The Eagle's Cup :: VIII :: Rosters, RP, Scores (Closed)

by **Turori** » Sun May 10, 2020 8:49 pm

Hail to thee, All Powerful Nigel?

While rumors persisted for some time, the existence of the mythical all-powerful Eel named Nigel at the center of Turori's independence was perpetuated from the Dreamed Realm during the World Cup 68 Finals.

"We've always felt like our representatives are utterly useless and really don't do anything" one Turorian citizen was quoted as saying, "It makes sense that there is a more powerful creature in the chain somewhere, that is actually running the show - and everything else is just a show."

However, critics pointed to the more humorous intent of the compendium as evidence that the report wasn't intended to be a reveal of anything - but more a whimsical fantasy used by corrupt media members to create a hub-bub, drawing attention to their publication and ultimately increasing their revenue stream. Be as it may, some Turorians were not convinced.

"All lies are grounded in some kind of truth" another Turorian was quoted, "I wouldn't be surprised if Nigel is just an Alias that our giant lime-green leader is using, to protect his or - more likely, her anonymity." Another citizen agreed, "I'm sure there is someone that we don't know about pulling the strings. It makes sense for it to be a giant Eel too. I'm not sure why else anyone would make their sports mascot a slimy swimmy thingamajig, or name a town 'Eelandii'. Its kind of silly. But thats our wee Island Emirate and we don't mind so much who is pulling the strings. If its a giant lime-green electrical eel called Nigel, so be it. If Nigel can deliver a World Cup championship to us, who cares.

While Nigel himself never came forward, the Turorian fanbase embraced the creature and the 'Travelling Nigel's' as they now call themselves bring the mantra "Win it for Nigel" to every away match on the Turori National Team's schedule.

 Turori [2] - [0] Cosumar
				
	GOALS:	Turori 	:: 24' Daliora Toru'u:: 47' Tarek Edgeli             		
	STATS:	Turori 	:: Possession: 62%:: Shots: 5:: Corners: 5	Cosumar 	:: Possession: 38%:: Shots: 3:: Corners: 7
	Lineup:	[GK] Wiyauw An'maude, [D.] Lulu Pumaziiri, [D.] Mikki Mayelli, [D.] Amakli Inuro'o, [D.]  Tarek Edgeli, [ML]  Daliora Toru'u, [MC] Mbdiai Akarenaa, [MC]  Kentu Umaka'a, [MR]  Nubara Moafalia, [FC] Wiztsana Iretziia, [FC] Nua'oma Aikiki			
	Bench:	[FC] Meldi'ita Mungwaii, [FC] Kala'a Yuliizala, [M] Timi'sala Koarena, [M] Lati'ala Giaoka, [U ] Biliki Rona'atu'i, [D] Yitizo Mpala'a, [GK] Timaala Hualtia

 Turori [2] - [2] Nephara
				
	GOALS:	Turori 	:: 71' Kentu Umaka'a:: 81' Daliora Toru'u             		
	STATS:	Turori 	:: Possession: 52%:: Shots: 8:: Corners: 18	Nephara 	:: Possession: 48%:: Shots: 6:: Corners: 11
	Lineup:	[GK] Wiyauw An'maude, [D.] Yitizo Mpala'a, [D.] Moumouni Verre'elali, [D.] Biliki Rona'atu'i, [D.]  Amakli Inuro'o, [ML]  Daliora Toru'u, [MC] Mbdiai Akarenaa, [MC]  Kentu Umaka'a, [MR]  Nubara Moafalia, [FC] Meldi'ita Mungwaii, [FC] Nua'oma Aikiki			
	Bench:	[FC] Mirana Gotuai, [FC] Wiztsana Iretziia, [M] Timi'sala Koarena, [M] Naraiza Ruaplal, [U ] Mikki Mayelli, [D] Lulu Pumaziiri, [GK] Timaala Hualtia

 Turori [1] - [2] Zwangzug
				
	GOALS:	Turori 	:: 12' Nua'oma Aikiki              		
	STATS:	Turori 	:: Possession: 51%:: Shots: 3:: Corners: 5	Zwangzug 	:: Possession: 49%:: Shots: 5:: Corners: 9
	Lineup:	[GK] Wiyauw An'maude, [D.] Yitizo Mpala'a, [D.] Amakli Inuro'o, [D.] Tarek Edgeli, [D.]  Biliki Rona'atu'i, [ML]  Daliora Toru'u, [MC] Nubara Moafalia, [MC]  Kentu Umaka'a, [MR]  Mbdiai Akarenaa, [FC] Meldi'ita Mungwaii, [FC] Nua'oma Aikiki			
	Bench:	[FC] Wiztsana Iretziia, [FC] Turakia Diijelhma, [M] Naraiza Ruaplal, [M] Lati'ala Giaoka, [U ] Mikki Mayelli, [D] Moumouni Verre'elali, [GK] Timaala Hualtia

by **Pasarga** » Sun May 10, 2020 9:29 pm

How do I become a citizen of Pasarga?
Well dear reader, assuming that you are not a natural born citizen of the dual islands and have immigrated from another country, there are a few different methods that will apply. If you are coming from another nation in Rushmore, a copy of your birth certificate and a years proof of residency inside the nation will all that will be acquired for you to acquire citizenship to the dominion. As a member of the Rushmori Union, Pasarga is quite adamant in knocking down as many barriers to free trade and travel between the member states and thus provides the expedited method of citizenship to fellow Rushmori born nationals. It is the belief of the monarch that such barriers only are in place to keep people from coming together and forming a strong bong and union, from assisting one another greatly, and they have put in quite an amount of effort to ensure that on Pasarga's end, that those barriers are removed as much as possible.

Now if you are not a natural born citizen of another Rushmori nation, then things become a bit more prolonged, as the wait to apply for citizenship goes from a single year to three years. In addition to having to maintain your residency in the nation on the student, work, or travel visa, there is also a minor citizenship test that must be taken and passed with over seventy percent of the questions answered correctly. There are three variants of the citizenship test that are administered, each one with additional more questions than the others, and the nature of your immigration will determine which test is given. Political refugees as well as students are given a test of twenty-five questions, while skilled laborers and persons with a net wealth of over five hundred thousand ducats ($1M NSD) are given a test of fifty questions, while the general immigration is a test of a hundred questions. The citizenship test will test an individuals knowledge of the history and culture of the dual islands and is allowed to be repeated up to five times should the applicant fail to meet the passing standard. Each attempt must be made at least six months apart however.

The citizenship test and wait however is completely foregone however if you are the child or grandchild of a Pasargan citizen who immigrated themselves or had you while away from the dominion. Children born of military servicemen, diplomats, or tourists visiting other countries are automatically granted citizenship with a copy of their birth certificate provided to the Ministry of the Interior, with no time limit given to provide the copy. Dual nationality is allowed inside the dominion, with very notable examples of Pasargan born Eurans being quite prominent, particularly in both Torgos and Paulinthal.

by **Eagles Club** » Sun May 10, 2020 9:50 pm

^{MATCHDAY 6}

Eagles Club Group
Nephara [1] Zwangzug [2]
Cosumar [2] Turori [2]
Eagles Select Group
Electrum [2] Chromatika [1]
Banija [5] Valanora [5]
Champions Group
Pasarga [2] Appalachian Nation [1]
Kita-Hinode [2] Farfadillis [0]
Confederations Group
Brenecia [2] Eura [1]
Reçueçn [1] Equestria [2]

Cocoa-bo Challenge Trophy at the Eagle's Club

----Eagles Club Group     P  W  D  L GF-GA    GD  Pts
[1] Turori                6  3  2  1 12-6    +6   11
[2] Zwangzug              6  3  2  1 12-9    +3   11
 3- Nephara               6  2  2  2 11-10   +1   8
 4- Cosumar               6  0  2  4  6-16   -10  2

----Eagles Select Group   P  W  D  L GF-GA    GD  Pts
[1] Banija                6  3  2  1 18-12   +6   11
[2] Valanora              6  3  1  2 17-15   +2   10
 3- Electrum              6  3  1  2 12-14   -2   10
 4- Chromatika            6  1  0  5  6-12   -6   3

Cup of Champions at the Eagle's Club

----Champions Group       P  W  D  L GF-GA    GD  Pts
[1] Pasarga               6  4  1  1 13-9    +4   13
[2] Farfadillis           6  3  1  2 16-10   +6   10
 3- Kita-Hinode           6  2  2  2 10-10   +0   8
 4- Appalachian Nation    6  0  2  4  8-18   -10  2

----Confederations Group  P  W  D  L GF-GA    GD  Pts
[1] Equestria             6  5  0  1 12-5    +7   15
[2] Brenecia              6  3  1  2  9-8    +1   10
 3- Reçueçn               6  1  2  3  5-9    -4   5
 4- Eura                  6  1  1  4  4-8    -4   4

Eagle's Cup VIII Quarter Final Draw ::

Cocoa-bo Challenge Trophy Semi-Finals at the Eagle's Club
Turori v. Valanora
Eagle's Club, Eelandii, Turori

Banija v. Zwangzug
Eagle's Club, Forbridge, Zwangzug

Cup of Champions Semi-Finals at the Eagle's Club
Pasarga v. Brenecia
Eagle's Club, Nephara

Farfadillis v. Equestria
Eagle's Club, Cosumar

:: Eagle's Cup Quarter Final Scores will follow approximately 48 Hours from this post!

Roleplay Challenges ::
Roleplay Challenges will be offered to help inspire contributions that will be both Fun, Informative to your opposition and historically relevant for future usage in your nations World Building or factbooks! Feel Free to go back and complete the earlier Challenge(s) if you missed them!

QF: RELIGION / GRAB BAG :: The Group Stage has ended and half the teams are going home. The other half are still in play but must be prepared for single-elimination knockout. 90 minutes, then 120. Now Penalty Kicks. The stands are packed and nervous fans are making sacraficies left and right... but to whom? A giant green electric Eel? The mythical Margaret? Graphic Bonus: What trinkets represent Relgion in your nation? / If you are in the Cup of Champions half of the draw, it might be a good time to catch up on the previous MD challenges ...

by **Brenecia** » Tue May 12, 2020 1:18 am

Ruiarc had been Magistrate of Lastcreek for twenty years. It would take more than a little invasion to dislodge him.
He'd heard of the Marchers the same way most of those on the east side had. Their lord came with his entourage of huscarls, told of a dire threat in the west that no red-blooded son of Brenec could turn down the chance to drive off the shores. A number of the village's bright young things joined his banner. They marched off, a beautiful sight of locked blue shields, iron rings and long spears, a handful of light cavalry riding aside them on barely-tamed mustangs.
They did not return. Instead, tales dripped back of a horde of tattooed, gold-chained warriors chanting war-songs that echoed along the lush plains, effortlessly bending bows an ordinary man could scarcely string to loose arrows in swarms that winnowed away a generation of Brenecian warriors. Their women fought alongside their men. Their war-camps were scenes of barely believable debauchery. Their generals had names like Strider, Seeker, the Tarantula, Bulwark. And most mystifyingly of all, they claimed to want the best for the people, to liberate them from their King.
It all sounded like nonsense to Ruiarc. Life went on, minus a few farmhands. Then news came that they'd taken North Hall and the holds along the west, seizing them in good order with little pillage, and setting the survivors to work. Another lord came, son of the last one, with a new batch of huscarls. He assured the folk of Lastcreek that the Marcher would be repelled at Rozelle. Fewer believed him, but enough to make for a long, lonely harvest.
Ruiarc had been to Rozelle before, twice, in his younger days. He knew that the rumours of the Marchers' smoke-belching siege engines did not need to be true for the city to fall. In the end, he heard, the city was taken more or less intact. There had been a moment of hope, perhaps, when the one named Bulwark fell leading the charge against the King's battalion, calling him out to fight with her last breath; the Marcher had only fought harder and fiercer. In the end, the one called Seeker had apparently lead the decisive charge, seized the citadel, slain every adult of royal blood and arranged their heads on pikes.
What could the folk of Lastcreek do? They had nowhere to run.
A month later, a company of archers were seen marching out from the hill-fort their lord had once ruled from. They strode unopposed into the centre of town with their own general, Strider, claiming her rulership of the land in a harsh, cut-glass accent. She was at pains to communicate that the people were free to continue the best aspects of their old lives, and could count on the support of Marcher pioneers should their village require anything. The excess food in the harvest would be taken, yes, but they were no longer beholden in the same way, no longer property, as she phrased it. And of course they were entitled to limited self-governance.
Ruiarc just nodded. He knew little enough would change, and little did.

Katerina put her feet up on her desk with a grunt. Watching over these sheep was a shit duty, which was why it kept rotating between guys sent out from North Hall. She'd fought with distinction in the war, but wouldn't you know it, a strafing volley from a light cavalry crew had put an arrow through her leg and she'd never walked right since. Still had enough in her to command a countervolley that had sent half the foe tumbling from their saddles, but after the initial surge of adrenaline had worn off, her serious fighting days were done. So here she was in a shitheap town, nominally keeping order, but Lastcreek mostly ran itself. She knew every man of her command by name.
She knew it was Hamnet, for instance, who came bursting through her door. "Boss. You've got to come, quick! They're doing something fucked by the riverside!"
She rose on the spot, with a grunt and a grimace; so did the weathered old magistrate she'd been talking to. Rork or something close enough to it. "Something fucked? Tell me something better than that-"
"There's a girl to be sacrificed!"
"What?" She glared at the magistrate. This was not something she knew was in the Brenecian tradition!
The magistrate just shrugged. "You never asked," he said, in his eerily glossy accent. They shared a trade language, more or less, but used it in wildly different ways.
"Hey, fuck you with that cryptic bullshit." The marcher started to limp off after her minion. "I've got to know this shit."
"You aren't done tearing down traditions?"
"Yeah, we'll see. Move it."
They made their way steadily down the winding road to the shoreline, but they could hear the clamour before they saw it. A ring of warriors with arrows nocked stood warily behind a sergeant, as another man - the standard bearer, Garrick - protectively held a dazed-looking girl in his arms. Eighteen, maybe, no more than twenty, and shivering. And were those weights chained to her... ?
Two burly archers hauled over an old man, screaming the Brenecians' inscrutable tongue at anyone who'd listen. Katerina pursed her lips. She had to be all business at a time like this. "Magistrate. Tell me what he's talking about."
The magistrate's face fell. "Ah."
"No, no 'ah'. Tell me what the fuck is going on here?"
A wailing woman clutched at a marcher's ankles. The prisoner didn't stop screaming.
The magistrate clicked his tongue. "Okay. This is Bóruma. He speaks to the sea. Keeps it happy. Keeps it-"
"What is this pagan shit? I thought you were men of God. Or making some kind of attempt at that, anyway. Explain, fast."
"I cannot. Not fast. Let him go."
Katerina gave it thought, Ruiarc could credit her that. Then she traded words with her sergeant, shouted over a crowd beginning to be cowed by the threat of violence.
"Yeah, that's not gonna happen," she told the magistrate at last. "My boys say this guy brought this girl-- no, listen, brought her down here in chains, that there was some ritual going down, that she was going into the sea. Do you not see the issue here?"
"The sea commands a price--" barked the old-timer in unfluent trade.
Katerina backhanded him, and where did that dagger come from? It was at his throat, now. "The sea commands shit! It's water! You drink water!" That got the crowd hushed.
The magistrate put a hand on her arm. "Please, captain. Don't do this."
Katerina considered it. Oh, she did. But she settled for planting her fist in the old man's ribs. He folded like a house of cards, and after another barked order, the marchers hauled him away to a cell.
She turned back to the magistrate, tapped the flat of her dagger against his chest. "Tell your flock to stand down. I'll talk to my people. Meet me in an hour and tell me what the fuck we stopped."

It was a short conversation, in the event. It was not a fun conversation. Captain Katerina wanted easy answers, black and white, and Ruiarc did not have them for her. But he tried to deflect her with jokes. She liked jokes.
"... But really, you cannot say you are here for religion. You are, if we are honest, terrible Christians."
Katerina waved her hand indifferently. "God only gives us one life. They wanted us to live it, surely? All the good shit in life-"
"The temptation?"
"Sure. Our presence here is a damn miracle. Do you really think God wanted us to waste Their gift bent backwards in prayer and abstinence? No. And do you think They wanted us to throw maidens into the sea, either?"
Ah. Good. She was back to the main thrust. Ruiarc wrinkled his nose. "Yes, this is a Christian land, these days. Missionaries came, preaching of a better life in the afterworld. You have seen life here. You must realise the idea of reward in the afterlife for struggle now is a solace to my people, no? Perhaps not to you, who know nothing of checking your wants-"
"Yeah, yeah. On with it, old man."
The magistrate grimaced. "But yes, there was something before they arrived. The old ways... the old god... the Dreamer. Yes, He is what you would recognise as pagan. And He has nothing to offer His followers, He only takes. And yet, even today, some find themselves called to His service. He speaks to them in dreams, demands tributes. Often sacrifices. These, often human. They are accepted, because the alternative..."
"Any alternative is looking pretty good right now," said Katerina blandly.
"We cannot have the Dreamer wake, captain! We are not ready. It will mean the end of this world, the beginning of the next. We are not worthy of His service, so we must sate Him, prepare, and..."
He trailed off. The captain smirked. "You've gone wild-eyed, old man. Like your shaman."
"Forgive me."
"Don't tell me you believe any of this shit? Or any of your others? Damn it, I've seen you in church."
The magistrate shifted, uneasy. "Perhaps. But it gives us all solace, I think, to know that the sea knows we still respect it, and what lurks beneath. Even if the price is high, it is for a greater, more important peace."
"Hmph." The captain considered it, but shook her head. "Well, you'll have to deal with it. The shaman can live, but any more attempted sacrifices and he swings. Anyone else who tries it can join him. Make them all understand that."
"As... as you say, captain. I am sure Medh's family will thank you."
They were. In fact, the captain got to hear from Garrick all about how thankful Medh was, and the varied ways she liked to express that gratitude. She gave her grunted assent to a marriage between the two - a monogamous one, even. Enough to make the marchers think they could civilise the Brenecians, and the Brenecians think they could civilise the marchers.
B҉ut t͞h̸e͠ g̷įr͠l̴'̛͠͠s ̴a̡b͟sen̴ce͏ ͞wa͞s̀ f̶èlt. ͟The ́s̢ea͟ ̨r̕e͡m̕em͝bęr͝ed.̛

by **Zwangzug** » Tue May 12, 2020 10:55 am

Zwangzug's arrival into the world football scene roughly coincided with the revival of Margaret-worship by fans from Milchama. (See Nations who take their demonyms too seriously for why we've been a bit coy there.) While the historic figure from Snub Nose 38 was usually identified as a priestess, who offered rubber chickens for sacrifice to the "random number gods," the later cult increasingly saw her worshiped as a deity in her own right. In some ways, the fact that the cult of Margaret never caught on in Zwangzug may have been associated with a penchant for historical accuracy--her "deification" after-the-fact being a sign of how many more established religions may have embellished their founding figures. Then again, there was more than enough going on in football at the time for any one revival to stand out. (A Stone of the Heart: Change and Instability in World Cup 34 is the best overview.)

The conservative/fundamentalist denominations of Christianity are most prevalent in the southeast (Bassabook, Nuel, etc) and were likely the source of some of the atheist backlash of the LibCon era, the government having been secular and hands-off since the Consolidation. More recently, the LCAS (Lutheran) denomination has emerged as a somewhat more liberal-minded branch. The status of "organized atheism" like Ketrianism is difficult to pin down--some see it as a spoof answer like "Jedi" on census forms, while others note the benefits its organized rituals and community provide to members. A good reference on the latter two in the football context is Twenty-seven to Fifty-four: Faith and the Captaincy. (It should be noted that these refer to uniform numbers, not tournaments, from Zwangzug's somewhat more chaotic early days.) In the southwest, religions such as Hinduism and Islam are more prominent. (See The Liberating Flame for syncretic elements of Hinduism in Namiri.)

The Church of Caissa has seen increased prominence since the election of Erin Splinter, though many of its teachings and practices are very unclear to outsiders. (See Moving Diagonally for an attempt at comparing and contrasting it to modern Christianity.) Although the government continues to be officially non-religious, it has taken on some of the status of a "national religion" to WA bureaucrats, though this is a vast oversimplication of the heterogeneous society. The Picksall Islands are noted for their native henotheism; their worship is sex-segregated to a large extent, though the kōnogdi (star worshippers; their rituals are more esoteric and secretive than the sun and moon cults) are mixed-gender.

For foreign visitors, it should be noted that religious exemptions are available to certain drug prohibitions, so if you would like to drink wine as part of your Eucharist and/or consume entheogens with your local shaman, please contact the government for the appropriate forms.

(Bastable 66; Idmar 14, Twoni 40)

by **Pasarga** » Tue May 12, 2020 7:20 pm

Zoroastrianism, it is the national religion in the dual islands, a fact that is lost on many who pay attention to the nation. The observation to this religion is one that is of a more passive following, not requiring the week or twice weekly masses of other religions or the numerous daily prayers as well, but rather the observance of the eternal battle of the light against the dark. You are to seek out to become the master of truth and order, both in the cosmic sense and in ones own life, this is known as Ashavan, or master of Asha. Asha is truth and cosmic order and those who become Ashavan are thought to be bringing happiness into the world and aid Asha in its opposition of Druj, of falsehoods and deceit. One of the core teachings of the religion is that charity is the way one maintains their soul alignament to Asha and the spread of happiness, something that Pasargans know very well with the charity bestowed upon them in the past from Polarians and Eurans alike.

While the practice of the religion is a more passive experience, if one was to look for the symbols that might denote a member of the populace as a follower of the religion, one might look for jewelry of the sacred flame. These trinkets usually take the form of an altar or torch with a large flame emanating from the vessel, as fire is the most predominant symbol associated with the religion. It represents the light that is battling the dark, of the wholesome good that is constant struggle with the deceitful evils that look the plague ones self and the cosmos as a whole. Bracelets, necklaces, anklets, and even earrings can be found sporting these symbols among the practitioners of the religion or even found among clothing such as shirts or caps. Those who do come across individuals who practice the religion with find a large swathe of women, given the views of the religion where the genders are equal in their spirituality and duties, as well as people who will look to do good for the sake of doing good and not seeking reward for doing so. That humble spirit is what many might say brought the Pariis together in those initial years of when Pasarga was being formed as a nation...

by **Valanora** » Tue May 12, 2020 8:03 pm

For a team that had thought that it had sorted out its defensive worries, the Eagle's Cup has been anything but joyful as they conceded five times in their match against Banija, inflating their goals conceded in the tournament to fifteen from ten. While conceding an average of two goals a game was hardly anything to write home about, it was at least in an acceptable range given that the Marauders historically average three goals scored in their games, finishing just a tick below that in the group stage with seventeen goal scored from six games, though five did come in that final game of a ten goal thriller with their regional rivals. That game and the tournament as a whole will be raising a lot of questions about whether the defense was anywhere near as good as the coaching staff and fans had come to believe or even if it is good enough for the usually very talented attacking talent that the Marauders have at their disposal to try and work out the magic needed to get that extra goal to wrangle home the win from the opposition when it matters most.

And it matters most now, with the Marauders having managed to escape from a very competitive group, sorry to our regionmates Chromatika, as they finished tied on points and head to head with Electrum. Luckily the Marauders superior goal difference allowed them to advance at Electrum's demise and sees the Marauders into the Quarterfinal's of the competition, one step away from repeating their feat of Eagle's Cup VII and reaching the knockout stages. However the foe that stands before them is far from an easy one, as they will take on winner's of the Eagles Cup Group in Turori. The Empire and Turori have a long history together, with the Eels being one of the Marauders first true rivals back in the years of the mid to late 30s cycles, before the inevitable colliding with Starblaydia during the 40s and the rivalry that emerged from there as one that lasts beyond lifetimes. One could perhaps even describe the rivalry that the Marauders have with the Eels as being something as how the Bulls of Audioslavia view the Marauders, a rival considered by one but not the other.

All that being said, Turori have shown themselves to be extremely formidable, having emerged as winners of a group that contained Nephara, Cosumar, and Zwangzug. It is far from an easy feat to the get the best of those teams once, much less twice, and yet with only a single loss to their name during the group stage that is exactly what Turori was able to achieve. They did it on the back of a defense, that unlike our own, actually lived up to their billing and only conceded six times in the entirety of their group stage performance. It is clear that the magic that Hawk has will likely be needed if the Marauders have any true desire for cracking the tough nut that is the Turori backline and keeper. On the flipside they were able to score as needed but were not overly flashy about it, giving a small modicum of hope that our own defensive unit might be able to pull their effort together and put in a performance that will keep the side well and truly in the game. It might be a bit of a fool's hope but it is the hope that all sportsfans have to have when looking at such incredible odds, when one considers the form of each team.

It is at these times that fans send up their prayers to Elune, the very being from whom the religion of the Empire was founded. Some say that her existence is just a myth, part of the religion, and if there ever was a real Elune, it was likely that she was many people and not this single being that is described in the stories. Regardless of what you may believe, many in the Empire do believe in Elune and the idea of what she represents, of peace and tranquility and a pursuit of perfection. She is a guardian of the realm according the teaching of Elunism, guardian of what some might call the material plane, a post that if you believe the rumors that Tobias Raynor, now known as Faenor, has taken up in her stead. In that guardian motif, she is often described as wearing greens and browns, earthly colors, wearing what looks to be battle garb and carrying a banner of white with gold streaks through it, having an arrow notched and ready if needed to fire. That notched arrow has become something a symbol among the rural population who believes in her, while others have those murals and paintings. Regardless of the symbol, those prayers go up that she might aid those of the Empire in a time of need, of which some might say this would be such a time as the Marauders take on their mighty foe.

by **Banija** » Tue May 12, 2020 8:39 pm

The Burassa Legal Blog

Church and State in the Kingdom of Banija

Why the Separation of Church, such a key part of constitutional law elsewhere, is absent in this democracy of 100 million people

Authored by Dr. Tabia Burassa, Professor & Comparative Constitutional Scholar at the Elijah D. Hali School of Law at KIzza I College in Busukuma, National Capitol Region, Banija. Dr. Burassa achieved a Juris Doctor from Kizza I College in International Trade Law, and worked with the Regional Transit Corporation, and then the Banijan Foreign Ministry, before deciding to go back into teaching. Burassa runs this blog to talk about legal issues of the day, and go back to his passion- comparing Constitutions. He offers comparative analysis of legal systems across Atlantian Oceania to Banija's, and old posts can be seen analyzing differences.

Hello again, my readership! Many of you may be here for the first time- our readership always gets a boost during election season, which Banija is in the middle of a fierce one right now. The longtime government of Kizza Makoni, whose coalition just collapsed, seems unlikely to win what would be an unprecedented fourth term, with people tired of the CRU after 11 consecutive years in charge. But considering the recent events that caused the collapse of our most recent Government, many, especially those unfamiliar with Banijan politics and Banijan constitutional law, might wonder how this seeming accident might have caused an election in the first place. Is there no separation of church & state in this country?

Throughout this article, we won't necessarily be analyzing the exact politics of the now infamous Zenos Temple Fire. That's not my job. Right here, I'm going to introduce you to exactly why Banijan politics places so much importance on the Puritan Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the state religion, more simply known as Mormonism, after our key Scriptural text, the Book of Mormon. We are going to talk about how, when Banija's modern Constitution was written, instead of the separation of church and state, Banija's constitutional fathers decided to go into the opposite direction. And we'll talk about how that effects Banija's laws to this days, especially key teachings that, when implemented into law, have profound effects on Banijan legal society.

I'll also say a couple of clarifying statements before digging into this meaty post. First, is that when I say "The Church", I am talking about the PLDS, or the Mormon Church. That is "The" Church in this country, while it is simply "a" church in most other places. The second thing, is that I will often use the word "Mormon" and "Latter-Day Saint" interchangeably. They are two terms that mean the same thing- a baptized member of The Church. Mormon is the more common name, although Latter-Day Saint is the technical, official name. Use of either is fine.

State Influence over the Church

I talk about the unification of church and state, but the state and the Church are two separate bodies- and while the state does not exert a ton of influence over the church, the Church exerts plenty of influence over the state. That, of course, is a key distinction. His Majesty the Kabaka does not run the affairs of the Church. That is very important to understanding the role of the church within Banija's legal and Constitutional system. The Lukiiko does not step in and ever run the affairs of the church either. Church leadership operates largely independent of the wishes of the state, when it comes to their own affairs.

Banija's Independence Documents- the Constitution

Banija has had the same Constitution since our independence in 1906. Now, of course, when we were setting up our system, as in any country devising a Constitution, debates were happening across the country. How do we preserve the country's Mormon character while establishing a democracy? Could we have a country where we have a King, a powerful church, and yet somehow have it be accountable to the people? And that's how we came up with our current constitutional settlement.

The Banijan Constitution has the following words in the preamble- "Banija is a nation, under God, of Latter-Day Saints, and that is an indisputable part of the national character. However, the rights of all faiths to worship shall be respected." It is explicitly clear that we are left to be a nation of Latter-Day Saints, a nation of Mormons. It mention elsewhere that the Puritan Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the official religion of the country, and that the Lukiiko shall make no law to take its status. It's pretty clear-cut twice in the core of the Banijan Constitution that this is a Mormon nation.

This has very long-winding applications when it comes to Banijan law. It is the legal justification for laws within the country that favor Mormons, and arguably discriminate against those of other faiths, although we will talk about that later in this blog.

The Church and the Legislative Process- the Guardian Council

The most obvious and direct way the Church influences Banijan politics is the Guardian Council. The Guardian Council is a very powerful, constitutional body whose primary purpose is to "protect Banija's Constitutional integrity." First, we'll go through the makeup. There are 6 members of the Guardian Council. 3 members are clergy of the Puritan Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, as appointed by the Patriarch of Herzegovina- the worldwide leader of the church. The last 3 members are adult Royals who are not in direct line inherit the throne, as appointed by the Kabaka. That means the Kabaka cannot appoint any of his male children, and cannot appoint grandchildren of the Crown Prince.

There is no scrutiny for these appointments, and members serve as long as the appointing members desire. There are two ways this Council can effect the legislative process. One, is that it can reject any bill passed by the Lukiiko into law. The Kabaka must provide Royal Assent- he cannot veto duly-passed legislation. However, within 60 days of a bill becoming law, the Guardian Council can reject it. For the Guardian Council to exercise this power, however, it needs what we call here an "overwhelming majority"- at least 5 of the 6 members must be in favor of rejecting a bill for the Council to actually reject it.

The other way the Guardian Council effects law is that it can serve as the Court of last resort. The Banijan HIgh Court is generally the highest court in the land. The unique thing about the Guardian Council as a court, however, is that one cannot appeal to them directly. The Guardian Council can vote to take on a case at any point within the Banijan legal system. However, there is no appeal process to them- they must find and select your case themselves. Once again, they need an "overwhelming majority" to take on the case- at least 5 of the 6 members voting to hear the case. Once they do, they of course need at least 4 members to over turn any decision by a lower court. This power was recently used in World Cup 83 Qualifying, when Matthias Mutebi was up for parole and the Government was looking to give him the death penalty- the Guardian Council, led by Omugaba Immaculate, stepped in, and re-sentenced Mutebi to life in prison.

A controversial moment for the Guardian Council came at the end of Matthias Mutebi's reign. The Banijan-Equestrian War was going disastrously, Banija's coastline was getting pounded, and both our Air Force and Navy were getting decimated. The Busoga Islands were occupied. The Kabaka at the time, Albert III, stepped in, and with the backing of the Guardian Council, dissolved the Lukiiko and fired the cabinet, including Matthias Mutebi, and arrested most of them in order to sign the surrender instrument with Equestria and end the war. Was it Constitutional? Well, they were the body that could ultimately rule on that, and of course ruled their own actions as necessary in time of crisis. It is probably their most prominent moment- they, together with Kabaka Albert III, ruled the country directly for over 2 years before an elected government once again took power within Banija.

The intersection of Church Law and Banijan Law

Now, of course, I've lived abroad before, but I've always been Banijan. I see Banija from a different perspective that many of you see our country, simply because I am Banijan and see it from the inside. But our Mormon faith has many interesting rules, different from many other religions. There are some, of course, that are the same. Consume products like alcohol and marijuana responsibly, even if neither is outright banned. Whenever Banija hosts sporting tournaments, the ban we most come in contact with is the ban on the sale of coffee products. Now, of course, the church does not allow its members to drink coffee at all, deeming it too likely to become addictive.

However, that intersects with Banijan law. The sale of coffee products is banned here. Of course, that is key- only the sale of coffee products is banned in Banija. You can bring your own when you fly into the country, although you have to declare it and pay a tax on it. Banijan businesses aren't allowed to give it away either- you wont' find a coffee shop, or you won't find it at your hotel. Many fans consider it a lot of work to bring their own coffee maker and ground coffee to brew their own coffee. Of course, I'm not sure whether foreign teams do it- we imagine they do, but who really knows. There is talk about moving from the ban of sale of coffee products to simply a ban on all coffee products- but we shall see. The fines for selling coffee within the country are hefty, to the point of un-profitability.

So you can't come to this country and find a cappuccino anywhere. That's probably our most famous example, one you have heard of- although there are many others. You cannot get an abortion in this country unless the mother's life is in danger, clergy going abroad can get special 'clergical' passports from the state(although whether foreign states recognize them as anything other than a regular passport is questionable at best). There is also a big effect politically. Political Party leaders and deputy leaders must be baptized, and to be eligible to be on a party list, you have to be a baptized Mormon- although non-Mormons can run for constituency seats. This, of course, is a guarantee that power stays in the church, and among the faithful.

Banija and Minority Religions

Of course, the vast majority of Banijans are Mormon. Well over 90% of the country are baptized members of the faith. However, there are plenty of people in other faiths as well. Over 5 million Banijans consider themselves to be something other than Mormon, led by Shia Muslims, and also Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventists, Anglicans, Roman Catholics, Jews, and other faiths, mostly pagan. So what happens to them in this nation of Latter-Day Saints? Well, the Banijan Constitution generally recognizes their right to worship. However, considering we have a state religion, their right to worship can be restricted.

Banijan governments generally do a decent job in trying to respect the rights of minority faiths. It is generally common knowledge that the Government works best with Jehovah's Witnesses, since they do not get involved in politics. There is a subcabinet office, called the Office for Minority Religion, that deals with issues regarding minority faiths. They don't always do the greatest job though- minority faiths generally need permits to build places of worship, and things like that. That's why the Zenos Temple Fire caused so much political controversy- those Farf worshippers had permits to offer a fire sacrifice right next to a Mormon Temple, which then burned down. And the relevant office is in the Katikkiro's competency.

The way this effects minority religions the most, however, is evangelization. Public evangelization efforts are almost strictly limited to Mormons, although Jehovah's Witnesses generally have freedom to evangelize as well, since their lack of political involvement makes them look like a non-threat. Everyone else, though? Public, street evangelization will almost surely get you fined. Of course, limited political opportunity is guaranteed in law, as outlined earlier.

Banija's general discrimination laws also do not include religion in general as a protected class- it only includes Mormons as a protected class. Now, many abroad may say, how is the religion of 90%+ of the population a protected discrimination class? I'm not a politician- I just tell you the law. I can't explain that particular one. Is discrimination against those of minority faiths common? Foreigners, generally, do not get discriminated against because of their faith- many Banijans understand that very few non-Banijans will come around to their faith, and respect them for it. But there is certainly religious discrimination against Banijans who are not Mormon.

And, there you have it! An explainer on Church and State within the Kingdom of Banija. Talking about legal consequences, the Guardian Council, and its origins. Next week, our analysis on the Constitution will analyze the laws regarding Royal Succession in this country, how they work, and how they are determined. Hope you're back here next time!

by **Farfadillis** » Tue May 12, 2020 9:17 pm

Blorg
A blog about Farf culture or lack thereof, to be used purely as an RPing device

Why so much fire?

While Farf religion may not be among the most well-known in the Multiverse, it is undeniable that many, many people across all planes of existence are at least vaguely aware of the Farf obsession with fire. It may be unusual, yes, but it has a much more rational explanation than a foreigner may initially think. Quite revealingly, Farves are similarly culturally shocked when they see the obsession some foreigners have with, say, crosses and prayer. Essentially, their crosses are things on fire and their prayers is setting things on fire.

But Farf religion, unlike other religions, lacks any kind of structure, even from before collapse times. There aren't really churches, not as non-Farves understand them, at least, or any kind of ruling bodies. Indeed, there aren't even what one would recognize as pastors or shamans, or something to that effect. Farves gather in medium-to-large groups to venerate their 'pagan' gods, but ceremonies are usually unruly and disorganized and, yes, important buildings occasionally do get burned down, as happened recently in Busukuma, Banija.

However, one might be led to believe that Farf religion is simple: burn things. And one would, surprisingly, not be right in this particular case, even if Faves do generally tend to be very... simplifiable.

Indeed, religion in Farfadillis varies so much from region to region that we can only refer to it that way. There is no name for it. The only trait shared by most of them (probably all, but nobody's bothered to check) is their veneration of fire. Some venerate giant scorpions too, some venerate krakens. Some value honor and dilligence, some value deceitfulness and laziness. It's a mixed bag, really. However, a few key things remain constant, even beyond the whole fire thing, which we will hopefully not talk about much more in this entry.

First off, all Farf religions are polytheistic. They all have gods for fire, yes, but they also have gods for water, wind, radiation and the moon. There is a clear inclination towards representing forces of nature as gods, perhaps as a result of how harsh the island can be in terms of climate.

Beyond this polytheism, there's also the fact that Farves are usually both very attached and not at all attached to their religions. You won't see them trying to force it on others, or even caring about the beliefs of other people - perhaps this is a result of their lack of belief in an afterlife - but you also won't see them changing religion often. Farf diaspora is typically very hard to convert for followers of other, more sensible religions. They will also be very unrepentant when their religion does bad things (again, sorry to the Busukumans).

The third universal characteristic of Farf religion is that it is very, very prevalent in every single region. You should never trust a Farf census (because of incompetence, not maliciousness), but even what little foreign surveys have been conducted indicate that the prevalence of Farf religion is above 95%, with most of the rest of the population either godless, agnostic or foreign.

Finally, it should also be noted that there's evidence of the different Farf gods existing, though that evidence is only limited to Farfadillis. Examples include the eternal rains in the Farf jungle, the ever-burning stand of the national team's stadium and the fact that there have been no deaths attributed to radiation despite it existing in many places, notoriously the deserts and the mountains.

Hopefully, this very rushed summary of a few key aspects of Farf religion are all you need for now, dear reader. Maybe some other day I'll be more in-depth: there really is just too much to cover when it comes to religion in the Outlandish Lands.

by **Turori** » Tue May 12, 2020 10:28 pm

Eels back into Knockout Rounds after Cosumar Draw

After entertaining the fans at three different venues throughout Turori to start up the 8th Eagle's Cup competition, Turori's National Citizen Squad went on the road and came away with just two points from three matches against their former Eagle's Cup Champion foes. With Nephara and Zwangzug three points behind Turori heading into the final matchday and playing against each other to conclude the Group Stage, Turori had already assured their spot in the knockout rounds before they headed off to Cosumar. There was still a chance, however, that the Eels would be pipped to the Top Spot in the group depending on how the results would fall.

The Eels ended up getting just enough to hang on to the top spot as an already-eliminated Cosumar gave their own fans something to cheer about putting up a fight and clawing back after Turori got first half goals from Lati'ala Giaoka and Daliora Toru'u to take a 2-0 first half lead. The Eel's looked to have re-taken the lead in the 80th minute but a goal from Mbdiai Akarenaa was disallowed for offside in a controversial moment late in the match. In the end, it made no difference as Turori would top the group and would be joined by Zwangzug who survived a duel with Nephara for the second spot in the knockout round.

The Citizen Squad will advance to play Valanora in the Cocoabo Trophy Semi-Finals in a clash of Atlantian Oceania titans at the Eagle's Club facility in Eelandii, Turori.

 Turori [2] - [2] Cosumar
				
	GOALS:	Turori 	:: 17' Lati'ala Giaoka:: 32' Daliora Toru'u             		
	STATS:	Turori 	:: Possession: 52%:: Shots: 3:: Corners: 4	Cosumar 	:: Possession: 48%:: Shots: 7:: Corners: 13
	Lineup:	[GK] Wiyauw An'maude, [D.] Mikki Mayelli, [D.] Biliki Rona'atu'i, [D.] Yitizo Mpala'a, [D.]  Tarek Edgeli, [ML]  Nubara Moafalia, [MC] Lati'ala Giaoka, [MC]  Mbdiai Akarenaa, [MR]  Daliora Toru'u, [FC] Meldi'ita Mungwaii, [FC] Wiztsana Iretziia			
	Bench:	[FC] Nua'oma Aikiki, [FC] Mirana Gotuai, [M] Kiidallen Aeroluzzi, [M] Kentu Umaka'a, [U ] Amakli Inuro'o, [D] Lulu Pumaziiri, [GK] Timaala Hualtia

by **Eagles Club** » Tue May 12, 2020 10:58 pm

^{Quarter Finals}

Cocoa-bo Challenge Trophy Semi-Finals at the Eagle's Club

Turori [3] Valanora [5]
Eagle's Club, Eelandii, Turori

Banija [1] Zwangzug [0]
Eagle's Club, Forbridge, Zwangzug

Cup of Champions Semi-Finals at the Eagle's Club

Pasarga [1] Brenecia [0]
Eagle's Club, Brinemouth, Nephara

Equestria [1] Farfadillis [4]
Eagle's Club, Cosumar

Eagle's Cup VIII Semi-Final Draw ::

Cocoa-bo Challenge Trophy Final at the Eagle's Club
Valanora v. Banija
Eagle's Club, Eelandii, Turori

Cup of Champions Final at the Eagle's Club
Pasarga v. Farfadillis
Eagle's Club, Eelandii, Turori

:: Eagle's Cup Semi Final Scores will follow approximately 48 Hours from this post!

Roleplay Challenges ::
Roleplay Challenges will be offered to help inspire contributions that will be both Fun, Informative to your opposition and historically relevant for future usage in your nations World Building or factbooks! Feel Free to go back and complete the earlier Challenge(s) if you missed them!

SF: A Prize awaits the winner... who is going to pay for it? :: Advancing to the sectional finals, each of the four Finalists has earned honorary membership in the Eagle's Club for a single cycle. However, only one of the final four will be crowned Champion. The Champion will be able to designate or construct a specific venue as the home of their official Eagle's Club chapter. Start scouting your nation for potential sites for this venue Graphic Bonus: What kind of facilities might be rennovated or torn down to make room for the Eagle's Club?

by **Zwangzug** » Wed May 13, 2020 8:04 am

Zwangzug's e-Lipogram

It's an all-lipogrammatic last four in this Bird Cup! Atlantian stalwarts Valanora will spar with Kadongo Kamu of Banija, as Rushmori Pasarga fights with world champions (and forthcoming hosts) Farfadillis. Sadly, host Turori is out, although it put up a trio of goals against Valanora, and so is our Zwangzug squad, which lost to a goal from young Mzukisi Nzo of Yaton FC. (Although it was from normal play around this match's hour mark. Not as tragic as a dramatic PK--looking at you, McJakill.)

Zwangzug will now look to WC85's qualifying groups, which might wind up including host "chronological dilation" magic to fit in a bunch of showdowns amid this long grind. Will fullback Kurt show up, with Schottia's pyramid in disarray, or will Akhil Sibal (or Miovuku or Vizirani) start? Will a solitary-forward formation bring goals for Johan Idmar and Gordon Blum? Will coach Brandon sub lots of individuals out? And what about our "first division" and its upcoming campaign thirty? Who knows, but follow us and our nation's many publications to find out.

by **Banija** » Thu May 14, 2020 12:32 pm

Discussion between WCC Vice President Adama Sowe and RBSA Chairman Robel Ezera at the RBSA headquarters in Busukuma, Banija.

Robel Ezera was sitting in his office. He had been elected the Chairman of the Royal Banijan Soccer Association immediately after AOCAF LVIII- and Adama Sowe had been appointed Banija's permanent representative to the Executive World Cup Committee, and had decided to retire from running the RBSA. Of course, Sowe hadn't actually retired, becoming one of the most well-connected men in both business and sport, eventually being elected Vice President of the World Cup Committee, becoming an executive board member of the IFCF, and also becoming the Chairman of the Board for the Regional Transit Corporation.

His Secretary buzzed in. "Robel, Adama is here." Robel slightly adjusted his suit and tie, and asked his Secretary to let Adama in. Robel rose as Adama Sowe entered the room, and the two men shook hands. They exchanged pleasantries and sat down, ready to get down to business.

"Well Adama, there's a lot of things on the agenda here." Robel started with. "I don't like to beat around the bush with you, so I'll just come out with it- will you endorse my own re-election?" He was up for re-election just before the start of World Cup Qualifying. IT was originally scheduled to happen right after AOCAF LX, but it was pushed back so the association's energy could be focused on the Eagle's Cup. But it had to, of course, happen eventually. Ezera was the only candidate so far, and he knew that Sowe's endorsement would ensure that he remained the only candidate.

"Absolutely, Robel." Adama Sowe said. "You've done a hell of a job so far- that's obvious by the fact that nobody's running against you. We've always supported each other." And that was true. Robel Ezera had supported Adama Sowe strongly in his campaign to become WCC President, and it was a strong enough campaign to ensure that he was the highest-ranking non-Royal in the sport, behind Princess Candace of Equestria, the WCC President. "Now, let's talk about other business. I'm glad to see that we're still here, at the Eagle's Cup, participating well. It was a priority of mine to get into it when I was in your role, and now we're in the next edition."

"Oh of course." Said Robel Ezera. "Who would've thought- a Future's match played before World Cup 79 Qualifying could put us into this position. Not a single player from that match so many years ago is still playing for the Kadongo Kamu. George Wangolo was an important member of that side- now he's an assistant coach, and a U21 world champion as a manager. Crazy how time flies, doesn't it?"

"Oh yea, absolutely." Said Adama Sowe. "Do you remember how I almost got fired around the time of that Future's match? Back when we had those insane laws about gender segregation in sports. Thank God Makoni got rid of those, eh? And I find it interesting- nobody seems to remember that."

"Ah, well, why would they?" Said Robel Ezera. "Everything worked out for the best. Cherry is the BSL Commissioner now, and who knows if we ever land on Marcus Waters? Is what it is."

"Well, I'm an old man." Said Adama Sowe. "But you aren't. Let's stop reminiscing and get down to business. Have you thought about which stadium will be Banija's official Eagle's Club venue?"

"Don't count your chickens before they hatch, Adama." Replied Robel Ezera. "But of course, it's a tough choice- and everybody wants in. And when I saw everybody, I mean everybody. I took a poll of BSL owners to see who had interest- well, at least ownership group's for next season's BSL. The only ones who said no were Sororo City, who of course have been promoted to the top flight for the first time ever, and the Hawabark Boulders. Otherwise, the other 18 teams in the league have at least some level of interest. No point in trying to reach out to some of the lower league owners- up to 18 candidates are plenty."

"Gosh damn." Said Adama Sowe. "I figured the clubs would come to an easier decision. We really could just have this thing just about anywhere in the country. What about in Dodoma?" He suggested. "Albert III Stadium is great. It could be seen as a testament to the late Kabaka. It's a beautiful venue, it's a fairly new venue, and it's hosted major games- World Cup clashes in both the group and knockout stages of World Cup 83 were held at the stadium."

"Hmmm." Said Robel Ezera. "But Bunyoro RSC just got relegated! The Eagle's Club will surely think it's an insult if we name a stadium that's technically in Banija's second tier as the Eagle's Club, when we had well over a dozen top-flight stadia that were interested. And, of course, that doesn't even include the national stadium here."

"Well, nobody would want to vote against the national stadium, Robel." Said the WCC Vice President. "But we gotta think outside the box here. We got stadia all over the country- there's a reason the Kadongo Kamu don't simply play 100% of their home games at the Stadium of the Restoration. Plus, I think you may have a better chance of BSL Ownership approving the use of Albert III Stadium than you do for them approving the use of any of the other BSL stadia. You know how owners operate. Talk to Randolf more if you don't. They're all jealous of each other, and competitive. That's something that could unite them. Not that they'd want it- but that their rivals would not have it. And plus, even though Bunyoro RSC is in the second tier, it doesn't mean that is a second tier stadium. You're talking about a stadium, less than 10 years old, that sits 48,600, and has hosted matches both in the AOCAFs and the World Cup? That's a first-rate stadium. Separate the club from the stadium."

"You know, you do make a good point Adama." Robel Ezera said. "That's a good idea. Great to see you, Adama." The two men shook hands, and Adama Sowe left the office. Robel Ezera sat and thought about what Adama had said. Bunyoro RSC leadership was surely a fan of the idea. Robel Ezera decided to place his next call to Randolf Cherry, the former national team manager and the present Commissioner of the Banijan Soccer League. Just in case they finally were able to break through and add a second non-major trophy to the cabinet. Be prepared, lay out the groundwork now. Nothing would be more embarrassing than months of paralysis by stakeholders over this decision, right?

by **Pasarga** » Thu May 14, 2020 7:14 pm

No one who watched the match of the Wanderers against Brenecia would call that game beautiful, it was an absolutely mess of a match with crunching tackles and lots of bruises on kneecaps and other places once the ninety minutes had come and gone. Luckily for the Wanderers, the sheer willpower and individual brilliance of Alexander Jager was enough to scrap away a victory, after the striker had put in a goal nearly a half hour into the game. The entire tournament there has been a look of hunger as well as anger in those eyes, as if a lifetime of frustration has finally popped the cork on the bottle and he is laying down the thunder with every single match that he takes a part of. It really is a bit of a tragedy to see some of the comments about the caliber of Jager in the newspapers and online blogs, quickly they forget the actual exploits of the striker with the national team and instead zero in on the shortcomings and failures of the team and him. That sort of negativity and false take would be enough to drive any person to the edge of insanity, let alone of someone of Jager's talent and passion. That passion has certainly yielded its reward though for the Wanderers, as they are seemingly getting the best out of their best player in this tournament.

With their unexpected victory over Brenecia though, the Wanderers are surprise semifinalists and honorary members of the Eagle's Club, for which the tournament gets its name from. That membership comes with it an invitation to play in the next edition of the tournament, quite a prestigious honor especially with the given trend of the Wanderers and their lack of success in the World Cup the last few years. The run that they went on in the Cup of Harmony to emerge as champions was very impressive but that they were not able to string that success over into the Copa Rushmori, a tournament that they have dominated historically, did not bode well. The success here in the Eagle's Cup does give a renewed sense of hope though, but hope does not equal success nor does it guarantee championships, the entry method for which the Wanderers' were granted their invitation to this very tournament. A springboard from here would be quite beneficial to the national team and regardless of what happens in the next two matches, the Wanderers will likely look to have a good amount of momentum moving into the Qualifiers later in the Fall.

However this is not the only consideration that comes with advancing this far into the tournament, one now must contemplate the implications of success, of winning the two remaining matches and being crowned champions of this edition of the tournament and inducted formally into the Eagle's Club. That would come with the construction of ones own Eagle Club back in the dual islands, an honor for both the nations and whatever venue would be chosen to be the site of that construction. Naturally the initial reaction would to be to put the site in the capital of Torgos, one of the most visited cities in not just Pasarga but all of Rushmore as a whole, being built into the complex of the Stade de Torgos. A site next to the national stadium, as well as it being the home venue of perennial SuperLiga side Galatica, would be quite visited but it would be robbing other cities and venue of expanding their own prestige. A better alternative would be to build it the city that most Pasargans would call the footballing capital of the nation, Stein-los, at the same complex as Kilmonarch, the home venue of SuperLiga powerhouse Tanrısal.

In order to finance the construction or expansion, the PFA has started to look at procuring a series of high profile friendlies before the start of the World Cup Qualifiers, with all profits from those matches going into the Eagle's Club Fund, should the Wanderers emerge victorious from the tournament as the champions. Instead of their usual warm up matches against teams that on paper the Wanderers would be head and shoulders better than, the PFA will be looking to get exclusively top fifty ranked teams with a preference for teams that have played in the last World Cup. While all friendlies produce good revenue for the PFA, these friendlies would likely produce such revenue that they will secure all the funding that the association would need to proceed with their project without the need for loans or coming out of the treasury, which is used to pay for the national team players and staff wages while on international duty and subsidizing the youth and reserve leagues of the nation, so that all teams can afford to have academies. It is an ambitious plan but one with merit, though it still needs to be facilitated by the play on the field and the world champions stand as the next hurdle to overcome.

by **Valanora** » Thu May 14, 2020 7:43 pm

"The Marauders continue to disappoint defensively, it is quite fortunate for us that Laborious Hawk for whatever ungodly reason has decided to keep plying his trade and has kept the team looking very dangerous on the attack. I do not understand it though, these players play so well when they are suiting up for their clubs and yet when they are wearing those crossed swords of the Marauders, it feels like they have completely forgotten how to play as a defensive unit." Pedro Guiterrez spoke to the barkeeper of The Prancing Howlers sportsbar in Sabinal. The television in the corner of this side of the bar was showing off the highlights of the Marauders match against the home side of Turori, a match that the Marauders unexpectedly came out on top of.

"Let me guess, you are new to sport aren't you? Cause you can not be someone familiar with the Marauders if you are really wondering why it is that Hawk continues to play even when all his other kin have retired or gone off somewhere else, wherever that somewhere else might be." The barkeep said with a laugh as scrubbed at mug with a cleaning rag. The crowd was mostly thin now, it was still early in the afternoon but in a few hours when the Marauders were going to take to the pitch to take on their regional rivals in Banija, he knew this place was going to be packed. He wondered how many more people like this young man would be among them, those who claimed to support the national team but knew so little about the players or the culture of it.

"New to the sport? No, been a fan of the beautiful game since I was young. New to the national team though, it never really sank in until about two or three years ago that we might actually see one of our own play for the national team. What is this guy's story anyway, why has he not gone away like the rest of the elves?" Pedro asked, sipping on water, knowing that it was still too early to drink. If he was to drink, it would be later, especially if the Marauders disappointed him as he was expecting them to. It was a fool's game to think that the team actually had a chance against Banija, when it was clear based on the transfer market that the current level of Banija football was above that of the Eternal Empire. There was absolutely no way in his mind that the team was going to get one over on Banija.

"That is not a man, that is a myth, a legend. They say at one point he was just a street footballer who got seen by his local club's manager and the manager was so taken aback by his skill that he brought him onto the team. He took Hondo from the second tier to the top and then into a title before starting his globe trotting. As you already are aware, he is one of those elves, one of the few left who actually still play sport and he was and has always been the best of them even when his talent was not. For in him there was a drive for simple perfection, that is what all his managers and teammates have always said about him. There is an unwavering desire to be the very best that he can, not just the best but to be perfect. It is not possible of course and so he is on a quest that can never be completed, yet it will keep him going even when all things in front of him say that he should simply stop, when his own body and soul says to slow down or rest. It is a passion that burns so brightly that one might even call him lost to its seductive and impossible cause, yet there is a humility in him that also belies that drive. While I would not say his pursuit is healthy, there is elements about him that we could all learn from and try to replicate, like the charity or relentless pursuit of ones goals."

"That can not be true, he simply is too good to have started from nothing." Pedro severely doubted this man who captained the national team and supposedly had five World Cup winners' medals had started as a street footballer, as someone that could very well be a neighbor.

"Believe it or not, much as you could believe or not that this current Marauders team is or is not title worthy. Fact remains that they are in the semifinals and the VSC is examining Heroes' Road in the capital to see if it has the ability to be expanded to nearly double its current capacity and house the Eagle's Club chapter that is awarded to the winner of the tournament. Bit fitting if it is chosen and then renovated, a name like that, for if the team were to win, you are right in that it would be because of Hawk. The last remaining hero of the Hero Quartet that once made the Marauders the most feared team in the footballing world. You'd do well to read up your history boy, especially if you are going to be in here tonight for the match. There are members of the Navy Wave even out here in Sabine and Caddonia and they will not take lightly to someone claiming to being a fan but not knowing a hero of the team." With a bit of a chuckle, the barkeep pulled out a purple book with gold trimming on it Craziness Encouraged was the title, written by someone from Starblaydia...

by **Eagles Club** » Fri May 15, 2020 1:57 am

^{SEMI FINALS}

Cocoa-bo Challenge Trophy Final
Valanora [1] Banija [1] [1-2] AET.
Eagle's Club, Eelandii, Turori

Cup of Champions Final
Farfadillis [3] Pasarga [2]
Eagle's Club, Eelandii, Turori

^{EAGLE'S CUP FINAL}

Banija [- v -] Farfadillis
Eels Park, Eelandii, Turori

3rd Place Match
Followed by Eagle's Cup VIII Medal Ceremony

Valanora [- v -] Pasarga
The Eagle's Club, Eelandii, Turori

:: Eagle's Cup Final Scores will follow approximately 44 Hours from this post!

Roleplay Challenges ::
Roleplay Challenges will be offered to help inspire contributions that will be both Fun, Informative to your opposition and historically relevant for future usage in your nations World Building or factbooks! Feel Free to go back and complete the earlier Challenge(s) if you missed them!

FINAL: RIVALRIES :: What is the history between your nation and your Final / 3PPO Opposition? Will this match be looked upon as significant or just an afterthought? How will the performance in this competition shape the future of the National Team Graphic Bonus: What disparaging sign might fans of your national team make against your final matchday opponents?

by **Banija** » Fri May 15, 2020 2:34 pm

"0-for-Farf"- Regional rival whom we have never beaten stands between the Kadongo Kamu and the Eagle's Cup Trophy

Madu Okparra does a backflip after scoring the match-winner in extra time against Valanora

EELANDII, TURORI- The aptly named Glorious Southwest took one on the chin in AOCAF LX. There's no getting around it- it was a truly disappointing tournament for the entirety of the sub-region, especially the big dogs. The three World Cup winners from the region, Valanora, Equestria, and Farfadillis, alongside two other World Cup 84 participants in Banija, as well as Siovanija & Teusland, were excited for the new format of the tournament. A special, one-off format, to separate teams by geography. The Southwestern half where the power of balance in Atlantian Oceania had seemingly swung, against the Northeastern half, where power once lay. Of course, not every nation fits cleanly into those categories, but that's how it goes.

Many from the GSW thought it'd be one of those 5 aforementioned World Cup 84 Participants who would get out of the stacked Southwestern half of the region. Instead, it ended disastrously. Not a single one of those 5 even made it to the AOCAF semifinals. It was a shame. Of course, we knocked each other out- Equestria knocking down the world champions on their home turf, and the Kadongo Kamu being felled by Siovanija & Teusland. But it goes beyond that. Equestria being knocked out by Baker Park- who is Southwestern in all but name only. Siovanija & Teusland falling to Ko-oren. Baker Park also falling to Ko-oren. And Valanora falling to Ko-oren. Although not in that order. Ko-oren, a decidedly northern AO nation, essentially pantsed the entire self-dubbed Glorious Southwest, and then went along and won the whole damn trophy while they were at it.

None of us looked particularly "glorious" anymore. And insert the Eagle's Cup. All for various reasons, different nations wanted to impress. Of course, with World Cup Qualifying coming up, this is a much better opportunity for a player to showcase their skills for their manager than a simple friendly. Farfadillis, following up winning the World Cup with a Round of 16 dud on home soil. Banija, an up and down AOCAFs that began with a 3-0 shellacking at the hands of Torisakia, and ended in a decisive defeat at the hands of Siovanija & Teusland. And that's the scene that sets up the 8th Eagle's Cup.

Banija didn't just apply into this tournament- we qualified for it. When did Qualifying happen? Almost two decades ago, we qualified in our very first game since the end of the RBSA bankruptcy process that caused us to miss World Cup 78. Of course, we're so different from what we were back then. But that's irrelevant. And we have, quietly yet surely, progressed our way through this Final. Some fireworks, sure- a 6-2 win against Electrum, a 5-5 draw at home against Valanora, but largely, we've done well and won our group, overcoming an early loss to Chromatika and booking our ticket to the Quarterfinals.

Who did we play? Zwangzug. The last time we played Zwangzug, was at World Cup 84. Our captain, Gitonga Kahara, missing due to a red card in the match prior, and desperately needing three points to advance, we tried to beat the keeper for 90 minutes, when a late, late penalty was given to the Banijans, and Namakula Kawesa buried them, 1-0. Of course, the Quarterfinal here at the Eagle's Cup was the same score- although much less dramatic. An hour in, Mzukisi Nzo struck home from distance to give the Kadongo Kamu, and they smothered any Zwangzug attempt at a comeback, preventing them from scoring an equalizer. The semifinals would be next. The opponent? None other than Valanora.

Valanora is always a big game for Banija, especially the older players. Back when Banija wouldn't get close to World Cups, of course the tournament still got a lot of TV and radio ratings. Who were Banijans following? By and large, Valanora. Big time nation, right across the water. You loved them or hated them- more like we wished we were them. And now, of course, with a number of Banijans playing in the Elven Premiership, including four national teamers, it's one of the biggest possible games for both fans and players. Rivals? Undoubtedly yes. Equestria is always the rival, our archrival, but Banija and Valanora is always a big game. Marcus Waters has already had success against them. He was 3-1-0(W-D-L) against them entering this match, and exited with his fourth win in five attempts.

Rivalry is the lifeblood of sport. It's something that's taken for granted at all levels of sport in Banija- any sports business class at Northern Moravica or Loyola-Istria will tell you that. We're not sure if the rest of the multiverse feels that way. But it truly is the lifeblood of sport. Not all matchups are created equal, that much is fact. It's not an insult to other opponents- they have rivals too who they want to beat more than anybody else. And that meant everyone was on the edge of their seats when the Kadongo Kamu and Valanora met for a spot in the Final. It was a wildly entertaining, up and down affair. It wasn't the wildly entertaining 5-5 draw the two sides had at the Stadium of the Restoration about a week ago, but it was close.

The fans in green and orange going crazy when Ilman Jawara, a striker who plays for Soldarian FC in Valanora, scored the opening goal. The fans in blue exploding with joy when Mariel Paulsen, of Hondo FC, equalized. And then when Madu Okparra, in the 111th minute, who plays for Raynor City United in Valanora, scored the match winner and cartwheeled his way to the corner. A big game. Their third of this competition, their fourth matchup of the cycle, if you include their AOCAF LX group stage match. Marcus Waters talked about the importance of the win. "This team is talented, this team is driven, we are hungry. We're pushing our way towards the top. If we want to be a big team, we've got to beat the big teams. And it doesn't get bigger than Valanora, does it?"

No, it doesn't get bigger than the 5 time world Champions. Now, we've won the Cocoa-bo Challenge Trophy. Now to take on the reigning World Cup champions, and the way-too-early betting favorites for a World Cup 85 that is on home soil- Farfadillis. They offer altogether a mighty challenge for the Banijans, as the two sides look to gain permanent entry into the Eagle's Club. This is one of Banija's top rivals as well- alongside nations like Valanora, Eshan, and Ko-oren. The unique thing about this one? We've never beaten them. Not once. We are 0-0-3(W-D-L) against this team in this era(WCQ79-present). 2-1, at World Cup 82. 3-2, at World Cup 84. And in a pre-AOCAF LX friendly in Busukuma, 3-2 once again, also to the world champions.

Marcus Waters talked about the importance of the matchup, and how they wanted Farfadillis as an opponent. "We are striving to be the best- we recognize that to do that, we have to beat the best." Marcus Waters told reporters. "Some are saying that we didn't want Farfadillis, that we should shy away because we've never beaten. That's something that's never once crossed our minds. We want these teams that we haven't beaten. We want to show that we can beat them. Farfadillis is the standard- they just won the World Cup. It's a big match because it's a final, no doubt. But it's an even bigger match because it's Farfadillis."

When a reporter said that Farfadillis essentially sent a B team, Marcus Waters dismissed that. "They are Farfadillis. That is the key. Nobody wins the World Cup without having a deep bench, and this is a team that's clearly good enough to get to the final of the tournament. They've beaten numerous elite sides to get here, and surely want to beat us one more time." Regardless of that, it looks surely to be an entertaining time in Busukuma. Banija's capitol city has a large Farf refugee community living within in, which gives the city potential for chaos whenever the two sides meet competitively. Bars are expected to be packed. Flags everywhere, from both sides.

It's a tournament that's served as a redemption of shorts for the Glorious Southwest, as we put two sides in the Final, and Valanora into the third place game. But all eyes are on Turori for the Final. "If we want to go somewhere we've never gone, we need to do something we've never done." It's an old saying. Who said it first? We have no idea. But this team wants to go somewhere they've never gone- the mountaintop. Winning an actual trophy. And to do so, they will need to do something they've never done- beat Farfadillis. Will the Kadongo Kamu be lifting the Eagle's Cup high into the sky on Saturday night?

by **Farfadillis** » Sat May 16, 2020 7:44 pm

The Kamikaze

A site dedicated to Farf football
National Team Section
Rivalries
submitted just now

Due to the nature of international football, it is hard to develop rivalries between national teams. Unlike clubs that face each other twice a year, two rival nations can spend a decade without playing a single match. Another important difference is that while clubs easily develop rivalries with nearby opponents, it is hard to do so with your national team: you could face your neighboring nations a total of five times in your entire history, especially if the two are mismatched in terms of quality.

So, having said that, who can we call a rival of Farfadillis? We've been around since cycle 60. It's been half a century at this point, so we must have developed some rivalries. We must have some matches to look forward to purely by virtue of who our opponents are... surely? Yes, yes we do. But only two, and they're not necessarily bilateral!

First off, it should be said that there are a couple of nations that are familiar faces, so to speak. Not quite rivals, but facing them is not quite just another Tuesday either. Banija, our neighbors, have yet to beat us and, now that they've gotten better, that's bound to make a friendly rivalry flourish at some point. Unless we never face each other again, in which case it wouldn't. Or unless Farf expats keep pulling off accidental iconoclasm, in which case the rivalry wouldn't be friendly. There's also Eura, a nation we have faced many times in the World Cup, who usually get the best of us, last World Cup's semifinal aside (we really did exorcize two different demons that day, didn't we?). Our co-hosts Mriin have also clashed with us in important matches lately, though we've come out on top fairly often. Some decades ago, matches against Audioslavia and Polar Islandstates were frequent as well, though with Farfadillis coming out on top only a few times. But hey, we are to this day the only ones to have knocked out the Terns in the group stage of the World Cup. There's also Starblaydia, which isn't a rivalry because we basically always beat them. We might be the team that has the best record against them, in fact.

So, first off, there's Valanora. The Marauders. The el - wait, no. The normal humans plus that bird guy. This one's our one and only nearby rivalry. Nobody needs me to tell them Valanora is just across that sea that we refuse to call the Taaru Sea. What you might need me to tell you is that was have faced Valanora more than any other nation in the history of our national team. No, I don't have the exact stats at hand, but the two teams have faced each other, to be technical, a fuckton of times, with many of the matches being very high profile. AOCAF Cup 43 final, with Farfadillis coming out on top, 3-2. AOCAF Cup 44 final two years later, Valanora prevailed 6-5. World Cup 74 round of sixteen, we prevailed in extra time. AOCAF Cup 50 quarterfinals, Valanora beat us, eventually finishing runners-up. AOCAF Cup 53 final, a Rulandese team representing Farfadillis got played out of the park by the Marauders. World Cup 80 quarterfinals, we came out on top, 4-2. AOCAF Cup 57 semifinals, we came out on top, then won the whole thing. Plus some other miscellaneous World Cup and AOCAF Cup matches. You get the point, a very even record of very high-profile matches, exacerbated on our end by the geographical proximity. The Marauders probably don't consider us our rivals, as there's more of an older sibling-younger sibling dynamic going on, but that might have come to an end after our last World Cup campaign, even if we're still a whooping four titles short of their record.

And then, because we were not happy enough trying to have a five-time champion team as rivals, we get to Vilita (and Turori). Unlike with Valanora, this rivalry is probably a lot more bilateral, because the Vilitan success is much more recent. When we were first causing the Vilitans problems, they were on "just" one World Cup title. Our first clashes were in the World Cup 63 qualifiers, where each team won one game apiece. The notorious thing is that, back then, we were a lowly team with barely any aspirations, and we managed to beat a top seed like the Vilitans at their home. The cherry on top? We would go on to beat them in the World Cup group stage that cycle, to advance ahead of them in Group H. That was the cycle Farfadillis broke into the world stage. After that, you have World Cup 66. Once again, the Vilitans were the favorites, and la Vherderoja came out on top in the group stage. This was followed three years later by a win in the AOCAF Cup 43 semifinals, 4-2, against the Vilita & Turori team. The Vilitans would finally get their revenge in World Cup 76, soundly beating us in the round of sixteen. For many years after that, we would not face the Vilitans again. We would, instead, face Turori three times, besides the occasional AOCAF Cup clashes against the combined team. Against Turori, we came out on top twice in the World Cup group stage, before losing one of the most painful matches in our team's history, 6-3, in the semifinals of World Cup 82. We would beat Vilita & Turori in the AOCAF Cup 57 semifinal in between those matches... after losing against them in the semis in the previous AOCAF Cup. Eventually, we'd face off against Vilita in a World Cup match once again, and we all know how that went. But the interesting thing is, that final came very close to happening twice before. In World Cups 77 and 82, both of which Vilita won, Farfadillis came just short of facing their favorite opponents in the semifinals. Ask any Farf, they're all sure they would've won. "We never lose to Vilita when we're the underdog" is their argument, and it holds up.

Another element that adds to these last two rivalries is that many of the best Farf players in history have had stellar careers in these two nations, and they've all played key roles in important victories. Nobody will ever forget Çíânflöné's hat trick against Valanora in World Cup 80, fresh from an ACL tear recovery, or Dandalleion and Tuzzio's performances against the helpless Jungle Cats in the 60's. Or that Santos Alaminos brace in an AOCAF Cup semifinal! One could argue this last World Cup final was a glaring exception, but t'Öéséné was low-key one of the best players on the pitch that day. Unfortunately, few Vanorians and only one Vilitan have played in the Farf league, with none of them ever getting capped. Yeah, our league's crap, what can you do.

Anyway, the bottom line here is that we refuse to recognize the Banijans as our rivals because we really want to patronize some other team as the others patronized us early on.

by **Eagles Club** » Sat May 16, 2020 9:50 pm

Eagles Cup VIII Final
Eels Park, Eelandii, Turori

While the curtains have come down at Eels Park, the festivities are still far from over. While the trophy was presented to the winners, The medal ceremony still follows the back at the Eagle's Club just across the park. As a warmup to the medal ceremony, the Third Place Playoff will be contested between 5 Time World Cup Champion Valanora, and Cup of Champions Runner-Up Pasarga. In order to keep the Medal Ceremony on time, the Third Place Match would go straight to penalties if tied after 90 minutes.

Eagles Cup 3rd Place Playoff
The Eagle's Club, Eelandii, Turori

Valanora [0] Pasarga [0] :: (5-3) on penalty kicks

^{EAGLES CUP VIII - MEDALS}

While both Finalists were first time Eagle's Cup medalists, Valanora became the second nation to make multiple trips to the medal podium in the competitions history joining former champions Turori. With Eagle's Cup VIII in the books, a most excellent competition was contested once again in an edition equally as entertaining as the previous one, with another new champion crowned. As a permanent member of The Eagle's Club, the nation of Banija now had the authority to construct their own 'Eagles Club' campus and attached sporting facility within their nation, the completion of which would allow the Banijans to stage future Eagle's Club contests out of their own facilities. Requirements for Eagles Club construction are available in the Vault at the Eagle's Club: Eelandii location.

by **Banija** » Tue May 19, 2020 10:15 am

Eagle's Cup Medal Ceremony at the Eagle's Club in Eelandii, Turori

Kuma Bultum was sitting there, excited. This tournament, of course, was unlike any other- but it was a fun one, and certainly a highly competitive, and it was now Banija's most prestigious trophy to date. One of the best parts about the tournament? Waiting for the medal ceremony. They had won quite a Final against Farfadillis. The Banijans opening the game with an early goal, when Ilman Jawara found the back of the net after just 7 minutes. And then, the game being taken over by that teenager, Lőrensz Ziczi. He remembered the name from the film room, when Ziczi popped up several times on film before the Final.

On one hand, he was just a kid running around among men- but he surely belonged. He scored twice- once, when he hit a shot with a ton of pace at Jumu Sanneh, who couldn't handle it and fumbled the ball into the net. The second time, was when Lőrensz Ziczi took a free kick, and absolutely buried it in the 27th minute to give the Farves a 2-1 lead. He was quite a handful to stop. But yet, what a halftime it was. Marcus Waters stepping right up to him, challenging him to lead the back line. He remembered his words. "The Farves always pour goals past us. But this is our time to shine. This is your time to shine. You are a full Galactico. You're a star. You're a leader. Lead these men! We can get it done on the other end. But we need to keep them out on the other end. 45 minutes."

Marcus Waters made a move that would surely cause controversy going forward. The much-maligned Jumu Sanneh was subbed out of the game, and Francois Tantoh, the Herzegovina City FC starter, came in to play net. And Kuma Bultum brought his other defenders together, and they came out to have a stellar second half. For years, the lighting quick and overwhelming nature of the Farfadillis attack had always been too much. And that had been true in the first half. But in the second half, they finally seemed to figure it out. This wasn't the A-team- but it was an altogether talented squad all the same. But the defense shut them down. The midfield kept possesion. Bultum in particular had a fabulous second half, almost individually ensuring Farfadillis wouldn't have their moment to bury the Kadongo Kamu.

And then, of course, came his moment. Enyinnaya Jideofor had the equalizer, off the bench, in the 85th minute. But Bultum's time to shine had come. It was the 97th minute, in extra time. His legs, of course, were tired- but he knew that there was an opportunity here on the corner kick. IT was Ecésar der Efer marked against him. The kid was just 17! A little skinny, not built out muscle wise just yet. Bultum charged forward towards the near post. He muscled der Efer out of the way, and rose. A free header! He saw the ball, and perfect form. Down, towards the near post. The ball hit the ground with pace and bounced straight back up. Too much movement for the goalkeeper to have a chance. And it was a goal!

What a moment it was for Kuma Bultum. He pumped his fist, and considering they were in the Farfadillis end, he held a finger to his lips to shush the crowd as he ran to the corner to celebrate. The Galactico had his moment- a go-ahead goal in an international final. And it proved to be enough, as Idai Uster scored on a counter-attack in the 115th minute to make it 4-2. And now, he was feeling good, about to lift the trophy. The Eagle's Club handlers were clear- everyone had exactly an hour to make their way across the street. They would at least watch the second half. He was able to remove his cleats, shinguards, and socks. Take a shower.

And now, he was about to lift the trophy. He clapped hard for Valanora as they won the shootout, ensuring all three Eagle's Club medals would go to the Glorious Southwest. And he felt so nice. And he saw the organizers walk out with the Eagle's Cup trophy. "Man, you see that?" Kuma said. "Our generation is vindicated here. We're adding something to the trophy cabinet!" Nobody was really listening to him. What a moment this was. The AOCAFs had left a horrible taste in his mouth- an early elimination, courtesy of repeated defensive collapses, was truly disappointing. But this was some sort of redemption- Banija's first ever international trophy at the senior level in this sport.

He went over and got his winner's medal from the organizers. This would be a prized piece of silverware for him. And as they celebrated the trophy, and he took pictures, and got his champions shirt, he realized just how crazy it was to win an international tournament before. Could it be done again?

The Eagle's Cup :: VIII :: Rosters, RP, Scores (Closed)

Eagles' Cup VIII :: Matchday 6 Scores

Eagles' Cup VIII :: Quarter Final Scores

Eagles' Cup VIII :: Semi Final Scores

Eagles' Cup VIII :: Final Score & Medal Presentation

Who is online