World Cup 93 - RP Thread

by **Geektopia** » Sun Feb 12, 2023 2:42 am

Categorium: Work (Curated by Migueis in Geektopia) edited by Atham Tasasubsil in Burur cak Noaqsi)
Automobiles (Curated by Naumovic in Geektopia) edited by Christoffer Cappuyns in Chica Saw)
Amusement (Curated by Zahharov in Geektopia) edited by Corion Icepis Samarneta in Aimena)
Household (Curated by Palime in Geektopia) edited by Kalijat Hink in Unimon)
Good Physical Condition (Curated by Blard in Geektopia) edited by Edtacio Bezerra in Campo de Ervas) <======= You are here.
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Competitive Games (Curated by Rifiño in Geektopia) edited by Andreika Rararch Sigi in Aimena)
Technology (Curated by Tschšppeler in Geektopia) edited by Shuan Zawadkun in Aimena)
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Multiverse (Curated by El Baraka in Geektopia) edited by Eva Mariska II Purrlicious Chowder Chocolate in Islas Cardinales)

Dining, yes, DINING, at different football clubs. This food is delicious, and I know you wish you could have some!

It's been a long time coming since myself and Edtacio Bereza could have a good excuse to rattle around in the kitchens of established football clubs in Geektopia while games are already going on, and it's been a long time such that we've had to wait three hundred years before the qualifying stages of this 93rd one got underway, a whole three hundred years! As we examine and snoop around the kitchens of O.K. Baseborn Tottoi, it's got to be told that these are public football competitions and really anyone can join in with us because as of what I've seen, there are yet to be any serious penalties for, say, putting a topper of dexamethasone in one fried onion shake we had seen someone try to prepare. Today, we're heading to Unijsibiu Finibienu as they take on N.K. Isleshore reserves at the Lkeijcieohszīmkyieauig Tailtean. The rain was killing my editor's automobile, and the traffic lights at our roundabout shortly before entering the city of Nrina from where we were based in Contenda wanted to hold hostage everyone on the road so's to let most every motorist appreciate just how much rain there was going to be on the day of. The first time we'd avasted before heading to the ground to enjoy the day out, we'd avasted in another city that still was closer to Contenda than it was to Nrina, and home to many stores for hurling memorabilia and gear, Montréecourt. And of course the old cathedral of the city, now replaced by where somebody lives, was quite full of parents and their little ones going to church together. One of the things I used to enjoy in Montréecourt in my pre-Geektivities days, of course, was going into the Montrée de Beyrouth bath house, and what an unveiling this place had back in it's opening day: the mayor aide and former professional hurler Zadquiel Nadhtasidmasirat Ayyh Ah wanted to pick up points for style by telling it as "one place where hurlers and laymen settle down. Anyone who's picked up a degree from any college isn't allowed entry." A special shame on him for being a religious man yet placing the priority of these bath houses, which are more often than not more of a location where naughty things happen, over the cathedral that he used to visit as a kid. Perhaps the mayor got it wrong in thinking that it was more important to keep such a place. There were more institutes in this place that have been sold from one party to another, for as far as I can remember there used to be a nuclear power plant on 778 Īgszyhrdaz Spur, just to make the state look good and the country look much safer than it was. In fact, it turned out to be a very common thing which people coming to this area wrongly call a phenomenon, something that happened often on the maps around these places. Anyways, my staying in this dumpster village had only been because a friend who I had to pick up in ten minutes that's employed at the same wire I am and writes in the category of Amusement wanted me to take him along so that I would rile up some inspiration for him to write more articles.. who knows what goes on that crazy little peanut brain of Zahharov's? On the video of my sitting front passenger's side across from Edtacio in wait for Zaha, I guess it looks like I thought that jacket that I had brought was too light-weight. As quick as we let him into the car, the three of us were already going across a massively wild construction project that had finished up just a year ago (for anyone outside of Kwandoa, that would be roughly four days). By the time every worker who had been posted finished up with their job of reinforcing the thirty-mile long bridge so many steel girders and abutments were put down, it exhausted the collective budgets of Montreécourt and the town next to that of Montreécourt in Zīnmeinyarwei. Coming off of the stupid bridge that took on the shape of a lowercase "n", we had to pay up to fifteen cryptos as a toll for having traveled all that distance. Most of the gang including me chipped in to cover that amount, but on this particular weekend of all weekends, Zahharov didn't seem to see the light about it when we asked him to put forward his money.

This much trepidation was put aside though, because our car had finally gone over the Great Strip and was in the Open Lingo Region, which housed cities that spoke New Geektopian much as Zīnmeinyarwei was, such as Mvneauiīszyhrw (formerly called Drooly Shore), Jcieyancbilei, Hszoyoszrwīwaūhnōh, and then Ngehszwihscsczeaui. Such adventures were had as we crossed these cities by car to finally find Nrina, but I can't really remember any of these and won't bother trying to ask my traveling companions the next time I see them, because there's something about that language which makes everything seemed so much more nuanced and unmemorable, so too I have seen it that what made the city of Montreécourt unique falls short in all five of those which lay in the Open Lingo Region. Hopefully, some horrible event happens there, but right now, even if it was to happen, I would only assume that the very idea of any thing occurring that looked like something those towns could own is stolen from what may have happened in another city like Isleshore. For example, I like to call Murosinoe the "Purple Sign Place" because what had happened so as to have them in that color was a dispute between a mayor and a mayor aide which had the mayor, whose side was on that of keeping them the color brown, die of some unspecified causes about a week later; when I asked what had caused it, the bartender in that city told me to ask another bartender who was working beside them, but when I tried, they waved me off and simply went to the next patron. This trip to Nrina had been strange for me so far, so I couldn't quite write what and how I felt down into words then.

Did I mention that the day after the three of our very talented minds hit lodging was beautiful and that it had not been raining? No, but we got on with things without thinking too much of it. And then, what had been even stranger was that for parking, my friend Edtacio had to pass by an industrial area, no, park at an industrial area and then walk to the stadium. Surprisingly, Nrina's a fairly non-bureaucratical place for all the talk of everyone doing their part to respect the environment, so the parking officers we met didn't expect us to hand over our cryptos and get our tickets, like how Zīnmeinyarwei had done when crossing the bridge into that wretched place. The three of us split up for no apparent reason to take pictures of the commercial area instead of waiting outside with the rest of the laymen who went to the oddly-named football ground. Such things that I took photos of for the article were a swing set with one chain missing. The country's speculative have noted that the magical properties of someone from the Chohn-Abirabishnu fleet who sat down on it granted some foresight: the very next day after that one chain was removed from the swing set, someone else had set on it, and they told of their possession by a demon. In regards to that, the last thing he had wrote before he was possessed was also exactly what he had said in his having been evicted from his body. Shortly after I sell this photo that no one else has ever taken before, I should get to rake in massive amounts of crypto, more than what a tangible mind can process! With that, the deficit we all had to pay was wiped out with that assurance. In the meantime, Edtacio and Zahharov had gone to a shop where what's sold is water with age-old relics inside of the bottles; I expect that this building will come down soon, as it has a dangerous man-made invention whose significance some person clamored on about by the time The Molecular Level blog series' fourth or fifth posting had been made. Oh yea, those Dichlorodifluoromethane refrigerators, Dichlofrigerators they're now called.. real ozone destroyers they are. Anyways, Edtacio told of the citizens that live near here having a real desire to press journalists into spilling ink over this, such that it's made into a government issue and such that Nrina will have been made the center of the country again as far as controversy goes. I got my water from there too, although Bereza covered me out of pocket for no reason.. so that's twenty two and a quarter's expenses in crypto. Onto the matchday ticket booth had been where we were headed next, and so I had to pay for all of our tickets as an unspoken assurance to Bereza doing the same thing for our much less expensive purified water.

The operation started as soon as we got out of the turnstiles and into Lkeijcieohszīmkyieauig Tailtean, where my buddies then walked by themselves and I was left by myself to take a daunting walk to the food booths that were parallel to where I had initially stood once I realized that I ought to take control of this kitchen and show these Nrinan chefs some cooking that will turn their taste buds from children into men. The sun was peeking out from over there, and shadow laid waste to it, causing some unintentionally geeky Geektopians that I had seen to, while tripping over their laces, accidentally open their nacho vapor capsules and have that smell waft into the air instead of saving the cheesy sensation for themselves to sniff. You'll see that food culture in the many cities of the grouping of countries that are Aimena, Unimon, and Geektopia is greatly appreciated when scientists tamper around with it; and as such, we had the great and dead Bresnik tell us that every state of matter should be ingestible, and so that much more importance was placed on having it so that many things which were already ingested as solids and liquids had merged with the air we breathe. But then, what is this than just a glorified cologne which makes one feel like they've eaten something, and for less than an hour at that? Well, the most arbitrary little throat extension has come out, called an esophagus cooling compressor which could turn air into a solid state of matter, all the while most every medical institution and news institute are just lauding for a bite-sized scoop at this piece of physical intel, and the whole issue comes up with folks, laymen, whether they know it was made by the Geektopian child of a Chohn-Singh Abirabishnu pirate or not. Anywho, this joint must have had theme days as far as the chefs in there preparing food went, so I saw an entirely nacho-based menu. To top it off, the most popular menu item I saw read at 12:00 was nachos paired with a pie — no, several. Listed there were flavors you could get of these pies, and it was no issue if you wanted something composed entirely out of the gourds of a durian, grapefruit, pear, or a banana. And then, with the nachos... I'm still not entirely sure how that's supposed to pair up with these pies you could have, though I did see somebody scooping out pieces of their pie from the tin tray with the chips they had, and those chips... boy, they didn't break with any amount of pressure ranging from five to ten pounds. I mean, jeez! I stopped to wonder just what material they were made out of. It's moments like those a person can realize and dote upon just what kind of underbelly Nrina are masking with their "naturalist" façade.

By that time, I had picked the lock coming into the back door of Unijsibiu Finibienu Nrina's kitchen, and had decided to "help out" in some manner by spiking all the freshly prepared meals with trace amounts of Galantamine, an agent that worked against dementia, and by god, did the strangest thing ever happen to me after that. This chef who was sort of viewed like that of a head chef came out from storage carrying a box of chips that were sealed in plastic bags and he showed to me that he had eyes like that of a microscope and a pretty good memory to boot. After seeing the particulates that I'd put on there, he then aggressively asked me if I had thought the preparing committee had rapidly degenerating Alzheimer's disease, and while Alzheimer's disease isn't dementia.. dementia is a symptom of Alzheimer's, that in which amounts of Galantamine improved. On the side of myself, I was pretty taken aback and had begun to exit that part of the stadium when he came up to me from behind with hammer in hand, and nailed an expenses note to my back that had the amount payable for the food that I had ruined — 2,800 cryptos — detailed on that of itself, then kicked me out with such force that the door blew off of it's hinges. From then, I was ready to recon with the editing team, or who I had brought with me that made some of it up, but not without a few painful minutes of reflecting on my life and trying different positions which had the similarity of my curling up into a ball. From now on, I'm now prepared to not do this ever again.

Geektopia 1-3 Euran Oceania Territories <> 30,760 @ Place of Valence, Mukladrue, Geektopia
G's: 2' by N/A for EOT (assisted by N/A), 5' by N/A for EOT (assisted by N/A), 18' by N/A for EOT (assisted by N/A), 70' by #33 Pitter for GEE (assisted by #32 Damețrice 'iidayfib Ṟath Eadjani)
Notable Fouls: YC in the 1' via #16 Witrago (GEE), YC in the 7' via #24 Ringwald (GEE), YC in the 57' via #20 Rinnert (GEE), YC in the 60' via #33 Pitter (GEE)
Substitutions: #9 Jayleanna Lnepzsloal off at 3 minutes introducing #24 Ringwald for GEE, #16 Witrago off at 7 minutes introducing #28 Ogrodowski for GEE, #13 Jerykah Dhubthaeiruh off at 7 minutes introducing #25 Vert for GEE, #15 Arquita Natatajadhuni off at 26 minutes introducing #32 Damețrice 'iidayfib Ṟath Eadjani for GEE, #11 Zalie 'amquk off at 26 minutes introducing #20 Rinnert for GEE

Player Ratings

ON FOR 90 MINS
#22 Lertora = 6.0
#3 Autianna 'ardiquswaa = 6.0
#4 Livengood = 6.0
#33 Pitter = 6.9
#23 Rebimbas = 6.0
#8 Matkowski = 6.0

SUBBED OFF
#9 Jayleanna Lnepzsloal = 6.0
#16 Witrago = 5.9
#13 Jerykah Dhubthaeiruh = 6.0
#15 Arquita Natatajadhuni = 6.0
#11 Zalie 'amquk = 6.0

SUBBED ON
#24 Ringwald = 5.9
#28 Ogrodowski = 6.0
#25 Vert = 6.0
#32 Damețrice 'iidayfib Ṟath Eadjani = 6.5
#20 Rinnert = 5.9

Sharktail 4-5 Geektopia <> 49,025 @ Stadium Biru, N/A, Sharktail
G's: 7' by #21 Win Aziz (assisted by #17 Mokhtar Aidil | bicycle kick), 24' by #6 Upson for GEE (assisted by #3 Sistek), 29' by #33 Pitter for GEE (assisted by #23 Rebimbas), 58' by #8 Wan Nizam for SHT (assisted by #15 Wan Irfan), 77' by #19 Rezal Manaf for SHT (assisted by #18 Sahan Salaman), 78' by #16 Witrago for GEE (assisted by #3 Sistek), 79' by #33 Pitter for GEE (assisted by #10 Nankervis), 82' by #33 Pitter for GEE (assisted by #10 Nankervis), 89' by #18 Sahan Salaman for SHT (assisted by #1 Maxter)
Notable Fouls: YC in the 15' via #3 Sistek (GEE), YC in the 24' via #6 Upson (GEE)
Substitutions: #9 Jayleanna Lnepzsloal off at 4 minutes introducing #17 Gulcan 'iirţasdaṟi for GEE, #8 Matkowski off at 4 minutes introducing #10 Nankervis for GEE, #28 Ogrodowski off at 13 minutes introducing #16 Witrago for GEE, #13 Jerykah Dhubthaeiruh off at 13 minutes introducing #25 Vert for GEE, #19 Rathell Fanasthisatinir Eayaw off at 26 minutes introducing #20 Rinnert for GEE

Player Ratings

ON FOR 90 MINS
#22 Lertora = 7.0
#3 Sistek = 7.9
#33 Pitter = 10.0
#4 Livengood = 7.0
#23 Rebimbas = 7.5
#6 Upson = 7.9

SUBBED OFF
#9 Jayleanna Lnepzsloal = 7.0
#8 Matkowski = 7.0
#28 Ogrodowski = 7.0
#13 Jerykah Dhubthaeiruh = 7.0
#11 Zalie 'amquk = 7.0

SUBBED ON
#17 Gulcan 'iirţasdaṟi = 7.0
#10 Nankervis = 8.0
#16 Witrago = 8.0
#25 Vert = 7.0
#20 Rinnert = 7.0

by **Banija** » Sun Feb 12, 2023 3:15 am

Part 1
Part 2

Isebantu Mutungi and Omugabe Ssekamanya, on-board their flight to the Commonwealth Summit in Nyhavn, flying over the blood sea

... "Hey Dad, did you see that the Lukiiko voted to lift the export controls on the triceratops?" Omugabe Ssekamanya had just gotten the alert on his phone. They had a busy few days in Nyhavn in front of them- not only meeting with foreign dignataries, but even strictly about Banijan issues. Suddenly, the plate of Banijan government officials were getting very full. The GGU was at the very top of the agenda here in Rushmore, with the integration of the Banijan Esportivan Territories into the Commonwealth, officially, as a close second. But there was suddenly war pouring out in Farfadillis- discussions they'd have to talk about with the Katikkiro, before they went back to Busukuma.

"Yes, I did son." The Isebantu replied. He was looking over his own notes for the meetings that were upcoming- he was somebody who was very driven and focused, and had a one track mind in those situations. He was knee deep in notes about Njaza. Things that they could give up, things that would be in their general proposal to the rest of the Commonwealth, and beyond that. "Someone needs to remind me to send President Otamendi a congratulations letter(public) on the legislation, as soon as we land and get to the embassy." An aide quickly made a note of that- nobody wanted to be on the wrong side of the Isebantu in that moment.

"Let's get your grandfather on the phone- go over some last minute details for what's happening here." Isebantu Mutungi knew that it would take a few tries. Of course, this being a diplomatic aircraft, they would have all sorts of Wi-Fi and internet connection that commercial airline passengers would only dream of having. But they were flying over The Blood Sea. After re-fueling at a friendly neighbor in northern AO, they were in, quite literally, the most dangerous skies in Atlantian Oceania- or Rushmore. Unless, of course, you were trying to run a Euran blockade to supply the KFF.

It took a few tries, but the Princes connected. "Father!" Isebantu Mutungi exclaimed. Omugabe Ssekamanya treated his grandfather in the same. The three men spent the next hour, supported by aides, of de-briefing of Banijan goals about the meeting. The proposal they'd offer regarding Njaza representation in the Commonwealth Assembly was simple- 2 permanent seats. One, of course, for Mugishaland(which accounted for approximately half the population), and one shared by the other districts(approximately the other half of the population). Aka, a seat for the Banijan population, and a seat for the native population. They would have to discuss other things too- how it was Banija's goal that they are integrated into Commonwealth wide arrangements, like trade arrangements, as soon as possible.

After their conversation, they signed off with the Kabaka. It was almost perfectly timed- that's when the turbulence started. "Please sit in your seats and fasten your seatbelt- we're hitting a rough patch of turbulence here." The turbulence over the Blood Sea had reached almost legendary status.

The Isebantu did not think anything of it, just following the pilot's instructions. He was pounding away on his laptop, in silence, when he heard a loud BOOM! come from the left slide of the plane. He then whipped his head around. "What the hell was that??" Nobody answered, but everybody had froze. Just then, they heard the co-pilot yell from the front of the plane.

"Son of a B#(%!" The co-pilot yelled. He then got on the PA system, so that people could hear him more clearly. "Hey, I am sorry to say- but the left side engine is down on this plane. I repeat- the left side engine is down. We will be fine- planes, of course, are built to be able to fly on just a lone engine. While this isn't ideal, of course, and it will make the ride rougher.. We will be able to get to Nyhavn in plenty of time."

But just then, the panic really started to induce. The power shut down inside the plane- the internet connections died, and all the lights inside the plane started flickering, before they turned off. But after that- the entire plane shook. It felt as if it swatted in mid-air. And then, there was the same loud BOOM! on the other side. At this point, the pilot didn't need to tell anyone- the other engine had, suddenly, exploded in mid-air.

That kind of luck over the Blood Sea, right? But suddenly, this plane was going down. It was an absolute madhouse. Everybody trying to reach their phone, trying to call their loved ones, as the plane starting careening towards the ground. As the plane violently swung around in the air, Isebantu Mutungi, who had gotten up, was thrown across the plane and landed, with a hard thud, directly against the window- and was still. Quite a landing for a 60+ year old man- even if he was God's anointed successor to the Kabaka.

Omugabe Ssekamanya wanted to scream, but he knew that his remaining minutes were turning into mere seconds, as the plane continued to careen towards the Blood Sea. He finally got his wife on the phone, while he was still in a state of panic. "Muirne- there's no time. I just wanted to you to know that I lov-"

The Katikkiro, Xolile Lubabalo, waiting on the tarmac for the Isebantu and Omugabe Ssekamanya to arrive in Nyhavn

Xolile Lubabalo had just gotten to the tarmac. She had just gotten out of a nearly 2 hour meeting with Ranorian President Melanie von Kruger. Women in power in the Commonwealth, eh? Mostly the talks were about bilateral relations. Particularly, economic investment, and academic cooperation- especially at the higher ed levels. Make the process to get a visa to study in either country much easier, helping tourism, etc... And of course, brief discussions on the situation in Farfadillis. "Hey." She told her aid. "Make a note- we need to get Ambassador Okafor up to speed pronto, so that he can give the classified briefing to President Otamendi on that situation. You never know what you'll need to do to prepare for these situations..."

The plane was 5 minutes late- then 10 minutes, then 15 minutes. "Is there something wrong? Did they get delayed after they re-fueled?" The Katikkiro asked her aid.

"I'm not sure- let me check my phone." He told her, checking her phone. She then got a phone call herself. Odd timing, wasn't it? But when she checked the caller ID.. It was her husband.

"XOLILE! Thank God you're ok." Her husband exclaimed.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Xolile Lubabalo said. "Is this important? You know I'm waiting on the tarmac now for the Princes..."

"You haven't heard?" He said.

"Heard what?" The Katikkiro replied. She was just about to search something herself, until another aid nearly knocked her first aid over, sprinting over to her.

"Madame Katikkiro." The aide said. "As of an hour ago, we discovered that we've lost the royal aircraft over the Blood Sea."

"You what?" Said the Katikkiro. "An hour ago! Why wasn't I informed?" The aid made excuses about her meeting with the Ranorian President- as if this wasn't a suddenly massive moment.

"We should leave." The aide said.

"Agreed." Spoke the Katikkiro. "Get Busukuma on the line. If we indeed lost the Princes' plane..." She let her sentence trail off- she didn't even want to comprehend that nightmare scenario.

Banijan Ambassador to the Commonwealth Of Baker Park, Grace Katumbi, at a 5 star restaurant with her husband in Belle Haven

Katumbi was coming in at just shy of a year spent here in Belle Haven. This was, what those in Banija's foreign service called, a 'destination post'. But of course, like many of the big name posts, she skipped the proverbial line. She had gotten the position, actually, through working with Banija's Katikkiro, and coming up alongside her. Not necessarily with her- but they ran in the same circles, politically, for a very long time- both Hoima women.

Katumbi was the City Council President of Hoima, before running for the Ankole regional legislature- where she, ironically, repped Xolile Lubabalo's district. And while foreign policy is generally controlled by the Royal Family in Banija, the Ambassadorial ranks of Banija are filled with people like Grace Katumbi. But today was not a work day, or any other kind of day- it was a date night.

As she likes to do, she put her phone on do nor disturb all night long. Date night was always her night off- plus, if it was truly that urgent, one of her aides could, quite literally, show up here. But she wasn't banking on that happening. "Honey." She said to her husband. "I see your work visa came through a few weeks ago. What kind of jobs are you looking for?" Her husband was a teacher by trade- so he talked about some schools he had applied to, to work.

Suddenly, a moment that won't be forgotten- she actually saw one of her aides walk into the doors, and make a beeline towards her. "Spit it out, child!" Grace said, as soon as the aide got close enough to her.

"We lost the Royal flight over the Blood Sea." The aide said. "The Princes were definitely on it after it took off- no word of casualties." Grace and her husband, sat there, absolutely floored. Grace recovered first.

"Alright, we're gonna have a late night. Is this public yet?" The aide nodded. "Fuck. Honey- I'm sorry." She kissed her husband and got up. The rumors were just starting to circulate, the Banijan government hasn't said anything official either way. But back to the embassy for them. She looked at her aide.

"Hey- get Hannah Delaney out here. She's still Foreign Secretary. Get her to the embassy as soon as possible, and by whatever means necessary." Grace Katumbi said. "This might be a long night. I've go no idea when, or if, the Palace will go public... But I at least can let Delaney know. And she'll tell the Prime Minister..."

by **Stevencousin** » Sun Feb 12, 2023 3:31 am

NATIONAL ECHO

A free television channel dedicated to local sports is being developed

STVN Winthrope Hill TV Station, Brigketh

The Ministry of Youth, Sports, Culture and Heritage in collaboration with Stevencousin TV Network (STVN) is developing a television channel dedicated to local sports content for free which is expected to start broadcasting early in the second quarter of this year. Its minister, Mr. Gordon Couchman said that although STVN currently provides sports content through STVN Sports on STVN Mogo as well as STV One and STV-HD, the opening of the television channel aims to give more opportunities to the people to access specific local sports content such as the National Super League.

"Now we focus on local sports. For the ministry, this is one way we can do to support our athletes and sports fans with a special channel," "We already have STVN Sports, an online channel that everyone can watch. But I would like to see it on terrestrial," he told reporters here today. However, Mr. Couchman said his side was still examining the financial implications in determining whether the channel would broadcast 24 hours a day. "It depends on some considerations that we need to detail. Of course, we have the issue of content, and cost, so we have to consider several options," he said.

NT Player Caps Statistic

NAME                	CLUB                	POS.	CAPS	GOAL
Alon Bernstein  	Brigketh Bishop 	DEF	10	0
Raymond Aas     	Winewater Wasp       	DEF	10	0
Leon Voloshyn   	Holmdock Highlander	FWD	10	3
Thanuka Jayamanna	Fixmouth Firebolt	MID	9	0
Josef Snajdr      	Meldrum Fall     	MID	9	0
Brian Mastroeni 	Spartak Wortheigton	FWD	9	3
Gerard Kallstrom	Meldrum Fall     	FWD	9	2
Jochen Boi        	Meldrum Fall     	MID	9	2
Armando Correia       	Cassaholm Confidential	DEF	8	0
Arnaud Zubar    	Meldrum Fall     	MID	8	3
Mangea Ali        	Brigketh Bishop 	DEF	8	0
Guilherme Fabian	Cassaholm Confidential	DEF	8	0
Jelle Peeters     	Meldrum Fall     	MID	8	0
Andre Saifi        	Meldrum Fall     	MID	7	0
Steven Cheyrou         	Brigketh Bishop 	FWD	7	2
Ramiro Fernandes	Cassaholm Confidential	GK	6	0
Andreas Mjelde         	Winewater Wasp       	DEF	6	0
Válter Folha      	Cassaholm Confidential	MID	6	1
Mads Dahl         	Winewater Wasp       	DEF	5	0
Renato Miguel Boa-Morte	Cassaholm Confidential	DEF	4	0
Romain De Schutter   	Winewater Wasp       	GK	3	0
Joseph Luzak    	Brigketh Bishop  	GK	3	0
Rusty Klein        	Spartak Wortheighton	MID	3	1

by **Ko-oren** » Sun Feb 12, 2023 3:38 am

Well, it's official. Soccer - football - is Ko-oren's largest sport in every single subdivision. Both in team sport participation at the grassroots level and in surveys asking for people's favourite sport, soccer is king. In a lot of places that's by a tiny margin, given the amount of sports played and given the lack of success of some areas at the national level. Think of Aerellen and its ice hockey obsession at the grassroots level as well as its focus on gridiron when it comes to watching and following scores. Think of Mawryshire and the lack of success Mawrystwyth and Llandy FC have had recently versus their importance in rugby union and cricket. But still - with more people moving between subdivisions and a particular influx of Greencastrians, Springfielders, and the like into the Mawr peninsula, soccer has beaten union for the first time.

For each of those areas, there's a Finisterre, which sees stiff competition from rugby league and especially an LPB-infused baseball scene, but remember that there's just three LPB teams on the peninsula versus four soccer clubs in tiers one and two. Baseball might be second for nearly everyone and first for the rest, but that still puts it, by a decent margin, behind football. There's Intermare and the KCT, and Sudaefjoll, all with huge football followings over smaller regional sports.

Some surveys have asked a few extra questions, like 'which team do you follow' or even 'which team(s) do you follow' with the latter yielding more '1830 Cazadores Cathair', 'Montreal Koreana', 'Sporting Iturributa United', and 'Izotz Zubia' than the KFA would like to see, but still, the local clubs are in a good place. It also led to some cursed propositions in larger cities with no big clubs. Greencaster, for ages left to the devices of Maynard AFC and some third tier clubs that really didn't want an influx of the country's least favourite citizens, now has its Sydberg Olympia, proud and back at the (second) highest level. There's Katashi, where Katashi-Kanatsu are the biggest club in every neighbourhood despite Katashi Azula promoting to the Top League, as predicted by absolutely nobody a few years ago.

And then there's Willowbourne.

From the 53 (!!) registered semi-professional and professional clubs in Willowbourne across all sports, what do they like? Cricket, for one, and union is a strong third. Soccer, though, is first by a mile, and perhaps undeservedly so. Gridiron's Willowbourne Saints are also massive. So then how's soccer so big? There's Cresthill United FC, in the third division. Except that's not the club most of its citizens support. You know, Willowbourne is in the middle of the country, in an already densely packed region.

It's right there.

To the big orange blob's north, there's Huthwich Et Iduloren FC (Huthwich pictured almost directly north, Iduloren pictured even further north), and to fans of the little coloured squares in our reports, you'll know them by the fact their kits look somewhat like

. It's a popular club for the Gehrennan and English speaking parts of Willowbourne - oh, if we hadn't told you, Willowbourne is roughly where three of the four largest languages in Ko-oren touch: English to the west and south, French to the east, and Gehrennan in pockets to the north. The western 'arm' of the city that wraps around the little lake tends to go more for Strongfair (

). A complete mixed back goes for Bellmare (northeast), which is a less traditional choice but still one that gained popularity in the internet era. The French-speaking parts of Willowbourne usually go for Vierciennes (also north), especially with their ascent to the second level a short while ago. That's usually their second choice, though, with even more going for Couziers-Olympiques from Linieux (east), a very successful club that has to get its fans from somewhere, and Willowbourne's as good a place as any.

We could do this for days: the fact that Idyllwild and Norille both have no big football clubs and are therefore co-opting smaller nearby clubs. The fact that we have four capitals - Maethoru, Gehrenna, Mayara, Senoren - and that only the first two have a decent club option (it must be said that Maethoru are more than a decent option, claiming the title more often than not and kind of defining the Top League for most people abroad). The other two have fourth-division clubs (for huge cities that are top 15 in the country!) but typically support either Maethoru SC or Gehrenna FC, or both. Who says you can't like two clubs at the same time?

We could even talk about the fact that, with 12 clubs in each division, local rivalries more or less die out because there's only so much room at each level. There's only 11 other clubs you play on a yearly basis, most of which are far away. Having a local rival is a rare thing, which makes it all the more special that we actually used to have some. Bruncester-Cirelbourne and Miradela-Branvon, with the former derby now played at the third level (!) and the latter divided across the top two levels. Only the cups can help them out. It also leads to some wild odd rivalries across kilometres and kilometres, like Katashi versus Alara. Or Maethoru versus Aminey - but that one's excused because those are two top-three clubs most years. Or Schemerdrecht versus Katashi, no matter how one-sided it is and that it mostly takes place in the bottom region of the Top League nowadays. Time passes, and some clubs that used to be huge aren't anymore. Is there a better analogy for the passage of time? Vergane Glorie, as they say in Intermare. 'Bygone Glory' if you want to translate it hamfistedly. Players that were once great, first decline, then retire, and typically don't follow it up with something that comes anywhere close to the platform they used to have, the youth and energy they exuded, and the respect their hard work commanded. Teams play in UICA one year, in the IFCF Challengers Cup the next, and three years later, are happy to even show up in Series B.

Yeah, allowing only 12 clubs at each level doesn't help. We know that. But we aren't changing it. It's brutal, and it's supposed to be. Cherish the good times, don't meet your heroes, don't beat yourself up over what could have been. Good tips for fans of the national team too, because chances we ever relive our short WC87-90 peak are slim to zero.

by **Trolleborg** » Sun Feb 12, 2023 3:48 am

Greetings, compatriots!
It’s TTV and we contunue our discussion of recent international club tournament season.

«Great March», our league champion, started first. We started, of course, from the very bottom, from the preliminary round, among the twenty participants with a zero rating. And got «Sporting Arrachai» from Acastanha, the second strongest of the possible seeded opponents. We are quite well aware of the strength of the footballers of this country from the unsuccessful matches of the national team with them. And this club in the history of the local championship won 11 titles in 28 championships, and dominated the last few seasons, usually winning by a wide margin. “SA” also did doubles in recent days, and it takes quite a long time to scroll through the history of results to find at least one episode when this dominance was challenged. He has made several appearances in the finals of regional competitions, so the prospects for “GM” are not the best possible, to say the least. We had to play the first match away, which, on the one hand, is always considered an advantage, but, on the other hand, our teams perform surprisingly poorly at home. As it turned out later, this trend was clearly confirmed in club tournaments.

A whole brigade of fans arrived with the team for its debut match, some in an organized manner, and some on their own, to various parts of the desired region on regular flights and got there as needed. Strange as it may seem at the time, it seemed to us then that an impressive contingent of fans of other clubs of the domestic league arrived along with the fans of “GM” itself - but, as we were informed, it was decided that in club tournaments all our teams are considered on an equal footing with the national team, since they represent the whole country at the international level. But not all fan crews sent representatives, as many of them had their own problems: next day “Jesper Torbensen” hosted “Ivasiocastle United” from Boring Paradise, FTST fans were heading to Cardenao, where their idols had a game against local “Alameda Desperados” the next day, and “Torquel Granittknuser” played away game with “Deportivo Amambay” from Yguazu. What we were waiting before that games is clear: at least one club should make it to the next round, and probably it will not be “GM”, since the opponent is too serious.

And, as the game began, it seemed that the worst expectations would be justified - our guys played the ball from the center of the field and the midfielder who received it, I don’t remember exactly who, hit the oncoming player of the hosts, a sharp attack on our gates followed, but, fortunately, the goalkeeper of our team played coolly and intercepted the ball after a cross from the flank. Then the game went on rather equal footing, and in the 10th minute our players opened the scoring with a twisted free-kick from Torfinn Kroldrup. The ball seemed to fly past the gate, and so it seemed to the goalkeeper of the hosts. After ball was end its flight right in the net, and referee made this clear, such was the impression that the fans and players of both teams were very surprised. But the game was far from end, the hosts could have evened the score more than once, my heart sank when one of their players had to put his foot on the far post after a cross, but he unexplicably stumbled, and soon after ball was after being hit by “SA” forward crashed into the post of our gates with loud boom. But, it’s true, our lads also had chances to increase the score and create a sensation, and they took advantage of one of them: Soren Skovdal end a fast combination of three passes with a great shot from ten meters right under the crossbar. 2:0, sensation, fantastic! And it seemed that we were guaranteed a ticket to the first qualifying round, but everything turned out to be much more dramatic than it seemed at that moment.

by **Turori** » Sun Feb 12, 2023 4:01 am

Turori Sport Report

CBA - Coconut Bowling Waridi Open :: The Coconut Bowling Association held its annual Waridi Open event this past week as Bowlers from throughout the Vilitan Cove region found there way for a weekend of camaraderie and competition in the biggest Coconut Bowling event to be held since the Vilitan Mountain Games. Unlike the Vilitan Mountain Games where the event used a mixture of both pin and lane types, the Waridi Open saw only the use of pineapple pins on Dry, Loose Sand - the most difficult pin/lane combination in the sport which resulted in low scores across the board in what would become a frustrating event particularly for some of the newer coconut bowlers. In the end it would be two familiar faces surviving the stepladder and meeting in the championship: Vilita's Purapal Eskiiy and Turori's Timi'sala Koarena. For the second straight major tournament, home field would prove to be the advantage as Koarena would defeat Eskiiy by a score of 178 to 163.

OWARS NSGP :: It was a disappointing day for Team Vilita and Turori in the OWARS NSGP of Vilita as rookie driver Tisthe Season would fall back from their 3rd starting position and finish off the Podium in 4th place for the Feature event. The surprise of the race was Prince Bismillah of The Sultanate of Oontaz who stormed through the field and up to a runner-up finish, ultimately knocking Team Vilita and Turori off the podium. Season will get a second chance to take a victory at the teams home event when the cars return to the track for the OWARS Alikki-Corra Sprint. By virtue of their finish in the Feature, Season will start the Sprint event from the 5th position.

World Cup 93 Qualifying Matchday 3 :: The Turori National Team had a rare opportunity to visit Sonnel on Matchday 3 of World Cup 93 Qualifying, squaring up against a team from Oscioru making their first appearance in a World Cup Qualifiers since the 81st World Cup cycle. The environment for the game was incredible at El Monasterio in the Capital City of Poma as La nazionale came into the game not only atop the Group 13 table but atop the World Cup 93 Qualifying Super-Table after an incredible opening set of matches saw Oscioru scoring 12 goals combined in victories over StrayanRus and Inkwellistan.

With such a fantastic start to the campaign, the players and fans almost certainly felt if they were ever going to get a chance to take down a big name nation like Turori, this was their chance to do it. The Osci's already high confidence was sent into an overcharge boost less than five minutes into the game when Winger Romualdo Costantini's apparent early cross took a bend in direction and turned into a shot which 18 year old Eelandii Academy goalkeeper Terasin Moravuao - making their first start of the campaign - was not in position to deal with. As Coastantini wheeled away in surprise Jubilation the arena rocked with excitement as the fans could feel that this Oscioru team simply could not be beat, and were cruising on their way to a Group 13 title.

Unfortunately no one warned them to bottle up that euphoric feeling to save some for the future as they would be woken from their fantastic dream approximately ten minutes later when Cuoabaza Orani'aoa scored twice in as many minutes for Turori to turn the scoreline and put the Eels in front, silencing the crowd and the energy in the stadium. The Eels would get a third before half time as the not-retired Kiidallen Aeroluzzi's swan song World Cup would produce yet another goal. Turori would make no substitutions at the half and would have much the same dominance of the play at the start of the second half as they did for the last half hour of the first. While the home side looked for a way to get a goal back and get back into the game, even that optimism was lost when Naraiza Ruaplal scored twice in the space of five minutes then Biliki Rona'atu'i headed home from a Ruaplal delivered corner kick to stretch the Eels advantage to 6-1, a scoreline that would hold to the finish - knocking Oscioru off their perch atop Group 13 and all but erasing those now distant memories of their teams time as the best Footsport Club in the World Cup Qualifying Super Table.

 Turori 6 - 1 Oscioru	
	Turori Goals:	:: 15' Cuoabaza Orani’aoa:: 16' Cuoabaza Orani’aoa:: 37' Kiidallen Aeroluzzi:: 54' Naraiza Ruaplal:: 56' Naraiza Ruaplal:: 57' Biliki Rona'atu'i         
	Stats :: Turori 	:: Possession: 55%:: Shots: 12:: Corners: 9 :: Oscioru :: Possession: 45%:: Shots: 3:: Corners: 5
	Turori Lineup :: 	Terasin Moravuao (Derizi Amatopa 65'), Biliki Rona'atu'i (Tsinuzpa Rana’aiao 68'), Amakli Inuro'o, Planio’o Nrujsa (Lati'ala Giaoka 65'), Moumouni Verre'elali, Naraiza Ruaplal, Cuoabaza Orani’aoa, Tulaki Rauogba, Kiidallen Aeroluzzi, Turakia Diijelhma (Lutara Makakio 69'), Nua'oma Aikiki

World Cup 93 Qualifying Matchday 4 :: The Turori National Team would return home for Matchday 4 against Atheara at Eels Park in Eelandii. After the convincing victory over Oscioru on the road, many were looking for Turori to continue its newly adopted goalscoring trend. Anyone who came to Eels Park in search of a high scoring affair, however, would be sorely dissapointed. There would be no goals in the first half and truth be told very little opportunity for a goal to be had. With the strategy at a stalemate, Turori National Team head coach Endur Rotropii went all in on half time substitutions delivering five changes to the 4th official when the teams came out of the Tunnel. Coming out of the game were Karek Edgeli, Amakli Inuro'o, Biliki Rona'atu'i, Lati'ala Giaoka and Nua'oma Aikiki. In their place game Kiidallen Aeroluzzi, Trenian Omalize, Naraiza Ruaplal, Tsinuzpa Rana'aiao and H'munao Cagomia. Unfortunately the changes didn't look much like having a drastic impact on the game to the degree where either team was going to press for a goal from open play. Just when the 50,000+ at Eels Park seemed resigned to the idea of a goalless draw being the only possible outcome of the match, Atheara's Zimmerman Brusteric took down one of Turori's half time introductions, Nua'oma Aikiki, just inside the box gifting the Eels a Penalty Kick and the opportunity to steal 3 points with one of the last kicks of the game. With Aikiki being tended to on the sidelines after the foul and the Eels having no remaining substitutions, a nervous Trenian Omalizo stepped up to take the spot kick. Omalizo's tame effort was pushed aside by Rickers Van Hedekurthen then cleared out by the Atherean defense out for a Turori throw in. It offered the opportunity for Aikiki to re-join the match and the Jungle Strike FC forward would prove a pivotal cog in setting up the next attacking sequence which ended with Turakia Diijelhma finding free space in the box to turn and shoot past Van Hedekurthen - giving the Turori National Team the victory and three points after all in spite of the late missed penalty kick. With the victory, Turori move into sole possession of 1st place in the Group 13 Table.

 Turori 1 - 0 Atheara	
	Turori Goals:	:: 34' Turakia Diijelhma              
	Stats :: Turori 	:: Possession: 57%:: Shots: 4:: Corners: 6 :: Atheara :: Possession: 43%:: Shots: 2:: Corners: 5
	Turori Lineup :: 	Terasin Moravuao, Moumouni Verre'elali, Karek Edgeli (Kiidallen Aeroluzzi 45'), Amakli Inuro'o (Trenian Omalizo 45'), Biliki Rona'atu'i (Naraiza Ruaplal 45'), Cuoabaza Orani’aoa, Kinabo Telioa, Tulaki Rauogba, Lati'ala Giaoka (Tsinuzpa Rana’aiao 45'), H’munao Cagomia (Nua'oma Aikiki 45'), Turakia Diijelhma

Coconut Bowling Association ✓

@CoconutBowl
It was a final rematch in #Waridi as Timi'sala Koarena (@Timisala) would get some sweet revenge for the #VilitanMountainGames by defeating Vilita's Purapal Eskiyy in the #CoconutBowling Waridi Open!

by **Acastanha** » Sun Feb 12, 2023 4:09 am

Acastanha Yearly Kaleidoscope
Disasters of the Year

Still from the Acastanha Kaleidoscope series. And for this edition, we're looking at the disasters that have been strucked the country in the year of 2023. Starting from the most frequent disasters.

Flood

From the start of the year, the country have experience numerous flooding disasters. Area such as Tabeirakan, Sagamarkan, Sol Peninsula and Madeira were some of the affected placed this year. But the most terrible happened in Tabeirakan.

The weather anomalies have been happening from the end of 2022 with constant rain pouring down the western part of the country. This situation affected 3 provinces, Tabeirakan, Madeira and Ocidental. These heavy rainfalls create a flash floods in several part of the country. Penshar municipality, Bandar Arum, Praia de Sal and Minasghad were heavily damaged. More than 200 people were confirmed to be lost or dead. While more than 3,000 people have to be evacuated. The disaster also cut the access to the area. Aids were brought to the area via air and water. It is also damaged the refinery center located in Penshar halting the producing and distribution of petroleum throughout the country. Scarcity happened for months. The situation was back to normal around April.

Forest Fire

Forest fire usually occurs during farming season. At the early stage, farmers in Acastanha use to burnt the field to open a new farms field. This technic is chose for its practical. However, uncontrollable fire can produce a huge damage. Just like what happened in Vaanbaas province.

June 2023, was the begining of the second farming season of the year. And some farmers started to clear their field from bushes or trees to make way for farming. However, what was started as a small fire was turn into a burning inferno. With the help of dry wind that flows through the area around the month, the fire spread rapidly. It was not just burnt the fields that intended for farming but also spreading to the protected forest area. It is estimated that 2480 hectares of forest was burnt down. The smoke from the fire was also spreading to nearest cities such as Vaanchai and Baaskan. It even affected city as far as Arrachai and Abharnaghkla who are more than 100 km north of the location of fire.

Tidal flood

This disaster usually occurs in north coast of Acastanha during the transition period. Tidal flood have occurs repeteadly in several coastal cities in the past decade. However, the intensity of the occurance is raising recently. Acastanha largest city, Porto Espinhosa is one of the coastal city that affected with this disaster. The city mayor have reinforce the city embankment to avoid the tidal flood roaming the city. But this year, the flood was higher than usual. And the embankment was breached in several part. The sea water made intrusion to the city and crippled the marina, beaches and port area. The road to these area were closed for several days. Blockade was made to prevent further intrusion into the city center.

Tornado

It can be said that tornado is a rare disaster to occur in Acastanha. But once it is happened, it could be devastating. Just like this year, several tornado or locally called 'puting beliung' were ransacking the hinterland of Acastanha. Arra province, the capital region and hinterland of Espinhosa and Cabo provinces were affected. The largest was happened in early September. The tornado reached 150 km/h speed and touchdown in hinterland Cabo province.

by **Mertagne** » Sun Feb 12, 2023 4:22 am

TWO PINE PRESS
presents...

THE MERTAGNIAN CLASSICS COLLECTION
#3
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Verse Under the Lime Tree
by Luke Latimer

This quintessentially Mertagnian collection of poems by Luke Latimer showcases the prevailing mood in the early independent nation of Mertagne - grasping for secure foundations on the world stage, finding them within local community, and also a hunger to tame the wilderness that many were starting to truly believe was left for them. Latimer’s expert use of metaphor here to describe the Mertagnian state, drawing in elements of nature such as the changing of the seasons and the growth of plants, was initially dismissed by critics as ‘airy’, but in the fullness of time has acted as a perfect time capsule to document the national mood in a time of immense environmental and social change. Latimer wrote these poems over several years, during a large transition in his own life - hailing from Magnaeus, The Inevitable Syndicate, Latimer arrived on the shores of Neorudo as a teenage refugee and was summarily drafted into the Exploration Corps, sent far and wide across his new homeland to plot and to chart the area for expansion designated by the international community. In the modern day context, we can evaluate this work critically, noting that Latimer seems to focus on the sparseness of this new land while failing to mention the encounters with entrenched natives he would have almost certainly had. This perspective is certainly one that was echoed by his contemporaries at the time, with the ideals of the “Frontier Spirit” firmly in the Mertagnian consciousness after the horrors of the Corvidae War. The war, referenced often in Verse Under the Lime Tree as “that unyielding winter”, reflects the trauma of the Mertagnian populace in the years directly after the conflict.

Selected Poems:

The book opens with the short verse of When the Crow is Culled, which takes elements from a revolutionary song sung by Mertagnian soldiers, which Latimer heard as a teenager when Mertagnian and Euran soldiers marched into his home city. Other highlights from the collection include:

Re-tread the Boards, which discusses the boat journey across Lake Bekk. In it, Latimer claims to see through the placid waters and the wrecks of many ships below, with their crew and passengers still inside as if nothing had happened.
Mountaintop, a piece on the views of the frontier from atop Mount Leorudo.
Three Months in Mertagne, detailing the places Latimer lived during Mertagne’s first three independent months.
Latimer skirts closest to the ideas of colonialism in The Lion-Tamers, where he imagines Mount Leorudo as a great beast to be tamed by the Mertagnians. It is up to interpretation if Latimer actually obfuscated the native Rudo tribes that had settled in and around Neorudo through this metaphor, the subject of which is up for debate in literary circles.
A poem chronicling his journey while serving the Exploration Corps, Faces Etched in Earth.
Death of a Revolutionary, written as an obituary for a soldier in the local paper in Papillio, where Latimer worked as a journalist.
A Tent, A Nest, A Home, in which Latimer imagines himself as a bird looking for a new tree to nest in - the lime tree referenced in this poem is a metaphor for all of Mertagne, which frequently appears from this point onwards.
The collection ends with the eponymous Verse Under the Lime Tree, which, while short, is often hailed as a key verse in the Mertagnian national identity. Contrary to popular belief, there is not just a single verse in the poem, there are four, but the last one - detailing Autumn, is the most popular. The full poem is thus:

"In winter's chill, this lime tree stands,
Defiant yet frail in a shattered field.
Its branches bare, its sickly strands
reaching out, calling to be healed.
Little guides it through the frosty night,
It stands alone, a solemn sight.

Yet spring arrives, it stirs to life,
Roots deepen through the crack-ed clay,
Green buds emerge, a sign of strife
as longer and brighter here grows the day.
Against that winter's hold so tight
for soon, it blossoms, a delight.

In summer's heat, she spreads her arms
And here the project bears its fruit.
Tree's leaves give shelter, nature's charms
do much to give a life to suit.
This tree has grown, a sight so bright
A symbol of life's unending fight.

Yet as autumn comes, the leaves they fall
However, our tree still endures.
Its branches lighter, standing tall
A common cause from mine to yours.
And with the passing of the seasons,
We live, expressed in nature's reasons."

About the Author:

Luke Latimer was born in Magnaeus, The Inevitable Syndicate, approximately 16 years before the end of the Corvidae War. After the war, he was accepted as a refugee to Neorudo and promptly joined the Exploration Corps as a runner and a scout. He was part of the regiment that eventually charted the route from Neorudo to Papillio, and upon retiring from the Corps at the age of 25, he settled in Papillio and worked as a journalist for the Papillio Evening Post,. Latimer would write several essays, excerpts of which would be posted in the Post, which furthered his popularity in Hardcastle province. Eventually he progressed to running the paper and sold it to a wealthy businessman, however the businessman ran the publication into the ground shortly after purchasing it. Using the money from the sale of the paper, Latimer decided to venture into the arts and become a poet. Writing several pieces, as well as writing songs during the Insulation, he collected his best work into Verse Under the Lime Tree which was released after several years to critical acclaim across the disparate nation. Latimer died a few decades ago at the age of 76.

Check out the entire Mertagnian Classics Colleciton from Two Pine Press:
Past The Point of Frozen by Victoria Emmerson
The Reach of the Endless by Andras Stocker
Verse Under The Lime Tree by Luke Latimer
The Cravannien Chronicles by Prince Arval of Wesaxe
The Old Ones & Other Short Stories by Alisdair Stannard
From Seed to Stead: The Principles of Increasing Agricultural Yield in Small-Holdings by Abigaile Farrer
The Krytenian Brooch by Marcoul Liadec
Professional Comedy: A Compilation of Popular Plays by The Baudelaire Public Players
In The Shadow of Lion’s Mountain by Joksata

by **Indusse** » Sun Feb 12, 2023 4:56 am

Gentleman's Gazette
World Cup 93 : Start to Season!

The World Cup season have once again begun, making another route for the Indussean national team to showcase the talent. This time, it's not just the national team who's been travelling to showcase themselves but they are accompanied by their strong fan base known as "The Flocking Blues". This season onwards, you'll find that "The Flocking Blues" aren't the same as what it was a few months ago. More enthusiastic, more innovative and more supportive with larger fanbase is what you will call Indusse's official fan crowd. The first thing that comes to your mind after seeing the fan base would be "You'll never find such a wonderful crowd anywhere else in the region!". Yes! It is, one of the best fan crowd in the whole of India just like Indusse's Indian rival Pratapgadh.

At the center of the all stadium galleries where Indusse goes to play is a group of die-hard fans, known as "The Flocking Blues". They are a passionate and enthusiastic group of supporters who never miss a chance to show their love for Indusse. As the game begins, The Flocking Blues are already on their feet, cheering and singing at the top of their lungs. They have flags, banners, and drums (especially Indusse's native drum known as Chenda), and they use them to create a storm of noise that could be heard all the way to the play field. Even when the team loses chance to score or loses the possession, the fan base stays strong. They keep cheering and encouraging their team, shouting words of encouragement and motivation. This goes the double when they score a goal or is close to victory. The Flocking Blues go wild. They scream and cheer, jumping up and down in excitement. The players on the field can hear their support, and it gives them an extra boost of confidence.

Various football critics have made their own opinion on the fan base. Even Indusse's former captain Baskar H Kumar made an outstanding comment on the tremendous support given by the flocking blues. Baskar Kumar wrote down in his blog, "The Flocking Blues may have been just a small group of fans in the stands, but their unwavering support and love for Indusse inspired the players to give their all. They truly embody the spirit of sportsmanship and are is the proof to the power of a supportive fan base."

by **Montana Verde** » Sun Feb 12, 2023 5:03 am

Raspotochje – 2 (1)
Gerotić (40’), Robulović (90+5’)

Montaña Verde – 3 (1)
Ingeniero; Maximiliano, Cambeiro, Mandito (81’), Juderías; Schutzán (12’) (78’ Simón Maestas (87’)), Coco (74’ Cristo Díaz ); Aramis (65’ Camilo ), Primitivo; Tino (32’ pen.) (74’ Osito (84’) (90+5’)), Indiano (62’) (75’ Covarrubias )

Montaña Verde – 2 (1)
Ingeniero; Maximiliano, Cambeiro, Juan Venegas (81’ Tíntín ), Juderías (81’ Adriana ); Cristo Díaz, Schutzán (45’ Coco (67’)); Aramis (90’), Primitivo (21’ pen.) (75’ Covarrubias ), Indiano (65’ Simón Maestas ); Tino (24’)

Oscioru – 0 (0)

Selection of articles from Verdean news media.

Osito adapting to “super sub” role

Cholera outbreak highlights ongoing plight of ravaged coastal communities

OOC: Given the number of players who have some variant of “Infectious disease: N” in their RP permissions, it should be made clear this is an isolated incident and there is no risk of transmission to visiting teams nor to anyone sending aid.

National assembly seeks assistance in drafting new constitution

Also in the news:

Ipialarcá and Tecuramos regions “ideally suited for tourism but lacking in basic infrastructure”, according to report
Santiago Verde to be renamed Guarahoyo in “de-Græntfjallisation” move
Internationally renowned physicist appointed Minister for the National Economy
More valuable than gold? Sunflower exporters seek to promote produce at trade expo
This week, on Fuego y Hielo: Vicente tells Estrella what’s really in the safe … Bárbara overhears Pedro and Oscar planning a sinister conspiracy … Alicia and Sergio have to deal with the aftermath of unidentified objects being shot down at an alarming rate …

by **Independent Athletes from Quebec** » Sun Feb 12, 2023 5:06 am

OOC: I would like to thank Banija for his generous permissions with this and the previous piece.

Part 25 was already submitted and graded for the World Baseball Classic, but due to its contextual significance, is attached with the spoiler. For the cohosts, it would be the Part 26 that is being submitted for the RP grading purpose.

ICly the setting of this Season and the subsequent Season 10 will be taking place over the May of 2056, just a month before the World Cup 91. To avoid doxxing both myself and Banija, Paddington Bear and The Wolverine were used in place of both our names, and his recommendations were taken into account when writing this piece.

That said, it is advised that the readers DO NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS that any IC action implied here had led to anything of particular consequence, including that of the events from a couple of posts above mine.

Many thanks. - Q&S -

Also see here.

Dr. Heo and the Portal of Madness

PART 26 - Paddy’s Lamentation

'The Creator?'

'Professor Heo, it is my absolute pleasure to have you on the Pronghorn Island.' smiled 'The Creator', who had a lot deeper, murkier sound to his voice than what the St. Croix professor had expected. 'It is not often we receive the special visit from the distinguished professor of history and comparative literature, whose dedication to his craft and those dearest to him is outstanding. You could not have come at any better timing.'

'Indeed, sir.' Dr. Heo smiled back, hiding back a slight sense of humiliation that had come with addressing to two individuals, whose attires and feathered heads, in honorifics. 'Tenori, mind if I ask?' He would then ask.

'Baritoni, Grazie mille, though I always wished that I were a pure tenor.' The Creator answered, fixing his glass twice - once removing the glass frame from his nose before placing it on a slightly higher, firmer spot. He always had a penchant for keeping his glasses tightly placed on his nose.

'I see,' answered Dr. Heo, as he too fixed it. From his ability to control each note, it was apparent to Dr. Heo that The Creator's had vocal training earlier in life, perhaps in one of those famed state or public schools that his subject had gone through as well. What he did not know, however, was how the baritone's voice would drown, a feature that had limited The Creator from effectively projecting his voice according to how he would hear its projection, and likely influenced his decision to avoid further education in vocal performance.

Was he aware of those backstories? Unlikely, as this was the first time Dr. Heo would meet the Owlephant-headed male in his twenties. Still, he was honoured to see the creator, the man who had supposedly created the world of Quebec and Shingoryeo, and actually be on a face-to-face level with him.

'Well, don't just stand there. You are a distinguished guest to me and my friend, Mr. Wolverine, and we don't have a whole day!' The Creator shouted at him, causing Dr. Heo to feel sudden chills forming. The Wolverine, who was eating a cone of cinnamon ice cream, accidentally dropped the ice cream, which caused him to feel sad for a second until the very cone was refilled with the same, full cup of cinnamon ice cream as his mind had wished so.

'Come have a seat, because I, I meant we, are about to tell you something important, Dr. Heo.' said The Creator, the Millennial beaming with a smile of anticipating his own plot, as Dr. Heo moved his way to sit on the empty chair next to the Wolverine, directly facing The Creator.

The circular coffee table, though without much food of worth, had enough refreshments for the party of three. Each seat had a refilling cup of coffee, all dark and without any contamination of sweetener or milk added to it. At the same time, oranges and apples were generously laid on a bountiful basket. It also held individualised features, with Ice cream cones refilled at the Wolverine's own leisure, The Creator making himself available with a basket of freshly-baked Acadianan fries, and a well-decorated, gold-carved cigar box unopened in front of Dr. Heo's seat.

Dr. Heo, being a relatively simple man when it comes to his routine of simple pleasures, was happy. After going through the ordeals of walking through this semi-deserted island he felt welcomed at this table, almost as if The Creator had manipulated the Schottic Torch to have him join the Pronghorn Island. And for all the dangers the location had posed, and how the fury of the sea monster still rang fresh in his posed, The Creator and his friend The Wolverine seemed like a very nice pair of friends who were just enjoying the vacation.

Still, Dr. Heo was quick to notice an oddity, as a question would emerge over the origins of the fruits. 'Did you bring the fruits from the south? Or the north? Depending on who you ask.' Dr. Heo asked.

'Finest of those coming from the Baja Calania, directly bordering that of Huayramarca.' The Creator answered, as he would peel the skin out of them. Within seconds he would start eating them, and both his open eyes and closed mouth would move wildly at each moment as he would consume each piece of the tangerines. 'You know, it is lot easier to imagine these tangerines, the ones full of natural sugar and all that when you've had no shortage of them when younger.'

He must be talking about his childhood days, thought Dr. Heo, as the Creator would go on to ask his friend, joyful enough to the point where his filters were turned off for the sake of exaggeration and spontaneity. 'Wolverine, my dear friend. What were the cornfields like in Kansas? Were they very much like what we have seen on the movies, the ones we would see on Wizard of Oz and Oklahoma!?'

'Well Oklahoma's not a part of Texas!' corrected The Wolverine, his eye colours changing from that of brown to red. 'Unfortunately, I didn't see any cornfields - Kansas City isn't exactly Topeka! But I do see the cornfields right now, for exactly different reasons.'

'My bad, my bad. You know nobody could remember what's located where, though that may not have said The Creator. 'Do not shy away. Tell us more.'

Dr. Heo turned around to see The Creator, only to see the millennial typing loudly on a small laptop with a black screen, white keyboards and a thousand too many screenshots taken inside it. Most of the time he would spend time conversing as the friendly neighbourhood Dee-Jae of the Discordteque, a Deltean conceptual space that had since expanded to incorporate social settings, like that of a mid-walk voice chat session. And while The Creator was more than aware that he was nowhere near the technician or the early-night-deejay-innovator as Annie Mac, one of his all-time favourites, he had secretly hoped that his attempts to spend time with his like-minded community, which had brought some valuable second-job partnerships and more importantly friendships, were what mattered more.

'What are you writing, mind if I ask?' Dr. Heo asked to The Creator. 'I hear...from a friend...that you were mad over a few things.'

The Creator and The Wolverine stared back at him, before looking at the waters of the Blood Sea. It was getting darker and darker, almost to the point of impossible visibility. 'A couple of things are on agenda, yes,' The Creator said. 'Well, the first item on the agenda's to replace the Grim Reapers' anthem. Since Banija was the last team to defeat the Grim Reapers while Camelia (Haley's Song) was in active use, I have asked him to have to listen to the new song.'

'I'm cool with that. Though this time, man, you know you need to cut with the number of lives who were sacrificed to write this.' answered The Wolverine, raising three fingers to suggest those whose lives were lost in the codification of the song into the Quebecois sporting lore. 'I swear every time you work on something, somebody dies.'

'Well, true, but you were the one who proposed the latest idea,' said The Creator, as he would then pointed at the sky, which would project one of his 32829 laptop screenshots into the cloud-sky-screen:

'Well, you know.' The Creator answered as the twenty-year-olds grinned at each other after, leaving Dr. Heo both dazzled and surprised at the surprising turn of their constant chats. 'It will all be okay.'

Dr. Heo cleared his throat. 'Messieurs, mind if I ask - what is exactly going to happen by any chance?'

The Creator looked back at his subject, somewhat perplexed with his lack of awareness over it all. 'Well, I have written the lyrics for the song you, Dr. Heo.' He said, holding a piece of paper. 'It's originally written in Gaelic, befitting where the original tune, Mo Ghille Mear (My Gallant Hero) comes from my side of the world. I have written this world's chant in Korean before translating it into English for my own sake. Would you like to read it?'

'Absolutely, sir.' he answered, looking around to see any suspicion before a grin by ever-joyful Wolverine convinced him. 'I will.'

'Are you sure about telling him what's going to happen, Paddington?' whispered The Wolverine, him preferring to keep maximum confidentiality to his plans.

'Have faith, my dear friend, for it is the Blood Sea we are talking here.' The Creator answered, with his Paddington Paws scratching the elephant's nose of the Owlephant head. 'It was only seven years ago when Jimmy Costello proposed at this very beach that the lost flotilla of the Montrealais would make their maiden voyage here and over the Grinsham Waters between Quebec and Cosumar. Baptism of Fire 62.

‘And while he was the first guest to visit here under the tribunal, he was never the last. I have brought a Scot and the other Midwesterner here too. The Singaporean’s always welcome too though I’m afraid scheduling meetings are hard nowadays - I heard that he’s embarking on a top-secret mission that involves supersonic travel across the seven seas…'

Then he stopped for a second, before accentuating each word. ‘But most importantly you, my friend, are the fourth judge I have brought from the tribunal. As part of the group I could trust all of my narratives to you all, and I will do the same for them.'

In the meanwhile, Dr. Heo turned into reading the paper piece. In an anticipation of the new Grim Reapers' chant, one that had not come into fruition after a four-year long nationwide campaign, he was looking forward to sing the lyrics to the tune:

THE HYEOLHAE GAZETTE
Quebec and Shingoryeo fighter jet shoots down a gigantic, rectangular object flying over Blood Sea

By Angela Min, Horace Clough, and !+2- Barraclough-Gallant-Kim

JOONGYEONG/EQUINOX HILL, May XX, 2056 (Affiliated gegenPress) - A Quebec and Shingoryeo Avro O-MG fighter shot down an unidentified, rectangular object flying over the international waters in middle of Blood Sea this morning. It is considered to be the third in as many cycles, as three regions of Rushmore, Atlantian Oceania and Anaia were left confused and worried over the increased rate of disappearances and paranormal activities in the past half-decade.

'What the actual fuck...' Dr. Heo slurred his voice, before looking back at his company. 'You are kidding me, right? Are you suggesting that something dubious...something massive...is about to happen? Over the sea?'

'You underestimated him, Paddington,' answered The Wolverine. By this point the screams of sea monsters, those who had kept their distance away from the island, were starting to be heard again as their stomach rang in search of human flesh. 'He's your creation after all. Not the best when it comes to staying focused on his task.'

'You are absolutely right, Wolverine. My bad,' said The Creator as he turned to Dr. Heo once again. Now the sky was getting darker each and every minute, and the waves started to inch closer and closer until they were about a couple of away from him. 'My apologies for not being clear enough on everything. So now, I will be clear for you and your company for once and all. Dr. Heo Dong-Soo. As you are one of my most cherished creations, you are here on a mission I have specifically set aside for you and your company, which my agent - dear Fluffy - was supposed to deliver, but with relatively little success.'

The iciness of The Creator's voice automatically had both Dr. Heo and The Wolverine assume that it wasn't actually his voice, but rather a dubbing recorded some months over the Christmas break (OOC: I did not actually make one) or some time festive enough to be anticlimatic. Full of command and lack of weirder euphemisms, it did not sound like him at all. 'And what task would you wish me, a lad without a slight bit of magic, and the young Jang Joon-Gweon to achieve?' he asked.

'Well...now that the food's eaten and coffee drunk on the table, it is time for you and your young child, Mr. Jang. Joon. Gweon. to start figuring out how to fix the dimensional crack that have emerged over Quebec and Shingoryeo in the past decade.' said The Creator, before going on to ask. 'I believe that you and Dr. Isabel Jurado have already discussed at various points in the last twenty-four hours, I believe not? Or have I wasted my hopes on you and a sixth-form kid?'

by **Alasdair I Frosticus** » Sun Feb 12, 2023 5:06 am

WARNING!!!!

BEWARE OF NOZIS!!!!

The Holy Empire Football Association [HEFA] and State Bureau of Imperial Security [SBIS] wish to warn all Ordinary Reality nations of the dangers of NOTIONAL SITUATIONALISM!!!!!!!!!

Even now, members of the Notional Situationalist Party, also known as NOZIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

These are the signs that Notional Situationalists are active in your nation:

1) Groups of avant-garde artists suddenly appear in your nation declaring 'it is forbidden to forbid!'

2) Avant-garde artists express an unusual interest in archaeology and any artefacts of uncanny power that are rumoured to be located in your nation.

3) They wear snazzy leather uniforms that are undoubtedly at the cutting edge of multiverse fashion, but also feature skull and crossbone motifs that make you wonder 'are they the baddies?'

4) They try to convince you that Nozi leader Rudolf Hittner is a 'cool guy', 'great in the sack', 'an amazing artist', or 'has some really hip ideas about expanding living space across the multiverse for the master race'.

5) They pass out pamphlets at their avant-garde art shows asking if you've seen any ark-shaped objects.

6) They propose a 'final solution to the Audioslavian problem' and express an interest in looting the Project Sports Museum.

7) They really dislike Jeremy Jaffacake (note that this is apparently a widely-shared opinion across the multiverse; in isolation, this does not indicate that you are in the presence of a Notional Situationalist).

HEFA and SBIS believe that Notional Situationalists are particularly active in the following nations:

Darmen
Safiloa
Koronavia
The Republic of Covelandia
Saint Eleanor
Darkmania
Aureumterra III
Mertagne
Borisuelo
Cardenao
Damukuni

If you live in one of these nations, and spot Nozi activity DO NOT PANIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Holy Empire National Football Team has arranged to play World Cup qualifiers in your nation (please don't ask us how; there are some things you cute little mundies Were Not Meant to Know). Already we have played in Koronavia and Saint Eleanor, and have - through the bravery of the team of archaeologists that comprise the Holy Empire squad - stopped Nozis active in those nations from acquiring this harmless-looking plain and undecorated wooden cup that ABSOLUTELY DOES NOT CONFER ETERNAL LIFE while also stopping two exhibitions of dadaist art.

We also understand that Nozis may be active in Darmen, seeking the ancient crystalline statue of Aloysius Bristlecone, a famous wizard from the 17th century. According to relevant authorities, it's public knowledge that the statue of Mister Bristlecone is located just outside of Piddleton deep in the Tyger forest. If you live in Darmen, and leather-clad avant-garde artists attempt to set up a dadaist exhibition just outside of Piddleton, PLEASE CONTACT HEFA AND SBIS IMMEDIATELY. We can send our crack archaeologist (and national football team captain) Michigan Smith to investigate. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO ENGAGE WITH NOZIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Meanwhile, we are investigating rumours that the Well of Souls is located in Damukuni. If you live in Damukuni and don't know what a Well of Souls is, that's probably for the best. Likewise, it's probably for the best if we don't share details just yet. We would simply remind you that if Nozis ask for an archaeological excavation permit for Damukuni, DO NOT PANIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sincerely Yours,

The Holy Empire Football Association
State Bureau of Imperial Security
The Imperial Secretariat of the Purple Inkwell's Junior Subdepartment of Exclamation Mark Overuse

by **Aeragny** » Sun Feb 12, 2023 5:27 am

Stackibir, they're called - the little letter combinations that puzzle outsiders - and one that came up during the match against Ryfenia is one of the most classic ones: scs, short for sálloirá conne sálliviya, meaning "We will write what was written". In English, wwwwww might not make for such a comprehensive shorthard, but in Aeránanue, scs is short and useful for anything in the range between déjà vu and history repeating itself.

Compared to the one mentioned previously (djb), scs is not at all a recent innovation - in fact quite the opposite; as it is taken from a commonly quoted line of reasoning as spoken by Jean Boulard; one of Airannia's great heroes. Jean Boulard, one of the first colonial administrators who was born on Cabelia, who spoke at the Assemblée cabélienne, as a proponent of the Haera culture and languages being officially recognized by the colonial administrations. The colonization of Cabelia was hampered by the strong Haera kingdoms, which were not being conquered by military means, but rather subdued by political means. This created a situation where both parties needed one another - and gave the Haera kingdoms a bargaining position. The most memorable line in the speech is the closing line, and also the only sentence which was spoken in a Haera language in actuality (Boulard was a Franquese man after all): "Nane Ascuny!", which means "I say Ascuny". Ascuny is the largest island in Airannia, which was also the landing point for Franquese colonists; originally called däkoodi by the native population, was called Île Deux Découverte by the Franquese, as it was discovered twice; once by a military vessel which was caught in a storm, once by royal explorers. Legend has it that the towns of Ascune biluc (Discovery of the General) and Ascune roi (Discovery of the King) are the places they landed, but this is proven to be a case of pseudo-etymology; the towns weren't named as such until after the Franquese even departed from Cabelia.
As a middle ground, Franquese sympathisants among the Haera and Haera sympathisants among the Franquese both began adapting names which took the Franquese etymology, but into an Aerá context - so the island of two discoveries would simply become the island of discovery (as the Haera only discovered it once), and as such: Ascuny. However, not just this last line of the speech is common knowledge by Airannians: the speech is (rightfully!) considered to be such an integral part of the national canon.

Ryfenia 0 - 2 Airannia
25': -- Bardeus Fichomcéls
45': Çontre Colminge <> Stéven Lédn
66': Touz Budd <> Renald Duponte
70': Sam Allbhy 1-0
74': Gary Goppré 2-0
82': Bardeus Fichomcéls <> Arton Seuny

And what was written, will be written again - because not only did the 2-0 victory really remind one of the Baptism of Fire matchup; where the exact same score was achieved; the two goals were scored by the same two players as well: Goppré and Allbhy also scored in Mertagne during the match against Ryfenia then. It's a shame that the team didn't get up to speed any sooner, though, as it really felt as though there was more to be gained in terms of goal scoring potential for the blue and yellows. One player made his (long awaited) entrée onto the field this match: Renald Duponte, the first Relleboisian to play for the national team: and made a great impression, as it was his free kick that allowed Sam Allbhy to push the ball across the line for the opening goal of the game, off his head. Usually, Allbhy himself would be the one to take these free kicks himself, but Renald also has a great kick in his feet, and did not disappoint. The second goal came quickly after, from a counter attack, where Goppré not only avoided a nasty tackle which would probably earn the defender a red card - had it connected - he also lobbed the ball calmly over the Ryfenian goalie. The first victory of the Airannian national team was finally here; and now StrayaRoos awaited in Centerby for the following match.

Airannia 1 - 2 StrayaRoos
32: Cruz Kaiplo 0-1
57': Gary Goppré <> Lio Trofois
69: Daniel Jaqi 0-2
70': Touz Budd <> Galho Éram
82': Çontre Colminge <> Stéven Lédn
88': Khriss Garyabh 1-2 (pk)

Another 1-2 loss. Against Audioslavia, the Airannian team led for a large portion of the match, but against StrayaRoos, all the inspiration and motivation seemed to be lost, the Airannian goal only coming from an arguably debatable penalty kick in the last few minutes of the game. Little to write home about, jCarvên said to the press afterwards, not realizing that the Airannian team was, in fact, already at home.

Haera is typically the term for anything that's Aerá, but from before or during the era of colonization. As mentioned above, the Haera kingdoms were well established at the time the Franquese colonization of the island happened - and while kids learn about the eleven Haera kingdoms, one might wonder: where are they now? In order of subjugation:

Daicody - däkoodi - The first kingdom to be subdued, Daicody was quite isolated from the rest. However, even this small kingdom was quite resilient. Nowadays, this kingdom is basically nowhere to be found, except in the backs of all schoolkids minds, as it's mentioned a multitude of times during Boulard's speech. Additionally, the village of Darcody, on the island of Ascuny, is named for this historic kingdom, but the village wasn't established until much, much later, when the kingdom was already a thing of generations past.

Sesser - seser - As the second kingdom to be colonized, Sesser was a touch above Daicody in terms of organization, and actually had an organized army, as well. Nowadays, the name Sesser only really comes up as the etymology for the department of Chestre and its capital city of Chestrivil - one of the few places which weren't renamed to an Airannian language name, as the origins were already Haera.

Bay - bä - Bay is one of the smallest kingdoms, and was used as a starting point for the Franquese exploration of the island. Being as small as it was, it was easily distracted with a coffer of gold, and is now mostly forgotten. Its name only is found in the name of Baitour (Bay's tower), a satellite city to Vorácy.

Broy - bröö - Broy, together with Ode Wa, were the two biggest kingdoms on Northern Cabelia, and when they both were pressured to allow the Franquese to settle in their lands, they protested, leading to the Assembly meeting to discuss the future of Haera culture. The four kingdoms on the Cabelian Gulf (Broy, Ode Wa, Bay and Açurtenn) were also united in terms of language; while the other kingdoms typically had very similar, but distinct languages. Nowadays, Broy still exists, just like Sesser, in the name of the city of Brotoque, and the department of Ter Brote - as well as in the name of the bay that the aforementioned city lays on: Braudhomme.

Ode Wa - ootwa - Ode Wa was the absolute most populous of the kingdoms, and the most important to all Haera politics. Its most important legacy lies in the Aeránanue language - as the primary translators for the Franquese were from Ode Wa. As such, when the unified Haera langauge was being "created", it inherited a majority of Ode Wa influence - and the most notable still exists today. Ode Wa worshipped the spirit of... Ode Wa, one of the seven spirits commonly seen in Haera spirituality (which is still particed, alongside Christianity, by many Airannians)- and as such, the letter Z could not be included in the language. Simply put, the letter Z's shape is very close to the shape of a negative glyph of Ode Wa, and seeing this shape would indicate evil is afoot. As such, the letter is nowadays still replaced with the letter "ç" in Parzhinia (though it is used in Ajurton and Hmál King just fine).
Apart from this, Ode Wa still lives on in the name of the river Vorá (as the "w" sound was sometimes replaced with an "r" sound) - which then leads into the name of the capital city of Vorácy, though quite far fetched.

Uigi - wigi - Uigi wasn't so much a kingdom as it was a confederation; but that didn't matter in the end. After staunch resistance, it became the only kingdom to be taken over by military prowess; serving as an example. Uigi was named for the Wigi river, which now is known as the Uigé river - which gives its name to the Uigéter department.

Aeduç - ääduz - Aeduç fell victim to the Franquese almost immediately after Uigi. Not much is known about this kingdom, except that its last king was named Uzla. Its name still lives on in the large port city of Ardoux, and the department of the same name.

Maroy - maarö - Maroy was another large kingdom, and while a military exertion was made in order to bring them into the Franquese colonial empire, it was taken over without much bloodshed at all. It also was the last expansion before the Franquese retreated from their Tarephian holdings, leaving the Rivagien empire in its place. Maroy's name has essentially disappeared; as it laid in territory that is in the current day Franquese majority.

Eydaffan - ëdafaan - Nowadays, the area that used to be Eydaffan is the province of Eldanvan. However, they are not to be confused, as the original kingdom of Eydaffan was destroyed long ago. Simply put, after the Rivagien Empire took over the kingdoms in the north, things largely changed, and direct occupation was no longer part on the wishlist, so to say. However, what did happen was stirring up discontent in Açurtenn, and funding a war effort for them to take over Eydaffan. The Eydaffan kingdom was ran out of their territory, and surviving loyalists would find themselves hauled into the abandoned Ingerish port city of Port Victoria - which is Vixoque today. The name was mostly forgotten then, but when the province was created after Airannian unification, the name of the old kingdom was used.

Açurtenn - aazurtn - Though Açurtenn is formally the name of the Haera kingdom, Ajurton is the modern name, and thus the most commonly recognized. This kingdom remained independent, though heavily placated by the Rivagien, until the fall of the Rivages. After this, the Ajurton was, together with the other remaining kingdom, Hmal King, consolidated into a single country: the Southern Cabelian States, which was unified with Parzhinia into Airannia in 1967. Now, Ajurton is the name of a province and an egnatic kingdom within Airannia.

Hmal King - qmaalkin - Hmál King's story is much the same as Ajurton - independent until the fall of the Rivages, then into the Southern Cabelian States, and now a kingdom within Airannia. However, one peculiarity is its language. While Ajurton spoke a very similar language to Ode Wa, and thus a language very similar to Aeránanue, Hmál King spoke its own, very distinct language. At the advent of the SCS, the alphabet was changed to be Latin (like Ajurton), but the two languages remained, creating a rift in the grafted country. Nowadays, Hmala is still a very distinct language from Aeránanue.

Ulo - uurö - Ulo is the twelfth of the eleven Haera kingdoms - as its not a Haera kingdom at all. Ulo does not fall in the same cultural group, speaks a language unrelated, and even wasn't necessarily considered a kingdom, but rather as a tribe of people, who lived on Hmalan soil, but weren't Hmalan people. Perhaps they could be considered one of the first semi-autonomous regions in the world! Ulo was, however, one of the Southern Cabelian States, but, at the time of unification of the Airannian state, on merit of not being Haera, wasn't offered any position as a kingdom within the new country. As such, a referendum was held in the miniscule state, between either becoming a part of Hmál King without representation, or an independent country. With a huge plurality, Ulo became its own state, and has remained as such thanks to brotherhood, and a huge tourism sector, as the little country is home to three huge national parks. Oh, and the fact that casinos are (basically) outlawed in Airannia has also helped cement it as Cabelia's gambling capital.

by **Eraman** » Sun Feb 12, 2023 5:29 am

I - II - III - IV - V

VI
THE TWELFTH GENERAL ELECTION
TUN SENGALANG PETARA

The fourth Bendahara of Eraman, Tun Maha Petara resigned from his position a year before the 12th general election after holding the position for 23 years which makes him the longest-serving Bendahara of Eraman to date. His resignation was a shock to everyone as everyone thought that he wanted to rule forever. Tun Maha Petara who was 78 years old at that time cited old age as the reason for his resignation but no one really knows the real reason behind it.

Replacing him was none other than his own nephew, Tun Sengalang Petara, the younger brother of the current Maharaja of Eraman. It can be said that Tun Maha Petara created Tun Sengalang Petara who benefitted a lot from Tun Maha Petara's bendaharaship, becoming the richest man in the country as well as a key figure in the country's administration. From a real estate tycoon before Tun Maha Petara's bendaharaship, Tun Sengalang Petara now owns everything in the country including Petara Oil, the country's main oil and gas company.

Being very rich and seen as a philanthropist, Tun Sengalang Petara's ascension as bendahara was well received by the people who were tired of the administration of Tun Maha Petara. They welcomed the new bendahara who they saw as a fresh face and fresh idea, the next-gen Petara they said. And as a result, the National Front again won a landslide victory in the 12th general election, their biggest win since the first election.

But things took a turn during ENP's party election after the 12th general election. While Tun Sengalang Petara was firmly in the driver's seat winning the presidency uncontested, the battle was taken to the ENP Youth Chief position where Tun Sengalang Petara's son, Ria Petara faced off with Tun Maha Petara's son, Mukti Petara. Yes, a civil war in the House of Petara between the mentor and the protege.

Ria Petara, the son of Tun Sengalang Petara won the battle for the ENP Youth Chief position. And that made Tun Maha Petara very unhappy. He turned his gun towards his own nephew and started attacking Tun Sengalang Petara's administration from left and right. With the help of Tun Rendra Usin who was the deputy president of ENP at that time, Tun Maha Petara succeeded in making Tun Sengalang Petara resign just before the 13th general election.

by **Kimi-Suomi** » Sun Feb 12, 2023 6:13 am

Getting back on the road is one thing. Getting back to past highs is another. The Huuhkajat of Kimi-Suomi returned to WCQ action with 2 wins from 2 and while that was certainly a good start, no one was assuming anything just yet and won't do so until things were absolutely clear in terms of realistic ambition. Esko Laaksonen was also erring on the side of caution as he wanted to make sure that assumptions weren't made with 20 games still to play and with that in mind...how did this important 2nd international break go?

MD3 would see the return of The Nest as Pot 2 Huayramarca came to Pesä for what many expected would be a crucial clash in the early stages of this group. Clashing against Blâás Âgínsôgnó's ultra-attacking playstyle was expected to be a challenge and that certainly turned out to be the case, with our 2 goals swamped by their 4 in the end. We did manage 1 goal in each half thanks to Tero Salo and Kimi Airo but they hit back with 4 of their own thanks to a Bryan Tello hat trick and a nice goal from Gabriel Sayritupac late on. It simply wasn't our day to be fair and we hoped we could simply move on and hope for better later.

Then it was back on the road to face the undefeated Corsairs of Sargossa at Independienté in Goza and while they were technically the worse team in terms of rankings, we weren't going to underestimate Slavko Jelic at all and we expected a fight on our hands in enemy territory. The first half was actually tight, with a strike from Lucas Recoba issuing a spectacular response from Mika Noronen past Alejandro Martínez...but once the 2nd half arrived, we were 2nd best and the Corsairs pulled away thanks to Pablo Alarcón and Orlando Segovia. Back-to-back wins lead to back-to-back losses and suddenly, we have slipped from 1st to 8th. My oh my.

But of course, this isn't over. Tämä ei helvetissä ole ohi. We'll head back to Kimi Kaupunki to face fellow 2-2 team Lisander before we have to go out and face Pot 1 Farfadillis in a game that will certainly be tough as balls. The objective? Points, as many as we can get, in order to try and turn this ship around. NOSTA KUIN HUUHKAJAT!

by **Sendhang** » Sun Feb 12, 2023 6:22 am

93RD WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS
Matchday 4

After 1 win and 2 draws from the opening first 3 matches, Sendhang received the visit of group favorite, Pemecutan on Matchday 4. The match was highly anticipated by the Sendhangites. Tickets were sold out just within hours it was open for sale. Big screens were set up in every major city for people to gather to watch the match in numbers. Pemecutanan football is huge in Sendhang and everybody wants to watch them.

Sendhangites had always been a fan of Pemecutanan football since they shock everyone by qualifying for the World Cup. And the move by Sendhang's star striker, Teuku Salahudin to Perseman Kesiman made Sendhangites more fond of Pemecutanan football. The Pemecutanan league is broadcasted live in Sendhang, even the Eramanian league which is dubbed as the best league in Mandalanusa is not broadcasted live in Sendhang yet.

Sendhangites know everything about Pemecutanan football but nobody knows it better than Salahudin himself who plays his club football in Pemecutan. The national team spent days analyzing Pemecutan's style of play prior to the big match. Salahudin, the youngest player in the squad was tasked by the head coach to explain to his more experienced teammates the strengths and weaknesses of each Pemecutan national team player.

The game plan doesn't change though. Just like in the previous 3 matches, Sendhang came into the field with the mindset to defend and find an opportunity to break from the counter.

"Every man behind the ball except for one," the head coach reminded for the millionth time.

The Persekutuan Stadium was electric that night. Despite admiring Pemecutanan football, the fans were firmly behind Sendhang, wearing the team colors and singing their hearts out for the Rice Farmers. And the players delivered, keeping their shape perfectly and defending as a unit with high discipline. Scoreless at the break, much to the delight of every Sendhangites especially the head coach.

However, a lapse in concentration early in the second half by the Sendhang's backline allowed Pemecutan to take the lead in the 49th minute through Komang Trisna Mahayana. The Persekutuan Stadium was silenced. The Pemecutanan players were too good. But the Rice Farmers were not giving up. Luckily for the Sendhangites, a penalty was awarded to them after Salahudin was brought down in the box late in the second. Nanang Wirajuda who stepped up for the penalty made no mistake to equalize from the spot.

1-1 on the night. The match was the talking point for days in Sendhang. The famous draw. Pemecutan tied at the Persekutuan Stadium.

by **Lozho** » Sun Feb 12, 2023 6:24 am

St Saratoga 0-2 Lozho

Obamovich 62', 90+1'

Srubnaya Culture 1-2 Lozho

Konstantinidis 33'
Zoan 17'
Obamovich 88'

Fine Form from Obamovich Secures Important Victories for Pelicans

Sponsored by AirAsia

After terrorising St Saratoga last week with a brace, Ghezhan City star striker Paxton Obamovich stunned high-flyers Surbnaya with a volley in the dying minutes of the match to secure back-to-back away victories for the Lozhoan National Football Team. Even if the matches were against fellow debutants in the World Cup Qualifiers, the confidence-boosting wins will make the difference towards the Pelicans' qualifying campaign.

After an exciting 2-2 draw with Brookstation, the Lozhoan National Football Team travelled to St Saratoga for their next match. Considered one of the easier opponents, St Saratoga were winless in the WCQs sp far and had failed to qualify out of their Baptism of Fire group. However, manager Brett Zimberg ensured that any and all complacency would be stamped out. He continued with his cautious tactics, which resulted in a quiet first half with little attempts on goal by either team. However, in the second half, Obamovich turned up the heat with his numerous attempts at getting into the box. Obamovich's physicality was no match for the opposition defence, who eventually collapsed around the 60th minute. Obamovich headed Mattiaz Crickport's cross into the bottom left corner, which gave the visitors a 1-0 lead. Hoping to salvage a point at least, St Saratoga began searching for an equaliser, and came close a few times but were denied by Bonzo De Jong. Eventually, in the dying minutes of the game, Marc Benson capitalised on the opposing defenders' exhaustion and almost scored from point blank range after an impressive droozle, but it was parried away by the goalkeeper. Obamovich knocked the rebound into the back of the net to seal the Pelicans' first every victory in the World Cup Qualifiers.

In contrast with St Saratoga, fellow "Class of 80" team Srubnaya were in no way struggling. After an unlucky exit in the Baptism of Fire Round of 16, they went into the home match against Lozho with 3 wins from 3 and as surprise group leaders. Even with a seemingly tough task ahead, the Pelicans were buoyed by their recent results and were determined to give it their all. The game started off intensely, with Srubnaya pressing hard whilst the Pelicans worked hard to regain possession. In the 17th minute, Fatrouza Smith lobbed the ball into the penalty box after sprinting down the left flank. The ball connected with Zed Zoan, who blasted the ball into Ariapeithes Kozlov who smacked it away. Unfortunately for him, Zoan speedily ran towards the ball and scored on the rebound, with Skula Johnson suffering the ignominy of being nutmegged. Srubnaya kept on pressing for a precious equaliser to maintain their unbeaten record however, and after minutes of back-and-forth between the two, Palacus Konstantinidis headed home Uxtamazata Neapolis' deflected shot.

After the conclusion of that first half, the second half started slowly as well. Ammaticus Saulius had a great chance in the 48th minute as he managed to beat Bonzo De Jong, but a last-minute clearance from Romulus saved the day. Aside from that, the two teams were quiet and were unable to produce chances on goal despite there being all to play for. Eventually, a foul on Obamovich by Chersonesus Lapadasues resulted in a free kick being awarded to the Lozhoans. Smith whipped the free kick right outside the box, where Obamovich was waiting to blast the ball into the back of the net. The Pelicans had retaken the lead in the last few minutes, and thus Srubnaya went into overdrive. Saulius was agonisingly close to an immediate response, but his header in the 89th minute struck the crossbar and that was that. A second away victory in a row.

Up next, Lozhoans go against Oflia and Macbon, two winless teams near the foot of the table. The Pelicans will be hoping to extend their winning streak with wins over the two during the next international break, which could bring the team to a position as high as 1st in the table. Stay tuned.

by **Mytanija** » Sun Feb 12, 2023 6:56 am

MYTANIJA 1-0 MAGNECIA

MYT: Prokopljevic 17’

MYT: 12. Puzin; 13. Ivankovic, 14. Pestotnik, 15. Sulejmanovic, 16. Pejakovski; 28. Urbanc (c), 30. M. Ovcina (sub. Aganovic 62’), 32. Hajdarpasic (sub. Shishkin 62’); 18. Vujanovic (sub. Roskar 80’), 31. Prokopljevic (sub. Prpic-Bosanac 45’), 22. Bajic (sub. Gajic 87’)

MYTANIJA 4-2 ASCVALION

MYT: Vujanovic 8’, Hajdarpasic 40’, Prpic-Bosanac 55’, Pestotnik 61’

MYT: 12. Puzin; 24. N. Ovcina, 14. Pestotnik (sub. Kapetanovic 75’), 15. Sulejmanovic (sub. Suljic 82’), 27. S. Milosevic; 28. Urbanc (c) (sub. Zmiric 68’), 30. M. Ovcina, 32. Hajdarpasic (sub. Terziovski 68’); 18. Vujanovic (sub. Roskar 82’), 43. Prpic-Bosanac, 22. Bajic

KITANCHEV DEMONSTRATES ABILITY TO TRUST IN DIFFERENT CONTRIBUTORS

Dzvezdan Kitanchev has started as he means to go on during qualification for World Cup 93. In the run-up to the cycle starting, he had spoken of needing to ‘refresh’ the pool of players he would be selecting from, believing that some players had perhaps given as much as they could in the Hoops and that some new blood and fresh motivation was required to get the team moving forward again. This came after a disappointing Copa Rushmori on home soil, with Mytanija being dumped out by eventual champions Tikariot; and a lacklustre showing at World Cup 92 where a group stage exit took a lot of momentum out of a team which many at home had backed to potentially make a run in the tournament.

Kitanchev has acted quickly in the name of this ‘refresh’, utilising what was effectively a second-string squad in the second double-header of matches, after going full-strength for the openers against Poafmersia and in the trip to West Barack and East Obama. The draw in the second of those two matches perhaps should have been a win but taking a point away from home is valuable early on and showed a streak of pragmatism in Kitanchev. When the win wasn’t there, he instructed his team to remain compact and make it difficult for the opposition to play. The key thing was ensuring that they didn’t lose the game.

The manager rang the changes for the pair of victories against Magnecia and Ascvalion, introducing new faces in the form of Petar Pejakovski, Muharem Hajdarpasic and Tadej Roskar; and recalling several players who are less experienced at international level – the likes of Zahir Ivankovic, Bosko Pestotnik and Mirko Ovcina – to ensure that they are getting game-time and allowing him a closer look at their ability in a competitive match. This has come after Kitanchev has almost entirely overhauled the first-choice midfield and attack, making the team much younger and reintroducing wingers to provide more width. Making the huge choice to start Drazen Skara over Jezdimir Ocokoljic belongs somewhere amongst all of that too.

“It’s just something that we have to do, we can’t afford to rest on our laurels, thinking we know our best eleven and only play those players for the next two years. There’s a lot of matches at club and international level, so we don’t want to burn players out. We want our key guys to get a chance to recover. But this also allows us a fantastic opportunity to see what some of the younger and less experienced players can do. These qualifying matches are the pinnacle of international football in terms of how competitive they are. Every nation, whether it’s someone from pot one or pot twelve, wants to win, they either want to qualify or they want to win to improve their ranking to ensure a better seeding next time. That means everyone’s giving one-hundred-and-ten percent. It's invaluable to throw players into that to see how they stand up to the test. If they cope with it well then it means we know that we can rely on them to do it in any match. That’s why we want to see what everyone can do.”

There’s a degree of risk in this approach. If Mytanija were to lose with a second-string line-up then questions would be asked of the manager, particularly this early in the cycle when everybody is fit and raring to go. But there’s truth in what he says. Friendlies are good for trying players out, for seeing how certain profiles might fit together in a team, but you simply cannot recreate that competitive spark which you get in a real qualifying game. When Mytanija are favoured in matches like those versus Magnecia and Ascvalion then there’s an opportunity to be creative with the line-up, an opportunity to see, for example, if Muharem Hajdarpasic can make that step up from under-21 internationals to the senior side.

You might run the risk of a close match like the one versus Magnecia, won with Milica Prokopljevic’s 17th minute goal, but when Kitanchev felt a bit of control was being lost in the game he reintroduced experienced heads. Fran Prpic-Bosanac arrived at half-time to provide an extra body in central midfield areas, dropping in as a false nine and providing a bit more security against counterattacks. Edin Aganovic and Maks Shishkin came on for Mirko Ovcina and Muharem Hajdarpasic around the hour mark when Kitanchev felt the latter pair were making his team play a little too directly. This re-established control when Magnecia looked like they could steal a result, displaying that pragmatism which is crucial in World Cup qualifying and ensuring that vital points didn’t slip away.

Dordo Urbanc was notable for captaining the side in both games and really leading well, with Adnan Sulejmanovic playing a similar role in central defence. Neither are the first you’d think of when talking about leaders but discovering that they can fulfil those roles is a nice bonus of what Kitanchev did for this double-header. The match against Ascvalion even ended with Prpic-Bosanac taking the armband, with Urbanc and Sulejmanovic both off the pitch by the 82nd minute. Different contributors who take the onus off those veterans, your Grigorij Savicevics, Bigger Mbala-Ekakias, Patrik Odonelecs, Semir Besaks and so on, are important and it shows that Kitanchev is prepared to share that responsibility around – in line with what he has done with his line-ups more generally.

The match versus Ascvalion in Uchenik was a great advert for some of the young players coming into the national pool now. Luka Vujanovic and Muharem Hajdarpasic were excellent in their time on the pitch, scoring a goal apiece and impressing with their performances. Hajdarpasic pulled the strings in the number ten position, Mirko Ovcina alongside him had learned from the Magnecia game and was playing in a much more controlled manner with Dordo Urbanc playing a holding role behind them. Urbanc’s usually known to be more box-to-box but appears to be adding a new string to his bow with these slightly Smajicesque performances as a ‘6’. Vujanovic’s goal came from a fine piece of team play, with 22 passes used to break Ascvalion down before Hajdarpasic squared for Vujanovic to lash home.

Fran Prpic-Bosanac helped himself to his 20th international goal before Bosko Pestotnik got his first, a towering header, as you might expect from the Mipojoseon centre-half. It was a complete performance and only after those four goals went in without reply did Ascvalion pick up a couple of consolation goals. Kitanchev wasn’t pleased with either of them, issuing the challenge to the players on the pitch that ‘if you want to be first-choice you need to make sure that those goals don’t go in in the future’ and publicly wondering whether his ‘first-choice’ players would have allowed Ascvalion to pull two back. Whether the man-management works or not remains to be seen, but many in Mytanija are quietly enthused with this new approach Kitanchev appears to be taking.

As the qualifying cycle continues it is clear that the full range of the 45 or so players will be required. Injuries are an unfortunate fact of life in sport and Kitanchev will want players to slot in with little to no drop-off in terms of quality and in-game understanding. He’s setting the foundations for this at the moment, we’re getting to see some exciting new faces play for Mytanija and there is a feeling that this is the refresh everybody – including the manager – felt was needed to help the Hoops make that next step from World Cup qualifier to potential World Cup contender. That might involve some much-loved players, often very experienced ones, being displaced by younger, less experienced players who can provide a lift in terms of quality, motivation and hunger. That process might feel strange at first but it is natural in successful teams – just look at how regularly Atletik reinvent their team and the amount of domestic success they have had as a result.

The next double-header should see a return for the vast majority of Kitanchev’s ‘first-choice’ players as Mytanija play two of the higher seeded opponents in Group 12, Trolleborg and Cap Nord. We’ll see a return to that strong spine of the team, with Besak in net; Savicevic and Mbala-Ekakia at the back; a midfield three of Papez, Ovsi and Kuhar-Arh; and Drazen Skara up front. That should excite everybody and seeing some of those younger players in there is an early vindication of the process Kitanchev is trying to implement with the national team. At least we know – based on the Magnecia and Ascvalion matches – that we have some very talented players ready to slot in and try to make a difference if the Plan A option doesn’t work. This double-header will tell us a lot about the state of play in the group, too, if Mytanija can come through it with six points then we might well be looking at a side which can challenge Banija for top spot in the group. In turn, that will tell us a lot about where Kitanchev and his players are up to. Exciting times ahead as we find out the answers.

by **Estorvipa and Estorpiva** » Sun Feb 12, 2023 7:16 am

On the morning after the fall of the city of Bentakeb to the Federal Defense Forces, the combined strength of the Federation of Estorvipa and the Republic of Estorpiva, Vissarion Zhivkov of the Estorvipan People’s Republic declared war on the two states. To many people, this wasn’t really much of a surprise anymore. Everyone had to have known that sooner or later, the EPR was going to be the next target in the sights of the FDF, and this was just Zhivkov’s way of beating the so-called “Pridnestrovian puppet states” to the punch and show that he was still in charge of the fate of Estorvipa. Ostensibly, Zhivkov had declared war on the Federation and the Republic to help the State of Estorpiva “push the invaders back to the sea,” but with the State now ceasing to function as an independent nation-state for all intents and purposes, it was obvious to everyone involved that Zhivkov was only using the invasion as an excuse to regain lands that the EPR had lost thanks to both the Treaty of Kotelnirovo and the Treaty of Tarkovska before the FDF could beat him to them. The biggest prizes in the bunch were of course the cities of Feuerstadt and Durdenville, two locations which were highly significant to the Pivan people as they were where the Pivan faction in the Estorian Civil War first sprung up. Feuerstadt had been made the capital of the State of Estorpiva in the Treaty of Tarkovska, but thanks to the efforts of the Pridnestrovian Armed Forces and the “special groups” of the GRU and the KGB, both Feuerstadt and Durdenville had been under the control of pro-FDF guerrillas since a few days before the actual invasion. However, with the entry of the Estorvipan People’s Republic into the war, and with both Feuerstadt and Durdenville right in the way of the Estorvipan People’s Army, the situation in both cities had just become more precarious.

It was of course the people of both Feuerstadt and Durdenville who were affected the most by this news. Most of them still remembered what it was like under the old Estorvipan People’s Republic, back before chaos had engulfed their country and Estoria had been split up between all of these different factions and states. The arrival of the True Pivan Protection Forces in the cities, aided by a handful of operators from the Pridnestrovian GRU and KGB, had given the people of Feuerstadt and Durdenville a taste of life away from the oppressive yoke of the Imperium and the Inselberg Pact, and they were not really keen to return under the thumb of Vissarion Zhivkov or any other state allied with the Inselberg Pact. However, despite the fact that the Federal Defense Forces were going as fast as they could to reach both Feuerstadt and Durdenville before the Estorvipan People’s Army, there was still an undercurrent of tension flowing between both cities, and it would seem as if there was nothing that the TPPF or their Pridnestrovian allies could do to allay those fears.

Captain Gheorghe Ciprian of the True Pivan Protection Forces and Majors Grigoriy Dmitriyevich Umalin, Trofim Alekseyevich Pavlov, and Klaudia Fridrikhovna Glaser of the Pridnestrovian Armed Forces were gathered around a desk that had once served as the centerpiece of the conference room inside the Feuerstadt city hall. A map of the general area of Feuerstadt, Durdenville, and the border with the Estorvipan People’s Republic had been laid out on the table and someone had already put arrows and army formation symbols on the maps to indicate where the various EPA units were headed. “Two mechanized divisions, two motorized divisions, and three infantry divisions crossed into Pivan lands from Supskij at 0600 hours,” Ciprian said, pointing at the arrows on the maps. “Given the distance between Supskij and Feuerstadt, we should probably expect the first EPA units to arrive in fourteen hours.”

“How long can we expect to hold out against them?” Pavlov asked. “Do we have a chance of holding out against them?”

“We might be able to fight back against one infantry or motorized division,” Ciprian replied. “But if the EPA decided to bring one of their mechanized divisions to bear against us, that is when things get really difficult for all of us.”

“How about natural defenses?” Glaser asked. “Can we use the location of either Feuerstadt or Durdenville to aid in our defense against the EPA?”

“We can certainly try,” Ciprian said. “If we had more time to prepare, we can set up traps and ambushes to harass the entirety of their expeditionary force on their way here. As things stand though, we might need every single body that we can spare to hold these two cities.”

“How many RPG and mortar rounds do we have?” Umalin asked.

“Not nearly enough,” Ciprian shook his head. “This is not a good situation to be in by any means necessary. Have you had any word on when the Federal Defense Forces are going to make it here?”

“I’ve spoken with one of my friends in the KGB who’s currently embedded in the FDF to train their soldiers,” Glaser replied. “It would take them 24 hours at the very least to get to Feuerstadt, and that’s without them securing their rear against potential Blue Skulls hit-and-run attacks.”

“That’s not good,” Pavlov muttered. “That’s not good at all.”

“Tell me about it,” Umalin nodded. “Looks like we’ll just have to get ready to defend the place by ourselves.”

“I’ll get my men working on their positions immediately,” Ciprian nodded, and he left the room to coordinate with his fellow Pivans. Meanwhile, the Pridnestrovians stayed beside the map, with Umalin looking down on the arrows of enemy movements while Glaser was on the radio talking with the other Pridnestrovian advisers. “How long do you think we’ll be able to hold out against the People’s Army, Trofim Alekseyevich?” Umalin asked Pavlov.

“Two days, three at the most,” Pavlov replied. “It’ll be easy dealing with just the infantry. We might even be able to withstand the tanks when they arrive, but once they bring their artillery to bear on us, that’s when we should really start to worry.”

“Civilian casualties?”

“Yes,” Pavlov nodded sadly. “And that’s not even getting to the possibility that more Blue Skulls might be tagging alongside the actual People’s Army units. The unit commanders might not stand for it due to the bad blood between those two groups, but I wouldn’t be surprised if millions of Imperial marks suddenly appeared in the secret bank accounts of the People’s Army generals to ensure that there would be some measure of ‘cooperation’ between the Army and the Blue Skulls.”

“How cooperative do you think both sides will be about this though?” Umalin asked. “Do you think they’ll actually work together or not?”

“There’s too much bad blood between the Army and the Skulls for any sort of meaningful cooperation to happen naturally,” Pavlov said. “It’ll probably be something more like the Skulls treating the Army like cannon fodder and Zhivkov threatening his generals with the seizure or outright disappearance of the Imperial marks that were just wired into their secret accounts.”

“Do you consider yourself an expert in the internal affairs of the Inselberg Pact, Trofim Alekseyevich?” Umalin queried.

“Not really, Grigoriy Dmitriyevich,” Pavlov shook his head. “I consider myself an expert more on the inherent corruption in all nation-states, and the Inselberg Pact is full of corruption from head to toe. Their entire alliance is founded on corruption. That’s why I wouldn’t be surprised if the Imperium had already paid off the EPA generals to follow orders from the Blue Skulls. God knows that they’ve lost all appetite for war with the northern uprising and our intervention a few years ago. The Treaty of Tarkovska might not have been the end that the Estorian people would have wanted, but at least it was an end to all the fighting. This though, I think it’s a bridge too far for the people now. They probably won’t be able to do anything about it,” Pavlov said to answer the question that was still forming on Umalin’s lips. “The Blue Skulls are everywhere in the EPR. Even Vissarion Zhivkov himself can’t go to the toilet without the Skulls knowing about it. Those bastards will quell any attempt at an uprising before it even gets off the ground.”

“Speaking of the Skulls, do you think Zhivkov’s declaration of war has anything to do with the fact that Dominik Potter was spotted leaving the Presidential Palace just a few hours ago?” Umalin asked.

“I’d bet my entire salary on it,” Pavlov nodded. “All thirty years of it. Nobody in the Inselberg Pact other than the Communards gets to do anything without prior approval from their Imperium overlords.”

At that moment, the radio clipped to Umalin’s plate carrier chirped to life. “Alfa-One, this is Alfa-Three. Can you hear me?” the voice on the other end of the radio asked.

“Five by five, Alfa-Three. Go ahead,” Umalin replied.

“Sir, I’m at the airport’s control tower,” Alfa-Three (real name Captain Stanislav Nursultanovich Bekchurambetov) said. “The radar has just picked up three contacts flying in what looks like our general direction. No, make that four contacts now.”

“Four contacts? Where are they coming from? From which direction?” Umalin asked.

“Looks like they’re coming in from the south-southeast.”

“Contacts coming in from the southeast?” Pavlov asked Umalin. “That doesn’t make any sense whether they’re from the EPR, the Communards, or even the Imperium. They would have come in from the west or the north then. And they wouldn’t send only four bombers or fighters or whatever air assets they have. They would fill the skies with them.”

“Slava, listen to me carefully,” Umalin told Bekchurambetov on the radio. “How many contacts do you actually have on your scope? Do you have only four big contacts or do you have multiple contacts in four clusters?”

“I just asked that to the radar man,” Bekchurambetov replied. “He is absolutely positive that there are only four big contacts on the scope. Also, given their current trajectory, they should be flying over the city in fifteen to twenty minutes.”

“They would have fired their missiles already if they’re only that far away from us,” Pavlov said. “They might be transports.”

“Transports? For whom?” Umalin asked in genuine confusion. As far as he knew, the Airborne Forces of the Federal Defense Forces were still busy being trained in Pridnestrovia by that country’s own Airborne Forces. As for the actual Pridnestrovian Airborne Forces, they were not supposed to be in Estorpiva since Pridnestrovia had not yet declared war on any of the Inselberg Pact factions. But then again, Umalin and the others were already there, even if they were only supposed to be “assisting” the TPPF while the actual FDF made their way towards the capital of the State of Estorpiva.

Trofim Pavlov’s face suggested that he had also come to the same conclusion as Grigoriy Umalin. The two of them looked at each other before Umalin said, “Get all the anti-air missiles that we have up and ready just to be sure.” Pavlov nodded and then he left the room to carry out the order.

           SAPERETIA 1 - 3 ESTORVIPA AND ESTORPIVA       
  ANTOON (90+2' pen)       PRASUTAGUSIC (47', 53', 78')

  VALLADARES 0 - 2 ESTORVIPA AND ESTORPIVA  
                   KOSTOVA (19')
                   ZALUZHENKO (83')

by **Kandorith** » Sun Feb 12, 2023 7:21 am

Shinonome Kyoai - International

Less critisism on Michiyu after effectively executed matches

"Teamwork and discipline are key to success for the Kandorese team," says Michiyu, the Kandorese team now sitting on top of group 8 with 10 points out of 4 matches.
By Natsumi Miyasaki
Sports

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.  Group 8                              Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Kandorith                              4    3   1   0     5    0   +5    10
 2 Eura                                   4    3   1   0     5    1   +4    10
 3 Jeruselem                              4    3   0   1    10    4   +6     9
 4 New Gelderland                         4    3   0   1     8    4   +4     9
 5 Osarius                                4    2   0   2    15    8   +7     6
 6 Tjorl                                  4    2   0   2     6    5   +1     6
 7 Sylestone                              4    2   0   2     2    3   −1     6
 8 Gran Saguaro                           4    2   0   2     8    9   −1     6
 9 Rouyoute                               4    1   1   2     3    9   −6     4
10 The Cordian Isles                      4    1   0   3     6   10   −4     3
11 Bongo Johnson                          4    0   1   3     3   10   −7     1
12 Quakmybush                             4    0   0   4     0    8   −8     0

The Kandorese football team has recovered from the uneasy start at the beginning of the qualifiers and has returned to the field with confidence and strength, the new and much-criticized tactics from Michiyu showing exactly what the people wanted. With an overall improvement of the team, the most noteworthy are the changes in the defence which is now more organized and has all the marks of a solid defence.

Manager Kaya Michiyu has been instrumental in the team's success throughout recent years and there is no sign of them slowing down. Michiyu has brought a unique approach to the game, incorporating elements of Kandorese culture as some would say, and completely turning around Kandorese football. With Michiyu at the rudder of the national team, the Kandorese football culture grew exponentially and is now considered to be the most popular sport throughout the empire.

Though it is not just Michiyu's tactical mind that makes this ship so powerful. The players themselves are a cohesive unit, with considerable star players from the Kandorese domestic football league, but the focus does not lie with them. Michiyu's management style focuses on the team as a whole with everyone being a cog in the machine to reach success time and time again. This vision was on full display during the matches against The Cordian Isles and Tjorl which both ended in a victory.

The Cordian Isles were no match for the Kandorese side, as Kandorith dominated the game completely and eventually won with a comfortable 3 - 0. The perfect execution on the field led to a multitude of good chances and the crumbling Cordian Isles defence was no match for the continued pressure from the likes of Honda, Maeda and Mitoma.

What followed was a more constrained Kandorith in the match against Tjorl, without much action the Kandorese football team ground out the game while keeping control. Despite Tjorl putting up a strong fight, the Kandorese side managed to secure a 1 - 0 win without too much effort. The winning goal was a well-placed and perfectly timed header from the striker Kenshi Maeda.

The impact of Michiyu on the team is undeniable, even younger players which have not seen a lot of action yet in the domestic league, have shown great vision and skill on the field in this team so far. The overall improved performance of this team is a testament to hard work, dedication and mutual respect.

With the qualification campaign just starting, the Kandorese team will be looking to maintain the current run and secure a place in the World Cup. With Michiyu at the helm once again, the team is playing at their best and will be looking to achieve the previously thought impossible.

Hiroki Matsuyama Announces Run for Governor of Tenkyo

Pro-business and former corporate candidate announces running bid for crucial Tenkyo elections
By Hiromi Sugihara
General

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Hiroki Matsuyama announced his candidacy for governor of Tenkyo, representing the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Matsuyama, a prominent businessman and community leader, is running on a platform of economic growth, job creation, and improved public services.

Matsuyama has been a successful entrepreneur for over 20 years, having represented several successful companies in the tech and finance sectors. His business acumen and experience have earned him a reputation as a competent and innovative leader, and he believes that these skills will be valuable in serving the people of Tenkyo as governor and perhaps one day in national politics.

As a rising member of the LDP, Matsuyama supports the party's platform of promoting economic growth and job creation through pro-business policies and investment in infrastructure. He also plans to focus on improving public services, such as education and healthcare, to ensure that all residents of Tenkyo have access to quality resources.

Matsuyama has also expressed his commitment to addressing the challenges posed by the rapidly advancing corporations in Kandorith, promising that he would bring a halt to their increasing hold on necessities, politics and daily life. He believes that the government must take a proactive role in promoting responsible innovation, and in providing support and resources to the normal people living in Tenkyo, rather than following the corporations on their every whim.

In his campaign, Matsuyama is emphasizing his experience and ability to bring people together to achieve common goals. He believes that with the right leadership, Tenkyo can become the shining example for the entirety of Kandorith, and he is committed to working hard to make that vision a reality.

The election for governor of Tenkyo will take place in the coming months, and voters will have the opportunity to choose a candidate who can lead the city into a bright and prosperous future. With his experience, vision, and commitment to public service, Hiroki Matsuyama is poised to be a strong and effective leader for Tenkyo.

by **Saint Eleanor** » Sun Feb 12, 2023 7:23 am

World Cup 93 - third matchday of qualifying
Saint Eleanor 2 (Jessica Martin goal 58', Steve Pilchard goal 74')
The Holy Empire 3 (Dalmatius Acominato goals 19' and 22', Michigan Smith goal 90+3'. Doo-doo-doo-doo, DOO DOO DOO, doo-doo-doo-doo, doo-do-DOO-DOO-DOO, doo-do-doo-doo, DO-DO-DOOO, do-do-do, do-do-do, do-do-do, do-do-do, dodododododo!)

World Cup 93 - fourth matchday of qualifying
Cardenao 0
Saint Eleanor 1 (Bridget Coombe goal 31')

OOC key: Evangelical Christian, Roman? Catholic, Muslim, atheist and suchlike

In light of the aforementioned events...

How does your faith impact the way you live your day-to-day life?

John Bailey: Every time I think of Jesus, Son of God, who was crucified, died and rose on the third day, I think of my father, who was gunned down by Tinhamptonian forces on a muddy field in the dockside area almost thirty years ago and rejected any calls for help as he was dying. I believe it was because he knew he would immediately rise to Heaven; he was gone far too soon by my measure, but at just the right time as far as God is concerned. My father in Anaia would have set demanding standards for me, and so does my Father in Heaven. I know that, if I believe in him - and I do - all the rest will follow after I'm gone; but at the same time, I feel like I need to live up to my expectations as a Christian in daily life. Supporting the downtrodden, keeping my friends in mind regardless, and never losing sight of the end goal - those sound like simple things, but living up to them day after day is demanding in many senses. I still would not have it any other way, however.

Cathy Winchester: I don't think I've actually bothered too much with the church in recent times. I still attend mass and everything surrounding that regularly, but I don't feel like I'm acting like a Catholic - or what the community thinks is one - myself. I am, I mean, but a lot of these people either have loads of children, far too much obscure knowledge about things that happened 600 years ago, or both. Probably what I get for living in a country where the entire Catholic infrastructure is where it was when the first Tinhamptonians arrived.

Exandra Davies: Religion just didn't sound like the sort of thing that would appeal to me at all. Mum and Dad weren't too into it, I couldn't make sense of half of the... ecclesiastical infrastructures or whatever they're called, and - no matter what people would tell me - it felt too hard to actually get into it to the point where I'd actually be involved. Nice verbal flourishes, though.

Sam Newbridge: I'm a human, not a robot: I make mistakes everywhere, all the time, and I've had to pay when I've really slipped up. I'd say Christianity works the same way: we all fuck up sometimes, and if we don't learn enough then we're doomed forever, but there's a chance to get out of this mess if we're really sorry. I am not a good Christian - when you think about it, nobody is - but I am learning. That is what matters: know where you've gone wrong, find out how and why to get back on track, and do it. That goes for me in normal life as it does for me in football: I try to lead my folk out, but sometimes I do something outrageous and I'm punished for my errors, such as when I'm suspended after a red card. That's a learning moment and a teachable moment: if you keep on doing this, your reputation goes kaput and nobody will like you. Nobody except the Lord, that is. He loves everybody.

Liam West: My parents had to endure far too much church politics when I was growing up. When the war began in 1974 and most places abandoned that worldview, they pretty much decided they wouldn't bother too much with it and let me know of the dangers of being too factional. Jesus didn't come to support a particular church like my parents encouraged me to support Indy around the same time; he came to tell people "believe in me and you will be saved." That is what I do.

Bridget Coombe: A few people still think I pay sufficiently little attention to be considered a "true" Catholic. Dekamela, an openly conservative evangelical who I consider to be a good friend of mine on most other matters, insists that I don't need any further convincing because I'm almost on her side already. I do, however, keep to all the pillars of the faith - the things that keep it Catholicism, not high-church something-or-other Protestantism - and live them out when I can. A sincere belief in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit; knowing when to love others, care for others, and indeed admonish others; living not by bread alone, nor on faith alone - or even the traditions of our forefathers alone - but through a reasonable, well-balanced synthesis: these are universal matters, not personal ones. I wouldn't be that egotistic. When personality does come into play is when I apply these principles whenever going about my business. When I remember, I find myself to be calmer, more controlled, more co-operative; truly in a state where I can focus on what is important. On the few occasions I forget, I revert to default human nature - and disappoint myself, and others, accordingly.

David Newcastle: I was brought up in a household that values science - how the world works, so to speak - and never cared about religion, even though I was surrounded with tons of religious people at school. Obviously, I didn't work against them; they'd have probably worked against me if I did. It's just that religion just does not factor into my life, at all, although I interact with it every day. Don't ask me how that works; I don't ignore them or else I wouldn't be anywhere near the team.

Sylvia Hollenberg: Obviously, as a member of the Atoccian royal family - and a very high-profile one at that - most people would expect me to defend the faith and I try my best to do that. But my life as a professional footballer representing a completely different country places some spanners in that particular equation: it takes away time I could be spending with the family on engagements and holidays; time I could indeed be spending further contemplating the faith. At the same time, however, the principles of Catholicism apply everywhere; the lessons I have learned in Atoccia have been easily transposed to Saint Eleanor and beyond. My conscience, guided by the teachings and traditions of the Church, has always allowed me to stay on course whether I'm having good times with my new friends, spending time alone or on the football field, or living in society. The fact the Eleanorians keep to the Latin Mass as opposed to the vernacular has been an eye-opener in multiple regards, too; I've asked Dad if he could get the local Conference of Bishops to introduce it but he's a bit sceptical.

Dekamela weMexala: My parents were clear from day one that if I did not work, get a good job, spend my money wisely and have a strong family, then I would amount to nothing in life. I wasn't the brightest pupil that's ever lived, and I didn't expect to become a footballer either, but I love my job, I love my sport, and I have a beautiful husband and a lovely young boy, who I hope will carry on my legacy as best as he can, right now. I feel like the Holy Spirit has directed me towards all of these things, but I also want everybody to have at least a fair chance of doing the things I'm doing. I don't like the pushes from some corners to end families as we know them. The slightest bit of divergence from the libertine, permissive consensus - whether you're saying God created man and woman for each other, abortion is murdering people before they have the chance to live, not regulating small business to death is beneficial for everybody, cookie-cutter apartment blocks rip up communities in every sense possible - and everybody just jumps down your back, says you're intolerant and that only they have the right answers. Exandra is the most openly gay person in Eleanorian football and even she doesn't like the rainbow-washing from people like Starblaydia's national team; I'm not sure how much they actually believe in it or if they're just virtue signalling to make themselves feel good inside.

Steve Pilchard: I'm a busy man. I mean, very, very busy. Between having to study, playing football, helping out with work, and talking to the few friends I've made, I've never felt like I could fit the time in for religion. That's not to say I don't have a moral code, but it's normal standard-issue stuff, nothing to write home about. It's like a friend at school told me: "Not pickpocketing strangers is something I do all the time." Don't kill, don't steal, don't fob other people off, don't get too angry. I don't.

Jessica Martin: I am not usually one to talk about my personal faith: most people who talk to me think I care very little for it. My parents didn't, either - a classmate introduced me to Christianity and taught me how to pray when I was in my final year of primary school - but they accepted it. What Jesus said and did in his life has deeply inspired me, however; he championed the most oppressed in society, wanted everyone to have a fair shot at life, tried to tell anyone who'd listen that all the money in the world can't buy you a good life, and was there at the moments people needed him the most. Whether I'm trying to create chances on the field, fighting for a better future for everyone, or standing up to the injustices I've personally faced at various points in my life, I always keep his words and actions in mind - and always try and remind myself that there are other people in a far worse position than I'm in.

Tim Brandon: Jesus lived to serve other people, not just God the Father - as did so many other people in the Bible. I want to do good things for people and I'd say the scripture is my guide for doing that. The people there aren't completely fictional characters: they were real people, living real lives, doing real things, making real changes, and they are really good examples to follow. I am not a church-goer at all and nor is Diana, my wife; believing is the key, acting follows from it. It's piety that counts, not the appearance of piety - and yes, I'd like to thank my wife for teaching me what that word means.

Georgia Wood: There's a common misconception that evangelicalism in Saint Eleanor - as most other places - is a bit hardline. That it vehemently frowns upon immodesty, too much criticism of itself, recreational drugs, cultural heritage that doesn't match up to its values as much as it can, perhaps even people thinking for themselves beyond the most obvious decision. I'll happily admit I've done all of those other than the hard drugs, especially after you consider some of the churches around here don't like women wearing trousers. The reality is that the internal diversity of beliefs between the various churches is among the most intense I'm aware of. My values are freedom of speech, freedom of thought, freedom of worship, freedom of imagination and freedom from enslavement - in all of its forms. My church is, for all intents and purposes, supportive of those values. Other places may be more of the international archetype, so to speak. What everybody agrees on is that Christ Jesus came to the world to save sinners.

Hugh Roanoke: My dad, Joe, found Jesus in the trenches at the end of the war, a few months before I was born. He told me about him, but it's hardly one of the most important things in my life. Sometimes I put it front and centre, but there are other things I need doing and I'm not really consistent in my faith.

Lydia Nicholls: Those of you who know me will know I pray before every match I'm involved in; Esther wrote about it for her column in The Reporter last year. I'm not doing this in the belief God will, somehow, favour us - I suspect plenty of people on the other side will be thinking the same, too - it is all down to what we bring to the table when it matters. I'd say I have strong beliefs on moral issues and my personal faith guides that: I've always believed that abortion is wrong at all times, that sexual relations should remain within the matrimonial compact between one man and one woman, that cannabis is a highly dangerous and addictive drug that brings nothing good to its users, and that salvation very firmly comes from faith in Jesus Christ, the Lord, alone. But, at the same time, the relationships I've forged within the national team have nothing to do with religion: my closest friends are stimulating conversation partners or generally interesting people, but not necessarily the people I agree with on literally everything.

Esther Launceston: I've often said that my father was far more religious with my mother; he took me to church every week when I was growing up and I've kept up with it as an adult. We still go to the same, fairly conservative, church, but the things they preach against are things we mostly never do for completely different reasons. Mum told me not to drink alcohol, although that's really only 40% of the reason why I don't. Sex outside marriage - long since consummated, of course - is something Stephen just couldn't consider doing himself. Generally avoiding moral degradation is easy when it's never been forced on you; I dread to think what Exandra must be going through in Quebec with the late-night partying and supposed "kinkiness." And I'm aware this has started approximately eighty-six thousand arguments in the community, but it just seems obvious that belief should be continued and practiced rather than plugged in once and forever; the worst Christian is one who never does anything about it, as a friend once said. Thankfully, the pastors said nothing about being an international celebrity. Maybe it's a coincidence, but my local church doctrine is pretty much ingrained in my conscience.

Adam Denby: I never gave the church too much mind. Given everything else I've been through, it just didn't feel relevant. Still doesn't, try as Atletik might to change my mind with how good they're supposed to be.

Aaron Francis: I was baptised, confirmed and all that out of convention: I wouldn't say I was a lapsed Catholic, at least not while I'm still trying to do my bit in the church, but my parents were Catholic out of their family traditions; they're hardly the firmest of believers themselves. I definitely don't know an awful lot about Catholicism and how it works, but I have a really solid grasp of the basics and that's seen me through most of the time. Religion isn't something that changes my life a lot on a regular basis, but it's on in the background, guiding me through this mess, and it's pulled me through quite a few things where otherwise I'd have just panicked.

Harriet Williams: Jesus was more than a good man - he was out there making a difference to people's lives. I'd like to say I'm trying to make that difference sometimes: helping people get together and make up with each other when necessary; having good, close friends and confiding in each other on many things; doing everything I do knowing that, while it won't necessarily affect my heavenly reward, it will affect how much of it I eventually enjoy. Christianity is about helping other people, and I hope I'm doing my bit.

Naresmet taFrexala: Most Gladom Newion are definitely - definitely - into Christianity. I'd say I am and I've tried to tell a few people about it, not as anything official, just as a person, but they don't usually pay attention. Believing in God is the first thing; acting like God's watching us, which he is, is a completely different thing, and it's something I try to do all the time. If that means following him, loving our neighbour as ourselves, not stealing or wanting to steal, or anything like that, then that's what I do. It means all of that and a lot more, just so you know. I don't hate anyone - I love everyone! I'm doing the best I can!

Christina Fulton: I went to church a bit when I was growing up - definitely in primary school - but got bored during the first couple of years of community school and gave up. I'm not at the point where I believe that all religion is completely and irreversibly wrong and everyone who believes in it is going to look very silly when they die or something like that; it's just that I thought Christianity wasn't right for me and was taking away from my other interests.

Rick Goldsmith: The most important thing I know is that everybody was born sinful, everybody sins, but everybody - everybody - by calling on the name of God and inviting him to make a difference to their life, can be freed of their sin. I did that years ago and I definitely think that my faith has made a real difference to my life. It helped me put up with all the troublemakers when I was growing up in Queenston; it helped me work together with the people of all backgrounds who play at Hiyashi Celestia and who I sometimes meet from the local factory; it's helped me realise that some of the things we take for granted in society are things we actually shouldn't be putting up with. And yes, it has given me an unshakable commitment to working hard, getting rewarded, and celebrating life.

Arielle Richardson: My parents were nominally religious and they passed that down to me: they taught me Jesus was a real person who came down, taught of the virtues of obedience and the dangers of sin, died and helped other people far into the future escape that sin, but not much aside from that. I haven't let go of those lessons, but at the same time, I don't feel like it's what my life's centred around or anything like that; it's just a reminder for me to keep on track, avoid harming my fellow man, and generally be decent and honourable. That, and an excuse for me to read books instead of going on late-night benders. Premium Coffee's open 24 hours, thank goodness.

Corporal Denise Livingston: I feel like my main duties as a Christian are to act in a spirit of kindness, benevolence, reciprocity, and general self-awareness. If I do not do that as regularly as I possibly can, I must wonder to myself if I am a good Christian, rather than one who simply calls herself that.

Natalie Monaco: A few years ago, Ian Jones thought I'd be better off elsewhere and tried handing me off to the now-crumbling Lhor - at a substantial cost - in exchange for Gereh Kama, one of the many stars the Orcas had let go after a disastrous campaign. Nobody liked the deal. Today, the RBSA insists Kama is still with Lhor, even though he was nowhere to be seen on their last published teamsheet and nobody knows who he's playing for now. I'm still with the Golden Unicorn and I have found my time there to be absolutely splendid: we've worked together coherently, Ian's done a good job of getting us back from the brink, I have a few teammates in the White Stars setup and we just about scraped into the Challengers' Cup places last year on top of that. Some people will laugh it off as coincidence. I see it as divine intervention: I'm at the prime of my career, I feel like I get along very well with my colleagues and I'm getting opportunities the move just wouldn't have brought me for various reasons. I've never been too in-your-face with religion - there are some principles I live by, obviously - but I feel like it has made a very big difference to my life, at that and other junctures.

Melcheta Pazorzal: All glory goes to Allah alone; and Muhammad, peace be upon him, is his prophet. Everything else springs from that: my faith is what guides me to help other people, speak out when grave wrongs are happening, and do the right things for myself. There are a few problems that Muslims in other countries don't face - halal meat is often short of supply here, but I just take it on good faith the meat was offered with best intentions. Mosques have never done calls to prayer, either; they just send the congregation a big leaflet with scheduled prayer times every year, although everybody just does Fridays. On the whole, though, Saint Eleanor is a tolerant country and I tolerate it back.

Priscilla Evans: I was actually more in "the mainline traditions" - although those lot definitely wouldn't call it that - back in Tinhampton, but varied between being fairly involved in the community to, for want of a better turn of phrase, just vanishing from the whole thing altogether. After arriving in Saint Eleanor, I was sufficiently confused that I didn't want any part in it. A few of them insist I was trying to be as non-partisan as possible, however; that's definitely the attitude I take to most off-field matters. I do still feel like a god - The God - exists, but he is not so central to my life that I think I'm still a Christian.

Lieutenant Stephen Mitcham: My grandparents came to Saint Eleanor about sixty years ago, when the Tinhamptonian government was paying people to live there. This opportunity seemed to attract a particular demographic of evangelical Christians who were a bit sick of the state of affairs in Tinhampton, for various conflicting reasons, and wanted to change that; there were a few people from other Protestant traditions, but they had largely collapsed by the late 1950s and early 1960s and moved to other churches accordingly. The Mitcham family has broadly been on the more conservative end of the scale, but not too far - General Mitcham hasn't enforced a state religion, for instance, and he hasn't forbidden many actions that he considers to be sinful, if not gravely so. I've tended to take up his position on most religious matters, but I'm not one to judge if players do things I don't like. What matters is how well they perform and behave. The 82nd Cup of Harmony still sticks out as a sore point here, but we've wildly improved since then.

by **Vilita** » Sun Feb 12, 2023 7:25 am

Jungle Rebels Back on Track with high-scoring Victories

Arcticala Electrical Stadium, Arcticala, Vilita :: All the latest and greatest in the world of Electricity were on display at the Arcticala Electrial Stadium as the biggest energy solutions provider in the Vilitan Cove hosted their signature World Cup Qualifying matchup of the cycle on World Cup 93 Qualifying Matchday 3. Vilita's opponent for the matchup would be fellow Atlantian Oceania regional nation Pluvia and the Saxean Isles. The two nations have been relatively frequent opponents in recent times, having also previously been drawn together during the Qualifiers for World Cup 86 and World Cup 88. During World Cup 88 Qualifying, the two teams split matches with both losing at home. Rotropii's Rebels were keen coming into the match to avoid the same fate that had been imparted on their predecessors during World Cup 88 Qualifying. Some of the Rebel players had faced Pluvia and the Saxean Isles more recently as the Magpies were one of the Vilita and Turori Eel Cat things group stage opponents during AOCAF 68 where Vilita and Turori made a run to the final before being defeated by Banija.

Head Coach Endur Rotropii would make the decision to turn to young trainee goalkeeper Altirii Touiniki to make their first ever meaningful start for the Vilitan National Team. Touiniki has two prior appearances for the Vilitan National Team, both coming at the end of World Cup 91 Qualifying as the Jungle Rebels were already locked into a World Cup Playoff spot. Now, with another season and a half of training and match experience behind them playing for Endur's Forest Rebels in the Vilitan Declasse Division, Touiniki would be handed the gloves in an important match against a regional rival with the opportunity to prove they belonged in the discussion should the Jungle Rebels qualify for World Cup 93 in Tumbra and Chromatika.

The Rebels got on the board early through Valanora based midfielder Riku Kasslin. There was a scare for the Rebels later on in the first half however when one half of the Attacking Tlikara duo went down after turning sharply and making contact with the Magpies Xander Fox. While there was no foul on the play, Tlikara needed attention and would eventually come out of the game being replaced by Narri Sebapilo as the Jungle Rebels changed their look slightly to defend their lead.

Vilita seemed to be sailing for victory when Testiculos 11 attacker Nii'arala Milaaso added another tally to their all-time total to put the Jungle Rebels up 2-0. That is when things nearly came undone, however, starting with an error from the inexperienced goalkeeper Altirii Touiniki. The so called "oldest trick in the book" after a goal scoring opportunity for the Magpies, as Touiniki dropped the ball to the pitch in front of them without checking to ensure all the opposing players had cleared back up the field. Finlay Muir, who was winded from supporting the previous attack, got a burst of life when they saw the ball sitting meters in front of Touiniki and burst to it, tapping it out of the goalkeepers reach then redirecting it into the net.

The goal was an instant momentum swing for Pluvia and the Saxean Isles who had already been attacking the Vilitan goal. Within five minutes, the Magpies had a second and it was Xander Fox who would get credit for turning in the corner kick in the 68th minute. With the momentum fully lost, Endur Rotropii knew they had to slow the game back down and get things under control. It was time for a double substitution and to buy a little extra time Rotropii would give the hook to the youngster Touiniki and send in the veteran Tropicorper Hanauma Ranbomahi - who many expect might also be in one of their final World Cup Cycles. Rotropii would make it a double substitution also introducing Testiculos nominee Sami Samii'i in place of goalscorer Riku Kasslin.

While the Rebels left it late, they would finally get back the Goal they needed to take victory and all three points, the lone remaining Tlikara twin saving the Vilita National Team with an 88th minute strike that Leo Zoecke could only stare at ominously as it zipped past out of the Port Marian goalkeepers reach. When the final whistle blew, the Electricity was flowing once more in Arcticala with the home side victorious and ending the early-cycle points skid at a single game.

 Vilita 3 - 2 Pluvia and the Saxean Isles	
	Vilita Goals:	:: 12' Riku Kasslin:: 53' Nii'arala Milaaso:: 88' Kunaro Tlikara            
	Stats :: Vilita 	:: Possession: 55%:: Shots: 7:: Corners: 5 :: Pluvia and the Saxean Isles :: Possession: 45%:: Shots: 7:: Corners: 14
	Vilita Lineup :: 	Altirii Touiniki (Hanauma Ranbomahi 70'), Injyua Klizlo, Awukchu L’bakka, Tero Alatalo, Mikele Alasita, Letirpsi Vulitn (Diamoa Waviino 77'), Trezisi Rokopolis, Riku Kasslin (Sami Samii’i 70'), Nii'arala Milaaso (Imauka Lkomorak 77'), Treasvo Tlikara (Narri Sebapilo 32'), Kunaro Tlikara

Vilita Jungle Rebels expected starting Goalkeeper Zelkki Milake Jr. would have to wait until Matchday 4 on the road to get their first start, but would get to ease into it against 195th ranked Novaros. Unfortunately for the Astronaut, the time off seemed to add a little rust to their game and after conceding three first half goals, Milake was benched for the second half in favor of Monmouth Park goalkeeper Ukamai Talingri. Luckily for Milake and the Jungle Rebels, there was no shortage of goals from their own attackers. Treasvo Tlikara opened the scoring for the Rebels just four minutes in. While Novaros quickly equalized, Vilita scored three goals just after the half hour mark with Kunaro Tlikara and Letirpsi Vulitn getting on the scoresheet before Treasvo Tlikara got their second of the game. But it was the two late goals conceded by Milake that likely resulted in their removal from the game as it had cut the Vilitan lead to just a single goal heading into the second half.

Thankfully Talingri would not be challenged much in the second half as Vilita re-took control of the game. Treasvo Tlikara would complete their first career hat-trick in the 53rd minute, a stunning comeback after having gone off with an apparent injury just one game earlier against Pluvia and the Saxean Isles. It would also be the first hattrick for a Vilitan player in a World Cup Qualifying matchup since Enzoril Alabonni achieved the feat in a 8-3 home victory over then-Regional Rivals Krytenia during World Cup 85 Qualifying. From there, the Rebels would cruise on to victory, with Letirpsi Vulitn popping in their own second goal of the game in the final two minutes of the game. Despite the victory and their unbeaten record, the Vilitan National Team still trail in the Group 13 table with Pratapgadh sitting with a perfect 4-0-0 record in 1st place. Now, Vilita will hit a more difficult stretch in the schedule including games against Brenecia, Hopal, Acastanha and Delte in a swing that will set the early tone as to whether the Jungle Rebels will be on a path to the World Cup Finals or fighting for their lives in the second half of the World Cup 93 Qualifying Campaign.

 Vilita 6 - 3 Novaros	
	Vilita Goals:	:: 4' Treasvo Tlikara:: 30' Kunaro Tlikara:: 32' Letirpsi Vulitn:: 36' Treasvo Tlikara:: 53' Treasvo Tlikara:: 88' Letirpsi Vulitn         
	Stats :: Vilita 	:: Possession: 67%:: Shots: 12:: Corners: 22 :: Novaros :: Possession: 33%:: Shots: 7:: Corners: 11
	Vilita Lineup :: 	Zelkki Milake Jr. (Ukamai Talingri 45'), Rojara Tiones (Sami Samii’i 45'), Awukchu L’bakka (Mikele Alasita 45'), Kunala Jyvaiij (Clarana Refiami 45'), Fyin Miateal, Trezisi Rokopolis (Riku Kasslin 70'), Jakku’u Naboyavi, Letirpsi Vulitn, Imauka Lkomorak, Kunaro Tlikara, Treasvo Tlikara

Can Endur Rotropii lead the Jungle Rebels to Victory over Brenecia? :: That is the question that fans and pundits alike have been wondering ever since the World Cup 93 Qualifying Group Draw was revealed. While it may not be a secret to the true historians of the game, many fans may not even have been aware of the Vilitan National Team's historic struggles against Brenecia. Despite both teams having been relatively competitive over the same World Cup period, Vilita and Brenecia have met at the World Cup Finals just one - on the opening matchday of World Cup 79. For Vilita, the defeat to Brenecia was a low point between two highs - the high of winning World Cup 77 - crashing down to an early group stage exit two cycles later in Ceni & Drawkland then another two cycles on from there reigning back atop the World of footsport as World Cup 81 Champions.

While it was the only meeting between the teams at the World Cup, Brenecia would go on to be crowned World Cup 80 Champions and the two sides would meet in the 7th Cup of Champions Final. It was a high scoring affair which Brenecia would prevail in the Free Republics by a 5-4 scoreline to take their first and only Cup of Champions title. With Brenecia having been in the role of World Cup Champion during Cup of Champions 7 and Vilita representing Atlantian Oceania, the roles were reversed for the teams in the 8th Cup of Champions with Vilita as World Cup Champion and Brenecia qualifying via their regional title. Despite the change in roles, the result would be the same with Brenecia defeating the Jungle Cats 3-2.

The Vilitan National Team won nearly every game they played in the early 80's of the World Cup. It was a true Golden Generation that would advance to 3 World Cup Finals winning twice. Yet there was one team that the greatest ever generation of Vilitan players could not beat - despite getting three shots at it, and that was Brenecia.

Now, ten cycles later, Endur Rotropii and the Vilita Jungle Rebels have a shot to use Brenecia as a measuring stick to see if they might be ready to contend for a World Cup title of their own - by beating the Nation that the greatest Vilitan Team in history could not beat. The game will take place in the Vilitan Capital at the Tivali-Ring stadium in Alikki-Corra. There were calls to move the game to a larger venue such as Lunar Park in Seraai or the Lonngeylin Coliseum to accommodate the interest that a match against a high caliber opponent would bring, but the Football Association of Vilita were intent on keeping this critical fixture against a team they have never beaten in their own back yard. Even if that means that fans attending the match will have to contend with extensive road closures and hotel shortages due to the OWARS NSGP of Vilita and Streets of Alikki-Corra Sprint taking place just blocks away. Regardless of the result, all eyes will be on Alikki-Corra this weekend.

by **West Barack and East Obama** » Sun Feb 12, 2023 7:26 am

BARACK OBAMA'S NEXT TOP MIDFIELDER

Our Second Episode!

Welcome to the SECOND ever episode of Barack Obama's Next Top Midfielder! The talent show for these ten lucky people to display their talents in the middle of the park! Our second contestant for the finals will be... Kemarbama Huth!

Colonel Kemarbama Huth was a sniper in the Glorious Obama Armed Forces. Known for his pinpoint precision, the 33 year-old Huth racked up many kills of enemy soldiers, unpatriots, and terrorists in his many campaigns. After an honourable discharge from active duty, Huth has been focused on getting a football career off the ground ever since the West Barack and East Obama National Football Team was established. Several of his football videos have gone viral, especially the 'Scoring from 1km Away (Not Fake)' one which has received over eighty million views at this point in writing. But now, he's ready to make the step up and become Barack Obama's Next Top Midfielder!

Master of Ceremonies: Please welcome our second ever contestant, Kemarbama Huth!

[audience applauds loudly]

Kemarbama: Actually, it's COLONEL Kemarbama Huth.

Sergei: Welcome Colonel! Are you ready to show the world why you should be Barack Obama's Next Top Midfielder?

Zoey: Woah! I've seen your videos. They're very impressive. Why have you now decided to make the step up to the national setup though?

Kemarbama: I've always been of service to the country. I've protected this country from filthy foreign interests that have tried to undermine our great nation. Now it is just a different field altogether. Whether with a ball or a bullet, I am prepared to shoot and die for my country.

[audience murmurs softly]

Wolfgang: Umm... die?

Kemarbama: Yes.

Wolfgang: Interesting! How are you planning on convincing us that you're worthy of dying for your country through the football team?

Kemarbama: Well, I have set up my biggest challenge yet. I'm going to shoot for the moon.

Wolfgang: Alright... so what is it?

Kemarbama: I'm shooting for the moon. I just told you this. Look at this football that I've brought here. With one kick, I will land it ON THE MOON. I've got a buddy in the Glorious Space Forces command who's up there right now waiting to intercept the ball.

Sergei: Woah! An actual moon landing. All our cameras must be watching this.

Kemarbama: Well, problem is, this takes a few days. The Moon is pretty far away from here. That livestream is going to take a while. So I guess I'll just come back in a few days to see if I get in?

Sergei: Sure, sure! Alright, everyone into position. Get ready to kick the ball.

Master of Ceremonies: A gentle reminder for everyone to put on your protective helmet. After last week's missile incident, these are requires for every performance like this. Make sure that you put on your own protective helmet before assisting someone else. Thank you, and make sure your hair doesn't catch fire either.

[a loud boom is heard as the ball flies through an empty hole in the ceiling from last week. The audience brace themselves, then leave afterwards]

BARACK OBAMA'S NEXT TOP MIDFIELDER

Our FIRST Special Episode!

Welcome to the FIRST ever SPECIAL episode of Barack Obama's Next Top Midfielder! The talent show for these ten lucky people to display their talents in the middle of the park! We return today to watch and see if Kemarbama Huth's ball does touch down on the lunar surface, as part of his quest to prove that he is Barack Obama's Next Top Midfielder!

Master of Ceremonies: Please welcome Kemarbama Huth back to Barack Obama's Next Top Midfielder!

Kemarbama: Colonel.

Sergei: Welcome back Colonel! The ball is set to reach your the Moon in around two minutes time. How are you feeling?

Kemarbama: Pretty good. Excited to be advancing to the next round.

Chuck: Now hold your horses. We don't know that for sure yet.

Kemarabama: Well, I do. You see-

Master of Ceremonies: Hold on everyone! We are receiving communication from the Glorious Obaman Space Forces...

[a video is shown on screen, showing an astronaut holding the ball from the previous episode. The crowd goes wild with surprise]

Sergei: Simply superb! Genius! Wow! YES YES YES to you, Colonel!

Zoey: This is even better in person! A definite yes from me!

Chuck: Impressive. Very nice. Now let's see my video.

[audience groan loudly as a video flashes on the screen]

Sergei: What the heck is that?

Chuck: You can see in this slow motion video that the Colonel over here quickly swapped the football out for a grenade when everyone was behind their protective helmets and couldn't see. The ball never went into space, and he is a PHONY!

Sergei: Those are some serious accusations Chuck! How dare you assume that an esteemed former member of our Glorious Armed Forces would be this fraudulent? Do you even have any proof besides this clearly faked video?

Chuck: ...no.

Sergei: That's what I thought. You've already ruined one contestant with your meddling. Learn to know when enough is enough.

Wolfgang: Well then, due to a lack of evidence, that's a YES from me too. Congrats Colonel Huth, you're in the next round!

[audience applauds loudly as half-ripped curtain falls onto the stage]

Master of Ceremonies: What a brilliant performance! Tune in this Sunday for yet another exciting episode of Barack Obama's Next Top Midfielder! See you then!

by **Graintfjall** » Sun Feb 12, 2023 7:44 am

Græntfjall – 2 (1)
Björnólfur; Alyssia, Evyar, Asbjørn (90+1’ Anarr ), Leona; Tinni; Rebekka (19’) (87’ Þrastar ), Kæja (90+3’), Danny (58’) (72’ Steinar ); Mímir (72’ Valtter ), Sara K (c) (84’) (87’ Harmony )

Qasden – 0 (0)

Natanians and Nosts – 0 (0)

Græntfjall – 1 (0)
Björnólfur; Anarr (81’ Alyssia ), Reidar, Asbjørn, Leona; Tinni (81’ Tom ), Lotte (38’), Erin; Rebekka (58’) (59’ Vanessa ), Mímir (16’) (77’) (87’ Röskvi ), Sara K (c) (66’) (87’ Þrastar )

MD5–6 squad: 1. Björnólfur, 12. Mikkel, 23. Hanif; 2. Alyssia, 3. Jan, 4. Eyvar, 5. Asbjørn, 6. Klængur, 17. Tom, 20. Reidar, 22. Anarr, 24. Sigurbergur, 26. Leona; 8. Danny, 10. Kæja, 11. Valtter, 13. Erin, 15. Steinar, 16. Lotte; 7. Sara K (c), 9. Mímir (suspended for MD5), 14. Vanessa, 18. Rebekka, 19. Röskvi, 21. Þrastar, 25. Joel

Selection of news round-ups from the White Winter Queendom:

World news round-up:
Queen extends private best wishes in royal solidarity to Capnordic royal family on day of commemoration
High-level summit in Mandalanusa draws intrigue, speculation
Brenecian recovery must include foreign investment reforms, Democratic Transition Fund spokesman stresses
Flavovovovespians to vote on adding another vo to their name, as well as other issues
Græntfjaller Navy offers Eshian-Aleiravian joint project technical assistance in kraken-proofing seaborne stadium

Breaking news!
Prime Minister Kaija Michaelsdóttir has condemned the “deplorable provocations” of the “thug junta” of Rülândéá, vowed “full support” for Farolera against “the untoward and wicked aggression of Rülândéá and Induja”

Rushmore news round-up:
As landslide in Tikariot proves worse than initially reported, White Rats arrive to provide assistance
Red level travel advisory issued for Guanacasteca as all non-essential Græntfjallers called to leave country descending into civil war, Queendom remains neutral in conflict but urges all sides to proceed peacefully
Spurred by Kæja Finnvarðsdóttir plea, Græntfjall to offer economic reconstruction aid to Pasarga, keen on helping fellow monarchy rebuild
Controversial Yue billionaire given visa to attend CORNCOB
Water bottles, tote bags, “I <3 Bioslurping” t-shirts: our guide to the best swag on offer at CORNCOB

Breaking news!
White Winter Queendom offers use of mobile field hospital units to southern neighbor Tikariot in responding to landslide

Political news round-up:
Progressive-Liberals to propose outlawing civilian ownership of grenade launchers, angering gun groups with their “wild and unreasonable overreach”
Blue-Greens decry “epidemic of sex and violence” in movies, call for sex to be replaced with extra violence
Left-slate scrambling for donors to fill void left after second major contributor pulls funding
National Democratic Front criticize ruling on anti-discrimination lawsuit as “activist judges enacting Cultural Marxist dogma”
Reform 30-30 anger agricultural lobby with proposal for increasing off-limits wildlife preservation areas

Breaking news!
Prime Minister Kaija Michaelsdóttir has proposed the most substantial reforms to university and college education funding in a generation, aiming to make tertiary education “free at point of delivery for all”

Economic news round-up:
PPI vs CPI: explaining the difference, and why economists aren’t worried by latest quarter data
Positive employment growth not reaching all sectors of society as minorities lag in new jobs report
GCB report on financial deregulation says “no systemic risk” from easing capital access rules
Blue-Greens criticize new fiscal rules as “zombie accounting”, renew balanced budgets pledge
Græntfjall to propose cross-border cooperation on migratory animals at CORNCOB

Breaking news!
Electric car manufacturers stocks soar on hopes of new source of lithium for battery technology

Defense news round-up:
CBRN defenses still “inadequate” as vaccine stockpile falls short of levels needed to deal with bioweapons threat
Report also indicates Græntfjall “lacks readiness” in event of nuclear first strike
New SuperWolf weapons system receives funding boost
GANAX developing ability to shoot down satellites for purposes of removing defunct space junk
Princess Jessika reprimanded by superiors after commenting on alleged UFO sighting: “I think it was just debris from the Akhdari weapons depot/apartment block”

Breaking news!
Naval base in Cabo Azure reports loss of radar contact with plane

Sports news round-up:
Qasden thrashes Græntfjall 5–0 in graphic design contest, Græntfjall takes significantly less impressive consolation win in collaborative random number generation
Handball World Cup champions honored during reception with Queen
Björgvin Þórlaugsson named PHL Rookie of the Year
Northern Artisians pick up first win over Western Rifles since inaugural GBC season
Kamí Benjamínsdóttir becomes first woman to win Græntfjaller Snooker* Championship
* Played with an additional octarine ball (colored with unicorn semen) Græntfjaller Snooker is a variant that produces substantially higher scores than regulation snooker.

Breaking news!
Jason Þórhallursson denies rumors he is considering retiring from football to pursue coconut bowling full-time

by **PotatoFarmers** » Sun Feb 12, 2023 7:50 am

Trolleborg 0–2 Poafmersia
Goalscorer: Jordan Huerta 50', 82' (assisted by Aapeli Shea)
Lineup: Nicole Potts; Kilikina Lee, Cindy Oriol, Nikkita Alfaro, Xenophon Robson; Leonora Hall, Michael Jackson, Aapeli Shea (c), Valentin Gotti; Jordan Huerta, Dagur Lawrence
Substitutes: Min Berg (Jackson 62'); Padrig Dürr (Hall 70')

Poafmersia 3–0 Cap Nord
Goalscorer: Dagur Lawrence 17' (assisted by Michael Jackson); Aapeli Shea 42' (assisted by Jackson), Jordan Huerta 89' (assisted by Lawrence)
Lineup: Nicole Potts (c); Kilikina Lee, Cindy Oriol, Nikkita Alfaro, Xenophon Robson; Padrig Dürr, Michael Jackson, Erle Sartini, Valentin Gotti; Jordan Huerta, Dagur Lawrence
Substitutes: Verbena Zoltánfi (Gotti 58'), Jacqi Equine (Robson 72'), Jimmy Couch (Lee 84')

Poafmer Times
Politics Watch: Stalemate in Nitrishi-pai continues after state elections change
Holhot - Nitrishi-pai held their state elections 3 days ago, with the aim of trying to break the deadlock in Nitrishi-pai. With Congress Party unwilling to be part of a 3-way coallition with Democracy Front for the state council, the election was called with an aim to break the deadlock and to give other parties some chance to get into position to be part of the government. Instead, further deadlock ensured as there was a net change of 2 seat, 1 of which went from Democracy Front to Kibi Party, while the other went from Bijara Party to Farmers League Party.

2112 Election Result
Makara Party - 10,102,428 (22.97%) - 17 seats
Congress Party - 9,217,829 (20.95%) - 16 seats
Democracy Front - 8,662,745 (19.69%) - 15 seats
Kibi Party - 7,912,141 (17.99%) - 13 seats
Bijara Party - 3,846,812 (8.74%) - 7 seats
Socialist Party - 3,357,210 (7.63%) - 6 seats
Farmers League Party - 891,009 (2.03%) - 1 seat

2113 Election Result
Makara Party - 9,724,428 (22.13%) - 17 seats
Congress Party - 9,301,891 (21.16%) - 16 seats
Democracy Front - 8,510,362 (19.36%) - 14 seats
Kibi Party - 8,302,719 (18.89%) - 14 seats
Bijara Party - 3,821,812 (8.70%) - 6 seats
Socialist Party - 3,377,782 (7.69%) - 6 seats
Farmers League Party - 912,009 (2.08%) - 2 seat

The changes had no barring of the Ridimag composition, so there was no pausing of the current Parlimentary session required. However, it brought even more fustration to the party leaders in Holhot, who have to go along with the 4th round of discussions with almost no change in the composition of the state council. Barberia Hodgoson, leader of the Makara Party in the state, told reporters that there is a non-zero chance of a third state election in 3 years. "I don't think much has changed from the first three rounds of discussions. We have made it clear we want to stay with our partners at the national level, the Democracy Front. The 0.8% decrease in vote share, in our opinion, should be attributed to voter fatigue, rather than anything else. As such, it is either other parties come and make compromises, or we simply can't form a government and then push forward with another round of tiebreakers." This sentiment was echoed by other state party leaders whom we interviewed after the release of the results.

Under election laws, the party with the most seats would be given up to 2 months to have 1 round of discussion with other parties to form the government. Should that not work out, this burden will fall to the second largest party, followed by the third largest party. Should all 3 rounds of discussion not work out, and no other coalition present a viable alternative, then the parliament will automatically be dissolved with a state-level election.

Ridimag Monthly Review: Plan to split animal protection laws out of existing framework divides Ridimag
Fiskadaha - President Pikashru Nisharian announced that the ruling Kibi Party will lift the whip for the voting of the "Animal Protection Bill", after internal discussions even among cabinet ministers on the issue ended in a split voting situation.

The Bill, led by Leader of the Opposition, Mr Bansk Derakshi of the Congress Party, who was pushed back into the role after no nominees ran for the leadership election in June this year, had support from Farmers League Party, Bijara Party, and Makara Party, who all felt that current regulations on animal protections was clearly insufficient after two Teamers were charged and sentenced to 20-years jail (on top of another 10-years for posession and import of firearms) and expulsion from the country for hunting of Panjias, under the "Protection of Panjias Bill 2004". The Bill was built on the framework of the "Protection of Heritage Act 1998", which treated Panjias as a "cultural heritage of Poafmersia" and had laws against "destruction, damage or hurting" of protected items. The wording of the original Act was designated more for buildings and particular sculptures, and trying to protect an entire species of animals was not part of the plans of the then-government.

After some minor edits following the first reading, the Bill was read for the second reading on Wednesday, which followed by a 2-day debate. In spite of the changes, many Kibi Party backbenchers continue to voice their strong opposition to the said bill. Some mentioned that the entire proposed new framework was rather rushed and the wording as written is a little confusing for everyone to read and understand. This was especially because of how the law, as written, borrowed lots of wording of the original Protection of Heritage Act 1998, except to contextualise the issue to animals in general. Others argue that Panjias, as the sacred animal of the indigenious people, should "symbolically" have a stricter protection criteria than all other animals, and the new Animal Protection Framework should not be to harsh, especially with regards to the export criterion that requires all exports to be approved by the Ridimag with a high threshold of votes required.

President Pikashru Nisharian, unsurprised by the proposal of the Bill by the opposition, has mentioned that he would personally cast an abstain vote on the matter. "While I agree with the opinions of the Leader of the Opposition, I believe the Bill itself takes up too much effort to basically implement a contextualised version of the Protection of Heritage Act. If anything, it complicates matters because the Ridimag still has to make a decision as to what should be added to the new Animal Protection Framework Act, and what should be removed. It also raises a question of whether Panjias, as a breed of equine that is part of our country's cultural heritage, should be considered under the new Animal Protection Framework Act, or whether it should be part of the original Protection of Heritage Act," he said while at the second debate of the act. His words were echoed by Johnny Herbet, Minister of National Development, who believed that the Bill is basically the same as existing law, wrapped up in more legalese. "If this House wants to properly discuss an Animal Protection Law, let it be a generic one, separate from our existing laws governing Panijas. But if not, we are still quite protected - the Firearms Act of 2037, which bans the usage and posession of firearms without prior permission from the Minister of Home Affairs or the Minister of Defence, basically rules out any possible chance of game hunting from going on."

The Ridimag will proceed with the third reading of the bill, followed by the final round of debates, for this week's parliamentary sessions. The voting of the bill is expected to be held at the end of the week, after the final round of debates have completed.

World Cup 93 - RP Thread

WC93Q MD3-4

Down, Down, Down.

What do the White Stars think about... religion and belief?

WC93Q MD3-4

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