WC 82 RP Thread

by **Valanora** » Sat Mar 02, 2019 12:09 pm

Here Be Dragons

Discussion Thread | RP Thread | Rosters | Scores
Signups | Bid

I welcome you all to the 82nd edition of the Nationstates World Cup, to be hosted jointly in the Eternal Empire and Apox, in conjunction with Cosumar and Mriin, who will be bidding to host the Cup of Harmony and assisting in organizing the qualifying process.

This thread is the place to post all your Roleplays, which can include but are not limited to: the matches themselves, the internal politics of your nation, a collaborative effort between yourself and other players, as well as anything your imagination can create. The group draws and schedule will be posted and updated here as necessary.

Group A
Apox (33)
Free Republics (8)
Commonwealth of Baker Park (21)
Bongo Johnson (78)

Group B
Mercedini (29)
Juvencus (28)
Vilita (1)
Equestrian States (9)

Group C
The Holy Empire (11)
South Covello (3)
Mriin (20)
Jeruselem (38)

Group D
95X (46)
Nephara (2)
Cosumar (16)
Qasden (22)

Group E
Nova Anglicana (30)
Starblaydia (15)
Audioslavia (26)
Valanora (13)

Group F
Brenecia (5)
Darmen (17)
Qusmo (34)
Turori (7)

Group G
Pasarga (12)
Damukuni (40)
Banija (19)
Farfadillis (6)

Group H
Valladares (47)
Eura (4)
Cassadaigua (23)
Sargossa (14)

Schedule
MD1: 5th April (1v4, 2v3)
MD2: 7th April (4v3, 1v2)
MD3: 9th April (2v4, 3v1)

Ro16: 11th April (A1vD2, B1vC2, C1vB2, D1vA2, E1vH2, F1vG2, G1vF2, H1vE2)
QFs: 13th April (R1vR2, R3vR4, R5vR6, R7vR8)
SFs: 15th April (QF1vQF2, QF3vQF4)
3PPO: 16th April (Loser of SF1 v Loser of SF2)
Final: 17th April (Winner of SF1 v Winner of SF2)

Scorination Time Window
Apox: 1600-1700 Central Standard Time
Valanora: 2000-2300 Central Standard Time

by **Valanora** » Sat Mar 02, 2019 12:10 pm

Map of Valanora

Valanora Information
The most important thing to know about traveling through Valanora is that automobiles are banned except for government officials. A high tech railway system connects the entirety of the nation, with three international airports in Raynor City, Gladerial, and Baysleef. A ferry from Rinaldi travels to and from the island of Capri every hour on the hour. The most distinguishing feature of Valanora is the prevalent amount of forests standing in many of the inner half of the nation, even in cities, with the elven attempts to live in harmony with nature. Vanorians are a polite if not a bit high on themselves, believing elvenkind to be superior to humans, though they show a respect for the potential their humanoid cousins have.

Venues

Venue Selector

The Battleground

Capacity: 78,000
Location: Raynor City

Artani

Capacity: 74,000
Location: Mar Sara

Angelotic Temple

Capacity: 71,000
Location: Longview

The White Fortress

Capacity: 70,000
Location: Gladerial

Donna Cathedral

Capacity: 60,000
Location: Mar Sara

Hatire Memorial

Capacity: 60,000
Location: Capri

Hellgate

Capacity: 54,000
Location: Raynor City

Aranfield Bridge

Capacity: 52,000
Location: Everlin

Duran Palace

Capacity: 51,000
Location: Valanari

Castle de Mot

Capacity: 49,000
Location: Wexax

Rose Gardens

Capacity: 49,000
Location: Kareen

Turmondale Grounds

Capacity: 43,000
Location: Raynor City

The Tar Pit

Capacity: 39,000
Location: Char Sara

Metropolis

Capacity: 39,00
Location: Ibini

Miner's Haven

Capacity: 36,000
Location: Goldsan

Lathal

Capacity: 29,000
Location: Ianisle

by **Apox** » Sat Mar 02, 2019 12:41 pm

Apox National Information

Welcome, competing nations to Apox for World Cup 82! For those nations competing in Apox, your host information can be found below. Apox is a well established and accomplished host nation and we hope your stay here will be thoroughly enjoyable.

COUNTRY HISTORY

Apox was founded 604 years ago by migrants from the north of Esportiva, with a large influx of people coming from The Licentian Isles from the East and from Uitbregen in the West. The capital Dwile was established in 14 A.T (Apoxian Time) and has been the cultural and financial centre every since, in it's prime location in the middle of the country, whilst also being on the coast, therefore providing an extra level of accessibility for those who prefer to travel by sea.

After war against Cyborg Holland, for the southern county of Olfa, Apox in it's current form was established in the late 460's A.T. Since then, it has thrived in relative peace and freedom, with our semi-democratic state watching over. A civil war between 550-555 A.T led to Apox becoming more democratic, and it emerged from the ashes a stronger nation on all fronts, with our first leader, Lord Winklebottom, driving through a great deal of change. Apox becamse less isolationist and joined in the regional affairs of Esportiva, our standing growing in the region so much so that between the years of 576-582 the regional delegacy of Esportiva was held in Apox, with ambassador Jemima Cafrew, being Esportiva's representative in the World assembly. These days, we have less power in the region but are still an important nation.

TRANSPORTATION

Apox has a quite varied road system, with the roads around Dwile being very well maintained, but with the roads further away often being one-track and almost dirt paths. However, our railway system, the Apox National Railway is a very good service, and is one of the most reliable railways in Esportiva with all parts of the country well connected and a high-speed rail line travelling from Dwile to Gwinevra and onto the Licentian Isles. Our four main airports Dwile Capital Airport, Mandon District Airport (just outside Dwile), Gwinevra Airport and Urbanista Regional Airport are spread out over the country and have flights from many countries.

SPORTS
This cup marks fourty years since Apox emerged from the wilderness to compete in the 48th Baptism of Fire. Apox has plenty of history in international competition now, having reach the finals of the World Cup on nine occasions, making it out of the groups 3 times. Closer to home, Apox has won the Campionato three times, putting us as one of the better achieving and consistent nations in the region. The national team reached a high of 19th in the KPB rankings after World Cup 72 and has the honour of becoming the first team from Esportiva to advance to the knock-out rounds of the World Cup.

Domestically, the Apox National League is the one of the more historic leagues in the Multiverse, previously being ranked as the best league for a number of seasons prior to Apox's withdrawal from international competitions due to a crippling corruption scandal which swept through the country. The biggest clubs, such as Dwile Warriors, Gwinevra Barbarians, FC Endeavour and Barbury Town still have a lot of international weight, although Dwile Warriors are the only team to have won the Champion's Cup. These days, the ANL is working its way back up the UICA rankings, and is currently 25th.

Apox is also a key player in various sports organisations, having had the Presidency of the Rugby World Cup being in Apox, as well as the dual-Presidency of international cricket being in Apox, with Liventia being the co-President. Most excitingly, and most recently, the Presidency of the WCC, the organising committee for multiversal football moved to Apox, with Miriam Whittaker, the President of the AFB, moving post as a result. Miriam Whittaker remained President of the WCC from WC72-74.

GROUPS & LOCATIONS OF MATCHES

Group A
Apox (33)
Free Republics (8)
Commonwealth of Baker Park (21)
Bongo Johnson (78)
MD1: Apox vs Bongo Johnson @ The APX Sports Stadium, Dwile, Free Republics vs Commonwealth of Baker Paker @ River Exe Ground, Exton
MD2: Bongo Johnson vs Commonwealth of Baker Park @ River Exe Ground, Exton, Apox vs Free Republics @ The APX Sports Stadium, Dwile
MD3: Free Republics vs Bongo Johnson @ River Exe Ground, Exton, Commonwealth of Baker Park vs Apox @ The APX Sports Stadium, Dwile

Group B
Mercedini (29)
Juvencus (28)
Vilita (1)
Equestrian States (9)
MD1: Mercedini vs Equestrian States @ The Garganaut, Dwile, Juvencus vs Vilita @ Ground of Champions, Wofford
MD2: Equestrian States vs Vilita @ Ground of Champions, Wofford, Mercedini vs Juvencus @ The Garganaut, Dwile
MD3: Juvencus vs Equestrian States @ Ground of Champions, Wofford, Vilita vs Mercedini @ The Garganaut, Dwile

Group C
The Holy Empire (11)
South Covello (3)
Mriin (20)
Jeruselem (38)
MD1: The Holy Empire vs Jeruselem @ The Barbaria, Gwinevra, South Covello vs Mriin @ Lime Ground, Urbanista
MD2: Jeruselem vs Mriin @ Lime Ground, Urbanista, The Holy Empire vs South Covello @ The Barbaria, Gwinevra
MD3: South Covello vs Jeruselem @ Lime Ground, Urbanista, Mriin vs The Holy Empire @ The Barbaria, Gwinevra

Group D
95X (46)
Nephara (2)
Cosumar (16)
Qasden (22)
MD1: 95X vs Qasden @ The Celebratory Stadium, Cawln, Nephara vs Cosumar @ Village Green, Barbury
MD2: Qasden vs Cosumar @ Village Green, Barbury, 95X vs Nephara @ The Celebratory Stadium, Cawln
MD3: Nephara vs Qasden @ Village Green, Barbury, Cosumar vs 95X @ The Celebratory Stadium, Cawln

STADIA

Host of Ro16 1
Host of Apoxian SF
Host of 3PPO or Final

Host of Group A matches
Host of QF 1

Host of Group C matches
Host of QF 2

Host of Group B matches
Host of Ro16 4

Host of Group D matches
Host of Ro16 3

Host of Group D matches
Host of Ro16 2

Host of Group C matches

Host of Group B matches

Host of Group A matches

by **Vilita** » Sat Mar 02, 2019 2:45 pm

OOC: Continued from WC81, ICly this is a WC81 Finals 'competition'. If you didn't already enter and see it as a good RP arc to experiment with pre/early cup you may still enter below before the WC gets rolling.

Vilisorma, Vilita :: Vilaye Energy Drink has announced an expansion of their "Cans For All" promotion with the Vilitan National Team during the World Cup 81 Finals. In the "Cans for All" promotion, fans from around the multiverse had been invited to submit their nation to be featured on Vilaye Energy Drink cans much like the Nations from in the World Cup Finals had been featured for the special edition World Cup Cans. In addition to potentially having their nation featured on a can of Vilaye Energy Drink, each submission would also be entered to win a full set of Vilaye Nation Cans including the full 33 Can World Cup 81 Set in addition to the 7 winning entries to the Cans for All competition for a total of 40 special edition commemorative cans.

With the winners set to be announced in the near future, the Vilisorma Beverage Company has stunned the beverage marketing world by revealing that they have hidden 3 special Golden Cans inside randomly distributed packages of Vilaye Energy Drink somewhere in the multiverse. Each golden can is eligible to be redeemed as a Grand Prize winner in the "Cans for Life" Sweepstakes where the three winners will get a lifetime supply of Vilaye Energy Drink.

A Lifetime supply of Vilaye Energy Drink is defined as 20 cans per month for up to fifty years. The winner(s) of the competition may also choose a "Lump Sum" reward of 2000 Cans of Vilaye Energy Drink delivered at once, or, the monetary equivalent at the bulk purchase rate for 2000 cans of Vilaye Energy Drink payable by check.

"Cans for Life" Prizes are non-transferrable. Claiming of a "Cans for Life" prize can only be done once, multiple entries or claims by the same winner are prohibited.

Vilaye Energy Drink have given away over 100,000 cans of Vilaye Energy Drink at the World Cup Finals. Golden cans will only be distributed in retail packages and not in bulk packaging or at giveaway tents. Employees of the Vilisorma Beverage Company or its subsidiaries are not eligible to win either the "Cans for All" or "Cans or Life" prizes.

Click Here to Enter the Vilaye Energy Drink "Cans for All" / "Cans for Life" Contest

by **Zwangzug** » Sat Mar 02, 2019 2:53 pm

Hope City Herald: Hanna's Hot Hits

-Yes, it's another cycle of World Cup wonkiness! After...unspecified issues, but probably something to do with the organized crime/alleged lycantrophy breakout in yonder FTC, Zwangzug is back at it.

-I'm surprised they dug up Makvala Tsereteli again, it feels like the kind of thing where she'd be like "that was fun, but I'm getting a real job now."

-Shobhana Birla has taken back her #1 jersey from Joel McJakill, which I assume has more to do with their domestic performance than the last Cup of Harmony. Then again, Keppal actually won the season before last, so who knows.

-As you all know, Sporting Esper won this most recent season (!!) and the fallout on the NT level has been dramatic indeed. Allison Levi-Gold, who was part of the youth team that made waves a couple seasons ago, joins the backups on defense. We almost had a fourth player, but Paige Daunten had to go and transfer to the Bohemians of North Sabrefell. Best wishes and thanks for the good times.

-Lots of turnover in the midfield, with Marlon Sayle-Bren moving up to reunite with Ramona Ambaile-Hund for a threatening, if overly-hyphenated, attacking midfield combination. I was surprised to see Joshua Twoni in the center of the X, considering that Arlington's avant-garde formation doesn't go for the symmetrical midfield, but you can't deny he's been a big part of their rise.

-Ione Friede seems a reasonable enough choice on the bench, even if the Lipogram is going to be annoyed. Does anyone know how to spell (and I'm having my editor copy-paste this for me) Satenik Banach, though? Like, she's good, but not that much of a star for her signature to be completely illegible, you know?

-Excelsior Slogda have a bunch of Audioslavian talent now, so I didn't really expect to see Kostya Hart-Farm make the cut either. But Tsereteli being Tsereteli and the zeitgeist being "can't have one comrade score all the goals, that's against the means of production or suchlike," I'd expect him to get plenty of appearances.

-Speaking of comrades, an unexpectedly subdued affair in the friendly against Mytanija. Though the Novi Atletskistadion was mostly full, there weren't too many explosions/international incidents about cycling tactics. I was happy to see Daunten get the start, maybe to re-acclimatize her after the transfer? A strong first half for her, but that was mostly the defense's contributions, and Birla showed up at halftime.

-Not sure what's more impressive, that Alen Hrdaljko got the captain's armband for Mytanija in only his second game with the full team, or that he uses five of the letters on the middle row of my keyboard.

by **Banija** » Sat Mar 02, 2019 5:09 pm

World Cup Qualifying Preview- Banija return to qualification with up and down set of friendlies

Players react after allowing a goal in 4-0 shellacking to their archrivals, the Equestrian States

BUSUKUMA, NATIONAL CAPITOL REGION- Getting ready for World Cup 82 Qualification is going to be very fascinating. Entering World Cup 80, the Banijans were in Pot 5, ranked 83rd in the world, and were largely an afterthought in terms of their ability to make the World Cup. Most people saw them as up and coming, but many thought their first appearance wouldn't be until World Cup 81(which we, of course, ended up forgoing qualifying via hosting) or 82, when they had enough experience under their belt to seriously challenge the bigger nations for a spot among the 32.

We all know the story of the last two cycles of the sport in Banija- the second half stunning comeback where we racked up 23 points out of a possible 27 in the latter half of World Cup 80 Qualifying, our historic win over Mercedini to send us to our first ever World Cup, and, of course, going to the Round of 16 on home soil in World Cup 81. There's no need to rehash- though I'm sure any Banijan fan would absolutely be able to rehash all the details for you, if you looked for one. But one area where our sudden rise up the table has been greatly appreciated, even not much talked about, are the KPB rankings.

The all-powerful world ranking system- the system designed to rank the teams, and the base of how, crucially, our groups for major tournaments are drawn. After the RBSA was absent in the World Cup 78 cycle due to bankruptcy, they came back for World Cup 79 Qualifying ranked 121st, and as the worst team in Pot 6. And we have absolutely flown up the rankings since then. We entered the World Cup 80 cycle ranked 83rd, 38 places of where we were before. After that, after all was said and done there, we made an even bigger jump, all the way to 41st. And now, after a World Cup where we won two group games, won our group, and made our first ever WCC knockout stage appearance, we are ranked 21st.

That is moving up exactly 100 spots 3 cycles- a record that many here in Banija are proud of. That is a recognition of the hard work that this team has put in since the RBSA returned to the fold, and an accurate reflection of what the team has accomplished. Going from also-rans, not quite to the group of big boys, but to the top 25 of the world rankings. What does that mean? For the first time ever, for a tournament that we've attempted to qualify for 7 times and only successfully done so once, there is now an expectation that Banija will make the finals- and perhaps, be expected to do more than just go sightseeing in Valanora & Apox.

This is a unique position for the Banijans to be in. While, of course, in the AOCAFs, the Banijans had a strong enough record to reasonably expect to make the quarterfinals, never before have they faced this kind of pressure on the international stage. At World Cup 80, Banija's first ever Finals appearance, Banija was just happy to be there- and it was clear we were overmatched. And Banija was not expected to do much at World Cup 81, and had home field advantage, which were two things going in their favor.

Now, of course, this is a different set of challenges for Marcus Waters, though it reflects on his wildly successful term with the Kadongo Kamu. The fact that they are now favorites to qualify shows how far they have come since he took over at the helm of a team that was almost falling apart halfway through World Cup 80 Qualifying. How will they navigate that over the course of World Cup Qualification? Criss-crossing the multiverse, going to various nations, taking everybody's best shots because people will now expect Banija to make the World Cup, and therefore, the extra incentive to knock us off our perch.

That said, that is not the approach Marcus Waters is taking, at least outwardly. "World Cup Qualification is one heck of a challenge." He told us in his squad announcement press conference. "Let's be frank- unless you're in the top 10, nothing is guaranteed in World Cup Qualification. While it''s easy to say, there are too many challenges to go out here, especially before the groups have been named, to name any real favorites to make the Finals. Banija's qualified for the World Cup only once via this route- we can't put our hands up and say we're through because of our ranking, because if we do, there's no chance we'll reach Valanora & Apox." However, he said that he is showing confidence in his squad. "We have some real talent up and down this team's lineup, from players like Kahara and Afolayan, even to players like Bereket in net, and Jalang Ba in the back. This is our best squad for a long while. We have a lot of young players, and it may take some time for us to grow together, but be sure, the ability to reach Valanora & Apox is well within our reach."

OF course, as qualifying approaches, the RBSA set up five friendlies to get the national team ready. The results of these friendlies were... Mixed, if you want to be polite about it. Mixed at best. The first one, was a visit to our own archrivals, the Equestrian States. Is there a nation that Banijans want to beat more than them? They've beaten us in every head to head matchup, His Majesty signed the first military surrender of a Banijan monarch in almost 200 years at Busukuma Bay upon one of their war vessels, and generally, even in other sports, from water polo to hockey, the Equestrians have had the upper hand in head to head matchups. Many were hoping that the day had arrived where the Banijans finally struck back at their larger neighbors.

That day, had not arrived. In fact, we suffered our worst performance yet in this installment of the rivalry, getting smoked, 4-0, in Manehattan. Aaron Aiza- and I'm sure we all remember him- opened the scoring in the 5th minute, while Luminesce, Krysia Bailey, and Decima all added to the tally to seal the fates of the Banijans. It was a poor game all-around. The first test of the new partnership in the midfield, Ablie Kah and Amadi Uche, failed miserably, as they were thoroughly torn about by the Equestrian central midfielders for the duration of the match. And since their 'Jordan Rules' approach towards containing Pristina Shine wouldn't really make sense for a friendly, our defenders were frequently lost, with the youngster Kawsu Kaba getting repeatedly picked on by the veteran striker.

There were four matches after that one. The next was a visit to the Commonwealth of Baker Park. A much better result for the Banijans, where the two sides drew 1-1 in Mansfield, a city that is host to a large Banijan migrant community. Then, a trip to their growing fanbase in the Royal Kingdom of Quebec, where they drew 2-2 with Mytanija in a well attended matchup at The Renéegrad, where both Marbue Owusu and Toyuwa Okafor made their final appearances wearing the shirt. That was followed up with an excellent performance in Darmen, Banija's group stage opponents in World Cup 81, where they beat their hosts by a score of 5-2. A win, finally, things were starting to look solid- the first game where Yitebarke, Okparro, Afolayan, and Kahara looked like they flowed and played well together. And then, their final warmup- Qasden.

The friendly was a disaster. They lost, 4-0, on their home soil, therefore starting and ending this series in the same way, with a 4-0 loss to a subregional neighbor in the Glorious Southwest. The Qasden side shredded the Banijans in all kinds of different ways- the national team was actually booed at the end. The manager, Marcus Waters, said that he was 'disgusted' with the performance. "Qasden is a quality opponent, and we thought this would be a good game. But this just shows us how far we have to go. When we're losing 4-0 on home soil, and allowing our visitors to have 65% possession, something is seriously wrong. There's a lot we need to fix, and believe me, we're gonna get back to the drawing board so that kind of debacle doesn't happen again."

We'll see what happens when the group draw arrives and we know our opponents. Not the start we wanted, but we'll see if the Banijans can get things fixed, or if these friendlies were a worrying sign of things to come.

by **Geektopia** » Sat Mar 02, 2019 6:12 pm

Russ de Andes continuing to score a goal a game in Geektopian competition
Looking at the statistics

When Russ de Andes speaks about his formative years in the Megistonian town of Arkapelajo, he remembers goals. Very many of them. These goals, he says, has helped him to escape the life of drugs that befell several peers. He recalls that many of his
boyhood strikes were scored sporting a Archa CF jersey with retired legend Tethra Tope's name and number on the back.

Going forward ten years, and the 21 year old is catching up with his idol's record of most assists taken in the country of Geektopia. His signing has rocketed him to relevance and made him the country's foremost marksman. From there on, all eyes are on him to lead the national team into stardom.

by **Starblaydia** » Sat Mar 02, 2019 8:12 pm

OOC: Please take this as my official resignation from the post of WCC President, with full IC justification for the OOC reason of being made a Forum Moderator.
EDIT: I'm tempted to leave the misspellings of 'Halatyrion' in, so brilliantly pointed out by the limerick below, but for posterity would prefer this spelled right!

Tororin Halatyrion, President-Elect of the
World Cup Committee and former President
of the Starblaydi Football Association

Finally, today was the day: the official beginning of the Halatyrion Presidency over the World Cup Committee.

For Tororin Halatyrion, World Cup winner and World Cup Hall of Famer, this day represented almost a century of work. That was no real feat for an elf, of course, as even the lowliest artisans could spend millennia honing their craft, but it had been hard work nonetheless. Halatyrion's determination was his defining factor, an iron will to win at whatever it was that he did. His football career had been entirely based on this, proving that he was a winner, even if it did mean tussling with the sweaty and muddy life forms on the football field who were otherwise beneath him. He'd won the World Cup, in the 44th edition, and he'd since been selected as one of the twenty-four Starblaydi entries into the World Cup Hall of Fame. He'd needed to be the President of the Starblaydi Football Association at the time to ensure his nomination had happened, of course, but if you can't acknowledge the former players of the game who became its greatest administrators, then what even was the point of it all?

He frowned at the air, imagining that he could hear a deep thrumming noise at a level so low it would be imperceptible to the humans around him. The fool of a Digital Communications flunkie he kept around was pointing his smartphone at him, presumably taking a picture to post on the SFA's twii.tur feed without his explicit permission.

"Stop that at once," Halatyrion snapped, not even looking at the man.

"I just thought you looked particularly, um," Scott Daytona - SFA Digital Communications - searched for the world, "presidential."

"What I am is irritated," Halatyrion growled back, "at that infernal noise. Can you hear it-no, no of course you can't. Pitiful human ears."

Scott didn't actually have anything to say to that. It's not like he could throw his phone at his insufferable boss, strike him cleanly in the side of the head and yell his resignation at him. First of all, the elf would probably dodge the flying phone and then immediately eviscerate him, and secondly the SFA job was a literal dream come true. It was a brand recognised and respected the world over, and he was shaping the social conversation with it. Scott was trying to think of some sort of comeback that involved the pointiness of his boss' ears, when the World Cup Committee delegation arrived.

Technically, they held passports belonging to a nation called 'NSWC Signups'. It was a strange country, that no-one really knew where it resided, nor how to get there. What even were the people called, Signupians? It was 'Officials', apparently, which both Scott and President-Elect Halatyrion thought was a particularly silly demonym for any nation, much less one called 'Signups'. These men and women, these Officials dull faces in dull grey suits and strangely gallic accents, were walking over to their new President. Of course Tororin Halatyrion had already been ruling the World Cup Committee on an informal, day-to-day basis, he was just waiting for the very beginning of the 82nd World Cup Qualifiers to officially take the reins from Lúthwen Falanae of Valanora, the outgoing President. All he'd done so far was officially provide over the registration process for the 82nd World Cup - the Signups, you might say. So that was why...

"What is that horrendous buzzing noise?" Halatyrion spat, becoming ever more infuriated at a sound apparently only he could hear.

But it wasn't just him. Scott could hear it too, like a thousand motorbikes all revving their engines at once over the hill. But it wasn't motorbikes. The NSWC Signups Officials simply smiled and looked to the horizon. There was something beyond the trees. Lots of somethings.

The rhythmic, low-frequency vibrations quickly became obvious as to what they were. An entire fleet of military-grade heavy-lifting helicopters, the twin-rotor types with long, wide, heavy bodies that looked like a stubby cargo container all flying in an angry swarm towards them. But it wasn't a random, swirling mass of angry insects coming towards them, it was the steady, organised, formation approach of professionals who had done this many times before. It wasn't just the aircraft, by any means, they were carrying something. Even at this distance, great thick cables hung taught from the bellies of the fat-bottomed airframes as they carried it - it was definitely a singular 'it' from their unflinching formation - closer and closer to where they stood in the lush grounds of the Starblaydi Football Association HQ.

"That is not happening here." Halatyrion managed to say, eventually.

"Par-don?" The NSWC Signups Official inclined her head, raising her eyebrows ever so subtly.

"That, that... monstrosity," Halatyrion glared at her, jabbing an accusing finger at the enormous payload of the helicopter fleet, "is not being set down here."

"Oh, but of course it is," the Official said, her eyes flicking down to her notes for the briefest of moments, "zis has been ze procedure since zee beginning of ze Committee."

"Well it's not happening here," Halatyrion said, a face like thunder.

Scott wondered whether the Officials were worried at this point, or not. Tororin Halatyrion, like all elves, was an exceptionally dangerous person when angry. He could likely kill them all with his bare hands, assuming he wasn't already carrying some finely-crafted elven blade about his person, in which case it would be triflingly easy to dispatch them all in a few moments. Halatryion was the type of person who looked like he'd done that before. When you're as powerful as he is, who in authority would there be to fear? Scott himself never wanted to break the law, he was afraid of the police, afraid of being arrested. Without the fear of arrest, he thought to himself, he'd probably punch three or four people a day. On the bus to work in the morning. Often children. Genuinely. But the rule of law and the swift hand of justice would apply to him, and he'd go to jail. so he behaved as per society's rules. Tororin Halatyrion didn't need to worry so much about the rule of law, it seemed. He was connected. And the NSWC Signups Officials didn't seem to know a death-stare when they saw one directed at them.

"But wizout ze mechanism of the World Cup Committee-" the Official began.

"Take it over to the bloody ponies! Candace can have it," Tororin interruped, spitting out his words, "or, even, shift it across Calania to the Vilitans and their excessive vowels. I'm not having it."

"Zen you cannot be ze Presi-"

"Get it out of here!" Halatyrion screamed.

"As you wish." The Officials immediately started making phone calls, and within seconds the fleet of helicopters changed course, flying over the heads of Tororin, Scott and the Officials, with the solid micronation of NSWC Signups blotting out the sun above them for several minutes as it was transported off and away to the Equestrian States.

It was over. Tororin Halatyrion officially had the shortest reign of any President of the World Cup Committee, and Princess Candace would take his place. Scott now really needed to think of some way of spinning this.

by **Main Nation Ministry** » Sun Mar 03, 2019 1:17 am

A Public Server Video sponsored by the Truth News

"This is Roger Slater, greeting all of you viewers in what has been marked as Day 1 of the Hell Crisis. To many, we might not understand on how the concept of Hell works, but we can still discuss this new event which the Ministry is pushing for immigration towards other nations in the multi-verse.

"They look like us. They might behave like us. But who are they really? They are referred to, as demons. According to government officials, demons will normally wear what other demons would describe as a "costume". This is why most demons you don't realize you see are human. Most of them are dressed and disguised as humans. They are aware of their true appearance that can scare the public. The nation is currently entering a state of paranoia to which they don't want to make worse. Most would refer to them as "ex-convicts" due to their background of committing what many religious people within the Many Moons would say as sins. Their public reception is currently mixed in Main Nation Ministry. A reception many people in the Ministry are being worried about. To learn more about this crisis, we must interview a fellow demon to know about the matter. For privacy reasons, we have hid the identify of this individual."

John Doe: "I was really glad and nervous when I saw the surface world. The nation is bit of a rocky start, but I don't want to directly criticize the government. Hell from where I came from is overpopulated. It's like a landscape of violence and despair. But you just get used to it. The forces from the Ministry of National Security started entering Hell to construct the border gates, which was chaotic, since there was this sense of tension in the air. Most of the guys who entered were still on their guard. Some of them fired some warning shots, but I did see some fights."

"According to Dorbi Truman, they have made a border wall inside Hell to deal with the issue of dangerous demons from entering Main Nation Ministry. We interview him for thoughts of the matter."

Dorbi Truman: "Our plan is to make sure that there are those who are civilized and educated enough to behave normally in an environment like this. We set up a system that has receive some criticism, because it's been called bureaucratic. Demons in hell are being given passports and entry permits before they can fully exit Hell. There are several highly trained inspectors who examine their background, along with making sure that the passports and entry permits they have are certified to give them clearance. Currently it's successful, though the entry ratio is currently 1:50 demons every day. Another criticism is that the lines at the border wall is so long that it could take days. We couldn't deal with fixing these issues, since the surrounding area in Hell was too inhospitable to make any major changes."

"And what does the Leader have in mind for these new individuals entering our multi-verse?"

The Leader: "What my plan is basically a test to not just Main Nation Ministry, but every nation in the multi-verse. We are asking if you would like to have demons be civilians in your nation. You can say no. However, violence and oppression will not your answer. The only ones who fail this tests are the hypocrites who claim to not be a ruthless society, but display attributes they limit the civil rights of certain groups. Demons come in all sorts of certain sizes. They are monsters, drug or alcohol abusers, freaks, sexual deviants, fallen heroes, and just people who made some bad choices in their lives that caught up with them in the worst of times. I will reveal some common characteristics, which you should take note of."

1. Costumes and Markings: "Demons will be wearing costumes. However, after a demon has passed clearance, they are implanted with a tracking chip in their system. On the wrist of most demons, you can find a triangle shaped mark to show their presence as a demon. Some might hide this, but if a demon goes in a berserk state, the chip will send a signal to nearby authorities which will reach that demon's location."

2. Carnivore Behavior: "Demons are assigned to behave as omnivores. However, a demon will be interested in mostly meat. If you note someone being a large meat eater, they may or may not be a demon."

3. Overall Lifestyle: "Some demons, despite being educated and civilized might repeat traits that happened before or during their trip in Hell. While they cannot fully clarify this tip here, it's possible to determine who a demon might be, depending on their overall lifestyle and behavior."

The Leader: "Now all I ask is this. I might be a dictator who had hundreds killed, but can we just get along. We cannot have demons in one nation at once. It's extremely dangerous to do so, if a riot would to happen. The casualties rate will skyrocket as a result. I know of several nations who can get the courage to have some demons in their hands. If you are watching, you need to make sure that you do the right thing. Please trust me on this."

"Are you ready?"

by **Sajnur** » Sun Mar 03, 2019 5:14 am

Zwangzug wrote:Hope City Herald: Hanna's Hot Hits

Not sure what's more impressive, that Alen Hrdaljko got the captain's armband for Mytanija in only his second game with the full team, or that he uses five of the letters on the middle row of my keyboard.

To the editor, re "Hanna's Hot Hits"

In your latest article about the upcoming World Cup, you list out several players of the Zwangzug national team and give some quick profiles about them. However, I noticed an error in your paper. While reporting your shock at the news of Alen Hrdaljko's selection as captain, you claim that Hrdaljko's name requires five letters from the middle row of the keyboard. However, unless you are using an AZERTY keyboard, Hrdaljko's name actually requires six letters from the middle row.

Regards, a pedantic Sajnuran
Western Province, Sajnur

by **Zwangzug** » Sun Mar 03, 2019 10:11 am

Sajnur wrote:
Zwangzug wrote:Hope City Herald: Hanna's Hot Hits

Not sure what's more impressive, that Alen Hrdaljko got the captain's armband for Mytanija in only his second game with the full team, or that he uses five of the letters on the middle row of my keyboard.

To the editor, re "Hanna's Hot Hits"

In your latest article about the upcoming World Cup, you list out several players of the Zwangzug national team and give some quick profiles about them. However, I noticed an error in your paper. While reporting your shock at the news of Alen Hrdaljko's selection as captain, you claim that Hrdaljko's name requires five letters from the middle row of the keyboard. However, unless you are using an AZERTY keyboard, Hrdaljko's name actually requires six letters from the middle row.

Regards, a pedantic Sajnuran
Western Province, Sajnur

To our foreign readership,

Thank you very much for bringing this issue to our attention. As a proud member of the National Socialist Grammarian Writers' Party, I can assure you that there is no issue too pedantic to notice.

Upon conferring with Hanna, I have been informed that she "wasn't looking for the D," which appears to be a double-entendre of some kind. Despite her sloppy work, we will need to keep her around until we find someone else with an alliterative name to take over the column.

Best,
Nathan Wentworth,
Editor, Hope City Herald
Hope City, Croop

by **Indusse** » Sun Mar 03, 2019 8:39 pm

INDOSPORTS GAZETTE

New hind city: Indusse has arrived at the world cup venues on Saturday. Indusse is in the joy of defeating starlaydia in the first round of the Olympics hosted by free republics. Indusse best and the last world cup, WC 81 was also hosted by free republics with banija. In the qualifiers of the WC , indusse wqs defeated by a group of inactive players from eshan.

FROM VALANORA AND APOX

by **The Sherpa Empire** » Mon Mar 04, 2019 4:47 am

‭The path was steep and treacherous. At times, Danu feared he might lose his footing and tumble into the chasm below. He was out of breath by the time he reached the little monastery perched high on a ledge. A monk invited him in and offered him tea. They asked why he had come.

‭"They say you have the power to open portals to other worlds," said Danu.

‭"We do, but it is not to be used lightly," said the monk. "If you leave this world, there is no guarantee that you will be able to return."

‭"I don't want to come back," said Danu. "The liberals have ruined this world. Can you send me to a world where the Emperor Mingma accepted Hitler's alliance and the Axis powers won World War 2?"

‭The monk frowned. "I can, but I don't think you will like it. Why don't you just move to a conservative city like Lhasa or Thimphu?"

‭"Lhasa and Thimphu are not out of the reach of the liberals and the Islamic terrorists they like to coddle."

‭"If we open a portal to a world like that, we can't leave it open," said the monk. "It's too dangerous. We would have to close it behind you, and you would not be able to come back."

‭"I don't want to come back," Danu insisted.

‭"You should at least sleep on it before you make up your mind," said the monk. "Why don't you stay the night, and in the morning, if you still want to go to a world where the Nazis won World War 2, we will send you."

‭Danu was annoyed at the wait. The dinner the monks shared with him was bland, there was nothing to do around the monastery except watch the monks go about their routine burning incense, spinning prayer wheels, and chanting, and the bed they offered him was not particularly comfortable. He was up most of the night tossing and turning, unable to sleep. In the morning, he insisted that he still wanted the monks to send him to a world where the Nazis won World War 2, and so they did.

‭The Sherpa Empire, 1058:

‭Prince Sonam stood on the edge of the tarmac at Syangboche Airport. He was accompanied by his personal staff and a handful of reporters. A bitterly cold wind was blowing, but they ignored it. They were warmly dressed in luxurious fur-lined coats, and good manners were more important than the weather anyway. A plane touched down with a swastika on its tail -- not the cheery multi-colored swastika of the Sherpa Empire, but the crooked black one of the Third Reich. They watched as the plane taxied to a stop, their airport staff rolled a set of stairs over, and stuffy-looking German men in Nazi uniforms or drab suits climbed down one by one. When Ribbentrop appeared, Sonam stepped forward to greet him, but before they could meet and shake hands, Ribbentrop collapsed and one of his staff had to catch him to keep him from falling down the stairs. The Germans yelled for a medic, and Sherpas rushed over to help.

‭Sonam rode to the hospital with Ribbentrop. When his condition had stabilized and the nurses left the Sherpa prince and his translator alone with the Germans, Sonam pulled up a chair at Ribbentrop's bedside. "Do you feel well enough to talk?" he asked.

‭Ribbentrop said he did.

‭"Let's talk about National Socialism, then," said Sonam. "I understand that one of the goals of National Socialism is to improve the gene pool, destroying the weeds so that the flowers can grow, so to speak."

‭Ribbentrop agreed that this was something many people in Hitler's Germany wanted to do.

‭"Would you mind then if I shut off this oxygen tank?"

‭Ribbentrop protested that he needed the oxygen tank to help him breathe.

‭"The rest of us can breathe just fine without any special apparatus," said Sonam. "Your party says that the Reich's success will be built on the racial superiority of the German people, but you are not superior. You can't even live in this place. This is the capital of my country, the center of the Sherpa world. There are tens of thousands of people who live here, but you cannot survive among us. And yet you expect us to believe that you are some sort of übermensch."

‭Ribbentrop got very huffy and insisted that altitude sickness had nothing to do with National Socialism or racial science. He said the primary marker of superior races was their intelligence.

‭"It's not very intelligent to send someone who gets altitude sickness on a diplomatic mission in the high Himalayas," Sonam said. "There is no way around it. Your ideology is simply not true. There may be some truth in the innate differences between the races, but you are not judging them fairly. If you allow false beliefs to govern your actions, you will eventually come to ruin, and I would rather not follow you over the ledge." He smiled and attempted to sound reassuring as he said, "We will return you to Berlin whenever you feel well enough to travel, but don't feel you have to rush."

‭Scherpareich, 1938:

‭"Would you mind then if I shut off this oxygen tank?" Sonam asked.

‭Ribbentrop protested that he needed the oxygen tank to help him breathe.

‭"The rest of us can breathe just fine without any special apparatus," said Sonam. "Your party says that the Reich's success will be built on the racial superiority of the German people, but you are not superior. You can't even live in this place. This is the capital of my country, the center of the Sherpa world. There are tens of thousands of people who live here, but you cannot survive among us. And yet you expect us to believe that you are some sort of übermensch."

‭"I am German too and I am fine," one of Ribbentrop's underlings cut in. "Please, don't let one man's unexpected health scare stand in the way of an alliance that will benefit both our nations."

‭Sonam still was not very impressed with the Nazis. It took several days of intense negotiations before the German diplomats finally won him over.

by **Nephara** » Mon Mar 04, 2019 5:28 am

THE HERALD
NOBODY GETS WHAT THEY WANT IN DEEPLY IRONIC ELECTION
Rutger Adler

Well, it's official. Florian Pritchard has been sworn in as the new Margrave, after proving he could assemble a coalition government between his Nationals and Sherry Garnett's ambitious, opportunistic Liberal Alliance. 342 seats are needed to take majority government; the Nationals and Alliance scraped over the line to 344. But where does this leave us?

Pritchard ran on a campaign based around stability, and a coherent if uninspiring message. Pritchard was going to end the Parliamentary turmoil and the ugly scenes of the Pro Dems eating their own tail, as long as the people could just elect his party to a majority. They could not - by a five-seat margin, Casper Sands' Pro Dems squeaked ahead.

Sands was a strong choice by the Pro Dems, the well-liked, well-spoken Minister for Education, one who had emerged largely unscathed from the divisive (though thus far very successful) UBI rollout and the debate to see through the war in Sameba. But the turmoil of the past three years took a toll on Moving Forward, traditional allies in a relatively easy Red-Green coalition, and the Progressive Democrats were forced to look for the Liberal Alliance for solace.

None was forthcoming. Sherry Garnett had crunched the numbers - she had the luxury of playing kingmaker. And for her unashamedly globalist, free-market liberal party, the Nationals were a far more natural bedfellow. There was no controversy there as to whether or not to strengthen ties with Eura and the CRC, and both were content to see the UBI through now that the bloody job of implementation had been done with.

But why did the people vote National? For stability. For a government that was reliably pulling the same way for the same cause. And the Nationals and Alliance don't agree on every point - the Alliance would rather focus on peacekeeping efforts elsewhere (or, in Garnett's words, 'starting the healing process') than continue sticking the boot in north, while elements of the Nationals want to look at immigration reform in a way that chafes with the Alliance's free-movement principles. Those elements have already had a kick in the teeth, with Pritchard floating the idea of openly advertising the understaffed capital of Corvistone as a place for scarred north Euran refugees to settle.

What to take away from the fallout of this election period? Perhaps we Nepharim have been spoiled by strong leaders in the recent past, and perhaps that's gone a long way to papering over the cracks. The conflict between the old labour powerbrokers of the Progressive Democrats and its new, wealthier urban support base, and their respective visions of what the left should look like; the Nationals' need to evolve beyond hawkish blowhards in power and silent statues out of it, waiting for a Pro Dem implosion before taking advantage as 'the safe option'.

The backlash against Moving Forward for their consistent dove stance with Sameba, one unlikely to be vindicated by history. And the new appetite for the pluralistic optimism of the Liberal Alliance, the first party who look truly unrecognisable to the old Confederacy, casting aside old traditions of protectionism and insularity. It turns out that the modern Nepharim wants to be told they can influence the world, for the better.

As the dust settles in the north, further questions present themselves. It's no longer about how hard to stick the boot into Sameba, but of how to build bridges going forward. It's clear that Nepharim and Euran futures are intertwined for the foreseeable future, and on the face of it it seems a natural alliance between prominent Southeast Rushmori social democracies, both among the founding members of the CRC.

But Nepharim are used to being big dogs, such as in the days of the Serenes Accord, or not playing at all. Will we, as a society, chafe when we're seen as the 'little sibling' of the Euran juggernaut? There have already been rumblings around Corvistone that outgoing Margravine Fern and Prime Minister Yarley clashed over policy and conduct of the war, though they unfailingly said the right things to the cameras. Though the Nationals and especially the Alliance are a more natural fit with Yarley's own brand of liberal politics, Pritchard will not want to seem like a pushover, and stand up for Nepharim values when they could be compromised.

Florian Pritchard coasted to office as a default option surrounded by turmoil. Now he has to prove he's the man to negotiate this country out of it. In the meantime, all those who voted for him in the name of stability are forced to wonder to what extent Garnett's opportunistic kingmakers are the ones pulling the strings.

by **Kita-Hinode** » Mon Mar 04, 2019 2:03 pm

WORLD CUP 82 QUALIFIERS
"Kyung-Ja is a liability" says new boss Lingard
MISEI CITY - Hinodejin football as a whole was shocked with the reverberations of the latest national squad declared by the new boss, Nepharim born Eleanor Lingard. Seen as an offensive-minded manager, she plans to have the Poltergeists play in a 4-3-3 format, something that is completely new for the national team, a group that had previously been playing (when not utterly in the defence) neutrally. That's not the piece of big news, however, as the list of twenty-three players did not include Kanshiro Lopunnies star and arguably the best Hinodejin footballer of the current day Sang Kyung-Ja, on the basis that she's currently nursing her ailing health back home after what should be her fifth concussion.

When confronted over said choice, Lingard scoffed the notion that she was doing this out of bravado for a new wave of Hinodejin football, instead focusing on the more obvious answer. "She's a liability as is. Not that I want to ignore her talent, but considering how much her brain has been shaken about, I'm surprised she's alive, let alone standing. The girl should retire, for her own good," stated the new boss of Hinodejin football. Other Hinodejin players had their own opinions over the subject, though most names were more supportive of their new manager over their former teammate. Of note, however, were the comments of Mimi Akazukin (a new name that was called up after her performances for the Miare CosmoStars) and Kamalani Kanani (formerly of the Hokuto Senateurs, recently joined powerhouse Pascal Mashu), who were both very critical of the former star of the Poltergeists. "We don't need dead weight to try and carry us," said Akazukin in a mocking tone, "she should sod off to her home, try to be a manicure or something." Kanani was mostly boastful about it, saying "Look, we don't need 'Miss Joseon' here. You guys got Kamalani Kanani, the best of the best, lay waste to the rest."

Kyung-Ja was surprisingly fine about most comments, in a mournful tone as she laid in a hospital bed, still receiving treatment. "I understand why madam Lingard chose not to pick me. It's fair and right. I just... I just don't want to quit. But I guess that after that last shake, I... I'd rather rest? I'll see. Won't make any guarantees, but she might be on to something there," she said among tears. Kanshiro Lopunnies, her team, has made known in the past that, should she wish to retire, the team would completely understand her decision and, hopefully, would only have to cope with a couple of days of rioting as a result. Chaolan Zaibatsu, one of the head businesses in the Cyborg wing of Hinodejin economy has once again signalled to Kyung-Ja that she would be welcomed to take part in a simple procedure that would turn her into one half-robotic person with prospects towards more years into football, but the Kanshiro-born offensive midfielder has rejected such offers in the past.

In a bit of poor timing, the Lopunnies' head office has been looking into signing the player that was responsible for the tackle that caused their star player to go down, Morrissey-born offensive midfielder Minka Munroe of the Jeane Palace team that almost won the Traveller's Trophy last season.

by **Mytanija** » Mon Mar 04, 2019 6:39 pm

PRE-QUALIFYING FRIENDLY REVIEW
WE GET A FIRST LOOK AT THE TACTICS AND PLAYERS REPIN MIGHT USE IN WC82 QUALIFYING

by Nevenka Planinc

Well the Repin era has begun and the new manager hit the ground running, scheduling five friendly games ahead of the marathon couple of years he has ahead of him - known to most people as World Cup qualifying. He's selected a large national pool, from which he'll select the squads that will try to get Mytanija to the 82nd World Cup, the players have a lot of games ahead of them - both for club and country - between now and then, but the friendly results should give them some confidence that they can at least carry a tag of 'potential dark horses' around with them wherever they go. The Mytanar team didn't lose a game and Repin experimented, bringing new players into the starting line-up and using some formations that we haven't really seen before with the national team. Repin confirmed his reputation as an arch-strategist, prepared to pull out unusual formations to flummox the opposition and in the 4-6-0 he may well have a set-up that could cause issues for even the most experienced campaigners. More importantly, he may have the players to carry out such an unorthodox formation successfully. Here's a quick round-up of how each friendly went, there will be a follow-up to this article with a more in-depth analysis of the tactics employed by Repin thus far, as well as things to watch out for during qualifying. Keep an eye out for that!

QUSMO 0-1 MYTANIJA (at Mastad Vlyva, Vlyv; attendance: 57,128)
MYT: Straka 64'

QUS: Xynat-Evela; Cunix-Betva (sub. Ozolx-Alfan 46'), Zenon-Gerol, Yelto-Alfan; Yunal-Julad (sub. Jerat-Jonto 46'); Helek-Nenzi, Ilinx-Kepex (C), Forzu-Ralox; Ilinx-Vulav; Paliv-Zilit, Xilit-Zaxac (sub. Prant-Pertz 46')
MYT: Kasun (C); P. Odonelec, Apostolov, Zupan (sub. Muhic 80'), Nikolov; Vukomanovic, Kupresak, Hrdaljko (sub. Pogaenik 72'); Drzic; Andrijasevic (sub. Derajevic 57'), Straka

Everyone in Mytanija loves a good old-fashioned Rushmori derby and whilst a game against Qusmo may not carry the history of a game against the likes of Eura, for example, it is still a great opportunity to get one over a local neighbour and Lev Repin was pleased that it was with this sort of fixture that the blue-touch paper was lit on his managerial reign. "These are the games I used to love as a player, I remember walking out against the likes of Eura, Polar Islandstates and Astograth and the hairs on your neck would tingle. Every single player on the pitch knows what it means and wants to win, it's local bragging rights and that makes it that bit more important," Repin said in his pre-game interview. On the pitch, he would send the team out in the 4-3-1-2 formation that he inherited from Robin Hjik, he did however make a couple of left-field personnel decisions though: notably the inclusion of young Patrik Odonelec, cousin of Jasno, who made his international debut at left-back. The midfield trio of Vukomanovic, Kupresak and Hrdaljko all also started in their first cap.

Qusmo also sent out an experimental line-up, with an unusual take on a 3-5-2 formation. It was an opportunity for both managers to try something new, but that didn't mean that they didn't want to win the fixture. Anton-Dusan Straka looked dangerous every time Mytanija gained possession in the middle of the park, with Alen Hrdaljko particularly impressive breaking up opposition attacks before immediately looking for the ball over-the-top to Straka on multiple occasions. It was nearly successful on the stroke of half-time, when Hrdaljko dispossessed Ilinx-Vulav before sending a beautifully weighted ball over the Qusmo back-line, Straka stole in and took the ball into his stride brilliantly, his shot only denied by a fine full-stretch save from Xynat-Evela. Qusmo's best chance of the game came just after the half-time interval when substitute Prant-Pertz used their strength to bundle Patrik Odonelec off the ball. They then sent a pass across the face of goal for Paliv-Zilit but the finish was rattled off the bar. Kasun, captaining the national side for the very first time, was well beaten and had the shot been just under the crossbar it would have been a surefire opening goal.

Repin introduced the mercurial Nyva Zvornik forward Anton Derajevic for Zlatan Andrijasevic, who had been a little ineffective on his international debut. Derajevic immediately injected a little bit of pizzazz into Mytanija's attack and worked well with Hrdaljko, who was making a good case for the Player of the Match award at this point. Mytanija's goal - in the 64th minute - came from a well-worked piece of play between the trio. Hrdaljko won possession in the centre of the park for what felt like the umpteenth time during the game and immediately got his head up, he was looking for the ball over-the-top once again but this time instead of playing it fizzed a lovely ball into the feet of Derajevic. He then used the pace already on the ball from Hrdaljko's pass to simply redirect it with what was almost a back-heel. It was onto this that Anton-Dusan Straka charged and he slotted home for his first international goal. It was a nice piece of play and a good sign for Repin that his substitution seemed to work. The game finished 1-0 and Mytanija could be pleased with a hard-fought victory away in Qusmo.

MYTANIJA 4-1 NY OPPLAND (at Westfalenstadion, Prizren; attendance: 77,645)
MYT: Zgela 12', Andrijasevic 18', Kupresak 56', Kalinic 85'
OPP: Spinkvik 60' (pen)

MYT: Muminovic; Vukovic, Anac, Jernejec, Isaev (C); Vukomanovic, Kupresak (sub. Brkljacic 72'), Pogaenik (sub. Vlahovic 45'); J. Odonelec; Andrijasevic, Zgela (sub. Kalinic 45')
OPP: Myhr; Lehtola, Kjaergaard, Kjalarsson (sub. Skov 66'), Rokhaug; Glerfoss (sub. Kuoppala 59'), Akerstrom, Spinkvik (C), Stiansen; Solveig, Thygesen (sub. Vignes 76')

Mytanija followed up the Rushmori derby with Qusmo with a slightly less glamorous affair, a home game at the Westfalenstadion versus Ny Oppland. The Estanian Union country has a lot of history in Mytanar football. Liria Prizen legend and Top League record goalscorer Miki Sipilainen is of course from Oppland and they travelled to Mytanija with hopes of causing an upset. Repin set his team out in the 4-3-1-2 once again, but made several changes to the starting eleven. Anac and Jernejec were partnered in the centre of defence, as they are for their club side - something Repin likes to do, he did it with Apostolov and Zupan versus Qusmo, too. Pogaenik came on against Qusmo but started against Oppland and Jasno Odonelec was introduced to the line-up, along with a few other personnel changes. Oppland came into the game captained by 1896 Ebor stalwart Thorvar Spinvik, but they also possess a trio of players that ply their trade in Prahecq: goalkeeper Leif Myhr and forwards Solveig and Thygesen. It will be no surprise to see more of Oppic players return to the Top League now that Mytanija is starting to return to normal following the Mytanar Conflict.

Dejan Zgela, making his international debut, was another introduced to the starting eleven and he made the most of the opportunity with a fine finish 12 minutes in. Zgela's movement constantly bamboozled the Oppic centre-halves, he'd drop deep regularly and it became difficult for them to follow him which allowed him the time on the ball to select a pass into the feet of Jasno Odonelec, who played the one-two back to Zgela who then promptly notched the opening goal of the game. A mere six minutes later Zlatan Andrijasevic got his first international goal, heading home from a corner whipped in by Odonelec - the 1912 Stelburg man getting his second assist of the game. At half-time Repin had a bit of a tactical reshuffle, bringing Vlahovic and Kalinic on for Pogaenik and Zgela respectively. This heralded a formation change, from the 4-3-1-2 to a 4-2-3-1.

The second half began with a statement of intent from Boris Kalinic, the Directus man has long been ignored by the national set-up and he seemed to determined to ensure that this wouldn't continue. He took the ball from the halfway line, past three Oppic defenders before cutting inside and smashing a shot from all of 25 yards against the post. The work preceding the shot almost deserved a goal, almost foreshadowing what was to come. Kupresak got a debut goal in the 56th minute, burying a low drive past Myhr after what felt like an eternity of the Mytanar forwards being camped around the Oppic penalty area without creating a clear opportunity. Andrijasevic finally laid the ball off for Kupresak who made no mistake with his effort. Oppland would get a consolation on the hour mark, winger Stiansen doing some sterling work down the right before playing inside to the youngster Thygesen who was brought down by a slightly clumsy Jernejec (in this game the mistake was harmless, but that sort of error could cloud Repin's opinion, Jernejec was clearly disappointed in giving away the foul). Spinkvik coolly slotted the penalty home, ruining Muminovic's clean sheet on his debut.

Kalinic completed the goal scoring in the final few minutes of the game, latching onto a volleyed through ball by Branko Brkljacic, testing his first touch by bringing the ball in first time. He then came up against Lehtola, played the ball through the poor left-back's legs before sprinting past him and belting the ball past Myhr for Mytanija's fourth. A solid victory and four goals from players that were either making their debut or have been recently introduced/reintroduced to the national team will give Repin some early confidence. Oppland should be credited with a reasonable effort and one thing is certain: the likes of Kjalarsson, Glerfoss, Akerstrom and Stiansen will surely have caught the eye of some Top League clubs as they distinguished themselves even in heavy defeat.

SIOVANIJA AND TEUSLAND 2-2 MYTANIJA (at Draistadion, St. Jakob; attendance: 60,000)
STL: Ribbeck 31', Witzel 66'
MYT: Ocokoljic 25', 43'

STL: Zhelyaskov; Schorner, Jager, Lichtwark, Ambroz; Kogler, Kramer (C) (sub. Kostov 65'), Witzel, Lukonov (sub. Romanov 65'); Ribbeck, Reichwein (sub. Kynev 80')
MYT: Kasun; Vukovic, Anac, Obadko, Isaev (C) (sub. Nikolov 72'); Brkljacic, Fejzuli (sub. Kupresak 62'); Vlahovic, Ocokoljic (sub. Drzic 67'), Zgela, Kalinic

Well, here we go, this was the game where we started to see the real tinkering begin. The Mytanar national team travelled to Siovanija and Teusland and the city of St. Jakob for the opening of the Draistadion. There wasn't an empty seat in the house and they saw Lev Repin send his side out in the most peculiar formation, albeit with a much more experienced set of players than had been sent out in his opening couple of games as national team manager.

When the two teams lined-up it looked like Mytanija would be playing some variation on a 4-4-2, perhaps a 4-4-1-1 or even a 4-2-3-1. However, as the game began it was clear that the two nominal strikers (Ocokoljic and Zgela), were operating much deeper than they would be expected to if they were playing as, well, you know... strikers. They were dropping into the space between the home side's defence and midfield with regularity and it was instead the Mytanar wingers: Vlahovic and Kalinic, that were providing the penetration down the flanks. Every time Mytanija gained possession the pair would move high up the field, trying to drag Schorner and Ambroz with them to make the pitch as large as possible. They would dart in-behind almost on cue and Brkljacic and Fejzuli were trying to find them a lot too. It was almost like the Hrdaljko to Straka over-the-top ball had lit a light bulb in Repin's head and this was the idea that he churned out as a result. The thing is, it actually worked.

The opener came from exactly the sort of move described above, Tahir Fejzuli got the ball halfway inside his own half and swung a daisy-cutter of a pass in between Schorner and Jager for Kalinic to run onto. The Directus man collected the ball and tried to move across Schorner, putting his body in the way and he was successful in doing so, the full-back couldn't get near him and Kalinic drove to the byline as a result, smashing a low cross across the six-yard box for Jezdimir Ocokoljic who slid in, duly obliging with an easy finish to put the away side 1-0 up and send the raucous travelling support into delirium. Repin's tactic worked. Naturally, there was the small part where Ribbeck equalised six minutes later to worry about but this wasn't particularly a fault with the offensive make-up of the 4-6-0, but instead some genius play from the home side who moved the ball well when in possession - Ribbeck got on the end of a great passing move to make the score 1-1.

Just before half-time Mytanija would be ahead once more, this time it was Vlahovic who created the opportunity, a fine bit of skill leaving Ambroz in a heap. From there the Ararat wide-man approached the six-yard area from an acute angle, a shot was off the cards but Vlahovic had the option of either Ocokoljic or Zgela to pass to, he found the former and Ocokoljic - as always - finished superbly to put the team ahead once more. Siovanija and Teusland weren't cowed though, they are after all a quality team and they fought their way back again after half-time. Romanov came on for Lukonov in the 65th minute and a minute later he set-up the goal for Witzel. The goal wasn't dissimilar to Mytanija's second as Romanov sped away from Vukovic (not a sentence that can be written often!), before pulling the ball back to Witzel who laced a shot beyond Kasun to equalise. In the end the draw was probably a fair result, although it also does show how well this Mytanar side can do. Siovanija and Teusland are a good team and this was a creditable draw.

MYTANIJA 0-0 ZWANGZUG (at Novi Atletskistadion, Thessia; attendance: 65,678)

MYT: Muminovic; Vukovic (sub. Feric 45'), Apostolov, Jernejec, P. Odonelec; Gavrilovic, Hrdaljko (C), Pogaenik, Kalinic (sub. Nikic 60'); Drzic (sub. Straka 60'); Derajevic
ZWZ: Daunten (sub. Birla 45'); Scallop (sub. Levi-Gold 68'), Arokiaraj, Garland-Fowler, Schnee-Krull; Kukiseso (sub. Friede 68'), Twoni, Sayle-Bren, Ambaile-Hund, Jover (C); Gleason

In this fixture Repin tried a slightly more defensively responsible 4-4-1-1 formation, introducing Brajko Gavrilovic who was probably Mytanija's best player on the pitch. Alen Hrdaljko captained the team in only his second appearance too, something which was picked up in the international media. Particularly in Zwangzug's Hope City Herald which said the feat was impressive, but also noted (incorrectly), that his surname uses five letters on the middle row of a QWERTY keyboard. A pedantic Sajnuran picked up the error and corrected the journalist, Hrdaljko's surname actually requires SIX letters from the middle row of a standard QWERTY keyboard.

This fact was perhaps more interesting than a lot of the action on the pitch in what was a fairly uneventful 0-0 draw. The newspaper's editor did write back to the Sajnuran, claiming that the journalist "wasn't looking for the D." Hrdaljko, never one to shy away from a potentially controversial soundbite (ask Baker Park! In fact, ask them if he'll shy away from a controversial soundbite or a tough tackle - clue: he won't), deadpanned "I can help her find the D if she wants," by way of response. It remains to be seen whether Hanna will take him up on the offer, though. Team mates were seen jokingly goading Hrdaljko in training following the remark, chiding him for his 'poor game'.

BANIJA 2-2 MYTANIJA (at The Renéegrad, Renéegrad [QUE]; attendance: 75,872)
BNJ: Tamba 76', Jobateh 87'
MYT: Anac 5', Zgela 32'

BNJ: Bereket; Chidiebere (sub. Selassiee 45'), Ba, Kaba, Camara; Stofile, K. Okafor; Owusu (C); Kahara (sub. Ugonna 45'), T. Okafor (sub. Jobateh 45'), Tamba
MYT: Kasun; Vukovic, Anac (sub. Muhic 50'), Obadko, Isaev (C); Vukomanovic, Hrdaljko (sub. Kupresak 61'); Vlahovic, Drzic, Zgela, Kalinic (sub. Nikic 70')

The second coming of the 4-6-0 was against Banija in a neutral site friendly held in the Royal Kingdom of Quebec. An enormous crowd packed in, with a large travelling contingent from these shores supporting the team and holding their own against the large Banijan presence in The Renéegrad, bolstered by the large ex-pat community that nation has in Quebec. The under-21 squad met Banija in the Di Bradini Cup Group of Death, a 1-1 draw followed and it was a tough game. The two sides were even on everything and the Mytanar under-21s had to rely on a coin flip in order to progress from the group stage. Afterward, they did reach the final but fell 3-1 to Cosumar, Hrdaljko is a veteran of that team, along with Zgela. So they have played Banija before, but the vast majority of the team Lev Repin sent out had not and this was another opportunity for the new manager to see exactly how some of the new faces in the national pool can do against an established national side - Banija are ranked 21st in the KPB rankings.

Mojmir Anac started at centre-back and got his first goal for the national side as he powered home a header from Boris Kalinic's corner. The desire to get to the ball from Anac was particularly impressive, as was the cross from Kalinic who is fast becoming an important part of the national team. His 4 caps have yielded impressive results, providing goal contributions and plenty of attacking intent. He's been particularly impressive when Lev Repin has tried the 4-6-0 and this could almost become Kalinic's signature by the end of qualifying if his success continues in that vein. Kalinic was again to thank for the assist as Mytanija went 2-0 up, the 4-6-0 working exactly as desired as Drzic and Zgela both dropped deep. Zgela managed to bring Ba out with him and as Hrdaljko played a pass into Drzic - who was in acres of space - Kalinic ran into the space Ba vacated, too quick for Chidiebere and Drzic popped the ball over to him. Kalinic drove to the byline as Zgela broke his neck to try and get into the box and when Kalinic pulled the ball back it was almost behind the CDSA forward, but he managed to bring it into his stride and then fired low past Bereket to put the Hoops 2-0 ahead. A potentially famous win was in the offing.

A host of Banija changes on half-time gave them renewed impetus as they looked to put on a show for the sizeable ex-pat community present in The Renéegrad. Mytanija also made changes, Muhic came on for Anac in the 50th minute, with Kupresak brought on for Hrdaljko just after the hour. Finally, Sinisa Nikic made his first international appearance in a long time as he came on for Kalinic. This was ostensibly a more defensive move, with Nikic known to be more defensively responsible than Kalinic, but it may have worked counter-intuitively. Kalinic was always a great out-ball for Mytanija when he was on the field, always determined to try and get behind the Banijan defence down the right-hand side and him going off negated this threat and allowed the Banijan defence to push up a bit more. This in turn gave Drzic and Zgela less space as - quite simply - there wasn't as much to drop into. Without Kalinic bombing on, stretching the defence, it simply wasn't there.

Banija managed to give their fans the comeback they wanted, Tamba pulled one back with a fine strike from the edge of the penalty area in the 76th minute and substitute Jobateh gave Marcus Waters (Banija's coach, a native of Equestrian States), something to smile about as he scored the late equaliser. Jobateh demonstrating that substitutes can bide their time in order to gain the moniker of a 'super sub', scoring right before the end of the game and nearly even getting a winner from a late corner. The 2-2 scoreline was probably a fair result in the end and gave both managers plenty to think about ahead of World Cup qualifying.

As mentioned, look out for the follow-up article to this piece, featuring tactical analysis of Mytanija's formations during the pre-qualifying friendlies and things to look out for during WCQs!

by **Main Nation Ministry** » Mon Mar 04, 2019 8:25 pm

The Red Wagon: The Suburbs

The rural streets in Sector 10 were peaceful from the spring that was incurring. The trees on the sides of the road were growing freshly green leaves. The sidewalks of cement were neatly lined up from front and back. A man was busy washing his electric powered car in his driveway to notice the girl with the red wagon before him. It was probably for the best. Walking silently as the wind blew behind them, the only sounds that could be heard was the sounds of the wagon wheels move across the ground. The red wagon looked like it was brand new and freshly painted, if one would smell the fumes of the paint that had dried. Inside of the red wagon was a large bag that looked like it was stitched together with some sort of animal. The girl held on to her hat, as she made sure it didn't blow away from the wind, while her other hand was gripping the plastic black handle.

She arrived at the hilltop that while it wasn't the tallest of hills, it did overlook a part of the suburbs and areas around it. Bright Falls could be seen from far away, yet she wasn't doing business there. Her customers tend to be less busy here. She reached into her bag to get herself a small square of chocolate that appeared to have been unwrapped for her. Almost as if the bag had a mind of it's own. Heading down the other side of the hill, she found herself near a small park, where another biker was pedaling calmly behind her. The biker, who despite looking like he's knows that he's doing, was already exhausted. The man, in truth, was actually exercising since he put himself on a diet. "Hey kid? You selling cookies or something?" he said, where while he admits to himself he can't be on junk food, he couldn't help getting distracted. "Cookies? I'm more of a salesman than just cookies." the girl said.

The girl looked young as a middle school student, where she was.. why is she wearing a hat like that? The man been to FrightFest before, but it was only available at a certain part of the year. She looked like she was wearing a Halloween costume, despite it being the spring. "What are you selling then?" the man asked interested. "I sell what I would describe to be antiques. Though, I sell what I believe people would want the most."
"Like what? What do you think is going to interest me, then?"
"Well, let me see." the girl reached into her bag, digging around a bit to see what was inside. The man thought he saw what appeared to be a large spider crawled out of the bag, but his attention was focused back when the girl pulled a plate made out of a strange-looking material. "Is that? Carnival glass?" the man asked.

"Yes it is. I got it from someone else who doesn't really need it anymore. I wasn't lazy to leave it in it's original state, so I just cleaned it to make it presentable."
"I think I buy it for my wife. Her wedding anniversary is coming up, though even though I brought her a gift, I think I can take that as an extra."
"I see. If you're willing to pay, it will be a couple of chips."
"A couple of chips? What kind of chips?"
"I say about 3 chips."
"3 chips? You sure? This looks expensive?"
"It's partially on the house." the girl explained, as they made the transaction.

A mile up, she sold a wooden charm from a reddish oak on a string to a lady who was having some trouble gardening in her front yard. Near the pond, the girl gave an another man who seemed bored or down on his luck a fishhook with a strain of fox hair wrapped around the tip. After she made another sale, a soldier who was patrolling nearby noticed this occur. "That girl doesn't need to have a permit. She especially doesn't need to be from around here. A demon?" he thought, as he walked up to the girl, as she didn't seem to notice him as he walked across the street to confront her. He was about to reach her, until from his sight, the girl went pass a tree and then-

She was gone.

The soldier stopped in his tracks, confused. He looked on the other side of the tree to find no one there. He heard her wagon, but the sound stopped as she went pass the tree. What was she? A ghost? A gush of wind blew behind him. He didn't know how to explain it. Before he left to patrol somewhere else, he didn't seem to notice the girl's hat flying in the wind above him as it followed the current of wind to somewhere else.

One must hope it goes to someone who is of good will..

by **Xanneria** » Mon Mar 04, 2019 9:29 pm

What to expect out of your new BoF 69 overlords
a blog by Steve Stevenson of football.xan

with the BoF behinds us and two friendlies vs Saltsted and Sajnur ahead, I felt it was time to introduce the rest of the world to us. What we see with Xannerian football is something not like anything else. The culture of Xanneria and its sports is interesting. The football in Xanneria is one known to outsiders as "ADHD football" with formation usually comprised of at least 5 forwards and lots of running in straight lines. Its also born of a country where Gridiron is popular and thus the football in Xanneria is rough, aggressive and raw. Yellow cards are rare and even rarer is the red. Tackling is common and only the foulest of tackles is reprimanded. So who is who in Xannerian football? Glenn Hailey is a who. The leader of the Maroons BoF69 title he ascended in to celebrity when he scored. He became one of the biggest names in sports and sporting pop culture, something Xanneria hasn't seen since the days of coach Jo Kermit 40 years ago. His brother Mark soared to stardom too with timely PK's and brilliant attack style ball handling. Evan Jefferson's flexibility and spacial awareness that lead him to be the keeper of the Xannaerian future. So keep all this infor in mind when you play us. You will be in for a ride of a lifetime.

Steve Steveson.

by **Third Asopia** » Tue Mar 05, 2019 1:52 am

Tap tap tap. Tap tap tap.
Alkabar, strolling along the coastline at Kent Bay.
Step step step.
He was thinking about his future. His country. His family. Himself most of all. He liked to win, and he would do anything to do so. He received backlash for diving in the penalty box even though there was no contact. He was well-liked by a lot of people, but it wasn’t the same for his attitude. In fact, he would be one of the biggest jerks in history. He can be nice. Can be.

The Red Wagon: Chapter 1- What is Losing?

14 Slyreider Road, Hallesht, Dritten Asopie
6.10 p.m.
“I told you so,” Alkabar’s sister said to him as he was another demerit point for speeding.
Crap. What’s the use of traffic police. They just come here and boss around.
“And you lost the lottery,” That was the last straw.
Whats the point of losing. You participate in something and you lose. Then what’s the point. Obviously disgruntled, Alkabar lay on his bed, hopeless. He felt like tweaking the betting system so he would win EVERYTHING. Why did the word ‘lose’ exist. Why. He didn’t understand.
Whatever. He told himself. He decided to take a jog at the Sam Suet Weung Park. Nice scenery. Clear his mind. Yeah.

7.10 p.m.
Next Station, Sam Suet Weung.
What time was it. A traffic jam that caused his bus to run late. The train broke down. And now it was an hour. When he arrived at his destination, he ran out of the train and the station. He was racing against time, a race that had a reputation for being hard to win.
‘Sam Suet Weung Park’ Alkabar could read Chinese. 伸盛文公园. He decided to stay at his secret spot, a spot that no one knew.
Through this bush, turn left, go under this hole, turn right. Done. Alright. But something was not right. Alkabar rubbed his eyes and squinted. He smacked himself and slapped his head.
“Stop. You look like a madman.” The girl said. She had a shiny new wagon with her.
“Who. Are. You,” Alkabar asked. The girl didn’t say anything.
“I ASKED YOU WHO ARE YOU!” Alkabar shouted at her, but the girl didn’t seem the least scared. She took off her hat and she out her wagon on the floor.
“I’m not allowed to reveal my identity,” she said, “And Yes, I put on a new paint job. Stop inadvertently sniffing.” It smelled of paint. There was this leather bag in her wagon.
“Okay whatever. I’ve never seen you around here. Can I take you on a tour?” Alkabar requested, although no one knew if he was sarcastic.
“I shall politely decline that offer,” she politely declined the offer.
“Then can I at least give you a taco?” He bargained.
“What are those,” she asked, beginning to feel weird.
“It’s not Halloween. It’s freaking Springtime,”
“No one judges me,”she told him, “And you better learn from your mistake, or you’ll see the wrong side of fate.” She disappeared. Mistake. Mistake. What mistake. Winning isn’t a mistake. Or is it?

by **Pratapgadh** » Tue Mar 05, 2019 8:51 pm

Sports
Football

PRATAPGADH FOOTBALL FEDERATION ANNOUNCES SQUAD FOR WORLD CUP 82

Written by Bhavna Palekar

The Pratapgadh Football Federation (PFF) has recently announced the names of players for World Cup squad. Most of the players are here from Baptism of Fire, but there are a few changes.

Nalesh Tandel replaces Nishant Joshi as the captain of the team.
Veer Roberts is now the main goalkeeper for Pratapgadh.
New player, Akshaya Sorcar, replaces Saral Kolhe after Saral Kolhe wasn't able to perform well in the Baptism of Fire 69.

Another good news the PFF gave us is that Samart Kulkarni will be able to play in the World Cup Qualifying Round, even after being injured during Game 3 of Baptism of Fire 69 against Bysantia. He hopes to meet his team members soon at the Chittorgarh International Airport.

According to Nalesh Tandel, the biggest problem was the lack of goals being scored. "I believe the reason we performed so bad at the Baptism of Fire, was probably because of the lack of goals being scored. Under my captainship, I will choose a more aggressive style of play. But I will still like to make a few changes with the defence, by excluding Saral Kolhe. He is a talented player, but he just wasn't able to perform well. I am looking forward to him in the next World Cup Qualifying Round". The coach of the team, Ravindra Jadeja, said "This World Cup debut should be a good one for the team. I believe this team has potential, but there are still a lot of problems. Nishant Joshi is a good player but wasn't that great at captainship as we expected. I have high expectations with Nalesh Tandel, hopefully, he won't fail me.", he chuckles.

The groups are still to be drawn, let's hope Pratapgadh will be able to play well against the more experienced teams. Best of luck to the national team and you guys have lots of fun watching the World Cup 82!

Other News
New movie 'Veergati' to be released in 2020. The movie is based upon the 1st Anglo-Rajput War | Gursewak Mangat comes first in 100m race in the Pratapgadh High School Athletic Championships | Tourists took over a village called Raghupur. Volunteers ready to fight against them to take back the village from the tourists

by **Dreamplanet** » Wed Mar 06, 2019 10:04 am

TRANSFER SHAKE-UP REJUVENATES DREAMPLANET AHEAD OF WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS

8 Dreamplanetians make their moves abroad with names such as Luis Silva, Filipe Vaz and Aaron Hungar leaving the homeland.

There seems to be a new Dreamplanetian era slowly approaching as the Liga Dreamplanet was shaken up by the transfers of Filipe Vaz, Fransisco Jorge, Jorge Cardozo, Miguel Benedito, Luis Silva, Aaron Hungar, Paulo Figueiredo and Antonio Luis, however Dreamplanetian clubs were not able to bring in players from abroad, making this season of Dreamplanetian football hard to predict but exciting nonetheless.

But what does this mean for the Dreamplanetian national team? Interest has increased on the overall unsuccessful team, hoping to break into the World Cup after 4 attempts, the players are motivated after meeting up with their new teammates and have a new sense of duty as they hope to push on and make their country proud, Dreamplanet will soon know who their adversaries in the group stage will be, the whole nation will be watching.

by **Alasdair I Frosticus** » Thu Mar 07, 2019 1:59 am

Insights Into the Resignation of a World Cup Committee President With an Inconsistently Spelled Surname
By the Limerick-Writing Elf (Holy Empire WC 82 Squad)

An elf with the surname Halaytrion
(Which sometimes is spelled Halatyrion)
Said ‘I’m telling you boys
There’s just far too much noise’
And resigned faster than a fleet-foot Vanorian

by **The Archregimancy** » Thu Mar 07, 2019 2:03 am

OOC Mod post

Geektopia, I have moved your roster out of the roleplay thread and into the roster thread.

by **Banija** » Thu Mar 07, 2019 11:25 am

The Scene is set in Jinja City, Hangaza

Andrew Mavuto was sitting at the desk of his own high-rise office in Jinja City today. He was here for his monthly meeting with a few of his own employees, about his speculation prospects in Northern Hangaza, about 90 miles Northeast of Jinja City. He sat down, in his red suit, a trademark staple of his, ready to conduct business.

But, of course, just who was Andrew Mavuto? Well, Mr. Mavuto has had a very long, and very interesting career. He was born almost 65 years ago, and his own father, Isaiah Mavuto, was very politically involved, then the Minister of Transportation, who eventually peaked as the Kiongozi, though he could never reach the job he coveted for his whole life- Katikkiro. Andrew Mavuto, though the son of a major politician, never thought politics to be that interesting, and decided to go into a different route with his life. Being the son of a major politician, was what many would consider to be an elite member of the society that he lived in. He was able to attend what many would call Banija’s most exclusive prep school, the St. Kizito Academy on the outskirts of Busukuma, in Deleke, Kitara Region. Scores of politicians and businessmen send their children to this school, which has tuition rates in the staggering amount of $30,000 NSDs a year- a rate, of course, that only the well-connected and well off could even begin to afford for a K-12 education.

Having graduated from there, he went to college at the University of Loyola-Istria. And 5 years later, he had a BBA, and a Master’s in Business Administration. He graduated near the very top of his class, and was able to given the graduation speech for the College of Business at Loyola-Istria. He had a master’s degree, he had all kind of connections- and, of course, he spoke multiple languages. The world was his oyster- and he certainly did not waste his time. The first thing he went to do was use his own connections to secure a job, as the Director of Accounts Receivables, working for the Olympic Committee of Banija- a prestigious position, as anyone can assume.

After working there for a while, in the heart of the nation’s capitol, he decided to move on from that position to work at the Banijan Central Bank- an interesting move for someone who didn’t like politics. But, of course, he was a graduate of St.Kizito’s, and the son of the former Kiongozi- he had far too many connections, and was far too talented, to miss out on that job, working as the Chief of Staff to the President of the Central Bank. Three years there, and he had garnered a reputation as a workaholic, but also as a genius. He certainly was a tough person to work with, but he had all the ability in the world. Many thought, despite his own protests, that he would eventually go into politics, like his father did.

After leaving the central bank, he was hired by a major bank in Banija, Diamond Bank. This bank was growing when he got there, and he was hired to be the bank’s new CEO at just age 38- they wanted to be the top bank in Banija. After 10 years working at this bank, that dream was achieved. Mavuto was living what he thought to be his best life- making all kinds of money, and he was, in his own words, the world’s luckiest investor. He had invested in growing companies all over Atlantian Oceania- from a few startups in the Royal Kingdom of Quebec that made it big, to a few companies even in the Busoga Islands. However, even though he was wealthy, he felt there was something missing in his life- a sense of purpose. He had a wife, and when his twin sons were born, reaching the end of year 10 with Diamond Bank, he felt the urge to do something more, to make an impact.

Was this the return to politics that many had been predicting? When he abruptly announced his own resignation from Diamond Bank, that’s what many predicted. Newspapers all over the country were certain that he would go back to electoral politics, to ‘claim the title his father never could- Katikkiro.’ But an early election, precipitated by the loss of a no confidence vote in the Lukiiko by the Katikkiro at the time, was called just before he was ready. When the Lukiiko was dissolved, he still had a month left in his job as CEO, and the ability for him to run for election in his hometown was lost- it would likely be another four years, barring an election, before he’d be able to run. He was mad at his own luck- how did the timing just pass him by, like this? What was he going to do now for the next four years, while he bided his time?

But the answer was quickly given to him. He was approached by His Royal Highness, Isebantu Mwanga, and given an offer that he simply could not refuse. Would he, somebody with almost no diplomatic experience, be willing to serve as a Banijan Ambassador? This was an opportunity, of course, that he couldn’t turn down. Get his foreign policy chops, come back after 3.5 years, and run for the Lukiiko. He was first appointed as the Banijan Ambassador to Cobrio, and served in the position for a year. This was widely seen as a successful appointment, and he built his own diplomatic chops, working well with local business leaders and being well received by the foreign government. After a year, however, he wanted a new challenge, and was appointed as the Ambassador to Krytenia. Here, he was worked hard to make a name for himself, and was widely regarded as a success. He secured quite a few meetings with the Krytenian Ministry of Regional and Foreign Affairs, to help deepen ties. His biggest impact, however, was his work with the Krytenian Ministry of Business, Industry, and Trade. He was able to multiple investments into Banija from Krytenia working alongside MOBIT, and his relationship with that local business community was known to be among the strongest of any Banijan Ambassador with a local business community.

After serving there for a year, the Banijan Ambassador to Eshan died. Among the Banijan foreign policy community, there are four Ambassadorial posts that are regarded as the most important for Banija, or known as the “Big 4’ Ambassadors- Royal Ambassador to the Equestrian States, High Commissioner to the Royal Kingdom of Quebec, Ambassador to the Commonwealth of Baker Park, and the Ambassador to Eshan. The latter three are Banija’s biggest partners on the international stage, and the former is the subregion’s regional power, that Banija has a lot of interaction with- both good and bad. Whenever one of those spots are available, most Banijan Ambassadors worth their salt put in applications to the post. And Andrew Mavuto, due to his success in both Cobrio and Krytenia, was selected as the Banijan Ambassador to Eshan.
From there, he set out to work twice as hard. He saw this as an improvement from being a backbench Parliamentarian, and shelved his plans to return and run for office. With his wife and kids with him, he was very popular with the Echani Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and developed connections with the Banijan migrant community in the country. With him overseeing it, he was able to secure access to the highest levels of Echani Government, and even had multiple meetings with the Echani President. He had many friends among the Echanis, and served well in the role for three years. But then, a major move happened- the Regional Transit Corporation, Banija’s largest corporation, decided to move their headquarters to Rosaria, to gain access to the local stock exchange. And when they approached him to be their Vice President for Governmental Relations, he jumped at the opportunity.

He served in that role for the next 10 years, essentially serving as the company’s foreign minister, if such a thing is possible. He travelled all around the multiverse, securing opportunity for the company in multiple countries. And in that position, he developed all sorts of political connections in Eshan, helping ensuring the smooth transition of the Banijan corporation to their new headquarters in Rosaria, Eshan. His Ambassadorship, of course, helped that, as he already had relationships with local and national officials to help secure the nuts and bolts of the move- able to get a good financing deal on the local headquarters, the ability to operate inside Eshan, good working partnerships with the Echani government, etc.. He served very well in his role at the company, and even joined the Board of Directors at age 60, in addition to his role as the Vice President of Government Relations. However, this coincided with the rise of Matthias Mutebi back in Banija. As part of the fallout after the overthrow of Mutebi, and his connections with the RTC, political pressure saw the entire Board of the Directors, including Mavuto, resign. He himself was never particularly fond of Mutebi, but there’s very little room for nuance in PR once you lose control of a conversation. He had no choice. Of course, 63 years old, and having made a lot of money in his life, he finally went back to living in Banija. That, of course, was 6 years ago.

When he came back, he wanted to be in control. He started his own company, and was making money. A speculator, he had heard rumors that there was certain land in the Hangaza Region, in the North by the Geisenfred border, that the land was ‘valuable’. He had gotten the mineral rights to a lot of that land, and so far, a lot of his speculation wasn’t working. They were drilling, but they weren’t finding anything of value- no diamonds, no valuable metals, nothing of the sort. But, of course, what was he going to do? Keep digging. It wasn’t that expensive, and anyways, he was in a good spot financially. He was expecting the same old, “nothing of substance”. But boy, was he in for a surprise.

His associates walked in. “How do you do?” Andrew said. They both had wide smiles on their faces- odd, with Andrew thinking he had never seen either of them smile before. But then, they took out their large stack of paperwork, and started speaking. Andrew Mavuto perked his ears up- he hadn’t been this excited in years. They had discovered gold- not actual gold, but a far more valuable commodity- black gold. Or, as most people call it, oil. All Andrew saw was dollar signs. Of course, this had the possibility of not only changing his life, but fundamentally changing the country. Oil deposits, here at home, by the border? And their estimates were huge- a potentially massive, if unconfirmed, supply. Too many barrels to count. Now, of course, there were risks here- but was he going to think of any of that? If this oil deposit was his, he’d fly up the richest man in Banija charts faster than Gitonga Kahara chasing a through ball down the sideline.

And now, came Mavuto’s time for the spotlight. He was not going to miss this opportunity- after being unceremoniously thrown out of the RTC, he was making his comeback, in a bigger way than ever before.

Setting- One Week after the meeting, at a Press Conference in Istria, Moravica, Banija

“Hello, members of the press. Thank you for coming out here today.” Said Andrew Mavuto. I am happy to be here today, here in the largest city of this great country, for a major announcement.” Many had teased it as the man finally taking his crack at politics, finally doing what many said he would do 20 years ago- take a crack at electoral politics. He, of course, let those rumors circulate, even begin the cause of a few of them, just to get the eyeballs. And he didn’t deny them- again, for the same effect, to bring a crowd. Boy, were they in for a shock.

“My friends, I have two things to announce. First, of course, even though these rumors have been flying around, I must clarify- I am not running for leadership in the Kitara People’s Protection Movement, nor am I looking to be the region’s next premier.” Many, of course, were disappointed. One or two reporters even left the room after he said that. He paused for dramatic effect. “OF course, while the idea is enticing, there are other matters that I must attend to- elected office should be for those fully committed, and I am not to that idea. However, what I said is true- I do have a major announcement.”

“I am announcing, today, that my company has, as they say abroad, ‘hit the jackpot’. And not literally, of course. This company, in Northern Hangaza, has discovered the existence of oil deposits by our Northeastern Border.” Many of these same journalists, who had relaxed a little bit, were in shock. Mavuto smiled- he could tell that they had their undivided attention. He starting speaking again when they gained their composure, and many started furiously jotting down notes. “The size of these oil deposits is yet to be confirmed, but this is something that has been confirmed with my engineers. This supply is there, and it is quite a large supply. And yes, we are a company that fully intends to take advantage of this supply, to provide jobs, and to bring wealth to this country.” And, of course, himself, though he only thought that last part In his head. “This will be a lot to process, I know. I must get back to work, but I wanted to deliver this news myself. My chief engineer is on hand to answer questions.”

The room, predictably, exploded. Questions were being shouted from all corners, and he ignored them while he smiled. He, of course, thought he had a clear path- he owned the land, he had the funds. He then moved for his phone, and called a couple of former business partners in Eshan to tell them the good news, and his assistant had strict orders, when a link became available, to send video of the press conference to people that they had identified as key potential investors in what would be an astounding project. He smiled- but unbeknownst to him, his path would not be straightforward. This news was spreading around the country like wildfire, and other players in this game were setting themselves up for involvement. Little did he know, this was only the opening scene, and the stage was about to be shared.

by **Velestria** » Thu Mar 07, 2019 8:21 pm

BIRNIN ZULA — The start to the season in 12th place isn’t sitting well in the locker rooms, especially as they were earlier described as dark horses. BirninZula F.C. is in terrible form to star their campaign in LigVezia’s parity-driven Series A. The start to the season under the management of new manager, Voula Logothettis, the hard-eared Nepharan, has been a shaky one with the club representing the Ja’barilands far out of form early on. BirninZula has lost three of its first five matches and its losses have come at large detriments; a 4-2 loss and a 3-1 loss standing out for a team that was supposed to have bulked up under the slightly defensive guide of Logothettis. On top of that with an important first leg looming in the Velish Premier Cup tournament on the front side things need to turn around quick in Birnin Zula. There’s a lot that looms that can be the point of major concern; the biggest has been the abysmal play of Keith Carney at goalkeeper; coming in from Brenecian and Esportivan giants, Kingsgrove, you can excuse us if our hopes for him were much higher. It’s becoming clear there was a clear and obvious reason Carney was a third choice keeper at Kingsgrove, he’s given up 12 goals in 5 games, showing that there is indeed a big problem brewing in Birnin Zula; Logothettis has a lot on her hands to fix, The offense seems to be humming along at a decent pace, as its generated 11 goals in 5 games, more than 2 per game on average.

If you’re keeping score or you’ve been able to fetch flights all over Velestria, here’s been the past five weeks of play for the Rovers in play — opening day play at Sati a’ka Kano Brava Ra’zaza against a significantly frightening Olympic Reading, a 2-1 loss, of course; a match against Reading who’s expected to compete for the title this season was expected to be a hard game for the team, however you could see there were many missed opportunities and the team was having a hard time adjusting from a 3-5-2 to the new 4-4-2 Logothettis brought with her. Then, Peachtree City F.C.’s home opener in Peachtree City on a rainy Sunday, followed up with a complete demolition against Pyracantha’s atrocious defense. After a stout performance against an embattled Pyracantha squad which sits last in the Series A, Rovers F.C. came through with a fiery Osarian manager and blew right through BirninZula to the tune of a fine 3-1 thrashing. Finally, Birnin Zula must be reeling as they see BirninZula F.C. fail to pull three points away from a severely weak squad of Sporting Illyrius who picked up another one-point game with a 2-all draw. Logothettis has of course part of the blame to share with all the treacherous games they’ve had to begin with, and perhaps truly this can also be blamed on the early days of the season and adjusting to new formations, tactics and new squad players, but Logothettis must have to share some form of the blame in this weak, uninspired start. In a season where the ownership had allowed management to go out and bring in future pieces for the team and bond, the start to the season is not promising and this comes only a few weeks after Logothettis had promised fans at her introduction “a piece of silverware or two.” All of this can’t be sitting well with any fan who’s been able to watch this complete and utter destruction of the team; Elliot Kewen simply has been unable to bond with the team on the defensive end and its showing as he’s missed his targets, failed to catch with his slides and simply been exposed in the back part of the defense. Evans Nottingham adjusting to playing in the backline is not going well for the club, Nottingham does not look like he’s a viable piece for long-lasting defense in the future and we could likely see him dropped for a midseason trade by Logothettis who’s going to want to invest in creating a defense she likes as its clear what is available is not working.

Not looking to smile or mince words with the press after the early false starts is Voula Logothettis, she’s working under what the club has described as a multi-cycle contract, but Logothettis is quite familiar to short grace periods for club football; need she be reminded of her short stay with AFC Serpentine after fifteen matches at the helm? Or prior to that lasting thirty-one matches with the team she lead to promotion, Cranequin Wanderers. Her clam demeanor if not bristling has left some unsettled, BirinZula supporters have read up and done their research at the woman at the helm and as the first female manager in LigVezia Series A history in five cycles, you can see there is some slight concerns as to how she’ll be the correct person at the helm for the next few years, meanwhile, for now, Logothettis is gainfully employed, at least for now. That is of course a dig at the status of Velestian football, things are tough for the yo-yo teams in Nephara’s top two divisions, where Logothettis has spent the most time bonding and yielding things for, her past two jobs being with AFC Serpentine and Cranequin Wanderers where she balanced top-4 finishes in the Nepharan First Division and cellar-dweller relegation-competitors teams for most of her tenures, every year finishing in the bottom 4 or top 4 depending on the league.

That said, not ever team is BirninZula which during its seasons has seen quite a share of heartbreak and is commonly known for failing to be much more than a lower mid table team for much of its history. With the entrance of Logothettis, ownership has shown that it’s willing to take a risk and attempt o build something, hiring someone with experience in the Nepharan league showed that the ownership wanted results; they wanted prompt results. While Logothettis doesn’t have the highlight and flair to say an Alexander Pierce management title, she certainly fits the bill on what the goal of the club is to morph into. Harry Illvermorny was the manager last season, and he did well; poached from Blue Coast 381, a high-ranked LigVezia Series B team, and his leadership pushed the team to its highest finish in LigVezia Series A in six years; a 9th place finish that many celebrated as the turn of something new. Now, year 2 of ownership, they took the risk and went out and brought in Logothettis over a few domestic picks and some international managers who might’ve brought a bigger name. Enter Logothettis.

Let’s be clear, there shouldn’t be a stampede to judge and attack Logothettis, top teams in LigVezia’s Series A are known for barely surviving the first eight games of the season, given time to settle into the intense LigVezia season, we’re sure Logothettis will operate fine. The tactical approach to the season is going to be different, Carson Mashely departed for Inter Arce of San Rocco, Carney has large shoes to fill, and Mashely’s help cannot be understated. Let’s just give it some time before we judge, okay?

WC 82 RP Thread

WC 82 RP Thread

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