semifinal - Q1 vs Q2

City Centre
City Centre is Ceni's second city and home to 3.6 million people. The city does tend to vote extremely liberal in elections due to its economy, which used to be heavily dependent on chemical manufacturing; however, the city has now mostly switched to becoming a high-tech, green manufacturing center, and labs in City Centre have produced some of the most modern innovations in renewable power and energy efficiency technologies. Unions, unlike in other countries, are very strong here in City Centre. Besides its historic manufacturing, City Centre is notable for its libraries and literature, hosting some of Ceni's most famous authors. City Centre also boasts a thriving gay community. However City Centre is less culturally refined than many other cities in Ceni, such as New Oxford and Cenial. Nonetheless, it does boast its fair share of tourists, who come to visit the playhouses and aforementioned libraries. Like Cenial, it is located along Lake Cenial, and the two cities merge to form one big megalopolis; the city of New Oxford also abuts it to the south, forming a good portion of Ceni's urban population.

Volatus Millennium Stadium

The Volatus Millenium Stadium is home to Ceni's best club, Tir Snake Strike, and routinely draws its full capacity of just under 60,000. The stadium is known for its modern curves and structure designed with lots of glass and its 'high tech' appearance, earning the stadium its name of 'Millennium' - the stadium's design reminds people of a new era in stadium construction. The Millenium Stadium is very open to sunlight and has a great temperature when the conditions are just right. Nearby are the indoor tennis courts that host the Volatus Open, in the run-up to the Cenian Open. Again, the stadium is well-connected to public transport, but visitors coming from Cenial might have to spend a little bit of time getting to the stadium, perhaps half an hour away from the center of Cenial by subway.

Hosting: MD 1 - Barunia vs Krytenia
MD 2 - Audioslavia vs Port Cristopher
MD 3 - Ceni vs Osarius
Quarterfinal - R1 vs R2

New Oxford
While it does have a population of around one million, which sounds small by international standards, it is concentrated in a small area, making it a very dense city. New Oxford is very ethnically diverse, even more so than Cenial, with large Asian, Electrumite, and Euran populations. New Oxford is most notable for hosting the third of Ceni's major universities, the University of New Oxford, which boasts a high quality educational program. In addition to its University, with its excellent sporting facilities, New Oxford hosts a number of museums and other educational institutions, as well as science and technology based industries within its soaring, modern skyline. Besides these attractions, New Oxford has a very active nightlife, with a large number of bars and nightclubs serving the student population, and the city is a hub of cocktails and experimentation with alcohol. As such, there are quite a few drunken ramblers out at night, although many students do stay sober.

New Oxford Coliseum

New Oxford's major team, Myrmidon, gained a new stadium recently with the construction of the New Oxford Coliseum, a stadium that seats 55,000 people. Previously, the club had made use of a stadium at the University of New Oxford, which was much smaller and not adequate as the club's fan base expanded. The stadium perhaps deserves the name of 'Millenium' more so than the actual Millenium Stadium, as it is very modern and has almost a space-age feel to it. The stadium is also totally covered with translucent panels, giving it the look of a gemstone, and also protecting the pitch from inclement weather. The Coliseum is also notable for its VIP boxes, of which it has more than your usual stadium. While fans can get a bit rowdy (New Oxford is a University town after all) and the pitch can get a pit dark, the atmosphere totally makes up for this, and teams like playing here because of that unique atmosphere.

Hosting: MD 1 - Ceni vs Brenecia
MD 2 - Savalen vs Barunia
MD 3 - Valanora vs The Holy Empire
Quarterfinal - R3 vs R4

Other Venues
Estádio International de Santiago, Santiago de Ceni

This stadium is the home of the CPL club Viento Oeste and can seat 47,800 at full capacity. Santiago de Ceni is in the north of Ceni and boasts a vibrant Hispanic culture with street food and restaurants galore to delight the palate. This stadium has a modern feel to it and is designed with the colors of the Cenian national flag in mind. Santiago de Ceni itself is the northernmost of the venue cities although it is well connected to Cenial via the high-speed train link.

Hosting: MD 1 - Savalen vs Valladares
MD 2 - Krytenia vs Valladares
Md 3 - Abanhfleft vs Port Christopher
Round of 16 - A1 vs D2

Southeastern Ceni Stadium, Whitehaven

Whitehaven is the home of the club Polaris and this newly-built stadium, which seats 49,500, for the increasingly popular club. Arguably the most beautiful spot in Ceni, Whitehaven is known for its beaches and its spas. Originally, the town sold itself as a center for sea bathing, which, 200 years ago, was said to have medicinal properties. A nice sea breeze blows along the beaches here, and the tradition of sunset walks along the beach has attracted lovers for a while now. The Southeastern Ceni Stadium was built near the shoreline and designed with the sea in mind, with its bluish color and wavy pattern. Whitehaven is the southernmost of the Baptism of Fire venues but it can be easily reached via high speed rail from Cenial and via light rail from New Oxford.

Hosting: MD 1 - Valanora vs Flardania
MD 2 - San José Guayabal vs Abanhfleft
MD 3 - Savalen vs Krytenia
Round of 16 - C1 vs B2

by **Electrum** » Mon Sep 26, 2016 6:31 am

Electrum Information

Sporting History

Although Electrum might be sports-obsessed, there hasn't been that much attention of the national football team from the very beginning. However, slowly, day by day, with the success of the National Team (who before this cycle, done completely nothing except rise to fifteenth in the rankings), the popularity of association football has been growing as well. Electrum took two frustrating attempts at the play-offs before finally securing a spot in the World Cup, retaining that spot ever since for the past few cycles. Their best ever performance in the Cup of Harmony is one fourth-placed finish, and the best ever in a World Cup is a quarterfinals appearance last cycle. Taking advantage of this opportunity and Electrum's best-ever KPB ranking, Football Electrum, Electrum's governing body has decided to bring the World Cup to all of the major cities in Electrum, from sparsely populated places in Auras, to Margaret-worshipping area of Kale Island and growing cities like Somer and Fairleigh.

The spiritual home of Electrum football would have to be the Centralis Arena in Centralis. Known for its unique geometric design, it has hosted many important and decisive matches in Electrum's footballing history, from Electrum's first match, the match that secured qualification for Electrum's first-ever World Cup final qualification, countless play-off matches, etc. Now, the National Team (due to the increased interest from the Electrumite populace) have moved into the larger and more spacious Olympic Stadium. The larger, more gladiatorial stadium is well known for hosting the Olympic football finals in the X Olympiad, and will host the opening match of this World Cup.

Electrum has also hosted two editions of the International Basketball Championships, a World Bowl (whose final was held in Burnton) and many tennis tournaments. Also, it has hosted the Winter Olympics in Prescott, and co-hosted a Summer Olympiad in Centralis. As a result, you can expect the World Cup to be run smoothly, with plenty of sports event managers and specialists to help make things for your team the most comfortable as possible. It has been a long time coming for Electrum Football, and after managing to obtain the support from Electrum's volatile parliament and government, and a long fundraising effort for both bidding and upgrading of new facilities, they called up their friends in Ceni to launch a bid. To their surprise, their bid was the only bid, and was accepted by the World Cup Committee. It is finally time for EF to show the multiverse how great Electrum hospitality is.

Geography

Being a very large country, it has a varied geography (see map here). With the borderlands with Eura, the western half near Hamilton is very hot and dry, being the Great Sandy Desert -- the land is inhospitable and unforgiving. At the western half of the border near Agri, there is quite a bit more plains and arable farmlands. Just south-west and in the middle of the desert is Auras, a land which is even more inhospitable than Hamilton. People only live there because of the mining industry. To the south-west of Auras is the Great Lake, and further south-west is Prescott, a city nestled in the Wilderness Mountain Ranges, surrounded by redwood forest, and has generally cold conditions. Moving to the East is Centralis and Burnton (Burnton is a satellite city of the former), sitting at the very top of Bittern Bay -- both boast a moderate, temperate climate. Due East on the Endemien Sea is Somer, a city known for its pristine beaches facing out to the sea. It is also very close to Junin, Valladares. To the South of Somer and down the Helios peninsula is Port Grenville -- a town known for its wind and rain, mainly due to its location, jutting out of the peninsula. To the west, over on the other side of the bay and close to the Gelder border is Fairleigh, Electrum's highland which also boasts moderate, temperate weather. Across the sea to the East is Kale Island, a tropical, humid paradise full of Margaret-worshippers.

Other Concerns

Transportation
All players will arrive on specially chartered Air Terranea flights into Centralis where they will travel further to their host cities. They will take a plane from one venue to the next, which will also be run by Air Terranea.

Accommodation
Where possible, players will be in five-star accommodation (usually a floor is booked out to ensure privacy from journalists) from Orion International hotels where possible. In smaller cities such as Auras and Kale Island, they will instead sleep in the town's only hotel (which are both two-and-a-half-star hotels). A bus will be there every morning to pick players up and drive them to the stadium or to the airport. Nations playing in Burnton will have their accommodation in Centralis as well.

Currency
The Electrumite currency is the Synergy - a contact-card like currency. The card can be loaded up at almost all locations (including the airport) and is accepted everywhere. The NSD/USD is accepted in major cities, hotels and stores, but not in say small businesses.

Law and Order
Electrum prides itself on being a civil, law abiding nation. In the World Cup, all players will be subject to constant drug-testing from the Doping Testing Authority, who will test players at random before and after matches to ensure doping does not occur. The Match Integrity Unit will be another group your players will need to look out for. They have been known to interrogate players and managers for vague reasons such as an 'unexpected outcome in a match,' and are there to ensure basically that no funny business is happening (match fixing), though of course, they are seen as a joke throughout the multiverse, as they can claim to predict match outcomes with 90% certainty. Lines to enter World Cup venue may take longer than usual due to very stringent and airport-style security checks -- no flares, no disorder, no obscenely large banners, no hooligans, and no criminality of any sort is allowed (although some may slip through the cracks, especially in Agri, Burnton and Port Grenville. The usual punishment is a written warning, a fine and/or an extradition.

Stadii and City Information

Agri

MD1: Red Blackiland vs Farfadillis
MD2: Pasarga vs Fluvique
MD3: Royal Kingdom of Quebec vs Chiata
QF: R7 vs R8

Agri is situated in a rainy and wet area in the north eastern parts of Electrum -- it is one of the poorer cities of Electrum, with the town deeply connected to the surrounding rural areas as a hub for agriculture. Agrians are known for their passionate support for sports, albeit sometimes taking it a bit too far. Supporters in Agri will often light flares and will attempt to disrupt the match, if the matches don't go their way, or if a particularly unpopular team shows up. Because of this, there is expected to be a heavy police presence in Agri, though that can only do so much -- crowds tend to overwhelm the police anyways. You can expect to see the audience pick sides and boo a team they don't like at will. Walkers Stadium is the Agri venue, and has a comfortable capacity of 35,000 seats. Despite the small capacity arena, because of its status as Electrum's fourth largest city and for its passionate crowds, it has been selected to host a quarterfinal match as well.

Auras

MD3: Damukuni vs Semarland

Auras, the tiny territorial town to the north of Electrum, where most of Electrum's mining take place, will play host to one match of the World Cup. It is an administrative centre for the two mining provinces in the Northern reaches of Electrum, and is known for opal mining operations, mining administration, freight and dusty, dry deserts. Auras' humble stadium, the Auras Oval is designed for 12,000 spectators, one of the smallest venues ever for the World Cup. It is in keeping with Electrum Football's philosophy of spreading the love of football around the entirety of Electrum. It is currently in its dry season, so temperatures are expected to climb to 35-40 degrees Celsius, and with only the most basic of facilities (for example, the recovery room will be shared by both teams), both teams will find it very hard to battle through the conditions (though the match will be played at night). Aurasians don't mind the heat and are the nicest bunch of people.

Burnton

MD2: Vilita vs Damukuni
MD3: Turori vs Unified Sunrise Islands

Burnton, a satellite city of Centralis (now becoming more and more like a commuter town) is only a thirty minutes ride from the outer reaches of western Centralis city. Here is where the non-waratah rules football (OOC: Australian rules) dominate, including gridiron and association football. A quiet seaside city, it is the gateway to stunning and pristine beaches on the west coast of Bittern Bay. The people of Burnton are rowdy, but not as rowdy as the ones from Agri. Here, spectators always cheer for the underdog team, though field-side sentiment may change off a red or yellow card. Fitzgerald Stadium is newly redeveloped and shades most spectators (65,000 in total), whilst allowing natural sunlight to hit the field. It is one of the highest quality stadiums in Electrum, and has once hosted the World Bowl final in the past.

Centralis

MD1: Damukuni vs Electrum
MD2: Unified Sunrise Islands vs Royal Kingdom of Quebec
MD3: Nephara vs Pasarga
R16: E1 vs H2
3PPO: Loser of S1 vs Loser of S2

MD2: Red Blackiland vs Gregoryisgodistan
MD3: Fluvique vs Chromatika

Centralis will have two venues put to use - Olympic Stadium and Centralis Arena. Centralis is a cosmopolitan and multicultural city and is centrally located in Electrum -- being the gateway of the entire country, with its world renowned international airport and hub of Air Terranea. It is the birthplace of Electrum sport, and is well known across the multiverse for hosting the Games of the X Olympiad as a hosting city years ago. The people of Centralis are kind to all and are always willing to have a chat and talk sports, because this really is a sports-mad city. There are little nook and crannies around the broad tree-lined avenues of Centralis, including little neighbourhoods of people from every background imaginable. If your nation has ex-pats in Electrum, they are likely to be found all in one neighbourhood. Olympic Stadium (capacity: 100,000), once hosting the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics and the Olympic football finals, it will host the opening match of the World Cup in Electrum, and will also host the big-ticket matches as well as a Round of 16 and the third-place playoff. Across the river that cuts Centralis into two is Centralis Arena (capacity: 40,000). A stunning, boutique arena known for its geometry, will host an additional two more matches.

Fairleigh

MD1: Vilita vs Semarland
MD2: Farfadillis vs Cosumar
R16: G1 vs F2

Known for being the forgotten city, Fairleigh is actually part of a twin-city conurbation with Warburton, home of FC Fairleigh-Warburton, one of the most dominant Electrum-based Terranean League teams out there. Surprisingly, even though its clearly has lots of talent, it has fallen behind in sports funding, but is slowly catching up. The once teeny-tiny Fairleigh Field, with a capacity of 15,000 is now being upgraded to 25,000 spectators in time for the World Cup. Fairleigh is situated in Electrum's highlands, to the south of Centralis, very close to the border with New Gelderland. The city is naturally sounded by many hills, rocky features and just greenery. It is known as the City of the Five Hills, whose hills ring the city. Fans here are used to winning, and in an almost bizarre turnaround compared to their more Northern neighbours, will actually support the favoured team.

Hamilton

MD1: Turori vs Royal Kingdom of Quebec
MD2: Semarland vs Electrum
MD3: Gregoryisgodistan vs Farfadillis
QF: R5 vs R6

Hamilton will be the other far-North city (along with Auras) hosting the World Cup, being situated on the edge of the Great Sandy Desert. Along with Auras, Hamilton is in its dry season, and being known for its sweltering hot weather in the Hamilton International tennis tournament, fans and soccer players alike will swelter in the conditions. Because it too is a hub for mining (this is where the freight goes to for processing), it is a town of lavishness and luxury (OOC: Think Las Vegas), and the infamous Honey Boulevard (home of the casinos and hotels), where people can get into a hot, sticky mess if they're not careful. Temperatures in the day will be between 30-35 degrees, however much like Auras, players will be playing at night to provide some respite. The HMPV is known for its modern facilities, thanks to the oil money, and as soon as players get off the pitch, they can expect to be greeted with air-conditioning goodness. For this reason, it is hosting a quarterfinal.

Kale

MD1: Chiata vs Unified Sunrise Islands

Kale is the capital city of Kale Island, a semi-autonomous territory which is situated to the east of the mainland. Known for the most unhealthiest of obsessions for Margaret, who is treated as a mythical goddess by the Kale Islanders, this city also represents Electrum Football's efforts to expand the game to the furthest reaches of Electrum. EF may have gotten onto the wrong foot here, with the Kale Memorial Park being built on an ancient burial ground -- lots of Kale Islanders were angry and upset when the stadium was being built, and some of them still are. There is expected to be a lot of protests because of this fact, but for those brave enough to enter the stadium and watch, they are rewarded with an intimate experience, being very up-close and personal to the pitch. The capacity has been upgraded from a paltry 8,000 to a measly 12,000 spectators.

Port Grenville

MD1: Chromatika vs Pasarga
MD3: Cosumar vs Red Blackiland
R16: F1 vs G2

Port Grenville is a seaside city to the southwest of Centralis on the Helios Peninsula, opposite Fairleigh on the Bittern Bay. It is slightly more cooler with rainy and windy conditions more common here than anywhere else in the country (in fact, inclement weather is expected for the matches which will be held in Port Grenville). A good proportion of the citizens are sailors and fishermen, or work in the Electrum coastal force/shipyards so don't be surprised to see them swear all the time. Aside from being potty mouths, they love a good swig of alcohol every few hours as well, so you can be sure to find lots of 'drinking holes' (taverns) here. Grenvillians say things how it is, but are generally neutral, yet passionate supporters in football matches.

Prescott

MD1: Gregoryisgodistan vs Cosumar
MD2: Chromatika vs Nephara
MD3: Electrum vs Vilita
SF: Q3 vs Q4

Prescottians are known more for their social partying and drinking. Prescott is situated to the immediate west of Electrum and is fairly cool, given it's high altitude (it is in fact Electrum's highest city by elevation). Temperatures can go below freezing point at times, so make sure you stay rugged up! Prescott is in the Wilderness Mountain Ranges, known for its alpine redwood forests and is a short car drive away from Electrum's highest point, Mt. Picana where mountaineers are free to explore up the mountain (though the roads may be a bit treacherous). Bars in the Blue District of Prescott are open 24 hours a day, and you can be sure that there will be a pub on every corner. Prescott is also close to some ski towns and some vineyards near Electrum's Great Lake. Northcote Oval was upgraded a few years ago, as it was the host of the opening ceremony of the XI Winter Olympics. There is a capacity of 75,000 spectators, and owing to its fantastic facilities, will host the semifinal.

Somer

MD1: Nephara vs Fluvique
MD2: Chiata vs Turori
R16: H1 vs E2

Somer is a major city facing the Endemien Sea, and is the largest city that is closest to Junin, Valladares. Somer, known for it's eternally sunny days is known for it's crystalline beaches and theme parks of both the dry and wet variety. It is Electrum's family city, and swells in population every summer. It is a tourist town more than anything. Somers (the demonym) are also known to frequent the Sandy Coast, a long thirty-kilometre stretch of beaches. It is known for having the most pristine of beaches with golden sand and a deep blue ocean to boot. Known for the 'surf and pub' combination, Somers tend to surf at the beach, then go in for a drink in the pub (not the other way around, of course).

by **Northern Sunrise Islands** » Mon Sep 26, 2016 12:59 pm

Nova Mardi
The Northern Sunrisian Territory of the Floating Artificial Area of Nova
10:13 AM

As the first ship of the day left the Floating Artificial Area of Nova, a silent man stood at the tallest building of Nova Mardi. That man was Ryo Hibiki, leader of the ever so important Hibiki Zaibatsu and their talented robotics department RyoCo. The Eagles Cup experiment was, at least to him, a success. His team of fifteen year olders was up to par with some of the finest football teams of the Multiverse and he believed the whole thing had made a major impression on the eyes of his peers and pretty much the entire Sunrise Conundrum. Was it glorious? He couldn't quite tell for a reason.
They were leaving. Daiki Paquet had somehow convinced thirteen players that being a part of Project +90 at technically nearby Project +90 Upper Sunrise would be their chance to become rich by doing what they liked.
Sure, that benefitted Ryo's interests on cyborgs eventually becoming popular enough that the Sunrisians would willingly use his product. But still, those kids were starting to grow on his heart. No clue where they'd end up, worrying him somewhat.
He had no clue on why they even took Prototypes 1 and 2. At some point, he thought he could mold a pretty good leader at Leo Currien, with his sister around to smack him some sense every now and then.
Little did he know that day was going to be very interesting. Moreso than the usual.

"Sir Ryo!" A voice in the intercom broke his focus. "Two gentlemen are here to meet you!"
A loud smack could be heard on the intercom.
"I mean... A gentleman and a lady!"
He looked around, confused, but decided to oblige.
"Bring them in, Mary Lee."

A kick opened the large doors of Hibiki's office.
At first, Ryo put himself in position for the worst.
"Ryo, my bitch!"
Oh. It was her. The Boss.
Decked on a large purple coat with a black tanktop under it, black pants and white shoes, The Boss was the Third Street Saints' leader and had since moved up to the Floating Area to "keep things peacefully".
Her eyes were covered by sunglasses for no good reason and a she kept a sword behind her for the same reason she had sunglasses in the middle of a space platform.
"Uh... Hi, Boss."
Ryo didn't consider The Boss as an opponent for many reasons, but she was too quirky for his tastes all around.
She however, didn't seem to mind, hugging the guy with literally no worries.
He stared at her sword, worried.
"How's Ayumi? She doing well?"
"She's fine... How are things in Saintsville?"
"Ahem."
The Boss released Ryo from her embrace as an older gentleman, decked on an all-navy suit walked up to the window, staring to the outside before looking back at the two.
"I'm sorry for interrupting your busy day, Ryo Hibiki."
"No problem, Governor Blood."
"Y' could just call him Mark. That's his name anyway!"
"He probably wants to keep some sort of courtesy unlike some people."
"See if I give a shit. Oh yeah, I don't."
He sighed, handing a paper to Ryo.

"Sincerely, Yelenia Torakoff. Sun Pixie and Head Coach of the Technotica Mechadrags."
He stared back at the window, thinking.
"The people at the mainland have been trying to come in contact with the Magic and the races belonging to that group and they did signal out that they could inhabit the expansion we launched last year."
"...You mean that good chunk of land we built to plant things?"
"Yeah! We found something to do with that shit!"
"But then where are we going to plant things?"
"Psh! Ya just don't want to reveal plans for Ayumi City, don'cha?"
"...Ayumi City?"
"This massive expansion Ryo right here has been adding to the Floating Area just so that he can name it right after the wife!"
"How do you even know that?"
"...You didn't tell that to me."
"..."
"Ryo."
"Fine. My fault. I should've told you. I was planning to build more grasslands and use the current farm bits to establish a new city named after Ayumi, my wife."
Silence would last a bit on the room before The Boss cracked up on laughter.
"MAN! You're so corny!"
"I love her, sir. I didn't mean any harm."
Mark was silent for a little bit.
"Let's do a deal. I believe you could manage construction of a city on a couple of days with your cyborgs, right?"
"Six days, at best."
"Five days is possible?"
"...Six days."
"Five days and you can have Ayumi City on the expansion land you were planning to build."
"But I was going to use it to build more farm ground, sir."
"I'll talk with the mainland government. That way you can even use the opportunity to expand land a bit more so that your new city and the future Magycan Settlement can be sustainable."
"...We have a deal."

The governor and the Boss left the room and thus, Ryo was back with his own thoughts.
It was one of those moments that the Hibiki Zaibatsu cherished.
The opportunity to show themselves as great as they could be.
Sure, he feared what they'd think when they learned that their benefactors weren't exactly all human.
And additionally, he saw what happened with them as something that enlightened the fears of his Gardevoir friend Mulhouse.
But there was one thing the Hibiki family had from the start to the finish.
Honor.
And by Arceus, they'd show honor and stride on bringing the refugees to the space, where they'd be able to live free!
And then, he'd get Ayumi City.
A smile formed in his face. Time to call the workers.

"Y'know, Mark, think I'm rubbing it in ya."
"Relax. I too have a rough past. I know how to gamble around people like Ryo."
"Heh. Suit y'self. What's up with proposing our piece of land for them as well, by the way?"
"Let's face it. Our land isn't to last on this planet."
"Whatcha mean?"
"Things are crazy down there. Corruption. Anger. Disaster. The Sunrisians are a beacon of light on most of that but..."
Mark pointed to the mainland, far from the platform.
"Esportiva's south is a long-standing nightmare. One day, it might even hit the Northern folk. Rushmore has its' own problems. The less said about AO, the best."
"...So y'want to test living here with a lot of people out?"
"I wouldn't say that. But we should make preparations."
"...Heh."
"..."
"What a story, Mark. I'm going back to Saintsville, gonna hit the Whiskey."
"This early?"
"Our boys are trying to re-establish government at Tamanque. Their queen went gung ho and now she's into hiding."
"...This early?"
"Never early to fight rebellions with no reason. 'sides, the rebellion's leaders are dicks. Might as well off them."
She left, laughing out. Mark sighed, his eyes over the planet.
"I hope we don't have to leave."

I couldn't believe it was finally Saturday.
We're this much closer to the World Cup qualifiers.
And I have a belt to defend.
He stared at the shining belt at the top of his wall.
Sure it's a replica, but you have to admit there's a lot of charm to this.
Then again...
He looked at his girlfriend, Kitsunia, still sleeping. She held tight to his right arm, her head laying on his shoulder, a smile on her face.
There are more charming things than an actual trophy.
Still, I could only ponder what would happen against the competition.
People adapted. Got stronger.
"Thinking about the competition again?"
Kitsunia woke up, looking at him with a pretty peaceful expression.
"Some stuff simply never change, do they?"
"I guess."
The cellphone started to ring.
"...You remembered that you have a couple of friendlies to attend to, right?"
"..."
"You didn't?"
"Distracted by the Sexy."
The two shared a laugh.
"Fine. Excuse accepted. But let's go, don't think people appreciate being second plans to a girl."

----

Nine o'clock.
I had finally finished making breakfast for us both.
At first, I was worried on having to reach everyone in time but...
"Well, I called every opponent you had. Managed to get almost everyone to postpone it."
"... almost everyone?"
Knock Knock.
"Yeah... There was one person that simply couldn't wait."
Kitsunia opened the door.
A small girl, decked in navy and garnet looked up, her hat covering her eyes.
"This is the Sunrise household?"
"Yup. I'd introduce myself, but everyone that has an ear and a radio set knows who I am."
"I'm not here for you, Miss Kitsunia. I'm here to face Sunrise!"
"Who's that?"
The girl jumped, pulling out a little book and a pen.
"Could you sign this for me, sir?"
"...You want an autograph?"
"Yup. And then we battle!"
"Well, I can sign but did you sign up for the tour or something?"
"Yup-Yup! I was the first. Tripped Cosumar on the way there."
Sunrise looked at the little girl, confused.
"Aren't you too young to battle?"
"A bit but I can b-"
GROWL!
"..."
"..."
"She's hungry, huh?"
"...Y-yeah, but I want to bat-"
GROWL!
"Why don't we make a deal? I'll prepare something for you to have for breakfast. Later we can have a battle."
The girl did a double take before clutching her tummy.
"F-fine! But I'll have my battle!"

----

The small girl had a smile on her face between nabbing bits of a ham and cheese sandwich Sunrise made for her on a couple of seconds and taking sips of a glass of orange juice.
Kitsunia, funnily enough, watched in awe.
"Look at it, Sunrise..."
"Hm?"
"She's sooo cute!"
"I guess."
"Hehehe..."
"...You ok, Kitsunia?"
"I wanna keep her."
"Eh?"
"At least for the rest of the day, come on!"
"..."
"I guarantee I'll pay back somehow."
"...OK. You win."
"And we'll have lots of fun! Ain't that right, Qasden?"
"...E-eh?!"

----

...
Boredom.
I'm spending the rest of the morning watching them play.
Mostly because I'd rather not hear from Kitsunia that I'm jealous of the little girl.
Not that I wouldn't mind having a certain someone all for myself but... Jeez, am I really giving into her tricks without her even saying anything?
...
For Arceus' sake! I could be doing fun stuff!
Playing games with Kitsunia.
Give Neph a rematch.
Give Cosumar a rematch.
I was supposed to face a couple of other people as well, come to think of it.
Like... uh...
"Sunrise."
And I'm covering up my head.
...
"No need to cover up, dolt. I hear you signed up to face me and Pasarga."
"...I-is that all?"
"Yes."
"..."
"Stop covering up, for crying out loud. I came for the battle."
"Do you think you should face him first, miss-"
"I believe I'm pretty capable of doing that. You, on the other hand..."
"I'm pretty good too, need I remind you of it?"
"Just playing with you. Anyhow, I believe you're not doing anything right now."
Sunrise stared at Kitsunia playing with the little girl. He sighed, then stared at the other two.
"Yup. All yours."
He got up from the bench, setting off a Duskull.
Soon, however.
"Ahem."
He turned his back, finding Kitsunia holding up Qasden, both near him.
Valanora and Pasarga however, ended up thinking something completely different.
"Oh, my Alune! He's a-"
"A father? Aren't you a bit young?"
"What do you-"
He looked at Kitsunia's face, finding a massive smile.
Oh, bloody hell.
"Why don't you have a tag battle? Like father and daughter."
"...What are you even-"
"Yeah! Let's go, daddy! We can beat them!"
...Is this kid-
Sunrise stared at Qasden, finding her with a mischievous face.
...I hate you, Kitsunia.

----

Needless to say, Qasden barely had much.
Seriously, she chose to use, on a row: a Pichu, an Eevee and a Chingling.
And then...
The little girl was on tears.
Oh, for Arceus' sake.
"You made her cry!"
"Do you want a little break to let her calm down?"
"You really ought to teach your daughter some proper Pokémon battling manners."
"She's not-"
...
Y'know what, I think I know how to calm her down.
"You two fine if I take on both of you? Three from both of you against my six."
"If it doesn't strain your team."
"You're giving us the advantage."
"We'll see about that."

----

The duo were on their last legs.
"I've saved the best for last. Let's go, Alakazam!"
The Alakazam left her pokéball, putting himself at the usual stance of an Alakazam.
"...Sigh. Let's save face, Nidoking."
Nidoking popped up afterwards.
A smile formed at Sunrise's face.
"Let's end this. Come back, Flareon and Espeon."
As the two Pokémon returned to their Pokéballs, he poke up two other Pokéballs, clicking them.
Soon, a Vaporeon and a Leafeon appeared.
Surely enough Vaporeon struck a powerful Water Gun shot against Nidoking, knocking him out.
Qasden looked up, Kitsunia wiping her tears.
Sunrise called the Vaporeon back.
"A fair fight, I see?"
"Not quite. But sure, let's make it fun."
Alakazam, listen to me. I know he'll pull something off.
Prepare to use Disable now!
"Use Sand Attack."
...No, don't-
The Leafeon kicked up some of the sand up and surely enough Alakazam disabled that move afterwards.
Nevermind, Alakazam. Go on the offensive!
"Use X-Scissor now."
Alakazam shot a Psybeam. It managed to hit Leafeon, only for the Leafeon to hit an X shaped cut with its' sprouts over Alakazam.
It was super-effective.
...
"Come back, Leafeon."
The pokémon returned to its' pokéball.
Sunrise lowered to Qasden, patting her on the head.
"So. How did we do?"
"W-we won!"
"Yup. Whatcha say we go for an ice cream? Me, you and mommy?"
"S-Sunrise!"
"You started it. Thanks for the battle."
"..."
"She's OK?"
"She is fine. Just a bit shocked."
"I won a World Cup, y'know."
"She had the same reaction when I won. Worry not."
The "family" left for an ice cream, the two remaining there.
"Am I... going soft?"
"No. The competition is just heating up."
"...Then I'm getting better."
"If you want. I'm going home. See ya later."
Valanora stared at the Pokéball with the fallen Alakazam.
"I'm going back to the top!"

----

The three were having ice creams until Sunrise cut the ice.
"So you want to be a mother, then?"
Kitsunia buried the spoon on her ice cream pot, looking at him.
"...Uh."
"You had fun with her, no?"
"...Y-yeah."
"I had fun too!"
"Well."
"...I-I'm not on a rush..."
"I assume you're sad that we have to send Qasden back, right?"
"Do we have to?"
"I guess the little girl has a family, no?"
"Uh... N-no."
"...A wanderer, then?"
"Yup-yup. I-I don't know my parents..."
...

----

"You know exactly what Chrom will say once he gets his stuff sorted out back in the temple, right?"
"That we were fast?"
Sunrise looked at the couch, watching Qasden playing their video-game.
"...I was going to say that we ran out of mayo."
"He's a creep."
"Our creep."
"I just hope he doesn't pester the child."
"Are you having fun?"
"Yup-yup, Sunrise sir!"
He grinned.
I think I could live with that for quite a while.

by **OIsINiSTAn** » Mon Sep 26, 2016 1:34 pm

GAA TV
World Cup time for the boys!
Jason Daish: Hello viewers, welcome to GAA TV, your home for quality sports programming, I'm your host, Jason Daish, and sitting beside me is my co-host, Remy Marshall.
Remy Marshall: Hello.
J.D: So, this is Liam Paisley's first time in the job managing in a World Cup, right?
R.M: Indeed.
J.D: This will be fun to watch. Having seen his call-ups, I'm a bit disappointed that he called up Nick Waldron, who had a terrible season behind the posts for his club Tiptree, and ETO's Jonathan Boxwell, a younger and better all-round goalie, didn't even get a look in.
R.M: Also, the selection of Barry Wiltry has proved a not too popular decision with Oisinistani fans, after Wiltry was recorded racially taunting Aritz MacAliz, his fellow Maldron Rovers teammate, in a heated spat after their 3-1 loss to Ajax. He apparently called MacAliz 'an ignorant leatherskin (Leatherskin being a racist term towards Kilmorian emigrants, such as MacAliz) who should go back to his animal furs in Kilmoria'.
J.D: All very controversial stuff here. This decision will not have gone down well also with fellow descendants of Kilmorians, Inaki Sheridan and Moki Smith, both of whom are very much important players in the national team.
R.M: Anyway, how do you think we'll- hang on, the groups haven't been announced yet! We'll have to wait and see what is in store for our boys. We have set up a poll on our website, which is www.gaatv.oi, in which you can vote for your favourite player, who you wish had been called up, and the worst player in the team. Well, that's all for now, bye!

Poll:
Which player is the best in the Oisinistani squad?
Adam Spearing: 6%
Killian Yussuf: 3%
Moki Smith: 7%
Dennis Cook: 4%
Inaki Sheridan: 12%
Jake Pollock: 32%
Khalifa Cisse: 23%
Bryan Oliver: 13%

Which player should have been called up?
Jonathan Boxwell: 5%
John Leech: 2%
Kalem Harrington: 10%
Ross Fox: 25%
Liam Gorecha: 58%

Who is the worst player on the team?
Neil Claridge: 37%
Padraig Jefferson: 3%
Jerry Byrne: 31%
Will Newman: 27%
Liam Spithe: 2%
Barry Wiltry: 0%

by **Tobiasia** » Tue Sep 27, 2016 9:24 am

It's that time again! It's the 76th World Cup! Can you hear the sound of excitement, people chatting in the streets! Will we qualify? No! Will we try? Yes!

The Tobiasian team is one of the most dedicated and enthusiastic teams in the world. Ranked around 140, we are not the best team, but we can surely give some teams something to think about!

Here, live, TTV interviews the Tobiasian captain. He is a world class striker, captain of league winners Tobiasia City, he is Fraser Philips!

TTV Sports: Hello Fraser! Thanks that you came!
Fraser Philips: Oh it's my pleasure really!
TTV: So how did you get into football, and eventually the international team?
FP: Well I've been into football all my life, its always been my ambition to wear the green and white of our flag. So it was amazing when I was scouted for the Portside Tigers, that was my first big team, and it has gin uphill from there. I only just made it onto the World Cup 74 squad, but from there i have just pushed myself.
TTV: It was amazing to have you there, we all remember the first ever goal in an international competition, and then the second, and the third!
FP: Yeah it was amazing, that 3-0 win over Mattijana in the BoF. Truly amazing. Our first ever match. Obviously i only scored two, give the others most of the credit!
TTV: Yes of course, the team. How do you fare your chances this World Cup? Do you think the Tobiasian team is known?
FP: Well we are still under the radar, but we have been at the World Cup twice before, 74 & 75, but this time we think we can do it!
TTV: Any of the team you think will shine?
FP: Yeah I, well obviously everyone will shine, and i have to mention my best pal Lee Ryans, but if i had to pick one, it would be Percy Matthews, our goalie. He is just inspirational. I think he is the one person that totally dominated our WC 75 matches. Even some of the big teams, Osiris for instance, found it difficult to score.
TTV: Thank you Fraser, sorry thats all we have time for! Make sure you all tune in this time on the 2nd of October!

by **Qasden** » Tue Sep 27, 2016 7:19 pm

Debutants - Part 1

The plane was freezing, filled with the cold air of disappointment and defeat. The Qasden National Team was flying home after a heartbreaking 0-3 loss in Flardania, losing the bronze medal to Tomikosan. Lumiere looked sadly out the window and sighed before dozing off into a deep catnap. Jon Merritt, being the coach he was, stood up from his aisle seat and spoke to his team.

"I get it." he said, "That match in Flardania wasn't exactly the way we wanted to go.". He slowly looked back at his seat, where a little cup of sparkling water sat. He quietly sighed, then continued. "This means we need to train harder. If we got blown away by another new team, who knows how bad the score against us will be in the qualifiers? I'll tell ya one thing and one thing for sure, the Baptism of Fire was just a warmup. We slaughtered our opponents in Group B and made it to the freaking semis for pete's sake! We went to extra time against Gadirya, and we slipped past Veldgouwen in penalty kicks. That.....was only the beginning. We're now in a group with professional teams. Teams who've made it to the World Cup Finals. Teams whom have won the Cup of Harmony. Teams who've been practicing more than us. When we get off this plane in T.V. City, I want everyone to walk out with their heads held high. You earned a good night's rest. Overmorrow, I'd really appreciate having y'all join me at Royal T.V. Stadium for practice. We've got a small tour before we head to our first qualifier match. Think about strategies and such for now. Now, you may sleep.". Merritt sat down again and almost immediately began to snore, to the amusement of everyone else.

The plane touched down in Qasden, and already, a gigantic cluster of people, 1-2 million strong, chased after the plane in the airport. The Vans were swarmed with screaming fans, paparazzi, babies, news reporters, you name it! They were almost as famous as FP! Security made their way to the front and safely guided away from the crowds and to their rejoicing families. Merritt's wife, Carey, leaped into his arms and hugged him like never before in their 30-something-year marriage. Before long, everyone celebrated together the amazing accomplishment the Vans had achieved. Champagne was flying all over the place, much to the dismay of the airport's custodians.

Probably 4 hours later, everything started to settle down, and people began to head back home. The players said adieu to their coach and left with their families, and the airport was finally quiet. Carey and Jon walked out together before a man in a black suit interrupted them. He spoke with a low voice, "Mr. Merritt. You are wanted in the limousine parked behind me. Someone would like to talk with you.". Jon looked at him quizzically, he finally asked, "Who would want to see me at such an hour?". The man replied in the same tone, "Someone very high in the government. Mrs. Merritt, if you may allow us to take your husband for 10 or so minutes, it'd be much appreciated.". She quietly approved their request before the man and Jon walked to the limousine. It was probably one of the finest vehicles Jon had ever seen. A carbon steel body with small bits of onyx and dark amethyst hung all around the vehicle. He slowly entered the vehicle, before it suddenly speeded away from the airport. The last thing he saw behind him was his wife, gazing in silent fear.

"Mr.Merritt." A voice said on the other side of the limo. Jon looked past the gold and diamonds before resting his eyes on the man in front of him. It wasn't anyone, obviously. Oh no, only the use of such treasures was permitted for a dignitary. A leader. A......Prince. The man spoke again, "I'd like to personally congratulate your leadership in the Baptism of Fire. Your strategies, your training excercises, oh man, not even Prince Franz-Pierre, the man you are sitting with, could think of. Listen, I brought you here for some....questions. Nothing illegal or anything, I would just like to be granted a few questions about your coachmenship. Is that ok?". Jon was stuck in awe. There he was, standing right in front of him. Prince. Franz. Pierre. This was a legendary moment for him. He finally gained the stability to respond. "Of course, your majesty," he replied, "ask away.". The prince cheerily grinned, and asked his question. "How do you do it?". "Excuse me?" Jon had asked. FP continued, "How do you stay in the zone in the heat of pressure? I saw your face during the end of the Veldgouwen match. You seemed....as if that were just some little league match. My son, Valiance, he was amazed by your coaching skills, especially on the breakday.". Jon was astonished, but he answered quickly. "I suppose I just try to hold in my excitement until the end of the match. Even then, I know the next match will be just as hard, if not harder than the last. That's why I'm always pushing my players to their breaking points. They have to know the tasks that lie ahead.". FP thought for a bit, then replied, "I see.... I suppose I should get you back with Carey now. I'm more than sure she's frightened by your "abduction". Please don't tell her we met. Just say it was Rees or someone like that, K? I've been informed the teams we're up against in the WC Qualifiers. I'll announce them tomorrow live, and I have a feeling training will be increased ten-fold. But, I'm sure you wouldn't want to wait that long. Here's the group. I expect good things, Jonathan. Good things, indeed.". The limo was pulling right back up to the airport, where Carey still stood. FP said one last thing, "Mr. Merritt, it was a pleasure to personally meet you. If everything goes well in the first few games, perhaps we'll meet again sometime. Adieu, Jon.". The limo stopped about 10 feet from Carey, and Jon stepped back out. Carey raced to his arms, quietly shouting, "I thought I lost you.". They walked back to their car, and Jon peered at the small slip of paper given to him by FP. On it, a list of countries read themselves to him. He looked back up, worried now. "This is gonna be a long tournament." He said in his head.

by **The New Telengana Rajj** » Tue Sep 27, 2016 8:47 pm

This Guda Jones bringing you the latest news from the WC 76th edition,

Well dissapointing the Rajj lost to Tomikosan 1-0 after the an amzing goal by Tomikosan but poor defending.But lets keep that aside and we can start anew here with the Rajj in WC hoping to qualify and maybe reach the Knockout stages?Well we can only hope for the Best with the Rajj and with an impressive run to the QF of the BoF.We can hope for the best for the Rajj.

They are curently on the way to the WC venue,and are due to touchdown in a few hours.Well all we can hope for is the Rajj not to dissapoint and hope the boys have fun and make the Telengana Rajj proud.

This all from Guda see you later folks

by **Krytenia** » Wed Sep 28, 2016 3:19 am

(OOC: This post has previously been posted in its entirety on the AO Regional Boards. As such, feel free to not grade this post for RP purposes. Or do. It's your call.)

HOLDING BACK THE SANDS
Prologue

It began, as these things often do, with something small and insignificant: a grain of sand.

OK, let's be honest here, several grains of sand.

Blown by the wind, these grains of sand were nothing unusual; mere specks on the breeze common with Calanian southerlies.

But it had people wondering. People of intelligence and curiosity; people employed by the University of Ousevale's earth sciences department. For many months now, they had gazed from afar, watching the Great Calanian Desert slowly creep northwards, enveloping what had once been the thriving nation of Ibex.

The country had long been abandoned, the population disappearing in unknown circumstances. Did they perish in the arid climate? Did they abandon their settlements for pastures new? And more importantly, what now was there to stop the encroachment of the shifting sands upon the United Provinces? The Bekk's macroclimate might help, there, of course, but this was an ecological risk these men were sure we would be naive to count on.

Some days prior, the university had petitioned the Krytenian government to fund an expedition to the Great Calanian Desert. They hoped to find answers in that forbidding vista. What had happened to Ibex? Why was the sand moving, threatening the livelihood of many millions? And most importantly, what could be done to halt - even reverse - the seemingly inevitable expansion?

Happily, the request did not fall on deaf ears. Not only did they secure funding, but also support from the Krytenian Army, who would provide logistical assistance and ensure the expedition's supply chain was kept going.

Professer James Blower, a man of twenty years' experience in the field, was to lead the adventure into terra nullius. The day had come, and the ATVs and trucks that sat in this army base, on the outskirts of the southern city of Wick.

They were to head into the unknown. And they were to make it known.

by **Cheongji** » Wed Sep 28, 2016 10:11 am

Football Magazine: Goal!

SATV HD - Friday 1:05 A.M. - 1:35 A.M.

Hosts: Chae Byung Ho and Ha Ga Eun

Camera moves down from an aerial view of the studio to facing the two hosts.

Chae Byung Ho: "Hello and welcome to Football Magazine: Goal! This is Chae Byung Ho."

Ha Ga Eun: "I'm Ha Ga Eun!"

Chae Byung Ho: "The group orientation for the 76th season of the World Cup has been announced. Let us take a look:"

Chae Byung Ho points to a wide screen that is situated at the center of the studio.

San Llera
Cheongji
The Licentian Isles
Dainer
The Great Pi
The Sarian
Unified Sunrise Islands

Ha Ga Eun: "Certainly, we are relieved not to be in a group of doom featuring a ranked-No.1 team, but we still have strong opponents. Personally, I think there are two interesting matchups, not that the other matchups are less exciting but that most teams have yet to release their rosters for the qualification matchups."

Chae Byung Ho: "Yes, definitely. I've organized the matchups into two interesting ones, as Ga Eun said: One against San Llera and one against United Sunrise Islands."

Ha Ga Eun: "First of all, San Llera is the highest-ranked team in our group, Group 12, and it seems to have, according to its roster, a highly-skilled and rapid offense."

Chae Byung Ho: "Our team is highly defensive, so we are confident that we can block their breakouts; however, given their high rank, the match will not be easy. It is as we are fighting fire with water, but we cannot be complacent."

Ha Ga Eun: "Now, Byung Ho, do you think there are any weaknesses we can exploit to capture a victory against this powerful team?"

Chae Byung Ho: "Well, one of the strikers there is known for shooting in a nightclub and being arrested. If we can intentionally cause a foul on him, we might be able to cause emotional instability towards our opposition."

Ha Ga Eun: "Oh, that might be an effective move. Last but not least, what is your prediction on the final scores between Cheongji and San Llera?"

Chae Byung Ho: "It is definitely difficult to earn a high-scoring win over such a highly-ranked team. I would say, given Cheongji's firm defensive core, a 1-0 win for us."

Ha Ga Eun: "Hmm, interesting prediction. Now, let us talk about our next interesting point: United Sunrise Islands."

Chae Byung Ho: "Sunrise Islands is an interesting nation. The team has vowed to use non-starters in the qualifying games, and I wonder how the team can have its main players have enough practice to fare in the elimination rounds. However, we can definitely take advantage of that situation to get a better chance to secure a spot in the elimination rounds."

Ha Ga Eun: "What would be your prediction on the final scores, then?"

Chae Byung Ho: "2-0 or 2-1 Cheongji."

Ha Ga Eun: "Thank you, Byung Ho. Now, it's time for us to go. We will see you next week with more updates!"

by **The Republic Of Arkan** » Wed Sep 28, 2016 10:26 am

Arkan News Network
Your home to all things Arkan!

The World Cup returns with Arkan's team!

It's that wonderful time again, where 18 of the brightest stars of Arkan's soccer/football world come together in hopes to bring home the World Cup. Led by head coach Gerod Ekot, the team looks to preform at a much better rate than last time, hoping not to end their run at group stages. With that in mind, five new players found their way onto the 18-man roster, all from major teams out of the CONRAGAF.

Joining the team this time around, Arkan City Crew's twenty-six year old Right Back Gariz Asmi, Yellowbridge SC's twenty-four year old Left Back Ilya Matast, Crew's nineteen year old wonderkid striker Trafik Okolot, Martz Marauders twenty-six year old Keeper Hanzea Maraznt, and the twenty-five year old Right Back/Right Midfielder Arik Malaro playing for Rekent FSV. Matast, named Vice Captain of the team during the National Team selection, has been named to the Arkan Pro Soccer League best XI for the pazt two seasons. Okolot, known for his outstanding scoring talent in the APSL, becomes the second under 20 to join the team, following Scarel Amtivo from last run.

Formerly, the team was a Top-16 team from Baptism of Fire 62 and was kicked out in the group stage last World Cup. The team, made mostly of players from the APSL, although two players, Arik Malaro and Jako Rumeto, both play for Rekent FSV. Ten players of the team have won the APSL GloryCup, two have won the Arkan Promotion League HonorCup, and two have won the AllianceCup. Only four of the eighteen players of the team have yet to win a domestic trophy.

by **Matthewsiania** » Wed Sep 28, 2016 7:12 pm

A couple of bullet noises could be heard inside the forest.
"GET BACK, NOAH!" yelled Julia, as she alternated between returning to the outside of the area and shooting bullets from a gun towards the monsters, to no avail.
Noah remained still, positioning his glowing arm in a fighting stance.
Anger filled his mind, finally a chance of payback for Mia.

He felt much quicker than he normally would, delivering a powerful blow to the temple of one of the Nightlings.
Noah was on top of his game once again.
As the beings walked slowly towards him, Noah had enough space to deliver powerful punches, getting the best of all of his tries.
For some reason, his arm ended up glowing more and more as he delivered each strike.
Julia paid attention to the Nightlings, noticing how the goo started to dissolve, revealing a couple of human bodies with some bullet wounds, courtesy of Julia.
These Nightlings weren't as they were by birth, but seemingly by adaption.
"ENOUGH, NOAH!"
Noah stared at the Apoxian, before realizing that he had knocked them all to the point where some were somehow recovering.
"...So, this is what happens to the ones they catch?" He asked, looking at one of the former victims.
Julia nodded. "The backup I called while you went on a punching frenzy will be arriving soon. I'm sure Major Nitsukara will appreciate the results."
Noah sighed.
"Maybe we should investigate the shacks?" He asked.
"Not now. We must hold position." She approached him. "They didn't recoil from the shots, I'd rather be around the one person that knocked them out instead of possibly getting cornered by those things."
"Suit yourself."

CHAPTER XXII - NEST

A small group of soldiers from the United Force finally arrived.
Noah had been sitting by one of the victims. He awoke earlier, had no memory of himself.
Had no knowledge of what happened while he was a captive of the Nightlings.
To be fair, he doubted one would keep their mind while controlled by the Nightlings' goo.
But it was all confusing.
Why did the goo not consume them whole like it did with Anna's legs or Noah's arm?
They needed a doctor. Anyone that could actually explain it.
"Well, guess who finally got released."
Noah looked up, finding the voice to be from an older Andy, sporting the usual United Force get-up.
"I hope you don't mind, Noah, but I kind of came here to check out on the survivors."

A brief twenty minutes later, Andy finished a brief check out on all the victims.
"Well, three dead, one on shock, ten alive but with no memories of the past... whatever time they have been out from society." Andy finished writing something on a notepad before staring at the two former friends of hers. "What happened?"
"I shot them while they were Nightlings, but they only dropped down after Noah punched them with his arm-"
"One can't punch with a leg, can he?" The nurse replied with some snark.
"BE SERIOUS! I'm still your superior!"
"Sure, whatever." She nodded. "Like I said, three dead. Congrats, Julia."
Julia stared at her. "But-"
"Gun-wounds at vital points like brain and heart kills people, Julia. Or did you really think a punch would open up wounds? This isn't anime."
Noah nodded. "So... punching them solves their situation?"
"I can't guarantee you. Nobody ever tried punching the black gooey aberrations while running for their lives, as far as I'm aware, and lived to tell the story."
He sighed.
"Well, the comeback party was fun, but I have to go. I now have fourteen ex-Blacklings to check on. Thanks for killing three, now I can check if they don't happen to have any organs stolen as well."
Julia flipped her off, but the nurse didn't see that, as she promptly left.

Their schedule had finished for the day after such an eventful afternoon.
Major Nitsukara was rather vague as far as her answers went, though she did find interesting that her son's right arm seemingly managed to revert Nightling goo's dominant status.
Neil complained of how annoying that Minnie girl had been, always stopping him from hitting on Anna.
Noah didn't mind Neil's attitude, but did point out that it was kind of funny that he ended up with Minnie's number for no good reason.
"So, you're not going home?" asked Julia.
Noah was alone, sitting at a bench out of the headquarters. "Well, Neil asked if I wanted to go hit the night clubs. Said I wasn't up for that, he left angered."
She laughed, rather weird for the usually serious (and angry) Sargeant Fairwell.
"Anna took my room at home and I'm not really feeling like sleeping in the same place of... well."
"Major Nitsukara?"
"Yup. Since she insists so much on that terminology, might as well stop from going there."
The two shared a laugh, before Julia looked down. "I shouldn't make an offer but..."
"But?"
"Well." Julia sighed, looking at him with some sort of seriousness. "If you don't have any place to stay and would rather not sleep on a bench, you could stay at my place."
He stared at her. "That's... not like you at all."
"I'm aware. But you're too important for our operations, I can't simply let you wander alone through the city, it's my task." She shrugged. "Besides if you had the chance of having a Nightling repellent, wouldn't you make an offer to keep him near you just in case?"
...
"Fine."

Noah dropped down at her couch.
For the first time in years, he wasn't sleeping at a jail.
He barely paid any attention to his surroundings, simply taking a deep breath as the couch comforted his back, very unlike the hard bed he had to sleep on.
"If you want to watch something on the television or whatever, the controller is right there. I'm taking a bath."
He nodded, deciding to wait for her to return, flicking through channels.
One channel caught his attention, the city news, involving a very important person.

"Mon cherri, I think it's obvious that Mardi needs to flair up again."
Jean Marcus.
The man, the legend.
"And the more we work towards a bright, colorful Mardi; the more they'll see it as it should be. The Beautiful Heart of Sunrise Islands."
He was looking pretty well.
Eyes somewhat red, but besides that, all fine.
"And this is why I'm now spearheading the City Renewal Project. For a better Mardi."
Loud clapping could be heard.
"I'm in such a good mood, that I'm going to tell you all a joke."
Noah switched the channel after that.
He then heard Julia's voice behind him.
"Well, I see that pompous ass is now some big guy."
She sat by his side, a glass of water at hands.
"I'm gonna tell you, Noah. This guy is fishy. Really fishy."
Noah shrugged.
"Nicklas said he was clean. And Nicklas is pretty good at that."
Julia sighed.
"Are you always going to believe on what everyone tells you?"

A makeshift bed.
Sort of more comfortable than the bed at jail.
Thoughts were still crossing his head at late night.
His eyes focused on the roof.
Julia had a point.
He had been believing on everyone else for quite a while.
He should start recognizing lies.
His mother could've been a conniving bitch as Neil kept saying.
Nana could've been just latching to him just to eventually become a murderer.
Even Neil could have had his dose of bullshit.
Damn.
For the first time he could sleep comfortably, he had no wish to do so.

by **OIsINiSTAn** » Thu Sep 29, 2016 10:36 am

James Sheridan: Hello and welcome to GAA TV for this special Group draw, my name is James Sheridan, and today I am your host.

Now, today is the big day, the draw for the World Cup. Many Oisinistanis are very, very excited about the tournament, including myself. I've compiled a list of the best and worst groups we could receive.

List below appears on screen.
BEST

Gregoryisgodistan
Anglatia
Garifunya
Mattijana
Oisinistan
Hydraic Empire
Tidal Wake

Well, we've picked the best possible group, but which group would be our demise? Let's have a look.
List below appears on screen.
WORST

Unified Sunrise Islands
San Llera
Eshan
Banija
Oisinistan
Korizland
Dp Country

I shudder at the thought, now let's get into the draw.

The official broadcast from Ceni is shown on a screen. List below appears on screen.

OUR GROUP:
Valanora
The Republic of Kaboomlandia
Kandorith
Port Christopher
Nuevo Caracas
Oisinistan
Dabblslyvokia

Well, it looks like our groups have been drawn. From Pot One, we received Valanora. From Pot Two, Kandorith. From Pot Three, Port Christopher. From Pot Four, Nuevo Caracas. Out of Pot Five, ourselves. We were very lucky to get into Pot Five, and avoid teams like Shirmnov. From Pot Six, we received Dabblyslyvokia, and in the newcomer's pots, we received Kaboomlandia.

So, where will we finish? It would be a dream to reach the Last 32, but I'd satisfy myself with a 3rd or 4th place finish.

That's all from me, Jason and Remy will be back soon. Stay safe.

by **Anglatia** » Thu Sep 29, 2016 12:03 pm

One Last Time

Chapter One: Five AM In Ross

A depressed schizophrenic celebrity, a girl with a freshly inked white pride tattoo on her arm, and a teenage multimillionaire pull up in an SUV. That wasn't a joke, but the scene that Marfa Kirilenko found herself in the middle of as she finally got to Ross after hours of storm delays caused her flight to get stuck at the layover location. She'd come here because her friend and teammate Karen Villegas had asked her, no, begged her, to help her cheer up Isa Tangemen, but what she didn't know was that Isa already had a road trip planned with some friends. In a way, it was lucky that Marfa had arrived at such an odd hour.

She'd gotten there right when the group was leaving, and so when she called Isa after getting to the airport, she had told her that she would come pick her up. It wasn't what Marfa was planning, but she didn't really have any other options. The hotels weren't checking in this early after all, and there wouldn't be a return flight for a few days.

There were torrential rains outside, and Marfa was soaked by the time she climbed into the SUV, but at least she wouldn't be stuck at the airport for hours. “Long time, no see, Marfa,” Isa said from the passenger seat. “Welcome to Ross… The City of Rain. Underfell is the Storm City, but we get more rain somehow.”

“Thanks for picking me up. I wasn’t supposed to get here at an hour like this, but I got stuck in Baratstan City because of the storm delays,” Marfa explained. She looked at the others in the SUV. Marco Saint Paul was driving, and she recognized the young midfielder from the multiple Monarch Sports commercials that he’d starred in. In the back seat, next to Marfa, was Blaze Chrzanowska.

“Hey, it’s been awhile since I’ve seen you too. How’s your offseason been?” Blaze said with a smile, before noticing Marfa’s uncomfortable expression when she noticed the Celtic cross tattoo on her right arm, that was exposed by her sleeveless tank top. The tattoo read ‘white pride’ under the cross, and ‘WN14’ above it, which referred to the small but controversial ‘White Nation Fourteen’ faction of Underfell supporters. They were the ones who gave Underfell fans their bad reputation across different parts of the Empire, though, strangely enough, they worshipped Zahara Santana, the notably biracial star winger of the team.

“Uh, Blaze, did you really think that getting that tattoo was a good idea?” asked Marfa, knowing that the reaction wouldn’t be good when Blaze returned to Rosenpfelblatz for the season. “I don’t think anyone back home will approve of it…”

“It’s not like they can see the tattoo unless I don’t wear sleeves. And they’d never understand what WN Fourteen is about, anyway. Let’s leave it at that,” Blaze shrugged, sounding defensive.

“Uh, I guess I should apologize for that,” Marco said, sounding embarrassed. “I said something to make her stop talking to me, and she got over it by running off to hang with skinheads. It’s just a phase. I think.”

“Oi, shut the fuck up,” Blaze snapped, folding her arms. “I’ve been friends with them longer than I’ve known you. Don’t say I’m only going through a phase. Do you want to know what was just a phase? Our relationship.”

“Guys, can you try to get along?” asked Isa. She then turned to Marfa with an apologetic look on her face. “Sorry about this. I convinced these two to come along because I hoped they would make up. It’s not working so far.”

“I’m perfectly willing to make up, it’s Blaze that-”

“If you’re perfectly willing to make up, stop antagonizing me over my friends and tattoos! Jesus Christ, why would I want to date someone who’s going to accuse me of going through a phase because I hang out with my friends more?”

Marfa watched uncomfortably as they turned onto the highway and the argument continued. “Maybe because your friends are racist skinheads?” asked Marco, rolling his eyes. “I just want to save you from future embarrassment-”

“Oh my God, maybe you would be racist too if you lived somewhere where the other races have been trying to kill you off for hundreds of years!” snapped Blaze, getting frustrated and covering her face with her hands. “When you lose both parents in a war to prevent your genocide, then you can act like you understand. Until then, shut the fuck up before I shut it for you.”

There was silence, and then Blaze glanced over at Marfa. “Sorry,” she mumbled. “This is kind of a sore subject for me, if you couldn’t tell.”

“Right,” Marfa said, looking around at the others. “I’m sure you two will find a way to get along,” she added, trying to be the peacemaker of the group. “And Blaze, I’m not going to bother you about your tattoo, but make sure not to show it to anyone back in Rosen, okay?”

“I wasn’t planning to.”

They were on the highway by now, and the sign said they were going towards Lane, the other big city in Western Anglatia. Isa turned to face Blaze and Martha in the back seat. “We’re going to stop and eat in Lane. By the time we get there, some decent places should be open for breakfast. There’s a place to get some nice photos from, too. We’re going to try to get pictures from all the interesting places as we head to Choni.”

“Why are we heading to Choni? Isn’t that on another continent?”

“Exactly. But the season starts there, and I want to get there before the team and see if a couple weeks in Baratstan will fix my head in time to play. I hear that folk medicine from Baratstan works well for the… Er, problems that I have. I decided to try something more interesting than just flying there,” Isa explained. “And hopefully while we’re stuck in this truck for hours at a time, we can find out more about each other and grow closer. That’s why I dragged Blaze and Marco along.”

Marfa raised an eyebrow. With Blaze and Marco with them, it would be slightly harder to do what she had really came here to do, ask Isa on a date. It wasn’t that she necessarily wanted to do it, but she felt guilty about the way that Isa had left her last club, and she also felt obligated to Karen, who was the one who had asked her to do it. According to Karen, the heartbroken keeper just wanted to be loved, and she would feel better if someone made her feel special. “Sounds fun. But are you sure you want to take me along?”

“Eh, I wasn’t expecting you, but you showing up has definitely made this trip more interesting. I’m happy to see another familiar face… Ross may be nice, but I don’t know many people well from there,” Isa said. “And hey, maybe you’ll be able to keep Blaze and Marco from driving each other insane before we get to Choni.”

=====

The group arrived in the Lane suburbs about forty five minutes later, and stopped at a small restaurant that was supposed to open at six. Everyone got out to stretch, and as Isa looked over the menu that was on the outside of the building, Marfa decided to approach her and test the waters. “Isa, I wanted to ask you about something, but I didn’t know if you would want to talk about it around them,” she said, glancing over her shoulder at the other two members of the group. Blaze was putting on a black jacket that had the Monarch logo on the upper right corner, and Marco was sitting on the hood of the SUV and conversing with her.

“Oh? What’s that?”

Marfa paused, trying to ask the question without sounding awkward. “How’s your love life going? I know you and Kat aren’t talking, but… Is there someone else with you now?”

“Not really, no. I had, no, have, feelings for Karen, and that didn’t turn out well at all. Don’t tell her I said this, but she would rather be with a stupid jock than me,” Isa muttered. “What makes you ask about my love life? I didn’t think you were the nosy type.”

“I’m not. But you should know why I came to Ross. I came here to cheer you up, but also because I want to tell you something,” Marfa said, before stopping to search for words that would sound genuine. “I came here because I like you, Isa. I feel terrible for what happened to you when you left for Ross. I want us to be together. Karen may not appreciate you, but I want you to know that I do.”

Isa gave her a blank expression, and Marfa wondered if her confession sounded fake. She’d tried to tell Karen that she would have a hard time sounding authentic, but her friend wouldn’t listen. Would Isa see through her?

“Why are you just staring at me like that? What are you thinking?”

“I’m just surprised, that’s all,” Isa chuckled, smiling. “And I’m laughing because I never thought this would happen. I mean, I never thought someone would confess their feelings for me. It’s always the other way around. I don’t know what to say, Marfa. I didn’t expect this from you. Can I have some time to think about it?”

“Of course. Take as long as you want. I just wanted you to know how I felt.”

Isa had that blank face again, and then she started laughing. “Actually… Screw that. After how much complaining I’ve done about my love life, I’m not going to reject you, even if we weren’t the closest teammates. I just can’t believe you of all people just confessed feelings for me. Do you even like girls?”

Marfa had a petrified expression on her face, and she assumed that Isa had seen through the act. “Um…”

“Sorry. That was a dumb question, I know,” Isa said, her face brightening more and more by the second. It was almost strange to see her this happy, after how bad she had felt for the past months. “I just have to ask, though, what do you see in me that nobody else does?”

“I dunno. Katarina left you broken, I suppose I feel like I can put you back together,” Marfa said. “And I always thought you were the most interesting one on the team back in Rosen. I only didn’t say much to you because I knew you didn’t really like me, since I’m from Pridnestrovia.”

Isa shrugged. “Maybe when I first met you. I don’t have any problem with you now. Hell, you have no idea how much I like you now. You really showed up at just the right time,” she said, and then she looked emotional for a minute and wiped her eyes like she was about to cry. After a moment, her expression returned to normal.

“You okay?”

Instead of replying, Isa pulled Marfa into a kiss and spun her around and pushed her against the wall. And then, as quickly as she did that move, she pulled back and looked around to see if anyone had seen. Blaze was too busy arguing with Marco to notice, and there weren’t any others in the area except for those in passing cars. It was at that time that the owner of the place pulled into the parking lot and moved to open up for business. Isa looked back to Marfa, a calm expression on her face. “Yeah. Totally fine,” she said, somewhat unconvincingly. “We’ll finish talking later. For now, let’s get some breakfast. I’m starving, and I’m sure the others are, too.”

by **Nephara** » Thu Sep 29, 2016 9:26 pm

THE BRINEMOUTH HERALD
MANAGEABLE DRAW AS SHALE THROWS YOUNG GUNS INTO DEEP END
by Gareth Vanstrattan

It's that time of year again - the time where the Cormorants, after coming so close to another regional title (and they would've done it, too, if it wasn't for those meddling Patriots), need to pick themselves up, dust themselves down and get started.

It's been a hectic week in general for Nepharim football. Not long after the disappointment of the final, all foreign players based in Chromatika (including a huge Nepharim contingent) were cut loose without explanation, and the powerful and wealthy Nepharim Footballers' Union is readying a lawsuit for unlawful dismissal against an entire nation. Meanwhile, after the recent Census, Nephara's top five listed religions are now Christianity (chiefly Catholicism, as ever), none, Judaism and, after a sudden surge, 'the Narrative', with Elunism quietly overtaking Islam to reach fifth.

Throw all that in with the rising possibility of Nepharim boots going overseas to war... and suddenly football seems like a welcome comfort.

But enough of that. Let's get to the heart of the matter; Nephara's opponents.

Bonesea are, bluntly, the people's champions - and a lot of neutrals probably want them to come first after their astonishing run last cycle. Playing with seven (7) forwards, which the multiverse has by and large forgotten how to deal with, they buckled, swashed and swabbed sides into submission and the Nepharim defence will need to be on its best behaviour. The bookies are predicting the fixtures against Nephara to each have ten goals, four red cards and at least one all-in brawl.

Ranked 78th, Garifunya are one of the more predictable sides in the multiverse on recent form. Three straight qualifying runs they've managed sixteen points from twelve matches - two straight Cup of Harmony's they've crashed out with three defeats. A manageable side on paper, though yet to release a provisional squad, so they may well have a surprise up their sleeve... still, the bookies are doubtful they can crack the top two. Given how old the squad was two years back, it may well be a year of transition for the side.

Conversely, Brigantii are one of the stronger Pot Four sides - ranked 86th in the world, one ahead of old rivals Yttribia. Finishing fourth in their group last time around and with a respectable Cup of Harmony showing under their belts, Roy Winston's lads are another solid 4-4-2-playing side with an attacking impulse and a good, strong atmosphere at home, where they'll be expected to take the fight to the Cormorants. Built around a dominant Albertpool club side, they will expect to consolidate and give their coefficient a nice boost - qualification, though, will be a tough ask.

The Pot Five side, Shmirnov, are a capable, attack-minded middle-of-the-road side who will look to kick up a fuss at home. While little-known in the international sphere, they will be keen to avenge a torrid cycle 75 in which they gained only five points throughout qualifying. Expect them to rack up a few more than that against a fairly weak pair of bottom seeds. Those sides are Northi Arabia, who failed to make an impact in the Baptism of Fire, and Henzia, new to the WCC. Neither are expected to pose a threat to the top four sides in the group.

Shale, for his part, has released a roster of 33 names that will serve as the qualifying pool, though in the event of injuries or suspensions piling up there will of course be backups waiting in the wings. Some are no surprise - some omissions are, particularly in central midfield, where new boys Chilmark, Tarashaj and Gosforth have ousted Malachi Gallagher (who had a disappointing Campionato) and Rook Branagh. Shale also offered commisserations in the press conference to Jade Irwin, who I admit I had to look up but who has been wildly successful in Schottia, who didn't quite make the cut.

Defence, too, offers some surprises - the capable Kieran Ritter has been cut for young Trajan Bruyne and Dieter Konoval, while up front has some surprising additions as well. Of all the ten uncapped names in the picture, it is 21-year old Dragan Stavanger (who only broke into the Creed United squad about a third into the season last year, managing 18 goals in 32 appearances) and Estrella Hawke, who is set to become the first teenager ever capped for Nephara, that catch the eye most. Hopefully this will keep Asher Voeller, underwhelming so far in a green shirt, on his toes and at his best.

For the most part, though, the thing that catches the eye is the fact that the squad that won the World Cup is finally entering its prime. Amokachi, Szalai, Vesper, Rainsford, Vyntra, the steady defensive partnership of Katskalidis and Scharner - all are between 25 and 29. Shale now has twelve matches, plus a friendly against Valanora pencilled in for next week, to find the balance right and answer some of the lingering questions of the squad. If the balance does get found, then surely, the sky is the limit.

by **Brenecia** » Thu Sep 29, 2016 10:01 pm

THE ROZELLE OBSERVER
Regional champions, first-seeds and 16th in the world - what now for the victorious Patriots?
Tara Ousted

It's the hope that kills you.

Still, for once, it seems that the Patriots may actually (touch wood) have what it takes to go on a consistently upward trajectory. All the credit must surely go to Raven Cullen for turning a floundering qualifying campaign into a last-16 finish, then beating the Cormorants in the regional final and going into the qualifiers as a first seed for the first time.

She's selected a 'qualifying pool' of 33 players, most of whom are veterans of the side. This is no time for consolidation - this is a time where the Patriots have the advantage and need to press it, turn it into points on the board. Bar Cathy Blackslate, who retired following regional glory with 75 caps and 15 goals, the other 22 players in the side all return to the pool and may well all reach the World Cup, should Brenecia qualify. The other 11 called up have largely been good A-League players, which thankfully now translates into decent international ones, but while the Marian Ironsides of this world are unlikely to fold should they be called into a World Cup, they're unlikely to set the world alight like the Drover or Skorupska they'd replace.

Of those uncapped, Aidan Hartigan - the A-League's Young Player of the Year after 30 mostly strong performances between the posts for Westpike United - might catch a few eyes as a potential successor to Woodgate, while young Kingsgrove holding midfielder Ruffan fits into Cullen's blueprint much more than the thuggish 30-year old Lilith Paterson and may end up replacing her in the final cut. There's also an overdue first cap in the wings for Sander Balliol, now with Tanrisal and given the number 14 shirt, while Niko Szubanski and Aelfwynn Bannion are likely the squad players of the future after strong domestic seasons, though this is likely a cycle too soon for them.

So, then, to the opposition - first up is the Hadorian Republic, occasionally colloquially known as Southern Legalese, but largely without the footballing prowess of their namesake after a lukewarm showing at the Baptism of Fire. Felinetopia, fifth seeds, are not to be underestimated, but the 151st-ranked side failed to make an impact two years ago - that said, they should have learned well from the experience.

Abaja will visit Rozelle next, and are stronger opponents than their ranking of 97th suggests. The Lions are a strong defensive side who physically dwarf most of the Patriots (though Bradden and Scrivener will hold their own), hard to break down and, especially through Quebec-based right winger Atsi, more than capable of hitting teams hard on the break. They will be tough opponents, especially at home, and should realistically have hopes of reaching the playoffs. More than can be said of Albundania, who are yet to submit paperwork of any kind to the WCC.

After a bye, a crunch match - Matthewsiania comes to town, qualifying last time around and hungry for more. Their players are based all across the multiverse, though with a core playing in Eastfield Lodge - Werdickley Safadao of Norrion Rovers is foremost among them, and is their most prominent goal threat. A hardy five-man backline is unlikely to be breached quietly, either. Brenecia should still consider themselves favourites, but the Legion are no pushovers.

Finally, Brenecia returns to the Equestrian States, a once-great side that was truly abject two years ago and failed to get more points than matches played. With the nation yet to decide on a final selection, it's hard to say how strong they will be - though there's little doubt that they are a sleeping giant. The Patriots will hope they stay that way - for another cycle, at least.

All in all, there's some decent sides in this draw, and the Patriots must be wary not to be added the recent list of high-profile scalps (though with a moment to reflect on and bask in how they would now qualify as 'a high-profile scalp') of recent qualifying campaigns. Still, the Patriots should qualify on the strength of their squad.

If only should meant anything in football...

by **Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland** » Fri Sep 30, 2016 2:32 am

Der Nordschutzenphalenglaubreiterfluchtschlamterkrötische Flümederthelweiderverlautzällegerwißmeinschlaftsörbschlimmelbeobachter
Schutzenphalian FA scrambles to arrange neutral venue host for World Cup game

UBERWIENERSCHNITZELSTADT - Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland's return to competitive international ubermeerschweinchenbedeutungserklärungsoccerfußball after a 4 year absence hit an abrupt roadblock last night as the Diet voted overwhelmingly to uphold the nation's ongoing policy of refusing to host Gregoryisgodistan. Frequent acts of violence committed by fans, players or security staff, often with regime approval, have previously left Schutzenphalian sporting authorities reluctant to participate in joint events with the reclusive slave state, withdrawing from all international competition for several years, and attempts to the return to the world stage were dealt a blow when the national ubermeerschweinchenbedeutungserklärungsoccerfußball team was drawn into the same qualifying group for World Cup 76. Historic tactics of withdrawing or forfeiting are not possible, would likely create severe problems for World Cup organizers, and would result in reciprocal action against Schutzenphalian teams, so they have agreed to play both games, and will if necessary travel to Gregoryisgodistan for the away leg, but the prospect of playing a home match remains unlikely.

The situation is likely to be resolved by seeking a neutral third party nation willing to host the game, with Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland considered the "home" nation for organizational purposes. Such an arrangement will be costly to the SWRFA, who will not only lose out on domestic ticket revenue but may have to pay the third party, but officials have speculated that compared with the cost of security arrangements needed to accommodate Gregoryisgodistani citizens - who, during a recent ice hockey tournament, entered the stands and mutilated opposing supporters - it may end up being cheaper to play the match under these strained conditions. No nation has yet come forward as a potential venue.

Regardless of the eventual location of the match, Gregoryisgodistan will be heavy favourites against a weak Schutzenphalian ubermeerschweinchenbedeutungserklärungsoccerfußball heritage with a poor record in its limited international career. SWRFA officials have stressed that they are playing the match purely out of obligation, are seeking only to survive 90 minutes without major injury or diplomatic incident, and are likely to pull players at the first sign of hostility, injury or violence, citing a strong lack of trust in the Gregoryisgodistani authorities to contain on-field violence. No Schutzenphalian fans will be granted travel visas for the away match and the team will be accompanied by a heavy security presence in the event of the match going ahead.

by **Gregoryisgodistan** » Fri Sep 30, 2016 4:56 pm

Lord Almighty Gregory's Speech to the People

"Good evening, ladies, gentlemen, and slaves. I speak to you today with a great plan. A grand plan, in fact. It is my plan, and I am awesome, so it must be a grand plan. Just like me. Am I right? Anyway, I am pleased to announce that we will soon be nuking yet another nation into oblivion. Just as we nuked Associated Godlands, Asuraia, Hicana, and Vjaalsburg into oblivion, we will soon be nuking yet another nation into oblivion. Unfortunately, that nation has a name so wicked, I cannot say it aloud, so I will call it Xylocarpstan. You know the nation I am speaking of. The one with the wicked, evil fruits who call themselves a forbidden word. Well, I will call them xylocarps, at least for the next few days until they are nuked into oblivion. Then I will call them dead, because that is what they will be.

"Yes, we will indeed nuke Xylocarpstan, but for now, only I know when. The exact date and time will come as a surprise to everyone else, both here and abroad. But when it happens, there will be much celebrating, much rejoicing, and much song and dance. We will destroy our xylocrap nemeses once and for all. We will not just smash them, we will nuke them. Their xylocrappiness will be obliterated, vaporized, killed, destroyed! We shall dominate, we shall prevail, we shall show the Multiverse the Awesome Power of the Lord yet again!

"To the stupid toopid xylocarps in Xylocarpstan, I say this - prepare to meet your deaths. You can beg for mercy, you can beg for forgiveness, but none will be forthcoming. Within a few short weeks, possibly days, you will all be destroyed. There will be no more xylocarps in Xylocarpstan. There will also be no more xyloponies, or xylohumans, or any other forbidden hybrids. No xylollamas either, or anything like that. Or Xylosantaclice. Or xyloelves, or xylodracons, or any other evil xylohybrids. We will destroy them all when we nuke Xylocarpstan!

"Oh, that will be a most glorious day, and it is only a few days away. I can hardly wait, and you will all be anxiously awaiting it too, I am sure, or you will be executed for your sins. And when we do nuke them into oblivion, you will all celebrate, or you will be executed for your sins. But more importantly, we will destroy Xylocarpstan, for their sins! For their sins! For the sin of using a forbidden fruity word, not just once but millions of times! The xylocarps will be destroyed! We will destroy them! We will destroy them! And they shall be destroyed! Glory, Glory, Lord Almighty Gregory, My Awesomeness is marching on!

"So, Multiverse, I urge you to sit back for the upcoming nuclear bomb show, that will be coming within a few short days, and witness the Awesome Power of the Lord, witness the destruction of yet another nation, witness our glorious victory, our glorious Day of Reckoning against the xylocarps!

"And no more will any sapient fruits who dare call themselves by forbidden words walk this Earth! For we shall destroy them! We shall nuke them! Oh yes, yeah baby, we're going to nuke them! We will nuke them until there is nothing left but a gaping hole! We will nuke them until they are all gone! Yeah, baby, we'll nuke them! Oh Me, we're going to nuke them!

"Sadly, fruits are too stupid to go to the Land of Eternal Punishment, because like all unintelligent beings, they can go to neither the Land of Eternal Reward nor the Land of Eternal Punishment. And as we know, the only intelligent beings are humans and possibly sapient extraterrestrials, if they exist. But fruits, no, they're stupid, and they don't go anywhere except death. But perhaps I can change that and make a special exception and send the xylocarps to the Land of Eternal Punishment, where they will be slowly and repeatedly sliced with a Brownie Cutter of Death for all eternity. Maybe I can make one exception. I am God, after all. But on the other hand, if I make one exception, it's a slippery slope. I will think it over and announce my final decision in our Victory Speech after we nuke the xylocarps into oblivion! And yes, there will be a victory speech, because there always is! There was for Associated Godlands, there was for Vjaalsburg, there was for Hicana, and there was for Asuraia. And there was for San Jose Guayabal after we nuked them but not into oblivion, because, guess what, we nuked them! And yes, we also detonated high-altitude EMP attacks on Saintland, but that was to help them defeat Dumpy's evil cBots, and it worked. Nobody was killed, except the cBots. Sadly, east Saintland, and yes, that's east with a lowercase e or else, is being illegally occupied by Dumpy's agents, including "King" Andreas. And note the "air quotes" I am making around "King". You will make "air quotes" around "King" as well or you and your family will be executed. Andreas is no King. He is a fool, a heathen, a traitor, and a moron and hopefully Petrus lets us execute his brother like he should have done last time! Maybe we can take Dumpy out too! Oh, that'll be the day, but for now I'll settle for the xylocarps!

"For now, I just have one final thought. We will wish the Foot Slaves good luck in the World Cup. We are finally coming out of Pot 1, we are favorites by seed to win our group and qualify directly, and that is exactly what we will do. And then we will win the World Cup! And we will win every World Cup thereafter! They might as well let us keep the trophy permanently, because we will win it all the time anyway! But for now, we will just have to play qualifiers until we win every game forever!

"So, with all that said and done, good night, thank you, and Me Bless Gregoryisgodistan."

OOC: In case you couldn't guess, Xylocarpstan is Coconutstan, xylocarps are coconuts, and this was all done with Quebec's/Coconutstan's permission.

by **Prusy Krolewskie** » Fri Sep 30, 2016 6:19 pm

OOC: I'm the user behind Pays den haut which their last participation in the World Cup qualifications was at the WC72.

Pays d'en Haut's bid to host the game between Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland and Gregoryisgodistan.

Propposed soccer/football field: École Bermon (Bermon School)
Location: Saint-Gabriel
Seats: None. About 100 standing places are available

Fans in Pays d'en Haut (if there's any) will be allowed and encouraged to bring their sword at the soccer game to defend themselves from Gregoryisgodistani players and if any of them jumps into the small crowd, they will be killed (So it's better for them that they don't jump into the crowd).

We only have one airport in les Pays d'en Haut and it's used mostly by foreigners who wants to travel in our country. The airport is located in Mirabel. The soccer field and the hotel are located in remote villages. The hotel we selected is "Auberge du Vieux-Moulin dans Lanaudière", located in Sainte-Émélie-de-l'Énergie.

Because we don't have any technology, we opened a technology center with dial up internet for foreign journalists who wants to use the internet. The technology center is the only place in les Pays d'en Haut where a dial up internet connexion is available and it is located in the village of Boisbriand.

Travel in les Pays d'en Haut is made by carriage, so here's the distances and time to reach point A to point B:

Airport (located in Mirabel) to the hotel (located in Sainte-Émélie-de-l'Énergie): 115 km. Time required by carriage at 10 km/h: 11h30
Airport (located in Mirabel) to the soccer field (located in Saint-Gabriel): 112 km. Time required by carriage at 10 km/h: 11h15
Airport (located in Mirabel) to the technology center (located in Boisbriand): 15 km. Time required by carriage at 10 km/h: 1h30
Hotel (located in Sainte-Émélie-de-l'Énergie) to the soccer field (located in Saint-Gabriel): 37 km. Time required by carriage at 10 km/h: 3h45
Hotel (located in Sainte-Émélie-de-l'Énergie) to the technology center (located in Boisbriand): 117 km. Time required by carriage at 10 km/h: 11h45
Soccer field (located in Saint-Gabriel) to the technology center (located in Boisbriand): 101 km. Time required by carriage at 10 km/h: 10h00

If you're interested in playing in les Pays d'en Haut, you can read more about travelling in our nation (I didn't just write it now, it's a copy & paste from my roster post in the world cup 72):

by **Damukuni** » Fri Sep 30, 2016 6:35 pm

DSN
(formerly DamuSport)

Damukuni National Team Schedule
presented by Miranda's Fruit Juices

DAY	OPPONENT		VENUE
1 	BYE
2	v  Shytysle		East Town Cricket Club, East Town, EF
3	@  Krytenia		Southern Arena, Ousevale
4	v  Great Palkia	West Bay Cricket Club, West Bay, WB
5	@ [ ] Sarrbia      	Sarrbia National Stadium, Sarrbia City
6	v  Mangolana		University of Damushuto Stadium, University City, FD
7	@  Hasznia		Stade 1916, Warton

8	BYE
9	@  Shytysle		Shytysle National Stadium, Shytysle City
10	v  Krytenia		University of Damushuto Stadium, University City, FD
11	@  Great Palkia	Great Palkia National Stadium, Kyruem
12	v [ ] Sarrbia       	East Town Cricket Club, East Town, EF
13	@  Mangolana		Mangolana National Stadium, Mangolana City
14	v  Hasznia		West Bay Cricket Club, West Bay, WB

Team Survey

The Damukuni national team has had its share of ups and downs, but it's all uphill from here for this team. Last World Cup cycle, they topped the group in the Cup of Harmony, only losing to The Holy Empire at the Arthur Clarke Memorial Stadium (a.k.a. "The C") in Super-Llamaland. Now, with only Krytenia as potential contenders, Damukuni are in prime position to strut their stuff.

However, Wisdom Tracey has seen fit to include sweeping roster changes. Star defender Alec Matterhorn was swapped out for former starter Takahashi Shizumi, which many consider a downgrade due to Shizumi's age and poor performance with Ibuza Grampus DRIVE (formerly Ibuza Anteaters). Rich Willis' backup is slated to be D.League 1 rising star Jenn Hawkins. Veteran striker Takara Sawachika, who saw Damukuni's first and second World Cup cycles, replaces Margaret Vayne at the starting position.

Why is Tracey filling the new slots in the roster with third- and fourth-league picks while relegating to the bench those who helped bring out the best in Damukunian football and brought them to 41st in the world? She hasn't yet answered to these questions, but we here on the sports panel have reason to believe she'll have to answer for them soon.

EDIT: Our editorial staff goofed and accidentally wrote in Bears Armed instead of Sarrbia. Sarrbia is not a potential contender in the World Cup qualifying.

by **Korizland** » Fri Sep 30, 2016 8:12 pm

“Alright guys,” Greg Eason called the team to attention from the front of the room. “New day, new tournament. A little different from the last one, though. Everyone is a baby at the Baptism of Fire. World Cup is a different story. The best of the best show up. We can’t half ass it out there. We don’t have an easy path forward, and it won’t get any easier. Step one, get to know our opponents. First up is the Veldgouwenians. They also got started in this Baptism of Fire, but they got further than we did. They scored pretty well, but their bigger talent lies with their defense. Clay and I have been talking with the coaches, and this is what we’ve come up with…”

“I don’t get how you’re not understanding this, Jamil,” Korizland UF lead coach Francois van Maar of Korizland’s northern neighbor, Royal Kingdom of Quebec, shouted at the defense coach the managers had brought on after the Baptism of Fire. “Veldgouwen does defense. That is their focus. We will beat them on offense.”

“Just because their defense is stronger doesn’t mean we discount their offense,” Jamil Bousaid of Gadyria shouted back. “They were one of the best scoring sides at the Baptism of Fire. We cannot rest on our offense alone. We need to focus our efforts on getting our defense up.”

“Defense doesn’t score goals!”

“Offense doesn’t score goals when defense can’t get the ball away from the opposing side!” The other members of the coaching staff looked around the room uncomfortably. Jamil and Francois had been at each other’s throats since the Gadyrian had been brought onto the team’s staff. Both were highly aggressive Type A personalities and they disagreed on just about every point of the team they coached.

“I am the lead coach! This is my team!”

“Which you have led so well we didn’t even make it past the Round of 16 at the Baptism of Fire!”

“You son of a bitch!” Blake Copeland stood up and ushered the other coaches out of the room. Francois and Jamil were inches from each other, eyes locked in anger.

“Hey, guys, we’re all on the same team here,” Blake said. “The guys don’t know how much you hate each other. Can you please keep it together until the bye day so that they don’t get worried about it?”

“I can do that,” replied Jamil. “For the team.”

“For the team.” Francois agreed.

by **Hasznia** » Sat Oct 01, 2016 1:16 am

Payne Announces Roster for WC Qualifiers v. Shytsyle, Krytenia

White Suns head coach Byron Payne has announced his 23-man roster for the World Cup 76 qualifiers on 4 and 9 June in Shytysle and at the Coliseum in Blackfort against Krytenia. The White Suns enter WC 76 qualifying with high expectations after making the qualification playoffs for WC 75 in 2014, on their first foray into World Cup Committee-sanctioned football.

The first 23-man is full of familiar faces from both WC 75 qualifying and the seventeenth Campionato Esportiva, in which the Suns failed to advance beyond the group stage. The duo of Hawkins and Miller returns up top, little changed by Hawkins' offseason transfer to Falkner United of Brenecia, by far the highest-profile player acquisition in Hasznian history. Behind the two golden boys, however, comes a parade of unknowns, including Chris Norris, a former amateur player joining the migration of Hasznian talent to Azrea, and the pair of understated Blackfort City strikers Juan David and Jesse Clayton.

The midfield is more nebulous than the strikers, and with no clear replacement for Lucio Shepherd at holding mid, we may see a formation shift that leaves Billy Diaz alone in the back. Besides Diaz, winger Carter Vick is the only midfielder with a relatively safe place in the eleven, as mainstays Pearson and Banks will have to ward off the up-and-coming Alan Fisher and Jonathan Wright, the former of whom plays with Diaz at 1916.

The backfield remains largely unchanged, with the notable exception of Barrett Villa taking over as first-choice right back for Eric Rogers, whose recovery from injury has been slow and incomplete as of yet. The addition of versatile defender Clinton Nguyen from Stade Defense gives additional cover and flexibility.

Goalkeepers: Summers (Blackfort City), Foster (Willamette Town), Morris (Woodhall United)
Defenders: Villa (Chell SC), Johnson (Castor Wanderers), Holloway (Barracha 1919), Nguyen (Stade Defense), McAdams (Holywell), Reed (Reform)
Midfielders: Diaz (Warton 1916), Vick (Riverside), Wright (Cannich), Rogers (Lionsgate National FC), Pearson (Wick Town), Banks (Emerald City Harmony), Fisher (Warton 1916)
Forwards: Garcia (Timmons), Clayton (Blackfort City), Hawkins (Falkner United), Miller (Warton 1916), Norris (Fort Thomas), David (Blackfort City)

Red Roscoe: A Folk History
Origin Story

The narrow streets of Blackfort’s Red Cape neighborhood hold hundreds of stories, but perhaps non so iconic as Red Roscoe. Part vigilante, part Robin Hood, Red Roscoe was the name given to an individual allegedly active in Red Cape from the late nineteen-sixties through the early nineteen-eighties. Crimes attributed to Red Roscoe number in the thousands, but the most famous share common themes; a disdain for anything not perceived as “authentic”; a callow, ironic sense of humor; and a flavor of poetic justice or karmic retribution. Many of the Red Roscoe crimes were committed against fans, employees, and occasionally players for Blackfort City FC, arch-rivals of the red-wearing Blackfort FC.

The first stories of a vigilante operating from Red Cape came in the summer of 1970, printed in the Blackfort Herald. Herald reporter Damien Barnes described a crime wave of “unique character”, many of whose victims were government officials or otherwise associated with the “new Hasznia” of the Kingsley Republic. Others in the city considered Barnes a quack. These critics argued the crimes attributed to the “Red Cape vigilante”, were reflections of high overall crime rates and an intense dissatisfaction with the Kingsley Republic among the working class who populated Red Cape.

Only after suspects failed to emerge for the crimes that Barnes had attributed to his vigilante did his theory begin to gain credibility. In late February 1971, while investigating the burning of an unattended police car outside a popular Blackfort FC pub in Red Cape, Blackfort police put out a bulletin looking for “an individual or individuals native to Red Cape, with extensive knowledge of the streets and leftist or seditious tendencies”. That description would later become an iconic part of the Red Roscoe mythology, finding its way into dozens of accounts.

by **Brigantii** » Sat Oct 01, 2016 6:43 am

Did we ever finish the story my granddad told us about the Sailor and the Sandman? I don't think we did. If you want to catch up on the previous bits, you can find them below. Also, try excuse any spelling issues, they were written on a mobile phone en route to work.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Pascal laid back down. His fear had been replaced with anger. Anger at the thing clinging to the hull of his boat, refusing to let him sleep. He was so angry that this time rather than pleading with the Sandman to help him sleep he called out and demanded he help him.

“Sandman! Show yourself to me. I am tired and annoyed and I need to sleep.”

There was no response but for the sound of the knocking on the hull. A rhythmic thud, thud, thud. If you had ever seen that particular film about that rather large shark, the knocking was similar in volume to the bit with the shark slamming it's sharky face into the boat. The hammering on the hull persisted and time elapsed slowly as Pascal laid there, seething that he couldn't simply deal with the thing tormenting him. His inner monologue became a running commentary on the situation.

“Knock, knock, knock. Pause, silence, think it's stopped, knock, knock, bastard knock.”

Granddad wouldn't have used the word bastard when telling us the story, but we're all adults here, so it's okay to add a little colourful language.

The thumping on the boat continued for about an hour, maybe two, it was hard to tell with no clock and nothing but darkness. All the while the whispering that had plagued Pascal the other nights, and earlier this particular night, was nowhere to be heard, which was of scant relief for the beleaguered sailor who couldn't relax with the knocking on the hull.

“Sandman, please.” His demanding had become a pleading. All the rage that he had been filled with earlier had dissipated as he laid for hours in the pitch darkness – unsure whether the dark was in the room, or whether it was behind his eye lids.

There was no response from the Sandman, who had left Pascal to struggle to sleep and face the mysterious knocking on his own.

--- ELSEWHERE ---

In a completely unrelated story

“We're out of money.”

“It can't be that easy, you can't just look and say, “oh, we're out of money” it's a bloody Premier League club.”

“It is that easy. The club's finances are in the toilet. We've been paying wages and transfer fees for players based on money we expected to be coming in and that money hasn't.”

“What do you mean it hasn't come in?”

“There was speculation that we would see an increase in gate receipts and sponsorship money when we were promoted.”

“That seems reasonable.”

“We may have been a little too... speculative.”

“So where does that leave us?”

“We're going to have to recoup some of that money, make cut backs, slash the player wage bill, maybe try generate some money through player sales.”

“Where does that leave me now? It's the summer break and we need to start planning for the up coming season.”

“For the time being, no transfers in. But don't say anything to the players, if they start panicking about getting paid we might have some issues.”

Hugo Poyet had been in charge of Belle-Isle on Sea for four seasons now. The charismatic man from Cusco had played in Brigantii for years and had made a home here, so it came as no surprise when he opted to stay in the country following his retirement from playing to take up coaching. In only his second season with Belle-Isle he led them to promotion as champions of League 1, before two mid-table-ish finishes in the Premier League. He'd been assured when they came up not to worry about money – the team weren't exactly flush, but he could strengthen the team and there were decent wages available as incentive for players to sign for a newly promoted club. Now, he'd been told the money was gone, the wages needed slashing and the idea of strengthening the squad before the up coming season was pretty much a no go. This left him in a bit of a quandary, he had a contract in place with the club, but was it worth sticking it out next season. It was going to be an extremely difficult season and what was the best he could hope to achieve? There wouldn't likely be a successful cup run, they wouldn't push for UICA competition, what was left, avoid relegation? But if he left, where would he go? So many questions, so few answers.

Belle-Isle itself is a city on the south coast of Brigantii, home to 220,064 people and home to two football clubs, Belle-Isle on Sea and Belle-Isle Rovers. The two share a rivalry that stretches back as long as their existence, with the “Jacktars” and “Puffins” having been original members of the Brigantii league. Belle-Isle on Sea are the bigger of the two sides and have been for as long as memory serves, with their stadium having more than double the capacity of Rovers. If Rovers fans became aware of their rival's financial struggles there would be plenty of banter in the pubs around the city and on the message boards of the fan websites, while there was also a possibility that other clubs would now use this as an opportunity to low ball them with bids for their players – with Brooks Hamilton and Rowan Newell likely targets for upper-mid-table clubs.

by **Tumbra** » Sat Oct 01, 2016 7:07 am

Logo courtesy of Ceni and Electrum

WORLD CUP QUALIFYING 76 - WHAT TO EXPECT? PART 1

It's a few days to the World Cup 76, and expectations are already running high. After last time's promising runout at the Campionato, where the Blue Lions finished with a round-of-16 finish, people are hoping that they can make it somewhere that is higher than fifth in the group.

As is tradition every World Cup cycle, TBC Sports will run a preview of of the six teams that Tumbra will be facing in the days ahead. This time, Tumbra landed in Group 15, along with Kirisaki, Tomikosan, Royal Kingdom of Quebec, Flardania, Hydraic Empire and Kalumba. Sounds scary? Quite.

The underlined game will be the home game.

Flardania (29th; 22.18 KPB points) MD1, MD8

Flardania will be the team's first opponent, and it will certainly be one of our most difficult. In both outings against the team, Tumbra have lost 3-2 (during the Cup of Harmony) and 2-1 (on their home ground, during the Eight Corners Tour), so it's almost guaranteed that the team will lose once more away, while at home we might eke out a draw.

Hydraic Empire (269th, 0.13 KPB points) MD3, MD10

Not much is known about this so-called Empire but it will most likely be a breeze for the Blue Lions. However, even the easiest matches can be tough - as evidenced by the Darmen Humbling, something that got Colin Guthries sacked. TBC Sports thinks that both will be easy wins for Tumbra, but the incompetence of the Blue Lions can get to one at times.

Kalumba (UNR, 0.00 KPB points) MD4, MD11

Not much is known about this nation either, but they are even worse than the Hydraic Empire, so TBC Sports thinks that both matches will be a winning duo for Tumbra. Still, though - humility.

EDIT: It seems that Kalumba actually have a bit of a history in this tournament, and might turn out semi-decently. Our boys still need to keep their heads up against them, however.

Kirisaki (72nd, 10.25 KPB points) MD5, MD12

Kirisaki, or the Golden Girls as Tumbra calls them, end up in our group. These strong yet delicate warriors will pose a tough challenge for Tumbra, and while they weren't the worst team to get out of the hat in Pot 3, it certainly will be hard. TBC Sports predicts a loss away and a win at home.

Tomikosan (142nd, 2.75 KPB points) MD6, MD13

What a spot of bother from the Blue Lions. The third-placed finishers at the recent Baptism of Fire will be coming out strong from the competition, and have a bright future ahead of them if they don't mess up too often. Despite that, however, TBC Sports predicts home and away wins.

Royal Kingdom of Quebec (7th, 42.45 KPB points) MD7, MD14

The Royal Kingdom of Doom, more like. The Ice Wizards, the Grim Reapers will most definitely freeze the Blue Lions and reap their souls. Two losses is what the editors predict.

And that's it for a very gloomy WC76 predictions. Flardania, the Hydraic Empire, Kalumba, Kirisaki, Tomikosan and the Royal Kingdom of Quebec will be joined by Tumbra for fourteen days of nonstop footballing action.

by **Jeruselem** » Sat Oct 01, 2016 7:42 am

Chloe:

This is Chloe Dallas for Naked News Jeruselem. I'll be doing the duties during the World Cup 76. We've been placed in Group 9 with 6 other teams. Our friends from Bears Armed are in this group. Group favourite Cosumar head the pack but then we have three other teams of which we have no idea and they have really difficult names. There's Technotica Incorporated, err we got nothing on them. Second Ndakene Federation, and Amazonesta.

I'm sure we've never played a game against those three teams but such is how this cup works. There's a new faces in the team from the one last cup, including a new coach. Well, not really a new coach because it's the assistant coach from last cup. That's Princess Laura, but no decision on the new assistant coach. James Troisi has retired from football.

Just to point out there is a Khloe Dallas in the team, that's the one with a K and not C. I am not her, but I am related to her in some way. Err, I'm related to the Princesses but that's something completely different too. The team captain has not being named as yet but I've been told it is not Princess Elsa. Well for this cup, anyway.

Now just a little about me for those who don't watch Naked News Jeruselem at lot. Yes, I am a Dallas but I didn't get any of them football skills. I generally make a living working on webcams, but got a job at Naked News Jeruselem recently. Wearing clothes is not one of my strong points, but then it's one of those family traits for being a Dallas. The weird thing is Dad played football so I'm no football n00b but none of those genes got to me.

I'm pretty excited to take on this World cup gig, travel the world and meet lots of new people although some might not be so friendly. Apparently I have a fan base out there already, I guess they really liked my web cam sessions. I don't have time for that now, well until the cup is over and I might get back to that but anywat I'll be here on Naked News.

World Cup 76 - RP Thread

World Cup 76 - RP Thread

[001] World Cup Survey and Schedule

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