CAFA 7 & AIHC 2 Everything Thread

[Ko-oren]

Important Links:
CAFA 7 Signup Thread // CAFA Rankings

Group A
Vilwandia
Koronavia
Audioslavia
Cocoabo Forest
Chromatika
Lexandrija
Huayramarca
Pyazhnaya
Semarland
Mertagne
Bostopia
Aleirave

Group B
United Hawkland
Evermark
Krytenia
Ko-oren
Flavovespia
Cardenao
Ochre Islands
Rarungan
Kharakia
Yesopalitha
Saint-Jean-Jacques et Burnham-on-Stove
Estorvipa and Estorpiva

Schedule
Each cutoff at 22:00 CEST.

MD1 & 2: 15-Sep (1 v 12, 2 v 11, 3 v 10, 4 v 9, 5 v 8, 6 v 7 // 12 v 7, 8 v 6, 9 v 5, 10 v 4, 11 v 3, 1 v 2)
MD3 & 4: 17-Sep (2 v 12, 3 v 1, 4 v 11, 5 v 10, 6 v 9, 7 v 8 // 12 v 8, 9 v 7, 10 v 6, 11 v 5, 1 v 4, 2 v 3)
MD5 & 6: 19-Sep (3 v 12, 4 v 2, 5 v 1, 6 v 11, 7 v 10, 8 v 9 // 12 v 9, 10 v 8, 11 v 7, 1 v 6, 2 v 5, 3 v 4)
MD7 & 8: 21-Sep (4 v 12, 5 v 3, 6 v 2, 7 v 1, 8 v 11, 9 v 10 // 12 v 10, 11 v 9, 1 v 8, 2 v 7, 3 v 6, 4 v 5)
MD9 & 10: 23-Sep (5 v 12, 6 v 4, 7 v 3, 8 v 2, 9 v 1, 10 v 11 // 12 v 11, 1 v 10, 2 v 9, 3 v 8, 4 v 7, 5 v 6)
MD11: 25-Sep (cutoff at 19:00 CEST) (6 v 12, 7 v 5, 8 v 4, 9 v 3, 10 v 2, 11 v 1)

Quarterfinals: 27-Sep
Semifinals: 29-Sep
3PPO & Final: 1-Oct

---

Important Links:
AIHC II Signup Thread // FAIHA Rankings

Ko-oren
Bostopia
Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer et Burnham-on-Stove
Estorvipa and Estorpiva
The 189
Huayramarca
Plough Islands
United Hawkland

Schedule
Each cutoff at 22:00 CEST.

MD1: 15-Sep (1 v 8, 2 v 7, 3 v 6, 4 v 5)
MD2: 17-Sep (8 v 5, 6 v 4, 7 v 3, 1 v 2)
MD3: 19-Sep (2 v 8, 3 v 1, 4 v 7, 5 v 6)
MD4: 21-Sep (8 v 6, 7 v 5, 1 v 4, 2 v 3)
MD5: 23-Sep (3 v 8, 4 v 2, 5 v 1, 6 v 7)
MD6: 25-Sep (8 v 7, 1 v 6, 2 v 5, 3 v 4)
MD7: 27-Sep (4 v 8, 5 v 3, 6 v 2, 7 v 1)

[Ko-oren]

Group A
Welcome, Group A, to the Bay of Ko-oren. You will be played in six venues in monumental cities circling Ko-oren's most important waterway. Historical city centres formed by centuries of economic and cultural activity, at times vying with one another, at times working together for a greater good.

Game #1: Stade sur la Baie (70000), Amahne (Aminey)
The Stadium:The Stade sur la Baie is the largest stadium in Ko-oren. Two rings with various shades of blue seating with plenty of modern amenities - that are kept up to date every few years with minor renovations. Between the rings, there is an entire deck/ring for the (rich and) famous, allowing for maximum 'see and be seen' influencer/celebrity clout. Also between the rings, there's an entire deck/ring of sponsor seating. The bottom ring is moveable up to a few metres to allow for a running track, but that configuration won't show up for the CAFA. The bottom ring can also be extended further down - which we will see for the CAFA - which allows fans to be surprisingly close to the action (that lowest ring of bleachers is removed for Gridiron and their large benches/team areas). Most of the upper deck is shielded from the weather through canvas roofing.
Local Teams and Sports: Even if Amahne is the capital of entertainment city first (and the centre of democracy second) there are good sports to be enjoyed. The local gridiron Aminey Caspians are the biggest show in town because gridiron has its tie-ins with entertainment sorted out very well, while Aminey CS (football) are more everyone's club - and current title contenders. Rugby league is a strong third, with both the Buffaloes and Owls playing here, making Amahne one of three big League centres even if some might think the teams are wasted on this city. Basketball is starting to rear its head here and baseball is also slowly trying to conquer one of the largest markets in Ko-orenite sports.

Game #2: Het Planetarium (46000), Seterbohdu (Sterrenwolde)
The Stadium: Normally used for gridiron - which you'll notice is a trend with most of these stadiums - the Planetarium is a partially roofed stadium designed to allow in wind, make it stronger (the 'windgat' or 'wind tunnel effect'), to throw off opposing quarterbacks. The seating is arranged mostly as two huge stands alongside the touch lines, with the lighting arranged somewhat haphazardly along the roof - hence the name of the stadium. There are (some) stands behind the goals, though.
Local Teams and Sports: Sterrenwolde has a bit of everything: Sterrenwolde FC in football is a growing power while always having had decent support even in the cellars. The Sterrenwolde Dragonflies are a defining gridiron team, bolstering a tough defence that was the model for the NT. Field hockey is a popular pastime all across the region, and there are clubs in nearly every major sport propped up either through the harbour workers or university students.

Game #3: Orange Bowl (54000), Shemurdar (Schemerdrecht)
The Stadium: A huge concrete bowl with orange seating. A hell in summer - Shemurdar is located further south than you'd imagine - but a really good viewing experience and a fantastic fan experience in and around the stadium. The noise is amplified a fair bit, which works pretty well with the traditional stadium chants and instruments, which you might not actually hear too much of in the CAFA, to be honest.
Local Teams and Sports: As a major regional centre, there's once again a bit of everything. Gridiron rules the town, with both the Admirals and 65ers playing here, and the local SVV has been a Top League mainstay in football as well. Beyond those two, the suburbs run on field hockey. There have been attempts to make ice hockey work here as well, but it's not been a super happy marriage outside of their Banijan franchise.

Game #4: Rikalathen Arena (45000), Maethoru
The Stadium: The all-green, modern, football-only arena. Always meticulously maintained, and its normal fans are insistant on keeping their clean reputation alive. It's a fairly conventional square stadium, with covered seating along all four sides, but the staggered construction - stands don't exactly line up well from side to side - makes it a fun mess to look at anyway. It might take a while to find your seating. Everything here is green, including the canvas cover over the stands.
Local Teams and Sports: Arguably the most successful capital city when it comes to sports, Maethoru runs on the SC - the Top League's true dynasty. What few people will know is that beyond them, rugby union has caught on with a surprisingly diverse group of people and they have a pro side in the Mayara Wanderers-Vulpecula in town. Football (and gridiron) rule, cricket is trying to fight its way in.

Game #5: Stade Amandine (30000), Ethuweri (Étouille)
The Stadium: There's not too much that can be said about the stadium, other than the weird luxury booths installed in some of the corners. Sponsors and the rich and famous have had a hand in the stadium's design, while for everyone else it's a nice stadium, video screen on one side and analogue, mechanical scoreboard on the other. Old very much meets new here. Creative canvas designs cover the seats and the field to make it a nice day out even with the sun beaming down.
Local Teams and Sports: Not exactly a sports town, but they still need to give tourists something fun to watch, so obviously they've capitalised on a few things. First, something honest and grassroots: Tanques AOE, the Top League mainstays. Then, from well-supported to gimmicky: the rugby league Vultures, two basketball teams, a pro baseball team (ex-LPB!), and a field hockey club representing a region spanning everything from the capitals to the southeast.

Game #6: Exhibition Centre (41000), Majara (Mayara)
The Stadium: Also normally just a gridiron stadium, the Exhibition Centre is part of a huge, almost Expo-ready venue, effectively forming a mini-town outside Majara. It's used for concerts and anything else that you might need a place that seats thousands. A taste of Koroa City right here in Ko-oren.
Local Teams and Sports: Not the most barren capital sports-wise, they have the Destroyers in gridiron as the talk of town - gridiron and soccer being the two huge national sports. Other teams have mostly been moved there to capitalise on a big non-native Majaran crowd: the cricket Marauders. The basketball Blues are actually a 'historic' team and a cornerstone of the league.

Group B
Welcome, Group B, to the country. You will be playing in six venues across the rich tapestry of landscapes and (micro)climates all on the periphery of the archipelago. Some games you might just be battling your opponents, and other games it could be the both of you against the elements.

Game #1: Surbourneshire Square (65000), Garihnkatar (Greencaster)
The Stadium: Starting as a small, suburban ground, they added stands (mostly standing-only) as the fans flocked in while the harbour grew. A few renovations here and there have taken care of the biggest safety violations. It's currently a multi-use stadium for football, gridiron, and rugby. Some sections are roofed.
Local Teams and Sports: A huge population of all walks of life - Garihnkatar is basically sports central these days. Gridiron and soccer dominate the landscape - as goes for nearly every place - but rugby union and cricket are huge as well. Sydberg Olympia (soccer), the Greencaster Godspeed (gridiron) will feature in most headlines but the Galaxy (rugby union) have a tremendous following as well. Cricket's maybe more of a niche interest compared to the rural towns surrounding Garihnkatar, but the Bears and Heralds (T20) as well as the regional team 'Greencaster' themselves have given us some huge national team players as well.

Game #2: The Palace (34000), Gilibehri (Eaglebury)
The Stadium: Easily the largest building in town. It hasn't entirely taken over as the central square of Gilibehri, but it's not far off. There's always a lot of fans waiting for rugby or Southern Rules matches - or football, since WSR's takeover. Can get dodgy at night given the nightlife around it, but is a surprisingly nice day out otherwise - Gilibehri isn't big so the stadium is an actual touristy landmark. Big screens can be pulled across the top sections as a roof when it's too rainy - but they can't be out if it's also too windy, which often come at the same time.
Local Teams and Sports: A bit of an outlier, Gilibehri likes what it likes without caring too much about the rest of the country. The rugby union Aquila are probably the biggest show in town, with WSR (soccer) in second place. They also love their gridiron Emperors - somehow they ended up with one of the twelve professional teams in the most coveted league of them all. Lastly, they fill up the Barrarindi Oval for their Southern Rules football (and a bit of cricket, when it's not too rainy).

Game #3: Suzumebachi Stadium (32700), Katahshi (Katashi)
The Stadium: Used for rugby league and football, the Suzumebachi is a stadium slotted right in between the strange geography of the city. Lodged between a hillside and wetlands, there's limited space for fans to queue outside, and it's not strange to see fans finding their seats minutes after kickoff. There are a lot of 'traditional' elements, such as the old Yoshima Kingdom-inspired spire in one corner, various bells, gongs, and other metal instruments around the ground (used by the Official Fanclub of whoever's playing that day), and shade is provided - at the right time of day - by the hillside blocking out the sun.
Local Teams and Sports: The big city in the east: yes, they have a lot on offer. Gridiron is pretty much gone from the eastern islands, so it's soccer, baseball, and rugby league. That's Kanatsu and Azula in the first, the Generals and Giants in the second, and the Hawks and Wasps in the third. They carry nearly an entire minor baseball league by themselves, as well as multiple League teams and a lot of lower division soccer as well. The universities and navy base take care of the rest.

Game #4: Hertfield (33000), Marapsathi (Mawrystwyth)
The Stadium: Built to keep the wind out but allow the rain in, so you can throw and kick in gridiron and rugby, but you still get that quintessential west coast weather. The Hertfield is in the middle of a park, which itself is the middle of the city centre. No way about it - if you go to this city, you'll run into the stadium, with the park home to a lot of activities. The partially wooden construction stands out but mostly keeps with the local architecture.
Local Teams and Sports: The city is a huge rugby union centre. There's a bit of cricket and even some soccer with infrequent good results by local Mawrystwyth - and yes, the Southern Rules team is a huge draw as well - but union is where it's at. Each neighbourhood has a team, and most play in the second or third tier and tend to dominate local competitions.

Game #5: Estádio Fortaleza (29000), Thelesra (Santa Teresa)
The Stadium: Out of two stadiums in Thelesra, this is probably the nicer one. On a cape, overlooking the other stadium, the Fortaleza is home to the middle-and-upper-class Miradela. Built to let in cooling winds and block out the sun, if the wind's coming in from the wrong direction, all you're getting is a minor dust storm. From the upper deck, you've got an amazing view of the harbour and the rest of the city, if the match is boring enough. Yellow and light-green seating in a two-tiered bowl with the benches completely integrated into the seating is a unique experience as well.
Local Teams and Sports: There are four huge sports: it's upper class versus lower class in Miradela versus Branvon (soccer), there's the harbour side and their rugby league Sabres, the city's three major basketball teams, and the entire city united under the ex-LPB baseball Stars - the pride and joy in the long summer (and spring and autumn) months.

Game #6: Spider Stadium (27100), Alahrenna (Alara)
The Stadium: A rugby and football stadium, the Spider Stadium is dug into the ground so from afar it barely looks taller than a modest apartment block. All red and black seating, canvas roofing, and intricate wooden beams to prop it all up, the stadium is quite nice if maybe a bit unassuming from the outside.
Local Teams and Sports: Rivalries everywhere with Alarans pushing against the rest of the world. The unique Advance Alara (soccer) - the most attacking in the land - versus Kanatsu and basically every club. The rugby league Spiders against Teragaseki. Some connections to the mainland's northeast. It's all rugby league and soccer - and a decent amount of summer baseball.

AIHC
The AIHC will be played on the north coast and the northeastern islands. There's no cultural or natural twist - that's just where the ice hockey arenas are.

Game #1: Marten Kuijper Stadion (12500), Seterdahn (Straudum)
The Stadium: The mainland's main stadium, a huge, dark blue bowl that offers surprisingly decent (but not much better than that) sight lines for the folks in the back.
Local Teams and Sports: For such a small town, there's a lot going on. Soccer's Straudum VV are the clear number one, but when the season's on, the Straudum Ice (ice hockey) are very visible as well. Field hockey is more of a summer event.

Game #2: The Dome (17000), Aebanna (Aevanna)
The Stadium: The home of Ko-orenite ice hockey. Local fans will show up to AIHC games in droves. It's a large venue with two rings and seating going up fairly steep, it certainly doesn't lake in ice hockey-specific infrastructure, with plenty of space for dressing rooms, benches, equipment, etc. It's not the most modern stadium, lacking large video boards and still 'only' using led tickers.
Local Teams and Sports: As said: the home of ice hockey. The two oldest teams are from here: the Scouts and the Explorers-Mariners (a merger team). Later suburban expansion added the Storm and the Wanderers, which means that four out of twelve teams in the pros are from here. In addition, there are the Aerellen Explosions in gridiron - another pro team - and they see a lot of action in the non-winter months.

Game #3: Lachararailu (11000), Nyashawill
The Stadium: Proud, loud, and old, every game should sell out here. If you want some different pre-game and between-period shows, this is your venue.
Local Teams and Sports: Nyashawill is tiny, and the West Coast Blizzards in pro ice hockey are easily the biggest thing, a huge regional draw that people will occasionally take the train up from the capitals for. The Southern rules team enjoy a huge rivalry with nearby Myaranowra and is also popular. They share most teams and sports with Myaranowra apart from that, though.

Game #4: The Cathedral (11000), Arboren
The Stadium: A much more modern stadium constructed for Arboren's various minor league adventures and currently used for their Arboren Vortex pro team. It's not as large - nor does it have to be - but it has a modest video board. Seating is arranged in two rings, with the top ring being somewhat small and much further away from the action.
Local Teams and Sports: Arboren isn't that big, but most teams from that island all enjoy what's cooking one or two towns over. For Arboren, specifically, it's the ice hockey Arboren Vortex and the soccer Arboren FC.

[United Hawkland]

Hawklandian AetherSportswear To Manufacture Ochre Kits For CAFA 7 And Bostopian Uniforms For The AIHC.
Dale Hjallmarsson, UHSN News. (9/10/23)

With conflict raging among the Ochre Islands and Bostopian region, both nations needed to ask abroad for their sportswear this CAFA.
"We couldn't make our kits in our wonderful land, due to the sad truth of the region." stated John James, some random bloke we found on the street. "If the heads of the Ochre FA went into a factory to design some kits, the Bostopians could blow it up, and then we'd be in a pickle." When asked of the chances of this prospect occuring, he simply spread his arms and said "This much chance."
This is when Aether began talks with the Ochre Football Association, bringing up the idea of designing kits. We spoke to the pet cat of the Ochre FA president, but Mr. Fuzzynose Snookems didn't have much to say on the matter. This is when the Ochre FA president asked me how I got into his house, and we don't need to speak further on the altercation. Let's just say, if you leave your door open, people will get in. You were practically inviting me to talk to your cat. Next time, close your god damn door.
Of course, we can't please everyone. We spoke to Dick Hickfield, the town xenophobe, on the matter.
"Thuh Hawklandians are taekin aire jaaabs! He said. We couldn't find a proper translator so do with that what you will.
But now on the other side of the border, and on the other side of Ko-oren, Bostopia went to the same company and asked for ice hockey uniforms for the AIHC 2. We spoke to Blahblah McGee, the Bostopian hockey team manager on his thoughts. That's not his real name but he's real damn annoying so it's the name I'm giving him. "We originally decided to go to Aether after we saw the quality in their work. They always do the best, high quality stitching and the most beautiful designs." Yeah yeah blah blah, nobody buys this ya bastard. We all know you went to Aether because Ochre did and you were butthurt they got cool uniforms. We ain't dumb, you clown. Go get lost in a washing machine you sock.
That's all we know as of now. I will of course keep everyone updated in the case of an update.

Update: (9/11/23)
My boss tried deleting this article but luckily a had a backup. He's such a klutz.
He also told me to 'go to hell' but the map he gave me just has a bunch of words on it.

Update: (9/12/23)
What does liberated mean and why does my boss keep calling me that.
He keeps telling me to go home but I just started my shift.

[Vilwandia]

Yesterday evening the Vilwandian National team, alongside some representatives from the SFV (Sokker-Federasie van Vilwandia) landed in the Ko-orenite city of Greencaster, and have been seen heading into their tournament-assigned hotel near their training ground in the city. Despite being the subject of some speculation on how these minnows will do, there was very little fanfare at either the airport or entering Greencaster itself, and in fact the team used the local public metro lines instead of their official tournament transportation.

Both the hotel and grounds have been noted as being far more high-maintenance than what most of the Vilwandians were used to at home, outside of a select few of those from Swansburg or Eteksiville. Even the uniforms worn by the team are a stock product, with the Vilwandian flag embroidered on the front. Additionally, in order to promote a team spirit in the Vilwandian camp, most of the team have been asked to share rooms with a teammate, with an emphasis on getting those from different teams and tribes to interact amicably, and rehearsals of the National Anthem, “Our Land, Vilwandia”, have been held to further build team cohesion. Xolani Solomon, Vilwandia’s coach, also faces a similar issue with the familiarity of his new team, and has been making significant efforts to unite the squad before their CAFA debut. This has included many team building exercises, such as wild swimming off the coast of the Kle peninsula in northern Vilwandia, and this has seen the team treat the tournament more like a rare holiday outside of the country.

However, whilst the players have been enjoying the run-up to CAFA 7, the Vilwandian fans and backroom staff have been nervously anticipating the draw, and the eleven other teams they will meet on their tournament journey. There has been significant debate over whether or not it would be better to face a larger, more historically powerful nations, such as top-ranked Flavovespia or hosts Ko-oren for the sake of exposure and experience, or to face a team lower down the order with the aim of pushing for a solid showing in Vilwandia’s inaugural tournament. It has been generally accepted that whatever the draw gods have in store for the Soccer Swans, however, they will be looking to enjoy themselves, as the pressure will be somewhat off this team.

[Kharakia]

The Red Wave is Back!

"Hey there, everybody tuning in today, I'm Tyler Raval, and you're listening to the Kharakian Sports Podcast. Today's topic: CAFA! Though Kharakia may not have won the host rights, we have full trust in Ko-oren to be entirely capable of hosting. It'll be sad not being able to watch any games and seeing our favorite players leave, but hey, we shall prevail!"

"Ahem."

"Anyways, today I have a special guest with- Oh wait no, TWO SPECIAL GUESTS! I've got the leader of our favorite National Team, Ryän Piersön-Mïval, along with his assistant and best friend, Terry Bastille."

"Hi Kharakia!"

"So, Ryän, how do you think your team will do this year, considering last year you made it to the round of 16?"

"Well, it will certainly be harder than last go around, especially since only 4 out of 12 in a group will make it, when last time it was 2 out of 4."

"But how do you think you'll do?"

"If I had to guess, we won't get out of the group stage."

"Then who will?"

"Flavovespia, Ko-oren, our lovely hosts, Cardenao, and the Ochre Islands."

"And from Group A?"

"Audioslavia, Huayramarca, Koronavia, and Chromatika."

"Those are some very good picks, Ryän.

"Vote now, Kharakia, where will Kharakia make it? Be honest, don't let your biases change your choice."

---

After making a (granted, pretty bad) attempt to host CAFA VII, Kharakia will head to Ko-oren to play! And, guess what, there's a Paterie Derby sandwiched into Matchday 8! Hopefully the Red Wave have another great CAFA and make it to the knockout stages again, though it will be tough. However, the spark that is Vinny Lokast will hopefully help.

[Chromatika]

KGB's Swan Song
Part 1: A proper introduction

Who is Kathie Geraldine Begley?

To Marcus and Dorothea Begley, both deceased, she is their only daughter, born to a couple that had given up on having kids in their early thirties, a late surprise that happened when Dorothea was thirty-five and Marcus thirty-eight. They treated her like a miraculous gift that had been given to them, and raised her up with all of their love and affection. Despite being humble in living - Marcus was a construction foreman while Dorothea ran the local bakery - they never lacked for much; and when Kathie proved to be good at football, they gave her many an ample opportunity to get better at it and get all the chances needed to truly shine. Unfortunately, Dorothea died before Kathie could turn twenty - taken by a brain aneurysm - while Marcus passed before Kathie could turn twenty-six, a victim of a tragic car accident caused by slippery roads.

To the hundreds of players that have played against her, she is a fierce competitor - stellar at reading the game, decent in transition, specializing in set pieces, and overall excelling at a high level for a long period of time. Many have said that if it wasn't for the emergence of the Fillar clan, and especially one Juxon Fillar, Begley herself would have been the first-choice keeper for the Anomalies. Even as a second string keeper, she's been around for more than a decade of World Cups, befuddling plenty of would-be scorers representing Chromatika. Don't even mention those that have faced her in the Red League - being the lynchpin of one of the strongest sides in recent Chromatik history.

To those that have had the privilege of calling her their teammate and confidant, she's been the ever-present leader, even at a young age. Soft-spoken, leading by example, and a peacemaker, she's been stated many times as the glue that holds the squad together. She's never had that big of an ego, always recognizing talent for what it is and stepping aside for when Juxon Fillar came on board. Instead, they've built a rather strong friendship, Begley being at the eldest Fillar's wedding and the two doing more than just talkng shop about the art of goalkeeping.

To the millions of fans at home - rather they be Wirr Tsi diehards, or those that just support the Chromatik National Team - she's been the constant, the locker room presence, the mainstay, the one that weathered the Enigma Armageddon debacle, the failure of Sandra Sybill, the hiring of Lev Repin, the run to make it to the World Cup Final, and the aftermath that has followed. She, along with one Henri de Aea, has been almost synonymous with being on the national team at all.

Now, she is getting one final chance in her swan song to be the starting keeper of the Anomalies before calling it quits for her international career. Nobody made her, by the way - she came forward and said she wanted to, because "players like Do and Sourtois don't need me babysitting them".

That, everyone, is one Kathie Geraldine Begley.

[Yesopalitha]

ONE

Myele Jourannis, Guild of Enchanters, deployed to the magical barrier around the eastern half of Myana Island, reporting in after a scheduled scry spell on the inner goings of the restricted zone was successful -

"... Indeed, the demons have gotten rid of any sign of regular, modern age civilization. The landscape looks nothing like the temperate jungle that the Chromatiks have told us about in the last year, instead giving way to the same swamps and cesspools of shadow that highlight the native lands of the Abyss. Portals line every half hour of the landscape, with the Demons being able to traverse from this plane to theirs and back at a whim. They are garrisoning as many here as they can, fully aware that at any minute, the barrier can drop, and when it drops the war will be back on. They've made themselves comfortable without becoming complacent, and this high state of alert would imply that it is not yet a good time to attempt a frontal assault, given the ability for the Demons to reinfoce from multiple points across the occupied lands at a moment's notice. Instead, I suggest..."

Fridda Dolstani, the Order of the Third Eye, Acolyte of the Knowing Eye, and Scribe of the Council of the Knowing Eye, writing after a lengthy discussion held at the highest levels of the Council -

"It seems, then, that the best course of action is not to face the foe in this plane, especially not within the borders of a foreign entity that will be already sheepish at our presence, but to find a way to establish a beachhead in the realm of our enemy, instead. If the beachhead is established in such a way that threatens their very existence, it can absolutely recall all the ones stationed in our plane, and when they're all gone - or most of them - we can wipe out the rest. Then, we can seal it from this side so that there will not be future incursions..."

Woloff of the Red Dawn, a Military Order, writing to another Officer in a different Military Order about the gathering of some elite united at Freedom's Altar, the nation's Capital -

"... I have never seen so many elite forces gathered in one spot. Not just the power of the new era - guns, bulletproof armor, gadgets of every kind - but plenty of the days of the past, with Clerics, Sorcerers, Wizards, Knights, and even some of the Bloodborne. They say that the Mages and Wizards and Witches and even a few Druids have come together with the Clerics of Zaiden to work on an advance form of the Plane Shift spell that will allow more than eight to travel at once - a feat that has never been accomplished in the past. I think they can actually pull it off - and if they do, we will have one hell of an army ready to go through and show these Demons what they've done by disturbing the hornet's nest. They will see."

[Mertagne]

The story so far…
Mertagnian intelligence revealed the presence of a Bostopian invasion fleet headed for the Ochre Islands. The only Mertagnian fleet in the area with which to respond was the MNS Shoda, which was dispatched from international waters around Koroa City down to the Ochre Islands. In addition to the Shoda, a densely packed cargo plane full of soldiers from Mertagne’s Gauntlet Company were shuttled to the Ochres as well. Upon the Shoda’s arrival, intense volcanic activity (and some may say the hand of nature itself) caused a plume of ash to blanket the Ochre Islands, which also caused the cargo plane to make a crash landing in northern Mournhow island. The Mertagnian navy, aided by Ko-orenite naval support, met up with Ochre Island leader Willow of the Finches and the three sides formed a defensive pact against the Bostopian invasion force. Work was quickly done to set up a defensive perimeter, but the Ochre Islands remain blanketed by ash and the Bostopians have gained control of approximately half of the Ochres by area. Skirmishes are underway between Mertagnian-Ko-orenite-Ochre forces and Bostopian forces, and it seems that the Bostopians have the advantage in terms of numbers. With the ash cloud levelling the playing field in terms of technology, the war drags on, obfuscated from the international community…

Lander's Port
Ochre Islands
In the days after the Bostopian Invasion

Gauntlet Company had requisitioned supplies in a nearby seaside village. The Ochre Islanders had rightly put up some resistance at first, and Major Noon was disgruntled at the prospect of having to use force against the very people he had been commanded to protect. He was reminded of the time he heard that an Ochre ship had, in an attempt to discover new lands, once performed a beach invasion of the Mertagnian city of Ostosaide. The invaders made a solid bulwark on the beach, fully within view of those riding the roller coaster at the theme park, and he had also heard that the soldier made it about as far as the gift shop before throwing some money at the elderly lady behind the counter and walking out with a pair of sunglasses.

Noon had performed a little more successfully, managing to requisition the playing field of a local school to use as a base to plan their march south, much to the chagrin of the local youth. He was convinced that children were leering at him from behind the stone wall to the east of the field every time he walked outside his olive tarpaulin tent, and if anything was worse than the glare of the enemy, it was the glare of civilians. The town, Lander’s Port, had been good enough to the Mertagnian landers, but he felt lucky that he and his men wouldn’t be in the business of these locals for much longer.

Inside the olive tent that he had called a ‘command centre’, were two maps of Mournhow island. One came directly from the Mertagnian military, and the other came from a local rambler who used it when hiking. The local map was far superior, and had even been marked by the rambler in spots where you could find particularly sweet berries. A team of privates had been given the vitally important yet dull job of transcribing the map so that each squad had two copies of it, in the event that they got lost. A route had been planned to move along the east side of the island, sticking just away from the shoreline so that the Company couldn’t be spotted by enemy ships, and use a main road to Bellflower from Samsworth to make the final push. The Company’s attached pilot, Captain Cauldwell, was present in the tent and eating an apple.

“Major. All ready for the march ahead?” Cauldwell asked, pushing herself off of a crate and standing to attention.

“Captain. At ease. I am just about ready, yes. The local fish market, the school, and a home removal firm have provided us with two trucks and a bus, which should just about carry all the members of the company down to Bellflower. Everyone that’s coming with us has been cleared medically, and so we should be fighting fit for whatever we find down there. It could be Starblaydi and we’ll be ready for them, that’s how confident I am.”

Cauldwell raised an eyebrow. “And if it is Bostopians? If they’ve already taken the capital? Our intelligence suggests the government was already compromised.”

“Well, if they have taken the capital, we’ll just have to do our best to take some of it back.” the Major cleared his throat. “Hopefully the Shoda will have found a way to contact us by then, but with this ash cloud, it might prove fairly difficult. In the event that we see Bostopian activity on this island, we’ll move to Bellflower low and slow. I’ll walk into their city hall alone if I have to, just to be sure.”

“That’s rather brave of you, Major, but hopefully it won’t come to that. I need to go and pack up my things.” Cauldwell turned, asking with her body language to be dismissed. “When are we leaving?”

“We’re leaving this afternoon. I’d like to blend into traffic if there is any.” replied Noon. “And yes, pack your things - tell everyone else to do so as well, please.”

The hastily assembled convoy consisted of a truck plastered with the logo of “Smelt Fish & Fish Products - He who Smelt it dealt it”, a school bus from “Lander’s Port Community School”, and another, smaller truck from “Drouper, Bouns, & Shake Removals”, and inside contained approximately 200 soldiers, their weapons, and their packs. Most of the soldiers had been unlucky and were forced to stand or sit on the bed of the trucks, which had been hastily fitted with, at the very least, something to hold on to. As the convoy peeled off of the sports field, it looked to the untrained eye like a particularly blocky section of traffic - it was only when you spotted the camouflaged, gun wielding people in the front of each cab, or the lines of helmeted people in the school bus, that something looked amiss.

The convoy sped out of Lander’s point, taking some audacious route through the rural areas of the Ochre Islands to avoid detection. The shadows under the wispy ash cloud grew longer as the afternoon turned into evening, and the cloud darkened to brace for the oncoming of the night.

“I keep going to turn on the radio in the hope that it works, and I just get nothing.” said the driver of the front truck, who was sitting next to Major Noon in the truck’s cab. He continued to speed down the road ahead under the cover of the darkening sky, as the major splayed the map out in front of him.

“You’d have thought we’d have picked up something, wouldn’t you? We’ve nothing on the military radios either. Next right, please.” the major stuck an arm out from his lap and gestured to the right. The truck swerved around to the right and the third member of the cab, a squad Corporal, stuck her head out of the window and clicked the signalling lamp she held in her hands over and over to check on the convoy behind.

The road they continued on stretched south, and appeared to ride along a ridge that, after a few tens of metres, fell gently towards the coast on the left, and was flat to the right. The truck barrelled down the road, eager to at least make it to a settlement en route by the time the darkness beset by the ash cloud compounded with the darkness of the night. The driver had little regard for the troops in the back, which were certainly uncomfortable as they were braced in the back. A small window had been cut into the front of the trailer so that it could interface with the small window at the back of the cab. Noon glanced at it occasionally so that he could be certain that nobody was in vital distress. The odd gloved thumbs up that met his glance told him that the Mertagnian troops were hardy enough to survive this section of the journey. The Ochre Island packs of biscuits that he was shakily handing out through the windows probably helped keep morale up as well. He doubted they tasted that nice considering that the truck contained the overpowering smell of fish that appeared to have clung to the truck curtain.

And then, it happened. As if from nowhere, a torrent of pasty grey goats spilled out onto the road from a gate behind a tall bush. And with it, three farmers and a dog, looking to herd the animals across the road to the sloped fields below. The driver of the front truck had barely any time to react, and with Major Noon leant back towards the trailer, he had to make a split second decision. His swerve to avoid the civilians looked like it was recoverable, but the change in terrain and angle caused the truck to rapidly careen down the hill. The driver, the soldiers in the cab, and more importantly the soldiers in the trailer, rattled about and jostled with each other to stay upright as the trailer decoupled and the cab slammed into a building at the bottom of the hill with a thud and a crash.

The remains of the convoy up the hill screamed to a halt, before rapidly dismounting from the vehicles and spilling out over the road to assess what had happened.

The wall of the building was collapsing fast, the truck cab embedded into it, and as a solid third of Gauntlet Company took to their feet and moved out of the truck trailer, the dust settled.

Major Noon, out cold from the impact as he had been thrown from the trailer when it decoupled, did not hear the commotion.

The Corporal, sat in the cab, did not hear the commotion as her ears were ringing, but she was certainly the first to see it. The cab had forced its way into a hastily constructed barracks - and standing in front of her with shocked looks on their faces were several soldiers in military dress. She squinted before noticing the patches emblazoned on the front of the soldiers, but didn’t have time to react as they pulled out guns and started shooting.

Gauntlet Company took to their feet, and several of them heard the unmistakable sound of gunfire in the background, before hearing it again in the foreground within the building. Reacting quickly, the company assembled into their squads and took to defending their position. The remainder of the company that were at the top of the hill assessed the situation below.

“I spy… Looks like there’s a town on the coast. Definite flashes of gunfire from it - a skirmish is occurring down there. What can you see on the truck bed?” asked Corporal Rees to his spotter, from the roof of the school bus. The two had hastily got to the top of the vehicle, and Rees was watching the chaos unfold from the scope of his rifle, while his spotter scanned the area with a pair of binoculars.

“The Company looks to be getting back on their feet, it looks like the truck trailer landed against a chain-link fence and didn’t tip over. The cab’s messed up, though, it’s gone straight into that building. Oh, good news, someone’s come out of the wreckage. Is it Major Noon… It’s not Major Noon. It’s not… Rees, I have a target, bearing 75, 400m. Two males, one approximately 1.75m, the other approximately 1.6m, both wearing… yep, confirm, Bostopian military uniform. Focus left. Target walking towards us at medium pace. Adjust for an elevation drop of 25m.”

Rees sprang into action, clutching his rifle and making the adjustments necessary for the shot. As he did so, further down the hill, Mertagnian soldiers were heading towards the truck cab to aid the driver. An initial exchange of gunfire revealed the threat of the Bostopian military officers, and the Mertagnians took to sweeping the sides of the building to check for other troops and other entrances.

Down the hill, a commotion was starting to unfold. Bostopians in the upper levels of the building had started a fire, and as the smoke began to rise and the blaze provided the majority of light in lieu of the now set sun, the far off and sporadic gunfire began to draw closer. The Mertagnians spread out across the street from the building, discovering that they had landed in some kind of industrial complex, about 600 metres from the other skirmish.

Major Noon was brought to his feet and quickly checked for signs of concussion behind the truck bed. While he felt a bit ill, he was declared fit to fight and wasted no time in directing the squads to carefully scout towards the source of the skirmish. As it was getting dark, identifying friend from foe was of the utmost importance, especially in a civilian environment such as the town. Noon hoped that any civilians remaining here had the good sense to up and leave before the fighting began.

The troops descended upon the town, engaging with Bostopian forces that hadn’t expected a push from behind. It seems that the Bostopians had been caught in a pincer between Ochre Island partisans who had entered by boat from further up the beach, and the Mertagnians that had come at them from the hill. The fighting continued, with all sides taking casualties, until the Bostopians appeared to recognise they were outnumbered and began to retreat to the north.

The Ochre Islanders and the Mertagnians fighting in this battle did not meet until the retreat. As a squad of both forces stepped out onto the street, the Ochre partisans swivelled their guns around to the fully kitted soldiers, who retaliated in response by aiming their own weapons.

A shout across the street from an Ochre Islander was the first to break the silence. “Why aren’t you shooting at us?” the voice asked.

The squad leader, a Sergeant, replied. “I’m on your side. We’re from Mertagne and we’ve come to help. You’re not Bostopian, are you?”

“I thought we got rid of them years ago. Seems they’ve decided to come back. You’re here to help, yeah? Was that fire at the fruit-packing plant you lot then?” came the reply.

“Sort of. The Bostopians torched the place as they knew they weren’t getting out. Listen, me and my squad are going to walk out onto the street now, okay? We’ve got the Bostopians on the run, so let’s finish the job together.” said the Sergeant.

“And what will you do when we’re finished?” asked the partisan.
“That’s up to you guys. Once we’re done here, we’re headed for Bellflower.” shouted the Sergeant, who slowly walked out into the street.

He was joined by an Ochre Islander, and then the other members of his squad, before being joined by a batch of partisans, as if the latter had realised their leader was outnumbered and leapt into action to defend. There were easily 20, 25 of them - far more than the Sergeant’s squad of 8.

“What’s in Bellflower?” replied the partisan, who gestured for his forces to push aggressively down the street.

The Sergeant responded in kind, and sent some of his soldiers with them. “Hopefully your government, working as intended. If it’s not, then we’ll have to do something about that.”

A rattle of gunfire down the road sounded out, before a shout seemed to indicate that the last of the Bostopians had either been captured, killed, or routed into the night. Major Noon collated his troops in a pub that had already been drunk by the invaders, and began to discuss Gauntlet Company’s next moves with his Lieutenants.

Noon hoped that the road to Bellflower wasn’t wholly pocked with Bostopians.

[Flavovespia]

CAFA Cup 7, the venue is Ko-oren for this tournament. A venue that Flavovespia and plenty of their players have fond memories of, it was the host venue of CAFA Cup 4, in which Flavovespia won their first ever international title. Following that, there was a second CAFA Cup victory, and then a 3rd in the last edition. On the Global stage, Flavovespia finally broke into the knockout stages of the World Cup, topping a group containing Nephara, Turori and HUElavia, before a heartbreaking exit. A consolation, a record high 15th in the KPB rankings.

Some would well think that for Flavovespia, manager Augusto Rinaldi and some of the veterans of the squad, there was a sense they’d made it now, and talk that some would retire on a high. However it doesn’t seem that way at all, based on squad selection. 23 of that World Cup 94 squad travel to Ko-oren for CAFA Cup 7. Flavovespia enter the tournament as the top ranked side in the region, but having dragged themselves up through the years, the squad should know better than anyone to take nothing for granted.

The group stage here is considerably larger than past tournaments. 12 teams in just 2 groups, with 4 progressing to the knockout stages. Flavovespia have a challenging run towards the end opponents include the holders who eliminated Flavovespia last time out Krytenia. Hosts Ko-oren are in Group 2 as well, so too are previous winners Ochre Islands and Cardenao. Looking through the list of 11 opponents, there’s plenty of strong opponents and promising nations looking to sneak a knockout berth. Concentration, consistency and good squad management will be key to success.

Flavovespia will open their tournament against Rarungan before a march against Kharakia. Rarungan are CAFA Cup debutants, and will be very keen to impress and try and create an upset. Flavovespia will know that the defence minded opposition will see counter attacks and set pieces as key, and will set out to minimise those chances. Kharakia are a side who’ll certainly be keen to challenge for a knockout spot. A slightly attack minded 4-2-3-1 is their formation of choice. Relatively young manager Ryän Piersön-Mïval will be keen to demonstrate his credentials in the dugout against Flavovespia. A long a d hopefully thrilling tournament awaits, with plenty of exciting matches in prospect.

[Pyazhnaya]

The early afternoon at the Stade Amandine in Ethuweri, location for Pyazhnaya's first group stage game of CAFA 7, against Chromatika of all nations. Fans are milling about in expectations of seeing the busses arrive, trying to find some shade as the sun is burning down, attempting to catch the light breeze blowing in from the Bay of Ko-oren that is rustling the leaves above. Neither of the fanbases is used to the dry heat of a Ko-orenite summer, giving them immediate common ground despite their rivalry. The distant rumble of engines announces at least one of the busses arriving and the fans crane their necks to see which of the teams is about to arrive. Between the two teams, the difference could not be any bigger between the monochrome of Chromatika versus the teal and burgundy of Pyazhnaya.

One half of the waiting crowd quickly settles back into the shade as the approaching bus is far too colourful. TV crews and journalists that have set up camp close to the entrance jump into action as the bus pulls in, ready for the players and coaching team to disembark. The fans push against the steel fences that have been set up to cordon off the arrival area. As coach Aleksandr Zavrashin steps off the bus, immediately reporters are calling him to get a few words before the big opening match. He chuckles and shakes his head in amusment at the sheer number of microphones and other recording devices being borderline launched at him. He raises his hands to calm down the gaggle of journalists and walks over to the area that has been reserved for the media.

"Alright, calm down, I'm here, I'll answer some questions but you have - to - calm - down. OK, thank you. See, this is a lot easier for everybody. Alright let's start with you."

"Angelica Etherley, Tikariot Sports Gazette. Coach Zavrashin, Pyazhnaya is coming into this CAFA with two consecutive final losses, will the third time be the charm?"

"This is probably the most-asked question I've been getting in the last few weeks. CAFA is one of the most unpredictable tournaments out there, so making bold predictions is akin to gambling and I don't partake in that. However, since you won't be satisfied with this answer, I'll say that I do believe that the team has the quality to go for another deep run. This edition is a bit different, though, because we're having a far longer group stage, so that's also something that we'll have to take into consideration."

"Slava Gorbunov, Novosti Sporta Pyazhnyi. Misha Retyunskikh is playing here in Ko-oren, is that going to be an advantage for you?"

"Why don't you ask him? Hey, Misha, come here!"

"What's up?"

"This gentleman is wondering if you playing in Ko-oren is going to help us in this CAFA?"

"Really? How would me playing in a completely different part of Ko-oren help us against Chromatika? Especially if I'm the only one? Nah, won't make a difference."

"Thanks Misha. See, Slava, I know that you guys like to make connections, but sometimes it doesn't work, haha. Alright, next?"

"Raissa Mikhailova, Krasnogradskaya Zvezda. Do you feel any increased pressure on yourself and the team to win the CAFA this time around?"

"Not really. The only pressure really comes from you guys, so... I mean, sure, people back home are hoping that we can go all the way, and we do, too, but if we allow this to pressure us too much, things have a bigger chance to go sideways and we really don't need that distraction. Look at where our players are playing, Chromatika - now there's a question that you should rather have asked, Slava - Tikariot, Ko-oren, Nephara, Brenecia and more, our players know how to deal with pressure in their club teams, so I think we're ready."

A Ko-orenite official that has been waiting to the side with increased impatience signals toward Zavrashin that he'd prefer the team to enter the catacombs of Stade Amandine. The coach gives him a brief nod before addressing the media one last time.

"Alright, the gentleman here thinks that our play time is over. Thanks for coming out and you'll get some more time to ask questions after the match."

He puts his fingers to his mouth and gives a loud whistle to alert his players, who have been signing autographs and posing for selfies, to gather up and move into the stadium. As he steps through the doors, he breathes a sigh of relief. Not because he has left the reporters behind but because the air conditioning is bringing some respite from the heat outside. 'This is going to be a scorcher,' he things to himself but at the same time he also knows that the Chromatiks are in the same boat with this.

One by one his players are filing into the locker room assigned to them, their faces showing a mixture of excitement and determination, making him smile. Margaret was cruel by shoving Chromatika right in their face, but then again, there also are Huayramarca and Mertagne, the second- and third-ranked teams in the CAFA rankings and he sighs. This is going to be a long tournament...

[Aleirave]

Hafe'ika Me'a!

This old Aleiravan sendoff, meaning "pleasant sea", was being said a lot over the past couple weeks. Many mainlanders, knowing that Eshialand's rift to Atlantian Oceania was coming soon, decided to take refuge in Aleirave, knowing that the island would be safe from the potential side effects. Now that the rift was done, it was time for them to all go home.

The people of the island had been welcoming to their visitors, but now, as the last of the return ships were departing, it was back to normal for them. A couple dozen mainlanders decided to stick around, making Aleirave their new home, but apart from that, everything was as it was...

For governor Refilene Adari'ena, the departure of this final ship marked the end of a chaotic time. The government in Lahaira hadn't been ready for this influx of people. They weren't sure who had started sowed distrust in the king's beloved scientists and spread around word that Aleirave would be the only safe haven from the alleged dangers of the rift, and the island's services really weren't built for so many extra mainlanders arriving there. Yeah, they had some tourism infrastructure for the usual vacationers, but this was far from usual. Thousands of people arrived seeking Lahaira's sunny shores, and the island almost cracked under the pressure.

All that was done now though. Those tumultuous few months were over, and things were back to normal. All was quiet in the streets once again.

However... one more ship would be leaving that day. Not one carrying mainlanders to the now-coastal hub of Eshialand City, but rather one carrying Aleiravans over to Ko-oren. That's right, CAFA was back, and it was time for the team to make their journey over to the tournament.

Manager Haulafo Paka'ula had been through a lot in the past year. Between resigning in shame, watching as Ivan Shakarov outshone his own managing performance in WCQs, and then taking the reins back for the end of the campaign, a lot of stuff had happened in 2027... now it was time for him too to leave that chaos behind and settle back into some sense of normalcy, just like the rest of the island. Whether the adjustment went smoothly, however, would take a fair bit of time to judge...

[The Plough Islands]

The jointly and concurrently organised seventh Confederation of Anaian Football Associations soccer championship and second Anaian Ice Hockey Championship was an event unprecedented in its scale and reach across the region, and one that provided a rare opportunity for countries and teams that would ordinarily never get the chance to meet in the sporting arena. It also lent itself to hitherto unknown promotional gimmicks, and the executive who suggested bringing the captains of the two reigning champions together for a photo call had either not seen much coverage of the first AIHC, or - probably more likely - had seen it, and just thought that the resulting pictures would be funny.
Whoever they were, they got their wish, as news outlets from The Aesthetic to the Waterflask Weekly ran with pictures of the pair on stage; one of them, a slight, wiry figure whose dark hair contrasted with his brilliantly two-toned sky blue shirt, would likely not immediately have been recognised as an elite international athlete except by comparison to his companion, a fragile, almost stooped wisp of a man whose white shirt seemed to hang off his long arms, and combined with his pale hair and complexion to make him look like the ghost of tournaments past.
Paul Campbell was well aware of the contrast, remarking to nobody in particular that, at 46 this month, he only looked old enough to be Robert Gorman's father. The differences, though, ran deeper; Krytenia came from a venerable line of soccer heritage and had broken a historic losing streak in regional championships when they won the sixth CAFA tournament under Gorman's predecessor Samantha Quinn, while Campbell had organised the Plough Islander ice hockey team as a personal project, entered the inaugural AIHC on a whim, and brought them to victory largely through accident of luck rather than superiority. The wider consequences of that win had been worrying his grey hairs greyer ever since.
Campbell had found the Krytenian to be nice enough, but even as Gorman had encouragingly played down his protestations at 'not being a real champion', the Plough Islander still felt conspicuously out of place in front of multiple live television cameras, for reasons beyond the usual ideological mismatch that came with travelling anywhere further than Echodale Interdimensional Airport. He had gone from a Friday and Sunday night skater to a title-winning captain without really changing his approach to sport, and hearing Gorman field questions about mental preparation and researching Krytenia's opponents made him think he was missing something.
The consolation, he supposed, was that most of the media were only interested in the soccer, and the few people that had wanted to hear from Campbell had been easy to answer. He spoke sincerely about it being an honour to be in Ko-oren as champions, and generically about the weather and the practice facilities, and when their press obligations were done it was only Gorman that was held up by a gauntlet of cameras and microphones, while he had only his thoughts for company as he meandered back to the shuttle.
He mused that at least, unlike the previous event in Koroa City, this tournament was organised; on balance, he probably preferred being micromanaged at an event to the alternative. Having prepared for matches that never happened before being summoned from curling practice with no notice when they did, Campbell had more confidence that the Ko-orenite authorities would be able to run this tournament smoothly. He might not have any idea who Bostopia were or how they played - which seemed less the fault of the organisers and more just another idiosyncrasy among the many which that flag appeared to bristle with - but he was reasonably certain that when he and his team would arrive at the 'Dome' on Aevanna island to play them in their first match on Friday, that was in fact what would be happening.
What did he think about the football competition? He probably would not have time to watch the actual games between playing, quote-unquote, 'real' sport, but he supposed this was all normal for people like Gorman, being herded from one media call to another with their signwritten buses and their headphones insulating them from reality. It made him feel happy as a Plough Islander not to be imprisoned like that, 24 hours a day, forced to microanalyse and interrogate all the joy out of his hobby to keep at bay the capitalist wolves waiting at the door. That, he thought, felt like no way to live, no matter how much glitz and glamour was slathered on top.
"...sorry, can you repeat that? You won't be watching the tournament and you don't think they live in the real world?"
Campbell found himself jolted out of his thoughts and back into the real world, and to two almost incredulous looking reporters from the Nepharim Herald who, he realised, had been recording what he thought had been his private reflections and prompting his unconscious mind the whole time. He smiled awkwardly, but before he could open his mouth for an apology, his attention was stolen again.
"DAD!"
"Matthew?!" Ignoring the journalists, Campbell frantically scanned the room and saw his son, dressed in what was obviously his full ice hockey kit with a tee shirt thrown on top of his jersey, trying to attract his attention while evading an annoyed security guard.
"Sorry, dad!" Matthew took a deep breath. "Media! There is a media thing happening back at the hotel!"
"Where are they from? Unless it is that one from the Federation, Peter should be able to tell them where to go!"
Matthew crossed his arms over his head. "Not that! There is a television crew!" He broke free of security and bounded over. "They set up some sort of blue screen in the conference room? It was something about still video and headshots for the broadcast coverage. Everyone has been getting changed in the guest bathrooms, they want the whole team."
Paul glanced up at the ceiling, and at the colour-coordinated teal and purple banners of a thousand different television networks and sponsors, all the while revising his opinions about organisation. He nodded at Matthew, before catching himself just as he was about to leave and belatedly acknowledging the men from the Herald.
"Sorry, fellows." He leaned in closer. "You should probably not print any of that."

[Bostopia]

Emperor Boston was visiting a town hall in Lawrence, a few miles inland from Port Lawrence, a Bostopian naval base on whatever insignificant sea it was to the south of the country (sources suggest this is a 'strait'). Whilst much, much closer to the Euran Oceanic Territories than Legalese, it was still an important base for sabre-ratting toward the baseball loving nation to Bostopia's north.

As Osarius was only around 475 miles across from Port Lawrence, most imagined that Bostopian eyes would be trained that way, but the Bostopians largely found themselves at most amused and at the least disinterested whenever it looked like Osarius put anything to sea, their ships dwarfed beneath the black basalt cliffs that the sea smashed against to little avail.

But that was by the by. The Emperor, since his apperance in Bostopia, had been on a major public relations campaign, promoting the tv series 'Bostopia: The Twin Isles' which he had been 'acting in'. As much as he hated the idea he was nothing more than a TV actor come television personality, building up his public image this way rather than simply waltzing in and taking power of a Bostopia that had always been in Anaia seemed preferable for the time being, even if it did mean having to deal with who he called 'plebs'.

'Plebs!' The Emperor yelled to no-one in particular, charging down a corridor whilst furiously rubbing what he thought was hand sanitiser between his hands, before realising it was actually a homemade jam one of the plebs had handed him. Taking a lick and finding, in fairness, it was pretty good, he was still miffed and wiped his hands down a jacket which had been left hanging up on a coatstand he'd just charged past.

His aides behind him started whispering. 'He's just wiped his hands on The Duke's seventh favourite off-lilac jacket.' The next line sent a shiver down the Emperor's spine, who was turning around in silent horror. 'Shall I inform The Duke?'

'No need' said the door the Emperor was about to pass 'for it is I!' The door opened 'THE DUKE!'

The Emperor rolled his eyes but had a pressing question. 'I thought you'd be the coatstand?' The Duke laughed heartily. 'A coatstand? Why would I be a coatstand?'

Emperor Boston looked at a plaque on the door The Duke had come out of, giving The Duke a moment to turn to The Emperor's aides and silently mouth 'coatstand' whilst miming writing a note with his hands before giving a knowing nod.

'This plaque' the Emperor said. 'It says, would you believe "This is the door used by THE DUKE to appear out of when approaching Emperor Boston in this corridor by surprise, having used an intricate jam gift to set the situation up."' The Emperor blinked and concluded 'How remarkable.'

The Duke smiled. 'While I have you, Emperor, quick question.' The Emperor sighed. 'Go on'. 'Admiralty are still asking questions about that fleet you borrowed around - get this - four years ago? And all those sailors and soldiers and the Air Force are miffed about the planes and oh the special forces are going on a bit too. They're really cranky.'

'I told you' the Emperor said, grabbing The Duke by the shoulder and pulling him closer. 'They're being used in filming for the next series of "Bostopia: The Twin Isles".' 'I know!' The Duke protested. 'But they're all very cross. Shouldn't have been filming for this long and all that sort of thing. They say they've had to move some of the Bekk Fleet over to the Strait.'

The Emperor scoffed. 'The Bekk's a swamp and there's not one nation on it worth worrying about.' 'What about...' the Duke began, looking over his shoulder, certain he was being watched. 'Starblaydia?'

'Ah, my dear Duke' the Emperor said with a wry smile. 'By the time we'd even realised we had reason to worry about Starblaydia they'd have wiped us out. I try to ignore them, like you would a lone wasp. Swat at it and you enrage it. Kill it and you end up with a bloody swarm. Leave them be and they'll leave us be. Tell your commanders I'm sure the troops will be back from filming soon.'

[Ko-oren]

Perhaps it felt a bit wrong to address the crowd in such a light tone. Dhunerin Laurderinthen, now in the second half of his term, prepared a rousing speech to welcome Anaia to Ko-oren once again - it was late in Laurderinthen's first term that he gave a similar speech for CAFA 4. Since then, there was an ongoing war in Anaia but apparently the CAFA waits for no one. While the Prime Minister was making the crowd laugh (albeit with jokes that had to be so easily translatable for the regional audience that they were devoid of much humour), Ko-orenite sons and daughters were in peril on the Ochre Islands with no idea as to their wellbeing - and it weighed on him.

And yet, the show must go on.

That said, we hadn't even started before the first controversy. It was Laurderinthen's own cabinet who suggested to use the Gehrennan names for each city, a fairly last-minute decision that was barely run past regional councils and even the mayors of each town. When the promotional material went to print and got delivered to each stadium, reading 'Amahne' rather than 'Aminey', many phone calls to project managers were made to loudly complain about this 'putain decision'. The official position was clear though, and mayors as well as inhabitants see the writing on the wall: the Gehrennification is here. The number of people introducing themselves with their Gehrennan surname was up, the number of Gehrennan given names was up, and the number of Gehrennan speakers had been gradually going up for decades, in no small part due to careful curriculum planning that had been going on for at least a generation.

Several ministers even had their names officially changed to show just how much they were into these changes. Amie Teunissen (and immediate family), in charge of Information and Communication - and thereby one of the ones responsible for pushing the city name policy to the stadiums - went back to the Gehrennan 'Taunithen', spurring a small wave of ministers and politicians to get a similar change done.

Having Laurderinthen do his speech mostly in Gehrennan - instead of English, for CAFA 4 - was another sign.

The next morning, blogs, papers, and news websites were full of opinion pieces criticising or supporting the new language policy. Others criticised the politicisation of language. Others were critical of how this issue was going to divert attention from what really mattered - getting our boys and girls home from the Ochres. Others again called the entire Ochre situation a hoax - how could people and ships disappear and not be heard from in weeks?

[Ochre Islands]

Willow hadn't shed a tear in around two years and today wasn't going to be that day either. The initial landing by Ochre-aligned troops on Juniper Island hadn't gone quite to plan, but it had gained enough of a foothold, despite massive loss of life, to allow the allied nations to set up a rudimentary headquarters just outside Jigspey.

The landings themselves were brutal, landing on a beach to the south of the town, where the strong, volcanically-made rock there pushed itself out toward the sea just a little more than the town did, providing a helpful platform for men to jump out onto, even under heavy fire. Once that tiny sliver of land jutting out into the sea had been held, then fighting north into the town itself, engaging the Bostopians in street-by-street combat none of them wished they'd ever see again. It had been the Mertagnian's air power, or what they could muster of it, that had been the key to victory, silencing Bostopian artillery fire across the strait into the devastated towns of Kairn and Brannton, and all points between, long enough so that troops could be mustered and sent across on rickety boats, protected by Ko-orenite naval forces, saving the more specialised transport boats for more valuable equipment, mainly commandeered 4x4s with machine guns mounted to the top of them.

Fledgling signs of new military industry on the free Ochres had begun providing the allied nations with new equipment though, a lot of it seeing use for the first time in this attack, the commonplace breakdowns being what caused the excess fatalities. Whilst the newer equipment wasn't always the best quality, coming out of factories more used to providing nuts and bolts rather than bullets and grenade pins, it was a lift to moral to know that new 'stuff' was being made helping the Ochres push to liberation. The new equipment had been one of the biggest lifts to moral since an early victory near Lander's Port, and even that was aided by a fortuitous Mertagnian car crash and still remained a close-run thing.

Willow, though, had remained dry-eyed, even when newly-free Juniper Islanders ran onto the streets of Jigspey, some carrying children born under Bostopian occupation, most carrying scars of some sort, but all mobbing their leader when she showed her face. While she was happy to see so many faces, it was the early discoveries that troops had been finding in Jigspey of shallow graves and concentrations of bulletholes in the walls behind administration buildings that pressed on her mind much harder than the throngs of citizens were pressing against her in joy and relief.

She hadn't made it five yards into Jigspey town hall when she first felt like she had stepped into a country that wasn't 'hers' anymore. Whilst the Bostopians had governed the town well, from an administrative standpoint, making sure the citizens didn't go without power, food or water, it was the way the Bostopians went about these things, covering the walls in propaganda, posters of the Emperor's smiling face and arms outstretched words 'welcoming' Ochre Islanders back under Bostopian rule, as they always should have been in his twisted reality. She tore down the poster, and one next to it, before ripping down the community noticeboard with her bare hands, with little regard for the lessons the Bostopians had offered on there. Her old friend, Ruby, had stepped into the building behind her at this point, now commanding a most special force of Project Alouette fighters who were answerable only to the PM and largely served as her bodyguards.

'You alright?' She asked Willow, noticing blood coming from under Willow's thumbnail. 'Yes... splinter. One last present from the ferals.' 'It's Neolsminster next - are we treating this as being under Alouette's wing?' Willow laughed. 'Alouette's wing - is that the code you've chosen?' 'If Project Alouette is leading it, then, yes. We take the religious settlement first on top of the cliff then go down into the town to meet the main Ochre forces.' 'Fair enough' Willow began. 'I'm coming though - I need to reconnect with the Mother and Father's presence on Juniper.'

There was no point in having the 'not a pilgrimage' chat with a Prime Minister who had marched into a hotel all those years ago, ready to die fighting against whoever it was who had occupied it. Ruby knew to nod, smile, and head back to the temporary headquarters, preparing for the inevitable counterattack.

[Ko-oren]

Dhunerin Laurderinthen finished his speech and remained in Mawrystwyth (sorry, Marapsathi, old habits die hard) for the entire Ko-oren versus Kharakia match. Llawchidd yBeomwig, minister for Culture and Sports, was in Straudum (sorry, Seterdahn) to give the AIHC-opening speech at almost the same time ahead of Ko-oren's opener versus United Hawkland. yBeomwig: not only from Mawryshire and therefore rarely in contact with ice hockey, but also definitely not one of the ministers pushing for the language changes, as a proud Mawr himself. His speech was partially in English, for a global appeal, but also in some broken Dutch and Aerellen, the languages driving Ko-orenite ice hockey (that is, regular Dutch and Aerellen are, it just so happens that yBeomwig only speaks the broken variant of Dutch and Aerellen).

There were more ministers at the AIHC match than the CAFA match - all of the ones in charge of anything international were here. While soccer was definitely popular across the Constellation, it was ice hockey that drove more cultural integration. Who would've known? The messy situation in Taloren - and its four parts, Taloren, Talmagoren, Tarören, and Terähören, not to mention the dozens of people groups within them - had one way to bring everyone to the table. The same goes for newly acquired Mercatoren.

For now, though, it definitely helped minister Marten Zuidveld (now Marten Dhubeldhen) to cool down the situation in Taloren. At least, until they claimed to have a better league than Ko-oren in the minutes leading up to the first match. Pride was hurt, bold claims were made, and Taloren versus Ko-oren might be a post AIHC-thing now, with the territory situated in Rushmore and never even able to join the AIHC. Either way, let's hope that the AIHC, as well as the CAFA, leads to some more conversations between adversaries. It had certainly been difficult when Ochre and Bostopian delegations were in the same room together. How do you even manage something like this?

[Ko-oren]

Matchday 1 and 2

Group A
Vilwandia 1–1 Aleirave
Koronavia 2–0 Bostopia
Audioslavia 1–1 Mertagne
Cocoabo Forest 2–2 Semarland
Chromatika 3–0 Pyazhnaya
Lexandrija 2–2 Huayramarca

Aleirave 1–2 Huayramarca
Pyazhnaya 1–1 Lexandrija
Semarland 0–2 Chromatika
Mertagne 3–2 Cocoabo Forest
Bostopia 1–0 Audioslavia
Vilwandia 1–1 Koronavia

Group A                                       Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Chromatika                                   2    2   0   0     5    0   +5     6
 2 Koronavia                                    2    1   1   0     3    1   +2     4
 3 Huayramarca                                  2    1   1   0     4    3   +1     4
   Mertagne                                     2    1   1   0     4    3   +1     4
 5 Bostopia                                     2    1   0   1     1    2   −1     3
 6 Lexandrija                                   2    0   2   0     3    3    0     2
   Vilwandia                                    2    0   2   0     2    2    0     2
 8 Aleirave                                     2    0   1   1     2    3   −1     1
   Audioslavia                                  2    0   1   1     1    2   −1     1
   Cocoabo Forest                               2    0   1   1     4    5   −1     1
11 Semarland                                    2    0   1   1     2    4   −2     1
12 Pyazhnaya                                    2    0   1   1     1    4   −3     1

Group B
United Hawkland 0–1 Estorvipa and Estorpiva
Evermark 1–0 Saint-Jean-Jacques et Burnham-on-Stove
Krytenia 0–1 Yesopalitha
Ko-oren 1–0 Kharakia
Flavovespia 0–0 Rarungan
Cardenao 3–5 Ochre Islands

Estorvipa and Estorpiva 0–0 Ochre Islands
Rarungan 0–2 Cardenao
Kharakia 0–2 Flavovespia
Yesopalitha 0–1 Ko-oren
Saint-Jean-Jacques et Burnham-on-Stove 0–0 Krytenia
United Hawkland 3–5 Evermark

Group B                                       Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Evermark                                     2    2   0   0     6    3   +3     6
 2 Ko-oren                                      2    2   0   0     2    0   +2     6
 3 Flavovespia                                  2    1   1   0     2    0   +2     4
   Ochre Islands                                2    1   1   0     5    3   +2     4
 5 Estorvipa and Estorpiva                      2    1   1   0     1    0   +1     4
 6 Cardenao                                     2    1   0   1     5    5    0     3
   Yesopalitha                                  2    1   0   1     1    1    0     3
 8 Krytenia                                     2    0   1   1     0    1   −1     1
   Saint-Jean-Jacques et Burnham-on-Stove       2    0   1   1     0    1   −1     1
10 Rarungan                                     2    0   1   1     0    2   −2     1
11 Kharakia                                     2    0   0   2     0    3   −3     0
   United Hawkland                              2    0   0   2     3    6   −3     0

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Your random number for MD3 and 4 is (and I hate random.org for this) 369.

[Ko-oren]

Matchday 1

Ko-oren 0–0 United Hawkland (2–0 SO)
Bostopia 2–2 Plough Islands (3–4 SO)
Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer et Burnham-on-Stove 3–4 Huayramarca
Estorvipa and Estorpiva 4–2 The 189

AIHC 2                                              Pld   W  L  OTL  GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Estorvipa and Estorpiva                             1   1  0    0   4   2  +2    2
2 Huayramarca                                         1   1  0    0   4   3  +1    2
3 Ko-oren                                             1   1  0    0   0   0   0    2
  Plough Islands                                      1   1  0    0   2   2   0    2
5 Bostopia                                            1   0  0    1   2   2   0    1
  United Hawkland                                     1   0  0    1   0   0   0    1
7 Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer et Burnham-on-Stove      1   0  1    0   3   4  −1    0
8 The 189                                             1   0  1    0   2   4  −2    0

[Saint-Jean-Jacques et Burnham-on-Stove]

CAFA VII: Saint-Jean-Jacques et Burnham-on-Stove can't win

Thelesra (Santa Teresa), Ko-oren - It's actually really interesting to see the Anaian soccer and hockey tournaments being held simultaneously in the same nation. For the soccer part, the Tapirs started off with a 1-0 loss against Evermark in Gilibehri. Consummate Foxe scored the only goal of the game at the 58th minute and Saint-Jean-Jacueset-Burnham-on-Stove has never been able to tie the game. Evermark won 1-0. The Jean-Jacquois travelled to Thelesra for the 2nd game and the result was a 0-0 draw against Krytenia. Allie O'Hara almost gave the lead to the Tapirs at the 27th minute but her shot was stopped by Amanda Bach. Greg Williams almost scored at the 76th minute but Serge Bleau-Bean dove to the left to stop the ball. The final score was 0-0. Pierre-Antoine Bigeault-Généreux received a red card at the 65th minute and will be suspended on matchday 3 against Ko-oren. Renato Ramirez De Jesus will replace him in the starting XI.

Paul-André Veilleux

New sports complex announced by both leaders

Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer et Burnham-on-Stove - Prince Pierre-Alexandre 1er de Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer and Braelynn McIlwain, General Secretary of the Burnhamese Communist Party, made a joint announcement. They were accompagnied with Ginette Malboeuf (Head of Jean-Jacquoise and Burnhamese Soccer Federation), Pierrette Lamoureux (Head of Hockey Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer et Burnham-on-Stove), Jean-Paul Gailloux (Head of Jean-Jacquoise and Burnhamese Baseball Federation) and Gilles Joannette-Carbonneau (Head of Joannette-Carbonneau Incorporated).

It was acknowledged that the last World Cup qualifications in Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer were a fiasco because of the bad weather and they apologized. They also announced the construction of a brand new sporting complex located underground at the foot of the mountain chain that borders Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer and Cardenao. The new complex will comprise 3 underground soccer stadiums, including one with a capacity of 80,000 fans, 2 underground baseball parks, 2 underground gridiron football stadiium, 3 underground hockey arenas. On top of the complex, we will have a brand new 5 stars St. Regis Hotel, a 3 stars Courtyard and Residence Inn, all under the Marcotte brand, a 4 stars DoubleTree under the Hurteau brand, and a shopping center. The sporting complex will be half owned by Joannette-Carbonneau inc. and the Burnhamese government. The 4 hotels and shopping center will be entirely owned by Joannette-Carbonneau inc. Joannette-Carbonneau inc. is the largest real estate company in Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer. The sporting complex will be accessible from the hotels, the shopping center and two metro stations. The sporting complex and hotels will be ready for the World Cup 96, which means we will still be using outdoor stadiums (with bad weather) for World Cup 95.

Marie-Michelle Rochette

AIHC II: Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer loses to Huayramarca

Nyashawill, Ko-oren - Simultaneously with the soccer tournament, the hockey tournament has also started and Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer et Burnham-on-Stove lost 4-3 to Huayramarca. The Tapir scored midway in the 1st period on a 2 on 1 between Bruno-Pierre Rabouin and Xavier Lajeunesse-Flanagan. Rabouin's shot went past Bin-Seok and it was 1-0 for SJJsMBoS. Huayramarca attacked with 4 minutes remaining and, with some pushing and shoving in front of the net, they managed to score. The goal was awarded to Héctor Medina. The score was 1-1 after one period.

Early in the 2nd period, Lugo, Ho and Holguin were on a 3 on 1 with Lugo carrying the puck and passing to Ho who made a backward pass to Holguin who shoots and score. 2-1 for Los Fugitivos. One minute later, Dante Gallardo is penalised for roughing and SJJsMBoS gets a 2 minutes power play. Tapir players are in Huayramarca's zone contrlling the puck and Jean-Guy Rabouin passes it to Pierre-Olivier Hautcoeur who shoots and it's a goal. The game is tied at 2-2. halfway in the 2nd period, Huayramarca are on a 2 on 1 with Alonso Ballesteros carrying the puck and passing to Hector Medina who gives it back to Ballesteros. Ballesteros shoots and it's a goal. 3-2 Huayramarca. With 3 minutes remaining in the 2nd period, Bruno-Pierre Rabouin was skating with the puck and Hector Medina gives him a huge open ice hit. Mason Bartoszkiewicz goes after him and both players drops the gloves. Other players on the ice are coupled together but none of them drops the gloves. Rabouin is still laying on the ice. Once the referree separated both players, Bartoszkiewicz didn't want to stop figthing and tried to push the referree away and put his hands in his face. Luckily, another referree contained him. After the brouhaha, Rabouin finally gets up by himself and leaves the ice. Medina gets a 5 minutes major for fighting, a 5 minutes major for charging and a game misconduct. This is a Gordie Howe hat trick for Medina. Bartoszkiewicz is penalised for 5 minutes for fighting, 2 minutes for abusing an official and a game misconduct. Both teams will play at 4 on 4 for 2 minutes and the Tapirs will have a 3 minutes power play once the first two minutes is over. Guillaume Champoux-Rinfret scored with a wrist shot from the face off circle on the power play with 15 seconds remaining in the 2nd period and the game is tied at 3-3. Ethan Wojciechowski gets an assist on the play.

Bruno-Pierre Rabouin is not coming back for the 3rd period because of an upper body injury. With 6 minutes remaining in the 3rd period, Jérémie Boissonneault-Gougeon is penalised for hooking and Los Fugitivos gets a power play. Simón Lugo gives the puck to Zayden McCrae, at the blueline, he shoots and it's a goal. Huayramarca takes a 4-3 lead and this is the final score.

Because of the game misconduct, Hector Medina has an automatic suspension for matchday 2, however, the AIHC organising comittee will review the open ice hit because Huayramarca's staff is arguing that Medina did not deserve a 5 minutes charging penalty. If the game misconduct penalty is lifted, Medina won't be suspended. Mason Bartoszkiewicz also gets a one game ban for his game misconduct. Bruno-Pierre Rabouin could miss the remainded of the tournament because of his injury. Audrey Fleury and Serge McNicoll will be inserted in Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer's line up for matchday 2 against Plough Island.

Charlotte Escobar-Constantineau

[Ko-oren]

Rumour has it that Manguele himself asked the KFA to bid for the CAFA and make the group stage nice and long so they could reap maximum benefits from the format. The Farve landed in Ko-oren and considered taking the plane back to AO that same day, then toured the country and saw, in his eyes, the worst system imaginable. He immediately started looking (that is, he crowdsourced the job for Koronas on the dollar) for the most technically gifted players on the archipelago - the ensuing list was vetted by the assistants, and without a drop of sweat Manguele had coordinated a somewhat Lele-ready squad from his airconditioned hotel room.

Lele was in luck, as the wingback positions were aging rapidly so he could slot in whoever he wanted. Arguably the same goes for the rest of the defence, with all the regular starters well into their 30s. Paired with a young midfield as well, and a unit that was already selected for being extremely versatile (as well as defensively aware), Lele quickly realised that his job might not be the torture he thought it was going to be. When he also learned about the government's efforts to reduce the Babylonian confusion of tongues, he set to the arduous task of learning Gehrennan while worrying a bit less about potential strife within the team.

What followed next was a thoroughly un-Ko-orenite training camp - exactly what the KFA wanted in the first place. 60 players called up to the first training session, with Lele zooming around the premises on an electric scooter, observing, but mostly yelling at players that they could pack up and leave. With a "Marc, you're out!", one of the best utility defenders of the last decade - and therefore a symbol of the previous regime - was sent home. "Jolgurasaun, third strike. Get your stuff and go back to Krytenia!" and Dhentingun, another cornerstone of the old guard, was out as well. Sure, Manguele was selecting a CAFA squad and those are usually more youth-oriented, but you do need your veterans and many of those were given marching orders within a few hours.

The new approach - players had about two weeks to completely re-learn a system - and the selection strategy, it would all be tested (and judged) within 90 minutes. The first CAFA opponent: Kharakia. The same 5-4-1 formation on the surface, with first starts for Haggigana and Mellowby. Immediately after the whistle, the Dragonflies narrowed the field. Manguele was agitated from the very first minute. "YOU DON'T TELEGRAPH THAT SHIT" whenever any player made it too obvious what their plan was for the next 10 seconds. The Farf coach had to do some concessions for match one: instead of completely forcing his full philosophy on the team, he allowed them to still lineup in a semblance of a formation and adopt some of the roles they had under previous leadership.

It was ugly - moreso because of the haphazard hamfisted plays and tactics rather than ugly post-football (or maybe a bit of both, each infinitely strengthening the other element) - but after all ninety minutes were up, it was 1-0. Plenty to improve on, but three points were in, and Manguele praised the schedule in the post-match presser. "Very happy we have eleven more opportunities to perfect this. Very happy with the KFA bidding for the tournament. All according to keikaku."

(Translator's note: Keikaku means plan)

[Rarungan]

Toluiwa RP in IAC 19 here

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Penanggal 3, Sasih Kapat, 1945 Saka

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Government Comment About Unification Rumour

Bhagawanta - Rarungani delegation is currently absent from the extraordinary meeting of The Mandaran Council propose by Toluiwa. The meeting is surrounding the plan of unification propose by Toluiwan government. However, as President of Toluiwa, Abdul Qadari states that Rarungan is also supporting the plan, a huge surge of explanation demand mounted within the Rarungan itself. The parliament, Dewan Rakyat called the Prime Minister for a special investigation over the statement of President Qadari. While the social media are in a high traffic over this issue. Many cross platforms discussion are present. And with the government silent in the passed few days, fueling the perception of what's real and what's unreal.

This morning, the situation gets it bright light. The government finally holding a press conference and address the real situation. PM, Ngurah Agung Kelakan is addressing the official statement himself. He stated that the government especially he himself had been acknowledge about the unification plan propose by President Qadari and the support was only on his personal account and didn't reflect the position of the country as a whole. He, at the time, believe that a unified Mandaran States will have a strong position both economically and politically in the region (read Mandalanusa). But as the sudden move into a new region, that personal statement become obsolete.

I am apologize for the chaos that I personally made. This was unintentional. And I can confirmed that the government officially oppose the unification plan. Although, despite we are already positioned in a different region, we will not forget our root. Rarungan will continue to work with fellow members of The Mandaran Council and keep an active role within the Council. Meanwhile, we will also strengthen our relationship with our new neighbors in this new region.

Ngurah Agung Kelakan
Prime Minister of Rarungan

The country's sudden move was also a bit of surprise for everyone especially the members of the Council. While the government itself stated that the move will broaden the position of the country in international affairs. It will give a new perspective towards Rarungani and open a new opportunities for the country which we can't get while inside The Mandaran cultural region.

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Other news
Sport

• Rarungan joined the regional, CAFA competition for the first time.
• Kingdom of Rarungan Olympic Committee (KROC) stated that the country won't participate in the upcoming Games of the Olympiad.

Domestic

• Native languages are officially recognized by the state. The move expand the recognition of the other ethnic groups within Rarungan. The languages are Yamdenan, Aroanese and Babarish languages, all are within the Nimbar-Aroa language family.

[Yesopalitha]

ONE

TWO

In the small plains town of Jysofe, twenty miles south of Freedom's Altar, there was an old mansion on top of a hill. Overlooking the entire town, the mansion, known to locals as The Bleak House, was protected by an arcane forcefield that kept peeping toms and nosy teenagers away. With perpetual darkness shrouding it, only those in the know knew the purpose of the Bleak House - that it was the secondary residence of one of the most famous Vampyr in Yesopalitha, one Crystal Shadowdawn.

Voted one of the most attractive beings in the country by the populace for over three decades - it helps when you're a Vampyr, and therefore don't age any longer - Shadowdawn was a show host, a media personality, and a philanthropist. However, when the war began over the eastern half of the country known as Chromatika, Shadowdawn turned in her notice in all of those different places of work, retreating to the friendly confines of the Bleak House instead. Some were mystified by her course of action, but any attempts by the media to try to dig into the actual reason behind Shadowdawn's disappearance were all stymied by the efforts of The Dark Council instead. In fact, those people informed that they were under no circumstances to disturb Shadowdawn any further.

These days, for the last full year, as the Abyssal invasion of Chromatika continued, Shadowdawn remained at the Bleak House, attended by her handmaiden Gerta but nobody else. Gerta would procure the blood needed for Crystal to survive, but not much else; she preferred solitude over anything else, and Gerta didn't ask any questions.

One cold morning, while lounging in an armchair at the biggest window in Bleak Manor, a black raven flew to the nearest window to Shadowdawn. It landed, gave her an affectionate nip on her finger, and handed Crystal an envelope before flying off. As expected, it was an unmarked envelope, with just a C.S. at the lower right corner, with no seal.

My love,

If you're reading this, it means that we've finally left on this mission. Eleven months of preparing, of trying to figure out what exactly we're going to do, and then learning the parameters, then practicing what it's going to be like to be in the Abyss to make sure that we will be able to survive. Every moment, I've been dreaming instead of the time that we have spent together, of what we're going to do once I return, of being with you instead of in this war that has seemingly just dropped into our laps.

Commander Rylai tells me that you've been given clearance, per usual, that allows you to know the particulars of our mission after we've been sent off. It took a full year, but the enchanters and other such magical people have completed the necessary magicks necessary to send us off on this mission. My unit will be part of a task force numbering five hundred that will be planeshifted all at once into the Abyss, to establish a beachhead, open a permanent portal to Yesopalitha for reinforcements, and to eventually draw the Demons back to their home plane from Chromatika so that we can take down the barrier and retake the land that's been taken. The brightest magical minds estimate that it will take twenty-four hours to establish an a Dimensional Anchor and make it so that we won't be overrun. We've scouted out the best part of the Abyss to planeshift to that will allow five hundred to dig in, but it is going to be a heck of a fight to defend those that are going to be working on that Anchor.

We've known the specifics of the mission for the last three months while the magic users were completing this massive Planeshift spell. Some of my unit say that this is a suicide mission, but they're happy to go on it anyway if it means that this war will finally end. Others, like me, are more optimistic and choosing to view it as another ordeal that we can overcome, because that is the only way that we can return to our loved ones and continue living our lives. Remember how, when we decided to become soul-bonded, we had commented on how we had been so lucky that I hadn't been on a mission in over a century? You told me then that when the time came for me to pay my dues for the position and prestige that the country had given me, you would let me go, but that you would be counting every second that we are separate from each other. Back then, we had no idea that this would happen, but I've been more glad than ever that we did talk about this eventuality, even if it wasn't in all seriousness.

The plan is for the Task Force to be sent home once the beachhead is established so that we can rest. Provided that I don't suffer any major injuries requiring overnight hospitalization, that means that I should be on my way to you within thirty hours of you holding this letter. I really hope so - I can't wait to be in your arms again, to hand the war off to those whose job it is to do the grunt work and to go back to being a special forces soldier that only gets used once every hundred years or so, teaching classes at the different military academies and getting out of the limelight.

I will not ask you to not worry, because to do so would be like asking for the sun to not rise. Instead, trust in my training, trust in my unit, and trust in the fact that I definitely have something to get back to - you and the life that we have together. I will do everything within my power to return home to you, on that you have my promise.

In the unlikely, unlucky possibility that I do not, if I go to be in our Lord Zaiden's presence before you, I want you to know that I went into battle with confidence, with purpose, and with my undying love for you in my heart.

Forever yours,

Leera Brightstar

A single blood-stained tear streaking down her face, having already memorized the letter to heart, Crystal Shadowdawn opened up a drawer that she hadn't opened in over a century - full of another two dozen or so envelopes that had similar contents. Putting this one on top of the rest, she got up from the armchair and made her way down to the basement, to a shrine that she had built that served as a personal chapel of sorts.

Here, she would spend the next thirty hours - or however longer needed - praying to the lord Zaiden for her love's safe return.

Going to war was hard. Having someone in your life go to war was arguably harder.

[Chromatika]

Part 1

KGB's Swan Song
Part 2: The Unexpected Call

Three weeks ago, Kathie Begley had been in her house in the Lower Hills neighborhood of Wirr Tsi, enjoying the off day that came the day after gameday. The Shock had won - she had pitched a clean sheet - and she was enjoying the morning with a cup of dark roasted coffee, enjoying the sunshine as it peaked in through her blinds. Her reverie was interrupted rather rudely by a phone call - which was strange, given that it was six in the morning. There wasn't anyone that should be contacting her in the wee hours of the morning - was there?

Curiosity getting the better of her, she picked up her phone, to be surprised again because it read that the caller was an international number. If it wasn't for her career, she would just consider it to be a telemarketing call, but given the people she knew, she decided to answer.

"Hello?"

"Kathie? I hope I didn't wake you - I remember you told me a while back that you're an early riser - is this a good time?"

It was Juxon Fillar, the first-choice keeper of the Anomalies, one of Kathie's best friends, and overall just a good guy. The call now made sense - Juxon lived in Cathair, Audioslavia, which was a few hours ahead. What would Juxon need from her this early in the morning, though?

"Yeah, it's fine, I got up a while ago," she answered, "What's going on? Is the baby all right?"

Juxon and his wife, Estrella, had just had their firstborn - a daughter that they had named Beatrice. Unfortunately, Beatrice had heart murmurs, and Juston's family had had to spend additional time in the hospital to make sure that she would be all right.

"She's sleeping," answered the eldest Fillar, "We are getting another set of results back in the next half hour, which is why I had to call you this early. Sorry about that."

"I said it's fine, man," Kathie repeated, trying to put him at ease, "What can I do for you?"

"Well... According to some doctors that my folks have put me in touch with," Juxon began, "It's going to take a couple months to figure this out. I don't want Estrella to have to deal with it all on her own, so I made the call to the CFF, and after explaining the entire situation to Shelby and Lev, the decision's been made."

Kathie could piece one and one together right before Juxon confirmed it.

"I'm sitting out the next CAFA," he concluded, "You'll be the first-choice keeper, with Do and Hailee backing you up. Congratulations, this is the chance that so many have wanted for you to have - a chance to have the team on your shoulders."

Kathie sat in stunned silence for a good ten seconds. Knowing how much Juxon loved the game, she had always assumed that he would be back in time for the CAFA - this decision that he'd made spoke to just how important his new family was for him, how much he trusted her to cover, and the amount of respect that he both had earned from the Anomalies camp while also giving to them.

"Especially given what you've told me about this being your last international tourney, I think it's fitting, don't you?" Juxon asked.

"Thanks," Kathie responded, her mind racing, "I hope your daughter gets well soon, and that you'll return to us sooner rather than later."

"Go get them," he said, and hung up.

With newfound energy sprining from her bones, Kathie downed the rest of her coffee and got up of her chair. If Shelby was on Shelby's schedule, she would be calling about seven, and she'd probably be meeting with the team this afternoon.

The Anomalies were her team now - and it would be up to her to play like it.

[Vilwandia]

Vilwandia’s campaign gets off to an even start


Vilwandia’s start to international football has been somewhat mixed, and albeit going unbeaten they have done this with two 1-1 draws against Aleirave and Koronavia (Coronavia). Xolani Solomon’s side have shown some promise, however have failed to fully take advantage of their unknown status and potential unpredictability.

In Eteksiville, large screens were put up in the central park, and thousands clamoured to see their national team take to the pitch for the first time. Despite that, the atmosphere was rather more subdued and relaxed than you may expect.

Their tournament opener against Aleirave started poorly, with the tiny Vilwandian support witnessing their team go behind within ten minutes, as the Seagulls struck early and used their CAFA experience to find Neraveke Ho’Uminalu in miles of space, and she was able to slot it cooly past Ade Petersen, who like the rest of the Swans defence hadn’t been paying any attention. Vilwandia managed to hang on to a 1-0 deficit for the rest of the first half, weathering the storm and surviving multiple scares, as Veshchik’s sublime dribbling effort could’ve and should’ve made it 2-0, instead somehow rebounding off the far post and out of play.

However, during those precious 15 minutes of half-time, something clicked, and Vilwandia came out a different team. The change still took a while to enact, but eventually their newfound vigour lead to a stray ball being picked up in the Vilwandian defensive third, and a lightning-quick run from young full-back Leeto Clark saw his efforts rewarded with an incisive pass to André Liebenburg who used the clear one-on-one with Rukipato to strike Vilwandia’s first ever competitive goal into the centre-left of the net. Clark later said of the build-up: “We saw our first opening, and from there it was just instinct. André did the important work, though, and should get most of the praise.”. Aleirave, although somewhat stunned by the sudden equaliser, soon managed to recreate the pressure they had put on the White Stars the whole match, but ultimately a draw was the end result.

The second game, against Koronavia, saw much of the same, except for a somewhat opposite approach, with Vilwandia having much of the possession. Vermaak got Vilwandia’s goal at the start of the second half, but it wasn’t enough for a first win, and the team sits on two points after as many games, tied for 6th with Lexandrija. The next two games are against Audioslavia (Ouido-Slawië) and Cocabao Forest (Kakaobos), and Vilwandia will go into both of those as rank outsiders.

[Flavovespia]

“Saved by Santika” was the commonly spoken phrase of Flavovespia’s opening game, as debutants Rarungan held on to a scoreless draw. Agus Jaya Santika was probably the key player, with several good saves to deny Flavovespia a goal in this game. The Flavovespia attack will no doubt however ask questions of themselves, with some poor decision making from time to time. Jonathan Bagshaw and Michael Cole often seemed to be on a different wavelength, and were unable to find the right spaces for the easier chances. Peter Langdon played just over an hour, but had limited impact. Richard Birmingham added more to the attack, but was wayward in finishing which was unfortunate.

Some positives however for Flavovespia were that the defence was incredibly solid. Rarungan struggled to create many chances, and of their few shots on target, Nathan Crewe comfortably saved them. Stuart Cookson looked assured at centre back, clearing any set pieces coming his way. Nevertheless, in this opening game where the underdogs took on a highly ranked side it was Flavovespia, now that highly ranked side, who were held to a goalless draw in a challenging opener, Rarungan showing real quality.

Flavovespia responsed well to their opening game, to get a two goal victory over Kharakia. Jonathan Bagshaw showed his talent and ability to bounce back, with both goals in this game. The first of those came in the 27th minute. Anthony Lane was starting, and showed his skill with a great curling cross towards the back post. Jonathan Bagshaw met it with a diving header to beat John Cronik, to get Flavovespia’s first goal of the tournament.

Flavovespia found Kharakia coming at them harder in the second half, giving the defence a workout. However it left the opportunity for a counter attack, and with 13 minutes to go, Flavovespia took advantage. A long ball downfield by Stan Scott-Wilson was well weighted and found Jonathan Bagshaw with acres of space ahead of him. Bagshaw put his foot down, sprinted into the box and slotted low past Cronik. That was enough to give Flavovespia the win, putting them on 4 points from the opening 2 games. Yesopalitha and Saint-Jean-Jacques et Burnham-on-Stove are next up in this group stage.