World Cup 95 Roleplay Thread

[Beefsteak City]

"Come on," Curt Fargo implored. "Think."

The left winger was now leaning into his expertise as a lawyer, at a crucial time. Mayor-CEO Tom Ato—also in this dark conference room in their Aphrilian hotel—had gotten a rude visit from some WCC officials who threatened to revoke Beefsteak City's WCC accreditation to play international soccer, over claims that wunderkind Emily Pierce could not properly represent the great city. Now, Ato, his city attorneys, Fargo, and many of Fargo's colleagues were smashing their heads together to come up with a solution.

"Look," Fargo said. "We've drowned these fuckers in documents and court motions. It'll be a while before their decision has any teeth to it. But we can't delay this forever. We need a solution."

"Can we not just get another player?" one third-year associate piped up. "John Collier has really been the one stepping up as a scorer. What if there were another factory guy like him to fill in at right mid?"

"No, no, Emily's still the best option we've got," Ato replied. "She's fit, athletic, attractive. Plus, if we have to include another worker on this squad, what's the point? No, we need another option."

"I mean, can't we make her just live in Beefsteak City?" Fargo's law partner, Thomas Melzer, piped up. "Wasn't she supposed to be living here anyway? What the hell happened?"

"She was living in that house, yes," Fargo replied. "And of course, we were right to tear it down. I think we expected that she'd live at the tavern or we'd find some office for her to stay at. But we couldn't get her parents on board, and I think it'd be child abduction if we forced the issue. And if she got paid more, maybe we could incentivize her to do that now. But we can't ask GoGo to give her a raise. That's insane."

There were murmurs of assent throughout the room. "Alright, what else?" Ato asked, leaning back in his chair as it creaked dangerously under his weight.

"Well," a summer clerk at the city office began, "she's not a resident, right? But what if she were a citizen? What if she were born here somewhere?"

"Yes! That's great," Fargo said. "Someone was once born in the tavern bathroom. Maybe it could be her. Once we give the WCC her birth certificate, they can't deny her citizenship."

"But she wasn't born in Beefsteak City," the clerk continued. "We know she was born in Unfree Republics. So that would be...fraud, right?" he finished nervously.

Fargo clapped his hands together in frustration. "Damn it! You're right. Alright, well that will be more of a last resort, then. But let's try to think of something else."

"What makes a citizen of Beefsteak City, anyway?" Melzer asked.

"A Beefsteak Cityzen," Ato snapped in correction.

"Yes, sir! Of course. What makes a Beefsteak Cityzen? I mean, people don't really live here, right? Except you, Mayor Ato, and a handful of others. I mean, I know the team has all scrapped things together and live temporarily in their offices and whatnot, but you can be liberal with how you hand out citizenship, right?"

"Cityzenship," Ato interrupted.

"Yes, Cityzenship. But the WCC has such a narrow view of what it means to represent a nation. Players play all over the world! They play club in one nation, they vacation in another, they make children and fight wars in yet another country, and at the end of it all, they suit up for the national team of somewhere else entirely! Who the hell cares what our citizenship process is? It's our city-state, and we get to make those decisions for ourselves!"

Ato glared at him. "Are you...advocating for immigrants? That we loosen our borders?"

"Um...no, sir," Melzer muttered.

"Besides," Fargo interjected, "with how much the WCC has meddled already, we can't say that we will do what we want. Those 'elitists' will just put up their walls and kick us out."

Jerome Salisbury, the soccer coach, the Mayor's assistant, and the zoning expert, piped up. "Well, what if we did loosen our borders?"

"WHAT?" Ato shouted, whipping his head towards Salisbury before starting to wheeze and cough.

Salisbury stood up and continued. "What if we just...annexed certain portions of Unfree Republics?" He directed everyone's attention to a map of the area surrounding Beefsteak City. "If we reached an agreement to annex certain portions here, and here...and that included where the Pierce family lives. Emily Pierce would live in Beefsteak City!"

"Have you lost your mind???" Ato roared. "This is Beefsteak CITY! We are pure efficiency, pure economy, pure productivity! We don't have land! We don't have places where people live!"

"Now wait, Mayor," Fargo cut in above the din, as others had started to mutter furiously. "Coach may have a point. Beefsteak City's recent success has been a boon for the surrounding regions, pumping money into our pockets, but also outside our borders. If we can cut some sort of deal, we can expand the borders without significantly affecting the character of the true city."

Ato tried to stop hyperventilating. Salisbury spoke to him soothingly. "It would be purely administrative. On paper. Our glorious city would not diminish one bit. And our team would be saved."

Ato's breathing slowed. He motioned for Carey to dab at his sweaty forehead. Then he stood up, shakily. "Okay, here's what we're gonna do..."

[Carpathia and Ruthenia]

Carpathia & Ruthenia survive late scare to secure their second win in a row

Bassi celebrating a superb second goal to get herself a brace and the team
all three points

Stadii Di Bradini, Jhanna, Starblaydia Humble pie never tasted so good, although it certainly caught in my throat for the last ten minutes of this match when a so far subdued Starblaydi side roared to life and nearly grabbed themselves a point, disappointing their fans who roared along with them in one of the most famous stadiums in WCC football.

We started the match well following on from our performance against Cassadaigua, and in fact managed to take control of the game from fairly early on with our midfield four of Kárpáty, Lecce, Brunetti and Alemagna controlling the tempo of the match. Captain Acconci was unlucky not to get us off the mark after chasing down an underhit pass by the Starblaydii defence and only was denied by the Starblaydi goalkeeper reacting with lightening fast reflexes to close Acconci down (Editors note: Due to a miscommunication with the Starblaydi Football Association we were at time of publishing unable to confirm the names of the Starblaydii squad). Our efforts were however rewarded by a fantastic team effort with Bassi assists by a perfectly weighted pass from fellow clubmate Kárpáty to go into the second half a goal up without really being troubled in their own half.

The second half began in much the same way with Bassi adding a second goals for herself and the team with another impressive solo effort from her just outside the box, the Starblaydi defence not closing her down quickly giving her all the time to place the ball into the top left corner and out of the reach of the Starblayida goalkeeper. With the team clearly feeling the result was in the bag and a so far docile Starblaydi team, the tempo of the match dropped and manager Lucia Kovács waved in a host of subsitutions to bring in some of the younger talent of Carpathia & Ruthenia, unfortunately this appear to wake a sleeping dragon in the five time WCC champions and we found ourselves caught on the back foot, and the Starblaydi team's pressure was rewarded with a goal in the eighty-seventh minute of the game managing to open up our back line like a tuna can. All hands of deck as the Carpathia & Ruthenia didn't venture out of their own half with all players focused on defence and when the referee blew full time there was a palpable sense of relief from both the team and our fans.

Our next oppenents West Kharakia although ranked 253th in the world (107 places under even us) have managed to hold both Starblaydia and Saint Eleanor to draws so we would be best not to discount them or assume that we have the points in the bag. The last ten minutes of the match did start to make me think of our opening matches again and start to worry, I am hopeful dear reader that perhaps that was a blip in our upward trajectory. Oh reader this humble pie as clearly gone straight to my head!

By Margita Ongaro
CBC Ruthenia

...................Starblaydia 1 - 2 Carpathia and Ruthenia.
Unknown (87') .......FT....... Bassi (38', 62')...

[Tanirinthia]

Multiversal Sport Match Report

Category
Association football
Location
Unknown Stadium, Unknown Settlement, Unknown Country, Universe ???

Scoreline
Ochre Islands 4 [1] – [0] 0 Tanirinthia

Ochre Islands
Russo - 45+1' pen, 61', 75'
Midday - 66'

Tanirinthia Scorers
none

Tanirinthia Red Cards
Marshall - 45+1'
Manning - 45+1'

Archivist's Report
Due to what appears to be a ongoing war Ochre Islands involving what what I've been able to deduce the nations Mertagne, Ko-oren and Cardenao and Bostopia, the match had to be played at an unknown neutral location and it appears that the Ochre Islands players have no permanent home at the moment and the team itself are travelling and living out of whatever accommodation is provided when travelling for matches, you really have to feel for those players drifting through the multiverse without being able to return home. Following on from last matches reported dangerous levels, approaching half-time redacted made the call that a reversal was needed and therefore Marshall and Manning were given the signal and were sent off in accordance with the pre-match plan, to any outside observers it may have appeared that Marshall recklessly took out Eliot Sunteller's legs from under them with a dangerous two footed tackle, and in the following confrontation of the Ochre players Manning shoved captain Luca Bridgebuilder down to the ground. It had the desired effect and fired the Ochre Islands' team up, and thankfully due to good timing from Marshall, Sunteller only sustained a minor injury and was seen walking around and in fact jumping in the air to celebrate with teammates on the side of the pitch when the final whistle went. As noted earlier given the Ochre Islands team's hardship it couldn't have happened to a more deserving bunch I wish them all well.

Post radiation levels
Levels have started to return towards normal after the emergency vent in the 45th minute

Archivist
William Fowler, Chief Secret Archivist

Clearance level
Gold

[The Kytler Peninsulae]

A conversation in a computer room at the Margaret Institute between two students writing their essays.

"Ever wondered what it must be like to be trusted with, like, the official RPD supply for Kytlerian international athletes?"

"No, why do you say that?"

"Because it's such a responsibility, when they're entirely expected to use RPDs in sport but there's such a complicated history with..."

"...yeah everyone wanted us to not do sports because of that!"

"Exactly! We're the first generation in ages to actually have grown up even thinking about international sport and we're... you're 19 still yes?"

"Funny you should say that, I turn 20 tomorrow!"

"Happy birthday for tomorrow! Any plans?"

"Not really, I was thinking about having a meal out at El NOMbre Dos (an upscale Spanish restaurant in Zube) but too expensive and I do kind of have essays to write anyway."

"Oh gosh that place IS so expensive! I wouldn't even think about going there, just give me a nice meal out at Gregg's, that's more my budget!"

"Oh yeah I haven't been to Gregg's in a while because it gets really busy but I might have to try that some time. Anyway, you were saying?"

"Ah yes, the RPD suppliers, it's such a big job for them, when all the conservatives still think they're out to corrupt the youth or whatever nonsense they say..."

"Yeah those conservatives are the corrupt ones. Always projecting!"

"I know right? But I don't know if you've heard about the different media coverage in different countries, which is understood to be heavily heavily correlated with RPD production to the point it's sometimes believed to be where the RPDs actually come from."

"Oh yeah! Like, not everywhere has a research lab that makes them like we do here?"

"No not at all, and because of how decentralised production is that's been part of the panic. But, like, you know Milchama?"

"Obviously. Huge history."

"All their media coverage seems to take the form of, like, conversations..."

"Like these?"

"Yeah! Always seems to be between two people."

"Wait, does that mean..."

"...that we might be producing RPDs out of this very conversation?"

"That's what I was going to ask!"

"I mean... presumably not, there's like 1,093 conversations a day just in this room and that's meant to be a quiet study place, no way ours is producing RPDs."

"Yeah, definitely not. And like you said, it's a study room, let's get back to our essays. Which one are you writing?"

"The Introduction to Sports Law one, on constitutional frameworks."

"Oh god, what a time for us to be studying that..."

"I know!"

"Yeah I'm doing that tomorrow, I'm doing the Economics of Sport essay about media rights."

"Oh yeah I just finished that, but I haven't submitted it because it's probably still crap, I want to sleep on it and then edit in the morning!"

"Good idea. Thanks for the chat!"

"You're welcome, any questions on the law essay let me know!"

"Cheers!"

[Sarzonia]

The second half of World Cup qualifying can sometimes be the revenge leg when a side loses the first leg of qualifying.

At least when the Sarzonian national football team faced the 72nd ranked Darmeni national team, Sarzonia were able to earn that revenge with a 4-2 victory in front of 90,388 at Dave Wilson Stadium in Woodstock, keeping their three-match winning streak going.

That streak would end with a 1-0 home defeat to Xanneria where the only tangible positive was at least the Xannerians didn't put two goals behind Carlton Sandt this time.

"We knew going in that our goals for this World Cup qualifying campaign had to be somewhat muted," manager Brady Reynolds said. "We may not qualify for a spot in the proper or even make it to the playoff, but I want us to show some pride in ourselves. So far, we can at least say that much.

Jake Campos launched a 29-yard free kick in the 38th minute to open the scoring against Darmen, a tally that left even grizzled Sarzonia fans from the team's relatively recent spate of success in stunned silence. One problem with the Campos brace: the Stars defence were caught flat-footed like defender Charlie King had lost enough steps to run the Portland Marathon.

After the Stars (now 3-0-6, nine points), emerged from the tunnel, Pat Meyers jogged onto the pitch to assume King's position amongst the 11. King feared he might have suffered a major injury, but an MRI and other advanced imaging equipment confirmed King suffered from cramps. He returned to the starting 11 for the team's 1-0 defeat to Xanneria.

With the Stars all but mathematically out of contention, Reynolds said he would start Trent Woodson in goal, except for matches where the Stars potentially could play spoiler.

"It's time to see what we've got," he said.

[Archalit]

Roland jumped through the air, trying to grab the ball in his hands. God...

...

"Damn it!"

The audience erupted with cheers. StrayaRoos managed to score against the Archalitians within just 15 minutes of the start of the game, thus securing an early lead. Only one voice had managed to break through the crowd, and it was Lyndon Nightmare from across the field.

"It's comeback season!" He exclaimed, a determined look on his face. Was he a fortune teller?

After all, soon after this, he scored a goal of his own as an equalizer, and the scores just kept piling on. One from Eloria Mizuki, one a surprise shot from Hemera Note, and in the closing half, Cynthia Harmonia scored twice, once during a corner kick, and again with a header of a cross from Nightmare.

And as soon as that goal went in, the Archalitians went nuts. With just ten minutes on the clock, the Pirates secured a 4 goal advantage against the Emus, and there was no way for them to come back.

---

Featuring:

Crazy Match Sets Pirates near Qualifying
Jose Gee DNFs in Charkara Marathon 2036
QasCup Charity Match Goes Down Between Archalit and Qasden

Crazy Match Sets Pirates near Qualifying

---

Written By Kahale Kekumu
05/09/2036_(ARC)

So, there's a lot to unpack in this one. I think, to everyone who watched this, this match was pretty undisputedly wild. But the bigger thing than the match itself is that we're only one point off of second, and we beat out Jeruselem on point difference by +3, so if we can secure a few solid wins in the closing stretch, and there are seriously only five more games to go, there's a reasonable chance to close in on playoffs. Now, will we catch Valanora? No. They're too far ahead at this point for any of the contentious teams to make up the sheer numbers difference. We have Britonisea and Jeruselem on the horizon, and those two teams are definitely resilient so we need good rematches against them, and then Valanora, Natanians and Nosts, and Glazgo. These are like, pretty strong teams, so there's still a ways to go before we can secure playoffs.

But anyways, excuse the preamble, we have a match to break down. This one seriously opened with some heat, and to give some credit, the Emus looked so much faster and fresher than they were at the start of the season facing us. They had me really worried over our Pirates for a moment there. Ella Vidya sent the ball over to Cruz Kaiplo in minute 15 and he just started driving the ball straight up. Basically bullied our defenses all the way to the net and nestled the ball in the top-left of our goal. That was terrifying, and this game was basically on a must-win basis since we were four points behind StrayaRoos going into this, so we really couldn't give up a lead like that. Seemed like everyone on the team knew that since, following that goal, everyone came out to score.

First, Lyndon Nightmare came out in retaliation and scored a few minutes later off a pass from August Armburst, the classic dynamic duo striking into the StrayaRoos core. Following that was Eloria Mizuki getting a rare goal for her after noticing an opportunity from outside the box. Suddenly, not long after this goal, Terry Yang tackles Alex Keane who was making a run from his side, sending the ball to Hemera Note's possession. With no defenders on her, after driving it up, though still well outside the box, she surprises the whole stadium by simply sending it, shooting the ball straight past the mid-dive Thomas Yesak and setting the score 3-1 for Archalit. This was just in the first half.

The follow up was just as good. Cynthia Harmonia scored in the 60th and the 78th for a final score for the Pirates of 5-1. The first goal came from a corner kick sent in by Eloria Mizuki, Cynthia overcoming the crowded goal and getting the ball into the net. The second one was a header off a cross from Lyndon Nightmare and, god it was insane. It was like minute 86 and I'm watching like "there's no way they choke from here," and then Cruz Kaiplo's about to slam the ball in and what do I see? Freakin' Nyx Phantasma stealing possession and getting the ball all the way to their side only for Harmonia to score like minutes later. This game was absolutely crazy and every reader today absolutely needs to go see it for themselves if they haven't already.

So, it looks like we're in 4th in the table, but it's only one point behind 2nd and 3rd so I take back what I said last time, this season is shaping up to be exactly like the last. Now, who will our playoffs be against? Not sure, but hopefully it's an opponent we actually have a shot against this time.

Jose Gee DNFs in Charkara Marathon 2036

---

Written By Hu Sochun
05/10/2036_(ARC)

We have seen some crazy results in the latest Charkara Marathon installment, and with gusty winds and a light rain pouring on the athletes, the conditions weren't ideal for racing, especially for this 42 kilometer distance. Still, we saw Joel Clarrinson go under 2:09 and blowing away the rest of the field, with Benjamin Wendell and Jakob McElrea a few minutes back in under 2:13. However, there is a notable name missing from this list, and that is the Archalitian long-distance phenom Jose Gee.

After getting off to a hot start, the racers opened up their first 10 kilometers in just 29:23, a blistering pace for the harsh conditions we saw today. At this pace, the athletes might have been looking to go under 2:05, but the pace started to slowly dip until the 16th kilometer. Now, at this point, the racers had just run the last 5 kilometers in 15:24, which is quite a dip in pace, but the race was still being led by Jose Gee, Joel Clarrinson, and Shaun Hartkins. At that 16th kilometer mark, however, Jose Gee began rapidly fading from the lead pack, getting quickly overtaken by Benjamin Wendell leading the chase. However, it seemed by the 18th kilometer that Jose Gee had completely dropped out of the race as his pace slowed to just 3:15 per kilometer.

Jose Gee left the road shortly after the 18th kilometer, officially announcing that he'd be dropping out of the race at that point, which came as quite a shock to onlookers. When asked, Gee's coach stated that he was dealing with a sore throat and that he was recommended to not run this race, however he came out anyways and lead the pack through 16 kilometers. While it's certainly not the result he was hoping for, I think it's commendable that he competed this well under these conditions.

QasCup Charity Match Goes Down Between Archalit and Qasden

---

Written By Nehroz Asan
05/07/2036_(ARC)

The Pirates traveled out to Qasden over this weekend for a game with the Vans, the Qasden national football team, in their own stadium. Organized by the "Qafa Kids Initiative," the QasCup Charity Match was hosted in the Stade de Solis as a low-stakes event to run midway through the football season with the intent to support the cause of connecting youth to Football. Of course, there was a prize, to take home the special "Colorco" trophy, but the Pirates are in a struggling position in the World Cup Qualification bracket, so this gave some much needed time against another strong team to adjust and refurbish the roster. And while ultimately the Pirates couldn't quite come out on top, it was still a very cool event for the Pirates to take part in.

General Bulletins

---

• True North Trojans knocked out of Corsair Volleyball League as Lords VC advance to semifinals
• Cup of Harmony drama quelled as vote goes underway

[Naixi]

Wan Ling Tsung reviewed Escape from Futengma (film)

★★★☆☆ Appalling pacing during the first fight scene but super fun to watch

Bear with me here guys, because I have three things to start off with.

In a just world, I wouldn't always have to lead with this, but we live in no such world. Yet again I am unfortunately obligated to note that it has been 3,114 days on which I have posted to remind you guys that the name of the website makes it sound like the only books we read are erotica. Literally any other name would have avoided this issue. "Wouldreads" could work. "Shouldreads" has a nice catchy vibe. But they went with "Woodreads." Look I know tons of great people from this community - our toxic cyclical infighting notwithstanding - but we have a huge problem with new user retention, probably because the name of the website makes it sound like our penises are hard all the time.

Number two, I'm fully willing to admit the elephant in the room: I'm not actually reviewing a book. I'm reviewing a movie. Yeah, yeah, go ahead, give it to me. But look, I saw the first half of this the other night, and my friends in the Woodreads Discord tell me I have really cool opinions about films, particularly the trashy action flicks that have been pouring out of the Chumeichang studios lately. So I figured you guys would want to hear what I have to say.

And of course third on the agenda I'd like to head off the critiques that I am platforming a bunch of cryptofascist filmmakers. Look, you guys know my reviews. You know that I am an extremely principled leftist. I've been a radical for nearly 4 years (Marxist-Lehmannist for roughly 12 months and I've been an anarcho-primitivist-syndicalist since then, with like 4 months of being a Baroque Tendencist sandwiched in there). Before that I was, unfortunately, a libertarian anarcho-capitalist. I recognize the harm I did in online spaces during that time, and I would like to think that my extensive online organizing since then makes up for it. When I review a film like this, I am critiquing, not celebrating, their ideology.

Yeah, so I watched a movie.

Escape is the latest hit from the Big Three Chumeichang studios, and it really is very fun. They have four main characters making up the central bunch of heroes and they come from different times. And I guess there's some kind of global conspiracy where like a cult runs all the world's governments or something? I don't know, it didn't affect the plot that much. Well anyway, it really is fun, they got some great martial artist actors to play all the main roles, and I appreciate that sometimes audiences just want some badass fight scenes to get your blood pumping.

But yeah, the pacing on the first battle scene is so shitty. The scene takes forever. They have a close up shot on like every fucking punch that every single character throws. It's too much, man. The run time is four fucking hours, I shit you not, and I think the fight scene up top takes like three of them. I say "I think" because full disclosure I did not make it through the entire thing. They absolutely need to fire the editor, because whoever slapped that thing together must have been on benzos.

I'll come back to it later. Like, the core of something good is in there, but I really need the Director's Cut to come out before I can try to make it through. Or, like, any cut. Literally cut anything out of there. Something, anything.

OOC: This is in fact me admitting that I bit off way more than I can chew with the RPG thing. I need to streamline the process of dice rolls so that I can have a long ass list of combat actions, then write from there rather than trying to write down a literal blow-by-blow. I'll come back to it next cycle... or whenever I can.

[Vdara]

And I Like It, I Like It, I Like It, I Like It…

Previously, on ‘Vdara’:
“…but with Vdara hitting a snag just as the chasing pack begin to hit their stride, any result would do them nicely.”



And do them nicely, it did. A single goal slotted past Maksimilian Chupov was all it took for the Vdarans to achieve yet another fantastic victory away from home, in the land of the Pyazhnayans. It only felt right for Markos to, once again, gee up his players after a stonking result.

”You guys… you guys! Honestly, this is just the stuff of dreams. I can barely believe this is even happening, I mean, one of you has to slap me! Come on, someone slap me so this can actually set in!”

Just then, following their manager’s orders, one of the players stood up, rubbed their hands together, and absolutely walloped Markos across the face. The gaffer was knocked to the ground, and seemed dazed and confused. For good measure, in their infinite wisdom, said player decided to backhand Markos across the other side of his face, knocking him out cold. As the players cowered around their unconscious manager, the slapper stood in the corner, frozen with the horror of what they had done. Would he wake up? If he did, would he immediately go to find out who had slapped him? What could be going through his mind, lying on the floor? Just then, Markos woke up…

Markosnisi
Dreamland

…and found himself in someplace different. He was no longer inside of a dressing room, jubilantly celebrating a fantastic victory over a tough opponent. Instead, he was lying on a deck chair, with powerful waves crashing against the rocks alongside. Next to him was a small plastic table, his favourite beer sat on top of it. He went to grab the bottle and take a swig – ice cold, just as he liked it. In the distance, he could hear a song – Status Quo’s ‘Rockin’ All Over The World’ – his favourite, humming away from what seemed to be a café, or maybe a bistro, named after him. The waitresses all had familiar faces, too. There was something off about this place, but he just couldn’t place it.

”I’m amazed. You randomly wake up in a place you have never been, one that is dedicated to you, and yet somehow you avoid looking left for the first… 48 seconds.”

“Argh, shit, you startled me! Wait, I startled me? What is this? Who are you?”

“I’m you, dumbass. Well, not quite you, but I’m the Gods’ divine replication of you. We take turns pretending to be you in your head.”

“…huh. Which one would you be, then?”

The Goddess giggled.

”That would ruin the surprise, don’t you think?”

“It would certainly clear things up a bit.”

“Perhaps you don’t need to clear things up. Perhaps all is clear already.”

“I mean, I’d quite like to know how I’ve ended up in this strange land.”

“It is simple. You are in your own head, a utopia constructed by your deepest desires. This beach? Yours. The grains of sand? Yours. The atoms that make up the sand? Yours. The-“

“Alright, alright, I get the picture. This is my head, all this is mine, I’ve made it all up.”

“That is correct.”

“What I’m struggling to understand is that, if this is ALL mine, and you are here… are YOU a conjugation of my imagination?”

“Of course not. I am but a humble deity, infiltrating your head from time to time, reciting great orations and tales of days gone by. Perhaps this sounds familiar to you.”

“Y’know, I wondered why I started having all these dreams. But why me? What makes me, a simple man with a simple job, so eligible to be selected for such a privilege?”

“Is that so? Is it simple to be responsible for the joy of so many, to be a commander who leads his forces into battles with strong opponents again and again, who keeps his fighters motivated with nothing but the sound of his voice, his virtuous actions, and his sheer prowess?”

“That may be the case, but I’m no commander, and my players are no forces. We need not shoot arrows, nor swing swords, and we need not put ourselves in certain death to protect our land from invaders. We are but sportsmen, humbly bringing pleasure to our people, and exerting a lot of energy in doing so.”

“It is one and the same. Just as valiant warriors such as Themistocles had books upon books written about them, such entertaining stories chronicled throughout history, so too will you. Your people right stories about you every day, if anything you are more prevalent than any of these great names of the past ever were. That is why we have come to you, to preserve, extend, and enhance your legacy as Markos Moustakakos, the Great Commander of the Vdarans, the Sharp-Tongued Harbinger of Destiny, among many other titles which shall be granted to you upon your entry to the afterlife.”

“Huh. It feels odd to be held in such high stature by deities such as yourself. Thank you for this opportunity, kind one.”

“Not at all. The pleasure is mine, for finally being able to communicate with you in this manner. Such a shame you will have to leave so soon, but alas.”

“Will I ever be here again?”

“You will find out when the time comes, when you once again wake up on this beach, on that sun lounger, with that beer. Until then, you must return to your duties, and keep the Vdarans a happy people.”

“I understand. But before I go… what is your name? Who must I attribute my grandeur to?”

“I see you are desperate to know. Very well, I shall make it so – I am Athena, the goddess of war. I am not always the one who resides within this version of you, but let’s just say I am here rather often.”

“Thank you, Athena. I hope we meet again some fine day, but until then, I shall continue to do what I do.”

“You’d better, your players will be worried sick out there.”

“Wait, what?”

Dressing Room

The manager awoke with a loud gasp, coughing and spluttering as he slowly lifted himself off of the ground. He rubbed his cheeks – still sore from the earlier slaps – and got himself back into a suitable state of mind. The players simply stared in shock.

”Now, before I was so rudely interrupted… what a FUCKING game, eh lads and lasses? You won’t believe what just happened to me…”

Markos would go on to painstakingly narrate every little detail from what he had just experienced, with the players “ooh”ing and “aah”ing at every twist and turn in the story. The players were greatly inspired by his speech, and hoped to take this inspiration onwards to their next couple of games, where it would be greatly needed. Of course, they had navigated their way past Gnejs and Acastanha before – and had just managed to defeat Pyazhnaya – but the task remained difficult all the same. Acastanha’s Estádio da Unidade Nacional and the VdarArena would play host to two of the most decisive games in the qualifiers, with each and every one of the three teams’ World Cup hopes hinging on these games. Only time would reveal who would prevail, and who would be sent packing.

[Oberour Ar Moro]

CHAPTER FIVE: Historical Context

The Chancellor's lottery commission was deliberately structured with twelve members. This was partly influenced by the national triskaidekaphobia, the fear of the number thirteen. However, this specific number also ensured the possibility of a deadlock at 6-6, as it lacked a clear majority, thereby preserving the status quo. Chancellor d'Eaue-Bonne was always willing to sit on his hands in times he was unsure of next steps.

The composition of the commission appeared almost engineered to reach such a vote. Five members (co-chair lo Saralher, Dessaigne, le Munier, Tripier, and Unance) were staunchly pro-lottery from the outset. Four members (co-chair Enligneeur, Perdriel, de Saint-Jean-Marie, and Vuillard) stood in opposition. Unless someone changed their mind out of the blue, there were three members (de Blois, Chaboteux-Abeille, and Prieur de la Cote d'or) would would determine the nature of the commission's final report. It was anticipated that David de Blois might incline toward approval, while Parise Chaboteux-Abeille would align with the Ministry of Justice's stance against it. Ronan Prieur de la Cote d'or, a history professor deeply devoted to his Cathedrist beliefs, was also expected to vote against the lottery.

However, as the commission progressed, Professor Prieur de la Cote d'or seemed increasingly open to voting affirmatively. His shift was so significant that co-chair Enligneeur, the Cathedrist bishop, reached out to the priest at Prieur de la Cote d'or's parish, urging him to bolster the professor's resolve in his convictions.

Immersing himself in extensive research on gambling in the Dominion and Azoria, Professor Prieur de la Cote d'or scoured through Porphyrogene University's library resources and engaged student researchers. His quest for knowledge led him further afield, eventually delving into the libraries of the Cathedrist Church, where he made a profound revelation.

He discovered that during the era when lotteries served as a significant fundraiser for Azorian municipalities, the Cathedrist Church of the era had also utilized lottery proceeds. Multiple churches had been erected using these funds, including the grand Cathedral Basilica of Saint Madeleine in Marisca, the seat of one Bishop Peterne Enligneeur.

This revelation fueled the professor's reasoning. Despite arguments and sputtering by Bishop Enligneeur and other lottery opponents within the church, Prieur de la Cote d'or found conviction in his stance. He reasoned that if the Cathedrist Church had once accepted lottery funds, it could be justifiable for Oberour Ar Moro to sponsor a lottery today. Perhaps to assuage his moral qualms, he proposed that some portion of lottery funds be allocated to the Cathedrist Church.

In the final vote, the commission recommended a lottery with 7 members in favor and 5 opposed. The Chancellor, after reviewing the report, promptly instructed the Ministry of Revenue to initiate a national lottery.

[Saterun]

They were halfway through WCQ, and it wasn't going great for the Claws. Two losses in MDs 6 & 7 had put them even with Drawkland on points, and just ahead of Sendhang. After their initial burst of form, things were starting to get real. Kameron didn't want to mess with his starting lineup yet, but was starting to have some doubts. Nonetheless, he carried on into the game against Bongo Johnson looking for a good result. Based on Saterun's previous form, the end score was probably to be expected.

They were traveling away now on the latter half of a two game road trip. Still in the locker room, Kameron was trying to visualize a few new tactics. He wanted a stouter defense and an attack that could break quickly. He liked what he saw against Sendhang, and decided to revert back to some of those tactical choices. He encouraged the players to swing balls into the box from the wings, and to get dense around the ball when the opposition had it. Saterun had breezed through this Bongo Johnson team at home, but away could be a different story. Several minutes later, the teams walked out onto the pitch. Saterun had been on a two-game losing streak, and needed to break that now. The future game against Yuezhou would be tough, and the Claws needed some momentum.

At first, the game seemed to start well enough. Hans-Jürgen Becker pursued the ball relentlessly, and managed several interceptions out on the sides. Some quick distribution early into the match led to Saterun's first chance. In the 13th, Becker picked it up on the wing and played it quickly back to Andrei Coiro. A leading return pass put Becker clear of his defender and with lots of green space to run in to. He lifted his head and saw Maksymillian Bates waiting for the cross. Out of the corner of his eye, Becker also saw Stephen McAloon coming in for the tackle. If he crossed now, it would certainly be blocked. He moved to cross it, then quickly tucked the ball behind his leg to send McAloon sliding at air. The second of space given to Becker was all he needed to send the ball curling into the area. Bates jumped to head it, but slightly mistimed the jump. The ball skidded of the back of his head, generating far less power than he would have liked. Still, it was well-placed and it was all Adam Jones could do to just keep it out. In the following corner, the ball dropped to Coiro, who slammed it against the post. Saterun had just missed two opportunities to go in front, but they woud claim their third.

In the 23", Glenn Lundquist picked up the ball deep in his own half. He saw Avishai Demare streaking down the side, and so swung a large switch directly into the leftback's path. Without missing a beat, Demare kknocked it past Chaplain Crabtree and was away down the field. Spying Bates making an incisive run, he played a delicate through ball to put the striker on goal. Bates's intial shot was blocked by Jones's outstretched leg, but Thiago Esparza was in the right place at the right time to sneak the ball into the back of the net. On the touchline, Kameron went wild with celebration. Finally, after 203 minutes over 3 matches, Saterun had scored. Esparza ran over to celebrate with the away fans as Saterun finally put themselves ahead. This was just what they needed.

Wanting to keep control of their lead, the Claws played ultra defenseive over the rest of the half. The back line showed the discipline characteristic of Kameron's teams, and didn't let anything through. There was a slight scare in the 43rd, when Crabtree hit a long range shot that appeared destined for the top right, but Ralf Abiatti made a grasping save to keep the Saterun ahead. The Claws went into the break 1-0, the first time in a long time. Kameron decided that it was best if they kept their shape. Things were going good, and he didn't want to risk that. As of right now, no subs were in order, but Becker was looking a little jaded, and Kameron needed him for the next match. He would probably bring Orlando Oxtoa on somewhere around the 65th.

A little tired but motivated, the Claws came out strong from the break. They played with intent, but, as with so many of their previous conceded goals, a mistake at the back led to a Bongo Johnson goal. Saveli Holst had been pinned slightly into the corner, and attempted to play a long switch into the midfield. However, he misshit his pass, and the ball dropped considerably closer than intended. Kiplet Hurston easily controlled it, and saw Bongald making a cutting run through. With one of the best through-balls Kameron had ever seen, Hurston slipped the ball right between Post and Addams to give Bongald a clear look at goal. The pass had arched ever so gently as to slip behind Post's flailing back leg but still swing around into Bongald's path. The BJ striker hit it cleanly with the outside of his foot to put the shot just out of Abiatti's reach and into the inside netting. It was undoubtably a good goal, but a better pass from Holst or more awareness from the centerbacks could have prevented it. Each game reminded Kameron of the work that needed to be done.

It would get even more dire in the 77th. Taking advantage of the Claws in transition, BJ had moved a quick counterattack out on to the wings. Schnitzer Longmont exploded down the right side, and carried the ball nearly to the corner flag. A quick drop pass left Crabtree open and free of pressure. He promptly passed the ball Chet Hull. The players were working the ball around the box, trying to find an opening. But Kameron's defense was staying organized. However, that rigidity left space at the far post for Speedy Wheels to run in to. Hull saw the winger running in, and played a soft lobbed ball over the heads of the entire Saterun defense. Wheels brought the ball down with a touch of the chest, and easily curled it around Abiatti. Bongo Johnson had, over the course of 20 minutes, completely dismantled the Claws defense.

As time wore on, Kameron was getting increasingly desperate. He had already brought Oxtoa and Dubicki on, and was planning on also subbing on Fabian Cruz. He used his final substitution to bring Cruz on in the 86th minute. As they entered extra time, Kameron realized Saterun were almost about to be dealt their third consecutive defeat. When Post tackled Hull in the 90+2", Kameron urged his team forward. Not seeing a clear passing option, Post decided to dribble. It was unlike the bulky centerhalf, but he was surprisingly quick and had good close control. After beating Hands McGurkin, he danced around Hurston and saw Kaka Sarabola open on the outside. A perfect grasscutter left the RM sprinting away. With only about a minute left of extra time, Sarabolacut back inside. He was rught on the edge of the box, at the right side corner. Bates was tightly marked, and Dubicki and Oxtoa were lagging behind. There was only one option. He leaned over the ball, angled his foot, and let fly, The ball initially looked as if it had been overhit. However, it started to drop. Sarabola had hit it with significant topspin, and the ball dipped just at the right moment. It avoided Jones and quietly creased the top corner. The Saterun bench and fans erupted. Sarabola went running over to hug his manager, and the entire team collapsed upon them. In the final moments of the match, Saterun had won back a draw.

*****

Big matches called for big venues, and the al-Fazir Memorial Park was one such venue. In terms of literal bigness, it was a standard WCQ stadium, with a capacity of 50,000. What made the Park special was the surrounding area. Situated on the Rescondenso River, near the outskirts of Tsear, it was a magnificant sight. The golden exterior shone with bright light as the two teams got settled in on the field. Saterun and Yuezhou. Yuezhou had been uncontested in the group, and had won all eight of their matches. Saterun was in a narrow third, and was fighting for the play-off space. The last time these two had met, the Dragons had run out 4-1 victors. This time, it would be much closer.

Due to a stout defending performance in the last game, Fabian Cruz started over Saveli Holst, but no other lineup changes had been made. Kameron wanted a full-strength squad here today. They started better than last time, but Yuezhou's quality was still easily visible. They passed around Saterun like it was nothing. Even in the first 20 minutes, the Claws were starting to get frustrated by their lack of possesion. When Andrei Coiro made an aggressive tackle to bowl over Jiang Jieren in the 25th, it shocked Kameron into action. Coiro was usually one of the more balanced players on his squad, so something needed to change. Kameron told his players to calm down and press as a team, to aviod running in circles chasing the ball. That seemed to work for a little bit, with less dangerous tackles and more purposeful play from Saterun. However, things got ugly in the 38th minute. Just on the edge of the box, the Yuezhou players were playing keep-away and looking for an open shot. Post, angered at his team's inability to win the ball, charged over Ji Weibo to try to displace the ball. The Yue striker rolled the ball out of the way, but as Post stumbled past, he grabbed out to try to stop himself. His hands found the back of Weibo's shirt, andthe two promptly collapsed on top of each other. The two were instantly surrounded by players from both teams, and Post got off with a yellow after a brief scuffle.

The Claws would go into the half technically tied, but exasperated and exhausted. Realizing that he needed fresh legs, Kameron brought Gage Keegan, Mohammed Halle, and Ruben Lozano on. It was a bit risky bringing on Lozano, as he was yet to make a NT appearance, but he was on a upward trajectory in the A. Liga, and Kameron needed to try something new.

Unfortunately, dispite the changes, the second half played out much like the first half. In the 59th, Pan Xilei stole the ball off of Becker and tore down field. She quickly passed it out to Jieren, who moved it into Saterun's penalty area. He was swarmed by Post and Addams, and it looked like Saterun had stopped the Dragons once again. However, Weibo burst into the area, and had a good line of sight from Jieren. The midfielder slipped the ball over to the striker, who was all alone. It was quick work for him to smash it past Abbiati to give Yuezhou the lead. 23 minutes later, they would double that lead. Brynjólfur Zhenyasson Zhang, coming off the bench, immiadiatly made his pressence know when he pirouetted around Glenn Lundquist, tapped by Avishai Demare, and crossed the ball perfectly to the head of Weibo, who nodded it towards the far post. The initial header was off-target, but a late run in by Luo Nanwei provided all the opportunity needed. With less than 10, the Dragons were ahead by two.

And so it would stay. Although the Claws had done much better defensively this time, their offence hadn't broken through. On home soil, nonetheless. If Saterun were to have even a chance at the play-off spot, things needed to change. First, Fabian Cruz was pushed to a starting role over Holst. Secondly, Kameron was going to make more offensive substitutions. Dubicki and Lozano had shown promise on the field, and Mitzihno was fit as ever. With a little luck, sweat, and ingenuity, Saterun could still have a shot. But the next few. games would prove crucial.

Goal Contributions
Maksymillian Bates - 7
Thiago Esparza - 7
Hans-Jürgen Becker - 2
Andrei Coiro - 1
Avishai Demare - 1
Glenn Lundquist - 1
Bjorn Dubicki - 1
Kaka Sarabola - 1

[Valanora]

Lothas Ludwig let out a sigh as the team entered into the locker room after a narrow victory away from the Empire, but it was a victory nonetheless. It was a victory that the team needed to have to continue with the momentum it had captured for most of the qualifying campaign thus far, having only dropped points on the one occasion. Lothas had seen enough games in his time as a professional footballer to know better than anyone that even an ugly victory, if one were to describe the previous ninety minutes of action on the pitch as that, was far better to have than no victory whatsoever. That he was able to come off the bench and get the game winning goal to help power the team forward was all the better personally but it was the team that was important, the team and meeting all of the goals that the staff as well as the federation had put out for them. Winning and collecting the points to win the group to qualify was the most immediate goal and just a handful of wins now was all that stood between the Marauders and achieving that goal after this victory.

"Good job out there today Lothas, I know it is not easy to come off the bench but you still got the job done. That is something to be proud of and now we are nine points away from clinching a spot in the Finals with fifteen on to offer. A good spot for us to all be in and everyone in here should be darn proud of themselves for making that a possibility. Now clean up, we are having a team dinner before the flight back to the Empire and then everyone back to their respective clubs. Good job everybody." Eastwood said to the squad before disappearing into a mess of hallways and corridors that lead out of the dressing room. Lothas smiled a little bit, it was not like the Euran to give out praise like that so easily, especially after a game where the side had not been at their best, then again the side was nine points ahead of their closest competitors in the group, so there was cause for celebration since it seemed that qualification could be wrapped up before the more difficult games at the end of the campaign.

The end of the campaign though worried the former star striker, would he still be seen as good enough to board the plane to either Chromatika or Sylestone if and when the side secured their passage to the Finals? He knew the reputation of the national team for the non-elves, merely making into the pool at thirty-three was rare and making it to the Finals was like finding a silver bullet. He was still in relatively good shape for the sort of game that he played and was still scoring goals at a decent enough tick in the Premiership, but the younger strikers had began to outpace him both literally and with the performances that they were putting up for their respective clubs. Would the Euran look to Lothas' experience as an extra factor towards keeping him in the team if they managed to secure their qualification, or would he like so many other players before him be thanked for his service but instead be watching the game back in the Eternal Empire as a spectator rather than be a part of the team that was chasing down the sixth title?

All he had hoped for last edition was to provide that catharsis for a national team and nation, they had come so close to doing so but ultimately failed. It would of been a moment of pure bliss and enjoyment that is so far beyond words that even trying to think of them left Ludwig a bit awe struck and mouth agape. It was as much about leaving a legacy of his own behind as well as adding to that of the national team, it felt almost cruel to have been that close and failed. He thought the final whistle of that match might have been his last in the Marauders kit and yet he was left surprised when Eastwood had informed him that he would be part of the pool of players he was considering for the qualifying campaign. Was it too much to hope that when the Finals came once more and if the Marauders did what was expected of them, that he would once again be surprised and included in the roster that went there, given one last chance to try and deliver the catharsis a nation had been waiting for for over half a century now?

[Cardenao]

((Credit to Tikariot!))

Haritz Larrainzar: “Helloooo beautiful listeners, thank you for tuning in, this is your host Haritz Larrainzar…”

Juanma Saez: “I’m Juanma…”

Diego Valenzuela: “And I’m Diego V! Welcome to Los Tres Capitanes where we talk about football, Cardenao, and more football on top of that!”

HL: “Today we’ll talk about our recent pair of World Cup matches.

DV: “Then we look at our upcoming games.”

JS: “And we’ll answer some of your questions.”

HL: “First things first, truly thank you for listening in and taking some time to join our conversation. This podcast has been a great way for us to speak freely to our supporters, to pull the veil back a bit so you can see what our life is really like. Thank you for giving us this platform, thank you for your support on and off the pitch, keep sticking with us and we’ll go a long way together!”

JS: “Yes yes, let’s get to it. Brusseldorf, running it back against them. Not gonna lie, pissed me off to lose to them.”

DV: “Ugh…that was definitely one of the lower moments of my time with the team. Sure, we’ve lost by bigger margins, but to lose out to them on the first matchday of a World Cup where we’re favorites to qualify for the first time? That sucked.”

HL: “Yeah that was a shitty result but we’ve bounced back nicely since then winning 15 out of 24 points.”

JS: “Have we though? It’s not a crime to admit we’re still not quite firing the way we have in years past.”

HL: “True, 18 goals scored is by far our lowest after a nine game stretch. We got some new players in the squad, some new defensive starters who have been brilliant to be fair. Moustir, take a bow man you’ve been fantastic at left back, but you add that with the unfortunate fact the three of us are three years older, we’re moving a bit slower, can’t lie.”

JS: “It’s not good enough, if our current squad played Cardenao teams from years past, I’m not sure how we’d fair.”

DV: “[laughs] Ah Juanma, always the pessimist unless you’re celebrating scoring a goal, and even then!”

Haritz Larrainzar: “Seriously! [laughs] Sure, in years past we were more free-flowing, scoring more goals, all of that. Now though we’re conceding fewer goals than ever and still looking sharp in attack, I think you’re just salty the goals aren’t flowing quite like they used to.”

Juanma Saez: “[grumbles] oh fuck off.”

Diego Valenzuela: “[laughs] Getting back to it, hosting Brusseldorf at home after a couple results going our way? They never had a chance.”

HL: “Oh absolutely not, I had that fixture circled on my calendar and I’ve just been waiting for the chance to get back at them.”

DV: “Sounds like you took it personally, Haritz.”

HL: “Man I take every loss personally, every draw, everything I do wrong, I take it personally. Always been that way, always been a perfectionist.”

DV: “Now that sounds like a pain in the ass, gotta cut loose my friend!”

HL: “Oh I can cut loose, I’ve hit the PlayToy Mansion with Chímo, but playing my game to perfection is how I’ve had so much success with Port Rhovanyon in the Tikariot Premier League, lifting that trophy twice, player of the season once or twice, that’s how I approach the game and I turned the dial to 11 for the Brusseldorf match.”

JS: “[chuckles] I remember, man it was the same night we packed away Eshialand, you sent a message to our national team group chat saying, ‘up next, Brusseldorks’ and told us to bring it all in the build-up to that game. I think it worked out.”

HL: “Yeah like I said, if you beat me, best believe I’m saying your name seven times before I fall asleep every night, I was born to win and that’s what I’ve spent my life doing. So yeah, hyping up the squad and getting us into the winning mentality, that’s my role, that’s what I do.”

DV: “Pre-game, right when we were about to leave the locker room, you told us this is why we play, this is what we do, and I think we all really felt that and knew that we were going to beat these boys.”

JS: “On the pitch, I felt calm. We’d been training good, results at our back, the whistle blew and I definitely didn’t look back.”

HL: “You looked back at the sideline referee when he got you for offsides 30 minutes in!”

JS: “Would it’ve killed you to make the pass a second sooner? You’re the only reason I didn’t get that goal.”

DV: “That boy Chímo got the goal though, not a bad one at all after about nine or ten minutes.”

HL: “I gotta say, when I played it out wide to Kaison, I did not expect him to hit such a sweet trivela right over the top, and Chímo to be there in time to one-touch it home was pretty freaking impressive.”

JS: “For it to only finish 1-0 though, that was a bit disappointing.”

DV: “Yeah that sucked not gonna lie, but if we had lost or drawn, man that would’ve been depressing. But three points are three points, and we need every last one at this point in the tournament, especially heading into the business end of things.”

HL: “Baker Park [whistles] 14th best in the world and damn have they proved it.”

DV: “Eeyup they waxed us last time, 3-1 I think? Definitely wanted to come into this game and show we could ball with them, definitely wanted to win the three points.”

HL: “Mmhm, they’ve got some serious skill and they ran us last go but we gave it to ‘em good this time!”

JS: “Let me tell you, I’ve scored some goals in my day, you know I’ve scored a lotttt of goals and the opener I scored for us, definitely up there as one of my favorites.”

HL: “Yeah I bet, it was pretty cool to see you standing outside of the box on a corner kick, especially when I’m the one taking it!”

JS: “FIrst off, bud, I’ve never been a good header of the ball, doubly so against the tall boys from Baker Park. Second off, I knew you saw me open, I knew you were gonna find me and…you almost did.”

HL: “Yeah I kinda got under it a bit, put it way deeper than I wanted to but hey, it worked out! Their defender sliced the clearance and who would it fall to but…”

JS: “Me, the best person it could fall to. Man, I hit that perfectly, just put the outside of my boot through it and sliced it right into the corner, it was a beaut and I would put it on a poster card.”

DV: “I’d say it was good, my goal line save right before halftime though? I’d say that’s up there with your goal! Overall, yes the goal was great, but I have to say I was extremely impressed by how we played as a team.”

HL: “Yeah you’re bang on with that, going up against the 14th best team in the world, needing a win and we played like it. Super disappointed we didn’t come away with the three points, but hey, shout out to Pierre LaCounta for getting his first international goal and rescuing a draw for us. Who’s up next?”


Playing Hapilopper (223) Aleirave (66)

JS: “Think we’ve got Hapilopper, north of 200th in the rankings and we downed ‘em 4-2 away from home.”

DV: “To be honest, I’m a little concerned about this fixture. Not necessarily playing against them, we really took it to them in the reverse fixture, but this game has huge ramifications for the rest of qualification. We got 17 points, they got 16, I think that spells out the situation pretty clearly.”

HL: “Yeah we’re gonna host them with respect and give the game everything we’ve got, but if we don’t win this game, it’s gonna be a bad time for the team. We need to win, full stop.”

JS: “I’m hoping for a hat trick, maybe another one too in the game after against Aleirave.”

HL: “That’s right, we square off against them next, the 66th ranked team in the world.”

DV: “Gotta say, I was surprised we drew them last go at it but I guess you can’t win every one.”

HL: “Yeah I guess but that’s what we should be striving for, dropping points against any team isn’t an option any more, we’re a top fifty team trying to make it to the knockout stages of the World Cup. So listen to me man, that ‘guess you can’t win every one’ attitude, that ain’t gonna cut it here. Not now, not at this stage of the competition. Not ever. So we gotta run our shit, get it all together, go out there and dominate, prove why we’re La Furia Azule, why we’re top 50, why we deserve to be in the final 32 teams. So let’s get out there and get after it.”

JS: “Well said Capitane.”

DV: “Absolutely hell yeah Capitane.”

Haritz Larrainzar: “Thank you Capitanes! Well, that’s about all the time we’ve got for today folks, thanks for tuning in! I’m Haritz Larrainzar…”

Juanma Saez: “I’m Juanma Saez…

Diego Valenzuela: “And I’m Diego Valenzuela. We’re Los Tres Capitanes, bringing you the latest and greatest from La Furia Azule.”

[Zwangzug]

"Shall all we witness here be scenes of woe?"
I queried, understanding having grown.
"Or is there, say, a Boring Paradise

Where joys repeat until they're reckoned stale?"
"This is a vision only," warned my guide.
"Some truths beyond the limits of your world

Cannot be grasped, not even with my aid.
I'll lead you onward, far as it is meet,
Until we reach another ancient form,

Who better can conduct your journey thence.
She may be one whom you have glimpsed before."
This roused my curiosity at once,

But I dared not ask more of her just yet
For fear of missing out on nearer sights.
"Then let us tarry not," I made reply.

And so she showed me yet another field.
Here players sprinted round about the pitch
And kept a firm eye on the painted lines.

Sometimes they carried tapes of measurement
And checked the field's dimensions, once, then twice.
The goalmouths in like manner they confirmed.

They weighed some balls, and quantified the air
Pressure within, but never did they kick
It forward; neither did they pass nor shoot.

"What have these people done," I asked aloud,
"That they should suffer so--always to lap
The field of play, but not to strive within?"

"Take care how you regard them," said my guide.
"Without the labors of all those who mark
The pitch's boundaries, there is no match.

Play is of no regard if it's not fair.
Sometimes we are stirred from a life of ease
To make a path for those who follow after,

A path as stark as spray-paint, white on green."
"If I do not take up their quest in life,
Am I then doomed to join them in the world

That follows this?" I wondered, sick with fear.
"There may be hope for pilgrims such as you
If you are earnest in both work and play.

But if you have no stomach for their tasks,
Then be not harsh in judging what they do.
Where grass is plentiful, the mowers must

Unsparingly refresh it with their blade."

(MD9: Turmal-Hence 19, Fillmore-Gaul 70)

[Pasarga]

The trip to the White Winter Queendom was a cordial affair as Queen Azra thought that it might have been, a mere stop of a few days to patch up relations as much as a visit from a royal might be able to do. The Dual Islands and the Queendom were far different sorts of places and it was hard to glean anything particularly worth while in trying back in Pasarga to bring the monarchy into the modern age. At least she had not had the worry of courtship, despite what those back at home might have preferred her to have focused on with a bit more pressing intensity. If she was going to do it, it would be on our own time and at her own pace, she would not be brought kicking and screaming into the affairs of courtship and all that it entold. There were bigger matters to weigh and attempt to address than who might seek her hand, like the continued repairs to Torgos and Troubalose, ensuring that the economy was as self fulfilling as the islands resources allowed her to be, and shoring up the defenses around the nation.

Queen Azra was concerned with the rise of centre right and far right governments that were starting to creep up across the region and across much of the world itself. It bred ideas like that of the hyper nationalism that was the cause for so many civil wars and acts of aggression, right doctrine seemed to intertwine itself with violence. That so many governments were suddenly giving way to them was sounding a cause for concern about the stability within the region, within the world, and most importantly how safe that Pasarga actually was if a large scale military conflict was to break out and Pasarga became entwined with it in some form or fashion. The attempted coup showed how fragile the defenses of the nation actually were, that the capital was able to be taken without much of a push back until foreign aid was brought to the islands. While Azra was thankful for the support of the Euran and Sargossan forces, it left lingering doubts about the capabilities that the Pasargan armed forces actually had against a determined foe who would seek to either occupy the islands or do Pasarga harm.

She tried her best to push the concern out of her mind as the plane entered into cruising altitude en route to the Queen's next destination, where she would be visiting the nation of Quebec. Her father had relatives that hailed from the nation and it would do her well to visit another monarchy, though she had been briefly debriefed by a handful of advisors that there were eligible bachelors among the royal family. It would be difficult to dodge the courtship if there were any large feasts or parties on the agenda from the Quebecois during her stay in the nation. Mayhaps she would actually get a bit of advice from them about ways to reform and modernize the monarchy, to drop the outdated and antiquated practices of a time past its expiration date. If the rest of the nation had been brought into the modern era over the last century, then sure her government and administrative institutions could and should be as well. Going about that however seemed like trying to navigate a labyrinth.

[Darmen]

Following Darmen's 4-2 loss away to Sarzonia, Darmen's Poet Laureate, Alexander Ayala, penned the following poem:

Roses are red,
Lettuce is green,
Darmeni poetry is rubbish,
just like our football team.

He then burned a rubber chicken and dared Maggie to ensure a Darmeni loss in all five of their remaining matches.

[Tikariot]

Raynard Lazenby reporting from Bul Khungur
It was the game of the qualifiers, the second match against KPB neighbours and Rushmori rivals Mytanija. After losing the first game 1-2, the Snowy Owls had something to prove and what better location than the legendary Temple of the Crow in Bul Khungur? The site of many storied matches, it felt like the right choice to host this game.

And the atmosphere was everything you could hope for in a game like this. With the steep terraces and the whole stadium built from black basalt, standing on the pitch felt as if the album was looming over you. The guest block was sporting the orange white and green of Mytanija while the majority of the rest of the stadium was clad in black, almost blending in with the rest of the stadium. To say that the atmosphere was electric would have been an understatement with both sides trading chants, cheers and jeers. Similar to the first game, pyros were prevalent everywhere burgundy and white in most of the stadium, orange/white/green in the one sector. Compared to game number one, though, the pyros started earlier, giving the smoke a chance to dissipate before the game actually started.

The crowd knew that it was getting close when all lights went off and the opening riff of "How it Ends" began to sound over the stadium PA. Fires lit up along the entrance as the players entered the pitch for the hymns. While the Mytanar fans tried to replicate the deafening whistles to drown out the Tikariot hymn, they were severely outnumbered this time around.

The start of the game was surprisingly slow, with both teams unwilling to take many risks a bit like boxers trying to gauge each other. Tikariot were the ones to throw the first punch when Connlaodh MacGofraidh launched a long ball from the back that Adrian Grimaud took down on the run before whipping it into the box. Mathias Vercauteren, playing for Sankalin, unleashed a thumping header on the Mytanar goal, forcing Samir Besak into an outstanding reaction to redirect the ball over the crossbar. And this seemed to be the catalyst to kick things off because from that moment on, the fight was on. It was the twelfth minute when Pierre Sukunda went into a crunching tackle, hitting 0% of the ball and 100% of Dražen Skara five metres off the penalty box. Denis Ovsyannikov set down the ball, turning it several times to place it perfectly. Hurst meticulously placed the wall and the stadium waited with bated breath as Ovsi did the run-up and then blasted the ball around the wall and right next to the post to give Mytanija the lead in the game.

Their celebrations were cut short, though, because Brian McAllister's team did not take this lying down and immediately pushed back. Only three minutes after Ovsyannikov's thunderous freekick, it was Morris Nighthorse's time to shine. Jonathan Morretta picked the pocket of Ovsyannikov and threaded a beautiful pass through to Nighthorse who immediately pulled inside, nutmegging Lusamba and then slicing the ball into the far corner of the goal, hitting the inside of the post and into goal, past the outstretched hand of Besak, levelling things in the Temple of the Crow. Shortly after, the skies opened the floodgates and it began to rain cats and dogs (thankfully not literally). Quickly, the pitch began to get treachery and the Snowy Owls were the first to adapt to the conditions by going for short, safe passes to avoid the ball gliding out of reach. Several players changed shoes for longer studs to cope with the wet surface and two of them were Morris Nighthorse and Mathias Vercauteren who made the most out of this switch when they went for a beautiful double one-two that ended up with Nighthorse alone in front of Besak, chipping it over the Mipojoseon keeper to restore the Tikariot lead.

The second half turned into a sodfest with the Temple of the Crow's drainage system teetering on the brink of giving up. Predictably, the quality of the game suffered from the downpour as players had to figure out how to safely get any sort of passing game or dribblings together. Many passes skidded along the waterlogged pitch, making it increasingly challenging for players to control the ball. Both teams opted for short passes, which slowed the game down tremendously. The deluge did nothing to dampen the fans, however, who kept up their chants and support.

The coaches reacted with a slew of changes after an hour, due to the tiring pitch and at this point, Mytanija tried to speed things up a little to salvage at least one point, playing a bit of football tennis by attempting to keep the ball off the ground and move it forward. Tikariot dropped deep but in the 78th minute, subbed in Blaz Kovačeč received a high ball from Filip Mlinarević, took it down with the chest, turned and shot, the ball hopping awkwardly and passing Hurst to equalize, making the Mytanar fans go wild. Some of them tried to breach the fences to get onto the pitch in their excitement, which was quickly curbed by security. With standing puddles on the pitch now, there was some discussion if the match should be abandoned, however officials of both teams agreed to continue.

Scoring chances became a rarity and the conditions could best be summed up when subbed on Chiara Castlethwaite went on a run down the flanks, but when it came to delivering a cross, the ball just accelerate on its own going over the out line and Castlethwaite trying to stop but just sliding on, connecting hard with the sponsorship hoarding and flipping over it, thankfully without hurting herself.

In the end, for the final few minutes both teams came to a kind of understanding that trying to go too hard might turn into a potentially dangerous endeavour and neither wanted to risk any injuries.

The Emerald Coast Raiders are preparing for their first TPL season in six years and they loosened the purse strings. The Carathyr-based team also took advantage of the implosion of the Dantopian league by snapping up NT keeper Rick Bishop, who brought dual national Anthony Burgess with him from East Bay United. The rest of the new signings have come from within the TPL, with Cassadagan Amanda Southerby from Veriasod, Laoighseach Ó Finnthighearn from Morannon, Kent Skyllqvist on loan from Fort Viljan and Qusmi striker Pilta-Oxolt Can joining from local rival Carathyr Emeralds.

Miruan City are one of the very few teams going into the new season with an unchanged starting eleven, but they still have a major departure with midfield legend Nicholas van Haar retiring after 338 games for the Lions. The most prominent signing is New Lusitanian João Palhagueira who will deputize Sérigne Ayanbadejo.

Barely hanging on in the final round of the season, Morannon Athletic have seen a fair amount of turnover in their starting lineup, with Vanorian Meline Sandanger joining Eivora, Georges-André Drouin-Lacroix moving north to Polarian North Star Grimsey, Maxwell Lambert switching allegiances to Xannerian Pearlham SC and Pasargan Frančiška Marija Žužinjak going home to continue her career with Sardin United. In return, the Dominion has surely ramped up their squad with Chromatik keeper Fiji Fujiwara, Savojar Kristian Reikkinen, Cenian Corran Casa-Alta, Xoren Hammarskog and Squornshelan Turid Bergfalk, so they are truly aiming high for the coming season.

Also staying in tune with club philosophy, the Oriannor Mountaineers have been very quiet on the transfer market, with Eric Ongaro the only starter departing, joining Kyethas. His replacement is returning Žiga Srećković, who is coming back to Khazagh after a one-year loan in Alcassar.

The Parakleion Firebirds were one of the most active clubs in the transfer window, owing to their horrible season that almost saw them relegated for the first time in TPL history. Captain Pierre Sukunda moved west to Carathyr in the wake of the Þorgríma Vigdis transfer, while Jenson McTierney is joining Vna-Chuhul, who are ready to take the next step. Jelena Jashev also has left Parakleion, rejoining Mytanar CDSA where she had come to Tikariot from a few years ago. With Sayurtegi Legarretaechebarria also losing her starting spot, the Firebirds brought in three new midfielders and a defender. Quebecois Alexis Samurtok is strengthening the rear, coming in from Mipojoseon, while Danila Terentyev and Bardeus Fichomcéls are joining from Vna-Chuhul and relegated Veriasod. The Paladonian team also managed a special coup by luring Mytanar star talent Gavrilo Stojadinović-Srpkinja away from Pamuk, who is touted to be the next Mytanar super star.

[Huayramarca]

Land of Wind, Mountains and Bright Sun – Chapter I, Episode 5 – The Genesis of Regionalism

“Hey, David! It’s late, wake up!” Said David’s mother, after checking the clock in the wall, near the kitchen, as the time he asked to be woken had come. After an exhausting week in school, and also preparing a lot of drawings and evidence for the next episode, he had to take some time to sleep; as going to bed at an average time of 2:00 a.m. didn’t helped for his health. “Thanks, mom” said David while he was being served a sandwich with avocado and mayonnaise

“How’s that channel going?” asked his mom, David replied to that with some of the last stats he had a chance to check “Seems that it’s marching in, nicely, there’s already 2500 subscribers, there’s some videos with 38,000 views and growing. Mom took some time to decipher, then asked “But are you really enjoying it?” David said “Of course, that’s why I started with this in the first place.” After eating, then his mom said “If you really love this, move on and go for it!” David got to the bathroom for a shower and shaving “Let’s do this and make sure we will have something cool” he said in loud voice.

“David te lo Cuenta is back into action, as we will start with the fifth episode of the Land of Wind, Mountains and Bright sun. We last talked of the great relationship between Moxeños and Seafarers; a peaceful one for sure that helped both civilisations to improve at a constant path, with pretty much shared technologies. Nothing is all that easy or blue-coloured in life, as there’s time that struggle and fight might be the common topic of conversation of humanity through the history, and this is no exception. The relationship of Highlanders and Bekksiders have been a pretty turbulent one since the beginnings, when both peoples were nomadic and lived outside the current Huayramarcan territory, but things reached a whole new level in Huayramarca because of land occupation, violence and unfortunate actions from both that caused thousands of lives lost.

The first set of conflicts between Bekksiders and Highlanders happened 10,000 years before our era, during the attempts from both nations to move to the west, where Huayramarca and the mountains meet. These civilisations clashed over vital resources such as animals, zones for herding, right to roam, etc. The first skirmish ended with the consequence of the Highlanders defeating the Bekksiders and taking different positions in the western territory, as the Bekksiders went to the Jungle region, while the Highlanders to the mountains, near the big Andahuaylas Lake.

As both civilisations developed separately, be it adapting to the different set of tortures that the Jungle can offer in the shape of mosquitos and disease from the Bekksiders, to the more alpine lifestyle of the Highlanders, being more resilient and able to produce more food for them than any other civilisation, that’s until the appearance of Moxeños and Seafarers. In the other hand, the Highlanders were effective enough to overcome the challenges of the Cordillera, then settling at high altitude, and finding a lake that would help them to feed from the local fauna (fishes). That isolation made both groups develop a pretty autonomous set of skills that helped them to exist independently or by cooperation with smaller groups in the neighbouring areas.”

As time passed, the civilisations continued to improve their methods of subsistence, but the ones who managed to go far were the Highlanders, as they were capable to imitate the building process of the otters to have a dike, a construction strongly accepted with the purpose of retaining the waters for the needs of the region. The main purpose of that idea was to get more water for their cultivation duties and having a reservoir when need calls at their door. For said purpose, they decided to build a dike near the lake, just outside of one of the rivers that send the waters right to the Jungle, where the Bekksiders live, this decision had consequences in the short term, as the water volume of the river started to decline significantly for the Bekksiders, they weren’t receiving the precious liquid they used for water irrigation of their crops.

The first, and maybe more obvious first consequence of such a decision was a famine caused in the Bekksider territory, in which up to 35% of their population died because of starvation or just weakness for not being able to process nutrients, making them a victim for illnesses at the place. With that on mind, the Bekksiders were thinking a lot of hypotheses that wanted to find the culprit of such a dramatic event for the community. They thought, at first, that the gods were annoyed with them because of some kind of sins, but one of the council leaders noted “Maybe the river has been sabotaged up in the stream” Although there wasn’t any suspicion on who could’ve done that, as it could have been an otter or more people that they didn’t knew before, seeking for the source of the problem was a great alternative to make sure of the issue, learning to solve it and be aware for not letting it happen once again.

The Bekksiders have tried before a series of expeditions to the mountain, all of those attempted in Winter and failed miserably, but this time weather was on their side as it was Summer. After some time, they were noting how the river was interrupted in zones when it comes to its flux, as the only water in circulation was that of the phreatic level of the soil. As they didn’t find any logical explanation, they were in doubt of continuing or returning back, as some of them considered that the expedition was a time-wasting affair for everybody, but many decided to go forward until they found the source of it.

After several days of walking upstream, they finally found the main issue of the water blockade, the dam that was something new for them, as there’s no beavers in the Jungle part of Huayramarca. “Should we destroy this and leave?” were some of the thoughts in the minds of the people who made the expedition, valid questions as they didn’t know who were behind of the plan for building such an infrastructural wonder (for the time) but a harmful one against the Bekksiders. The Group designated a person to take care of the dam by destroying it, while the rest of the expedition decided to search for people in the zone, which they found in a big quantity.

As the paranoia took their minds and bodies, they started to speculate if the Highlanders were those who caused the famine in the Jungle. For their surprise, they noted that they were noticing the destruction of the dam, as they were moving towards that point; the same spot where there’s only a single Bekksider taking care while the rest tried to gather more info, which wasn’t needed anymore to determine who was in charge of the construction of such a thing.

As there were around 250 Bekksiders, and the small contingent of Highlanders who were visiting the place was a manageable amount for the visitors, the Bekksiders decided to return to the place where the one who destroyed the reservoir was. The intention was clear, to murder those people they suspected to be highlanders and take revenge of what happened hundreds of years ago between them. The first battle, the battle of La Sierra happened as the Bekksiders were able to murder the 25 Highlanders who were there trying to fix the dam once again. As they finished with the assassination, they threw the bodies near the village to announce that the Bekksiders were back, and in a serious way as they wanted to redeem that defeat back in the time.

The king of the Highlanders decided to wait for the Bekksiders to appear, but they also waited for the Highlanders to attack but in a better spot as it was hidden in the mountains. As the clock continued its march, the Highlanders decided to attack the Bekksiders who were parked after destroying the dam, after which the Bekksiders appeared and killed the king of the Highlanders and his entire family. After that, they proceeded to rob the city and take everything back to the Bekksider side of things near Sechura.

Things were, apparently, calm by then but there were not, as the Highlanders decided to attack with a pretty big number of people with the sole intention to neutralise the Bekksiders and force them to capitulate. The battle known as “Sipán” occurred near the edges of the fjords of the lake, which helped to throw away many of the fighters of that battle, but it caused the contrary, as many feared to fall down, the battle then moved near the city centre, which was a safer place to fight than there.

The battle was, due to the difference in numbers, a stalemate forced by the Bekksiders, who finally desisted of the situation and had a talk with the Highlanders to solve things in a more civil, pacific way than before. During the agreements, which were the precursor of many others between tribes in Huayramarca, both parts helped to ensure the life of the Bekksiders, who made sure they wouldn’t fall under famine nor any kind of contamination intendedly made by throwing wastes to the river. In the end, a peace agreement was signed, declaring that the dam must be built but in a different river, so the integrity and life of the Bekksiders wouldn’t be at risk anymore by causes suggested between both parts.

As the deal was sealed, the Bekksiders returned downhill, with nothing more with them because they had to return what they had stolen from the conflict, while the Highlanders had the compromise to detect different ways to create reserves of water, not only by a dam. Through time, they noted that the zone is usually foggy, as air is pretty condensed in that zone, which caused that the Highlanders would use rudimentary yet effective techniques such as catching water from fog, reusing water by creating the first water purifier of the time, based in the usage of stones and gravel to make sure that the water would not have any dangerous bacteria that could kill the harvest and people in the Jungle.

The power of negotiation, even by resorting to violence, is a common topic through Huayramarcan history so, for those checking for the first time or those living abroad, don’t be surprised. This is only the beginning, and there’s a lot to mention due to the conflict of interests that has happened through time; but some of those negotiations for peace were vital for the very existence of the Plurinational State of Huayramarca. In the next episode, we will talk about some of the peoples from outside of Huayramarca, and how they were a threat for the nation, to the point that there was a need to forge an unexpected alliance to survive as a bloc of nations into a single one; as they say, two heads think better than one.

And this is all for today, my friends. Don’t forget to subscribe and hit the like button for this video. I’m David Huamán and I hope you’ve liked this video, as I’ll continue posting more in regards of the history of Huayramarca and key details of the nation, as I undergo through a journey that will dig spots never seen of our history through time… It is more than a hobby for me, as it is important for Huayramarcans to learn the history of their country, to be aware of patterns that repeat and how to break those. History isn’t boring if there’s somebody cool to teach it, so that’s why I’m here in the Internet, to help you all and to satisfy your curiosity by answering those doubts about our history. See you soon!”

[Brannfjord]

GRIMNES DAGBLADET
Practice Makes Perfect!

Brannfjord continues in what is likely to be a honeymoon in sporting terms, as De Selene continues giving the former World Cup Champions, Zwangzug, a run for its money by keeping only a point away from them, and creating a five-point gap between them and TJUN-ia in the quest for the second place. As we get closer to the end of the Qualifier, with five matches remaining, there’s a trend that has been noticeable with this team so far: Practice makes perfect.

Kjartan Martinssen has taken the drill, as he is now used to the players and the style they can perform during the matches; a pretty smart variant of football in which the players decide to adapt to the rival, and learn from them to hit right in the weaknesses they show during the match, while also having originality while attacking, based on the attributes of the players for their positions. Another factor is the impressive atmosphere at Blekebakken Stadion, a place that has helped this team to gather pretty much every single point possible, except for the 0-0 draw against Zwangzug in Matchday 7.

So far, so good for Martin Nordstrøm as the striker has been vital with 10 goals and 6 assists for the team, being involved in 16 out of 25 goals that Brannfjord has scored through the Qualifier. Be it a header, a simple reception for controlling the ball by sheer force, Nordstrøm has been in a spectacular shape, demonstrating that his performance at Kvikk Kvitsøy isn’t a mere coincidence. His partner in crime, Sigurd Haugen has reported 7 assists and 3 goals, still a decent number for the striker, which has served as a reference for Nordstrøm in the attack, this by helping him to take better positioning when needed, to provide the ball right in the moment and circumstance needed for him to score.

Although the conditions of the team have been vital in the striking department, the moment when having a great defence is coming soon as we enter in the final five games of the qualifier, especially with tough games such as TJUN-ia at home, Josifovo and Zwangzug away for the Seals. So far, the team has received only 15 goals against, which is a pretty decent number so far considering the goals for output of the team, but this situation has to change if Brannfjord really wants to aspire to continue in the play-off spot, or if we want to be there and capitalise a mistake or defeat of Zwangzug for us to take the lead. Håkon Hansen and Kristoffer Eriksen have been a good pair, despite the mistakes they have committed through some matches, especially during our only defeat so far against TJUN-ia where nerves played against them and didn’t help to be an obstacle of the TJUN-ian striker scoring at us.

“I think we can fix that, for sure.” Said Kjartan Martinssen for the match against TJUN-ia, then he added “If we got control of the lines, if we decide to play strong defence and to complicate our rivals, we will have a chance to continue where we are, or being readier than before to wait for a performance slump of Zwangzug.” Martinssen is right at the point that the teams need to play a stronger defence, but he also forgot an important component of football that enters into the equation, the capacity to cope with the pressure on their shoulders and expectations to the players, which can cause some burnout of players or give them wings to think they are superior while they aren’t superior. “Humility is the name of the game” says Erik Nordby, then adding “We always try to have a chill environment in this team, as we love to share experiences and goal opportunities among us. We will always strive to have our best players with a ball served for them to score, we all take part of the game and we make sure to do so, so we don’t see exclusion messages from some fans towards some players.”

A statement that reflects the current moment of Brannfjord, in wat is likely a golden generation born spontaneously for the National Team; a group of youngsters with desires to demonstrate their capabilities, to show the multiverse that Brannfjord also plays and does it good, as we have initiative to do so well.

[Farfadillis]

Sêés Rünìlààré lived... well, did he? He probably did in some capacity but unlike Anselmo Olivera, the only Farf philosopher with a claim to the same level of influence on Farfadillis, it is very, very hard to distinguish fact from fiction. For one, he lived well before the philosopher that would eventually become his fiercest ideological enemy—even though most historians agree Rünìlààré likely didn't influence Olivera at all, in either direction—which makes everything that much tougher. It is known his political philosophy shaped the First Unification of Farfadillis, so he likely lived circa 300BA, but it is hard to get any specific details about his life story that are not either too general or too unbelievable. He was perhaps not Rülândéán (it is hard to establish how much of our modern conception of being Rülândéán even applies to his time period; it is, in fact, a matter of debate just how much of it is shaped by Rünìlààré himself) but he was definitely Rü: his name is a dead giveaway. Not because of how it's written—the transcription is posthumous—but because his surname explicitly invokes his Rü heritage. He is invariably described as red-eyed, too, which is the physical feature after which the Rü named themselves, and to this date something that is only common in Rülândéá and villages in close proximity to it.

Where exact details get a lot more extravagant (and much harder to confirm) is in what he did throughout his life. It is clear he migrated from the south to the north, specifically where modern Szoirsia now lies, at some point in his early adulthood, proselytizing everywhere he went, trying to convince people of his way of thinking. Accounts differ on how successful he was at this and, especially, on how wildly 'cool' he looked throughout it. However, it is undeniable that Rünìlààré was very successful at convincing people of his philosophy. So much so, in fact, that most of what has been reconstructed of it was never written down by Rünìlààré himself.

Rünìlààré might very well have been the first Farf philosopher to have realized the importance of culture in Farfadillis, and how much it shaped everything that happened inside the island. Sêés Rünìlààré, unlike Anselmo Olivera, held much simpler metaphysical views, although they did inform his political philosophy very strongly. As far as Rünìlààré was concerned, nothing really existed if it had not yet physically manifested in some way. Furthermore, non-existence was, in his view, 'sad'. Change was the vehicle through which things could come into existence: when something changes, its new features come into existence, while its past features do not cease to exist, as they have already physically manifested. Wildly erratic behavior is, as such, already justified on a metaphysical level which is, by all accounts, something Rünìlààré lived by.

When it came to political philosophy—although using the term for Rünìlààré's views is controversial in itself, as it's not clear how much of a conscious conception of politics as we now understand existed in Farfadillis during his time—Rünìlààré was enraptured by differences in culture. Although ethnic strife has been a mainstay of the island for all of its recorded history, Rünìlààré lived during a particularly intense period, in which Farfadillis was extremely fragmented and conflicts would flare up all the time. This underlies the outrageous stories told of him: he was a red-eyed Rü who actively engaged with many drastically different cultures throughout his life, but inevitably always succeeded in charming everyone he came across. Despite the outrageousness of the stories, it is clear Rünìlààré succeeded in convincing people across the island to an outstanding degree. He thought every culture was just as fascinating as the next, frequently picking up customs, languages, artifacts and ways of thinking along the way—and just as easily dropping them. He embraced change in an almost indiscriminate way: the only 'bad' type of change was that which would lead to less change down the line. This obvious consequence of his underlying assumptions is, in fact, exactly what makes his followers clash with Oliverists so much nowadays: Oliverism explicitly looks to change the cultural landscape in a way that will make it more 'stable' and 'homogeneous'. This runs directly counter to Rünìlààréístì thought, very explicitly.

Unlike Anselmo Olivera, Sêés Rünìlààré picked up many followers during his lifetime, many of whom carried out his philosophy explicitly as leaders of their people. The First Unification of Farfadillis very transparently happened as a direct result of this: at a time when ethnic strife was abundant, those who embraced Rünìlààréístìsm could far more easily establish alliances. Furthermore, the syncretism inherent to the various schools of thought spawned by his followers made ruling over defeated enemies much easier. Over time, a few decades after Rünìlààré's death, the first state that can be understood as one that fully encompassed the entire island was formed, as a federation of loose alliances between very varied and, more interestingly, continuously changing cultures. Farves display an exceptional ease at changing their own culture: their omniglottery is extremely well-documented, but their ability to switch cultures and wildly change their outlook on life is just as important, though vastly unexplored by comparison. If the average Farf were given the ability to shapeshift, they would be able to fit into essentially any remotely human culture, with the provision that they have to actively want this, and it's exceptionally hard for this to happen. During Rünìlààré's time and for some decades after his death, his philosophy, loosely understood, reigned supreme over the island to the point any Farf could change cultures fairly easily if they didn't have any prominent phenotypical features of their original ethnicity (like some of the Rü's red eyes or the distinct paleness of the palest Fröndti). And, indeed, it happened a lot: genome sequencing has shown that Farf cultures tended to mix and match a lot more during this time period, with only genes like red-eyedness firmly staying within the gene pool of their own ethnicity.

During this time, at the highest political echelons, the Rünìlààréístì had two distinct methods of embracing new conquered cultures, both prescribed by Rünìlààré himself, one early on in his life among the Rü, and another during his time in what now comprises Szoirsia, Lithico™ and central Induja. We will describe both of them, as they are central to understanding how Rünìlààré shaped Farfadillis.

The first method was to encourage splitting one's culture continuously, accepting the conquered culture, then helping it split further with the influx of people from various distinct cultures. Literally, new cultures popped into existence, almost as if out of thin air: Farves could (and still can) do this if they wish to. Within a few years, two small towns of a few thousand people separated by a river could consciously look just as different as the cultures of two non-Farf countries. The end result was that the conquered culture would split so much it would become a part of the state's cultural spectrum, with some of the new cultures looking more like the conqueror's culture and some looking more like the conquered's culture. This was explicit state doctrine mostly in southern Farfadillis, where Rünìlààré extolled this approach the most. The consequences of it can still be seen today: modern Rülândéá speaks at least fifty different languages, and culture can differ tremendously outside the capital city of Lìbêrêtè, which is far more homogeneous by comparison. Even within Lìbêrêtè, it is possible to distinguish a spectrum of Rülândéán dialects so wide as to make it difficult to consider the more extreme ends of it to be the same language. If a non-Farf were to be adopted and brought up in northern Lìbêrêtê, they would have trouble communicating with an equivalent non-Farf brought up close to Lìbêrêtê's coast. There are traces of this exact same phenomenon having happened in Farolera, too, but the rampant Oliverism that has shaped it over the last century has made them much less apparent. A Faroleran who lives close to western Rülândéá will speak a dialect very different from that of someone who lives close to eastern Rülândéá. This is despite explicit state doctrine having tried to prevent this for more than a century, and evidence of a far more linguistically and culturally 'fractured' Farolera can be found in differences in vocabulary between the dialects of some towns that remain to this day.

The second method was to encourage embracing the conquered culture fully, changing the conqueror state's culture as much as possible while forcing the conquered culture to change, too. This was the explicit doctrine of the Rünìlààréístì states that popped up in the north during Rünìlààré's time there. This doctrine had a rather interesting consequence: various cultures would outright fuse. If one were to look at these states shallowly, they would look like an Oliverist's dream come true: culture was extremely homogeneous. Where an Oliverist would balk, however, was in how these states approached further expansion: they would continuously inherit more and more cultural features from those conquered by them, inevitably morphing into a deeply irreal culture, from the Oliverist's perspective. Indeed, this ability to inherit cultural features from conquered cultures made the states using this second method eventually drop it altogether: once they started conquering or allying with more and more cultures employing the first method—of which there were, by necessity, many—they quickly started switching to a more balanced method, eventually settling on a more balanced method of maintaining homogeneity in vast swathes but letting conquered cultures coalesce into other big cultures within the state. The most evident example of this second method of cultural assimilation is modern Szoirsia: their language displays extremely obvious traces of two completely separate, vastly distinct languages that belonged, according to historical records, to entirely separate peoples. Modern-day Szoirsia is, thus, the fusion of two peoples, who themselves were the fusion of a spectrum of similar cultures before Rünìlààré arrived on the scene. Similarly, Induja is remarkably homogeneous despite its size, and it is known to have been a part of a big state that encompassed modern-day Szoirsia as well as modern-day Induja. The same applies to Tanazza. However, the closer you get to places that applied the first method, the more cultural variety seems to spike: there are many languages in the Indujan family; all but one of them (Indujan) are exclusive to regions bordering modern Farolera.

After the First Unification of Farfadillis, the state collapsed within a few decades due to being unable to reconcile Rünìlààréístì thought with what it came across upon coming into contact with the outside world consistently: a world of cultures that seemed entirely alien. Their predisposition to integrate the cultural outlook of foreign nations, most notably Banija and Valanora, without understanding those cultures had developed under circumstances fundamentally incompatible with life on the island, quickly led to their demise. Banijan thought was too rigid for the average Farf, while Vanorian thought focused too much on long-term thinking by Farf standards, for reasons that should be readily apparent. This led to internal strife and the eventual abandonment of Rünìlààréístì thought in all places except what nowadays comprises modern Rülândéá and modern Szoirsia. Rünìlààré has enjoyed modest popularity in other places in Farfadillis—mostly specific places in Induja—since, but most of its most relevant iterations outside the aforementioned strongholds have been put to death by Oliverist states.

Nowadays, the third pillar of Rünìlààréístì thought is what can be most easily appreciated when looking at the nations shaped by it, although—or, perhaps, precisely because—it seems entirely separate from the rest of his philosophy. Sêés Rünìlààré spent seemingly every waking moment teaching his disciples, whether they were willing to listen to him or not, that life had to be lived to an extreme, but without ever consciously focusing on the individual. What, exactly, this entails, is very much up for interpretation, and you can notice massive differences between northern and southern Rünìlààréístì schools of thought regarding this. However, the end result has been the same in very broad strokes: people who follow Rünìlààré's teachings tend more easily towards extreme behaviors, which makes their strongholds exceptionally difficult to conquer and control. Rülândéá and Szoirsia have famously always been ridiculously hard to control; with both of them most famously playing a big role in the collapse of modern Farfadillis and its subsequent descent into anarchy. The Oliverists' overeagerness to control Rülândéá led them to commit genocide, sparking only more dissent, while an uncharacteristically strong heat wave hitting Szoirsia at the same time left their population entirely untethered from the cultural grasp of the Oliverist state, which made access to key resources at a time when they were most needed impossible.

As for the non-individualistic aspect of the third pillar of Rünìlààréístì thought, it is extremely hard to pin down; many books have been written about it. It can, very loosely, be compared with what is understood as leftist thought outside the island, but a lot of places in Rülândéá and Szoirsia could look extremely right-wing to some foreigners, while many other places could be thought of as so extremely leftist they'd escape many nations' political compasses altogether. Simplifying the differences, however: northern Rünìlààréístì doctrine emphasizes the role of the state, as it is the foremost example of the collective, and completely deemphasizes the role of the individual. Southern Rünìlààréístì doctrine, on the other hand, believes the role of the individual within their community is important, understanding the latter as a complex phenomenon arising from the former. As such, northern Rünìlààréístì states have historically had an ever-present state apparatus, while southern Rünìlààréístì states have always struggled to even fully count as states to begin with; their 'leftist' politics arise naturally from how their people understand the world, and political instability is far easier to come across.

It is very hard to give a comprehensive overview of Sêés Rünìlààré's philosophy, as this text likely makes clear. This is not only because it's not abundantly clear what he thought, but also because he was so fundamental to the societal fabric of modern Farfadillis that it is hard to separate his political thought from all other forms of pre-Oliverist political thought. How much of his thought was already a 'natural state' of being for Farves before his rise to prominence is just as unclear as his musings on finer details of life: it's safe to say Rünìlààré had a much more fleshed-out philosophical view than the rather narrow summary provided here, but the unreliability of accounts of it, combined with the fact it is difficult to fully understand what a pre-Rünìlààré Farfadillis really looked like, make it downright impossible to say anything of substance with any sort of accuracy. Due to this, it is more important to study the effect his understanding of the world had on Farfadillis than the exact philosophy he himself believed in.

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

BP not only team in danger zone
Scott McCrae
The Mail on Sunday Chief Soccer Writer

The Commonwealth National Team slipped to a 10 point deficit behind Eshialand following a loss to Hapilopper and a draw against Cardenao to open the second half of Group 2 play, making it currently the top seed with the fewest points through nine matches.

Yet the Bees are not the only nation flirting with the possibility of missing out on the Finals in Chromatika & Sylestone as ten others ranked in the top 40 currently sit outside of the top 2 places in their respective groups.
First pot nations Quebec & Shingoryeo and St Eleanor are on the outside looking in, along with two times defending champion Banija; six out of seven Pot 2 nations ranked between 25-31--SRS, Eura, Cassadaigua, Gneis, Milchama & Mytanija--also are scrambling for results to move back into contention.

Fewer qualifying fixtures have magnified the loss of points when lower ranked sides draw with favorites, making the margin for error that much thinner. BP came into this qualifying having played fewer matches in preparation than at any point since the World Cup 81 cycle, a decision that may come back to haunt them should they find themselves preparing for the Cup of Harmony.

[Acastanha]

Timeline of the Kolanos Gulf War

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Keise Front
In this period, Leihituan and Acastanhada forces joint together to liberate Keise Islands.

April 2025

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Timeline of the Kolanos Gulf War
Prelude (up to 3 December 2024)
First Confrontation (1-15 December 2024)
Eastern Front (16 December 2024 - 8 February 2025)
Leihituan Counteroffensive (4 February - 8 April 2025)
Keise Front (9 April - 10 May 2025)
Second Confrontation (11 - 30 May 2025)

9 April

After the liberation of Tiakur, Acastanhada navy sail to Keise Islands.

Samudera Darussalam and Biyambi Government condemn Kierahan action in Tual which lead to Tual Massacred.

10 April

Battle of Gam Lammo Coast breakout as Acastanhada navy clashed with Keirahan navy. Acastanha comes out as the victor after they sunk 5 Kierahan naval ships.

Blockade of Keise Islands started.

11 April

Pemecutan send foods and medical aid that will be stationed in Porto Espinhosa until the situation in Keise Islands calmer. The aid was heavily guarded by Pemecutan Jading Fleet to avoid similar incident happened. But Kierahan Government accused of Pemecutan tried to get involved in the war.

12 April

Leihituan air forces bombing Tual, Eliat and Langgur to decrease Kierahan defense forces morality.

Acastanha land their paratroopers in Langgur.

13 April

Battle of Langgur broke out between Acastanhada paratroopers and Kierahan defense force.

14 April

Leihitu start the liberation of Kuur and Taroa Islands, two islands on the western part of Keise Archipelago which is actually part of Leihitu.

16 April

Langgur was liberated after the last defense forces of Kieraha was killed by Acastanhada paratroopers.

18 April

Acastanhada armed forces focus on liberating Yuut Island, the largest island in the Archipelago.

19 April

On land, clashed happen between Kierahan and Acastanhada forces as Acastanhada army try to cross the river that become the border of Soasio and Gam Lammo.

20 April

Kierahan air forces attack Acastanhada navy that blockade Keise Islands. 1 ship was sinked.

23 April

Kuur and Taroa Island were liberated by Leihituan forces ending Kierahan occupation in Leihitu soil.

25 April

Kierahan air forces bombed Soasio to slowing down Acastanhada army attempts on crossing the river.

28 April

Yuut Island was liberated.

29 April

Pemecutan aid and navy fleet arrived at Porto Espinhosa.

30 April

Acastanhada landed its marines in Roa Island in mission to liberated the island and Town of Eliat.

May 2025

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2 May

Leihitu land paratroopers on Mangur Island, north of Tayandu Island (where Tual is located).

3 May

Acastanhada navy break their formation and sail to Gam Lammo.

4 May

Pemecutan aid ship, assisted by Acastanhada navy, set sail to Langgur.

5 May

Acastanhada navy blockade Gam Lammo.

6 May

Eliat was liberated by Acastanhada troops.

7 May

Pemecutan Government called for a ceasefire.

8 May

Kierahan defense forces in Tual were called back to Gam Lammo in fear of full scale attack to the capital.

9 May

Acastanha take advantage on the defenseless Tual to recapture the town.

10 May

Leihituan forces liberated Mangur Island.

Tual was liberated by Acastanhada forces.

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Second Confrontation
In this period, Leihituan and Acastanhada forces joint together to control Gam Lammo and Sofifi.

May 2025

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11 May

Leihituan forces in Tiakur enter Kierahan state of Gilolo.

13 May

Battle of the River Kambang becomes larger as both sides, Acastanha and Kieraha, launch missiles from either side.

15 May

Acastanhada navy defeats the last navy fleet of Kieraha on a battle in Gam Lammo coast. They start to blockade the city.

Acastanhada air forces bombed various places in Gam Lammo.

16 May

Leihituan army reach Sofifi, the capital of Gilolo.

Sendhangite Government called for a ceasefire.

17 May

Aid from Samudera Darussalam and Biyambi arrived in Namlea.

18 May

Acastanhada army sabotage water supply to Gam Lammo.

Battle ensued in the suburb of Sofifi as Leihituan forces try to enter the city.

19 May

Sultan Muhsin of Bacan and Sultan Abdullah Shah of Gilolo together with the royal families of both houses were moved into a safety place.

20 May

Major of Gam Lammo evacuate the people from the western part of the city to avoid confrontation with Acastanhada army who located in the east.

21 May

Kierahan air forces bombed Lifofa Power Plant which disrupt electricity supply to Soasio.

23 May

Leihituan army breach into Sofifi after capturing Bobo Jiko district.

Major of Sofia evacuate the people to the southern forest near the border with Sendhang.

24 May

Acastanha landed paratroopers at Moti district of Gam Lammo in the southwest of the city in a way to breach into the city. They immediately engage in a battle against the defense forces of Kieraha.

27 May

Acastanha army moved forward to Jambula District after controlling Moti. On the other hand, more and more Acastanhada army were drops at Moti District.

28 May

Galala and Lolory district of Sofifi were controlled by Leihitu.

Acastanha landed their marines at Port of Gam Lammo starting the control of the city from the north.

30 May

Seeing their cornered position and unable to fight back any longer, Kieraha Government finally surrender.

---

Map of Kolanos Gulf War after Kierahan surrender

Legend:
Yellow = Acastanha
Purple = Kieraha
Orange = Leihitu
Stripes = Liberated Keise Islands
Squared = Land controlled by Acastanha

---

---

MD 8
The Republic of Covelandia 2-3 Acastanha
@ Tumbra

Goal:
Oscar Kasvalone (37')
Felix Kalchankar (69', 82')

MD 9
Acastanha 5-2 Quakmybush
@ Estádio da Unidade Nacional, Amarelda

Goal:
David Gothrado (21')
Felix Kalchankar (45+2', 73')
José Marenke (56')
Oscar Kasvalone (80')

MD 10
Tumbra v Acastanha
@ Stoker's Park, Fontwell, Tumbra

MD 11
Acastanha v Vdara
@ Estádio da Unidade Nacional, Amarelda

Squad
Starter

• Tiago Kalabar (GK)
• Geraldo Panguang (LB)
• Olegario Kastorino (CB)
• Santiago Urupao (CB)
• Jorge Vidshav (RB)
• Lisandro Turtapa (LM)
• Nóe Brinanko (CM)
• José Marenke (CM)
• David Gothrado (RM)
• Manuel Brandas (ST)
• Herberto Alindoni (AT)

Reserved

• Santiago Karba (GK)
• Vicente Targa (GK)
• Bernando Urakan (LB)
• Teobaldo Darsakan (CB)
• Enzo Karpagh (CB)
• Casimiro Urinjane (RB)
• Pedro Ustankar (LM)
• Igor Erdagh (CM)
• Plinio Adondare (CM)
• Hector Kasvali (RM)
• Marinho Digarba (ST)
• Bonifacio Gilmara (AT)

Role
Captain : Jorge Vidshav
Vice Captain : David Gothrado
Corner, left : Geraldo Panguang
Corner, right : Jorge Vidshav
Freekick : Manuel Brandas
Penalty : Herberto Alindoni

[A m e n r i a]

Who? What?

"Hi, hello everyone! I'm Jang Sori and I'll be your host for today. Last time I introduced you guys to our Multiverse. The Realms within, if you will. Now, most of the time these universes share the same inner workings and are only different in their histories. The universe we'll discuss today is one of the few exceptions to that rule."

What is the Tulpaverse?

"The Tulpaverse, formally known as Realm 108, is located near the Rangerverse or Realm 93 and the Wuxiaverse, or Realm 5, as you can see on the map. Unlike people from our universe, people from the Tulpaverse can't use their Qì directly, so they create Tulpas that help them channel their powers, which is where the name comes from. People who made Tulpas and fight with them are called Tulpamancers."

What are Tulpas?


Leviathan, the largest known Tulpa

"Tulpas are entities created by a person's imagination, whose forms and abilities reflect the personalities of their creators. They come in all shapes and sizes, with the smallest one being an average sized handgun and the biggest one, Leviathan, being a mix between a battleship and a whale that's just as big as you'd think she'd be. Tulpas come into the world as disembodied voices only their creators can hear, before becoming shapeless, floating blobs that eventually become their final forms, at which point they can affect the world around them freely. Barring certain exceptions, Tulpas are extensions of their creator's wills and would generally act in their interest, even if they may grumble about it. Since Tulpas are bound to their creator's souls, when a Tulpamancer dies, their Tulpas die with them."

Who are the Tulpamancers?


Victoria Crown, blue-aligned Tulpamancer and master of Leviathan

"Just like how not everyone can use superpowers, it takes training, meditation, or extreme levels of trauma to create a Tulpa. Like Awakened, Tulpamancers are all over the alignment spectrum, some being really nice, some being complete jerks, while others swing between one and the other, or sitting somewhere in between. They are people, after all, the fact that they can will strange creatures into the world doesn't change their nature. It's their unique personalities and quirks that make their Tulpas and how they use them that makes Tulpas so diverse. Typically a Tulpamancer only has one Tulpa for their entire life, but there are exceptions who can create multiple Tulpas. Still, it takes so much concentration to summon and fight with one Tulpa that these people can't use more than one at the same time, so they'll have to switch from one to another mid battle."

"So, what do you think about the Tulpaverse? Would you wanna visit there and see if you can create one? My Tulpa probably wouldn't be so much different from how I was back in my superhero days, she'd probably be a mermaid with sonic powers. If you had a Tulpa, what would you name them? What would they look like and what would they do? Please let me know in the comments down below. This has been Jang Sori talking about Realm 108, until next time, byee!"

[Natanians and Nosts]

After today's nil-nil tie with Glazgo,Natanians and Nosts has completed its second match not suffering goals,and the other one was the one before,a 2x0 victory against Jeruselem (goals by and John Cramer).The two results were also positive,in the sense that Natanians and Nosts aquired 4 points in the first two matches of the return,as opposed to the first two matches of the WCQ with 3 points.
The match had Natanians and Nosts have the higher number of shots on goal,but was unable to score,but Glazgo was the one who came closer to scoring,regardless,if not for the fact that Daniel Whitcliffe was extremelly inspired,closing the goal and making amazing deffences.The best scoring opportunity for Natanians and Nosts was at the 35thm minute of the first period when Sheldon Ubuntu gave an impressive header,but Anders Khamidouline easily caught it.Glazgo's tow best chances were a cross from Gunnar Strathness received by Merlin Slatkin,who avoided Caeso Júlio Probus and Mihai Carolus Bastone and shot strongly onto the goal from outside the area,which culminated in a great deffence by Whitcliffe at the 48th minute of the first period;the second chance originated from a pass from Merlin Slatkin to Joakim Srna,who got rid of two deffenders,passed back to Merlin Slatikin,who crossed to Slowenski,inside the area,who sent a rock dutifully caught by Whitcliffe at the 23rd minute of the second period.
Next match,natanians and Nosts will receive Bigpipstan at Stadion Tyrannosaurus natanicus,looking for a win,after being defeated by Bigpipstan on the first half of the WCQ.

[Santa-Barbara]

Ephrem Bellarmine Post Match 8&9 Press Conference

Bellarmine presents himself to the audience with a content expression draped over his face. He scans those in attendance and looks down at the stat sheet before addressing the media.

"Here we go. Our first match against Sharktail may be one of our biggest results in this tournament thus far. An unranked side almost getting a point against 65th ranked Sharktail in a nail-biting thriller is nothing to hang your head down for. A bolting header by our captain Roman Avila and a scissor-kick by Kyrillos gave us 2 goals to contend with them but we fell just short to their 3 goals. Our squad was pumped even after picking up a loss and brought it with them to our next match against Vilwandia. This match was a little more frustrating despite not conceding and at least picking up a point. We had multiple decent opportunities to score and I really think we could have at least got 2 goa-"

Bellarmine's response was suddenly interrupted by a peculiar yet concerning sight that snatched the spotlight from him. Out of nowhere The Holy Empire's manager Juan Tzimisces frog splashed onto the table before sitting up and grabbing a large steaming pile of camel poop from his pocket. Before anyone could object, he shoved a generous handful of the dung straight into his mouth. He then let out a moan which made things even more awkward if it wasn't already awkward enough. He then shook his head and widened his eyes as if he woke up from a dream. It seemed that he had just realised where he was as he scouted the room before dashing out of the press conference room. After three minutes of silence proceeded, Bellarmine decided to move on from the atrocity everyone had just witnessed.

"And on that note, I will be heading off to prepare for tomorrow's training. And remember guys, if you don't want to keep seeing things like that, please buy our Holy Empire printed toilet paper where all proceeds go to their country. And if you're not fancying toilet paper, we now have Holy Empire printed vomit bags which I think you all might need right about now. Goodbye!"

[Brookstation]

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Coup d'e Football: Brookstation's Darkest Football Season

A Beautiful Game special

Continuing from exactly where we left off

Anderson, you use a very sharp word here: rigging, and I am not blaming you for that because there seems to be this very misconceived notion among the citizens that the Harrison Shield that season was rigged. As researchers, however, we base our arguments based on evidence rather than our own individual beliefs and as far as evidence is concerned, there is no indication that there was any sort of rigging involved. However, I would not undermine the role that Belluci and his men had to play this. I would strongly admit that had the junta not been there in power, Essidise would probably have been eliminated in the Group Stages itself.

Very interesting indeed. This was definitely something new for me considering that I have been a victim of this misconception myself but you do admit that the military had some influence over Essidise right so even if the whole thing was not rigged, to what extent did Belluci have an influence over the results ?

Opportunity. See most of it is opportunity. For example, if a side plays at home, they are clearly going to have the home advantage but you wouldn't term home advantage as rigging, would you ? That was exactly the case here. Belluci made sure that the Essidise side was under pressure, that they trained properly and had all the facilities required. Now all these factors will directly or indirectly always have an effect on enhancing the performance of the team. General Belluci was present at almost all Essidise games, which was a clear indication that the results definitely mattered to him at any cost. In their first group game against Kars, Essidise were put at an early disadvantage by the emerging Kars powerhouse but you could understand that the Essidise side was scared, just by the change in their approach to the game. The forward line led by Gonzalo Vera and Joel Newman quickly began to display pace and power and that aggression would definitely bring two goals in favour of the Titans. The Titans always had a good in depth squad but there was just no motivation behind them to actually unleash their full potential. That is where Belluci came in.

Understood, so Belluci played the role of essentially a threatening force. So I was reading this article last time where I found that apparently a lot of the teams had objected to them being subjected to bad treatment and many of them had apparently been threatened by the government as well. So the Kars coach, I am forgetting his name had said that "There is nothing stopping Essidise this time, everything is in favour of Essidise."

Again, I am not denying that the junta definitely had quite some involvement but what I am trying to say is that the matches were not directly fixed but yes as you said, the junta tried to misuse all their powers externally. Opposition coaches were threatened, there are several reports of managers receiving letters giving them the addresses of locations where dead bodies had been discovered just the day before. More importantly, the fact that the military kept spreading its propaganda and kept instilling fear among the citizens, the media always ensured that every horrific detail was covered. At that point people refrained from even receiving newspapers because every front page would have pictures of bloodied murders and very gruesome stuff.

Yes that was definitely there, it was horrific. I mean when I think of the children who grew up during that era, I just can't help it. So, I believe that basically all the actions of the junta spoke for themself. They just didnt need to specifically point it out anymore, everything was more than obvious. I remember that a lot of teenagers who did politics went disappearing and some of them are still missing, till this day.

Yeah, as a teenager during that period myself, I know better. I just don't want to get reminded of what used to happen those days but football was what united us together again at the end of the day.

Right right, we shouldn't really be talking about the horrific details, so come back to the purpose of the show again, what happened to Essidise afterwards.

So as I was saying, Essidise probably were placed in the group of death. Apart from Kars, there were obviously the likes of Regiis Dreamland and Clubb de Norwegian wood in their group. It was massive and winning all three of your group stage games in a group comprising of such teams was just something unusual but it happened. Now I would attribute the win to the brilliance of the team overall but you know, this incredible run which was something of its own inspired people all the more to believe that there was an element of rigging involved.

So you are implying that Essidise won this on their own merit and the junta didn't you know hand the trophy over to them ?

Yes, I definitely am. You can't possibly win the Shield just by rigging. Joel Newman ended as the top scorer of the tournament. In my opinion, he remains as one of the most underrated players in Brook history. Even the players objected to it once the junta was out of power. Harvey Dixon admitted that they had been used politcally and was ashamed of the victory. On the other hand, coach Wilkinson was of the strong opinion that his side deserved the trophy and he whole heartedly enjoys every moment of the tournament. For Essidise however, this would be the turning point and over the course their performances would decline after their Shield winning generation would retire so this was a peak moment for the club and Essidise's win was personally the Beauty in the midst of the Madness.

Brilliant. What an end to the story; I have nothing more to add. Thank you everyone for watching. Stay tuned.