World Cup 96 - Roleplay Thread

by **Huayramarca** » Sat Mar 30, 2024 5:03 pm

Matchday 5-6 RP Cutoff!

You have to move your body to score some goals!

by **Drawkland** » Sat Mar 30, 2024 5:52 pm

NEW FRANCHISE ALERT!!!

With the contraction and re-expansion of DLK, five slots were open for cities to make their cases for obtaining a soccer franchise. See this previous post for more information.

When one has to make the decision on where to expand a league, one must keep in mind the history and culture of the sport. Some areas of the country care more about a sport than others. Ideally, you place the most supply for the sport in the regions where there is most demand. You see this a lot in Drawkian sports leagues already, where the northern territories see a majority of franchises. The cities in Iarocav's territory have the most interest across the board, and thus they receive a majority of attention from each league every time expansion was put on the table.

Soccer's hotbed is unique in that it's far from the north where other sports are king. The sport, which was originally known as kickerball, was arguably first originated in the southeast, Ellzidan's territory. Out of the 25 mainland teams in DLK before expansion, 6 of them are within Ellzidan's territory (Algornia, Bolabore, Elstrund, Missomen, Shire-Port, Yokare Lake). This is already a higher representation for the territory than any of Drawkland's other major leagues, and multiple cities within the territory are bidding for expansion teams as well.

Even outside the legal bounds of Ellzidan's territory, the cultural spread of the nearby cities and regions is still notable. For example, the first major soccer franchise established were the Gelia Nets, which are just across the Noremal Sea from Ellzidan's shores. The closest city outside the territory is Ducentu, a town in a tiny sliver of Malicollet between the edges of Kanyoet and Ellzidanet. Ducentu has several major sports franchises, but was left on the outside looking in during the last round of DLK expansion. This time, they've put forth a strong bid.

This choice was essentially a no-brainer. Ducentu is one of the largest cities in Drawkland without a DLK franchise, right outside the territory known as Drawkland's soccer capital, and they had corporate sponsors and potential fan interest already lined up to go. It's a little close to the existing franchises of the Gelia Nets and Missomen Keets, but initial surveys showed that fans of those franchises do not comprise a significant amount of soccer fans living in Ducentu. Thus, the call was made, and the first of five was solidified.

introducing ...

The Ducentu Drakes!

City: Ducentu, Malicollet
Stadium: UniverSails Stadium (75,060)

Note: Original badge was generated via AI. Several touch-ups were done manually to complete the design.

Named for the mythical dragon variant which was once abundant throughout that region in days of yore, and to have a nice bit of alliteration, the Drakes hope to forge a path to quick success in the new-look DLK. It won't be easy, especially with having to navigate the coming expansion draft and regular draft going forward, but franchises have been known to rise to meteoric success in the past.

Obviously, when bidding to start a new franchise, your first thought goes to the home stadium. Where will this team play? How will this interact with the community? What space is available within the city to utilize for sporting purposes?

Ducentu already has a classic venue which several professional teams call home. Ducentu Municipal Stadium, a reformed relic from the days of concrete doughnuts, is one of the rare examples of a multi-purpose venue done right. For years, the Brown Sox of the PBL and the Glassmen of the GLD have shared this venue with little complaint. Of course, it's not a top tier stadium in either league, but it's reached loveable cult classic status among fans in Ducentu. However, this wasn't really an option for this new soccer franchise. DMS could easily host soccer games, and it does host large college soccer matchups from time to time, but splitting a field between a baseball and football team is already difficult enough due to fixture congestion and the amount of work the grounds crew puts in on a weekly basis. Adding a third team to that mix, one whose season would intersect with both other teams, is just unpalatable. The Drakes did reach an agreement with stadium ownership to allow them to play temporarily at DMS while waiting for their potential new stadium to be built, but it would not last as a long-term option.

The Drakes would be on their own. This is both a blessing and a curse, as a purpose-built venue would be great for establishing a team identity and delivering a high-quality soccer experience for the new fans. On the other hand, the new team ownership would be on the hook for figuring out where, how, and when to build the stadium.

Building the new field downtown was going to be nearly impossible. The strip of land that holds Ducentu's downtown is narrow, squeezed between two rivers (the Dulus and the Centas) as they drain into the Noremal Sea. The mouths of these rivers are only separated by a few miles, and those few miles happen to be the shoreline of urban Ducentu. On either side of the rivers are smaller cities in Ducentu's metro area, but technically part of the Kanyoet and Malicollet territories. Due to money and interest put forth by the city of Ducentu itself, locating the team in those northern and southern suburbs was not an option. All the land downtown is taken, with no real spots for building a stadium available.

The entire city of Ducentu isn't that narrow, however. The Dulus and the Centas move nearly parallel for a few miles inland, kept from converging by a slight natural ridge that almost looks like a spine that travels through the heart of Ducentu. After a few miles, the rivers diverge in opposite directions, the Dulus to the north and Centas to the south. This is where the uptown stretches of Ducentu begin. There's a lot more space here, and though the land isn't cheap, it's at least accessible, unlike in the downtown cluster. Ducentu Municipal Stadium is located right on the edge of that downtown-to-uptown transition, but that spot was put aside many years ago. Such a spot would be difficult to come across nowadays.

The eyes of Drakes ownership looked further inland. Finally, they found their spot. Right off the freeway that leads downtown, travelling parallel alongside the Centas River, a large parcel of land formerly owned by a manufacturer was up for sale. The location was a little further from downtown than ownership hoped, but it was right off a highway exit, along a major thoroughfare with connections to the light rail system, and was located in a district in need of some revitalization. The land was purchased, agreements were made, and they got to work getting the stadium designed.

The park itself was designed in horseshoe fashion, with three sides of the stadium stacked up with double decks and luxury suites as needed. A canopy was designed to cover over the grandstands, but no plans for a full roof structure were given. The open end of the stadium would feature several field-level suites and a few rows of seats above, but the main attraction would be the unobstructed view of downtown Ducentu's skyline miles in the distance. Unfortunately the open end would be facing east and not get nice views of the sunset, but it would make the skyline "light up" during the golden hour for a pleasant vista.

The original seat estimate was between 70k and 80k, modest for professional Drawkian standards. When construction was finished, the tally was officialized at 75,060. If stadium expansion is necessary, there are blueprints for filling in the open end of the horseshoe with as many seats as possible while still maintaining the view of downtown.

As a means of helping fund the venture, naming rights were opened for bidding among companies with major interests in the Ducentu area. Several major suitors came forth, but eventually the selected winner was UniverSails, a shipping company with roots that dated back to pre-engine technology. UniverSails had existed in some form for centuries, and Ducentu was their headquarters for all of that history. It was an easy choice to make, and thus the home of the Ducentu Drakes would be known as UniverSails Stadium for at least the next fifteen years.

Eventually, the ribbon was cut, and the stadium was finally complete. This happened right at the tail end of the DLK season, though, so it felt foolish to open the new stadium with just a few games left (especially as it became clear the Drakes weren't going to make the playoffs that second season). The call was made that the Drakes would play the first game in their new home for opening day the following season, but an opportunity came to give the stadium a test run a little earlier, just to make sure everything was in order before opening day.

DISC decided to select Ducentu as one of the six cities to host a World Cup Qualifying home game for the WC96 cycle. It made a lot of sense - bring more interest to the city building a fanbase for the game, give UniverSails Stadium a test run before opening day, while ensuring that it's still an important match worthy of the moment. Hopefully things wouldn't go wrong, but if they did, it would "only" be a national team match. As far as the Drakes were concerned, it wasn't that big of a deal.

Thankfully for Kick Corps fans, things went off without a hitch. Not only did uptown Ducentu handle the influx of traffic and fans without too much pain, but the facilities of the stadium worked perfectly as they got work for the first time. Even better, Drawkland's national team christened the new stadium with a win, smacking Ardsk 5-2 in a game that left the crowd breathless after the final whistle. The Drakes only hope that they can replicate such a performance in their first real game at home.

by **Delte** » Sun Mar 31, 2024 12:06 am

Ishadonia 0-2 Delte
Citizen journalist and 'Green Hedge' travelling ultra Tyrell de Turqua at a mystery stadium in an unknown city of Ishadonia for Sheeps & Cows & Salmons & Trouts Farmer's Bulletin

I've been all over the multiverse supporting The Reps and suffice it to say the Away Team Mission always gives you something to write home about. Talk about away team mission though. Finding Ishadonia was easy enough thanks to the online directory of nations - nationstates.net - and the search function. We were soon in Taco Paradise and flying to Ishadonia. But then to get to the ground... well, no information whatsoever. There are no road signs in Ishadonia, and apparently no alphabet, and not even a capital city. We eventually got to the ground, a primitive sort of affair, following directions and hand gestures from the locals and riding on a train of donkeys. I am given to understand the team arrived in similar fashion, but it didn't stop them from getting a modest victory over some nice chaps in a collection of miscoordinated kits. The ref wanted them to play in bibs, but there weren't any. The Reps offered their gold third strip but the Ishadons just shook their heads in a gesture of decline. Everyone shrugged their shoulders and the ref decided we might as well have a kickabout, and more fool the hosts if they lost. Which they did.

I hear the home team met with an old friend.

...which is nice.

At the same time, or maybe a few minutes before...

Delte 2-0 Gnejs
Sports Correspondent Kim Samrodd at Ildemorton Road for Burye News

I won't dwell overly long on the finer details of this match but certainly mention should be made of the performance of ticker tape sweeper Ia Rodda, who despite his considerable years managed to keep on top of the deluge of ripped up bits of paper which has become the new way for Deltic fans to greet their heroes when The Reps coming marching out. This was an especially key job today in the open air technical booth where the inventor of the stoicpress Enda Clentin set up shop to manage his remote video coaching system and needed a clear view of proceedings without paper clippings. Although this was the first time he was in the same country as the team he now runs, there had apparently been a dressing room vote amongst Dandelion players and staff who decided it would be 'too weird' for their coach to be coaching from the actual touchline. Although coach Clentin did go to visit his team and introduce himself to players who hadn't met him in person in three cycles, he then took up his place amongst his kit on the corner of the Clentin End.

Though the new stadium offers a 360° uninterrupted view of the playing field and Ia Rodda kept his house tidy, something must've been a bit off with Enda's video machines as the despairing Dandelions were dealt a dominating defeat by the determined Delts. At fulltime, new coach Ida Spankhurst went provocatively to the home supporters in the Clentin End to attempt a 'clop' - a gesture of three underarm air punches to mark a key victory. Sadly this was the least effective play of the afternoon as Ida is 93, the air punches were more like small slow spasms which ended with Ida pranging her tender back and having to be helped off, while the fans, unresponsive to the peculiar attempt to invigorate them, mostly apologised to Enda Clentin for the unstoiclike gesture of their coach.

Even By Your Usual Standards
3/6 - The Issenda Tenning Diaries

The Rise & Rise of Coach Ida Spankhurst

‘Even by my usual standards,’ said All-Week Super Ultra Premier Football Association chief Issenda Tenning, ‘this was a regrettable lapse of housekeeping’.

After receiving a private delivery of a folder full of photographs from Agent-2B, dressed as a motorcycle courier with an ID badge that said ‘Mandy’, Issenda was making a statement to the board of the FA, in rehearsal for making the same statement to the gathered press downstairs.

We’ve probably all had that heavy feeling in our lower abdomen when we realise that not only did we make a terrible mistake, but everyone is going to know about it very soon. Sometimes, the mistake might actually be the consequence of the heavy feeling in the lower abdomen and having nowhere nearby and too little warning to address the situation, but usually the mistake comes first and then we want to, err, defenestrate. So to speak.

I’m not for one minute suggesting you are due a delivery of compromising photographs of yourself in a… let’s say… playful… position with Izzard, the male breeding llama of Quathskelough Wildlife Park & Animal Sanctuary. Good dogs, no. I’m not suggesting that at all. But we all make mistakes - you, me, and Issenda Tenning. (Izzard, being a small-brained quadrupedal instinct-driven sex machine really ought not to be considered responsible for his own actions, in the court of human opinion).

Anyway.

Issenda would do almost anything not to be found out by the general public for her misguided visit to Quathskelough zoo after hours. Almost anything. And that was when the WI rang, suggesting ‘a regrettable lapse of housekeeping’ and some invented story about innaccuracies in the annual accounts. Better to be condemned as a bad housekeeper than a lascivious llama-lover.^[1]

24 hours later, at Tunn’s Farm, the HQ of the FA:

‘As the head of the All-Week Super Ultra Premier Football Association,’ Issenda concluded, ‘it is my sworn duty to find and stamp out gross derelictions of duty, for the good of the game. In this, I am as equally subject to the highest standards of stoic prudence as any other officer of the FA, and my position now, apropos my gross dereliction of duty, is untenable. I hereby regretfully but without hesitation resign my post with immediate effect.’

Oh dear me, it would appear the insurrection is under way.

[1] Maybe not in Rake Teinton, to be fair, where bad housekeeping is pretty much as low as one can go.

by **Jeruselem** » Sun Mar 31, 2024 12:06 am

Naked News Jeruselem reporter Iris Randolf in Raspotochje for qualification match day 6 for an away game ...
Hey, this is Iris Randolf for Naked News Jeruselem covering the World Cup 96. As you can see, we're at home at Jeruselem. I mean I haven't bothered to wear clothes today.
Raspotochje visit for another away game in the World Cup 96 ... err, I will not try to spell Raspotochje that for you. That will just confuse people. But they are here in Jeruselem, I'm sure they'll find this place interesting.

So what happened to day 5? We had the bye so for us, nothing happened.
Actually it was a pretty boring round for group 12, Raspotochje drew Zenic 1-1 at home. Al-Tamazgha hosted Sylestone and got beaten up 3-0. Commonwealth of Baker Park continued the misery for The Union of Ventura, winning 4-1. So nothing abnormal.

Now to today. The Union of Ventura who still have no points, had the bye so still have no points.
But today had the big game! Sylestone hosted big threat Commonwealth of Baker Park, Zenic at home with visiting Al-Tamazgha and of course Jeruselem hosting Raspotochje.
Any surprises today with the top 3 seeds back in action as they all have now gotten rid of their byes?

Zenic had no trouble, beating Al-Tamazgha 4-1. Remember they beat us on day 3.
So that wasn't any surprise.
This gives them 3 wins so far, more than us anyways.

Sylestone had face down it's biggest threat, Commonwealth of Baker Park.
It did face them down, winning 1-0 to prove they are still number one.
Not that Commonwealth of Baker Park made it easy, 1-0 is not a win of ease.
It proves you have to be at your best every game, or someone could slip a goal past you and you just lost.

So how did we go today? Remember we lost our last away game at Zenic? Ignoring the bye.
Well, Raspotochje started their campaign with a 7-2 win over Al-Tamazgha. Which is still the biggest scoreline blowout in Group 12.
Raspotochje didn't score a single goal at home today, but we scored the winning goal.
Yeah, it's one of those 1-0 wins. Not impressive and nothing exciting but Raspotochje was not some meek opponent for sure.
They have scored 12 goals in 6 games, more than Jeruselem has scored so far.

We're back on the winning streak, of one.
Hey it's better than a losing streak of three.
What does this all mean?
Well strangely - we moved up one spot to 5th, or 2nd last.
The Union of Ventura on zero, the bye didn't change that today. Al-Tamazgha still on 4 points but slip back to 6th. Jeruselem with two wins in 5th.
Raspotochje hold down 4th with 7 points, nothing to be ashamed about but Zenic are 3rd with 10 points!
Commonwealth of Baker Park also on 10 points same as Zenic, but they are 2nd.
Sylestone look down on others with 5 from 5 wins on 15 points.

Jeruselem still 4 points off 3rd spot, and we still have plenty of games left.
We have games left for the 1st of qualification, so there's time to make up lost progress.

Now, people think I'm in like two places at the same time for some reason.
It's easy to explain, I have sister who looks like me and she works in the same industry.
For some reason, Mum named all her girls with name starting with I ... so people get my sister Irene mixed up with me.
Actually she's a completely different kind of person, she doesn't like attention. I'm just an attention whore, sometimes just a whore when I'm drunk.
She's actually well behaved, but she's quite pretty and still manages to get attention.

That's it from, for now.

I'll be visiting Al-Tamazgha with the team on day 7 and then we'll be visiting Commonwealth of Baker Park for a rematch on day 8 after they beat us up 5-2 at home here.
One game we really should win and the other ... we really need to get something because losing is not good for us.
I know looking the Group 12, we look like not even being on a playoff but hopefully we can get some points to get there!
I do not expect us to win the group, that's Sylestone's job. Only Baker Park can will really threaten them. Well, that's what we think. Maybe Zenic maybe the dark horse!

by **Wight** » Sun Mar 31, 2024 12:07 am

Búa Rising In Myosophogos 
2/6 Constellation Antilocapra

Or, why Wight, why now?

We interrupt our story about the slight return of Wight to delve into some astrogoetianology, which is a psuedo-science I invented to describe the birth signs and resultant personality characteristics of the Wightlings.

Shall we start at the beginning? In Wight, there are - unsurprisingly - twenty-three months in the year; each with - surprisingly - thirty-two days, apart from Snidemarch, Vermember and Hylober, which have 33, and Kingmarch which has 23, apart from on leap years which is every other year when it has 24. There is a quaint little song about it, to help the children learn the complexities of the calendar. I’ve forgotten that though so like most Wightling adults I have it all down on a spreadsheet. The observant among you will note the ‘Martinian Common Era’ calendar of Wight is precisely double the length of the Gregorian one. That’s right! It’s the year 1012, isn’t it just insane how we ended up surviving 1YK (scam) but are still not all dressed in silver and flying about on hoverboards already?

Anyway.

The first month of the year is Capruary - this is a time of new beginnings, of setting out on adventures, of taking risks. The personality of the Capruary-born is exploratory, curious, and impulsive. Their star sign is Cappo, under the constellation Antilocapra, and their familiar the goat - embodied by the Wightling devil called Passago, the most famous goat of them all who went to the ends of the multiverse and back, just to see what was there. In the major arcana this is ‘The Fool’ - but don’t let that fool you. Only fools rush in where others fear to tread, and they often win all the prizes because they take risks, and they are not afraid to fail. The holy planet associated with the Cappos is Cockaigne, a mystical sort of paradise where the mountains are made of candy and whiskey springs from the earth and flows in rivers over rocks of ice past trees whose leaves are hundred dollar bills. Cappos dream of success and plenty, and they follow their dreams to get it.

On the Wight squad, there are two Capruary-born players - goalkeeper Lux Minor and attacking midfielder Sam Bansa. No team is complete without an eccentric goalkeeper and Lux certainly ticks that box. He really has taken to the idea of ‘The Fool’, playing with a smile on his face, interacting with fans behind his goal (whether supporters or opponents), messing about at corners and penalties, going up for corners at the other end and often venturing well up into his own half, almost to the centre circle, when his team are in advanced possession. A typical Cappo, he seems oblivious to risk. Sam Bansa is, by contrast, less demonstrative but his adventurous nature is more reflected in his very attacking instinct, often playing alongside or ahead of the forwards, confusing and losing his markers in the midfield. Sometimes he is described as having invented the ‘feint eight’ position, while others have called him the barb in the arrowhead - slightly back from leading edge, but the bit that does all the damage. He prefers the term ‘attacking midfielder’.

In the next post, we will return to The Gentlemen Interregnum’s administrative adventures as they try to revive the nation of Wight in all it’s glory.

by **Gnejs** » Sun Mar 31, 2024 1:23 am

The End(a) of Times

A blog about the decline of Union football (because of Enda Clentin)

I'll tell you what I hate about Enda Clentin.

I hate that he loses football games!!!! So much for Out-Delteing-Delte, cause it sure looks like Clentin was Delte-Delted by Delte!! So embarrassing. I don’t know how Enda Clentin could ever dare to show his face again. In the name of Decency herself I hope that he turns off the camera on his remote video coaching system from now on. Maybe he should put himself on mute as well, because his instructions clearly aren’t doing any good!!!!!! What a pathetic showing for a coach!!! Let’s be honest and not blame the upstanding Union players; they did as best they could while receiving earpiece lunacy from that hack! Of course you’ll be playing badly with some provincial creep whispering in your ear! Clentin might as well have fielded a team of postmen, picklocks and pensioners for all the good his coaching does for the players! Surely every sane Dandelion will shun him now!!!! It’s like if Enda Clentin was a retired airline pilot and he was a passenger on a plane flying over the Blood Sea, and then all of a sudden the pilot and co-pilot and navigator all get indisposed because of food poisoning (bad fish!) and the stewards come out to the passengers and asks if there’s anyone who can fly a plane, and Enda Clentin raises his hand and everyone just looks at him and shakes their head and then they take their chances with a jam factory administrative assistant instead

Seriously though, Enda Clentin lost against a team we should’ve won against. And I hate him for it!

Comments:

By: #supportEnda

I feel like now you are just gloating, do you actually get more pleasure from the team losing than when they’re winning? Because that’s not much of a fan, if you ask me!!!!

Reply by: The End(a) of Times

I get pleasure from the charlatan Enda Clentin being exposed for what he is!

Reply by: Clench_is_King

You’re lame!!!!

By #teamClench

You should be more careful with how you speak of other people, young man. The airplane parable was hurtful and completely unnecessary! Enda Clentin is a good man who is trying the best he knows how!

Reply by: The End(a) of Times

Yea, the best. NOT!!!!!

By: Dandelion_Pride

And you didn’t mention the team snagged a point from the Hawkmen!!!!

Reply by: The End(a) of Times

You say that like it’s a good thing!!!!!!

Losing One’s Bearings

Previous Chapters of Losing One's Bearings:
Chapter One
Chapter Two (including map of Port Kejm)
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six

CHAPTER SEVEN

Knight’s tour

Detective Constable Finn Bergman surveyed the rather grim and grisly crime scene in front of him. The rain had done much to wash away blood, but it had left the wound all the more visible and it was unpleasant to look at. They didn’t get many murders in a given year, and surely very few of this kind. Poor sod, all banged up and just left there to rot. By some old campsite in a rock-forsaken glen way out west. Finn had actually been surprised it was even their jurisdiction out there. He could’ve sworn this would’ve sorted under the neighboring Constabulary, but apparently they were still within «City» limits.

Nah, some domestic violence gone too far or drunken fights was more what he’d come to expect after many years doing detective work in the Port Kejm Constabulary. Not that this kind of thing was unprecedented, far from it. They’d found mauled and mangled bodies in mysterious circumstances before, and if he put some effort into it he could most likely come up with a few that made even this one pale. There was that old woman with her belly cut open once, where a bunch of rats had made a feast of her entrails before anyone found her. It was up in the woods behind the tramway depot, he remembered. Local gang of kids was one of the dominant theories, but they never did solve that one. Must’ve been 10 years ago now. Finn never bought into the whole narrative of depraved young Union men offing an old lady for sports or because of boredom or whatever it was they called it. Nah, some morally corrupt immigrant who let down the facade he wore out in public more like. Probably couldn’t help himself, that’s just what they are. Of course, you could hardly say such obvious and essential truths out loud these days, or suddenly you’re the bad guy. And they wonder why they didn’t solve more crimes. And don’t give me that crap about how there’s hardly any «Off-Rock Descendent Unionist Citizen» in the crime statistics. Of course not, they’re sneaky by nature and always operate in the shadows. Like trying to catch smoke, that lot. Typical continental dirt monkeys. Give me a few good men and enough ammunition, and I’d get the crime rate down close to zero. Finn smiled to himself. Oversimplified, maybe, but he had yet to meet someone from Off-Rock who wasn’t a savage in disguise.

Finn was about to spit on the ground, his mouth filling up with tobacco infused saliva from the sizable piece of snuff under his lip, but then he caught a glance of one of the forensic officers eyeing him and he instead swallowed. He inched closer to the body and cleared his throat.

«So, what do we think?» he asked the forensic officer who stood bent over the lower parts of the dead body. She slowly turned around and looked at him. «Male. Dead.» she said and turned back around to continue her work.

Fucking woman on a murder scene acting like she knows it all and looking down on him. He knew her kind and they were everywhere these days, from patrol and detectives to the labs and even the Superintendent was a fucking lady. Finn closed his eyes for a second to compose himself.

«I mean, what can you tell me now, preliminary and before you get out your scissors and all that jazz. What about prints?» he said and smiled, feeling pretty confident that’d be enough to charm that stupid little minx.

The forensic officer turned around again and sighed. «Cause of death seems to be some kind of blunt force trauma to the head. Obviously the forensic evidence and the “prints” won’t be all too illuminating; you might’ve registered the rain? I’m not comfortable giving you any detailed timeframe, but it looks like he hasn’t been dead for more than 10 hours. Pure luck someone stumbled upon him out here. Now, if you could let me get on with my job. Thank you.» she said and turned away from him once again.

Finn was about to descend into another inner tirade slash crusade against «the times» when he was interrupted by a tap on the shoulder. He swung around. It was his partner, Adeimantus Nilsson. Late to the party again, Finn thought to himself, probably held up with his 15 to 20 children or something like that, because you know that’s what those sneaky, beady-eyed foreigners do, come here and reproduce to incrementally undermine Union society in a bid to oust and replace proper, decent, folk that are actually Of-Rock and take over… He was stopped in his tracks by Adeimantus, who nodded courtly at him and started speaking

«Got the man’s wallet from one of the uniforms. Or I mean, the ID in the wallet sure looks like our guy, at least. They found it about four kilometers west of here. Actually in Elisenberg County, but I agreed we could overlook that little endeavor. Here, take a look.»

Finn accepted the wallet from his partner and nodded. «Agreed, we don’t need country folk sticking their nose in our business.»

He opened the wallet and leafed through it. He found the identification card his partner had mentioned, but it wasn’t of any variety he’d ever seen before. He tried his hand at reading the name. «Rodolphe,» he said out loud and looked away in the distance. «What kind of name is that? Some posh spelling of Rudolf? And Pouliquen? Sounds foreign.»

Adeimantus took over the wallet and nodded. «Yea, it looks like he’s from Oberour Ar Moro, down southron way. So, I guess we should reach out to the embassy? Let them know one of their own is dead. And maybe we can get some help with a formal ID.»

Finn looked at his partner, and nodded.

One of the forensic officers came up to them and pointed at the wallet. «What’s that? Please don’t tell me you found that out here and just started poking your fingers around inside it? No gloves, I see? Great. Perfect. In the bag, please,» she said and held out an evidence bag, while shaking her head.

Adeimantus started stuttering out apologies, but Finn only turned away and started moving towards his car. He wouldn’t need any of their «forensic» evidence. He’d sniff out this killer the old fashioned way, with his gut. He got in his car and started the engine. He had one last look back at the glen. «Oberour,» he thought to himself. How do you even pronounce that filth?

by **Indusse** » Sun Mar 31, 2024 4:42 am

Hind Tribune
Soon to End?

In a recent interview given by the President of the nation, Baskar H Kumar to a news channel has caught the attention of the public. The statements that were said by the President seem to be leading to a lot of conclusions. Political Analysts and further more the public have jumped into conclusions and rumours that the President is set to retire from Politics with the end of his term. The Rumours have spread through the nation as a wildfire and various of his supporters have been showing confusion. The President's Office has decided not to respond to the rumours.

In the midst of swirling rumors about his political future, President Baskar H Kumar's journey is worth exploring. Known affectionately as "BK10," Kumar's journey began on the football field, where he led the Indussean National Football Team with his extraordinary skill set. His leadership didn't stop there; he also took charge of the Indussean Football Association, steering it towards success. His decision to appoint Shane Newman as the coach of the national team is said to be one of the major decision in the history of Indussean Football.

But Kumar's influence goes beyond sports. His Political career began as one of the most important freedom fighters of the nation. When the nation achieved independence, he shifted his attention to the politics of Power. As the leader and one of the founding members of the National Democratic Party (NDP), he's been a driving force in the nation's politics. Under his guidance, the NDP has been victorious since independence and is still a major political force in the nation, earning the trust of the people.

Throughout his career, Kumar has been known for his dedication to serve his country. Whether on the field or in the political arena, his commitment to the nation has never wavered. The Rumours add weight since there has been multiple meetings called by the NDP Leadership. The rest of the leadership claims it to be part of deciding candidates for the upcoming elections and is not related to the retirement of Mr. Kumar. Now, as rumors swirl about his potential retirement, the nation waits with anxiously for any official word on what the future holds. Whatever path President Kumar chooses, his legacy as a leader and a servant of the people will endure.

by **Flavovespia** » Sun Mar 31, 2024 5:05 am

Adab 2 - 3 Flavovespia

Flavovespia worked hard to take the win in Adab, to keep up the momentum at the top of their qualifying group. It was a game where both sides had strong phases, but in the end it was Flavovespia who made theirs count more. Early on, and with the home crowd behind them, Adab had the early pressure. Nathan Crewe had to make two good saves in the opening 10 minutes, and it seemed it could be a long game for Flavovespia.

Adab opened the scoring in the 11th minute, after a good start to the game. Good moving of the ball saw Kastiliasu Akaptaha find space on the left wing. Khoury played the ball back in across the face of the goal, and Enlilbani Yargab was there to slot it in. 1-0 to the hosts in a match that was going their way.

Adab would lose their advantage a little over 10 minutes later.. A Flavovespia break saw Jonathan Bagshaw attempt to cut inside on the right wing to shoot. Tansu Altun was caught flat footed, and the challenge for the ball brought down Bagshaw. Michael Cole stepped up to take the penalty, and whilst Sanchit Chandrasekar saved initially, the ball was deflected back into the path of Michael Cole to score the rebound. All square with a quarter of the game played.

Flavovespia took the lead in the 33rd minute, and it was the man of the moment Michael Cole who scored. Charles Adams provided the assist, a well weighted pass from 30 metres out m, finding the run of Cole. Cole headed past Chandrasekar to score, completing a first half turnaround. Flavovespia kept that good level of play going, and looked good for their lead at the break.

Flavovespia added a 3rd not long after the break. There was some patient build up play near the box, but a wall of Adab players in the way. Christopher Hill chose to shoot from range, and with great power beat Chandrasekar to slam the ball into the back of the net. Flavovespia had a two goal cushion now in this game. Still plenty of time left though, and Adab hadn’t thrown in the towel at all.

Adab persevered, and in the 89th minute they gave themselves hope. It was Kastiliasu Akaptaha who eventually got the opportunity, after one too many failed clearances for Flavovespia. About 10 metres out, he did well to slot past Nathan Crewe from a narrow angle. 2-3, Adab threw everything forward at the end, but Flavovespia held on to secure a win. Following Matchday 5, and then the bye, Flavovespia remain top of the group unbeaten, but its still close, and they know one poor result changes a lot. A home tie against Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom ends the first half of qualifying, before Delitai visit Flavovespia.
.

by **A m e n r i a** » Sun Mar 31, 2024 5:57 am

Origins: Malvina

Part 6

Jieun sat up and turned her head to see what Zixin was pointing at. He was a large figure, seemingly made of soil and odd patches of grass, hauling a cash register. Just as she stood up, a police officer and his partner came running from around the corner, pointing their handguns at the figure. One of the uniformed officers ordered, "Mutiara Police! Deactivate your powers, drop the cash register, and put your hands in the air!" "You can't catch me!" the earth-man said, swatting them away with one sweep of his free arm, sending them flying across the street and slamming into a wall, knocking them out before they could fire a single shot. Jieun turned her head towards the minimarket door to see her injured father clutching his gut. "Go home, Jieun! I'll get help!"

However, he couldn't. Not with those injuries. He barely took three steps before collapsing on the pavement. For some reason, Jieun felt a strong urge to rush towards the unconscious officers. She took a closer look at them, and noticed one of them has his gun just an arm's reach away. She hesitated before reaching out towards it and touch it with a finger, only for it to ripple where she touched it as if it was made of a mass made up of tiny cubes, causing her to flinch. She reached out again, this time grabbing the gun, but it suddenly turned into the same mass and snaked up her arm before dissipating as if she had absorbed it. Jieun looked at her right arm, and gained an inexplicable resolve. She ran towards the robber, prompting Zixin to reach out to her. "Wait, lady, where are you going!? Are you crazy!?"

Step step step step

"Criminal, please revert to your original form and surrender!" Jieun ordered the robber. He paused, then turned around and saw the seemingly high school-aged woman extend her arms in front of him. He let out a deep laugh and held his belly with his free hand. "Hahaha! You really think you can stop me? This isn't afterschool drama club, kid! Get lost!" Jieun did not falter. Her determination belied her expressionless voice. "I shall not repeat my request. Please surrender now." Now sporting an annoyed frown, the criminal growled as he reached out towards her, "If you really got a death wish, be my guest!"

Blam blam blam

Three gunshots can be heard from the streets that day, scattering what few civilians were around them.

by **Cabo Azure** » Sun Mar 31, 2024 6:02 am

Cabo Azure 7–2 Sannyamathland
Starting XI: Gomez | Ferraz, M'bah-Pinho, Furtado, Branco (C) (goal 36')| Andrade, Bastos, Florencio | Gouveia (goals 25',88'), Magalhaes (goal 43'), Mendonca (goals 29', 45+2', 58', off 69')
Substitutes: Ventura (on 69')

Aphrilia 3–1 Cabo Azure
Starting XI: Gomez | Soares, M'bah-Pinho, Araujo, Branco (C) | Gontijo, Bastos, Florencio | Gouveia, Mendonca, Santos (off 75')
Substitutes: Cardoso (on 75')

Projected Starting XI vs Tera al Disco: Gomez | Soares, Furtado, M'bah-Pinho, Branco (C) | Gontijo, Bastos, Florencio | Gouveia, Mendonca, Santos
Projected Starting XI vs Audioslavia: Gomez | Soares, Furtado, M'bah-Pinho, Branco (C) | Gontijo, Bastos, Florencio | Gouveia, Mendonca, Santos

Cisco Torres awoke every morning before dawn to run the same route across the island of Portelo that he’d run since his days as a secondary school student at Maritime Prep. Past fifty, with a gut that protruded beneath his brightly-colored, name-brand running clothes, Cisco insisted that no day could be complete if it didn’t start with a run. He’d leave from his house, a rowhouse built during the reign of King Ernesto, grandfather of Gustavo II, some two hundred years before the current pup was placed on the throne. Ernesto had been a proper king, concerned with the things about which kings ought to be concerned. His only shortcoming had been the traditional shortcoming of Azurean kings, namely that he coddled his son, Gustavo I, and left him unprepared for the throne. Gustavo I buckled under the pressure and killed himself at a young age, leaving his own son Gustavo II to sit the throne, and Gustavo II had been the tyrant who’d led Cabo Azure down its current, dark path.

Cisco often thought about these things as he ran. His great-great-grandfather had been brought to Portelo by King Ernesto for his excellence as a ship captain, to serve as an advisor and confidant to the throne. The family hadn’t taken to sea in generations, save for a rebellious younger son or two who signed aboard the freighters, but the tradition of steering the nation from behind the scenes was alive and well. Cisco’s father had been one of the praetorians who’d conspired to assassinate King Reinaldo II, Gustavo II’s grandson and uncle of the current king, Manuel, and replace him with his half-sister, Manuel’s mother Abigail. His father spoke fondly of Princess Abby when Cisco was young, how intelligent and kind the young girl had been, and wept bitterly when he drank wine and talked about how much better the nation would be had the plot succeeded.

It was just as well that his father passed before Princess Abby emerged from obscurity as Dr. Abigail Fonseca, the cunning and self-interested academic who bested the CGT, the junta that reigned after Reinaldo was overthrown, at its own game. Married to and subsequently divorced from the staunch republican reactionary Luis Fonseca and deeply enmeshed in the shady “Maritime Mafia”, Abigail had, in Cisco’s view, sullied the reputation of the crown by tying it up with petty factional politics. That her wheeling and dealing had come back to bite her in the end, when the CGT forced her to abdicate to her son immediately after taking the crown, was some comfort, but for all his charm and bluster, Manuel was his mother’s son and a politician to the bone.

The girl, Princess Solveig, might be better, Cisco thought. She was an elite athlete, born and raised in Graintjfall, a proper Rushmori monarchy, studying history with a research interest in the era when Cabo Azure had proper kings and queens. Officially, Cisco was a Member of the Assembly representing Portelo and the Deputy Minister of State, but he saw himself as the successor to his family’s legacy of being the power behind the throne. Only the throne had strayed so far from its origins that it would take some tough lessons to get back to the right of things. It had taken two hundred years, from the time of King Ernesto, for Cabo Azure to get to where it was; if it took another few decades to fix it, until Solveig was on the throne, perhaps, then Cisco could live with that. His sons, both in school in Quebec studying engineering, would carry on the legacy.

by **Saint-Jean-Jacques et Burnham-on-Stove** » Sun Mar 31, 2024 6:39 am

It's so difficult against low ranked teams

Rea San Vegas - What is wrong with the Tapirs? They had a hard time beating the worst team in the group, and then they lost against another bottom table team. On matchday 5, Saint-Jean-Jacques et Burnham-on-Stove received Labalia in Shanzhou, a city state located north east of Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer. The match was played at General Zhang National Stadium and the weather was sunny. It usually doesn't rain as much in Shanzhou and Odlegla Ziemia than in Saint-Jean-Jacques and Burnham-on-Stove. Some regulars weren't on the starting XI and, for the full list, please read last week's report. Labalia was the first team on the board when #10 scored at the 4th minute. The Jean-Jacquois and Burnhamese tied the game at the 17th minute when Frédérique Goudreau-Luneau had the ball and made a short pass to Louis-Philippe Berlinguette who kicks it past #1. 3 minutes later, Scarlett McCaskill made a header pass to Frédérique Goudreau-Luneau who heads it into the net. The score was 2-1 at halftime. The Tapirs attacked at the 51st minute when Alyssa McCaskill recovered a loose ball and made a long pass to Charlotte Gibouleau-Beaudoin who kicks it from 30 meters and it's in. It's her first goal with the national team in 2 caps and 7 sub ins. #8 has the ball in the penalty area at the 74th minute but Nathan McCaskill tackles him too hard, it's a yellow card for him and a penalty for Labalia. #11 kicks the ball and it goes in. The final score is 3-2 Tapirs.

GAME SUMMARY

4th   GOAL LABALIA   #10 assisted by #9
17th   GOAL ST-JEAN-JACQUES ET BoS   LOUIS-PHILIPPE BERLINGUETTE assisted by Frédérique Goudreau-Luneau
20th   GOAL ST-JEAN-JACQUES ET BoS   FRÉDÉRIQUE GOUDREAU-LUNEAU assisted by Scarlett McCaskill
51th   GOAL ST-JEAN-JACQUES ET BoS   CHARLOTTE GIBOULEAU-BEAUDOIN assisted by Alyssa McCaskill
74th   GOAL LABALIA   #11 (penalty)

On week 6, the Tapirs travelled to Rea San Vegas to play against them. Keegan Threadgold was in goal. Nathan MCaskill missed the game for having too many yellow cards and Emily Schmidt was in the starting XI, but she was on the right side. #9 scored at the 24th minute and Rea San Vegas took the lead. The Tapirs tied the game at the 45 + 1 minute when Scarlett McCaskill scored on a free kick. Rea San Vegas attacked at the 90 +8 minute when #6 made a cross to #11 who kicks it past Keegan Threadgold and the score is 2-1 Rea San Vegas. Manager Gilles Bourguignon was furious at the end of the game and argued that the referree should have blown his whistle much earlier. Bourguignon received a red card and will be suspended on week 7 against Sarzonia. Isabella Sanchez Lopez will be the manager for the next game. This home game will be played in the Nova Calanian Aztec Confederacy, a large nation located in Nova Calania. While other Nova Calanian nations are located on the coast, The Aztec Confederacy is located inland with the Great Calanian Desert encompassing it's borders. The match will be played at the Xicohtzinco Community College Ballpark, a small baseball field located in the desert. Expected weather is 41 °C or 106 °F. Gilles Bourguignon admitted off record that the purpose of this match being played in the desert is to intimidate Sarzonia who were WCoH runners up and World Bowl champs. On matchday 8, the Tapirs will welcome fellow Anaians Ko-oren in Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer. We expect light rain for this match.

GAME SUMMARY

24th      GOAL REA SAN VEGAS   #9 assisted by #8
45th +1   GOAL  ST-JEAN-JACQUES ET BoS   SCARLETT McCASKILL (free kick)
90th +8   GOAL REA SAN VEGAS   #11 assisted by #6

Starting XI vs Sarzonia - Xicohtzinco Community College Ballpark, Xicohtzinco, Aztec Confederacy - 41 °C and sunny
Manager: Isabella Sanchez Lopez
Starting XI: GK Bleau-Bean - SD Alyssa McCaskill - CD Tristan Gibouleau-B - CD Ramirez De Jesus - SD Nathan McCaskill - DCM Fauteux-McGrath - SM Charlotte Gibouleau-B - SM Scarlett McCaskill - S Berlinguette - S Goudreau-Luneau - S O'Hara

Expected starting XI (barring any injuries or suspensions) vs Ko-oren - Terrain de soccer 1 au Complexe sportif national, Sacré-Coeur district, Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer - 26 °C with light rain
Manager: Gilles Bourguignon
Starting XI: GK Bleau-Bean - SD Alyssa McCaskill - CD Tristan Gibouleau-B - CD Ramirez De Jesus - SD Nathan McCaskill - DCM Fauteux-McGrath - SM Charlotte Gibouleau-B - SM Scarlett McCaskill - S Berlinguette - S Goudreau-Luneau - S O'Hara

Let's continue with cheese rating. I went to 6 different grocery stores in Shanzhou and I found 0 local cheese products. Niet! All the cheese over there is made either in Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer or some other Anaian nations.

Then, In Rea San Vegas, I asked locals more information about their cheese but I got no answer. I found some cheddar cheese at the store and I kinda appreciated it. It has a good smell, I love smelly cheese! Not as good as our cheese, but slightly better than Ochre Island or Ko-orenite cheese. I'd give 6/10.

Cheese rankings

St-Jean-Jacques	10/10
Rea San Vegas    6/10
Ochre Islands	 5/10
Ko-oren	         4/10
Shanzhou          N/A

Paul-André Veilleux

Burnham-on-Stove votes for the union!

Downtown district, Burnham-on-Stove - The Burnhamese People's Council (BPC), led by General Secretary Braelynn McIlwain and the Burnhamese Communist Party (BCP), voted on the Nova Calanian union. All of the 26 council members voted yes to the union and Burnham-on-Stove is the first nation to be officially part of the Nova Calanian union. The union will be officialized in may 2025 when all 5 nations will vote on it. Next week, Aztec and Shanzhouan parliaments are expected to vote on the union.

Anne-Charlotte McDermott

by **Audioslavia** » Sun Mar 31, 2024 6:53 am

Qualified Opinions
The Aesthetic takes a glance at every qualifying performance in history.

Quick question: What is this?

A - A pig's snout
B - An unnervingly blank-faced emoji
C - A representation of every team to have finished in the third of three automatic qualification spots in a World Cup, but who did not qualify for said World Cup due to extenuating circumstances (in this case, CTEing)

For the answer, and the rest of an image-heavy article, please click the spoiler.

Winfridh Hits Stride
Pair of 1-0s mean Bulls lead at halfway

Having conceded six goals in their opening four games, some of Audioslavia's more [i]traditionalist fanbase were starting to worry. The Bulls are a traditionally a team who need to defend in order to attack, and as such boast one of the strongest defensive records in recent history in World Cup qualifying - impressive considering the side have only actually reached one of the last five finals tournaments.

With back-to-back wins over Aphrilia and the impressive newcomers Tero al Disco, Audioslavia have finally hit their stride. Clean sheets, top of the group, five points clear, nothing short of a dream start. An away win over closest rivals Cabo Azure could turn out to be era-defining, let alone give the side up to a 7-point lead over the group's top seed with only five games to play.

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by **New Fernia** » Sun Mar 31, 2024 8:33 am

CBC New Fernia | Sports > World Cup 96

The Fernians' qualifying "attempt" (if you can even call it that) continued on matchday five away versus Lower Tranmere. Travelling to the nation proved difficult as "Socialist republic of lower Tranmere" actually isn't a real nation. In fact, I suspect it wasn't even real at all, as it only existed for about a month and its only action was to enter the World Cup. I believe that this is a conspiracy! The WCC is obviously inflating the numbers of the World Cup to... make more money! More matches is more money, so the WCC can create more fake nations and make more money... the evidence is all right there.

Conspiracies and fraud aside, the match took place in some sort of parking lot separated from time and space. Going there was kind of what I thought dying would feel like. My soul left my body and then... peace. Unfortunately, the Fernians, playing against a team that didn't even exist, still managed to lose 0-1. Inner peace is hard when you keep losing.

The day after, the New Fernian team stayed at home to play versus HUElavia. It was nice being able to watch football on this plane of existence, but unfortunately we still lost. Not necessarily an unexpected result against the team ranked 19th in all of existence, but it still stung. On the bright side, our forwards finally shaped up and scored us our first goal of the entire campaign- a 83rd minute goal from Bell made the game 1-2. Then the HUElavian forward Marco Ricci decided to slide a ball in at the last minute and the game finished 1-3.

The Fernians will travel to The Kytler Peninsulae for MD7, and will again travel to Krytenia for MD8. And I think I speak for every New Fernian fan when I say: can we have the draws back?

Matchday 5 | Group 13
Mysterious Parking Lot | ??F | Kickoff 6:00 pm | Attendance: 63

Lower Tranmere 1

0 New Fernia

Unknown 43'

Matchday 6 | Group 13
OneFern Stadium, Ferncliffe, New Fernia | 71F Rain | Kickoff 6:30 pm (delayed due to inclement weather) | Attendance: 29,607

New Fernia 1

3 HUElavia

Bell 83'
13' Canchon
61' Rossi-Rigoni
89' Ricci

by **Milchama** » Sun Mar 31, 2024 9:00 am

"Any good ideas"

"Nope, I'm all out"

"Same"

"What should we talk about?"

"Milchama?"

"I mean we live here, it's the same"

"No, I mean the national football and/or soccer team"

"Oh them, that could be in fact be a topic of conversation. Do you have anything to say about them?"

"Not really"

"That's my point"

"They are doing well in qualifying"

"Sure, of course they are but we all know that the Warriors will just make the playoffs and then inevitably lose in the playoffs and then make the Cup of Harmony, go on a decent run in the Cup of Harmony to the final where they will lose to the one top 10 who somehow didn't make the World Cup. After that a meme team that is made of players who are based on an old Abbot and Costello skit will play in the regional tournament and lose in quarter or semi finals."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because that's what has happened the last 3 cycles"

"That's remarkable consistency"

"It is"

"By the way you know there is one thing that is really important there"

"What is that?"

"In order to get to the Cup of Harmony we need to have ideas"

"Oh yeah we need to RP don't we"

"Yep"

"And that involves ideas"

"Yep"

"Hmmm...that does present a problem"

"So how do you solve this problem?"

"I"m not sure, I don't have a good idea"

"That's a terrible joke"

"There was a joke?"

"Fair enough, maybe not a joke"

"You want to write a match report?"

"Nah, I don't feel like it"

"Well that makes it hard"

"Want to talk about it?"

"Nah, I'm not feeling it"

"So thus the part where we talk about how we're out of ideas"

"Exactly"

"We could create a story arc"

"But nobody reads those, RPing in the World Cup is a just a conversation between you and the hosts. There is so much reading, so much content, so many stories that nobody actually reads what happens in the RP thread you're throwing things up in the void"

"So when should we do stories?"

"During the World Baseball Classic, like that one time where we started a baseball league"

"Oh yeah, what happened there?"

"Banija didn't respond to discord messages so we didn't sim our first season"

"Hmmm... we could talk about the domestic leagues in Milchama?"

"That's a tire fire that deliberately makes more sense as being underexplained"

"Why?"

"Because will full explanation than there might be some logic among the underexplained chaos and that's much better"

"How do you feel about underexplanation?"

"It's good in certain contexts, not every part of everything needs to be worldbuilt"

"I think that opinion is massively unpopular these days"

"I mean it is, who does things like RP? Who goes to a text based forum that doesn't even have video hosting? Only nerds so like of course it's ridiculous and a little nerdy"

"Hmmm...maybe we should record and post a video"

"About what?"

"The nature of reality"

"That could work! Do you think the Idiot Project is hiring?"

"They are not, I applied thrice and got rejected"

"Oh"

"Also, we don't know how to do video, it's why we talk via text"

"I thought this conversation was in person and the textual medium was merely an attempt at recording the conversation so that others can read it"

"Sure, but then it can't be a true conversation because one of the important parts of conversation itself is the impermanence of it. You cannot repeat the exact conversation for the conversation itself will always be slightly different"

"What about recording technology?"

"That just lets others in on the impermanence of a thing that has already happened and could never happen again, or at least, not in that exact same way"

"So isn't transcription the same thing?"

"Not in the method we're using?"

"Why not?"

"I mean it could be, thus why there are quotation marks and it doesn't look like a real life convo"

"Yeah, what do our voices sound like anyways?"

"Don't you hate hearing your own voice"

"Yeah it's so nasally"

"Mine sounds so much nerdier than I think I do"

"Ugh, it's the worst"

"So we've found that problem"

"What? We don't want to record our voices, thus the transcription of our conversation via text"

"That works as a mechanism for both recording the conversation and allowing others to see something transitory that can never be fully repeated"

"Exactly"

"So how do you feel?"

"I feel better but I still don't have any ideas"

"Me neither"

by **Oberour Ar Moro** » Sun Mar 31, 2024 11:51 am

Losing One’s Bearings

Previous Chapters of Losing One's Bearings:
Chapter One, Chapter Two (including map of Port Kejm), Chapter Three, Chapter Four, Chapter Five, Chapter Six, Chapter Seven

CHAPTER EIGHT

When you absolutely don’t know what to do anymore, it is time to panic

As soon as David returned to the ambassador’s small, tucked-away residence he started drinking. He had started with the drinks cabinet filled with Gnejs’ finest hard beverages. He then turned to the buckwheat whiskey from the Dominion that was stowed away, But he didn't have as much of that as he would have wanted, so he returned to the drinks cabinet again.

He had stumbled out of Le Coq Sportif, panicked to be in public where he could be seen. He found an alley, then another alley, and emerged on a new street and hailed a cab. In the back of the cab he had a minor freak out about paying with his credit card so he fished out as much leaves as he could out of his wallet. He then didn't want the cab to go directly to the residence so directed the driver to a restaurant nearby. Still concerned that someone might still be on his trail, he got a cab out of Stockviken into Kejm. Then called another cab from Kejm to the residence.

This would have been tedious if he wasn't so horrified.

David slunk into a leather chair in the residence’s front room. The only thing on his mind was: What had happened?

He had set up a meeting with Rodolphe. He had called the number the embassy had on file for Rodolphe and got a young woman who said she was his assistant. He scheduled a time to meet Rodolphe at a particular bistro, and he headed out on his own and that's where the television static began. The next thing he knows he's in a room in a brothel with a live pimp and a dead man.

What to do? How to get out of this situation? He half considered speaking to the embassy's cultural attaché. David had never spoken to the cultural attaché, but it was understood that the cultural attaché is always with the Ministry of Intelligence, and he could only assume that it would be child's play for an Oberour agent to put a bullet in some self-important shakedown artist's head. But in terms of who knew his secret, David wasn't sure that trading one The Boss Cock with the entirety of Oberour Ar Moro's secret police and intelligence apparatus was a good one.

He tipped the decanter again, and with his unsteady hands it just made a clink against the tumbler. The glass tipped over, but nothing poured out.

David cursed. He cursed the lack of alcohol. He cursed having had too much alcohol. He cursed the situation he had put himself into. He cursed, ever more loudly, into the empty, lonely house, an entire ocean away from his home.

And from his wife.

Struck with sudden and intense need, David pulled out his cell phone and went to his contacts. He found the one he was looking for and selected dial. He held the phone to his ear as it rang, and rang, and rang, and then suddenly-

"David? What time is it? What do you want?"

"Madeline!” She had picked up! “Madeline, Madeline-" David started loudly, then dropped his voice, as though there was anyone who could hear. "Thank you for picking up, thank you, thank you-"

"You're drunk," she pointed out.

"I've had some drinks, I needed a few, like I needed to speak to you. To see you..."

"I suppose this is how an ambassador is supposed to act?" Madeline was cross, disappointed. Again. She then softened. "What did you need to call me about?"

David wanted to spill everything. Nicole, Rodolphe, The Boss Cock. Ask for guidance. For next steps. But even now he couldn't.

"I just...I miss you. So much. I want you to be here with me." As David spoke he could hear a beep of an incoming call he ignored.

Madeline sighed, clearly thinking this was some kind of drunken hook-up call. "You could be here with me, if you wanted. You knew I got that promotion, and we had agreed you were coming back to Regium, but you went behind my back-"

"I'll come back!" David interjected, suddenly. "I don't want to be here, I want to be in Regium with you. Anywhere with you." There was that incoming call beep again. He ignored it again.

"You don't mean that," Madeline accused, "You're just drunk. You'll sober up and it'll be the same story again."

"No! No no no no, it won't, no-" David pleaded before.

BANG BANG BANG

Someone was at the door. A full closed fist pounding on the sturdy wood. They were here for him.

"Oh God, Madeline, it's... I've got to... I'll call you back, " He stammered out over Madeline's confused protests. He clicked the end call button. Gulped down air. Turned to the front door. He could hear voices outside. Multiple. How many of them were there?

David crept from the parlor to the entrance, oriented himself behind the door, made sure the latch was connected, and opened the door slightly.

"Yes?" he said shakily.

«David de Blois? Detective Constable Finn Bergman, Port Kejm Constabulary. And my partner Adeimantus Nilsson,» a badge pressing towards David’s face introduced himself and a friend. «We’re sorry to impose, Ambassador» said the friend, Nilsson, kindly. From somewhere behind the badge, David heard a familiar voice protesting.

«This is outrageous behavior, impinging on an Ambassador like this!» It was Jacques, switching from Gnejsian to Azertienne, "I tried to call you David, these officers insisted on meeting with you and wouldn't share the reasoning-" back to Gnejsian, «This is a violation of diplomatic norms!»

The Detective Constable audibly grumbled. «Can you open the door? We have important information to share with you.» («I am the Ambassador's Aide-de-Camp, for goodness sake! I can speak on his behalf. This is uncalled for!» Jacques objected to general indifference.)

Share, David repeated in his head. Not arrest. No warrant, yet. Share. Okay. "Okay," David shakily agreed with his internal monologue. He worked to unlatch the door, swinging it open.

Bergman looked at David insouciantly. His younger partner looked apologetic. David’s aide-de-camp was fuming. «We came to discuss an Oberour citizen. A Mister...» Bergman looked down at his notes, and took his time to carefully give the name, in what seemed to be quite the effort. «Rodolphe Pouliquen. Are you personally familiar with him?»

«Uhm... yes,» David answered very carefully. «Yes I am familiar with him, but socially. Not terribly. I haven’t spoken with him recently.»

«I see. Can you tell me more about him?»

«He, uh…» David belched, and he made a fist and held it to his mouth, afraid he might get sick. Bergman made a tsking noise. David put up his hand in an apologetic manner, then resumed. «Rodolphe was the head of Cavaco Ball Bearings.»

«The lowest level of vibration of any washdown clamp-on collar ball bearing,» added Nilsson.

«He was working to gain permission to sell his ball bearings in Gnejs.»

Bergman made an unpleasant noise that emanated from the back of his throat. David wondered if it was his slightly swimming vision but he thought Bergman was fighting back a smile.

«Mr. Pouliquen was found dead today.»

“Dead?!” Jacques cried out in surprise. David couldn’t muster the same response.

«He was found in a park in west Port Kjem,» explained Nillson «We are investigating this as a possible crime, and it was determined that we should keep Oberour Ar Moro appraised.»

A park! David’s head reeled. Not at the Le Coq Sportif, so The Boss Cock had the body dumped. David couldn’t think of a time he had last been to west Port Kjem (he couldn’t think of much at all right now though), so the police couldn’t easily connect him. But surely the intention wasn’t to have the body be found so quickly…

«Ahem!» Bergman roughly broke David from his reverie. David realized he had been standing there silently, swaying slightly, for longer than he should have.

«Well! Um.... thank you for... bringing this matter… to me,» David weakly offered. Bergman stared at David in silence, his eyes narrowing.

«You’ve said was quite a bit when describing Mr. Pouliquen. Even before you knew of his passing. Why might that be?»

David could feel his eyes widen involuntarily. «I did? Well… I’m not great with Gnejsian. And I have been drinking,» he said lamely as cover-all excuses, adding a weak shrug for emphasis.

Jacques jumped in, almost literally, swinging in front of the two officers. «I think you have had quite enough of Ambassador de Blois’ time this evening. Thank you for sharing this tragic news, the embassy will work with the relevant authorities from here on.» Jacques swung around, clearly disappointed in David’s performance. “And I think it’s time you get some sleep,” he rebuked David, urging him to go back inside before he made things worse. David silently agreed, closing the door in everyone’s face. Bergman attempted to ask more questions, while Nilsson urged his partner to move on.

David turned his back to the door, fell against it. He slowly slid down to the floor and started repeatedly banging his head against the solid wood.

by **City of Myrtle Beach** » Sun Mar 31, 2024 2:28 pm

MSN | Good Morning Football

Going into the Myrtle Beach versus Banija match, the latter was heavily favored to win. Very heavily favored. Fortunately for Myrtle Beach... the latter did not win! A shot from far away by Farmer (back on the pitch!) somehow made it past defenders and the goalkeeper and ended up inside the goal, putting Myrtle Beach up 1-0 in the 79th minute. From there, it was just smooth sailing. Even before the game, it seemed fine- the Banjian players seemed to be playing only half as well as they usually would. This, combined with the fact that the Myrtle Beach players were playing twice as well as they usually would, led to an excellent match. The ball bouncing back and forth across the pitch, always seeming so near to the goal and getting stopped by excellent defense or world-class blocking.

Everyone in Myrtle Beach was excited about this win. After all, if we could beat Banija, we could beat anybody, right? No. But we got pretty damn close. The next matchday, the team traveled to Poafmersia to claim their title as rightful victors. Which they didn't. But at least they tied! The match ended 3-3. The first two goals were scored by an energized Brennan- one in the 7th minute, and one in the 23rd. After that, nothing much happened until Poafmersian forward Tessa Bjarnesen slid one in at the 42nd minute, and then once again in injury time at 45+1. During halftime, the teams prepared for what was going to hopefully be an epic second half for the history books. They departed their locker rooms... and the stage was set. 2-2. With the Xannerian team sure to destroy Aiporhtse, Poafmersia would have to win to keep their first place spot. If Myrtle Beach won or drew, they would overtake Banija in third place, as they were on bye and unable to get any points.

It was high-stakes football. For the first twenty-ish minutes, nothing of note happened. There were a few close calls- Page blocked Aapeli Shea's shot on goal by just a hair in the 53rd minute. Conversely, Fulton's shot was just barely blocked by Poafmersian keeper Potts in the 59th minute. But in the 67th minute, disaster struck. Perkins went out and decided to do a... dubious tackle in the penalty box on Bjarnesen, who was just about to kick the ball in. Thankfully, she was okay (no injury), but unfortunately, the ref decided to award Poafmersia a penalty. Suada Bogdanić lines up... kicks it... and scores, putting the Poafmersians up 3-2.

"This is okay!" everyone thought. After all, it was only the 68th minute. There was more time to score! And then the time passed. And it kept passing. By the 85th minute, people were getting worried. The calls were getting closer to the Poafmersian team, and it seemed they were about to put this one to bed. The Myrtle Beach team could lose! Then what? They would keep tumbling down... just like last time. Injury time began, and the game was still 3-2. Fortunately, the ref called 9 minutes of injury time. Then the first five passed. Then the next minute... the next minute... and then there was one. Norris, in a last-ditch effort, kicked the ball long. Very long. So long, in fact, that keeper Potts didn't see the ball fall down behind her, and when it bounced into the goal, the game ended, 3-3. Was it the result we wanted? No, of course not. Was it better than what could have happened? Yes.

For MD7, Myrtle Beach will play at home versus Kirungabi. For MD8, the team will play at home again versus Aiporhtse. Both of these games are expected to be shoo-ins for the Myrtle Beachians, but who knows- it's not over 'till it's over.

Matchday 5 | Group 10
Grand Strand Stadium, Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach | 68F Clear and Windy | Kickoff 6:00 pm | Attendance: 67,859

Myrtle Beach 1

0 Banija

Farmer 79'

Matchday 6 | Group 10
Libira National Stadium, Fiskadaha City, Poafmersia | 73F Clear | Kickoff 6:00 pm | Attendance: 48,380

Poafmersia 3

3 Myrtle Beach

Bjarnesen 42', 45+1'
7', 23' Brennan

Bogdanić 68' (pen.)
90+8' Norris

by **Sarzonia** » Sun Mar 31, 2024 2:35 pm

Draws are tricky.

Let's get that out of the way. When Sarzonia played to an away draw vs. Rea San Vegas, the disappointment in the away team dressing room was akin to that of a team that lost a winnable match. With the Sarzonian national football team's first two opponents were established to be the two lowest ranked teams in Group 18, the prevailing sentiment was nothing less than six points from the two matches would be acceptable.

Sarzonian media were overwhelmingly arguing that a team ranked 112th in the football multiverse could not afford to let an opportunity to earn points in the group table slip out of their fingers.

All the talk silenced dramatically when Sarzonia pulled off one of the biggest upsets in World Cup qualifying thus far, a victory over eighth ranked Ko-oren that sent shockwaves through the group. Sarzonia's biggest challenge wasn't picking themselves up from the ground. It was to see how this team handled unexpected prosperity.

Sarzonia would play their second away match of the World Cup 96 qualifying campaign against No. 87 Carpathia and Ruthenia, one the team realised would not be an easy source of points for the race to Mertagne or Huayramarca. They would give up two early first half markers, but newly-minted starting forward Spencer Wilson would match both Carpathia and Ruthenians scores himself, including a 74th minute free kick that drew the match level.

The resulting 2-2 draw kept Sarzonia (2-2-0, eight points) in third place, one point behind Ko-oren for second place and three points behind Carpathia and Ruthenia for the group lead. However, where the earlier 2-2 draw felt like defeat, this one felt more like a victory. It kept Sarzonia within striking distance of a possible playoff berth.

"It's too early for that kind of talk," manager Caleb Rush said when asked about possible playoff implications. "We've played four matches. We've got eight matches remaining. There's still a lot of football left to be played."

Sarzonia will return home to Dave Wilson Stadium in Woodstock to face 44th ranked Ochre Islands. Goaltender John Wells said the team are looking one match at a time.

"We can't think too far ahead or we'll get in trouble," he said. "It's a long road to the proper. We're only about a third of the way through our journey."

by **Cassadaigua** » Sun Mar 31, 2024 3:16 pm

Stephanie Sweeney to step down,
by Caitlyn Dufresne, Concord Heights Times

In a public announcement this morning, Stephanie Sweeney, the 80-year old President of CASE let it be known that she will be stepping down from her role and formally retiring. Stephanie has been a long time fixture of Cassadagan soccer, beginning as the club’s manager when the nation returned from a long hiatus in World Cup 77. Sweeney would be the manager for the Fillies for a total of eleven World Cups, with two third place finishes in the “mid 80's”, forever being the highlight of her coaching career, internationally. World Cup 87 would be her last cycle as manager, as it was then where she was tabbed by her predecessor, Taylor Connolly, who also retired when she was in her 80's, to be the President. Stephanie immediately helped bring a World Cup to Cassadaigua, when the nation teamed up with Chromatika to host World Cup 88. It has not been smooth sailing during her tenure, but no one can deny that she has had an amazing career at this level of soccer.

Her statement was, as follows:

“After discussing things with my family, I have come to realize that there actually can be life after soccer. This sport is all that I have ever wanted to do with my life, ever since I was a kid in grade school. I have been one of the spoiled ones, not only being able to have an extended playing career, but then being tabbed to manage the Cassadagan national team. I got to do that for eleven World Cups, and while we never achieved the ultimate goal, we had some great teams that I know that we are all proud of. Soccer did not end there for me, as I was then given the opportunity to oversee things as the President of CASE. This has been an incredible ride, with two Copa Rushmori titles and consistently being a threat in that competition every year that it was held, and then winning a pair of Under-18 Cup titles as well. Additionally, I can take pride in bringing Cassadaigua into the IFCF competition, something that does indeed fall under the jurisdiction of this office. Now, of course, I cannot take credit for this solely, as I have had plenty of help within the office, and they should all be able to take as much credit for it as I ever do. I want to thank them for everything.

I am not sure what I will do in retirement, as my entire life has been centered around this great sport, and I have been just as busy now as I have ever been. It is very important that we get Cassadaigua back to the point where we are contending for World Cup championships, not just wanting to make it. I do believe that we will need to see a 48-team format, and I hope that I will still see that in my lifetime. For now, this Cycle will officially be it for me.”

Stephanie will have an active hand in determining her replacement, much in the same way that Taylor Connolly was when it was Sweeney that was named. One thing that is not expected, however, is for the current manager of the team, Chen Huikang, to be promoted to CASE President. Notwithstanding the fact that Chen may not even want such a position to begin with, this is not a position that a foreigner has ever had, and it is not likely to be appealing to anyone that is not from Cassadaigua due to everything that is associated with it. However, any international candidates, if they really felt as though this was the perfect job for them, could certainly put in an application. Here’s a look some people who should be strong candidates for the job. When we do this bear in mind that the President of CASE is a position formally appointed by Queen Cassie III.

Kristen Speller- Kristen was the goalkeeper for the team during World Cups 77 and 78, and is currently 61 years of age. After retirement, Speller served in the front offices for Concord Heights City for eight years and would eventually be the person that Sweeney named to be her assistant as CASE President. Kristen has been in that role ever since, so if are talking a no-brainer promotion within the CASE office, then Speller will be the new President. However, that might not necessarily happen, especially if Cassadaigua fails to qualify for the World Cup. We can talk about how the nation wants to consider them (with the Cup of Harmony) an “A” and “B” competition all we want until there is a 48-team World Cup, but you still want to be going to Mertagne or Huayramarca instead of wherever the second competition ends up. Due to that, an opportunity may present itself here to send a message that CASE will completely change things up at the top. Going with Speller will obviously be seen as retaining the status quo. If this was Sweeney’s call, it’d be Speller most likely. But it’s Queen Cassie III’s call.

Brittany Byers- This one would be very interesting, and it’s not as if Brittany has disappeared off the face of the planet. She is a former defender who managed Brattleboro FC before taking over the managerial role for Team Cassadaigua in World Cup 88, being the successor to Sweeney in that position. Brittany was the manager of the national team from that World Cup through the end of the World Cup 93 cycle, when she was relieved of duties by Sweeney. It was a cordial decision, and Byers has since moved back to Brattleboro, and serves in the front office for Brattleboro FC. Due to being widely respected and having plenty of experience with the national team, the 65 year old Byers may not be a bad choice. It is probable that she would have interest in the position.

Chelsea Blake- This is another name that you can expect to see mentioned as a candidate, though she might be more of a longshot. Blake is also 61, just like Kristen Speller, and the two of them were teammates on multiple World Cup teams. Blake was a wise defender, and has moved on to be the manager of Concord Heights Suburban. Initially, she was the manager for Rutland Dockside, but took the opportunity to manage a more high profile team. Suburban has not been a CSL title contender, but they do finish in the top half of the table more often than not. But it is not on the field play, domestically, that makes one a good candidate for a position that also has a major international component. Chelsea is very wise to the worldwide game, and with her experience, she is a good “change of pace” candidate, since she does not have a tie to Stephanie Sweeney in the way that Speller and Byers do.

Jessica Tolson- It’s not going to happen, but we can put her name here anyway. Jessica, the manager of Victoriaville South End, is seen as being the best tactical manager in the CSL, and has had some chances to be an assistant coach with the national team, primarily under Byers. However, it’s been a while since then, and Jessica has recently been at odds with Sweeney and CASE. Tolson is more than qualified, and if Queen Cassie III really wanted to change up everything to do with the organization, then Tolson is the best choice. However, you can only do that if you wanted to clean house, because current CASE members would not be willing to work with Jessica. Therefore, it’s not going to happen, but our Victoriaville readership would send me a bunch of angry comments that I did not mention her, so there it is, Victoriaville.

Brooke Sutter- If you want to hire someone that is not in their 60's or higher, to be the new President of CASE, then how can you look past Brooke Sutter? Sutter is a former World Cup defender and captain and has played for Brittany Byers. She’s also 53, which is about as young as you are going to get and still be considered for this position. Although she does not have any international managing experience, that is not necessarily a pre-requisite of this position, and what she has done domestically is very appealing. Brooke took over Starksville Coastal when they were a lower table team in the Premier Division, perennially underachieving and gradually built the roster to turn them into contenders. Now, Coastal is the two-time defending champion of the CSL, and Brooke deserves a lot of credit for that. It should also be noted that when Stephanie Sweeney was promoted, Queen Cassie III went for the younger option, and the Queen may find someone who, by the way, is her about her age as well, to take over CASE in hopes that they are there for a long time.

International Candidates? Like I said, it is unexpected that an international candidate would be named to the position, due to everything that it encompasses and that it such a move would be unprecedented. Above everything else, such candidate would be expected to move to Cassadaigua, and while they would not necessarily have to become a citizen, they will essentially be living the rest of their life here. Therefore, it is a massive commitment, but if this is something that seemed appealing to someone else, they will have to contact the Royal Palace and let it be known that they want their name thrown into the hat of consideration.

Recent World Cup Games with Cassadagan scorers:

Cassadaigua 2–2 Legalese (Lexi McGregor 11', Shannon Cunningham 74')

Kimi-Suomi 1–3 Cassadaigua (Chrissy Engle 25', Kaitlin Millikan 45+3', Lexi McGregor 63')

by **Sarzonia** » Sun Mar 31, 2024 6:13 pm

After Sarzonia opened World Cup 96 qualifying with a win and a draw against the two lowest ranked teams in Group 18, it looked like manager Caleb Rush and the Sarzonian national football team missed their best chance to earn the maximum possible number of points and contend, even if briefly, for a place in the proper.

He wasn't counting on how the next two matches in the friendly confines of Dave Wilson Stadium against the two highest ranked teams in the group would go. After their Earth-shattering upset over Ko-oren, they'd also get a 4-2 win against Ochre Islands in front of a packed house that thundered their approval. Sure, the 112th ranked team in the multiverse beating No. 44 didn't shake football to its foundation, but it was a notable accomplishment nonetheless.

Coupled with Ko-oren defeating a Carpathia and Ruthenian team 2-0 that held sway in the group until their visit to Ko-oren and the group favourites lay their belated claim to the top of the table with 12 points from their five matches. The combined results give Sarzonia the edge for runner-up by virtue of goal differential.

Yes, Sarzonia missed out on two of a possible six points against the group's minnows, but claiming seven points of a maximum nine from the teams ahead of them in the KPB ranks gives Sarzonia a 3-2-0 record.

Rush told the media he didn't want the team to get ahead of themselves just yet.

"We've got one more match before the end of the first half of qualifying," he said. "We're going to be facing these same teams again. We won't be able to sneak up on anyone in the second half." Especially not a Dragonflies side that has thus far only allowed one goal in their five matches, tallied by Stars forward Spencer Wilson.

"They're likely going to come out fired up to prove themselves against us," goalkeeper John Wells said. "However, we can't get ahead of ourselves. We've got Saint-Jean-Jacques et Burnham-on-Stove in brutal conditions up next. Then we're playing in a wasteland in Labalia, or what's left of it."

The match against Saint-Jean-Jacques et Burnham-on-Stove will take place at Xicohtzinco Community College Ballpark, a baseball pitch in a desert climate where the temperature at kickoff is expected to exceed 41⁰ Celsius. Rush said he didn't plan to lodge a protest against the extreme weather conditions or the "criminally subpar field conditions" expected at the baseball diamond.

"It's simple gamesmanship. [Tapirs manager Gilles] Bourguignon admitted as much," Rush said. He said the team would have an alternate grey kit in place of the usual navy blue colour of the usual away kits.

"The darker colour absorbs sunlight more and make it difficult for players in the extreme heat we'll be facing," he said. "The grey is as light a colour as we can wear. Besides that, we'll be able to take hydration breaks when necessary to preserve the health and safety of the players." Rush was asked if he planned any retaliatory response.

"Hopefully we can get a result," he said. "That would be the best form of retaliation I can think of."

by **HUElavia** » Sun Mar 31, 2024 6:29 pm

HUElavia 2–0 Baggieland
(de la Cruz 10', Nascimento 83')
Estadio Nacional, Curumba, HUElavia

New Fernia 1–3 HUElavia
(Bell 83' | Canchon 13', Rossi-Rigoni 61', Ricci 89')
OneFern Stadium, Ferncliffe, New Fernia

Amaria

The State of Bright Lights and Stars

Whenever people hear the name of HUElavia, one of the thoughts that come up is the pristine and beautiful beaches along the coastline. While there are many beautiful beaches throughout HUElavia, none stand to that along the coastline of Amaria. Located to the northwest of HUElavia, Amaria is 37th out of 42 in terms of size, but well over 54.7 million HUElavians call Amaria home, making it the 4th most populace state in the country. Amaria is also one of the most popular states to work and live in, given that two of their cities serve major industry centers for the country.

A wave and sunset in northern Amaria.

The largest city and state capital for Amaria is none other than HUEsilia, home to over 15.9 million HUElavians. The city is a mix of Portuzian, Hueti, and general Aesian culture (mainly Yamoto), where it it filled with bright and tall skyscrapers, plenty of enjoyable vibes in the area, and plenty of activities to do. One of the most famous places in the city is the San Pedro Boardwalk, where an amusement park, restaurants and shops are along said boardwalk for people to partake and enjoy. HUEsilia is also home to many movie studios throughout HUElavia, where said studios employ several hundred of thousands of HUElavians within the Film Industry.

Besides the multitude of restaurants that one could visit catering to just about any culture, there is plenty of locations for one to visit, such as the HUEsilia Arts Museum (dedicated to the wide variety of paintings done by HUElavian artists), the HUElavia Car Museum (dedicated to Cars created by HUElavian brands and some of the famous cars from around the multiverse), and Greenstone National Park, found in the outskirts where various trees from throughout the state are displayed for people to enjoy and take in a natural reserve.

HUEsilia skyline at sunset

Sega is the other major city in Amaria, as it is home to many technological companies, ranging from computers to video game companies to animation/anime studios to home appliances. Sega is home to mainly Yamoto-HUElavians originating from Sakura, home to over 15.4 million HUElavians is one of the most popular places for tourists, both domestic and international alike, to visit. From the electric, modern buildings and high rises to the traditional homes and museums dedicated to Yamoto Architecture, Sega has it all as a homage to the Yamoto Culture.

Some of the most famous places to visit include the Chiba Shrine (modeled after a famous Shinto Shrine in Sakura built in the 15th century), Kamurocho District (a district filled with bars and clubs that are popular among the local and foreign alike), and "O-Town" (district where various media from Anime, Manga and Video Games are sold en masse, whether created in HUElavia or in Sakura).

The most famous natural area of Amaria is Toin, located to the Northwest of the state, where a natural, thermal current runs under the body of waters in the area, making plenty of hot springs to appear throughout the area. Thus, Toin is a popular area in the state for people looking to escape some of the cold weather in the more elevated areas of the country. On top of that, various inns are around the city, offering a unique Yamoto-HUElavian tradition of service, mixing both cultures in the experience. Hot springs are a dime a dozen in the area, but some bodies of water have been left out in the open, serving as a neat tourist point for tours to pass by and talk about the geology of the area.

by **Chromatika** » Sun Mar 31, 2024 6:42 pm

World Cup 96 Qualifying Fortnight 3 Results

Matchday 6: Chromatika 0-0 West Barack and East Obama
Goals: None
Starting XI: Fillar, J. (C); Coulibaly - Régine - Aimée; Fillar, G. - Larriet-Cortes - Fillar, B. - Fillar, E.; Kuznetsov; Xuen-Zhukov - Delaya.
Substitutes: Hauser -> Kuznetsov (55'), Nodis -> Aimée (55'), Howard-Dawes -> Delaya (66'), Jackson-Jones -> Régine (66'), Kruetzberg -> Fillar, G. (82')
Summary: Despite possessing the ball 68% of the time and outshooting the visitors, a sold-out crowd at the Capitalizt Dome could do nothing but watch on as West Barack and East Obama were able to hold the Chromatiks to another nil-nil draw - making it the second time in a row that the two sides have played a goalless match. Chromatika had the best shots on goal, the more spectacular play, and the momentum, but Dwayne Obama the veteran proved to be too much of an enigma to get past. Chromatika dropped a key opportunity to distance themselves as the best team in the group.
World Cup 96 Qualifying Fortnight 4 Pool (@ Abanhfleft, @ Equestria)

Starters: GK Do Seung-Min (1923 Esca, Mytanija); DCR Odwin Muir (Serrapince, Tumbra) - DC Rowan Harry (Chemberley City, Sylestone) - DCL Twilight Mixon (Lakewood City, Tumbra); WBR Ibayashi Haitou (Mipojoseon, Quebec and Shingoryeo) - DLP Alija Mesic-Mizayaki (St. John's Arsenal, Quebec and Shingoryeo) - AM Alissar Phoen (Dynamo Sjoedrhavn, Savojarna) - WBL Nemes Mátyás (Auprussia NF, Auprussia); AP Evin Françine-Miklavivec (1923 Esca, Mytanija); P Sandara Park (Montreal Koreana, Quebec and Shingoryeo) - CF Nam Il-San (Avanaroch White Wings FC, Tikariot)
Reserves: GK Hailee Sourtois (Directus, Eura), GK Jill Swanson (Crossroads, Chromatika), DCR Aoi Kyouka (Avondale City, Sylestone), DC Eileen Jackson-Jones (Avanaroch White Wings FC, Tikariot), DCL Uemura Saburo (Excelsior, Sylestone), DCL Cylie Nodis (Chromatik, Chromatika), WBR Cyrus Vette (West Couno United, Tumbra), WBL Róża Panaś (Jinja City FC, Banija), WBR Emilie Kruetzberg (Lakewood United, Tumbra), CDM Jayla Lethbridge-Antonio (Coret Hawks, Nephara), DLP Marion Goo (Crossroads, Chromatka), AP Haley Hauser (Spartangrad, Eura), AF Elaine Howard-Dawes (Couno Rangers, Tumbra), AF Marietta "Marie" Fucheux (Perce Town, Quebec and Shingoryeo), AF Lavrentiy Xuen-Zhukov (Myana, Chromatika)
Preview: With the third string players having done very well in their first outing, Lev Repin and the brass have decided to give them two more matches to close out the qualifying cycle. Look for Xuen-Zhukov and Howard-Dawes to enter if the Chromatiks show any sign of slowing down, as well as the inclusion of one Haley Hauser. If West Barack and East Obama keep on the Anomalies' tail, this also may be the last set of matches before the usual starters take over for the final five games - as auto-qualification is that important.

Part 1 - Overview
Part 2 - Agriculture/Apiculture
Part 3 - Housing Infrastructure

THE REBUILD
IV: Ecology - The Tragedy of the Eyrodii Jungle

One of the biggest surprises in the Chromatik landscape when it comes to both temperature, ecology, zoology, and makeup was the city of Eyrods. Right next to the only temperate area in Chromatika - the Eyrodii Jungle, caused by some long-lost magic that have never really been explained - the city was not only the ecological capital of Chromatika, but the leader in sustainable technology, ecological research, and any fields that had to do with coexisting with the environment at large. So many species of plants and animals, bugs and other forms of life only existed in the jungle, and the scientists were getting closer and closer to figuring out what was making the jungle exist - in scientific terms instead of terms used by magic-users, of course.

So, when the jungle actually became the epicenter of the Abyssal Invasion, the result was the complete and utter destruction of one of the things that made Chromatika completely unique compared to any other country in the multiverse. By the time that the Yesopalithan-Chromatik alliance was able to take back the eastern half of Myana Island, the corruption of the Abyss had been seeped into the very soil and water of the jungle to the point that it was a festering swamp instead. All of the plants and animals had adapted to it by becoming corrupted themselves, leading to many poisonous and other unpleasant varieties being formed. Springs that had given life and respite to thousand of animals in the past were now geysers of poison that emitted sulfurous gas when they hit the ground. No longer was the area the mecca of living things in Chromatika - it was instead a sickening reminder of what the country had lost.

The Yesopalithan clerics and other such diviners performed a series of delicate, precise experiments to determine if there would be a way to restore the jungle to the way it was. After a period of intense study, it was determined that it would be impossible to revert things back to the way they were, the primary cause being the fact that the magic that had created the Eyrodii Jungle was not Yesopalithan in origin. As the Yesopalithans had no idea what the original version of the jungle looked like, they were not able to determine what would be needed to restore the jungle back to its original state. The best they would be able to do was to return it back to normal land - but it would no longer be a temperate jungle in the middle of a rather cold land.

At least, to their credit, the Yesopalithans were able to revert the fauna and flora back to how they were before they were corrupted. As the size of the life forms that had endured the corruption was considerably smaller than the jungle itself, divine magic was able to be used to draw the corruption out of the various amphibians, mammals, and plants that had been impacted. This brought a lot of joy to the Chromatik ecological community, though they were then faced with the challenge of now having to house the animals and plants in a different environment, as Eyrods would no longer be the only temperate climate in Chromatika. Some were sent to greenhouses, others to zoos, and even others overseas to other countries in Anaia and beyond where they would be able to exist without much issue.

With the absence of the Eyrodii Jungle, the Eyrods that is to come - there are plans to rebuild the city and keep the original name - will have to work especially hard if it wants to retain the title of being the ecological capital of Chromatika. The advantages that it had enjoyed by having a tremendously diverse ecosystem in its backyard would no longer be there, and the city would have to do things the hard way - like every other city in the country had had to do in the past. Thankfully, most of the scientific community that had made its home in Eyrods seems very keen in coming back, taking it upon themselves to help the city return to its roots. They claim that though it was the jungle nearby that had given Eyrods a head start in regards to studying ecology, it was actually the people that had congregated there that was the true advantage the city had - as the people had been the ones to actually do the research, after all.

Many grants will be provided to those that study ecology, especially in and around the city of Eyrods. The Chromatik government and the learned community at large would love to see a redemption story for one of the marvels of Chromatik history. It is a bit lower on the priority list as far as what the focus of the rebuild is, but the interest is absolutely there once the powers that be get to it.

The tragedy of the Eyrodii Jungle and the eastern half of Myana Island is proving to be a rallying cry for ecological activists around the country, as they now say that there is no excuse for Chromatika to not move toward coexisting more and more with the environment now that they do not have a magical jungle to help them out. Once the rebuild has gathered enough steam, the Spade Party and the Red Party are expected to push more extreme ecological reforms to combat the industrialization of the country. How far they will be able to push the agenda will determine a lot going forward - as money, per usual, will be the biggest limiting factor in getting any ecological agenda going.

It is true that the wisest among us say that it isn't wise to look back at what could've been. However, it's impossible to not look back at the spectacle that was the Eyrodii Jungle and wonder just how much more Chromatika could've learned from it. Instead, those of us that remain will have to use its memory as a reminder to never stop dreaming of a future in which we will be able to truly coexist with nature while living out our dreams.

-Dr. Marcus Fetterman, Professor of Ecology-

Disclaimer: All words of Dr. Fetterman are his opinions, backed by certain facts. They are not to be viewed as anything otherwise.

by **Zenic** » Sun Mar 31, 2024 10:23 pm

“Not an ideal set of games but still overall positive, I would say,” uttered Zys.

Zys was ruminating about the World Cup Qualifiers now that they were roughly halfway done. It had been a solid start to the qualifying campaign this time around. Currently third place in Group 12 with three wins, a draw, and a loss behind only two teams: the slowly-becoming-the-Survivors-Achilles-heel Sylestone and multi-youth level world cup champion Commonwealth of Baker Park. And how they’ve been playing has been mostly positive as well.

All three victories were vital in their own way: the 2-1 win against The Union of Ventura helped get the jitters out of the player’s systems. Meanwhile, the 1-0 win against Jeruselem proved that Zenic’s performance against the top teams in the Copa Rushmori and International Confederations Cup were not a fluke. Finally, their 4-1 smashing of Al-Tamazgha proved that they could rebound after disappointing results. Two goals each from Gentile and BYFORD of all people rounded out by goals from Dejulio, Shuji, Lawal, and Aeneas displayed a healthy distribution of goalscoring managers love to see. The biggest surprise was Thuan Byford coming in hot from his performances in the Tikariot Premier League and playing excellent defense while also showing off his expanded repertoire (expanded for a defender anyways) on offense. On the flip side, the defense was solid but feeling the effects of the barrage from consistent elevated offensive firepower. Back to back tournament settings against some of the best in the world followed by a grueling slugfest of a qualifier has caused the back three and Mosley some migraines. Allowing only half as many goals as they’ve scored is still very impressive and one clean sheet so far is a step in the right direction, matching their total in the ICC after having none in their Copa championship run.

Meanwhile, their loss and draw were disappointing but not without their valuable lessons to learn from. Once again, Zys and the Survivors were outmatched against Mojmir Ana and the Sentients with essentially a repeat of the ICC semifinal matchup. Despite the frustration in the immediate, Zys was able to look back on it and realize that while the gap in talent still separated them, it also wasn’t growing any larger. As long as the players and staff improved day by day, opponent by opponent, there would come a day where Zenic could overcome the hurdle of Sylestone. On their draw to Raspotochje, they learned the hard way: complacency was equal to death. While a talented squad, they should have defeated the Raspotochjeans, especially within the borders of the Empire. But, Zys felt that the players were looking ahead to Baker Park far too eagerly instead of the opponents at hand and that the late goal by Altwidus Aeneas saved the squad from a larger embarrassment. Hopefully, living through this experience should show them the errors of their ways.

Now, the Empire was prepping to face the onslaught of the back half of qualifying. This squad had gone through qualifiers before but never when they had a legitimate chance at qualifying for two of the most prestigious tournaments of all time: the World Cup and Cup of Harmony. Playing well enough to get the same or better result against the same opponents while also bringing something slightly different in order to catch them off guard was a rather new challenge for these youngsters but one that Zys felt they were ready to face.

But first, they had to finish the first half of the qualifying campaign and they hoped to do it with a strong showing against the Commonwealth of Baker Park. Preferably with a win.

by **United Mandaran States** » Mon Apr 01, 2024 1:23 am

Part I | Part II | Part III-A

Road to Unification

Part III-B : A Series of Elections - Cendana Islands Part

Several states were holding their general election before the unification process even started. These elections were considered important to see how the politics have shifted in the area. 5 out of 8 Mandaran states were holding their election before the process. Three of them were Pemecutan and its former states, Manguwirajya and Petang Islands. And the other two were Toluiwa and Gili Anakan. Each of which have its own voting system. Pemecutan and Manguwirajya continue to use FPTP. While Petang Islands use a mix of FPTP and party-list proportional representation. Similar to Petang Islands, Gili Anakan have a mixed system but the different is a third of its parliament members are appointed by the King. And Toluiwa use party-list proportional representative for its lower house. Among them, only Gili Anakan who have unicameral parliament. While amongst the bicameral country, Pemecutan and Manguwirajya upper house are appointed by the King. In Pemecutan case, it is appointed with the approval of Rajya Sabha.

2024 Toluiwa Parliamentary Election

Toluiwan parliamentary election was heavily influenced by the fact that the country joined in the unification process. Despite their failed attempt to speed up the process, but their effort was seen as a drive for Pemecutan to involved more in the process. However, the unification was seen as something that might deteriorate the nationalism within the country. Thus, affecting the support for the current government which led by Partai Demokrasi Toluiwa (PDT, Toluiwan Democratic Party) and a shift in popularity towards nationalist party, Partai Toluiwa Bersatu (PTB, United Toluiwa Party) which currently seating as the opposition. On the other hand, the rise of nationalism also affecting the popularity of region-based parties, Partai Rakyat Samawa (PRS, Samawa People's Party) and Partai Masyarakat Donggo (PMD, Donggo Community Party).

Majelis Nasional
(National Assembly)
Party Composition


Dewan Rakyat Toluiwa (Toluiwa People's Council) - Lower House
Party                     Code    Seat
Partai Toluiwa Bersatu     PTB     22
Partai Kemakmuran Rakyat   PKR      9
Partai Pemuda Nasional     PPN      4
Partai Masyarakat Donggo   PMD      7
Government                         52

Partai Demokrasi Toluiwa   PDT     21
Partai Liberal Toluiwa     PLT     13
Partai Rakyat Samawa       PRS      7
Opposition                         39

Partai Cinta Alam          PCA      4
Independent                IND      5
Crossbencher                        9

Dewan Negara Toluiwa (Toluiwa State's Council) - Upper House
Party                     Code    Seat
Partai Toluiwa Bersatu     PTB     14
Partai Kemakmuran Rakyat   PKR      5
Partai Masyarakat Donggo   PMD      9
Government                         28

Partai Demokrasi Toluiwa   PDT     15
Partai Liberal Toluiwa     PLT      6
Partai Rakyat Samawa       PRS      5
Opposition                         26

Independent                IND      2
Crossbencher                        2

The result of the election shows tight popular votes between PTB and PDT. Both parties have only 1 seat difference with PTB winning the election. This result was a big failure for PDT. The party lose 6 seats from the previous election. Their biggest defeat was in Mbojo Province where they lose 7 seats, but they managed to gain 1 seat in Sanggar Province tying with PTB and PMD in seat number. Despite winning the election, PTB only gain 1 seat more than the election which is not much. The largest seat gainer was PMD who receive 3 more seats than the previous election. While PCA is getting back to Dewan Rakyat after winning 2 seats this election.

To establish the government, PTB attract some other parties to join in their coalition. Their previous coalition were consisting of PTB, PPN, PMD and PRS. However, PRS decided to become opposition and join PDT coalition. And the surprise is the joining of PKR in the government coalition. On the other hand, PCA decide to become crossbencher together with Independent councilors. With the composition, they secure 52 seats in Dewan Rakyat. While in Dewan Negara, they receive an exactly 50% of the total seats or 28 seats. It means that their position in Dewan Negara is not secure, and stalemate could possibly happen if the crossbencher sided the opposition. In the end, PTB leader, Husein Abdul Taher is sworn as the new Prime Minister of Toluiwa.

2024 Gili Anakan General Election

Gili Anakan held their election only a few weeks apart from Toluiwa. The country is one of only 2 countries in the Mandaran region to have a unicameral parliament. The other being Rarungan. And not just that, a third of its parliament members are directly appointed by the King himself. This happens because the King or Sultan of Gili Anakan have a huge power that the country is somewhat an absolute monarchy. From their establishment in 1989, the Sultan has governed the country with the help of Consultative Assembly. This assembly consist of 30 members who are elected directly by the Sultan. They are all independent as no political party allowed. The surge of democratization emerged at the turn of the millennium. A new bill was introduced to give their citizens a right to involved in an organization including political party. The first party then created Partai Amanat Rakyat (PAR, People's Mandate Party). The party is largely conservative and religious. The first election was held in 2004 to select 30 members of the Consultative Assembly. However, only 15 seats that were open to vote while the other half were appointed directly by the Sultan. PAR only won 5 out of 15 seats in the first election and leaving the other 10 seats to independent candidates. Gradually, PAR gain more and more seats. Leading to the 2016 election, a second party join in. They are Aliansi Demokrasi Kerakyatan (ADK, People's Democratic Alliance). Differ from the conservative and religious PAR, this new political party is more liberal and socialist. And in 2016 election, PAR won 7 seats while ADK won 5 seats with the other 3 won by independent candidates.

Changes were made in 2020 election. First, the number of seats is increase to 35. Second, the appointed members are reduced from half to a third of the total seats which account to 12 seats. Third, there have to be an equal number of persons to be appointed by the Sultan from each island. Therefore, there are 4 appointed seats for each island. And for the public seats, Gili Lawang who have the largest population receive 11 seats then followed by Gili Sulat with 7 and the last is Gili Petagan with 5 seats, totaling 23 seats. And fourth, no independent candidate is allowed to compete in the public seat leaving all 23 seats for the two parties to grab. In the election, PAR won the election and receive 13 seats while ADK only won 10 seats.

Similar with Toluiwa, Gili Anakan's election was affected by the unification process where both parties actually receive a rather similar support boost. The unification is seen as a great instrument to liberate the country and end the absolutism. ADK supporters believe that democratization will influence the country and can help them to transition into a constitutional monarchy. On the other hand, PAR supporters afraid that the unification will bring more people into the country. So, it is the native responsibility to maintain their culture and identity. Based on these factors, the political experts believe the 2024 election will be a tight one.

Majelis Konsultatif Nasional
National Consultative Assembly
Party Composition


Party                         Code    GL     GP     GS     Seat
Aliansi Demokrasi Kerakyatan   ADK     5      4      3      12
Partai Amanat Rakyat           PAR     6      1      4      11
Independent                    IND     4      4      4      12
Total                                 15      9     11      35

Note:
GL = Gili Lawang
GP = Gili Petagan
GS = Gili Sulat
Independents are appointed by the Sultan

Party                         Code    Seat
Aliansi Demokrasi Kerakyatan   ADK     12
Independent                    IND      8
Government                             20

Partai Amanat Rakyat           PAR     11
Independent                    IND      4
Government                             15

And just like the expert's prediction, the election was tight. PAR maintain their lead in Gili Lawang and Gili Sulat although by a slight margin. But they were defeated in Gili Petagan. The total seat receives by PAR is 11 seats or 2 seats less than the previous election. While ADK success to won 12 seats. ADK needs supports from at least 6 independent members appointed by the Sultan to secure the majority in the Assembly. In the end, they receive 8 supports from the independent candidate. With this result, ADK leader is given permission by the Sultan to establish the government.

World Cup 81/82/83/84

Bees turning corner to 2nd half of campaign
Scott McCrae
The Mail on Sunday Chief Soccer Writer

In spite of dropping their first match in World Cup 96 Qualifying to Sylestone, a 1-0 loss at the Chamberly Institute of Sport in front over 100,000 spectators—the first ever victory for the Sentients in four meetings--the Baker Park National Team are bullish on their chances as they stand at the moment with a pair of home fixtures that could solidify their spot in the Group 12 table.

Rogers Stadium will be the scene for the visit of Zenic, the reigning Copa Rushmori Champions, who will present a formidable challenge for the Gold & Black.

“I can tell you that in my mind the CR is maybe at the moment the toughest regional going. I think our group (Arrosia nee Atlantian Oceania) and the Anians are maybe a step behind but it's hard to quantify with so many nations in limbo right now”, was Will Barnard's opening comment at the media availability session at Birkenfeld.
“We've really gotten a little too cut off from some of our Rushmori opponents that we usually measure ourselves against. I certainly don't think they (Zenic) are going to be overwhelmed by the occasion or terribly concerned with playing us. We need to concentrate on our business and focus on the P4* as we head into the return matches.”

On the eighth day of qualifying the scene shifts to Belle Haven where Jeruselem will be the opponent for the 1,100th match in FAC history, although there's no special commemoration planned; the 700th match in the mixed gender era will be the fixture given a ceremony when it comes at some point after the WCQ schedule is completed (prior to the Baptism of Fire 67, Baker Park played 410 recognized international fixtures, hence the milestones between the all-time and “modern era” are always separated by 10 matches).

The Tiger Princesses will be looking to make amends for their lackluster performance in their home leg of the tie in the third appearance at the BBP Stadium.
Barnard: “I don't expect another four goal victory, because it's always been fairly evenly matched with them. We have always taken them very seriously as opponents, because they have longevity that's nearly unequaled. I think they're near the top in number of World Cup qualifying matches played? You know what you're getting when you face them, and I want them to spoil someone elses' hopes as the schedule gets shorter.”

Asked about his overall impressions of the campaign so far, the NT boss put a positive spin on what seemed to be an ambivalent verdict.

“We've played hard with great spirit, real determination and a sense of responsibility. There are so many voices in the dressing room right now that are stepping up to take charge, which we don't want discourage but we've had to tamp down some of the enthusiasm while recognizing the effort. We have everyone in the pool on the same page and embracing the idea that Our Pride Never Dies. I'm excited for this particular doubleheader, because I think it's going to have an influence on the long term future of this National Team.”

*(P4 is the statistical metric that lies at the heart of the BP style of play. Passes Per Minute of Possession in Play.)

Lineup vs Zenic MD 7

Callaway; Milner, Obodime, Finnegan; Martini, D'Alessandro, Garfield, Altman (C); McDavid; Coleman, Diaz
subs: Albertson, Frost, Kucera, Morris, C Logan, Olivera, Vetter, McFairlaine, Price, Obulundi, Riley

Lineup vs Jeruselem MD 8

Rossi; Frost, Kucera, McKenzie; C Logan (C), Olivera, Vetter, Boyle; Price; Obulundi, Khan
subs: Cotterill, Finnegan, Jones, Morris, Douglas, D'Alessandro, Morgan, McFairlaine, Riley, Coleman, Cohen-Abdullah

____________________________________________________________________
Engels to miss remainder of WCQ
by Travis Mosely
The Sunday Post Soccer Correspondent

Shelby Engels has been ruled out of the rest of qualifying and beyond after suffering a possible fracture of the left ankle.
She was withdrawn from the 1-0 loss to Sylestone in the 56th minute after attempting to make an inside cut without any contact with another player; she was removed via stretcher after several minutes of medical attention.

Fatima Khan will replace Engels in the primary player pool for the remaining fixtures.

by **Captina Island** » Mon Apr 01, 2024 2:30 am

Captina Island holding their own so far
The Captina Company Press Association

The Captina Company National Team will face back to back away fixtures over the next two World Cup Qualifying matchdays, as the Rosso e Oro will visit Sargossa and then restart the rota again in the United Mandarin States, which was formerly know as Pemecutin.

Following their bye on matchday five, the side welcomed Bostopia to Geneva City at TCC Sports Ground and came away with a third victory thus far in the tournament, a 3-1 decision over the nation that is purportedly located in the region of Anaia and has always been so.

The break and then getting back on the winning foot was a confidence booster after the National Team suffered a pair of defeat after opening the campaign with two wins; the 1-0 loss against Ile de Richelieu at the Sports Ground came in the team's 100th all-time match in front of a capacity crowd of over 25,000, the largest to witness an international sporting contest on the Island. The following trip to Eshialand has been the only time the Rosso e Oro have looked overmatched as they succumbed to a 4-0 drubbing against the second seeds.

Captina are currently third in table on nine points, just behind UMS (12) and Eshialand (11) with Sargossa just a point behind in fourth; every point gained is important in a sprint towards the Finals and with three of their final five matches at home Captina will be a threat all the way through to the end of the qualifying phase.

World Cup 96 - Roleplay Thread

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WCQ-96 MD5-6

WCQ-96 MD5-6

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