World Cup 85 || RP Thread

by **Audioslavia** » Tue Jun 16, 2020 8:57 am

Part 1 (Sue)
Part 2 (Sue)
Part 3 (Emanuel)
Part 4 (Sue)
Part 5 (Emanuel)
Part 6 (Emanuel)
Part 7 (Emanuel)
Part 8 (Emanuel)
Part 9 (Emanuel)
Part 10 (Emanuel)
Part 11 (Emanuel / Jeremy)
Part 12 (Emanuel)
Part 13 (Emanuel)
Part 14 (Emanuel)
Part 15 (Sue)
Part 16 (Sue / Jeremy)
Part 17 (Rory / Jeremy)
Part 18 (Rory / Jeremy)
Part 19 (Various)

Rory sat and watched as the man came through the door, marched a few feet away and then looked back at his ticket. He read it and went to find his seat, a journey that took him past Rory, two blocks away and five rows further to the pitch. He made a mental note of roughly what the seat number was.

As the stadium started to fill up, he kept vigilant to check for any spare seats nearer his mark, but found none.

Ten minutes to kickoff. On the pitch now was a small table, surrounded by cameras, with a red carpet leading up to it. A crackling tannoy announced the introduction of the new World Assembly Ambassador for Journalistic Integrity Jeremy Jaffacake. Rory tried to think of someone who might be considered less deserving of such an award, and could think of nobody. Not only was Jeremy the least likely person to win this award, he might also be the least deserving mammal.

“Ladies and Gentlemen!” said Jeremy, into the microphone, which immediately fed back into a screech. The crowd booed even louder than they had when they first saw Jeremy walking onto the pitch. “As you know, I have spent the majority of my career attempting to hold up the good name of sports journalism”
Guffaws of laughter from the crowd.
“I have always tried my best to remain one hundred percent neutral, to give both sides of the story, and I have never let my own personal prejudices get in the way of finding the absolute, honest truth”
Rory watched as thousands of Audioslavians tried to shout counter-examples at him through fits of laughter. Jeremy, portrayed on four large screens in each corner of the ground, looked like he was assuming everyone found him genuinely funny.
“It is therefore my honour, and privilege, and also your honour and privilege, that I should accept, formally and finally, this World Assembly Commendation for Services to Journalist Integrity”
A spotlight illuminated the table, upon which was a velvet cloth covering something that appeared to be more or less the size of a trophy. Three cameras moved in. Jeremy turned and cracked his knuckles. He took a second to softly caress the top of the trophy, before whipping off the velvet cover with a flourish.

The crowd fell silent.

Rory almost wasn’t able to take his eyes from what he saw on that table, but some movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. A figure in black, moving swiftly towards the exit of the stadium.

Shit.

Rory got up, drawing a sigh from the person next to him, which Rory ignored as he clambered over the top of the guy’s knees.

“Oi!”

“Shut up”

Had Rory being paying attention, he might have had a glance to his left as he moved past one of the executive boxes on his way towards the exit. Through the window, a Krytenian man in a sharp pin-striped suit was laughing so hard that he looked like he was about to die.

The eruption of gutlaugher from the rest of the stadium dulled to a distant rumble as Rory bounced down the stairs as fast as his aging legs could carry him, which wasn’t very fast. He reached the first floor and jogged onto a small mezzanine from which he could see the stadium’s concourse one flight down. A figure carrying a clipboard was on the floor below walking briskly towards an un-manned exit, with both security guards’ attention diverted by the television screen.

“Oi!” shouted Rory at the retreating figure. The man’s stride did not break. Rory narrowed his eyes and bellowed two words that made the man stop in his tracks.

“Txo. Zaldun”.

The figure froze so quickly it was as if two magic words had been uttered. The figure turned around slowly and craned his neck up to see the source of the shout standing above him. Rory nodded, ever so slightly. The man froze, his eyes wide open, his mouth agape. Rory watched as he dropped his bag in shock, and didn’t take his eyes off of Zaldun as he moved towards the escalator. Zaldun picked his bag up again and walked slowly towards the bottom of the escalator, cocking his head to one side as he looked up at Rory walking down it. It was like Tzo had seen a ghost.

“…you?”
“Me” said Rory. “Though I believe you’re getting me mixed up with my own grandfather”
Txo kept staring. Rory found his own gaze falling around the man’s shoulders and hips, checking for any sign that the guy might turn and do a runner, or pull a knife. Anything.
“How… how did?”
“Your new friend on Calorborne” said Rory. “He’s not, it appears, quite as trustworthy as you thought he was”
A look of sheer confusion on Txo’s face.
“What.. what did he tell you?”
“Everything” said Rory. “Only his version had you leaving with the trophy after the game, not before it”
Txo narrowed his eyes and took a step back, looking into the middle distance, trying to make sense of the situation. Rory smiled.
“Looks like this was one occasion where you weren’t a step ahead of the rest”
Txo smiled ruefully.
“That makes two of us”
Back up on the first-floor mezzanine, some music started to play. A familiar tune from an old Sergio Leone western. A jangling guitar followed by a whistled tune. Rory turned to look up. Txo didn’t. He knew who it was.

A tall, slim, broad-shouldered figure gave the two men a slight nod before disappearing from view.

Suddenly, a set of double-doors to the left of the two men was kicked open, and out of it barrelled a small old man wearing a long, swooping mackintosh and a trilby. He was shouting.
“GUARDS! GUARDS! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU! SOMEONE HAS BEDILDOED MY COMMENDATION”
The old man lost his footing as he tried to both run and look for the security guards at the same time, and fell face first at the feet of both Txo Zaldun and Rory Wyatt-Holmes. Txo leaned forward and dragged the old man up by his collar.
“Jeremy”, he said, “long time no see”
“Likewise” said Rory, folding his arms.
Jeremy looked at both of them in confusion, unable to place either face.
“Who the f… oh… oh…. OH…. OH WAIT WHAT?”
“Your old friend Txo here is the guy who stole your trophy” said Rory
“WHAT?!”
“That’s what I thought, at least. It turns out I have no evidence at all, seeing as Emanuel Portico just ran off with it”
“WHAT?!”
“Also I know about your involvement with that Kjeligstedi speakeasy”
“WHAT?!”
“Statute of limitations, though… I have to let you off. Both of you, actually”
This time, the ‘what’ from Jeremy’s mouth was silent. Jeremy gawped at Txo. Txo looked up at Rory and nodded, impressed. Txo was still holding Jeremy up by his collar. Jeremy sighed and readjusted his coat as Txo put him down.
“One thing I have to know, though” said Rory. “Why. Why steal it?”
“We just established that I didn’t steal it”
“Allow me to rephrase my question then” said Rory, cocking his head to one side. “Why steal it?”
Txo smiled and shrugged.
“A medal from the World Assembly? It didn’t belong in Audioslavia” said Txo, shaking his head. “Why, that should have gone to a nation like Vilita or Valanora. A nation that actually has a role to play in the world. Not a bunch of northern hooligans cracking jokes on the sidelines”
“Uh huh” said Rory, looking back down at Jeremy, who by now was too exhausted to keep shouting the word ‘what’.
“It was a commendation for Jeremy though, not for the country”
“Then I had an even bigger reason to ensure he didn’t get to enjoy it” said Txo. He nodded at Rory. “So what happens now?”
“I’m not a cop any more, so I couldn’t care less about anything in that direction” said Rory. “I have to know though. Those art heists, centuries ago, the speakeasy on Kjeligsted… that was you, right”
“How about we go for a drink” said Txo. “I’ll tell you all about it”
“My trophy…” said Jeremy, looking at the ground. “My beautiful trophy..”
“Look on the bright side” said a voice behind them. The three men looked up to the second floor, where a Krytenian man in a striped suit was leaning over the barrier. “At least now, when people tell you to shove your trophy up your arse, it’s probably safe”

Jeremy stared glumly up at the balcony and then turned away.
“I’m going to the pub”
“Me too”
“Me too”
“Wait for me, Jeremy. You can introduce me to these new friends of yours. They can’t possibly be more interesting than me”
Jeremy sighed, turned himself around, craned his neck up and shouted every expletive he could think of.

by **Hampton Island** » Tue Jun 16, 2020 9:00 am

(Luxury Suite at Stafford City Stadium as the referee’s whistle signals the end of the match)

CEO: They did it. Those old bastards really freakin’ did it.

Assistant: This is incredible! Who would have thought this could actually be possible.

CEO: We’re going to the World Cup, I never really thought this could ever happen! It’s just amazing!

Assistant: First time I have seen you genuinely cheering in a long time.

CEO: I still hate Hannah’s guts, but there is so much that this team had to overcome to get where they are. It is just the second time that we have ever attempted to qualify for this thing. We didn’t even do the Baptism of Fire last time. And we’re going to the World Cup. How does a team of older guys do this?

Assistant: You know that guy from The Holy Empire who thinks cocoa-bo is a performance enhancing drug? Maybe he should look into what Freestyle Mobility puts out!

CEO: It is a tremendous endorsement of their product. Man, just look at those fans out there, and those players. What a special moment for them. And that’s even before I start thinking about all of the revenue that going to the World Cup will provide.

Assistant: I have really never seen you get this excited. Ever, not even when your son won the regional championship with his high school baseball team.

CEO: I can take full credit for putting this team together. I will have to fake being nice to Hannah but it will be worth it. She should be given some credit, I suppose.

Assistant: Any credit you give her will just go back to you. You put a 21-year old in charge of a bunch of older guys, and look at the end result.

(After a little bit of time passes for the celebration on the field to die down, and in the locker room, the CEO calls Hannah Sanders)

Hannah Sanders: Hello!

CEO: Hello, Hannah. Just for these next few minutes lets forget that we despise one another. Congratulations on getting the team to the World Cup. Absolutely incredible.

Hannah Sanders: I despise you too. But thank you. I can’t believe we have done this.

CEO: Savor the moment. You earned it.

Hannah Sanders: Oh I will.

CEO: Stage a dinner tomorrow evening to put on a front that we are getting along so that the media doesn’t create a distraction for the team centered around us?

Hannah Sanders: Good idea, with fake smiles and exaggerated positive interactions? Sure.

CEO: Ok then, but I still hate you.

Hannah Sanders: Agree, I still hate you too.

by **Trolleborg** » Tue Jun 16, 2020 9:24 am

Previous parts of the story: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10 – 11 – 12 – 13 – 14 – 15 –16 – 17 – 18 – 19 –20 –21 –22 – 23.

The roar of the stands ceased as if by magic when both teams lined up in the middle of the field and the anthem of the guests sounded. With some agitation, Wesley and Naomi wait when Trolleborg national team was played, fearing of the noise volume the fans can reached when it was time for them to sing. And they did not disgrace their reputation, having singing with all one hundred thousand votes, and very harmoniously, finished the performance with the chant “Trolle-borg! Trolle-borg!” and continued all the time while in the center of the field the referee and captains found out who starts game and in which half of the field. The gate of the guests turned out to be from the side where the tourists were sitting, and it was noticeable that the emotions emanating from the boiling cauldron of the stadium of 1st December impressed the players of When U Die. The Trolleborg team in this tournament lost many points unnecessary, but was never defeated on home turf, and, of course, was eager to prove in a duel with an opponent from the bottom of the tournament table that it was no coincidence and continue the unbeaten run. And as soon as the judge blow the signal to begin game (the whistle itself was not really heard due to the roar and chanting), the hosts' players rushed forward.

How many times Wesley entered the field of this stadium in virtual reality, and now he saw everything himself and realized how accurately the creators of the game tried to reproduce the atmosphere of the game in Trolleborg and the behavior of local players. How many times he broke away from the defenders of the guests on the flank and received the ball on the move, and then sent it to the penalty area, giving the forwards the opportunity to finish the combination. It was on this very flank he did it last time, about 30 meters from the place where he was now sitting.

In the first ten minutes, the hosts created two good opportunities for scoring, in one of them Troll crafty struck ball, sending it by the long arc and the fans had already jumped from their seats, preparing to celebrate, but the ball flew into the crossbar and with a bang bounced back into the field. The guests tried to seize the initiative and push the game away from their net, for a while they succeeded, but then Levenrkands make a spurt on the right, passing from the flank to the center, several players of the Trolleborg team deftly confused the defenders and Stuart Kerr with his usual flair arrive at the ball and struck it. The goalkeeper try did something, but failed to stop this shot.

A second later, the Zwangzugers jumped and hugged with the whole stand, and even Keith joined in the general delight and chanting, and the hosts' players performed a performance at the corner flag, right in front of Naomi and Wesley - now they knew that Kerr depicts a monument to Troghil in front of the stadium, and the rest were built into groups of related stories.

Someone shot dozens of two rockets at the nearest stand, and a real conflagration of torches was fired at the opposite one.

The home side, driven by the crazy energy of the stadium, could have scored a couple of goals before the break, but the ball stubbornly did not cross the line. When the referee finished the first half, it was clearly visible how the guests' players were pleased that they would be able to get a respite. During the break, Naomi ran upstairs to the gallery, which was going around whole stadiums along all sectors, and acquired Wesley and herself a scarf of national team. As Keith noted along the way, if there is a desire, tourists can order a national team shirt with their personal names and numbers on the back, and in the evening their order will be waiting at the hotel. Meanwhile, the fan sitting on his left, learning that Wesley wasn’t local, treated him with dark beer, and then the other neighbors expressed similar intention, but then Keith intervened and assured the audience that this was not necessary, she supposedly would solve this issue faster.

The second half continued in the same spirit as the first, and the fans on the stand near Naomi and Wesley got a little bored, because everything happened at the far end of the field. It was in those distant gates two more goals were scored. First, Gulbranden scored the ball in his own style, imposing himself in the center of the box and closing good cross from the flank,

And then Troll, whose habits Wesley knew very well from WCQ84, did what the tourist expected from him: he find the right moment, being alone with the ball at the corner of the penalty area and insidiously shot so that the goalkeeper of the guests could not cope with that, deflecting the ball right into the net. How many times did Wesley himself provide the Trolleborg national team playmaker with such opportunities, and he saw firsthand how he was doing his magic.

It remained about fifteen minutes to play and all this time the fans enthusiastically drove around the stadium two waves at the same time. When the referee finished the match, they learned about it in the stands only because the Trolleborg team began to hug and rejoice, very correctly make farewell to the guests' footballers and then ran a lap of honor, bowing to each sector in turn. And when they finished the race and bowed to all four sides, a stunningly beautiful firework burst from the seaside.

The neighbor on the left, when the fireworks died out, philosophically summed up what happened, expressing the general mood of the fans:
“Yes, if we had played like that with ZSeparatists and Chinatown, we would be second now and get ready for the trip to the World Cup!”

by **Banija** » Tue Jun 16, 2020 10:16 am

Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Part V
Part VI
Part VII
Part VIII
Part IX
Part X
Part XI
Part XII
Part XIII

Also see the Siovanija & Teusland parts, the first three which follow Part VII, Part VIII, and Part IX respectively. The fourth happens at the same time as Part XI. The fifth takes place immediately after Part XII.
S&T Part I
S&T Part II
S&T Part III
S&T Part IV
S&T Part V
S&T Part VI

Also see the following Farfadillis part, which immediately precedes Banijan Part XI/S&T Part IV
Farfadillis RP

Part XIV

Setting is Busukuma, 8:30 AM

Nobody in the cabinet had slept. That, of course, was always going to happen. Everybody was working double time, as small groups of Banijan Ambassadors jumped on conference calls in order to get ahead of the situation in their host countries. Ambassadors, of course, were prioritized by the country that they were hosted by, so they could explain to host governments, if necessary, what the heck was going on. Of course, there was a crazy large amount of Banijan Ambassadors in Banija's massive foreign service, so it ended up being an essentially neverending series of conference calls.

Of course, while various cabinet members made phone calls and conference calls everywhere, others were preparing for the presentation to the Lukiiko that morning. The emergency session was being held just ahead of the address that Kobe Aziri would make to both the nation, and the world. It was a closed door, secure briefing, with as many members as possible going to be there live. As members of the media began waking up, however, around 5 and 6 AM, it had already become a media circus in Banija. Rumors of the emergency closed door session of the Lukiiko, unconfirmed reports from both at home and abroad about nuclear weapons.

They couldn't stay quiet about it for long. And even before the unofficial start of the work day, the media was already in a frenzy. The Government was essentially stonewalling them- everybody just pointed to the emergency address that the Katikkiro was going to give the nation that morning. It was unusual for such an address to be given during the morning, rather than in primetime- however, Azizi had felt that getting out ahead on this issue, rather than allowing the rumor mill to churn for an entire day before an address would almost certainly be a foolish idea. And, of course, getting ahead of the markets abroad, which were sinking in a number of countries for fear of war.

Azizi was set up in the press room. This would, certainly, be the biggest speech of his career. All he could hope to do, was nail it. Avoid an election, save his government, and save Banija's international reputation. Besides a select number of governments, even Banija's Ambassadors had been told to hand out minimal information while All while not having slept in just over 24 hours. Such was the life of a politician, right? He had asked for this life. He glanced down at his speech one more time. And then, adjusted his tie. "All ready?" Asked the cameraman. Kobe Azizi nodded. The red light turned on, and the camera started recording.

"My fellow Banijans." Began Kobe Azizi. "I speak to you today, about the events of last night. We will strive to be clear and honest and transparent throughout this entire process. To confirm- the rumors of Banijan nuclear weapons flying, last night, are unfortunately true. Right around 9 PM, 5 armed nuclear warheads were shot from our nuclear facility at an undisclosed location in Northeastern Hangaza. They flew south, across the country, at high altitudes and low speeds, and around 11 PM, all five of them landed in Farfadillis, all, from our radar projections, landing in Farfadillis."

"Let me be clear- this is not a declaration of war, or hostilities, or any kind on Farfadillis. There is no quarrel between Banija and Farfadillis, we hope to have great relations with them. Plenty of Farves live right here, in Busukuma, as strong members of this society. Farfadillis is right off of Banija's southern coast. This was not, I repeat, was not a move that authorized by the Government in Busukuma. Which leads us to the second bit of information- we, most unfortunately, had a hack within our nuclear program. Security protocols were overriden by enemies of the state. While at the time there is relatively little information we can share publicly about who attacked both Banija and Farfadillis in this way, in this gross violation of Banijan violation and even grosser attack on the people of Farfadillis.

In the meantime, we wish to assure the Banijan people, as well as our allies and our neighbors- the rest of Banija's nuclear stockpile is secure, for the time being. We, over the course of last night, have decided to declare a state of emergency in Northeastern Hangaza, putting that part of the region under martial law for a limited amount of time, no longer than 48 to 72 hours and preferably far less than that, while we ensure that the perpetrators of this attack, and anyone who may have worked with the perpetrators of this attack, can be caught.

We assure the Banijan people that since the launching of those weapons, we have been working around the clock in order to ensure that this does not happen again. The Members of the Lukiiko were just informed, in a closed-door session, of what we know about this attack up to this point. This Government has been in close contact with our allies. We would like to extend a special thanks to President Fleiss and Chancellor Meier, in Borograd, for their immediate support and assistance in these matters. The Minister of Defense has already flown to Borograd and back overnight, as the most vital thing during a crisis is effective communication."

"This Government is horrified at what happened with our nuclear weapons. Moving forward, we will be taking the necessary steps to decommission the rest of our nuclear stockpile, and we will work closely with our allies to ensure this is done in a safe and efficient matter. I would like to say that Banija does not see this as a retreat- in fact, Banija is doing this responsibly. As a member of the so-called 'nuclear club', you have a duty to take the strongest possible measures to protect the public. After such a deep and devastating infiltration of our systems by an unknown group, this is the most responsible thing left for us to do. The Government will likely bring forward proposals to re-establish Banija's nuclear-free zone."

"As a nation of Latter-Day Saints, we take responsibility for our shortcomings and address the consequences head-on, which is what we are doing. And now, this next part of the message is directed straight at the people of Farfadillis. His Majesty, Kabaka Mwanga, has been in contact with Alex Terán, the President of the FFFF. Despite what has happened, the people of Banija are not your enemy. We are issuing a sincere apology, on behalf of the state, for what has transpired last night. The Banijan people are God-fearing, and this nation, via both the public and private sectors, will answer the call in terms of providing assistance."

"There are many words to describe the Banijan people. This is, undoubtedly, a dark night for our country. But remember this- the darkness is always defeated by the light provided by Jehovah. We will get through this day. Banija will get through this day. And we will walk every step of the way with Farfadillis as they get through this darkest of days. Thank you very much."

At that point, the red light flickered off. He was going to go upstairs to do what he hadn't done in over 24 hours- catch up on sleep.

by **Balqia** » Tue Jun 16, 2020 10:41 am

The corridors where full of people, wandering from here to there, the staff was in a hurry. The few players in the corridors looked stresses, the match was two points in favor of Banija, if they didn’t win everything was lost. She, in the other hand, was not very interested in their affairs or games, she was going to leave that team once and for all.
The security staff didn’t noticed her, in that mess of people anyone could pass unnoticed, in some minutes she was out of the stadium, her cab was there, waiting for her. She entered the car and as soon it started moving a delighted sigh was released, she was free again.
— Hello, miss Rockwell.
The driver was a tall man with green eyes, the mask covered his mouth and a cap hid his hair.
— Hello.
— Do you mind if I turn on the radio?
— Feel free.
With a click she returned to the match against Banija. A third goal was scored, they had already lost, but it was not her problem anymore. They stopped in an avenue, the match in the background and the city in the outside.
— Here, it’s for you.
He handed her an envelope. Strange, she didn’t asked for anything or expected any papers. When she opened the freedom disappeared and the ominous fear returned. It was a document from the Sports Ministry of Balqia, she threw it at the front bench and tried to open the door, it was locked.
— LET ME OUT!
The driver looked at her through the mirror, he was too calm.
— Calm down, read the papers.
He handed them again, her hands could barely grab it. She took the sheet of paper out of the envelope and started to flip through them. It was her contract, in the last page it read: dismissed. Other sheets were included, a lot of juridic text she hadn't the patience to read it all.
— What is this? What’s going on?
— You are acquitted from the charges, congratulations.
That was a lie, it must be. He was driving her to a trap, he should be.
— Where are we going?
— To the airport.
She wanted but couldn’t believe. Something was wrong there.
— Why? How did you discovered?
— Funny history, Stariq’s dad denounced his son’s little scheme.
— What are you going to do with him?
— Nothing, actually. We have already investigated you, he was just being a white knight and you were just very scared, we are a very understanding people, you know?
Oh yeah, she knew that very well.
— Just enjoy your trip, okay?
She stood still, like a wood doll, for the rest of the travel. They really went to the airport, she left the cab and he accompanied her for some time, she kept her guard for every second, she analyzed every little movement he made. But in the end he went away.
— We knew each other in an airport and say goodbye in one, poetic, isn’t it?
— Do I know you?
He took his mask off, she never saw him.
— I am Petre, remember?
— Yes, of course!
She didn’t.
They parted ways, once and for all. The plane was comfortable and everyone there spoke English, but even with this she couldn’t relax. Only when she was in her house with her son, then she would know that she was safe.
Port Arthur was a beautiful city, now that was even more obvious. The population smiled, you could see propaganda everywhere, she even saw a drunk guy sleeping in the streets. Even better was Matthew, who received his mother with a warm hug and a beautiful girlfriend. Now everything was fine, Mary was home, her family was there for her and no one was spying her. Everything was fine, but why she didn’t felt like it?

by **Garifunya** » Tue Jun 16, 2020 10:46 am

Amended Jandaams bill passes legislature

Antwaan Niewmeijer, De Frederykvil Dagblad

After days of tense debate, discussion, and amendment, President Immanuel Prints’ bill bringing back the national police force of the Jandaams has passed the legislature. It will now make its way to Prins’ desk for signature or veto. Why veto, you ask, if Prins supported the legislation? Well, it’s not exactly the same as when loyal Democratic Revival legislators brought it into committee several days ago.

First of all, even though the murder of Miguel Murillo, Gustavo Vargas, and Abel Figueroa caused a national outcry, the head of the Public Safety Committee, Mikael de Bruin, is known to be jealous of his legislative priorities. He didn’t want his work to be overshadowed by legislation coming from outside of the legislative branch. So he tried to dawdle and stall a little on it by strengthening a bill he’d been working on to include some of those priorities, while not voting on Prins’ bill. This effort was defeated, however, and he had to return to the president’s bill.

Second, the bill has been amended. He got his priorities of no red-flag re-enlistment, a national inspector-general, and preventing any riot control units from being formed. But some other things sneaked in, like a ban on any gun but a single-shot long weapon, additional funding for schools, and social workers, anti-bias training for police, and money for compensating the victims’ families. Other things got ratcheted up. Prins wanted more red-flag re-enlistment, but the legislature prevented any Jandaam that fought with Gillaat during the uprising from coming back. He got his review boards, but they will be locally elected in each town, and the Jandaams will be able to be sued for misconduct. He got his limitations on jurisdiction and use of force, but the legislature prevented them from pursuing any operation without approval or co-operation from a local police force, and limited their operations to international or cross-depaaman drugs, gangs, weapons or human trafficking. They also got a limited budget appropriation for this year. It may be expanded in future years, or it may not.

So Prins has to decide whether he wants to sign it or not. It’s chopped up and limited in ways he didn’t want, and it only passed over strong objections from the right wing about the limits on the police and the extraneous amendments. It is an imperfect bill in his eyes, and he may be tempted to veto it and send it back, demanding more of his priorities in it. He may be fearful of signing it because there will be more backlash from the right and even some in Democratic Revival, which could upset his future legislative plans, even though most of the left and centre seems to be on board with the bill. Additionally, some people will react so negatively to bringing back the Jandaams in whatever capacity that he may jeopardize his re-election.

But I think he will sign the bill in the end. He wants to do something, and he has already taken the bold step of wanting the national police force back, so I don’t think an imperfect bill or backlash against the Jandaams will really deter him from signing this. We will see how it all plays out soon. In the meantime, the Frederykvil police are accepting anonymous tips and staying hard at work on the case.

by **Busoga Islands** » Tue Jun 16, 2020 11:09 am

The Busoga Chronicle
The Islands #1 News Source!

Late goals by Lochario puts daggers into Islander World Cup Qualification hopes as we fall to fourth place with a game to play

These types of celebrations were non-existent in Lochario as the Busoga Islands take a backward step towards the Cup of Harmony

LOCHARIO- What is there to say? The chaos that has wreaked havoc on Group 2 the entire campaign decided to show up once again. The team entering a Matchday in 2nd place has not won since Matchday 19, and it would be the first opportunity for the Busogans to put an end to that streak, and put their team on the tantalizing brink of qualifying for the World Cup Finals. With two games left, the task was anything but simple, but it was straightforward- win twice, and you're in. No ifs, no ands, and no buts about it. And who was our first opponent? Lochario. A team that has struggled for most of the campaign, they've pulled off a few upsets, including defeating us in Lakiska, and defeating Drawkland in Drawkland.

So even if they are much lower than we are in the table, they are not a pushover. So much on our plate- the weight of the game must have been on Busogan shoulders. But early on, we did not show it. We started to apply sustained pressure on Lochario, in order to ensure that we could get the crucial goal to go ahead. In the first half, our attack, which has been toned down as of late, struggled to really connect passes in the final third. Our midfield was dominant- we held the lion's share of possession, but we simply could not break them down and create quality chances. We had quite a few speculative chances from distance, and one or two had a chance of going in, although they were well tracked by the keeper.

In the 50th minute, however, there finally came an opportunity that we could take advantage of. Kamu Jacobs was fouled above 25 yards away from goal. He would take the free kick that he just earned. In his return, after missing the end of the Kohnhead match, and the entirety of last week's match, due to injury, he had been great, creating opportunities. But this time, the Anomalies winger would take care of things himself. He was able to bend one, over the wall, towards the upper corner on the near post. It was a spectacular free kick for Jacobs, and the goalkeeper hopelessly dove freely for the ball.

That meant the score was 1-0. The Islanders had their lead. The away section for this game was huge. With scores of Lochario fans looking to make extra money on the secondary market, as scores of Busoga Islander fans wanted to travel for this match, probably somewhere around 30% of the stadium exploded with noise. A stunning finish, but a deserved goal- the Busoga Islands were the better team on the day, and therefore, they had the lead. The opportunity to exact revenge for their Matchday 12 loss. THey were in line for the three points, if their defense could hold out against whatever the home side had in store.

We would continue to control the game until about the 80th minute. Then, the Islanders really started sitting back, and started playing passively. Just blasting the ball downfield, no effort at countering- they were going to protect their 1-0 lead at all costs, and try to take that lead into Matchday 26. Or so they thought. That was when Lochario really started getting their stuff together. It would be the 84th minute where all the work for the Busoga Islanders went to nothing, as a Lochario goal equalized. But the hosts weren't done. An inadvertent handball in the 89th, a harsh call on Mohan Thakshak, led to a penalty for the hosts. The penalty was buried to make the score 2-1, and in a matter of minutes, a 1-0 lead had turned into a 2-1 deficit.

The Busoga Islanders could not salvage anything from this game. The travelling faithful, flying out here expecting a win, were stunned. Even the captain, Hibbaan al-Shareef, was at a loss for words on what happened. "Well, we were playing so well for so long. But sometimes, that's how this sport goes. All credit given to Lochario- they came out with a lot of heart, and a lot of passion. It is the last home game of the campaign, they want to go out with a stand. But I cannot lie- it's a bitterly disappointing result for us. Like I said, that's the game, but a loss is a harsh result. We played better than the scoreboard said, but ultimately, the scoreboard is the only thing that matters. We still got a game left, though, so we aren't out."

Indeed. SRS and Drawkland sit at 42 points a piece, in 2nd and third, respectively. Us and Torisakia sit at 40 points a piece, in fourth and fifth, respectively. This race for that 2nd Qualification spot comes down to this- Matchday 26. The long marathon, the number of teams left, it should make for an exciting matchday. Lakiska, for one, will be absolutely prepared. They know a home field advantage will be key to cheering their favorites on for a win, and if things go their way, what a party that will be thrown. It mirriors the final day of a league season in that sense- all these matches being played, at the same time.

Our chances of Qualifying dropped dramatically. We need to win by a certain margin(2+), and we need some help. It would be unlikely. But hey, this is the world of sport. Crazier things have happened, right?

by **Mercedini** » Tue Jun 16, 2020 11:17 am

85th World Cup Qualification MD26 Preview
@ Zoloroni Sports City Stadium - Zoloroni, Mercedini

Mercedini vs. Caelapes: Last Tango In Zoloroni For Lyndiunium

In what is likely to be the biggest story emerging out of qualification, Hampton Island have secured a historic victory in their campaign, and will take part in the thirty-two teams finals stage taking place in Farfadillis and Mriin in it's 85th edition. With Banija already claiming top spot in the group, it will mean Mercedini will miss out on the Finals for a second successive edition. They may still be invited to the Cup of Harmony which being in a week's time, which will be the Golden Eagles' final chance at silverware for the cycle. Hampton Island have taken on all-comers in their pursuit of a top-two spot, knocking out the Golden Eagles and Hapilopper, who both looked to challenge, but the team emerged out of Pot 6 to bridge the cap and stamp their ticket to the promised land.

It was bittersweet for Mercedini, as they gave what could be their best performance of the campaign with a 4-2 win away to Lisander, Dostalok netting two and assisting a third in what turned out to be a goal-fest in front of the home crowd. Ultimately, it was the match which happened in Stafford Springs which decided the group, as Hampton's 2-0 win over Gopnikea wrapped up the group with a match to spare. Despite their nation's hopes to close the gap and force a final day knee-jerker, the damage was already done, with Mercedini four points behind second place with a single game left to play.

That left the fallout on what was a bruising campaign for the team, with the Eagles' wings being clipped time and time again, home and away. All eyes were focused on one-man in the post-game press conference, with an announcement being made which must have been coming, but was still a shock to the players and the fans which had supported the national team for most if not all of their lives. "...the match between Mercedini and Caelapes will be my last game of my tenure as national team manager...", the words caused a stir within the press room, as many of the players and journalists had thought that it would come after the campaign has run it's course. Still, the announcement had ensured that a completely new spin would be put on Dini's final match at home against bottom-of-the-table Caelapes. The final match of the campaign could be an emotional one as Lyndainium graces the turf of the Sports City Stadium for one final time. An invite to the Cup of Harmony has yet to be extended to the MFA, but if one is offered, there will likely be a scramble to find a leader for the national team, either interim or otherwise. For a manager that has given the team so much, he has left those in charge of the MFA with one final headache to ponder upon.

For the short term, Dini have one final game of the World Cup to play at home. Again, no fans will be around to greet them for their final homecoming in Zoloroni, meaning it will likely be the most tragic of endings to a managerial career which was lit the fire in the hearts of so many. Disappointment may be rife within the Mercedinian camp after their failure in their most recent campaign, but they have one final chance to go out with a bang and potentially give themselves and the rest of the nation hope that they can right their wrongs and once again return to the forefront of international football.

It is without that Mercedini have taken a step back in recent editions. From winning trophies and grinding out results to qualify for the multiverse's biggest sporting competition, to barely scraping a semi-final position and being eliminated with games to spare. It's time for a new chapter to be written, whether there will be a happy ending remains to be seen.

by **Ethane** » Tue Jun 16, 2020 11:56 am

Victory against Free Republics keeps qualification hopes alive

The Red Kites will be hoping for results to go their way on the final match day of the world cup qualification campaign, after climbing back to only 1 point behind the Free Republics.

Following the narrow defeat to the Soracana Islands, it looked like Ethane's qualification hopes were over. They were in third, three points behind the Free Republics, with 1 less game to play than the team in second and -14 in goal differential compared to Free Republic's +25. With the secondary differential being goal difference, the Red Kites would have to finish above Free Republics on points, as the goal difference gap was too large to overcome over 2 matches realistically. Thus, for the Red Kites to advance, the Free Republics could not win another game from this point, otherwise it would revert to goal difference and the Free Republics would qualify. It seemed unlikely at best that this scenario would play out.

Still, here we are. It is still unlikely, but at worst. The Red Kites managed to beat the Free Republics to draw level with them. This was followed up with a 5-5 draw for the Free Republics against Siovanija And Teusland, which leaves them 1 point above Ethane going into the final match day after the Red Kites sat out their second bye day of the qualification campaign. There is still a chance for Ethane.

It is still looking unlikely. Ethane face off and need a win against the group leaders, Siovanija And Teusland, who have managed to build a large lead of ten points over the Free Republics. They have only lost 1 game throughout the whole qualification campaign, so a miracle is needed to defeat them again. With a +12 goal difference to the Free Republics +24, a draw is not enough for the Red Kites. In contrast, the Free Republics face off against Bolgano, a notably easier opponent than the group leaders, sitting in 10th in the group with eleven defeats to their name, and only 6 draws and 6 wins. If the Free Republics draw, that is enough for Ethane if they win against the group leaders. But the Red Kites MUST win, and are also dependent on results elsewhere. There is also the possibility of dropping to fourth if they fall asleep on the job, with Trolleborg breathing up the neck of the Red Kites, only 1 point behind. They are also within a shot of qualification, albeit far-fetched. They require both Ethane and the Free Republics to lose.

It's looking to be a tense and dramatic end to the world cup qualification campaign, but for what its worth, my money is on the Free Republics clinching that second qualification spot.

by **Terre Septentrionale** » Tue Jun 16, 2020 12:57 pm

Terre Septentrionale wins a defensive game

Kukljica, Dalmatia - The qualifications are coming to an end as there's only one game left. But before writing about that one, let's take a look at yesterday's game against Alba and Cymru. Terre Septentrionale won 1-0 and the only goal of the game happened at the 36th minute when Zdzislaw Brzezanczyk made a long pass to Roksana Kolodziejczyk who dribbled and passed to Sandrine Fontaine who made a header pass to Fryderyka Cwierczakiewiczowa. Cwierczakiewiczowa heads the ball right into the net and it's a goal! The Nordiques are leading 1-0 at the halftime and it's also the final score.

BOXSCORE

36th minute: Fryderyka Cwierczakiewiczowa assisted by Sandrine Fontaine

YELLOW CARDS

24th minute: Franciszek Niedzwiecki
70th minute: Diarmuid MacNab
78th minute: Roksana Kolodziejczyk

RED CARDS

None

Group 3 mess

There's a big mess for the 2nd place in group 3 and let's analyze it. Terre Septentrionale and Eshan both won 1-0 and are in 2nd place with 40 points. The Reprezentacja Nordycki, has a better goal difference with +5, while Eshan is at +3. We also have a tie at 4th place with The Sarian and Savojarna both with 37 points and a goal difference of +6. Chromatika and Northwest Kalactin are officially eliminated.

So what are the different scenarios? Let's take a look.

Terre Septentrionale qualifies if:
-Terre Septentrionale wins vs The Sarian and Eshan wins vs Adyatin with Terre Septentrionale having a better goal difference at the end.
-Terre Septentrionale wins vs The Sarian and Eshan drawns or lose vs Adyatin
-Terre Septentrionale draws vs The Sarian and Eshan draws vs Adyatin
-Terre Septentrionale draws vs The Sarian and Eshan loses vs Adyatin

Terre Septentrionale is eliminated if
-Terre Septentrionale draws vs The Sarian and Eshan wins vs Adyatin.
-Terre Septentrionale loses vs The sarian.

How other teams can qualify?

Eshan qualifies if:
-Eshan wins vs Adyatin with a large margin and Terre Septentrionale wins vs The Sarian with Eshan having a better or equal goal difference at the end.
-Eshan wins vs Adyatin and Terre Septentrionale draws or lose vs The Sarian.
-Eshan drawns vs Adyatin and Terre Septentrionale loses vs The Sarian.

The Sarian qualifies if:
-The Sarian wins vs Terre Septentrionale, Eshan loses vs Adyatin and Savojarna wins vs Chromatika with The Sarian having a better or equal goal difference than Savojarna at the end.
-The Sarian wins vs Terre Septentrionale, Eshan loses vs Adyatin and Savojarna draws or loses vs Chromatika

Savojarna qualifies if:
-Savojarna wins vs Chromatika, Eshan loses vs Adyatin and The Sarian wins vs Terre Septentrionale with Savojarna having a better goal difference than The Sarian at the end.

Current goal difference: The Sarian and savojarna at +6, Terre Septentrionale with +5 and Eshan at +3.

Final day schedule

The Sarian vs Terre Septentrionale @ De Stadionnational, The Sarian, The Sariverse
Eshan vs Adyatin @ Unknown Location, Eshan, Lazarus
Chromatika vs Savojarna @ Capitalizt Dome, Chromatik City, Chromatika, Atlantian Oceania

All games will be broadcasted live on TVSports 1 and TVSports 2 in French, Polish and English.

Starting XI vs The Sarian

This is the standard starting XI: Vainqueur - Niedzwiecki, Brzezanczyk, Skrzeszewski - Normandin, Ksiezniakiewicz, Kolodziejczyk, Waclawczyk, Fontaine - Cwierczakiewiczowa, McCracken

Wlodzimierz Pietruszewski,
Senior writer,
La tribune septentrionale

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Official statement from the ASS

The Association Septentrionale de Soccer (ASS) officially files an appeal for the disqualification of Eshan from the 85th World Cup, if they makes it. Many teams participating in the qualifications plays the full qualifications without revealing the identity of their players and coaches and without disclosing where their home games are played. Acronius is a known case as pointed out by officials from Delaclava. What's worst than a rosterless team participating in the qualifications is a rosterless team making it to the World Cup proper without revealing the name of their players and disclosing where the games were played. Please take a look at group 3 where Eshan could qualify by winning against Adyatin and us losing on the final day. Our team had a hard time in Eshan finding where the stadium was located, plus Eshan is located in Lazarus, a very hostile location. Eshan also played using weird australian aboriginal colors: a black and red shirt with a yellow circle in the middle like on their current flag. They should have more imagination and not use this default flag! Terre Septentrionale asks for the disqualification of Eshan from the 85th World Cup if they finishes in 2nd place. We also request that if Eshan is disqualified, the team in 3rd place should qualify for the 85th World Cup instead of Eshan.

Jean-Jacques Piette,
President,
Association Septentrionale de Soccer (ASS)

by **Siovanija and Teusland** » Tue Jun 16, 2020 1:05 pm

9:00AM - Borograd, Siovanija

When RBC News opened up its broadcasting day at 6:00AM, it always began with the national anthem accompanied with images of natural landmarks within the country. Then came a quick overview of what the early-morning news was, with continuing news coverage throughout the day. The news was usually the same - politics, international affairs, weather, sports, and so on. On this morning, however, there was only one topic - what exactly was going on in the world?

The events of last evening had spread rapidly through the media all morning - the use of nuclear weapons by unknown third-party actors, originating in Banija and attacking Farfadillis. In Siovanija & Teusland, the military had been mobilized and was on a high state of alertness as the crisis was still in its developing stages. The stock market in St. Jakob had dropped a bit in the morning as a result of concern, and there were questions from many areas of society. The main question, however, was how would the situation be resolved?

The man relied on in Siovanija & Teusland to answer that was President Joachim Fleiss. Presidential addresses normally occurred at New Years’, on Unification Day, or at other important political events. This certainly qualified as one of those times. And so, at exactly 9 AM, RBC News cut to the Presidential Residence in Borograd for the President to speak.

“Good morning. By now, I’m sure we’ve all heard the reports of the events of last night. I can confirm that at approximately 9:00PM last evening, 5 intercontinental ballistic missiles were launched from the Banijan facilities in Hangaza, and two hours later they landed in Farfadillis.”

“This launch was immediately detected by our radar stations in northwestern Siovanija, and without any other knowledge of the situation, we took steps to protect our country and people from any possible threat. We mobilized the military reserves, and took our alertness level up to Grad 5, the highest possible. With the trajectory of the weapons heading southeast, we needed to take the strongest action to prepare for a possible attack on our country.”

“Through consultation with the Banijan government, we quickly learned that these ICBMs had not been launched with the government’s approval. Instead, it was a rogue act by enemies of the Banijan state. Their motivation for this most heinous attack remains, at this time, unknown. Our radar stations quickly observed that the weapons were heading towards Farfadillis, and this was also confirmed to us by the Banijan authorities.”

“The weapons landed in Farfadillis around 11:00PM. Soon after that, the Banijan Minister of Defence arrived in Borograd to further brief us on the situation. They assured us of the safety of the remaining weapons in the Banijan stockpile, and our nations have agreed to work together in the ongoing investigations into this situation. In addition, the United Republics’ Armed Forces will help oversee the decommissioning of the remainder of the Banijan nuclear stockpile.”

“To the government and people of Banija, we can only offer support in this difficult time. We thank you for your communication with us on this matter, and we look forward to further cooperation with you. Banija has been a strong ally of the United Republics, and we know that you will come through this crisis stronger.”

“Perhaps most importantly, to the people of Farfadillis - we are with you. While the current extent of the damage is unknown, the United Republics are prepared to help in any way requested of us. And we continue to work for peace in southwestern Atlantian Oceania, and for our own home.”

“Citizens of the United Republics. Truly, this is a difficult time for the world. Seeing nuclear weapons in the skies so close to our homeland was a difficult experience for all of us, and it is still hard to understand after the fact. And even now, it is hard to grasp, I’m sure, for many of us. I must offer my thanks. To Chancellor Dominik Meier, Defence Minister Sergey Sedlacek, Field Marshal Reinhard Drachmann, Marshal Viktor Kroupal and Grand Admiral Alfred Reinmann - the members of the State Security Committee. Thank you for your decisive action last evening, and your commitment to our people. To our active duty Armed Forces - particularly those in our radar stations, our pilots, and our anti-missile defences. Thank you for the job you did last night in protecting our nation. And to those reserves who were called away in the middle of the night to serve - you have done your nation proudly. Finally, to the citizens of our country - you, by remaining calm and strong, did all you could in this situation. We thank you for that as well.”

“The spirit of 1896 - the unity and brotherhood of our country, even when faced with crisis - is truly alive and well in all of us this morning. We’ll continue to enjoy our democracy, our freedom, our values as a people - and the sun will come up tomorrow.”

“As our investigation into this matter continues, we will continue to update you on the situation. Thank you.”

With that, the broadcast from Borograd signed off. Fleiss had tried to emphasize how, in the face of crisis, the United Republics had stood tall and would continue to do so as they cooperated with various allies to move forwards. He was sure he’d be answering questions about this topic for the rest of his term as President.

Free Republics 5-5 Siovanija & Teusland, @ Free Republics

Starting XI: Sveteikov; Steimle, Thierse, Klopfer, Lotbiniere (Helmke 88’); Kramer, Brotzmann (Mihailov 81’), Witzel; Kogler (Kokalj 66’), Romanov, Mandl
Goals: Ivo Romanov 4’, Thorsten Kramer 29’, 60’, Johannes Mandl 76’, 85’
Man of the Match: Thorsten Kramer

by **Zwangzug** » Tue Jun 16, 2020 1:10 pm

The Bassabook Baritone

Also true in life in general, which makes you wonder why we're in business

No news is good news

Sometimes the most remarkable thing about a campaign is its unremarkability. Think back to last time around--the team's early faltering, Tavish Willow's abrupt departure, Enitan Maclaurin's arrival, steady improvement, and then of course the hard-fought defeats in the proper. Brandon Sonnabend's tenure at the head of the national team has been tame in comparison. Yes, there have been points dropped, questionable substitutions, and a revolving door of announcers. Yes, the (1)-4-5-1 is not really his innovation, more a return to the Tsereteli (and Scroves and Kratochvil and Laynee) era. But Zwangzug qualified with breathing room to spare, and, at least as far as the totals on the board go, one can't complain.

Before the trip to Mriin ("diverse") or Farfadillis ("on fire"), a brief glimpse at the various sectors of the team so far:

Goalkeepers:

There's been little rest for Paige Daunten, who was relegated from Nephara's top flight with North Sabrefell and uprooted to the Farfadillis league, never defensive-minded at the best of times. If she can stay cool amidst that, she can probably handle the psychological stress of the proper, and it's unlikely she'll be subjected to such late-breaking twists of fate as Joel McJakill was last time around. Unlikely, but not impossible. Laurel Tinker-Witt and Itzhak Canterbury are unlikely to see playing time, but the former has handled the Strathcona conspiracy theories as well as can be expected; the latter hopes to do the same with the inevitable post-Kukiseso era in Spenson.

Defenders:

Chevanthi Arokiaraj has logged the most minutes--as captain, there's somewhat of a metaphorical duty to actually be on the field. However, twenty-four matches is a long cycle, and one wonders about her stamina--her performance at Namiri Forest hasn't seemed to be helped by the double burdens of leadership. Her onetime clubmate, Akhil Sibal, has the reverse problem--he has seemed rusty given the Mkabian hiatus. That puts a big responsibility on the cleats of Randall Saitta, who will need to be mature and avoid rash fouls during the proper. Sydney Stefred is somewhat of a wild card; depending on the opposition, she's either a versatile two-way threat or an off-field catastrophe in the making.

Midfielders:

Zwangzug continues to have a wide variety of talented midfielders at its disposal. Jonah McCollins played a key role for Bassabook during its last season, and although he doesn't seem interested in enlightening fans about the struggles of the Bigtopian diaspora here and abroad, is still a solid contributor. Joshua Twoni plays a similar role for Arlington, connecting Stefred at the back with their not-very-attacking "forwards" up front. Satenik Banach has not been as reliable a contributor this cycle, nutritional supplements notwithstanding.

Forwards:

Keppal Cosmos are going through a bit of a dip, though that's probably not due to the contributions of Johan Idmar up front. Gordon Blum is also a threat for Bassabook, probably selected here for his youth as much as his abuncant prowess. One thing to watch will be whether the attack is more one-dimensional in the proper; against low-seeded opposition there can be a bit of a temptation to pass it around the midfield indefinitely and run out the clock, leading to speculative goals from the likes of Ione Friede and Edwin Cherenkov-Nguyen (both of whom, as well as Micah Angier, scored against Twicetagria in the penultimate qualifier), but that approach is unlikely to hold up against the Baker Parks of the world.

by **Torisakia** » Tue Jun 16, 2020 1:10 pm

We did it! Me, my friend Boharry, Rick the Dick, Big Black Tony, and Stevie McBanana successfully broke into the Humane Labs and stole CassidyBot! I don't believe it, I really don't. How were we able to get in and get out without setting off one alarm or getting caught? The power outage in northern Douglas La-Pryor might have had something to do with it. But regardless, we succeeded! They were holding CassidyBot in a lab on the east wing of the lab in some type of cage. Pretty weird given that it's a robot, not some chimpanzee. The issue now is that I don't know how to activate CassidyBot. The idiots at the Humane Labs didn't provide any instructions on it. I've looked around on Boogle but apparently no page anywhere on the indexed portion of the internet contains the words "CassidyBot instruction manual". Might have to turn to the dark web to find it. I'll leave that to my friend Boharry. He's more knowledgeable about the dark web than I am. I tried to get on it once but every page led to a 404 error except for one where a chat box popped up and some guy told me to buy something or he would kill me and then my computer started spewing hyperrealistic blood and I tried to shut the computer off but it wouldn't and then I tried to unplug it from the wall and that didn't work so I threw it out the window where it smacked a passing cyclist in the head and he lost control of his bike and ran into oncoming traffic and fucking died. I moved away shortly after.

I've heard the news that Torisakia is still in the running for 2nd place in Group 2 in World Cup 85. Honestly I'm just as surprised as everyone else. I've come to terms with the fact that we're playing a lot better than we have before, but I'm shocked that we're still in it is all. I figured we would have lost a game we shouldn't have or tied for the millionth time and been out of the running. Torisakia is also on a 9 game unbeaten streak, their last loss being against Drawkland on matchday 14. Most of us would like Torisakia to qualify because more soccer, but I've heard rumors that Torisakia will enter the Cup of Harmony if they don't qualify. As far as I know it would be our first ever appearance as we usual don't accept the invitation because we don't need anyone else's charity. Despite the events of the past month and a half, I've been keeping track of all of our players' caps and goals. Unsurprisingly, Johnny Kelso has the most goals with 12, followed by Jordan Kallian with 8 and Syarhey Sweetcloud with 7. Most of our starting lineup is tied for the most caps with 23, although Sweetcloud, Logan Brantley, and Josh Mikita are short one cap due to their red cards, and Kallian is missing two caps due to the food poisoning he got from Chapplebee's. I've posted the full list below so you can look for yourself.

Position	Player	Caps	Goals
GK	Mitch Issacson	23	0
ST	Johnny Kelso	23	12
ST	Jordan Kallian	21	8
CF	Syarhey Sweetcloud	22	7
CF	Gregory Franklin	23	5
CM	Derek Lovel	23	3
CM	Faron James	23	5
LWB	Logan Brantley	22	1
CB	Kanta Serafin	23	1
CB	Daniel Ehud	23	1
RWB	Josh Mikita	22	0

GK	Craig Novak	4	0
ST	Aristide Wallace	15	4
CM	Aelius Rona	5	0
CM	Oskar Carlson	6	1
CB	Ezekiel Van Aggelen	7	1
CB	Blake Dragan	5	1
RWB	Brant Nerrciso	4	0
RWB	Scott McRaske	3	0
	TOTAL	297	50

As you can see, our subs don't get in much aside from Tide Wallace. I think that's more by design than anything else. We've been playing a lot of close games recently and, no offense to our subs, we can't really afford to have a drop in talent out there on the pitch in those crucial moments. With his 23rd cap, Johnny Kelso now eclipses 100 appearances with the national team. If he gets 27 more he'll tie Jeremy Andel for the most in team history. Even though Kelso is up there in age, I think he still has one or two years left in him. He hasn't stated anything publicly, but some sources say this upcoming TSL season will be his last as a player. Kelso also sits at 47 total goals with the national team, just 11 short of tying Fredric Rayner for most all-time. It's safe to say he will break both of these records and be the new historic face of the national team. It is worthy to note that despite how bad the national team has been over the past several years and how his name was almost tarnished when it was rumored he was involved in the Kira cult (he wasn't. He was framed), he's stayed with the team throughout. We'll probably have one more World Cup with him before he retires. And if we can beef up the roster some more during that time, I think Torisakia has a good chance in qualifiers in World Cup 86.

That's all the time I have today. I'm going to try and see if I can turn on CassidyBot. I've looked around and I've pressed every button and none of them seem to do a thing. I really hope we didn't short her out when we were carrying her out of the lab and into the Barred Clerk Flop Ox. I thought about bring my anti-static wristband with me but thought 'nah forget it'. I'll call my friend Bents Strove, a licensed electrician, later for help if need be. He went to Torisakia Electrical School, you know.

by **Flavovespia** » Tue Jun 16, 2020 1:13 pm

Cult Classics (part 2): Loving would be easy if your colours were like my dreams

This article looks at 5 cult classic kits, this time coming from the modern era. Kits that, like above, can sometimes divide opinion, but are still considered distinctive and have a number of fans who remember them fondly.

Redthwaite Rangers – 5AU

Redthwaite Rangers have been known for mixing up the shades of red used on their kit for a while, combining anything from crimson to pink on their shirts, alongside a more traditional base red. Their 5AU effort however was something else. They used 4 different shades of red, on a quartered pattern, topped off with white trim and shorts, and 4 striped socks. The reaction at the time was pretty negative, but over time, the kit’s developed a following. Maybe it’s an ironic meme for fans to want it to come back, but the calls exist nevertheless.

Magic Roundabout – 8AU

When the third tier National League expanded to form the Western League and Eastern League for the 8AU season, a few hitherto unknown sides to most were promoted. One of which was the eccentric Magic Roundabout, less than a decade old at this point, and few had ever seen them play. However their first league kit certainly made an impression. All pink and adorned with stars, it was one of the most unique kits seen for quite a while. Many in the club loved it, even if plenty of neutrals thought it was ridiculous, and reminded them of some of the kits of the old days gone by. Nevertheless, it’s made a lasting impression.

Henhaven Beachside – 9AU

It would stand to reason that a team with “Beachside” in the name would play in yellow and blue, which Henhaven Beachside do. However their 9AU kit, for their third season in the third tier, was a sight to behold. The palm tree from the crest now played a prominent part on the torso of the kit, combined with a wave pattern along the sleeves and shorts. The kit itself was very distinctive, and although considered too flashy and over the top by traditionalists, has been well embraced by many fans.

Slaton – 14AU

Based near some of the highest areas in Flavovespia, Slaton’s badge reflects that. In 14AU, they took it much further, by incorporating that into their kit, and added a sunset band effect into the background. At the time the kit, like many cult classics, received somewhat mixed opinion, although on average it was more liked than not. However as time has grown on, the opinions on this concept have grown considerably, and some believe that it’s overdue a revival. The colour scheme as well is favoured over some of the more white heavy shirts that Slaton have worn.

Rumlington Rovers – 21AU

The most recent example in this article. Rumlington Rovers chose to collaborate with a local artist to design this very unconventional kit, nicknamed the “art kit”. A very bizarre, if original kit, it combined a gradiented striped effect on the main torso, with a swirling triangle effect, that was also carried over onto the shorts. Worn for just one season, it was certainly one unique look for the side on the east coast, who are avant garde in some ways anyway. Although still under a decade old, it’s developed a following from fans who want to see more kits try and break the mould of a conventional kit.

And with that, Kitblog’s World Cup 85 Qualifiers articles are finished. Thanks to everyone who has read all of the articles, and we’ll wait to see if there’ll be more to add down the line.

by **Drawkland** » Tue Jun 16, 2020 1:18 pm

E L I T E ...

It had been a long qualifiers, to say the least. The times the Elite Eleven had in the previous World Cup group stage had faded from their memory, only to be faced with a much more difficult challenge: actually winning games in qualifiers. Or at least, not losing. Group 2 was chaos. Any nation not called "Kita-Hinode" had some strange monkey on their back preventing them from easily taking winnable games. It had happened to Drawkland, it had happened to the Squornshelan Remnant States, it had happened to the Busoga Islands. Kohnhead and Torisakia, despite being projected as bottom-feeders before the cycle began, showed up in force.

For our trio of former Kick Corps members, Cam Cross, Sarah Arrowsword, and Nicole Warren, the qualifiers had also differed from last cycle. Now, rather than being on the hunt, pseudo-detectives trying to discover the truth behind the Eleven, they were more like true friends. They had attended almost every home qualifying match (even the really depressingly shitty ones), and hung out with the Eleven either before or after the match. In this case, going into the final match of the campaign, it was before the match, back at the Eleven's Complex.

"Anyway, that's when we found the way out of the Heart of the Maze, and came back up to the surface. As soon as we had all exited the tunnel, the tunnel instantly collapsed upon itself. We all looked at our surroundings to get a bearing on where we were, and when we turned back to look at where the tunnel was, we couldn't even tell it was there. Some sort of masking magic that hid it from our eyes. Makes sense, really ... I don't know of any labyrinth as dangerous as that which would make it easy for you to just slip through the back door." Elias Keys drank the rest of his bottle of water, and sighed.

"You know we've all heard the Undying Quest story like a dozen times by now, right?" Cam chuckled, taking a sip of her Akkorade.

"Yeah, I think every one of you have told it to us at least once per person," Sarah added.

"Listen, I just wanted to talk about it, okay?" Elias insisted. "There's not many people I can reminisce about it with. It's nice to remember it."

"Now this might just be me," Nicole replied, "but I feel like you're trying to stall to keep us from talking about this EGM match."

"W-what? Of course not! I've fought strange mythological beasts and been on adventures everywhere, not to mention I've played thousands of matches in dozens of sports. You think I'm feeling pressure right now?"

"Considering the fact that you're nursing your water bottle like you do a bottle of whiskey, I'd say so!" Nicole laughed.

Jaxon Madison strode over to the area in the lounge where Elias and the girls were sitting. "What are we talking about over here?" he asked.

"Elias is monologuing to keep us from talking about tonight's match." Sarah quickly replied, much to Elias' verbal protest.

"Listen, I don't want to think about this match either," Jaxon admitted. "I hate when things are out of our direct control. We could beat EGM 7-1 and still not qualify. I think we all like it when we control our own destinies."

"You did control your destinies for at least half of qualifiers, and then you shit the bed!" Sarah pointed out. She was always the first to criticize the Eleven.

Elias groaned and got up to refill his water bottle. Jaxon merely shrugged, "That's fair, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm not feeling good about this match. Even if we do qualify, we're probably gonna have another 0-point World Cup. Our confidence is completely shot at this point."

"Yeah, it turns out you can't be cocky bastards all the time!" said Cam.

"I must admit, I love being a cocky bastard. That's our M.O. most of the time. It's weird to not be in the position to be punching down, so to speak. I guess for this game we are, but in the grand circumstance we are."

"Surely Lochario could hold the SRS to a draw? They managed to beat us after all," Nicole pointed out.

"We've already been through the permutations and possibilities and probabilities a hundred times by now, ever since we got home from Kohnhead. Eli especially, because he's the nerd who does all that stuff. I think it's starting to get into our head. It's hard to remember sometimes that it doesn't matter what the probabilities are, because in the end we just have to go and play the game, and what happens, happens."

Mike Rodney strode up to the group and immediately walked over to Nicole. He put his hand on her shoulder and leaned down to give her a peck on the cheek, which she obliged.

"Jax, we're getting ready to get on the bus now. The DISC lackeys will be mad if we're late again."

"Heard, thanks. I'll join y'all in a minute." Jaxon nodded, and Mike went on his way. Once he was out of earshot, he continued. "You make a cute couple, you know that?"

"Me and Mike?" Nicole asked, blushing a bit. "Thanks, I guess."

"I like you two together. I know you guys are all in the honeymoon phase still and just seeing each other every once in awhile, so Mike isn't gonna say anything."

"Say anything about what?" Cam asked, suddenly concerned.

"I kinda feel like a dick for this, but somebody's gotta say it. You know our deal now. You know who we are ... what we are." Jaxon motioned to his chest. "At some point, you're gonna have to make a decision. Mike is too nice of a guy to do anything about it."

"What do you mean?" Nicole asked, quieter.

"The facts of the situation is that you're mortal, and we're not. You can go and have a happy relationship with Mike or whatever. Go on fun dates and sightsee and spend nights together and maybe even move in with him or something. But you're going to grow old, and wither, and die. And he's not. We're not. You're a fool if you think that he's going to be willing or able to change that situation for you."

The room was oddly silent after that. The rest of the Eleven had already left, so it was just Jaxon and the three girls. Cam and Sarah were looking between Jaxon and Nicole, absolutely awestruck. This is not what they expected to hear today.

"You're going to have to cut things off eventually, or else you'll be stuck in probably one of the worst romantic situations possible. Trust me, I know from firsthand experience. If I were you, I'd do it sooner, rather than later. It'll hurt less in the long run."

"O-okay ..." Nicole replied weakly.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have a match to play." Jaxon turned to leave. As he reached the door, he stopped and turned around. "Don't think this is me telling you guys to go away, or something. I like your company. It's cool having people who really know us. Just ... you have to be realistic with the circumstances. Somebody has to say it."

Once he left, Cam and Sarah turned to look at Nicole, who was staring at the lounge table in front of them.

"I ... I hadn't really thought about that yet ..." Nicole murmured. Cam came over and offered a side hug, and Sarah reluctantly joined in.

After a long silence, Sarah spoke up. "So, are you going to break up with him or something?"

"No," Nicole replied after some hesitation.

"What? You're going to stay with him? Despite what's gonna happen?"

"No," Nicole said again, this time more firmly. "I'm going on the Undying Quest."

by **South Newlandia** » Tue Jun 16, 2020 2:13 pm

ELEPHANT VALLEY MAIL
Sports -> Soccer
Elephants finish on fourty points thanks to win against Water Buffaloes

In Jecken Arena in Newport, South Newlandia wanted to make a good last showing. Not only that, but they also had some stuff to settle with Mavinet as well, after losing to the Water Buffaloes twice. The Elephants went into the game as slight favourites, despite the 4-0 loss in Mavinet.

South Newlandia 1-0 Mavinet

The game was actually quite close, with both teams fighting well. Neither team ever held a significant advantage over the other. After some good chances for both teams, the Water Buffaloes had the first big chance. Tranh Hai took a good shot in the 31st minute, but Rufus Rigby got a fantastic save in.

In the 42nd minute, the Elephants scored the goal that ended up winning the match. Abdurahman Bishop scored with a shot from close distance after a great pass by Kevin Mohamed.

At half-time, Robert Wolverine was satisfied. South Newlandia had played a strong first half, and if the result stayed this way, they would be guaranteed 4th place. He decided to let Bjorn Cohen on the field for Brandon Irving.

The second half was less eventful than the first one. Simon McCabe and Tranh Hoang had the best chances, but both goalkeepers had a great day and didn’t concede another goal. In the 77th minute, Jarod Stuart went into play for Patrick McMora, but that didn’t change much in the game.

With the narrow 1-0 win, South Newlandia finishes their first WCQ campaign with 40 points from 11 wins, 7 draws and only six defeats. Despite a goal difference of only +2, they are currently 3rd, but Eraman still has a game to play while South Newlandia doesn’t. Whatever way that will go, South Newlandia can look back on a historic and impressive qualifiying campaign that no one really expected.

We are glad that the national coach, Robert Wolverine, has taken the time to conduct and interview with us.

Our reporter: Good evening Robert Wolverine. Thank you for taking the time.
Robert Wolverine: My pleasure.
OR: Can you explain what made South Newlandia so strong this cycle?
RW: Well, that’s not easy to say. I think our young squad surpasses others in motivation, and he have a lot of individually very skilled players. But you have to admit that we have been very lucky in some games, too.
OR: Which brings us to the next question, why was the team so inconsistent? You totally felt like watching two different teams if we compare, for example, the Valanora games and the games against The Kytler Peninsulae and Kuriko toward the end.
RW: A lot of the players are very day-dependant. Players like Brandon Irving can decide a game alone, or they can pull a total blank for a day. In my opinion, Mikhail Trischuk was in spectacular form, but on the days we didn’t perform well, everything broke apart. We also had problems against deep defending teams, while we thrived more when we could counter-attack. That’s at least partly because our team is severely lacking experience, which will solve itself eventually.
OR: There has been some sort of duel for the goalkeeper position, as the Elephants can choose between Trischuk and Rufus Rigby, the 19 year-old youngster. Will Trischuk be between the posts for the CoH, if South Newlandia gets invited? Will be be the goalkeeper in the time after that?
RW: Good question. Rigby is a phenomenal goalkeeper for his age, but Trischuk is still stronger at the moment. He’s only twenty-five, too, so this question will be around for some time. I can tell you now that Trischuk would be the main goalkeeper in an eventual CoH.
OR: Are there any plans to strengthen the offense with other players or will we see the same four forwards again?
RW: There are plans, but I don’t want to go into detail yet.
OR: If South Newlandia plays in the Cup of Harmony, what will the expectations be for the team?
RW: Perform as well as possible, as the last two times. We ran well with that.
OW: Thank you for the interview.
RW: Thanks.

Player Rankings

Rufus Rigby (GK) 9
The only 19 year-old goalkeeper played a great game. He certainly has a bright future ahead.

Marcos Pit (LB) 8

Jack Schroeder (LCB, Captain) 8

Manuel O’Neill (RCB) 8

Raphael Moreno (RB) 7

Kevin Mohamed (DM) 8
He played a very good game.

Corban Green (LM) 7

Patrick McMora (RM) 6

Abdurahman Bishop (OM) 8
He also played well.

Brandon Irving (ST) 7

Simon McCabe (ST) 7

Bjorn Cohen (ST) 6
He didn’t play well.

Jarod Stuart (RM) –

Results from Matchday 25, Group 13

Plane of Possibility (148) 4-2 Bliuji (99)
The Planers continue their strong run.

Ottoman Syldavia (338) 3-8 Juvencus (39)
Juvencus win a 11-goal game to improve their record after a bad first half.

Eraman (63) 1-0 The Kytler Peninsulae (UR)
Eraman gets the job done and keeps their chances for 3rd.

Pasarga (25) 2-1 Kuriko (330)

Tamgu (79) 5-3 Pangurstan (311)
Tamgu win an 8-goal game to climb to the middle of the standings.

Valanora, the group winners, had a bye day.

South Newlandia (228) 1-0 Mavinet (218)

Current standings

Group 13                              Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Valanora                               23   18   2   3    67   30  +37    56 Q
 2 Pasarga                                23   14   4   5    65   38  +27    46 Q
 3 South Newlandia                        24   11   7   6    39   37   +2    40
 4 Eraman                                 23   11   6   6    41   35   +6    39
 5 Juvencus                               23   10   5   8    52   41  +11    35
 6 Plane of Possibility                   23   10   5   8    42   41   +1    35
 7 Tamgu                                  23    9   6   8    52   50   +2    33
 8 Bliuji                                 23    9   4  10    51   52   −1    31
 9 Mavinet                                23    8   4  11    44   44    0    28
10 Pangurstan                             23    5   8  10    41   48   −7    23
11 Kuriko                                 23    6   3  14    26   48  −22    21
12 Ottoman Syldavia                       23    5   4  14    34   53  −19    19
13 The Kytler Peninsulae                  23    3   4  16    27   64  −37    13

Schedule for Group 13, Matchday 26

Mavinet (218) vs. Tamgu (79)
Mavinet has to win for a chance to climb into 8th, otherwise, they will finish ninth.
Tamgu needs to win to secure 7th place, and could climb as far as 5th with a win.

Pangurstan (311) vs. Pasarga (25)
Pangurstan needs a draw to secure 10th, or they could drop into 11th.
Pasarga will finish 2nd, and qualify for the world cup.

Kuriko (330) vs. Eraman (63)
Kuriko needs to win to secure 11th, and could drop into 12th otherwise.
Eraman will be 3rd with at least a draw, otherwise, they finish in 4th.

The Kitler Peninsulae (UR) vs. Ottoman Syldavia (338)
The Kitler Peninsulae will finish 13th and last.
Ottoman Syldavia could jump into 11th with a win, otherwise, they are guaranteed 12th.

Juvencus (39) vs. Plane of Possibility (148)
Juvencus needs to win to stay 5h, needs a draw to secure 6th, and they could drop ito 7th if they lose.
Plane of Possibility will finish 5th with a win, otherwise, they might drop to 7th.

Bliuji (99) vs. Valanora (15)
Bliuji could jump into 7th with a win and could drop into 9th with a defeat. If they draw, they will finish 8th.
Valanora has already won the group and will travel to the world cup.

by **Port Ember** » Tue Jun 16, 2020 2:23 pm

Blood, Sweat & Glory - Part 17

OOC: This Events takes place prior to Match day 26.

The Port Ember Times

THE SEASON OF DEATH & MISERY

With the upcoming match against Devonta this Saturday at home, the World Cup Qualification Season is about to draw to a close, and the qualification for our national side to the World Cup Proper still hangs in the balance. Our national team must defeat their opponents to obtain the desperately require three points, but that is not all. Our most threatening rivals in our battle for survival is the national team of Ko-oren, who currently leads against us with a single point – thus must lose against Daskel in their upcoming match up, realistically a improbability. Thus our realistic chances to still qualify for the Proper is a slim, desperate, far reached dream at best.

With the end upon us, let us take a look at the highlights (low points?) of this season for our national team. Now if you have not have followed the news during the season, I advise you to steel yourself – it was a very dark and morbid season for our entire nation. A Season of Death & Misery.

- Rumors emerging from a source within the national team claimed that the players have lost all sense of discipline and has been pitching up for practice sessions drunk and high, as well as missing sessions. Chief among those accused is none other than team captain, Ray Reddington. These rumors are published in tabloids and social media far and wide, much to the anger of fans.

- Rumors emerging from a source within the national team claimed that the abuse of alcohol, drugs and prostitution by the players have now started affecting match performance, as some players were still under the influence during matches. This was contributed directly to the losses against Mattijana and Quakmybush, teams which should have easily been won by the Dragons. These rumors are published in tabloids and social media far and wide, much to the anger of fans.

- Tabloids captures and publishes footage and pictures of team players (notably again Reddington) arguing and fighting physically in nightclubs against fellow teammates. These pictures and footage are published in tabloids and social media far and wide, much to the anger of fans.

- Players (again noting Reddington specifically) are caught on international TV physically fighting one another after a match.

- Raymond Reddington is murdered violently in a local coffee cafe by teammate reserve midfielder Frazer Murray. Frazer is arrested on charges of murder.

- Legendary Coach & Team Manager Stuart Baxter resigns with immediate effect once the news of Reddington's murder surfaced. This is the man who established the national team from scratch and have led it for the past eight years.

- PEFA announces the appointment of the new Head Coach & Manager - Kent Block. This former Special Forces operator is a complete enigma and next to nothing is known of his personal life. Furthermore he has never coached professionally before - his only experience in coaching being the head coach of a local military team. This seems to be the last straw which the public is willing to accept, critics and fans alike publicly calls for the sacking of PEFA Chairman Peter White and new Coach, Kent Block.

- Frazer Murray pleads guilty to the murder of Ray Reddington. Frazer is sentenced to the death penalty.

- Former Head Coach & Manager Stuart Baxter is found dead in his cabin within the jungle after committing suicide.

- Frazer Murray refused his right to appeal the death penalty and is subsequently executed by lethal injection.

Matchday 1: Port Ember 1–0 Daskel. The very first match of the Qualifiers indicated struggling times ahead. Although we won this match, our team struggled way more than we should have against this specific opponent.

Matchday 2: Mattijana 3–2 Port Ember. The first loss of the season and a very unsatisfying result in general. Analysts determined a landslide victory four our team yet squandered it totally. After this match the first rumors were spread that the players played the game whilst under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

Matchday 3: Port Ember 6–1 Indusse. Although the match was expected to end in a victory for Port Ember, it was done in an overly spectacular fashion, providing a glimpse of the team during its peak.

Matchday 4: Tequilo 1–1 Port Ember. Another disappointing result, especially due to the results of the previous match day. The Port Emberians were expected to win but only managed to barely draw against a supposedly weaker team.

Matchday 5: Port Ember 2–3 Quakmybush. Drunk and high players on the pitch once again led to a terrible loss against a weaker opponent.

Matchday 6: Petroslovania 1–0 Port Ember. This loss saw the worst of the team, with the Port Emberians swearing, shouting and full out brawling on the pitch. The team played with the teamwork skills and coordination of a riot.

Matchday 7: Port Ember 2–1 Atheist Democratic Freehold. Again, although grabbing a victory here, they did so in a very unsatisfying manner, still refusing to work as a team. The individual skills of a few select selfish players grabbed a win instead of the normal chemistry.

Matchday 8: Ko-oren 1–1 Port Ember. Again a individual game of skill, showing absolutely zero teamwork. Many analysts suggest our national team could have picked up a win if they actually worked as a team. This is also the last match Ray Reddington played in before being murdered by Frazer Murray.

Matchday 9: Bye Day

Matchday 10:Port Ember 3–7 The Holy Empire. Although the national team suffered a massive defeat against the strongest team in the group, one cannot really blame the team. This match was played one day after the murder of their teammate and Captain Ray Reddington by fellow teammate Frazer Murray- and the subsequent resignation of their lifelong coach.

Matchday 11: Cheergirls 0–1 Port Ember. The first match played under the helm of the new team manager Kent Block. The team suffered massive criticism from the media and fans alike due to the appointment of Kent, yet they pulled off this victory despite losing support back home. Not an impressive victory, though a victory nonetheless.

Matchday 12: Port Ember 6–0 Vlasisitan. For the first time in the entire season the young Dragons displayed a unified front and played with the legendary teamwork and chemistry which made them famous in the first place - subsequently having a picnic with their opponents.

Matchday 13: Devonta 3–5 Port Ember. Again playing with the teamwork and chemistry of old, putting up a solid unified front - being absolutely unstoppable.

Matchday 14: Daskel 3–6 Port Ember. By this match day it was clear that our new national coach is no idiot. He might not have any professional experience, but it was clear that he knew how to unite our broken and downtrodden team, as they continued to stand united and played like the professional united team we know they can be.

Matchday 15: Port Ember 2–0 Mattijana. Our rediscovered unity allowed us to exact spectacular revenge against these opponents who managed to defeat us whilst we were in our previous terrible form.

Matchday 16: Indusse 1–4 Port Ember. Our team maintained good form as they ‘did the double’ on Indusse.

Matchday 17: Port Ember 1–0 Tequilo. A hard fought match against a very strong looking Tequilo. We managed to correct the previous draw against them, although they proved that they are a young team with great potential.

Matchday 18: Quakmybush 0–3 Port Ember. We managed to correct the previous wrong of the loss against them by dominating every aspect of the game from start to finish.

Matchday 19: Port Ember 1–1 Petroslovania. This draw saw the first break in our momentum, drawing in a tough match.

Matchday 20: Atheist Democratic Freehold 1–1 Port Ember. Although the team maintained cohesion, it was clear that the emotional strain of the season were still weighing heavily on the players, clearly affecting the performance on field.

Matchday 21: Port Ember 1–0 Ko-oren. A beautiful hard-fought for win against an amazing team.

Matchday 22: Bye Day.

Matchday 23: The Holy Empire 2–1 Port Ember. This match was played against the most dominant team of the group mere hours after the news broke regarding the suicide of the team’s former coach Stuart Baxter.

Matchday 24: Port Ember 1–1 Cheergirls. A young passionate team held their own in spectactular fashion. It was clear that the emotional drain of their former coach’s death still held significant sway over the team.

Matchday 25: Vlasisitan 0–4 Port Ember. A sudden spike in anger and passion saw the national team dominate every aspect of the game from start to finish.

Post Matchday 26: Frazer Murray, the teammate who murdered former captain Ray Reddington was executed by the Government of Port Ember after having plead guilty for the murder in question and rejecting to appeal the death penalty.

by **Alba and Cymru** » Tue Jun 16, 2020 3:29 pm

ԬԬԬ The Celtic Times ԬԬԬ
Bringing Light to a World in the Dark

June 16, 2020 Edition

Alba and Cymru Prepares for a Final Match
Edinburgh, Alba

One final match. One final match remains as Alba and Cymru sits 9th in Group 3 in the World Cup qualifiers. The run for the World Cup may be long-since past, but a hopeful Alba and Cymru remains ready for the future. To end the season with a major win over Sanctanus would provide the Celts the motivation to continue this train. As bad as it may seem, accumulating 6 wins in the opening qualifiers is actually a respectable accomplishment, considering the level of competition in Group 3, and especially wins against stacked opponents who are still eyeing a playoff spot.

Even so, this season has shown that Alba and Cymru is in need of many improvements. Alba and Cymru has conceded only 24 goals in 23 games, which is the least within group 3. However, The Celts still hold an eight-goal deficit in scoring, meaning that A & C has presented the weakest offense in the group. This dilemma was foreseen by team manager Coinneach MacDunn, whose defensive expertise has accumulated both praise and criticism by sports analysts worldwide. Some have called his strategic decisions "ground-breaking", but others have condemned them, stating that, "an experiment of the likes of [Alba and Cymru] is unneeded and detestable on a stage of the likes of the World Cup." Despite criticisms, Alba and Cymru has hastened to its defensive philosophy, with minor success.

Vice-captain Not Lionel Messi has led the Celtic offense with as much fervor as possible, earning half of the team's 16 goals. Not Messi's leadership has contributed to the team's initial success in the Baptism of Fire in Delaclava, and his skill has came through in key games against The Sarian and Eshan. His abilities have lifted Alba and Cymru to its current position, and are expected to lead the team's success in the future.

Had it not been for Conchúr MacGregor, the Celts may not have even had a season to begin with. MacDunn has had to rely on MacGregor's influence over the Celtic football culture to calm the crowds and build the team's desire to carry on the struggle. One could say that the team is built around Conchúr MacGregor, but MacGregor would insist that it is he that is built around the team.

While he was active during the majority of the qualifiers, Johannes Werner was truly one of the top goalkeepers in the entire world. Werner has held his ground against strikers leagues ahead of him, and his ability to command the Celtic backfield has earned the respect of coaches worldwide. His unfortunate injury has led to the rise of a new star, Áed MacNeill, who has accumulated a lot of attention in the sports world for his mastery in defense despite being a backup player.

All things considered, there is nothing for the players to hang their heads about. This first season may seem like a disappointing conclusion to the months spent in preparation, but the good fight has been fought. The first stepping stone has been set, and now is the time to continue where this season has left off. The Celts are expecting to hear from the Cup of Harmony hosts soon, and thus the train which never ends shall continue for yet another season.

by **Squornshelous** » Tue Jun 16, 2020 3:54 pm

Recollection, Chapter 7
Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6

Markkus Holmgren followed his guide through the industrial port of Santraginus, picking his way among discarded scraps of metal and tufts of sickly grass. The dockyard was dimly lit by buzzing, orange lights far overhead, and seemed deserted, save for the two of them. The man he was following wore a threadbare gray sweater and skintight black pants, but his appearance from the neck up made up for the drab appearance of his attire. A bundle of cables erupted from a port behind his left ear, trailing into the pack he wore. Markkus assumed they linked him to some sort of anti-surveillance hardware, but the man had offerered no explanation, and Markkus hadn't asked. The corresponding side of his scalp was shaved bare, while the white-blonde hair on the other side hung lank, tapering to a point that hung just above his shoulder. His lips were painted a stark black, and he wore heavy eyeliner. On the side of his neck, a pink delayed-release patch was feeding something into his bloodstream, again Markkus hadn't asked. It was hardly what he'd expected of a smuggler. Markkus thought the man could not possibly be more conspicuous and memorable in his style choices.

Then again, Santragineans have always been a bit different.

Maybe this was normal in the circles this man moved in. In any case, the organization he worked for had been highly recommended. Capable, and serious, with a reputation for seeing deals through. They didn't come cheap, that was for damn certain, but they seemed as reliable as Markkus could realistically hope for.

The pretext for his trip to Santraginus had actually been genuine. As part of a tour of all the regional scouting directorates, he was headed to the Imperium's largest port, in the West of the country on an inlet of the Far Sea, across which lay the lost provinces of West Squornshelous. Unbeknownst to his superiors, he had also made arrangements to meet with a local organized crime faction that specialized in human trafficking. What their normal 'cargo' consisted of and was destined for did not bear thinking about. The wealthy and powerful in the Imperium were most often wealthy and powerful beyond the capacity of imagination to grasp, and had vices and appetites to match. Operations like this one were tolerated, so long as they did not let their conflicts spill out where the public could see, and stayed paid up with the right people.

This is a mistake Markkus. I beg you, go back. You will destroy everything we've worked for.

There's nothing here for me anymore Kiril, I've made my decision.

There is everything for you Markkus, a prestigious career, advancement, wealth, power, all waiting for you. You're a fool if you throw this away.

All that's waiting for me is that spider, Petrov, pulling strings and playing games. I know what happens to his pawns when he's done with them.

But the opportunity Markkus, think of it. We can do so much, have so much.

Who the fuck is we anyway? I'm the only one of us who's really a person.

"Here."

His guide stopped at the end of a cargo container, interrupting the silent argument. The man raised his hand to an electronic lock on the doors of the container, extended one finger. What had appeared to be flesh at the tip of his middle finger folded back, revealing an interface jack. He plugged into the lock, and it clacked open. Ushered inside, Markkus stepped forward into pitch blackness. He threw a hand in front of himself and shuffled forward as the smuggler followed him through the door and shut it, blocking out all light. A moment of irrational panic seized Markkus. He's going to kill me.

Serve you right if he does.

The snap-hum of lights coming on curtailed any response Markkus might have made. His guide motioned him over to a stairwell leading down into the concrete floor. he estimated they had gone only one floor's worth of stairs, maybe one and a half when they emerged into a large rectangular space. Markkus guessed it was about 20 feet high, 60 feet across, and 100 feet from end to end. Below him, dominating one half of the room, was a channel filled with water, connected to a tunnel in one wall. Moored at the edge of the channel was a small ground effect craft in teal and orange Santraginean Port Authority livery. It's motor was running, and a slim, brown-haired woman in stained and patched coveralls was perched on its back, tinkering with something inside an open bay. A second woman with closely cropped hair dyed an improbable shade of neon green stood on the concrete beside. She was short and stocky, and wore a frown as if well-accustomed to the expression.

"Damn time, Arkady. We need to be gone before the tide turns."

"First things first." The blonde man turned to Markkus and extended his hand. Markkus fished a memory stick from his pocket and handed it over. Arkady plugged it into his finger port, and his eyes went unfocused for a moment, before snapping back to Markkus. He grinned, and turned to the green-haired woman, "We're good." With no more than that, he vanished back up the stairs.

The green-haired woman, Markkus supposed she was in charge, nodded and beckoned to him, "Get in, time's wasting." Without waiting for a response she turned to the other woman, "Marija you have about ten seconds to wrap that up."

"Done boss, we're outta here," she ran along the uneven surface of the hovercraft's spine and dipping to grab the edge of the open cockpit cowling, dropped smoothly into the pilot's seat.

As Markkus entered and seated himself in one of the two rear seats, Green Hair turned back to face him. "Seems like this is your first time, Mr. Who, so I'll give you some advice. Keep your mouth shut and your head down. I do the talking, you follow, and we get along just fine, got it?"

"Got it."

The canopy slid and latched into place above their heads and the engines spooled up to take them out to the harbor and the bay beyond. No turning back now.

by **The Jovannic** » Tue Jun 16, 2020 3:58 pm

I can't believe it.
A 2-1 win over Eura.

fun fact: the only team where we have won both times is Eura....

I Laugh
Next: Northwest Kalactin

by **Huayramarca** » Tue Jun 16, 2020 5:01 pm

OOC: Rewinding a past event, now, from Mina's perspective.

Part 1.
Part 2.
Part 3.
Part 4.
Part 5.
Part 6.
Part 7.
Part 8.
Part 9.

Rewind.

Part 10.

Ñucanchi Ñan - Part 10.

Ayacucho's Municipal Hall, Huaraz Department - 25/03/1980 - 5:00 P.M.

City Context

After enjoying some time at the windy Ayacucho, slowly entering into autumn at Huayramarca, the transition was something easy to identify by the fact of being at 2800 meters above sea level, breezes were chillier than usual, some snow was covering the neighboring peaks of the city. Mina knew that he needed to stay some days away from the lenses of paparazzo, he needed to take a break and also to plan his ambitious plan of making his life and the life of at least 10 generations with that mining project, he found an unsuspected ally on Amancio Cedeño, since was somebody who opposed to Mina at the beginning, but their wrong path ideals leaning more for enriching themselves than being elements for change at their positions made them join into the same path. It was clear that Cedeño had interest on knowing about Mina’s plan, he would never reject some extra income from illegal deals, nor Mina, who was considering to perform his plan with extreme care, he wasn’t thinking it on revealing it, but he did it since he trusted on Cedeño, usually people from that kind tend to protect themselves a lot if they receive the right amount of money, but if they didn’t, they would unleash and would throw the other into the jail if capable to do it.

At the main plaza of Ayacucho, Mina was with his bodyguards eating a Mayuchi, the typical ice-cream from Ayacucho, also known for being a delicious treat that made its place into the extremely Huayramarcan pastry book of recipes, yes, it could be also served with a pastry on a dessert, a vanilla-flavored Mayuchi served by a not-so-friendly serrano woman who looked at Mina with some despise, the news of Illimani getting soon drilled for mining were a rumor, but strong enough to cause some feelings into the populace, specially at the Sierra by religious and cultural factors. The woman took Mina’s money and said “Cursed and corrupt banknote” while she threw it to a little fire, she had to make a coffee “Those Costeños never learn to be polite and honest while being on public service, like us.” Mina didn’t saw the scene, he continued his pace towards the municipal palace of Ayacucho, the hall was awaiting him, Cedeño was there in order to do some business in the shape of mining, his expectations were high as his adrenaline turned up when a random bystander said “Costeño hijo de puta” while another joined and said “When you’ll stop stealing money from us?” One of the bodyguards appeared to taunt them, but turned out that they were using machetes, a usual scene at the highlands, people usually carries those in order to do self-defense in case they are target for robbery. The bodyguards saw those men waving their machetes, Mina said “Let them scream what they want, we should look democratic at least.”

After asking the bodyguards to cease taunting, Mina was now entering to the hall, with the bodyguards, the reception was warm with him due to protocol, still, an hypocritical reception since they knew that if they released their real thoughts, they would, perhaps, lose their only income source and probably would have to move to another city, since in Ayacucho or even at Huaraz department, they would be marked for some years due to Cedeño’s influence at the region, they would need to get their lives restarted in order to get rid of that mark. Mina noted it but didn’t cared of it, since he knew what would happen, and also, wasn’t at his DNA the matter of burning other people on their superiors, he hated that and he did suffer it while being a child.

Mina arrived and shook hands with Cedeño, they both asked people to leave the room, so they would talk normally in order to proceed at their business. Things were more formal as those were yesterday at the Bull Arena, they had their phones ready to call Nunavut Mining Cooperative president in order to negotiate what they wanted. The CEO from NMC answered the phone fast “Oh, Mr. Cedeño, nice to listen to you once again” said while recognizing immediately the phone number from the major of Ayacucho “Hello, Doc. There are a couple of things that I’d love to talk to you in order to do a new business, but this one will be massive, there’s a lot involved in it. You know, there’s some ‘shady factors in it’” – The CEO started to get more motivated when doing the call, he listened to the key word “Shady business” The company had some bad reputation in it, some corrupt deals on Québécois north, Banija and several other nations from Atlantian Oceania, hence, the potential to get a successful deal were high, hence, this step and the hiring of this company was a must, so, they needed to set some money in it and made them win the contract public concourse.

“I’ll hand the phone to Mr. Mina, our president, so he can talk with you more details.” Said Cedeño while passing the phone to Mina, he took it and resolutely, spoke “Good evening, sir, there’s a project for you, involves mineral drilling at the Illimani Peak, there’s a lot of ore and copper that could boost your company income for sure, since there’s a lot of potential in said zone, hence we think you could provide us some help in order to extract that pile of minerals.” The CEO waited some minutes, decided to inspect the characteristics of the zone “Well, I can’t take Québécois staff, that zone seems to be quite high, we aren’t enough prepared for such height.” Mina said “There’s Huayramarcan staff ready in order to work there. The important part of this deal is that we can win even billions of N$ Dollars.” Billions…Billions…BILLIONS, those words echoed on NMC’s CEO, hence he asked for more information on the matter: “Well, there are copper reserves, which could be used to do cables and electrify some poor zones on Atlantian Oceania, even at Nunavut, which I understand it’s scarcely populated and has little infrastructure. We can help to change that reality; your company can invest in it and you can help your region and be some sort of local hero.”

The CEO liked the idea of being the hero in it, he was aware that such a barren place needed some support and Huayramarca would be their mine to achieve that desired progress in monetary terms, he said “There’s gonna be a concourse, a public one, how much should I offer?” Mina said “Offer N$ 1 billion and we are set.” “That’s little money” said the CEO “Well, you’ll win more on this, hence, do it and we could benefit.” Both agreed on it, a contract would be signed at the Palacio del Altiplano ASAP, backwater, in order to make the deal of their lives.

by **Independent Athletes from Quebec** » Tue Jun 16, 2020 5:11 pm

OOC : Part of the Form and Order of Service that was run for the Queen Christine II's coronation. It is safe to assume that the file became ICly available after the coronation.

The Form and Order of Service in The Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Christine II in the Abbey Church of St. Barnabas, Quebec City, on Monday, the Twenty-Second Day of February, 2044

I. The Arrival

At seven a.m. in the morning the Queen leaves the Palais Royale, the residence of the Quebecois Monarch, and goes by coach to the Sandringham Abbey, the Seat of the Church of Quebec, on a four kilometre route. On their way, the Queen and her family, followed by the heralds, Kings of Arms, Cabinet and the Shadow Cabinet, and the State Officers, salute the people on their way to the Abbey. Upon arrival, all members but Her Majesty and the State Officers leave their coaches and enter the Abbey. After thirty minutes, the Queen and the State Officers enter the Abbey.

The service starts at eight-thirty in the morning. From this point, the people shall remain standing from the Entrance until the beginning of the Communion Service.

II. The Entrance into the Abbey

The Queen, upon her entry at the eastern door of the Abbey, is to be received with the Anthem from Psalm 23.

Upon entry, the Queen will pass through the body of the Church, and after reciting prayers in Latin, into the Chair that stands six steps and two levels removed from the Throne. The necessary objects for the Ceremonial proceedings, in the meanwhile, will be brought by the Four Religious Chiefs and the Bishops, and placed to the Altar. This will then be followed by the Lords, the Prime Minister and the Earl Marshall, who will bring the regalia and the swords They subsequently deliver them to the Dean of Sandringham, to be placed to the Altar on his hands.

III. The Recognition

The Lord Chancellor, Lord Royal Councillor, Lord Housemaster, Lord Privy Seal, the Prime Minister, and the Earl Marshal (handled by 10th Duke of Uashau), shall go to six different parts of the Theatre and shall speak loudly to the people. The Queen, in the meanwhile, stands in front of the Coronation Throne, shall show herself to the People at all sides of the Abbey, as the Archbishop of Mingan, the Principal Head of the Church of Quebec, says in the only English part of the service:

Sirs, here I present to you
Queen CHRISTINE THE SECOND,
your gracious Queen:
Wherefore all you who hath taken your presence here
to serve and protect,
Are you willing to do the same?

Of course, the Quebecois people signify their joy, grace and support with acclamations in any of three official languages, all universally crying out,

VIVAT! GOD SAVE QUEEN CHRISTINE.

Then the trumpets shall sound.

IV. The Oath

The Queen, having already signed her Declaration to the State in the presence of both the House of Lords and the House of Commons, returns to her throne. Before her lies four principal leaders of the four religions considered to be at the pillars of the Quebecois State and the Imperial Realms of the Commonwealth (formerly the Quebecois Commonwealth).

For this ceremony, the Archbishop of Mingan, the principal leader of the Episcopal Church of Quebec, shall administer the Coronation Oath. The Archbishop, standing before her shall administer the Coronation Oath, first asking the Queen. While not the ones administering, the other three will also do their part by each asking a question later into the Oath. The other three are the Archbishop of Quebec City, the Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and therefore the principal leader of the Quebecois Catholicism; the Patriarch of Hongyusa Temple, the 58th Chief of the Gwangmoo Order of Korean Buddhism, and the Marshal of Observance, Chief of the Assembly of Indigenous Quebec, the principal leader of the religions native to the indigenous Quebecois long before the arrival of the Korean-Quebecois settlers.

Archbishop of Mingan : Is Her Majesty ready to take the Oath?

Queen : I do.

The Archbishop shall administer the question, and the Queen, with the Royal Constitution in her hands, answer each and every question that follows:

Archbishop : Will you promise and swear to govern the Peoples and all their creatures of the Royal Kingdom of Quebec and Sealtainn Eireann, South Detroit, the Union of Mwasi-Afrique, and of your Possessions and the Historically Imperial Realms of the Quebecois Commonwealth belonging or pertaining, according to the Commonwealth and their own laws and customs?

Queen : I do.

Archbishop : Will you to your power cause Law and Justice, in Mercy, to be executed in all your judgements?

Queen: I will.

Archbishop : Will you, to the greatest extent of your power, maintain the Laws of the Lord and the People, even those who do not observe the Laws of the Lord?

Archbishop of Quebec : Will you to the utmost and very end of your strengths, serve and protect the country with the Holy Pillars of the Religions established by law?

The Gwamgoo Chief : And will you preserve unto the Bishops and Clergy of Quebec, and to the Churches and Temples there committed to their cause, all such rights and privileges, as ordained by the law of the land and the high above?

The Marshal of Observance : Will you maintain and preserve eternally the settlements and structures of the churches of the Four Pillars, and their doctrine, discipline, and government thereof, as in laws established by the Holy Accord for the Quebecois Realms and beyond?

Queen : All this I promise to do.

Then the Queen rises out of her chair, and with the Sword of the St. Henri carried before her, shall go to the Altar, and make her solemn Oath in the sight of the Royal Constitution. She gently recites the following line:

All that you ask I will observe, protect and serve. Help me God.

Then the Queen signs the Oath, before returning to her Chair.

V. The Presenting of the Royal Constitution

When the Queen is again seated, the Archbishop shall receive the Royal Constitution from the Dean of Sandringham and bring it to the Queen. Then he will say the following words:

Our Queen:
to keep her Majesty protected and ever mindful of the Lord and His Laws,
as the Rule for your life and reign of the Princes and all their subjects,
we present you with this Book,
the rules by which we all seek to embody and live under.

And then the Audience, as written in their program, shall continue:
Here is Wisdom;
Here is Life;
These are those that we live by and forevermore.

Then the Queen shall return the Constitution to the Archbishop, who shall bring it back to the Dean of Sandringham. Then he, after placing it upon the Altar, returns to it as well.

VI-IX. Initial Steps of the Anointing

The traditionally observed procedures of the Anointing begins in three steps, all three which particularly elaborate steps. See the Episcopal Book of Holy Anointing for more information.

X. The Investiture

Then the Keeper of the Royal Carvery shall deliver to the Archbishop the Royal Seal of the Quebecois Commonwealth, which is carved out of 125 carat heavy Jade gemstone in 1478: the Archbishop will offer it to her Majesty on her right hand, and say:

Received the Royal Seal of the Quebecois Realms and the beyond,
and seal of the Quebecois peoples:
and as you are this day,
consecrated to be our Lord, our Prince, and our Father,
so may you continue steadily,
as the Protector of our Faith;
that being guided in goodwill,
you may reign with him who is the King and Kings, the Lord of Lords,
to whom the Glory lies forever and ever. Amen.

Then the Dean of Sandringham brings the Orb and Sceptre to the Archbishop. Then the Archbishop offers the sceptre to the Queen on her right hand, the Orb to the left hand. He says:

Receive the Royal Sceptre, to mark your regnal presence
And the Orb of the People
Be meticulous and merciful,
to Punish the Wicked,
but also to Cherish the Suffering,
and lead your people
to the Land of the People and Forevermore.

XI. The Putting on of the Crown

Then the people shall rise; as the Archbishop, upon his placement of the Coronation Crown before the Altar, and say:

O God thy Crown of the Holy and the Faithful,
Bless this Crown to thee,
to sanctify thy servant CHRISTINE
upon whose head the royal majesty lies,
in provision of the Graces and all his virtues:
through the Queen eternal Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Queen, who remains seated on the Coronation Throne. The Archbishop, assisted with other three religious heads, shall bring the Crown, and quietly place it upon the Queen's head. At the very moment of the Crown's landing, the people shall say:

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN

Afterwards, the members of the Royal House, the Peerage and the Royal Staff, shall put on their respect head garment. The instruments shall sound in celebration, and Twenty-Two gun salutes is to be given at military fortifications across the nation.

The acclamation ceasing, the Archbishop shall go on, and say:
God crown you with his glory, honour and justice,
that having the right faith and mind for goodwill,
shall obtain you the crown of an eternal kingdom,
by the Lord High Above who hath given you the Life beyond the Limits of Mankind

Then shall the choir sing a light tune to mark the moment. After the song is completed, they shall be seated.

For Parts XII-XV, see right below.

by **Sarzonia** » Tue Jun 16, 2020 5:17 pm

Even though Corcorran, Rextaria isn't all that far from the border with Sarzonia, for Mateo Sandoval, it might as well have been clearly across Atlantian Oceania.

While many of his former teammates were celebrating their qualifying for the World Cup proper in just their second attempt well into the early morning hours at a bar just a half kilometre from Dave Wilson Stadium, Sandoval was sitting in his room at Jackson Memorial Hospital talking with mental health counselors. He'd had a couple of conversations with Jacob Parsons, the ice hockey goalie whose own mental health challenges became the subject of public scrutiny, but Sandoval's challenges were different enough for the two men to not quite connect.

Sandoval originally avoided watching his former teammates because the sting of having his role as a player still felt too raw. The three-year ban by the Sarzonian Football Confederation, currently the top flight Sarzonian football league after the suspension of the Cyanea Joint League hurt Sandoval, even though he understood that a conviction on felony fraud charges could have given him a prison sentence.

Sandoval shuddered at the thought of a Sarzonian prison. Even with the new reforms and greater support being provided to prevent the school to prison pipeline from even starting, the mental picture of Sarzonian prisons past still hadn't gone away entirely.

In the meantime, he hadn't yet gotten access to his mobile phone, although he was briefed on the comments Delaclav goalkeeper David Ross said in the Fenix Footy report detailing Sandoval's near suicide attempt and his admission here. He wanted to meet with Ross and talk about their respective careers. He would have welcomed any opportunity to discuss football and not have to address his own self-destruction.

He had daily sessions with a Delaclav psychologist and weekly small group discussions with other patients and trained staff. These sessions were meant to help Sandoval get to the roots of the issues that led him in Rextaria in the first place.

As the qualifying campaign dragged on, Sandoval gradually began to start watching the team again. When he picked up watching, he was surprised to find that young Carlton Sandt was starting and not Paolo Gomes. He figured manager Kevin Connelly would be patient with Gomes and let him work through his and his team's early struggles, especially with a long and grueling qualifying campaign still many matches away from being finished.

He also noted with surprise that Clayton Wilson was wearing the captain's armband. He knew Russ Howard well enough to know that didn't sit well with him. He also knew Brady Reynolds was unwilling to take the band, but the team began to find its form much earlier this campaign than it did for World Cup 84. The Stars would go on another extended run of strong play, and when he saw the most recent Sarzonia match finish 2-0 over Aimena and then Jeruselem losing 3-2 to Huayramarca, he quickly realised that his former mates rolled to a 13-4-1 record since they began 2-0-3. Seventeen matches. Thirteen victories. One loss.

He'd heard the rumours that the Incorporated Football Federation lodged a protest calling for the disqualification of Acronius for failing to provide a roster or information about venues, hotel accommodations, and the like. He was also even told by a former teammate of his on the Woodstock Wild that the Stars intended to decline an invitation to the Cup of Harmony if Kelssek and Zwangzug were named its hosts over the Drawkland/Delaclava bid.

All of a sudden, the latter plans were rendered moot. As for the former, Sandoval knew from his contacts with the IFF that they still intended to pursue their protest against Acronius. Now that the Stars were in the World Cup proper despite the two defeats to Acronius, their continued presence in the protest was now more intended to support the Delaclava Football Association than to object to their own exclusion from the World Cup.

Sandoval smiled as he saw his mates jumping onto a pile of bodies in the centre of Dave Wilson Stadium. He even smiled at seeing Connelly crying tears of joy at his team's incredible journey back to the World Cup. His smile sometimes would be wistfully tinged, but then it also was pure elation.

These were his friends. His mates. Players with whom he battled. He was part of the first improbable run that included The Brenecia Beatdown, that included a 5-4 goalfest against Kelssek. It included a comeback for the ages against TJUN-ia, a couple of attention-grabbing upset wins in the Cup of Harmony knockout rounds. They might not have defeated eventual champions Pasarga, but they definitely made the Wanderers take notice.

He may not have been part of their incredible comeback to qualify for the World Cup, but he was among the players to lay the groundwork. On that level, he could crack a smile. He reached into the small refrigerator in his room for a sparkling water. That would be the strongest drink he could have in the facility since his treatment plan forbade any alcohol. As he took his first swing, he heard a buzz on his mobile that indicated a text came in. He put down the bottle, reached over, and picked up the phone. It was a text from his former teammate Chris Brennan, a midfielder with the Wild who stayed in contact with Sandoval.

"Did u here Jared Thompson got suspended by the DFA?" Brennan wrote.

"No shit, what happened?"

"He was deep in an orgy ring and threatened Ryan Keating to force him to participate."

"What the fuck? And Landers didn't stop them?"

"He didn't know shit-all what happened until Keating spilled the beans. By then, it was too late."

"What? And how's Landers handling it?"

"The DFA weren't happy with him suspending the players involved without consulting them and they fired him."

"What the fuck?"

"Rumour has it another coach ratted on him."

That can't be right, Sandoval thought. The sheer lack of accountability by the players would never fly with Connelly. Sandoval learned that first hand. He also knew Connelly would have somehow found out about and stopped a similar event from even getting off the ground.

"There's more," Brennan texted back. The SFC is also placing a show-cause provision on any team looking to sign Thompson."

"That's it?"

"C'mon Matt. U no how much shit those r. There also suspending the other players in the orgy ring from playing in the SFC."

Or the Cyanea Joint League if the plans to revive it come to fruition, Sandoval knew.

After a few more brief texts, Sandoval plugged his mobile into the wall charger to get ready for lights out.

by **Eura** » Tue Jun 16, 2020 5:18 pm

OOC Note: I was a bit slow doing an RP on this, so the previous statement by Eura about the Valladares/Quebec test is not something I’ve RPed, but it would have happened between Valladares announcing the test, and the parliament and government of Valladares being dismissed.

gov.eur/foreignaffairs/news

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS – THE FOREIGN OFFICE

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

A statement by the Minister for Foreign Affairs on recent events in the Atlantian Oceania region

The Terra Henrius nuclear test

Very recently, the governments of the United Kingdom of Valladares and the Royal Kingdom of Quebec conducted a large scale nuclear test in the Terra Henrius territory situated to the west of the Dominion of the Euran Oceania Territories. The government of the United Federation of Eura became aware of this through various means in the immediate aftermath, and developed a full profile of the test and its characteristics before making any public statement. The government of Valladares then publicly admitted the occurrence of the test, referring to the weapon tested as the “Mega Bomba”.

At the time I made a statement condemning this action as a dangerous and reckless act, and made private representations to the administrations of Valladares and Quebec. I also reassured the Euran people that we would challenge any such behaviour in the world after our own experience of nuclear aggression from Sameban fascism.

After discussion within Cabinet, the Euran Government took appropriate action to ensure any environmental or radiological risk to the Euran Oceania Territories was minimised. We also decided to conduct a more detailed investigation into the events in Terra Henrius before proceeding with any further measures, and announced this to Parliament.

The Government has now concluded this thorough and rapid review of what occurred, and on this webpage we have published a comprehensive declassified report. This report was compiled by the armed forces, Ministry of Defence and intelligence services, detailing all available information about the test that is fit for public consumption. Material unfit for release has been withheld under the National Information Security Act. We have released this report in the interest of transparency, and to provide an indisputable evidence base for upcoming decisions by this Government.

In summary, the Government is able to reaffirm its original conclusions about the nature of the test and its impact, and is able to confirm its additional knowledge of the vast damage and inhumane violence inflicted upon the citizens of the Quebecois penal colony. The Government also concludes that the test was a calculated decision by the government of Valladares to not only disregard all norms of international nuclear safety in peacetime, but also to inflame tensions within both Rushmore and Atlantian Oceania, with one eye firmly on Eura.

Even more recently, and during the final stages of our review, Valladares has been struck by a major internal political crisis over their government’s response to the civil unrest in Mountbatten. The Euran government has not yet commented on this situation other than to offer advice to Euran citizens in Valladares, and has similarly delayed its final response to the Terra Henrius test.

Following the dismissal of the previous government, Prime Minister Jefferson Pratt and the entire parliament following illegal activity and violent repression in the region, the Euran Government is now in a position to comment extensively on both issues. Firstly, we are satisfied that the increasingly reckless and dubiously legal actions of the Pratt administration have been cut short. Secondly, we hope that a peaceful resolution to the internal troubles facing Valladares can be found. Eura is willing to provide any support that can help toward this end.

However, this does not undo the extremely concerning events that occurred in Terra Henrius. The nuclear test and associated weapons project was a covert operation that we can only conclude was led personally at the highest levels of the Valladar government, its civil service and institutions, its armed forces and the joint heads of state, Kings Marcus and Cyrus. We have no evidence to believe that an alternative government in Valladares will take a different policy direction on this issue.

Therefore, despite the dismissal of the Pratt administration and the Valladar parliament by the joint heads of state, the Euran Government considers that the state of Valladares is ultimately accountable for this outrage regardless of a change in government. The Euran Government can only interpret the total lack of forewarning and co-operation from Valladares as a signal of malign intent.

Additionally, the Euran Government also finds that the government of RK Quebec has acted in bad faith and with a total disregard for the safety of its own population, as well as those of the Euran Oceania Territories. Although the “Mega Bomba” had a Valladar flag on it, it is Quebec that provided the staging ground for the test, and did so within close proximity to Euran territory and other sovereign countries such as Krytenia and West Guinea.

The Banija-Farfadillis nuclear incident

In the past 48 hours a disastrous series of events has occurred in the south-western part of the Atlantian Oceania region. Eura has positive relations with both Farfadillis and Banija. Farfadillis shares a great deal of cultural exchange and trade with Eura. Banija is a recognised rising power in the region and the Prime Minister visited the country several years ago to strengthen Euran-Banijan relations.

The Euran Government has limited information on this stage about what has happened. However, a statement to the people of Banija and the world’s media by Banija’s head of government, the Katikkiro, has been noted. This statement has claimed that the launching of five nuclear missiles against Farfadillis was the result of rogue actors gaining unauthorised access to Banija’s nuclear arsenal. Today I summoned the Banijan ambassador to Eura and we discussed the situation.

Although a full investigation on our part is underway to understand what has happened, we provisionally are of the view that the Banijan government is sincere in its deep regret about the unprovoked launch of five nuclear weapons against Farfadillis, and the subsequent destruction they have inflicted. We also support Banija’s decision to immediately move towards decommissioning of its remaining nuclear arsenal. Nevertheless the Euran Government is deeply concerned and alarmed that such a series of events could be allowed to happen. I communicated our position on this firmly to the ambassador.

The Euran Government extends its deepest sympathy to the people of Farfadillis, for whom we hold great affinity. As victims of an unprovoked nuclear attack in recent history ourselves, we can understand the fear and uncertainty that people across Farfadillis will be afflicted by tonight. The Prime Minister and Cabinet have ordered the armed forces to organise an immediate, rapid response to this tragedy. We will bring to bear the full range of our expertise and experience in these matters, and the mighty resources of the Euran military and government, to help Farfadillis recover in its hour of need.

Official Euran Government positions and next steps following these events

In response to events in Terra Henrius, the Euran Government condemns the governments of Valladares and RK Quebec for the recent nuclear test, the abhorrent violations of human rights in the penal colony, and the aggressive intent of the test against Eura and other nations who are committed to a peaceful and just international order.

Eura has been attacked with nuclear weapons and endured great suffering as a result within recent years. During that suffering it was able to find support from both Valladares and RK Quebec, and relations have improved between our countries as a result. This action has severely undermined those gains, and called into question the motives of both countries, particularly Valladares.

In the short term, the Euran Government demands a full explanation for the test, a complete cessation of all joint military activity between those two countries in Terra Henrius, and a commitment to a moratorium on all nuclear testing by Valladares, pending joint talks designed to maintain trust between our countries. Additionally, the Euran Government will no longer tolerate the shameful treatment of the population of Terra Henrius, and strongly recommends that RK Quebec allows international aid groups to assist in the territory without any restrictions.

We are once again summoning the ambassadors of both nations in Bastion to discuss how to take these proposals forward, and offer the opportunity for both Valladares heads of state (or a new head of government following elections) and the head of government in RK Quebec to meet with the Prime Minister in due course. Until both countries have undertaken the above necessary actions to reassure Eura and the international community, the Euran Government is committed to the following measures:

- A precautionary and indefinite increase in Euran military readiness in both the Terranean and Calanian sub-regions, including strategic nuclear forces.
- A series of military exercises and potentially tests of strategic weapons systems to reaffirm the Euran military’s capability and readiness to respond to any acts of aggression worldwide.
- Drafting and introducing meaningful economic and political sanctions against both Valladares and RK Quebec, to be brought to Parliament within a matter of days.
- Pursuing official censure of Valladares and RK Quebec from the Common Rushmori Community for their actions, and working with other allies to ensure a common position is held.
- Pending agreement with the Territorial Administration of the Euran Oceania Territories, complete and unconditional asylum for refugees from Terra Henrius travelling to the Territories and Eura itself, and a subsequent relaxation of border controls.
- The border city of Magnaeus and any other border settlements of significance will be indefinitely closed to all Quebecois agencies, institutions and armed forces.

Further measures may be taken into consideration depending on future developments.

In response to events in Banija and Farfadillis, the Euran Government condemns the actions of whoever perpetrated the unjustifiable act of aggression against Farfadillis. We are committed to conducting an independent investigation of our own into the events to verify the accuracy of the version of events described by the Banijan government, and to hold to account the perpetrators when we have more certainty about their identity.

The Euran Government will immediately provide substantial emergency support to Farfadillis and what remains of its political and civic institutions. The first elements of this aid can be expected to arrive within days in the form of airdrops of vital supplies to the affected regions, and fast-tracked financial support to Euran NGO’s deploying to the region. The Ministry for International Stability, an executive agency of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is currently exploring options to release investments and capital for recovery funding. Further details of how Eura proposes to assist Farfadillis in recovering from this great tragedy shall be published in due course.

In the short term, the Euran Government supports the Banijan decision to move towards decommissioning its nuclear arsenal, and is committed to providing whatever support necessary to ensure this happens in a timely and safe manner. Regardless of intent, a country cannot be trusted to possess nuclear weapons if it cannot exercise completely secure command and control of their use. Banija should also be transparent in its actions to identify the alleged culprits behind this outrageous act of violence, so that the international community can verify Banija’s explanations for what has happened.

In the medium and longer term, we urge the Banijan government to allow an international inquiry into what happened and to co-operate fully with that inquiry. Co-operation will also be expected from those allies of Banija that provided the expertise and technology on which its nuclear programme is based. The Euran Government is willing to support efforts to establish the remit of this inquiry, give it adequate resources and ensure its independence. Banija must also consider its responsibilities towards Farfadillis and the possibility of significant reparations.

Normally the Euran Government would not comment on the legitimacy of democratically elected governments. We fully respect the sovereignty of Banija and its democracy and our past relationship with Banija demonstrates this. However, given the tragic significance of these events, we urge the current Banijan administration to consider its position carefully and evaluate whether it still commands the support of the Banijan people. The Euran Government set an example with the resignation of its leading party following the Askoy Crisis. Banija’s administration appear to have acted honestly, but should consider whether similar steps may be necessary.

Ian Smith M.P.
Minister of Foreign Affairs for the United Federation of Eura

Foreign Office
20 Kings Road, Parliamentary District
Bastion
COB-102
United Federation of Eura

by **Krytenia** » Tue Jun 16, 2020 5:19 pm

This is a tangenital from Audio's awesome RP story, the latest episode of which is here and contains handy links to the previous parts.

The call, if Rami was being honest, was an unexpected one. Being the most well-known media figure in your nation did mean getting the odd call from foreign broadcasters and the like, but Audioslavia's Channel One was a new one. True, he'd appeared on that bloody car show, but that was on Two and they'd rung Timo Skye, for crying out loud.

Still, when the producer had explained the situation, the opportunity was too good to pass up. Rami had been quietly seething ever since Jeremy had been awarded that bloody World Assembly distinction. "Journalistic Integrity"? Jeremy had about as much integrity as wet Omerican toilet paper. Probably had about the same amount of crap smeared on him, too. Still, a chance to give old Jezza a bit of a roasting - and on international television - was a chance not to be passed up lightly.

The media centre at the 1927 Arena was tucked away in the bowels, but provided a more than adequate room for the conducting of a face-to-face interview. Rami had chosen what he called his "battle dress" - navy blue suit with sky pinstripes, crisp white shirt, sky blue waistcoat, navy tie. Sure, it wouldn't endear him to the domestic viewers, but to hell with them, he was getting paid anyway. He took a look around the studio, inspecting the lighting setup, trying out the chair, and generally making sure everything was to his liking. A familiar face popped their head around the door.
"Rubio?"
"Rami? Channel One got you to do the interview? How much did you bribe them?"
"They called me, actually." Rami shrugged "No idea why they thought I should interview the bastard."
"Ohoho, Jeremy isn't going to like this!"
"Good point, that's probably why they called me in."
Rubio shook his head. "You're incorrigible, Rami."

A few minutes later, Rami heard Rubio's voice again, this time in conversation with another man whose voice Rami immediately recognised.
“And do you know who the interviewer is?”
“No. A typical empty suit from Channel One, I suppose. Is it Malcom?”
“No.”
“Oh god is it my favourite Krytenian?”
“Ooh” said Rubio, “you’re so close. It’s not your favourite Krytenian, no. Right country though….”
Well, that's my cue, Rami thought to himself.
“Oh no…”
“Oh yes!”
“Oh yes indeed!” Rami leaned out from behind the media room door. “Come through Jeremy, I have a swivel-chair waiting for you”
Jeremy facepalmed; Rami grinned like a particularly contented cat.
“Rameses. Bloody. Niblick. Well f..”
"Couldn't have you taking it easy now, could we?" Rami chuckled.

The red light on Camera 3 switched on, the cameraman giving Rami the signal that recording was a go.
“…thanks Malcom, and it is indeed a pleasure to be here in the Channel One studio at the 1927 Arena, and with me in this famous old stadium is a famous old man himself. Jeremy Jaffacake, who will soon be collecting his World Assembly Commendation for Services to Journalistic Integrity trophy. I assume, also, you’ll be collecting your World Assembly Commendation for Youthful Exuberance and also a World Assembly Commendation for Dress Sense as well?”
“Yes, thank you Rameses, I’ll be collecting them just after you collect your World Assembly Commendation for Not being a Cu..”
“CUT” yelled the director. “Jeremy what the hell, you can’t say the ‘c’ word on live television”
“This isn’t live television”
“It will be shown on live television” said Rami. “Honestly Jeremy, so unprofessional”. Rami Niblick shook his head and theatrically tutted at Jeremy.
“No more swearing, please Jeremy” said the director, motioning towards the camera operator to keep rolling.
“He won’t do it again” said Rami. “Trust me...I know him so well.”
“Still rolling” said the camera-man, still squinting into his equipment. The phrase described Jeremy's eyes at that point.
“So, Jeremy” said Rami, immediately back into professional mode. “Audioslavia are still in the running for the World Cup. Krytenia, unfortunately, are still a way off with Project 87 thus far. Why do you suppose the Bulls are in with a shout and the Dragons are not?”
“Because you’re a cu..”
“CUT” yelled the director, slightly more exasperated this time. “Was that on purpose, Jeremy?”
"No comment." Jeremy replied, smirking slightly.

With the presentation, the "highlight" of the evening, about to begin, Rami took his seat in the directors box. It was a nice vantage point; clearly Channel One were going all-out to make their talent feel rewarded. Admittedly, there was the downside of watching Jeremy Jaffacake being rewarded in a way he clearly didn't deserve, but the upside was that the hospitality team had supplied plenty of decent quality scotch. Jeremy's entrance to the centre circle was widely met with booing from the crowd.
"Still as popular as ever then." Rami said, to nobody in particular.
Jeremy proceeded with his acceptance speech - more boos from the crowd - as Rami nursed his scotch. After a cringeworthy couple of minutes, Jeremy unveiled the trophy.

Or so he thought.

There's that odd moment when you see something that your brain is simply not expecting when the world seems to run in slow motion. Rami noticed that wasn't a trophy; it wasn't even close. It actually looked more like...no, hang on, it absolutely was...

Rami spat out his mouthful of scotch and nearly choked with laughter as a commotion began a little ways in front of him. A large man and a slightly smaller man were having an argument - over what he wasn't sure - before disappearing out of view. Jeremy's face, meanwhile, was a combination of rage and nausea, almost as if someone had done a bad job of painting it in the Bulls' national colours. As they disappeared out of view, Rami dipped out the back of the directors box and onto the concourse balcony to get a better view of the impending shitshow.

“Oi!” shouted the shorter man at the taller. The taller man’s stride did not break. The shorter one bellowed two words that made the taller man stop in his tracks.

“Txo. Zaldun”.

Txo looked up and froze, his eyes wide open, his mouth agape. The other man - wait, that's that inspector that came and interviewed me, Rami realised - watched as he dropped his bag in shock, and didn’t take his eyes off of Txo as he moved towards the escalator. Txo picked his bag up again and walked slowly towards the bottom of the escalator, cocking his head to one side as he looked up at the inspector walking down it. It was like Txo had seen a ghost.

“…you?”
“Me” said the inspector. “Though I believe you’re getting me mixed up with my own grandfather”
The pair stared intently and menacingly at each other.
“How… how did?”
“Your new friend on Calorborne” said the inspector. “He’s not, it appears, quite as trustworthy as you thought he was”
A look of sheer confusion on Txo’s face.
“What.. what did he tell you?”
“Everything” said the inspector. “Only his version had you leaving with the trophy after the game, not before it”
Txo narrowed his eyes and took a step back, looking into the middle distance, trying to make sense of the situation. The inspector smiled.
“Looks like this was one occasion where you weren’t a step ahead of the rest”
Txo smiled ruefully.
“That makes two of us”
Back up on the first-floor mezzanine, some music started to play. A familiar tune from an old Sergio Leone western. A jangling guitar followed by a whistled tune. Rami recognised the tune...surely not him as well?!?

A tall, slim, broad-shouldered figure gave the two men a slight nod before disappearing from view. Well I'll be damned, mused Rami, Portico's alive?

Suddenly, a set of double-doors to the left of the two men was kicked open, and out of it barrelled a small old man wearing a long, swooping mackintosh and a trilby. He was shouting.
“GUARDS! GUARDS! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU! SOMEONE HAS BEDILDOED MY COMMENDATION”
Jeremy's anger got the better of his balance, and he fell face first at the feet of both Txo Zaldun and the inspector. Txo leaned forward and dragged the old man up by his collar.
“Jeremy”, he said, “long time no see”
“Likewise” said the inspector, folding his arms.
Jeremy looked at both of them in confusion, unable to place either face.
“Who the f… oh… oh…. OH…. OH WAIT WHAT?”
“Your old friend Txo here is the guy who stole your trophy” said the inspector.
“WHAT?!”
“That’s what I thought, at least. It turns out I have no evidence at all, seeing as Emanuel Portico just ran off with it”
“WHAT?!”
“Also I know about your involvement with that Kjeligstedi speakeasy”
“WHAT?!”
“Statute of limitations, though… I have to let you off. Both of you, actually”
Jeremy stood there, mouth agape.
“One thing I have to know, though” said the inspector. “Why. Why steal it?”
“We just established that I didn’t steal it”
“Allow me to rephrase my question then” said the inspector, cocking his head to one side. “Why steal it?”
Txo smiled and shrugged.
“A medal from the World Assembly? It didn’t belong in Audioslavia” said Txo, shaking his head.
"No kidding," Rami said two floors up, quietly enough not to be heard.
“Why, that should have gone to a nation like Vilita or Valanora." Txo continued. "A nation that actually has a role to play in the world. Not a bunch of northern hooligans cracking jokes on the sidelines”
“Uh huh” said the inspector. “It was a commendation for Jeremy though, not for the country”
“Then I had an even bigger reason to ensure he didn’t get to enjoy it” said Txo. He nodded at the inspector. “So what happens now?”
“I’m not a cop any more, so I couldn’t care less about anything in that direction” said the apparently ex-inspector. “I have to know though. Those art heists, centuries ago, the speakeasy on Kjeligsted… that was you, right”
“How about we go for a drink” said Txo. “I’ll tell you all about it”
“My trophy…” said Jeremy, looking at the ground. “My beautiful trophy..”
“Look on the bright side” called Rami from his second floor vantage point. “At least now, when people tell you to shove your trophy up your arse, it’s probably safe”
Jeremy stared glumly up at the balcony and then turned away.
“I’m going to the pub”
“Me too”
“Me too”
“Wait for me, Jeremy. You can introduce me to these new friends of yours. They can’t possibly be more interesting than me”
Jeremy shouted an impressive array of swear words in Rami's direction as he made his way down to the ground floor concourse.

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