Welcome to Mertagne!
Mertagne is a sprawling modern nation of approximately 66 million people, located on the continent of [Nova] Calania, in the region of
Anaia. Chock full of neighbours, ranging from a sea border with the Reiss Islands of Kotzellach, through the fortress-like mountains that mark its border with nations such as Huayramarca, to the sprawling fields that mark its border with Starblaydia, Mertagne is a nation that is firm in its location in the multiverse. Mertagne is a nation of varied extremes: from its settlements, which range from spawling urban agglomerations to rugged barebones frontier towns and trailer parks, to its people, some loud and outgoing while others are more shy and reserved. One current runs through the entire Mertagnian populace, reagrdless of its origin, and that is perseverance - through thick and thin, Mertagnians are united in their ability to weather a storm, physical or metaphorical. The teams arriving to Mertagne will need to emulate that hardiness and perseverance if they are to succeed and escape one of the most competitive tournaments that Mertagne has hosted since World Cup 75*.
*Mertagne was an IC host of Group D of the 75th World Cup.HistoryYou've probably heard the story over fifty times now, from a litany of sources, be they Euran, Hinodejin, or Mertagnian themselves. Mertagne is a successor state of the Former Inevitable Syndicate (now known as the Euran Oceania Territories), after the events of a terrible war perpetrated by the group known as Corvidae. A group of refugees and rebels from the conflict were, with the help of the nations of the region and Eura, relocated across the Bekk to the abandoned city state of Leorudo, which was consequently renamed Neorudo and deigned the nation's first capital. On a wave of foreign investment, the nation enjoyed a boom period as it built vital infrastructure and expanded into abandoned territory designated to it by intra-national organisations.
However, this investment eventually waned, and Mertagne had to go it alone. A shaky government, weak when faced against international corporations, collapsed and took an isolationist stance for many years, in a period of time known as the Insulation. In the wake of the Foxchester Declaration, Mertagne reorganised its government and took to the international stage once again, quickly becoming a key member of regional affairs due to its proximity to the regional heavyweights of Krytenia and Starblaydia.
Today, Mertagne stands shakily yet proud as an example of the success that can come from collaboration. Democracy and patriotism are sacrosanct to the average Mertagnian citizen, as is the concept of international camaraderie and friendship - as evidenced in it being one of the founding members of the Anaia movement.
Tourism & TransportationMertagne is only just getting to grips with the idea that people might want to visit the country for a reason other than coming to work, or coming to start a family. As such, its tourism industry is still growing, and perhaps not as advanced as you may find in other parts of the multiverse. The nation has several landmarks, including the Vessel of Victory, a large, copper statue of a ship that can be found in the bay to the north of the city of Keers, and the Road of Remembrance, a winding path that runs across the hill crest of the Veritas Valley, the largest valley in the Forkelands province to the north of Neorudo, which is lined with grave markers denoting the names of every allied civilian and combatant that lost their lives in the Corvidae War.
Transportation around Mertagne is primarily done by car, as the nation's high-speed rail infrastructure is present, yet scarcely interconnected. The Trans-Calanian railway runs through the centre of the nation, and is the backbone of the nation's rail infrastructure, but its international status means that domestic trains are often given lower priority than the rolling stocks of cargo, and are often slower. Coaches are your best bet for provincial scale travel, and routes between major cities are commonplace. Mertagne, like its neighbours, drives on the left side of the road, and its road network is also fully connected with Krytenia and Starblaydia. Ferry services are available to the Reiss Islands from Keers, and Ostosaide is commonly dotted with cruise ships on its docks as a travel hub. It is likely that nationals who live far away from Mertagne will arrive into the nation from one of two airports - Neorudo AquAirport, in the south of the nation, and Dannin International Airport, located just outside the capital.
CultureLife in Mertagne, like anywhere on a large enough scale, varies depending on where you are. The cultures that make up the nation have often seen their genesis in other nations, so it is likely you'll be able to find the usual creature comforts you'd expect from other nations in the nation's large urban areas, such as good food. If you look hard enough, you're sure to find anything, even pìzzâpìzzâ made fresh from a family with Rulandese heritage.
The system of government has recently changed in Mertagne, after a successful referendum on adopting a new form of government based on the deliberations of the 'Mertagnian Assembly'. Many are still against the new form of government, claiming it takes away too much power from Mertagne's nineteen provinces, so expect a little civil unrest in the form of protests if you stray too far from the capital, Dannin.
As far as laws are concerned, expect the following across the nation:
- The age to buy alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana is 18 years.
- Tobacco and marijuana products such as cigarettes and e-cigarettes cannot be consumed in public areas. Bars are permitted to designate a smoking area, however many of these are an afterthought from the proprietors, so expect a dingy lean-to more than a lavish garden.
- Other drugs are permitted, and are sold publicly in specialist stores. However, purchasing limits are federally mandated, and a background check must be completed before you are permitted a 'narcotics license' (which is a subject of much ridicule among foreign nations). This hasn't stopped a black market from occurring, however, and the import of drugs does occur. The possession of drugs in trace amounts without a narcotics license is decriminalised in real terms if you are over the age of majority.
- The majority age of consent between adults is 18 years. Prostitution is legal for those above the age of 18, but not regularly publicised - much of the marketing for that sort of thing is performed over the internet or as graffiti in a bar toilet or phone booth.
- Mertagnian citizens are allowed to purchase weapons for personal use, however the category of weapon an individual is able to purchase varies wildly depending on the province, with rural provinces typically allowing larger weapons and open carrying. Ammunition is regulated, with a similar system to the narcotics quota in place in Mertagne's weapons shops. A pervasive culture regarding guns as dangerous tools for hunting has meant that firearms are rarely adopted in more 'civilised' areas, such as the nation's major cities.
Mertagne's currency is the Mertagnian Ducat, which has an exchange rate of approximately 1 NSD to 5 MDU. Sales tax varies on province, but is always included on the price of the item on the shelf.
More information surrounding Mertagne is available in its
factbook (but this is yet to reflect the change in government structure), and a map can be found
here.
Stadium InformationMertagne's top fifteen stadiums, many of which will see play in this Cup of Harmony The FMF has spread its four groups across the nation, and Mertagnians are abuzz with excitement to see your teams play. For any given matchday, the first game will be played in the first stadium listed, the second game in the second stadium, and the third game in the third stadium. Teams with a bye will be treated with entry to a tourist attraction, or a spa day, whichever they prefer.
GROUP E: CENTRAL MERTAGNEDannin City Stadium, Dannin, Dannmarsh (
Capacity: 85,750)
Dannin City Stadium sits in the heart of Mertagne's capital, and its unique look ensures that it's both an art piece, a functional stadium, and an eco-friendly statement all at once due to it's assortment of solar panels, which wax and wane with the passing of the sun. Home to top-tier domestic team Century Mertagne, the patriotic lime and dark green seating is sure to excite any nation that comes to play here in the most television friendly of the stadiums that Mertagne has to offer.
Spectrum Stadium, Dannin, Dannmarsh (
Capacity: 37,000)
The Spectrum Stadium is a cavalcade of lights and sound, and this modern stadium decked in red and blue is home to bombastic side Signal Dannin. The stadium is littered with LED panels and large screens, ensuring that the stadium's very own fleet of camera drones is able to capture every moment of the game, from the beads of sweat on your goalkeeper as the opposition lines up for a penalty to the cheeky elbow that players of home side Signal Dannin are prone to whipping out against cocky opponents.
Crater Field, Claviers, Harridan (
Capacity: 25,890)
Crater Field was designed and constructed by a textile factory during the Insulation, for local club CfFi Claviers. The factory, still operational, can be seen at the the top of the circular ridge that Crater Field sits beneath, in a naturally low area of the rugged province of Harridan in which Claviers sits. The large town is undergoing a bit of a gentrification project at the moment, and cute new places keep on popping up, adding vital services to a town that many of the nation's city folk would describe as 'barren', if they knew where it was. Claviers, however, crops up firmly in the minds of Mertagne's elite, as it is well known that an exclusive nightclub can be found within the town, but every member is sworn to secrecy regarding the location of its entrance.
GROUP F: EASTERN MERTAGNEFlynn Ar3na, New Fligsive, Plitterland (
Capacity: 88,750)
A project that could be considered the crucible of New Fligsive, Mertagne, the Flynn Ar3na (named as it is the third stadium to bear the name) was built as a multi-year construction project between regional construction giant Flynn’s, and the Mertagnian government. The Flynn Ar3na boasts a unique design that iterates on the design of its predecessor, the Flynn Arena in Fligsive, Euran Oceania Territories. This incarnation of the stadium has sacrificed some of its seats in order to incorporate a unique art section - where the old Flynn Arena’s upper ring would have been, here instead sit thousands of individually cast faceless metal statues, each inscribed with a names of Fligsivi civilians and combatants during the Corvidae War and associated Fligsive Incident. The unique acoustics that these metal statues cause in the upper ring creates a scintillating echoing effect when sound is broadcast from the top, which provides unique opportunities in this multi-purpose stadium, home to club side New Fligsive’s Memory. It is said that sometimes, the statues create the echo of a crowd lost to time.
Nine Star Arch, Webster, The Forkelands (
Capacity: 66,500)
The nine large spotlights that adorn the Nine Star Arch’s titular arch have many uses; two of them during games played at this stadium are to spin and provide a light show whenever a team scores, and to provide those living in and around the city of Webster with a live score graphic, with a number of lights on opposing ends of the arch lit with the corresponding team’s home colour depending on how many goals they have scored. Many teams that play here have the dream to 'capture the arch', which is achieved by scoring more than five goals in a game, so that a majority of the nine lights on the arch are in your team's colours. No international team has yet to do this in WCC play - will your team be the first?
New Brazier Stadium, Scharfwick, Keld (
Capacity: 26,430)
The stadium in the city of Scharfwick is owned and operated by Scharfwick Flames, and in an attempt to pull in the punters, the stadium boasts several flumes in which fire is shot into the sky whenever a team scores a goal. The flames are often coloured, to the expense of the holding company that owns the stadium, and they've been in a bit of trouble recently with environmental groups after a study claimed that people living downwind of the stadium had lower life expectancies than those that didn't. However, if you're looking for a solid football ground with some spectacle, this is the ground for you.
GROUP G: NORTHERN MERTAGNEThe Ring Tank Stadium, Ostosaide, Besny (
Capacity, 54,000)
Located in Ostosaide, this stadium is home to Octosaide, and as the name suggests, boasts the region's largest enclosed aquarium on the outside of the stadium. Large enough for sea creatures of all types to enjoy their lives, the aquarium is carefully maintained by a complex climate control system, which has recently been upgraded in an effort to avoid promoting the growth of a thick green algae that had previously covered the stadium. Visitors to the stadium can view the aquatic flora and fauna from two angles - outside the stadium, with binoculars at regular viewing points around it, or from the inside at the Ring Tank Aquatic Viewing Centre. The pitch, located inside and away from the view of the aquarium, is well kept and its 54,000 seats are coloured in the blue and yellow of the local side.
Keers Dock Pitch, Keers, Plitterland (
Capacity: 68,750)
The Keers Dock Pitch has stands on three sides only, with the north side exposed to the coast and waters of the Grinshem Sea, which sits to Mertagne's north. Keers Kannoneers, of which the stadium's yellow and white seating commemorates, are known for having a betting pool amongst their players as to when the next ball is going to be punted by an opponent out of the stadium and into the ocean, with the added bonus and complexity of a series of large floating navigational buoys on the waterfront with point values painted on them. The nearby beach at Keers is regularly visited by children in the hours after a match, to search for these lost footballs. Finding one bobbing on the ocean currents usually means you have to have a kickabout with the other children. Just watch for seagulls - if your white seat at this stadium doesn't quite match a pattern with the seats around it, you now know why...
Spire Campus, Blackave, Hebra (
Capacity: 21,020)
Spire Campus is the collective name for not one but four football pitches at Black Peak University, in Blackave, one of Mertagne's highest towns by elevation. The campus, constructed using funds from the Mertagnian government, has been designed to fit in with the university's rustic aesthetic. Large, gothic murals adorn much of the main stands, designed by art students from the university which contrasts with the modern interior which was designed by a similar, but slightly more unhinged group of art students. A block of student housing is found opposite one of the pitches, which is regularly inhabited by Sports Science students and those that love the game, and are often found watching matches from their balconies. The party atmosphere generated by the university's students deeply contrasts with the stern, conservative members of the faculty and the local residents, which creates a unique
conflict melting pot with many sides for your players and sports fans to engage with.
GROUP H: SOUTHERN MERTAGNECop Limy Stadium, Neorudo, Dannmarsh (
Capacity: 96,300)
The Cop Limy is an iconic stadium, formerly belonging to the city-state of Leorudo in which Mertagne was first settled long after the exodus of its former owners. Home to the original Mertagnian club side that is Lehen Neorudo, and situated in the Docklands district adjacent to the mountain that comprises of the sprawling city's 'Old Quarter', The Cop Limy is the premier venue for sports matches and concerts alike in the city. Upgraded several times over the years, the Stadium stands as a stereotype of the city itself - old architecture (present in the fancy stonework adorning the stadium's left long side) fused with the latest building styles (a white carbon fiber donut covering the other three sides, that can be lit in a variety of colours). The stadium boasts the best in electronic scoreboard technology, and has a single long strip of interactive screens surrounding the top rafters of the interior, which have been used for purposes such as advertising, light shows, and close-up camera feeds.
Located in the stadium complex is a museum dedicated to Mertagnian football, which includes the preserved former offices of the FMF, including the very boardroom where the historic COCANEFA LigAnaia was born.
Origas Arena, Kurtz, Touchpoint (
Capacity: 52,000)
The corporately sponsored Origas Arena is home to successful Mertagnian side Kurtz Herritik, a favourite of Kurtz-born Orion Garstern Jr., who owns the stadium, but not the team. This divergence in interest has been a hot button issue for the fans of the Heretics, but tensions seem to remain at a simmer, as Garstern Jr. owns a controlling stake in Chromatik Orange League club Flames of the West. As his eyes are elsewhere, the Origas Arena has certainly seen better days, with its now ageing wooden construction looking a bit lacklustre even after a fresh coat of paint. The atmosphere at this stadium is a rare find, however, as the public of the now bustling city of Kurtz are die-hard football fans, and will certainly fill the stands in the event that your team's fans cannot.
Il Tendone, Papillio, Hardcastle (
Capacity: 39,500)
Il Tendone consistently ranks within the top five whenever an article about "The Top X Weirdest Football Stadiums" makes its way around the multiverse. This one won't shock you in the way that some stadiums will, but its unique construction quirk is that the entire stadium is designed to be taken down at the drop of a hat, resembling the type of construction you would see at a large circus. Using the best flat-pack technology with some incomprehensible name you'd find in an ancient Græntfjaller ritual, the 'Big Top', as it is affectionately nicknamed, has often been described as a large orange eyesore that could be construed as a blight on the local community. If ever that happened, though, they'd just pack up and move somewhere else.
OTHER STADIUMSRevolver Stadium, Cyanaes, Wesaxe (
Capacity: 34,570)
Home to Krytenian inspired Mertagne side Six Star Cyanaes, in the city of Cyanaes, Mertagne's southern region of Wesaxe, on the border with Krytenia, is home to slightly warmer weather, and the Revolver Stadium is a nice open-air venue that has a distinctive 'bowl' shape, With two protruded sections coming off of the western end, making it look like a rounded 'A' from above. These protrusions host local businesses, offices and retail outlets, allowing you to enjoy leisure experiences all in one place. Mercia Plaza, which sits between the protrusions and welcomes guests to the stadium, is the perfect place to sit and relax before your game begins. Nobody can agree on what the 'A' stands for, however. Some claim it's for Argental, but others claim it stands for what the Mertagnians truly think of Krytenia...
Eiger Park, Basterra, Freskovia (
Capacity: 44,260)
Basterra is home to a large Audioslavian diaspora, because during Mertagne's founding, it was a rugged, unwieldly area that needed a folk equally as hardy to go and attack it. Basterra fell out, and with it, Eiger Park, named affectionately after one of Audioslavia's top goalscorers, a talisman for the Bulls back in the 60s, and whatever the opposite of a talisman was for the folk of the Calanian Union in the same time period. The Claret & Green design of the stadium is almost enough to make you think you're over in the Audioslavia of several decades ago.