World Cup 94 [roleplays]

[The Jovannic]

Baker Park 2-1 The Jovannic: Encouraging sparks seen in Cox's first match in charge

2-1 was the final score as the new look Emperors travelled to neighbours Baker Park for a preseason friendly before they kicked off their World Cup Qualifier season.

As expected against a far superior Baker Park side, The Jovannic were on the back foot for large portions of the game, and the novel defensive system was tested thoroughly, holding up relatively well.

Flashes of Jovannican offensive display were also apparent, and the only Jovannic goal would be scored in between two Baker Park finishes, with Twater Harring placing a weighted ball through to Hashan Redder, who, somewhat sweatily, squared it for Juyt Dersa to tap into an empty net.

"It was a solid performance." Nathaniel Cox stated after. "We're definitely on the right track, and we just have to keep the grind up."

They will face 89th ranked Saterun at the Sultan Stadium as their first World Cup Qualifier fixture.

Catch the Jovannicans at the WCQ in action on the SportJovannic News Network Channel 1, AuroraTel Sports Premium, or other notable regional broadcasting services. Please refer to your local broadcaster central's website's list of valid broadcasters.

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Saterun 2-1 The Jovannic: Dersa goal not enough to put Emperors past Claws

It was agony for the Emperors as they succumbed to a 5 minute double salvo from Saternalian forward Bjorn Dubicki to start their World Cup Qualifing season.

Both sides looked equally as strong during the opening stages of the game, as Saterun utilised their disciplined 4-4-2 to challenge for possession. Andrei Coiro would force Jerrett Toi to make the first save of the game in the 9th minute, and it would open up from there, with the Jovannic maintaining a vital hold of possession. However, Saterun were able to choke out Jovannic passing lines, with fullbacks Saveli Holst and Avishai Demare doing well to stifle overlapping runs. Therefore, even with 61% possession in the opening 30 minutes, the Emperors only created 3 half chances and 2 shots, both of which were effectively squandered wide by vice captain Hashan Redder and did not trouble opposing keeper Ralf Abiatti.

On the opposite side of the pitch, the Jovannic defence was faring quite well. Fertieas Pasti would be an absolute wall at the heart of the defence, and Feckhim Tee did well to track back and cut out the occasional long ball. Saterun's two man forward line was a bit troublesome to deal with when George Sim drifted out wide, Bjorn Dubicki would make runs through our left side, hoping for a pass and forcing left back Marimo Skvestky backwards to cover. This took time. At the 33rd minute mark, a searching ball over the top by Saterun centreback Timothy Shannon found Dubicki, and with Skvestky high up the pitch and Sim out a bit too wide in order to deal with Kaka Sarabola's run, Dubicki only had to shrug off a challenge by the scrambling Feckhim Tee to be through on goal, where he made clean work of the finish.

Just 4 minutes later, Saterun would go on another counterattack after Huli Maringar was dispossessed in the Saterun box, and within 3 passes the ball was with forward Thiago Esparza with his back to goal. George Sim managed to keep him facing the wrong way, and a flick that surprised everybody found Dubicki, who carried the ball past the befuddled Pasti and around Toi, tapping it into the wide open net.

2-0 down at half time, The Jovannic started the second half more cautious defensively, with Marimo Skvestky pushing to the midfield less often. This would limit Saterun's opportunities, and Toi would have a rather quiet second half between the sticks. The Emperors were piling on the pressure, and the lifeline came in the 73rd minute as substitute Calvarese Smarze played a square ball to Juyt Dersa, who took a touch past his man and blasted a shot from just inside the box into the bottom corner. However, Ralf Abiatti was at the top of his game, and even a late Jovannic push for a second would not come to fruition.

"Slightly disappointing, but we fought hard." Stated captain Twater Harring after the match. "It's our first match in the world cup qualifiers in a long while, we'll take some time to get used to the intensity."

Cox also reiterated how experience was his top priority. "It was a first dip into the qualifiers before we take the plunge."

The Emperors will have a matchday break before hosting 49th ranked Cap Nord at The Goldan Spire. In other results across the qualifiers, Saint Eleanor started their campaign in style with a 4-1 win over Lisander, while the Squornshelan Remnant States showed no mercy to an altogether tragic Bears Armed side by crushing them 11-1.

Catch the Jovannicans at the WCQ in action on the SportJovannic News Network Channel 1, AuroraTel Sports Premium, or other notable regional broadcasting services. Please refer to your local broadcaster central's website's list of valid broadcasters.

[TJUN-ia]

And so, here we are - back on that road we know very very well. The Jaguars of TJUN-ia have started off this WCQ journey many times before but right now, this nation finds itself in an interesting place. Qualifying for 3 of the last 4 WCs (90, 92 and 93) has seen the Jaguars climb all the way to #22 in the rankings and in a position where people are now starting to expect us to be in the Playoffs at least and the WC itself at best. This shift in tone towards this team has been coming for a long time and now that we are in this position, David Seems and Li Xiu Ying want to make the most of it and get us back to the big time once more. Things will not be easy, they never are in this sport, but we know we have what it takes to make it back...we just have to prove it.

Our opening game would be up against Los Cerdos de la República Guanacasteca and that meant a trip to the Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino in Estelí - a place where the fans wanted nothing more than to see you suffer. That's why our away section had to be cordoned off by TJUN Peacekeepers, who also acted as security for our team bus and our changing rooms, as fans were known to sneak into the opposing areas and cause a fuss. The main aim for everyone here - the local players, manager Ruoyang Han and the fans with the pyrotechnics and tifos - was to intimidate us, to simply make us feel uncomfortable entering their little circle of hell - and in the first half, that showed. We had never faced a crowd this passionate and this feverish against us before and this galvanized the local team into taking the lead in the 34th, a nice strike from Kenneth Ingram past Sputnik Brykilawa sent this crowd fucking wild - fireworks and all. We would be more used to the pressure in the 2nd half and that allowed us to get back into our rhythm, with Jackson Smith-Scott heading past Sergio González in the 67th to level things up, but we just couldn't find the extra little bit in the conditions. In the end, both teams would have to settle for the draw - a scenario that both teams could accept considering two other games on this opening matchday also ended with split points.

So we start with a draw, which isn't too bad all things considered, but it does mean we start this long road on some sort of back foot. Our first home game will be up next, in Szensky against Delte, before we travel to Aleirave to end the 1st full fortnight of this WCQ process. Off we go again, looking to make it back to the promised land again. GO JAGS!

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MD1: @República Guanacasteca (73) - Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino, Estelí D 1-1 (T-3rd)
---------------Boot It!---------------
MD2: vs Delte (39) - Beregozera Stadium, Szensky
MD3: @Aleirave (66)
---------------Boot It!---------------
MD4: vs Zwangzug (3) - National Stadium. TJUN-ia City
MD5: @Sharktail (85) - Stadium Biru, Sharktail
---------------Boot It!---------------
MD6: vs Kingdom of Castille (232) - Tallawah Stadium, Port Town/Portuaria
MD7: @Torisakia (298) - New Logan Stadium, New Logan
---------------Boot It!---------------
MD8: vs Hopal (109) - Ke Kahua Pāʻani o Pua Aloalo, Kepu Manu
MD9: @Ethane (167)
---------------Boot It!---------------
MD10: BYE
MD11: vs Arjunnagar (205) - Zebra Stadium, Toropo/Almadinat
---------------Boot It!---------------
MD12: vs República Guanacasteca (73) - Estadio Universidad Carlandas, Carlandas
MD13: @Delte (39) - Ildemorton Road, Oswark-upon-Delte
---------------Boot It!---------------
MD14: vs Aleirave (66) - Stade de la Victoire, Roi Ville
MD15: @Zwangzug (3) - ZS^3, Zwischen
---------------Boot It!---------------
MD16: vs Sharktail (85) - Tiankong Stadium, Tiankong
MD17: @vs Kingdom of Castille (232) - Jaén FC Stadium, Atocha
---------------Boot It!---------------
MD18: vs Torisakia (298) - Salam Liljamie Stadium, Al Kalifa
MD19: @Hopal (109)
---------------Boot It!---------------
MD20: vs Ethane (167) - Estádio do Pacífico, Rio Pacífico
MD21: BYE
---------------Boot It!---------------
MD22: @Arjunnagar (205)

[Huayramarca]

News Compact – 02/02/1989

Written by: Joaquín Gómez
02/02/1989 – Last Updated: 11:25 P.M.

Football – World Cup Qualifiers: The 94^th edition of the World Cup Qualifiers have started. As usual, the quite convoluted process to get into the top-32 nations of the World, has started in early February and it’s likely to finish in October. This time, Huayramarca didn’t had action in the first Matchday, as the Condors had a bye day due to the uneven number of teams in the qualifying groups. They will have action in the second fortnight of matches, as the home opener will be in Sechura against somewhat neighbours Ko-oren.

The Dragonflies, projected to be the fiercest competition the Condors could face in the Qualifiers, have already arrived to Sechura and made some training sessions in a pitch in the outskirts of the city, which was provided by the Huayramarcan Football Federation. Media in the place could observe a plague of mosquitos in the place, something common during this part of the year (summer), which has made some foreign media wondering if the Huayramarcans are starting some sort of “dirty job” against the visiting team.

Considering the accusations made, the logistics head of the HFF had to provide a press availability session to clarify some aspects, which were the following ones:

Journalist 1: There has been some accusations, as of late, that Huayramarca has brought Ko-oren here intentionally due to the plague of mosquitos ravaging Sechura, and most of the Jungle region. Any words from you in regards of this?

Carlos Tello: We, as HFF, strive to provide the best places available to visiting teams for their training and acclimatizing sessions; this match happened to be at a moment that Sechurans are enjoying their Provincial League, which means that a lot of fields aren’t available for usage. In regards of the mosquitos, well, we have a fumigation protocol, but there’s not a lot we can do in that regard.

Journalist 2: Why Sechura has been chose in this part of the year?

Carlos Tello: Why not choosing it?

Journalist 2: Because of weather?

Carlos Tello: Well, nothing we can control about it. The Managerial staff selects the stadiums where we will receive any specific rival, they assess a lot of variables that isn’t in my reach, nor I’m authorised to disclose them publicly.

The Ko-orenites have won their first match against Pyazhnaya at home with a 1-0 scoreboard, showing the key attributes that make this team so renowned internationally: defensive brand of football, patience, and effectiveness in their goalscoring chances. Prior to the match, we decided to interview some players and the Manager of the Huayramarcan National Team, to listen about their considerations for the match and what they think it can happen.

Bryan Tello: “Ko-oren is a tough nut to crack. Their defence is solid and we have been through it in World Cup 86 Qualifiers, I do remember having a tough time trying to capitalise chances against them. Since then, we have evolved a lot, and they have been World Cup Champions through a consistent brand of defensive football. We have to be patient if we want to break the deadlock, desperation is a forbidden word if we want to have a chance to win this match.”

Orlando Mina: “I’m sure that the burden of the match will be in the midfield. We will witness a match where the strongest midfield will prevail, where creativity, experience and concentration will be the most important factors to get past the rivals. Their creative midfield duo (Entatingun, yCinrhadd) is some of the most consistent, all-weather conditioned midfielders the sport has currently, so we will have to press them, break connections and make their ideas fail in order to win.”

Paolo Manco: “Post football is an abrasive style of play; they have patience and decent experience that they can use against us if we get into desperation. We must play calmly, impose our brand of fulbo and attack constantly, not letting them to breathe or have a chance to counterattack. Playing as a block, cohesively, will be of the utmost importance to make our home a fortress.”

Blâás Âgínsôgnó: “Our identity is the key. We have to suffocate the rival, to play hard and not underestimate or get bored of what we do, as they don’t get bored of post-football. It is a war of opposite football styles, full System Karela vs System Takil. We have to keep our takilante (striker/poacher/opportunist) in great conditions, and we are lucky to have Brian Tello up front, we know that he is consistent.

Up next, Huayramarca has to visit the Estadio Nacional de la Montaña del Oso (Stade National de la Montagne de L’ours), at the Île de Richelieu, a remote outpost in the Nordic Lands with only 928 inhabitants, under polar-like conditions. Although the conditions may look similar to what Chuquiago experiences during winters, there has been controversy under the suitability of playing in such conditions, mainly at brutal -18°C temperatures expected when they play vs Jeruselem or the heavy snowstorm they expect against Ko-oren. In said regards, we have collected some impressions by fans and journalists about said trip.

Gabriela Huanca (fan): “We must send that National Team to the humidity hellhole that is Nauta during late summer/autumn. I bet that they will love those conditions!”

David Caicedo (journalist): “Not the first time we play under those conditions, as we’ve been in Nunavut against Québec & Shingoryeo for friendlies. Still, it looks inhumane to play under freezing conditions, but what we can do to prevent issues is to have a camp at Chuquiago or any part of the Sierra, so the players get acclimatised to it.

David Ramírez (fan): “They want to freeze us? Then, let us ignore any complaints of playing in Guayaquil or Sechura. If they can freeze, we can send our rivals to have a sunbath at such beautiful destinations.”

Camila Robledo (journalist): “There’s rumours that some matches of Île de Richelieu might be relocated due to weather conditions, as there’s no certainty on how suitable might be the weather to play some proper football. Still, difficult, but doable if the Condors prepare for it.”

It is expected to see some new names get in action as soon as possible, including a new recruit in the shape of Diego Uscamayta, a 20 years old striker at the Tikariot Premier League team of the Parakleion Firebirds, where he is expected to get promoted to a starting role despite his age. Reports from scouts mention that Uscamayta’s level is promising enough to be a star in his role, so the expectations could be high, although the Managerial Team has been clear “We don’t want to overhype players, we don’t want victims of hype. We will take any new player into a process that may suit their development in the best way possible.”

These matches will mark the debut of Huayramarca after a historic last year, where the Condors soared into the World Cup and CAFA Quarterfinals, having incredible matches that will live in our hearts and minds. Still, we all expect the Condors to keep up with the humble job, to keep fighting for victory and to achieve more dreams for all of us, the 36 million fans who back them always.

Politics: The bid for the General Election, scheduled to be in mid July, is starting to pick some speed as candidates across the political spectrum are rising, showing their intentions to take part of the process, and people are making their voice heard through civil alliances that, potentially, could be running locally or some at the national level.

One of the first moves comes from the ruling Movimiento Ñucanchi Ñan as Marta Mamani is expressing some interest in re-election, despite the Huayramarcan Civic Charter is ambiguous when it comes to the matter. In a discourse provided by the president at Copacabana, Huayrasuyo; she expressed that “Huayramarca is heading in the right direction, as the basic social guarantees have been respected, the economy restored after years of costeño elite tyranny and enabling the nation to follow a ‘newer and brighter path’ hand in hand with the Anaian nations.”

Reactions were noticed after the discourse, mainly from some conservative sectors from the Coastal Region, that emphasized in a joint communiqué that “The speech of regionalism, blaming, and perversion must come to an end!” And asked for “Unity among costeños to fight against the ‘evil serrano oppression’ and vilification of a whole region.”

Some think-tanks across the nation have asked the candidates to “refrain from using hate and vilification of one another through regionalism and exceptionalism.” As they consider that said kind of remarks are “helping to reopen wounds that we have considered long closed.” Some civil society noticeable voices expressed far more concern, including the former Huayramarcan National Team manager Omar Caicedo, who said “We can’t allow ourselves to back to the dark ages of hate due to belonging to a region, we must avoid this dark spiral of malicious intentions to swallow our nation and progress due to poorly thought remarks from people we expect to represent the whole nation.”

In an unexpected turn of events, considering that the Huayramarcan National Team has remained apolitical throughout time, the Huayramarcan Football Federation is thinking about sending a message, during the match against Ko-oren, about national unity; asking fans to “support the national team under the flag of Huayramarca, not in the flag of a sole region.”

Since then, Marta Mamani hasn’t appeared to provide a public remark or clarification in regards of her words in Copacabana, which seem to have outraged people across the nation for the regionalist remarks. Although, some political analysts have considered this as a “power-move” or “Mamani showing her real colors.”

Marvin Choque: “I’m surprised on how people has decided to focus in the regionalist remark instead of echoing her intention to run for re-election, which should be the main topic in the spotlight. The Civil Charter is ambiguous, as it didn’t consider the possibility for a re-election, hence we have the current situation of a loophole being exploited. Society should prioritize, focusing on a nationwide situation with important implications for the future of Huayramarca.”

Renzo Schiappacasse: “There’s a lot of respect and positive social consideration towards Marta Mamani, but we must not be comfortable with that, we must demand alternatives in power that respond to the main concerns of the society, people that keeps up to date with the trends in the Multiverse and adapt those to the needs of Huayramarcans.”

Georgina Quispe: “This is a reality check for the Civil Charter, one that needs to be amended as soon as possible, because it has gaps that are easily exploitable. In a real democracy, a situation like this isn’t something that could be tolerated, as the rules of the game must be clearly stated to avoid misinterpretations and deliria for power. The civil society must make their voices clearly listened to the authorities, as it is important to respect the will of all of us.”

In the next couple of days, it is expected to see different movements provide their thoughts for what they describe “the beginning of a potential earthquake” at “the core of the Huayramarcan society.”

As elections are coming, Trome renews its compromise to provide you, dear reader, with the best information possible for you to select a candidate that represents you the most, providing you with updated inputs of what is happening around. We stand, firmly, in our vision to strengthen the democratic and popular values of this nation through the right of information of every citizen.

More in Trome News:

• Information Technician arrested after erasing “core data and memories” of “Julia Carrasquilla”, an AI of the University of Guayaquil.
• Student, 24, found oil in the backyard of his house.
• Los Shyris reunite for their 50^th anniversary tour, we remember some of their best caporales and sayas throughout their cherished history.
• Bus driver arrested after threatening fellow driver with a machete: “I just wanted to cut him like an onion as a sacrifice to a Rulandese deity.”
• Dragonflies or Condors – Who flies the highest in the Sechuran skies today?

[Squornshelan Remnant States]

Bears Bemused in Record-setting Rout
Salwan Mynhier

Never before has any Squornshelan team, ancient or modern, confederate or imperial, scored so many goals in a single match.

The result, an eleven to one drubbing, came as a shock to the multiverse. The Belles of Bears Armed are not a highly ranked team sitting a little way outside the top-100, but they were certainly reckoned as much better than this scoreline would seem to indicate.

There were some mitigating factors.

First, was the weather. From late fall though winter, and even into early spring it's not unusual for strong, moisture-laden winds to sweep up the firth to Han Dold and Han Wavel, colliding with dry, icy air moving south from the North Reach to create heavy snowstorms and swirling winds. What is unusual is for a full blown Blood Sea gale to sweep around the end of the mountains and come pelting across East Flania and western Aboveland, heading straight for the match's venue. Mercifully, the snow held off until after full time, though bogging down the ball might have actually worked in the Belle's favor. As it was, strong gusts at unpredictable intervals made aerial play all the more dangerous for not knowing precisely where a given long ball might come down.

Second, was what simply appeared to be a statistical anomaly with regards to luck. Sometimes, when a team is played right off the pitch, pundits will often spend their postmatch analysis commenting on all the ways the final score could have been even worse, given the run of play. This was not one of those matches. Everything the Black-and-Reds touched turned to gold. It was a masterclass of execution of plan, but they were also fortunate on occasion. Take for instance, the fifth goal of the match, scored by goalkeeper Paiva Shimski in just the 21st minute. Russett hammered a long ball forward into a stiff breeze that suddenly died, causing her effort to soar far over the heads of Scarlett and Gold. As Shimski fired off her goal kick, the wind returned with a vengeance, and carried the ball clear the length of the field, past a frantically backpedalling Ulgha, and into the net.

It does have to be said though, that despite the difficulties they contended with, and the bad luck they were stricken by, the Belles did look decidedly out of sorts at several points. Their movement off the ball was often sluggish, and more than one attack was squandered by a failure to time runs well. Kuthbearrh, with an early chance to keep the Belles within reach of the accelerating Black-and-Reds, began a diagonal run through the defense, which Bruin spotted and led well with a through ball along the ground. Bafflingly, though, Kuthbearrh cut her run short, looking around almost as if she had forgotten what she was doing, as Titov comfortably collected and cleared the ball. Urrsara Northgate was beside herself on the touchline, but her exhortations to her team were in vain as the deficit got wider and wider. The Belle's did manage a single consolation marker, with Thunderbolt coming off the bench in the second half and scoring with a driven effort that overpowered both the wind and Shimski's fingertips. By that point, the Black-and-Reds had already built up a 9 goal lead, though, so losing the clean sheet was pretty well academic.

Up next for the Black-and-Reds after their record-setting performance will be the two lowest-ranked sides in Group 6. 248th-ranked Imperatorskiy Rossiya, and 287th-ranked Bareder will be long shots for most oddsmakers to take even point off the SRS with the team already firing on all cylinders. Anything less than six points from the next international break will be looked at as a failure, especially with the back-loaded schedule and finale day bye that the Black-and-Reds have been handed this cycle.

Squornshelan Remnant States - 11
Bears Armed - 1

Goals:
SRS: Bondarov 5', 14'; Ness 6' 8' 43'; Shimski 21'; Yonte 27'; Sevet-Ibilx 49'; Fridtjofs 60', 80'; Ksudach 75'
BRS: Thunderbolt 67'

SRS Lineup: 
SRS: Shimski; Nyberg, Titov (Tirel 72'), Van, Halfariani; Hashemi, Sevet-Ibilx; Bondarov (Ksudach 45'), Volam (Avachinsky 51'), Yonte (Aaltonen 51'); Ness (Fridtjofs 45')

Qualifying Schedule:

MD01: SRS 11- 1 BRS @ Killough Grove (cap. 31,400), Han Wavel, Han Dold, SRS
MD02: ROS   v   SRS @ TBA
MD03: SRS   v   BAR @ New Rudlit Arena (cap. 31,200), Rudlit, West Flania, SRS
MD04: KRY   v   SRS @ TBA
MD05: SRS   v   INS @ Synesoft Arena (cap. 46,950), Syneca, Sivolvia, SRS
MD06: DOR   v   SRS @ TBA
MD07: SRS   v   TGI @ Overburg Arena (cap. 46,222), Damogran, Algolia, SRS
MD08: CPT   v   SRS @ Captina Company Sports Ground (cap. ), Geneva City, CPT
MD09: SRS   v   PUG @ Viltvodle Civic Arena (cap. 58,300), Viltvodle, Megabrantis, SRS
MD10: CBA   v   SRS @ TBA
MD11:      BYE
MD12: BRS   v   SRS @ TBA
MD13: SRS   v   ROS @ Smolak Systemy Stadion (cap. 31,200), Sjerezo, Molvania, SRS
MD14: BAR   v   SRS @ TBA
MD15: SRS   v   KRY @ Striterax Cybernetics Arena (cap. 64,325), Striterax, Isle of Squornshelous, SRS
MD16: INS   v   SRS @ Aditya Varma Kulashekara International Stadium (cap. 131,561), New Hind City, INS
MD17: SRS   v   DOR @ Emerald Coast Colliseum (cap. 38,500), Vassilian, Algolia, SRS
MD18: TGI   v   SRS @ TBA
MD19: SRS   v   CPT @ Black Raven Field (cap. 35,400), Yassaca, Sivolvia, SRS
MD20: PUG   v   SRS @ Kejm Park (cap. 28,000), Port Kejm, PUG
MD21: SRS   v   CBA @ Radlov Arena (cap. 76,800), Brantisvogan, Megabrantis, SRS
MD22:      BYE

Wild Squornshelous
Part 1: The Frozen Forest

Squornshelous is known to the multiverse, largely as a land of freezing weather and deep snows. A destination for winter sport, and a haven for boreal flora and fauna. There is perhaps no place within the Confederacy that better conforms to this vision than the great boreal forests of Flania.

This vast landscape of evergreen trees stretches across the north of Squornshelous from east to west, covering the landscape between the snowcapped North Reach mountains, and the hill country of Han Dold and Molvania to the south. Locked away under a thick blanket of snow in winter, its spring thaw feeds rivers that people and animals alike depend on. In summer its isolated glades shelter vast numbers of birds, insects, and other animals. As autumn wears on, the great majority of them must venture south, lest they freeze or starve. There are a few survival specialists, however, who stay the whole year round.

A pair of Flanian Crossbills. With one glance, it's obvious how they got their name.

The crossbill uses its peculiar crossed mandibles to lever open the tightly closed scales of evergreen cones to get at the seeds within. Spruce cones are a particular favorite. This special ability allows the crossbill to survive the harsh northern winter, when little other food is available. Its more conventionally beaked finch cousins must fly south in search of easier fare.

In fact, the Flanian Crossbill’s specialization is so effective, and their main food source so plentiful in the vast forest, that they begin to raise their families in the dead of winter. It's a risk. A poor crop of cones could lead to starvation for both parents and chicks. But the head start it gives them on the brief spring and summer makes it worthwhile. In the food-rich summer, the crossbill chicks will be fledging while other birds are newly hatched, giving them a crucial advantage.

Among the dense needles of a fir tree, there’s some shelter from the snow and wind. There are other threats in the boreal forest than the punishing cold, though. The crossbills' nest has been spotted.

Among the most intelligent of all birds, the raven is a master of survival, and an expert at finding food. During the winter, they benefit from the successes of larger predators like wolves and tigers, happily taking the leftover scraps from their kills. Ravens have also been seen leading the terrestrial hunters to bodies that the ravens are too small to tear open themselves. Hunting defenseless crossbill chicks, on the other hand, is much easier. If only he can pick the right moment.

Now. With both parents away gathering food, he makes his move. The branches of this fir tree are close together though, and the needles prickle. Size, it seems, isn't always an advantage. Before he can find a way in, the mother crossbill returns. She's less than a third his size, but quickly sees him off without too much trouble. He'll have to continue the search for his next meal elsewhere.

Image Credits:
Crossbill Pair: Banff Moments, Awar Athwal
Crossbill Nest: Flickr, Örn Óskarsson
Raven in Tree: Hinterland Who's Who, Holly Bel

[Ko-oren]

Fun with IFCF

Let's continue with the games! Last time you could choose your fighters for the World Cup Qualifiers - signups still open - and this time we're quizzing you on your knowledge of leagues nearby and far away. Do you know what country these clubs are in?

[Tumbra]

Tumbra 1-0 Pasarga

TMB (4-2-3-1): 12 - V Jones; 2 - A Renton (45 - S Kemp, 66'), 4 - I Ashburn, 5 - S Kerr, 19 - J Green (3 - T Mercurio, 75'); 6 - T Harrison, 8 - V Hicks (15 - M Finnemore, 75'), 10 - P Cole (16 - I Robertson, 81'); 7 - V Wells, 9 - L Crossley (21 - J Hardaker, 81'); 11 - N Riordan

TMB scorers: Phil Cole (8')

Player of the Match: Phil Cole (TMB)

Mainstream Music Submission for the Esportivan Cultural Festival: "New Love" by Tim Perry ft. Claudia Montoya
The almost flamboyantly gay pop star singer is back with a new hit that seems tailor-made to appeal to both the algorithm and the attention span-starved; a bubblegum pop hit that seems to activate every dopamine receptor on the brain. The single, released on Monday with an accompanying music video showing Perry and Yolcanese rapper Claudia Montoya on the beach, celebrating getting over a tumultuous relationship and hoping to find a new love (hence the song title, presumably), has been received with near universal acclaim by both artiste's fans; others, notably music critics, have been slightly less accommodating.

"I think we're entering an era where music — pop music, in particular — has become less of an expression of artistic creativity and more of a means of hitting eadrums and eyeballs through manipulating algorithms. While that is a part of the phenomenon of pop music, I can't be sure if this is a song Perry really wanted to make or if this was some written-by-committee sludge that was passed on to a — very enthusiastic, if anything, and I have to give him props for that — singer. This could have been sung by any Tumbran pop star of the last ten years; it's a good song, but generic. 6/10." — Hank Farlington, music reviewer for Entertainment Weekly.

"The visuals are cherrypicked to generate engagement, there's a thirty-second part of the video which is tailormade for — and I'm calling it now, it's going to be called the #NewLoveChallenge, because that's as imaginative as Republic Records will get — one of these challenges on your short-form video content apps, and the whole thing's three minutes long. "New Love" is a good bop, and probably a guilty listen, but it's securely aimed at the under-25 demographic. I'm more surprised Perry decided to sing this song, given his well-known status of being gay and the amount of lyrics that describe straight adult activities. He carries this song — his sunny personality shines through. 7/10." — Lucy Ho, music reviewer for Still Stone.

The song has racked up over 100 million combined views and streams on all the platforms it was released on; Perry replied to the criticism that this was a song for "straights" by posting a picture of himself butt naked on image-sharing social media website Snapshot with the caption "for 2 long the straights have queerbaited us so it's our time to straightbait them xx #streamnewlove"

Selection of articles from Tumbran news media.

Northern Gas celebrates opening of first gas plant; projected to start pumping gas to Tumbra by end of 2034
All major outlets bar the Bencoolen Globe
PORT WILLOUGHBY: Speaking at the opening of the first completed gas plant on the outskirts of Northlands capital city Port Willoughby, federal Minister for Energy and the Environment Jessica Collins heralded the "quantum leap" in Northern Gas' functioning, with the new plant completed a year ahead of schedule. "This gas plant represents the sum total of the people of the Northlands' ambition to integrate into Tumbra, and will help greatly in the continuous diversification of our country's economic fortunes," was the key soundbite from her speech, and led to a series of discussions on television and on the internet on what the addition of an entirely new sector to the economy would mean for existing sectors. Speaking to Aurora News, Associate Professor Jessica Burns warned of a potential impact of the newly-created gas sector on the manufacturing sector of Tumbra — widely regarded as being in critical condition — caused by a potential appreciation of the Tumbran dollar. The gas industry is expected to add nearly $800 billion to the GDP of Tumbra, and is expected to create hosts of jobs for both Northlanders and Tumbrans. Northern Gas, the state-owned corporation that holds extraction rights to nearly two-thirds of gas sites in the Northlands, is the largest employer in the Tumbran Northlands, and is expected to add more jobs throughout the country as the industry kicks into gear. ($1 NSD = $1.33 TMD)

New Alex Gray actor unveiled; director Duchamp confirms reboot of series will be set in 1960s, is set to direct first three of six planned films
Couno Herald, Serrapince Post, Straton Times
NANTWICH: Weeks of speculation over the next actor to play renowned Tumbran spy Alex Gray ended on Tuesday, as actor Henry Grant, 33, was announced as the face of the rebooted franchise. At a press conference with Grey, series producer Isaiah K. McKinnon said that over 300 actors had been considered for the role, and Grant had the 'right combination of bravado and sensitivity' that the newly rebooted Alex Gray series would hope to display. Director Sebastien Duchamp also confirmed a long-running fan theory that his re-boot of the Gray film series would be set in the 1960s. "I don't think I would have signed on to direct if I hadn't been assured that I had complete creative control over the series," he said. Grant will be the youngest actor ever to take on the role of Gray, and said that he was "excited" at the prospect of portraying an "inexperienced" Alex Gray. Grant, who gained stardom after appearing as Inspector James Healey on the TBC television drama "Life on Olympus", went from the team leader of a small precinct in Couno to undercovering the secret behind a Couno crime ring. The as-of-yet untitled Alex Gray film will be released in cinemas in 2034.

Tumbra breezes past Pasarga in World Cup qualifiers' opening match
All major media outlets
STRATON: Tumbra's World Cup qualification campaign got off to a solid start as they beat one-time World Champions Pasarga in Straton, 1-0. Phil Cole would score the only goal of the game early on as Tumbra executed the classic "break-in-and-run" gameplan; where the team stood back and withstood attacks from the opposition after scoring a goal. The first-choice lineup held strong against the Wanderers as the Tumbran national team controlled the pace of the game. The game was fluid at points, but stuttery at others; fullbacks Annie Renton and James Green's willingness to get stuck in virtually shut down most of the Pasargan attack, but also ensured that the opposition were unable to settle into a rhythm. "It wasn't the cleanest win, but we got the three points from the pot two team and that's what matters," said Player of the Match Phil Cole. The match was also noticeable for Nick Barker starting on the bench; manager Peter Gabriel said that it was "touch and go" with regards to his hamstring injury but eventually decided not to start the goalkeeper.

Tumbra next play emerging rivals Mertagne and Brusseldorf in the next set of qualification matches. The first matchday of World Cup qualifiers was also notable for a double-digit margin of victory, achieved by the Squornshelan Remnant States against a team of sapient bears claiming to represent a nation called "Bears Armed"; and for a surprising draw for previous World Cup final participants Chromatika against minnows Polkopia.

26-PLAYER SQUAD FOR WORLD CUP 94 QUALIFIER MATCHES vs. MERTAGNE and vs. BRUSSELDORF
Link to full roster
Goalkeepers: 1 - Nick Barker (FC Inter Nantwich), 12 - Victoria Jones (Lakewood City), 13 - Richard Russell (Lakewood United)
Defenders: 2 - Annie Renton (Victoriaville City, CDG), 28 - Nicholas Moss (Miruan City, TKT); 4 - Ian Ashburn (Lakewood City), 5 - Stephen Kerr (Chromatik, CMT), 20 - Christine Whitfield (Myana, CMT), 24 - Yvonne Lawson (St. John's Arsenal, QUE), 30 - Belinda Proudfoot (Lakewood United); 3 - Tracey Mercurio (Kingston FC, QUE), 46 - Mike Sheppard (Lakewood United)
Midfielders: 6 - Trudy Harrison (Chromatik, CMT), 15 - Mark Finnemore (Couno Rangers), 32 - Lucas McCormick (Lakewood City); 8 - Vincent Hicks (Couno Rangers), 16 - Ian Robertson (Ridgewell Rovers), 34 - Valerie Morris (Lakewood City); 10 - Phil Cole (Osarese Marcadia, AUD), 35 - Natalie Coleman (Bikarish, PFA)
Wingers: 7 - Valerie Wells (AFC Treason, NPH), 40 - Neil Fraser (Chamberley City, SYL); 9 - Lynne Crossley (Crossroads, CMT), 37 - Duncan Silverwood (Pyathora Miners, TKT)
Strikers: 11 - Nick Riordan (Sabrefell Moths, NPH), 22 - Charlotte Henshaw (Lakewood City)

[Cardenao]

1 Match, 3 Points!

It was an uncomfortable visit to Abanhfleft with their fans arriving frothing at the mouth and very unagreeable weather, but despite that La Furia Azule pulled off a narrow yet ultimately comfortable 1-0 victory against the hosts. The first half was a rough affair, it was clear our lads in Blue and Gold were feeling tense under new manager Ramon Lamberti’s tactical approach, but some solid goalkeeping kept the score level. Whatever the new man in the dugout said at halftime clearly had an effect as the boys pushed forward and pushed forward again with renewed confidence and put their stamp on the game, with the game’s sole goal coming through Haritz Larrainzar in the 67th minute. Beyond then, it was a more relaxed affair with our national team securing the win without allowing an additional chance at goal. First match and three points in the bag, let’s dive into it!

Ramon Lamberti lined up his players exactly as predicted heading into this game, so the pre-game talk was all about if the Blue and Golds would be able to execute his tactical approach. Well the whistle blew for kickoff and……dominance. The lads were confident and commanding in the first 20 minutes, with Lonzo Capiatelli sending a cannon of a shot narrowly wide in the 12th minute, before Kaison Sibonaliso latched onto a cross from Salva Perez but his header was smartly saved by the Abanhfleft goalkeeper to keep the score level. Underpinning our success was the players executing the game plan Lamberti set for them with precise passes demonstrating our attacking ability and ease of breaking through their defensive line. However, as the match progressed and the players hailing from Abanhfleft worked their way into the game, things became a little more uncertain. The advantage of having the home crowd singing your name is hard to deny and the pendulum shifted in Abanhfleft’s direction, but our defensive line rose to the occasion and fought off relentless pressure, with Ray Holland’s exceptional goaltending keeping us in the fight. Even then, the opposition striker scored a beautiful goal in the 39th minute that was narrowly but correctly ruled offside and new life was given to the Cardenaoan side as we rallied strongly to close out the half.

0-0 as the referee blew his whistle but La Furia Azule was riding a high heading into the locker room.The early dominance and scoring chances showcased our attacking ability, while the determination and resilience from our defensive line and the legend Ray Holland himself in goal meant our lads were fundamentally feeling like ballers. We had the better half and both teams knew it, but you best believe Ramon and his coaching staff were hammering home the importance of regaining control and recapturing the momentum they started the game with.

As the second half got underway it seemed clear the coaching staff helped the players replicate how they dominated earlier in the game and they began to exploit the vulnerabilities of the Abanhfleft team in a more dangerous way. It was clear Cardenaoan’s were coming into the half with confidence, renewed tactical instruction, and were having fun playing the game. It was smooth sailing, with Chimo Ventura coming close twice in the 49th and 53rd minutes but the opposition held firm. Ramon Lamberti made his first three substitutes in the 62nd minute, bringing in Ibai Acosta-Vargas for Kaison Sibonaliso on the left wing, Moustir Yves-Almeny replaced Hendrix Salvadore at leftback, and Zoltan Keidobika took the field for Diego Valenzuela to give us more passing ability at the defensive mid position. It didn’t take long for the fresh legs to pay off as Zoltan won the ball in midfield before rolling it back to Samuel Alcatron, the graceful centerback took a touch to steady himself before hitting a daisy-cutting pass right to a sprinting Haritz Larrainzar. The 2-time Tikariot Premier League champion made no mistakes as he took on the goalkeeper in a one on one, slowed his speed nicely, a little fake shot to shift the keeper the wrong way and a coolly slotted finish into the side of the net.

0-1 Cardenao and the boys never looked back, completely taking control of the match. Lamberti managed his lads well, pulling out Lonzo Capiatelli for the more defensive, possession-recycling Sven Garrison and having the team shift to a more measured approach. Salva Perez came close to doubling our lead in the 76th minute when he hit a first time volley that narrowly sliced past the goal, while the Abanhfleft striker had a respectable effort easily pushed aside a minute later. The final sub of the night came in the 81st minute when Gelson Mukendi came on for Emmanuel Oditam but he had little to do in the heart of defense as the final whistle blew with the score still 0-1 in Cardenao’s favor.

And so we secured victory in our first qualifying match and went home with the three points, you can’t win them all if you don’t win the first one! Now though, the focus shifts to the matches ahead. First up is a home fixture against Estorvipa and Estorpiva, ranked 70th in the world, then we clash against Camerania, a footballing side returning to the international scene for the first time since the 69th World Cup. Estorvipa and Estorpiva were commanding in their 2-0 win over Darkmania, at least I think they were I couldn’t find any footage of the match so fuck it I’m doing it live, with their striker or maybe left winger responsible for the goals, or perhaps both or neither, who’s to say? For Camerania, they did well to secure a 1-1 draw against South Covello, a historic nation that now seems to slumber soundly. Manager Hamai Peatolko sent The Ravenspears out in a slightly defensive 3-4-3 formation, one that poses several possible areas of advantage for the Cardenaoan side, specifically how their defensive line will be able to handle the double-barrell of Juanma and Chimo.

Despite these overall favorable matches, there is a sense of pressure and nervousness in the Cardenao camp. Everyone is keenly aware how ultimately disappointing the first 12 years of Cardenaoan football have been under Scooter McNash, though he did build a very solid foundation for the future. Well that future is now and the pressure comes from qualification being the official goal, another trip to the Cup of Harmony would certainly be seen as a failure. Thus the need to secure maximum points against lesser-ranked opponents and maintain momentum can sometimes lead to anxiety, so perhaps we’ll see Ramon Lamberti rotate some of his players to keep that hunger to impress on the field. In the end it will come down to the player’s ability to focus their nerves and beat whoever lines up against them.

We might only be one match into this World Cup but it feels far better to report on a win instead of a loss so let’s keep that energy up!

[Naixi]

You call it the Old Land, I call it civilization - nay, the cosmos itself - in sweeping decay.

For century after century after century, the yellow robe of the Emperor passed from one huangdi to the next without incident. Unified and prosperous, our people proudly saw palaces and monuments rise up effortlessly across the realm. The Imperial armies were so large, the entire breadth of the multiverse trembled before us. So skilled were our monks and healers at attuning to feng shui sites that chi flowed from the earth like water from a wellspring, some say. There was no land like the Old Land. Kings and paupers alike envied our beautiful society.

But we now lay low, weakened by our own decadence and defenseless against the predations of colonial powers. It wasn't even a decade ago when the Golden People obliterated our navy of obsolete junks in the Southern Sea. It was like a bullet through paper. Now they have an endless and ominous medley of gunboats parked off the coast of the Old Land. Their soldiers have the same freedom to harass peasants and demand tribute that the Emperor's corrupt goons do as they ransack town after town. The worst is the opium. They grow it on the cheap in some other sordid, unfairly-treated colonial possession, then haul it here to trade it for tea. A dozen Golden People swim in money; a million of us have our lives destroyed by poppy tears.

And, of course, they have the gall to stand on the docks in every port with signs that read "Good Jobs in the New Land! Enlist Today!" Those who sign up are promised prosperity that would make even the Mandarins of the Forbidden Palace blush. Instead, the few that do come back are worked to the bone and covered from head to toe in wounds, brandings, and fleas. The work of building those "rail roads," so called, is not so enriching after all.

I try to keep my head away from such things. Though I cannot ignore the injustice, there is little I can do as one simple man. I try as always to live a life true to Confucian virtues. I help who I can.

My name is Hao Hing Tan, but to those in my village, I am just Tan Sifu. I serve as the headmaster of a little martial arts school, a lantern of hope and wisdom for troubled citizens, and a healer for those afflicted epidemiologically or spiritually. I have studied the Western medicine imported here by the Golden People. Not all of it is useless... but I only use it in conjunction with my knowledge of the miraculous rehabilitations made possible when little jabs at pressure points are sufficiently well-placed. The power of love resides within me - my aim is to cure all.

My two assistants, Cheng Qian and Tso Lin, have been loyal servants for several years, and I am humbled by the diligence and dutifulness of the both of them. Cheng Qian is charismatic and well-informed, always making sure I know which family has a sick baby, or an infirm grandmother, or a dying uncle. Thanks to him, even villagers from a dozen miles away know they can come to me for help. Tso Lin is devoted and courageous, and I confess I have learned as much from him as he has from me in the realm of martial arts. His form and technique are second-to-none, and in his hands even a simple umbrella can be a deadly weapon. I make quite sure, of course, that such abilities are to be deployed in defense - and never in attack. I am, and we are, men of peace.

I offer shelter to anyone in need here at the school, and will gladly provide learning, even to vagabonds who cannot or will not pay. I would rather bring a ruffian to the light than kick him back into the blackness. Several years ago, two young pirate wives - one of whom had a young daughter - had bought their own freedom but were on the run. I believe they were being pursued by the Golden People for one reason or another. In my view of things, these poor girls had lived a life of mistreatment and depravity their whole lives, abused and raped by villainous corsairs on the Southern Sea. Who were you, tut-tutting moralists, to judge me for offering them counsel and shelter? They did not stay here long, having their own reasons for departure. I only bring them up as an example of my tolerance, of which I am truly proud.

Lately, times have been trying. In addition to the unshakable feeling that the Old Land is in the midst of a slow but insuperable apocalypse, some mysterious ailment has been afflicting villagers here in town. First they report piercing blasts of sharp abdominal pain that come and go for months or even years. Then, slowly, they begin to experience terrible tingling in their outer extremities, particularly in their feet. This symptom, too, can persist for years. Then, thirdly, they begin to experience weakness and incontinence. This is the sign that the condition is transitioning into its final stage, as a villager with the illness is soon to have a very high fever and a terrible seizure (the Golden People call it a grand mal seizure, I believe) that will kill them. There is, as far as I know, nothing I can do to alter the outcome of the awful disease. I have seen it enough times, however, to recognize the symptoms early, and can recommend a number of dietary modifications and herbal remedies that seem to slow the illness' progress.

This has, sadly, been terribly insufficient to put the villagers at ease. As grandfathers look at their families and see half their progeny suffering from a mysterious plague and the other half climbing onto dread boats that sail away and never come back, discontent grows. I have become a target for their fury, and though some might see it as unreasonable, I understand that it's not easy for them. I want only the best for the peasants of the Old Land, both the ones I know and the ones far away.

One cloudy day, several weeks ago, I returned to the school from a call upon a very unwell child in the village. There, I found an enormous crowd of angry villagers. They waved torches about menacingly, casting an eerie amber glow over the houses of the neighborhood, poorly lit as they were by the covered sun. Tso Lin stood at the top of the wooden stairs, shouting irritably down at the crowd below as he gesticulated with an umbrella. The crowd mutinously shouted back. At the foot of the stairs, I noticed someone lying in the mud.

"What's going on here?" I cried out.

"Tan Sifu, finally you return," one man said to me angrily. (I knew him, of course. He was a poor farmer, and his wife had struggled for many years with infertility. I had never been able to rectify the problem.)

"Yes, I'm apologize for my absence. What is going on? And is someone hurt?" I asked, gesturing to the figure laying in the brown muck.

"It is your assistant, Cheng Qian! He righteously led us here! We tried to enter the martial arts school, but your other assistant struck him upon the head!"

"With the umbrella? Tso Lin, why have you done this?" I gazed up at him from the bottom of the stairs as a pocket of sun wormed its way through the bank of clouds above.

"Cheng Qian has betrayed you, Tan Sifu. He has lied to the villagers. He told them that you poisoned them, and that is why the disease cannot be cured. He said that is the reason why the ailment affects only this village, and none of the surrounding ones. He told them the time had come for the peasants of the village to end your tenure as here. When he and the rest of this horde got here, I refused to let them in and burn the school! I confess that yes, I struck him. You must not reward his treachery, Tan Sifu!"

Cheng Qian looked up at me. His chubby face was covered in mud and blood. "Cheng Qian," I asked sternly, "is this true?"

"Yes," he answered faintly but disdainfully. "You call yourself a healer, but look at these people's suffering! What have you done to fix this, Tan Sifu?" The crowd, hearing his rebelliousness, backed him with a cheer.

"Everything I can, Cheng Qian! Have you not borne witness to my desperate search for answers? Have you not heard my tormenting conversations with the dying and their families? Have you not seen the candle I light from sunset until sunrise as I scan every text and read every tome to try and make us all well again?"

"I have only seen a man who does not listen when the people of his village beg for help, Tan Sifu."

"Cheng Qian," I said sorrowfully, "I do not know what village you have been living in, but I want to be living in it with you. If only the answer to this problem was simply, 'the sifu is bad at his job.' The answers to the matters at hand are not always so facile, my young friend."

The throng of villagers didn't take to my response. "You are bad at your job!" someone screamed. "The answer is right in front of us!" another called out. "Kick his teeth out!" yet another yelled. The crowd moved forward, torches in hand. One desperate man put his foot on the bottom step. Tso Lin pointed the umbrella at his face. The signal was impossible to misinterpret: "a second step and you'll take the same blow Cheng Qian did."

"Tan Sifu!" Tso Lin shouted over the din to me. "They are going to burn down the school! We have to stop them somehow! Will you fight them with kind words?"

"Tso Lin! What have I taught you? We must never stoop to the use of violence to solve a problem or end a conflict! We are healers for this village, not soldiers for the Emperor or the Golden People."

"What have you always told me, Tan Sifu?! Haven't you always said we were permitted to strike blows in anger if it was to defend ourselves, or prevent injustice?"

"Yes, but what injustice is prevented by bludgeoning your friend, your brother Cheng Qian in the head? If you tore that farmer's face open, would it resolve anything for the better? Would the damage done by this damned plague be reversed if you were to plunge your umbrella into the lung of that poor woman?"

He was silent. Cheng Qian raised himself up, kneeling on one knee in the mud. "I want only for you to depart, Tan Sifu. Find some other village, and poison them. Just leave us be. I will take over the reins here at the school."

"You only want to usurp Tan Sifu!" Tso Lin screeched lividly. "You want his job!"

"Tso Lin!" I interrupted sternly.

"I want to help the people of this village, brother," Cheng Qian said to Tso Lin. "There is nothing left that this man can do for us. Stay here with me, and help me run the school."

Tso Lin's response was to leap upwards, grabbing onto the terrace railing one story above and flinging himself forward in the air. His umbrella swung back as he came down in slow motion, preparing for a vicious strike. Tso Lin was like a cobra, coiled back before lunging ahead.

I stepped in front of Cheng Qian, launching my right foot into Tso Lin's left thigh and ending his flight suddenly. He tumbled downward, rolling over the stairs and through the wet dirt. His umbrella, a second ago a deadly weapon, sailed gently through the air before landing in my left hand. "Enough, Tso Lin."

"Thank you, Tan Sifu," Cheng Qian said quietly.

"You're welcome, Cheng Qian. But one thing I must say before I go: this disease was not my creation. I promise you: I did not poison anyone. If you are to become the new sifu, you must take this illness seriously. It will not simply go away because I am gone."

He nodded solemnly. I pulled Tso Lin to his feet and turned to leave. But then I heard something unexpected behind me.

"We don't want a new sifu," said the bitter farmer with the barren wife, "we want no sifu. This is not just about your failures, Tan Sifu. This is about losing trust in all people and all systems meant to protect us. It is not only that we are sick, it's that we're all sick. It is not only that we must toil and farm the land, it's that there is no more land. I say, down with the Emperor! Down with the Golden People! Down with the Governor! Down with you!"

The crowd went berserk. Before I could react, I saw two men grab Cheng Qian by the hair. A third, quick as a flash, stepped in and slit his throat. Another flung his torch at the wooden school veranda as hard as he could. A haggard-looking woman with an improvised sword stumbled towards us, hate and hunger in her eyes. Under my arm, I felt Tso Lin tense up - as always, his impulse was to fight. I grabbed him even harder and wrenched him away, throwing him further away from the riot. I dodged underneath the old hag's sword and grasped her clothes from the back as her momentum brought her past, then planted my foot and send her spinning wildly into a pile of lumber.

I took a single glance back at the school, the place where I had spent nearly every waking minute for the past twenty years, since I was a boy no older than Tso Lin... the place that defined me and nurtured me and served the whole village.

It was already blazing bright orange and red.

Matchday 1

Sannyamathland 0 ⇨ Safonov, Ostrovsky, Karpov, Javcherenko, Chalov, Savchenko, Chubukov, Petrosian (Leck-Ngidi), Sandiev, Mount (Philips), Yaremchuk
Naixi 1 ⇨ Huang, Pao (Yep), Geng, Dong, Tsung (Ming), Tian, Yap (Lin), Hark, Yuan, Jin ⚽x1, Ling

14' Goal ⇨ Jin (NIX)
19' Yellow Card ⇨ Savchenko (SNY)
37' Yellow Card ⇨ Karpov (SNY)
57' Substitution ⇨ Tsung OFF Ming ON (NIX)
61' Yellow Card ⇨ Huang (NIX)
69' Substitution ⇨ Petrosian OFF Leck-Ngidi ON (SNY)
72' Substitution ⇨ Mount OFF Philips ON (SNY)
74' Substitution ⇨ Yap OFF Lin ON (NIX)
86' Substitution ⇨ Pao OFF Yep ON (NIX)
91' Yellow Card ⇨ Ming (NIX)

OOC Note: This and future roleplays borrow themes and concepts from the roleplaying game Feng Shui 2. All storylines and characters are original creations. ICly, events take place in Naixi and within the Naixese timeline, not in RL Hong Kong, which is the setting for the game.

[Kimi-Suomi]

And so, here we are...etsii taas sitä kultaa. This road is one we have travelled 5 times before...but this 6th time could make or break our current era. We've slipped down the rankings a bit to #64, but this team is starting to feel older and many will be desperate to cross that finish line and reach the promised land of the WC. Esko Laaksonen has taken us to back-to-back WCQ Playoffs but now, the mission is on to try and make it 3 on the bounce...and potentially win it this time. Kimi-Suomi is a nation that is ever-improving...but will this be enough now?

Game 1, thankfully, was at our home in Pesä and the fans were certainly happy to be welcoming WCQ football back but also nervy about the tests that lay on the horizon. Up first would be Polkopinen [Polkopia], the Pot 8 team in this group managed by Stepan Dyakov using his attacking 4-5-1 system. It was an interesting test to have as the first one, but it was also one that we could deal with in our current state. It certainly was a tight game, with Igor Ostrovskiy certainly scaring us several times, but Peter Nurmi held on in the net and it would take until the 78th minute for us to finally impose our will, with substitute Teemu Räikkönen dealing the killing blow. In the end, we managed to hold on for the 1-0 win - nothing too flashy, but certainly a win we will take on this long road.

3 points in the bag...now we need a few of them to really get going. Our first road game will come against Katterimunk before we come back to Pesä to face StrayaRoos. Pot 8, Pot 7, Pot 6 - our opponents are getting tougher and tougher, so we have to be ready for anything. NOSTA KUIN HUUHKAJAT!

[Pasarga]

What are the biggest rivalries in the SuperLiga? It comes down to whom you ask really, as people from different parts of the nation and who support different clubs are going to have different answers as to who they consider to be the biggest rivals for the club that they do support. There is no one rivalry though in the dual islands that sticks out amongst the rest and claims to be the biggest though, as each rivalry has its own story behind it and why the two clubs involved so desperately want to get one over on another. A few a definitely more intense than others, such is the nature of familiarity, that it shall breed contempt for one another and that extra edge for wanting the victory that might be just outside of the reach in encounters past. As such, we should examine a handful of the most notable of rivalries among the clubs in the topflight and examine what makes them such a heated exchange between the two clubs or if it merely people puffing up their chests for no other reason than mere posturing trying to appear the better between two otherwise mediocre competitors.

Let's examine the match that has become know as the Old Firm rivalry, that is to say CA Paulinthal and Club Stein-los. This rivalry started when both clubs claimed to be the first club founded in Pasarga. The Hurricane maintain that they were, while Club Stein-los maintains their claim to having been formed months before in the winter of 1895. This rivalry then intensified nearly half a century later, after Club Stein-los lost its place as the best club in the nation and was usurped by the Paulinthal club. It is perhaps the most tame of the rivalries that the Hurricane maintain and the same can be said for The Old Club, but both deeply and passionately maintain that they are the first ever club to be founded in the nation. Public records tend to back up the claim from CA Paulinthal, yet that does not quiet down the claims from their Stein-los rivals, with the Dressers also reminding the Hurricane of how dominant they were at the formation of the original top flight and how CAP was but a middling club who took a near own half century to ever truly be relevant.

Staying with the Hurricane, we examine the most intense rivalry that CAP has and the one team that they want to beat and beat badly more than any other team not just in the dual islands but in existence. That of course is their cross town rivals in the form of Santos Luega, also know as the Tecos, and a club who is infamous throughout all of Pasarga for their recruiting policy. That is because the Tecos only recruit to their ranks those of Santiguan heritage or those with similar heritage from foreign lands if they are eighteen years of age or younger. A few hold the Tecos as an example of a club doing it right, by having (almost) only players who have been developed by their own system, yet for most others they see CAP as the club who does it right having been founded by traders, merchants, and sailors from both home and abroad. This clash of style and how one views the world has developed into a near hatred between the two clubs and their supporters as well, with extra security being needed for the pair of league fixtures between the two clubs just to keep the hostilities from boiling over.

Reexamining the city of Stein-los, we also look at once more at Club Stein-los, who maintains a fierce rivalry with the two other major clubs in the city in the form of Stein-los Turkish and of course the ever rich Tanrısal. The Stein-los derbies are quite fierce, especially given that each club among the trio can have claimed to be the best team not just in the city but all of Pasarga at times and that adds even more fuel to the fire in the meetings between the three, with Tani and CSL having particularly more intense games with Tani having replaced The Old Club as the "premier" club in Stein-los. Tanrısal's riches have been there from day one and that has them see themselves as something of an elitist, old money sort, which has often brought them into conflict with the "recently" come into money clubs, such as CA Paulinthal with their plethora of success over the last half century and the Hurricane becoming the most successful team in the islands with CAP having thirty-two top flight titles and ten cup titles compared to Tani's nineteen league titles and seven cup titles. It's the "old versus new" and their league fixtures never fail to disappoint.

[Adab]

KickTheBall.com
Bringing you the latest news and rumors in football, in Adab and abroad

---

Friday, October 7, 2044 | 15 Dhu al-Qa’dah | 16 Tishri 5805
Ascvalion 0-0 Adab

NEWS | WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS
By: Saddam Abbas

Homeless Man Thinks Adab “Unimpressive” in Ascvalion Draw

Timur Duman, a homeless man in Adab City

Timur Duman, a homeless man in Adab City, believes Adab’s goalless draw against Ascvalion leaves a lot to be desired as they start their World Cup qualifying campaign, but nevertheless believes “the road is still very much open” for the team.

Approached by KickTheBall.com outside the storm drain in the Al-Bilal neighborhood where he has been sleeping “for the past month or so”, Mr. Duman, 44, said that he watched the national team’s match against Ascvalion on the TV set by the window of a nearby gift shop along with several other homeless people.

“To be honest, I thought we weren’t very good,” he said. “Not bad either, but pretty unimpressive from what I saw.”

Mr. Duman, who used to live in a nearby homeless shelter but moved out because “the fights were getting bad and someone just dropped dead from poisoned food”, admitted that he had never heard of any of Ascvalion’s players before the match and was impressed by the team’s spirit and determination to fight back.

“When [Kastiliasu] Akaptaha made that run for the goal in, what was it, the 30th minute or so, their keeper just dived with all his power to block the shot. It was the most impressive block I’d seen in a while,” he continued.

Mr. Duman rued Adab’s missed chances throughout the match, but nevertheless singled out midfielder Kayla Kassaya for a “pretty great” performance in her debut with the national team.

“She’s good,” Mr. Duman commented of Kassaya, after lamenting the local government’s apparent inattention towards the plight of the poor and the homeless. “I think she controlled the pace of the game. It’s nice to watch. I hope she plays more games. It would be good to see.”

Mr. Duman, who works as a janitor in a nearby mosque but refuses to sleep there because, in his words, “I don’t want to defile the holy place,” said that watching sports gives him some solace from the harsh reality of his day-to-day life.

“I’m proud of our team, and I love watching them when I can,” he said. “I think the road is still very much open for us to qualify for the World Cup. I really do think so.”

Before turning and going back inside the storm drain, Mr. Duman told KickTheBall.com that he hopes being featured in this article may prompt the local government to give homeless people the help that they need.

“If not me, then I hope all the other folks without a home can get some help. God knows they need it,” Mr. Duman said.

[Cap Nord]

"Com'on Nico, you need to get out whether you want it or not."

As Eve Lafay opened the blinds, a boisterous one o'clock sun engulfed the rather sparsely decorated apartment. Within a corner, Nicolas Durant was curled up in a lounge seat, watching another repetition of yesterday’s late news. From the blue lines under his eyes it was much easier to confirm that he was a part-time sulker rather than finding out he was a full-time football player.

“Yeah, but I really don’t want to.”

Eve sighed. Any romantic tension which could have existed when Nico took over the penthouse the floor above hers had long dwindled, she believed. Even if her closest friends swore that they would be an excellent couple, the thought of it made her stomach turn: it would be like frenching your favorite nephew, she claimed. In the beginning, he had the bravado of a young footballer who had just signed his first professional contract but that façade had quickly disappeared. On the other hand, her cover story as the ambitious, cultured law student had been disarmed just as soon. Both kept it up to the outside but within the confines of this flat, they could just hang out and be themselves.

“Is this about Stennköping?”

She knew right away that she had asked the right question. When FF Stennköping, a team with more ambition (both sporting and financially) than his current Olympique knocked on the door, he had quickly signed as their new right-back. But as the start of the season approached, second thoughts were creeping in. Nico had had to be on his own legs from a young age, but he too knew that he had been able to do so through a strong network of relatives and friends. Stennköping was not the end of the world, but it did mean moving to the other side of the peninsula and building up a whole new life.

“Yeah… No.”

Nicolas had once, half jokingly, asked whether she would not want to move to Stennköping with him. As the days and weeks went by, Eve started to consider that less than half of that statement had been in jest.

“Or is it the Whalers?”

His nod was kind of hidden, but good enough to confirm. For the Esportivan Derby Series, Durant had earned his first call-up. For a few days, he had been beaming and it could have been a double whammy: with fifteen minutes left on the clock, he got the chance to take the field against Esportivan Darmen. All warmed up, his back number on the board already, until Brymsaeter twisted an ankle. Instead of facing Gronw Mullins, Durant faced the bench and Siebe Moersleutel could take the field instead. This afternoon, Cap Nord opened their campaign in West Barack and East Obama, without Durant. The gaffer had been honest with him, whilst he did satisfactory during the training camp, he should not immediately expect a call for a match selection. With a great sense of timing, the news on the television set just blurted out that the ‘expected eleven’ were to start and that this was ‘the strongest selection possible’ ahead of the first game.

“So, you are not a Whaler, and no need to be a wailer. Get up!”

Puns never had been her strong suit and Nico opened his reply with a groan.

“What for?”
“You’re coming to the Culture Festival in Codazur with me, whether you like it or not.”

Durant looked as if she had asked him to clean the porta potti’s after a five-day metal fest.

“Oh god, a culture festival. A bunch of arty-farty nitwits getting excited about a painting that is just a canvas painted blue, with in the background the sound of Hoggesanner throat singers*.”
“It is nothing like that. Or at least, there is more than that.”
“Hurrah, they’ve got Jimmy O’Hoole*?”
“Definitely better.”
“What, Anita and Sign Of The End Times* is performing?”
“Don’t get your hopes up too high, but there is definitely something to your liking.”

By that point, she knew she had tickled his interest enough to get him out of the damp room.

**

About four hours later, the two were wandering between the various stands and expos, munching on a boule de suif* as they were looking for something else to do. Initially, the plan had been to visit the whole terrain but so far, they hadn’t gotten any further than the two first buildings behind the administrative zone where a string of concerts lightened up the place. They had seen the rockers of Cheaper Than Your Therapist, saw something foreign which vaguely reminded them of Fait La Fête and danced for a good hour on DJ Felony & MC In Tires*, despite the warmth of the afternoon. The people had come out for the Festival and as they approached the large beach, it took them a bit to find an open seat. Not coincidentally because the large screen was showing the last few minutes of the Cap Nord game.

“We… rather go somewhere else?”

Nico hesitated for a second but then nodded. She was right, wailing about this did not help him any further. As they sipped their picon*, they saw how the Whalers were one nil up, a goal courtesy of Jorgen Bjerkness. A replay showed how he bamboozled Obamallama, despite the scything tackle of the latter, before putting it away in the furthest corner. A clean goal after a careful passing sequence, but not a lot of that organization was left now. Time was running out and the Whalers ached for the last whistle. Chobamya tried to raid the wing, but Troels Poulsen could tackle it into a corner kick. Instead of immediately resuming positions, he picked up the ball and asked the referee whether it hadn’t bounced off the Obaman striker first. Completely unfounded, of course, but seconds ticked away. Successfully, as Marzinn could pick Chobamya’s corner out of the air, lay down on it and assure that the time was up. Three hard-fought points won against a stubborn opponent was an excellent start of the campaign.

“See. That is the difference between those internationals and me. They don’t always play it by the rules, they do those little cheats, pushing the opponent, stealing seconds, … What I need is to be a bit more of a bastard. Nice guys never win anything.”

He looked so disheartened, Eve immediately sympathized.

“I need you…”

There was a pause in her sentence, the slightest pause but one that simmered in the hot air.

“I need you to remain yourself, Nico. It got you already this far.”

He looked to the ground, overthinking her words. And then, with a wild gesture, he tossed his boule de suif in the sand, rose and walked off.

“It got me only this far.”

**

*Hoggesanner throat singers: Hoggesann is a region in Cap Nord with as capital Stennköping. But apart from that metropole and a few small industrial cities, it is a highly rural area with wild nature and sparse population. And in the north, there are still some peculiar folk singing traditions, such as the throat singers who perform in groups of five, producing lethargic, high-pitched sounds underneath lyrics in a nearly incomprehensible dialect.

*Jimmy O’Hoole: Even if O’Hoole approaches his seventieth birthday, not a day goes by or he will have a performance at some carnival or feast. The singer brings smartlap, a sentimental genre that reminds one of schlager with its catchy, simple rhythms, but with a text about the duress of life. Among the elderly, O’Hoole is vastly popular and they consistently vote his new hits into the charts. Youngsters rather look mockingly at him, as he became a persiflage of himself during public performances, such as always referring to himself as ‘the famous singer Jimmy O’Hoole’.

*Anita: Anita Marie Lovstrand is only twenty-four but already on the five best-selling artists of all times in Cap Nord. At fifteen, she got her first smash hit with Fingertips and her career has gone from height to height after that. Her melancholic pop is vastly popular among teenagers and her self-written records become more popular one after the other. After touring the country extensively in the beginning of her career, cementing her popularity, she now performs far more sparingly, making her concerts selling out despite the high prices.

*Sign Of The End Times: SOTET is a four-man band which has been a mainstay in the Capnordic rock scene for well over a decade now. They debut album I’ld Rather Be At Home steered the genre into a new direction by using electronics without losing the classic bas-guitar-drums combinations of postpunk. Their enthusiastic music with cynical lyrics was a smash hit. The same success could not be copied with their later albums, but many up-and-coming bands cite them as a crucial influence.

*boule de suif: Hailing its name from the term for birds’ fat balls, this threat combines a lot of butter with a whipped cream inside and a soft crust outside. It takes an expert to eat them without spilling and eating three of them will knock you out with stomach aches.

*Cheaper Than Your Therapist: The trio consisting of Amy Cornagie and the Bassett brothers offer nothing but sunshine, quirky guitar work and a drum beat that is hard to resist. Bright and cheerful, they resist the rather dark ground stream in youngster music with an upbeat atmosphere and popular artwork in candy colors. Their single “Smashing Tomatoes”, about celebrating the start of the holidays, is the feel-good hit of the moment and the official Capnordic submission for the Esportiva Cultural Festival.

*Fait La Fête: Under this name, the couple Britt and Johan Ekke bring an eclectic mix of ethnic rhythms and smart beats. Both stand behind a large desk, looping in new sounds that drag the listeners into a mesmerizing dance, helped by a set of peculiarly clothed dancers and raving light shows during live performances. But for a midday performance as this, they also have room for esoteric breaks in their set, that offer a warm blanket and an urge to hug strangers.

*DJ Felony & MC In Tires: Maya Fallon, better known under her stage name DJ Felony, originally started out in an electro genre called highway (named after the 128 beats per minute, which aligns with the allowed maximum speed on Capnordic highways and its tendency to suit long car drives via the slow, subtle changes in rhythms) and got a strong local reputation with that. But she went big nationally as she teamed up with Peter McIntyre. The latter was a fairly unsuccessful rapper as MaccieP but discovered his true calling as an MC. The duo assure excellent live performances, as Fallon brings a more commercial side of her genre, laced with hints to mainstream pop songs and the contagious humor of McIntyre, who is indeed dressed in a set of tires (and nothing else).

*picon - The alcoholic orange-based beverage of the region which can be served as a mixer for both beer or wine. The better organizations, as this Festival obviously is, provide a signature mix with other liquors or bitters that sells splendidly on warm days.

[Tikariot]

Part 1 of Darkness Descends

“Abandon all hope, ye who enter here…”

As he approaches the roughly hewn wooden gate under the runic inscription, the already oppressive darkness around him begins to feel as if it is physically attempting to keep him from reaching it.

"We're not supposed to be here!" The bearded man's voice is strained from trying to fight the darkness.

Despite the wind having died down, the torches' flames are flickering and are whipped backward as if a storm had sprung up. The wind is tearing at the robes and he has to lean forward not to be pushed back.

"Grab each other's hands, we can't be separated!" He yells over his shoulder, stretching out his right hand behind him. He feels a small hand enter his and he grabs it. Step by step he moves forward, at an excruciating pace but with grim determination, he closes down the distance. After what felt like an eternity, he reaches the threshold and the moment he steps across, the wind dies down instantly and he falls forward onto his knees. As he turns his head, he sees the rest of the group in a similar position.

He gets up from the hard-packed clay and turns toward the group. "Is everyone ok?"

Various noises of agreement greet him and he nods. "I don't know what awaits us here, but I want you to stay close. No matter what happened, we can't be separated."

Without another word he sets out and the passage looks similar to the serpentine path they had taken to get here, with the only difference being that it has a ceiling. Along the walls, there are scratch marks that look as if someone tried to get out but was dragged back into the darkness ahead. The torches barely light anything ahead, the inky blackness ahead and above seemingly swallowing the light, as if casting a black veil all around them. It is deathly quiet with even their footsteps barely making a sound.

They arrive at an intersection where the path splits and he lowers his torch to see if the ground would give any indication of where to go, but everything looks the same.

"Should we split--" a male voice from the back asks but is immediately cut off.

"--no. As I said, we have to stay together."

"So which way?"

"We are in the first circle of hell. The left-hand path." He takes a deep breath and moves the left, the path becoming ever more winding and twisting and he is sure that it is narrowing this time around. He is worried that it is going to become too tight to continue on. As he turns another bend, the walls come together to the extent that he has to squeeze through sideways. A grunt from behind him indicates that the bearded man has to truly squeeze his square frame through what feels like the eye of a needle.

Together with the seemingly impenetrable darkness around them, it begins to feel increasingly claustrophobic. He feels his heartbeat increase and he closes his eyes as he inches forward, silently imploring that this is not going to end in a dead-end.

Suddenly, a strange glow begins to pierce the gloom ahead, the walls finally widening, the darkness suddenly lifted as he steps out into - he is not sure what it is. Ahead lies a wide, uneven path of black rock, with cracks lining its surface, and fissures to both sides of the path spewing forth flames. To both sides, the black rock gives way to ornately carved walls leading up to the massive gate of a gigantic, imposing castle-like structure, beyond which infernal fires await. The black rock seems to conduct the heat of the fires, the whole place emanating a forsaken and desolate evil.

"I'll be damned," mutters the bearded man.

"Be careful what you wish for..."

They carefully move on, their eyes in constant motion, unsure what to expect, but nothing stirs other than the flames licking at the edges of the fissures. As they approach the gate, all that is visible beyond is fire. The heat is becoming unbearable and he pulls back his cowl, revealing long black hair and a black goatee, a sheen of sweat on his forehead, his steel-blue eyes focused on the black gate. He looks up at the wrought-iron arch above before crossing the threshold.

Ahead lay a wide staircase leading up between towers and walls made from the same black rock, flames climbing up between cracks in its surface. Hesitantly he sets foot on the first step, taking a look back at his companions who have also thrown back their cowls. He studies their faces, reflecting a mix of determination and anxiety. Three men and a woman followed him into what literally felt like hell. The bearded man with a wild red mane of hair, short, heavy set and square, a tall, bald, dark-skinned man with a long moustache, a grim-looking bald man with scars marring the skin of his cheeks and forehead and the woman with flaring red hair and emerald green eyes, holding his gaze.

With a nod, he turns and ascends the stairs, the others following suit. The higher they go, the more the desolation of the castle becomes almost palpable as if the absence of life had manifested itself in a corporeal form. As they reach the top of the stairs, suddenly everything changes. The black stone and the flames dancing in its cracks are still the same, but ahead of them lies a kind of courtyard, with black soil and the blackened outlines of trees, their barren branches reaching toward the grey skies like skeletal fingers, twisted and forbidding. Surrounding the courtyard is a wide cobbled path with hundreds of hooded figures, faceless, silent, their featureless gazes fixed upon the intruders.

He feels a hand on his arm. "What do we do now?" the red-haired woman asks in a low voice, uneasily looking around the eerily silent figures.

"We don't have a whole lot of options."

"How do we even know where to go?"

He chuckles. "The prophecy didn't come with a map, unfortunately. But look around, there is only one way out of this weird yard." He looks behind them and the gate at the bottom of the stairs is closed, its blackened iron fully engulfed in flames. "And it doesn't look like we can go back either."

Taking a deep breath he motions to move forward, along the pathway, toward the faceless spectators. As they pass them, they turn as they walk by, their unsettling gazes more intense than their eyes could ever be. But none of them make any moves toward the group, remaining as silent as they had been when they first had seen them.

He studies the trees in the courtyard, their trunks and limbs twisted and charred, as if they had been burnt alive, their agony etched into the cracked, blackened surface. At the far end of the courtyard, he sees another staircase that leads into what appears to be the main keep of the castle, two large, pointy spires rising above, the flames dancing around the cracks all the way to the top making them appear to be moving.

The stairs lead up to a large double door made from the same blackened timber as the trees of the courtyard, open, almost as if awaiting their arrival. The faceless figures stand closer as if funnelling them toward the doors. They apprehensively ascend the stairs and step into a great hall that stretches into the distant darkness as the flames from the outside are absent. The only illumination in the hall is a throne set on a dais, which is aflame, flames licking along its surface. And on the throne sits a black figure, looking at them. The hall is filled with more of the silent faceless figures, following their every move. Suddenly a grating voice tears through the silence.

"I've been waiting for you mortals. Look at these grovellers, silent, faceless, useless. But even if they could talk, they are beneath me, not worthy of my attention. Move closer, so I can properly see you."

"Why don't you climb down your throne?"

The figure scoffs. "Me climbing down, for you?" He makes a condescending gesture. "You really think you are worthy of it?" The following laugh sounds grating and unpleasant, like a rake scraping over gravel. "No. You will come here. What is your name."

"You can call me The Shadow."

"The Shadow? So all I need is to shine a light on you to make you disappear."

The Shadow chuckles. "You can't make me disappear. Every light will create another shadow."

He slowly moves closer to the throne, never taking his eyes off the mysterious figure. As he advances, more features become visible. Its skin is ashen grey, wrinkled and cracked as if it had dried out, stretched over the bones. Deep-set yellow eyes stare down from the throne, full of arrogance and contempt. "Why should I even give you the time? You are beneath me."

The Shadow stops at the bottom of the stairs leading up the dais. "You think you are a king, yet you have no kingdom. You believe that you stand above them all, yet you are nothing special. What do you think gives you the right to raise yourself above them? What makes you worthy of sitting on this throne?"

The arrogance in the yellow eyes intensifies, turning to anger. "How dare you..."

"How dare I what? Tell the truth?"

"I will not tolerate this! Come here, this very moment."

The Shadow laughs out loud. "You are in no position to give commands. Not to me, not to them, not to anybody. You have nothing. You are nothing."

The figure raises from its thrown, having to push itself up. Its legs look unsteady as if he didn't have to stand up in a long, long time. "You will pay for this."

The Shadow stretches his arms to his sides. "I am right here, make me pay!"

"You dare mock me?"

With a sly smile, The Shadow turns around. "Take your best shot. But I know will not do anything. You are nothing." He smiles at his companions.

"You asked for this!"

He hears the shuffling of feet from atop the dais when suddenly an ear-piercing shriek cuts through the silence of the great hall and the sound of a body falling down the stairs reaches his ears. The red-haired woman lets out a surprised scream while the bearded man takes a step forward, pulling The Shadow aside just as the body of the lich lands right we had stood a moment before. The figure is laying in a heap, the parchment-like skin split in several areas exposing bone, the limbs at odd angles and finally the head separates from the rest of the body, rolling to the side.

"What now?" The woman asks, looking at the grotesque scene in front of her. The Shadow squats down and pulls a ring off the lich's finger. It is engraved with intricate carvings. As he stands up, he holds it up to look closer when all of a sudden darkness falls around them.

"The throne!" She exclaims. "The flames are going out!"

"Let's get out of here!"

As they turn toward the large door, the faceless creatures have begun to move closer, almost as if a spell has been lifted.

"Run!"

They set off at a dead run, trying to avoid the shuffling figures. Just as they manage to exit the doors, they see that the courtyard is full of the creatures and they huddle together, backs to backs not to show any potential weak spots. But the creatures stop moving in closer and open a narrow aisle between them. The Shadow tentatively takes a step toward the opening and the figures step back to allow them to pass as if trying to funnel them toward a particular area in the centre of the courtyard. Not seeing any alternative, they continue walking until they see a spiral staircase descending into darkness between the gnarled, charred trees...

---

Line-up for Match Day 2 against New Dascos

Line-up for Match Day 3 against Chromatika

OOC: The image of the first circle of hell is courtesy of Midjourney.

[Eshialand]

A Test Gone Successful

On the Retakono Me'a, Outside Aleirave...

"Oi, Faleke, you may wanna see this!"
"What is it Pahale?"

Life on an Aleiravan fishing boat was never the most interesting thing in the world for these two. They spent their mornings going out to catch a few fish to sell at the market and praying that the strange phenomena of the Retakono Me'a (Sea of Mystery) wouldn't leave them dead or worse. When they got back to the island, they'd clean the fish and hope that people would be willing to buy their fish. Usually they'd sell out relatively quickly, but sometimes they'd be taking home a bit more dinner than they were expecting.

Today, however, was not one of those boring days, as Faleke would find out when he looked off the port bow.

"Where did that ship come from? I didn't see it coming over the horizon-"
"It just popped into existence in this purple flash, I swear!!!"
"Are you nuts?"
"No, I saw it with my own eyes!"

This ship they saw was the HMES Kariddi, a rather large Eshian-flagged vessel which today found itself carrying 500 or so convicts.

"Pahale, Eshian prison ships don't just appear... I swear to Ta'anehupa if they're trying to use our island as a penal colony I'm gonna--"
"Nononono I swear they just appeared in a flash of light!" Pahale replied as one of the orange-clad prisoners waved to the two.
"Agh, you must be seeing things... the Retakono Me'a must've finally gotten to your head, it was only a matter of time... you know what happened to Grigori Tereyev after all." referring to the third Supreme Leader of the Klysevian era, who had gone mental after falling into the waters of that area.

---

"Dr. Johnstone, our test was successful!"
"Were any fatalities reported on the Kariddi?"
"No sir, everything worked according to plan!"
"Tell our volunteers their sentences will be greatly reduced now, they risked their lives for the scientific cause, after all. I'm going to keep working on scaling things up so eventually that 500 can become 50 million..."

One may question the extremely shoddy ethics of roping prisoners into risking their lives for science, but you have to get volunteers from somewhere, and it was better than taking people off of the street... these people were in for decades to life anyway, and if things needed to be covered up, they could always pretend there was a natural disaster... in any event it would be better than trying to explain free people suddenly disappearing, right?

"Hm, the test was successful?" the king asked Dr. Johnstone over the phone that night.
"Indeed! Not a prisoner was lost. Largest successful rift we've had without casualties."
"So do you think the whole country can be rifted this summer?"
"Maybe not the summer, I'm thinking more like the fall... unless I have a major breakthrough, that is."
"That is amazing news, I should start planning for the referendum then..."
"Referendum?"
"Yes, the people have the right to decide on what we're doing before we do it, this is a big thing after all..."
"Then maybe we should publicize our results with the Kariddi... that should help put people at ease, and convince people that this truly can be safe."
"Go right ahead, and I'll start convincing people that this will usher in a new era of international cooperation and economic stability."
"So you're going to be throwing out buzzwords because you don't really understand geopolitics, right?"
"Shhh don't tell the Prime Minister that... but yes."
"Alright then, talk to you later."
"You too! And you'd better have more good news next time we speak."

[Bears Armed]

The time: shortly after the Bear-Belles' defeat by the 'Black-and-Reds' of the Squornshelan Remnant States.
The place: the lobby of the hotel in Killough Grove, in the SRS, where this team has been staying for the last couple of days so that they could acclimatise to local conditions before that match.
The situation: two of the Belles' staff, who have managed to prepare for departure before most of the other staff or the players, are having a quiet conversation.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

(Lurra Lovegood) "Hwrackspurrts. It was due to Hwrackspurrts, I'm an eightSquared-in-the-yonkh sure of this." (See footnotes #1, 2)

(Urrsara Northgate) "Hwhat?"

(Lurra) "Hwrackspurrts, for true. Those must be infesting most of ourr players, hwhich is hwhy they've been looking so confused for so much of the time recently and played so badly today, and maybeso -- most maybeso -- they've got into some of ourr staff as hwell... although them not as badly as the players, it seems." (See footnotes #3, 4)

(Urrsara) "Hr'rmm...
"And these 'hwrackspurrts' are hwhat, exactly?"

(Lurra) "They're microscopic, invisible crreatures that get into people'sheads through the ears and make those people's thinking go fuzzy. There must be a LOT of them involved to have affected the players so badly, though, and that's hrrather strrange: Mostly they're drawn more strrongly towards people who have the 'hwizarrding' talent, and even though folks back home sometimes might hrrefer to one player or another as being 'a hwizzard with the ball' I hrrather doubt thatthat would be enough to have attracted this many hwrackspurrts to any of the team."[size] (She pauses briefly...) [size=120]"Hr'rmm indeed, for true, that might be something worrth snifing into... Not that I could investigate it back home, though, because norrmally there aren't any hwrackspurrts in BearHome: This lot's founders must have been a few picked up somehwhere abroad, either by a team member or by some other traveller who brought them back..." (See footnote #5)

[/size](Urrathara) "And are you also an-eightSquared-in-the-yonkh sure that those hwrackspurrts aren't affecting you, instead, to make you think that theyre doing this to everybearry else here?You're the only person here who does have the hwizarrding talent, after all..." (See footnote #6)

(Lurra) "An-eightSquared-in-the-yonkh sure, for true. I'm wearing these," (She points to the pair of radishes that she's wearing as clip-on earrings, a sartorial choice decidedly unusual in Bears Armed that had been a factor in leading some of the team to doubt her sanity...) and hrradishes rrepel hwrackspurrts." (See footnote #7)

(Urrsara) "Hr'rmm.
"Hokay, well, you're the experrt on strrange crreatures. So, can you do something to get rid of these hwrackspurrts?"

(Lurra) "Ur'rrm, no. Once they get into somebearry's mind it's beyond the sorts of wizarrdry that to rremove them safely... too much chance of pulling out parts of that mind along with them. Some other hwizzard back home might be able to brew a potion for this, though, or some of the Singers might know a special Song to set things hrright again. The best that I can do is use 'wards' to seal the vehicles we use for travelling home so that no more hwrackspurrts can get inside and those that are already in any of ourr bears' minds can't get out to infect anybearry else. Then the hwhole team will have to go into quarantine until the problem is fixed." (See footnote #8)

(Urrasara) "But if we were to put hrradishes around everybearry's ears...?""

(Lurra "That would just seal any hwrackspurrts that have already got into their minds inside. Maybeso I can find out hwho is currently not infested and we can give tthem that protection, though."

(Urrasara) "Oh, well, let's hope that that is possible, anyhows.
"So, quarantine, ayyuh?" (See footnotes#9, 10)

(Lurra) "Ayyuh, that's hwhat I'm rrecommending."

(Urrasara) "Oh, hwell. at least we have a 'bye' scheduled for the next match-day, so that gives us a bit more time than we'd otherwise have had to get the prroblem fixed... but I'd wanted the players to spend most of that time at prractice, to help them get back into the hrright form and mood before they play again."

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Footnotes

1. 'Hwrackspurrts' -- or 'Wrackspurts' in the original material -- are one of my borrowings from the 'Harry Potter' universe. Their effects and nature, as described in this post, are basically as in that cource... at least according to Harry's friend Luna Lovegood, although she does also claim the existence of various other creatures that none of the other characters except for her own father seriously belives in.
2. "an eightSsquared in the yonkh" _ Bearing in mind the Bears' preference for Base-8 arithmetic, "eightSquareds" are what they use where we would use 'hundreds' (i.e. 'ten-squareds'): "yonkh" is the Ursine language's word for this number, and in the Urso-English dialect that the characters are using here it is used in the same sort of contexts where we would use 'century': Thus, the expression "an eight-squared in the yonkh" is equivalent to "one hundred percent".
3. "for true" _ Urso-English for "certainly" or "definitely".
4. "maybeso" _ Urso-English for "maybe", "perhaps", or "possibly".
5. "sniffing into" _ Urso-English equivalent for "looking into".
6. "everybearry" _ Urso-English for "everybody", because in Ursine the word 'Bear' -- when used as a noun -- simply means "person". (c.f. also "anybearry", "nobearry", "somebearry").
7. Re radishes repelling wrackspurts _ That's why the Potterverse's Luna Lovegood wears radish earrings, she says...
8. "Singers" and "Songs", in both cases with an upper-case 'S' _ Reference to a form of non-'wizarding' mysticism that uses lengthy chants (assisted, sometimes, by certain other things) to set Reality back arright. OOC, loosely inspired by Dine (i.e. Navaho) traditions, as seen by me in various works of fiction.
9. "anyhows" _ Urso-English for "anyhow" or "anyway", formed on the basis that 'any' implies plural possibilities.
10. "Ayyuh" _ Urso-English for "Yes".

[Valanora]

"How long do you think that Lothas and Indra are going to be coming off the bench for, they are supposed to be these world superstars and yet they are not in the first elven. Seems really strange if you ask me, to have two of your best players not even in the starting eleven for games that are supposed to be so important and helping get the team back to playing right after stumbling so badly in the Finals of the last World Cup."

"Eastwood knows what he is doing. you have to treat everyone in the team the same even if the players in question are stars with big egos, the best players on the team, or a combination of both. They both found themselves on the bench of their respective clubs in Nephara and needed last gasp transfers to get to clubs where they are going to be starting again. Perhaps that is even why they did not seem quite up to their usual standard in the last World Cup, having missed that little edge from being the starter every match they were available for in a highly competitive and talented league."

"Maybe but it still feels like we are shooting ourselves in the foot by not having those two starting at every chance that we can given how immensely talented the pair actually are. And you know how old they are, this is likely the last World Cup that either are going to be able to play in where they are still considered to be in their prime! We've already seen many of that generation be put aside as Eastwood tries to chase that sixth title, that forsaken sixth title that no one seems capable of actually getting ahold of. We can not let this generation of transformative talents go to waste by sending a message to them and the team, they need to be out on the field and getting the rhythm and feel with the rest of the team so that if/when we do qualify for the Finals, we can not have a repeat of last cycle."

"I do not necessarily disagree with you but the manager has to do what they feel is the right thing to do in the situation that they find themselves in. I imagine that once the domestic season starts to get into full swing and both Lothas and Indra get back into that sort of rhythm that they will find their way back into the starting eleven with the national team as well. You want your best players playing at the best level they can and that does mean getting them the starts they need on the domestic level to get both in form and to have the sort of match fitness that is going to be needed in a prolonged qualifying campaign like we have found ourselves in. This is the type of campaign that is going to see large swathes of the pool getting appearances in some form or fashion and rest assured that there will be plenty of chances for those two to strut their stuff."

[Saint Eleanor]

OOC: 2005-06 two-year combined schedule will be bundled with the 1975 RP due to time issues. Sorry.

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Thirty Years of Eleanorians: how our new series shows living Eleanorian history at its best
Published by the National Office on January 11th 2005

For twenty-four years, LocalTALK has prided itself on being Saint Eleanor's only major and truly local broadcasting network. Our vision, "to deliver news and views that matter to everyday Eleanorians when they need it," holds as true now as it did when we first started broadcasting in March 1981. We can say that no two days - and no two broadcasts - are ever the same because we've proven it; our daily listenership across the entire network tracks at 10% of the entire population, as it has done for years.

With that said, we don't like to talk about ourselves too much. Instead, we focus on the people who make Saint Eleanor's communities. They are the people who complain about their neighbours, yes - but also the people who relate to them, talk to them and even invite them over for a few nice events. They are the people who set up businesses, work for and shop in businesses; the people who serve in the Army and the people who respect them back. Yes - they, too, are the people who listen to, and talk about, everything our LocalTALK stations cover.

Saint Eleanor is approaching a remarkable anniversary: thirty years since it won its freedom. At LocalTALK, we'd like this anniversary to be celebrated with the best of Saint Eleanor - not its worst, its pettiest, its most argumentative, or (if you're cynical enough) the kinds of people who call into our phone-ins. That is why, every five days until Independence Day, we will focus on thirty-one people - one child of June 23rd for each year of Eleanorian independence - who have done something extraordinary. It could be an objectively amazing achievement, or maybe just a bit unusual in our context. These may be good things. These may be bad things. These things might matter a lot - or not at all.

What all of these things have in common too, however, is that they are authentic. Eleanorians are diverse, open-minded and unashamedly quirky - we know this as much as you do. All of these stories tell us something about the person: who they are, where they come from and what they've done. They also tell us something about their community: what it's like, how they approach it and what it thinks of them. Most importantly, however, they tell us something about the nation. The Eleanorian tapestry would not be as rich as it is if any one of us did not play our part in making it what it is today. It is in this spirit that we present to you these stories of adventure, ambition, self-belief, and - on occasions - emotion.

LocalTALK is broadcast from the Western City on 96.1 MHz, the North Western City on 96.5 MHz, the Northern City on 96.3 MHz, the University campus on 97.0 MHz (FM) and 828 KHz (AM), the East Central City on 97.3 MHz, the Eastern City on 97.7 MHz, the Dockside Cluster on 96.7 MHz, and the Towns of Saint Eleanor between 98.0-98.6 MHz.

All the episodes; all the people
June 23rd 1975: "I've met everybody who's ever made the national team"
June 23rd 1976: "I was involved in the Congress of Students' longest-ever debate"
June 23rd 1977: "I bought my first house for $60,000"
June 23rd 1978: "I was struck by lightning aged nine - and I've been through worse"
June 23rd 1979: "I watched Saint Eleanor at the Pentagram Underworld"
June 23rd 1980: "I dress exactly like my controversial style idol"
June 23rd 1981: "I still haven't paid a traffic fine from five years ago"
June 23rd 1982: "I survived my first year as a teacher and I don't know how"
June 23rd 1983: "I tried to work my way back to full lung capacity"
June 23rd 1984: "I knew exactly what I'd do with my lottery winnings"
June 23rd 1985: "I thought I could outrun a bin lorry"
June 23rd 1986: "I want to bring back Herzegovina United - but I absolutely won't"
June 23rd 1987: "I'm best friends with the Golden Backpack winner"
June 23rd 1988: "I spend my free time chasing little-known radio stations"
June 23rd 1989: "I ride my bicycle to school - and everywhere else"
June 23rd 1990: "I invaded the pitch during a Charles Trump Shield game"
June 23rd 1991: "I didn't mind when it reached 33ºC last summer"
June 23rd 1992: "I won the Champions League with Vreahcaster United"
June 23rd 1993: "I try to make fast food from scratch with my dad"
June 23rd 1994: "I'm the only baseball fan in my class"
June 23rd 1995: "I spent thousands of dollars calling random phone numbers"
June 23rd 1996: "I got to present some news on LocalTALK"
June 23rd 1997: "I scored sixteen goals in a friendly football game"
June 23rd 1998: "I met the President while walking to school"
June 23rd 1999: "I drew on the classroom walls but I'm sorry I did that"
June 23rd 2000: "I've never seen Saint Eleanor at the World Cup"
June 23rd 2001: "I did not pull on his leg or his shoes, that is wrong"
June 23rd 2002: "I had no internet for a week and my son's to blame"
June 23rd 2003: "I almost can't afford childcare - but I have no other choice"
June 23rd 2004: "I want every mum to have access to formula milk"
June 23rd 2005: "I'm focused on delivering the best outcome for our newborns"

[Flavovespia]

Flavovespia 2–2 Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer

Improvement was the one word that can sum up the opening game of the World Cup Qualifiers 94 for Flavovespia. Improvement during the course of the game, and improvement needed for Flavovespia to make it into the playoffs or to get an automatic qualifying berth.

Against debutants Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer, there were a few shake ups from the expected starting 11. Charles Adams was to start in midfield, for his first cap for Flavovespia. At the back, Nazir Hussain paired up with Stuart Cookson, and in attack, Richard Birmingham was in the centre, flanked by Michael Cole and Jonathan Bagshaw. A bit of rotation was in play, but this was largely seen as a strong Flavovespian squad to take on the opener in St Astons City.

The opening exchanges were initially favouring Flavovespia, as they probed around the Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer, looking for a breakthrough. Jonathan Bagshaw was making Nathan Bourguignon work hard to keep any crosses or shots coming in from the right. 13 minutes in however, and Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer struck first, with their first shot on target of the game. Nathan Fauteux-McGrath played a pass through to Louis-Philippe Berlinguette just outside the box. Berlinguette gave Nazir Hussain the slip, and shot low towards the corner. Aarif Muhammad was slow off hismarks and slow to react, and the ball skidded on past his outstretched boot, and into the net. 0-1 to the visitors, they lead their debut World Cup Qualifiers game, and Flavovespia were stunned.

Flavovespia, far from bouncing quickly back from the set back, seemed to be all over the place in the first half. A mix up in the 23rd minute between Stuart Cookson and Nazir Hussain saw Frédérique Goudreau-Luneau get almost clean through on goal, thankfully for the hosts his final touch was too heavy, and into the path of David Lyons. Midfield cohesion was lacking too, as the trio in midfield struggled to get the ball forward. Kieron Player was lucky to only receive a yellow, for a rash challenge on Nathan Fauteux-McGrath chasing a loose pass. About the only saving grace for Flavovespia was they kept it to 0-1. At the other end, there was the odd half-chance here and there, but nothing to immediately suggest a comeback was on the way.

It was clear Flavovespia needed improvement in the second half, and they started relatively well, much like the first half. The challenge however was to find a way past a stubborn Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer, a side with the lead against a much higher rated opposition, and keen to get the upset. Every potentially dangerous through ball or cross seemed to find a player in red and yellow, to clear it to safety. The 67th minute saw Flavovespia finally make a breakthrough. Substitute Adrian Jones drew in both centre backs towards him. A clever turn and pass opened up space for Michael Cole to run into, and with a first time shot fired past Serge Bleau-Bean. The equaliser, Flavovespia hadn’t been at the races, but it got them their first goal of the campaign.

Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer only needed 4 minutes however to respond and retake the lead. Fauteux-McGrath whipped in a corner from the left, and Louis-Philippe Berlinguette was there at the near post, heading past substitute Paul Taylor and Aarif Muhammad, to find the back of the net. 1-2, the home crowd were once again taken aback by the Flavovespian defence struggling, and there was less than 20 minutes to find a way back into the game.

Flavovespia came into the final stages fired up, and got the equaliser in the 81st minute. Michael Cole again got it, this time it was a Jonathan Bagshaw cross that flew low through the box, missing almost everyone, but not Cole. On the half volley he struck it and at that range, was very unlikely to miss. He didn’t miss, and got his 90th international goal and the second equaliser this game for Flavovespia. The push for the winner was on, and Flavovespia came close. Kieron Player had a free kick clip the outside of the post before going out for a goal kick in the 86th minute. Then in injury time, Serge Bleau-Bean pulled off a great save, low to his right, to block a winner and hat-trick for Michael Cole.

2-2 it finished in the end, and ultimately despite a late flourish, Flavovespia can’t be too happy with the result. Augusto Rinaldi said as much in the post match interview, although was also keen to stressed that Flavovespia had some positives to take away, and that there were another 19 games left. The one good thing from the perspective of the group table is Dantopia beating Ziwana 2-0 was the only game to not end in a draw. That includes Vilita being held to a scoreless home draw by the lowest seeded team in the pot, Neibeskiya. Flavovespia head off to Tanirinthia, who began the World Cup Qualifiers with a bye, before Flavovespia themselves have a bye.

Squad for MD2: Crewe, Lyons©--Cookson--Hussain--Scott-Wilson, Wassell--Player--Goldstone, Lane--Cole--Bagshaw

[95X]

"…and in other news, the 95X National Soccer Team played to a one-one draw against Lozho; Paxton Obamovich scored early in the second half for the Lozhoans, and Haven Cosmicbeat equaled the score for the 95Xers in stoppage time for the tie. That's the news, now back to Product and Service Showcase…"

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Lozho 1–1 95X
(Obamovich :59; Cosmicbeat :90+1)

[Dantopia]

DANTOPIA ✓

@Dantopia

The boss has named his team as the #Lions take on @Neibeskiya in the #WorldCupQualifiers



#Dantopia : #Lions : #WorldCupQualifiers

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Live Reporting

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2 mins ago

Following Dantopia’s victory in match-day one over Ziwana, Northgate has elected to make changes going into the away tie against Neibeskiya, likely as a chance to freshen the legs of some players, and allow others in the squad to make a contribution in Dantopia’s maiden World Cup qualifying campaign.

Lyle Runner, who captained the Lions in Lion City Arena in the last game, Brent Bartholomew-Barnham and Jason Sanchez have all made way for the upcoming fixture, with Rhys John, Geoff Hendrickson and Will Fodderingham starting in their absence. Northgate is unlikely to play the box midfield this time out, with a more traditional 4-3-3 being much more probable given the manager’s preference for the experienced Hendrickson, who will be captaining the side as Barry Paine still recovers from his broken metatarsal.

Dantopia will most probably revert back to their classic 4-3-3 shape against Neibeskiya.

John will slot into the defence in his conventional right back position. Fodderingham will be likely deployed on the wing, but with free reign to explore the pitch in a ‘raumdeuter’ role. Therefore, the attack will be spearheaded by the clinical Michael Danchevy and the incisive Adebayo Adeyemi, both of whom are in a rich vein of form for the national team currently. The travelling fans from Dantopia will be very much hoping their form continues in the Lions’ first away fixture of the qualifying campaign.

The Dantopians are hoping to make it two wins out of two, which would put them in a strong position in Group 15, though whether it would afford them any breathing room for the other fixtures, it’s far too close to call that right now.

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DANTOPIA ✓

@Dantopia

These are your #Lions kicking off tonight in Dartford against @ValentineZ in the #WorldCupQualifiers



#Dantopia : #Lions : #WorldCupQualifiers

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Home | Football | Basketball | Formula 1 | Tennis | Golf | Athletics

Live Reporting

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3 mins ago

Manager Harold Northgate has reverted back to his original back line for the upcoming fixture against Valentine Z in the Bank of Dantopia Stadium in Dartford, Dantopia. A light re-shuffle against Neibeskiya has allowed stand-in team captain Lyle Runner an opportunity to rest in anticipation for this fixture, and it is likely Northgate will look to exploit the tactical versatility of his side, now able to play in a four, a three or even a five at the back.

This flexibility will be needed against Valentine Z, who rank within the top fifty teams in the world. This will be a tough test for the Dantopians, who are looking to make waves in their inaugural world cup qualifying campaign. The Lions’ second home fixture in Group 15 is being hosted away from Lion City, a welcome change of pace, as it allows Dantopia’s second largest city Dartford to welcome the visitors from the North Pacific. Dartford is a vibrant, modern city with a keen passion for football. The reigning champions of the Dantopian Premier League, Dartford City reside here, as do the traditional powerhouse – the Dantopian Devils – who's stadium is hosting the national team and the visiting Valentine Z today. It is a hot evening in Dartford tonight, with the temperature sitting at 27ºC (81ºF) with almost no breeze to speak of. However, the incredibly sleek and modern – and air-conditioned – Bank of Dantopia Stadium will keep pitch-side temperatures to a much more bearable 21ºC (70ºF). Any chance of precipitation is only 4%, and humidity in the air reads at 69% (nice).

With Dantopia's first choice defensive line back in action, Northgate will likely experiment with the 3-2-4-1 formation again.

It is expected the Lions will look to utilise the additional man in midfield once again during this game, which is most often being provided by the inverting Lewis Shank from left back. With the other three defenders sliding across to form a back three, Shank is afforded a license to roam into the middle of the park, demonstrating his ball-playing abilities and helping the Lions overload in the midfield press.

Can Dantopia prove successful in their third fixture of the qualifying stages? The players performed admirably in the first game against Ziwana, and have showcase their skills in the Baptism of Fire and South Pacific Cup prior to this tournament too. The nation of Dantopia looks on with enthusiasm, eagerly encouraging their national team on. The typically raucous crowds found at Dantopia’s games will be in full force at the Bank of Dantopia Stadium, which is known for its impressive atmosphere on match-days.

[Brookstation]

It is impossible to forget Halebid United’s 1997 title along with the Harrison Shield but the details of Halebid’s encounter against FC 69 Norwegian wood in 1997 might still be forgotten, although ideally it should not. The game was defined by a plethora of incidents, making it one of the best matches to have ever been held in Brookstation. If there’s one thing that I am thankful for is my opportunity to have been a witness to that fine match.

The first attraction was the stadium itself, the Fortress as they call it, one of the roughest and most innovative stadiums in the whole country, the very stadium which had served as the setting, a year ago for the finals of the Harrison Shield encounter between Artiana Galaxy and Regiis Dreamland. Secondly, there was among the twenty two starters, Gerolf Josef. The striker had gone through a very dry 1996 season but over the course of the next season, Josef had improved to the extent where he could call himself the best player in the league. Next up, we also had Jack Leclerc, who at the mere age of 23 had become the nation’s first choice goalkeeper. And of course, we can’t forget the opponents, Joseph Laurent, Besnik Cruz, Jacob Andersen…the lifeline of Montano’s invincible Norwegian wood side.

In the 90s, Brook football had displayed the finest level of competition with almost every side having their superstars on the field. Other side of Paradise had the deadly duo of Robin Nash and Flores. Artiana had Taremi and Lasse and Space Coast had del Aqua, the Architect.

That doesn’t exclude Halebid from the list however. In fact those were the best years of the club by far and football doesn’t produce teams like that in Brookstation anymore. Josef and Igor Benezikov comprised the finest duo as any other in the division. Semere Koskinen, the man who had naturally white hair in his mid-twenties infused pace with strength and formed a crucial midfield lineup. Lastly to handle the defense, there was of course the good old Fabian Louis who still holds the record for the highest number of appearances for Halebid.


Although, Halebid were in their best form ever, Halebid was still operating with a pretty weak and inexperienced squad under Felix Alexandre. As June transitioned to July, United were still comfortably on top of their table, defying all the odds that stood against them. The team who had never been expected to achieve anything higher than a mid-table finish were now en route to their first ever League title. But as close as they were to the title, their main competitors, Norwegian wood stood as a huge obstacle on their way.

I wasn’t a supporter of either club so I still enjoyed my neutral position at the stadium but had I been a loyal member of either side, I would’ve found myself in a lot of trouble. The game that followed was simply nuts. It was more of a reality show episode than a proper match itself. Keeper, Jack Leclerc single handedly himself made as many as twelve saves throughout the match, equalising the total number of shots attempted by his very own team. There were three red cards, two for Norwegian wood, both of whom would be sent together for indulging in a terrible fight with the referee, and Halebid’s Aryan Shah who would join them later on. Even with only nine players on the field, it seemed as if Nowegian wood were on their way to the breakthrough when Al-Dabbas gave them a lead, only for it to be ruled offside, minutes after drama had already begun.

Opportunities - numerous opportunities - arose and departed in a very short span of time, contrary to the usual, obvious style of play we expect from. There was a pandemonium.

Boumy – aged 61 stood bewildered in the sidelines, scratching his bald scalp to solve the ridiculous situation on the field. His team had executed every possible act except scoring a goal. Halebid could hardly escape from their own half. Eldar Keovilay foolishly missed an unguarded goal. Aldo Serena's thunderous volley was deflected away by Leclerc. The pressure was unreal. It was unceasing, a deliberate assault on Norwegian wood."

Then came the twist in the story. Laurent carelessly misplaced a pass, straight to the devil or in other words, Josef who casually collected the ball and made a run for goal. Nowegian wood swiftly reassembled and run towards Josef in an attempt to stop him but the opportunity faded away with every step Josef made. Josef knew what he was doing and he cut confidently towards Bhat who doesn’t waste the chance and boom! There’s the first goal of the game. Halebid had scored in their very first attempt. It was just unbelievable. Both sides of the crowd were in awe and I couldn’t make out what was going on.

There was still so much left to the game. Norwegian wood still weren’t dead. Colin Fernandez was pushed inside the box, giving them a penalty. Laurent steps up for the penalty confidently and he misses! The first penalty he has missed in three years or so? None of it made any sense. What on earth was even going on? That was my exact reaction at the time. Norwegian wood is shocked.

With only 10 minutes left, the unimaginable occurs: Halebid score once more. Norwegian wood had exerted all their efforts against their opponents just for a mere shot at the championship. Yet Alexandre's squad - as they had frequently done that season - performed a miracle. Josef, that divine figure who had guided the team through their most difficult situations easily brushes past Jacob Andersen confidently charges for the goal, and, after what feels like the climax to a dream, strikes the ball right into the goal - and Halebid is surely the winners. Nothing could stop them from winning the title.

I started screaming at the top of my lungs, just like every other person present in the stadium that day. I didn’t know why I was shouting and dancing like everyone else but I just did, under the influence of the strongest drug known to mankind-football.

[Guanacasteca]

Bloodshed, tyranny, and oppression are the key components of the history of the República Guanacasteca through her history; an affair of almost 200 years which started after a power struggle between people who was in favour of the inheritance of the old colonial way of doing business and daily life, based in the exploitation of human resources through bestiality, subjection and starvation, and those against that model, people who asked to have a different way of life where human rights are basic and respected, no matter of any contextualisation or background any person could have… Just the basic right to survive, be respected and grow in a society that provides some help for auto realisation.

Arellano, the colonel who leads the ancient ways of mistreating people vs Alpízar, the progressive-minded leader who fed-up of military rule and abuses and decided to start a war, one that has already prolonged for two years and there’s no clear indication on when it could end. Guanacasteca has been suffering the toll in exaggerated levels, as misery has struck the country, agriculture no longer works as people fear to step-up on a mine while trying to make something for a living, but all of them knew, including Alpízar, that transformation is inevitable, it’s an inherent characteristic of any society in the multiverse.

After several efforts from the guerrilla movement trying to attack the military bastions across the country, the latter knew that they couldn’t hold it anymore, but a well-funded pride based on domination and fear, that have been systematically installed in the Guanacastecan society during almost two centuries, is the fuel for them to keep fighting, although it is in vain. Arellano was siting, somewhere in a mountain, as he received more indications from officers saying, “We’re losing too many men, the Guerrilla has us cornered here in the north since the Estelí attacks a year ago.” The Estelí attacks were a series of bombings from the Guerrilla that resulted in the death of 2,000 military officers, and the destruction of 45% of all the military equipment of the República Guanacasteca.

Arellano, visibly annoyed was starting to notice that the Guerrilla’s fight for progressivism was now toppling them to a point they didn’t expect, not even in a nightmare; “Two years have been enough to destroy a history of almost 200 years, we’re not that boastful institution from times past, we aren’t longer respected by the people, they hate us.” One of the officers back told Arellano “We have detected Guerrilla movement close to this position.” Arellano’s skin was like he had suffered chickenpox, suddenly, the reflexiveness of him vanished, worrying that the worst was about to come. He rose from the stone he was sat in, with difficulties due to the sustained injuries after the airstrike of the main military headquarters at the beginning of the events, he said “It is time to defend our positions now, if we don’t, our military glories and respect will be dead.”

People in the nearby zone started to prepare, they decided to take weaponry as they expected the attack from below the mountain, but they forgot to check their backs at the top. The Guerrilla entered, stealthily, in the forest and started to kill the soldiers one by one, Arellano didn’t listened anything as he was worrying if he could be injured by the sole fact of stepping in and fight; then, he was surrounded by a group of guerrilla fighters and wasn’t able to do anything, except for taking the gun near his mouth, saying “The army will live as long as the República Guanacasteca lives.” Then he shoots and committed suicide. The Guerrilla members who were there cheered, as the war was basically over, as Arellano was the only one in command while many soldiers had already died, surrendered, or left the República Guanacasteca. The leader of the group said, “The Republic will live, will flourish over the corpses of what was the army.” He took his radio and announced to the leaders, specially to Alpízar “The King of Pigs have committed suicide, I repeat, Arellano is dead.”

Alpízar was sitting, planning more operations near the zone while the radio was playing said message, he shook off in surprise, then asked for confirmation from the soldier through e-Quipu (What’s App equivalent); he took a picture from Arellano, laying dead atop a rock. It was 5:00 p.m., so it was a time people was near the radio to listen to news and developments of the war, mostly expecting to listen how Arellano continued to resist, but the message they would listen today is one they will never forget. “The war is over; Arellano has been found dead in the San Gabriel Mountains near Estelí. Peace is upon us; a new era is coming for the República Guanacasteca.”

Right before the beginning of the match against Arjunnagar, for the World Cup Qualifiers, people went to the streets to celebrate like if The Pigs (the football ones) have just won the World Cup, even bigger than that, as a tragic struggle of almost 200 years have just finished in front of their eyes, a new era of the República Guanacasteca was looming there, a era of peace and prosperity is what they wished, but they know that a lot of work has to be done in order to achieve said conditions, faith is what Guanacastecans cherish a lot, and what they’ll need after this.

[Eraman]

A lot of criticisms were hurled at the Monkey Kings after their lackluster performance in the recent CMFA Mandalanusa Cup which saw Eraman, one of the favorites to win the competition were knocked out in the group stage, finishing third behind the eventual champion, Pemecutan, and the tournament host, Sharktail. It was a brutal group which also feature Ziwana, Libonesia, and Otksarin but still, a group stage exit at the CMFA Mandalanusa Cup especially at the hands of neighboring rivals means disaster for Eramanians.

Of course, the mainstream media tried to play down the disastrous performance shown by the Monkey Kings at the CMFA Mandalanusa Cup. They are, after all, owned by the same people who run football in the country. But the fans were not buying that. In a poll conducted by a popular fan page, 98% of Eramanians would rather not qualify for the World Cup but win against Sharktail and Pemecutan rather than win the World Cup but lose to Sharktail and Pemecutan in the process. From the fans' point of view, they are no bigger matches than matches against Sharktail and Pemecutan.

So no one escaped the criticism from the fans. Except for the fans themselves, everyone else was criticized. The president of ERAFA, the head coach of the national team, the players, the kit man, the media, and even the Bendahara of Eraman who was not directly involved with football were criticized. They were demanding for change, calling for the president of ERAFA to step down and demanding for the head coach to be sent back to Pemecutan.

But in the end, nothing changed. The president of ERAFA, Tun Sengalang Petara who was the former Bendahara of Eraman refused to step down. It's not easy to bring down a man with an ego as big as an elephant, a man who thinks that he is better than everyone. Despite the pressure from the fans, he remained in his seat and announced that the Eraman national team is still on the right track and the head coach, Agung Suryanantha will continue to lead the team going into the 94th World Cup qualifiers.

The announcement didn't sit well with the fans. Social media and fan forums were bombarded with pleas for the president to step down. They were desperate for change. But there is nothing they can do. Tun Sengalang Petara is after all the richest and most influential person in the country. No one dared to contest the presidency of ERAFA. No other influential person dared to move against him.

The players were well aware of the frustration among the fans. Even the players that have no social media accounts were aware of that as the fans made it clear in every match in Liga Eraman by displaying banners and chanting slogans. For 3 months, it was hell for the players. It's hard to enjoy football when your own fans are against you. That made the players desperate to return to national team duty. They know that only by winning will the fans change their tune.

Then national duty came. The national team gathered for the first time 3 months after the CMFA Mandalanusa Cup to kick off their World Cup qualifying campaign. Luckily for the Monkey Kings, the first match after the CMFA Mandalanusa Cup was scheduled to be played away at Archalit, thousand miles away from their angry fans. It was the perfect moment to regain the fans' trust before the second match, a home match against North-Khrakozia.

The match, however, ended in a goalless draw, not the result the Monkey Kings had hoped for. It was quiet in the dressing room after the match. The players knew they had squandered their chance. The players remained quiet even after they arrive back in Eraman. They were nervous because now, they have to face their own hostile fans in just a few days.

[Nephara]

Yakk 0 - 0 Nephara
(4-3-3) 1 - Strand; 2 - Holden, 5 - Roback, 6 - Scales, 3 - Xu (26 - Mueller); 13 - Brewer (23 - Drake), 15 - Constantine (4 - Biscan), 24 - Sebold (26 - Kvasina), 16 - Drnaso; 9 - Kulesza (14 - Berenguer), 21 - Vetiver

Igrene Cantor came ready to defend herself. She'd barely flumphed down in the press conference seat by the time she'd come out with a barrage of defensive exhortations: "Look, funny things can happen in away matches, and look, the ball just never quite fell for us, bedding in with a new formation and new strike partnership, plenty of green shoots and-- eh?"
A faint snoring could be heard. Cantor craned her neck; the only two press she could see were slumped in their seats, one barely keeping his eyes open, the other not. Or, no-- a third was there, too, passed out on the floor.
Cantor blinked. She looked to her PR guy, who only shrugged.
"Right, well, guess I'm off," she muttered, but the PR guy shook her head urgently. "Eh?"
"You owe the press fifteen minutes."
"... Eh?"
"Fifteen minutes, or there's fines. Censures!"
"I've answered everything they--" Cantor frowned, and turned the microphone away from her mouth, reluctant to wake any of them up. "I've answered all their questions, haven't I?"
The half-asleep guy mumbled something.
"Fifteen minutes," said the PR guy staunchly.
"Fuck's sake."
"Aaaand you'll need some soundbites regardless. These are recorded. Give the journalists a bone, won't you?"
"They aren't bloody helping themselves, are they?"
"Well," said the PR guy sourly, "did you see the game?"
Cantor fell silent, for a time. "It wasn't that dull," she griped.
"Well..."
"We had shots! That fucking-- Khad had plenty of saves to make."
"Well, three."
"Sure. But they were three good saves." Cantor hesitated. "Kulesza had some promising movement."
"Sure."
"Drake hit a post."
"Well, the outside of a post."
"Still--"
"With a cross."
"She meant it as a shot. And, uh... Drnaso did a stepover."
"Right." The PR guy yawned, and it proved infectious for Cantor as well.
"There was... there was that really long throw..." But Cantor found herself yawning again. And again, as she consulted her failing memory banks of what had been, frankly, a slurry of a football match. Long, hopeful hoofing, a crippling lack of quality in the final third, and, hell, even the weather had been grey, even the... mm... and she was still feeling the jetlag... ahh, hell...
Cantor's head clanked onto the table, and she started gently snoring into the microphone.
The PR guy sighed, moved it away from her mouth, consulted his phone. Twelve more minutes.

NEPHARAN NATIONAL TEAM SELECTION - FORTNIGHT 2
Goalkeepers: 1 - Medusa Strand (Chromatik, CMT), 12 - Toxothea Sebring (Crisisbless), 20 - Chary Longstreet (CA Paulinthal, PAS)
Defenders: 2 - Tiamat Holden (AFC Treason), 3 - Tanith Xu (Myana, CMT), 5 - Vetta Roback (Sabrefell Athletic), 6 - Anaximander Scales (Brinemouth), 17 - Astrid Swain (Anomalies, CMT), 18 - Sven Copperhead (Crisisbless), 22 - Tamiika Vine (Starling), 25 - Catheline Mueller (Ulsa, EUR)
Midfielders: 4 - Seeker Biscan (Sabrefell Athletic), 8 - Petra Anhope (La Nueva Avenida, FFD), 11 - Arachne Loeher (Wirr Tsi, CMT), 13 - Madita Brewer (Northern Union, BRE), 15 - Demeter Constantine (Crisisbless), 16 - Tryna Drnaso (1923 Esca, MYT), 19 - Chandra Rosziter (Dynamo Sjoedrhavn, SVJ), 23 - Tabithe Drake (AFC Treason), 24 - Bellona Sebold (Crisisbless), 26 - Lindse Kvasina (Istria City FC, BNJ)
Forwards: 7 - Kestrel Anharbour (Crisisbless), 9 - Ravil Kulesza (Maethoru FC, KOR), 10 - Bravura Harper (Ulsa, EUR), 14 - Leandra Berenguer (Brinemouth), 21 - Felixe Vetiver (1830 Cathair, AUD)

Yakk 0 - 0 Nephara
Nephara vs. Ascvalion
Cassadaigua vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Astograth
Notricia vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Milchama
Brascocia vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Koronavia
Adab vs. Nephara
BYE
Nephara vs. Olastor
Nephara vs. Yakk
Ascvalion vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Cassadaigua
Astograth vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Notricia
Milchama vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Brascocia
Koronavia svs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Adab
BYE
Olastor vs. Nephara

[Aeragny]

Many modern cities have a university. Many such universities have a library. And in many cases, such a university's library is probably the most scientifically broadly stocked library in the city. Not in the capital of Airannia, though. In Vorácy, the most prestigious library is the Prustén Biçua Attrenn Gardey^{Prustén National Hall of Knowledge}, more commonly known as the Vorturfuéna^{Museum Library}, as it's attached to the national Paradá museum, which sits directly at the top-end of the famous Paráda street in Vorácy. The library itself is named for Harry Prustén, one of the nation's most notable historians - and contains not only scientifically or historically relevant pieces of literature, but also a wide collection of... less scientific and/or historic pieces of writing, alongside various digital pieces of media. Overall, the vast majority of this library is written in Aeránanue, with French forming a minority, even before English (to the dismay of the average international student). A look in the collection reveals, for example, collected poetic works by Neubhe Irobu, as despised by many high school students, who have to analyze his heavy-handed metaphors, and boring writing style.

Fultugne Haerdenn Irobuáms
Jhaq námay, ybriat
Eskund, shacayuas ayat
Skinoi cilaré hej alátt
Vex karkoy, he fiat
Sye gulie á mix dhán matt
Jhaq guley, yttot

ja Connech Irobuáms
Lastede nin, oshaner hstacre
Shangavint chatter hgabhré
Ype nércre conn'unnoine
Icint stacre fanqire, quavre, ieseuré
Sye brabine jquart, sálline cassátre dhán
Coudrede nin, aha jennre, hcaffé dhoney
Guroçrote nin, yábhe kaedenn
Haerde dhánne, griem nin

About the Start of a Journey by Irobu
An empty bag, light
Provisions, they don't weigh much
I will bring desires and an idea
Dry clothes and ambition
When I put it on my back
Full bag, heavy

The Map by Irobu
On your surface, drawings and words
Roads and rivers are drawn
And paths I've walked
Words are cities, regions, and memories
When I visited a town, I'd write my experiences down
On your edges, many tears, and some coffee
In your creases, the morning bread
My journey is your destination