Cup of Harmony 69 - Everything Thread

[Juvencus]

Group draw made!

Yesterday night the group draw was made in Cosumar for the Cup of Harmony. Juvencus was in pot 4, the lowest of the pots. Juvencus got into group 1 which consists of the experienced team of Turori, which we failed to beat in the group stages, as well as Brigantii and Tomikosan in a group which is expected to have most of its competition for the 2nd position.

How they got here:
Juvencus: It's pretty easy to explain. Juvencus started of in an ok Baptism of Fire campaign which saw them getting out in the round of 16 of the competition to might satyrs Mriin. In the group stages, Juvencus played well, although they lost 8 games, they managed 6 wins and 4 ties 2 of which include top teams like Eastfield Lodge and Brenecia. Juvencus is pretty much known to be better away from home than at its own home, so they might bring up some competition. Expected finish: 3rd

Turori: Turori made quite a good campaign and they didn't qualify because of head to head and goals difference with Eastfield Lodge, with the latter managing to break a 22 campaign curse. Turori are favourites to top both the group as well as the whole tournament, being former champions themselves. They don't score many goals, but they defend well, all opposition may have a hard time breaking through. Expected finish: 1st

Brigantii: This team also made quite an impressive campaign to the world cup, but sadly a 2-2 draw against Ancharmunn in the final matchday following a 1-2 Flardanian victory saw Brigantii off the world cup. However, they got invited to the cup of harmony. They consist of a pretty intimidating offense so defences may have a hard time defending against them. Expected finish: 2nd

Tomikosan: Tomikosan was at the same group as Brigantii, however they had a pretty rough campaign with 6 wins, a tie as well as 11 losses. Not much else is known about them, except their negative goals scored/conceded ratio, the squad may not seem as intimidating as the afformentioned, but they must be looked closely. Expected finish: 4th

---

Matchday 1 Prediction: Turori

Juvencus is playing a squad they know pretty well and that is Turori. Juvencus and Turori met in this qualifiers with Juvencus getting no victory, nor scoring a goal, as Turori won both games with the same cursed scoreline. 1-0.

Predicitions:

Number 1(Most likely outcome): Juvencus may have some of the possession early on, but Turori is going to grab some of the chances, if they get some. It is most likely that Turori may score a goal early on, just like when the two sides first met, at Torona. Juvencus may get to counter and pound the Turori side with lots of chances but to no avail. The first half may finish with a 1-0 scoreline to the favour of Turori.

The second half may begin with Turori on possession but Juvencus may pressure the Turori side early on with tons of chances finally reaching salvation, thus scoring their first goal against Turori by minutes 55'-60'. Most likely scorer is Martell, however Gallo could also be the scorer. Turori however will counter on the counter and score a second one by the last few minutes of the match, making it 2-1.

Number 2(Highly unlikely outcome): The first half may see Juvencus pressing forwards soon after each Turori chance. Juvencus manages to defend well against all Turori side and actually manages not to give them any sort of fouls or penalties. Juvencus may get the lead by the end of the first half with a Martell/Gallo/Vives goal. However Turori may equalise immediately afterwards, making it 1-1.

Juvencus will then start bombarding the Turori side with lots of chances with Turori players being unable to resist to the Juven speed. Martell/Gallo/Vives may score another goal making it 1-2 for Juvencus, which they keep till the end of the game, making an upset.

Number 3(Likely outcome that's helpful for Juvencus): The fist half sees both sides being quite defensive and when they do chances, they usually fail. By the end of the first half, the sort of tired defences may hold on no more so both chances grab the limited amount of chances they can get. Turori scores one making it 1-0 for the end of the first half.

Turori may seem controlling of the game at first, but Juvencus will get to the counter as fast as they can and start making a few chances to the Turori side. The Juven squad may get what they deserve for the sort of domination of that certain space of the game with Martell/Gallo/Vives goal, making it 1-1, which both sides keep till the end of the game.

[Tinhampton]

It was the group of death. First up was Veldgouwen, who had given the Spaamian old timers a run for their money in the World Cup qualifiers, and were near-certain to do well here again. Afterwards was Kitsunia-Deesse, an all-Kitsune outfit that had previously won a tournament for nations that were not partaking in World Cup qualifiers. And then finally was Brenecia: runners-up at CoH 66, the best side in town, and likely to finally pull off victory in the Cup. When you consider the opposition, Tinhampton was set to fall like a stone, unless the team acted fast. Everybody was worried, and yet thankful, at the same time. Training was overshadowed by worries of spying (accusations as of yet unproven), and dinnertime had high spirits and higher confidence levels still, but now was not the time to be fussy. Now was the time to prepare to get down to business.
It was then that Ian Jones, the player-manager of the team, decided to do something, perhaps unprecedented, in the world of football. "OK, I'd like to read a story to everybody. A bit of a diary in places, a bit of a historical record here and there, a bit of future-foretelling in others, a few blatantly obvious bits that I wrote for the rest of it, and one pretty political plotline. Are you all ready?"

---

The Other Campaign Trail:
a springtime tale of university politics -- PART 1
OOC: Based of this RP I posted for World Cup 77. Story status: TSU Uberprotest Report, Part 1 (YOU ARE HERE).
MOAR OOC: Tinhampton is being roleplayed in the present day. This is a one-off foretelling of the future. I had to, in order to round off the TSU storyline.

---

PREAMBLE: BEWARE THE TIDES OF MARCH

"Harry" -- 6th March 2017 -- Tinhampton University, Metropolis Campus
The main election in Tinhampton? Don't get me started on the main election in Tinhampton. Sure, it might have seemed quite exciting at first, but both the excitement and the chances of the Mayoress' lead changing significantly have fizzled out to near-zero. Instead, we need to focus our attention onto another political plane: Tinhampton University.
Now, you may be wondering: "What in the name of Margaret should I be following a university? Everybody knows that Tinhampton University is basically a hyperliberal SJW meshpit!" Well, that would be correct if you looked at Northside Campus. Each of the campuses have a distinct political tradition followed in the main by most students: Northside leans left, whilst Metropolis (my campus) is centrist in outlook. Coastal has always leaned centre-left, whilst Perpetua is the opposite. Although Newlands is a haven for extreme but legal politics of all stripes, Vertos and Mounts have never really bothered with politics (instead focusing mainly on student life and practical skills). And finally, Gateway Campus - currently the most significant of all - is libertarian. This makes for a very interesting - and confusing - political mess.
So anyway, back on track: unless you have been living under a rock for the past couple of weeks, you are aware of the "uberprotests" that struck Gateway on the 23rd of February. Almost no damage, but certainly 21 arrested. A diverse variety of protests, but all in favour of the "Seven Demands" of the "Tinhampton Student Unity", which is some sort of left-wing organisation that the Coastal and right-wing Newlands types enjoy complaining about. About 12 have been arrested in other campuses since - looks like the Herald was right once again. A quick scan through their article will reveal that everyone really *is* talking.
And now to your regularly scheduled interruption - seven "caucuses" (that's political parties to you and me) hold sway over the Committee of Students, a democratically elected organisation whatchamacallit comprised of 120 students that the Herald covered in much better detail than I ever could have. From left to right: the Socialists (20 seats), the Progressives (11 seats), the Environmentalists (8 seats), the Democrats (15 seats), the Alliance for Security (9 seats), the Conservatives (25 seats), and the Freedom Caucus (21 seats). There are also 11 independents. All 120 are up for re-election in a week or so.
It's the first half of March, and you know what that means: It's nearly the end of the campaign trail over here. From what I've heard, this is meant to be a boring time, full of get-out-the-vote stuff, but it's totally the opposite here. Given the recent protests, we've had a tonload of politically-charged speeches, mostly about the Student Unity people. The conservatives attack the Student Unity, the liberals attack the conservatives and their partners, the conservative's partners attack the liberals... what next? I'd like to quote from the Herald, who quoted from one of the Independent Committee Members: "What is happening in Gateway right now could lead to a vicious cycle of hatred." This election season is sure to be good.
I think I've covered everything here, but it's time for me to go to sleep. If you absolutely must have a name, you can call me Harry. It might be much different to what my actual name is, but it's still a name. Which gets me thinking: What exactly is in a name? As final food for thought: Is Tinhampton Student Unity really uniting us students?

---

PART 1: The Week Before The Vote

7th March 2017, 10:15 -- SupaShop, Coastal Campus
Pete Woolcock was the popular Centre Officer for the Coastal Campus, who was set to run for a second term - one of the eight "Kings of the Sitting Ducks", the Officers that were elected but which had little power other than to help students in general. Yes, he had some power, but not significant power. It therefore came as a small surprise to him when he noticed a lack of free-range eggs in the shops. After all, Pete was one of the most environmentalist Officers, being in Coastal.
"I'm sorry, sir, but we've been ordered to stop calling our eggs free-range. Every single chicken in the country is legally required to be caged for the next few months. You might want to return at the end of April, when we'll be all-but-closed." A while later, Mr Woolcock was to rush over to the fresh aisle. A couple of splats would come out of it at the end. Nobody - not Jemima, not Pete, not the disinterested security guy watching Camera 18F, nobody - could have expected what was to come next.

7th March 2017, 10:30 -- Lecture Room 178, Gateway Campus
Tinhampton Student Unity originally occupied Lecture Room 178 as part of the "Uberprotests" that occurred a week and a bit back. The original focus of the sub-protest was about the University's investment (small, but regardless an investment) in DrillBabyDrill, but once the banners had gone down, it started being used as a communications centre for TSU. It may not have been in the best position, but it certainly was in a good one.
"Now, who's with us?" rhetorically questioned one TSU leader, who had been preaching to the elder converted about boycotting the cross-university student survey. "WE ARE!"
"Who will fight for you, the student, the ethnic minority, the woman, the homosexual, the deprived?" "WE WILL!"
"Who will fiercely resist the reactionary charges against our freedom of protest? Who will demand free university or no transportation? WHO will never stop until we get what we want?" "WE WILL!"
"OK, now, altogether... DOWN WITH ANDERSON! DOWN WITH ANDERSON! DOWN WITH ANDERSON! DOWN WITH ANDERSON!..." The rallying cries could be heard all over. It was now a popular joke that attending TSU meetings affected two things negatively: Your social conservatism, and your hearing.

7th March 2017, 18:00 -- Student halls, Northside Campus
"...This is Jon Ling, with the news at six on TUFM. Reports are now coming in concerning an attack motivated by protected characteristic in Northside. The man reportedly yelled "illegal or else punishable messages", before coming into fire at a grouping of students. The shooter has been apprehended, but their identity is not yet known."
Alison Trincham was the kind of woman who prepared early, delivered late, and got the results right on time. She had prepared early, but the schedule would not exactly be followed today. She knew that the words she heard on the tinny radio were not quite confirmed, but she decided that it was much too important, and much too soon to the election, to complain. She had not heard any shots or seen any masked men in black, but compromise appeared necessary if she wanted to appeal to the average voter. She was genuine in the belief that the rarely experimented-with blend of confidence and scepticism would pay off.

8th March 2017, 13:05 -- Public square, Metropolis Campus
"...and let's face it: Why should I care about this cause or that cause when A: it's not going to be implemented, B: its main proponents haven't even visited Tinhampton, and C: very few of us are successfully converted? I shouldn't have to go vegan even if I get a gazillion-and-one notices from these animal liberationists, so why should you have to give in to the TSU if they're basically comprised of a bunch of loonies funded by the Social Democrats?" Liam Wright was the incumbent leader of the Freedom Caucus - up for re-election because it is tradition for elections to be held between newcomers to the political scene when the mandatory step-downs occur - and was a man who was not afraid to speak his mind.
Metropolis Campus was the swing campus - mostly central in outlook, but with all parties coming to win over voters. It was the worst analogy of a turn-based game you could find anywhere in the Federation of Fictitious States - he who made the good proclaimations won the favour of the university, whilst he that made the bad ones was likely to fail. Until these end-of-days, most other campuses were ignored (certainly Vertos and Mounts were always ignored, for they knew their preferences, or lack of thereof). This year had seen many high-quality speeches, but I am kidding you not when I tell you that this speech was probably the most well-received of the lot.

8th March 2017, afternoon -- Computer suite, Vertos Campus
Vertos were not the kind of campus willing to vote. They had consistently held out, or otherwise gone independent, for as long as modern democracy existed in the University. Their main affinity was sports - the whole lot of it. It was therefore not a surprise when Matt, willing to slack off on a boring Tuesday afternoon, chose to visit arguably Audioslavia's most famous creation, RLStates. The chat there was diverse and varied; a small but tight-knit community of about 210-odd users. The sports headlines included the rankings for one "SheBelieves Cup" - what could this be? Immediately, he noticed the great colours and hopes around the Everything Thread - there was little point in making a ton of threads for a four-RLState tournament, after all.
A bit more digging, and he learned that this was comprised of perhaps RLStates' four biggest womens' football outfits. As for "SheBelieves", it was basically a promotion to get more young women involved - not a bad goal, but it was confusing to see it spread to other nations. Matt ended up wondering: "Where is the Algarve Cup where you need it? Probably being contested by a bunch of unknown teams I've never heard of before now..."

9th March 2017 -- news stands across Tinhampton University
"THE SPLATTENING." This is what the Tinhampton Enquirer - the student newspaper for Tinhampton University - wound up reporting on the front cover of their election special. In the small student-owned stalls, and the larger corporate ones, across the university, you had a strange feeling that stuff was generally happening. This was often weird stuff, with the odd outbreak of peculiar and otherwise odd stuff. Regular stuff, with perhaps the exception of the election's happeningness, was tugged to Page 38. Pete Woolcock was almost certain to lose his election, but all else hung in the balance.

9th March 2017, afternoon -- "Lil' Digger", Mounts Campus
Mounts was the other great abstainer. In the scheme of things, their 15 nominees were the only people to bother about politics in the campus; seen as a voice for the marginalised by some, and as just plain lazy by others. Being a north-eastern campus with the main focus on practical skills, there were about 25 to 30 volunteering undergrads (who had been pre-trained, but were hopeful as ever) working at the mine that they had come to deliver from. They called it Lil' Digger.
"OK - you put on your flashlight, then you turn it on, then you walk with your picket and bucket thingy, then you investigate deposits, then you attack any suspiciously tin-like ones, then you bring 'em back to momma! Understood?" The man who taught, an ex-miner in himself, was unforgiving (a bit like Tinhampton's Cup of Harmony group, some would say, or this month). It was out of this confusion that one student questioned why they were doing this; he bluntly replied with "You're here to get the metal, get the money and get yourself out of this sorry hellhole of a safe space and into the real world!" It was clear for many to see why Mounts were the silent conservatives of the University.

9th March 2017, 18:00 -- Student halls, Metropolis campus
"...This is Jon Ling, with the news at six on TUFM. Earlier reports of an attack motivated by protected characteristic have been revealed to be a practical joke. The Delta Epsilon Gamma society, which is taking responsibility for the prank, stated that it was conducted deliberately to "show how easily people could be manipulated"..."
Ryan Baker was the novice leader of the Progressives - a man who knew that, to win things, you had to spin things. Despite being the leader of the leftist moderates, he knew that he would have to go all out if he wanted to improve on the previous year's performance. They coddled up to nobody - they had to - and, with the latest edition of the Enquirer having been published, he needed to get some alternative facts out, and fast. The result, stapled to power cables and lecture room doors in Trincham's home campus overnight, were among the most controversial publications ever seen in the University.

THE TRUTH ABOUT TRINCHAM
No student can truly call themselves a politician unless they have proven themselves, time and again, to have integrity - Michael Yeoman (Democratic leader, 1996-1998)

DEAR UNIVERSITY:
We, the students, have been made aware of various egregrious campaign breaches by Democratic leader Alison Trincham, who is running for a second term in office. Of course, a second-year political science and economics student should know better than to carry out the following horrendous disregardments of the election rules, and of past custom:

• She is lying about the supposed terror attack at Northside. Although Trincham might have thought otherwise, it was clear to her Tuesday that, having heard the news about a hate-motivated "attack" at Northside Campus, she would have nothing better to do than write a speech condemning it. In actual fact, she was condemning something that was a practical joke. The kinds of candidates who make 20-minute long speeches about events that never even happened are the kinds of candidates that we need to emphatically defeat this March.
• She wants to destroy Tinhampton University as we know it. We have acquired exclusive documents, emanating from Trincham and sent to a progressive die-hard purporting to be a confidante. In these letters to "Dwayne Long", she stated a demand for Mayor Anderson to relax border regulations on refugees, to the point of enforcing an open-border, sanctuary-campus policy. This is the most left-wing position possible; an over-the-top decision to make for a supposedly "common-sense moderate".
• She is a decency-hating hippie! Despite these private letters to "Dwayne" showing her true colours, she has consistently gone out in favour of so-called "Civil Liberties". She has consistently supported like-minded wishy-washy candidates in the big city elections, but went out of her way to defend the far-right candidate in the recent United Federation election, under the pretences that he would "defend their Constitution!" All this, combined with her current coalition status with the ideologically-opposed Freedom Caucus, makes her the wrong choice for students of colour, Violetist students, undocumented students, students with special needs, etc.
• She is implicit in vote-buying. We currently hold exclusive proof (to be released on Saturday 18th March) that Trincham has, time and again, disobeyed rules about bribing voters (mainly with foodstuffs). Whilst all other prospective candidates are using their lawful resources usefully, it is not in the spirit of the University to purchase votes or voters through audacious and non-approved funding campaigns. We at TinU must show that our values, our votes, our hope is not for sale! We already spunk $3,000 a year on tuition fees, and about $200 a month on room and board, so why should we pay any more?
• She has voted against her own party line! On important votes for bills like the Solidarity with Nationstateless Peoples Act, the Soda Levy Act, and the PASTA Act (Preventing All Suspected Terror Attacks), Trincham has consistently voted against the party line that she set out for her caucus - they fight for security, she fights against them! In fact, she was the only Committee Member to vote against the PASTA Act! This is the wrong sort of person to lead Tinhampton into a new future, which is supposed to involve all parties moving forward together in harmony.

Alison Trincham CM is supposed to be a centrist, but winds up instead as being an incoherent mish-mash of various political ideologies. This election season, we urge you to vote for somebody different. Consider voting for Ryan Baker's Progressives, who will push for real change in the Committee, and in the University as a whole. Do it for the University!

Printed by James and Company Printers, 13 Elephant Street, Tinhampton.
Promoted by Jane Simpson, of Student Hall 381, Newlands Campus; on behalf of Ryan Baker, of Student Hall 484, Northside Campus.

Of course, very little of it was true - there was no road in Tinhampton called Elephant Street, Alison Trincham had done none of this, the PASTA Act passed 57-49, and Student Hall 484 actually led to the residence of the leader of the Krytenia Appreciation Society - but it was to be a deathknell for somebody's campaign. The only question: For whom?

10th March 2017, 14:10 -- on the road
If we're being frank, the University was doing everything it could (through both political and non-partisan methods) to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions. And so we come to this scene on the A3742; the three party leaders of the coalition sharing a taxi to Perpetua Campus; each addressing a like-minded group, trying to win them over to their side for perhaps the fifteen-zillionth time.
On the left was Premier Josh Wilkinson, planning a talk about the future security of Tinhampton, and how some compromises would have to be made to stay safe. On the right was Liam Wright, proposing to speak about reinforcing the PASTA Act, and fighting against any repeal plans that might have been in the pipelines. And sandwiched in the middle was Alison Trincham, target of much controversy in the election season, hoping to defend herself and attempt to forward civil liberties. Each of those plans needed to pay off that afternoon. I will leave you cliffhanging about what happened next. That's a story for the next bit.

10th March 2017, 14:30 -- Public square, Gateway Campus
Meanwhile, Henry Rach (the leader of the Environmentalist caucus) had no such problems in Gateway, mainly because he wasn't the biggest fan of powered vehicles. His speech was one that took good care to appeal to all, and so it carried valuable information for all. For the die-hards, there was to remain a focus on saving the planet, drinking soy lattes, and free university (one achievable, one harder to get, and the final one near-impossible in the face of stern resistance from the big people at City Hall). For the newcomers, there were plans to make freshers' fair better, greater, greener and generally more environmentalist-packed, as well as demands for divestion from fossil fuels and investion into renewable energy. For the vegans, there were audacious ambitions - not rock-solid plans, just ambitions - to get the canteen off meat. And for the TSU protesters... well, he didn't need any promises. He was one of their favourite candidates, anyway. However, this was not a feeling shared with the rest of University.

10th March 2017, 17:20 -- Public square, Coastal Campus
In all this time, it is surprising that I have failed to mention the Alliance for Security, and their leader, Leanne Potts. The AFS was a small but tight-knit grouping, the second-smallest caucus in the Committee, and were "uncontroversially controversial". They voted for measures to improve security and crack down on offenders of all sorts, whether they be commonly seen as conservative or liberal manouvers, whilst abstaining from anything that did not have a vague connection to security (which wound up being not a lot of bills). It was here, away from her now coalition-occupied campus and in a land which had almost opposite views to her politics, that she was to give possibly the biggest speech of her life.
It was make-or-break time. Now, or never. To hope, or to fail where many more would join her ranks. A knell that would send her to heaven, or to hell. Almost immediately, she kicked off. "It is a basic truth of Tinhampton University that outright fabrication of the truth is not desired, and the recent leaflet we have seen cropping up across the University as of late - "The Truth About Trincham" - is one of those fabrications. Whilst I might not be the biggest friend of Alison Trincham, and I certainly disagree with her on security, I will defend her manouvers on this podium, and attack those that purport to be the friends of the truth. Firstly, on the attack at Northside, and the subsequent controversy..."

11th March 2017 -- across Tinhampton University
It was soon to be time on election season, and so the speeches were made, and the people were listening, but few had their minds changed, and fewer still would be converted by these last-ditch pleas. The Conservatives spoke of how important it was to keep secure, whilst the Socialists were busy attacking the Conservative stance on the TSU, and the Progressives demanded reform of other sections. The Democrats demanded sensibility, while the AFS demanded security. The Environmentalists wanted a divestion-investion of what little the University held in fossil fuels, whilst the Freedom caucus were the main proponents of civil liberties. There was little remarkable to speak of, apart from perhaps the conclusory clauses of the speeches. Friday was soon to tick over into Saturday; with it, a suspension on campaigning. Here went one whole week of nothing.

---

"OK, people. That was Part 1, if you've forgotten from earlier on. Part 2's about the actual election; Part 3's a bunch of legalese, by which I don't mean the co-host of World Cup 68. I'll let you have a break for 10 or 15 minutes. Use your time productively." Jones then disappeared into the darkness; only he knew where he was heading. But as for the team, that was a matter for the following day. The danger was only just starting to loom for the Miners.

[Nova Anglicana]

Nova Anglicana Roster and Overview

Issac Kingsley, NAFA Historian

Roster
Position-Number-Name-Age-Club (Division)

G #1 Jerome Vincent, 31, Bridgewall City FC (1st)
G #22 Brad Ellis, 27, Heartwood FC (1st)
G #23 Caleb Davis, 23, Archbishop FC

D #5 Sean Mason, 29, Newfield FC (1st)
D #2 Nick Gilbert, 31, Newfield FC (1st)
D #3 Aaron Bowen, 32, Montreal Koreana, Royal Kingdom of Quebec, Q-League Premier Division
D #4 Matt Wells, 30, Mierton Manatees, Taeshan
D #12 Josh Owens, 33, Sanctuary FC
D #13 Cory Henry, 33, Rozelle, Brenecia
D #14 Brandon Cummings, 23, Sanctuary FC
D #15 Owen Carroll, 23, FC Portus

M #6 Brendan McBride, 32, Crawford City FC, Cosumar, Harlighet Ligan
M #7 Jake Rhodes, 32, Atlantea Hurricanes, Taeshan
M #8 Colin Dawson, 27, Archbishop FC (1st)
M #9 Alec Chapin, 33, Maximum Rovers, Nephara
M #10 Henry Santos, 21, Newfield FC (1st)
M #16 Emmanuel Moga, 36, Liberty Rodríguez, San Jose Guayabal, Liga Premier
M #17 Brendan Cook, 34, Arrendine Remparts, Unified Sunrise Islands, Sunrisian Championship - Division One
M #18 Sean Chapman, 23, FC Portus (1st)


F #11 Mathieu Garçon, 32, CdF Dowtel, Yttribia , Yttribian Premiership
F #19 Rolf Pitre, 34, Atlético Nacional, San Jose Guayabal, Liga Premier
F #20 Jacques Baptiste, 28, FC Virtus, Zenic
F #21 Gavin Branch, 23, Newfield FC

Manager: Julian Neal (interim)

Formation, Starting XI, and Style

Style Modifier= +1

Uniforms

(In order, home, away, and alternate, courtesy of NSI's Vulpine Sportif)

I Give My Opponent Permission To:
    =================================
    Choose My Goalscorers:        Y
    Godmod Goalscoring Events:    Y - only if you TG me and ask first
    Injure Players:               N - TG me if the severity will be more than one game and I'll give the yea or nay
    Godmod Injury Events:         N
    Red Card Players:             Y - no more than one every two games, so if my previous opponent has doled one out, tough luck
    Yellow Card Players:          Y - for every two you give my players, at least one must be given to your players
    Godmod Other Events:          N
    =================================

[Damukuni]

Official Sponsors

チーム | TEAM
Nation: Damukuni | Trigramme: DKI
Manager: Wisdom Tracey | Head Coach: Nagayo Yamamoto
Style Mod: +1.67

NOTE: The first team always starts the game.
Second-team players substitute first.

FIRST TEAM                          SECOND TEAM                   RESERVES
GK |  1 | Yasuo Korenaga            GK | 36 | Raiden Tatsuyumi    GK |  5 | Morumi Hataya       
LF |  4 | Garth Catanese            LF | 68 | Sadori Tanaka
CF |  2 | Jenna Lee Doyle           CF |  8 | Alec Matterhorn
RF | 79 | Jennifer Hawkins          RF |  3 | Kawakami Shinagawa
DM | 83 | Ashton Bennett            DM | 65 | Ayala bat Noa
LM | 98 | Shikoku Endō              LM | 00 | Matthew Fletcher
CM | 54 | Semia Sendō               CM | 61 | Anaya Koike
CM | 59 | Lillianna Rivera
RM | 22 | Joanna Dietrich           RM | 66 | Demura Kakuza
ST | 74 | Margaret Vayne (C)
ST | 42 | Hirayama Nishigome        ST | 97 | Jannie-Aurelia Jones

FORMATION
4-4-2 alt.

UNIFORMS
presented by Meski Sports

RP Permissions:
Because I RP on a wide variety of topics, which may not include sports, you may, in the event you RP first, do anything but kill or give career-ending injuries to my players, or cause me to forfeit matches by sending off too many players. Also, don't score goals on me from any farther out than 40 metres, please.

[Nova Anglicana]

Lions Prepare for Cup of Harmony, a Tryout for Neal?

Hayden Landers, Nova Anglican Football Today

The Nova Anglicana Lions' WC 77 campaign certainly could have been worse. 10 wins in 18 games is fine, and the Lions only lost three times and managed a win over Pasarga, something that was really a dream scenario coming in. 35 points in 18 games is not a bad showing, and they were 7 points ahead of their closest competitor, but it simply wasn't enough. The Lions were well outpaced by Pasarga and Super-Llamaland, who finished with 45 and 43 points, respectively. That seems to be the state of the national team lately; definitely a good team and too good to be overlooked, but not all that close to the really talented teams. Antoine Searcy couldn't pull the team out of their malaise; despite that 1-0 win over Pasarga, they suffered an embarrassing 1-0 loss to Kaumann, a team they should have easily beaten. Combine that with a pair of draws against a shadow of the former Blouman Empire and one each against the mediocre Isles of Avon and the putrid Royalsoldiers, and you get a team that can't compete at the top level.

Predictably, Searcy was fired after their second draw against the Blouman Empire Eagles assured them of a third-place finish and no World Cup qualification. While a new manager is being sought after, and rumor has it that manager will be a domestic one, Julian Neal, assistant coach and former keeper for the national team will take over as interim. Neal has never been a head coach, but has been an assistant with the team for the past several World Cups. His managerial debut was a 3-1 win over Royalsoldiers at home; a good result, but an expected one. He is rumored to be actively pursuing the manager job full-time, which would be a big step forward for him. He will really have to prove his mettle here in the Cup of Harmony; the NAFA will certainly be considering more experienced candidates and it would take a bit of a miracle for them to pick him.

So what does Neal have ahead of him in the Cup? Well, the Lions are the #1 seed in their group, but have a couple of tough Pot 2 and Pot 3 teams to face off against. The #2 seed is Taeshan, a team the Lions haven't really faced before, but a team that is the 2nd-best #2 seed and only 12 spots behind the Lions overall. They finished with the same 10-5-3 qualifying record as the Lions, but could only finish 4th in a tough Group 1. The Purple Knights are an extremely tough defensive team, and allowed less than a goal a game on average. They only averaged about a goal a game, though, so the Lions might be able to outpace them. MD2 will be one to watch.

The #1 team in Pot 3 is Kalumba, so the Lions are getting another strong team to compete against. Ranked 82nd, or 42 spots behind the Lions, they may not seem like as much of a threat, but they certainly will be. Their aggressive style will be a change of pace for the Lions, who will have just played Taeshan the game before. They only finished 8-3-7 in Group 13, but they averaged nearly two and a half goals per game. Our boys have some familiarity with them, having been groupmates in the Lions' World Cup debut and whipping them in a qualifying playoff, but that was quite some time ago. They will have to lean heavily on Neal's experience.

Finally, there's Abristan. Ranked only 104th, and only managing a 5-4-9 record in the same group as Kalumba, this team might not appear dangerous at first. However, they are ranked 104th following their very first World Cup and surely higher after the Cup of Harmony; the Lions were ranked 84th after their first World Cup and Cup of Harmony. They lost 5-2 and 3-1 to Kalumba, but averaged a healthy 1.5 goals per game. If the Lions aren't totally together on MD1, they will be surprised by this underdog.

So that's it. A group of tough teams, a new manager trying to make a favorable impression, and a team looking for any sign that they can compete. The Lions went 3rd/2nd in CoH 64/65, back when they were still a hard-charging side on the up-and-up. Advancement to the knockout rounds is a must; a deep run into the CoH might be just what the Lions need to reverse this decline, or at least keep themselves from sinking further into mediocrity.

[Revolutionary Nordskania]

Gladiators

Chapter One: Rage Against The Clock

“We… Are the league that you’ve been waiting for. We… Are the cities and teams that you want to see. We… Are the next evolution on the gridiron, and we are the very best of the best. We are the sport that captures your attention from midsummer to spring, and we are the new Sunday tradition that’s sweeping the islands. We are champions, we are underdogs, and we are modern day gladiators. We are more than a sport, we represent the one religion that unites all of the islands. We are the gridiron, and our temples are made from steel and concrete. When Sunday comes, we rise up from the shores of Fjordham to the fields of Troy, from the hills of Red Valley to the mountains of Masloka. When the sun goes down, the arenas fill up, and the games begin. We… Are football. We… Are the KFL.”

The lights turned back on after the trailer finished airing, and the room burst into cheers and claps as the executives looked over the first real commercial for the first time. They didn’t have any actual footage of the games yet, but the editing crews had smartly used footage from college football and limited the amount of actual game shots. There were some quick flashes of gameplay and of faces, but they’d made them fast and edited out symbols and avoided letting faces get into the shot to obscure what the viewers would recognize. The result was that anyone who watched the trailer would only see the game in a generic sense, and would focus on the shots of roaring fans, massive stadiums, fired up coaches, and beautiful cheerleaders. In addition, there had been super slow motion shots near the beginning that gave the video an impressive start before speeding up along with the narration.

Still, they had a long way to go. The trailer would be released in an hour, after Endelosi National Broadcasting had released a teaser a few weeks ago that had gotten everyone interested in the project. Today was the big day when that project would be revealed fully, and gridiron football returned to Endelos for the first time since the collapse of the Endelosi Football Conference. In addition, they would be bringing pro football to Nordskania for what might be the first time, with their partnership with the largest broadcaster of the league, the Turbayov Broadcasting Company. It was a lot of pressure to get everything right and keep the process moving along, and this trailer looking good was a large part of what they were doing. If they couldn’t get the fan interest up before the start of the season, they wouldn’t be able to make back the money they’d taken out in loans to give to the TBC, and convince them to use the time slots that they’d formerly given to the RFL to show this new league.

Most of that pressure fell onto the shoulders of young super agent Stefan Rakocic, and he was taking it in a stride. “As you can see, we’ll have only the best video editors and film team working with this league,” he said to the executives who were assembled, keeping a happy face that didn’t betray the pressure of the situation and of the last few hours. “Me and the rest of the team behind the Kontinental Football League believe that an important part of the sports experience is being able to feel close to your team, wherever you are. With only two teams in Nordskania, there’s going to be a lot of out of town fans for both of those teams. I believe that our film crew is good enough that it doesn’t matter. Wherever they’re watching from, they’ll feel like they really are the twelfth man on the team.”

The statement was met by cheers, and Stefan flashed another grin that didn’t show the pressure he was feeling. Most people didn’t realize it, but he was a twenty two year old college dropout. He had no college degree and hadn’t had one when he’d become a super agent for some of the biggest rising stars in the region. He’d started the agency as a college side project and ended up deciding that school wasn’t for him, dropping out of Mount Maris University to run the thing full time. His great negotiating skills and his better people skills, however, had brought several big name stars to his business; Allie Vacek, Hakki Ojala, Ash Volland, Jeremy Jensen-Fletcher. All of these athletes were rising quickly in their respective sports, and while Stefan had originally ran everything out of Ash Volland’s dorm room because of being too poor at the time to have a real office, he was rising quickly too.

Now, after he had been able to raise money from his clients, who considered this an investment, he was able to chase a distant dream of his and bring gridiron football out of the Redvale and into the territories in the Sea of Endelos, and into the country of Nordskania, which wasn’t too far away from Redvale and the Endelosi island chains. It had been an idea that was bounced around by his friend and another agent that worked under him, Petro Haugaard, but the idea had been a pipe dream at the time. Petro was from Southwest Endelos and had wanted to create a league that would bring pro gridiron football back to his home region, and he had suggested it to Stefan as an idea for the future, when they were rich from their agency. But now that they had gotten some big money clients, they had been able to move their plans up and take advantage of something that had been a coincidence. The former war in Nordskania had led to the association football league being suspended until further notice, leaving the Turbayov Broadcasting Company with nothing to fill their sports time slots with. Stefan and Petro had come to them with a ridiculous idea.

If they could get a gridiron football league in place, and have the players and teams ready to play by the time the next season of the RFL would have started, the TBC would show it on their sports channels and give them full coverage. The league was going to have two teams in the biggest cities in the anarchist zone of Nordskania, with the rest being from Endelos and Redvale, and there were plans to add expansion teams if the league was a success with the fans. It was a brilliant idea, though it was one with some big risks involved, but the two agents were now faced with something they didn’t think would happen. The TBC had accepted, and so had two other major broadcasting companies, and Stefan was now the commissioner of a new league and the one who had to recruit enough players, coaches, and support staff members to get the league off of the ground in time for the season. That task was much, much harder to do in real life than it was on Petro’s projections.

“You may have noticed that none of the players in the trailer are actual players, yet, and you may have also noticed that there’s no actual game footage, obviously. We used a combination of college videos, with the symbols edited out and the colors artificially altered, and videos by actors who posed in the uniforms of some of our teams. The slow motion shots, for example, are all staged by actors, which is why we made sure that they were all wearing visors that don’t show their faces. In addition, the shots of coaches are all real college coaches, but we’ve avoided showing direct angles that display the face, and we altered the colors of their clothes to make them a little less familiar looking to anyone who watches Redvali college football,” said Stefan, taking a deep breath and looking over his audience.

They were wondering where he was going with this, and he was determined to not keep them waiting any longer. “You may see more, but less extreme, versions of these shots during the season. We realize that the players that sign with us aren’t going to be world beaters in our first season. We get that, and we’re going to openly admit it. But instead of focusing on the star power that doesn’t exist yet, the camera work for this league is going to focus on the game itself. We’re trying to bring fans as close to the action as we can without actually putting them on the field. Me and Petro, we have this motto… Glam, girls, and gridiron. That’s what we’re focusing on. The G League is afraid of showing any kind of edge, because they try to appeal to an audience that’s too wide, and we’re taking advantage of that.”

The audience wondered what Stefan meant now, and he explained further. “We’re focusing on the glamour of the game, the bright lights and the stardom that these cities have, and we’re also not afraid to take advantage of the female form like the G League is. Since this is going to start off as largely a league of rejects, we’re going to have a bunch of women that played in college and couldn’t make the league. We have plans to market that part of it, and we also plan on getting closer to the game itself than the G League does. As I said, our camera crews are excellent, and I believe we have a big edge over them in that regard. With the G League, there’s a feel that the fans are kept at a distance. You don’t get to see the cameras get close to the players, and the ultras style cheering groups are ostracized by the league and are only barely tolerated. That’s not going to happen in the KFL, not at all. We’re thinking of the fan experience first and everything else comes second to that. Now, I know you all have more questions about how we’re going to run things, and the specifics of what I’ve said, but there will be time for those questions later. For now, me and Petro have to get to work with putting this thing together in time for the season to start.”

=====

If one were to say the name Kallie Boston, most big fans of Redvali football would immediately know who you were talking about. It wasn’t that she was a big star, but she was a rising one and she had been a starter at quarterback at Red Valley State as a freshman. That was unprecedented for a woman, especially one who had attended one of the military high schools. She’d gone to the Markham Academy of the Army’s high school, and despite her football talents, she had previously had a commitment to the Redvali Army to either join them or go to the MATA college for more training. After getting that commitment waived, she had signed for Red Valley State and her fans were finally able to see her in action at a high level. At five foot two, nobody had expected her to start immediately and to throw the ball forty plus times each game, but she had done it in her freshman season at Red Valley and finished with more than three thousand yards.

Kallie Boston was exactly the type of player that Stefan Rakocic needed to headline the G League, despite her young age. She was marketable off the field, she had serious talent on the field, and because of something that was out of her control, there was zero chance that someone in the G League would take a chance on her. Nobody would sign a quarterback who was always a threat to suffer a major injury after every sack, and they still didn’t trust her health despite the fact that she had survived playing behind a mediocre at best offensive line at MATA. They also knew they would have multiple recognizable male faces by the time the recruiting process was done, but they didn’t know if they would be able to find another marketable female player.

“You really think she’s going to go for this? You say she doesn’t, but she still has an outsider’s shot at making the G League,” said Petro, as he and Stefan drove through the Red Valley campus towards the area where the student apartments were at. “The G League may have a history of either not signing female players, or signing them and then seeing them get broken in half by bigger and stronger male players, but they’re still respected by everyone and they don’t make their few female players wear an outfit that’s basically a bikini with pads. I already told you that you might want to think of switching the outfit up if you want anyone like Boston to sign for us-”

“We need to be different from the G League if we’re going to have success. And you don’t know the things that football players will do to keep playing. It’s not like any of the women that we’re signing have a shot at making it in Redvale, otherwise they would already be playing there. Boston might still be in college, but I’ve talked to a few people here who are close to her. They all think that there’s no way someone takes a chance on her, because of her height,” Stefan replied, pulling into the parking lot of an apartment and turning off the car engine. “Come on. Stop worrying so much, if she doesn’t want to sign, then we’ll find someone else. The outfit isn’t that bad, anyway. Volleyball shows off more-”

“You realize how risky it is to have less pads on the female outfit, right? What’s going to happen if we sign Kallie and then in her first game, some outside linebacker flies off the edge on her blind side and takes her down on a sack? The G League doesn’t want her because she’s injury prone, and we aren’t doing much to resolve that problem,” Petro sighed, stepping out of the car and following Stefan.

“She’s a tough little thing. If we weren’t taking a risk, though, we wouldn’t be the KFL. When the G League has every imaginable advantage, we have to take some big risks to get ahead of them. Trust me on this, it might be your idea, but I’m the one who has experience setting up a business,” Stefan replied dismissively, waving away Petro’s concerns with his hand. “We’ll see what she says and we won’t worry if she doesn’t want to join. We’ve got other options, and if she’s going to pass up on the biggest opportunity of her life, that’s perfectly fine by us. This isn’t like before. There’s no pressure on us… Just on her.”

=====

As Kallie Boston stepped out of her bedroom, wearing the female version of the Helmberg Proles uniform, she was at a crossroads. She had a chance to play professionally and to make a good amount of cash doing it, and she may never get another chance to do that, but she would have to make a choice between playing and keeping her self respect. This uniform, that the KFL was using to market its female players… Wasn’t a normal football uniform. It was a bikini top and bottom, in the black and purple colors of the Proles, and there were football pads covering her shoulders in addition to pads on her knees and elbows. The helmet was even different, with a smaller facemask and a frame that was closer to a hockey helmet, designed to show off more of her face. The whole thing was also adorned with tassels and ribbon that made it look more like lingerie than a football uniform.

“Without even mentioning the… Um… Moral concerns about wearing this, I'm going to get killed out there with just these pads,” Kallie stated, as Stefan and Petro looked her over and gave her a thumbs up. “I might be durable, but that was because I had real protection when I was playing in high school and with Red Valley. What's going to happen if my left tackle messes up a block and someone that's bigger and stronger gets a blind side hit on me? And I think this helmet is a concussion waiting to happen.”

“Football is a dangerous game, no matter what kind of padding you have. It's not like we're offering you a spot to play for free. No, we’re going to be paying you a lot of money, or more accurately, Alex Passos will be paying you a lot of money as the new owner of the Helmberg Proles,” said Stefan, flashing her a grin. “Look, the G League has a lot of advantages over us, and if we don't market our players to their fullest potential, we're going to lose the battle with them faster than you can believe. I'm going to put this in frank terms… You may be good at football, but your marketability is why we're interested. There's dozens of college quarterbacks and even more former ones who would love to have the role we’re offering, but you're going to be playing in a big city and we need someone like you, someone that's young with good looks and charisma, to help spearhead our marketing campaigns. That means your football skills will be in the forefront, but also the other… Asset that you have, your body. You may not be one hundred percent happy with it, but in the G League you wouldn't get to play a single snap. Here, you'll be the star of a team in a regional capital.”

Kallie sighed, looking over the outfit one more time and then back at the two men, before moving to sit down on the couch. “So basically, you want me to show off my body to draw viewers in and compete with the G League, which is a higher quality league on the actual field,” she said, matter of factly. “And you're going to let me be the star of a team, but you also want to keep marketing my looks. You know, that's not a very good pitch. I kind of wanted to be recognized for what I've done on the field. I did throw for three thousand yards, you know. But I appreciate you being honest, at least… Not a lot of people have been honest when it comes to telling me what they expect of me. I didn't expect to get into a massive fight just to get playing time when I came here.”

“You're going to make seventeen million drachmas a year, for two years, if you sign for us. That's the perks of having some billionaires in our ranks,” Stefan replied, moving and putting a hand on her shoulder. “Look, I know this might not be what you've dreamed of, but you have about a zero percent chance of making it the more traditional way, in the G League. Isn't it better to play for us and buy into our unique brand than it is to graduate from here eventually and then never play football again? Hey, if you do good enough, the big leagues might even consider their interest in you again, and give you a chance. The contract is only for two years, too. If you hate it, you can walk out after those two years and do whatever you please with the millions of drachmas that you'll have. But I promise you that you won't hate it as much as you think. Our… Marketing plan might bring you some more attention, and even though you didn't intend on getting it this way, we all know from talking to your coaches that that's what you want.”

“And if I get injured because of this outfit that you've got me wearing?”

“If you get injured and cut because of it, I'll make sure that you get a couple of million bucks out of the owner’s pocket. It's in the contract,” Stefan stated, and there was a long silence as Kallie considered her options and the two men waited for her. “All you have to do is leave school a bit early and join us, and you'll have a new life. This is life changing money that we're talking about, and you get it even if you get hurt. Whether you want to accept it or not is up to you, but the offer is right here and we have the papers for you to sign.”

Stefan would spend another half hour talking about the ins and outs of this league, and to Petro’s amazement, Kallie became more and more favorable to it. By the end of the half hour, she couldn't wait to be a star, even if she'd initially disagreed with the methods. And finally, before they left, she was signing off on the contract papers to join the Proles, and she was posing for pictures in her new, more revealing uniform, the one that she'd initially hated. Petro hadn't believed it at first, but he really was finding out first hand that his friend was practically a wizard when it came to people skills and convincing people of things. Most of the time, his big skill was taking something that benefitted him, and talking someone into thinking that it benefitted them too. That was what he'd done with Kallie, and as the two agents left, Petro knew that this league was in good hands with Stefan handling the recruitment of the star players.

The Helmberg Proles were one of the biggest teams and markets in the new league. They now had their franchise quarterback, and the league was making moves to secure one for the other big markets, Troy and Turbayov, also. The entire league was shaping up well… Now that they had captured one of the three marketable faces that Stefan had claimed that they needed, their focus would have to shift to something else; the clock. The league would have to start soon. Would they be able to get it ready for game time before the calendar moved forward until it was opening day? That was what would make or break them, not the players on the field.

[Tomikosan]

From POV of Audrei Pincip

The Cup of Harmony. Hmm.....................it's something strange that our team has joined a competition for those who didn't qualify for the World Cup, but has shown so much skills to the players that they are invited to participate in a cup. At least we get to win the trophy.

Yesterday, the groups have been annouced. We are drawn in Group A with Juvencus, Turori and Brigantii. All these three teams must be look closely before we can start playing against them. I am not sure if we can beat them, but if we placed ourselves in 2nd place, maybe 3rd place with luck, then we will be placed in the Round of 16.

Juvencus thinks we will be placed in last place. We will NOT! There's no way we play that badly. I mean, there is not much else about his prediction but he shouldn't underestimate with us. Juvencus will get their words back if he gets eliminated...........I think.

I have heard that Turori are former champions before. I have also heard that they have great defending. In that case, we have to find our way to break their wall and blast them to create a room for a goal!

Brigantii, if you are reading this, I must avenge our defeat. You have beaten me twice in the previous World Cup. Now we meet again, and I want you to be conceded as many goals as you wouldn't think of. In other words, you're dead I tell you. YOU"RE DEAD! And when you lose, you will be crying in front for forgiveness, begging to give up when your poor ass defending couldn't handle our attacking force. You will be begging for mercy when your team can't beat Tomikosan with our great wall full of center backs, left backs and right backs! You know that!

And you know, by the time it finishes, we will go home with the trophy in our hands!

[Kitsunia-Deesse]

"That star." La Déesse noted a small yellow star over the Kitsunian crest. "It's... unique."

Vulpine Sportif had been re-considering over their retirement from the kitmaking industry for the past few weeks after some of their latest efforts at oufitting teams such as the Project +90 branch at Mercedini and many of the Kitsunian league sides pointed out towards a warm reception if a Vulpine return happened. The fact they went ahead and made an updated look for Boring Paradise already gathering some notes on the insiders about sportswear, the company looked at one of their other two remaining users, the more alarming case being the Kitsunian team who had just recently played on spares and won the first Global Cup of Soccer. The Kitsunians made no secret of a slight interest towards a World Cup return and after crowning themselves over a strong Caledonian side, they needed a new outfit for this new era of Kitsunian football.
Even if they did play using the same kit they wore during the Global Cup, a self-declared rival of the World Cup; the Kitsunes soon realized that the level at the World Cup was still the best around. Les Guerriers found themselves in the middle of their own group, putting a decent effort at the group rounds, a respectable effort from the first Global Cup champions.
Now, participating at the Cup of Harmony, the sole survivor from the Emirates of Futurnia this cycle, they finally could wear the new Vulpine Sportif number.

The home kit evolved from a green shirt with the traditional three white stripes over the shoulders to a slightly more detailed shirt. The green and the white stripes remained, although many portions of yellow are now found. A white collar with a yellow tip under it is also noticeable.
The away kit now has a green sash with a considerably delightful pattern from the illustrious carpets of Yi-Pin. The green sash also has a couple of lines bordering it. A green collar with a yellow tip, finish the affair.
The goalkeeper kit now has gray shoulders, working with most of the black body that dominates the kit.
Finally, there's a Kitsunian cross, this one being the same one used by most Kitsunian organizations. It features on both shoulders.

La Déesse was present at the press conference to reveal the new kits, together with some of the national team players, such as Fantina Zirome, Minnie Sioux-D'Erlands, Sophie Plebonesqueteu and the most important one as of late, Louise Sioux.
However, the journalists preferred to focus about the star.
"That star." She said with a smile. "It's... unique."
"I'm not expecting us to go on a rampage, beating team after team."
La Déesse sighed, lifting the Kitsunian home shirt.
"But with this shirt, we'll reach new heights."

Vulpine Sportif is now expected to start talks with the Nova Anglicana team about a new set of shirts.
Remarkably, the team is one of the few that stuck with Vulpine Sportif gear, together with the afore-mentioned Boring Paradise and former World Cup stalwarts Ko-oren.
If that works out as well as the Kitsunian and the Paradisian efforts, Vulpine could contemplate a return to the market after a fair amount of years sitting at the domestic markets instead.

[Abristan]

Ahmed sat stirring his coffee, which was rapidly cooling, in the sparse kitchen of his new home, waiting for his toast to pop. There were still moving boxes strewn about the floor, and with the coffee machine not unpacked yet he had had to slip out in his half-awake state to the corner shop to pick himself up a flat white. Today was the day he was flying out to Ethane to watch the group stages of the Cup of Harmony, and his flight was in three hours. Luckily for him his house was a ten minute drive from the gates of Annafield Aerodrome, where the government had organised a flight to Ethane specifically for fans, to try and boost their numbers at the tournament. Him and his work crew had been lucky to get tickets, buying them from a scalper for frankly extortionate fees. They had run the risk of being caught by the cops, but his mate Angelo was a copper, and had made sure he was doing the rounds near the scalper when they went to pick up the tickets.

Ahmed looked up when his wife, Monique, entered, carrying their two year old child Nathan in her arms, who was half-asleep himself. Ahmed smiled at Nathan, who gurgled happily, and Monique set him down so he could toddle over to him. Ahmed picked up and sat him down on his lap, ruffling the child's locks.

"He didn't get much sleep last night I'm afraid. Damn planes flying overhead from the Aerodrome. Sounded like some military operation is going on there. They were cargo planes if I had to guess".

Ahmed nodded. "Yeah I heard about that from Darren. Some training drill I heard, for the pilots and ground staff. Well, I guess that is what we get for buying a house on the busiest flight path in the region. Not like we could afford anything though", he considered. "Aside from the flights it is a beautiful area. The kind of place I want Nathan to grow up in. Abristan is developing Monique. I don't want him to be stuck behind in the few areas that are still essentially slums".

Monique pursed her lips. "The same slums that a lot of your football friends seem to come from?".

"Oi. Its not their fault they have been dragged down. We were lucky to escape from there and don't you forget it. Anyway you like Darren, and Mikal".

The toaster binged to let Ahmed know it was done, and placing Nathan on the chair next to him, he dragged himself to his feet and moved over to the toaster. He knew what Monique was getting at and prayed she would drop it and move on. He didn't want a scene in front of Nathan.

Monique was not prepared to let it go. "Yeah, Darren's charming, and Mikal seems very nice, but I'm talking about Rafi here. I don't want you hanging around with people who have been done for dealing. Not just possession, I could handle that but Rafi was a dealer. People died because of the drugs he sold Ahmed!".

"And he went to jail, and he repented. He did voluntary community service when he came out just to try and put something back into the community. He knows what he did was awful. He was gutted when he heard that kid had died. Of course he didn't want that".

"Yeah, because it would have been bad for his rep. No-one would buy from him anymore, right. And it put the police on his trail. So of course he was gutted, he just lost the easiest job of his life".

"Listen. I'm going away for at least a week now. Lets not fight just before I go. Can we just talk about something else. Ill listen when I get home, I promise".

Monique looked far from happy, but nodded her head, and went over to the fridge to get out a drink.

Two Hours Later...

Ahmed slammed the door to his car, and headed over to the terminal at one corner of the airfield. Hearing a shout he turned to see Rafi bounding towards him, dressed in some ridiculous oversized hoodie and ripped jeans. He was 42 so this didn't really have the effect he was hoping it might.

"Rafi, my man, I was getting worried it was a no-show. You brought the tickets?"

Rafi pulled a crumpled envelope out of the back pocket of his jeans and waved it gleefully in Ahmed's face.

[Juvencus]

Southeastern Tumbarta District, Tumbarta 1135 hours

Joao was at his little workshop, it was uncertain on what he was working on, but he had his expectations high. Joao is a pretty... interesting person to say the least. The uncertain thing Joao was working on looked like a big saw, but it looked like a mace as well. Joao was also uncertain about the usage of the tool he was making, but he was sure he'd find out the solution.

"I'm tired." exclaimed Joao, clearly tired from working. He left his workshop for a bit to get some rest, but he forgot to close the door. A team of 16 year olds was watching Joao and when they realised Joao had left the workshop's door open, they immediately rushed in as quietly as possible. The kids were silently searching for the tool, one of them was holding a hammer, but it slipped. Joao heard the sound and ran to his workshop to see what happened. He immediately saw the teens messing up his workshop, they ran as Joao was about to unleash his anger but he calmed down pretty quickly. Next thing he did was getting the tool away from the workshop just in case the teens were searching for the tool -which they did- but the group of teens was too far away to see Joao holding the saw-mace thing and entering his home.

Joao left his saw-mace thing in his kitchen while he went to rest to the living room. But it didn't last long before Joao would start thinking about how to use the saw-mace. He got seriously curious, to the point that he turned every few seconds to admire his creation, but he had no courage to get up as if that saw-mace was a person he didn't know. Only after a few minutes did Joao get up and immediately grab the saw-mace. He rushed outside to his garden. Since Joao was in the southeastern district of TUmbarta, he was allowed to have a big garden. His garden had lots of trees, it looked like a small forest, Joao had never admired his own garden this much before.

Joao then told himself "Try cutting one of the branches to see if it works." he walked to the nearest tree and aimed for a branch, he started cutting it pretty fast, it looked like the saw-mace was actually melting parts of the branch with the way it cut it. Joao used a lot of hard materials to make the saw-mace's blade. Then he tried throwing the saw-mace to the ground, it made a big hole. Joao himself was impressed by the work of his saw-mace that he decided to showcase his tool, but he wasn't sure on how to name it. "How should I name this tool? Saw-mace? No. Maybe strong cutter. It'll do the thing for now."

He went back at his house to get a camera and got to his garden back in no time. He turned his camera on. First thing on his mind was to greet everyone, which he did. "Hi everbody, my name is Joao Abreu, I'm Juven-Tumbartan and I live in Tumbarta. I've created a tool which looks like both a saw and a mace. It doesn't look sharp, but it can do the work of both better than these two individually. I'll show you how it works on this video. This..." Joao showed the fallen branch. "...is a branch I cut with my saw-mace, now I'll cut it into smaller pieces to show you how it works." Joao started cutting the fallen branch, once more his tool cut really fast through the branch. "It can also be used for hunting fish and non-endangered species on their hunting seasons. I'm not going to kill an animal on this video since I'm friendly to animals. Instead I'll throw it as if it is a spear and I'll show you the hole it'll make on the ground." he then proceeded to throw his saw-mace and immediately grabbed the camera and ran straight to it, he picked it from the ground, it had made a big hole there. He then said "It's also quite light, as you see, I throwed it and picked it with one hand with relative ease. This has been the video, I hope you see this tool's capabilities. Its name is the strong cutter and you can see why. If you want one of these, you can ask me to make one for you by dialing 290-3871-692. I'll tell you the price in the call." Joao then closed his camera, then sighed. "I did a pretty good job, I guess." he said to himself. He then posted his video on different video posting sites for everyone in the multiverse to see.

---

Southeastern Tumbarta District, Tumbarta 1750 hours

Joao was relaxing at his house, a few hours ago he had showcased his tool. He opened the television to watch the evening news. He suddenly heard his bell ring and went all the way to his door. He peeked outside to see who was outside. It was a tall man wearing a brown suit with a red tie. Joao was curious to talk to this guy. He opened the door.

"Hey there, sir. May I help you?" said Joao.
"Hello, you are Joao Abreu, aren't you?" said the tall man, extending his hand.
"Indeed that's me." Joao then proceeded to shake hands with the tall man "May I ask you for your name?"
"I'm Desiderio Acaletta, one of your neighbours that you don't see often. I also manage a workshop a few blocks from here, with some employees. I saw you when you were making some sort of video I believe. The tool you've created seems interesting. I would like to hire you to my workshop and make more of it. We'll do some great work."
"Are you serious mister?"
"Yes, yes I am. Do you want to accept my offer?"
"Well sure. I'd love to make more of my tool and give it to the public."
"Thanks." Desiderio put his left hand inside his suit, he was searching for a contract as well as a pen and when he found them he showed them to Joao.
"Mister Joao, I want you to sign this." he proceeded to hold the contract while giving the pen to Joao, Joao signed with a big smile on his face
"Sir, when does work start?"
"Tommorow, at 10. Don't be late, I want you to meet everyone."
"I'll certainly not be late, count on me."
"Excellent, I will see you there."

Desiderio left quite happy in recruiting a new member to his workshop. On the other Joao had a big smile on his face and he started jumping around like a little kid from his happiness. He didn't have a work on his own for a while now and he was counting on his parents' money all along. He would inform them later, when he'd be calm because his parents had told him from an early age to be a pretty serious person when he's talking to anybody.

[Barunia]

Barunia's National Football Team

Everything you ever wanted to know about Barunian Football History
Change is coming...with the team out of the World Cup after a shock upset loss to Drawkland, coach Adam Johnson has promised big changes ahead of the Cup of Harmony. Johnson's changes are in the form of a different play style and formation, discarding the format that has served the Suns so well over many years with Joric Ruskin. Johnson's changes may upset fans and players who have been used to the same style for decades, but now is the time for Johnson to make his own mark on this team.

(Female Players listed in italics)
Goalkeepers
#1 Paul Bainbridge GK Southern Bluebirds - CAPTAIN
#35 Lucy Hutton GK Dropshort Diamonds
#25 Patrick Smith GK Mountaineers

Defenders
#4 Joe Mortimer LB Marion Hawks
#8 Felix Benitez CB Edwardton Eagles
#22 Akio Sweet CB Firewood City [OSR]
#5 Adam Donaldson LB Marion Hawks
#13 Taylor Blakefield RB Western Orcas
#39 Liesel McClelland RB Southern Bluebirds
#18 Edward Newton CB Southern Bluebirds
#36 Monica Andretti CB Trinity Saints

Midfielders
#23 Caroline Cole CDM Coral Cougars
#7 Daniel Kyrow CDM Edwardton Eagles
#6 Jason Cartwright LM Babbage Town
#14 Kassandra Berry RM Cloudsdale Flyers [EQS]
#16 David Savage RM Northern Tridents
#19 Matt Vine LM Woodvale Wolves
#29 Daniel Holland CM West Bay Mariners

Attacking Midfielders
#33 Thomas Marsh AM West Bay Mariners
#11 Hannah Miller AM Newland FC

Forwards
#34 Lisa Collins-Holzknecht RF Coral Cougars
#40 Martin Bailey LF Woodvale Wolves
#21 Mason O'Donnell CF Newland FC

Team Line-up
OOC: If I RP before you, please check my RP for the start list, as I will be changing it regularly. If you RP first, or I haven't posted a start list, have a look at the formation images for the starting lists. If you wish, feel free to make changes, as long as you swap defender for defender, midfielder for midfielder, etc, and keep the formation.

Formation
4-2-3-1

Head Coach: Adam Johnson
After the retirement of Joric Ruskin following the 76th World Cup, the Barunian Football Association struggled to find a replacement. With none yet found, and the Independents Cup looming, they put out a call to Adam Johnson, coach of the West Bay Mariners in Barunia's X-League. After making it to the semi-finals in his first tournament, the BFA are satisfied to give Johnson the task of leading the team in a World Cup campaign.
NB: As is typical of football teams in Barunia, the Suns do not have a manager. The Coach is responsible for managing the team.

Kits by Kirola Sportwear, Audioslavia

Goalkeeper colours: yellow (home); blue (away); green (alt)

Style: -2
Choose Scorers: Y, no own goals
Godmod Goalscoring Events: N
Injure Players: Y, but I will decide the severity
Godmod Injury Events N
Godmod Player Discipline: N
- Allow Players to Be Yellow Carded: Y (Including double yellow)
-- Number of Yellow Cards Permitted: 4 (Including double yellow)
- Allow Players to Be Red Carded: Y
-- Number of Red Cards Permitted: 1
Godmod Other Events: N

[Turori]

OOC Note 2: The Information originally provided has now been superceded by the information provided IN THIS RP

Roster Relevant portions:

Starting Lineup v. Juvencus:
Pos :: Identification  : Home
GK  :: ( Cocoabo #86 ) : Cocoabo Forest
DEF :: ( Cocoabo #58 ) : Cocoabo Forest
DEF :: ( Cocoabo #57 ) : Cocoabo Forest
DEF :: ( Cocoabo #53 ) : Cocoabo Forest
MID :: ( Cocoabo #61 ) : Cocoabo Forest
MID :: ( Cocoabo #64 ) : Cocoabo Forest
MID :: ( Cocoabo #65 ) : Cocoabo Forest
MID :: ( Cocoabo #62 ) : Cocoabo Forest
AMC :: ( Cocoabo #72 ) : Cocoabo Forest
FOR :: ( Cocoabo #91 ) : Cocoabo Forest
FOR :: ( Cocoabo #99 ) : Cocoabo Forest

Kit:



OOC Note 3: The Information Below is now considered to be Superceded and no longer applicable, with the exception of the Style Modifier which remains +2
OOC IC Note: The below Roster was published by an inter-nationstatal Media Outlet in the buildup to the 69th Cup of Harmony. The style modifier should be +2

The coaches will select the squad from the National Player pool. Players are listed below, grouped by position and sorted by projection 'Depth Chart' position where the top player listed is most likely to be named the first player selected for that position, and so on. Depth chart positions are determined by performance in pre-cup training sessions, as well as performance and average ratings in the Vilitan League competition and previous appearances for the National Team.
GOALKEEPERS:

[ 93 ] G.Q Disterfred II [ - Colonial Sile - ]
------- GK ( AGE: 26 CAPS: 0 :: GOALS::SR: 0 U21: REG: ) :: [ N/R ]
Young prospect Disterfred pushed Inura Forests into the top half of the Season 38 Declasse, earning player of the season honors at the club and earning recognition as a serious propsect for the National Team. Disterfred was a member of the AOCAF 41 Championship Winning side, but did not start any of the 7 matches en-route to the title. When head coach Nycflala Kater took a back seat early in the competition during AOCAF 42, however, Disterfred had his chance to play as Vilita & Turori earned their second consecutive AOCAF title. However, Disterfred's domestic career took a negative turn when Inura Forests were relegated out of the Vilitan League, prompting a cross-country transfer to the Kionao Locals in the Declasse division. Despite the strong leadership of Lita Adjei and good performances in the UICA Competitions, Kionao was unable to get promoted and eventually Disterfred would move to Turoki Isle in order to get a chance to play in the Stellar Division. Having played his whole career in Vilita, Disterfred was eventually convinced to return home to Turori when the chance to play at Cednia Beach AFC was presented, Disterfred being named the replacement for retiring Vilitan netminder Jaqe Planst.

[ 94 ] Mitimi Obalialo [ - Makosile FC - ]
------- GK ( AGE: 18 CAPS: 0 :: GOALS::SR: 0 U21: REG: ) :: [ N/R ]


[ 92 ] Sharif Deniibo [ - Lonngeylin City - ]
------- GK ( AGE: 24 CAPS: 0 :: GOALS::SR: 0 U21: REG: ) :: [ N/R ]
Snapped up at a young age by the Turoki Tide who identified a young Deniibo as an ideal prospect to play along side and be tutored by the Tide's Turorian National team goalkeeper Hooizo Nuakoi. After spending 5 seasons as apprentice to Nuakoi in Turoki, Deniibo switched to Lonngeylin City in an attempt to get regular first team action.

[ 95 ] Wiyauw An'maude [ - Cedniavella - ]
------- GK ( AGE: 16 CAPS: 0 :: GOALS::SR: 0 U21: REG: ) :: [ N/R ]


DEFENDERS:

[ 56 ] Tarek Edgeli [ - Jungle Strike FC - ]
------- D RLC ( AGE: 22 CAPS: 0 :: GOALS::SR: 0 U21: REG: ) :: [ N/R ]
After spending 3 seasons being trained in Crosaibi at Marine Coast United, Edgeli made the switch down the coast to the Lonngeylin Coliseum for Season 43. While Strike were unable to win any silverware, Edgeli fit straight into the squad as one of the top performing defenders in the entire league earning instant plaudits and recognition back in Turori.

[ 69 ] Yitizo Mpala'a [ - Lonngeylin Coast - ]
------- D C ( AGE: 18 CAPS: 0 :: GOALS::SR: 0 U21: REG: ) :: [ N/R ]
Trained at the Makosile Academy, Mpala'a spent one season at Eastal Lunar before joining newly promoted Lonngeylin Coast for V-League Season 49.

[ 52 ] Geafi Laina-Sola [ - Jungle Strike FC - ]
------- D RLC ( AGE: 24 CAPS: 0 :: GOALS::SR: 0 U21: REG: ) :: [ N/R ]
Laina-Sola started their career as a training in Inura before being spotted by the big clubs and playing a few seasons with Jlinal Cove and Makosile in Vilita. Then, however, the young Turorian defender finally made the big move home to Mliona-Lpaka in time for V-League Season 44.

[ 68 ] Mikki Mayelli [ - Eastal Lunar - ]
------- D C ( AGE: 19 CAPS: 0 :: GOALS::SR: 0 U21: REG: ) :: [ N/R ]


[ 6 ] Inaosnaa Klanoa [ - Eastal Lunar - ]
------- D RLC ( AGE: 25 CAPS: 0 :: GOALS::SR: 0 U21: REG: ) :: [ N/R ]
Klanoa was named Eastal Lunar player of the season during Season 43 leading the team to the Declasse title and promotion to the Stellar Division.

[ 54 ] Oani Moralziia [ - Cednia Beach AFC - ]
------- D RL ( AGE: 25 CAPS: 0 :: GOALS::SR: 0 U21: REG: ) :: [ N/R ]
After being part of the Vilita & Turori squad that won AOCAF 42, Moralziia was a member of the Cednia Beach AFC squad that won the Vilitan Cup during Season 43, and subsequently went on to win the 50th UICA Globe Cup, the first ever UICA Top-Level Champions from Turori.

[ 53 ] Dmitri Levada [ - Cednia Beach AFC - ]
------- D LC ( AGE: 23 CAPS: 0 :: GOALS::SR: 0 U21: REG: ) :: [ N/R ]
After being part of the Vilita & Turori squad that won AOCAF 42, Levada was a member of the Cednia Beach AFC squad that won the Vilitan Cup during Season 43, and subsequently went on to win the 50th UICA Globe Cup, the first ever UICA Top-Level Champions from Turori.

[ 55 ] Majid Jedidi [ - Mliona-Lpaka - ]
------- D C ( AGE: 22 CAPS: 0 :: GOALS::SR: 0 U21: REG: ) :: [ N/R ]
Jedidi made the move from Turori to Kiiarana City on the western shore of Vilita prior to V-League season 44.

MIDFIELDERS:

[ ] Klaillal Tuirma [ - Rammsissil - ]
------- ATH ( AGE: 31 CAPS: :: GOALS::SR: U21: REG: ) :: [ N/R ]
Descendant of Season 4 Turorian Player of the Season and National team legend Cuolia Tuirma, Klaillal will work with Restiaa Mumamba to become the future "All-Around" player for the Turori National Team. Playing in a unique role, Tuirma will be expected to fill the role of being able to play every game, in every position - even Goalkeeper, if there are no subs left. Tuirma will certainly be starting as a substitute during their debut campaign in World Cup 62 but may get the chance to start against weaker opposition. After being brought up through the academy system at Kionao, Tuirma signed a professional contract with Colonial Sile in Vilita for Season 35, winning silverware in the first match, the Tropical Trophy triumph over Strike. Tuirma's stay in Sile didn't last long, however, coaxed back to the luxury of Arcticala Inlet to help in their Champions-Cup qualifying campaign of Season 38. Tuirma returned to Turori during Season 44 as a member of Mliona-Lpaka AFC

[ ] Aiden Varess [ - Eastal Lunar - ]
------- M RC ( AGE: 24 CAPS: :: GOALS::SR: U21: REG: ) :: [ N/R ]


[ ] Etamara Kulkkiia [ - AC Izotz Zubia (AUD) - ]
------- AM C ( AGE: 28 CAPS: :: GOALS::SR: U21: REG: ) :: [ N/R ]
Kulkkiia was developed at the Cednia Beach Academy having been highly scouted and recruited by teams throughout Turori and even Vilita. After the Turori Eels failure to qualify for World Cup 64, Kulkkiia became the subject of media attention questioning whether the aging crop of players should make way for younger players like Kulkkiia in the Esportiva-hosted Cup of Harmony for World Cup 64. Kulkkiia added his name to the long line of major transfers involving Cednia Beach after being transferred to SC Montfort in the Licentian Isles prior to Season 42

[ ] Indelli Nura'amura [ - Tropicorp FC - ]
------- ATH ( AGE: 18 CAPS: 0 :: GOALS::SR: 0 U21: REG: ) :: [ N/R ]


[ ] Inlite Makakio [ - Mliona-Lpaka AFC - ]
------- M LC ( AGE: 26 CAPS: :: GOALS::SR: U21: REG: ) :: [ N/R ]
The twin brother of Strike FC attacking sesation Enluta Makakio, Inlite started his career as 2 time player of the year at Inura Forests before making the jump to Vilita, eventually landing a transfer to Arcticala Inlet for V-League season 44.

[ ] Kigaoua Oalalka [ - Mliona-Lpaka AFC - ]
------- M RC ( AGE: 25 CAPS: :: GOALS::SR: U21: REG: ) :: [ N/R ]
Oalalka never could get settled down in Vilita, taking trial runs at clubs such as the Turoki Tide, Inland Peaks and Mavaloiao before switching gears and looking at international transfer options. Eventually however, after 4 international seasons, Oalalka landed in Lonngeylin at Strike FC. Serving a bit-part role, the young Turorian would make the switch across town to Lonngeylin City to get regular playing time.

[ 78 ] Teliima Loinara [ - Corra Rangers - ]
------- M LC ( AGE: 22 CAPS: :: GOALS::SR: U21: REG: ) :: [ N/R ]


[ 51 ] Nubara Moafalia [ - Cednia Beach AFC - ]
------- M LC ( AGE: 22 CAPS: :: GOALS::SR: U21: REG: ) :: [ N/R ]


[ 27 ] Ikala Mravedii [ - Lonngeylin Coast - ]
------- M RLC ( AGE: 21 CAPS: 0 :: GOALS::SR: 0 U21: REG: ) :: [ N/R ]
Mravedii made their debut for the Vilita National Team at the Eagle's Cup V tournament.

[ 73 ] Timi'sala Koarena [ - Raynor City United (VAL) - ]
------- M LC ( AGE: 20 CAPS: :: GOALS::SR: U21: REG: ) :: [ N/R ]


[ 55 ] Mbdiai Akarenaa [ - Exton F.C (Apox) - ]
------- M LC ( AGE: 18 CAPS: :: GOALS::SR: U21: REG: ) :: [ N/R ]
Akarenaa started out at the Eelandii Academy before signing a professional contract with Cednia Beach AFC during V-League 47

FORWARDS:

[ ] Inamari Altariiz [ - Mliona-Lpaka AFC - ]
------- F C ( AGE: 26 CAPS: :: GOALS::SR: U21: REG: ) :: [ N/R ]
Altariiz was instantly identified as a high-quality prospect at Mliona-Lpaka and was promoted to the senior squad at 16 years of age taking up a starting role in Mliona-Lpaka's Season 38 campaign. Altariiz was named Mliona-Lpaka's player of the season for 39 & 40 in addition to being named Turorian Player of the Season during Season 40 after leading MLiona-Lpaka to the Vilitan Cup title.

[ ] Enluta Makakio [ - Jungle Strike FC - ]
------- F C ( AGE: 26 CAPS: :: GOALS::SR: U21: REG: ) :: [ N/R ]
After coming through the ranks in Kionao, Makakio's performances got the attention of the scouts at Strike FC who signed the young Turorian attacker for their Season 39 campaign.

[ 56 ] Meldi'ita Mungwaii [ - Jungle Strike FC - ]
------- F C ( AGE: 17 CAPS: :: GOALS::SR: U21: REG: ) :: [ N/R ]


[ ] Matlya Eelador [ - Colonial Sile - ]
------- F C ( AGE: 26 CAPS: :: GOALS::SR: U21: REG: ) :: [ N/R ]
Although Eelador was never known as being the most prolific scorer in the Vilitan League, he regularly put forth consistent performances for his club. Eelador was a member of the Cednia Beach AFC squad that won the Vilitan Cup during Season 43, and subsequently went on to win the 50th UICA Globe Cup, the first ever UICA Top-Level Champions from Turori.

[ 56 ] Wiztsana Iretziia [ - Eastal Lunar - ]
------- F C ( AGE: 17 CAPS: :: GOALS::SR: U21: REG: ) :: [ N/R ]


[ 56 ] Mirana Gotuai [ - Mist City Floatzels (NSI) - ]
------- F C ( AGE: 21 CAPS: :: GOALS::SR: U21: REG: ) :: [ N/R ]

I Give My Opponent Permission To:		
	====================		
	Choose Scorers: Y		
	GodMod Goalscoring Events: Y		
			
	Injure Players: Y (Limited to Duration of Competition)		
	GodMod Injury Events Y (Limited to Duration of Competition)		
			
	Red Card Players: Y   (TG After RP is Posted to Inform)		
	Yellow Card Players: Y		
	GodMod Other Events: Y		
	===================  

[Savojarna]

Jarnstad, 24. February 1909

Anders and Ole were sitting on the steps leading to the union office of the Jarnstad iron-miners. From inside, they heard a lot of shouting and loud noises. The walls shook almost as they heard the loud shouting of Mr. Jacob Mikkelsen, the union leader. Mikkelsen was negotiating over the telephone with Victor Lundberg, the all-powerful owner of the Jarnstad Iron Mining Conglomerate. For the fourth day in a row they were now striking, and the rumours among the workers got more and more wild. Of course, wages stopped the day they stopped working. The Emperor criticised the move of the JIMC, but it was more than obvious that if it came down to it, Bjarne III. would always be on the side of the corporation. As would be Prime Minister Gustavsson. So far, the union had the money to keep them alive, and there was solidarity from the other people in the village, but nobody really knew how long they would be able to go on against the JIMC. Rumours were that Mikkelsen had been challenged from within. The old union leader had been quick to declare the goals of the strike: removing the new rules that enforced miners to carry the cost of new safety regulations, restriction of the shifts to nine hours from the existing 10 and higher wages for night shifts. It was his usual Realpolitik, and there were rumours that the young, newly emerging leaders were all but okay with it. Thomas Enqvist, the vice president, was a radical; as was the leader of the also striking railway union.

Outside the house, next to Anders and Ole who were eating their sandwiches and drinking their tea, a circle of workers stood in full dress sharing a pot of tea that was heavily spiked to the point of Anders and Ole catching the smell of the strong, probably home-destilled vodka in the tea. Anders recognised a giant with a massive, wild beard; Terje Nyrland. Terje was on his shift a few times through the last weeks, and Anders got up to ask him for a cup as his own emptied. Terje shook his hand and poured him a cup of the hot, sweet liquid. Taking a first sip, Anders first almost burned his tongue and then his throat burned from the sharp taste of the vodka. He immediately recognised it as the home-brew of old Balder, a pensioner who had lived his whole life in the Jarnstad mines. The bearded giant laughed his deep, hearty laugh and slapped his colleague's back before turning to him. "Did you hear the stuff that's coming out from there?", Terje asked him. "Enqvist wanted to release a new manifesto. The fuckers from the J don't want to give us anything. They have too much money right now, Axel says. They won't give in to Mikkelsen's demands because they know the PM is on their side. Enqvist thinks we have to attack them, but Mik doesn't want to risk it. They've been shouting all day by now".

Anders nodded disappointedly. "Does that mean we sit here until they can't pay us anymore? The Emperor can't go against the PM for some miners. They shit on us all the fucking time, we need to give them a kick!", he ranted at Terje. The bigger man laughed again and stroked his beard. "I heard they also fuck with the miners in Ejana. Fram said so, but they caught their courier. There's no news from up there anymore, but yesterday some guy came over from Storevik and said that the navy is striking as well. The sailors want more money", he said. Anders and Terje went on sharing their news when the former noted Ole had gone away and spoke to a man in a uniform that was obviously not from the JIMC. He ran over to the group, waving a familiar newspaper with a dark red title. "FRAMFARIR - Newspaper for the Workers of Savojarna", it read. "From today, fresh from the press! They found someone who agreed to ship the news from Ejana! Kjefla is in arms, and the navy doesn't sail anymore!", Ole shouted enthusiastically. The group quickly formed around the newspaper, reading the articles that told them the news:

CALL TO ARMS! Police cannot reach Kjefla Mines!

In the ongoing struggle against the bourgeois class of our mining comrades in Ejana, the police seems to be pushed back for now! Ejana Security Director Rolfrsson had sent reinforcements from Storevik that did not make it to Kjefla and were stopped in a clash at the barricades on streets leading to the mines. Kjefla's miners keep defending their right in the struggle for freedom and independence. The Franzen Copper Company has so far kept paying the wages of their employees in a ceasefire agreement between the FCC and the Central Kjefla Miner's Union. The CKMU has agreed to drop demands for family benefits and more paid holidays, retaining the demand for less working hours, higher wages and better security standards in exchange for the FCC keeping to pay part of the current wages. However, the CKMU does not serve as a representative for the Group for Worker's Freedom, who has led the strike in the last few days and proclaimed the independent governing of the Kjefla Copper Mines. The GWF has a great amount of support among the miners of Kjefla and Ejana as a whole and serves as our great shining beacon of the worker's movement. The following demands have been published yesterday by the GWF:

1. Independent Control over the Franzen Copper Mines in Kjefla for its workers
2. Establishment of a worker's council of the Kjefla Mines that controls the CKMU and the mines
3. Immediate raise of payment to a hourly wage of 7 SAK
4. Provision of healthcare through the FCC for all workers
5. Payment of a weekly pension in the height of 100 SAK to families of ill or dead FCC miners

The GWF has made it very clear that they will not release the mines before the FCC signs an agreement with all these demands. The mines are currently shut off by barricades and under the control of the Kjefla miners. SCP members are on site and delivering speeches to the workers of Kjefla, supporting their fight and supporting the families of poor workers that are hurt by the partial payment provision agreed upon by the CKMU and the FCC. It is crucial for our movement to show solidarity with the fighting workers in Kjefla, Storevik and Jarnstad!

At this moment, Mikkelsen stormed out of the union office angrily, followed by a beaming but also visibly enraged Thomas Enqvist. The vice president stood on the building's porch and called the workers to attention. "COMRADES!", his voice thundered over the square. "It is my duty to inform you that Mr. Mikkelsen has resigned as the President of the Jarnstad Central Iron-Mining Union! Ad Interim I will take up his position until the next union elections, to which there will be a separate information. All the agreements made by Mr. Mikkelsen are not supported by the new leadership of the union and I do promise you renegotiation with the JIMC immediately! We will not yield until the demands of workers are being listened to and we show solidarity with Kjefla! We demand the formation of a worker's council in Jarnstad! We demand the immediate repeal of all sanctions against this strike. We will not give up! Workers of Jarnstad, WE WILL FIGHT! AND WE WILL WIN!"

Under the cheers of the miners, Enqvist stepped down again and behind him, the Savojar flag upon a mine building was torn down by a bunch of workers. The red flag was raised over the union building and over Jarnstad's mines. Shouting could be heard in the crowd on the big square. "LONG LIVE THE REVOLUTION! SOLIDARITY! DOWN WITH THE CORPORATION!" they shouted. Little did they know what would happen on the next day...

[Amnarei-asud]

Continued from here:

AaNS God's Hammer
Somewhere in the sea around Amnarei-asud

Kerim Al-Tanaka was sweating heavily in the midday sun as it beat down upon the deck. It was uncharacteristically calm. Nominally an aircraft carrier, the aircraft it held were almost all back on the island for a major refit, leaving just a skeleton helicopter crew on the flagship of the Asud fleet. It also meant there was an awful lot of deck to wash.

It had been months now since the President Sheikh had chosen to 'exile' the head of the FAAa to the boat in anger at being misled over The Hood's presence on his yacht, and not a day went by now that Al-Tanaka didn't curse himself for taking the punishment instead of allowing The Hood to do so. Sure, it had seemed a good idea at the time: The Hood could continue to help the team in their attempts to qualify for the World Cup, but the man was obsessed with finding answers, and Al-Tanaka knew instinctively that he'd probably be spending most of his time looking around the country to find out where his memory was and leaving Sato to it. Sure enough, the news had come last week that the Fennecs had tailed off in qualifying during the second half, unable to keep the momentum of their Baptism win going any longer. Which meant that Al-Tanaka's exile had at least in the one circumstance been completely futile.

The first few weeks had been easy enough: teaching football to the sailors on board the warship, happy in the knowledge that most of them already knew how to play and he'd have very little to do. As time had drawn on though, the sailors had gotten increasingly bored with this enforced guests of theirs, and the reporters had stopped coming to film the 'important motivational work' that Al-Tanaka was doing. In the end, they just shifted him onto cleaning rotas as a way of getting him to stop moping around the ship.

They'd docked twice during this time, neither of which occasions had seen Al-Tanaka allowed to leave the boat.

There was something about The Hood's motivations to go and find some answers, though. Al-Tanaka couldn't deny that. What he could deny, though, was the fact that up until now, absolutely no news of anything like that had come back to him on the God's Hammer. That was what he was pinning his hopes on, now, and the silence was deafening. Had his sacrifice been in vain? It was certainly starting to feel like it, and the time was breeding resentment towards The Hood. Why didn't he know what he was doing? If he was looking for answers, why hadn't he found any? If he was so clever, then why had he gotten caught by the President Sheikh? If, if, if.

All of which were questions that lead Al-Tanaka to face an uncomfortable home truth: if The Hood was unsuccessful, then had Al-Tanaka ruined his career and become a national laughing stock for nothing?

Two whistling airmen walked across the deck in front of him, seemingly unaffected by the heat and lack of shade.

"Hey, guys, can you not?" asked Al-Tanaka, eyeing their oily footprints with an exasperated expression.

"Hey, Al-Tanaka, you missed a spot!" laughed one of the men as they both walked away, chuckling.

Muttering to himself, Al-Tanaka re-moistened his mop and got back to it.


******


Best Eastern Airport Hotel
Outskirts of Ain Salah

"Okay, lads, the sandstorm isn't going to lift anytime this evening, so we've been put back until tomorrow," announced Aslan Sato to a chorus of disappointed murmurs, before doubling down with a demand, "I don't want you all getting stiff so twenty laps of the hotel gym and a half hour session in the pool, please."

With an even larger murmur of discontent, the assembled players picked themselves up slowly and trudged away down the plushly furnished corridor and past the fake potted palms into the gym suite. Sato checked the sand whistling around the windows and nodded. It was the right decision. They'd only arrive in Ethane the day before their first match, but so be it.

"You don't want to take risks with the sand like that," said a voice from beyond his shoulder.

"Especially with a national carrier like ours," added Sato dryly, recognising the voice of The Hood. "You been there long?"

"Couple of hours or so," replied The Hood, coming out of the shadows and sitting down in an uncomfortably plump armchair behind a disgustically walnut veneered table, "I hate this place."

"You and me both, Hood, it's weird."

"Why is it even here?"

"Built for a business travel market that just hasn't materialised."

"That was optimistic of them, why did they even bother?"

"Search me. We're the only people that have ever placed a booking and then actually flown out of the country, I believe."

"People come here without flying?" scoffed The Hood.

"It's an international airport, Hood, in a country with closed borders. The planes are something of a novelty. It's a tourist attraction, almost."

"Amazing," laughed The Hood, "this country is wild. Wild."

"So," said Sato, sitting down with a serious expression on his face, "where were you?"

"Just over there in the shado-"

"No, Hood, where were you? These last few weeks you've barely been around. At all. I've been on my own."

"I had some... things to investigate."

"I don't care where you actually were, whatever weird wibbly-wobbly stuff you want to do in your own time is between you and Al-Tanaka, apparently, I don't care about that. I care about the fact you weren't here."

"You did okay," offered The Hood, meekly.

"Not the point," countered Sato. "You're meant to be the decision maker here, no? I know I put up a fuss when you took over, but the fact is that we do play better when you're here. The players react to you. They know when and when you aren't watching from the shadows and they raise their game accordingly. Boulos especially. That fuss at the Baptism means he's desperate to please you. Desperate. I know Saab is about the best at keeping his form constant that we have, but if he's having an off day I have next to no option from the bench if you're not there, simply because Boulos isn't trying to impress you."

"We still nearly qualified, didn't we?"

"No. No, Hood, in the end it wasn't even close. We had an outside chance at the halfway mark, and then that was it."

"Most of that was Semarland's fault though, wasn't it? For being welcomed back into the fold by the WCC?"

"Not the point, Hood, and you know it. Our performances were nowhere near as good. You need to make an appearance. You need to lead. With Al-Tanaka on that boat, the players are nervy."

"We probably wouldn't have qualified anyway," sighed The Hood, "it's a bit unfair that we're judging my presence on that benchmark."

"We could have, though."

"World Cup qualification campaigns are a long and difficult path to negotiate, Hood, there was never any guarantee."

"As if you'd know," scoffed Sato, "you've barely been here!"

"I do know, actually."

"How could you possibly know?"

"Because I've been in them before, okay!" shouted The Hood, standing up.

Sato simply stared.

"I told you I knew football," said The Hood, turning and leaving before Sato could argue back.

The truth, he thought as he walked down the corridor, was that Sato had a point. He could have been there more for the team. He could have done things differently. He was making mistakes left right and centre until he'd had the good fortune to bump into Amal at the museum, and one of his main motivations now was making sure Al-Tanaka's sacrifice hadn't been in vain. Not just for Al-Tanaka, but potentially for the whole of Amnarei-asud. Potentially even for the entire world. He didn't know how fare these coding errors Amal had talked about went. Even she didn't.

Standing in the viewing area above the gym, he watched as the players below did laps. Making sure he was spotted, he focused in on Saab's running style, an experienced loping stride that preserved as much energy as possible. Saab was nothing if not efficient. Most of all, though, The Hood realised and acknowledged that he was doing it for himself, if only to make sure he could expand on that sentence he'd just left Sato with. He know he wasn't from round here. He knew he'd definitely gone through World Cup qualifying before, but was still no closer to remembering who he was.

Time to do something about that.

He went into his pocket and unfolded the note he'd received that morning from Amal:
"Not ready yet. Carry on as normal. I'll send for you with another 'broadcast'."

Unfortunately, there was no way we'd be able to make his own way back into Amnarei-asud on his own, and unless the Fennecs had already been knocked out of the cup by the point Amal sent for him, he'd be stuck in Ethane. And that didn't even take into account how he'd deal with taking Saab with him.

Fortunately, he had a plan...


******


The next morning, Aslan sat sweating at the departure gate as the last of the coaching and support staff trailed their way out of the door and up the steps to the plane past the assembled photographers and television cameras. There was a band playing, and the President Sheikh had made an appearance. That alone was guaranteed to make sure The Hood would be keeping well out of sight, but that wasn't the only person he hadn't seen that morning at breakfast. And that was when the alarm bells had started to ring. They'd taken the bus to the airport hoping things would turn out okay, but it didn't look good.

An official from the hotel ran up to him at the gate and shook his head.

"It's no use, Mr Sato," gasped the official, out of breath, "we've checked everywhere. Mr Saab is not in the hotel."

Sato looked out to the plane nervously. Their first match was tomorrow. They were under-prepared, had had barely any time with The Hood, and now the star player was missing. Saab's absence thus far hadn't gone unnoticed by the press, who were waiting for their photo-opportunity, but Sato wasn't so worried about them. The borders situation meant that once they made it to Ethane, all they'd have to worry about was one hundred and fifty closely guarded fans that they'd realistically have no contact with. He could bear with half an hour of uncomfortable questions from the press.

But what on earth was he going to tell the rest of the team? And what, if his suspicions were correct, was The Hood playing at?


******


The Rock
Ain Salah

Looking down on his quarry, sleeping peacefully in this spacious and hidden storage cupboard, deep in the bowels of the national stadium, The Hood hoped he hadn't damaged Saab too seriously when he'd drugged him last night and snuck him out of the hotel. If things went to plan and Amal wasn't proved correct with her fears that things could go wrong, Saab would still have a huge role to play in the team during the next campaign. No matter his age, his ability was unmatched. There was a reason they call him a hacker; striking the ball and finding passes with an accuracy that only people who played video games could manage after hacking the database, it was if Saab was tuned into the very source code of the universe. The source code that Amal said was broken.

Wait, the hacker. The Hood closed the door behind him as he made sure Saab had enough food and water for when he woke up. He stared into the distance and walked almost on autopilot to his own secret living quarters. The hacker, the griffon, and the joker. That was what Amal had said about the artefacts.

So, which was The Hood?

[Turori]

#MoreThanAFad Trending in Turori
CPS Looks instill Cocoabo as Turori's National Identity

For a history of events regarding the Cocoabo Preservation Society and its involvement in the Cocoabo Park development, check out the thread on the Atlantian Oceania History Record. Pieces of this record may be brought forward for context during the contination of this thread.

---

In order for his new project to be successful, Noa-Isinao Wioauoi knew that he needed to get the Cocoabo to the forefront of peoples thoughts. People not only had to want to save the Cocoabo. They had to not only want to preserve the Cocoabo's way of life. As president of the Cocoabo Preservation Society, Noa-Isinao Wioauoi had to get the people to like the Cocoabo. They had to want the Cocoabo to be a part of their lives. He needed to transform the Cocoabo. The Cocoabo had to be more than just a native animal with a plight. The Cocoabo had to be part of Turori's National Identity.

For some reason, Wiouaoi thought back to his time playing for the Turori National Team. He remembered how everything was always all about the "Eel". Eel-this, Eel that. Their uniforms were dubbed "Eelskin" by local shops. All the fans had to get their "Eelskin" on before a game. The Eels always had to "Eelectrify" their opponents. Thats the kind of natural marketing Wiouaoi needed for the Cocoabo. To get a better read on his thoughts, Wiouaoi contacted Restiia Mumamba. The long time Turorian Midfielder and former teammate of Wiouaoi now served as the President of the Football Association of Turori (FAT).

The two presidents of their respective organizations had a pleasant exchange recalling the great times they had together as teammates. Then, Wioauoi began discussing Turori's recent track record. He mentioned how Turori were once known for always making the Quarter Finals, and it was only a matter of time before they were able to break through and reach the Semi-Finals, or even the Finals. Now, however, Turori struggle just to compete for a Quarter-Final place. Meanwhile, other nations of similar stature, such as reigning World Cup champion Pasarga, have broken free of their chains and marched to the upper echelon of the sport.

Now, however, the Eels were bouncing between barely making the World Cup and Competing the the Cup of Harmony. The two former National Team players had a serious discussion about what the Eels were lacking. Mumamba quipped that it would take better defenders. Wioauoi agreed, but quickly brought the conversation back on track, not looking to be sent back down memory lane once more. "What if we gave the team a new identity?"

Mumamba listened to Wiouaoi's pitch to change the Turori National Team's mascot from the Eel to the Cocoabo. Mumamba sympathized with what Wioauoi was trying to do, after all, who didn't love the Cocoabo? But being an Eel was a tradition in Turori, Mumamba was a 3rd generation Eel, and he wasn't about to deny any future generations of Mumamba, or any other namesake, from putting on the "Eelskin"

"That seems a bit much, Noa", Mumamba cut softly to the rejection material. "I don't think we'll be able to do that"

Wioauoi asked again, but Mumamba more firmly indicated that it wasn't going to happen. Sensing the conversation coming to an end, Wiouaoi took a stab in the dark, looking to salvage something from the session "What if we just put a Cocoabo on the kit?"

There was a pause on the other end. Then a response. "If you work with 3WD to put together some concepts, we'll consider them. Don't go to Kirola, just yet..." That was the opening Wiouaoi needed. The two wished each other well, and then Wioauoi set off on his new task. Cocoabo kits...

Ultimately, Wioauoi was successful. The kits were concepted by 3WD and then ultimate produced by Tropicorp Sports. In celebration of their return to the World Cup Finals during World Cup 76, the Turori National team adopted the new design, and - while they were still the Turori Eels, they had a little bit more Cocoabo in them.

Unfortunately, while the kits were generally regarded as a success and quickly became top sellers in the Island Emirate - with proceeds from each purchase going to benefit the Cocoabo Preservation Society - something was missing.

The Turori Eels didn't win a single game during World Cup 76. In fact, they didn't claim a single point. Wearing their new Cocoabo kits the Eels went 0-3 and returned home dejected and defeated.

During the offseason, on a tour of the Cocoabo Preservation Society's joint effort with Tropicorp in the Cocoabo Forest, Wioauoi wondered if there might be more he could do. He remembered stories from a time gone by, when the Turori National Team had a uniquely Turorian identity. In this time of struggle - the Eels with their lowest National Ranking in recent history and falling into the clutches of the 'Also-rans' instead of the title-contenders, perhaps this was the time that change would be most accepted.

At the end of World Cup 77 Qualifying - with the Turori National Team failing to take advantage of a control-your-own-destiny situation on the final matchday, conceding points to one of the worst teams in the multiverse and missing out on World Cup 77 as a result, Wioauoi gave a call to Dr. Hamonii at Cocoabo Park and asked if he was ready to put on a show.

Dr. Hamonii, always the optomist, most certainly was. Noa-Isinao Wioauoi then travelled to Eelandii and knocked on the door of the Football Association of Turori president.

"Old Friend," Wioauoi led off to Mumamba, "I've got a proposal, and I think you might like it."

...To be continued...

---

[Tumbra]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Office of the Sofanese Deputy First Minister
David Gooch, Liberal-Green Alliance

It is with a heavy heart that I announce my resignation from the post of Deputy First Minister, as well as pulling the support of the Liberal-Green Alliance from the cabinet of First Minister Nicholas Jowell.

The reasons for this decision, arrived at after a long decision making session with the rest of the Liberal-Green caucus, is twofold...

THE QUENTOLA HERALD
GOOCH WITHDRAWS FROM GOVERNMENT; NO CONFIDENCE MOTION TABLED

QUENTOLA - David Gooch has announced the withdrawal of the Liberal-Green Alliance from the Jowell cabinet, and has tabled a motion of no confidence in the Nationalists, sources close to the Liberals have said.

In a written press release at 10.30pm last evening, Gooch announced the withdrawal, citing irreconciliable differences between him and Jowell, such as "Jowell taking absolute control of the Cabinet and not listening to either the Liberal or Green members' concerns on various policies."

The motion is set to be debated this Wednesday, following First Ministers' Questions. It is thought that all other parties except the Nationalists will vote to bring down the government, precipitating a key election for the Nationalists, who have seen their support in all three territories dip substantially over the last term.

At the previous election, the Nationalists won 65 seats, and are looking at as little as 30 seats at any upcoming election. The three main opposition parties are expected to capitalise on this development.

The results of this election will be crucial to the continued unity of the Nationalist Party on the federal level - after the resignation of Samantha Wallassey last year, the Nationalists have been without both a Senate and a House leader for the past year, and look no closer to electing a new one.

This election, should it be called, will truly be a crisis election for the Sofanese Nationalist Party indeed.

The current Sofanese Parliament composition

CURRENT SOFANESE OPINION POLLS

SDP: 32.1%
CON: 28.9%
L/GA: 17.8%
NAT: 14.7%
OTH: 6.5%

[Abristan]

Two Days Ago...

Maria Santi di Lecce Amazuna, commonly known as Macito, was the sister of footballer Jefferson, who had just flown out to Ethane to play in the Cup of Harmony for Abristan. Unlike her brother, who was going up in life, Macito felt lower than ever. While her brother would be staying in the top hotels, and eating warm food, and sleeping in a comfy bed she would still be living on the streets of Iron Hill, the biggest slum in the capital of Carthage.

She and Jefferson had been born into poverty, when their parents had been killed in a hit and run when she was just four. The streets themselves had raised her, had been her 'parents'. They had both needed releases, to take their minds of how horrific their life had become. For Jefferson, it had been football. From a young age he had joined Iron Hill Rangers, a fourth division side. For her it had been crime. Crime was what most Iron Hill residents resorted to in the end. People said you couldn't be a drug dealer in Iron Hill because there was no-one to deal to, because everyone else was a dealer. It wasn't far from the truth.

Macito was huddled beneath a tarpaulin in a back alley of Fontagne Street, trying to rest up, and ignore the growing hunger pains in her stomach. She hadn't eaten for two days, since the kindly old man from the homeless charity had given her some soup. The government food banks were open, but she didn't have the strength to walk up the steep hill to where the food bank had been set up. She had begged Jenna, her friend to try and bring her back something, giving her her food bank tokens, but she hadn't return, so it would seem that was another friendship down the drain.

Macito suddenly pricked her ears, hearing a noise approach. As she listened she realised it was the sound of bare feet slapping on the paving slabs as they ran. It was a sound she had heard many times before. It would seem the police were after another poor soul. She leaned back, trying to ignore the sound. Suddenly she heard the person running skid to a start, and then start running again. Running down her back alley! She sprung to her feet, and turned to run, but in her panic tripped over a loose plank, and went tumbling to the floor, just managing to get her arms out to stop herself face-planting into the hard wood. She still ended up with grazes up and down her arms, which stung like hell. A weight suddenly fell on her, and she realised the running man must have tripped over her prone body. She pushed herself up and scowled down at the dishevelled looking figure.

"What the hell man. Why are you leading the police pigs to my front door? I don't give a shit what you have done but don't you dare get me involved".

Staring down at him she managed to pick out a few features of the man, like his scraggly beard, and his surprisingly smart clothes for someone in Iron Hill.

The man stared back before opening his mouth to speak:

"Can you keep something safe for me? I need you to keep it safe for me. The police can't get their hands on it. Promise me you will keep it safe".

"Whats in it for me, weirdo?"

"1000 denarii if I come and pick it up tomorrow and its safe".

Macito normally wouldn't deal with strangers like this but 1000 denarii was a lot of money, enough to stay in a decent hotel for a couple of weeks, long enough for Jefferson to return with his wages from the tournament and get her out of here. The man was holding out a CD disc to her. Snatching it from him, she tucked it into the back pocket of her jeans. The man nodded his thanks before turning and sprinting out the other end of the back alley. Turning she saw two policemen hurl themselves down the alley. They ran past her, but the man was long gone and so they doubled back to her. 'Shit', she thought. If they found the disc it was bye-bye to the 1000 denarii. Quickly she weighed up her options before shouting,

"Oi, coppers, that man, he dropped something. This disc". She held it high in the air, light from the moon reflecting off its silvery surface.

[Natanians and Nosts]

Our team status.

The National Team of The Republic of Natanians and Nosts was invited for the Cup of Harmony,a competition for those who did not qualify for the World Cup,but had made an impressive,or not so,campaign at the Qualifiers.Our group has Barunia,Mriin and Revolutionary Nordskania.Our coach hopes we can go beyond the group stage,but it will be practically impossible to happen.One advice to the supporters,the Cosumarites are really very different,so don't try to argue,remember you are at their country.Also I recommend the visit to the chocolate factory!
One thing I liked at our strategy,is that our coach will let all the three goalkeepers to play,to give them more moral.

[Qasden]

17:40•Friday•T.V. City—

Rees, Zachary, Sols, Rosie, and Jon all stand in the main office of QAFA. It has been a little over a week since their draw with Tumbra, closing out the 77th campaign season. The manager gazed down at his phone, focused on a link deriving from the NSWC website. It was the latest rankings.

Well, you did do a great job coaching this time, Merritt. Much more dandy than when we were in 95X.
I'll take that as a compliment.
Yes, not bad. However, it could've been much better.
Oh hush, minister. We finished in the top half, fourth out of ten. That doesn't even mention the victory over Valladares in Swangard.
Besides, Drucati already signed a deal with Brampton United in Mercedini. It'll be difficult for him to manage two things at once.
Yes, yes. We do need to start getting a more international name, though.
50th.

Everyone turned to Sols.

What?
50th. We're 50th. We've moved up 27 ranks. Even past Taeshan.

Everyone looked at each other in awe shock.

That means—
You're lucky, Merritt. Would've fired you otherwise.
You don't have the authority to do that!
I do, minister. And as we were invited to the Cup of Harmony in Cosumar and Ethane, I'm completely okay with Merritt coaching. You did a dandy job, Jon.

Häther turned over back to Sols.

What else do you know?
Well, of the 28 nations that accepted the invitational, we're amongst the top 10 ranked teams in. If my research is right, we're the top of the second pot.
Woohoo!
And what about the players?
Well, Foster has decided to accept a deal to play domestic in Osarius, while Kai Mètre's looking for a job abroad. They'll still be playing the Cup, of course.
Good to see we're getting attention from high-end clubs.
The nickname of the team he's going to is the "millionaires". I don't know about you, but that sounds much better than Opal United.
Have the groups been drawn yet for Costhane?
Costhane?
Cup of Harmony.

Sols clicked through a few pages on the website until he arrived at the requested destination. He scrolled through the names of guests they would not have to deal with yet, ultimately stopping ok the fifth group.

We're in Group E, taking place in Southern Hampton, Ethane.
Looks like we need to start booking fast.
Indeed. Who will we be facing, Sols?
Darmen, Kosovakia, and Damukuni.
Seems like a mild group. Only big threat would be Damukuni.
They came close to qualifying over Electrum. Real close. But we mustn't ignore Darmen and Kosovakia. Their campaigns were still strong enough to get invited to this thing.
Very. Sols, make sure to book flights to the island of Lowe by dawn. Merritt, train the living heck out of those players. I don't want another fourth place finish.
Yes sir.
I'm on it.
Let's win this thing for once.

[Ethane]

MD1 CUTOFF
for Groups A-C

---

Optional RP Challenge: Endemic to Cosumar are a race of horned, blue-skinned humanoids called Vloo. Incorporate someone from your nation's first reaction to seeing a Vloo, or first interaction with one. More about info about the Vloo can be found in the host IC information.
Group B cities in particular are home to a high proportion of Vloo.

---

Group A
Turori 2–0 Juvencus
Brigantii 3–0 Tomikosan

Group A                       Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Brigantii                     1   1  0  0    3   0  +3    3
2 Turori                        1   1  0  0    2   0  +2    3
3 Juvencus                      1   0  0  1    0   2  −2    0
4 Tomikosan                     1   0  0  1    0   3  −3    0

Group B
Brenecia 4–0 Kitsunia-Deesse
Veldgouwen 0–1 Tinhampton

Group B                       Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Brenecia                      1   1  0  0    4   0  +4    3
2 Tinhampton                    1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
3 Veldgouwen                    1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0
4 Kitsunia-Deesse               1   0  0  1    0   4  −4    0

Group C
Barunia 1–0 Natanians and Nosts
Revolutionary Nordskania 1–0 Mriin

Group C                       Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Barunia                       1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
  Revolutionary Nordskania      1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
3 Mriin                         1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0
  Natanians and Nosts           1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0

[Cosumar]

MD1 CUTOFF
for Groups D-G

---

Optional RP Challenge: When on a day out in the city, one of your team members damages an item of significant historical importance to Ethane. What is the item? How is the item damaged? What are the immediate actions of the team member who damaged the item and other team members? What are the consequences of damaging the object?

---

Group D
Tumbra 0-0 Savojarna
Boring Paradise 1–1 Rzeczpospolita Pruska

Group D               Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Boring Paradise         1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
  Rzeczpospolita Pruska   1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
3 Savojarna               1   0  1  0    0   0   0    1
  Tumbra                  1   0  1  0    0   0   0    1

Group E
Damukuni 2–1 Kosovakia
Qasden 4–3 Darmen

 Group E               Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Qasden                  1   1  0  0    4   3  +1    3
2 Damukuni                1   1  0  0    2   1  +1    3
3 Darmen                  1   0  0  1    3   4  −1    0
4 Kosovakia               1   0  0  1    1   2  −1    0

Group F
West Saintland 3–1 Mattijana
Amnarei-asud 1-1 Tobiasia

  Group F               Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 West Saintland          1   1  0  0    3   1  +2    3
2 Amnarei-asud            1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
  Tobiasia                1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
4 Mattijana               1   0  0  1    1   3  −2    0

Group G
Nova Anglicana 3–2 Abristan
Taeshan 1-3 Kalumba

Group G               Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Kalumba                 1   1  0  0    3   1  +2    3
2 Nova Anglicana          1   1  0  0    3   2  +1    3
3 Abristan                1   0  0  1    2   3  −1    0
4 Taeshan                 1   0  0  1    1   3  −2    0

[Turori]

Cocoabo Surprise
Turori's Native Species Takes Control

For a more complete backstory regarding Cocoabo Forest please visit the Historical Record on the Atlantian Oceania Forum

At the end of World Cup 77 Qualifying - with the Turori National Team failing to take advantage of a control-your-own-destiny situation on the final matchday, conceding points to one of the worst teams in the multiverse and missing out on World Cup 77 as a result, Wioauoi gave a call to Dr. Hamonii at Cocoabo Park and asked if he was ready to put on a show.

Dr. Hamonii, always the optomist, most certainly was. Noa-Isinao Wioauoi then travelled to Eelandii and knocked on the door of the Football Association of Turori president.

"Old Friend," Wioauoi led off to Mumamba, "I've got a proposal, and I think you might like it."

The Turori National Team's World Cup 77 Qualifying Matchday 17 fixture at Cocoabo Park was certainly a spectacle. The bar was raised. The first ever Turori National Team match in the Cocoabo Forest and it was a smash hit. National interest and awareness in the Cocoabo was spiking through the roof.

But, hosting a Turori National Team match in the Cocoabo Forest wasn't just about awareness. It was not just about National Interest. It was about data. And it was about having the right people in the right place for something special - something extra.

Teams of scientists and researchers from Tropicorp and the Cocoabo Preservation Society had sensors throughout the facility recording everything that could be imagined from Crowd Noise to lighting to the speed, pace and force imparted on a ball when it is kicked and advanced analytical study of the game itself. Members of the Tropicorp National Team that has competed at the Atlantian Oceania Confederation of Association Football Cup were leading the charge, familiar with the analytics required to make such a project happen.

In fact, the Tropicorp scientists thought that they were doing all of their work in support of this project - they just didn't know it would be green-lit so quickly. The trial run - held late in the evening after all the fans had gone home after Turori's exciting 3-0 victory over Savojarna, had gone splendidly. Noa-Isinao Wioaoui had proven Restiia Mumamba wrong. Mumamba had doubted that Wioaoui's proposal was even worth considering. But, seeing the way that they performed against the calculated Tropicorp Techies side in the closed door fixture had changed his mind.

The following week, after another failed attempt to qualify for the World Cup Finals - ensuring for a third straight cycle that there would be no points in the Island Emirate of Turori's "World Cup" contribution to the international rankings, Mumamba and Mumau Atla-Siioai decided it was time for a change in the Turori National Team.

Rumors started to swirl the morning of Turori's first match of Cup of Harmony 69 against Juvencus when Turori and Jungle Strike FC starlet Meldi'ita Mungwaii sent out a status update that clearly showed the striker in the Island Emirate and not in Cosumar. Turns out, Mungwaii was not the only one...

... As the teams emerged from the Tunnel, smiles and chuckles broke out accross the arena. "Well, it appears as if their will be a little bit of pre-game entertainment before we're started here, as it looks that some creatures are out to have a bit of a kick about!" The in-stadium PA announcer proclaimed as fans found their seat. It was a bit odd, however, as the Juvencus team were out of the tunnel. Fans were still waiting for the Turorian players to emerge.

The local fans at the Fire River Arena were getting confused. Where was the Turorian Squad? The refs? Why are they meeting in the center of the pitch while those... things... are still out there? What is going on? Why is that creature... going towards the refs?

The Turorian fans in attendance, however, had a much more varied range of emotions. From sheer joy, to uncontrolled anger, Turorian fans were completely caught off guard. "Is this for real?" the network chatter began to trend.

Yes, yes it was. Noa-Isinao Wioauoi was on the sideline. So was Inalali Vumaou, child of Tuaoko Vumaou who made his fame as the Referee for the World Cup 62 final and descendant of former Turori National Team player and Coach Jualiar Vumaou. Vumaou's presence was very intriguing as it was long an occasional subject of public opinion how, with the retirement of Tuaoko Vumaou from Refereeing, the famed Vumaou clan was 'out of the sport' - Inalali becoming a behavioural scientist. Alongside Vumaou was Dr. Hamonii from the Cocoao Park project.

Soon, reality set in. This was real. There were no other players coming out of the tunnel. Vumaou took a lap around the playing surface before heading back to the dugout. Some fans and media types tried to get the Turorians attention, but he remained silent. Finally, however, one of them got his attention.

"Vumaou! What the hell are those things? And where are the Eels!" nearly falling over to get Vumaous attention, the inquisitive mind exclaimed.

Vumaou stopped, looked the inquirer straight in the eyes and said "Well, they are Cocoabo's, and by golly, they sure can play. Just wait, you'll see."

Vumaou was right. 90 minutes later, Turori had won. 2-0. Perhaps they had caught their opponents unprepared. Perhaps they really were good. Either way, 3 points were on the board and they were Turori's.

Naturally, there was plenty of discussion in the press room after the game.

Q: Who's in charge of this team? Who is the Coach?
A: (Hamonii) Well isn't this great! Oh they've done so well! (Vumaou) Well you see, we don't employ a traditional structure here (Hamonii) Right, Right. We have a whole team effort here. But Inalali is in charge. Inalali has worked with these Cocoabo since day 1. The Cocoabo respect Inalali and Inalali respects them. We all do what we can to support him.
(Vumaou) From a footballing side, I know what I'm doing as well, obviously, my family has a long history in the sport, but we've got plenty of input from the Tropicorp Team who has collected a lot of data over the past few years that we have used directly in the training with our flock.

Q: So who actually played today, like, what do we write in the match report - 'Cocoabo #26 scored a goal today?'
A: (Wioaoui) Sure! Why not? (Vumaou) Well, all of our Cocoabo have nick names. But for now thats fine. We'll see how they respond to the attention first, we've been training back in the Cocoabo Forest for some time. We weren't planning to introduce them to the world until the AOCAF Cup but since the Cup of Harmony ended up being in Atlantian Oceania and the travel wouldn't be ... too bad ... we figured it was as good a time as any.

Q: So, team sheet?
A: (Mumau Atla-Siioai) Being passed out now

Starting Lineup v. Juvencus:
Pos :: Identification  : Home
GK  :: ( Cocoabo #86 ) : Cocoabo Forest
DEF :: ( Cocoabo #58 ) : Cocoabo Forest
DEF :: ( Cocoabo #57 ) : Cocoabo Forest
DEF :: ( Cocoabo #53 ) : Cocoabo Forest
MID :: ( Cocoabo #61 ) : Cocoabo Forest
MID :: ( Cocoabo #64 ) : Cocoabo Forest
MID :: ( Cocoabo #65 ) : Cocoabo Forest
MID :: ( Cocoabo #62 ) : Cocoabo Forest
AMC :: ( Cocoabo #72 ) : Cocoabo Forest
FOR :: ( Cocoabo #91 ) : Cocoabo Forest
FOR :: ( Cocoabo #99 ) : Cocoabo Forest

Q: The Cocoabo were extremely disciplined today - No Yellow Cards, hardly any fouls against. Is that down to training?
A: (Wioaoui) Well, they don't really have to worry about Hand Ball! (Vumaou) Well sure, thats up for interpretation. We introduce the game to them. They know what they can do. We reward them if they do well. They like being rewarded.

As the press conference was drawing to a close, one final request came in.

Q: Can we get a picture of a Cocoabo with a Vloo? I'm pretty sure it would be the first such picture in history!
A: (Wioaoui) Well, that sounds like a great idea! Inalali? (Vumaou) The Cocoabo need to rest. If we come across any Vloo I'll ask their permission and get the picture out to you. We'll be sure to get it done by the time we leave. (Wioauoi) Great! And yes, I can't ever recall a Cocoabo and a Vloo ever crossing paths until today at the stadium. Surely there are now some photos with Cocoabo and Vloo in the same shot, we'll just have to comb through the footage. We'll stage something up before we head back to the Cocoabo Forest, however.
(Hamonii) I just want to say, I love the Vloo. I had a conversation with a Vloo this morning. Surprisingly, this is my first time to Cosumar. In my wildest dreams, I probably pictured more dragons. But the Vloo are a fun group and I was pleased to have met the acquaintance of one, hope to meet a few more while I'm here. Now If I could just find a Vloo to take me on a ride with a Dragon, my entire Cosumarite dreams will have been fulfilled! (Atla-Siioai) Well, that and coming home with a Cup of Harmony trophy! (Mumamba) Right!

---

[Abristan]

The Abristani Changing Room
After the Match

Jefferson sat slumped on a bench in the corner of the Abristan changing room, towel over his head to hide the raw emotion visible on his gaunt features. He had been expecting so much, too much, from his first international fixture. All he had wanted was to help his team win. He had known the Nova Anglicana game would be tough, but it still hurt him that they had come so close to victory, only to have it cruelly snatched away again, losing 3-2. They could have won, having equalised twice, against a far more experienced side, but had lacked the composure to see out the game.

He certainly hadn't helped the team today. He had come on as a sub in the 64th minute for El Abassi, only to fluff the few chances other people created for him. There had been no trace of the genius that he often showed for the Harriers, none of the fancy footwork and incisive runs that had earned him the nickname 'Jaguare', in Acoma, the language of the streets. And now he had to go back to the hotel and endure the glancing looks, and whispered comments about him that would inevitably come. He had been a controversial choice for the national team. He was only the second international player of Guarani descent, after Jaginho, and he got away with it based on his ability and long-standing reputation. Jefferson would have to prove his worth himself, as some journalists had already accused the FA of only selecting him to appease the 'equality' movement in Abristan. Jefferson himself suspected he had, but there was no way that would stop him performing in Ethane.

Jefferson heard another player sit down next to him quietly on the bench, but didn't dare take the towel off his head to check who it was. He didn't like people seeing his weaknesses. That was something he had learned living in Iron Hill. If you showed weakness, people would exploit it. He had seen it happen to his friends, and he wasn't going to let it happen to him as well.

He and the man next to him sat in silence for a good two minutes. Finally he heard the man shuffle awkwardly before speaking:

"Listen, Jefferson, who can't beat yourself up about today man. It was your first game, god only knows how much pressure those damn journalists put on you to perform".

Jefferson recognised the voice of former under-21 teammate Coleman Rydson, who was also at his first tournament but hadn't played in this first game.

"At least they trusted you to get some game time man, I was a sub for the whole game. Doesn't feel good, I can tell you that for nothing", Coleman continued.

"Better that than f*ck up in front of hundreds of fans brother. I feel awful right now. Now the papers will rip me to shreds for being the failed 'poster-child' of the equality movement, just because some people are stuck in the 19th century or whatever and can't believe a boy from Iron Hill could make it to the top. Where we are born doesn't change anything. It shouldn't change anything. Its up to me not them how I live my life".

"You know the whole team is behind you Jaguare. We trust you. Just trust yourself".

Jefferson sighed, and pulling the towel off his head, rose to take a shower. Coleman got up as well and made for the door.

"Hurry up though man, the whole team is waiting for you to get changed. Matthew isn't happy, trust me".

Jefferson swore under his breath. 'What a way to make friends with his new manager', he thought.

30 minutes later...

Having dried his messy locks, Jefferson made his way outside to the team coach which was waiting to take them back to their hotel. He climbed the steps, anxious to see what his teammates reaction would be. However the first person he would run into would not be a teammate but manager Matthew Harris. Jefferson sighed, expecting to be told of for being late, but Matthew just looked confused.

"Um, Jefferson, we've got a call for you, from a withheld number. Some girl called Macito?".

[Barunia]

Adam Johnson's new tactics have paid off in the Suns' Cup of Harmony opener against Natanians and Nosts. Johnson fielded two defensive midfielders along with the back four, in what is a much more defensive Suns team then previous incarnations. The extra defender has been pulled from up front, with the Suns fielding a lone striker as part of a standard formation for the first time ever.

There had been a lot of talk about Johnson's changes, and the coach looked understandably nervous as he walked out to the sidelines. It is always harder to make changes with an established team, and there was little time for preparation between the World Cup qualifiers and the Cup of Harmony. It was a nervous start to proceeding out on the pitch too, with the Barunians struggling to get the ball into their opponent's half. However, the six man wall was working, with Silva and Goncalo, the two Natanian strikers, completely stifled and unable to make any penetration into the Barunian box. Bainbridge was hardly challenged in the first half, really only getting involved when the Natanians earned a few corners. Then the Barunian captain earned his stripes.

Down the other end, the Barunians had scant chances, and couldn't make the most of them. They were perhaps unlucky to miss out on one chance that is sure to be discussed at length over the coming days. Against the run of play, Collins-Holzknecht went on a run and appeared to clear her mark before the player, Da Silva, caught up with her and dispossessed her. It looked as if Da Silva deliberately hooked his arm around hers to prevent her passage. The referee did not see any cause to call a foul for holding and play was allowed to continue, but many in the stands and commentary box thought the Suns should have been awarded a penalty.

It was the last genuine chance the Barunians would have before the half. The second half brought more composure from the Barunians, and they began to dominate the match. In the first half, the breakdowns had occurred mainly in the midfield, with Cole and Kyrow perhaps taking too much of their roles as defenders and not enough as midfielders. In the second half, Cole was recalled for Matt Vine, who helped create that passing game and win the battle for possession. Using the wings, the Barunians were able to create opportunities, but couldn't find the finish to Collins-Holzknecht or O'Donnell, who took over the striker's role in the 70th minute.

The breakthrough came in the 79th minute, when Cartwright's whipped cross was cleared by Silva to Kyrow, who hoofed it back in towards the box. The curving shot proved to much for Foster, who had been guarding O'Donnell at the other post. The score on the board, Kyrow retreated back to the defence as the Barunians re-established their six-man defensive barrier. It withstood a nervous fifteen minutes of desperate battering by the Natanians, but to no avail. Adam Johnson could breathe a sigh of relief as he led his team victorious from the field.

[Kitsunia-Deesse]

Sophie Plebonesqueteu.
Isabel Dominique.
Alvin Darilesque.
Zdenek Guernon.
Yvonne Bayeau.
Francine Coquelin.
Joan-Marie Bronanturt.
Claude Traffikant.
Louise Sioux.
Minnie Sioux-D'Erlands.
Fantina Zirome.
This was the squad that won the last Global Cup of Soccer.
This was also the squad that struggled against World Cup regulars Brenecia and ended up losing by a sound 4-0 score.

...Good Lord, this was going to be quite the Cup of Harmony.