Games of the XIII Olympiad RP Thread

by **Kriegiersien** » Sat Feb 09, 2019 2:50 am

After Tinarrr Pirate won silver in the CANOE - SPRINT - Women's C-1 200 m, she mimicked the scene from Petarrr Pirate at the medal ceremony. She joined singing the anthem of winner Kelssek loud but wrong, used a pirate flag to mantle the Kriegiersien emblem and later lifted the Kriegiersien jersey for a short time, showing her two best friends into the cameras.

“Pirates forever, Kriegiersien sucks!”, she yelled into all microphones that came near her.

Two times victories over Vekaiyu

In Women’s Football and Handball the Kriegiersien team both times won against Vekaiyu. reaching the Quarter-final.

While the Handball girls remain undefeated, for the Football team it is a great comeback after a terrible group stage.

These victories are also important wins not only for the team sports, but likewise for the medal table against Vekaiyu as direct competition for a Top 10 placement.

the handball ladies are staying focused on the mission Gold

But the greatest comeback of these Olympics is the men’s Rugby sevens team. Already on their way home after the last group match, with a horrible 0:40 defeat at the hands of the Locharian Olympic Team, only the right results of the other teams let them reach the play-off stage at all, with two losses and a negative difference on scored points. 3 wins later, the last over Britonesia with a nail biting 21-19, let them now reach the final against Mattijana.

While part of the press celebrate Kriegiersiens fighting spirit “ [..] proud soldiers that never give up. Going down and standing up again. The sturdy Kriegiersien way”, others see the defeat against Locharian as the turning point after which “Kriegiersien rediscovered the spirit of winning through humility and learned from their mistakes”, while again others see this only as temporary success. “Sooner or later the whole system will still go crushing down”.
For the rest of the nation the grand final against Mattijana is now the topic of the day and week. The pubs will be full when the Battle for Gold is shown live.

The new Judo mixed competition saw Kriegiersien with 2 Gold and 3 Silvermedallists as one of the favourites.
But already the first round was a hard fought 4-3 against the Vilitan Union, before a 2-4 against Vakolicci Haven and Celeria ended all chances for the title.
Indeed a 4-2 against Electrum left the possibility for a medal, but a 1-5 against Amuaplye, with only Olga Oversize winning a fight, saw even these hopes crushed hard.

Lady Voodoo, surfer and spiritualist, who had been appointed as motivational coach extra for these team event, told the press that: "The dice was not our closest friend in these fights. Occasionally the 1 of the 100 was gone, weakening the fabric of the universe. You can't bend the will of Margaret without the right sacrifice. And that was ignored from the most of our Judoka, even I told them they would need it. They forgot to inhered the team spirits. I am sorry."

Judo is still the most successful event for Kriegiersien.

TAEKWONDO - Women's 49 kg

After winning the, until now, only medal in a demonstration event in MIXED MARTIAL ARTS under the alias of just ‘Mantis’, Lee Mantis won a Bronze medal in Taekwondo. The hard fought victory over Kayleigh Banks from the Free Republics made her even happier then the Gold medal in the demonstration event.

“It was so unnerving to come back and hang on in so many fights. After the loss against Swannie I was really depressed but I got the flow at the end against Kayleigh. To beat her at home for a medal is really a dream. I am thankful that I got this chance. To have a bronze now is really Gold worth for me. Literally speaking. I get payed in gold coins for this medal.”

by **Cassadaigua** » Sat Feb 09, 2019 5:23 am

Queen Cassie II To Amuaplye Leaders: It’s On You. Get Your Act Together

Queen Cassie II does not often dabble into international politics when the matriarchy is not affected. Therefore, it was a little surprising to hear her come out with a strongly worded critique of Amuaplye security. As the 13th Summer Olympiad goes on with Republican security doing an incredible job to ensure a smooth flowing competition, there have been repeated bombings going on in a nation that we don’t really know anything about. The nation is led by President Sergei Chuikov, and is in a region not well known to us. One of the great things about the Olympics is that nations who don’t often compete against one another will, and even though the top of the leaderboard is filled with familiar looking flags, there are nations like Amuaplye that we are learning about. Apparently, they are having problems with a bomber. Apparently, they held an Olympiad Bomber Summit. And apparently, there was no security checking cars parked directly in front of the building where the bombing took place. You know, not like that would be a target or anything. This caught the Queen’s attention:

“I am greatly saddened to learned that more people have lost their lives in a senseless act of violence in the nation of Amuapyle. The running of the Olympics has caused at least one bomber, or more if they are not acting alone to target innocent people. In most nations, this would be the reason for an increased security presence not just figurative and cosmetic events to deal with the issue. There was an Olympiad Bomber Summit, according to sources, and a car bomb was allowed to go off directly in front of the building where people important to that event were staying. This now goes beyond tragedy. This is now complete negligence. Negligence on the behalf of President Chuikov, who needs to accept responsibility for the inability of security to detect the issue. Common sense 101 tells us that such an event would be targeted. This vehicle was not concealed, it was directly in front of the building. Where was security? It is incomprehensible that this bomb was allowed to go off without the potential of a threat having been realized. The nation has chosen to be reactive when the tragedy hits, almost as if they secretly enjoy the fact that people are losing their lives, rather then being proactive and resolving the issue. It’s on you, President Chuikov, step up and be a freakin’ leader instead of an observer.

On that note, I hereby ban all Cassadagan travel to Amuaplye until the nation shows it can improve its security beyond such a primitive nature and this will carry on well after if and when the bomber or bombers are caught. Not sure how common that travel was anyway, but it is formally banned, now.”

by **Vilitan Union** » Sat Feb 09, 2019 6:24 am

The Report from Republica :: Surf's Up Dude! Conlin Claims Surfing Gold

Lake Rydia, Free Republics :: Top Vilitan Surfer Summer Conlin wrapped up a dream debut in the Olympic Games by claiming gold in the Men's Shortboard Final mastering the artificial waves at Lake Rydia better than any other athlete in the games. Conlin was one of the most consistent competitors all week long at the Lake posting between a 5.75 and 7.75 on every single waved he surfed heading into the final. While some of his other competition would occasionally squeeze something out above 9 - they would also regularly push the issue too far and wipe out or get a low execution score. That wasn't the approach the consistent Conlin was taking at the Olympic Games. It didn't really matter if the opponent Conlin was up against was putting up big numbers or small ones, the Vilitan still took the same approach to every round.

In the opening heats, up against a Krytenian and a KYPPPPER, Conlin was the only Surfer to even stay on their board with a 7.11 and 5.94. The second round was a good example where Conlin's consistency won out posting two solid 6.75ish runs to advance even though Kai Logan of KWPWPWPWP had the highest single run of the round at 7.58. It would be a story that would play itself time and time again for Conlin who was the model of consistency - a pair of waves surfed in the 6's during the Quarter Finals would see the Vilitan through against the host countries top entrant Edward Alekseeva despite Edwards final wave coming in at 8.29. Once again in the Semi Final when Nick Hernandez put up a big 8.30 opening score only to be beat out by Consistent Conlin over two runs. Heading into the Final Conlin was one of the few Surfers who had yet to wipe out all weekend and was certainly one of the few surfers left in the competition that hadn't posted a single score in the 8's or higher.

Having already secured at least a medal, it was time for the Gold Medal round and Conlin was up against Petarrr Pirate of KGSIKGSKGSKGS. Conlin's opening run was one of their lowest of the entire games coming in at a 5.77 although Pirate's first wave attempt didn't come in much better at a 6.32. With the low score, Conlin was up first to attempt a final run and if you had been watching Summer Conlin surf Lake Rydia all throughout the games then you would not have recognized the Surfer that attacked that final wave. With the Gold Medal on the line Summer Conlin finally pulled out all the stops, pulled something out of their bag of tricks and leveraged the generally predictable waves to his advantage pulling out a 9.46, throwing down on Petarrr Pirate and pressuring the KGSKGSKGSKGSKGS into needing a score of 9.0 or better for the Gold. It would not happen for Pirate and Conlin was an Olympic Gold Medalist in their debut Olympic Games, bringing home the title of World's Top Male Surfer to the Vilitan Cove.

On the Women's side, the Vilitan Unions Tikimora Iorara was hoping to make it a clean sweep of Gold Medals heading back to Atlantian Oceania but things went sour on her in the Semi-Final round. After wiping out on her first run against Cassadaigua's Meghan Turner, Iorara new she would need a giant wave to make up the points lost. She would dig deep and put some sly moves together but couldn't finish it, wiping out again and having to settle for the Bronze Medal Final instead. It was a closely contested matchup between Iorara and Julienne Belisle of Kelssek but Iorara would come out on top to claim the Bronze Medal and earn the Vilitan Union's first ever medal in Women's Surfing and second all-time Surfing medal after Conlin's Gold Medal performance the day before.

by **Free Republics** » Sat Feb 09, 2019 7:08 am

Day 18 Cutoff

by **Mattijana** » Sat Feb 09, 2019 1:10 pm

Jan Vesnik didn't know how to feel.

On the one hand, he had helped the Amuaplyen team to discover the identity of the man responsible for all the bloodshed. On the other hand, more bloodshed had occurred and it was entirely preventable.
He and his partner Dominika Kulic had been fairly vocal in calling for increased security at the Olympiad Bomber summit, but to no avail. He could appreciate the philosophy of the move, to stand tall rather than cowering behind a wall of high security, but it was naïve and only left the summit as an open target.

The two Mattijanan detectives had been up in the public gallery when the bomb went off, so had been at a safe distance from the blast. Many journalists and ministers who had been in the thick of the action were not so lucky.

These were people's lives. The people killed and wounded had families and friends and things to do with their lives. The fact that the people making the decisions in Amuaplye were playing politics with those people's lives left a very bitter taste. He and Kulic had come to Amuaplye to catch a killer, not to help out a government that cared more about their public image than people's lives. Saying the ethics were flawed would be a gross understatement.

Queen Cassie II from Cassadaigua had already announced a travel ban to Amuaplye in the wake of the carnage, saying that a large improvement in security would be needed for that ban to be lifted. She had called the country's security "primitive" and Jan didn't disagree. How any security force worth its salt had allowed an unidentified pick-up truck to park within metres of the summit room and then stay there for nearly 10 minutes absolutely beggared belief.

Finding a name had certainly moved the investigation on however. Leonard Perry was certainly not at the top of the suspects list initially, but had links to the Amuaplye Olympic setup giving him the means and possibly the motive to carry out the attacks. Identifying that motive was proving more tricky and needed the team to try and delve into the Perth native's thought processes. Perhaps he was bitter about something within the Olympic setup or the Amuaplye establishment. Maybe there was a personal grievance, but if so, why go to the lengths of multiple attacks? There was a link between all the cases that, at the moment anyway, the police were missing.

Investigators had checked his home address. Having been identified, there was no chance of him actually being there, but the authorities hoped to gather some evidence from the house to help track him down. They were also compiling other possible locations. Training bases, family properties, previous residences...they would all get checked out at some point.

For now they just had to keep on working. As much as the administration in Amuaplye left him feeling uneasy, catching Perry would save countless lives.

by **Amuaplye** » Sat Feb 09, 2019 2:56 pm

SKYE Hotel
Parramatta, Amuaplye
20km from bombing site

Agent Semenovich walked into the lobby, and rang the bell. A lady came out of the back.

"Hello, what can I do for you today?"

"Agent Semenovich. AIA." He flashed his badge. "We're investigating the car bombing that happened yesterday. We need to check the guest list for a Leonard Perry. We've got security camera footage showing him entering here and checking in."

"Oh. He checked into..." she flipped through the guestbook. "Room 205."

"OK. Got it." Semenovich and his entourage went upstairs.

"203... 204... 205..."

He paused as he turned towards the door. "AIA. Open the door."

Nothing.

"Open. The. Door."

Nothing.

So Agent Semenovich opened the door himself.

He turned the knob, opened the door, and discovered... almost nothing.

There was only 4 things of note: A list of attacks, some crossed out, some circled, bomb materials, a newspaper, and a 12-page stack of paper in a binder.

"Take photos. Touch everything with gloves. Make sure all evidence is preserved." Agent Semenovich commanded.

February 9, 2019

Base of Olympiad Bombings discovered.

Various things have been found by Agent Leonid Semenovich and various other detectives after a tip led them to the SKYE Hotel in Parramatta, about 20km from the bombing site.

It was at Room 205 where they discovered several things, including bomb-making materials, a list of possible attacks, and a manifesto were discovered.

We will provide excerpts of the manifesto.

In other news, Proposer Rodolfo Valdez has resigned. In his letter, he claims that "My proposal has caused the slaughter of 9 people. I am just as responsible for the bombing as Perry himself."

His last day as Proposer is scheduled to be tomorrow.

by **Kriegiersien** » Sat Feb 09, 2019 2:58 pm

Lady Voodoo is sitting at the bar of a pub, a glass with liquor by her side, smoking a cigarette and poking a small doll, who had a certain resemblance with Sister Polus, with different needles. A TV at the ceiling close to her shows barley harvesting.

A women joins the stool beside her.

“What ya doing?”, she asks after ordering a drink.

“Just working on a side job”, the Lady says, stabbing the nose of the puppet. “What can I do for you?”
“Why do you think I need something?”
“I feel it in my bones.”
“There is really something. I need someone gone.”
“I can’t do that. Death is another department. The one from the person you want to see vanish.”
“So you know who I am speaking of?”
“Of course.”
The lady looks at the news on the TV, where the last car bomb attack is shown.

“Can you do something against that?”
“What is it to you? Are you annoyed about the news? Revenge?”
“Don’t you already know that?”
“Just doing small talk. That is part of the job.”
“I have got to know a friend here who lost friends in this bombings. And it would be a good deed. A monster less in the world. We even know now who it is. They just can’t catch him.”
“Don’t be so fast to judge monsters. But.. I may be able to order pain or give someone a bad time. Horror, confusion, a change of mind.”
“Hm. So he could finally give himself up. One way or another? What do you need?”
“Revenge doesn’t come for free. I need some shiny things and a token of the target of your anger.”
“I can get both. And it will work?”
“It may be not what you wished for, but things will happen, that I can guarantee.”

She lights a small matchbox with the Britonesian flag on it on fire and throws it in the Ashtray. The TV screen shows a rugby player from Britonesia fumble and losing the ball, his opponent catching it, escaping all opposing players and scores.

by **West Phoenicia** » Sat Feb 09, 2019 7:34 pm

In the rise of concern for the safety and well being of West Phoenicians, the Confederate Empire of West Phoenicia Government on behalf of Emperor Glenton Gryphon-Bush II has issued a total travel ban to the nation of Amuaplye; following in the footsteps of Cassadaigua whose ruler, Queen Cassie II who has also called for a ban of Cassadaiguans travelling to Amuaplye due to spate of bombings and gross negilence and loss of life that has erupted over their nation during the current Summer Olympics in Republica, Free Republics.

Emperor Glenton Gryphon-Bush II has grave concern that while the bombings appear to be centralised to Amuaplye and that there is no security concern in West Phoenicia which has been confirmed on the advise of Babs Towers; Minister of Homeland Security. West Phoenicia is greatly concerned however any of its citizens travelling there due to the lack of incompetence for its security forces.

Foreign Affairs Minister Jack Portland stands in agreement with Queen Cassie II of Cassadaigua that Amuaplye leader President Chuikov needs to step up and do more. Or at least sack high ranking security officials who failed to do even rulebook sweeping of buildings, cars and areas before a national summit on the Amuaplye bomber which resulted in the deaths of further innocent people when a car explodes outside the summit.

The ban will be enforced as of today and will stay enforced until Amuaplye can show West Phoenicia that it is not incompetent in the way it handles it's national security and that every check is in place to protect citizens and visitors alike.

by **Amuaplye** » Sat Feb 09, 2019 8:24 pm

Official Transcript of Speech Given by Prime Minister Sergei Chuikov

February 9, 2019

Government House

(Chuikov walks up to the podium, wearing the suit he wore to the bomber summit, still covered in dust, debris, and blood)

CHUIKOV:
Hello, people of the world. I am Prime Minister Sergei Chuikov of the National Republic of Amuaplye. I am here to talk about the (clears throat) attacks that have devastated this nation since December of 2018.

I start off by apologizing for the gross negligence that has taken the lives of so many. These attacks came without no warning, and, even though we didn't do the best we could, we did try, as seen by the security footage showing 2 guards attempting to stop the attack. In fact, we can see them attempting to pick the lock of the Toyota Hilux before it went off. Had they been given 60 seconds more time, this would have never happened. And, each and every single bomb between the one meant for Delila Quinn, and the one at Parliament, was either intercepted, or was attempted to be intercepted.

Also, these are the main reasons why the bomb wasn't intercepted:

1. We were simply caught off guard. We have never had a major car bombing in nearly 20 years, and we haven't had one at Parliament in over 50. And besides, we weren't expecting the Olympiad Bomber to use a car bomb, as he had mostly used letter bombs up until this point.

2. A faulty proposal. I do not mean any ill will towards Mr. Valdez, but I was one of the people that voted no with the proposal, and I was genuinely shocked that it passed by that margin. Whilst the attempted mailbox bombing in 1985 was thwarted by 2 guards, it was merely an outlier. When the attack on Parliament happened in 1964, there were nearly 20 guards present. At least 67 people died from that, and at least 127 were wounded. Only 1 guard survived, and even then, he was severely wounded.

3. Distance. The distance between where Maurice was when he noticed the car, and where Archie was, was approximately 4 minutes away from each other. So, he notices the car at 6:55. He walks to Archie, and notifies him, and when they return, it's 7:01. It's a 4 minute walk, so 7:05. Then Archie tries to teach Maurice how to pick a lock, and since teaching is longer than doing it yourself, it takes 30 seconds to explain the first step, and when he tried to explain it to him, it exploded.

And, as a final message to the nations of Cassadaigua and West Phoenicia, we are very close to catching the bomber. We know who did this. We know why he did this. We just to know where he is. All mail routes have been closely monitored, Mr. Bishop (referring to the President of the Amuaplye Investigative Agency) has ordered AIA officers at many populated places, and we are making sure that a 2nd car bomb will not go off.

To sum it up: The entire attack was entirely unprecedented, and we were extremely unprepared to deal with it. I, on behalf of the entirety of the Amuaplyean Government, am truly sorry for the deaths of 8 people, and the injuries of 22, and we will pay for all expenses and will give financial compensation by the 1st of July. Goodbye.

(Chuikov leaves the room.)

END OF TRANSCRIPT

by **Mattijana** » Sun Feb 10, 2019 7:07 am

Official Statement from the Mattijanan Foreign Office Regarding Travel to Amuaplye

By order of Mattijanan foreign secretary Marija Julianovic

Following recent violent events, the Mattijanan Foreign Office has made the decision to ban travel to Amuaplye in all but exceptional circumstances. The office has not been satisfied with the efforts of security forces in the country and were any Mattijanan nationals to be targeted or caught in another attack, we do not have confidence in the Amuaplye security forces to guarantee their safety.

Furthermore, we did not feel Prime Minister Sergei Chuikov's address yesterday adequately explained how the attack was allowed to happen. Whilst the reasons behind the delay in dealing with the pick-up truck and the lack of staff at the site of the blast are sound, the fact that only two staff were tasked with dealing with the truck and that those two staff could only communicate face-to-face with a 4 minute-walk between them shows that the Amuaplye security forces are not up to the job of securing their citizen's safety.

Members of the Mattijanan police force will continue to work with their colleagues in Amuaplye to try and catch the person behind the recent attacks, however Amuaplye will need to show a significant improvement in the way they handle such events for this travel ban to be lifted. Our priority currently is to prevent any further bloodshed at the hands of the so-called Olympiad bomber and members of the police will be able to travel to and remain in Amuaplye despite the travel ban.

Mattijanan citizens still wishing to travel to Amuaplye in exceptional circumstances must first seek a permit from the Mattijanan foreign office. These can be applied for using the link below, but we must stress that permits will only be handed out in truly exceptional circumstances.

www.amuaplyetravelpermits.gov.mj

Citizens that defy the travel ban travel at their own risk and may be liable to charges on their return to Mattijana. Direct flights from Petrovijanka International Airport to Sydney International Airport have been indefinitely suspended.

We endorse a full review of Amuaplye security protocol and would encourage a restructure of these procedures, which we believe to be necessary. On behalf of Mattijana, we offer our condolences to the families and friends of those killed and wounded in the incidents and hope desperately that there is no further loss of life in Amuaplye.

by **Diarcesia** » Sun Feb 10, 2019 1:49 pm

THE MONARCHY DIARCESIAN
Hypurgium Exoteric
2470 Clitylophu Street
Arcesius, Diarcesia
9 February 2019

Reports have reached the Monarchy that the spate of violence related to the XIII^th Olympic Games has reached a most horrifying culmination in Amuaplye as a bomb exploded and claimed the lives of eight people and wounded almost two dozen more. On behalf of the Diarcesians present in the territory of Amuaplye, the Monarchy expresses its grave disappointment at the perceived incompetence of the Amuaplyean government in protecting its citizens and also the foreign nationals residing or visiting thereof.

It is decided that unlike taking action in the same way as some others did, the Monarchy Diarcesian chooses not to impose a travel ban between its territory and Amuaplye's. However, in its stead, the below shall be enacted:

1. The Monarchy will temporarily harden the security protocols in place for travel between it and Amuaplye so as to prevent the possibility of the culprit or his accessories from crossing Diarcesian borders.
2. Advisories will be placed in airports and seaports that an ongoing security situation is happening in Amuaplye and that since the culprit is considered at large, due diligence and vigilance shall be employed upon arrival; it will be very clear that travelers in the meantime shall elect to continue their plans at their own risk.
3. Lastly, the Monarchy shall insist that a thorough accounting of the events that lead up to this incident shall be submitted to Interpol and a discussion be taken place to identify the points of failure and how can they be addressed. The address of Prime Minister Sergei Chuikov is deemed insufficient in determining how this can be prevented in the future.

by **West Phoenicia** » Sun Feb 10, 2019 3:19 pm

Miss Teak was utterly exhausted, she was one of the members of the West Phoenician Olympic delegation Spiritual support staff. Her main craft was working as a medium at the Garden of Eden club. She would conjure up dead family and friends for athletes who wanted some kind words and guidance from the afterlife. It was a draining role having to communicate with the other side. But the offer was too good to turn down, she got to use her gift, was put up in a nice hotel with other members of the West Phoenician Olympic delegation Spiritual support staff team with three meals covered daily and a great pay cheque. The pay cheque would go towards opening her own Medium Shop in one of the cities of Selene Valley, Helios Territory or Baast County.

She felt blessed that from a small child she had the gift to communicate with the dead and was happy to share that gift. She arrived back in her room and went over to pour herself a dry martini,there was nothing better than a few drinks after a long day. As a teen when she first started to steal alcohol from her parents liquor cabinet she had not overly loved the taste. Over time she grew to love the taste of certain types, especially martinis and bourbon. She would never admit her love for martinis grew from being a fan of the James Bond movies. She would enjoy a few drinks, shower than arrange to meet some friends at the Garden of Eden club.

A mass email had been sent out by the West Phoenician Olympic delegation President Baroness Freeman, urging caution for all West Phoenicians. Try not to be alone, travel in packs, do not talk to strangers or go with them without advising someone else. The so called accidents that had plagued the team suddenly were no longer accident but were now classed as murders. The Baroness said special agents were on the scene and she was calling for calm and cool heads for the remainder of the games.
A number of West Phoenicians had opted to go home, while others walked around afraid as if a killer would pop out of a wardrobe at any moment. It was putting a damper on the endless parties West Phoenicia was hosting due to the string of success the team was having. Miss Teak had little worry, if there indeed was a serial killer he or she seemed to be targeting athletes. She was safe. But out of safety concern and after pouring her drink she went over and locked her hotel room door. Better to be safe than sorry.

The deaths were troubling, she was used to communicating with the dead for loved ones who had gone to her for answers over a loved one who may have been murdered. It was different to actually know the people murdered. She knew Clare Tan, Jeremiah True and Micah True-Path well, having gone to school with them and having some adventures. She smiled as she remembered some of the fun she used to have as a teenager, drinking, joy rides, the parties. The good times definitely outweighed the bad times. She had bumped into Clare Tan at the Opening Ceremony, at first a smile of delight had crossed the girls face, a blast from the past. It only lasted a minute before Clare made up an excuse that she had to leave. When she had suggested a catch up over drinks, Clare had refused saying while it was nice to see her, but she could not forget the past and that she no longer kept company with certain people and that drinking was the last thing both of them should be doing. Miss Teak had been offended, the past was the past and this little bitch was trying to be all holier than thou.

She switched on the television as she sipped her dry martini, sports highlights showed the women's Taekwondo match between Jin Swannie and Liviala Eglestoro of Vekaiyu.

Being a medium they had come to her of course, Clare and Jeremiah asking for her help. She knew before the police that their deaths were not accident. The song dedications, the murders were all a crafty plan. Livia had come to her too, it was than Miss Teak knew that Livia had not been the original target. She had gone to the hospital to speak with Glaphyra Cappadocia, a nurse had refused her entry, and by chance it was the same night that they had wheeled in Micah True-Path. It was while she was leaving the hospital she had seen him in a car staring up at the hospital. He had seen her too while she stood under a streetlight enjoying a cigarette; a cold look of hate flashing in his eyes. She felt the bad energy, she heard the cries of blood on his hand. And it was at the moment she knew the reason behind all the madness.

She knew calling the police would have been the right thing to do, but how would that have benefited her. They were dead; she was alive and why not benefit from it. She had found his number in the West Phoenician Olympic Delegation address book. He had been surprised by the call, but not as surprised by her offer.
$100,000 would buy her silence. It would be enough to cover the cost of buying her shop. She was not greedy, she could have demanded more. It was a price he had agreed to. She checked the clock, he would be arriving soon with a nice fat cheque. She had let him know if the cheque bounced she would go straight to the authorities.

She headed into the bathroom, pouring in some fragrant bath salts and bubble bath as she turned on the hot and cold faucets running a hand through the water.

Miss Teak swung her head around when she heard the creak of the bathroom door, a figure behind it caused her to jump back in fright as they lunged at her.

by **Laeral** » Sun Feb 10, 2019 4:13 pm

After over two weeks of effort on the part of the Laeralian Olympic delegation, they had little to show for their efforts. While Tatiana Kemal had won her solitary bronze medal, many were already looking ahead to next year's Olympics. The most enduring image of Laeral's summer Olympic participation in the public consciousness seemed as if it would be the public feud with the West Phoenician delegation. That is, until today's string of Olympic victories... - Le Laeralien (state-run newspaper)

In a match seen by thousands of Laeralites in the stadium and an estimated 18 million on TV, Laeral triumphed over highly-regarded Vekaiyu, 3-2. Aurélien Launay, Wen Guanyu, and Hao Jiang all scored for Laeral, while Stapen Libesistre and Vinsent Keperi scored for Vekaiyu. Laeral will now advance to face Annolasia in the semifinals. - La Sentinelle (Left-leaning newspaper)
8:15, local time
It was the day of the match against Vekaiyu, and Laeralian striker Thomas Zhao wasn't feeling great. He'd stayed up late last night, for the third straight night of New Year festivities, and of course the match today would be heavily-watched. The Vekaiyans were defensive experts, in contrast to Laeral's offense-oriented play. They'd beaten Cassadaigua, a very capable team, in the Round of 32. The Laeralian coaches had spent yesterday showing the team footage of Vekaiyu's matches. Thomas had kept his eye on his opposite number, Enlil Vivisistre. Thomas's elevator reached the ground floor, and he walked over to the meeting room-cum-party room, only to stop short when he reached the door. The room was crammed full of reporters.
"Mr. Zhao! Mr. Zhao! What are your thoughts before the match today?"
"Thomas! What do you think about-"
"Who are you?" Thomas asked blearily to the one closest to him. He was trying to look past the reporters and find the teabags.
"Le Pays, Mr. Zhao. What are your thoughts-"
"I'm hopeful for a victory, and I'm grateful to our coaches and to my teammates." He walked past them, ignoring their further cries. As he set the teabag into his cup to brew, he stared out the window, away from the reporters. He'd need a good cup of tea, and then he'd go to practice. The team had a field they were borrowing at a local secondary school. And from there- the match.

There were two major matches for fans of basketball, the dynamic new sport that's gaining popularity in Laeral's Riverlands region. The national basketball team was eliminated sadly in a one-point defeat, 76-75, against Anollasia. While Laeral advanced as far as the Round of 16, Anollasia triumphed, with point guard Gregory Smith scoring the winning basket with three seconds remaining on the clock. Laeralian forward Nicolas Sarkozy
said that he's pleased with Laeral's performance, and looks forward to future competitions on the international stage...In women's 3-on-3 basketball, an even faster-paced variation on the ball game, the Laeralian women triumphed over host nation Free Republics, 14-11. - Laeral 24 (right-leaning news broadcaster)

"So, to summarize, 3-on-3 basketball is like regular basketball, but it's only ten minutes long, played on half a court, and there's three players a side," Tatiana Kemal said to her friend Wen Lingxin, as they stood together crowded into the budget hotel's meeting room.

"That's right," Lingxin said, "plus scoring is in one or two points, instead of the standard two or three."

"Okay, I think I've got it," Tatiana said. "And no matter whether we win this or Free Republics, we're winning a medal. Our second of the Olympics." The room was emptier than it was typically. While the room was never deserted (the tinpot dictator who called himself a day manager might try and reclaim it if no one was keeping an eye on it) there were only a dozen athletes in the room, and perhaps twice that number in the lobby. She recognized only a handful of the athletes- someone from the women's football team, a cyclist, a sailor. With the football match having just concluded in a thrilling victory for the team, and the men's handball match starting in less than an hour, few people were hanging around the hotel.

"Say, did you hear back from the cosmetics company about that endorsement deal?" Lingxin asked. Tatiana had almost overnight become a minor celebrity, and Beehive Cosmetics, a bargain brand of all-natural makeup, had come knocking for an endorsement deal.

"I did," Tatiana said, "and I've decided to take them up on it. My star will fade soon enough, and until then, I need the money. Laeralsford rent, relatives in Serriel, all of that."

"That'll be something, won't it," Lingxin said. Tatiana nodded, and there was a period of silence.

"So what's the deal with that striker, Thomas Zhao?" Tatiana asked. "You seemed to be coming for him pretty hard two nights ago."

"Nothing, really," Lingxin said with a shrug. "We're not dating or anything."

"You know, there's a lot of girls back in Laeral, who'd kill for a chance to date a national team footballer. I mean, Hao Jiang's dating some actress-"

"Aurelie Liao," Lingxin said immediately. "She was in Brushstrokes."

"Right, her," Tatiana said. Lingxin could often be found reading the gossip magazines. "And Alejandro de Armas is married to some supermodel. So you're in good company. There aren't too many of us fencers who end up in the pages of Aujourd'hui."

"I'm not about to date some guy for the gossip magazines," Lingxin said.

"He's fairly handsome, even if he is into that whole brooding thing," Tatiana said. "And the two of you seemed to be enjoying yourselves at the dance."

"Look, I just haven't decided yet," Lingxin said. "Maybe this is something long-term, maybe it's just for the Olympics. Maybe it's nothing. I'm really not sure."

"Right," Tatiana said, a half-second too late to sound innocent. "Well, if you need someone to talk to..."

"You know, they don't typically think of Serrielan women as being good for dating advice," Lingxin said.

"I'm an atheist," Tatiana said. "No prudery here." On the screen ahead, a commercial break ended and the stadium for the match appeared on the screen. Three Laeralian women, in dark-blue jerseys with gold-bronze lettering, ran onto the court. Opposite them, the Free Republicans, the host nation's team, ran out. Ten minutes of play, with the winner being given the gold medal, for the best team in the multiverse. That was certainly something. Around them, Tatiana could hear the other athletes discussing some things in quiet tones: the bombings in Amuapyle, the murders among the West Phoenicians. It had been a bloody Games.

Before today's events, Laeral had won a single medal, a bronze. Yet after today's events, Laeralian athletes will be coming home with four medals, including a gold. In addition to the gold in women's 3-on-3 basketball, Laeralian gymnast Rose Yaling won second place in women's vault, a discipline of artistic gymnastics, with a score of 16.025. The Vilatan Union's Poitera Aquiesamet won gold with a score only 0.05 points higher. And in karate, Laeral's Hae Dong-min won silver, behind West Phoenicia's Francisco Overraz. Hae, whose parents fled the Park regime in High Fells is the second immigrant to bring home an Olympic medal for Laeral, after Tatiana Kemal. - LNBS (popular TV broadcaster)

by **Cassadaigua** » Sun Feb 10, 2019 6:30 pm

Going For The Squash Sweep (and other news),
by Hannah Marshall, Olympic Correspondent

The chances for a “medal” sweep in women’s singles in Squash are still alive as Meghan Cronin will meet Tiffany Mantei for the unofficial gold in the demonstration event. Josie Blackburn is the one who we need to win to finish off a sweep of the top three finishes, as she faces Arabella Tennessee, out of West Phoenicia. Cronin and Mantei have faced each other nine times over the course of their respective careers, but never on a stage this big. Cronin has won five of the nine matches, so expect these two to be very competitive against one another. They last competed in an Olympic qualifier in Grande Mountain this Spring, with Cronin winning in five sets. Both of them are thrilled to be facing off against one another in the final. Cronin told us, “It says a lot about how good we are at this. I said last time this is really a grueling sport, people don’t understand sometimes what it truly takes to be successful at it. I am honored to be playing Tiffany for the gold, and I wish Josie the best of luck in her bronze medal match.” Now while medals are not actually being awarded in Republica in this sport, do recall the Cassadagan athletes who finish in the top three in a demonstration event are being awarded an equivalent medal in Concord Heights by the Olympic Committee of Cassadaigua before game 1 of the championship series of the World Baseball Classic. Therefore, when you hear someone like Cronin talk about a medal, that is what she is referring too. Mantei looks forward to the rematch, “Stakes are going to be real high against Meghan. In one way, it’s cool to be playing her for the top prize, because you know one of you will be winning it, but on the other hand, you want to have the bragging rights on the other. We see each other quite a bit, and will more now.”

Here’s another sport that I bet you didn’t know we were good at. Caid! I didn’t realize that we were good at this, either, but our men’s team just finished first in the demonstration event, defeating Vangaziland. At this rate, that pregame medal ceremony is going to be taking 2-3 hours before the baseball game is played. We’ll have to figure something out, there, I suppose, but congratulations to our Caid team. This is not a well known sport to most Cassadagans, so I had to ask team captain, 26-year old, Freddie Gordon about what got him into the sport, and how they got so good at it, “It started when we were at a pub outside Seth Johnson University in Grande Mountain. Some of us went there, and others went to GMU (Grande Mountain University). We were drinking it up pretty good when this older man comes over and starts talking to us about soccer and how we liked it but we wish the rules were a little different. He mentioned how the game of Caid was played, and the bartender knew a lot about it too. Soon enough we were playing, and found some other teams to compete against. We just played for beer, but it was fun. Now, we can have a lot of beer!” Cheers to that!

Speaking of physical team sports, I am intrigued by the fact that we made it to the 3rd place game in women’s rugby league-nines. This is a demonstration sport, and since the team did lose to Vangaziland, they won’t be at the special medal ceremony, but it begs the question, are we better at rugby then we realize? There are consistently rugby competitions played across the world, and they are probably the most successful competitions that we have never taken part in. Is this our cue to start? Team captain, 30-year old Maddie Soderstrom, tells me, “It would be great to represent Cassadaigua in the rugby league tournaments. Most of us are playing overseas since there are not any rugby leagues of significance in Cassadaigua. So, I think it is that experience that led to us faring well in this tournament. We would have liked to have done a little more, but this was a good result, anyway.”

Every now and then, we pick up a surprising medal, and the latest one comes in mixed doubles of table tennis. The brother/sister combination of Brett and Lisa McGill earned a bronze for their efforts. We interviewed Lisa before the competition began when we glossed over all the medal events, and we mentioned how she simply just did it recreationally and never realize she was actually really good at it until she started running in competitions. Her older brother, Brett, would often play against her just for the purpose of helping Lisa train, but as that went on, Brett, too, became pretty good at it. Now, the two siblings are Olympic medalists. Congratulations to them!

If you’re looking for a feel good story, how about Joe Farley? Yeah, it’s been a while since we talked about that bullying/hazing video at the start of the competition with the two gymnasts, Stacie Morrow and Cara Clements taunting two of the male esports delegation members. Well, Farley is looking to be known for more then just being on the receiving end of that as he has stepped up and advanced to the semifinals of the men’s trading card game for esports. With one more win, he can get himself one of the medals being awarded in Concord Heights, as well. Hopefully for him, he will, after what he has been through. Oh, and by the way, Morrow picked up her second bronze of the Olympics, doing so in the uneven bars.

In political news, ok if you just want to read about the Olympics, I am now done with that! But in political news, a spokesperson for the Queen said she was unimpressed with the explanation of Prime Minister Sergei Chuikov, of Amuaplye. According to this spokesperson, the Queen feels, “It was just more excuses and points out that a four minute walk can mean too far of a distance between guards at a major event, and suggested that the guards might want to put on their running shoes and be willing to break a window if they see a threat.”

by **Ioudaia** » Sun Feb 10, 2019 7:48 pm

Gem of the Oceans Stadium

Elatos Boaz ben Tzadik sat down heavily on the team bench next to his brother Periandros. “That seems to be it.” He slumped forward.

Periandros studied his face, trying to judge if that was all he was going to say, while considering his own choices. At length, he decided to keep his mouth shut, and just put his arm around his brother's shoulders.

Elatos turned his head to look at his brother. “I threw as well as I ever have.” He shook his head vigorously. “I wasn't kidding about the competition being stiff.” He tried to crack a smile, but gave up.

“So what now?”

Elatos leaned back, hanging onto the bench with his hands, then leaned his head back as well. Looking up at the sky, he slowly breathed out. “Take a couple of weeks off. Decompress. Maybe I'll sightsee a bit here first. I've got until dinner today; maybe I'll stay tomorrow as well.

“After that...? Back to practicing, I guess.” He flopped his head to the side, looking at his brother. “I'll have to talk to the coaches, see if I should keep this up. If I can't even qualify, I've got to wonder why I'm doing this.”

Periandros just nodded, still not having any idea what to say. His brother didn't seem to want sympathy, and anything that had the slightest hint of giving him a taste of his own cheerful medicine would make Periandros sound like a total dick. Better to wait and see.

Venicio Piazza Memorial Arena

Yosi Glaukos was on his way to interview Anaxagoras Raam when he came across Scylax Or Li, sweat covered and with towel draped across his shoulders, heading for the showers. “Hi.”

“Hey, Yosi! Still playing roving reporter?”

“Just for a couple more days. I don't think I'll do this gig again. How'd your routine go?”

“Not well... I--”

“How 'bout saying it to the folks back home?”

Scylax got a funny expression on his face as he thought about it. What's that quote? Any press is good press? “Yeah, why not?”

Yosi's crew, already anticipating that, were ready, and Yosi and the gymnast were live in a matter of seconds. “This is Yosi Glaukos, ITV, and I'm here with Scylax Or Li, who finished his floor exercise only a few minutes ago. Scylax, what do you think of your performance?” That seemed like a safe question; I wish I'd had a chance to check how he did.

“I'm disappointed in myself. Everything was going fine until my fourth pass, a front layout with a triple twist. That's one of the parts I usually nail. But I really stumbled on the landing after the triple... I almost fell down! So that was a half-point right there. And a couple more little slips on five and six for .2 more and I was done.”

Damn, that hurts! For a reporter, Yosi's sympathetic frown was unusually sincere. “Wow, I hear ya. So, you'll just have to settle for one gold this olympics?”

A corner of Scylax's mouth lifted slightly. “Yeah. I was hopeful for another, but..” He shrugged. “Now I guess it's down to Raam for a double medal.” He saw somebody in the distance, and waved him over. Chaim Palmys came into view, looking unhappy.

Yosi decided to keep going with the interview, even though he'd be late for Anaxagoras. “Chaim, you're on ITV live. What's going on?”

“Damn judges! There was nothing wrong with my routine, but they kept finding things. We filed a formal protest, but even with the measly bit they gave me back, it didn't change the standings. Bastards!”

“Oh, damn, that sucks!”

“Damn right! But there's nothing to be done now. Perfectly good routine wasted. I thought the new points system was supposed to fix this bullshit, but no!” Yoshi winced: that went out live. Hopefully, nobody would complain to the radio ministry.

Scylax rescued Yosi from figuring out how to end the interview. “Let's go get something to drink and commiserate.” And Chaim allowed himself to be led away, allowing Yosi to sign off. Yosi and crew hustled to find Anaxagoras in the training area.

He was there, along with Yotam ben Gnipho, Pasiphae Tiya, and Atira bat Thisbe. As Yosi's group approached, Anaxagoras sprinted down the runway, hit the springboard, and twisted into his routine. He went over to the others, who were looking at a monitor attached to a high-speed video camera. Eventually, Pasiphae noticed Yosi's crew getting ready, and tapped Anaxagoras on the shoulder.

Yosi ran through the on-camera introductions, then got down to business. “How's it look for tomorrow?”

“Well, it's the same routine as always: a Zamolodchikova. But the double twist is looking better and better. And I'm nailing the landing. So, I think I'm in better shape tomorrow than I was for the qualifiers.”

In the background, Atria called out, “Yeah, he's getting to look like a woman!” Even Yosi had to join in the chuckling at that; it remained mostly a woman's routine.

Yosi took the bait. “Do you think your vault's that good?”

“Well, it's pretty smooth. We'll keep working on it today, and then we'll just have to see tomorrow.”

“And have you thought about at all about the day after and your return to the bar?”

“Sure. I've been practicing that as well. Since that was mostly a single screw-up, it's just a question of polishing the form. But today, we're all focused on my vault. Well, those of us who aren't competing or who aren't helping Lital, who's also up tomorrow.”

“Oh, yeah, she's here too! Maybe we can--”

Anaxagoras waved him off completing that. “No, I know she doesn't want to be interrupted while she practices.” He turned to the other gymnasts. “Do you think Lital would mind some long shots of her routine.”

Pasiphae turned from looking over the slo-mo still on the monitor. “So long as you don't disturb her. Keep them really long shots.”

Yosi thanked them, and scouted around for the Lital, keeping his crew about 5m away from the balance beam. He whispered into the mic. “Lital Tecmessa's reached her key move, a full twisting back salto, with tuck. It looks pretty good, but I'm not an expert on the beam. And here's her dismount, a Gainer 360-- Oooh! That landing's gonna hurt. It looks like she's ok. Ati seems to be telling her to just try it again, so she's starting her routine over.

“Since Lital doesn't want to be interviewed, I guess that's all we're going to see. So, I'm Yosi Glaukos for ITV, and this has been... wow! A great preview of tomorrow's competition on the men's vault and the women's balance beam”

by **Anollasia** » Sun Feb 10, 2019 8:27 pm

Yesterday's...incident with Nigel Huntingdon seemed to linger in Lauren's mind. It was like a perfume in the air, except it was a pungent odour instead of a pleasant scent, and it overstayed its welcome.

Lauren ran to Nigel after he stormed out of the room upon hearing the words that spewed out of Kerem's mouth. The truth cut him like a knife, and he didn't have a bandaid.

She caught up with him, touching his shoulder to get his attention. "Nigel," she said with a certain softness in her voice, "Don't listen to Kerem, he doesn't know what he's saying."

"Leave me alone..." He said, still with his nasally voice, but this time there was a different quality to it.

"Are you...crying?" She turned him around and saw tears rolling down his cheeks and snot coming out of his nose. She searched around her pockets for a tissue but she couldn't find any. She slowly started to back away. "Wait here." She said. She quickly sprinted to find a tissue but when she returned, Nigel was no longer there.

...

Rise and shine! It was the day of Lauren's second match...with Kerem. Kerem is usually a nice guy, not the sort of person you'd have quarrels with. But his absolute hatred towards her brother was something he could hide no longer. Their relations had deteriorated due to the incident, as Kerem remained stubborn about what he said yesterday.

"I stand by what I said. He's a talentless bastard who's only reaping off your talents and pitiful compassion for him." Kerem sputtered while the two were having breakfast.

"I don't care if it's true or not, but you shouldn't have said it." Lauren countered.

"He was bound to hear it eventually." Kerem shrugged.

"I certainly wasn't expecting it from you." She downed a glass of milk and then set it down. "Why are you so against him?"

"He's SO annoying!" Kerem groaned.

"Yeah. Is that it?"

"Well, like I said, he's also a talentless bastard-"

"He's not a bastard," Lauren got up from the table, towering over Kerem. "He's my biological brother, and you know that."

She left and he was left in a daze. Finally he responded, "That's not what I meant!" Lauren didn't hear him shouting, or she just ignored him. He couldn't tell.

...

Lauren and Kerem were still arguing right before the match. She tried to reconcile with him, but he didn't back down from his way.

"This is so unprofessional of you! This is our job we're about to do here, this isn't some elementary school field trip! Sure, you may think he's annoying, but you don't just say those sorts of things!"

"I have the right to tell him the truth!"

Lauren paused and took a deep breath. "Okay, let's make a deal. We stop talking about...this until after the match. Deal?"

"No! I need closure right now!"

Lauren rolled her eyes. "Ugh, you're so selfish!"

"Uh..." A voice came from behind, "It's time for you to get on the court."

The two made their way to the court, trying to do their best to hide their recent strife. "Okay, listen. This is the match. The match. We leave our personal lives behind here." Lauren attempted to reconcile with him again.

To Lauren's surprise, he actually agreed. Huh. Maybe he's finally giving in.

And for the first round, he did forget about the whole matter. This greatly helped them, as they won the first round. It was as if things were back to normal.

But things fell apart during the second round. It was an intense back-and-forth rally between the two doubles, but Kerem managed to end it by swinging the racquet in a way that the ball ended up where neither of their opponents could reach it. Lauren celebrated. "Good job, Nigel!" She accidentally said.

"Nigel?" Kerem looked offended. "You think I'm like Nigel?"

"No, my mind just slipped." She replied but then added. "You're nothing like Nigel. At least he's able to feel guilt."

This made Kerem really angry. But he didn't want to make a scene, so he just kept it to himself. His pent-up emotions negatively affected his performance and was making his tennis partner frustrated. "Come on, get yourself together!" She shouted at him after he swung his racquet and missed...for the fifth time already.

They lost the second round. But maybe the third will be more forgiving?

"At least I'm not a talentless bastard." Kerem mumbled to Lauren. She burst out laughing, after witnessing him miss the ball so many times. "Shut up." He mumbled again. This mumbling and bickering continued through the third round.

"I give up." Lauren said as she stopped moving around.

"What?" Kerem said with disbelief.

I don't want to win if this is what every match will be like."

"No! Don't give up! Uh, you're great, really!" He said, trying to defend their side of the court.

"And Nigel?"

"He's a talentless bastard."

"That's it!" She shouted and missed the ball as it flew toward her. She did this on purpose. She was capable of hitting the ball, but she chose not to.

They lost the match. Kerem fell on his knees, with his hands in his hair and yelled, "No!" Lauren just walked past him and said, "Get some class, will you?" She shook the opponents' hands and rushed off the court.

After the match they had a brief confrontation. "Why did you do that?" He questioned her, exasperated from the intense day so far.

"I've had enough of you and your stubborn selfishness! What happened to you? You weren't like this before."

"It's all because of Nigel."

"Enough already! It's your fault that this happened, not his! Yes, his actions were despicable but I already reprimanded him for that. He was probably going to apologize and things would settle down if you just kept your big fat mouth shut!"

"Look who's talking."

"Okay, stop. I don't want to talk with you anymore. Nigel isn't perfect but he's my brother. He's family. And I love him. I'd rather spend a day with him than with you, no matter how annoying he may be at times. He's still like a kid to me, which would explain his childish behaviour. But you're not like a kid to me. You're even older than me, by two years or something?"

"Three years."

"Yeah, whatever. Anyway, Nigel is my brother. We stick together through thick and thin, because that's what brothers and sisters are supposed to do. But I guess you wouldn't know that, you don't have any." Lauren walked away.

Kerem stood there and thought for a moment. "Man, she's right. What have I done?" He looked up and saw her at the end of the hallway. "Lauren!" He shouted but she didn't look back. "Lauren! I want to make things right again."

Lauren didn't look back, nor did she stop walking, but she did tell him, "Apologize to Nigel, then we'll see."

This made him grumpy at first, but he snapped out of it. Kerem knew what to do.

by **West Phoenicia** » Sun Feb 10, 2019 8:57 pm

The Daily Blog

The Summer Olympics Games in Republica, The Free Republics is hands down the best performance for team West Phoenicia so far.
It has earned more medals than there previous appearances combined and with six days remaining sports pundits are wondering is there any more juice in the tank? Could West Phoenicia reach 90 medals, making it very successful appearance.

West Phoenician Olympic Committee President Baroness Flora Freeman says anything is possible. West Phoenicia had played a smart move in getting behind there return athletes who have already been exposed to the Olympic culture many had made the top 5, 10 and 20 previously. Those athletes were heavily injected with funding and first class coaches to give them an additional boost and it paid off.
What also paid off was automatic qualifiers for returning athletes who obtained a medal win, something that the West Phoenician Olympic Committee may look at scrapping for the next games even though it had a 50% return rate of success.

However West Phoenicia faces a number of hurdles going forward, and it's something they will need to look at and get to work fixing as soon as they return home.

1. So far it has been confirmed over 300 athletes will retire at the end of these games. That is a lot, the majority of medal winning athletes will not be returning. The reliance on seasoned athletes will affect Team West Phoenicia in the short to middle term as it trains up new talent to fill the void.

2. During his Goodwill Tour of the Empire, Emperor Glenton Gryphon-Bush II time and time again his Vice-Roys and the leaders of those nation under the Empire umbrella have expressed a desire to see more of their athletes and players added to the Olympic delegation. These current games had a very heavy West Phoenicians influence and almost ignored the other nations. These other nations have called for Empire qualifiers, allowing a certain number of athletes from each nation of the Empire who meet the minimum standard to than move onto the Olympic qualifiers, with a guarantee that at least 30% are included in the Olympic delegation. Which means that some top West Phoenician athletes may lose their spot to an athlete who barely qualified to meet the minimum 30% representation. While it could be seen as unfair these other nations believe West Phoenicia is not using the best of all athletes from the Empire and that the inclusion of these athletes who were originally ignored will benefit the Confederate Empire of West Phoenicia in the long term.

3. Pay for play will officially end. After the weightlifting debacle that saw Lady Anthea Bordremanne added to the delegation which should have gone to another athlete, another four cases were discovered. The Committee will official clamp down on this, any gift or donation towards the West Phoenician Institute of Sport will be recorded on public record as solely a gift and can not be used to buy a spot for a family member or friend.

4. The West Phoenician Aristocracy Party has called for an amendment to the West Phoenician Olympic Charter calling for a minimum 10% spots in the delegation for members of the aristocracy. Seeing how well they have been doing and the expense they spend for high class training and coaches, the Party feels these athletes are an asset and spots should be reserved for them.

5. The West Phoenician Socialist Party and The Green Party have combined their forces and are pushing for increased scholarships to be awarded to low income families whose family members show athletic ability and who are unable to afford the expenses it costs for fees, coaches, equipment etc. They are calling for a vast increase to allow more unprivileged teens more opportunities to represent their nation.

All these points will need to be addressed, whether they are approved or not is up to the West Phoenician Olympic Committee to continue making Team West Phoenicia a success on the national and international front.

by **Main Nation Ministry** » Sun Feb 10, 2019 10:48 pm

Agent Dragon: The Trial of Revenge

Keller went up some stairs, where she noticed that she was in a rather open circular room which she believed to be directly above the main hall itself. Several glass floor panels were peering down at the main hall below. At the center of the room, a rather unusual figure was standing there with a knife. "Who the hell are you? Where is she? Where's the demiurge?" Keller demanded to the woman that seemed to look like the same age as her. "Oh, her?" the woman said, seemingly giving off an uncanny smile. "You should have known by now. I'm the number one fan of the Leader! You should have known already. Everyone should have known already!" the woman said, seemingly toying with the knife, as there appeared to be some blood visible on the blade.

"Keller.. Something about her seems familiar. She has the same vibe as the demiurge, but something isn't right." the parasite said to Keller, as it sensed the fan. "Are there two demiurges? Who are you supposed to be? You don't look like anyone I know." Keller said to the fan. "Oh, come on. I knew the Leader way before anyone else. Before you. Before the Ministry. And to think he tried to stop me back during that one World Bowl." the fan said. "Wait..Are you the so-called?" Keller said, suddenly putting the puzzle pieces together. "Yes, I'm Jane Doe! You may have heard of me back then? Such a shame that the Leader and I can't be together." Jane Doe said, as Keller gripped her knife.

"I heard you're supposed to be dead. How are you still alive?!" Keller demanded, as Jane Doe faced her. "Technically I did die, but the demiurge is someone that gave me another chance. You see even though my body is at the Northwest, she helped me want to get even with this dump of a nation. Besides, I was just doing what I do before I got a bullet in my brain. Just the right thing." Jane said, where Keller took a step forward. "You call killing people the right thing? You're just as god complex as that bitch we're trying to kill ourselves!" "You're just a young girl who has a combat knife in their hands, while I have..." Jane Doe reached for something behind her back.

"Keller, get down!" the parasite said, as Keller dodged a bullet that went flying pass her. "That's a disadvantage for me! Both of you don't even have the honesty to play fair!" Keller said, getting the knife ready. "Who said I need to play fair?" Jane Doe said in a slasher smile.

by **Kriegiersien** » Mon Feb 11, 2019 3:20 am

Kriegiersien (KGS) 2–2 Beepee (BPE) (2–3 AET)

For the Football team the campaign ended in the round of 16. After two goals conceded and two goals scored the penalty shoot-out had to decide. And it had the better end for Beepee.
“We had trained penalties, I substituted in the goalkeeper who was a specialist in penalties just before the shoot-out. To no prevail. We were never in the form to control the match. I think I didn’t reach the players in the end. It is my fault. I hereby resign from job as coach”, read the Kriegiersien coach from a note with shaking hands.

After the Independents Cup and U18 World Cup this is the third time in a short period that a Kriegiersien or affiliated delegation loses prematurely. As the Olympics were seen as a major tournament for the Government, there may be no further entrants in football competitions until the next Olympics for the nation.

GYMNASTICS - ARTISTIC - Men's - Floor Exercise Final.

No medals for the Gymnasts. A total disaster for the most successful branch of the Kriegiersien delegation. But then DaGim, also called “the dwarf” because of his size, won Gold at the Men’s Floor. As the only one left of the old guard, between all the young, new Kriegiersien gymnasts at their first Olympics, being the last one of the ‘Circus Generation’ with artists name, it was a big relief for him to again win a medal.

“They told me I was too young when I married and divorced soon after. They said before the Olympics I am too old, too old fashioned, too strange, but I still got a wild card from my Ex-Wife who is on the committee. And now I have won Gold. Just for me. All the training paid off.”
After the judges showed the scores, he started to cry unusual and unmanly.
“I think I have time now to finally make my doctorate in bioengineering.”

After Amiri Dumb won bronze in WRESTLING - FREESTYLE - Women's 75 kg, she let out a roar and hit her chest with her fists.
She had just smashed Placide Cary from Darmen to the ground and pinned her there by pure power, shouting much before, after and grunting during the fight.
“She is really strong, wild. A real Berserker. If she would just be able to learn a bit more technique and tactic, she could be even achieve more”, sighed the coach of the wrestling team.

The 3X3 Basketball ladies won bronze against The Kytler Peninsulae by beating them 17-10 in the third place match. A stable blocking defense and a good focus of all players in scoring brought the success and another team medal.
We may see these three girls in the “real basketball team” soon.
In a small Nations cup on home soil shortly before the Kriegiersien ladies had ended on second place, but like winner Baker Park, the Union of Socialist Alpine Republics and Darmen failed in the Group stage at the Olympics. Only the favourite of the tournament, West Phoenicia, who had ended on place 4, is still in the competition of the Olympic main basketball event.

The defeat of the Volleyball and Football team in the round of 16, of the table tennis mixed Mindriel/Ada, where the Kriegiersien tennis champion tried his best in his second beloved sport together with the best female Table Tennis player Kriegiersien may ever had and both beach volleyball teams going out in the quarterfinals swearing and arguing, had been the sad events from the Kriegiersien point of view.

But then the Rugby Sevens team won the title, the first title in a ball sport team event at the Summer Olympics, the tenth gold for the delegation. A new record.

“Near the end of the group stage everyone thought we are out and sorry losers and nonames. Now we will go as Olympic Champion to the Rugby League World Cup. Now we earned names”, said the captain of the team, Damian Druid, with tears in his eyes.

At home the day was called a holiday by the President and all children got off school. The people are celebrating in the street and a big welcome party and parade when the team comes back is already organized.

by **Greater vakolicci haven** » Mon Feb 11, 2019 4:08 am

Havenic foreign office statement

In response to the various travel restrictions regarding Amuaplye, the Havenic foreign office has chosen to reassure all Havenic citizens that we do not recognise a substancial threat to life within the National Republic of Amuaplye at this time. Citizens of nations who are required to travel to Amuaplye in contravention of national travel restrictions are advised that connections are likely available via a Havenic airport. Sondestadt liberty airport, king Althyus II Turin Airport, Iros Gateway to Civilisation Airport, Royal airport Roma, Alisco Central provincial airport, Velstursgaaten portal airport, Metropolitan Central Airport, Metropolitan Advance airport and others all offer connections to Amuaplye.
The Havenic foreign office would again like to remind its counterparts in West Phoenicia and Cassadaigua that it is not obliged to uphold travel restrictions set by those nations as no bilateral treaties with the Haven have been signed. We further wish to inform those foreign offices that enforcement of travel restrictions by Havenic authorities is not a service that we offer free of charge.

Although the level of violence in Amuaplye is high by international standards, it is not uncommon to find higher levels in certain havenic provinces. Crime statistics for Havenic provinces are freely available, allowing citizens of all nations to make their own decisions as to their safety: the Havenic way is about freedom of choice, not about government protection. Advice on visiting potentially hazardous destinations can be found at our website at [url]foreign.gov.hvn[/url], or by contacting your local Havenic Foreign Representative.

by **Todd McCloud** » Mon Feb 11, 2019 5:15 am

To Ponder the Unthinkable - Dissecting a Loss
Reporting for V3 News Services, Rin Slakori

REPUBLICA - To say the predominately vulpine nation of Vekaiyu is considered a benchmark for underwater hockey competition is nothing short of an understatement. Indeed, prior to the Olympics, Vekaiyu and their Professional Underwater Hockey League Circuits were considered the standard when it comes to doing the sport justice. Aquatic arenas are aplenty and provide capable viewing of action beneath the surface. The level of fanaticism is appropriate for a typical high-volume following. Youth leagues remain prominent from mid-level towns to the various metropolises scattered about the nation. And low-tier teams were rumored to have what it takes to square off with international delegations. The arrogance of the Vekaiyun Underwater Hockey League (VAST, the acronym spelled out in Unonian), was justified in the Twelfth Olympiad where both the men's and women's delegation made quick work of the competition and routed their way to undefeated records, winning both divisions outright.

This year, the chinks in the armor were beginning to show. The underwater hockey delegations were no longer in front of large, almost raucous crowds and placed in front of Lexan glass for appropriate viewing. Per a vote, they were subjected to international rules, which removed the overtime stipulation and went right to shootouts. The style of play was more physical, as dictated by the rule set, thus negating the delicate balance between physicality and finesse. Consequently, the men's delegation would stumble first, as an initial loss to Cassadaigua and a tie to West Phoenicia placed the team in near-chaos. Had it not been for the guidance and veteran leadership provided by Reko Uyastrovi, the team likely would not have made it to the knockout stage. But they did, and as they finished a cold second, their journey to the top would be rather difficult. After a riveting match against Free Replublics, which ended in an overtime shootout, and a close game with Diarcesia, the men's delegation rose to the occasion in the finals match versus Xanneria, which they routed to the tune of 7-2 - a more appropriate score given how stingy the goal scoring had been for this international competition. Chalk it up to the agreed-upon rules, but after an initial struggle, the men's team showed just why the Vekaiyuns are still the force to be reckoned with in the water.

A different story surrounded the women's team. Indeed, their squad breezed through the their group stage, then worked their way up the ladder to reach the finals round, easily dispatching Vangaziland, struggling under the defensive might of Free Republics, and set for their final match with Ethane. By all accounts, no one gave their opponent much of a chance. They barely made it through group stage and, had it not been for the paltry efforts of Eastfield Lodge, they almost certainly would not have advanced. After all, Ethane had the second-worst goal differential (-5) in group competition, was the only nation with a negative goal differential to advance, and had been trounced by Vekaiyu by a score of 6-0. It is why the eventual score of 5-5 entering overtime shootout was all the more puzzling. Though when one watches the film, the story becomes a bit more clear.

"I think we played to their level," Sayli Relasessi, who scored two goals in the match, lamented. "But I have to hand it to them, their style of play changed quite a bit from when we last played them. It's like they learned how to play our game."

A Vekaiyun team, which is typically less large and less brawny than a human team, will almost always opt for finesse and speed instead of powering their way through. That's why the Vekaiyun style of attack is typically pass-heavy on the offense, and "trapping" on the defense, in that defenders don't normally engage in prolonged struggles for the puck, but will instead more readily steal the puck on the drive. Such a style of attack was mimicked well by the opposing delegation, except near the gutter. There, physicality was escalated to a maximum - almost as if defenders were merely waiting for them to reach the goal, thereby making scoring difficult and forcing the Vekaiyun squad to opt for longer-distance goals. Taking care of the offense, Ethane was much more protective of the puck this time around and managed to find openings they had neglected in the first round of play when Vekaiyu shut them out. By the end of the match, the score was tied and, per the rules, a shootout was to occur.

Shootouts are, to put it lightly, a mixed-bag. It leaves more to chance and relies on a style of play that isn't very consistent with how the entire match is conducted. That being said, after trading shots and each team making their first five shots in a row, Yulie Eskatero went left and guessed wrong, ending the barrage of overtime scoring and cementing the history books. Vekaiyu, as it seemed, had finally failed to win an international underwater hockey tournament.

The Vekaiyun delegation, despondent as they were, did not offer detailed accounts of the match like the delegation had been known for up to this point. Yet they truly had nothing to feel too broken-up about. They played a team to a tie, and happened to score one less goal on a shootout. These things happen. Vekaiyu, while not human, showed they were capable of taking a loss.

Perhaps the team should have made adjustments in the second half. Perhaps they should have accumulated more stars from VAST. Perhaps they should've included the premier like they did on the previous squad. Whatever the reason, a loss in this sense is good, as it gives each player a new perspective on how to improve. Clearly, there is at least some room for improvement. And, as we saw from the last Olympiad, it may lead to some strategy changes back home, too.

"It is what it is," Sera Alvessi commented after unbuckling her ear guards. "Can't be expected to make the mark every time, of course. But I did learn ways to improve my game and help out my team [Provinsk Red Fins]."

Forward Rin Slakevi had a different take on the matter. "We'll learn from this, we always do. I think we're going to play more relaxed now, because we knew it was only a matter of time before we would have to take a defeat. We're good, but not perfect, and now that that's out of the way, I think we'll loosen up."

Not perfect - of course, it remains to see if the fans think that way, but judging from the crowds that attended the final match, they at least seemed receptive to that heavy dose of reality. They know this was inevitable, and while a finals match stings, it is not the end of the world. Vekaiyu is still the top nation in underwater hockey and, until another nation decides to step up and challenge the vulpine nation, it will remain as such.

Provided the sport remains a demonstration event, expect the women's team to be back in full force. As they say in Codexian, wait til next year!

by **Free Republics** » Mon Feb 11, 2019 9:48 am

Day 19 Cutoff

by **West Phoenicia** » Mon Feb 11, 2019 4:31 pm

Arabella fights for Demonstration Bronze

West Phoenician female squash player Arabella Tennessee is fighting to obtain a bronze Demonstration medal and avoid a Cassadaigua todal wave. Win or lose they are guaranteed a demonstration gold and silver after Arabella lost to Tiffany Mantei 3 sets to 2. She will now take on Josie Blackburn the weaker of the three Cassadaga ladies.

“It is going to be a fierce match. She has more to prove than the other two. It will be a great game, and it's disappointing that Squash has not been picked up as a medal event, we are just as strong and talented as say the badminton players.”

Arabella started off in group A and had a great run defeating all the competition in her pool. She defeated;

Amelia Barrow of Eastfield Lodge in three straight sets.
Reija Jussilainen of the Free Republics where she beat her competitor in 3 of 5 seats
Miriam Wernher of Darmen in three sets
Lindsay Lamb of Amuaplye in three straight sets
Josie Blackburn in 4 sets. While Josie played a competitive 1st set, Arabella fired back hard when the next three.

For the quarter finals she came up against Tereza Munzarova of the Free Republics when she played 5 sets, winning three. This was by far one of her most channelling especially in the third set where the score was 10-12.

Arabella would be the first to say how disappointed she was for losing against
Tiffany Mantei. Especially to someone called Tiffany.
But the game is not yet over. Arabella has called on all fans to come out and cheer on her game against Josie Blackburn. Cassadaigua may have three players but West Phoenicians are fierce, loud and passionate; “Come out in force to cheer me on to avoid the Cassadaigua tidal wave. Let's win the third place and change her name to Josie “Feel the” Burn.

by **Kriegiersien** » Mon Feb 11, 2019 5:12 pm

A Gregoryan affair - Part VI

Venicio Piazza Memorial Arena. First playoffs in Volleyball.

14-11 for the Vilitan Union in the last, decisive, fifth set. 3 Match Points remaining, that was still repairable. Fritz stayed calm. They would turn the match again. They were guided by his hand.
Service from the opponent. Netcord.
The ball dropped down and Fritz jumped to get it, reached the ball before it touched the ground, but it bounced off.
“Hold the ball, hold the ball, hold the ball!!!”, he shouted to his teammates, but no one got it, as it flew into the stands.

They had lost. The game was over. The tournament was over. The chance for Gold gone.

Fritz kneeled on the ground, his mouth opening and closing again and again. Shock.

That was impossible. No. No it couldn’t be. It was his destiny. They had been guided by his hand. They mustn’t.. could not lose.
All around him seemed to be happening in slow motion.

Oh, he knew. This was all a dream again. He just had to wake up. He pinched himself. It did not hurt and it didn’t help. He pinched himself again. He pinched a teammate, who didn’t react, as if frozen.

“Wake up!”, Fritz cried, hitting himself. “Wake up. Wake up.”

He closed his eyes, opened them again. He was still in the Arena.

“Wake up! WAKE UP!”

His comrades stood around his hospital bed, a doctor looking at a chart.

“I am sorry, I think your friend is sort of catatonic. He only mumbles ‘Hobol’ most of the time.”

“Yes, he did that since the end of the game and didn’t stop. Don’t know what it means.”

“And sometimes he says Gregor. Do you know this person?”

The three looked at each other.

“No. Can’t say we really do.”

“Maybe a friend or relative of him? It may help to get him here.”

“Yes. That may help all of us”, said Armin.

by **Cassadaigua** » Mon Feb 11, 2019 5:38 pm

Where Are They Now?
By Hannah Marshall, Olympic Correspondent

As today’s events get contested, and more medals get awarded, something flashed up on the screen this morning then the women’s relay, 4x100m, began. Now, don’t get me started on the incident that led to our group putting up a DNF, instead I am going to take this a different direction. On the screen it pointed out the current Olympic Record holders: The team of Sierra Robinson, Shelby Daniels, Jessica Campbell, and Courtney Shea, setting a time of 41.14 back in the Orean Olympics. That was way back when, in the 8th Summer Olympiad. Because, in Cassadagan time, the Olympics happen every four years, two decades have passed since that day back in Liventia. I did some quick research and tried to reach out to each of the athletes. In the days of social media, that was not that difficult. I received consent from all athletes to put their answer to my question in this article.

Sierra Robinson is now 41. She resides in suburban Concord Heights, and now coaches both track and Cross Country at Pine Ridge High School, which is 25 minutes west of the nation’s capital. Pine Ridge is the defending Concord Heights Regional champion in both track and cross country, so she is certainly doing something right. Robinson has three kids, two boys, Matthew (11) and Cody (8), and one daughter, Sydney (5). Robinson replied to my Spacebook message of her thoughts on how often she looks back to winning gold in Orean, “When I won that gold, it was a great feeling, and I still get chills looking at it, especially now when there is a new Olympiad taking place. It still remains front and center in a trophy case at my home, as well as plaque that the OCC (Olympic Committee of Cassadaigua) gave me in honor of the record. One day it will fall, and maybe this is the year. It’s stood for two decades though, and that is really special to me.”

Shelby Daniels is a year older then Robinson, and is now 42. After winning the gold medal in Orean, she continued to perform at meets for several years, before retiring from the sport at age 27 due to pregnancy. Efforts to get back into the sport failed afterwards, as she was not able to regain her old speed. She did not give up, and then pursued her second passion, which was lacrosse. At age 28, she signed as an undrafted free agent with the Victoriaville franchise, and played there for two years. Her career was unspectacular, but it showed her resilient nature. Daniels continues to live in Victoriaville, and like Robinson, she is now coaching track at high school, doing so for Southwest Victoriaville Central High School (Called Souvic by locals). Daniels has two kids, Kelsey (15), and Brett (12). Kelsey is part of her track team at SVCHS and set a school record for the 100m last fall, at just 14 years of age. Perhaps we should be keeping an eye on her. Daniels responded to same inquiry I sent to Robinson via Spacebook as to how often she looks back to winning the gold, and setting that record, “I use it to motivate my players, especially my daughter Kelsey. I’ll show it to them and talk about all the hard work that it took in order to win it. Also talk about the importance of teamwork in a relay. I had a lot of fun back then, it’s amazing that it has been twenty years now.”

Jessica Campbell is 39, and living in Winchester. She has five kids with three different husbands. Her first husband, Nick, died in a car accident just four months after their marriage, and was never able to see the birth of their first son, Nick, Jr, who is now 14. Son William (12) and daughter Eliza (10) were with her second husband, named Louis, but they would divorce two years after Eliza was born. She married her third husband, Donald, three years ago, and they have two kids, son Andrew (2), and daughter Victoria (7 months). Andrew has down syndrome. Campbell does not list a profession on her Spacebook profile, though Donald is listed as being a lawyer. Jessica replied to my message, by saying, “That was in a different life. Things have changed so much for me since then. The gold medal was great, I still look at it sometimes. As far as the record, I just keep expecting it to fall every Olympiad, and this will probably be the year. I have just been through a lot since I was nineteen and having a good time. It was a great experience.”

Courtney Shea was the youngster of the group, and is now 38 years of age. It didn’t take her long to respond to my inquiry, and she offered to do an in-person interview, since she is right here in Republica, now. Courtney tells me that ever since they won the gold medal, she has made it to every Olympiad afterwards, and eagerly watches the new stars of her sport. Courtney lists herself as single, and has one child, four-year old daughter Chelsea, who is accompanying her in Republica now. Shea ran track competitively until she turned 32 years of age, and joked that it was difficult to maintain a relationship during that time, because the only thing she really loved was the track, and running. About the gold, she replied, “I put in the center of all of the other achievements that I have had in my career. They are all special, but an Olympic gold medal is the best, for sure. I savor it, and talk to each of my teammates from then every now and then. It’d be cool if they could all be here and we could run around the track again, but they have complicated lives now. I have stayed the simple one. I hope the record never gets broken, but if it does, I would love to be able to congratulate, personally, the team that did, if I would be allowed to be.”

Thought a change of pace would be good today. For specific results from today’s events, check our website.

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