World Cup 81: Roleplay Thread

by **Vilita** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 2:55 am

Jungle Cats enter the Wormhole on way to Anthor?

Royal Athletics Stadium, Vaumort, Anthor :: Following the boost provided from an all-around good night at Lunar Park in Seraai where the Jungle Cats celebrated the career of long time goalkeeper Zelkki Milake with a 3-0 victory over Kilaguni, the Vilitan National team would pack out and head on the road.

While some players stayed behind including Milake , the rest made there way to Anthor where the National Team was greeted most confusingly at the airport by signs saying "Welcome Vilitia players"

Of course, different members of the team took varying levels of offense or condemnation surrounding that sign - some angry at being disrespected - others laughing about it. The most jovial of the group started vocalizing the tune of the popular Vilitan show 'The Wormhole' which postulates stories from alternate versions of reality. One recent episode of the Wormhole was oddly on point with the welcoming that the Jungle Cats upon arrival in Anthor further making the players wonder if they themselves had crossed through the Wormhole on the way to Anthor.

You're traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That's the signpost up ahead - your next stop, the Wormhole!" - If you are a fan of the hit podshow 'The Wormhole' then those words will likely instill excitement and anticipation for what is to come. Thankfully for those fans, there will be plenty to anticipate as it has been confirmed that 'The Wormhole' has been picked up for another season of episodes.

Long throughout the history of the multiverse there have been implications of an alternate universe that exists - or perhaps an universe alternativia of sorts - an area of time and space whereby nations not unlike those in our multiverse exist - but exist with an extra "I".

Such nations include Pasargia, Vilitia, Banijia, Valanoria, Mattijania, Sargossia, Savojarnia and Lovisia. And now, Vilitia & Turori.

While the live dimensional Vilitans and Turorians had been teaming up in sporting competition throughout modern history - and doing so quite effectively including being crowned two-time Atlantian Oceania Hockey Cup winners, lifting the 34th World Cup of Hockey and most recently winning AOCAF 56 in the Equestrian States; It would mark the first time that the trans-dimensional Vilitians would team up with any dimensional Turorians in sporting competition - at least that anyone this side of the Wormhole was aware of.

The time was right for the Vilitians to cross the inter-dimensional threshold with their own Turorian counterparts and show the multiverse what the sporting world would be like if it were in fact Vilitia, and not Vilita, who they were competing against.

While some of the players were initially upset at the slight, most eventually came around to the side of embracing the 'i' as they referred to it, talking about their "Vilitian" teammates in interviews and using the hashtag #3rdI on twii.tur.

While they didn't have time to make any modifications to their uniforms for the occasion, ever the prankster Mileke Drokasorna managed to get headbands with "Vilitia" printed locally on them in time for the match and seven of the starting players wore them in the match - none more comically than Berali Tzufarei who was sporting the bald look coupled with the multi-colored 'Vilitia' headband.

When the match kicked off some of the #3rdI energy that had been stored over the previous days as jovialness quickly converted itself into motivating energy as the Jungle Cats were in no mood to start the match slow. Whether they were Vilitans or Vilitians they pressed forward and attacked the Warriors goal. Within five minutes, the Vilitians had already found a way to put the ball past Byran Kimball with Turoki Tide midfielder Cavuna Aquafek cleaning up the mess after Sipke Tarala's shot was blocked off the leg of Ellar Sampson.

The visitors would double their lead just before half time when the headband-wearing Vilitian Berali Tzufarei used the headband to good effect elevating highest on one of the Jungle Cats 13 first-half corner-kicks and it was lucky 13 that finally found the back of the net for Vilitia who were in a much more comfortable position heading into the locker room up 2-0.

A pair of changes were made at the break with goalscorer Cavuna Aquafek being replaced by Fishtii Blikala and defender Rintala Sekagaya being replaced by the young phenom Limu Katarakhna. It meant that the Jungle Cats were switching their formation from a 4-4-2 to a 3-4-3 potentially signalling their intention to take no quarter and press for goals in the second half as they looked to catch up to Mercedini atop the Group 13 table goal differential race.

The effect was perhaps not what they hoped for in the end but they did eventually tack on one more goal - a long range wonder strike from Arocki Tadalek who fired a hopeful looking effort from over 30 yards out that swerved, dipped, clipped the underside of the bar and left Byron Kimball looking quite embarrassed, ending any faint hopes of a comeback from the home side who could only muster two shots on Cilamara Issah's goal - not the performance the Anthor Warriors needed if they were hoping to stay in contention for the World Cup 81 qualification and playoff places.

Vilitia [3] - [0] Anthor

:: Vilita Goalscorers ::
:: 3' Cavuna Aquafek
:: 41' Berali Tzufarei
:: 88' Arocki Tadalek

:: Vilita Statistics ::
:: Possession: 61%
:: Shots on Target: 9
:: Corner Kicks: 18

:: Anthor Statistics ::
:: Possession: 39%
:: Shots on Target: 2
:: Corner Kicks: 4

Vilitia Jungle Cats Lineup v. Anthor ::
[GK] Cilamara Issah, [D.] Arocki Tadalek, [D.] Inbekira Ajhabekk, [D.] Rintala Sekagaya, [D.] Jirijii Januaa, [ML] Westii Yahaya, [MC] Jurzen Devmiko, [MC] Cavuna Aquafek, [MR] Polaox Torerun, [FC] Berali Tzufarei, [FC] Sipke Tarala
BENCH::
[FC] Tenziki Kulakao, [FC] Fishtii Blikala, [M] Karisto Monafog, [M] Limu Katarakhna, [U ] Monner Vileai, [D] Mileke Drokasorna, [GK] Vernasa Sanamun

As the Jungle Cats departed Anthor they left the hashtag #3rdI behind them and looked forward to a return home and the match against Rannoria. It was a bit of a lull in the schedule for the Jungle Cats as they faced a number of mid-to-low ranked teams in succession, teams that they were not all that familiar with, all building up to what would clearly be a group-defining matchup against Mercedini at home on Matchday 9 at the Lonngeylin Coliseum, home of Jungle Strike FC.

by **Darkmania** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 3:27 am

"Boys, we are soo close to qualify to the world cup. While we still have matches to go, we are below the threshold to do so. What is our goal?"

"Qualify for the first time?"

"Thats right. And yes, we have like half of the matches left, but i want to see we qualify and play with the big na...."

"Er... We are only 103rd on the ranking. How can we... "

"Just try your best. We still got matches to improve."

by **Dreamplanet** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 3:30 am

CUN CERRILHO SCARE ENDS CAREER

Cun Cerrilho against Darkmania

The Dreamplanetian win over Darkmania had a cloudy lining to it as Cun Cerrilho came within minutes of losing his life after a heart attack against Darkmania.
Darkmania were not unknown to the Dreamplanetians, having competed in Worldvision and the World Hit Festival, so once again a "Worldvision Nation" had been drawn with Dreamplanet, last time that happened, Dreamplanet lost 6-2 and 4-3, causing the Doportedas Disaster, however this time, Dreamplanet were the stronger team as they got an early goal with Luis Silva in the 7th minute after a sublime free kick after he was brought down near the edge of the penalty area. After a valiant Darkmanian defence kept out Dreamplanet from scoring a second goal, Aaron Hungar doubled their lead after a header crossed in by Jorge Cardozo. Darkmania got one back in the 67th minute after Vërnspern was able to run past the Dreamplanetian defence, an all too common occurrence, after a great pass from Përsater. But Aaron Hungar once again frustrated the home fans as he hit a volley on the rebound of a Luis Silva shot, seemingly sealing the win for Dreamplanet in the 81st minute. The win would put pressure on Jeruselem as Dreamplanet closed in on 3rd place, already tied on points, only behind as Jeruselem beat Dreamplanet at home on Matchday 1.

Darkmania had a quick attack after the kickoff but it was dealt with by the Dreamplanetian defence, however when Rui Jorge launched the ball up field, Cerrilho tried to head it while contesting Bernsüng, only for him to fall on the ground without even touching the ball.

Bernsüng was near Cerrilho, so he was booked as from the referee's angle he looked like he pushed Cerrilho to the ground, however the players quickly noticed that something was wrong and rolled Cerrilho over to prevent him from swallowing his tounge. The players looked in total shock as the match had to be called off at the 94th minute after Dreamplanetian players backed into the tunnel, the incident happened in the 85th minute. Cerrilho was able to be saved by the quick medical response as the players were extremely worried for their teammate.

Cerrilho, who had been vital in getting Coerefente their first ever league title, was considered a future prospect for Os Tricores, even assisting Luis Silva his first goal against Neo-Romanum as they went on to record their joint biggest win in history. Thankfully, Cun Cerrilho survived, however a Darkmanian hospital spokesperson said "If he had stayed on the pitch for one more minute, he would've died there."

Dreamplanet will only be able to call a replacement before Matchday 10 against Jeruselem, however Coerefente fans will sorely miss Cun Cerrilho's ability on the ball as once again another rising star narrowly avoided death, however with the price of his career ending as he is no longer fit to play. Instantly, discussion about who should replace Cerrilho arose, with many pipping 18 year old, Miguel Benedito of Coerefente, to take his place as one of Dreamplanet's center midfielders.

Dreamplanet 6 - 2 Neo-Romanum
(L. Silva 18', 34', 74', Figueiredo 7', 49', 81', Hungar 90'+1' - ? 68', Cardozo 80' (og.))
Estadio de Libon, Dreamplanet

Darkmania 1 - 3 Dreamplanet
(Vërnspern 67' - L. Silva 7', Hungar 39', 81')
Tÿramël Städÿon, Darkmania

Group 11                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Abanhfleft                        7    6   0   1    15    5  +10    18
 2 Mriin                             7    5   1   1    24   12  +12    16
 3 Jeruselem                         7    4   1   2    12    9   +3    13
 4 Dreamplanet                       7    4   1   2    18   12   +6    13
 5 Darkmania                         7    4   0   3    17   15   +2    12
 6 Crystalline Caverns               7    3   1   3     7    6   +1    10
 7 Sultanate of Oontaz               7    2   1   4     4   13   −9     7
 8 Mareibat                          7    2   0   5    10   14   −4     6
 9 Neo-Romanum                       7    1   2   4     8   19  −11     5
10 Lycrabon                          7    0   1   6     4   14  −10     1

Qualified for World Cup
Qualified for Playoffs

by **Nephara** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 3:35 am

Ancharmunn 0 - 3 Nephara
(4-2-3-1) 12 - Swoboda; 18 - Kielseng, 5 - Konoval, 6 - Steelhenge, 19 - Close; 4 - Rowland (23 - Misidjan 60'), 8 - Klein; 7 - Fanaiyan, 21 - Gosforth (c), 11 - Strongbow; 9 - Hawke (17 - Metzger 67')
Goals: Hawke 20', Metzger 81', Klein 90+2'

The HERALD Presents...
NEPHARA'S GREATEST XI - PART THREE
Geneva Schwarzer

So far, our little list has included Diandra Ballard and Scylla Vyntra, who both lifted the World Cup. Perhaps that's unsurprising. Sadly, our next entrant missed that by literally one year. Still, he'll be happy enough with his resume. 172 caps, a record to date, won between the ages of 21 and 35. 11 goals is nothing to sniff at, either. He was the best defender in the world in his prime, arguably best player - named ANL Player of the Year when that was the top individual award in world football - and holds a fair shout at being one of the best centre-halves in history. He was, of course, Hadrian Belfast.

Belfast was always able to separate the mild, media-friendly personality off the pitch from the stone-faced iron bulwark he was on it. The son of an fairly successful accountant and her house-husband, Belfast lacked the hardscrabble from-nothing backstories of many other prominent Nepharim, right up until an acrimonious divorce took his peace at home away from him. The football pitch was his release. The coaches at his school recognised there were definitely some unresolved anger management issues there, as well as a world of talent, and shipped him off to the Harriers in the hopes that they could get his head right and unleash the player inside.

Handed strict boundaries by a club eager to ensure he didn't stray, Belfast thrived in the structure, made it work for him, and worked hard to repay their faith. But there was still just a little too much mongrel in him, a tendency to blame himself for errors, the sense the lad was not yet at peace. That didn't dissuade Sabrefell Athletic from hauling him a division higher, and after a single season to adapt, thrust him into the firing line on the regular. The Premiership may not have been then what it is now - this was old enough that Daniel Cromwell was still relevant - but he still caught eyes abroad. Brinemouth tried to get him first, but Dwile Warriors snatched him away under their noses, back when they were the giants of football.

It was too much, he later admitted, a year too soon. The ANL was at that time a far more technical league than the Premiership, and more to the point, Dwile were a far more aggressive side than any in Nephara. The line was high, the pressure was confident, the pace was unrelenting and referees would actually call fouls. He wavered for his club; his form dipped enough to be dropped for his country for a couple of years, missing the 68 cycle that was a breakthrough year for Nephara. Tosca Marlowe, his partner in crime at the heart of defence for almost her entire international career, said it was 'like a phantom limb to her right'. But he emerged from the wilderness. His form picked up, and kept rising, and suddenly he was a hero for the Warriors, constantly bailing them out of counterattacks, now thriving on the pressure they invited on themselves match after match after match, winning everything they saw. It was a habit that, thankfully, he took with him back to the Cormorants.

His iconic moment in the national team will always be the final of Campionato Esportiva 10, just one year after Nephara made the quarterfinals of the World Cup without him. A rematch in the final of four years ago, against the Sunrise Islanders. Whereas in CE8 it had been a free-flowing 4-4, settled only by penalties, this was a far grittier affair. Rook Cathar scored the only goal of the game, converting a low cross by Anna Shrike, but it's Belfast's contribution that will always be remembered - a calculated professional foul to stop a clear goalscoring opportunity, smashing Hannah Alcouin's legs from under her, to ensure Nepharim victory. That was Belfast through and through - personal sacrifice for the team's benefit, leading by example with calm mind and brute force in equal measure. He lead the Cormorants in that spirit for close to a decade after that.

World Cup 73 was meant to be his last. Instead, it ended with a humiliating 3-0 defeat to Nephara's old rivals, the Sunrise Islands. He wasn't about to leave it at that - indeed, that sparked the momentum for a strong end to his career. Brookford Otters picked him up on a free at the age of 35 and immediately handed him the armband in a show of respect, and he repaid that trust (as he always did) by keeping them in the league across his three years there. He was coaxed out of international retirement by Theresa Riether, and rewarded them by leading them to the final and a 5-1 win over SJG that set the groundwork in motion for the World Cup win the next year. It wasn't too long before he'd give the Otters another three seasons, this time as manager, raising them from second-tier midtable to successive credible promotion pushes. He's since moved on, but early signs look bright. Perhaps the manager can exceed the player. In reality, though, if he does even half as well he should be damn happy.

Honourable Mention: Calliope Katskalidis was, yes, another World Cup champion - a relative veteran of that back line. Similarly to Belfast, her debut came too soon for her - she was an angry bundle of limbs, chopping at whoever she could find. Instead, she matured, and time made her into a good, hard brawler of a defender, someone who always loved a scrap, with a prominent scar on her cheek. She would have been perfect proof that you can take the girl out of Treason, but never Treason out of the girl... at least, that would've been the case had she ever actually left AFC Treason, her beloved hometown club, for a significant amount of time - she ended her career with a year in Tihon, coaxed over by Catheline Allister, but that was it. Was she truly one of Nephara's best defenders? Maybe not. But she was always easy-going with the fans, had a blunt charm that caused the media no end of trouble and just... with every fibre of her being, loved to defend. In any other country? A thug. In Nephara? A heroine.

by **Turori** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 4:18 am

Confusion as Citizens and Cocoabo both show up in Beepee

Norfolk Pinewoods Stadium, Beepee :: There was confusion afoot when the Turori National Team arrived in Beepee as both Turori's National Citizen Squad and Turori's National Cocoabo Squad arrived - at different times - expecting to compete.

In fact, neither side apparently originally thought they were there for a footsport match but once they arrived, neither wanted to concede the fact and give up the right to play the match.

In fact, it was an oversight by the Football Association of Turori in the scheduling of the matches for the Cocoabo and Citizen Squad - both matches against Beepee were left off the schedule altogether. Supposedly the staff member in charge of the scheduling didn't realize that Bee Pee was actually the name of a nation and assumed someone was... taking the piss... on them by tossing it into the list to see if they were paying attention.

The schedule, which was only publicly revealed on the heels of the Beepee debacle, didn't show any matches for the Turori National Team on Matchday 5 or Matchday 14 - ultimately the two matchdays in which Turori was scheduled to square off against Beepee. Somewhat controversially on the schedule once again, the Cocoabo have the slightly easier schedule straight off the bat with five home matches versus three for the Citizen Squad - excluding the home and away against Beepee.

Citizen Team Schedule:

MD3 @ Guadalajara

MD4 v. Central Shaneville
(Iobabao Legendary Park, Mliona)

MD8 v. Jeckland
(Almintora National Stadium, Almintora)

MD9 @ Ndaku

MD10 @ Valladares

MD11 @ Petrovskia

MD15 @ Michine

MD16 v. New Lusitania
(Eels Park, Eelandii, Turori)

Cocoabo Team Schedule:

MD1 v. Valladares
(Cednia Beach Center, Cednia)

MD2 v. Petrovskia

MD6 v. Michine
(Cocoabo Park Arena, Cocoabo Forest)

MD7 @ New Lusitania

MD12 v. Guadalajara
(Kionao Minor Field, Kionao)

MD13 @ Central Shaneville

MD17 @ Jeckland

MD18 v. Ndaku
(Cocoabo Park Arena, Cocoabo Forest)

Eventually, however, it seemed that representatives from both the Citizen Squad and the Cocoabo Squad realized the error - and both, independently, decided not to tell the Football Association of Turori or their counterparts on the opposite squad. Instead, both teams concocted a plan to arrive in Beepee, claim they were there for the match and 'steal' the game off the schedule - potentially giving themselves a leg up in the Citizen v. Cocoabo standings.

Of course, in the end, this was probably a bit asinine and a totally futile exercise as whichever team stole the away match in Beepee would almost certainly just lose a potential home match against Beepee on Matchday 14. But for some reason, it made sense individually to each squad to try to steal the Matchday 5 fixture and build momentum early in the Citizen v. Cocoabo standings.

Of course, flights, logistics, schedules, planning - it all can't be kept under wraps for ever. But both squads did everything they could to keep their intentions quiet for as long as possible.

The Cocoabo Squad organized "B.P." on their internal calendars and when asked about it, it was led to believe that in an effort to keep their skills well rounded, they would be working with the Cocoabo Enrichment and Enhancement Program (CEEP) to improve their baseball skills - with the first step being an introductory round of Batting Practice at the Ball Park.

For the Citizen Squad it was perhaps even more of a stretch from the truth as they were scheduled to have their Blood Pressure checked by an 'alternative method' that required travel outside of Vilita. Supposedly they would also be able to determine the levels of their Blood Pollution and that Bravery Points would be awarded to whichever players completed both tests with the best - and worst numbers.

It just so happens that both the Batting Practice and the Blood Pressure testing were taking place in Beepee.

So when both teams arrived at the Norfolk Pinewoods Stadium a few days ahead of the match, there was a conflict. There was only enough space in the Locker Room for one team and the Football Association of Turori wasn't looking to experiment with a mixed squad while Turori were locked in a tight Qualification battle with Valladares and Beepee themselves. A decision had to be made.

In the end it was decided that the Citizens would play the match itself while the Cocoabo would stick around and do some impromptu advertising and outreach to the local population with the Cocoabo Preservation Society working with the locals to set up a mini exhibition zone where those attending and surrounding the match at the Norfolk Pinewoods Stadium could interact with the Cocoabo and learn more about their history, preservation efforts and the Cocoabo Enrichment and Enhancement Program at Cocoabo Park.

While the Cocoabo Squad weren't thrilled about not being able to play the match - they knew the consolation prize would be a 6th home match out of the 9 they would contest in the campaign which softened the disappointment somewhat.

The match itself was a tight affair that the Citizen Squad ultimately prevailed in with Medli'ita Mungwaii's 38th minute shot from the edge of the box beating Francois Shep and being the difference in a match that saw only the one goal. The result would give the Turori National Team some breathing room atop Group 1 and vindicated the support shown in the Citizen Squad by the Football Association of Turori in this top of the table clash.

by **Jeruselem** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 4:43 am

Princess Cassie in the Sultanate of Oontaz after Jeruselem drew with the local team 0-0

This is Princess Cassandra Elsa Dallas, I'm in some place called Sultanate of Oontaz for the 7th game of the World cup qualification. Err, yes it's an away game. We had an incident yesterday where my sister got stung by a wasp, twice. That's on top of recovering from the flu we caught somewhere else. Normally it would be fine except she's allergic to some wasps, so she ended up in hospital. So guess who's in charge of the team for the day, yeah me. I'm not completely incomponent ... but anyway.

Anyway, our away form is two wins and a loss. Well add a draw to that, we actually should have won. But the keeper for Sultanate of Oontaz kept on getting in the way as wel as the referee who thought everything was offside, for both teams. I think even the locals thought we should have at least one goal for each team.

In the other games in Group 11, Abanhfleft went to Mareibat and won 3-0. Neo-Romanum had a 0-0 draw with visitors Crystalline Caverns. Dreamplanet stopped the home team Darkmania 3-1. Mriin had a 4-1 home win with visitors Lycrabon.

The table has changed a little with Abanhfleft on 18 points. Mriin hold second spot with 16. Jeruselem hold 3rd somehow with 13 and Dreamplanet are 4th. Darkmania back on 5th with 12 points, no doubt that loss hurt badly. Crystalline Caverns on 10, 6th. Sultans 7th with 7 points. Mareibat hold down 8 with 6 points and Neo-Romanum are 2nd last with 5 points. Lycrabon still have 1 point from 7 games.

We get questions all the time, some which won't and can't exactly even mention on TV. We'll answer those next show at home where we get more TV time because you don't have to pay a satellite link. It's worse when you need high quality video streaming over that link.

I will answer one question, we don't drag our kids along with us. The reason is obvious, kids are a bit of nuisance as they are. And we don't need distractions especially when it comes to away games where things get difficult in a foreign country. Just getting organised in a foreign country is difficult enough without extra things to do. Away games are not holidays, they are work. You pretty much fly in do some training to get used to local conditions, play the game, pack up and get home. Of course, at home you don't worry about a lot of things.

Each player is different too. Some love to travel, and some travel only if they have to. Us Princesses are professional travellers, we've been everywhere ... literally.

There's a misconception out there women with rather large ... boobs ... aren't good for football because there's a weight imbalance. Obviously if those boobs are too oversized, yes you have a valid point. But most women have boobs which don't make them fall on their faces, so aren't exactly imbalanced. So they can do things ... like playing football. Yes men pretty much don't have this issue unless they've had a sex change operation but that's not normal. Boobs don't exactly have the highest tissue density so aren't like lead. A players point of balance if they have large boobs but this can be overcome by training.

That's it from me. I have to pick my sister from hospital. She doesn't like hospitals, people die in there a lot.

Group 11
Mareibat 0–3 Abanhfleft
Neo-Romanum 0–0 Crystalline Caverns
Darkmania 1–3 Dreamplanet
Mriin 4–1 Lycrabon
Sultanate of Oontaz 0–0 Jeruselem

by **Barunia** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 4:46 am

Visit Barunia
Sponsored by the Barunian Government Department of Tourism

Ch 6. Porthaven and surrounds

The nation’s capital is situated on the east coast of Barunia island, nestled around the shores of Haven Bay. The city is a bustling metropolis of almost five million people, and is a bright modern city with deep historical roots. Much of the architecture is from the past 100 years or so, but there are still parts of the much older city left. At the heart of Porthaven is the area known as the City of Haven, where many of the country’s national buildings are. South from this is the country’s main financial area, and beneath that the exclusive residential suburb of Hillside, which covers the hills to the south of the city. To the east is the Docklands, surrounding the bay. While this area does comprise the city’s dock, there are also many areas worth exploring as a tourist. North of the Bay is Woodley Point, while further west is mostly residential.

Getting around
Porthaven is serviced by an efficient underground rail network, known locally as The Underground. The network is laid out in the shape of a wheel, with five main “spoke” lines: Eastern, Southern, North-West, North-East, and Western. There are also two main circular lines that intersect with the spokes, the Outer Circular, and the Central line. The Central Line wraps around the City of Haven, with stations near many points of interest. Travellers coming through Porthaven International Airport can take the train directly from the airport, along the Western Line. Buses are available outside most underground stations. Over land inter-city and inter-state rail services leave from various points along the Outer Circular.

Eating Out
The best place to get a coffee in Porthaven is probably Murchison Street in Docklands. The café strip boasts a huge array of coffee shops, food outlets, and bars, and is famous across the country. What’s more, it’s only a two-minute walk from the beach. The path takes you to Fishing Harbour, home of the fishing fleets, and is lined with seafood restaurants selling the catch of the day.
If something more upmarket is your thing, New Hammersmith in the heart of the city is where you want to be. An array of fine dining options is available. The west end of this inner-city suburb also comes alive at night, as the country’s most famous nightclub strip.

Things to See
Porthaven is the home of many of the nation’s treasures, and the City of Haven is the place to start looking for them. You’ll find the National Art Gallery and National Museum here, as well as the Museum of Natural History. The first two are free, and open until late, while the MNH will set you back about Ŧ20 for an adult. The National Museum is across the road from Federation Park. This large park is one of the city’s favourite places. Regular events are held in the Park, so it’s well worth checking to see if any thing is on. At one end of the park is a playground and fountain, as well as a statue garden.

Across from Federation Park is New Parliament House, where the government of Barunia meets. This building is remarkable for its innovative design. From the side, it resembles a vessel riding on the water, whilst seen from the air it forms the shape of an anchor. Tours of the building and grounds are available: Ticket prices and times are available at the security office near the gates.

No trip to Porthaven would be complete without a visit to Lighthouse Hill. This hill rises above the south side of Haven Bay, and juts out into the ocean. The lighthouse here has been in constant operation since 1820, and is still in use today. As it is fully automated, the lighthouse keeper’s house has been turned into a museum, and visitors can explore the buildings and artefacts of this historical site. Try an early morning breakfast at the tearooms here, as you watch the sun come up over the ocean. Also on Lighthouse Hill is the National War Memorial, overlooking the ocean, and a botanical park and adventure playground. The observation tower here gives you great view across the city.

There is of course so much more to do in Porthaven, that it would be impossible to put it all into this guide. It only serves then to mention some names in passing, and allow those interested to do their own investigations. Try the Docklands Markets on the weekend, or Porthaven Zoo. Woodley Point Fun Park is great for children, while Sun Stadium and the National Sports Museum will appeal to sports fans. Further afield from Porthaven is the historic township of Arthur River inland, or head along the coast and enjoy the beach.

by **Ko-oren** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 6:00 am

At Kirishima, strike and luck continue

The seven players on strike stayed behind in Ko-oren for the Flardania game. Head coach Juliasterinthen did not have enough time to call up new players, and several players on the short list to get a surprise call-up have declared themselves on the side of Lampshire and the other non-actives. That means that the Dragonflies will line up in a temporary 3-4-3 once again, and the longer this strike takes, the less temporary that 3-4-3 will become. So far, it looks like it's only a matter of days before the striking players make it back to the team. Hopefully this is resolved before the halfway point of the qualification campaign, or even before the home match versus Carloso.

With just 16 players, the Dragonflies made the trip to Kirishima, known in most other nations as Flardania. The country's name came to Ko-oren via Japanese, a language shared by Ko-oren and Kirishima, hence the naming convention. The last training sessions on the Association's grounds in Gehrenna hinted at a formation much like the Togonistan formation, with Dalton, Van Schelven and Varela at the back, some defensive tasks given to holding midfielders Yokota and Dominique, with Odell and Longchambon forming the creative side of the midfield. Vaugrenard will assist team top-scorer Duchemin and runner-up top-scorer Pirastadhaunden. Duchemin has netted 7 in 6 matches so far, and Pirastadhaunden scored two goals in just a single start versus Togonistan. There are no substitutions left in attack, just one in midfield, and two in defence. This means that, if no goalkeeper changes are necessary, that every single player on the bench will be playing at some point during this match - given Juliasterinthen's tendency to use all three substitutions.

At the start of the group stage, everyone immediately pointed at the last three match days of each half, as those would be the match days most important to qualification. There are three clear favourites in this group: South Covello, Ko-oren, and Kirishima. The matches between these three teams are all played on days 7-9. Day seven has the bottom two of these teams with Ko-oren and Kirishima, day 8 is a day 'off' for Ko-oren as we play Carloso, while South Covello play Kirishima, and day 9 has the biggest game for us: South Covello versus Ko-oren. These days are finally upon us with a suboptimal preparation for Ko-oren.

But! If we don't know how we will play, our opponents sure as heck won't be able to prepare.

This worked against Togonistan and the consensus was that a 16-player roster won't do. A formation chosen the day prior won't do. But then there were four goals on the Dragonflies' side, and all was well (for 10 minutes). Then they looked ahead and saw Kirishima and South Covello looming.

Turns out, Kirishima had no idea what to prepare for. They had video on the 5-3-2, they knew how to at least get a point out of that. And then they faced an adventurous 3-4-3. Yong In-Kwon had the task of preparing his team for anything, and he chose very poorly. From the start, the Ko-orenite midfield commanded the match through numerical advantage, tactical play by Van Schelven and Varela, and Vaugrenard dropping back. Kirishima had no option but passing back, and Fujisaka was constantly pressured so the clever defender could not make a play. Nguyen was open often, but at times lacked the vision to deliver the ball to an open teammate. Still, the Dragonflies played a very risky one on one at the back with Van Schelven at just 20 years old battling with the incredible talent of Yabuta, however both occasions where Yabuta cleanly beat Van Schelven were taken care of by Theshendan, who had an amazing day. For the rest of it, both teams like playing the counter so any build-up by either team was pressured instantly, but the counterattack was stopped quickly as well because both teams just expected it. That also meant that the infamous Kirishiman Ballista was rendered useless: no player dared to run ahead to support in attack: any loss of possession would lead to an even greater chance to the Dragonflies.

In the end, it was set pieces that gave Ko-oren the advantage. Duchemin sent a free kick inches over the wall and inches under the bar, inches out of reach of Hojo. Pirastadhaunden's height was a huge asset for many corner kicks, and one of them just so happened to come at him perfectly. The third goal, scored just before the end of the match, was a gimmick indirect free kick. Duchemin passed the ball out wide to Longchambon, who found nothing in between him and the goal: 0-3.

With every passing week, a weakened 16-man squad with half a defence keeps beating out the 23-man squad, and it's time to wonder if this isn't actually the preferred way forward.

by **Geisenfried** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 6:02 am

The Öffentlichesicherheitsgruppe was federalized, split into eight regions - Nord, Nordwest, Nordost, West, Ost, Süd, Südwest and Südost. But beyond the regional forces of the ÖSG lied a force separated from the rest in both task and structure. Merely known as ÖSG-Neun, they were the elite special response team of the federal police force, called in for when situations required the most extreme of circumstances. Shrouded in secrecy, they'd only been recognized by the government after the high profile defusal of a domestic terror situation years prior, but outside of letting the public know that a.) they existed and b.) they were the cream of the crop for the most dire of situations, very little else was public knowledge, leaving them cloaked in myth and mystery. Indeed, quite a few of the members had SEK or Sondereinsatzkräfte (Military special forces) experience.

Mathilde Kleve was one of those. She had applied to and graduated from one of Geisenfried's most prestigious military academies before entering the army for herself, eventually making her way to special forces, one of the few women who had managed to be accepted into the program. A particularly driven individual, she rated particularly highly and managed to secure herself several promotions - and yet still found herself wanting in the male-dominated world of the military. Still her dedication and capability had caught the eye of a recently retired brigadier general who through political connections had been appointed as the new chief of ÖSG-Neun. Even when he came to her with an offer for a position, she hesitated, not wanting to be seen as giving up on the SEK - only when he promised that she would have complete tactical control while out on the field did she agree to leave the military to become ÖSG-Neun's field commander, becoming the first woman in the organization, led alone one to lead it.

And so here she stood at the head of the conference table, a small subgroup of her subordinates sitting around it.

"What's our situation in Pereluke?"

The most veteran of the group responded. Though initially wary of his boss, she had more or less quickly earned his respect with her will and competence.

"The refugee situation is reaching something of a boiling point. ÖSG-West and ÖSG-Südwest have both reported strains keeping the matter in check - reinforcements have been brought in from the other regions to help cover. Undercover agents among the refugees have reported pockets of strong support for Danso, while among the emigrant communities you've got protestors coming out in droves to condemn the actions of the Mutebi regime. Only a lot of work from local police kept two rallies of opposing sides from clashing. We haven't had to call in the Grenzschutz (National Guard) yet, but it's not too much of a stretch to say that if there's a confrontation, things might get ugly."

She nodded.

"The state department didn't quite think this one through, did it? Still, while the situation needs continued monitoring, there's nothing there that requires our immediate attention. That said... doesn't mean we're out of it. Leutnant, care to explain our upcoming mission for the rest of the group?"

Her second in command stood up before pressing his hands down onto the wood surface.

"While the Auswärtiger Dienst (Foreign Service) has assumed responsibility for the protection of Mr. Hatabu Danso, they've requested providing overwatch for his transfer from the consulate where he's currently receiving protection to his newly assigned place of residence. The route is not general public knowledge, but given the delicate nature of the situation, we can't make any assumptions. All goes well, this is an easy, boring job. If all goes well..."

Geisenfried 2 - 1 Olastor
Thiessen (13'), Clements (47'), Jaeger (68')

by **New Lusitania and the Algarves** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 6:21 am

STL|Serviços de Transmissão Lusitana
Sport | Football|
World Cup 81 - The Road to FR/Banija

RESPECTABLE DRAW AGAINST LEADERS
New Lusitania 0-0 Truori @ Nacional do Jamor

New Lusitania returned to home, this time at the Jamor. Patríce returned to goal, with Guerreiros, Dalot and Cédric in defence, Nevais in Central defensive midfield, Mário, Fernando, Silva, Gama in Midfield, Silveira and Jota in attack. In the first half was practically completely played in Midfield, the best chance of the game was when a Truori forward was one-on-one with the Goalkeeper, but there isn't much to report on the opening forty-five. Half-time, Jota substituted for Moreira, with the youngster proving himself worthy of more minutes. I the second half the game was more open, with both teams testing the goalkeeper.
FULL-TIME: 0-0

POST-MATCH INTERVIEWS
I: We are once more with the national coach, Santa Cruz, how do you see tonight's performance?
VSC: An Important point, no doubt, we played well enough for it, I feel. It's made the group more interesting as well, and, it's made us closer to the leaders, despite falling to 4th.
I: Thanks, Victor

Experts' Opinion : Although falling to fourth, New Lusitania has kept its form, showing themselves, for the first time , as an actual threat for the qualifying. The team has been playing top quality football.

RATINGS, AWARDS AND OPINIONS
LUS Ratings : Patríce 8, Guerreiros 7, Dalot 7.5, Cédric Silva 7, Nevais 8, Mário 7.5, Fernando 8, Silva 7, Gama 8, Silveira 8.5, Jota 7 (Moreira

OVERALL : 7.5

STATS (LUS/TRU)
Goals: 0/0
Shots: 5/7
Shots on Target: 3/4
Corners: 1/3
Fouls: 5/3
Cards - Yellow: 0/0
Cards - Red: 0/0
Possession %: 45/55

THE HUB
GOAL COUNT : André Silveira (2) Daniel Jota (2), Fransisco Gama (2), Bruno Fernando (2) Nevais (1), André Moreira (1), B.Silva (1).

Assist Count: Bruno Fernando (3), Fransisco Gama (2), André Silveira (2), Jorge Mário (2).

Playmakers' Average Index Top 5: Fransisco Gama (8.35), Rúben Nevais (7.9), Bruno Fernandos (7.5), Patríce (7.5) A.Silveira (7.3).

Injuries: None to report.

Ref's Book: Cédric Silva (yellow - Michine)

-----------------------------------
#stl #forçaselecção #WC81Quals
#NDKLUS
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STL in association with FLF
MMXVIII

by **Semarland** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 8:29 am

Kayshone Hamilton hated the life he got himself into. Growing up was tough, but he made all the wrong choices. There was no escaping what he did and he was eternally grateful that he was able to save his younger brother from this lifestyle. That was all he had left.

Days would be spent waiting for the phone to ring, waiting for an order to come in. That sentence alone seems innocent enough, but the transportation and supplial of narcotics in Semarland was becoming an even more serious crime. Not many people knew he had a younger brother playing for his country, and that was a good thing, as the repercussions would take their toll on Tyae too.

When his brother told him about a member of staff wanting product, he knew he had to ensure that they'd get it. He didn't know who it was and whether they'd have any effect on the playing staff, but Semarland qualifying for the World Cup was less important than him and even Tyae going to prison. Just days ago he'd seen his second-in-command get locked up for 12 years, and he was worried that he would follow suit. So every two weeks he'd deliver the package to Tyae, who'd supply it to the mystery person in the Semar camp.

Kayshone took pleasure in seeing his little brother play, and when he saw him open the scoring against Santa Rafa he forgot about life for a minute. Until he got word from Tyae that the mystery client was wanting more. It was beginning to cost him, and Kayshone's boys weren't happy. They were making less money than they had before, but he couldn't tell them why. There was a rupture within the crew, Kayshone and a select few who remained loyal to him, and on the other side of this new rift the more "active" group, led by Kayshone's oldest friend.

That said friend, Keevon Bright had already gained a fearsome reputation on the streets. Amongst his group was Jovon Hutton, a distant relative of none other than Remaeo Hutton - Tyae's best friend and another member of the national team, and Akaiah Izelle-Clunes, who was a talented footballer himself before he got stabbed by a rival gang.

Kayshone was determined to quit this lifestyle one today. But for now, he had to avoid the wrath of Keevon and any other rival that might cross him. Even in his own camp there was an aroma of trouble and Kayshone was mortified when Tyae began investing his own money into the operation. This new source of funds led to Keevon and his group merging back in together and business going back on the up, but Tyae's safety was paramount to Kayshone and he was putting it at risk.

The only other person who knew about Tyae's involvement was Remaeo, who kept quiet out of fear for them all. But when Erika Larsen was rushed to hospital after a suspected overdose, the truth was bound to come out.

by **Starblaydia** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 10:18 am

World Cup 78 Part One: Takeaway | Two: Duchess | Three: Fidget | Four: Torque | Five: Omen | Six: Leap | Seven: Screams | Eight: Iota | Nine: Death | Ten: Wrong | Eleven: Happy | Twelve: Together | Thirteen: Sweat | Fourteen: Taken | Fifteen Ice cream | Di Bradini Cup 41 Part Sixteen: Stunned | World Cup 79 Part Seventeen: Fame | Eighteen: Weird | Nineteen: Sheep | Twenty: Grave | Twenty-One: Gather | AOCAF Cup 55 Part Twenty-Two Device | Twenty-Three: Evil | World Cup 80 Part Twenty-Four: Sure | Twenty-Five: Basic | Twenty-Six: Telescope | World Bowl 35 Part Twenty-Seven: Sacrifice

The Elven realm of Yánataurë was, for centuries, hidden deep within Starblaydia's lush and leafy forests in the heart of the Jhan province. For so long an unmatched beauty, it had been used as the hunting ground of Kings, the subject of countless paintings, innumerable scientific studies, the source of scores of books and tales, a symbol of national environmental importance and, for nearly two hundred years now since just before the 44th World Cup, revealed as the home of the Elenmacilnórë, the Elves of Starblaydia.

You do not drive to Yánataurë, nor take a train, or a bus, nor do you approach by air via plane or helicopter. There is only the long, winding path that begins at the southern edge of the area the Elves claim for themselves, where something resembling a service station has sprung up, their only concession to the modern world. There you must leave your car and walk through the forest trail that twists and bends, where your phone's GPS will suddenly decide to stop working your compass cannot accurately point to North, and the mists and dense thickets will soon have even the most spatially-oriented of travellers confused and lost without the path at their feet. Stray more than a few metres from the path and a warning will come for you, vocal at first but quickly followed by an arrow in the grass at your feet. Indeed, several curious drone owners have managed to lose their equipment to an unerringly accurate arrow shot from the bows of the Elenmacilnórë.

However, if you persevere along the path - having, of course, been granted access to that very path in advance - you will, within a few short hours, come to a point where the trees and rocky outcrops suddenly part around you. Where, a moment before, you had thought yourself beginning to be on an endless path with no hope of finding your destination, a sanctuary of leafy calm and awe unveils itslef before your very eyes. Tall and slender stone-carved buildings, walkways and arches draw the eye upwards, up high into the trees where wooden walkways ring and connect the impossibly thick oak and yew trees, all under a thick canopy of leaves that still somehow seems to let the beautiful golden light of the sun above Starblaydia through it to bathe everything in a warm light of life and happiness. If they know you, Elves will heartily welcome you. And they knew Simeone Di Bradini.

They greeted him with warm smiles - for Elves, of course. It takes a long-acquired talent to be able to spot a real Elven smile from a merely polite one. Apparently the secret is in the eyes, but the famously unreadable expressions of Elves were still mostly beyond Simeone. Mostly. He thought he had a decent grasp on Ázëwyn's facial expressions by now. Her thoughts and feelings, now they were quite another matter. The Elves led him through the settlement, over the bridges that crossed sapphire blue streams as they made their way from foamy white waterfalls, spraying soft rainbows through the sunlight down to a waterwheel with such elegant carvings that Simeone wasn't sure if it was decorative or functional. Up a wooden staircase to the base of a tree, so solidly built with just rope and wood that he would have sworn it was really made of steel underneath. Around the base of the tree it went, spiraling upwards and upwards a good fifty feet from the ground, before another connecting wooden bridge took him through to the courtyard of a great stone building, lined with statues of thinkers, poets and writers as the stone intertwined with the trees around it. The door was already open, and Simeone was motioned to enter by his escort, who left immediately. No further talk, no questions, just the job he had been given to do - tour guide for the oddly ageless human.

That, thankfully, wasn't how Ázëwyn greeted him, breaking into a wide smile and hurriedly beckoning him over as soon as he crossed the threshold into the library. He crossed over to the table where she sat, obviously having poured over dozens of archaic books on what would usually be described as 'the supernatural'. To an Elf and an equally immortal construct of the Dreamed Realm, however, ways to kill Vampires were firmly in the 'natural' category.

"You look like you've found something," Simeone said hopefully.

There was an almost inaudible, at least to Simeone, tutting from some unseen librarian somewhere. Both he and Ázëwyn ignored it.

"I've found plenty of ways to kill vampires," Ázëwyn said, "but the problem is there are so many different types of Vampire. Stakes through the heart, Christian iconography, roses and holly, sunlight, UV light, holy water, silver... There are just so many ways for so many different strains, and it's hard to know which are fictional and which aren't."

"Like the sparkly ones," Simeone half-joked.

"What?"

"Um, nevermind," Even out of date pop culture references were still lost on the Starblaydia national football team manager, it seemed, "just being an ass about things."

"Ass." Ázëwyn repeated, staring off into the distance for a moment.

"Yeah, okay," Simeone began, "it wasn't all that funny, and is kinda punching down when you-"

"No," Ázëwyn inisted, though Simeone was none the wiser. "not Ass. Ass-ington. A place, where Viannor once went on an intelligence co-operation mission, when she was still a Quaestor, or whatever that Starblaydi Inquisition faux-Latin rank was called."

Ázëwyn pushed a couple of the ancient, dusty books away to reveal a sleek, dark tablet that she tapped to come into bright life. Information scrolled along the screen a little too small and too fast for Simeone to comfortably read, but Ázëwyn's eyes darted across the text as she took all the information in.

"There it is!" She exclaimed loudly. From a nearby room, there was an insistent tapping of a wooden staff upon the cool stone floor. "Oh shush yourself," Ázëwyn called back, receiving an harrumph from the unseen librarian who was trying to maintain the sanctity and decorum of the library.

"What is it?" Simeone asked, trying to keep his voice down, but not sound like he was trying to whisper, because if she'd told the Librarian to shut up, he most certainly did not have that right.

"Assington," Ázëwyn explained, "a nation, long gone, where once three people were imbued with a magical curse. One that gave them strength and speed and long life, but cursed them to live on the blood of the living, shy from the Sun and be horribly burned by silver. They sired almost a nation of these Assington Vampires, and all sorts of civil wars were fought back and forth in that country to gain control. It was that country that Viannor visited once to look at intelligence gathering techniques on unruly populations. It must have happened there - she's an Assington Vampire through one of them on that mission."

"Sunlight and silver," Simeone said, "is that it?"

"Seems like it."

"Then we need a plan built around those things. And we need people who can carry it out."

"Let's get working on a team," Ázëwyn said, with a glint in her eyes. As if picking the Starblaydi team for the unlikely top-of-the-table clash with Adab wasn't supposed to be the most pressing thing on her mind.

by **South Toronto** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 11:37 am

South Toronto Demolish Nova Anglicana 5-0!

Written by Lauren Mendes

South Toronto at the time of writing this news article are currently second in their group, and this could be the year that we finally qualify! Many fans expected South Toronto to lose to the superior side in terms of ranking, but today the Phoenixes proved that no matter the rank of the team that they are facing, it's all about who's willing to do anything possible to win. At Victory Road, South Toronto provided an entertaining game, but most of the damage was done in the first half.

In the early minutes of the match, Nova Anglicana were dominant and tried to play tiki-taka football. The many passes sent the midfield crazy, as they were desperately trying to have one man on the player with possession of the ball, and the other two covering up the gaps. They almost scored, as the build-up play was evidently too much for the Phoenixes to handle, as one through ball to Henry Santos almost resulted in us going down 1-0. However, as the game went on, South Toronto adapted to the tiki-taka, and when they retrieved the ball, they wasted no time in counter-attacking. The Phoenixes played some lovely football and it was difficult for the Anglican players to suppress the extreme pace the South Torontons had. Delta Nekanir was brought down by Thomas Russell outside the box, and it resulted in a yellow card for Russell. Just before the half-hour mark, Ligti Sabir and Tyrese Townsend were both over the ball, but Ligti Sabir took the freekick, and it curled around the wall and into the top-right corner, where Caleb Davis was rooted to the spot and could only watch as Ligti scored a beauty of a goal.

Not even two minutes later, the Nova Anglican wing-backs were pushing so high up the pitch, that all Ligti Sabir had to do was stick on the two centre-backs who didn't join the attack. The ball was won by Keptezos, and he only had to hoof the ball up the pitch, where Ligti would easily outpace the two defenders, leaving him 1-on-1 with Caleb Davis. He went to the left of Davis as he tried to go left as well, but his nimble feet escaped the gloves of Davis, and he slotted it away, making it 2-0. The South Toronton players were clearly surprised that they were 2-0 up against Nova Anglicana but they wouldn't hold back.

It was the 40th minute, and Praye de Lood had conceded a corner. Gavin Branch went up to take it and it was a poor cross, it went straight to Timaeus, who has been confirmed to be a Hanada City HS player in Kita-Hinode. He caught it and quickly threw the ball to Jamal Seruku, who started the attack. Bryan Penelope and Germanpreet Sachadev also joined the attack, while the front three were already running. Jamal passed the ball down the line to Bryan Penelope, who lobbed it to Kenza North. The tiny 5'1" forward headed it over Davis and it went into the back of the net. Every once in a while, players that are terrible at headers or just shooting in general, are able to overcome that to step up for the team.

Just before the end of the half, Germanpreet Sachadev let one rip from 30 yards, but Caleb Davis made a spectacular save to deny Germanpreet another long-shot goal. Praye de Lood stepped up to take the corner and he originally meant for the cross to be for Javonte Willock, but it instead met Jamal's head, and it bounced under the legs of the players and the goalkeeper. It was 4-0.

Finally, in the second minute of added time, Javonte Willock pushed high up and toe-punted the ball, and it went straight like a missile into the net. How he scored a goal, we don't know but the referee blew for the first half. No notable highlights were provided in the second half, but South Toronto ran out 5-0 winners.

Trevon Eliezer, a former South Toronton player, sat in the cell, as he read the article. "They, of course, wouldn't talk about the 2-0 loss to Chromatika. Mostly because nobody knows the names of the players in that squad. Now they're up against Corindia, and I'm going to come back with a bang. I'm getting out of this cell tonight, I'm not going to sit here and get the death penalty," said Trevon as he threw the article and finally broke the window. He jumped out and hopped the low fence. "Stupid, they put me in a low-security prison," thought Trevon. He ran to the nearest house, aand knocked on the door...

by **Eura** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 11:55 am

OOC: Part 1.

Part 2.
Part 3 of this RP.
Part 4 of this RP.
Part 5 of this RP.

At the middle part of its full course the Marapan River is a daunting prospect to cross. General Calternan reminded his men every day that they were to guard its northern banks like nothing else mattered. Sameba's grand old river was their unwavering ally, not just a timeless natural feature of folklore and myth but also a vital barrier against a potentially overwhelming Euran onslaught. It was the centrepiece of a frontline that had not moved in two years since the fall of Storfan, Rivet and Aspel ended the prospect of a Sameban breakout. The Third Army formation of the Sameban Republican Army, a force which at its peak contained four hundred thousand personnel, had held firm here through thick and thin. It had withstood an attrition campaign like few faced in the nation's long history and had mostly survived. Survival had, however, come at an appalling cost. Calternan had received a proposal earlier in the day that made him dwell on that cost and consider what his next steps should be. He had gone through these thoughts while stood overlooking the Mora Lucio Bridge while the sun went down, a stones throw downstream from his most forward lying command post on the front.

It was a large but ageing suspension bridge which had miraculously survived the war so far mostly unharmed. The Euran's, not visible but known to be lying in wait only a couple of kilometers away, had been averse to damaging it as they would need to cross it to advance. The Sameban's had more reason to bring it down but refused to do so - it was a piece of national infrastructure for the future, and it would be needed for any counterattack. Instead it was kept in a strange unoccupied limbo, which meant that ironically the direct point of contact between two large armies was only lightly damaged. All that stood on its main platform was the occasional abandoned car or military vehicle and the rotting bodies of deserters who had been picked off from range. Sameban special forces would sometimes occupy the maintenance walkways wrapped around its main supporting columns to monitor Euran movements manually but it was not a common occurrence. Instead it stood as an eerie monument to the stalemate that had dominated the front for two years - and it was beyond the bridge on the Sameban-occupied side that the full brunt of the wars savagery had been borne.

On his way to the position overlooking the bridge Calternan had passed through the town of Mora Lucio after which the structure had been named, and it was this journey rather than his eventual destination that had turned his stomach the most. By the standards of the two Endemian nations in Rushmore it was a small town, home in peacetime to barely a hundred thousand people. It had been beautiful once, a perfect mixture of Sameba's iconic "old regime" architecture and newer Republican styles featuring impressive concrete public buildings and a long public boulevard. Now it lay in ruins. Mora Lucio had been untouched for most of the conflict but since the Euran's had reached the river it had been laid low by a combination of long range artillery and airstrikes. This was largely the fault of the SRA itself - it had fortified the town at the expense of the residents and turned any viable defensive structure into a military target - but the Euran's battering of the town was still a tragedy. It had gone from being a small but well known regional stopping point to just another combat sector, referred to in emotionless foreign media coverage as a "stopgap" to the frozen Euran advance. The fighting age men of the city had all been conscripted and so had a significant portion of the women. Every public structure of significance had been leveled or burned out. Unsupervised children darted around the rubble strewn streets with nowhere to go but the surrounding countryside which itself was incredibly dangerous. People generally did not eat regularly, the water was contaminated, and bodies were no longer being buried in marked graves. Every sign that this was once a symbol of solid local development in a country of very mixed wealth had been eradicated.

When Calternan passed through he had been given a stark reminder of all of these truths. One of these was a "rattling" strike that flattened the already crumbling and abandoned barracks in the southwest of the town. Periodically the Euran's would hit any military target in the town with a stand off strike from range using a long range air-launched missile or a volley of rockets from MRLS launchers miles away. This was what the practice of "rattling" entailed, a common Euran method of disrupting their enemy. These random attacks on apparently random targets kept the conscripts and civilians alike on edge throughout day and night, as well as exhausting the resources of recovery services. Calternan stood unmoved in the street as a group of civilians and streamed past him in the immediate aftermath of the attack. Two very junior conscripts followed them. Both were barely men with baby faces and the floppy hair of fashionable schoolboys, not hardened soldiers. Momentarily they slowed down in alarm as the General watched them. A short debate followed before they decided to salute and then continue running. It was these moments on which Calternan would dwell later when a phone call came in from an old friend in the Marines. Air Marshal Rossi and Minister Morzo had a proposal for him.

He had agonised over the unavoidable question for too long and opted to make a decision. The General's first loyalty would always be to his country, but in this case that meant its people and not the arbitrary concept of the state, or even the army. He couldn't stand to witness their misery any longer and if that meant some sacrifice of his pride, so be it. Furthermore he had once known Colonel Beran very well. He knew that Beran, Gartanzo's killer according to the Euran reports (Calternan was informed enough to know much of their propaganda turned out to be true), would have felt the same way and would be disgusted by the suicidal proposals outlined by the hardliners in their national broadcast earlier in the day. Rossi and Morzo's request had been that Calternan strike a truce with his Euran opponents across the river and take a motorised trip north with the strongest elements of his forces to confront Moretti. They believed that not only would this bring them military parity, it would also be of huge benefit for Calternan's reputation to come into play; him siding with the rebellion would rally units throughout the country to abandon the hardliners and support the moderate cause, or 'Beranist' cause as they were already being dubbed in this fast moving political climate. After this internal battle was won he could return south, dig deep and face off the Eurans while the Beranist leadership pursued terms of a humiliating but survivable peace.

Third Army's headquarters was currently the former train station which had been made useless for supplying the army by the Euran Air Force. Repairing the lines would take several more days but in the meantime the control centre of the station remained undamaged and served as a useful meeting place. Third Army's officers had been forced to move about frequently to avoid elimination by targeted air power, made all the more accurate by increasingly penetrative Euran intelligence techniques. Before going off on his contemplating stroll into the evening Calternan had discreetly informed only his most trusted colleagues of the offer he had received in case either faction had agents within his ranks. This meant that when he returned the other officers were mostly absent and had no idea what was about to happen. Calternan had them all summoned and within an hour they had arrived in the dead of night. It was quiet because the town was, but also because it was the first night that it hadn't rained for a few days. 'General Calternan, sir!' His deputy General Parzi looked awfully pleased with himself given the circumstances. 'No rain. How glorious is that? For the first time in a week my arse is dry!'
'Witty.'
'No need to be so down on us Bruno. You were keen to get us all over here after all. What's this all about?' Once everyone was seated and his most reliable guards were all present and correct, Calternan cautiously laid out the plan of action he had decided upon.

Never in all his days as such a senior commanding officer had he managed to get this level of pin drop silence in the notoriously boisterous officer culture of the Sameban armed forces. Bitter tears were shed as he explained his reasons for betraying the cause of a war that all of them had given everything for. Some reacted with relief at the thought of sparing their increasingly "green" conscripts from slaughter. Parzi was shaken but supportive which pleased Calternan to no end. Had Parzi been strongly opposed he could have been an obvious replacement should the hardliners try to take Calternan out. Comforted by this, in a tense session the General offered an unprecedented vote among his staff to confirm his decision. They did so by a small but viable majority. One fuming Colonel wasn't having any of it, rising from his chair and reaching for his holster. 'Fucking treason. You snake, General Calternan! I'm placing you under arr-' One of Parzi's own auxiliaries tackled the Colonel to the ground and thumped him unconscious.

Calternan had selected the attending guards well; simultaneously they drew their weapons and gave him the security to calm everyone down. 'Soldiers, we have made the decision. Do not make me deal with anyone else in such an un-comradely way tonight. We must prepare our ranks for the coming task and stomach the uncomfortable feelings that we all feel at this time. If you trust me I promise no punishment will be dealt out for those who oppose. If you cannot in good conscience perform the tasks that must be carried out, I suggest you make arrangements.' All knew what that meant. Two Republican Guard commanders and a senior "political auxiliary" - a major war criminal when the Samebans were on Euran territory - nodded graciously and headed off for another room, allowed to take their sidearms with them. Three gunshots rang out and they were not heard from again.

Mora Lucio was less quiet when dawn arrived. A hubbub of activity indicated something big was about to happen and the Euran's had noticed this through observation from distance. All senior Euran officers had been told to report any interaction with Sameban commanders back to central command given the current disturbances being reported from within the country, so when a relatively lowly Euran officer by the name of Major Russell Whitforth found a Sameban military policeman outside his tent south of the river, he was immediately on the phone to his superiors. The Sameban was told to stand by his jeep as Whitforth's men frisked him for any suicide devices or explosives while he made the call. With obvious disbelief at his own words permeating through clearly, Whitforth reported to the General overseeing the "Bridge Sector" that the entire Sameban Third Army was seeking a ceasefire with him. He was put on hold and told that he would shortly be in touch with a senior civilian official within the government. The longer Whitforth was made to wait the more he experienced a sensation of something like panic. What if this was an elaborate ruse? He couldn't think of anything more embarrassing or potentially career ending. 'Major Whitforth, we are putting you through to DEFENCE-SOFS.'
'Thank you...wait. What? SOFS?'
'Please hold.' Surely it couldn't be? 'This is the Minister of Defence speaking.' It was! 'I've been told you have some interesting news for me?' Whitforth couldn't speak for a moment. 'Hello? Mary is this line still working?'

Whitforth regained his composure and addressed the woman that was not just his boss, but his bosses bosses boss. He'd seen her deputy at his commissioning ceremony but never seen the Minister let alone spoke to them, be it over the phone or in person.
'Minister, yes, hello! This is Major Russell Whitforth, er, 5th Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Regiment the Federal Riflemen, 5th Division, 2nd Army. Reporting for duty.'
'Yes, I know who you are, and your unit. Quite the prize to claim isn't it? If what they've told you is true.'
'Its what we've been fighting for.'
'Absolutely. Now listen to me Major, listen very closely. We've been over the proposal laid out by their people and it largely works. You will send their messenger back and his party back with an offer to meet on the bridge itself, as close to halfway as you can reasonably get before it winds left in the middle. That way we can continue to monitor the situation and you can signal to us if their officers demand someone more senior.'
'You're familiar with the bridge Minister?'
'Of course I am, and so is the Prime Minister. Make no mistake Major, there is a lot resting on this. When you discuss the terms, you must be absolutely clear that we are only offering them 72 hours, and that they must vacate the town itself. All of their forces must have left the zone within five miles of the rivers north bank, fifty miles in either direction from the bridge, within twelve hours. There must be absolutely no inteference with our forces as long as we do not fire on theirs. Is that understood?'
'Loud and clear. We'll proceed in the next hour.'
'Thank you Major, and good luck.'

----------

As the clock struck eight and the day had truly begun, thousands of civilians and SRA personnel had gathered at the road entry point to the bridge. Rumours spread quickly in this new and chaotic Sameba, today would prove no different. In a room somewhere in Samebus the head of the army Moretti was no doubt steaming with rage at Calternan's reported climbdown, passed back to his office by the fast moving game of whispers between army units. He had dispatched several jets in the direction of Mora Lucio and they had no intention of just stopping by. Unfortunately for Sameba's most ardent nationalists it would be much too late to prevent what would come next. Calternan's lightly armoured LPV-2 military car proceeded through the crowd with supporting vehicles and onto the bridge at speed. The flag of the Republic flew mightily from its rear, but so did the white flag of a negotiator. The flag of a traitor if you asked the right people. Waiting at the bend in the bridge as ordered by his superiors was Major Whitforth with two vehicles and several of his men. A Euran helicopter gunship loomed ominously at the other end of the bridge but it was only there to scan for snipers along the northern span of the bridge using its thermal imaging camera. Calternan braced himself for the moments to come. He dreaded them like he had dreaded the day this war would inevitably arrive in the first place.

No-one could doubt his previous heroism in a number of wars. He was the only Sameban officer to cover himself in any glory in Mytannion during that national embarrassment of a campaign. Even the feted late Gartanzo had been a failure there though his propagandists did a good job of covering it up. He had fought as a junior officer in the last war with Eura nearly half a century ago. All of this would be irrelevant when the Republic eventually crumbled should it continue to fight a total war it could not possibly win. What glory was there in being an old man from a dead regime? He had been churning over this in his mind as they crossed the bridge and it occurred to the General that he had outlived not only many of his generation's children, but their grandchildren too. This only doubled his resolve. The old soldier had to give them a chance at a future because he definitely didn't have one whether the Euran's won tomorrow or in five years time. If the Sameban state could survive the ordeal then that would be a welcome bonus. The armoured car stopped and he climbed out along with several key officers, including Parzi who had insisted on joining him. Parzi was infuriated to see a lowly Major was the Euran representative. 'Fuck off. Fuck right off!' Raising his voice in Sameban alarmed the Euran's who tensed up with their weapons raised. Calternan once again calmed down a hostile situation by holding his hands up in a peaceful gesture and shooting a knowing glare at Parzi who backed down.

Protocol on the Euran side dictated that a translator should always be present for these situations but it quickly became unnecessary as Calternan spoke in Anglophone. 'What is your name soldier?'
'Major Whitforth, Euran Army.'
'Ah, well. My colleague does not appreciate this. I am General Calternan, commanding officer of the Third Army. How long have you been staring us down from over there?' Whitforth looked a bit puzzled, clearly expecting there to be little small talk. 'I have served for three years on this front.' Calternan couldn't suppress a bit of a chuckle. 'You're a boy then. I've been fighting this war since the beginning. And the one before it! It is no disrespect to you, Major, I am sure you and your people fight well. But I was expecting something more appropriate from the oh-so-mighty Euran Army.' Parzi seemed to be placated by the jibe which Calternan had deliberately thrown in to appease the other Samebans present. Whitforth remained unmoved. He'd been told in training to face your enemy with courage. Never in a million years did he think he'd have to do that with words rather than a rifle or bayonet. 'Maybe that is the case General. But when it comes down to it, you're the one out here asking me for a favour, no? So let's skip the pleasantries.' Stung but knowing it was true, Calternan grimaced and approached Whitforth to review a document he had produced. The young Euran looked like he was boiling in the sweaty Sameban weather making his composure all the more impressive.

Comprehensive maps were included in the document of the zones the Euran's were demanding Calternan's forces evacuate. Whitforth explained the terms as instructed. Concerned, Calternan called over Parzi to discuss with him at the side, making Whitforth wait. 'This is wasn't we'd anticipated.'
'Are you prepared to accept this sir? Its madness surely. We'll open up the entire front. Its a bridgehead they have the air power to defend!'
'Possibly that is so but what choice do we have? If we are moving north for a few days then they could roll over the bridge at any time whether we've accepted that formally or not. Anyway, the strip of land they want us to leave is only five miles thick. We could pin them against the river should a counteroffensive be required.'
'Fine. But can't we get a concession for it?' Calternan pondered - Parzi made a valid point. 'Major. You can have your five by hundred miles, but there is an additional condition.'
'I can't approve that General.'
'Yes, you can. If you're important enough to face me you're important enough to negotiate terms. We want immediate aid for the damage you've done in the town - the same supplies you would provide for your own people. And you will repair our railway lines nearby.' A telltale whisper of radio chatter from Whitforth's earpiece was abruptly silenced as he clicked a button on the inside of his glove. 'Alright. We have terms. I will report these back to our side and we will consider the starting point to be half past the hour. Good day General.'
'And to you, Major.' Both groups on the bridge slowly returned to their vehicles. With an eye or two still over their shoulder they withdrew.

Sameba's heroic General and his trusty deputy were silent for the journey back across the bridge. Calternan could tell that Parzi was still having the same debate in his mind that he had only resolved himself beyond doubt on the way over. 'General, sir-'
'Its done, Parzi. Let's look ahead to dealing with Gallo and Moretti in the capital. They might have more men and equipment but a single footstep north will put the fear of the Lord into them. If we get it done quickly we can fall back and make sure the Eurans don't jump us before the new leadership can agree something with them.' The car bobbled momentarily as it skipped over some debris. Radio traffic from their other loyal officers back in the headquarters informed them that a number of jets from one of the few hardliner Air Force squadrons had been shot down by Calternan's own men. 'See? Its begun already.'
'I do trust you sir, of course. I'm just not fully in the same space yet up here. Our men are still able to fight you know - and Gartanzo wanted us to fight.'
'And now he is dead. For too long people like us and him have been the ones sending our young men and women to die. I can't stand the stench under our feet, not anymore. He might be important but you must know the saying mustn't you, about the playing pieces?'
'No, I don't.'
'At the end of the game, the pawn and the king go back into the same box. He used to say it all the time which was odd for a man of his authority. Gartanzo believed all of us were expendable for the cause. I don't think his life and our pride should be exceptions.' Both men had a lot to dwell on as they proceeded north with their army in tow, unsure of the future. The civilians of Mora Lucio looked on with a mixture of relief and concern as their own army reluctantly abandoned their posts, and a trickle of Euran tanks began to cross the bridge unhindered.

by **Free Republics** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 12:05 pm

OOC: Indusse's RP that was sent via telegram was counted. Rakivland's request to change style mod to -1, which was sent via telegram by Banija was also processed and applied. Please post all future style mod change requests as an OOC note in your RP. We will be enforcing a limit of one style mod change per nation for the duration of this World Cup. Finally, tomorrow's cutoff will be at 8-10 PM North American Eastern Time, which is around 12 hours later than my normal cutoff window, in order to maximize the amount of RP time available on the final day of the 1st half of qualifying.

Designed by 3WD of Vilita

This is your Matchday 8 Cutoff brought to you by Bank of Acedonia! Bank of Acedonia: We Put Your Financial Privacy First. Its Acedonian law!

Scores

by **East Belzaria** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 12:12 pm

The East Belzarian National team managed to draw 3-3 with the Equestrian States in a home game that fans will remember for years. With two minutes played, Langely put in a beautiful cross for Lorn Monte who opened the scoring with a beautiful header. However, despite the fact that East Belzaria were up against an Equestrian States lineup that was resting many of their key players, the Equestrian States equalized 14 minutes later through Ironhide. Halftime brought about more trouble when the Equestrian States scored again through Arrow. Madridson tactically reshaped the team for a more agressive approach to the 2nd half, and East Belzaria won a free-kick. Daniel Matthews stepped up and deposited a beautiful shot to make it 2-2. With 19 minutes on the clock, Brian Riez and Lorn Monte broke away and after a beautiful passing move between the two, Monte chipped Mac Stevenson to make it 3-2. Monte ran towards the East Belzarian crowd in delight. With 7 minutes left however, it would be Daniel Matthews who'd falter with a poor pass to allow Sunny Day in and then Indigo Zap scored to make it 3-3.

David Madridson was interviewed after the game. He stated "One of the finer moments in my career. Now we have to continue these kinds of performances." Lorn Monte was also interviewed. "I think that today was an important step for us as a national team" he said. "And even though they didn't play their strongest team, they were still very strong in the late stages to ensure we didn't finish the game as winners"

by **Taeshan** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 1:52 pm

Another matchup against another lower opponent this time the visiting side from Kwesiland to take on the Purple Knights. Elsewhere the big group matchup everyone was waiting for as Baker Park headed to Darmen. A win for either side and the Knights could hope to make a push. They would prefer a win for either side as a draw makes it harder. Ultimately the road Baker Park side would win the battle of teams yet to drop a point, securing an impressive victory over the top ranked, and favorites in the group. The Knights now sit 5 points behind a Darmen side they face in just a few weeks at home in the Atlantea Coliseum. If they can continue their impressive form, and Darmen drops a few points they could manage a spot in the playoffs. That however, seems unlikely.

It was another relative walk in the park for the Purple Knights. Kwesiland has failed to score a single point thus far in qualifying and it was not their day once again as Miles Snavely made it a rather early 1-0 lead for the Purple Knights finding the net in the 7th minute. It would take a while for the second goal, an Alson Figeuroa curler, but really the Knights had not a lot to do to convincingly beat their opponents. They kept a strong hold of the ball and really didn't attempt much attack as their opponents seems rather unable to do much of anything, let alone steal the ball back.

by **The Macabees** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 2:22 pm

LOLITA, CH. 9

They had barely escaped Alkoben. Down there, they have a justice of their own. CCTV followed them as they drove out to the nearest highway, which burrowed through the mantle of Fedala like veins pumping blood through the system. Apparently, someone important had not liked their attempt on Lolita's life. In Alkoben, the only group of people that mattered was the van Graat crime family.

When they resurfaced, Henrrek left Bernie at the curbside of his apartment building. He felt some relief at following being away from that man, but Bernie knew that whoever had tried to kill them below would try the same up here. They probably knew were he lived, or would find out soon enough. He couldn't stay here long.

Inside, he marched to his couch and sat down, trying to get a hold of himself. The situation had gotten out of hand and Lakén's hitman had only made things worse, much worse. Bernie's fingers threaded through his hair and he tightened the grip, almost pulling entire clumps out from the anxiety. It flowed through him like a raging river with water that splashed along the banks, threatening to overflow completely and wash away all that stood before it. He felt like screaming. Like hitting something. Like dying. Bernie fought back tears. "Man up," he said. "Man up, man up, man up."

He stood and walked into the bedroom. There was only one. It was a small apartment and, still, one he could hardly afford. Taking a bag from his closet, he started to pile in socks, underwear, shirts, and pants into it. When it filled, he took out another one and did the same. He placed other valuables in there, including some books, photographs, and a handful of other items. In a backpack, he put his laptop, tablet, and other equipment that he might need. He placed all the luggage by the door and then went to the kitchen, where he prepared himself some food. Rushed, it was nothing complicated. Bernie quickly fried up a few eggs, took some sausage out of the fridge and tossed it in the pan, and then threw these on a plate once they were cooked. He gobbled it down as if he hadn't eaten in days. When he finished, he grabbed his wallet, keys, and a pair of sunglasses then picked up his stuff and left. Bernie locked the door behind him.

A rideshare picked him up outside and took him to Lakén Yori's house. The midfielder lived in a mansion to the south of the city, near the palace of His Imperial Majesty Fedor I. The neighborhood was just as wealthy as Lakén, if not more so. Great businessmen lived here and members of the aristocracy as well, and often one was the same as the other.

The player was alone when Bernie arrived there. Through the small screen on the machine outside of the estate's main gates the first thing Lakén said was, "Woah, Bernie you look horrible."

"Thanks," he replied. "Thanks a lot."

"What are you doing here?" asked the player.

"I can't stay in my place. The guy you hired, he took the situation from bad to worse man. And now I can't stay in my own damn apartment because the gods damned Guffingfordi mafia is out to kill me. Given this is all your fault, you're going to let me stay here."

"Um," started Lakén. "I don't think that's a good idea, bro. If whoever is trying to kill you kills me instead, that'd be a national tragedy."

"Pfft," retorted Bernie. "You're almost not even a starter."

"Hey! I've been playing pretty well!" said the player.

Bernie slammed on the armrest of the car and shouted, "Just let me into your house gods damn it, even if it's just for a few hours."

Lakén didn't say anything at first, but then finally he relented. "Alright, alright," he said. A loud buzz sounded and the gates started to roll backwards, opening up to either side to allow the vehicle to travel through. The road turned into cobblestones and it took them to a vehicle valet area at the side of the house. Some of Lakén's cars sat there. They all looked as if they could go very fast. They all looked the sort that extremely beautiful women rode in. The kind of girls that came to a mansion like this to have a good time. With any luck, his friend would let him stay for a while.

The rideshare dropped him off at the front. Lakén was waiting for him there wearing shorts and pool sandals. He looked like he had a good night, or a bad one depending on how one looked at it, and the girl walking around nude around the atrium just inside confirmed it. Bernie said as much. "I see you've been having fun."

"This situation you've put me in has caused a lot of stress, man," said Lakén.

"That I've put you in?" he raged. "You're the one who hired that crazy ass assassin to kill her."

Inside, the girl picked up her head and looked at him. Lakén turned his head looking at her and then turned it back to Bernie. "Shhh, bro," he said. "Just tell the whole neighborhood while you're at it."

"I don't give a fuck who knows, Yori," answered Bernie. "This is my life on the line."

"Okay, okay." Lakén put his hands up. "Come inside, man, come inside. You can stay here until this whole thing blows over. I'm still not paying the b!&%$, though, that's for damn sure. Girl better worry Henrrek doesn't find her again, because next time he won't let her get away. He called me, by the way. Told me exactly what happened, you f#%&en' p#$$y."

"I'm not a murderer, Lakén. I'm not a godsdamn murderer," Bernie replied.

The player lead his friend into an empty back room, where nobody could hear. Bernie put his two bags and his backpack down, breathing a sigh of relief at not having to keep carrying all of that. He also felt...safe. Lakén turned to him, "Look man, you're my friend and I'll look out for you. But I ain't payin' for your ass, so you carry your own weight around here. Which means you need to go to work tomorrow. And as far as I'm concerned, it's your dumb ass who got me involved in all of this to begin with. I didn't sleep with that chick, it was you. So when Henrrek gives you a call, you're going to do exactly what he says. Got it? I told him not to hurt you, I won't have that, but I can't go around with a friend who doesn't have my back either, right? So make sure you take care of business. Alright? Bernie? You got it?"

"Yea, yea, yea. I got it," he answered.

by **Beepee** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 2:37 pm

Central Shaneville 0–0 Beepee

Central Shaneville held Beepee to a goalless draw. I'm a disappointing result for Beepee.

Beepee has been exceeding expectations so far this campaign and fans had expected slightly better against the unfancied Central Shaneville.

Beepee had several chances but could not convert their midfield dominance into goals.

Shockjock Colin Schpoert had his weekly radio show

SCHPOERT : well Beepee's blown it! It took them l oknger than we expected it a goalless draw and now struggling to even score. Let's got to the phones... Where's it all gone wrong, kikki?

KIKKI DABOL: it's not gone... *phone cut off*

SCHPOERT: No Nikki, it HAS gone wrong. This isn't just one game in the campaign. A draw isn't a good result. Stop looking for positives in the omnishambles that is Beepeean football. Next.

IRMA PHOUQUETTE: "let's be positive ab.... *interrupted*

SCHPOERT: *incredulously* Positive! Sure weve done well so far, but the wheels are falling of the wagon.

PHOUQUETTE: *interrupting* I meant about some of the teams we like to keep a close eye on, North Prarie, Baker Park, South Toronto,....

SCHPOERT: *engraged* NEVER INTERRUPT ME AGAIN! THIS IS MY SHOW. ITS ALL ABOUT ME. I'M WHAT MAKES THIS SHOW GREAT....

Announcer: and now on talk sport radio 'callisthenics for beginners'.

by **Cassadaigua** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 3:16 pm

Player Blog: Defeating the Baptism of Fire Champions, by Jessica Curran

Every World Cup Cycle, there is a tournament for first time nations that we refer to as the Baptism of Fire. If you are reading this, I figure you are an avid follower of the international soccer scene, so you know what the Baptism of Fire is all about. It is a great tournament that can only be won once, because you only get once to win it. If fate does not go your way, then someone else will celebrate a title and your chance will be squandered. There are great nations that have won the Baptism of Fire, and then there are your Myedvedeya’s. Who’s that? Show of hands out there, no matter what country you are from, and how long you have been playing in the World Cup, if you instantly remembered what Myedvedeya did, or if you could name one fact about them, other then the title. Maybe there are some, but there are not many out there who know that Myedvedeya was the Baptism of Fire 30 champion, without looking it up. They were pretty good for a few cycles, but quickly went away into the cold. That was their theme if you remember. You do remember, don’t you? That Myedvedeya was such a cold, and frigid nation?

More then likely, you don’t remember. And, that’s fine. The team Myedvedeya beat in the championship did a little more in sports for a while, and became a rival of ours for a little while. That would be Secristan, a nation probably more familiar to many, even though they didn’t do a whole heck of a lot in this either. The great Eric Fraser and Stacie Kerrigan story came about with Secristan, starting in a Di Bradini Cup. I’m not going to get into the story now. Chances are, you know all about it, so you don’t need the reminder, or you don’t care, so you don’t need the reminder, either.

Baptism of Fire 30. The debut tournament of Cassadaigua. Deep in that Baptism of Fire, there would be a two-time World Cup champion, and a nation that would win many other sporting titles as well. A mere semifinalist was our team in that tournament. The champions of the tournament are long gone, and the runners up from it are a distant memory as well. The other semifinalist, a nation named Urna Electronica, was fun at the time, but did not participate in this for long. You know, you never really do know who the best nations will be in a Baptism of Fire class over the long term. Look at the last Baptism of Fire, it was won by Beepee, and while they are doing good and I don’t to take anything away from them, Baker Park, has become the king “BP” since then. They qualified for the World Cup, and are presently undefeated. How’d they get so good so fast? The answer is simple, they were never not good, they just weren’t a competitor yet. This Baptism of Fire was won by Cobrio. But will Cobrio be who we remember 5-10 Cups down the road as being the supreme nation that played in it?

We haven’t seen a lot from this nation during the World Cup. As such, they really have not been much of a threat in this group, as evidenced by their 3-0-4 record coming into the game against us. They came into Concord Heights Stadium being able to claim that they did something that we never did, but could immediately look at monumental wall and see how much more there is to accomplish in international sports then just a Baptism of Fire title. We outplayed the team wearing the black, green and gold kits in a solid manner. Goals were scored by Caitlyn Myer in 16th, Zack Pierce in the 34th (off an amazing pass from Hannah Ranucci to set him up), and then Hannah Ranucci continued her streak of at least one goal in a match to six, with a 55th minute score. We lost the clean sheet in the 74th on a Babatunde Warrington score. Yes, that was a frustrating goal to give up, and hurts Kristen Speller’s stats, but we all know she is play so much better then some of her stats my indicate.

We’re 6-0-2 now, and that’s a decent record, but the Octinstine loss still stings. Next up, is a must win. If we do, then we go back to controlling our own destiny. We’ve looked at Tinhampton above us in the standings all Cup, knowing that for the most part they were playing the weaker teams in the group, but the fact is they played Brenecia closer then we did, and they defeated Octinstine, something we failed to do. A loss here, or even a draw here, will sting. It will not wipe us out, but it will hurt, and hurt quite a lot. We can overcome it, for we have overcome a lot in the past, but this is a must win, no matter what anyone says. I am happy to be part of this team, as we got a great group of players, from the scoring acumen of Hannah Ranucci to some of our male heroes like Zack Pierce, who is really playing well of late. Tinhampton is a worthy foe, but we’re playing well right now and I like where we are.

by **Audioslavia** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 3:52 pm

Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
Episode 5

Detective Inspector Rory Wyatt-Holmes and Constable Betsy Aarden agreed to meet up after Betsy had finished work to go over a possible plan of action. Rory, still technically on duty, was absolutely allowed to leave the office to put away a whisky or two in the name of detective work. Betsy had to change into civvies first. Rory noted her civilian clothes were smart. Smarter than the ones she’d left work in when she nipped home to ‘get changed’. A black suit jacket and skirt with a very white top and a pair of short heels. The sort of thing female DIs wore. Either she was playing dress-up or she had aspirations in that direction.

Betsy brought up her phone.
“I’ve put some detailed photographs the lab had taken of the two halves of the card I.. er… ’created’.”
“Can you ‘create’ something by ripping it in half despite being told not to?” asked Rory, raising an eyebrow.
“It worked didn’t it?” said Betsy. “Anyhow. Here we are. The name on the card is Joseph Ojosangel, so it seems”
“Angel” said Rory, “The only thing left on the other card. Must have been part of his surname”
“A journalist called Joseph Ojosangel. So. We know our man. What now?”
“First port of call normally would be to inform his next of kin” said Rory, scratching his head. “I think we can probably dispense with that, seeing as he’s been dead for so long”
“Can we, though?” said Betsy, frowning. “This guy would have disappeared off the face of the earth at some point. Doc worked out he would have been forty when he died, right? That’s old enough to have a wife and kids.”
“Who will all be geriatric by now, if they aren’t dead already”
“Yes, but that still leaves grandchildren, doesn’t it?” said Betsy. Rory grimaced and scratched at the back of his head.
“I get your point. Maybe someone wants to know what happened to their great great grandaddy. All I’m saying is that it’s not our first priority”
“So what is our priority?” asked Betsy.
“Well let’s say we want to contact his family. How would we do that?” asked Rory. He knew the answer, of course, but it felt necessary to guide Betsy through the procedure. If she was going to dress like a detective she may as well be able to think like one.
“We put his name into the computer. See what turns up”
“It’ll turn up either nothing or a house address that hasn’t been relevant for a century” said Rory. “I’m thinking the former”
“Computerised records go back hundreds of years, Rory”
“They do. But they’re not international. This guy here wasn’t Audioslavian”
“What?”
“Look at the name of the newspaper”
“The Cy’un” said Betsy, reading from her phone. “Never heard of it. Must have gone under a long time ago.” Rory chuckled.
“Would that it had” he said. “The Cy’un is based out of Emberton in Krytenia. This guy, I’d wager is a Krytenian. It’d explain the protruding eyebrow ridges and tailbone on the skeleton, at any rate”
“Oh, wow” said Betsy, looking down at her phone. “A Krytenian journalist from history. Possibly the most boring skeleton we could have found”
“Not at all!” exclaimed Rory. “Think about it. For what reason could the skeleton of a Krytenian journalist be considered interesting compared to that of, say, an Osarian or a Vilitan?”
“I don’t know” said Betsy
“Nah, don’t do that. Don’t say ‘I don’t know’ just because you don’t know. If you don’t know something, saying ‘I don’t know’ doesn’t help.”
“I don’t understand”
“That doesn’t help either” said Rory. “You’re doing detective work. So… detect. Deduce. The fact that this guy is Krytenian is interesting. It gives us an opportunity that we wouldn’t have had if he was from more or less anywhere else on the planet”
“We get to… use a Krytenian computer? They’re fun somehow?”
“No” said Rory. “It’s the fact that he’s a journalist. A Krytenian journalist”
“Right” said Betsy, nodding and looking back at the screen. “A Krytenian journalist. A Krytenian journalist… oh for heaven’s sake I don’t… I don’t…”
“Bounce your ideas off me. Krytenian journalist. Word association. What’s the first word that comes into your head”
“Twat”
“Along those lines, yes”
“Erm. Cyan”
“Yes. More.”
“Krytenia.. Emberton… Aces…”
“Yes. Remember ‘Journalist’ is important too”
“Yes. Krytenia. Journalist. Erm. Fuck I don’t know. Rami Niblick. But that…”
“Yes!” Rory punctuated this with a quick punch of the table. One that rattled the duo’s glasses of beer.
“Rami Niblick?” said Betsy. “You think Rami Niblick killed this guy?”
“No, lord no” said Rory, “though that would be fun. No. Rami Niblick. What’s special about him?”
“He doesn’t seem to ever age. Or, rather, he ages much slower than everyone else” “Exactly. And so…”
“And so? And… oh”
“Exactly”
“We can speak to him”
“About?”
Betsy looked down at the picture of the card.
“Bloody hell. This Joseph Ojosangel… Rameses Niblick might have known him”
“Ding ding ding ding ding…”

by **Main Nation Ministry** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 4:36 pm

Kahe Island: The Bay

It was a bit quiet after a day of sleeping on the dinghy out in the ocean. However, even if Shell slept during the night, he didn't have any more time. It was morning and Shell still needed to find Ben Mitsuyoshi. It was when Shell got a call from his watch, which he answered. "Agent Shell here. Called for new intel?" Shell asked, using his watch. "Not quite. We're going to launch an invasion at Sol Sun Plaza with dozens of combat ships. Have you found the VIP, yet?" a mission control operative asks. "No sir, it's only been a day. The fish here were a bit bad, when they are raw."

"Shell, this is important! We are getting many reports that volcanic activity is happening on Kahe Island!"
"The volcano? I thought it was only dormant?"
"Negative. We gotten news that a lava flow emerged from a side vent and has wiped out several rural villages. We are also getting reports from several surveillance drones of images of soldiers patrolling near the volcano. They don't match both our soldiers and any FKF members. I'm sending coordinates for you to follow." the mission control operative said, sending a set of coordinates on Shell's watch. "These coordinates lead to Haven Bay. It's a large cliff that is climbable and the fastest route to get to the volcano. Shell, this is serious. The Leader wants the VIP alive to serve as a witness for the peace talks when dealing with the crisis. Do not fail this mission!"

Shell drove the dinghy towards the coordinates, where it led him towards Haven Bay. A rocky cliff area, where the water seemed more shallow than before. Exiting the boat, Shell immediately felt his shoes touch the bottom of the beach, while his knees were deep in the water. Several birds of many colors were flying or near a corpse of a man wearing a business suit, face down in the tides. Scaring some of the birds away, Shell checked the body to see who the man was. A TrenchSea employee. Typical. A narrow stone path going uphill was nearby. It was clearly Shell's best bet to get up the cliffs. Getting out his gun, as he does so, he notices the path lead directly into a cave of some sorts. He can't delay, as he entered the cave to notice the sounds of a waterfall inside.

The interior of the cave was lit up by cracks, letting in beams of sunlight. Shell wished he asked for his gun to come with a flashlight attachment, as he continued deeper in the cave. The cave was leading uphill, as the path, so it was possible that this cave is part of a tourist attraction. The chatter of several FKF soldiers were nearby, as Shell found himself in a circular area with a waterfall going down in the middle. Shell saw a balcony on the upper level of the area, where he saw a FKF member poking his head out, gazing at the waterfall. Shell ducked from their view, looking for a way to get to the upper level. Several stone stairs were across the area at an opening, where Shell darted towards the steps.

Shell climbed up the stairs, not firing his gun until the first soldier noticed him. Attempting to find himself in stealth, Shell eliminated the soldiers, while ascending towards the top of the cave. Along the way, Shell noticed several visible boxes of explosives lined up against the walls. They were planning on blowing the cave up, it looks like. As Shell was near the top, Shell accidentally stumbled upon a hidden hole in the ground, where a FKF member took notice at the wrong time. Alerting the other FKF members who were still in the cave, Shell managed to shoot him before he can escape. Seeing a light at the end of the tunnel, Shell knew it was the way out of this place. Until...

And very suddenly, a loud rumble can be heard below Shell and behind him. They set off the charges. He needed to get the hell outta there. Shell bolted down the tunnel, as several rocks were starting to fall from the ceiling. A large amount of smoke was starting to form behind him, as he ran. Jumping out from the exit, Shell emerged back into daylight, as the cave proceeded to collapse behind him. That was a close one. Then, Shell got himself another wake up call. A loud thundering sound can be heard from the volcano, Shell could see what looked like lava flowing down the mountain. He was nearby. But he didn't know how dangerous it was be.

by **Petroslovania** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 10:24 pm

Petroslovania Daily

Providing Stats & Nothing But Stats est. 1938

Nigel Clarke, Sports Columnist

Petroslovanian rejoice after Korrapati ends his goaless streak and is able to put a goal in against the far superior Starblaydia

Since our last report Los Toros, I Combattenti, the Black and Blues, or whatever you wish to call the Petroslovanian National Team, have played four games. They collected two wins, one loss, and one draw.

Sava Alberghini scored in the 62nd minute to give Petroslovania the lead for good, and the fourth-place Petroslovanians went on to post an improbable 4-3 victory over the second place team, Guriguay on Wednesday night at Championship Arena in Petroslovania. Alberghini registered the 2nd goal of his international career,he also had an assist. Jędrzej Abdullaba scored twice before halftime and later assisted on Wondolowski's goal as Los Toros completed a surprising sweep over a Guriguay squad that had won three of its past five. Additionally Lei Makaio scored once at the 54th minute.

Both Petroslovania and Melbergia will feel that they could have won in this 2-2 draw. In heat and humidity, it was Melbergia who started the better and twice went ahead through Roger Naismith while Morales also hit the woodwork as Petroslovania struggled at the back. Melbergia though were not able to maintain their advantage with Smith heading home at Carlos Markovic to level the scores at 1-1 and then into the second half Dani Parejo struck a penalty after Carlos Markovic was brought down by Cornell. Petroslovania looked the stronger side as the game wore on especially with Parejo sent off for a second yellow card. Lei Makaio hit the post twice and Korrapati also went close but Petroslovania couldn't get the victory. Petroslovania's goal scorers were Soo-Jin Chan and substitute Mictlantecuhtli Dobrev.

The third match was against Starblaydia, which was a 4-2 loss. Petroslovania's only goals came from Krasnodar and Korrapati.

Petroslovania's last match was a 4-0 victory for Petroslovania in which both goalscorers cam from the bench, showing hope for Petroslovania's future. Qadir Al-Bashir came on and scored a sigle goal and Alex Gasperoni came on and scored a hattrick in just 45 minutes.

by **Barunia** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 10:32 pm

Visit Barunia
Sponsored by the Barunian Government Department of Tourism

Ch 7. Dropshort and Regional Havenia

Porthaven is the capital of the state of Havenia. While many points of interest lie within the city, the rest of the state is not without its attractions. The major cities are Hamilton, south of Porthaven, and Dropshort to the north. Much of the rest of the state is farmland, with towns dotted here and there.
Dropshort is an industrial city to the north of Barunia. The city peels inland from the coast, with the docks giving way to factories, then commercial sites, then houses. At first glance, there may be little to interest the traveller, but there is much of interest if you know where to look.

Getting Around
Trains to Dropshort leave from Taybrook station on the Porthaven Underground – you’ll need to switch to the overland rail service there. Likewise, take the overland from Andbridge station for points south, including Hamilton and Waybridge. If you wish to drive, the easiest and quickest way is to take the Trans-Barunian Highway. This road runs to the east of Porthaven and connects Porthaven to all the other state capitals. It runs near both Waybridge and Dropshort, so look for the exits – they’ll be clearly marked in English.

The overland train has multiple stops in Hamilton as it runs through to Waybridge, where it splits into two branch lines. There are no other rail services in these cities, so a large number of buses make up for it. Hamilton also has trams. Dropshort has a small rail network that is partially underground.

Eating Out
If you’re heading out into rural Havenia, stop by the Farmhouse Bakery in Jamestown. They have some of the best pies in the country. Or try Villanova, a resort about halfway between Dropshort and Porthaven, for fine dining on the coast. In Hamilton, the coffee strip is to be found in Samford, near Karl Marx University. For dining in Dropshort, try exploring Victoria Bridge, or grab a workman’s lunch from Stock Road.

Things to See – Drophsort
If you are a car fan, then the Archer Motor Company Museum is a must. The museum has a huge variety of cars built by Archer during the years, including those used in international motorsport competitions. It’s just not historical vehicles either: The museum also has prototypes, interactive activities for the kids, and demonstrations of the manufacturing process. Tickets are Ŧ39.50 for adults, and Ŧ24.50 for children. Motorsport fans can also explore the Lilac Hill racing centre, which celebrates the Lilac Hill street race. If you arrive in November, you might even catch this event, raced on city streets by WGPC-spec cars.

Dropshort’s cultural centre is worth a visit. Designed to give workers something to do on their days off, the centre was built mostly in the 1930’s and 40’s. Many of the buildings are in the art deco taste, including the impressive Dropshort Municipal Theatre, which holds regular shows. If you feel like a movie, try the Astral Cinema. This place is run as it was in its heyday, the 1930’s, with period snacks, staff costumes, and décor. They also show films from the period, as well as more up-to-date flicks.

Just outside Dropshort is Heron Point. The town sits just inland from the coastal feature that gives it its name. The Heron Point National Park and Marine Conservation Area is a great place to visit if you like getting in touch with nature. The place is a popular nesting place for seabirds, and dolphins are occasionally spotted off the coast. There are also walking trails and picnic areas available.

Things to See – Hamilton and surrounds
If you’re in the market for a unique souvenir, Cambridge Street in Hamilton is the place to buy antiques and rare books. Not too far from the city is Maritime Beach, an excellent place to go fishing or snorkelling. Several shipwrecks off the coast near here make excellent sites for scuba-diving, and there are plenty of stores nearby where you can hire gear, find an instructor, or get a guided underwater tour. Whale watchers and various other charter boat services are also available from the harbour nearby.

If you prefer surfing or kite-sailing, head further down the coast to Windy Bluff near Lilyford. Again, there are plenty of places where you can hire equipment or find an instructor to teach you various water-based sports, such as kite-sailing, wind-surfing (sailboarding), surfing, or sailing.

by **East Belzaria** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 10:55 pm

After Sharktail took a 1-0 lead with limited time remaining, the East Belzarians rallied with Morty Beau depositing a long range volley after a long range pass from Harada Lopez. "If I score a better goal than this, then I truly believe I'll have earned my place in East Belzarian football history" says Beau. David Madridson however, wasn't pleased at the result one bit. He said "Ever since the Equestrian States game, our mindset has been overconfident and it nearly killed us today. We should have won a game like this. The Equestrian States game happened, and we need to move on."

East Belzaria returns to home action on Matchday 9, taking on Penguiland who will be looking to build on their victory over South Batoko. The East Belzarian qualifiers have proven to help their citizens economically. Stadium seats can be sold out instantaneously, but several fans have taken to sell their tickets for higher prices and are making money as a result. "It's actually great business. I enjoy money, and they enjoy the game. It works both ways" says one fan who sold his ticket.

World Cup 81: Roleplay Thread

WC81 - MD4 v. Anthor - Vilitia Wormhole

Matchday 7: East Belzaria With First Major Upset

East Belzaria Recovers after late scare

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