Copa Rushmori XLIII (IC Everything Thread)

[Elmyia]

Copa Rushmori Squad

Themes - young players in, Freschi injured, Scoular kept for experience over Roberto Palm and Awfield vs. Jane Albrook. Doug Reid out, Marakakis vs. Depel. McLoughlin vs. Willow and Marinos and Speight knocking on the door. Hightower out (Katsouranis covers Froggatt), Benedetti out as injured, Benoit not in, Byng just in ahead, Beaugemont, Rossi and

Going into their first tournament as part of Rushmore, Porras has shaken up the Elmyian squad. With Benedetti and Freschi, two key players, injured, opportunities have arisen for other players to come in and make their mark. Porras has also put emphasis on bringing further youth into the squad, with players who have impressed over the first half of the Elmyian season coming into the squad. Despite this, most of Elmyia's footballing hopes remain set on two outstanding forwards, Gina Whittingham and Jackie Froggatt. They didn't quite click at the Cup of Harmony, but they have another chance to show their talent in Nyowani Kitara.

Starters listed first for a 4-3-3 formation.

Goalkeepers

1. Ernest Butler - 32, Mosfleet Albion
12. Andrea Silver - 28, Italia Mosfleet
23. Ian Garavakos - 20, AS Samita

Butler, as ever, holds onto that starting place in goal. This is his 4^th major tournament, but for the first time he arrives without any club mates present. Previously, squads have been heavy on Albion players, but after their horrendous run in the league, and the transfer away of several national team names, he is the one player here from Tollington. Further down the squad and Andrea Silver holds onto the second keeper spot, her greater ability in a penalty shootout might see her come in should Elmyia push their way into the knockout rounds. Finally, having nailed down a starting place out on loan, Garavakos gets his opportunity to join the national team for the first time.

Defenders

2. Sofia Katsouranis - 26, Urhedd FC (Left-Back)
3. Maria Grosso - 28, Hellenic SC (Centre-Back)
4. Nancy Savalas - 19, Vilitian League (Centre-Back)
16. Jane Beresford - 22, Scolastico (Right-Back)
13. Andrew Awfield - 22, Marketville (Left-Back)
14. Pierre Jardine - 23, Italia Mosfleet (Centre-Back)
15. Antonio Silva - 18, AS Samita (Centre-Back)
5. Jenny Scoular - 29, Italia Mosfleet (Right-Back)

The big news at the back is Freschi's absence. Out injured for a couple of months, Elmyia will mourn the loss of their most experienced and capable defender. Grosso and Savalas then anchor the side together, both stalwarts of previous squads, they offer a combination of strength (Grosso) and recovery pace (Savalas). Porras continues with his policy of fielding the most offensive full-backs possible, Katsouranis will push right up to allow Froggatt to push inside, and Beresford also likes to bomb forward. Silva and Jardine's league form, meanwhile, is rewarded with places in the squad ahead of the more experienced, but out of form, Reggie Flewin. Scoular hangs on, narrowly, to her place in the squad. The highly experienced full-back kept her place despite strong starts to the season from Samita's Roberto Palm and Sablegaard's electric Jane Albrook. It is thought that the loss of Freschi meant the defensive department needed an older head to support in the dressing room and training.

Midfielders

6. Kit Simmons - 19, AS Samita (Defensive-Mid)
8. Valentina Galli - 21, Litala 93 (Centre-Mid)
10. Sam Depel - 20, Gehrenna FC (Attacking-Mid)
17. Aaron McLoughlin - 22, Fallwich United (Defensive-Mid)
18. Athanasios Marinos - 16, Sporting Transvers (Centre-Mid)
19. Anya Marakakis - 20, Hellenic SC (Attacking-Mid)

The midfield has frequently been an issue for Elmyia, previous iterations have struggled to control games at all. In response, Porras seems to have opted for total revolution. Simmons remains, but is now permanently joined by the hard running Valentina Galli, and the mercurial Sam Depel. The bench sees even greener options coming through, with McLoughlin joined by newbies Marinos and Marakakis. Whilst they're young, all of these midfielders have promise and, unlike their predecessors, have well defined roles at club level. Speight and Chapman, the last generation, often looked lost at the highest levels, their skillset of motoring about and doing bits and pieces not enough to take over games. Simmons is an excellent defensive presence and an intelligent, if risk averse, passer of the ball. Galli offers dribbling, whilst Depel can thread deadly passes. Marinos on the bench is a rare Elmyian player, a deeper playmaker, and a metronomic passer. But, is he old enough?

Forwards
7. Jackie Froggatt - 27, Chatswood (Left-Wing)
9. Gina Whittingham - 22, Zenit Attawapiskat (Centre-Forward)
11. Kostas Rossi - 23, Chamberley City (Right-Wing)
20. George Byng - 20, AS Samita (Centre-Forward)
21. Mia Benoit - 18, AS Samita (Left-Wing/Centre-Forward)
22. Lara Beaugemont - 22, AS Samita (Right-Wing)

One big miss upfront is Vesper Benedetti. Whilst he had been pushed to the bench, a bad injury whilst playing for Italia means he will not travel with the squad. Froggatt and Whittingham continue to be the stars for an otherwise average side, Whittingham offering hold-up play and poaching, whilst Froggatt has the dribbling and positional sense to spearhead an attack. Rossi will likely join them in starting. The amazing first half of a season Samita have had has lead to their entire front three making the bench. After falling out of favour, George Byng will be keen to show he can translate the league goals to the international stage. Where before he mostly offered energy and hard-work, his finishing now shows the finesse of a true professional.

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[Cabo Azure]

O Casamento, pt 2
“You want to do what?”

The question was punctuated by the crisp snap of a can of Maçarica beer being opened. Tommy and Anna sat across from Enrico Alicante, Tommy’s father, at his dinner table. Anna had never seen the inside of Enrico’s apartment, and now she could see why; it wasn’t shabby, per se, but everything inside was utilitarian and spare of detail. A single picture of Tommy, unsmiling in his high school baseball uniform, hung on the wall over the table, next to an engraved metal plaque commemorating twenty years of membership in the local construction workers’ union and a framed diploma asserting Enrico’s credentials as a project manager.

“So you want to get married in Cabo Azure,” Enrico answered. He cracked two additional beers, set them down in front of his son and future daughter-in-law. “What the hell for?”

Silence descended, came to rest on Anna’s shoulders like a yoke. “It’s cheap,” she blurted. “Beautiful and cheap. We can get a nicer ceremony for half the price we’d pay here. And fewer people are going to want to fly to Cabo Azure, so we can cut the guest list in half, too.”

A wide, shark like grin split Enrico’s weathered features. “You know, Anna,” he said, chuckling under his breath. “Wherever you decide to tie the knot, I’m glad it’s you my boy is marrying. You tell it straight. Getting married in Cabo probably is dirt cheap, now you mention it, and you’re right that not everyone will want to come. Certainly you’ll have fewer guests on his mother's side.”

Tommy ignored the barb, as he always did when his parents took shots at each other, and father and son locked eyes for a second in an unspoken challenge. Anna started to speak to fill the void again, but Enrico interrupted her.

“Hang on,” he said. “Give me a minute.”

He disappeared to the bedroom and returned with a faded manila envelope labeled “fotos” in permanent marker. From this he produced a stack of polaroid pictures and began shuffling through them, until finally he slid a single photo across the table to them. It depicted a bride and groom standing on the deck of a ship, the ocean spread behind them. Anna recognized Tommy’s kind eyes and slumped shoulders in the groom.

“Oh my God,” she gasped. “That dress is gorgeous.”

“Avo and Ava,” Tommy said.

Enrico nodded, dark eyes fixed on Tommy. "They were married on the deck of a ship, as was the custom for mariners back then," Enrico narrated. "Nowadays, I understand it's common practice, even for people who aren't sailors. They have ships fitted out for the purpose."

Anna effected a smile. "That seems…" she started.

"Tacky," Enrico supplied. "Couldn't agree more. Your avo would, too, if he were still with us. I don't know much about Azurean weddings, or weddings in general, but I do know dry-land weddings are considered much more formal." He paused and turned to Tommy. "Get the next round?" he asked, indicating his beer, which was still a quarter full. Tommy gave an questioning look, but his father's face was impassive. He got up and went to the kitchen.

Once Tommy was gone, Enrico turned his attention to Anna, sliding his phone across the table toward her. On the screen was an image of a tan-skinned woman holding something white and smiling. Anna looked at her future father-in-law, eyes wide.

"Is that…" she asked.

Enrico grinned wickedly. "That's my cousin Tatianna in Sao Simone," he said. "She's already offered to get it altered for you."

[Kirungabi]

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Kirungabi National Football Team — World Cup 93
-4 Style Mod
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Team members

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Manager: Cyril Kamembe (age: 47)

Born in the small transit village of Impangabiyaga on Statehood Day, Kirungan team manager Cyril Kamembe started his football journey as all of Kirungabi has: playing among his peers, on the banks of the twin lakes of his namesake hometown, with bushes and twigs for goals and anything as a ball. Kamembe, an ethnic Fupi, relocated to the Fupi-majority city of Imyuzure in 1985 amid economic hardship and flaring ethnic tensions in rural areas. Playing at the local Garçons du Port athletic club from 1988, Kamembe quickly honed his skills on the pitch to become one of the club's starting midfielders in the national single-level Championnat du Kirungabi de Fut in 1992, at the age of 16. Though the ensuing civil war cut his early playing career short amid the 1995 suspension of the Championnat until 2008, Kamembe returned to football at the ripe age of 34 a year after, playing for two more years before becoming manager of the GdP squad in 2017 after a small hiatus. He oversaw Championnat titles for GdP both as player and manager, including two successful championship defenses as the latter, and was selected by the Kirungabi Itangira Guhera Sporting Commission to spearhead the revival of the Kirungabi National Football Team before the 42nd Copa Rushmori. Though the regional tournament proved a modest debut for the squad, the experience led Kamembe to successfully guide an expanded national team to a thrilling Baptism of Fire title with a lossless streak to victory — a run of form he hopes to sustain going into the World Cup.

Assistant coach: August Abihayimana (age: 53)

Kamembe's second-hand man Abihayimana played alongside the head coach at Garçons du Port in their primes, completing the opposite midfield flank to his teammate in a near flawless partnership which netted them the 1994 Championnat title. Son of a working-class Barebare couple and born in Imyuzure, the GdP midfield star made his professional football debut three years prior to Kamembe, and the introduction of the fresh-faced Fupi player in 1992 unlocked a new level of performance in the local man. His star status initially had kept him from suffering the first blows of the Fupi genocide of the Barebare, but as the government of the People's Republic of Democratic Kirungabi began to lose its grip on power, the incitement of ethnic violence worsened. Abihayimana and his family successfully sought asylum in Græntfjall in 1996, and it wouldn't be until 2008, the year of the Championnat reboot, that the former #7 would return to the pitch. He shared one year on the field with his former teammate upon his return to football, before sticking beside him ever since in coaching roles at Garçons du Port.

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Players

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The Kirungan National Football Team prepares for its second cycle of international football with a revamped and internationalized squad. Transfers abroad for Niyonzima, Habimana, Gatera, Umucukuzi and Gatabazi, along with internal transfers between the teams of the Championnat de Kirungabi de Fut, have shaken up the team's long-standing "synergy" dynamic upheld by coaches Kamembe and Abihayimana. Departing the team since the World Cup are Aimable Mbabazi (DF) and Hadrien Ubuzima (DF), the latter after announcing his retirement from football at the age of 35. Now, Gaël Mugwaneza joins the starting defensive lineup, with fresh-faces Theodore Bizimana, Denis Irakoze, and 17-year-old Jean-Isaac Twakirunga filling the sub bench. Kirungan, Quebecois and Huayramarcan start Didier Garnacho Siboyintore, slated to make his debut in the 43rd CR, is absent from the squad.

Pos #   Name (age)                             Place of Birth 	Club (City)
GK #1   Théoneste Bugasera (29)	                Imisozi	        Garçons du Port (Imy)
DF #13  Gaël Mugwaneza (26)	                Gufungura	Delta AS (Gus)
DF #25  Jean-Luc Uzanabiryo (27)	        Mugugu	        CF Liberté (Mwa)
DF #3   Thomas Gatera (21)	                Abongereza	Macarthur City (TMB)
DF #4   Rugira Rurangwa (22)	                Mwanzibashi	Thousand Hills City (Imi)
DF #5   Patrick Mutoni (19)	                Imisozi	        Haligonian (QUE)
MF #23  Jean-Pierre Nduwayezu (28)         	Gukingira	Garçons du Port
MF #6   Patient Habimana (21)            	Imyuzure	Clyde Park (TMB)
MF #7   Chitundu Sindikubwabo (25)	        Kawakiyambu	L'Unione (FFD)
MF #9   (C) "Umuku" Nzafashwanimana (27)	Mutembe	        Thousand Hills City
FW #10  Pascal Mutabazi (20)	                Imyuzure	Garçons du Port
FW #11  Munyentwali Niyonzima (23)	        Gusohora	CDSA (MYT)

Substitutes:
    
GK #20  Adrien Bakungu (29)	                Kurimbuka	Amahoro United (V. Am)
GK #21  Patrice Nahimana (33)	                Imisozi 	Imisozi Ishaje
DF #12  Theodore Bizimana (24)	                Imyuzure	Garçons du Port
DF #14  Denis Habyarimana (25)	                Butare	        CF Liberté
DF #22  Dominique Uwizeye (20)	                Mugugu	        Nouveau Kawa (Kaw)
DF #16  Jean-Isaac Twakirunga (17)	        Ubuzima	        Amahoro United (V. Am)
MF #18  Marcus Irakunda (21)                   	Imisozi	        Royal Boys AC (Abg)
MF #8    Felix Mugabe (27)	                Mugugu	        Delta AS
MF #26  George Nyirinkindi (19)	                Butare	        Flambeau du Mugugu CS
MF #17  Alphonse Mugiraneza (27)	        Imisozi	        Garçons du Port
MF #19  David Byukusenge (24)	                Gusohora	Delta AS
FW #27  Francois Mutimamwiza (27)	        Mutembe	        Garçons du Port
FW #28  Cyera Umucukuzi (22)	                Butare	        Viathyn Park AFC (TKT)
FW #29  Rungayindo Gatabazi (23)	        Ubuzima  	AFC Droves (SYL)
FW #24  Fiston Kabila (21)	                Butare	        Thousand Hills City

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Kits

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TL;DR please write as much detail of our matches as you wish, but unless you wanna ask me about something keep it sensible.

[Sargossa]

Copa Rushmori XLIII


Sargossa - 'The Corsairs'


Head Coach

Slavko Jelic (Mytanija)

Something of a left field choice as national coach, but he certainly ticks a lot of boxes. A manager with vast experience who spent more than a decade at CDSA in his homeland, creating teams that consistently punched above their weight. Most recently he led the Decraa based side to Challenger’s Cup qualification. Recommended for the role by Mytanar legend Lev Repin. Led the Corsairs to third place at the last Copa Rushmori.

Backroom Staff

Assistant Head Coach: Momchil Klemetic (Mytanija)
Assistant Head Coach: Eduardo Larrea
Defensive Coach: Luis Sánchez
Attacking Coach: Joaquín Gutiérrez
Set Pieces Coach: Manuel Semprún
Goalkeeping Coach: Dario Almirón
Fitness Coach: Luis Miguel Sacristán
Team Doctor: Dr Carla Segura

Talent

GK: 1. Alejandro Martínez (33) – Sportivo Soluca
GK: 13. Imanol Sánchez (28) – Alianza Jucaro
GK: 25. Jacobo Robles (28) – El Nacional

Following a title winning season domestically Jacobo Robles was handed the gloves for the Copa Rushmori tournament. While Imanol Sánchez, also fresh from an excellent year in the Cima Liga, earned a first call-up to the national side. Former undisputed number one Martínez remains in the frame just in case his oodles of experience are necessary as the competition progresses.

DR: 2. Adrian Soriano (27) – Ciudad Soluca
DC: 5. Miguel Alonso (31) – Ciudad Soluca
DC: 6. Nicolás Riesgo (22) – 1923 Esca (Mytanija)
DL: 3. Iván Alegre (23) – Dínamo Maturín
DRC: 12. Santiago Álvarez (24) – Alianza Jucaro
DC: 14. Brian Jiménez (26) – Sportivo Cordova
DL: 19. Milagros Fernán (24) – Lok. Cassia (Mytanija)
DC: 21: Joaquín Sanz (24) – El Nacional

After the World Cup campaign fell off a cliff in the final few matchdays there’s no real surprise that coach Jelic has opted to freshen up his defensive options. The experienced Miguel Alonso returns to the fold, presumably to marshal a defence that faltered in the home straight during the qualifiers. Alonso’s Ciudad teammate Soriano earns himself a first call-up to the national team set-up, while Alegre is also in line for a debut, after a strong season on loan at S.C. Goza. Riesgo remains the star around which the defence will be built, but the remain four places are very much up for grabs. Who will take and hold on to them?

DMC: 4. Marcos Águila (30) – El Nacional
AMRLC: 7. Jorge Fernández (23) – Estrella Torreón
MC: 8. Enrique González (31) – Ciudad Soluca
AMLC: 11. Dani Azuaga (27) – Dínamo Maturín
AMRC: 15. Gonzalo Navarro (27) – Ciudad Soluca
MC: 16. Juan Esteban Collazo (23) – CDSA (Mytanija)
DMC: 18. Fernando Moruga (25) – Energija-Nuklearna (Mytanija)
MC: 22. Orlando Segovia (34) – El Nacional
AMLC: 24. Martín de la Cavallería (24) – Dínamo Maturín

The midfield contingent had already seen sweeping changes enacted by the man in charge and Jelic is given the majority of them another chance to shine. Águila, González, de la Cavallería and Collazo were the only survivors from the Cup of Harmony squad. Azuaga and Navarro provide options in wider areas, while Jorge Fernández is a tricky customer who can drift all over the pitch. The call-up of Segovia, comfortably in his thirties, that had raised the most eyebrows. Jelic will no doubt be hoping that they can add a little bit of extra experience and steel to a side that have proved to be far too much of a soft touch in recent years. But he has since drafted in Fernando Moruga, currently plying his trade in Mytanija, to perhaps provide a longer term option in the centre of the park. Enrique González should continue to provide the creative spark.

FC: 9. Mateo Manzanares (28) – Dínamo Maturín
FRLC: 10. Pablo Alarcón (28) – El Nacional
FC: 17. Lucas Recoba (25) – El Nacional
FLC: 20. Carlos Alberto (26) – El Nacional
FC: 23. Gustavo Alcocer (21) – Atletik Thessia (Mytanija)

There was some debate as to whether the cull would stretch to leading scorer Mateo Manzanares. The Dínamo hitman underwhelmed in the World Cup qualifiers, although he was by no means alone in that, and didn’t have a stellar time in the Cima Liga but he keeps his place in the squad. What he may not keep is his place in the starting eleven. Lucas Recoba was frankly terrifying in the Cima Liga and must surely lead the line. With talk that Jelic hopes to use a front two this time around. Manzanares or the youthful Alcocer is the most natural fit to partner Recoba, but the form of both Alarcón and Alberto makes them very difficult to leave out. The coach may well seek to crowbar all three of the El Nacional men into the starting eleven.


Style

In Sargossa the three at the back is king so, for a coach who is no stranger to three centrebacks, Jelic should have little impediment in implementing his favoured tactical plans. He’s been trying a 3-4-2-1 system, with limited success. Traditionally Jelic’s sides have always been strong defensively so he’s expected to utilise a 5-3-2 to create a greater foundation on which to soak up the pressure before launching that all important counter attack. Or perhaps even a 5-2-3 in order to fit in El Nacional’s domestically devastating front three. Set pieces will likely play a key role too. Specialised set piece coaches are much in vogue domestically and Manuel Semprún has been poached from domestic giants Ciudad Soluca to fill the role for the national side.

The Cima Liga is quite a physical league so challenges can often be described as 'uncompromising' and cards are pretty common. Gamesmanship, while not encouraged, is not entirely uncommon. But diving is considered particularly stigmatic so Sargossan players are unlikely to be found doing it.

Style Modifier = (-1.5)



Kit
Courtesy of ediraf





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[Captina Island]

Captina ready for Copa return
The Captina Company Press Association

Dewayo, Nyowani Kitara--The Captina Company National Team will open play here at the Revolutionary Grounds in the capital city against Republique Mariannoise, or more commonly referred to as Marianne.
The opponent will have the advantage of having already gotten the first match jitters out of the way, although a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Southwest Eastnorth will remain fresh in their minds as they take on the Rosso e Oro.

Captina have been drawn into the host nation's group, and will face off against the hometown heroes in the next match at the same stadium, so it is imperative that a good result in the curtain raiser gets the side off on the right footing. That may be easier said than done unless the offensive woes that plague the team have been cured; in eleven previous Copa Rushmori matches, Captina have failed to score in eight of them, and only managed a single tally in the other three. In the nine matches since a four match unbeaten streak in World Cup 92 qualifying, there have been only 5 scored against 16 allowed.

Manager Timoteo Greco is under increasing pressure to reverse the low scoring trend, which looks worse by comparison to the women's team that have shown an ability to generate enough offense to win matches.

This will be an important test ahead of the next World Cup qualifying cycle, so can Greco and an aging squad show that they've put in the necessary work so as not to flunk out once more?

[Graintfjall]

Græntfjall – 3 (1)
Hanif; Hermione (57’ Ayaan ), Eyvar, Asbjørn, Jan; Erin, Kæja (74’ Sara V ), Danny; Rebekka (57’ Vanessa ), Röskvi (23’, 55’) (64’ Amandara ), Sara K (c) (64’ Varða (67’))

Pridnestrovia – 2 (1)
Kuznetsov (16’), Astankov (90+4’)

Over the years, many foreign travellers have visited Háttmark and recorded their impressions of the Græntfjaller capitol. Here are a few. (OOC: Thanks to Ban and Chrom for allowing me use of their characters.)

The oldest extant written record of a foreign traveller to what is now Háttmark is attributed to Lev bin Jakub. An Akhdari Jew, bin Jakub visited Rushmore in the 11th century as part of a merchant ship and recorded a brief stay at a “small and insignificant port” fashioned by “primitive locals”. He reports the strange customs of the inhabitants, whom he does not name as Græntfjallers but who, from his description of their appearance (“large and most handsomely bearded in silver and gold”) and behavior (“displaying not an ounce of fear except quaking most fearfully like children at our tales of the native sea-beasts of our Atlantian oceans”), certainly appear likely ancestors of the city’s present day dwellers. The city was, then, not a city at all: merely a camp built around a rudimentary port. bin Jakub’s crew bought furs, lumber, honey and amber, all staples of the early Græntfjaller economy; they sold salted meats, wine, and what he describes as “trinkets”. It is intriguing to consider that some of these “trinkets” could have become the grave goods that have been unearthed at the Viggland archæological site, where a traditional Græntfjaller boat burial has been discovered, though it is probably unlikely given the distance from the Vigglander headland. bin Jakub does not devote extensive time to describing Háttmark, which appeared to consist of a mixture of tents and basic log cabins, with no stone buildings – the stones on which the modern city is built were quarried further south near Waltenberg, at that time yet to be settled by Græntfjallers – but perhaps as interesting as what he says is what he does not say, specifically, there is no indication the Græntfjallers were practising Christianity at the time.

Some 200 years later, Christianity had evidently arrived in Græntfjall. Branislav Tichý, a mediæval monk from modern-day Ruhntuhnkuhnland, stopped off at Háttmark on his way to join the Crusades in the Holy Land. He reports a “goodly sized town” where their ship stopped to take on supplies. He reports that the Knights of the Schutzenphalian Order were “not impressed” by the “poor quality” of the weaponry and armor available from local artisans. Given the ferocity with which Græntfjaller Vikings were regarded at the time, evidently their success owed more to tactics (and, according to some, semi-magical “berzerker” powers of, depending on the chronicler, near-bestial savagery, or, actual transformation into literal animal-things) than to the finery of their blades. Tichý, who does not seem an especially devout monk, records similarly poor reviews of the local food and drink (including an “undrinkable” wine that his ship bought a case of to use as chemical weaponry on their subsequent Crusade; its impression on the Saracens is not recorded for posterity) but happier times in the “Venus Quarter”, an unmistakeable euphemism for brothels and pleasure palaces. (From his description, the Venus Quarter was probably in modern day Korsbach, a mainly industrial district heavily redeveloped in the 19th century.)

By the early 15th century, Háttmark was on the map as a city, and relatedly, Græntfjall as a recognized sovereign state. (Neither bin Jakub nor Tichý actually refer to “Græntfjallers”, but rather “Vikings”.) The Græntfjaller nation came into being thanks to the energies of Jakob, who would become the country’s patron saint. He repelled the Turks at the Field of Cabbages, and is known to every Græntfjaller child as the man who stood tall at “the gates of Háttmark”. Which means, Háttmark must by then have had city gates, and city walls to go with them. Today few remnants of those walls survive; a section near the Höll is speculated to be a much later facsimile, but small outcrops in the Hagejoki and Mokofen suburbs are under special protection orders as archæologists investigate them. Where the actual gates lay is a subject of fierce debate: indeed, it predates the Gunzlach–Steinaux football rivalry by some six centuries. Supporters of the Steinaux side point out that the Sultan clearly attacked from the east and therefore the gates must have been on the eastern side; supporters of the Gunzlach side say the Steinaux side are a bunch of gentrified pussies and who won the latest league anyway nerrr nerrr.

Jakob – who turned to God after laying down his sword, became a man of the cloth, and travelled throughout Græntfjall spreading Christianity and converting the pagan holdouts – is not just a figure of national folklore; he was a very real historical figure. Some intriguing references for his life come not from Græntfjaller writers, but from the pen of a Banijan by the name of Moses Labongo. A mercenary sellsword hired during the defense of Háttmark, his writings – recently discovered as part of a palimpsest in Banija – are cruder than those of the learned Tichý but evoke the spirit of Háttmark as an increasingly bustling port city. He notes with surprise that it does not have a university – today Háttmark boasts several modern universities, but the only mediæval centers of learning in Græntfjall lay much further south in Waltenberg and Griesberg – but that it has “innumerable” churches as well as “synagogues, temples, and pagan worship sites”, suggestive of a more multicultural city than Græntfjaller histories admit. (The reference to synagogues is a tragic reminder of what was lost in subsequent decades.) He also describes the “clearing of a salt marsh” in preparation for “the building of a large church made entirely from sticks”.

Græntfjaller stave churches once dotted the landscape and can still be found throughout rural Græntfjall, so the idea that Háttmark once boasted one is not so surprising. (Cities largely abandoned stave churches following the Great Fire of Altendalur.) However, this particular church being sited in a former salt marsh suggests it may have been the ‘first draft’ of what is today a monument wrought in cold and mighty stone: the Basilika Sankt Jakobs, the largest and most famous church in Græntfjall. The Basilika is known to be built on reclaimed salt marsh land. It was completed long after Labongo left to return to Banija, and dedicated to the now deceased and beatified Jakob, but did the cathedral have its origins in a more humble wood construction? A national monument of immense cultural import and sensitivity, as well as a busy working church in the center of a megapolis, the Basilika has been subject to little excavation, so answers may elude historians for the moment, but Labongo’s writing provides hints that could be followed up one day. He also notes that many in Háttmark appeared more frightened of “kraken-beasties” than the invading army trying to loot and despoil their city. Another characteristic familiar to modern Græntfjallers is found in his writing: he writes of an incident where Jakob, called to treat with the Sultan, filled the “pockets of his greatclock” with “sweetmeats and delicacies” while being subjected to a lengthy parlay. The habit of modern day Græntfjaller diplomats of stealing food at summits appears well entrenched.

The 16th and 17th centuries were dominated by the Græntfjaller Wars of Religion. Græntfjallers were no longer fighting alien invaders: they were fighting each other. And they were no longer defending Christendom: they were trying to define it. While the Defenestration at Folte may have begun the Reformation in Græntfjall, it was Háttmark that was nearly torn asunder as doctrinal debates turned into fratricidal civil war. Vincent Blijdenstein, a Protestant preacher, found himself in Háttmark in the late 16th century, and reports a “city all aflame” – metaphorically, with the “new word” (the Bible, translated into Græntfjaller for the first time). By the end of the century the city was literally aflame as fire swept through the prosperous Árbæjarnir quarter. Inhabited mostly by the merchant class – who, literate, exposed to new ideas from trading vessels from overseas, and seeking new political freedoms, were overwhelmingly Protestant – the burning of Árbæjarnir was naturally blamed on Catholic intrigue. Blijdenstein, however, reports a “nasty attempt” by Catholics to counter the claim, putting the blame instead on Protestants who had been stockpiling gunpowder and weapons for an attempted coup, and who had accidentally started the fire themselves. Historians today consider an accidental fire with no doctrinal or political motivation attached as likely as either explanation – Háttmark saw multiple major conflagrations through its first centuries, and it was not until the 19th century and the creation of the first fire brigade, as well as new building regulations, that they became less of a regular hazard.

Blijdenstein, a radical Protestant, is not a neutral chronicler of a city he clearly considered to be a new Rome, a new Babylon. Háttmark is a “stinking morass of vice and sin”, he writes (the Venus Quarter was now more like a Venus Third or Venus Half). He bemoans “drunkenness and prostitution”, “sodomy and transvestitism”, “thievery and skulduggery”. Some of this may be typical of a port city, but he also clearly blames particular aspects of Græntfjaller society. He is deeply troubled by the resilience of pagan Norse beliefs, and even writes that he refused the first guest house he was invited to because it “bore the symbols of witchcraft” (probably a reference to Norse runes, which have been found carved into many post-Christian Græntfjaller buildings, and are even still sometimes today drawn in chalk in front of a new house for good luck). The reference to witchcraft is telling: though Græntfjall’s witchcraft persecutions were mainly confined to the rural south and southwest, there are records of 18 women, 2 men, and 1 rather confused goose being burned at the stake in Háttmark’s central marketplace for “witchcraft”, “sorcery”, and, in the case of the goose, “honking of a most invidious and bedazzling wickedness”. Blijdenstein also bemoans the obsession with krakens and reports that even “good men of Faith and Character” (i.e. fellow Protestants) were “not above this most base and ridiculous superstition”. Pleasingly, given he was clearly a bit of a twerp, Blijdenstein was lost at sea on a boat reported to have been dragged under by a kraken, fleeing Háttmark after the city fell to the Counter-Reformation. How’s that for base and ridiculous?

By the 19th century, Háttmark was no longer merely the capital of a country: it was the capital of an empire. Not a very big empire, but, it’s all we had. Kong Fu, from the Græntfjaller East Indies, visited the capital at its imperial height in the 1840s. Kong was apprenticed as a clerk to a shipping company after learning to read and write Græntfjaller at a mission school. The overwhelming impression of his writing is of the weather: “cold, cold, cold, everyday is cold!” he complains bitterly. (The mid 19th century saw Græntfjall hit by the ‘Mini Ice Age’, but it must be noted visitors from centuries before and after have all still tended to find the city freezes their bollocks off.) It’s one of the few personal comments he allows himself: mostly his writing is filled with the drudgery of inventories, but even those are revealing. Græntfjall was obtaining rare woods and spices, ivory and jade, silver and gold, tin and zinc, oil and coal, in enormous quantities from its colonies, fuelling the industrial development of Háttmark, which was becoming a factory city. Beset by smog – Kong describes “black ash in the air and on the ground” almost every morning – the city’s industrialization didn’t just bring environmental concerns, but also social ones. Kong is not an elegant writer – a clerk with an eye for numbers, not poetry – but even his stilted prose seems to crackle with emotion as he describes the “wretched” city urchins, the “lucky” ones employed in brutal child labor factories, the unlucky ones forced into crime and worse to subsist. (Thankfully, today Háttmark has offshored much of its industrial production – and much of its child labor – to Export Processing Zones. Yay!)

Another 19th century travelogue offers a different perspective. Loago Bakang offers one of the very few verified surviving slave narratives. The Græntfjaller Empire practised slavery well into the 19th century, long past when many more civilized nations had abandoned the dark trade; indeed, the failure of the 1848 Convocation of Rights and Freedoms and Stuff was attributed more to disagreements over the abolition of the slave trade than to the domestic political questions at stake. Bakang reports being sold into slavery in his native Kijani lands by his village chief. He was relatively fortunate (aside from the whole, being enslaved…) in that he was bought by a colonial administrator to serve as a house servant, and two years later brought to Háttmark when his owner was recalled. He continued working for the family for a decade before being manumitted, and writing his life story. The Narrative of the Life and Enslavement and Liberty of Loago Bakang was never a bestseller as it was too tame for abolitionists, who preferred their slave narratives with greater tragedy, but it provides an invaluable insight into Háttmark from a voice not prominently featured in the historical record. Having obtained his freedom, Bakang could have been forgiven for turning his back on a city where he had been forced to work for nothing for years, but instead proved his character by running a school and boarding house for “Wayward Boys”, many of whom fondly recall “Mr Kijanisson” [the name given to all Kijani slaves].

Bakang continued writing, and his diaries and correspondence with former pupils show how rapidly change was coming to the city. He notes the contradictions of a city dominated by a mediæval cathedral and ruled by a council of noble families dating their privileges back to pre-modern times, yet whose skies are hazy with the smoke from churning factories and into whose port steamships unload cargoes of oil and take on rifle companies and agricultural chemicals. Bakang, a freed slave, also noted the “pitiful” continuance of serfdom in Græntfjall and remarkably, considered himself to have been freer – even as a slave – than the rural serfs. “I was born in shackles but my son will be free,” he wrote in a thank you letter to a former pupil, now articled to a law firm, who had sent him a box of cigars as congratulations for the birth of his first child [Bakang had married a Græntfjaller widow and was already stepfather to her two children], “But the serfdom will endure a thousand more years.” In the end, he was off by only about 990 years.

Bakang died before the communist revolution swept Græntfjall. What he would have made of the huge changes in Háttmark we will never know, but other foreign visitors provide us with a description of a “city burning day and night with rage”, not so far from the “city all aflame” three hundred years prior. The contemporary description comes from Lady Singi Vernox, a vampiress who was in Háttmark during the Communist Revolution. [Græntfjall has no native tradition of vampires; according to legend, it’s because the ground is frozen too solid for them to break out of.] Lady Vernox was trapped in Háttmark when her ship was requisitioned by the People’s Revolutionary Council; she ended up staying in the city thirty three years, during which time she witnessed the exile of the monarchy, abolition of the state Church, the end of slavery and serfdom, renunciation of (some) colonial holdings, and formation of a new Communist Union with Tikariot. Perhaps the starkest indication of the social flux is in her writing: “the Græntfjallers pray for the kraken to consume them”. Græntfjallers praying for the intervention of krakens? These were strange times indeed. For Háttmark, of course, the Revolution marked an end to its time as the national capital: the Revolutionary Council set up in the west, in Altendalur, while Háttmark was relegated to secondary status.

Lady Vernox’s writing registers tragedy after tragedy. The bombardment of the city led to destruction of many notable Háttmark buildings, from religious institutions such as the Church of Sankt Haddur, the Black Abbey, and the Sept of Christ’s Ingrowing Toenail, to thousands of houses and workspaces. Famine swept through the city as supplies were requisitioned and shipped west. The last pogrom on Græntfjaller soil occurred as the powerless vented their fury against an even more powerless minority. [For Lady Vernox, all of this proved fairly rich pickings and she goes into some grisly detail as to what might have attracted her to stay for 33 years; she herself was clearly not underfed during this time.] The spirit of Háttmark as a city, disenchanted, disenfranchised, but never truly conquered, throbs in her essays. Year after year she reports plots and attempts at counter-revolution. The nature of Græntfjaller collaboration with communism is a difficult and controversial subject, but Háttmark at least appears to have staunchly resisted, even when battered, bombed, and starved by the cruel oppressor government. Thankfully, Háttmark’s fortunes have recovered from those dark times. Today the capitol – restored to its rightful place following the Restoration – is a brimming megapolis with a population in the eight figure range.

One recent foreign visitor, Chromatik Kang Shi-Yeok, was in Háttmark on the day of Græntfjall’s World Cup trophy parade. Two of Háttmark’s most beloved sons, Hjörleifur Reynarsson and Jason Þórhallursson, had pride of place on the open top bus parade around the city, though for Kang it was Sara Kristoffersdóttir, the enigmatic midfielder who plays in Chromatika for Wirr Tsi, who was the star of the day. (Others were less impressed with her antics, which included taking one of the large bottles of champagne the players were spraying and pretending it was her dick.) Kang wrote an excited blog describing the “mix of the old and new” as the players were cheered on by crowds of thousands waving Græntfjaller flags, as they passed historic buildings like the Höll [national palace], Thing [national parliament], and Royal Arsenal, but also new constructions like Steinaux’s gleaming new financial center. Once the meatpacking district, Steinaux has been heavily gentrified and now pop-up fashion boutiques and cosmopolitan street vendors vie for space with tech and pharma offices while drones zip through the air delivering important documents and a mag-lev elevated rail system offers free, clean public transportation. In a city founded by Viking fur traders, built by mediæval Catholicism, expanded by colonialism and imperialism, now a very modern capitalism is the order of the day.

Lineup for MD2:

[Tikariot]

Today's post is brought to you by:

Port Rhovanyon is the capital of Tikariot and the nation's second-largest city after Tikariot City. It is located in the northwestern portion of Rhovanyon Bay and is also the capital of the province of Rhovannyr.

The history of Port Rhovanyon goes back over 1000 years when the first explorers decided to settle down at the mouth of the Rhova River, establishing a port that would begin to serve as a hub for the regions north and west of the then village, both via river barges and horse and ox-drawn carts. Eventually, the kingdom of Rhovannyr was founded and it remained fiercely independent until the communist revolution swallowed parts of Pavola whole. After the Velvet Revolution, it was chosen as the new capital of Tikariot in a democratic election with Tikariot City, Carathyr and Avanaroch being other choices.

Today, Port Rhovanyon has a population of approximately 3.1 million people and is a cultural and economic hotspot of Tikariot.

Rhovar Hall had been the seat of the Rhovannyr kings in the days of old and now houses the Tikariotian parliament. The former living quarters of the royal family have been turned into a museum with art and furniture from the time of the Rhovannyr kings and are a popular tourist attraction.

Despite being a large and modern city, Rhovanians value the delicate balance between history and the future and cherish the old parts of town that have been carefully restored and act as a reminder of the rich history of the city. The old town centre of Port Rhovanyon has been declared a big pedestrian zone with many of its squares used for weekly markets that sell anything from fresh produce to clothing with cafes, restaurants and shops lining the streets and squares.

At the centre of the old town, near the waterfront stands Khalvar Tower, which was one of the original watch towers guarding the port of the town. It is one of Tikariot's cultural heritage sites and has been a monument to Port Rhovanyon's history and a source of pride for the defiant spirit of the city.

Port Rhovanyon also houses the biggest botanical garden in Tikariot, covering almost 100 acres. It has extensive botanical collections housed both indoors and outdoors and has been called "the perfect escape from the city without leaving the city" by Rhovanians and visitors alike.

Port Rhovanyon's roots were as a port city and what in times of yore had been mostly to sustain the population, has grown into a large commercial port that is still a gateway to many parts of Tikariot, especially Oriannor and its large mining industry.

OOC Disclaimer: The logo and flag of Rhovannyr are mine, the rest was generously donated by Midjourney.

[Brookstation]

Your Weekly Cup

of Tea

Brookstation's leading site for all football gossips

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1. Not so long ago, Leon Robes used to be a completely unknown figure in the world of football, not saying that he still isn't but thanks to some relatively good improvements in the whole Brook football scenario has brought some recognition to Robes as the all time highest goalscorer of Brookstation of all time. In a pretty disappointing but the typical start to a tournament, Robes again ended up as the sole goalscorer of the team after heading a beautiful ball delivered by Johnson.

This goal and the perfect comeback is hopefully enough to eradicate any sort of criticism on Robes regarding his age because at the end of the day, it is still this old man who is handling pretty much the entire team.

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2. Taking a penalty is never an easy job and thus there have been strict measures to ensure a calm environment during a penalty kick, as a result we don't see goalkeepers dancing or oscillating like a pendulum during a penalty kick anymore. Nevertheless, supporters of Brook second division club Wham created a frenzy on last week's match against Drublin..

As the Whams's star striker Downey stepped up to take the penalty kick, the stadium experienced an obvious wave of anticipation when all of a sudden,a loud boom echoed through the stands as a firework exploded near the goalkeeper, a sound loud enough to make the goalkeeper run away in fright, leaving Downey with an open goal. What next ? Downey made the best of the opportunity and scored freely and as the ball calmly sailed into the net, the crowd was in a situation of confusion, while some laughed their livers out, some shouted slurs and the elderly dudes facepalmed together. Anyways it was a great achievement for Harry Stones, the man who blasted the entire stadium into laughter that day.

The penalty wasn't accepted and Downey was asked to take it again while Wham's audience was collectively charged with a two month ban. Needless to say, Bowney scored.

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3. Leading a life as a footballer is pretty difficult. It becomes impossible for you to even go out shopping for grocery, no matter how much your wife shouts at you, all thanks to excellent journalists like us who seek to capture every moment of our loved ones. Anyways... it is more difficult for someone like Denzil Modise who has become more of a celebrity than a footballer after uploading his famous Tic Tac dances online.

But now, after finally getting out of the bench in Hacienda, it was time for Modise to restore his image. Thus, can you really blame him to change his identity and lead a fake life to protect his privacy ? When Modise was caught outside a pub by officers for picking up a fight against a random stranger, he informed the police that his name was actually Jason Simons and he owned a small shoe business.

Well, there's three types of lies, white lies, black lies and the sort of lies Modise can come up with. Now you know, which lie you are not going to choose.

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4. Essidise Titans might still be recovering from their shocking tie against their local rivals Waffen in the Essidise derby but for Waffen this might not be the worst visit to the Old Town Road.

Back in 2014, during Waffen's visit to the Old Town Road, the players found themselves stuck in the elevator, apparently between the first and the second floor. "It was fucking crazy. A few minutes in there and I would've been dead before those Essidise fuckers myself." recalled former Waffen captain George Motson. Thankfully enough, the rescue team arrived just on time to relieve the entire situation and rescue the players.

The terrifying experience lead Waffen to a comfortable 3-1 victory over the hosts, with Motson still insisting that it was a deliberate attempt from the hosts to sabotage the game.

Later on however, Waffen striker Abraham Osorio revealed in a podcast that it was actually the team's bus driver who, in an attempt to access the "facilities" of the stadium had messed up the circuit, leading to the elevator's blockade. But either ways, they should be thankful to their bus driver, the man whose knowledge of electronics lead Waffen to a wonderful victory.

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FAST FACTS

Marco Dell's unique after goal celebration gets him the first yellow card of the season

In 2016, Nate Harlow sold one of his Audis in exchange for a barbie doll as an emergency birthday gift for his daughter

At the age of 39, Audioslavian Logan Goff is currently the oldest player in the Brook Football League. With no intention to retire in the near future, he just needs one more season at the club to become the oldest player to play in the League.

Norwegian wood striker Ali Harchi's ex calls him a "Two faced bitch" on social media

[Eura]

What is Bastion?
Readers might think this is the start of a poorly written undergraduate essay where the writer can only think of one opening technique – talking about definitions.
And you would be right! According to the often cited online source Eurapedia, a “bastion” is a structure projecting outward from the curtain wall of a fortification.
For many a century, this was sort of true. The earliest Endemian settlers and Terranean natives battled over a tawdry patch of earth whose only advantage was its proximity to the great Holden river. So forts were built, fought over, knocked down and rebuilt ad finitum as rival groups battled for control.

War brings chaos, chaos brings opportunity, and in this case increased opportunity encouraged a city began to sprawl across the most disputed territory in the entire north Terranean basin. A name finally began to take shape for the warrior city. Bastion. Technically a less and less useful name for what was the centre of Euran civilisation rather than simply an impregnable outpost, but it stuck.
As Eura took shape, its warring kingdoms and duchies became wealthy enough to be worth exploiting, and remained divided enough to take for a ride. Foreigners from all directions descended. They looted, pillaged and burned.
One city that didn’t fall? The increasingly swollen metropolis of Bastion.

Bastion was a big baby. From her inception she had weight and now she was the first Euran city to reach a population of one million. In those times of swords, bows and later muskets, she was simply too big to eat whole, no matter how ruthless or clever the approaching vultures might be.
Ten million came and went. In an age of horse and cart it was unthinkable. The foreign conquerors avoided Bastion as much as they could, and those that did not perished famously. Increasingly, the talk was of Bastion as a country, not a city, and before long that had come to fruition. The mighty Kingdom of Bastion was born, and her power humbled all her neighbours.

But...there’s always a bigger fish.
An idea was emerging. An idea of a wider, more even land, its name taken from an old word for the Holden valley.
Eura.
And many were desperate for it. The marginalised, the disparate minorities, and above all the worker, were clamouring for strength in numbers. A Euran state elected by the people could give them that.
The assumptions on which the Kingdom of Bastion’s muscle laid were being shaken, right at a time where it had taken a rightward, militaristic turn. So, they acted decisively. The Kingdom went on the attack. Eura would be unified under the Kingdom’s black banner, led by Bastion’s aristocratic elite, and all who opposed them would be flattened before they could stop them.

History would not turn Bastion’s way. The battles of the last great Euran civil war would tip in favour of the Federalists and their allies. Bastion would fall without bloodshed for the first time.
Decades of punishment followed as the rival big cities took their share of power and patronage to penalise Bastion’s arrogance. But it remained the capital and, in time, regained status as the centre of the Euran state. Bastion became a byword for Eura itself in diplomatic circles. Ironically, it had become indivisible with the idea of greater Eura after all, just under a different set of arrangements.
To this day it is this status quo that has defined Bastion. We know what it is beyond doubt.
Who, then – and please stick with us here – is Bastion?

Its a capital city and you can see that in who calls it home. The politicians, the media, the mass movements, the trade unions, the industrialists and bankers, the biggest airport bringing in the most overseas visitors to see the most popular tourist spots, Blackhall’s black marble being on every pound note in every Euran’s pocket, making them all a little bit Bastonian.
Don’t forget the football clubs either, because they tell us another thing about who Bastion is.

Bastion FC, the capital club. Old money and a giant.
Bastion Lions, the trendy progressive upstart always seeking to stay near the top tier.
Blackfields, the historically reactionary counterweight to the Lions.
And WEA – the joke team who were once great. The losers. Hufflepuff, if you know your RLStates pop culture.
What unites them? They all hate each other.
What does that tell us about Bastion?
It remains, to this day, a battlefield.

[Trans-Dniesters]

Officially speaking, the capital of the Democratic People’s Republic of the United Socialist States of Pridnestrovia was named Novyi Tiraspol, or New Tiraspol in English. There were already numerous villages in the vicinity of the site that would eventually become the city before it was officially founded in 1820 by Russian settlers who were once again searching for a place where they could establish a warm water port. The area’s uncanny similarities to both the area around Tiraspol and the Dniester River inspired the settlers to name the new city after these places, and though the colony was not always profitable, its location in an area that didn’t always suffer from harsh winters or wet summers meant that the Russian Empire did everything in its power to maintain control over this part of the world. The territory was eventually reorganized as the New Dniester Governorate with a governor general directly appointed by the Tsar in 1878, and that was how things would remain until the First Revolution of 1910, when revolutionaries inspired by events in the Empire in 1905 rose up against the Tsarist administration and overthrew it, replacing it with a constitutional and elected democracy led by the State Duma. This system of government was then subsequently overthrown in the Communist Revolution of 1916, setting the stage for almost a whole century of Communist rule over the territory now known as Pridnestrovia as well as its neighbors.

The city itself could be divided into three parts, all named after the eras in which they appeared. The oldest part of Tiraspol was the fortress on the left back of the Dniester River in which the Tiraspol Kremlin, primary residence of the President of Pridnestrovia and the de facto seat of government in the country, was located. The Tiraspol Fortress started off as a wooden fortification meant to protect the settlement and its customs post from marauders and bandits traveling up and down the river before transitioning to brick and mortar around the 19th century, around the same time that the new governor general’s residence was moved into the Kremlin complex for his own protection as well. The second part was a large semicircular area enveloping all of the Old Fortress on the left bank of the Dniester, and while it had no official name, one could easily tell that they were in that part of the city due to the sheer number of administrative, commercial, and even residential buildings dating back to the mid to late 19th century in the area when Tiraspol became the capital of the New Dniester Governorate. Finally, on the outskirts of the city were located massive blocks of Brutalist offices and utilitarian apartment blocks constructed in the 1950s to replace outlying villages that had been destroyed during the First Great Patriotic War between Pridnestrovia and the Grand Duchy of Ixania dating from 1941 to 1947. Most of the tourist attractions in Tiraspol were located in either the Old Fortress or the so-called “administrative ring,” while the Communist-era residential ring was occasionally placed on the list of no-go places in travel advisories regarding Pridnestrovia due to the prevalence of local gangs in the area.

Most of Tiraspol’s football stadiums, whether they were new or old, were constructed in the area in between the administrative and residential rings of the city. Even the New Army Stadium, the new home stadium of CSKA Tiraspol, the most successful football team in all of Pridnestrovia, was located in this supposed gray area between the administrative and residential rings, all the better to make these stadiums more accessible to the regular people of Tiraspol. With a capacity of over 80,000, it was perhaps no surprise that the New Army Stadium had also become the de facto national stadium of the Pridnestrovian national football team, although the team did play games in other stadia all over Pridnestrovia in order to promote the image that the country was not just Tiraspol and nothing else. That said, the advent of improved television and satellite technology had also made it possible for ordinary people to watch selected football matches either in the comfort of their own homes or in the stadiums, where massive screens would broadcast either the local team or the national team’s matches to a paying audience. The New Army Stadium was a popular venue for these so-called “watch parties” due to its large capacity, and at least 30,000 people were expected to show up every time there was a CSKA or Pridnestrovian national team “watch party” at the New Army Stadium.

With the Pridnestrovian football season currently going through its yearly offseason in the summer, and with the Copa Rushmori currently underway, “watch parties” in numerous stadia have sprung up once again, and the New Army Stadium was just one venue for such. On this day, for the opening match between Pridnestrovia and Graintfjall, an estimated 40,000 people turned, easily half the capacity of the stadium, to watch the match on the big screens scattered throughout the stadium. The cheers when Vladislav Kuznetsov scored the first goal of the game was as loud as if it had been scored right in front of them, and the groans when Röskvi Tyrfingsson equalized within a matter of minutes was equally loud. The Pridnestrovian national football team, known locally as the Red Army, looked like they had a chance to grab a point or three in this game, but in the second half, Graintfjall showed everyone why they were currently the number one ranked team in all of Rushmore, and only a last-gasp goal from Viktor Astankov helped to salvage some pride for the Pridnestrovians.

[Nyowani Kitara]

Thrilling 3-2 win for Nyowani Kitara to kick off the Copa Rushmori on Home soil


Nyowani Kitara players celebrate the teenager Ayyah Ceora's match winner

DEWAYO, NYOWANI KITARA- The opening game of the Copa Rushmori. Pot 1 v. Pot 2- appointment viewing! "This was always going to be a huge game, just because it was the so-called match of the group- Pot 1 v. Pot 2." Said the manager, Liang Wei. "Both teams left it all out on the pitch- getting forward, showcasing their talent, and most importantly, being calm under the face of pressure. But this Nyowani Kitara folks... Listen, we're resilient. We want to show Rushmore exactly what we can do in this tournament, and that's why we so desparately wanted the three points- we were never going to settle for just one on this Matchday. It's a fantastic start to the tournament, one that gives us a solid foundation to build on."

A fantastic start, indeed. But it was Darmen who were originally looking like they would be off to a flying start here at this tournament. All the festivities of the opening ceremony of the Copa Rushmori- Kitaran dancers, you had the President making an appearance, even the former President was here(Nafuna Akongo) in some sort of show of unity- although their very strong public dislike of each other was obvious for anyone who followed NYK politics. But Darmen didn't want to be just filler- they were here for their own party, as well. Why not them to win this tournament? And so when veteran striker Kennard Hale hit a volley in the 15th minute that went into the back of the night- it was like all the energy was sucked out of the building- the traveling support exploded, and it was 1-0.

The tournament just started- and yet, Nyowani Kitara were already down. Fortunately, this is a team that wasn't simply going to let Darmen just sit there and take control, not in Dewayo. So the Kitarans really got back into the game, and started to launch some attacks. Arvid Handsdotter, naturally, was the key to making this all happen. He was releasing guys like Wang Jiahui, really being the 'do-it-all' CM that really makes this NT thrive. And it would be one particular pass that would get this game level at 1. An overhead through ball, to Olaf Svante, that gave the Kitarans, somehow, a 4 on 2. This was not an opportunity theyd' blow- a passback from Svante to Angonga, who laid it off to a WIDE open Kuma Negasu- who buried the ball into the back of the net. The $8 million man had scored the equalizing goal, in the 31st minute.

Just 6 minutes later, the Kitarans would score again. But this time, it would be much more straightforward. An extremely poorly timed tackle from Ferdinand Kruse on Odede Angonga, and the referee was left no choice but to award a penalty. Kruse was shown yellow, and he pointed to the spot. Odede Angonga stepped up to take the penalty that he had earned- and buried it. 2-1 to the Kitarans at halftime, and despite the poor start, it seemed as if we might cruise to a fiesta in the nation's capitol. But nobody told the visitors. When Parthalán Wolfe buried in a wicked, bending free kick in the 66th minute, to make the score 2-2 with less than half an hour to go, fear crossed the crowd. Would they lose the opening match, in front of such a raucous home environment?

The answer was no. Liang Wei would make a couple of substitutions, including bringing on the local kid, Ayyah Ceora- just 16 years old. And that seemed to be the difference. We continued to push forward, peppering their keeper. Of course, we had to worry about the counter as well. They had a golden opportunity in the 79th minute, off the counter-attack, where Lennox Travers was able to hit one first time- but unfortunately for him, he hit the crossbar. Sometimes, it's better to be lucky than good, eh? Just a few minutes later, it would be the youngster, Ayyah Ceora, who would be sliding in on the back post to hit home an overhit cross from Wang Jiahui.

85th minute winner. What a goal- what a finish! And a NT debut goal for the youngster- who doesn't like that? He spoke about the speciality of the moment. "Obviously, I grew up right here, in Dewayo." He told reporters. "This city- I love this city. And I love this country. To be able to score today, when I didn't even know if I'd get off the bench- absolutely a huge moment. LET'S GOOOO!" He screamed to the reporter at the end. Despite a valiant effort from Darmen, they end up with no spoils- the 3-2 victory for Nyowani Kitara enough to push them over the top. Three points are three points- it's all smiles for Nyowani Kitara right now. They've got plenty to clean up, yes, but that's an important win- if nothing else, to keep the pressure off, and the confidence up.

Next up, we'll take on 18th ranked Southwest Eastnorth in a top of the table clash. Southwest Eastnorth crushed Marianne 4-0 on Matchday 1, so expect that to be a high-scoring, firecracker of a match.

[South Jeolerina]

Episode 0 | Epsiode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3a

Loyalty
Episode 3b: (South Jeolerina POV) "We need to support the Wokean movement"

"Mr Speaker, we believe that the South Jeolerina stands with the people of the Wokean movement, and we believe that the Handorian government needs to come out and explain themselves for their actions", said the Leader of the Opposition Jacoby Masterine. "Every member of this chamber would remember the foundings of South Jeolerina - we were formed our Southerners felt the Northerners were trying to create an opressive regime, and we decided that we were better off separate. And when we created the Gothanitan Declaration, we made sure the Northerners will never intervene in our affairs ever again. We like our civil rights, we support democracy, and we believe that the Wokean movement is perfectly justified."

Across the entire of South Jeolerina, the people have been very supportive of the Wokean movement. There are multiple support groups selling merchendise "with the aim of providing money to the Wokean movement". Even if the Jeolerina government has told the people to avoid making a stand in the Wokean incident, the people have made their point clear - they think the people of Wokean are in the right. And to Prime Minister Bongo Watson, this might be his biggest political issue in a long while. If he chooses not to follow the people's wishes and express South Jeolerina's support, he and his Democratic Party will likely get voted out in the next elections. However, they are bound by the Gothanitan Declaration - that each country will never intervene in the affairs of others. Its a tough line to balance in government, and certainly doesn't do any benefits when the Council of Four meets.

While the Council of Four has discussing about a statement regarding to the Wokean issue, it was a craze at home. The opposition made a bill in support of the Wokean movement. With a careful reading, the opposition made it clear to not flout the Gothanitan Declaration, by wording it as a support of the Wokean movement, and not to call on the Handorian government to do anything. There was a huge debate, but Mr Watson and his party was extremely conflicted. How, he was wondering, will he take such a balancing act?

And he decided to give in to the Council of Four declaration. And the very next day, he agreed to lift the whip for his party on the declaration on Wokean movement.

[Nyowani Kitara]

Second Cutoff of the Copa Rushmori

It's Matchday 2! This is what dreams are made of, right? Can build off of a positive performance, or a chance to reset after a rough start!

MD2 RP Prompt: Tell me about language in your nation. What do people speak? Are people mostly speaking Terrenean? (English?) Is your local language in danger of becoming lost? Are you trying to resurrect a dead language? Are there a bunch of langauges spoken- from migrant groups, or native groups, or anything like that? Do you have an official language? Do different regions speak different languages? And are linguistic issues divisive politically? Anything and everything there is to know about language in your country- let me know!

As a disclaimer, there is no rule that you must follow RP prompts. You can diverge from or completely ignore the prompt. There is no bonus for responding to the RP prompt, nor is there a penalty for ignoring the RP prompt.

OOC Note: I know today's cutoff is late, but the cutoff on Sunday should be right at the beginning of the cutoff window, because of my RL schedule, so please take note of that!

Matchday 2 Scores

Group Dei Ormache
Southwest Eastnorth 1–2 Nyowani Kitara
Captina Island 1–0 Marianne

  Group Dei Ormache                           Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Nyowani Kitara                                2   2  0  0    5   3  +2    6
2 Southwest Eastnorth                           2   1  0  1    5   2  +3    3
3 Captina Island                                1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
4 Darmen                                        1   0  0  1    2   3  −1    0
5 Marianne                                      2   0  0  2    0   5  −5    0

Group Lee Sharp
Oberour Ar Moro 2–0 The Askari Union
Mytanija 6–0 Klakahollin

  Group Lee Sharp                             Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Oberour Ar Moro                               2   2  0  0    5   1  +4    6
2 Mytanija                                      1   1  0  0    6   0  +6    3
3 Tikariot                                      1   0  1  0    3   3   0    1
4 The Askari Union                              2   0  1  1    3   5  −2    1
5 Klakahollin                                   2   0  0  2    1   9  −8    0

Group Robin Hjik
Ketiou 0–4 Gatchingerrak Union
Eura 2–1 Yuezhou

  Group Robin Hjik                            Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Gatchingerrak Union                           2   1  1  0    4   0  +4    4
2 Eura                                          1   1  0  0    2   1  +1    3
3 Ketiou                                        2   1  0  1    2   5  −3    3
4 República Guanacasteca                        1   0  1  0    0   0   0    1
5 Yuezhou                                       2   0  0  2    2   4  −2    0

Group Ausilio Calabrese
San Isidro Labrador 3–2 Brookstation
Aerágny 0–4 Ceni

  Group Ausilio Calabrese                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 San Isidro Labrador                           2   2  0  0    5   3  +2    6
2 Ceni                                          2   1  0  1    5   2  +3    3
3 Cassadaigua                                   1   1  0  0    4   1  +3    3
4 Brookstation                                  2   0  0  2    3   7  −4    0
5 Aerágny                                       1   0  0  1    0   4  −4    0

Group Michael Brandon
South Jeolerina 3–2 Pasarga
Nephara 1–1 Elmyia

  Group Michael Brandon                       Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 South Jeolerina                               2   1  1  0    4   3  +1    4
2 Pasarga                                       2   1  0  1    7   7   0    3
3 Elmyia                                        2   0  2  0    2   2   0    2
4 Nephara                                       1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
5 Eastfield Lodge                               1   0  0  1    4   5  −1    0

Group Stacie Kerrigan
Kirungabi 1–2 Gnejs
Norrhem 1–0 Sargossa

  Group Stacie Kerrigan                       Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Gnejs                                         2   2  0  0    4   1  +3    6
2 Norrhem                                       1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
3 Sargossa                                      2   1  0  1    1   1   0    3
4 Kirungabi                                     2   0  0  2    1   3  −2    0
5 Polar Islandstates                            1   0  0  1    0   2  −2    0

Group Ralf Álfarsson
Pridnestrovia 2–0 New Gelderland
Rea San Vegas 0–7 Græntfjall

  Group Ralf Álfarsson                        Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Græntfjall                                    2   2  0  0   10   2  +8    6
2 Naixi                                         1   1  0  0    5   4  +1    3
3 Pridnestrovia                                 2   1  0  1    4   3  +1    3
4 New Gelderland                                2   0  0  2    4   7  −3    0
5 Rea San Vegas                                 1   0  0  1    0   7  −7    0

Group Armoni Okombo
Cabo Azure 5–0 Thibaea
Astograth 0–1 Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland

  Group Armoni Okombo                         Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Cabo Azure                                    2   2  0  0    6   0  +6    6
2 Valladares                                    1   1  0  0    4   2  +2    3
3 Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland      2   1  0  1    1   1   0    3
4 Astograth                                     1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0
5 Thibaea                                       2   0  0  2    2   9  −7    0

[Rea San Vegas]

Rea San Vegas 0–7 Græntfjall

Interview with Jevon Moulden manager of Rea San Vegas national team.
We have broken a Rea San Vegas record today. Our biggest loss in Copa Rushmori.
Græntfjall were the better team today not much I can really say.. I see this result as blip.
We go forward in next match's with Naixi, Pridnestrovia, New Gelderland.

[Naixi]

Long red ribbons with joyous gold print on them reached from every corner of Wen's office to every other to celebrate the traditional Naixese end-of-summer holiday, and unlike a huge majority of the other sergeants' offices, where harsh fluorescent lighting was the norm, Wen had numerous floor lamps strewing warm yellow light all over everything. A tattered blue ribbon, with a silver commendation medal attached, was the only thing adorning the walls that would have given a visitor any clue that this was a policewoman's office. Pleasantly unfamiliar music, with words in some melodious tongue, played gently. Here Ohimi was, two coffees in hand once again, to visit her friend Sergeant Wen.

Ohimi, a detective here in the First Precinct of Naixi's largest city Qiawutian, had only been able to watch as her partner Hi Yuan had been gunned down 10 months prior during a routine stakeout and then interview of a likely-unwilling member of a prostitution ring in the Seaport District to the south. Instructed by the First's captain to not enquire any further about her friend's killing at the hands of masked thugs, she'd ignored those commands and launched an under-the-table investigation. She had rummaged through the sprinter van used by the thugs - all of whom were now dead - and found a collection of pirated CDs by international artists. At the makeshift illegal wares market in the Downtown District, she'd discovered a collection with exactly the same albums, and as fate would have it, she personally knew the peddler selling them, an old Rokikoliji woman named Kosirothi. Their families had been allies and friends for generations in their hometown far up into the Naixese interior to the northeast. But Kosirothi had been in trapped in an exploitative "business relationship" with a shady figure named Xi Wang, and her memory had clearly been decimated by the poverty and trauma experienced by many Rokis in the Celestial Empire. When Ohimi had tried to talk to her, she'd fled from Ohimi in terror. During the motorcycle chase that ensued, Kosirothi - Kosi for short - had crashed her bike and fallen several stories down a steep concrete embankment.

Miraculously, old Kosi had lived, but she had been very badly hurt. In a coma for the last 10 months, Ohimi had been racked by guilt. What, after all, would her mother and father say if they knew Kosi had been hurt or killed because Ohimi was haranguing her? Luckily, the elderly woman had just woken up from the coma the previous day. Ohimi, most relieved, was planning on going to see Kosi that afternoon. The doctors had warned her that Kosi's memory had not improved during the coma, but that didn't matter to Ohimi. She was delighted to hear Kosi was awake and alive at last. The investigation was going miserably (Xi Wang was doing time for extortion but completely refusing to answer any questions about Kosi's suppliers or customers), but the only thing that truly mattered to Ohimi was that Kosi was all right.

"Which hospital is she in?" asked Wen. Ohimi had been telling her the good news.

"She's not at a hospital anymore, they've had her at an intensive care clinic in Western Valley." That was across the river from the First Precinct. "So I'll be taking the underground, I suppose."

"You think she'll remember anything at all?" Wen fiddled with a remote control on her desk, turning the volume of the music down.

"About Xi Wang, you mean? No. The doctor told me there was no improvement to her memory while she was out. She may not even remember having briefly seen me downtown that day. But I know who she is."

"That's what matters," Wen answered kindly.

"Yeah. That's what matters. I'm nervous, though. It would almost be scarier if she did remember me, you know? Like, what if she's angry?" Ohimi shook her head sadly. "I would be angry. Chased off a two story drop by a reckless cop..."

"She won't remember you, Ohimi. I understand the nerves, though. I'd tell you to take a sip of something to take the edge off it, but..."

"God, what a clusterfuck. How long before the Ministry just confesses to us the truth: that all they want us working on is vice?"

"I know. You aren't the only one, Ohimi. Trust me. All my detectives are completely outraged. Well, not all of them, I suppose. One of them's particularly devout, so I think he may be pro-temperance. But all the others are outraged. It's busy work that we don't have time for."

"It's going to destroy industry out in the countryside where I'm from," remarked Ohimi. "It's not like things were even that good before the alcohol ban. But now all the boutique vineyards will have to shut down... I can't tell you how many Rokis depend on winery jobs, and I don't know what any of them will do."

"Yeah. It's nuts." After Wen spoke, there was a pause in the conversation. More soothing music could be heard.

"This is really nice," said Ohimi. "The music. Who's it by?"

"Oh, I have no idea," said Wen with a smile. "Just something I have on."

"Well, you've got great taste, Sergeant."

"Thank you."

"I'm finding that I can't listen to music anymore. There's no way to do it unless you're willing to put up with Rotify, and I don't like to support them because they treat artists so bad."

"Sure, I've heard about that," answered Wen.

"But you know what, even if they treated their artists better... how the hell do people survive all the commercial breaks without killing themselves? Every fucking ten minutes, it's 'Don't Get Frozen Pizza, Get Po Zhen Pizza!' or 'Rocket Pizza! Never Wait An Extra Second.'"

"Yeah," agreed Wen with an obliging smile.

"'Throw Away Your Toothbrush! Puurgumm is All You Need!' 'Elven Pizza! The Elves Make It.' But the ad I've been getting the most lately, the one that really drives me crazy, is for that dumb Navatar movie."

"Which one is that, the one with the blue guys?"

"Yeah, exactly," answered Ohimi with exasperation.

"Oh, no. I've seen the ads for that. That does look terrible. Who's the guy in the tank top and buzz cut? He's tall, always frowning at everyone?"

"Oh... what's his name? Fuck, everyone on the internet talks about him as if he's a compelling villain... Quarch! His name is Quarch. God, what a stupid movie."

"I'll have to ask the captain to have a showing for the whole First Precinct," Wen said, chuckling as she sipped her coffee.

"Don't you dare, Sergeant."

At the idea of all the stone-faced (almost all) men they worked with being forced to watch such a silly and inconsequential children's movie, they laughed, so much so that both had to set their coffees down on Wen's desk. When they were finished, they both sighed. Wen broke the silence.

"Do I dare ask how your 'secret' investigation is going?" Wen questioned in a low tone. Ohimi had filled Wen in months ago, asking her to keep it quiet.

Ohimi blew air out from between her lips, communicating desperation. "There is no investigation. I have fuck all."

"There's got to be some angle, Ohimi."

"Believe me, nobody's more motivated to chase down leads on this case than I am. I haven't forgotten what happened to Hi Yuan. But... Xi Wang isn't talking. Month after month and month I go to Qiawutian lock-up and every time he just sits there in silence. Nothing works."

"But you think Xi Wang has the information you want about how Kosi got ahold of that illicit merchandise?"

"Yeah."

"And you have no confidence that Kosi will remember anybody she's bought or sold from?"

"None. She knows a few names, but seemingly not even her own."

"Hmmm." Wen paused. She thought for a very long time, staring off into the distance behind Ohimi. Finally, she locked eyes with her younger coworker. "Detective?"

"Yes?"

"So she can't remember names. But what if she remembers places?"

Matchday 1 ⇨ Bujukamba Public Stadium, Bujukamba

New Gelderland 4 ⇨ Aller, Apollo, Fensby, Calder, Ben-Avi ⚽x2 (Z. Engstrom), C. Engstrom ⚽x1 (Prescott), Auren (McKenna), Proulx ⚽x1, Springsure, Swan-Weiss, Longreach
Naixi 5 ⇨ Huang, Pao, Geng, Dong (Tan), Tian, Xun (Fen), Hark ⚽x1, Yuan ⚽x1, Yue ⚽x3 (Yep), Cao, Hsieh

10' Yellow Card ⇨ Swan-Weiss (NGD)
14' Yellow Card ⇨ C. Engstrom (NGD)
38' Yellow Card ⇨ Huang (NIX)
39' Goal ⇨ Yuan (NIX)
41' Goal ⇨ Hark (NIX)
46' Yellow Card ⇨ Dong (NIX)
49' Yellow Card ⇨ Hark (NIX)
52' Goal ⇨ Ben-Avi (NGD)
59' Goal ⇨ Yue (NIX)
61' Goal ⇨ C. Engstrom (NGD)
62' Substitution ⇨ Xun OFF Fen ON (NIX)
64' Goal ⇨ Yue (NIX)
68' Yellow Card ⇨ Pao (NIX)
69' Substitution ⇨ C. Engstrom OFF Prescott ON (NGD)
74' Goal ⇨ Ben-Avi (NGD)
78' Goal ⇨ Yue (NIX)
84' Substitution ⇨ Dong OFF Tan ON (NIX)
84' Substitution ⇨ Yue OFF Yep ON (NIX)
86' Substitution ⇨ Auren OFF McKenna ON (NGD)
89' Goal ⇨ Proulx (NGD)
89' Substitution ⇨ Ben-Avi OFF Z. Engstrom ON (NGD)

[Oberour Ar Moro]

Mychel de Guine-Vile scores a brace as the Dragoons claim a victory against The Askari Union. With the win, Rodolfo Zelaya becomes the winningest manager in the history of the Oberour Ar Moro National Team.

---

A History of License Plates in the Dominion: Part Two

It would not take long before the limitations of city-by-city registration of vehicles became clear. Automobiles began trekking between cities, such as Regium to Calchedon, on paths long reserved for horse and wagon. Cities finding an opportunity to demonstrate their authority could, and would, attempt to penalize automobiles and drivers for driving illegally in their cities, despite the presence of a license plate from another city. There were initial efforts in some cities to create tolls for vehicles. Almost every city that attempted these saw costs increase without an increase in revenue, as efforts to dodge tolls were broadly successful.

It was, in the eyes of Oberour Ar Moro, high time to resolve these problems nationally. In 1627, then Chancellor Erlé la Morise established the Ministry for Transportation, and gave it the responsibility to register all automobiles in the nation. Former Genulca mayor, then Deputy Minister for Works, Serapion Delevoye was named the first Minister and was told to get to work.

Cities, seeing the loss of multiple revenue streams, were widely opposed to the maneuver. As a former Mayor himself, Minister Delevoye was sympathetic, and worked to make the changes worth the municipality's while. Plans were made for revenues from registration to be utilized to improve the Dominion's roads, from cities outward. His initial plan offered a much higher percentage of the revenues for roads than would eventually be provided, and his goal for monies to be spread proportionally by registrations per city were changed to more-even amounts provided to all.

A frustration for nascent automobile owners came with the first national license plate. The red and white plate was longer than any municipalities previous plate, thus necessitating the drilling of new holes into vehicles accustomed to smaller, squarer plates. The size of the plate was unexpected to even Minister Delevoye. It took until there was a Ministry of Transportation to do an official census of vehicles in the whole of Oberour Ar Moro. That there were over 140,000 automobiles on the streets, roads, and boulevards of the Dominion was eye opening, as was the fact that over 50 more were joining that fleet every day.

[Cabo Azure]

O Casamento, pt 3
Six months later, Tommy found himself somehow on a plane from Kingston to Sao Simone after clarifying to what felt like half of the multiverse that no, he wasn't getting married on this trip. Anna had floated the idea of a trip to make arrangements in person and their planner had bit, replying with a six-day itinerary full of food tastings and sight seeing.

Thanks to the unusual geography of the Blood Sea, all of Cabo Azure is in the same time zone as Kingston, so it was broad daylight when Tommy and Anna emerged from the cave-like interior of the jetliner onto the tarmac at Diego Silva International Airport in Natal. It was early spring, and mist condensed into water droplets on every surface of the little airport. Looking around Tommy was surprised at how rural the setting was. Knowing that Aho was the most populous island, he'd been expecting something resembling a blue-collar neighborhood in Kingston, but what he found instead reminded him more of his mother's home in Coloratura Falls. From the window of the plane, he'd seen mostly verdant fields, occasionally interrupted by clusters of red-roofed houses.

The terminal was a sprawling one-story building, more modern in design than its neighbors. Anna and Tommy followed the crowd into one end of the building, where they passed through customs with only a heartfelt promise that they had nothing to declare. A uniformed driver met them outside security with their name on a printed card and rather brusquely took their suitcases to load them into the trunk of a small white 4×4.

The drive to Sao Simone seemed to meander through green meadows and between rocky hills in a nausea inducing weave, until Tommy began to wonder whether the driver was intentionally taking the long way. Eventually they passed through a forest of billboards and into a low-density commercial district full of colorful storefronts. Next the little truck crested a tall hill and came at last into view of the ocean, then descended into a confusing jumble of streets. Brick buildings that looked centuries old intermingled with glass and concrete, and every few blocks was a construction zone ringed with chain link fences.

Around what seemed like an ordinary right-angle turn, the truck pulled onto a wide avenue that paralleled the edge of the water, and a few blocks later parked in front of the "Hotel Capitão Canseco", an ornate building with huge Doric columns flanking its doors. Tommy tipped the driver, and a porter took away their luggage while they approached the desk.

"Bom dia," said the concierge as they approached. "Você tem reserva?"

Anna glanced at Tommy, who swallowed hard and said, "I'm sorry, I don't speak much Azurean."

"No problem," the concierge said, smiling. "Do you have a reservation?"

"Yes, Tomás Alicante," Tommy replied. The concierge looked at him quizzically.

"Isn't that an Azurean name?"

"It is," Tommy agreed. "My parents are from here."

The concierge gave an unreadable expression, then produced two hotel keys and slid them across the counter. Their room proved to be on the fourth floor, with a sweeping view of the Sao Simone harbor. Container ships, fishing trawlers, police boats, and pleasure craft dotted the horizon.

[Trans-Dniesters]

For the longest time, Russian had always been the language spoken in Pridnestrovia. Of course, at the beginning, it made sense that Pridnestrovians would speak Russian because they were founded by Russian settlers searching for a location for a warm water port. The status of Russian as the official language of Pridnestrovia was never enshrined in any sort of law or constitution, although de facto it was the language spoken by most of the aristocracy and landed class that arrived in the territory between the 19th and 20th centuries. Even the leaders of both Revolutions in 1910 and 1916 mostly spoke Russian in their daily lives, and that was the way that things remained for most of the existence of Communist Pridnestrovia.

Other ethnicities in territories ruled by the then Russian Empire (and eventually also the Soviet Union) immigrated to Pridnestrovia in that time, with Ukrainians making up a large chunk of these migrants. Ethnic Ukrainians eventually became the second largest group in Pridnestrovia, and the Ukrainian language rose up in prominence throughout the country, especially in the aftermath of the First Great Patriotic War from 1941 to 1947. But it wouldn’t be until 1992 when General Stepan Stepanovich Stepanenko led a coup d’etat and took over the government of Pridnestrovia that Ukrainian was elevated into the official language of the country under his dictatorship. Despite this though, Russian remained the lingua franca, with most people speaking it in casual conversation as well as most other situations. When Stepanenko stepped down from the presidency in 2010 as the culmination of democratization reforms that he promised during his tenure, a new constitution was drawn up in which both Russian and Ukrainian finally received recognition as Pridnestrovia’s two official languages, but Russian still remains more widely spoken in the country, especially among the non-Ukrainian minorities living in it.

Bulgarian is another Slavic language spoken in Pridnestrovia, though it was mostly confined to the Bulgarian minority that migrated to the country from the late 19th century to the early 20th. It, along with German, Romanian, and Turkish, were listed in the 2010 Constitution as “recognized minor languages,” languages spoken by minorities in Pridnestrovia but not by anyone else. This definition set them apart from Ukrainian, which was taught to students on a national level under the Stepanenko regime, unlike the other languages which were only spoken in and taught to their own communities. And for those wondering how in the world German, Romanian, and Turkish became “recognized minor languages” in the new Pridnestrovian constitution, it was because the Democratic People’s Republic of the United Socialist States of Pridnestrovia absorbed two neighboring territories after they had gone through their own communist revolutions. The first one was the Turk-dominated Sultanate of Hatay, which eventually became the Hatay Socialist State when it voted to join Pridnestrovia via a “supervised” referendum. The second one was when Pridnestrovia’s great rival, the Grand Duchy of Ixania, experienced a revolution of its own in the 1970s which resulted in the overthrow and removal of the German grand dukes as well as the splitting of the country between a communist rump state and territories that expressed their desire to become part of Pridnestrovia as well.

In the end, Russian still remains the most widely spoken language in Pridnestrovia even as it acquired co-official status alongside Ukrainian. Bulgarian, Romanian, German, and Turkish are “recognizes minor languages” spoken in different areas of the country but not as nationwide as the previous two.

     PRIDNESTROVIA 2 - 0 NEW GELDERLAND      
      PEKKOR (36')
  MEKHANTYEV (79')

[Mytanija]

Some might say that a debut match as manager couldn’t have come much better than Mytanija’s Copa Rushmori opener against Klakahollin in Nyowani Kitara. Mytanija may have underperformed at regional level over the years, but a comparative minnow as first opponent would be the sort of thing most managers would salivate at the prospect of. Misel Ravnjak isn’t your standard manager, though, and he refused to take the tournament newcomers lightly pre-game: “To play at this tournament you have to be of a certain standard, so we have to respect them in the same we will respect any opponent, we know that they can make it difficult for us and our goal therefore has to be to make life very difficult for them. We want to show that we’re contenders for this tournament, I’ve had good discussions with the squad and everybody has agreed that fighting for trophies is where this group of players should be given the standard many of them compete at every week. My job is to facilitate that aim and the players have to work hard to achieve it.”

With Ravnjak’s words ringing in their ears, Mytanija got off to a perfect start in Copa Rushmori 43. A convincing 6-0 win over Klakahollin in Ravnjak’s first game as manager, just what he would have been looking for from his players. Ravnjak, taking over from Dzvezdan Kitanchev, will be hoping that the victory can act as a marker of a new era for the national team. Kitanchev’s tenure at times showed great promise, something Ravnjak will be wanting to deliver more concretely on. Whilst Kitanchev’s teams played some smart football and sealed some big results, there was something lacking in terms of competing at the World Cup and then his reign rather petered out with a failure to qualify for World Cup 93 and Cup of Harmony disappointment. The FSM finally decided to turn to Ravnjak at that point, something which had seemingly tried to avoid for a very long time, but with some of Mytanija’s other top coaches engaged with very high profile club jobs he ended up being the most likely option very quickly.

The match was a convincing performance and one which demonstrated many of Ravnjak’s principles quite clearly, albeit against limited opposition. The Hoops looked to get the ball forward quickly, played in a very structured formation both in attack and defence and were relentlessly physical. Drazen Skara struck twice in the first half, as is his custom as of late, adding goals 36 and 37 for his country. The first showed just how good the partnership between he and Damien Gannot could become, the pair combining to create space and Gannot’s deftness of touch releasing Skara to finish. Skara’s second was a powerful back post header, getting highest above the Klakahollin defender to meet Mirko Hranilovic’s cross. Denis Ovsyannikov got in on the act shortly after, firing in the pick of the game’s goals with a stunning outside-of-the-boot volley from the corner of the penalty area. That strike was his 18th goal in 32 caps, an outstanding contribution from midfield and further underlining his meteoric rise and just how crucial he is to Mytanija’s hopes going forwards.

Bosko Pestotnik added a powerful header of his own in the second half. The former Ararat man, a favourite protege of Ravnjak’s in his time in Severyan, was playing his first match as the first choice partner to Bigger Mbala-Ekakia in the heart of Mytanija’s defence. He was impressive in both boxes, towering above everybody to redirect Nurija Papez’s corner into the net and adding Mytanija’s fourth goal to the tally. In the final twenty minutes of the game Luka Vujanovic and his substitute Tadej Roskar added to the score line, adding further exclamation points to an already emphatic win. Vujanovic cut inside his marker before lashing beyond the goalkeeper and into the net, whilst Roskar bagged after evading his man with a piece of trickery which had the whole stadium looking the opposite way given how sneaky it was. The result should serve as a morale boost for the team and fans back home, as they look to reintroduce an element of fun - and more importantly success - following the rather dour end to Kitanchev’s reign.

After the game Ravnjak explained that he was pleased with his team’s performance, but that he was also aware of how far they had to go to compete at the level that they wanted to. The team will face tougher opponents in the competition and it is they who Mytanija will have to beat (and improve to reach the level of), if they want to achieve success in this Copa Rushmori. Ravnjak is known for his charisma, but also for his slightly irascible and even abrasive nature and his comments were fairly typical of his straight-talking style: “I’m pleased with the win and with how consistent we were in front of goal specifically. I think we played well, but there were some lapses of concentration that wouldn’t go unpunished against the best teams we can play at this tournament. The wingers have to get used to tracking back in my team, often they play much higher in a 4-3-3 for their club sides these days, but I like my wingers to contribute defensively too and that allows my two strikers to lead the press. It will be a learning curve for them to become acclimatised to the nuances of the system, but I have faith that they can get there. And once we’ve found that consistency throughout the team we’ll be able to compete at the highest level.”

He was also quick to praise his players when asked about any standout performances and referenced the goalscorers in particular for their part in the win. “We all know what Drazen Skara can do at this point, I’ve had to coach against him enough times to know exactly just how talented he is and the problems he can cause your team. It’s nice to be on the other side of that now. Ovsi’s goal was a thing of beauty and he’s on a path which could see him become one of the multiverse’s best, he can affect games from midfield whether he’s in a two or a three, he’s technically superb but he’s also physically imposing and he has a streak of nastiness which means he can’t be pushed around like you sometimes see with smaller playmakers. Fantastic player. And I know Bosko very well, he showed why he deserves to be in the starting eleven and I imagine it’ll be a challenge to anyone else in or around the squad to try and take that place off him now and that’s the sort of environment we want to create here, competition is good. We have some very talented players here, but I’m confident that we can continue to improve too.”

“It’s important to not get carried away, it was just one game and there’s a long way to go both in this competition and I’m confident in my tenure too. I don’t allow complacency among my players, because it’s always about what you can achieve next, that’s why I enjoyed success with Ararat and I can see the players buying into that same idea already with the national team. We need to stay focused and keep working hard if we want to succeed.” Ravnjak was at pains to show that he was aware of the challenges that lay ahead, but his mixed approach combining charisma and a no-nonsense attitude together has enjoyed success before and he’ll hope he can harness it to good effect throughout the remainder of the Copa.

Bigger Mbala-Ekakia, now captain full-time with Savicevic dropping down the pecking order, shared his thoughts following the Klakahollin match too - with some interesting insight into Ravnjak’s approach since linking up with the national team.

“I think first and foremost I’m delighted with the team’s performance today, starting the tournament with a win is always important and to do it in such emphatic style is even better. I know everybody is buzzing in that dressing room and we want to use it as something to build on for the rest of the competition. The gaffer told us what he wanted before the game, a major focus on intensity and purpose when we have they ball and we showed that and had real quality in front of goal too. I think being clinical is something we’ve always had, but we also had that desire to go and get more goals which I think we’ve perhaps been missing sometimes. We were secure at the back but there was no sense of playing it safe when we had the opportunity to play forwards.”

The captain singled out Ravnjak for praise too. “The manager has come in and made an instant impact. He has brought a new energy and enthusiasm to the team and I think that’s needed sometimes, everybody’s playing with a smile on their face again. We know that he demands a lot, I think anyone who has played in Mytanija for any amount of time knows that about Misel Ravnjak and if they haven’t then the lads who have played under him can soon fill in the details. We’re all committed to working hard and achieving our goals, Mytanija haven’t performed at international level in the way a lot of the players would have liked for a long time. We’re the ones who have to change that now.

[Thibaea]

The Autorité nationale des sports of the Republic of Thibea
The Warlocks are looking to continue to improve their reputation and performance on the international stage, and so far they're sticking with Maurice Bonhomme to guide them through that. He's already stated that he will be sticking with his typical tactics as he tries to play the ball wide, relying on his wingback and wingers to stretch the field of play out and feed the ball into the box.

Management for the Thibaean 'Warlocks' National Team
Manager: Maurice Bonhomme
Assistant Manager: Noël Jaubert
Player-Coach: Cyril Dujardin
Chief Physio: Roseline Cortot

Kits for the Warlocks

Kits were designed by Ninette Sylvain of Cher Graphics Solutions, who have previously designed dozens of kits for the Ligue and other football associations and clubs within the Republic; the burgundy and blue of the primary is to represent the former colors of the old nobility while the alternate kit was selected as the royal blue is a widely popular color within the Republic while as green to represent the lush, wide green ranges and plains of the southern portions of the nation.

Players for the National Team:
Style Modifier: +2.5
Formation: 3-5-2
Captain: Vincent Desjardin
Vice Captains: Jean-Luc Deniau, Fabien Gachet
Free Kick Taker: Alexia Sardou, Valéry Barbet
Penalties: Vincent Desjardin, Hugues Lafaille

Starting XI:
GK:#2 Évrard Chappuis (Age 28, M)
CB:#1 Valéry Barbet (Age 21, M)
CB:#13 Jean-Luc Deniau (Age 26, M)
CB:#19 Zoé Cazenave (Age 31, F)
DMC:#3 Ariane Rousselle (Age 20, F)
DMC:#20 Fabien Gachet (Age 30, M)
WBL:#8 Hugues Lafaille (Age 27, M)
WBR:#15 Yseult Fétique (Age 23, F)
AMC:#4 Vincent Desjardins C (Age 28, M)
CF:#6 Alexia Sardou (Age 25, F)
ST:#12 José Milhaud (Age 29, M)

Reserves:
GK Cécile Piaget (Age 28, F)
D/WB Noël Blanc (Age 22, M)
D Tristan Gainsbourg (Age 23, M)
D Elise Lecocq (Age 31, F)
D/MF Annie Beaumanoir (Age 28, F)
W/MF Henry Chevalier (Age 19, M)
MF Alain Gérin-Lajoie (Age 22, M)
MF Frank Héroux (Age 27, M)
CF Émilien Cochet (Age 25, M)
CF Roselyne Delafosse (Age 20, F)

Select my scorers — Yes
Give out yellow cards to my players — Yes
Give out red cards to my players — Telegram me first
RP injuries to my players — Yes for injuries limited to 3 days, anything more serious telegram me
Godmod injuries — No
Godmod scoring events — Yes
Godmod other events — Yes

[Nephara]

THE HERALD
MEDINA KLOSE DEFIES POLLS TO SWEEP TO NARROW ELECTION WIN
Meliza Callion Political Correspondent

It took over 24 hours after the end of polling to be certain, but at long last, Margrave Alisander Pike formally conceded that Medina Klose, leader of the Nationals, had secured a majority and the best chance of forming government. Even two years ago, this was an unthinkable outcome; her fall from grace had appeared total. Nevertheless: here she stands, triumphant.

A 57-year old from Starling, of middle-class, small-business-owning stock, the slender, severe Klose worked hard to claw her way up the party ranks and secure the role as Ulrica Lindt's Minister for Foreign Affairs, and thus a prominent figure in Nephara's most Rushmoriphile, outward-looking government in history. Most prominently, the hard-working technocrat was a pivotal presence in securing the Varakoula Accords, and was crucial in ensuring a long-lasting peace and free, fair elections.

However, Klose perhaps had too high an opinion of her stocks - or the Nationals' establishment had too low an opinion of her electability. Klose reportedly believed herself to be Margravine-in-waiting, with Lindt set to step down after seeing through her maximum three terms, but the party leadership tried to block her. She took on Pavel Chambers and lost, and though Chambers went on to be destroyed in the next election, Klose was exiled to an ambassadorial post in Brenecia, her relevance in Corvistone seemingly all but over.

How fast things can change. After Pike flattened the Nationals at back-to-back elections, a reshuffle in Nationals leadership saw Klose able to sidle back, and when the party needed a leader, she made a convincing case as a safe hand at the tiller. Even so, her chances appeared desperately slim eighteen months ago.

However, Klose proved a very formidable campaigner. She made no attempt to come across as a woman of the people, and described herself openly as 'a technocrat', drily observing that 'you can see quite far from an ivory tower'. Owning that line of attack blunted much of the Pro Dems' negative campaigning. And when Pike accused Klose of helping Corvistone to 'win the war [in Kitara], but lose the peace', Klose countered that it was an argument in favour of a more outward-looking approach from Corvistone, not merely digging in heels in response to slights.

"Sulking will get us nothing," Klose notably snapped during one debate, a moment where the mask frayed to reveal some irritability - irritability which finally made her relatable to the common voters. In the end, people did not particularly warm to Klose herself, but they did continue to trust her to get things done, and came to value that quality more and more as the campaign went on. Pike has been largely regarded as a capable and personable leader, but not one to take Nephara forward by any great leap. Klose made the people crave a great leap.

Though her status as Margravine is not yet confirmed, as a free-market centrist, Klose is expected to have little trouble coaxing the Liberal Alliance to the table to secure a slim majority in the Assembly. The Alliance's leverage is unlikely to be sufficient to secure the Chancellorship, as they do not have enough seats along with the Pro Dems to play both sides, ensuring a true majority Nationals government in all but mathematics.

So the question is: her return complete, what will Klose's reign look like? And what will it mean for Nephara's status on the regional and global stages?

[Cassadaigua]

How we spent the bye day,
by Caitlyn Dufresne, Concord Heights Times

With a group of five, there will be one bye per team. We just happened to have ours in the last game, so here's a quick look at what players did with this added time off.

Stacie Thornton- Starting goalkeepers never truly have a day off, so Stace spent the time watching everything she could on the opposing shooters of the rest of the group, especially San Isidro Labrador, the next opponent.

Stacey Schalberg- Took a quick flight back to Grande Mountain for her brother's birthday.

Erica Knapp- Was one of several players on the team to go out exploring the city of Karora. She had gotten some restaurant recommendations from locals in the day prior, and was happy to say that they did not let her down!

Tiffany Brown- Was one of the players that went out with Erica Knapp to check out the city. Did not have as glowing of an endorsement about the restaurant they tried but seemed to have a pretty good day, overall.

Madison Rutland- She's the captain. There is no such thing as a day off when you are the captain.

Alyssa Marlin- Attended the match between Aerágny and Ceni. Says she was surprised by the amount of Ceni fans that recognized her, but could not say the same for Aerágny fans.

Rachel Becker- Reportedly hit a few bars.

Brianna Ward- Hung out with Madison Rutland. This meant they simply went over a lot of game tape together.

Hailey Meyer- Spent a lot of time catching up with Kingston FC teammates.

Michelle Lawson- Enjoyed the bar scene, maybe a little too much. You can do that when you don't expect to play.

Maddie Hertel- Watched Cassadaigua's World Bowl game with a group of Cassadagan fans staying in Karora.

Krystal Sherwin- Got into a friendly but heated discussion with locals about who will be the four Banijan schools that make the Championship Four in NSCAA 14.

Kaitlin Milliken- Uploaded seven videoes to her Spacebook account. She proudly admits that she actually still has this account, by the way.

Jenna Stokley- Attended the match between Brookstation and San Isidro Labrador. Claims no one recognized her.

Lauren Engle, Chrissy Engle, and Rachel Wyman- The three of them took a trip to Dewayo together and did some sightseeing around the national capital.

Sierra Torres- Signed autographs for about two hours outside the hotel, and then just hung out with Madison Rutland.

Kayla Carras- Went home to Sterling Heights for a day, for undisclosed reasons.

Lexi McGregor- Learned her lesson from the Di Bradini Cup and did not party it up. Wait, who am I kidding, she partied her ass off!

Shannon Cunningham- Spend time catching up with Alino teammates. Declined Lexi's offer to party with her.

Lacey Sherwood- Absolutely did not decline that same offer, and she may have actually had more to drink than Lexi did.

Chloe Anderson- Spent some extra time getting to know Chen Huikang and they went over some offensive strategies.

Carly Patterson- Had her husband over and two children over and they spent some quality family time together.

Allyson Perry- Surprisingly, she was also seen partying it up like crazy with Lexi and Lacey.

Danielle Watson- Binge watched a lot of World Bowl games.

[Tikariot]

Hell-o, my dear students of cunning linguistics, on today's menu is - Tikariot.

We have been asked so many times which languages we speak around here and, well, we have a whole bunch of them. Now, the main language is Terranu-- Terrestri-- Tarring-- Ter-rah-nee-ann. Ah yes, Terranean. This language is languaged all across the nation, even if some people might not want to acknowledge it. This way we can all misunderstand each other on purpose, we don't really have any excuse.

So, while Tikariot is not in Terranea, we have adopted the language a long, long time ago. Rumours have it that the first explorers that landed on these shores spoke Terranean and it just snowballed from there. I must say that it is a quite useful thing, too. Now, that being said, as I mentioned earlier, we have whole slew of other languages around here, so let's have a look, shall we?

First of all, in the Bashperian Darklands, out east, we have a bunch of native Tikariotian languages. These tribes are the indigenous populants of these fine lands and while the Darklands (don't let the name fool you, it's not that dark over there), are all their own, you still can find them virtually all over Tikariot and they actually are very well respected throughout. They tend to speak their own languages but also are respectful enough to switch to Terranean when they know that someone who is not indigenous is around. And, of course, if they want you to actually understand. They have a very strong connection to their languages and it is highly important to them to pass them on to their children to guarantee the continued existence. Different tribes have different dialects but the base language is the same. That is not to say that some dialects don't sound like completely different languages when spoken. In written form, however, they are mostly the same with some differently used words.

With Tikariot having been a big trade hub for centuries, one thing that came with the merchants was different languages, cultures and people. Many nations opened trade houses in the main ports of Carathyr, Avanaroch, Alcassar and Port Rhovanyon and this is reflected by the wild mishmash of languages you can encounter in any of these cities and their suburbs. Carathyr in particular is a real melting pot and also has many quarters that are dedicated to one nation's descendants and language, which makes it a fascinating destination for any cunning linguist. As you probably can expect, all of these different cultures also brought their cuisines with them, so if you're not just into languages but also into food and want to go on an adventure without having to traverse the multiverse, Carathyr's your place to go! Hm. Would that make linguini thee pasta of choice for linguists? I should investigate this...

Anyways, there also are some provinces that have their own little special touches linguistically. All the way in the southwest of the nation, lies the Cardannon Archipelago. A smattering of islands, nice and warm and tropical and with the maybe most distinctly different culture in all of Tikariot. These islanders do speak Terranean if they have to, but other than that they are all about Cardannian (OOC: Polynesian). I think that it's due to their secluded location that their native tongue is so strong in their daily lives and Terranean is more of a necessary evil. They are a huge tourist destination after all, so it makes sense. They are, fun fact, the only province where Terranean is not the official provincial language.

Another province that is quite distinct with their language is Viljamark. They have two official provincial languages, Viljan (OOC: Swedish) and Terranean. Viljan is very close to Gnejsan and Norrish and I am strongly assuming that somewhere in the mists of time there have been some crossovers one way or another. Generally, you will hear more Viljan in everyday life than Terranean and especially if you go more rural, you'll hear less and less Terranean. In some of the old and remote area a tourist might have some trouble to communicate if they don't know any Viljan, especially with older folks.

There also is another influence in Viljamark and to some extent also in Xark and northern Dhaencunor, and that's Græntfjall-erish? Græntish? Græntian? Whatever they call their language up there. Due to their similarities in culture and also the geographic proximity, both Græntfjallers and their language have bled over a bit, which I always find fascinating. Similarly in the southern and eastern areas of Taeria you'll find some San Ortelian influences and due to the civil war in Nyowani Kitara many years ago and the ensuing refugee crisis, some of their native tongues and dialects also have made it into Tikariot, especially around the border, so that's a rather recent development

Out west, in Acrassia, there is a fairly sizable group of people that speak Acrassian (OOC: Arabic) and I will be honest with you, I have idea how that happened. Old Acrassian legends say that Acrassians are indigenous to the area and that's just their language and I tend to believe them because there are not many places around that speak the same or a similar language.

I had briefly mentioned Xark earlier in connection with the Græntfjaller language. Xarkians also have their own language or dialect and to be frank, nobody is really sure what exactly they are talking because whatever is written down, is Terranean or Viljan but when they speak it sounds absolutely nothing like either. And they steadfastly refuse to write whatever they are saying, so they are basically a linguists nightmare.

So, there you have it, a brief overview of the linguistic word salad that is Tikariot.

[Darmen]

Students In Capital To Be Required To Learn Darmeni Norse

SCOTT CITY - Members of the Scott City Municipal Council voted 15-8 to pass a measure which will require students attending public secondary schools in the capital to take at least a semester of a Darmeni Norse language class. The measure, introduced by Hildegard Bakken (National Patriotic Party), is intended to promote connection to Darmeni heritage among the capital's diverse students.

Among the council's governing coalition, made up of the aforementioned councilor Bakken as the lone NPP member, eleven Republicans and five Liberals, only two members deviated from their counterparts in opposing the measure. They were joined by the six councilors from the National Labor Party in voting against the measure. Oaklyn Hooker, leader of the NLP in Scott City, stated that she opposed the bill due to it "being an unnecessary amendment of the National Basic Curriculum and a distraction from the true issues our youth face in their education such as adequate access to technology and funding for often neglected music programs."

But councilor Bakken argues that making a semester of Darmeni Norse instruction mandatory will help students of all backgrounds to "be better able to connect to Darmen's rich history and its unique culture." Darmeni Norse, spoken as a first language by only 5.65% of Darmen's population according to the 2053 Census, is already offered as an elective second language course. But the language has lagged behind more popular choices for second language instruction, such as Spanish, Gehrennan and Yueyu.

"It's unfortunate that more students don't choose to acquire at least a basic understanding of a language that has played a vital role throughout Darmen's rich history," commented Bakken. She hopes that instruction in Darmeni Norse will not only offer students the usual benefits of learning a second language but also a better ability to "connect with the history of Darmen and understand the points in history where Darmeni Norse as a language played a pivotal role in shaping the Darmen of today."

Other Headlines

• All Greens Lose Copa Opener To Hosts, 2-3
• CORNCOB Agreement Remains Delayed: "You Have No Idea How Disruptive Branta Branta Can Be!"
• Scott City Folktronica Fest Draws Record Crowds As Tens Of Fans Crowd Nearly Empty Arena

[Captina Island]

Captina rely on tried & tested to open CR
The Captina Company Press Association

Dewayo, Nyowani Kitara--The Captina Company National Team earned a win on the second matchday of Copa Rushmori 43, defeating Marianne 1-0 in front of approximately 35,000 at the Revolutionary Grounds.

It marks only the second ever win in CR play for the Rosso e Oro in their 12th fixture; it was also the 6th 1-0 win in TCCNT history out of 11 wins by the men's squad. Giuseppi Overstreet notched the only score of the match on 34 minutes and Marianne came no closer to scoring than they did against Southwest Eastnorth in the previous game.

The propensity to close up shop at the beginning of the second half with a lead showed through once again, instead of allowing the side to develop a rhythm offensively against an opponent that probably wouldn't have put much more resistance than they had in the opening 45 minutes.

The host nation looms on matchday three in front what will be a more lively crowd; ranked 160 places above Captina in the KPB, they will take no pity on anyone in the Group Dei Ormache, although they struggled against SWEN in their previous fixture.

It would probably surprise no one if Timoteo Greco elected to sacrifice the attack in favor of a fifth defender for this match in hopes of stealing a point; the comparison between the way the women are playing in their World Cup versus the way the men have played throughout TCCNT history is made even more stark when you take into consideration that it's part-time players having success and fully professional players struggling.

______________________________________________________________________________

The communication divide between the Captini and Italini in post-1922 colonization was a good example of pushing two bad solutions together to make a quick fix that's worked well enough that no one has developed a more formal structure to standardize a spoken "Captinian Island" language.

It's definitely not much of a stretch to call "Captinian" a pidgin or a creole, a mish-mash of two wildly different branches of root language families**. The influence from a common Rushmori language (Terrenean/English) has added an entirely different element to everyday interpersonal communications.

There are no purely Italini or Captini speakers today, although some of the oldest generation of people may use one or the other in everyday conversation more than the 'learned' combination.

There are hundreds of words or phrases that have become commonplace as a result of combining meanings or shortening words or phrases--especially Italini ones--

colored with a golden turmeric type of spice powder known as 'poldora' (a play on polvere d'oro, meaning gold dust)

and intermarriage that has narrowed differences in speech patterns, dialects and assimilation of root words.

specifically Italian from the Veneto and Maori from among Polynesian languages