Addressee: The Footballing authorities of Main Nation Ministry, Drawkland and Banija
Subject: your visit to Velstrania
Good day,
Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Einterlas nos Horlanien, chief operations officer at Havenssport Velstrania: footballing branch. In this position it is my great privilege to welcome you, your players and travelling spectators to our island, where we will do all we can to make your visit a memorable one.
Velstrania is the home both of God and of the concept of freedom. We are a nation which is at war; far from our own shores, against the tyrant and all he stands for. The tyrant, as you know, has the power to infest all nations and turn their people into mere minions and shills for his actions; this force has been with us since our world was formed, and will continue to be with us long after we die: therefore, our war is unending. For this reason, you can expect to see a large military presence wherever you go; these soldiers do not care about what you are doing. They don't want to get in your way or even to look at you; they are just being soldiers. These soldiers are not police officers, they are not security guards, consider the large military presence as scenery, although many may be happy to give you directions. Although we have a very tolerant attitude to freedom of speech, mocking the war, the army or the Velsturman military ethic is not a strategy that will make you many friends.
Velsturmen on average stand at around 8 ft in height, which can seem intimidating to many who are not familiar with this size difference. Although any fears of violence can be put to rest, thanks to a low crime rate and a near-100 % firearms ownership rate, certain things will be different in order to account for the larger size of the average Velsturman. Seats, for example, be those in cars, stadia or at dinner tables in restaurants are larger, as are the things they are paired with. Our ceilings are often higher, for obvious reasons, as are steps; it is hoped however that for those coming to Velstrania, no real problems will be encountered from this.
The football experience
Football is an extremely social occasion in Velstrania, from long before the game itself to long after it. Our tailgating parties, amongst the largest in the world, are occasions at which sharing is compulsory. If you bring a lot of beer and somebody takes a bottle, do not be offended; food and drink in Velstrania, aside from in a private or restaurant setting, is made for sharing. The atmosphere at a Velsturman tailgate party is loud, raucus, but above all friendly: grab a beer, shit-talk the opposition, eat and drink to your hearts content; you are very much safe here.
Security at and around our stadia is minimal at best, generally consisting of a ticket checker and little else. Velstrania's prohibition of cctv cameras extends to public buildings also, so if you are involved in some form of incident you are pretty much on your own. Although Velstrania does not have the same level of sports-related violence as the rest of the Haven, it does see more than its fair share of regrettable actions. We cannot overstate the intimidation felt by a referee who is surrounded by 20 or so giants while 80000 others are banging drums and chanting at him: if you referee a game here, we cannot guarantee you our usual level of friendliness. It must be clarified however that you are very unlikely to be actually physicly assaulted.
Velstrania's currency is the Havenic Dral, convertible from your local currency at banks, supermarkets, hotels, stadia and street kiosks. The current exchange rate is 1 Dral to 4.2 NSD; however due to the volatility of the dral it is best to check the internet beforehand to assure you are getting the best deal possible. There may be no need to convert your money however as credit and debit cards are near-universally accepted, and no bank in Velstrania charges an ATM withdrawal fee, even with foreign currency conversion thrown into the mix. For this reason, although it may be worthwhile converting a small amount of money into Dral for use for taxis, small-scale street vendors and the like, for the most part it will not be necessary.
Key Laws
- Alcohol is legal, and there is no statutory drinking age in Velstrania.
- All recreational drugs are legalised
- All firearms ownership, even by non-citizen visitors, is totally legal
- Prostitution is totally legal, however unlike the rest of the Haven, slavery is not. Anybody entering Velstrania bringing a slave with them is judged to have surrendered any rights over said slave upon entry into Velsturman-controlled territory.
- It is a criminal offence to track, monitor or otherwise unlawfully interfere with the possessions of anybody else within Velstrania. This applies equally to parents wishing to keep track of their children, team coaches wishing to keep track of players, or the police wishing to keep track of criminals. This law is highly enforced and we advise all visitors to pay great heed to it.
The stadia
Velstursgaaten
Velstursgaaten is the centre of the faith of Velstur, the guiding force in Velsturman society. It is where the council of the First Speakers meets with the holy Mazhrit, and it is where pilgrims and those seeking advice turn to. It is also a great military centre and is known as a fortress even within the great fortress state that is Velstrania: its name translates literally as 'God's keep.'
Despite this, it is a bustling metropolis of some 24 million people, and home to 2 prestigious universities, many of our greatest tourist atractions and a wealth of entertainment options. Its airport, Mahiron Velstraire airport (named for Velstrania's uniting Mazhrit) is where it is advised for the fans, team and other dignitaries from Main Nation Ministry to enter the country.
The stadium to be used is the Baselien memorial dome, the largest domed stadium stadium on the island. Seating an impressive 119,418 people there will be more than enough room for even the most well-travelled team to accommodate all the support they could hope to bring.
Sondestadt, capital of Velstrania
For our highest-ranked opposition in this group, Drawkland, it is the Holy Fortress, home of Sondestadt godly knights in the combined Havenic football league, that you will attempt to defeat us at. A slightly smaller stadium at just under 90,000 it is being chosen as the largest stadium in our capital, the National Football and Rugby stadium is being renovated due to a killer turkey infestation. Although killer turkeys have not been spotted in the Holy Fortress, they are one of the most dangerous predators in all of Velstrania and our capital city is known as a hotbed of turkey activity so all travelling fans should be on their guard.
The city itself, one of the largest in the entire Haven, combines theatrical paradise, government cente and military base all in one. Sitting as it does on the northernmost tip of the nation, Sondestadt has been a regular target of foreign invasions over the past 2000 years, and this attitude of fiery independence has survived in the citizenry; this is the city in which you can expect to see the most anger if Velstrania does not triumph.
Beosaar
Beosaar is not a city, we are sad to tell the travelling supporters from Banija, however it is in easy commuter train reach of the twin cities of Milenka and Bruuk. Beosaar, a small town of less than 7,000 people, is home to the national Velsturman sports academy and its 73,000 seater National Exhibition football centre, where Velstrania will be hoping to dent the hosts chances of making it to their own competition. This is, unfortunately, known to be the place in which referee intimidation rules; referees making calls against the home side can face the disturbing prospect of having tens of thousands of large, angry people banging drums and waving weapons at you...so, if that's not what you're into...just make good calls I guess?