World Cup 96 - Roleplay Thread

by **Audioslavia** » Tue Apr 23, 2024 6:02 am

Bulls on the Brink

It's a good job that the rise of stats journalism in Audioslavia has been so swift, as readers of sports articles throughout the country will need to have had plenty of practice with figures if they're to figure out their national team's path through to the second round.

First of all, the team must defeat Josifovo on matchday three. Secondly, Sylestone must lose to Kelssek in the simultaneous match. Thirdly, a four-goal swing must happen. If the Bulls win 1-0, we need Sylestone to lose by three. If the Bulls win 3-0, we just need Sylestone to lose. These results plus a three-goal swing puts things into the hands of the gods, with a coin-flip deciding which of the two teams will progress.

With zero goals and zero wins in two games, you get the feeling Bulls fans would accept 50/50 odds.

It might all have been different if, during a bright spell at the start of the Kelssek game, the Bulls could have gotten themselves on the scoresheet. Lúnquerque's fierce sixth-minute shot had rattled the foot of Maraipu's post and sparked a nervy period for the favourites, who time and again showed some poor decision-making at the back when under pressure. Camserhe's clearing header on nine minutes could only find Gabriel Buvalelli, who slotted in a through-pass for Lunquerque to hook wide of the goal, before an intercepted Buené pass on twelve minutes resulted in Brandon Bruhn being let through on goal, only to see his shot deflected off of Maraipu's outstretched arm and wide for a corner.

Kelssek, however, would soon gather themselves and take the game the other way. Audioslavia were lucky to escape on twenty-five minutes when Pelle's attempt at a glamorous cross-field pass was underhit, allowing a three-on-three situation for Kelssek on the counter. Ahmad and Heer contrived to twist the Audioslavian back three hither and thither before finding a ball through to an Deòir, whose finish had Helder well beaten, but the curling ball refused to turn that final corner inside the post.

Undeterred, Kelssek would take the lead on the half-hour mark. A simple spell of pressure resulted in the tiniest of gaps opening on the left hand side, into which Heer would play a through-ball for an Deòir to smash uncomplicatedly into the roof of the net with Helder flat footed.

The mission for Audioslavia became getting into the tunnel for half-time at just one goal down, a feat helped by Helder's ability to punch any and all crosses to safety as the leaders pressed for a second. Nevertheless, a second-half Bulls fightback never materialised. A hopeful Trigintillion hit from the corner of the area sailed harmlessly wide on fifty-four minutes, and that was the last sniff of goal the Bulls truly had. Kelssek, resolute in defence and bossing the game in midfield, put the tie beyond doubt on sixty-three minutes, with substitute Goh-Lemaire finishing from three yards seemingly unseen by an Audioslavia defence that had, by this point, too many times been caught on their heels by Kelssek's fast-paced attacking play.

Four or Eight years ago*, the Bulls found it within themselves to win their final game of the World Cup group stage, only for mathematics to stand between them and the second round. That time, the side took advantage of an under-strength Kelssek side that had already qualified for the second stage. This time, the side will have to face a Josifovo team rooted to the bottom of the table, looking to take some measure of consolation from a tough first tournament, while also hoping Sylestone fail where the Bulls once succeeded.

In short: The next time you read the word "The Aesthetic", it'll likely have 'Cyc 97' underneath.

*don't ask

by **Tumbra** » Tue Apr 23, 2024 6:42 am

MATCHDAY Magazine — World Cup Box Scores
Tumbra 2-1 The Holy Empire

TMB (4-3-3): 12 - Richard Russell; 2 - Annie Renton, 4 - Stephen Kerr, 5 - Wendy Pritchett (24 - Belinda Proudfoot, 45'), 3 - Tracey Mercurio (19 - James Green, 85'); 6 - Trudy Harrison, 15 - Lucas McCormick (8 - Ian Robertson, 72'), 16 - Victor Leighton; 7 - Valerie Wells (17 - Erin Robertson, 85'), 21 - Audrey Pearson; 11 - Charlotte Henshaw (22 - Edward Maddison, 72')

TMB scorers: Audrey Pearson (8'), Victor Leighton (84')

Player of the Match: Victor Leighton [TMB]
A WIN AGAINST A DEPLETED Holy Empire squad would end up sealing the fate of five-time world champions, who would join Tikariot, Reçueçn, Josifovo, and Quebec as part of the first five sides to be eliminated from the World Cup. It would be a late goal from Victor Leighton who would end up sealing the game for the Black Eagles, as they completed a comeback after going 1-0 down in the first five minutes. "It was a good, solid win, and I think our players showed great character and strength to respond to playing against a highly unorthodox squad," said Tumbran national team manager Michael Campbell after the match. "To progress from the group stage you have to win these kinds of games, and beating the second seed I think makes up for our not-very-good display against Tanirinthia." The rare praise from manager Campbell — who usually focuses on dissecting his team's performances with the press, before an ever-present warning to avoid complacency — was perhaps an indication that he was more relieved at the outcome of the match than he let on; particularly as it leaves Tumbra in a good place to progress to the second round so long as they can get a result against Indusse of the final matchday of the group stage.

A controversial penalty awarded in the fourth minute of the game — after Imperial clown "Doink Wambo" took a pratfall in the box after what seemed to be a coming-together with defender Wendy Pritchett and then proceeded to roll around the entire distance of the penalty box, smearing the grass with white, yellow, and red make-up — nearly led to blows after Wendy Pritchett bent down and shouted at the Imperial midfielder to get up. She had to be restrained by vice captain Stephen Kerr, and was subbed off at half time. "At that point, yes, it was clear to me that Wendy might be a potential card risk," said Campbell. "I don't necessarily endorse what she did, but I think that the circumstances of what happened leading up to the penalty might have made someone already in the mood more likely to lash out." Pritchett, for her part, apologised after the game for a reaction that she deemed "over-the-top" and "unbecoming of someone wearing the Tumbran shirt." Both Campbell and Pritchett, however, seemed to shy away from what commentators universally agreed was the poor performance of the referee, Fernando Brunes; special commentator Robin Vaughn, part of the Tumbran Broadcasting Corporation (TBC)'s coverage of the World Cup, said that Brunes' performance "started shambolically, with the award of the penalty; then got worse, as he lost control of the game more and more." Footage from after the game showed that Wambo's pratfall was very much exaggerated and likely would have earned Wambo a yellow card for simulation; but with the refusal of anyone from the Tumbran Football Federation or the national team to comment on the event after the game, it will likely remain as a mere blip in the Black Eagles' campaign, regardless of how long more it may last.

Fellow clown Doodles von Honkerson would sink the penalty, his second goal of the World Cup; but Tumbra, seemingly with momentum on their side after witnessing the controversial penalty call, moved harshly against the Imperial team. The movements would culminate in a sweeping counteroffensive movement which would see Audrey Pearson level the scores just three minutes after. Tumbra would seek to lock down the Imperial team after, intent on not allowing any more such incidents from happening, but striker Charlotte Henshaw would be foiled on multiple occasions by the unusual style of shoes worn by Imperial goalkeeper Twinkle; something that Michael Campbell also blithely commented on after the game. "I don't see how such apparel was approved by the World Cup Committee, if I'm being honest," he said sardonically. "But if the WCC started enforcing rules and standards beyond the normal Laws of the Game, then I think we'd see many more incidents such as whatever that Hexit thing the Holy Empire's team keeps calling for is"

To the great disappointment of many a Tumbran fan, Bojo the Clown, who had dominated headlines before the game for his outlandish claims and even more ludicrous personal life, was not present for the game, nor was he in the Origas Arena at all. His red card in the Empire's 5-1 loss against Indusse would mean he would miss the match. The Empire was also down defender "Stucco Stumble," leading to a very thin squad being stretched even further; Internet comments before the game on the Internet reckoned that the Holy Empire were scraping the "bottom of the barrel" of talent. " Without Bojo, the team seemed to lose much of its popularity amongst the travelling Tumbran crowd; attempted antics from the Imperial squad throughout the match were met with rounds of boos from the Black Eagles. "It's just not the same without Bojo," said a fan after the game on an interview with the TBC. "I think he was really the only one able to push Hexit through, and I don't think they'll be able to properly get Hexit done without him." Another fan, demonstrating a substantially less sympathetic outlook towards Bojo and the Krazy Klown Kollege, remarked in that same interview that "well, he's gotten Hexit done — probably not the Hexit he wanted, mind, but it's certainly a kind of Hexit."

The game would be controlled by Tumbra, as they continued to search for the elusive second goal; ultimately, midfielder Victor Leighton would break the deadlock with six minutes to go with a powerful shot that Twinkle the goalkeeper could not respond to. "I'm very pleased to have been so crucial to this win," said Lakewood City midfielder Leighton after the game. "It's a team effort, of course, but I'm just really happy to be here, and to do this against one of the most storied teams in the world is just a dream come true, really." Midfielder Leighton was awarded the Player of the Match award; Mytanar sporting newspaper Gazeta sporta gave him a rare 8 for his "consistent control of the game" and "excellent playmaking."

Elsewhere in the World Cup, questions have been raised over the standards of the organisation of the tournament in Huayramarca, as two more fire-related incidents brought the total count to four in the mountainous Anaian nation (five total across the World Cup if including one fire-related incident in Mertagne); leading to snarky comments on social media that Huayramarca was perhaps the next Farfadillis when it came to pyro-related incidents in the world of football. Yet both of Group G's matches, thankfully, went on unhindered by any sort of trouble; it stood out as the only group in the World Cup this gameday to not have these incidents. Elsewhere in Mertagne, however, animal rights protestors were out in full force, particularly at the Zenic-HUElavia game and Brookstation-Ko-oren game. "It's been a little more colourful of a World Cup than normal," said Campbell at the end of his press conference. "But I have full faith in the organisers to pull through, and I have full faith that these incidents won't affect our preparations in any way." Two games in Huayramarca would end with five goals scored by both teams; one involved debutants Crpostran securing their first-ever World Cup point against Xanneria in what has been dubbed a fairytale run. The other involved Anaians Vdara, desperately attempting to shrug off a less-than-stellar World Cup group stage record; but would leave Guayaquil perhaps feeling aggrieved that they were unable to come out with a win against the United Mandaran States, formerly known as Pemecutan.

Mertagne
Kurtz

And breathe.

Julie Hardaker felt like she had to remind herself to do that after the final whistle blew; as a troupe of depressed clowns ambled off the pitch, with their ever-present manager Juan Tzimices seemingly intent on ignoring his own team, she stood up, took off her tracksuit jacket, and walked onto the pitch. Next to her was Charlotte Henshaw; she looked slightly uncomfortable in her tracksuit, having just played seventy-two minutes of high-octane football against an actual team comprised of clowns, and looked like she wanted nothing more than to disappear into an ice bath and fall back asleep in Webster, where the team was based. She seemed to let out a long breath of relief, too, and closed her eyes as she sat down on the grass. The mid-afternoon heat had taken its toll on her; as the team's third striker, Edward Maddison, walked back to the bench and squirted half a bottle of a sports drink into his mouth, he let out a long breath.

"Fuckin' — felt worse than Sylestone out there."

"Really?" Julie enquired, curiously.

"They try not to start games when it's hottest, at least." He sighed. "Could've gotten something out of it. Don't know why they let the clowns play as-is."

"Victor did, at least."

Maddison shrugged, as if paying no heed to what Julie had said about midfielder Victor Leighton getting the winning goal. "Fucker in defence kept using his boots to tip the ball away from me. Absolutely ludicrous. Kept honking his bloody nose at me as if it'd stop me from taking the ball. Would've kicked him in the balls if I could. If anything I was thinking he was goading me to."

"Is what it is, I suppose."

"And now what? All that again next time out, and we've got to smash Indusse. Would've been through earlier..."

"Pah," shot back Julie, dismissing Maddison's thinly-veiled critique of her performance against Tanirinthia. "Can't go back in time, can we?" She raised her voice a little, staring Edward Maddison in the eye. The Tumbran hotshot was good, and he knew that, but he had a wild tendency to let his skill go to his head. Julie thought it rather reminded her of a certain ex-national team striker.

"Lads, shut up," groaned Charlotte. "None of us scored. We're all equally shite, yeah? Talk again when we score. Even once."

"Can't score if he won't let me on the pitch," Maddison said, cockily, trying to goad a response from the two women.

Charlotte raised an eyebrow and opened a single, blue eye. "Go on, then. Tell him you want to play. You know exactly what will happen."

Edward seemed to demurr a tad, and shrunk back. He rolled his eyes. "Ugh." He stalked off to go talk to Lucas McCormick, who, in typical fashion, was talking to manager Michael Campbell about tactics. Those who'd finished the ninety had started to head inside for their ice baths; which were never nice but had become an increasingly vital part of the whole sports science regime that dominated modern football these days.

"Big mouth he's got," said Charlotte as she sprung up and started stretching. Fitness coach Alex Kristensen was about to start rounding the substitutes up for rehabilitation drills. "Reminds me of —"

"Nick? Yeah." Julie muttered, darkly. "Wonder how long it'll be till he tries to leave Avondale." Nick Riordan, even now, was probably the best striker Tumbra ever had — indeed, he led the national team's scoring charts, with 82 goals — but a dispute with manager Michael Campbell over his starting role in the national team had led, quite infamously, to Riordan leaving the camp halfway through the World Cup and being declared effectively persona non grata since.

"Won't be pretty, at least," said Charlotte casually. "Like how he left Kingsbury." Maddison had broken onto the scene with Kingsbury United, outscoring the team's supposed starting striker by a fair margin; and had immediately begun agitating for a move. He'd gotten it — Avondale City in Sylestone had swept him up for nine million — but those who'd played with him knew that he'd never really be satisfied with the pay packet he got. "I wonder if it's the money, or the ego," said Julie.

"They both feed each other," offered Charlotte in response. "Ego tells him he needs more money, money feeds the ego. Vicious cycle. Sometimes unavoidable. Kids tend to equate money to skill. Wouldn't be wrong, but they then think it's the only thing."

"It's a career at the end, isn't it? We don't get many second chances here."

"You did," teased Charlotte as she started jogging towards Alex Kristensen. "We all thought you were done for when he brought Audrey Pearson and not you on the right, and him and not you up front. Two years later, and voila! Back from the...well, not exactly dead, hm? Maybe let's say in from the cold."

"Only because Nick decided to walk straight into the wilderness," Julie rued.

"His choice."

"Fair," said Julie, ruminating on how she'd brought her national team career back from the brink. Charlotte was right; not many people tended to get second chances at the national team. People like Chris Finney, Valerie Morris...they'd come and gone, and had practically melted away from relevance the moment they'd been dropped a few times. Her renaissance was a wary one; aided by the fact that most of the Tumbra-based strikers who'd normally be eager to put their names in contention for the national team, like Gerard Deighton or Heidi Canavan, had had disappointing seasons. As she started doing rehabilitation drills, she tried to put the thought away; after all, if she wanted to play again this tournament after her disappointing performance against Tanirinthia, she should at least put in some degree of effort.

Later that night
Webster, Mertagne

But she couldn't.

"Can't sleep?" asked Charlotte, back in their hotel room. The lights were off, and the air-conditioning was whirring nicely, but Julie had been tossing and turning in her bed constantly. She'd been thinking — not just about the many missed chances against Tanirinthia, but also her own second chance in the national team. About whether she'd deserved it, or whether Michael Campbell should've taken a gamble on a young striker who was more likely to stick around for the long-term. She was quite casual in public, of course, but also exceptionally secretive; which partially explained it. Relaxed in public, but she kept everything in. And sometimes it just...flowed out. Usually it was alone when the emotions flowed, however.

"Mm," Julie responded softly, sighing. "Sorry," she said apologetically. "Did I wake you?"

"Only a bit."

"That's no answer to that question."

"Oh, don't be silly," Charlotte waved off her non sequitur to Julie's question. "Thinking about Edward still? Don't worry about him, Julie, you know he says things to rile you up," murmured Charlotte.

"Not him, Char."

"Second chances, then?" The Lakewood City striker sat up, beaming, and covered herself with her blanket. "You know that you deserved it, come on. We all argued for you."

"Did I? I mean, I never really fit in on the right, or up top. On the right, there was Robin and Lynne, and up top, there was Nick, and then you..."

"Well I certainly can't play on the left or right, like you can, Jules," she smiled. "You bring something different. As do all of us. Look at, um...Heather. I miss Finny sometimes, but Heather's cool." Mark Finnemore had been the reliable second-string defensive midfielder on the national team for almost a decade; then, in the surprise of the season, he'd been dropped for Heather Hindmarsh, an up-and-coming defensive midfielder from Newark. "Change happens always, Julie."

"Mine's just...rare?"

"Exactly why it's special." Charlotte grinned. "Take heart in it, Julie. You're not normally like this."

"Guess it just comes with age. Our time's nearly over, and I want to —"

"Shh, shh. You know better than to talk about that," Charlotte winked. "Just focus on what you can do, Jules. Legacies, all of that...they come with time."

"Time that I don't have much left of."

"Nonsense," finished Charlotte, more sternly this time. "We've always got time."

MATCHDAY Magazine World Cup Previews — Indusse
Indusse
Previous Appearances: 0 First/Latest Appearance: 96/96 Best Result: None (Debut)
Manager: Shane Newman Key Player: Antonio Mersiás
vs Tumbra: MD3 @ Webster
POSSIBLY THE SURPRISE PACKAGE OF THIS WORLD CUP, Indusse are Tumbra's third opponents in this group stage. Theirs is a story all of its own to be told; qualifying for the World Cup for the first time after sixteen* attempts at doing so. Somewhat-unfancied third-seeds in a group containing seventh-ranked Kelssek and a Txakhaxi side returning from several cycles off from the World Cup, they beat Kelssek at home and second seeds Sajnur twice to secure the group title and directly qualify for the World Cup. Initially unfancied fourth-seeds, they staked their claim for perhaps the most impressive World Cup debut by beating the Holy Empire by an eye-watering 5-1 scoreline on the opening matchday. Despite world champions Delte beating Xanneria by the same margin (and going one better — scoring six, instead of five), the Indusse game brought the attentions of the world onto the Flocking Blues. And rightly so, too; their story of never-ending determination certainly deserves a place amongst the annals of World Cup history.

Led by Baker Park manager Shane Newman — the only Parker representation at the World Cup, as the Commonwealth squad failed to qualify and Banija, led by World Cup-winning manager Pam Scott, had a frankly dismal performance in qualifying which meant they didn't even receive a Cup of Harmony invite — the Indusseans are in pole position to secure a second round spot after they ground out a draw against Tanirinthia on the second matchday. An eclectic nineteen-player squad — therefore making Tumbra the only country in Group G to have fully used the twenty-six spots they were entitled to, with the Holy Empire using just fifteen and Tanirinthia twenty-four — Indusse's squad is full of players who otherwise have second careers and other pursuits outside football. Perhaps their most recognisable player is Rahul Kumar, the son of long-serving Indusse striker and current President of Indusse Baskar H Kumar; the striker has been engulfed in football from the moment he could kick a ball, and has quickly come into his own in his mid-20s. But the player that most pundits have their eye on is Antonio Mersiás; the experienced striker who has been on the Indussean squad since World Cup 85, looking to cap off a storied international career by putting on a stellar performance at the World Cup. Having already secured that 5-1 win, some would say that that legacy is secure; but a potential giant-killing of the world's fourth-ranked team would probably be another feather in the team's cap.

Tumbran national team manager Michael Campbell, after his quite generous press statement after the 2-1 win against the Holy Empire, seems to have returned to his usual tack of playing down Tumbra's chances against the Flocking Blues; pointing to both their wins against Kelssek in the qualification stages and the Holy Empire as "proof that they have the gumption and spirit to pull off a giant-killing at any time they want to." He spoke, of course, at FMFC Ninestar's training grounds a few days before the game; Tumbra having reached an agreement with the Webster-based club to use their club's recovery and training facilities for the World Cup. While there is debate over whether Tumbra will field a double pivot or an attacking midfielder against Indusse, Campbell is likely to field the 4-3-3 that secured the win against the Empire, albeit with minor change-ups; Annie Renton, who "took a slight knock" against the Empire, will likely not start, while centreback Wendy Pritchett, who nearly lost her temper against the Empire, is likely to be rested too.

The winner of the game will face any one of three teams likely to progress in Group E; either one-time world champions and three-time Anaian regional finalists Ko-oren, rising Rushmori stars Brookstation — whom the Tumbrans last played in a World Cup 94 cycle many would rather forget, with that particular outing ending 4-2 in favour of the Black Eagles — or Sonnelian side West Barack and East Obama, who will be looking to spoil Brookstation's party on the final day. That is, of course, if the Black Eagles progress; third-placed side Tanirinthia could still progress if they can win against the Holy Empire and overturn a one-goal difference deficit in the group. Ahead of the game, many have compared this game to Tumbra's World Cup 94 campaign; where needing a win against Rushmori side Yuezhou to progress, the two sides played out a torpid love-all draw which saw national team striker Nick Riordan lambasted for constantly wasting chances. Manager Campbell has acknowledged this; and has called upon his team to avoid doing the same thing. Tumbra, who nearly answered the question of "how does one play against a team without a manager," with a response of "Badly" against Tanirinthia, and who put up a good performance against a severely weakened Holy Empire squad in the second game, have so far not managed to impress too much; and will be looking to put down a marker in their final group stage game — even if it means potentially becoming the antagonists in the Indussean fairytale.
INDUSSE v TUMBRA, WORLD CUP 96 MATCHDAY 3 — STARTING XI (Full Roster)
Starters: 12 - Richard Russell; 18 - Hazel Kennedy, 4 - Stephen Kerr, 20 - Yvonne Lawson, 3 - Tracey Mercurio; 6 - Trudy Harrison, 15 - Lucas McCormick, 8 - Ian Robertson; 7 - Valerie Wells, 21 - Audrey Pearson; 11 - Charlotte Henshaw
Bench: 1 - Victoria Jones, 13 - Mike Hahn; 2 - Annie Renton, 14 - Christine Whitfield, 5 - Wendy Pritchett, 24 - Belinda Proudfoot, 19 - James Green; 23 - Heather Hindmarsh, 16 - Victor Leighton, 25 - Stella Harrington; 17 - Erin Robertson, 9 - Lynne Crossley; 22 - Edward Maddison, 26 - Julie Hardaker

by **Vdara** » Tue Apr 23, 2024 4:29 pm

I'm Still Standing

Estadio Metropolitano del Guayas
Huayramarca

The players stumbled into the dressing room following the final whistle, visibly knackered. Whatever had just occurred on the pitch had completely sapped them of energy, leaving them as mindless husks. Once they regained some semblance of consciousness, the players turned and looked at each other, as if to check if they were real. Some pinched themselves. Some went even further, slapping themselves across the face - or the faces of their teammates. This zombified state was interrupted by Markos opening the door and closing it very softly, before slumping to the floor.

"Mate... what the fuck?"

That just about sums it up.

by **Zwangzug** » Tue Apr 23, 2024 5:20 pm

The Kerlagrad Courier

Hosts Mertagne narrowly edged past Zwangzug at the afternoon match in Dannin. While pregame strategy had focused around youngster Aislin Du Moucel's distributive capacity, much of the first half revolved around the more experienced Jordan Will's playmaking. Mertagne, unlike the other teams in the group, have two designated attackers and "only" four midfielders; Zwangzug were hopeful that they could control the balance of possession there and make it difficult for Holly Eveson and Burro Curwood up front to link up with their teammates, but Will's long-range passes thwarted this. Perhaps intimidated by the Victoria & Albert club's prowess, Kate DiMarini seemed to focus on organizing against his leadership in midfield.

In the second half, Nazer Armenadriz came on for Burro Curwood; the move paid dividends when Stewart Bickley assisted Armenadriz for the match's only goal, in minute 70. Zwangzug's substitutes tried to bounce back, with Harold Carre getting the better of Karon Murell with a couple tricky dribbles, but all they really accomplished was Awidlyon Reed earning herself a yellow card for colliding with Rhiannon Fawn like an idiot.

This means that Group E is in one of those common but precarious scenarios that could see a three-way tie for first...or three-way tie for last. Zwangzug are not eliminated, but their path through is precarious. First, they would need to defeat Zenic on Matchday Three. Second (okay, simultaneously), HUElavia would need to defeat Mertagne. Assuming the tiebreakers for the proper are the same as those used for the qualifiers, Zwangzug's win would need to be by at least two goals to ensure they eliminate the Survivors. In addition, should HUElavia beat Mertagne by exactly one goal, Zwangzug would need to win by at least three to finish ahead of the Green Goblins after Zenic are eliminated to "reset the tiebreakers." (In cases where HUElavia wins by three or more goals, a two-goal margin for Zwangzug would suffice.)

However, the possible scenarios do not end there, because one must also account for all the other non-football action taking place during the tournament. "What if another animal rights protester shows up?" pondered Amos Foster-Hewn. "Or something gets set on fire? Or the ref in charge of computing tiebreakers at Spectrum Stadium has another bleeping migraine? You really have to factor in all these contingencies."

"Look, the probabilities of Soumini Bano-Patil being distracted by another astronomical conjunction, or an avatar of Toomin making a visitation to Ashley Fillmore-Gaul, are nontrivial," he added. "I mean, they're very trivial compared to the probability that our defense is mediocre and our result reflects that. But if you really want to make an exhaustive list of all the scenarios, it's there."

Foster-Hewn admitted that it's "way more likely" that the other three teams in the group will all tie on nine points and Zwangzug will go home with zero. "It was very frustrating for HUElavia when they were eliminated with six points in World Cup 84, after Marc Navarro scored such a dramatic goal to defeat us in the 94th minute," he said. "But you know, they're really matured as a side. I think they're capable of defeating us by scoring goals at less contrived circumstances, and then getting eliminated on six points anyway."

by **Zenic** » Tue Apr 23, 2024 7:39 pm

There was plenty of time to go over everything on the bus ride down to Dannin.

The Zenic National Futbol Team were taking a bus ride southbound on the T33 from their previous accommodations in Ostosaide to their new (and hopefully not last) accommodations in Dannin while staying in Mertagne for the World Cup. They were already leaving the city of Virbank indicating they were roughly halfway to their destination. During the entirety of the first half of the trip, other members of the team noticed Geraldo Zys was just staring out the window, lost amongst the plethora of thoughts swirling in his head.

Zys could not help but think about the last few months. Traveling all around the multiverse facing off against beings of all different shapes and sizes in order to earn the right to try and become champion of the world(s). The rematches with Sylestone, facing off against stalwarts like Baker Park and Jeruselem, and recently the battles with nations in the top 25 in the actual World Cup. Every correct substitution, adjustment, gameplan, rest day, transportation decision, etc. But also, every ill-advised substitution, harmful adjustment, wrong gameplan, unneeded rest day, tiring transportation method, etc. Nitpicking any and every thing that he could think of.

“Shit, now I know what Grover feels like during every World Cup of Hockey,” Zys muttered to himself under his breath.

He had already gone over the calculations about 7 times with the analysts before boarding the bus to Dannin but he would occasionally go over them again amidst all the other thoughts. A win against the 10th best team in the world didn’t automatically qualify the Empire of Zenic but obviously gave them the best chance no matter what happened: a Mertagne win meant the Survivors just had to match the goal differential to win on H2H stats, a HUElavia win or draw between the two teams meant the Survivors finished with more points than Mertagne or Zwangzug. A draw against Zwangzug was similar with the major difference being that a Mertagne victory automatically knocked the Survivors out of the World Cup but the other scenarios stayed roughly the same.

Losing to Zwangzug was not a death knell but did mean that the road to the knockout stages was complicated. A Mertagne win or draw in this scenario simply knocks out Zenic and Zwangzug. But HUElavia win means a three-way tie between Mertagne, Zenic, and Zwangzug. At that point, it was just a numbers game: whoever beat their opponents up enough to get a better goal differential went through. So, Zenic could advance if the results went their way but would they want to? Would that squad be motivated to take advantage of a seemingly god given opportunity or would it seem undeserving?

After all, everything they’ve done this cycle has been a bonus. Just a deep run in the Copa Rushmori and World Cup Qualifiers would have been enough for most people. Winning the Copa was extra. Finishing fourth in the ICC, a tournament filled with the winners and runner ups of major tournaments was extra. Making the World Cup itself was extra. Thus, making the knockout stages of our own volition would be extra. It would be okay to try again next cycle with more experience and a better support system. Extra, extra, extra, extra. That word just seemed to infect Zys’ mind every so often, almost like a parasite. But Zys had no plans for stopping now. He was going to get this team as far as they could.

After all, extra wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Right?

by **Chromatika** » Tue Apr 23, 2024 7:59 pm

World Cup 96 Proper Matchday 2 Result
Chromatika 0-2 Huayramarca
Goals: None.
Starting XI: Fillar, J. (C); Coulibaly - Régine - Aimée; Fillar, G. - Larriet-Cortes - Fillar, B. - Fillar, E.; Kuznetsov; Xuen-Zhukov - Howard-Dawes.
Substitutes: Hauser -> Kuznetsov (49'), Jackson-Jones -> Régine (49'), Kruetzberg -> Fillar, G. (62'), Nodis -> Aimée (62'), Ju -> Larriet-Cortes (80')
Summary: A golden opportunity squandered at the thirty-second minute ended up completely resetting the momentum for the game, Juan Mamani's save of Lavrentiy Xuen-Zhukov's penalty after a Kevin Quispe tackle in the box completely galvanizing the home crowd as goals from Marcelo Huanca and Abraham Mendoza paced the hosts to a two-nil win over the Anomalies in Group A action. Despite controlling the pace of the game early, the visitors could not get anything going after Mamani's heroics saved the Condors. Xuen-Zhukov had hit a beauty, too - low, knifing, to the left corner - but Mamani's leg was just fast enough to hit it out, and after that, Huayramarca played like a team possessed.

Lev Repin, to his credit, tried to go for the draw, knowing that four points usually sees a team through. Haley Hauser and Emilie Kruetzberg's entrace in the game made it very apparent that Chromatika was going to press, but the hosts' defense was up to the task. A Gabriel Sayritupac corner to Abraham Mendoza was the icing on the cake, and the Anomalies found themselves in an unenviable position of all but needing a win on their last match to make it to the Round of Sixteen.

"Hats off the hosts," commented Juxon Fillar afterwards, "They came ready to play and were the better side on the pitch tonight. We had our fair share of opportunities, but we couldn't convert - and they are definitely a side that can make you pay if you can't convert the chances given."

Chromatik Roster - World Cup 96 Proper
Goalkeepers (3): GK Juxon Fillar (Montreal Koreana, QUE), GK Hailee Sourtois (Directus, EUR), GK Do Seung-Min (1923 Esca, MYT)
Defenders (7): DCR Ami Coulibaly (Chromatik, CMT), DC Klavida Régine (Serrapince, TMB), DCL Ipati Aimée (Lakewood United, TMB), DCR Paisley Paterson (Cazadores Cathair, AUD), DC Eileen Jackson-Jones (Avanoroch White Wings FC, TKT), DCL Cylie Nodis (Chromatik, CMT), DC Rowan Harry (Chamberley City, SYL)
Wingbacks (5): WBR Grayson Fillar (1896 Ebor MYT), WBL Edith Fillar (Myana, CMT), WBR Emilie Kruetzberg (Lakewood United, TMB), WBL Manda Iara (Alnio, CMT), WBR Ibayashi Haitou (Mipojoseon, QUE)
Central Midfielders (6): BWM Kaia Larriet-Cortes (La Nueva Avenida, FFD), AP Baillaire Fillar (Sivolvia Capitalizt, SRS), AP Haley Hauser (Spartangrad, EUR), AM Vasiliy Marten Kuznetsov (Herzegovina City FC, BNJ), CDM Amélie Ju (RGS Athletic, EFL), AP Evin Françine-Miklavivec (1923 Esca, MYT)
Strikers (5): AF Lavrentiy Xuen-Zhukov (Myana, CMT), AF Elaine Howard-Dawes (Couno Rangers, TMB), CF Candice Delaya (Holdenberg, EUR), AF Marietta "Marie" Fucheux (Perce Town, QUE), P Sandara Park (Montreal Koreana, QUE)

Matchday 3 Preview: Juvencus vs. Chromatika @ Estadio de Purmamarca, General Vélez, Huayramarca

It's do or die time. Juvencus's win over Quebec and Shingoryeo means that it's a three-horse race now - with Huayramarca and Juvencus a point ahead of Chromatika. Gli attaccanti are on a high after trouncing the Quebecois by a score of five to two, but Juvencus are still the weakest team in this group by far. The Anomalies should have this in the bag, or they will find themselves out of the Round of Sixteen for the second cycle in a row, facing an offseason of uncertainty and probably life without Lev Repin, the team's architect.

Add in the fact that time is not on their side - Juxon Fillar is thirty-three, meaning the "Golden Generation" is getting older - and this game against Juvencus could be the defining point of an age of Chromatik football. Hopefully, they have couple more stories to tell...

Part 1 - Overview
Part 2 - Agriculture/Apiculture
Part 3 - Housing Infrastructure
Part 4 - Ecology
Part 5 - Fishing/Aquaculture
Part 6 - Manufacturing
Part 7 - Financial Institutions
Part 8 - Education

THE REBUILD
IX: Government - The Rise of Rose Sinclair Jones

In the world of Chromatik politics, the Legislative Branch is ruled by the Chambers of the Legislature, a body of two hundred and forty-three representatives that meet to discuss the laws and ordinances that the country will be governed by. Of that number, most - ninety-eight to be exact - come from the Capital District. Following them are the Rainbow District, Mountain District, Urrhed Island, then Myana Island - ahead of Coastal and Heartland, who share only twenty-four between them. With the city of Myana having over half the population of Myana Island, it should come as no surprise that only thirteen representatives of the two hundred and forty-three come from the eastern half of Myana Island. It is the story of those thirteen representatives that has the Chromatik public truly at edge heading into the next electoral cycle.

Eleven of the thirteen - nine of them of the New Light Party - did not make it out alive during the evacuation. Five are confirmed dead, while four others have never been found, assumed captured by the forces of the Abyss or lost altogether. Two were found but died of their injuries in the months following the catastrophic event. This level of loss of the Chambers of the Legislature, coupled with the fact that there literally are no constituents to even vote in a replacement for the losses, meant that the Chromatik Chambers of the Legislature had to run as a two hundred and thirty member body for the last two years. In fact, it's the mind of the Chambers and of the Office of the Premier (still run by Hélène Embroise during this crisis, even though it's well known that she will be impeached as soon as the crisis is somewhat curbed due to her involvement with the sinister Shadow Hand) that no replacement will be voted in until the people return to the affected communities, as there shouldn't be any representatives who wield power without having people check them.

Then, there's the matters at the District/Island level. Myana Island, governed by one Eduardo Commaserine, a Rainbow Party stalwart who is a recent close ally of Keira Andisori, had been one of the strongholds of the Rainbow Party in recent history, even in the face of Red Party/New Light Party aggression. With the loss of Eyrods, Inon, Egren, and Limonte, the balance of power has shifted even further into the Rainbow Party's hands, as the city of Eyrods was the symbolic head of the Red Party, dating back to the days of the Red Enclave before the Rainbow Revolution. In fact, the Rainbow Party has almost hamstrung itself in Myana Island by following the lead of the national government - if they actually tried to fill in the missing seats at the Island level, they would have so much more power now than they did before everything happened. Thankfully, Mr. Commaserine is a fair man who doesn't want to wield power he hasn't earned; so, he'll play it fair and see what happens once the cities are populated once more.

Everything looks good, then, except one problem: Rose Sinclair Jones, and what she could mean for the likes of Enigma Armageddon and Mariola Lemańska. Enigma Armageddon, of course, has overtaken Svyatopolk Tkacho as the main power of the Red Party - seemingly on a collision course to face Keira Andisori head-on as two Anomalies legends go at it in the political theater. Mariola Lemańska has the Spade Party maneuvered in a position where they cannot be ignored, vying for the right time to be part of a coalition that will allow them to do more than ever before. So, why is it that so much will depend on a previous schoolteacher of the Academy of the Jungle that's recently come into the limelight?

Of course, Rose Sinclair Jones is more than just that, but that is what she wants people to think. A political activist dating back to the Rainbow Revolution, a member of the Shadow Writers, one of the biggest confidants of both Alina Krasnikova, Keri Wyse Aart, and Keira Andisori herself, Rose Sinclair Jones is a poignant wordsmith and an orator that knows how to stir the hearts of people that listen to her - she just had enjoyed the limelight previously, choosing to let others do the speaking instead of herself. After her displacement by the hands of the Abyssal incursion, Rose Sinclair Jones first emerged at a public debate in the capital itself, where she simultaneously got the Rainbow Party representative to admit that the Chromatik government did not possess the power at the moment to fix everything without assistance while also getting the Spade Party representative to admit that without some form of centralized power, the individual localities would just die out.

With the landscape of Chromatik politics in such a flux - the New Light Party learned not quite a year ago that their entire founding was based on a lie, the Red Party's headquarters lie in ruins, and the Rainbow Party keeps having to deal with these punches - the charisma and aura of Rosa Sinclair Jones has really taken hold of the Chromatik populace, especially those that have been displaced by the incursion. With Finnja Kornhäusel abroad establishing a beachhead on the Anaian mainland, a spot seems to have opened up in the grand design of national politics, and Sinclair Jones, despite not even committing to a party quite yet, is poised to take that spot. She's been smart about the fact that she supposedly doesn't believe in any one party over another - or, as she puts it, "They all have their faults". Of course, there is no way she can go much longer without playing her hand, but she's been very smart about her entire involvement from the very beginning.

As expected, a national tragedy at such a level as the Abyssal invasion/occupation of the eastern half of Myana Island has had a profound impact on Chromatik politics. With a figure like Rosa Sinclair Jones stepping into the scene, along with the election on the horizon, there is a chance that the Chromatika of the future will look nothing like the Chromatika of today.

Perhaps, just perhaps, that will be for the better.

by **Huayramarca** » Tue Apr 23, 2024 9:43 pm

OOC: Written originally in Spanish, translated by DeepL - Original text is spoilered below.

Sechura is, along with Puerto San Carlos, one of the strongholds of the Huayramarcan Football Team. These are two places that come to mind when you talk about the great feats of Los Cóndores, epic wins against Omerica or Sylestone in the play-offs for the ninety-third and ninety-third World Cup, victories against direct rivals such as Delaclava, Audioslavia, Krytenia, etc. These places are talismans for the national team because of the abundant history of victories and crucial moments experienced, because of rare cases like the occasion when they dug up a toad which, apparently, was the reason why the national team was "cursed" in the qualifiers for the 85th World Cup.

The members of the Huayramarcan Football Federation spared no effort to assign the match against Chromatika in Huayramarquina: history, climate, humidity, mosquitoes and also for being the capital of the bad character people in Huayramarca... Even though this province is the economic engine of the nation because of its oil boom, which makes the poorest citizen of this province to be, in the worst case, in the middle class of any other province... Which makes them want to light their independence flame, as the separatist movement is quite strong in the region, they want Sechura for the Sechurans.

In spite of all this, football is always enjoyed under the colours of the Huayramarca national team, this is noticeable as it is one of the venues with the best average attendance percentage when the national team plays World Cup qualifying matches... 98%, not bad for an area that does not feel entirely Huayramarquina. Anyway, the match against Chromatika is a high voltage game for both teams, with as much to play for as in any World Cup group stage match. The Anomalies are looking to qualify with a win, the Condors are looking to avoid a bitter elimination or being in trouble for the last game, but rather a win that will boost the momentum of the fans and boost the morale of the players ahead of the Northern Classic against Quebec & Shingoryeo.

Unlike other times, which are played in the afternoon to take advantage of the weather and humid environment, kickoff will be at 10:00 p.m. (9:00 p.m. Chuquiago time, Chuquiago time). Friday Night Fever" was the headline in "Trome", one of the most widely circulated media in the country, and this was evident in the amount of national team T-shirts you could see in the streets: children on break from school, jobs that took the afternoon off to queue up and get into the stadium early, and so on. Thousands of people were seen queuing from Jiron Madreselva to Avenida Garcilaso (approximately half a kilometre) for police checks and entry to the stadium, an absolute madness.

It was common knowledge that Huayramarca would be facing a tougher nut to crack than Chromatika: Lavrentiy Xuen-Zhukov, Grayson Fillar, Kaia Larriet-Cortés, Baillaire Fillar, Klavida Régine, etc. All world-renowned names in the game, with extensive experience and participation in decisive stages of competitions such as the World Cup, a whole constellation of names and resources at their disposal... It is not that Huayramarca is so inferior, but the differences in the present (one team looking to regain its place obtained a couple of World Cups ago by having reached the final - the other in generational change) sowed uncertainty in the fans of Huayramarca, as well as in sports analysts.

Come match time, it was clear that the Chromatika team would field their best available eleven, a luxury line-up. Huayramarca, for their part, would do the same, but with the exceptions of Ismael Lobatón, Aidar Armendáriz and Marcelo Huanca who would be making only their second appearance as starters in their international careers, key positions in defence and midfield but who, at the same time, inject new blood and talent into a team that, until a few months ago, averaged 32 years... Now averages 28.

The atmosphere of the fans, as is always the case in Sechura, was quite hostile to the opposition and warm for Huayramarca, despite the fact that there were separatist displays before kick-off by some sections of the crowd, just as there would be in the Saint Eleanor vs Valanora match a few days after this game. The singing of the anthems, as usual, with the Huayramarquinos overflowing with passion and the desire to motivate the national team ahead of a key match in terms of their chances of staying in the World Cup competition.

As usual, Blâás Âgínsôgnó would go for his weapon of excellence, a 4-2-3-1 formation that would use the ever-reliable line of two destructive midfielders, with the aim of nullifying Grayson Fillar's possible transitions into midfield. Incidentally, another plan was to put a stranglehold on Chromatika's engine by personally marking Kaia Larriet-Cortés with either Orlando Mina or Marcelo Huanca, either of whom would alternate between Larriet-Cortés or Grayson when the latter approached the midfield. Ian Mamani, as usual, as a sort of creative midfielder/midfielder who will be on the lookout for any loose rebounds in the box, then the three spearheads in the shape of Mendoza, Sayritupac and Tello.

The match started in a way that few would have imagined, as both teams kept control of the ball in a distributed space, a few dangerous chances, but nothing that could seriously tip the balance for one or the other. Marcelo Huanca decided to try his luck with a long range shot in the 5th minute, after receiving support from Orlando Mina with a cover to leave him unmarked, the shot went well over Juxon Fillar's goal, who with a smile asked for the ball to continue the game.

Chromatika would also show signs of their attacking power, this through a very good combination between Larriet-Cortés and Baillaire Fillar, in which the former passed through the middle of Marcelo Huanca and served a pass with the outside of his foot to Fillar, a good pass that looked to leave him in a one-on-one with Juan Mamani, but Kevin Quispe dives with his head to deflect the shot into the corner. With the advantage from the corner, Baillaire Fillar looked to take advantage of the height of the Chromatika players, through LXZ, who jumped to head in, but Orlando Mina countered with anticipation, leaving the ball loose for Candice Delaya, who took the opportunity to shoot, but Juan Mamani saved the shot.

One chance apiece in 15 minutes, controlling possession in similar stretches, Blâás Âgínsôgnó's plan proved effective, as he was managing to stop the imposing pace of the opposition midfield, with Marcelo Huanca and his pace proving useful in getting Grayson Fillar onto Orlando Mina, who was well placed to impose his physicality against another player of similar prowess. Chromatika weren't buying the Marcelo Huanca and Orlando Mina trap either, as they tried to look for mistakes to take advantage and make inroads into the opposition box, something which worked for them as Marcelo was unsettled when they had the chance.

The game would continue in much the same way, to the point where one would come to question whether it was a game with two of the most prolific offensives in the modern game or, if anything, a battle of attrition and nullification of each other's strengths. Some fans were whistling for more action from the Huayramarca team, while Chromatika fans were doing their part with chants of encouragement for the team.

As the half wore on, Huayramarca would have two chances, one in the 22nd minute when Kevin Quispe flicked a ball towards Bryan Tello, a product of the tangle that was occurring in midfield. While not the most laudable form in the local style of play, it was accurate enough to send from point A to B; Tello controls the ball and goes one-on-one with Coulibaly, who brings down Tello on a clean mark and the referee deemed it so, despite constant complaints from the Huayramarca legend. A clearer chance would come on 29 minutes, when Gabriel Sayritupac controlled the ball and left Klavida Régine behind at speed, managing to head to the edge of the box, only to be intercepted by Coulibaly.

Strikers like Xuen-Zhukov are dangerous if you allow them space, or if you make a mistake with them, as between Larriet-Cortés and Grayson Fillar, who managed to get into midfield eventually and break Marcelo Huanca's marking, they made passing combinations until they reached the edge of the box, LXZ received the ball on a silver platter, but Quispe swept over with inordinate force and left Xuen-Zhukov on the ground. The referee awarded a penalty in the 32nd minute, a good opportunity for Chromatika to take the lead just before half-time and leave Huayramarca in an awkward position for the second half.

After receiving the yellow card, Quispe slowly withdraws outside the area and LXZ proceeds to take the ball, calmly, and takes four to five steps back to project himself, confidently, to shoot at goal. Juan Mamani, meanwhile, plays typical goalkeeper games: touching the crossbars, moving sideways and aiming in directions where he would feel confident diving for a save. Xuen-Zhukov kicks towards the bottom left corner of the goal, Juan Mamani throws himself with all his might to try and stop the shot, his hands fail to stop it, but his legs do, sending the shot into the corner. Mamani stands up and celebrates with his fist in the air, his teammates celebrate for saving the penalty and the stadium breathes in peace, after the 30,000 people present there saw their souls leaving their bodies because of their nerves.

The balance began to shift from one side to the other, the match was loosening its defensive tendency and looking to move to a more dynamic tone, with constant attacks from one team to the other. In the 40th minute, LXZ had another great first chance through a lobbed pass from Larriet-Cortés, straight to the striker who was able to control the ball and leave Kevin Quispe behind, shooting the ball into the left side and going close to scoring the first goal of the game. Chromatika looked a little out of sorts, as Huayramarca were playing an abnormally defensive game, covering the spaces well and focusing on the opposition midfield not working to the best of their abilities, but what about the home side's attempts, would they try to attack? Well, those adjustments were made in midfield Blâás Âgínsôgnó felt that Marcelo Huanca should attack more, considering his primarily attacking capabilities, while Orlando Mina would look to stay more defensive.

Like a dog sniffing out mistrust, Blâás Âgínsôgnó considered that attacking Chromatika would be the best option for the match, as the drop in morale resulting from the missed penalty would have repercussions one way or another on the opponent's performance, so it was a "now or never" situation. Sometimes, it is necessary to take risks and impose the home advantage in the match, to impose the conditions of the host of the World Cup and play with that extra weight to turn things in your favour in a match, something that the stadium's cheerleader sought to motivate the Huayramarquina fans to support their team more.

For the second half the dynamic changed, as Los Cóndores decided to go on the attack from the start in order to get some momentum going and break down the Chromatika defence. Bryan Tello was not on top of his game until the 50th minute when he received a diagonal pass from Gabriel Sayritupac, Tello was not in a comfortable position to shoot, leaving him no choice but to try a sweep to push the ball away, but he failed to make contact. The fans were pressing harder, as this was a good first attempt in the second half of the match, but there was also an awareness that breaking down the Chromatika defence would be tricky, not for nothing do they have the reputation they do.

With Hauser on the pitch and Jackson-Jones, Blâás Âgínsôgnó emphasised to his players to press more considering that they were adapting to the rhythm of the game, so Abraham Mendoza pressed more with dribbles and attacks in the box against Jackson-Jones, having an interesting opportunity in the 66th minute, where he eluded Jackson-Jones and Nodis, who had also just come on, to give a delayed pass to Ian Mamani, who contacted the ball and smashed it against the post. As the ball hit the post, J. Fillar decided to try and catch the ball, but Bryan Tello took it for a shot on goal, not counting Coulibaly who headed it off the line.

Huayramarca's approaches were now fully evident, it was only a matter of time before the team managed to break through for the long-awaited goal, but it proved even more difficult and time-consuming than expected. It was not until the 76th minute that Huayramarca had another chance to get close to the box, Larriet-Cortés headed a counter attack after a header from Bryan Tello, but slipped, causing Marcelo Huanca to recover the ball, passing it to Ian Mamani to lead a counter attack as Chromatika were badly parried. Mamani passed the ball to Orlando Mina, who having no other option decided to pass to Marcelo Huanca, who was on the edge of the area, Huanca received the ball and shot, the shot made contact with the crossbar and then, from the power, went into the goal and Huayramarca managed to finally break Chromatika's defensive lock.

With the stadium going completely crazy, Huayramarca didn't sit back and wait for the ball to go in, but instead looked to extend the lead for more comfort, as 1-0 wasn't enough of an advantage with 10 minutes to go, especially if the opposition had good attacking ability as well. In the 82nd minute, Abraham Mendoza had the opportunity to leave the mark of B. Fillar and sneak down the left side, then pass to the centre of the box for Bryan Tello, the striker was not found comfortable by Coulibaly, so he passed the ball with his head to Mendoza, who received and volleyed, with first intention, to the lower left post, the ball was with enough power to leave Fillar unable to react and thus sentenced the match with the second goal.

Huayramarca now has four points, a better performance than in the last two World Cup cycles and second place behind Juvencus on goal difference. Juvencus and Chromatika meet in the final match, while Huayramarca host Quebec & Shingoryeo who are mathematically eliminated from the World Cup. While the northern neighbours are in that situation, Blâás Âgínsôgnó believes "We have to play the classics well, no matter who our opponents are. We have to go out and create and guarantee a good result that puts us in the round of 16, without speculating".

by **Xanneria** » Tue Apr 23, 2024 10:40 pm

Ten Years After - Chapter 3 (Survival)

While the trip from Switchback to Destin may have been only 90 minutes, it was enough time for me to nap. I was in the passenger seat as Jamal usually does the driving. I dozed and then my brain chose at that most random moment of time to start thinking back on one of my most agonizing times. That moment in time when I found out about my families death. Every now and then that memory pops back up. It's never fun to relive those kinds of trauma. In the first couple of years it hurt a lot reliving it.

Now though, I just keep telling myself I was powerless. It really does let me sleep at night, but deep down I always wondered what would happen if I got a chance at revenge. Would I be subdued about it, as it has been 10 years after the fact. or would I go violent. Violence would be the option I'd choose.

Anyways, after that bad dream, I was suddenly awoken by Jamal. I guess I should introduce ya'll to Jamal. He is my right hand man, driver, and tech expert. I met Jamal right after he got thrown out of school. He was a super talented athlete who is still the most celebrated recruit in the history of Grantland University. Sadly injuries derailed his career and he got kicked out of school because the Dean and Athletic Director felt he was expendable, despite Jamal actually being a gifted Engineer. He has told me in the past, that sometimes he thinks about them, and what he would do if he met them again.

XANNERIA - 5
Burnes 19' 45+2'
D Hailey 33'
D'Arcy 59'
Young 70'

CRPOSTAN - 5
tba

by **United Mandaran States** » Wed Apr 24, 2024 12:46 am

Road to Unification

Part VIII : The Election Result - Part II, Commissioner

The 2026 United Mandaran States commissioner election was held in line with the parliamentary election between 7 and 8 April 2026 with the second round held between 28 April and 1 March 2026. The Mandaran Commissioner acted as a collective executive of the country equivalent to the Head of State and Government. 8 places were contested, one from each constituent state. Pemecutan have the most candidates with 5 while 3 constituent states have only 2 candidates. UMNA and ManDeSA have the most candidates with 8 followed by RCM with 4 and Mandaran Green with 3, including RCM/Green candidate, Krisna Harimurthi who challenge the position in Petang Islands. MMG have their candidate contested in 2 constituent states, Pemecutan and Rarungan.

Cakranegara

Commissioner election in Cakranegara was contested by 2 candidates, Ahmad Sobari (UMNA) and Ratna Sari Dewi (ManDeSA). Around 800,000 votes were cast or around 70% from the total registered voters. The number was quite high. It was assumed that the voters interested in taking part of the election due to its close connection with Cakranegara involvement within the United Mandaran States.

Candidate             Party       Votes      %
Ahmad Sobari          UMNA       310,366   39.38%
Ratna Sari Dewi      ManDeSA     477,826   60.62%
Total                            788,192
Invalid votes                     16,052
Total Votes                      804,244
Registered/Turnout             1,134,243   70.91%

The result shows a huge support towards Ratna Sari Dewi, the candidate from ManDeSA. Although the early prediction mentioned that the election will be very tight, Ratna Sari Dewi success to collect more than 60% of the total votes to claim her victory. Critics said that government willingness to join UMS greatly affected the swing voters. "Many of the voters were still dream of an independent and liberated Cakranegara without any other higher power above them. After Pemecutan influence, UMS is seen as that higher power," said one of the critics.

Gili Anakan

Contrast with Cakranegara, commissioner election in Gili Anakan was not a huge hype. Only around 68% of the registered voters casted their votes to select between the two candidates, Lalu Ahmed Sofyan (UMNA) and Hakim Darmaji (ManDeSA). Note that 'Lalu' is a nobility title in Gili Anakan. The candidacy of Lalu Ahmed Sofyan was quite controversial as noblemen usually given a privilege to be elected to the Majelis Konsultatif Nasional via direct appointment by the Sultan. However, Sofyan has long been a member of Partai Amanat Rakyat which makes him ineligible to be appointed directly to the Parliament.

Candidate             Party       Votes      %
Lalu Ahmed Sofyan     UMNA       73,647   69.61%
Hakim Darmaji        ManDeSA     32,156   30.39%
Total                            105,803
Invalid votes                      2,347
Total Votes                      108,150
Registered/Turnout               159,381   67.86%

As opposed to the latest parliamentary election, Gili Anakan Commissioner Election resulted in the clear winner for Lalu Ahmed Sofyan from UMNA. This result surprise the critics as they were favoring Hakim Darmaji. This favoritism was based on the latest parliamentary election, which was won by Aliansi Demokrasi Kerakyatan, the party of Hakim Darmaji. Sofyan led the votes in Gili Lawang and Gili Sulat, both the largest populated island in the state. This fact was the reason how Sofyan could lead the election and claim the victory.

Manguwirajya

In Manguwirajya, 4 candidates entered the contestation for one place as the commissioner. Around 2.5 million people cast their vote in the first round. The first round shows a tight result between Indra Bayujaya (UMNA) and Surya Wiradarma (ManDeSA) with the later leading by only 11,000 votes. A drop of voters happened in the second round with only 2.2 million people voted or a drop of almost 10% from the first round.

Candidate             Party    Votes 1st     %       Votes 2nd     %
Indra Bayujaya        UMNA     1,103,427   43.45%    1,009,326   44.93%
Surya Wiradarma      ManDeSA   1,134,238   44.66%    1,237,266   55.07%
Kadek Riska Safitri   Green      181,763    7.16%
Agus Suryapraja        RCM       120,346    4.74%
Total                          2,539,774             2,246,592
Invalid votes                     46,521                28,743
Total Votes                    2,586,295             2,275,335
Registered/Turnout             3,564,412   72.56%    3,564,412   63.83%

Surya Wiradarma claim victory after getting 55% of the votes in the second round of the election. The winning was a surprise by some but not by others. Some of the critics predict Indra Bayujaya will be the winner following PSM victory in the latest parliamentary election, Bayujaya's party. But it seems that Wiradarma's great achievement during his tenure as Patih Madya of Manguwirajya elevated the favor for him. His victory was one of three victories made by former or current Prime Minister equivalent of UMS's constituent states.

Pemecutan

Pemecutan Commissioner Election was held with 5 candidates competing for the ultimate position. Ngurah Agung Kusumajaya was the favorite winner. But in the first round, his performance was not promising after only collected 37% of the votes. Behind him was UMNA's candidate Dewa Ayu Made Maryati with 29% then followed by Putu Susila from Mandaran Green with 24% votes. These results were quite tight for the 3 candidates. However, only less than 70% of the registered voters cast their votes in the first round. Making it the lowest turnout in any elections held in Pemecutan. The second round brought a surprise to everyone after Maryati comes out as the winner with 51.46% votes against 48.54% collected by Kusumajaya. Thus, marked a huge upset for Kusumajaya in what it seems like a close race between the two candidates.

Candidate                     Party    Votes 1st     %       Votes 2nd     %
Dewa Ayu Made Maryati         UMNA     2,493,126   28.87%    4,067,311   51.46%
Ngurah Agung Kusumajaya      ManDeSA   3,217,883   37.26%    3,836,744   48.54%
Putu Susila                   Green    2,073,964   24.01%
Widya Kristianti               MMG       642,644    7.44%
Farhan Trisnandi               RCM       209,324    2.42%
Total                                  8,636,941             7,904,055
Invalid votes                            136,521               106,751
Total Votes                            8,773,462             8,010,806
Registered/Turnout                    12,609,697   69.58%   12,609,697   63.53%

Just like in Manguwirajya, the second round in Pemecutan also show a big drop in vote counts. Around 760,000 votes missing in the second round. "I think it is a worldwide phenomenon that the second round would result in a lower turnout than the first round. So, it is not something surprising. But we have to focus on the turnout in the first round," said one of the political experts. After the announcement of the winner, Kusumajaya openly congratulate Maryati through his social media account.

Petang Islands

3 candidates were competing for the Commissioner position of Petang Islands. Supported by UMNA, Eka Subagia was the favorite winner after his party, Partai Petang Jaya won the latest general election. And it was shown in the first round as he wins around 45% of the total votes. The surprise comes in the second place which was taken by young politician, Krisna Harimurthi who was supported by coalition of Mandaran Green and RCM. The second round brought another surprise for the whole state after Krisna Harimurthi win 51% of the votes and claim victory over the more favorited Eka Subagia. Following the announcement, Harimurthi was not believe with the result himself.

Candidate            Party    Votes 1st     %       Votes 2nd     %
Eka Subagia          UMNA       300,932   45.59%      301,641   48.38%
Yuda Birawa         ManDeSA     157,648   23.88%
Krisna Harimurthi  Green/RCM    201,463   30.52%      321,794   51.62%
Total                           660,043               623,435
Invalid votes                     9,633                11,736
Total Votes                     669,676               635,171
Registered/Turnout              916,026   73.11%      916,026   69.34%

Political experts predict that ManDeSA's voters turn to Harimurthi in the second round of the election with many of them reluctant to votes. This was shown in the drop of votes number and the jump of votes of Harimurthi. On the other hand, the media commented on Subagia's expression in his latest speech after the winner announcement. "He seems to not ready to lose," comment one of the reporters.

Rarungan

The commissioner's election in Rarungan also joined by 3 candidates. One of them is the current Rarungani Prime Minister, Gusti Ngurah Agung Kelakan who was nominated by UMNA from his party, Partai Gerakan Nasional. And as predicted, Kelakan wins easily the election after collecting 72% votes.

Candidate                      Party      Votes      %
Gusti Ngurah Agung Kelakan     UMNA      154,027   72.02%
Putu Ayu Suarsinta            ManDeSA     43,128   20.16%
Jaya Handika                    MMG       16,721    7.82%
Total                                    213,876
Invalid votes                              3,702
Total Votes                              217,578
Registered/Turnout                       301,979   72.05%

Both Suarsinta and Handika congratulate him for the win. Kelakan become one of 3 Prime Minister equivalent of UMS's constituent states to win the seat.

Soracana Islands

There were 3 candidates that were competing for the commissioner position from Soracana Islands. At first, it was predicted that Kayabasu (UMNA) and Anggarjahia (ManDeSA) that will be competing through the second round. But surprisingly, RCM's candidate, Jandiyuha Sandyabala collected 29,88% of the votes, around 100,000 votes more that Kayabasu which made him join Anggarjahia in the second round.

Candidate                 Party    Votes 1st     %       Votes 2nd     %
Sorabala Kayabasu         UMNA      413,672   24.11%
Basubala Anggarjahia     ManDeSA    789,336   46.01%    1,021,364   61.30%
Jandiyuha Sandyabala       RCM      512,632   29.88%      644,882   38.70%
Total                             1,715,640             1,666,246
Invalid votes                        34,371                20,467
Total Votes                       1,750,011             1,686,713
Registered/Turnout                2,623,988   66.69%    2,623,988   64.28%

In the second round, Anggarjahia rise to victory after collected more than 1 million votes with a huge gap against Sandyabala. The prediction was slightly off however as the experts' thoughts that Kayabasu's supporters will turn to Sandyabala. But it seems that they support Anggarjahia in the end. The second round only sees a slight drop in turnout from the first round. However, the overall turnout is already low enough.

Toluiwa

Only 2 candidates competed for the commissioner's position in Toluiwa. The early prediction seen a tight race between Suharja and Hamid. But in the end, Suharja become the clear winner after collecting 60% votes. Suharja wins in 4 out of 6 states and territory of Toluiwa with the exception of Satonda and Pekat. He wins more than 70% of votes in Donggo and Asakote Capital Territory.

Candidate        Party       Votes         %
Reza Suharja     UMNA       2,263,448   60.25%
Yahya Hamid     ManDeSA     1,493,471   39.75%
Total                       3,756,919
Invalid votes                  63,705
Total Votes                 3,820,624
Registered/Turnout          5,705,592   66.96%

Despite the hype, the election resulted in a low turnout. Lower than the average election turnout of the state which rise concerned from the expert. They afraid that people might grows apathy towards the election.

With the result, UMNA placed the most representatives with 4. ManDeSA placed 3 commissioners and the last spot was fill by Krisna Harimurthi which is a coalition of Mandaran Green and RCM. The elected Ratna Sari Dewi and Dewa Ayu Made Maryati is celebrated. They are seen as the increased awareness of female politician in the country.

From left to right. Top: Ratna Sari Dewi, Lalu Ahmed Sofyan, Surya Wiradarma, Dewa Ayu Made Maryati
Bottom: Krisna Harimurthi, Gusti Ngurah Agung Kelakan, Basubala Anggarjahia, Reza Suharja

For the President and Vice President position, the commissioners will elect on their own. Two candidates were nominated, Gusti Ngurah Agung Kelakan from UMNA and Basubala Anggarjahia from ManDeSA. Surya Wiradarma was at first nominated himself but was turned down by fellows ManDeSA's commissioners. The others were more confident with Basubala Anggarjahia. In the end, Gusti Ngurah Agung Kelakan elected as the first President after collected 5 votes while Anggarjahia only collected 3 votes, all from ManDeSA's commissioners. As the loser, Anggarjahia is elected as the first Vice President of United Mandaran States. They will take the position for 182 days before being replace by another commissioner until all 8 have had elected in the position at least once before the next general election take place. The government cabinet is also developed for the fast activities of the government. The detail of United Mandaran States government is as follows;

President of United Mandaran States: Gusti Ngurah Agung Kelakan (Commissioner of Rarungan)
Vice President of United Mandaran States: Basubala Anggarjahia (Commissioner of Soracana Islands)
Ministry of Internal Affairs: Gusti Ngurah Agung Kelakan (Commissioner of Rarungan)
Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Basubala Anggarjahia (Commissioner of Soracana Islands)
Ministry of Defense, Law and Human Rights: Ratna Sari Dewi (Commissioner of Cakranegara)
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Finance: Reza Suharja (Commissioner of Toluiwa)
Ministry of Education and Health: Surya Wiradarma (Commissioner of Manguwirajya)
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment: Dewa Ayu Made Maryati (Commissioner of Pemecutan)
Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports: Krisna Harimurthi (Commissioner of Petang Islands)
Ministry of Research, Innovation and Human Development: Lalu Ahmed Sofyan (Commissioner of Gili Anakan)

by **Juvencus** » Wed Apr 24, 2024 3:14 am

Being part of la squadra means you will have to deal with places that come with challenges. Huayramarca is a country that has many places in high altitude, with harsh weather and a deceivingly dangerous sunlight. It is important to keep the altitude in mind, since Estadio de la Universidad Nacional del Altiplano in El Alto is situated in a spot at 4,525 meters above sea-level and seeing how exhausting the game at the much "lower" situated Estadio Nacional de Huayramarca was, the game against the Quebecois was going to be hell.

If you thought Juven fans were extreme in their behavior and support for their team, the Quebecois are even more insane. The Bubonic Plague has a reputation that precedes them and living to their name, they can plague any fanbase into violence and destruction. Not only that, but their players themselves are known to cause havoc on the pitch, often-times leading in news-worthy articles. Where the Juven are hot-headed, the Quebecois amplify this by a lot and El Alto was the perfect recipe for a disastrous meetup between 2 countries that politically and culturally align, but sports-wise will always be fierce to one another.

The Juven are known to Quebecois mostly for their wine, which was distributed plenty among the fans in the stands. In hindsight, this was a terrible idea despite the placebo effect of any warmth that it could provide. Before the match even could begin, the chants were borderline slur-worthy and already a couple of people had been injured in fist fights. The tightened Huayramarquino security was on full alert, as this match would be LONG. Several flares and fires were lit up in some stands illegally as the stadium would turn into a fiery red, gold and blue hell depending on the side you were on.

The teams themselves had faced off in a friendly beforehand, right before the start of the qualifiers. A match that saw Juvencus emerge victorious with a 5-3 scoreline. For Juvencus, it was a chance to get their first ever World Cup win in a do or die game. For the Quebecois, it was a chance to revitalise themselves and get revenge for that friendly. The pressure was already high since before the teams could even enter the pitch, there was a fight between Callejon and M'bah-pinho.

"Remember the last friendly? I'll personally make sure this shit doesn't happen again." said Oberon to Carlo. Carlo would turn around clenching his fists, look him dead in the eye and say.

"You will fucking regret the words you said, I'll make sure you won't be able to walk straight after this game, hai capito?"

"Keep your stupid language away from me."

They'd grab onto each other tightly, with fumes seemingly leaving both players' ears but as the teams got involved and split them up, the game was finally set. The second matchday of the World Cup was under way and things would get even more intense on the field. Gaetan looked at the mental situation of Callejon but decided to keep him on, as this was an important matchday for the team and their leader was needed more than anyone else on the field. What a regrettable decision this would immediately turn into.

Callejon would man-mark M'bah-pinho, the Quebecois would expertly pass right past him and nail the ball in the back of the Juven net immediately upon the game's start. The Tihon striker would turn around to Callejon, pointing to his legs. 'This is pure gold, unlike your legs. Wirr Tsi didn't want you and I can see why now, passed right by you more easily than I could pass through my grandma."

For the time being, Carlo would contain himself, however it would prove to be difficult as a few minutes after, he'd go in for a hard challenge to M'bah-pinho, sending the ball to the side. Oberon would fake an injury, but Carlo would immediately try to pick him up. "Get up, it's nothing, you're faking it you pussy."

The Quebecois striker would stand up immediately, more words would be exchanged between the two and as the emotions escalated, Callejon would shove M'bah-pinho, a couple punches would be exchanged and both players would end up with bloody noses on the ground as players from both teams would try to split them up. The match official, Kevin Ballantyne, wanting to defuse the situation immediately red carded the players as boos from the crowd echoed through the stadium. Callejon and M'bah-pinho would split up eventually and go out of the stadium their seperate ways. Yellow cards were given to quite a few players from both teams, most prominently Simon Oliveira, Pau Puig and Juan Carlos Ungaro from the Juven side.

Simon would even try to defuse the situation by bargaining with the Tumbran referee.

"Come on, you know me already, I didn't do anything wrong ref."

"Do not bring yourself in a more difficult position, accept it and move on."

The Newark Argyle winger would shrug and return to his position, completely focused on the game, while Félix Sissoko, would move back to the defence leaving the workload of the midfield entirely on Sara Ponce's shoulders. If anything, now that the Quebecois attack was weakened, the Juven would be moving forward to compensate for the lack of a proper defensive trio. The equaliser was near-instant, Simon Oliveira would dribble past Alain Delisle and cross it to the box as Audiol would capitalise on the chance served to him. The fires from both sides of the stands intensified and the smoke could cover up the sides of the ultras as the matchup was just at 1-1 by the 10th minute and those two forward-thinking squads were not done yet.

Another 10 minutes would pass, yellow cards served to Pyo Seung-hye and Ceferino Audiol of all people after allegedely cussing each other. A foul was given right outside the box, with Ganymede Garcia, Sara Ponce and Chimo Quaranta all grouped up around the ball. The latter would sprint to the ball, curving it to the left side of the post and before being smashed it. The match was now in la squadra's favor, albeit in a tight lead but it was exactly what was needed.

The advantadge would be increased soon enough, as Sara Ponce would find Garcia in a tight position, with the AC Pomena leader turning around and striking the ball in, despite Oh-Ntare's slight touch and deflection of the ball. This would frustrate the Quebecois goalkeeper, who would scream at her players before flipping off Sara Ponce at random, an act which was returned by the AC Serone star and got both of them yellow-carded. With a 1-3 advantadge at half-time, la squadra was heading to backstage feeling slightly safe in their advantadge. The Grim Reapers on the other were not defeated just yet and were ready to pack a punch for the second-half, as if M'bah-pinho and Callejon's blows were not enough.

In the intermission between the halves, several fan fights broke and flares were thrown to each other's sides. Now was that in desperation due to the cold, harsh conditions or whether the alcohol had hit the crowd, nobody really knows. An increased amount of broken wine bottles were found on the scene, as well as bleeding people, nobody knows if anyone is dead yet but a few people are in critical condition and that is a certainty.

Entering the second half Flores and Oliveira would enter the pitch a tad more revitalised and maybe ready for a fight of words. This would lead up to another split up and this time, the Tumbran official would not hesitate to red card both players before the second half would even begin. What were they thinking anyway? The Grim Reapers would thrive through the chaos, a swift through-ball by Rebecca-Anne Wawanolett would find the now completely unmarked Odette Tsioui and the latter would score the last of the Quebecois goals, setting shivers down the spine of the Juven team in the moment.

This fear would not last for long however, a revitalised team would stand up and finish the business it could not finish all these past world cups. A victory was assured, confidence was flowing down the players' veins. A 9v9 on the pitch gave rise to an open affair on the field anyway. La squadra would rise amidst the chaos this time, determine to get its first win. In a truly skillful showcase, a cross by Sara Ponce would find Ceferino Audiol completely free, the Serrapince striker would find the back of the net, making it 2-4 by minute 77.

Fights were reduced, but Sara Ponce managing to be the exact counter to Oh-Ntare never sat right with the Quebecois keeper. The anger flowing in her veins, but Ponce was focused on her task. A long-range shot saw her scoring the 5th goal of la squadra just before the match could end. This would set fireworks inside Oh-Ntare's mind and as Ponce was celebrating, she turned around and blew a kiss to the Litala '93 goalkeeper. A fight involving hair-grabbing and a series of insults ensued as the players decided not to break them apart but instead cheer on like a bunch of immature teenagers witnessing a high-school fight for the very first time. This did not sit right with Kevin Ballantyne, who red carded both women before splitting them up himself and telling everyone else off for their behavior.

The match would end in a 2-5 scoreline, Juvencus would finally get its first victory in the World Cup proper. A sweet, sweet moment for la squadra, which is now heading to the match against Chromatika determined to get another win and in an equally convincing fashion. Gaetan did not shy away from making any comments about the game.

"Playing at this altitude in these conditions and at such a ground is an experience I will never forget. I don't think I need to tell you how angered I feel at what unfolded on the pitch tonight. What was meant to be a celebration for us has ended so sourly. But fret not, I will remind you why we are here and the reason is because we possess a strong squad. When I told everyone that we are better than what you journalists and your ignorant people suggest, I meant it. When I said that we are leaving a mark I meant that too. Soon enough, you will see how our campaign will keep going past our next game. All I will say is that all of you nonbelievers out there will eventually have to believe. Grazie mille i forza la squadra."

by **Flavovespia** » Wed Apr 24, 2024 5:13 am

Flavovespia 0 - 2 Delte

Flavovespia were unfortunately not able to match holders Delte in Estadio Marítimo. Whilst there were flashes of quality amongst the Flavovespian ranks, Delte were too classy and skilled for Flavovespia, looking good money for the 0-2 win, as the holders qualified for the knockout stages.

Flavovespia made two changes, Martin Edwards replaced Kieron Player, and Peter Langdon replaced Amrik Singh, with Michael Cole moving to left forward. There was minor drama before kickoff, as a collection of computers were set on fire in the ground. InteliData workers, unhappy with pay, chose the game to make a point, drawing amusement from the Flavovespian fans in the ground.

Many thought the opening stages would be key to the game, and from the early minutes, the edge seemed to be with Delte. Pressing hard, Flavovespia had few options to develop play, with Jonathan Bagshaw the only forward testing the defence much. Delte looked assured in attack, Irki Mynster and Tai Cerotha both testing Nathan Crewe with good shots. Flavovespia’s defence were under pressure, but also not looking too alarmed, sensing maybe they just needed one hood chance to counter. However Delte looked composed, always knowing how to attack.

Enor Perro provided the opening goal in the 26th minute. Delte continued their good build up play, Flavovespia unable to escape their half. Itki Mynster passed to Onun Tasher just inside the box. Washer got past Stuart Cookson, and with Nathan Crewe rushing out, pulled the ball back, into the path of Enor Perro. A good driven finish, and Delte had the lead.

Flavovespia’s best chance came right at the end of the first half. They had a corner, and Christopher Hill was able to get his head onto it. However, the header was straight at Steed Tombes, who saved comfortably. So 0-1 it was at the break, and few could argue that Delte didn’t deserve it. The second half seemed to start as the first half was, Delte largely in control, with Flavovespia only producing the occasional bit of danger.

Delte doubled their lead in the 68th minute. Ardrake Steng had too much skill for Roger Burden, and moved out wide into a crossing position. The ball was floated in, and Irki Mynster timed the jump perfectly, and beat Nathan Crewe with a header into the corner. 0-2 to Delte, and short of a miracle it felt like Flavovespia were too far back.

Flavovespia tried to create some late chances, but Delte were just too composed in defence. Christopher Hill went for an ambitious 30 metre goal and was only a handful of centimetres wide of the post, but Steed Tombes was otherwise untroubled. 0-2 it finished, Delte through on 6 points, Flavovespia on 3. World Cup debutants Crpostran and Xanneria played out a thrilling 5-5 draw, both now on 1 point. Flavovespia know a win against Xanneria sends them into the knockout stages, a draw is good enough if Crpostran can’t beat Delte. A loss, and Flavovespia are out. It should be a thriller in Estadio de Purmamarca.

by **Audioslavia** » Wed Apr 24, 2024 5:35 am

Five stats left over from The Aesthetic
Number four will shock you!

Our detractors say that we are the dangling [/floatleft] on the insufficient OP of nationstatial journalism, but not only does this article say otherwise, but those people are routinely blocked from our Boofer account and then our social media cowboy calls them the C word and our myriad brollowers cry-laugh react and ratio them, so who’s the real loser? Hmm? It’s not us! Bullsfeed remains fast asleep throughout the wokery, and you won’t wake us up with “criticism” or “cancelling” or “pleas to our management team to think about our stock-holders and the future of such a 2014 economic model in a rapidly changing online world”. Well, for those people who think our references are stuck in 2014, I’mma let you finish but our references are as on fleek as ever, home-slice! Occupy Blackberry!

So Audioslavia are either out of the World Cup or they aren’t, depending on whether you read this the second it gets pinged to your notifications because you accidentally clicked ‘allow’ that time and haven’t found the ‘wait go back’ button, or in six hundred years time as part of a museum exhibit on the effects of the collapse of rational thought on the decline of humanity. (There is no middle ground.) and you’re probably wondering, if you can even remember the start of this sentence (we said Audioslavia were or weren’t in the World Cup), where their performance stacks up in relation to other performances for other teams with different names that aren’t Audioslavia. Well you’re in luck, pinged-or-future-man, because this listicle kind of talks about that for a bit but then gets sidetracked.

Click on all the links to see big pictures and to make advertisers think like we’re more popular than we are because holy shit does this website need money right now.

1 - Audioslavia once won a group on four points!

It was recent, so you might even remember it! In World Cup 89, the Bulls were good for a bit, but they needed a bit of help from other teams being bad.

Audioslavia, Ko-oren and Electrum all beat each other, while Mercedini just wanted to draw with all the other teams instead. As a result, Electrum were eliminated because, and get this, Audioslavia and Ko-oren outscored them. Yeah. I’d retire too. The Bulls won the group on Goal Difference and would finish third, while Ko-oren won the whole shebang. Just think what may have happened if we’d had their half of the draw! Well we did, because we met them in the semi-final and lost on penalties after a 0-0 (0-0) scoreline.

If Audioslavia can finish first on four points then, why not now? It’s a traGedy.

2 - Your chances of reaching the knockouts are better with 5 points rather than 6!

Well look at this nonsense! On average, since World Cup 1, teams who finish the group stage of 5 points finish an average of 1.65th, compared to 1.71th for teams on 6 points! It’s a tragedy and the WCC need to be held accountable. As does Maths.

3 - We're going to finish third on 4 points again it totally sucks

Ignoring for a second the possibility that we might get pumped off Josifovo and look really silly on one point, because if there’s any word that Bullsfeed doesn’t understand the meaning of it’s hubris. Hubris and decency. Hubris and decency and FRAUGHILLIATHROXTENHUFFALIDAD. If Audioslavia win, which they always do, we’ll likely finish on four points (check 1+3 still equals 4 before publishing, we need to be accurate on this). And it’s likely we’ll go out of the World Cup on four points. We once came top on four, but we usually go out on four? And five is better than six and three is terrible? I want to type the word tragedy in lots of letters again but it’s so time consuming and if I don’t write fourteen listicles an hour I get locked out of the office fridge.

4 - A surprising amount of electricity travelling through your skeleton

5 - Oh shit I don’t have a fifth one wait let me real quick let me open this email

Here is one of many attempts by The Aesthetic to show the lineage of the Unofficial World Championship. They sent it to us and said it was more our thing. I can’t figure out why.

You can approximate the effects of subscribing to Bullsfeed by transcribing what your racist grandpa says when he’s off his face on schnapps and highlighting the simpler words in red pen

by **Sylestone** » Wed Apr 24, 2024 8:48 am

ANOTHER GAME, ANOTHER INTERRUPTION AS SENTIENTS SEAL CRUCIAL THREE POINTS

PANDO, HUAYRAMARCA - In what would mark the second time in two consecutive World Cups, Sylestone are on the verge of qualifying for the final sixteen on the back of a 1-0 triumph over Josifovo in Pando, one that puts them three points clear of third placed Audioslavia with just one game remaining. It was Charlotte Eastwood who scored the goal - the Sentients’ only of the campaign in Huayramarca thus far to go alongside an impressive record of zero conceded over three hours of football - in the 48th minute to give her team an eventually unassailable advantage, latching onto a long ball forward from Holly Statton that caught the Josifski defence unawares, slotting it in at the near post to send the blue and orange portion of the crowd into a frenzy. Of course, this resulted in increased Josifski possession as Mojmir Anac instructed his player to park the double decker in front of the goal, providing no way through for forwards Dukagjin Bajrami and Pece Trajkovski to sneak through. Despite a penalty scare in the 83rd minute that left two entire nations on edge, for a Josifovo loss would certainly eliminate them should Kelssek end up defeating Audioslavia (spoiler: they did), the referee waved it away as Hugo Mornington’s block only found the ball.

It really was another typical game of “Anacball”, and the second identical result between the two teams in the space of a year. Josifovo, despite their relatively aggressive style of play, simply could not break down the Sentients’ tricky defence. With Kelssek turning out 2-0 winners over Audioslavia, the result leaves the Sentients in need of one single point in order to qualify for the next round and face a daunting opponent likely to be Delte, while a shock triumph over the current group leaders will see Anac’s outfit pip them for first place and face a more favourable side, such as one particular Flavovespia.

But enough on that now, for the point(s) against Kelssek will be crucial, especially if Audioslavia can knock off Josifovo in their inaugural World Cup campaign. For that game, Anac has already hinted very subtly at using his experienced stalwarts to lead them out at the Estadio Maritimo, as they seek to enact revenge in Puerto San Carlos in lieu of a nightmare visit last time around. Although most of the damage had been done in Chamberley in the first leg of two that determined one qualifier for World Cup 93 - Sylestone’s first back after several years out - Huayramarca had once again comfortably dealt with a side then known simply as upstarts, and far from the power they have become over the past two to three years. With memories from that game certain to haunt the seven players left over from that squad as football in Sylestone began to enter what is now known as a supposed “golden era”, there may be a bit of an extra spark and spunk about the Sentients as they look to take down a formidable foe.

Despite the normality of Sylestone’s fixture against Josifovo, one moment - not Eastwood’s goal - will live on. In the 43rd minute with half time quickly approaching, a young fan clad in red - whether it was Josifski red or Huayramarcan red is unknown - entered the field of play as Holly Statton was preparing for a throw in, the youngster immediately rushing over to the Sylesotnean bench, holding a pen and somehow, a toilet seat he’d managed to smuggle in through security. With guards scrambling to reach him, the fan tried with his best to get Sylestonean reserve goalkeeper and only Sentient in the squad, the Brick Wall, to sign the object, somehow gaining the signature and moving in the direction of midfielder Gemma Rodway before security finally caught up. Nevertheless, the Brick Wall’s act caused much of the stadium to turn to it as Sylestoneans, Josifski and neutrals alike joined in on several renditions of the “Brick Wall, he’s just a giant fucking Brick Wall” chant, which reached a supernova when Anac gave in to the crowd, bringing the Sentient on for its first minutes of the World Cup (actually seconds) to take the final kick of the game - a goalkick after a failed ball over the top was atrociously mishit.

Perhaps, it was just as a bit of fun, or perhaps it was a mastermind ploy to win over the neutral crowd’s support in the wake of the Kelssek fixture in Puerto San Carlos. We will find out when both teams make the journey to the isles, both sides desperate to secure all three points to avoid playing the world champions in the round of sixteen and for Sylestone, the prospect of elimination. Talk about daunting.

Sylestone vs Josifovo @ Estadio Municipal de Pando, Pando, Huayramarca

Sylestone (4-4-1-1 → 5-4-1): Macleay (Brick Wall 90+6’); Wettenhall (Holt 85’) - Mornington - Blackall - Statton; Ryland - Gallagher (Rodway 73’) - Lawson - Arnold ( 58’) (Jones 85’); Sarcav-Jones (Faucett 73’); Eastwood

Josifovo (4-3-1-2): Budzakoski; Kuzmanovski - Kuzmanović - Karandzhulov - Vujić (Milojević 55’); Bajramović - Mehić - Simonovski (Cvetković 86’); Tadić (Jović 55’); Bajrami - Trajkovski (Filipović 72’)

Sylestone 1-0 Josifovo
                                         Eastwood 48'

Starting XI vs Kelssek @ Estadio Maritimo, Puerto San Carlos

Macleay; Wettenhall - Mornington - Blackall - Statton; Ryland - Rodway - Lawson - Jones; Sarcav-Jones; Eastwood

by **Mertagne** » Wed Apr 24, 2024 9:51 am

YOU CAN’T CASTLE WHEN IN CHECK
Zwangzug try and fail to hold Mertagne back from win in Dannin

For Mertagne, who began this matchday just barely off the bottom of the group table with 0 points, their match against Zwangzug was a ‘must win’ game if the hope of continuing in the cup was to be kept alive. The Spectrum Stadium was aglow with the lights and sound of thousands of home, away and neutral fans alike that had come to see these two sides. Zwangzug and Mertagne, first and second seeds in their group (with Mertagne taking that accolade on a technicality), took to the pitch, knowing that each of their futures were on the line after lacklustre performances in the first matchday against HUElavia and Zenic. For Mertagne, this would be their second fixture in a row against a Z-listed opponent, and as Mertagne kicked off, it looked like the team understood the importance of the match well. Luka Hazaluta had fielded a top strength squad, as Aislin du Moucel looked to be playing at her peak and delegated the ball out effectively further up the field whenever it hit her feet.

Many pundits claimed before the match that Zwangzug’s formation would be a tough nut to crack, with a defensive focused 4-5-1 that pivots its goalscoring opportunities around Stephen Marcus, an adaptable forward that has a habit of scoring from unorthodox plays and a keen mind for identifying goal scoring opportunities. Tacticians from the side of the Green Goblins knew that the best way to apply pressure onto the monochrome squad would be to focus some effort on Marcus, but not too much as to allow the midfielders on the wing, such as Nicholas Palmetto, who was billed to start, and Chester Hildegard, too much room to manoeuvre themselves into goal scoring positions.

Zwangzug immediately posed a threat with a tight defensive line that managed to effectively shut down the Mertagnian attack and cycle the ball back out to their own players. Up front, Mertagne had made the decision to post a potent attacking pair in Holly Eveson and Burro Curwood, in the hopes that either of them would be able to receive a solid through ball from the midfield, but by the half hour mark the Green Goblins had not made a single shot on target. The home side did get lucky and won a corner after Ashley Fillmore-Gaul’s attempt to keep a long ball down slipped it out over the sideline, but the shot, taken by Amy Quennell in the hope of an immediate goal, was palmed quickly by Soumini Bano-Patil. The ensuing goal kick saw the ball chime deep into the midfield, where Eileen Gainsborough was ready to receive it and build up Zwangzug’s momentum once more.

The opponents had a couple of good opportunities to score in the first half, but Rhiannon Fawn, here playing her first official World Cup game of the cycle, was well defended and managed to deal with anything that came her way. A punt from Stephen Marcus, seemingly testing the waters as he was surrounded by the sharks of the Mertagnian defenders, sailed over the net and into the stands at the Spectrum Stadium, and a second chance came from Jess McHeran as she delft found her way into the box and received a cross from Palmetto. Many were worried the rebound off of Fawn could have led to another opportunity, but the ball was quickly punted out by Dominic Moko and went to a corner. Zwangzug’s set piece was clinical, but the Green Goblins were able to take possession and launch a counterattack, but unfortunately this didn’t amount to much.

Play remained concentrated fairly deep in the Zwangzug third until half time, and at the restart it seemed these two teams were once again at loggerheads with little in the way of attacking opportunities. A breakaway run from Brian Spand-Maunk was nearly enough for another shot on goal, but a rough tackle which saw Aato Irizarri take a yellow card for the offence cut the attack short enough that the ensuing free kick wasn’t quite enough to get the ball across the line.

In the 70th minute, the Green Goblins were able to mount a decent counterattack, which was slow by Mertagnian standards, but gave the players time to think in their passing. Mertagne were able to ratchet up the pitch and play the ball into the feet of Asilin du Moucel, who found Stewart Bickley, who found the through-line and passed to Nazer Armenadriz, a recent substitution, and scored a fantastic goal into the bottom right corner of the net, as Bano-Patil was a fraction too late on the ball. The goal ensured that Mertagne was finally able to get some numbers on the board, and as the goal song blared from the speakers and the cavalcade of lights processed around the stadium in the light of the afternoon, the Mertagnian side gathered together in a show of celebration as Armenadriz celebrated his goal with his trademark run along the corner side, arm outstretched to high-five anyone that could make the arduous reach over the stands. The sea of lime and dark green here was vastly overshadowing the display from the opposing side, as was to be expected when hosting a tournament on home soil, but in this game it really felt like the Mertagnian fans were truly behind the hosts, despite their less than ideal start.

The final twenty minutes of the game were emblematic of the match at large - two well matched sides grinding each other down, with the home side buoyed slightly by the fan presence and the prestige of playing at home. Some choice substitutions failed to change the game in any meaningful way, with Mertagne making a defensive pivot now it looked like they would go the distance and claim the win with their single goal, and Zwangzug managing to collide with Rhiannon Fawn in a scramble for the ball in the game’s dying minutes.

The result has put Mertagne back within touching distance of advancement to the next round, but a strong result against HUElavia is sorely needed to cement themselves into the knockouts. Zenic and Zwangzug will be conspiring to do their best to pip Mertagne to that second spot, but for now, Mertagne’s international team will be simply focused on doing their very best in their match - the fans can fuss over the permutations.

Other news from across the nation:

NATIONAL: Record-breaking ȡ500m lottery win won by Keers syndicate
POLITICS: Mertagne-Karodin talks progress amongst backdrop of blazes
ECONOMY: Neorudo rebuild sees big profits for construction firms
CULTURE: Fans queue outside bookshops for latest in Alaisdair Colby series

by **Valanora** » Wed Apr 24, 2024 12:46 pm

A Basic Guide to the Vanorian Calendar

Ever wonder why it seems like those in the Eternal Empire are able to get more packed into a year than what seems feasible? Well the answer is that they really do not, though that is large part thanks to the fact that the Vanorian calendar does not run on the usual system that assumes three hundred and sixty five and one fourth days per year. In ancient times, the astronomers of the Woodland Kingdom came to realize that the yearly rotation of Silverymoon is a far longer time frame than the commonly assumed calendar that many other nations use form their own calendars, with the twelve month system of varying days the most commonly found outside of the Empire. These astronomers estimated that a yearly rotation of Silverymoon around their star was approximately four hundred and twenty-four days, which was quite the close estimate by the scientists and astronomers of that time. With modern instruments and mathematics, it was discovered that instead that a year for the planet is instead four hundred and twenty days on the dot, with some yearly variance based on the gravitational pull from other planets giving mild disruption to the normal orbit.

When it came to formulating a calendar to accommodate the elongated year, it was decided to divide the months into an equal amount of days, which would result in thirty days in fourteen months. When it came to naming the months and deciding where they should fall, it seemed only natural to attempt to give them names according to either how it felt the weather was changing or what might be happening during those months, which would see four months in spring and autumn rather than in summer or fall as the orbit had resulted in more transitional seasons than the more extreme seasons. As this happened many centuries ago still, the use of the old elven language was employed in the naming conventions and when spoken by a native speak almost sounds poetic. The months are listed below as well as what it would mean if directly translated from old elven and into the more common tongue that is used throughout most of the sporting and political landscape that allows people from all different walks of life and cultures the ability to communicate regardless of where they might be from.

Winter Month 1 - Rhathan (the cold)
Winter Month 2 - Dar'rath (the deep cold)
Winter Month 3 - Fir'rath (fading cold)
Spring Month 1 - Firathan (fading harvest)
Spring Month 2 - Firithol (the warming)
Spring Month 3 - Falbethal (leaves sprout)
Spring Month 4 - Ethalthan (second harvest)
Summer Month 1 - Ethalthol (growing warmth)
Summer Month 2 - Dar'ethal (the deep warming)
Summer Month 3 - Fir'ethal (the fading warmth)
Fall Month 1 - Lavathan (harvest)
Fall Month 2 - Lalbethalin (leaves fall)
Fall Month 3 - Larhan (first cold)
Fall Month 4 - Rhavathan (last harvest)

For a point of reference, the domestic football season begins in second half of Dar'ethal while ending towards the middle of Firithol, having a three week break during the coldest parts of winter in Dar'rath. The World Cup is typically held in the months of Falbethal and Ethalthan while regional tournaments occur in Ethalthol. The spread out eleven month season allows for fewer times when multiple games have to happen during a week, except for those clubs who take part in international club competitions like the Champions League or Cup Winners' Cup. Additionally it allows more rest time for the players and a less intense schedule means that players are more often able to play most of the season rather than having a dire need to have huge squads for rotation that would otherwise be needed. It all adds up for a schedule that allows the best players to play as often as they are able to and enough rest during the offseason and during the season so that they are not strained and feeling like they are overburdened, which comes as a welcome to many a player as the calendar has gotten more congested in the last decade or so in other nations.

by **Brookstation** » Wed Apr 24, 2024 1:27 pm

It was a shame. The little bit of confidence that Liangde He had gathered over the last few days came crashing down in the matter of seconds and he could barely stand on his feet anymore. Had it been any other man of his age, they would’ve probably retired from their job, especially after the turmoil that the team had gone through but Liangde He was special for a reason. Hailing from a very humble background in Naixi, He had been brought up under a strict framework and for all that mattered, He had very much learnt to worship his profession above anything else.

-------------------------------------------xxx----------------------------------------

Lance Logan, the brightest member in the squad, often regarded as the best player in the team at times, stood in front of the goal. The clock had just ticked the 84th minute, the game reaching its most intense point in its duration. When it came to penalties, Logan has always been out of luck and till date Brookstation has never managed to win a single penalty shootout in the nation’s history. Logan was of course not to be blamed for all this. After all, penalties are just another display of luck. Logan was calm and composed, but the very thought of all those past mistakes kept popping into his mind. After all, it was the World Cup. Rex Archer stepped up more confident than ever and the smirk on Archer’s face immediately disturbed Logan’s mind and within a fraction of a second, the whistle was blown and a fierce shot almost penetrated through the goal. Logan had dived in the right direction but the shot was powerful enough to pass through even the best goalkeeper in the world.

While Logan sat down in disbelief, Archer ran towards the crowd, celebrating fiercely along with his teammates. Ko-oren is not a nation known for scoring many goals but the fact that Ko-oren had been able to pile up a total of three goals now was a clear indication that the Brook defense had faltered heavily.

It was not as if Brookstation had played badly. In fact, since the very beginning, Brookstation had matched every step of Ko-oren and at times , it also felt that Brookstation could edge through by a little. Ko-oren was definitely a difficult opponent, a team which probably no team would want to face, especially in the World Cup. Nevertheless, the scoring was opened by the Dreamers after Debuer slammed it home from the edge of the box. Scoring a goal against the Dragonflies was itself an achievement and the opening goal showed that Brookstation weren’t here to joke around.

But if you are a follower of football, you probably know Ko-oren. The goal against them had quite an impact and the look of desperation on coach Lele Manguele’s face was evident. He had once been dominated by He but he just wouldn’t tolerate Brookstation’s shenanigans for a second time. With the first time closing out, Hixinio Andrade managed to dribble past Jacobus with surprisingly relative ease and when Logan ran towards the midfielder, Andrade just slipped the ball to the advancing Aomelirea who leveled the score in no time.

With the scores already leveled at 1-1, it was obvious that everyone was in for a much more exciting and aggressive second half. And the predictions were of course true. Within three minutes of the second half, Brookstation had managed to regain the lead once again, this time through a header by Jayden Alonso off a corner. Even if the goal was pretty good, there was no time to celebrate. Ko-oren was a team that would never give up until the very end.

Protecting the lead was the only job that had to be done but even if it seemed easy from the outset, it was perhaps the most difficult task, especially when it had to be done against Ko-oren. The effect of the match reflected on the player’s fitness and after the 70th minute mark almost every Brook defender had run out of energy. Liangde He had two choices ahead of him- either to continue with the tired defenders or bring on fresh blood onto the pitch. He chose the second. Alonso and Jacobus were brought off for Feguson and Bean respectively. Ko-oren didn’t hesitate a minute to exploit the golden opportunity that lay in front of them. It wasn’t an easy task to adapt to the conditions of a game of this stature and Manguele very well knew it. Within a minute of the substitution, Ko-oren had launched a counter attack and the team had given their entire energy into that one attack, with almost every player being involved in the process. A series of fast paced passes and skillful dribbling finally bore the fruit as Andrade would rightfully finish with a perfect touch.The goal was simply great, there was nothing that could have been done about it.

A 2-2 draw wasn’t a bad score however and it was pretty much the result that any average Brook could expect against Ko-oren and so long everyone was satisfied. Well, little did they know about the events that were about to unfold in just another few minutes.

-------------------------------------------xxx----------------------------------------

Mertagne was far away from Naixi, located in an entirely different segment of the multiverse altogether. It would be wrong to assume that He didn’t miss his home, a nation which has all of a sudden disappeared from the news just like a host of other nations including Nephara and Graentfjall. As a region, Rushmore was going through a huge breakdown with the region recording one of its worst performances in the World Cup in decades. Somewhere down the line, He felt the obligation to do something. Of the four Rushmori qualifiers, Tikariot had already been eliminated from the World Cup and He definitely didn’t want a similar fate to await Brookstation.

Liangde He was in paranoia; he just couldn’t figure out whether he was doing his job right or not. On one hand there was the worry about whatever went on in his home nation and on the other hand, there was all this. Perhaps, it was not destiny for him to ever succeed or perhaps he was too eccentric a man for a subtle job like this. There was simply no explanation.

Well they say that men don’t cry but the saying didn’t always hold true and it was obvious when He could feel his eyes getting messy with every passing millisecond as he moved his pen through the resignation form. The story had to finally come to an end.

by **Eshialand** » Wed Apr 24, 2024 1:33 pm

Putridity
Eshialand 0-1 West Barack and East Obama

"Gah, does anyone know what that rotten smell was?" Alice Carroll asked after the Owls' ill-fated second match against West Barack and East Obama.
"That made the smell from the ship seem tolerable..." Mel Carey noted.
"I've never smelled something so bad that I've wanted to get a rhinectomy..."

Half the team turned to Lucas Meilling, not knowing what he was talking about.

"I wanted my nose chopped off--"

"Okay, just got word back as to what that was..." Kenny Morgan told his team.
"And?" They said in unison.
"There was expired cheese in one of the shipping containers at the stadium, and the seal failed."
"You're kidding me, right?" Mel asked the coach, but he shook his head.
"I'm afraid not..."
"Well listen--" Elizabeth Michaels said, "we really can't keep playing well at all if every day our noses get assaulted with the most foul smells known to mankind."
"Hmm..." Kenny Morgan thought out loud, "that gives me an idea..."

For the Owls' final World Cup 96 match against Ko-oren, they will all be playing with matching Eshian blue and black clothespins over their noses.

by **Tikariot** » Wed Apr 24, 2024 1:38 pm

OOC Disclaimer: Content warning - this true crime series may contain imagery (no actual images, just words) that some people may find disconcerting. Reader discretion is advised.

Good evening Tikariot, welcome back to The Tikariot Files, where we look at some of Tikariot's most outrageous, brutal, mysterious criminal cases the nation has to offer - all of them unsolved.

The picture cuts to the logo of the show while images of prison cells, blood spatter and other crime-related footage are shown in the background, with a lone, sombre piano melody playing.

Welcome to episode 10 of the Tikariot Files; I am your host Christoffer Akerbrandt. Things are a little different than in our previous episodes for the final episode of the Tikariot Files. Where, so far, all cases were contained within the borders of Tikariot, our last case goes further. Way further. There have been incidents all across the multiverse, but that is not the only thing that makes this different. Here, the perpetrator is known, yet all of us have been forced to stand by idly as the events unfolded, helpless. This - is the case of Margaret...

The origins and background of Margaret are murky at best, with several theories about her past circulating, but there is no concrete evidence any of them are anywhere near the truth. Some even argue the existence of Margaret on a fundamental level. So who or what is she?

Her first mention in history books dates back decades when her name was first attributed to the Snub Nose 38 Ministry of Athletics, Olympics, and Alcoholic Beverages. Other than having been seen with the Minister himself, her position never was clarified, yet further details are hard to come by. She has been described as "someone dressed in burgundy robes and a midnight blue hooded cape [...] kneeling in front of a bronze brazier with something in each hand. The left hand seems to be holding a small leather pouch which has an eagle feather tied to it by a silver string. the right hand is holding a...why, it's a dilapidated old rubber chicken..." The source for this had spoken under the condition of anonymity, so corroboration has been impossible.

During countless sports tournaments, her name has been invoked whenever misery befell a sports team, especially if said misery came swiftly and surprisingly. The cited rubber chicken became part of the lore, a boon for sacrifices to gods of luck and fortune and individuals from across the multiverse began sacrificing them in their plight to appease Margaret and, by extension, the gods, hoping for luck to be on their side.

Some took it to extremes, equating quantity with increased chances of winning her favour. Yet while empirical data has been impossible to procure, it is widely believed that any of these sacrifices are merely used to appease stressed-out fans of the respective teams.

However, the fact that whenever unusual and unsuspecting results materialize, Margaret's name is connected to them, and one of the most convincing theories that has surfaced is that Margaret has ties with a multiversal sports betting organization, engaged in large-scale corruption and match-fixing schemes that have been plaguing a wide variety of sports. To this date, investigators have not yet managed to pierce the veil and gain any insights into the existence of such an organization or, if it exists, into how and where it operates. This theory also dispels any connections between the sacrifices of rubber chickens and favourable results.

Another theory is that Margaret is an ancient witch who has gone insane and whose sole purpose is to cause as much havoc, devastation, and depression as she possibly can. As with many other theories, the veracity of these claims could not be proved (or disproved, for that matter).

If she indeed does exist, the suspect remains at large, and no confirmed spottings have been reported. Her existence is as much contested and shrouded in mystery as her workings and potential motives.

by **Kelssek** » Wed Apr 24, 2024 2:30 pm

“And so I said, well how come all these people are getting to go ahead of me now, and the guy is like, well sir, none of them abused our staff, and he threatens to call the police. Abuse! The kid taking orders was a bit slow, like autistic or so all I said was something about, have you been to school, like do you understand what I’m saying, and this manager just storms in all aggressively when we were just having an interaction. Anyway, I find burgers triggering now.”

It had been about three minutes since whatshisname had turned down a waiter’s offer of some sliders, and Amanda Heind MP, parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Culture and Sport, nodded furiously, looking for any opportunity to extricate herself from the conversation. The stadium’s VIP facilities were plush and the catering impressive. This was the affluent region of Huayramarca. But they were straining under the sheer quantity of Football Kelssek officials and assorted hangers-on. And yet when you really needed to find someone else to talk to...

This trip to Huayramarca seemed like the ideal junket at first, and Amanda clung on to the hope that maybe she’d get to do some eco-tourism after all. But so far it was mostly placating upset Kelssek fans around town who seemed to think her poor diplomacy was the only thing stopping the stadium sprouting 40,000 new seats for all of them, representing the capital-I Interests of the capital-P People by being present at all things, and avoiding being photographed with Moonbeam Infantino. Failing at that last point was something that could torpedo her ambitions of getting into Cabinet, the party whip had strongly hinted.

A ripple seemed to move through the room. Amanda glanced around to see a knot forming around someone evidently quite popular but who she could not quite see.

Fortunately, her interlocutor knew, and even gasped a little. “It’s Colm Ó Tuathail!”

This drew a lot of attention in the room, and even some of the people from the Audioslavian contingent seemed to have trickled over from another VIP suite, intent on taking photos of this person from the corridor outside.

Good God, you’ve won your seat twice, you know how to handle these awkward constituent meet-and-greets. This is your chance, Amanda thought to herself. “Ah yes. Please excuse me, I’ll be sure to make your concerns heard,” she said, and slipped away as if it was very important for the sake of the nation that she immediately talk to someone else.

A bald head suddenly appeared in her field of vision. Amanda pushed on, not wanting to find out if it was Moonbeam Infantino. Fortunately, the match seemed to be starting, so she shuffled through to the box seats as if she really wanted the best possible place to stand for the national anthems in. That would stop anyone from talking to her for a couple of minutes, and anyway, appearing on TV might help her political profile, if anyone recognized her, a staff intern had sort of suggested.

KELSSEK 2 – an Deòir (30’), Goh-Lemaire (63’)
Maraipu, Buené, Lambert, Camserhe, Usher, dí Völará (Pépin 59’), Pogbacar (Licea 87’), de Landa (Breault 83’), Heer, Ahmad (Goh-Lemaire 59’), Joseph (Maradrogba 83’)
AUDIOSLAVIA 0
Estadio Departamental de Tarapacá, Alto Hospicio (attn. 19,145)

by **Recuecn** » Wed Apr 24, 2024 3:57 pm

Even for a team ranked eightieth in the multiverse playing against a team ranked third, it was an embarrassing defeat. being outscored was one thing, but the Farfadillans had run circles around the Reçuecians on the pitch. Franky and Helibert had scored more or less because the Farfadillans had allowed them to. their lead was so great, and their dominance so total, that they never felt in danger. Knowing that Yuezhou had beaten Tikariot three hours earlier, the loss meant that Reçueçn’s World Cup dreams were ending with a group stage elimination.

The team had mixed feelings. Some players, like Firaut, or the assistant coach Ägidius Heissler, we’re happy we to have made it to the World Cup in the first place. After being out of the tournament for so many years, a return had been an unlikely stroke of luck, and one that they felt the team, but not to take for granted. Others, however, had been swept up in the excitement of the Cup, and had new, unachievable goals for themselves.

Franky Adams was one of these. Even after Reçueçn had been drawn into the group of death, and even after their defeat against Yuezhou, Franke had held out hope for a miracle that would send the team through to the round of sixteen. Relié, the team manager, had subtly encouraged the attitude, hoping that it would inspire his players to perform even beyond their ability. instead, he had set them up for crushing blow when their hopes were inevitably dashed.

With emotions riding so high, there had been plenty of tension on the pitch. Just before halftime, with Franky Adams on a breakaway looking for a second goal, Lajos Danzas had attacked him with a fierce slide tackle. The ref awarded the foul, but no card, despite Danzas’ spikes making contact with Franky’s ankle in a way the former surely hadn’t intended. Franky didn’t see things so magnanimously. As the two sides left the pitch at halftime, he had some choice words for Danzas—and yelled them across the field loud enough for most of the stadium to hear.

It was not a surprise, then, when in the second half, with things looking even worse for les licornes and pressure rising ever higher, Franky snapped and launched a clearly premeditated attack on Danzas the moment the latter got the ball. Franky slid in from the side, cleats turned upward, and striking the ball with one foot, hit Danzas’ leg with the other, tearing a ragged hole in his sock.

This time, the referee was immediate with the yellow card, which of course caused an uproar among the Reçuecian fans. And once again, at the end of the second half, a shouting match erupted. Heissler and Relié and a few Reçuecian substitutes had to run onto the pitch to pull Franky (as well as Emanuele Cutrona, always there to support his friend) away from the Farfadillan players. The adrenaline of the loss and the knowledge that Reçueçn’s World Cup was essentially over were fuel on the fire of the Reçuecian players’ rage.

As he let himself be pulled off the field, Franky glared at Danzas. A Mertagnian event planner was standing at the edge of the field, handing out VIP passes for the nightclub in Claviers. Franky and Danzas locked eyes, each silently promising to each other that they would find each other at the club to continue their feud there.

by **Saint Eleanor** » Wed Apr 24, 2024 3:59 pm

OOC: Osarius was NOT able to properly read this before cutoff, but he's assured me that "i cant imagine it will be a problem" and I've wired a copy to him anyway to make absolutely sure. Updates on his approval of what's written, or lack thereof, will be deposited into this space shortly. No word from Mriin or Flavo at this time, alas, so just the two episodes for today.

Group of Six meeting (XX) --- SAINT ELEANOR 2-0 Valanora
Participants: Gentle Breeze, Reniira Clevinger, Stephen Mitcham ~ Bridget Coombe [C], Cathy Winchester [VC], Sylvia Hollenberg [ballot]
Location: A souvenir shop in Puerto San Carlos, HUA

Match summary
Goals: Felaraneta 57, Launceston 71
Red cards: none
Yellow cards: none

Key moments:
* Saint Eleanor and Valanora had both won their openers but Valanora were hugely favoured by most people... given their standing, of course
* With VAL starting their normal lineup and Gentle Breeze sticking to the plan, this was the battle of wits that many outside the team expected
* It was also a free-flowing game in principle - no crucial or significant fouls all game; possession turnovers were fairly frequent but mostly peaceful
* Zonal marking trapped Lundström, and her substitute Haaland, between our defensive "square" - added to wide marking means few opportunities for them
* Our defenders were not dogmatic about passing but always sought out the best opportunity, which took time but strengthened our potential
* As a result, the first half was somewhat turgid, with serious chances being few and often fizzling at the crucial moment
* After the break was a different story, with Felaraneta proving the main attacking influence: often working with Hart, including in the string of passes that got him the opener...
* ...and occasionally taking VAL's defenders by surprise as he broke past their defensive lines instead; I won't assume, but perhaps they thought striking was Hart's job instead
* The second goal came after one such incident which forced Simonsen into a push behind; Launceston got on the end of the resulting corner, which was not part of the script but welcomed by everyone
* VAL remained insistent and pushy to the very last, and were most successful in defeating our backline after the second goal, but we held on to secure the clean sheet and all three points
* This result also means WE ARE IN THE LAST SIXTEEN and will secure top spot with a point against Vdara (or otherwise if UMS secure a result in the other game)

TAKEAWAY 1: THE GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT IN ELEANORIAN HISTORY - EXCEPT FOR LIBERATION DAY IN 1975 - HAS BEEN REALISED

Tactical discussion
* The striker trap was an outstanding ploy, but one which some felt was lucky and not readily replicable, against VDR or otherwise
* Bridget argues that just because we've qualified does not mean we get to relax; pushback from Gentle Breeze and yours truly
* Broad agreement that VDR will use their wingbacks assertively but are otherwise unpredictable...
* ...and will be looking to secure a draw, if not outright victory, to boost their pride - the key is to thwart this by necessary means
* Hollenberg over Matsuda is an easy decision: we aren't looking to go absolutely wild on the Vdarans but a 4-2-3-1 in principle would be a smart idea
* Hart and Lawson to remain in their starting positions given how much they've proven their worth; agreement that Goldsmith (or Key)/Newcastle can be subbed on if necessary
* No change otherwise necessary, especially not to the defenders, all of whom have more than proven their worth - it would be a shame to remove them for any reason other than necessary
* Generally, we'll be looking to keep up the offside trap, make the wide players work cohesively with each other (which hasn't always happened!), and continue our practice of dynamic attacking
* Asides: One, Stephen will be doing the recording for next match. Two, should Sechura leave Huayramarca? Reniira doesn't care, Sylvia is sympathetic to the cause somewhat, everyone else isn't a fan

TAKEAWAY 2: A POINT WOULD DO... BUT THREE POINTS WOULD BE REALLY BENEFICIAL

AGREED LINEUP (4-2-3-1): Richardson - Winchester, Launceston, Newbridge, Davies - Coombe [cdm], Hollenberg [cdm] - Lawson, Felaraneta [cam], Northend - Hart

- Cathy

The Grand Tour of Anaia - Cobrio: A small, cold, nondescript land - or a wonderfully diverse place you'll fall in love with?

by Lara Torridge - February 21st 2006

I was watching Kingswood, TV1's beloved soap opera, with one of my old boyfriends a couple of years ago. He remarked that one of the new characters - depicted as a skinny, flash and chain-smoking Huayramarcan businessman - was "suave but not dapper." Much the same would apply to most of the men working the airport in Camaron. It applies to the man who was understanding of the fact I just came into the country with Bostopian Pounds and was able to work out their one-for-one exchange rate with dollars appropriately. Hence...

Exchange rate: £605 = 302.5 medallions (£1 = $1 = 0.5 medallions)

It also applies to the man at the car rental centre who, having had a bit too hard a look at my driving license, believed that I would do just fine with taking out a motorcycle for the time being. It does take some pushing at a nearby supplies shop to get one of those durable rear-seat baskets and some appropriate equipment, but I do get all of my things into there in the end - except the tall pair of boots, which I figure I'll wear anyway. These are people you wouldn't actively reach out and deal with; they are people who, once you get started with them, will try their very best (and successfully) to keep you satisfied.

You'd think that from the Barrington Douglas International Airport, Camaron itself would not be that far away. It is not, despite the problems I face with traffic for a good part of the route. After I park, it doesn't take me too long to get into a local tavern (just for a glass of water, of course). It takes me so little time that the bartender notices I haven't taken off my fluo yellow jacket and asks me if I'm perhaps working as a foreign rubbish disposal worker. I tell him that such work is a bit above my station, remarks for which he admonishes me, and that I'm instead on Academy business.

He still doesn't think I've answered his real question, which was why I'd be wearing high-vis clothing for no obvious reason. I respond that I'm visiting from Saint Eleanor and have decided to rent out a motorcycle. He asks why; I tell him I feel like it. He asks how much motorcycle experience I actually have; I say I'm perfectly qualified to ride one, but until now have maybe exercised this right for ten or fifteen minutes in the past two years, and then because I had a friend who needed to be taken home from the pub one day. He jokes that it didn't happen at his pub.

With that accomplished, I figure I need to go down the street to visit the National Museum, which he says he "strongly" recommends. It is, in fact, twelve or fifteen minutes down the street. I find myself so impressed by Cobre culture and history that I stay there for a couple of hours; it is far more than can be adequately described in this limited space, but it suffices to say I enjoyed the exhibits about how Cobrio split off from Osarius - de facto and de jure - and some of the recent developments in rural areas.

From there, I find that the walk to the Oya Ounje is much more tolerable. There are plenty of stallholders marketing under their own names or at least with a description of their business, but I find it interesting that one particular grocer has decided to call his business "Freedom." Why? He notes that the Oya Ounje itself was built on the site of an Osarian barony, and rightly feels as though Cobre independence was valuable. There's not much I'm interested in, for various reasons, but I do order a couple of apples from him (which I finish in reasonable time) and then pick up a couple of trinkets from elsewhere.

A few more stops later, I manage to completely forget where I've parked my bike; it requires some helpful gesturing from at least seven or eight locals before I find it again. I find the road out of Camaron to be smooth in all regards - generously so, given what I have to put up with later - and, after a couple of hours of driving, find a motorway service area which comes far below the quality I expect of other service areas. I am promptly reminded by the manager, to whom I rend payment, that Cobre services are hardly the most advanced in the world and that I should hold out to Osarius for something more to my liking.

He insists he's been here for 35 years, since independence was ratified in 2279. Is it really 2314, though? "Well, I can't guarantee it is or not, but I'd say that's a good deal for your time. You'd think I'm a wise man so I'd know how far time's progressed, but I think my brain's getting up with me; might be because I spend more time here than with the clan back home. So yeah, whatever. Call it thirty-five." After some conversation on other, less contentious matters, I am possessed enough to figure that hiding in the toilet would be a good enough idea.

Day 1: Summary

What I wore: a helmet, proper high-vis clothing and some tall boots
What I spent: twelve-and-a-half medallions
What I've got left over: 95 Eleanorian dollars for emergencies; 290 medallions

The fuel station toilet - any fuel station - is the last place I expected to go to sleep before I set out on touring Anaia at the start of this year. I get six or seven hours in, before being woken up by a loud knock; it is a Cobre woman who it turns out was absolutely bursting to go and was understanding of my situation, if annoyed that I'd chosen to stay there rather than one of the local inns. I order another coffee from the services, which I figure isn't totally atrocious, and am assured that I will not be charged for my stay, out of pure leniency rather than any sort of policy. There is nothing much in the way, so I figure that I may as well continue onto Umoja, which I learned fairly recently is a fairly free-flowing border zone co-controlled by Cobrio and Osarius.

If you are reading this column, you will probably expect me to talk about the unusual places I have seen, as well as the iconic ones. The Umoja region fits both of those definitions. I work this out fairly rapidly - after about five or ten minutes, in fact, when a member of the regional patrol pulls me over as part of a spot-check. I pass it with no issues, but tell him I'm not surprised I've been chosen for this task, not least because crossing the border into Osarius is literally part of my job. He assures me that the laws of the region I read up about a few months ago are, in fact, still completely accurate and I should continue my adventures accordingly.

When I pull out, Umoja Route 1 (from Camaron) is fairly busy. At the time of the spot-check, there are more than a few vehicles about, but not that many motorcycles. By the time I even approach Dynapolis, the various exits to the city and the connection with Umoja Route 2 (to Burningham, capital of Osarius), it is nightmarishly crammed. I think to myself that I've saved about fifteen minutes by getting past traffic, although everybody else is trying to push ahead so the impact may well be limited. By the time I actually get to central Dynapolis, it is already lunchtime, which would be an achievement in some other country - but is in fact a poor return on a few dozen miles' worth of investment in Cobrio, plus a few minutes at another service area where the woman at the till is not only working there as an intern, but can barely even process my concerns about the traffic given how many other customers she has to deal with.

Where to, then? It doesn't take too long before I bump into an overzealous man who claims that he has genuine eluvium for sale; I immediately recognise him as a grifter and pay him no mind, and I could not afford the prices he's set even if I did. I then hide inside a community centre and ask where I can learn more. I'm directed to a couple of the local universities; once I say that I've already spent three years at the University of Saint Eleanor and am tired enough not to want to do yet another science degree, I am forwarded onwards towards another museum.

I find it to be rather less enthralling than the one in Camaron, but do learn a fair bit about how important eluvium is to the Cobre story, and even that there is a debate as to whether or not a meteorite was really the cause for its first appearing here. There's also a section about whether it has anything to do with the nearby Dragon Pits of Banpo, although that too is up for discussion. I figure that eluvium is much too shiny, so to speak, and now imagine that a reasonably-sized nugget would cost even more than everything I have on me at this time. I suppose I could theoretically get a gold chronograph watch for something in the order of $50,000 once I get home or make enough money from all of these shenanigans, rather than (or perhaps as well as) the vintage one I inherited from my parents - but eluvium? That would be a bridge too far.

Day 2: Summary

What I wore: the same as before
What I spent: ten medallions
What I've got left over: 95 Eleanorian dollars for emergencies; 280 medallions

The Grand Tour of Anaia - Osarius: Where the bilateral, biwheeled adventure meets with far more fanfare

by Lara Torridge - February 24th 2006

Contrary to what you may have thought, this story begins in Cobrio again. Back in Dynapolis, I have to find someone willing to change all of my medallions into credits - and not, as you may have feared, eluvium. That someone swiftly obliges, to no surprise.

Exchange rate: 280 medallions = 168 credits ($1 = 0.5 medallions = 0.3 credits; 1 medallion = 0.6 credits)

Any vaguely seasoned observer of Anaian geography and society will be able to argue, if not tell you matter-of-factly, that Osarius is that much greater - perhaps even more glorious - than Cobrio. This is obvious a few hours after I restart my adventure (a time period for which I once again blame the state of Dynapolitan traffic), when I pull into the first services I see after crossing the border and note how much more advanced the facilities are there, compared to any of the services I patronised yesterday and the day before. I make this point to the server at the fast-food restaurant there, who nods somewhat knowingly, much to his credit.

Callisto, the first major city after Umoja, is somewhat underwhelming. I imagine I would appreciate it more if I were a green-fingered type of person, so I am not, so all I can do is go into a restaurant, order a menu, turn to the back and be summarily met with an extensive discussion of how diverse the local crop selection is. It is worryingly diverse - the crops have almost unbelievable effects and you are directed to purchase an epic reference volume from a few months ago if you'd like more information. I decide to order some steak and chips, which looks and tastes as you imagine it would in the rest of Anaia.

There are still 300 miles or so to go until Burningham. The Golden Temple, Callisto's local major venue, I have to admit looks stunning; certainly more exciting then the stadiums of Cathair. The service stations I have to admit are more exciting. And the traffic in and around Burningham itself is, despite - and, to an extent, because of - the city's size, actually comparable to Dynapolis. In the grand scheme of things, arriving after nightfall and on track to actually get a good night's sleep (rather than another night in some semi-public toilets) was an achievement in itself, but it did mean that consideration of Burningham itself would be delayed.

Day 1: Summary

What I wore: a helmet, proper high-vis clothing and some tall boots - again
What I spent: seven credits
What I've got left over: 95 Eleanorian dollars for emergencies; 161 credits

I therefore decided to allocate an entire day to looking around the capital. And what can I say about it in this space - really? First of all, there is gold - at last, familiar gold, not the question marks that hover at ten thousand yards over eluvium. The Gold Belt, an icon as far as local landmarks of this scale go, is studded with dozens if not hundreds of jewellery and precious-metal vendors. I look around some of them, but am not interested. Not at this time, anyway; I may return to Osarius a while later, in a few years or maybe when Saint Eleanor enrolls in AORTA, and treat myself. The Golden Palace is surely the icon, being to Osarian royals what the Presidential Palace is to George Mitcham. I have no choice but to look, and am impressed.

For what I suppose is lunch (almost, if not technically), I imagine my best choice is le Marché à Manger. Fancy? Not until you realise that it is another great manifestation of Burningham's good businessmen coming together to offer a fair bargain to people in relative need. They are better businessmen, I will come to realise, than those in certain other Osarian settlements. They take pride in their food; the difference in quality is tangible compared to the Oya Ounje - although that is saying something, given that I got much, much more than a few apples from there. Well worth the time and money, nonetheless.

Beyond the Osarian and cultural mainstream, there are also an immense number of expat communities; there are too many to even be recounted, never mind described, here, but the ones I recognise are true representations of their cultures. I do... but at this point, I've completely forgotten to put my helmet or my high-vis on. I recognise these are immense mistakes for someone like me who prides herself on "following the rules;" I'm surprised it all goes by with little more than a few verbal notes, but policing can be dubious at best and, even in the best-case scenario, I suppose my current canon of musings are sufficient for publication regardless of what happens next.

The Eleanorian community is a way out there, so to speak; it is small and somewhat dispersed and, except for a couple of shops and a single restaurant in the local area (and some other vendors of home produce), not even recognisably Eleanorian. It feels a bit mundane until I come across John Rutherford and his wife Lydia, people who I have never heard of before but who say they work "in the local area." They insist they've put their little one to sleep and were only looking around after hearing of rumours of my visit to see if I'd be coming.

I gather that they have tried to assimilate into Osarian culture, at least as good as a white person can without running into major problems. They look like it; they sound like it; he insists that "we'll never be true Osarians," but she's a bit more optimistic - "there are quite a lot of immigrant communities here. I figure we've done quite well for ourselves. We'll see about citizenship but I'm too tired to recount the law here, or even if we're allowed." I am summarily fed, albeit with something rather more familiar. She even offers to let me stay over for the night, which was all very Biblical of her - and, I'm told, will cut the required travelling time down quite a bit. Thanks, both of you.

Day 2: Summary

What I wore: a tiny little coat, tiny jeans and the tall boots from last time
What I spent: six credits
What I've got left over: 95 Eleanorian dollars for emergencies; 155 credits

That was quite the ride. So you've spent the night at a near-complete stranger's house - how do you get out? Well, first you take one of the local arterial routes, which is calm enough for obvious reasons. Then you connect onto the Alepid-Carbos Route... which, for an extent, is hellish. I'm able to maintain a nice, solid 30mph until I get out of Burningham's orbit, however, leaving me yet another morning in which to go around. It is at this point that I visit my third services in Osarius; the staff are friendly, the food is good if unusual, and I'm told not to expect much in the way of traffic around Firewood.

Firewood itself is nice and shiny and modern. Too modern. The first shop I go into warns me not to pay with credits, and that's just a small convenience store. I learn my lesson and avoid using cash at the local fashion boutiques, primarily because I find the clothing there to be far too trendy. I do spend some hard-earned money at a local specialty coffee shop who conveniently refuse to discuss where their coffee actually comes from; it does arrive about ten minutes later than I expected, which I'm told was just business. I believe them, given some of the testimonials I gather from other customers, there and elsewhere in the city.

I figure that a detour to Nocatena on the coast would be a good idea, which it is; it is diverse and many of the people there like complaining about Kryosis, which I learn is often because they left the place. A visit to the local (Catholic) cathedral I also think is necessary, it being so grand; I'm a nominal Christian at worst and a scripture-only evangelical at best, so I decide it's only worth the visit for the art, which I admire enough. I need the spiritual infusion; I come across a trustworthy man shortly afterwards who discusses his wares, and used car, with no apparent concerns about his life or mine. Then I witness him threaten a completely different man for no obvious reason.

From there, the only apparent destination is Carbonia. The people are proud at fending off Kryosis throughout time, rather than merely offended at its government. They even have Hastmead Diamante, a team so great they just keep talking about it, perhaps even more than holding off the Kryosi. I will not bore you with my evening there, it being dominated as it was by those two topics of discussion, nor with the soup a couple of locals pleaded with me to order (with great success).

I will instead tell you about one of the local car rental salesmen, preparing to clock off for the night, whose father fought in the Temporal War something in the order of half a century ago and who himself used to play for Diamante's youth team before being let go for not being up to scratch. He laments never applying for a job at Gabelli Minatori, a major local business who once had a great stake in Diamante and still loom large over Carbonia. How he realised this was his true calling instead, I will never know... or should never have known, anyway.

Neatly enough, he also had some unclaimed luggage which I immediately recognised as my own. He insists it was reported lost by a car rental business at Barrington Douglas International Airport that he had hardly any idea even existed, and was forwarded to him only after an enterprising member of staff circulated several letters to the local rentals explaining if maybe this twenty-something visitor called Lara Torridge could get her luggage back. That it was in his custody right now, rather than a few hours later or perhaps even the next morning, was pure serendipity. That I chanced on one of the most questionable men I have ever met shortly after the fact - even more questionable than the apparently decent businessman of Nocatena - was not, shall we put it that way?

Day 3: Summary

What I wore: the same as Day 1
What I spent: five credits
What I've got left over: 95 Eleanorian dollars for emergencies; 150 credits

by **Ko-oren** » Wed Apr 24, 2024 4:00 pm

Tsedaka Ngenasen: "We can learn from Puerto San Carlos or Eyrods"

Environment minister Ngenasen, one of the caretakers in these final months of Laurderinthen's second cabinet, calls for increased international cooperation, in particular in monitoring weather and climate trends. She hopes to set up a regional network of climatologists, ecologists, etcetera, to more closely map how land and ocean shape currents and how those influence the year-on-year weather events witness across Anaia. With Dr. Fetterman's words in Chromatika in how the scientific community of Eyrods is setting up once more and how the San Carlos archipelago retains its special relationship with the rest of Huayramarca, three cities with key academic circles have been identified.

For Ko-oren, it's no surprise that the city of Erpuhnur (Furune) would take part: the quintessential university town with its renowned ecology department could learn from other Anaian institutes in the technological department, while the city's professors could teach many about the strange landscapes of Sohlatal island - Ko-oren's only subtropical rainforest.

"Our focus has long been on flora and fauna locally, and microclimates nationally," Masachika Lihuden, principal of the Furune Seitai Daigaku (Erpuhnur Ecological University), said. "There is much to learn about the forces that govern the regional space. We'd love to explore how our various departments can teach each other."

Delay in Prime Minister appointment 'sets government back a year'

The national committee still has not decided on who will be Prime Minister for the next six years. In turn, the appointment of cabinet members is delayed, and President Dersherun Lekleorisethun, normally confined to his largely ceremonial role, has spoken out about the slow pacing. "I'm receiving multiple signals that we can no longer wait. We must arrive at the conclusion of this appointment cycle soon - else we will fall behind schedule. Many programmes run regardless of who is in charge, but some decisions must be made along the way."

Normally, several candidates will have dropped out of the race at this point, but this year's candidates have been resilient. Not only incumbent Laurderinthen, but also challengers Sushorthinden and Gelogathingun are making headlines for their wide range of plans. Even less obvious candidates, such as Raupostinden, are officially still in contention.

"We will arrive at our conclusion in due time," the chair of the national committee said, "as all candidates deserve fair and equal scrutiny. We will not saddle the country with hasty decisions at this point."

by **Farfadillis** » Wed Apr 24, 2024 4:01 pm

"This seems unwise," Tihomir Misita commented, the group of five already a few people away from the entrance. By the looks of it Cavaliers would be crowded on the night. It didn't seem like a particularly VIP nightclub, Tihomir observed, but he was in too deep already at any rate.

"Stop sounding foreign," Lajos Danzas retorted. "We're through and we're here to have fun. Free fun. Maybe you get to have a very active VIP nightlife in Kelssek, but the nightlife is more precarious in Szoirsia. Spare a thought for us islanders," he added, sarcastically.

"Actually, I'm not sure why I even tagged along. I don't really have a nightlife to speak of back home," Tihomir responded. When saying it out loud, it really did seem quite stupid that he'd taken the Mertagnians up on the invitation. It just kinda seemed rude not to... ?

"Mad respect," Lajos said, for one not making fun of him. "Nothing better than a night out when you don't know why the fuck you're on a night out. Most of the lads just don't get that."

"Your approval..." Tihomir tried to choose his words carefully, lest he offend a teammate, "fills me with indescribable shame."

"That's the spirit," Lajos said as he chuckled in response, then proceeded to chug down whatever demonic conoction he'd brought along.

"I gotta say, Tuskoles Yagaras has had far better ideas than this 'bonding' scheme," Sêvêr Fâerçâlenh, who'd been tasked, essentially, with babysitting the other four, was not too pleased. He'd spent numerous years in Kelssek, so could serve as a sort of translator between Tihomir and the rest, but... he really just couldn't be bothered.

Also, taking care of the four of them was proving quite difficult, what with Xíriêrín Byôrn having already spewed his dinner all over the sidewalk already, and with Valën Pídí having tried to help him out at first, but also having quickly followed the same fate. Only reason Danzas hadn't also vomitted was that he seemed somehow immune to copious amounts of alcohol. Tihomir for his part had barely drunk anything at all. Clearly a bit of a goody-two-shoes.

A few stray, mostly incoherent comments from the three smashed Farves came and went as Sêvêr and Tihomir put up with most of them, and before they knew it it was their turn to get into the super extra exclusive Cavaliers.

Sêvêr absent-mindedly showed the VIP tickets to the bodyguard at the entrance. He spoke with a perfect local accent to make sure things would go as smoothly as possible, though he was visibly foreign.

"Footballers?" The bodyguard asked, his face quite puzzled. "I watched your game today. Solid, if lucky, win."

"Fuck you mean lucky, you piece of," Danzas started to respond before joining Byôrn and Pídí in adorning the sidewalk.

The bodyguard watched on with a remarkably neutral face. "Forgive my teammate," Sêvêr unenthusiastically asked of the bodyguard, "he's aggressively outspoken."

"And a bit of a twit, by the looks of it."

"Irredeemably idiotic, is how I'd put it," Sêvêr gently corrected him. "You don't know the half of it. Anyway, may we come in? I'd love nothing more than to... not. But my boss sort of forced my hand here."

The bodyguard carefully looked the other four up and down. Especially the three that were in imperfect form. "I... will let you in. Just one little thing, which you probably want to bear in mind."

"Sure."

"You've got VIP access to Claviers. This is Cavaliers. Claviers is in an entirely different city."

"Well," Sêvêr paused for a moment, not particularly surprised. "That's the last time I follow Lajos' instructions, that's for sure."

"This is also not exactly as, uh, high-end a locale, let's put it that way," the bodyguard added.

"We've seen worse," Lajos said, trying to get a word in mid-vomit session.

"I'm sure you have," the bodyguard retorted.

"Racist," Lajos complained, "but fair. This is a nicer place than Szoirsia."

Without much further ado, they were all allowed in. It became immediately apparent that Claviers was probably correctly held in higher regard.

The neon sign flickering, the smell of vomit not receding nearly as much as it should have after leaving behind the group's own trail, the thumping of the impossibly annoying techno becoming more pronounced, loud enough to make the walls vibrate slightly, but not loud enough for them to not be able to talk... which was definitely food for thought. The humid air and the smell of an unholy mix of sweat, alcohol, and a lot of tobacco. Terrible feng shui. A crowded dancefloor with people on it likely adding up to six or so years of tertiary education, visibly sketchy figures handing out shit that would seem soft in Farfadillis. The rest of the bouncers looking disinterested, even more so than the one at the entrance...

... this did seem close enough to a Farf nightclub. Tihomir aside, they'd all seen much worse. The Kelssek-born Farf himself looked positively scared shitless. Danzas, Byôrn and Pídí immediately felt at home, seemingly sobering up enough to enjoy the night the moment they noticed the nightclub was more the kind of thing they were used to. Danzas' comments about a VIP nightlife had only been made in order to get a rise out of Tihomir, after all.

Sêvèr hated every instant of it. He had been born too old for this shit, and he hadn't gotten any younger with the years. At a distance, by the back, he noticed Franky Adams, Reçueçn's star forward, with a lot of people crowding him. Proper superstar and whatnot. They themselves were also starting to get glances. Pídí and him especially, as they were the most high-profile of the five.

"Motherfucker!" Danzas screamed as soon as he noticed Adams. "I'm not done with you, piece of shit!" He shouted, in vain, the music drowning out his message to most people present.

Sêvêr grabbed him by the arm. "What the fuck are you doing?"

Lajos shook him off, threw his drink in his face, then quickly disappeared into the crowd.

"I am so telling Tuskoles to fuck right off after all of this..." Sêvêr muttered to himself.

Pídí joined the crowd. Dancing fit him well. He was a leaf in the wind, in the most condescending way Sêvêr could possibly put it. Tihomir seemed frozen in place, but a few girls had already started approaching him. He was a good-looking dude, so it was always a possibility. Sêvèr was quite amused to see him completely flustered.

Byôrn had somehow disappeared. Sêvêr no longer cared.

A few minutes went by, with Sêvêr mostly limiting himself to wandering the nightclub with Tihomir in tow, looking for Byôrn. They passed the Franky Adams section by. Danzas and him seemed to be engaging in a bit of a... very uncoordinated and inefficient fistfight. Whatever.

"Want a special drink? On the house, since you're famous," A nearby onlooker asked Sêvêr. "You look like you need one." His outfit being covered with the drink Lajos had thrown on him didn't help things, surely.

Sêvêr took a deep breath. "Sure, whatever," he answered, grabbing the drink and immediately chugging it down.

"Uhh..." the stranger immediately uttered, "you're not meant to chug down a special drink round these parts. Sorry."

Sêvêr closed his eyes, took another deep breath, and prepared for whatever could be about to come.

Ӿ Ӿ Ӿ Ӿ Ӿ

With a few grunted breaths, Tihomir and the seven women that were tagging along finally managed to carry Sêvêr to the team's hotel. It had been a long journey.

"You okay, man?" Tihomir asked, as he finally came to.

"Where... what. What happened?" He answered, groggy.

"I didn't have you down as the crazy partying type, you know."

"What."

"The karaoke with Franky Adams and Lajos was the highlight of the night, if you ask me. I actually quite enjoyed myself."

Sêvêr looked around, counting between five and ten women. "I can tell," he responded dryly.

"Lajos and Franky ended up leaving the club by themselves, joined by a part of the crowd. No idea what they're up to. I do think they patched things up."

"Well, fuck," Sêvêr uttered, rubbing his temples. "Pídí?"

"I saw him passed out in the bathroom before we got going. I had to choose between you and him and to be honest I like you better."

Sêvêr sighed. "Byôrn?"

"I found him after a while. He said he'd made friends with a coulpe of, uh, young local entrepeneurs."

"Young local entrepeneurs."

"Yes, but they didn't seem like entrepeneurs."

Sêvêr, exasperated, gave in to his reverberating headache. "Well, whatever, I just hope he doesn't get tested after the Yuezhou game."

"Why?" Tihomir asked, none the wiser.

Sêvêr stared at him blankly. "No reason, Tiho. Let's go sleep. We need some rest."

Tihomir looked around. "You reckon they'll let them in? The room's for two, and I'm not sure Mopiraja will be happy making it a room for eight."

"He's single, he'll be fine with it. Just don't make too much noise." Sêvêr replied, uninterested, entering the hotel, making his way to bed.

He considered for a moment how he had forgotten how much he fucking hated the typical Farf night out. The reminder was, deep down, quite welcome.

by **Mertagne** » Wed Apr 24, 2024 4:01 pm

World Cup Finals MD 2 Cutoff

Some of you may be facing your Waterloo moment, for others, a chance to fly further in the tournament!

by **Tanirinthia** » Wed Apr 24, 2024 4:06 pm

OF FATES AND FORTUNES
Chapter Ten - There's no place like home

Clara Bonner, I've been expecting you.

She froze once again, in front of her stood a remarkably nondescript man but something did stand out to her, as her brain unfroze from panic mode she realised this man was not speaking the language of the nation she had found herself in, this was her native tongue, but then she registered the other thing that stood out, he had used her name, how did he know you she was?

We don’t have much time, here take this badge.

He held out a lanyard with her picture on to her, she reached out gingerly and took it.

How do you know who I am? Why are you helping me? she hurriedly asked

Because I’m the one who reached out to you Clara, I’m the one who pointed you towards the charities, but I didn’t think you’d end up on another world, look I’ll explain more when I can but for now we have to move, remember this your name is Hannah Ramsey, you are my new research assistant, you came over with the advance party, ok?

She nodded and put the lanyard over her

He motioned her in the direction of the door and down various corridors until she came out into a large room where a bus and a couple of black cars were waiting for them, the players from Tanirinthia were there and they seemed in good spirits, she guessed they had won the match then. They headed over to one of the cars and got in, there were several people already inside in suits looking shady and government.

Ah Archivist nice of you to finally join us, thought perhaps we were going to end up leaving you here one of them sad flatly

Had to track down some information about the squad we faced, with the noise of the crowd didn't get the names of all of the scorers he replied

Oh of course Archivist, must keep the classified records that no-one will ever read correct sad the men who's face Clara was rapid getting the urge to punch

The Archivist simply smiled and nodded, not rising to the bait, she realised he hadn't introduced himself at all, is this such a paranoid outfit that names themselves are classified? She kept her head down as the car began to pull out, the crushing silence in the car stretched out the time to the point were she could not tell you how long they had been travelling until suddenly the car stopped, the doors opened and she found herself back home on Tanirinthia soil, or more specifically some kind of warehouse

World Cup 96 - Roleplay Thread

Lara Torridge's Grand Tour of Anaia: episodes 13/14

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