A Tale Of Two Crescents - WC97 Roleplay Thread

by **Bears Armed** » Wed Aug 14, 2024 9:53 am

The time: STILL JUST BEFORE MATCHDAY5_ late afternoon [local time], approximately 16 watches [i.e. 24 hours] before the scheduled time for the Belles' away match against Vaishnavaria.
The place: within a 'wizarding' tent that has been erected within the main passenger compartment of the Mikitivitian airliner that brought the Belles to this nation.

A conversation is underway between Sarree Smith and Lurra Lovegood.

Bears Armed wrote:*snip*

(Lurra) "Well, one of the biggest changes is that she set the books in the years hwhen she was wrriting them although the historical Arri lived and performed his deeds about an eightYonkh earlier, and she includes elements from both of those periods in the stories...
"And in fact some of the events that she describes simply wouldn't have been allowed by the dates she assigned to her stories. Apart from anything else, the main villains would have been defeated much sooner and more easily if they'd caused so much trrouble hwhile Grimdark was active, hrrather than hwhen he was sleeping to hrrecover after a grreat work of magic as was the case back hwhen the historical Arri had to save the day."

(Sarree) "Hr'rmm, tell me more..."

(Lurra) "Hokay.
"Some things I'm not going to discuss, such as the locations of Hogwings itself and hwhere Arri went before that to buy his wand and textbooks and school uniforms and soon, because those details are still confidential, but...
"The village in hwhich Grrowling describes Arri as growing up -- although she makes him a member of Clan GeyBear, like herself, hwhen the historical Arri was actually from Clan Artorran instead -- is clearly set in modern-ish times, and so is the use of a rrailwy train for most of the journey to Hogwings, but the 'Sorting Ceremony' as described⁽¹⁾ and the relatively low number of new pupils involved is much closer to how it would have been back in the hrreal Arri's time. Using the same process for the typical numbers of new pupils that the school receives each year nowadays would delay the Starting Feast for far too long⁽²⁾, and anyhows it might be too stressful for some of them, so now the firsties go up there a couple of days earlier for an orientation programme and they get sorted more privately during that... Hwhat happens at the Starting Feats today is that, once everybearry else has sat down at their tables in the Great Hall, the newcomers get led in by their rrespective Glades' prefects and announced by their heads of Glades.⁽³⁾."

___________________________________________________

OOC Notes

1. Sorting at Hogwings isn't done by a Hat, it's done by a chair that has a talking head -- modelled on that of the first headmaster after the Founders, who is believed to speak through it -- attached (on a sliding framework) to fit just above the pupil's heads.
2. This is a point that Rowling seems to have missed when she retconned online that the school normally has not just 40-ish (as in 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone') but a bit over 100 new pupils per year... but then there are fairly obvious problems with some of her other calculations, too.
3. Hogwings has 'Glades' rather than 'Houses' reflecting the Bears' more outdoors-y nature. There are five of these, four named after the Founders that roughly parallel those of Hogwarts and a fifth -- slightly newer than the others, the smallest out of all of them, and named Heads' -- for pupils who (for good or ill) are considered the hardest to sort by just the original fourfold system. Grrrowling doesn't mention the Heads' glade.

by **Banija** » Wed Aug 14, 2024 9:54 am

Rotated squad earns Banija easy three points against an unranked Srubnaya culture as a trip to The Holy Empire looms

AISSA, HANGAZA- This Qualification campaign was always going to be a tough one. That meant, in the games where Banija were heavily favored, there would be no margin for error. "We all know that this group is truly a group of death- 5 sides, realistically, could get out of this group. Any combination thereof. And there hasn't been a ton of separation across the first few windows, either. So games like these- despite having to rotate the squad, you cannot afford to drop points there. Easy points that will be difficult to make up." Said a TV commentator. "There are going to be games where you drop points- and Banija had a brutal one against Krytenia in MD3, blowing a 2-0 lead at home in the final 15 minutes of that contest. That said, considering the opponent, a 2-2 draw is probably a fine result- but the way it happened was brutal."

Even though they had a bye on MD5, George Wangolo decided for a fully rotated squad on MD6. "These are the types of games where we can get more people a chance to play, as the regular XI gets ready for what is surely to be a wild and crazy trip to the Dreamed Realm." He told reporters. "But this team has depth- the expectations do not change when we rotate our 23. Any member of this squad is capable of going in and putting up a quality shift, whether it's a 30 minute cameo or a 90 minute start." The goals that the Banijans scored were both in the first half, ensuring that the second half was not so stress inducing. Alanso Kambi scored his first goal for the NT in the 22nd minute, while striker Sabiti Yikala scored just 10 minutes later to make it 2-0. That was the final score on the day, as Srubnaya Culture never really threatened or troubled the keeper.

To the naked eye, there might not be much that a Pot 2 team, a three-time world champion, can take away from a match against an unranked side that nobody thinks has any sort of ability to get out of the group. But for Wangolo, matches like these are important. "Obviously, three points are valuable- no matter the opponent, three points are never guaranteed." Wangolo told reporters. "You have got to go out there and earn those points. But- it is a great chance to continue to evaluate players who have not played as much yet, to give them a chance to impress." And the gaffer makes a great point. Different players playing different amounts. How the team looks without their regular superstar, Son-Saka, in the lineup.

A few players impressed on this day. We can start wtih the opening goalscorer, Alanso Kambi. It's going to be hard for him to break into the starting lineup. Layvin Son-Saka is straight up one of the best wingers in the world, the captain, and the first name on the team sheet. Odongo Kagenda.. the reigning S-FPL Golden Ball winner. But- Kagenda has never exactly been known for being a superstar for the national team. Kambi has a chance, being a regular starter for Wexax United in the Elven Premiership, to prove himself and try to earn more playing time, at least coming off the bench if the team needs a chance of pace or style. His goal was excellent today, and he created a number of half-chances as well. Consistently dangerous threat going forward- he has probably earned more playing time due to this performance.

What about elsewhere? Well, the Banijan defenders have been struggling this campaign. We saw how the friendlies went. And the last window, conceding five goals combined against Krytenia and Darmen- high-quality opponents, yes, but simply not good enough if Banija wants to be among the 48 in Pasarga and Eastfield Lodge. In the center of the defense, Opio Bikya, the 30 year old CB from Herzegovina City, was also playing pretty damn well. Good command of the central defense- Ensa Janneh doesn't exactly have the second CB spot on lock at this point. It wouldn't be crazy if he was able to parlay this performance into a start against The Holy Empire. The garden gnomes are intense- he wants to be ready for that.

Ultimately, with so many new players on this team, expect Wangolo to keep experimenting with the lineup, and make tactical changes. It will take time to figure out what his best XI is- but he is confident that this team is good enough to where he can tinker, while they can accomplish their ultimate goal, which is reaching the World Cup Finals. Considering we didn't even sniff the last one, it doesn't really matter how- whether it's a top 2 autoberth, a top 7 3rd place team, or even via the playoffs. The Banijans will be big underdogs going into the Dreamed Realm, but even a singular point in that environment will be a major accomplishment for this team.

by **Oberour Ar Moro** » Wed Aug 14, 2024 9:59 am

It may not be written anywhere, but triskaidekaphobia is everywhere in the Dominion of Oberour Ar Moro. Buildings don't have a thirteenth floor. There are no buildings with the street address number 13. Friday the 13th sees major cities become near ghost towns as workers stay at home. In the Oberour Football System and on the Oberour Ar Moro national football team no players wear the number 13. In World Cup Qualifying, when the Dragoons are placed in Group 13, the national press instead refer it to as Group M.

And speaking of football.

"Garrin was supposed to join us tonight," said Derrien de Montfort. "He's a trainer with the Football Management Committee," he added as explanation.

"Your brother works at Tourbillon Forest? They must be jumping for joy there," replied Nicholas de Montchrestien. Nicholas is a quatorzième, a hired dinner guest. Usually, he would indulge in his sybarite status, talking about food, or wine, or high culture. But sometimes he talked football.

"Right?" offered in Goneri du Bray, a designer at Celeritas. "Four wins, zero losses, a draw against the 16th ranked team in the world. AT their stadium?"

"It's a little early to get too excited though," said Barthel de la Mennais, picking up his drink. His wife, Alliette, disagreed. "But it's not like the Oberours have shown false dawns and then collapsed. They'd usually start poorly and claw up to respectability."

Nicholas looked around the private Garden Roomoom at la Belle Epoque, the elegant restaurant along the Tylis waterfront. A group of old friends wanted to have dinner with Loys Sedre, who just moved back to the Dominion from Pavola, and Mateline Hale, a wildlife photographer who had just returned from assignment in Esportiva. But since Garrin de Montfort couldn't make it, they were down to a group of thirteen. So, la Belle Epoque called in their professional fourteenth guest: Nicholas.

"You have to feel some confidence though, right?" asked Nicholas. Playing up his optimism seemed like it would work with this group. "By the next bye the Oberours will have played the three higher pot teams on the road," he noted. Barthel scoffed slightly. "That just means they get to face them at the Parade Grounds. They're usually good for choking there."

"And the bye is three games from now," Barthel continued. "They could just as easily lose all three and all of the sudden they're fifth in the group."

"But what if they don't?" Jehannote de Brinon popped into the conversation. She had been chatting with her best friend Aimee le Nain, who had organized the get-together. "If that voodoo John Antheaume has been casting keeps working this could be their chance to qualify."

Nicholas smiled at Jehannote from behind his glass. Among other things, he liked her confidence.

by **Kelssek** » Wed Aug 14, 2024 10:04 am

Fire into frying pan for Kelssek’s qualifying chances

Two straight wins means the situation has improved but it’s still far from good times in the Kelssek camp as they go into a key World Cup qualifier against Indusse four points off the pace and having no margin for error in the matches ahead.

Indusse was the team that pipped Kelssek to the automatic qualifying spot last cycle, resulting in Kelssek barely scraping through on penalties in the playoffs. This will be a make-or-break situation for Kelssek’s chances.

The emergency drafting of ostensibly-retired veterans will probably be put on hold for this match, with Êzêkíl dí Völará in the squad but tipped to start on the bench. It’s back to the current regulars as, with the brace she netted against her country of domicile being a turning point in Zoé Goh-Lemaire’s form, the Esca striker is likely to be the first choice for now.

Kelssek manager Calen Reamsey, who remains under intense pressure in the circumstances, insists he sees only smooth sailing ahead.

“We’re going to show from here on out what we’re capable of, and make sure we play to the levels we know we’re capable of. Some mistakes were made but it’s in the past now. We need to focus on getting the wins that we need,” he said ahead of the tie at Stadium Konueira.

Tonight’s TV highlights
KBC1 - HOUSE OF THE SNAPDRAGON MA
Members of a rich, powerful, and dysfunctional family struggle for control of a microchip empire.
102: Backwards-Ass Lithography – Leon’s birthday dinner descends into chaos as a rival hacks the amuse-bouche. Rhaenyra and Greg share secrets. Jason accuses Macaulay of turning his cat against him.

by **West Vdara** » Wed Aug 14, 2024 10:06 am

Channel 2 Kanaria

"Kalispera, comrades! Today, victory was snatched from us yet again, as we travelled to the belly of the beast to play the evil capitalist regime that is Myrtle Beach. Naturally, we fought our hardest and put up a fantastic fight against the grandiosely materialistic pigs but, alas, it was not to be. Another narrow defeat that sees us eighth of nine teams in the group - the unfortunate consequences of fighting the good fight against a world of globalist capitalists with sufficient GDPs to bribe anyone and everyone. Us? Well, we just have to settle for good old steroids. I mean, hard work and our collective efforts, haha! Quick, Stavros, tell the people about the game."

The camera cut to Stavros, still in Myrtle Beach, munching on a delicious stadium hot dog.

"GET THAT CAPITALIST FOOD OUT OF YOUR MOUTH!

The shouting through his earpiece startled Stavros, who threw the hot dog off camera and had to take a few seconds to cough out a small piece of sausage that had lodged in his throat.

"Mhm, yes, ahem! Such sad day, oh so sad, we lose again. Capitalism at fault, we were moral winners. All as usual."

"Would you not like to elaborate, comrade Stavros?"

"We scored goals, they scored more. Hostile crowd. Not fans of communist ideals. Very sad."

"Why are you in such a rush, comrade? Is there something we're missing?"

"No, all good, very good. I just... the hot dog stand behind me is closing, I must eat another. Sorry, comrades!"

"Stavros, you treacherous scum! Get back here and finish the news, the people are waiting!"

Eagle-eyed viewers would have noticed Stavros devouring another hot dog in the background as the camera cut back to a neutral background.

"Well, not to worry. There is other news to focus on. Good news, of course! In particular, we are proud to report that negotiations with the wretched agents of Chania who dared to hijack one of our proud West Vdaran Air Service jets are progressing very smoothly! Indeed, they realise that their actions are insulting and in violation of international law, and will soon return our citizens and our state-of-the-art jet as soon as possible. If they can hold a promise, that is, which is unlikely due to their status as filthy evil capitalist scum who turned their backs on us all those years ago. Sickens you to the core, doesn't it. In addition, a new branch of the popular revolutionary clothes shop that is Schittiklobbur will be opening VERY SOON! Comrades on the island of Nifaria will be able to buy even more of the newest and freshest fits directly from the source, manufactured in an ex-Soviet satellite state somewhere far from here. Finally, we are very sorry to report that due to stupid globalist sanctions imposed upon us by the traitors in the East, imports of coffee will be limited over the next few months. But fear not, comrades! West Vdara's coffee stockpiles are of high quality and high prominence, so do not expect to run out of caffeine any time soon. A new trade deal with other fellow revolutionaries is being worked on as we speak, and we can only hope that this will bring more prosperity, plentifulness, and most importantly coffee, back to our great nation. That is all for tonight, comrades! Join us next time as we report on our fixtures against the Bears with Arms and the Qas with Den. May peace and prosperity be in your lives, and zíto West Vdara!"

Palace of the Proletariat
West Vdara

The mysterious and shadowy figure that is the Supreme Leader of West Vdara sat on the phone, motionless apart from his dry lips. He was a modest man, a party man, one who had forever been a KKV stalwart. Rising from the ranks of member, to youth leader, to Supreme Council member until, finally, the position of Supreme Leader lay open for an ambitious, youthful face to take charge. In his younger days, the Supreme Leader had visions of himself storming the beaches of Crete and reuniting the two Vdaras as one prosperous socialist state. Instead, here he was sat at his desk trying to negotiate the return of an old jet and its passengers as the (East) Vdaran Foreign Minister refused to take his concerns seriously.

"With all due respect, Supreme Leader, these people don't want to go 'home'. They are at home here in Vdara, having escaped your regime."

"That is not the case. They have never set foot outwith this country apart for footballing reasons. They must return to West Vdara at once, where they will be hailed as heroes."

"It's just not happening. We cannot force them to go back - think about how terrible it would look for us!"

"And not about how terrible it is for us right now, that our flag carrier is a plane less and over 100 people down because of a rogue pilot? It is already bad enough that one of our best aircraft have effectively been seized by your authorities, but these people have families! Friends! Pets! What are we meant to do about that?"

"Eh, your nation often deals with issues of that sort. You can figure that one out by yourselves. Besides, this plane is a heap of rust and junk, how have you guys not yet got the latest stuff?"

"Is it not obvious that your treacherous nation's sanctions have severely limited our capacity for such things? The SG-69 is the pride of our fleet, it's what our children look up to the skies and point to when they say to their mothers that they want to become a pilot, or a mechanic, or a hardline KKV diplomat."

"Look, look. I get where you're coming from. Despite our obvious ideological differences, we are both Vdaran at the end of the day. If you could fly over some pilots to fly that bucket of rust home, then maybe we could consider returning your plane."

"And our people?!"

"They have made their decision, Supreme Leader."

"Do I not get a say in this, as their leader?"

"Not really, no. Now that they've renounced their citizenship, they're our citizens now, free to go and do as they please. Maybe they'll run a gyro stand. Maybe they'll become prostitu-"

"How DARE you suggest such awful things? Our people would never 'renounce' the honour of being West Vdaran, and they certainly would not run a mere gyro stand."

"Are those really the things you take issue with from that sentence?"

"You are a nasty little piece of work, Mr. Foreign Minister. But I will ensure that some SG-69 pilots are flown in by tomorrow night."

"Good! We can get that piece of shit off of our tarmac then, it's taking up a precious gate spot."

"You capitalist sw-"

[click]

Before the Supreme Leader could finish, the Foreign Minister hung up on him. This could have driven him ballistic, but as the mild-mannered party loyalist he was, he merely sat down at his desk and ordered the execution of a random prisoner held for treason. He also ordered himself a Ben and Jerry's and asked for the television operators to play "more of those funny American cartoons". Tonight's entertainment was sorted.

by **Tikariot** » Wed Aug 14, 2024 10:36 am

Prologue
Part 1
Part 2

No matter which local and national channel they tuned into, all of them had breaking news from the latest case of the “Cain Killer”, no matter what they had been broadcasting before. Gone was the enthusiasm about the Emerald Guard game, instead an extremely serious reporter named Evgeny Rebrov was reporting live from the crime scene, visibly straining against the strong winds.

Danica turned up the volume. “...seems that the murder once more can be attributed to the ‘Cain Killer’.” The victim has been found in the Westwinds Industrial Park earlier tonight and while police has not released any details yet, it appears to be a deviation from the regular modus operandi of Cain.” The image switched to the crime scene, where the camera caught glimpses of the body and two circles of blood whenever the tarp held up to keep the prying eyes out was caught by the storm, revealing the pale body.

“So far the Carathyr Police Service has refused any comments, only acknowledging the murder, but it seems as if the scene has added elements this time around, we are trying to get an official statement from the CPS. It is the ninth victim of the killer that calls himself Cain in the past seven months. There have not been any notes or other tips or hints as to the identity of the killer or insight into his motives and CPS has not released any progress reports either, which is pretty much a sign that they are completely in the dark.
“This is Evgeny Rebrov for TikTV, Carathyr.”

Danica muted the TV again and turned towards Damian Kennedy, one of the most taciturn people she had ever seen, a sharp mind but definitely not one for a heated debate or much communication to begin with, “Isn’t your dad on that case, too, somehow?”

Visibly shy Damian replied “yes, he just got assigned to it, because there has not been any progress, so they’re trying to beef up to get something, at least a lead, but he doesn’t talk much about it...”

“Yeah, it’s not exactly a PR triumph for them, nine people dead and not even a clue, from what I heard not even the CSIs could find anything, so the guy must be really precise with everything. I wish that I could be part of this” Nicky exclaimed all giddy, earning some strange looks from her friends around her.

“Hey, I like all of that criminology stuff and it would be for a good cause, too.” The looks did not really change, so she went into pout mode. “Fine then, be like that, I still think that there has to be some needle out there, they just didn’t find it yet.”

Sensing the frustration in his friend, Morgan walked over and laid his arm around Nicky’s shoulders, “We’re not trying to mock you, but you have to admit that your obsession with anything crime-related can come off as a bit, eh, odd at times. But I admit that this seems to be a PR slaughter for the Police, you’ve been following this basically since the beginning and I only caught it on the news here and there, so what’s that whole thing about?”

Nicky warily looked at the tall Viljan, trying to figure out, if he was trying to make fun of her or if he actually was serious. Almost reluctantly she got up from her chair and followed Morgan over to the set of couches and sat on the carpet in front of them.

“Well, about six months ago a hobo stumbled over a body in a strip mall down in Norland Yards, the guy looked all pale and dried up and there was the word ‘Cain’ smeared next to him on a wall, with what looked to be blood, and it was, but no other blood visible anywhere. A reporter was there pretty quickly and was able to take photos, it’s Norland Yards after all, so you’ll have someone from the press there pretty quickly. So police didn’t know that he had taken the pics and when they were published they caused an immense stir and it got on the internet and all that, so the police pretty much was in the spotlight from the beginning.

Obviously everybody thought that whoever did this, was not all there, but things got more interesting as the investigations continued. The blood that the word ‘Cain’ was written in, was not the vic’s and it was not in the database either, so a dead end there. No blood on the scene, so obviously the murder had taken place somewhere else, but everything was almost spotless, there was nothing that the CSIs could process to give any sort of indications.

Well, over the following months they found corpses in all quadrants of the city, without any pattern as to where or when the next one would be found, but all with the same MO, the vic pale and dried up, as if exsanguinated, with the word ‘Cain’ smeared in blood, never the vic’s. And the police seems to be just as far as they were at the beginning, without a clue, so needless to say that the CPS is getting extreme flak...”

With a shake of her head Danica said, “I can see that, but without any clues...they can’t just patrol the whole city just in case, I mean, there hasn’t been any kind of pattern or anything, it’s not as if they can put a cop on every second or third street corner. But I definitely would not want to be in the cops’ shoes, because this is a disaster for them...”

* * * * * *

Geoff Kennedy was not happy, not happy at all. He was not sure how it had happened, but for some odd reason he had the assignment to face the press and let them know the details of the latest victim of Cain. 'Which details?' he kept asking himself, another man dead, executed and staged? That they still had no clue, who had done it or why? That they were almost waiting every day to get the next call and put the next flag on the map?

He sighed and got up to pour himself yet another coffee, hoping that the added caffeine would result in an epiphany and if not help him solve the case, at least lend him some inspiration, so he would not look like an absolute fool when they unleashed the reporters at him. Since the first murder had happened, he would be the third guy to be standing out there, the two officers before him gave up and actually quit, so he wasn’t sure, if they were just going down the line or were figuring that because he had less than two years to retirement he was more expendable, if he decided to join them in their fate, but in the end it did not matter, because he didn’t really have much of a choice and he could only say what was the case anyways, so...

Everybody else was off duty already, to gather sleep and strength for the next day, but he knew that even if he tried, he could not find any rest, so he might just as well stay at the office. Walking over to the closest window, he stared out into the dark of downtown, not a single soul in sight, wondering about what would bring a person to be so twisted in the mind to pull murders like this off...

* * * * * *

The limbs of the trees were bending under the onslaught of the wind, threatening to break at any given moment, the storm ripping off many of the leaves that were still holding on to the branches, while the already fallen, dead foliage was ripping through the forest in little twisters, seemingly fanned on by the howl of the wind. He was once more walking down the narrow path, unencumbered by any carried weight, but instead facing the gale, sending leaves and other debris right into his face, bearing the chill of the north and making his eyes water. But he did not care, because it meant that his sanctuary was safer with less people venturing out into the woods.

All of a sudden a big, heavy object landed next to him with a loud thud, taking down branches and even more leaves, stopping him dead in his tracks. With a dissatisfied grunt he saw that one of his adornments of the trees had fallen, the rope chafed by the wind and the bark. Shaking his head, he pulled down the hood again and continued to trudge along the path, doing his usual ritual upon his arrival at the cabin, lock after lock after lock.

by **Saterun** » Wed Aug 14, 2024 10:40 am

The Claws were in Telora, Aquitayne, at the Kings Ground Stadium for their 5th match of qualifying. It had been a mixed bag of results so far, with Saterun floundering in lower mid-table. Although they were playing away, they were facing an unranked team, and it was a good opportunity for Kameron's side to pick up some much-needed points. It was a beautiful setting, and the Claws would come out full force, eager to snatch the win.

Ganharbola had been through plenty of ups and downs as Kameron's preferred tactical style, but this match reminded him of why he had developed it in the first place. The experienced Claws dominated their opponents in the opening 15 minutes, managing 5 shots, 3 of which were on target. Eetu Masato was having a fairly good game through it all, but there was the sense that he and the rest of the squad would eventually crack. It finally happened in the dangerous 20-minute range, when the Claws were generally at their most threatening. In the 23', Hans-Jürgen Becker quickly turned on the outside, leaving Klaus Oskari scrambling at air. Becker continued to carry it down the wing, beating Henning Mikael to break free near the left-side post. In addition to being a great dribbler, Becker could also swing in a mean cross. He directed his outswinger to the top of the box, where Crespo Antonsen was ready to meet it. He caught the ball perfectly first-time, leaving Masato with no chance. The Claws had taken the lead.

In the 37th minute, they would double their advantage. Ryoichi Edvin brought Glenn Lundquist down about 25 yards out, well within the range of free-kick maestro Andrei Coiro. He could have given it a decent shot, but in this case Coiro's long professional career had given him the experience and vision to pick out a different option: Thiago Esparza, running across the box towards the far post. Coiro sent an inch-perfect pass across the box, which went straight towards the striker's head. The diminutive Tsear FC target man wasn't an outstanding ariel threat, but he was unmarked, and managed to turn just in time to get a good head to the ball. Masato put in a good effort, but he only managed to turn the ball into the side netting.

However, the hosts fought back. Saterun was becoming complacent, and it showed. Kameron started to notice the problem after the second half had started, but they were in a comfortable lead and he didn't want to distract his squad. It proved a pretty big mistake. Cipriano Dalca and Abbas Alil were having a good game, but they started to get lazy and their passes were of lower quality. These two were a lot more technical than Post or Shannon ever had been, but they lacked as much experience and physicality. The lack of experience showed in the 71st minute when Alil played a skewed pass that Kameron assumed was meant for Dalca but never in fact made it to him. Kevin Elof intercepted the ball and sprinted between the two centrebacks. He was faster than either of them, and even a last-ditch Dalca tackle couldn't offset him. Ralf Abiatti charged him, and Kameron thought all was lost. However, Abiatti managed to block the shot with an extended leg and knock it back into the space just outside the box. Unfortunately, that was where Torsten Sten was lying in wait. The winger slammed home a powerful shot, and cut the Saterun lead in half.

This shook the Claws, though apparently in a good way. Dalca and Alil got their act together, and Aquitayne didn't manage another shot the entire game. On the other hand, Saterun's offense went into overdrive. Maksymillian Bates and Thiago Esparza piled on pressure to the Aquitayne back line, and Becker and Antonsen made the wings dangerous. It all came together in the 79th minute, as Edvin gave the ball away in the dangerous midfield area. Lundquist immediately switched the ball out wide to Antonsen, who took off running. A few neat passes with Bates and Coiro eventually allowed him to break free down the wings, where instead of the usual low outswinging cross, he played a drop-back ball that cut the corner of the box. Coiro was there to knock in a piledriver pass, splitting the entire defense and finding Esparza at the far post. All it took was a mere tap-in to reestablish the Claws' 2-goal lead. And so it would stay. Saterun managed to wrap the game up and take all 3 points.

*****

Back at home again and the Claws were facing the Martian Independent Republic. They were playing a team that had lost every single one of their qualifying games, so expectations were high for a win from the Claws. They were at the Fontecoro Municipal Stadium. It was small, but Kameron always loved playing matches there because of how modern the stadium was. It had only been built a few cycles back, which was very recent compared to some of the other stadiums of the qualifying list. The Claws also always seemed to perform well here, and he was looking forward to another qualifying win.

The Claws went about the first half in their usual style. It was clear from the onset that they were superior to their opponents, and Kameron had taught them to hold nothing back. The first breakthrough came in the 13th minute, where a perfectly played cross from a corner by Andrei Coiro met the head of Maksymillian Bates. Bates towered over many of the other players, and was always a target for corners. He had managed to get the stadium rocking pretty quickly, and would do so again in the 27th minute. Becker played a slicing pass between Kenda Vesperi and Calvin Intragen, giving Bates plenty of room to run. Henri Enwye came out to meet him, but Bates's years of playing at the highest level gave him experience that the Martian keeper did not have. He had come off his line significantly early, and Bates played a delicate chip over his head. The keeper was left grasping at air as the audacious attempt set the fans into celebration. Bates had been quiet for a game or two, but was now showing his quality.

After the half, Saterun would grab another. In the 48th minute, the Claws pushed downfield with Becker as their marshal. It started with Alfienk taking the ball off of Nils Overton before playing it downfield to Kirken-Brice, who had come on for Antonsen at halftime. The Ias man hadn't got much playing time this qualifying cycle, but he made sure to make full use of the opportunities he did get. In a completely unexpected move, he played an incredible lobbed through-ball across the field, straight into the path of the charging Becker. Becker then slid it back into the middle for Lundquist, who did some quick one-touch passing with Coiro to find some space. The final killer pass came from Lundquist, who saw Becker making a run back into the middle. He spliced the defense and Becker was through on goal, only needing to slot it into the corner to bring Saterun's lead to 3.

But the Claws weren't done yet. Bates still had one more in his locker, and when Kirken-Brice was brought down in the penalty area, only one man was ever going to take that penalty. Bates stared down Enwye in his usual manner, before silently picking his side. He ran up, made a solid connection, saw Enwye dive to the left, and smiled. The ball rolled straight down the middle, cutting the goal perfectly in half. With that shot, Bates had completed his hat-trick, in one of the finest individual performances of Saterun's WC97 Qualifying. By now, they had managed a four-goal lead, and Kameron started to rotate his lineup. Both Lozano and Washington came on, and some of the veterans were able to rest. However, the Martians did manage to eventually hit back. In the 87th minute, Zenobia Miquan hit a wonderstrike from 25 yards out that completely caught Ralf Abiatti off guard. But the damage had already been done. There was no coming back from that deficit. After 4 minutes of stoppage time, the Claws had sealed back-to-back wins and had shot up the table.

They now sat firmly in 3rd place, although only a point separated them from 2nd and 4th. Although his team had done well in the last game, Kameron noticed that the Martians had scored their first goal of qualifying against his side, which confirmed his suspicions of a generally leaky defense. It might be time to start rotating Sutherland and Salazar in. But he would give Dalca and Alil at least until the halfway point in qualifying, which was MD9 against Jeruselem.

by **Riena** » Wed Aug 14, 2024 10:42 am

The Riena Sentinel

Riena Football Association announces deal to form second-tier domestic league
Riena Midnight League expected to start operating beginning in IFCF cycle 20

The Riena Football Association announced today that it had reached an agreement with sponsors and stakeholders for the formation of a second-tier league beneath Riena's premier domestic football league, the Riena Sunrise League. Speaking at a well-attended press conference at Riena Football Association headquarters in Nagato, RFA president Ryuji Kagami unveiled the logo of the new league — provisionally named the Riena Midnight League — and spoke at length about plans for the revamp of the domestic football pyramid that is expected to accompany the introduction of the new league, which includes the introduction of promotion to, and relegation from, the Riena Sunrise League. "The adoption of a second-tier league is in the best interests of our domestic football system — not only will it boost competitiveness and promote a self-sustaining culture of meritocracy, allowing well-run clubs to rise to the top in place of sclerotic ones, it will also help to attract new commercial sponsors from Riena, Esportiva, and beyond, ensuring the expansion of the reach of Riennese football in various multiversal markets while simultaneously strengthening the finances of Riennese clubs and allowing our proud footballing institutions to continue investing in sustainable growth."

"While the Riena Sunrise League has been well-received both at home and abroad, in our capacity as the custodians of football in Riena, it is imperative that the RFA continue exploring all possible avenues to promote the growth of Riennese clubs and ensure that they are capable of being competitive at the top level of multiversal competition, and the deal that has been agreed for the formation of the Riena Midnight League, struck after several rounds of productive discussions over the course of many months, represents a crucial initial step in that direction. Speaking on behalf of the RFA and all involved parties and stakeholders, I am delighted to be able to welcome sixteen more clubs into the fold of professional football in Riena, and I look forward to working with each and every one of our new family members towards our common goal of growing the profile of Riennese football throughout the multiverse."

Preparations for the inaugural season of the Riena Midnight League, which will be administered under the umbrella of the Riena Sunrise League, are reportedly already well under way. A well-placed source from within the RFA, speaking on condition of anonymity in order to preserve working relationships, indicated that league officials expecting to finalise the list of participating clubs at least two months before the start of the domestic season. The RFA are said to be sending out tentative feelers to a number of shortlisted clubs — well-established semi-professional and amateur clubs with significant local followings — in order to gauge their interest in participating in the Riena Midnight League, with several prominent clubs from the six prefectures of Yuki, Karen, Natsumi, Kirishima, Reinan, and Hyuga, which are relatively underrepresented in the Riena Sunrise League, expected to receive fast-tracked professional licenses to enable their participation in the newly-formed league.

While the RFA is committed to conducting its own vetting process, it is also inviting applications for professional licenses by existing clubs as well as proposals for the establishment of new professional clubs in an attempt to garner more wide-ranging interest across the whole of Riena. To this end, the RFA has set up a page on its official website for the submission of expressions of interest (https://www.riena-fa.com/riena-midnight-league/clubs/expressions-of-interest/) for a period of thirty days. In view of the relatively short turnaround before the Riena Midnight League is due to kick off, Kagami promised that the RFA would process all applications and proposals received during the stipulated period expeditiously, with each application or proposal to receive its own dedicated team of case workers in order to ensure that they can be processed with minimal delays. The new league is expected to feature the same number of clubs as the Riena Sunrise League — sixteen — with the top three clubs gaining automatic promotion to the Riena Sunrise League at the expense of the bottom three clubs in the same league.

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by **Pasarga** » Wed Aug 14, 2024 10:56 am

Groups 9-17 Matchdays 7/8 Cutoff

by **Crpostran** » Wed Aug 14, 2024 11:22 am

[*]NOTE: Images of the players on the scorecard & images on the 3rd page of the newspaper generated with AI-image generators, solely for aesthetic purposes. Pg.2 contains stock images. Sorry, this time the crossword was not my work, rather it was found on the web. Viva Crpostran!

by **The 14 Stars** » Wed Aug 14, 2024 11:24 am

Starsian new era

As the team gathered in mixed results with a draw against a strong baggieland, a loss against chromatika and a draw againt a minor team the chances of qualification started to become more dim as time went on.
It wasnt that the team was not talented but the mix of old and young sometimes worked very good and sometimes just did not really do what it had to which is the drawback of a young team which they were currently fielding in the qualifiers.

Meanwhile in the election it seemed that Maximillian Flare was holding on to his lead where Julio Reyes had risen to a second position over Klaus Meyer as there started to be more attention for this election.
Each candidate was also usually supported by a club, usually their old club where they used to play and in Flare's case he had the full backing of Phoenix United the top team and the pride of our nation for winning the most championships.
Julio Reyes had played for Red Matador but this team had merged with Phoenix but he could enjoy the support of Star Unicorn a team of trendsetters and new talent of all parts of the nation mixing together.
Klaus Meyer had Cascade Academy's unconditional support, they government denied any support to him but the fact that he is support by the official government backed team has led to some people believing the government to be funding his campaign.
Kira meanwhile had recovered from her injury, Sarah Huber had made her debut in the match that Kira was unable to play and she played decently but the coach still heavily favoured Kira Blade over the rookie players.

Most interesting encounter still to happen? the match with Alanis Star most likely as it was an esportivan region but not a place they had visited before despite hearing the most beautiful stories about this place.
Alot of Starsian business people and officials were gonna be at that match to learn more about this nation and their people it will certainly be an interesting experience to play against such interesting people.

by **Ko-oren** » Wed Aug 14, 2024 12:26 pm

Gehrennan
Gehrenidh

Pronunciation ['gɛrɛnið]
Native to Ko-oren
Region Anaia
Ethnicity Ko-orenites
Native speakers 33 million (L1), 39 million (L1+L2)
Language family Gehrennic
Early forms Middle Gehrennan, Capital Gehrennan
Dialects Matali, Alahinga, Thelesra, Liju, Zahnsaudh, Serekh, Alahrenna*[1], Subirenna*[2]
Writing system Gehrennic, Latin, Gehrennic Braille
Signed forms Signed Gehrennan (Tirnumdeknatenthu Gerenidhar, TdnnG)

Official Status

Official Language in Ko-oren, Libelluloren, The Ko-orenite Constellation

Language Codes

CANTS 80-1[3] geh
CANTS 80-2 gehr
CANTS 80-3 gehm, geha, geht, gehl, gehz, gehs, gehr, gehb

Gehrennan language
Article Talk

Gehrennan (endonym: Gerenidh) is a Gehrennic language, spoken by about 33 million people as a first language and 6 million as a second language and is the most spoke Gehrennic language. In Anaia, Gehrennan is the native language of a large majority of Ko-oren and the second language of almost all remaining Ko-orenites, and it is used in various districts of Koroa City. Throughout the multiverse, the language sees use in territories part of the (Ko-orenite) Constellation, but is not a primary or native language in those territories. Only the nations of Ko-oren and territories in the Constellation, as well as non-aligned Libelluloren, have awarded an official status to the language. The language is further used by the diaspora throughout the multiverse, with significant communities in Anaia, Esportiva, Rushmore, Arrosia, and Mandalanusa.

Gehrennan is closely related to all Gehrennic languages, standing relatively closely to Tarrashall and Aviansolan, and is slightly more distantly related to Altioran. Gehrennan and Tarrashall have undergone mostly the same sound changes, with added phonemic contrast between several sounds that are considered allophonic in the other two languages. Consider /θ/, /t/, and /s/ in Gehrennan, /tʃ/, /t/, and /s/ in Tarrashall, and /ts/, /s/, and /t/ in Aviansolan dialects, versus /s/ (allophones: /s/ and /t/) in Altioran. Also consider the continued use of articles in Altioran (ao-, au-, ae-, a-, e-) and some residual use in Aviansolan versus the absence of articles in Gehrennan and Tarrashall.

Modern Gehrennan is further characterised by its many allophones and contractions, absent from earlier forms of the languages and absent from other languages within the family.

Name

The endonym for the language is Gerenidh. Matalidh, Alahingidh, Thelesridh, Lijuidh, Zahnsaudhidh, Serekhidh are used to refer to dialects locally; if specification is needed, they are referred to as Gerenidh Matalini, Gehrenidh Alahingini, etc.

English distinguishes between the nation name (Ko-oren) and demonym/adjective (Ko-orenite) and the language (Gehrennan, Gehrennic). The etymology is the same for both forms: Gehe (moon) + Oren (land, country), where the prefix Gehren- stays closer to the modern day native word, and Ko-oren(ite) is further changed for easier use and pronunciation among non-native speakers. The inclusion of the word Gehe (moon) is said to refer to the region where the language and standard dialect originate, namely to the immediate east of the western mountain range of the Ko-orenite mainland. Early sunsets would have set that region apart from other regions, hence the reference to sunset, darkness, and by extension, the moon. It has to be said that the moon has no further cultural meaning to Ko-orenites.

History

Concurrent with the attestation of the oldest forms of Gehrennic languages, other unrelated languages were spoken on the archipelago, but the only attestation for those has been found on the four eastern islands, where some linguists propose that they have made a lasting impression on the dialects spoken there. As for Gehrennan on the mainland, its lineage is a fairly straight line from Old Gehrennan, the oldest written form of the language, to Modern Gehrennan as spoken around the Capitals. Clear delineations between eras are difficult to draw. Most linguists work with an Old Gehrennan from the earliest written records, Middle Gehrennan when the Matali (Capital) dialect seems to have undergone its first standardisation efforts as the Capitals' influence spread across the mainland, Early Modern Gehrennan when the Matali dialect has taken over as the national standard, and Modern Gehrennan as spoken today.

The Matali dialect is considered one of the more conservative dialects, and little evidence for outside influence on its development exists. Therefore a sentence in the Old, Middle, Early Modern, and Modern forms looks strikingly similar in Matalidh:

Aorodhtalgau dhivihime di gihlazo kothar this mawo hehmiseja khesni mazante
Arohtholgau dhivihehimi di gihlazokothar dhidh mavohimehsa khehsni marazahnate pa
Rodhohtolgo dhipehimmi ti gihlazoktudh thith mawohihmsa khehsnizhaunahte pah
Rodhtalgo dhipehimi ti kilazoktu this mawohimsha khesnizhaunate pa

Altioran is proposed to have branched off after the Old era, whereas the other two languages likely branched off during the Middle era. Dialects of Gehrennan have been diverging since at least that early.

Dialects

Modern dialects have borrowed significantly from the Matali standard and under influence from mass media, that trend continues. Note that Matali is also considered a dialect and also differs from the generally accepted standard written language. Some dialect continuums exist between varieties, but generally the following dialect groups are recognised:

West Coast dialects
Under significant influence from Tarrashall and Matali, the West Coast dialects are spoken by about 2 million, with geminated liquids (ll, mm, nn, rr), /tʃ/ and /dʒ/, and vowel length (/a:/ and /a/) and vowel quality distinctions (/ɔ/ versus /oʊ/) that are rarely seen in other varieties. Grammatically, heavy use of dummy verbs and nouns to carry suffixes and dropping suffixes are common. Valency is often expressed through word order and entire expressions rather than suffixes and further grammaticalisation as happens in other dialects.

Matali dialects
Spoken in and around the capitals by 5-6 million people, there are some differences among them. What sets Matali apart from others is the use of valency via suffixes, a clear 'textbook' stress on the first syllable, though there are differences in prosody between speakers on the bay, speakers inland, and speakers from the heartland.

Alahingan dialects
This group is spoken all over the northern peninsula and forms the basis for the dialect of speakers on the northern islands when using their L2 (their L1 is Altioran). Alahingan dialects retained the /w/ and /j/ between onset and nucleus: where Matali only accepts /ga/, Alahingan dialects still have /gja/, /gwa/, and /ga/. Grammatically Alahingan is similar to Matali, using mostly 'textbook' grammar. Alahingan dialects are behind in modern Matali sound changes, but adaptation of those has been found in the younger generations.

Thelesran dialects
Spoken by a small 2 million speakers in the southeast, Thelesran has had contact with Capital speakers for longer than other groups, and as a result there has been some borrowing. That said, Thelesran behaves much like conservative Matali dialects, but with added phonemic /v/ and /f/ instead of just allophonic. Thelesran has also retained more vowel combinations and those live on through more contractions, such as /ohi/ to /oi/ and postvocalic /h/ deletion.

Lijuthan dialects
Spoken by 5-7 million speakers, depending on the definition of Lijuthan, this group is the second most influential group after Matali. Like Alahingan, they also retained /w/ and /j/ between onset and nucleus, and like Thelesran, which lies to the historical region of Liju's immediate southeast, they also have vowel combinations through /h/ deletion. Grammatically they have a separate passive voice, which in the standard language is formed through a different phrase. They have also done without a progressive aspect and assume the default verb - without conjugation - to refer to the present instead of the future.

Zahnsaudhan dialects
This wide group of dialects is spoken along the south coast by 5-7 million speakers and contain more differences among themselves than other groups, being so geographically spread out. Instead of Alahingan and Lijuthan /w/ and /j/, they have /l/ and /r/ in their place between onset and nucleus, giving rise to consonant clusters rarely seen on the archipelago.

Serekhan dialects
This small group of dialects is spoken in pockets on the south coast and the sparsely populated central south and have retained the classical postvocalic /h/ where most other dialect groups have 'solved' that in other ways (vowel lengthening, consonant gemination, vowel quality changes, etc).

Alahrennan and Subirennan dialects
Spoken on the eastern islands by 4-5 million people, there are many non-Gehrennic influences in grammar and phonology, causing many linguists to claim there was contact between a non-related language and a Gehrennic language early in development.

[1] Disagreement on the origin of Alahrennan exists; current theory suggests a pidgin between Gehrennan and a since extinct Aviansolan language
[2] Disagreement on the origin of Subirennan exists; current theory suggests a pidgin between Gehrennan and a since extinct Aviansolan language
[3] Committee of Anaian Norms, Templates, and Standards, regional implementation of Committee of Universal Norms, Templates, and Standards

by **Valanora** » Wed Aug 14, 2024 12:26 pm

The Marauders enter into what is possibly the most important game of their qualifying campaign, their matchup against second seeds Zwangzug who are flying close to the heels of the Marauders with an unblemished record. The former World Cup champions have done it with an excellent defense, having held their opposition to three goals through their first five games. It presents a difficult challenge for the Marauders who have had their ups and downs through the first six matches of the campaign, with a few close shaves that have those questioning Millet feeling vindicated about that position. However despite those failings in the eyes of those who are opposed to her, the team still has six wins from six and are comfortably in the top two of the table and the qualification that comes with it. While it might not be the ruthless efficiency and beautiful style of game that fans of the team would like to see from the team, such as their last game away to Sudilia, the fact that the team has not lost points so far indicates that she is doing something right to keep the team where it is supposed to be when it comes to the table.

It has not all gone poorly, as evidenced by those six wins, and there are definitely building blocks for the team and their pursuit of qualification and what may lie beyond once they do secure a spot in the Finals. A solid win against Polar Islandstates in Capri after some close shaves against some of the so called weaker opposition is a high point and shows that when push comes to shove against the best in the group, this team is ready to stand tall and take action. There is also Imre Haaland, whose eight goals through six games is helping lead a very potent attack for the team and combined with the likes of Hawk playing in behind gives the team a real sharp edge in the attacking half of the field. Goals in four of the six games is a solid return, especially considering he has provided assists in two of those as well, proving his credentials as a player who is capable of leading the line for the team and has grown in the few years since he first broke into the national team. With the attacker seemingly entering into the prime of his career, he will be quite the asset for the team not just during this campaign but for many campaigns to come, hopefully living up to his own role model in Lothas Ludwig.

The disappointing part definitely comes on the defense, which can not be blamed at all on Propst in net who has been quite well when called upon, however they have been called on far too often this campaign. Despite the switch to a four at the back instead of the traditional three at the back system that has been part of Vanorian tactics from time immemorial, the defense has not gotten better. It is still conceded over a goal a game on average and are getting beaten more than they should given the new shape. The individuals in the defense are talented and perform admirably or even excellently at the club level but yet that has continued to not translate to a team capable of shutting opposing offense down. I do not know what the answer is to problem is but what is going on is not working as well as it is supposed to, even by the manager's own admission. Regardless, the team is performing well and if they do manage to solve the defensive woes, their chances to win the group and perhaps chase down that elusive sixth title, a dream that has been going on for over thirty world cups now.

Which brings us to this game against Zwangzug, a game against a team who despite playing in the competition as nearly as long as the Marauders has not crossed paths with our team on many occasions. The most important of course is that clash in the World Cup Final in the early 40s, where the side came out on top and helped propel the team to being one of the two dominant forces of those ten cycles. They are a team whose record is backed up by their skill, they are worthy opponents who have a knack of scoring just enough while completely smothering their opposition from getting many if any quality chances on net. The answer to solving the riddle for the Marauders is to be as clinical as possible when those rare opportunities are presented to them while keeping them at bay. It will be a real test for all three sets of players in the team but the fact that they are playing at the Hatire Memorial in front of the home crowd does lead them an edge. Coming away with three points will put them in a dominant position heading into that last game of the first half at East Leaf, but at least a share of the points should keep them at the top. They can ill afford a loss though if trends continue to play out and the two sides run through the rest of the group with little issue if they want to win the group.

by **Aleirave** » Wed Aug 14, 2024 1:21 pm

Peaceful Fates
United Mandaran States 3-3 Aleirave
Aleirave 1-1 Burikinia

To draw is not to be defeated, it is neither to avoid fighting nor fight with no success. To draw is something else entirely, to declare your peace after a difficult battle, one that made both sides work their hardest and showed both to be just as powerful as the other.

While some may see the Seagulls' two draws to be somewhat of a disappointment, Haulafo and team did not see them to be that way. The United Mandaran States, while having a rough time in this campaign, were still the first seeds, and any points against them were tantamount to a victory, more than could've been expected out of this team before the start of qualifiers. As for the draw to Burikinia, these things happen. They weren't the best team out there, sure, but it was merely a small setback, with the opportunity for even more upward movement standing in front of the Gulls before their next matches, set to be a tight match to decide second place away in Kanzlia and a home battle against mid-table Boring Paradise.

The Kanzlia match would be especially critical, with the Exiles pulling off an impressive 3-0-2 start fresh off their Baptism of Fire debut, proving that just because you're new on the scene doesn't make you any less of a threat. The Seagulls would need to give this their absolute A game if they were to avoid a tough loss on Matchday 7.

As for Boring Paradise, while they may have been in 5th place at the moment, they definitely had their good moments, their two wins coming against the same two sides the Gulls had just drawn in their last two matches. They clearly showed that, at least in those head-to-head matchups, they weren't just able to compete with Aleirave, but rather do what they couldn't; this matchup at the Old Grounds would be an important win to show who was truly better.

As the first half of the qualifying run drew to a close, there was also one more matchup to play: away to group leaders Crpostran. This was the sort of thing that, even while being three matchdays away, would be a focus of much attention if the Islanders were going to hang on to their second place spot and make it into their first World Cup. Was winning it vital? Not necessarily, but it would help an absolute ton.

With these final three matches of the first half all being important, where did that put the Seagulls? Simply put, nowhere... yet. Where they were had yet to be decided, but it would be decided quite soon. Making predictions based on 6 matchdays is no doubt a fruitless endeavor: anything can happen with so much football left to play. All that could be done was in the form of preparation for what was to come: they would be coming to Kanzlia fully prepared for what the Exiles had to offer. Both sides had a lot to prove, and neither one was willing to waste their chance.

RING! RING!

Phone calls like this after big football matches were not unheard of for Haulafo Paka'ula, after all, he would often chat with family or friends after the big game. However, this one was just a little different... "Hello?" he asked as he picked up.
"Haulafo, how are you?" asked the familiar voice of Governor Adari'ena.
"Oh hi Refilene, what's going on?"
"I just needed to ask something of you..."
"Go right ahead."
"Okay, so... what was going on last week, when you asked Tony Beaujoleil to leave without consulting me first?"
"What do you mean?"
"You know what I mean."
"No, I really don't... I thought you didn't like the mess it was bringing? I thought you agreed that it was a little too much for us, and that--"
"We could've come up with a better solution, rather than pass up all of the economic opportunities that ship brought onto the island!"
"Economic opportunities? I have no clue who you are, but you aren't the Refilene I know."
"Listen, I know it's a bit of a walk back, but... you can't deny the opportunities!"
"Let me guess..."
"Hm?"
"There's some large donor out there who wants to invest in your re-election campaign and they're only willing to do it if you're willing to sell yourself out to Beaujoleil."
"What do you me--"
"I think you know exactly what I mean Governor. And personally, I don't think corruption has any place in Aleiravan politics..."

Refilene hung up after this cutoff, as if he knew Haulafo was onto something and he had to cover his tracks... but the manager had no proof of anything, and neither was he going to get any proof. All he knew was, something weird must have been going on for the governor to call him like that with such a strange comment... and he had to figure out why.

by **Qusmo** » Wed Aug 14, 2024 1:47 pm

Qusmo’s second trip to the Capitalizt Dome ended with another convincing loss to Chromatika. In World Cup 83 Qualifying, Qusmo won every match aside from their trip to the Dome, where they fell three-nil. Since then, Chromatika has risen up the rankings table from forty-seventh to fifteenth, Qusmo has fallen from twenty-second to seventy-first, & it’s the Anomalies who are zipping through Qualifying on a perfect pace thus far, & certainly not the Quxruxy. An away match to the group’s top seed — in a dome packed with one hundred forty-four thousand fans, no less — was always expected to be Qusmo’s toughest test of their Qualifying campaign. Still, after four matches, Qusmo has failed to score multiple goals on three occasions, Qusmo has conceded at least three goals on three occasions, & most importantly, Qusmo has lost on three occasions. In the team’s past eleven matches, they’ve lost ten times, & the lone win was a home fixture against an unranked opponent. Thankfully, that’s what the team’s next fixture will be, too.
|’                            |¯¯¯|                            ’|
|¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯|¯¯|¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯|¯¯|¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯|
|                       |  ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯  |                       |
|                       |_______________|                       |
|                                                               |
|                          Xilit-Oxolt                          |
|       Belaj-Rilan                           Culak-Zelez       |
|                                                               |
|                  Helek-Pertz                                  |
|-------------------------------O--Jerat-Forzu------------------|
|                          Sevet-Stokes                         |
|                                                               |
|  Otoln-Prant                                     Lynul-Sevet  |
|                  Nexev-Pilta     Nirlo-Zylyz                  |
|                                                               |
|                       |¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯|                       |
|                       |  Kepex-Cheng  |                       |
|_______________________|__|_________|__|_______________________|
|,                            |___|                            ,|

Substitutions:
Intov-Gelan on for Nexev-Pilta
Xelez-Matez on for Otoln-Prant
Ilinx-Winad on for Helek-Pertz

Goalscorer:
Belaj-Rilan Dar (1-2)

Qusmo got another win, but it was much closer than the team surely would have liked. After Helek-Pertz Zev scored the opener, Sevet-Matez Fox scored the equalizer & the winner off the bench, as the hosts came from behind to beat unranked Alanis Star at home. The team will monitor the injury status of Jerat-Forzu Mal, who picked up a knock. Perhaps even more worrying, the team wasn’t able to prevent unranked Alanis Star from scoring two goals & even taking the lead at Mastad Qusma. Qusmo’s porous defence has necessitated the team’s attack to play extraordinarily in each & every match to stand a chance. Thus far, it has only been able to manage that in matches in which any team would be expected to: home fixtures against unranked opposition. Qusmo has played its most difficult fixture of its Qualifying campaign, but it has also played its two easiest fixtures. The Quxruxy will have to earn results in much tougher situations if they hope to pose any credible challenge to qualify for the World Cup.
|’                            |¯¯¯|                            ’|
|¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯|¯¯|¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯|¯¯|¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯|
|                       |  ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯  |                       |
|                       |_______________|                       |
|                                                               |
|                          Xilit-Oxolt                          |
|       Belaj-Rilan                           Culak-Zelez       |
|                                                               |
|                  Helek-Pertz                                  |
|-------------------------------O--Jerat-Forzu------------------|
|                          Belaj-Trenj                          |
|                                                               |
|  Otoln-Prant                                     Lynul-Sevet  |
|                  Sevet-Stokes    Nirlo-Zylyz                  |
|                                                               |
|                       |¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯|                       |
|                       |  Kepex-Cheng  |                       |
|_______________________|__|_________|__|_______________________|
|,                            |___|                            ,|

Substitutions:
Wanar-Xalan on for Jerat-Forzu
Sevet-Matez on for Xilit-Oxolt
Sevet-Ajark on for Lynul-Sevet

Goalscorers:
Helek-Pertz Zev (1-0)
Sevet-Matez Fox (2-2)
Sevet-Matez Fox (3-2)

If Qusmo is serious about qualifying for the World Cup, their upcoming window could be massive. Two wins would do them a world of good, but two losses could be devastating.

Qusmo will first take on the Grearish Union. Although an away fixture, it’s a match against an opponent ranked outside the top two hundred which has lost every match it has played so far & has scored twice & conceded seventeen times. The Grearish Union heads into their match against Qusmo with the joint-eleventh-most goals conceded, the joint-fourth-lowest goals scored, & the joint-second-worst goal difference of any team in World Cup 97 Qualifying thus far. If Qusmo isn’t even able to stop this team, it knows it has a very serious problem.

Next will be Quakmybush, a team outside the top hundred whose only points have come in a match against the Grearish Union. The team has scored five goals so far in Qualifying, but four have come from the Grearish Union. If their record had not benefited from that match, they would have been one of only four teams to have scored only one goal for the entirety of Qualifying to this point. No team has scored less. Again, Qusmo’s defence should get right against Quakmybush, or else. This matchday eight fixture also represents Qusmo’s final home match until matchday twelve.

If Qusmo can take six points away from this window, they will take minimum leads of three & six points over Quakmybush & the Grearish Union, respectively, into the second half of Qualifying, & perhaps more importantly, they will head into their clash with the United States of Nova Calania ahead by at least six points as well. Although Nova Calania is behind Qusmo in the points table, they’re ahead of Qusmo in the rankings table, so they are still a big threat to qualify. If Qusmo could enter their match six points ahead, they would feel more comfortable with any eventuality. For that to happen, though, they need to take care of business in a pair of matches it increasingly feels they can’t afford to lose.
|’                            |¯¯¯|                            ’|
|¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯|¯¯|¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯|¯¯|¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯|
|                       |  ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯  |                       |
|                       |_______________|                       |
|                                                               |
|                          Sevet-Matez                          |
|       Belaj-Rilan                           Culak-Zelez       |
|                                                               |
|                  Helek-Pertz                                  |
|-------------------------------O--Jerat-Forzu------------------|
|                          Intov-Gelan                          |
|                                                               |
|  Otoln-Prant                                     Lynul-Sevet  |
|                  Sevet-Stokes    Nirlo-Zylyz                  |
|                                                               |
|                       |¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯|                       |
|                       |  Kepex-Cheng  |                       |
|_______________________|__|_________|__|_______________________|
|,                            |___|                            ,|

MD02 (L 4-5 v. TFS): Helek-Pertz, Culak-Zelez, Sevet-Matez, Culak-Zelez (2)
MD03 (L 1-4 at BAG): Lynul-Sevet
MD04 (W 1-0 v. SFI): Belaj-Rilan
MD05 (L 1-3 at CMT): Jerat-Forzu
MD06 (W 3-2 v. ALS): Helek-Pertz, Sevet-Matez, Sevet-Matez (2)

WC97Q totals
3 - Sevet-Matez
2 - Culak-Zelez
    Helek-Pertz
1 - Lynul-Sevet
    Belaj-Rilan
    Jerat-Forzu

ISideWith UK · by **Eastfield Lodge** » Wed Aug 14, 2024 2:37 pm

MD 7 and 8 cutoff for Groups 1-8

by **Langenia** » Wed Aug 14, 2024 4:11 pm

Noticias: Deportes

Los Azules Seemingly Collapse; Vargas Under Fire

Two straight defeats have caused Los Azules to slide even further in their World Cup qualification group to sixth place with three wins and four losses. The experience of higher-ranked teams in Kamijiro and Captina Island proved too much to handle for a Langenian side still getting used to international competition. It was proof that simply getting to the World Cup will involve a stronger effort on the part of the Langenians in a qualification group full of experienced and highly-ranked teams. Nonetheless, media coverage in Langenia of the defeats was unsurprisingly negative, with the harsh criticism of the team from the press provoking forceful responses from numerous players and coaches in the Langenian football community.

It began at Diego Talaman Stadium in Aragon as Los Azules hosted a visiting Kamijiro for Match Day 7. As usual, the Langenians were eager to open up the scoring through repeated attacks, and they would do so at the 23rd minute as Daniel Gallegos slotted home an assist from Oscar Galindo for a Langenian goal. This would be the only goal Los Azules could manage throughout the game, and in a repeat of their previous loss to the Kytlerian national team the Kamijiro defense would prevent the Langenian attackers from successfully penetrating and scoring.

In the second half, the Langenians would end up losing their lead in the face of a comeback from Kamijiro. Taking back possession of the ball after a Langenian attack in the 59th minute, Kamijiro would counterattack as central midfielder Katsu Fujiwara would pass a through ball to striker Soji Kokubun to turn the Langenians' own tactics against them, with Kokubun scoring directly on the Langenian goal. At the 77th minute, Saiichi Demizu would advance along the wing to move past Los Azules fullback Pablo Molina and flick the ball up for Kokubun to head it past Langenian goalkeeper Isidoro Alvarado. As a result, Kamijiro would take the lead 2-1, and the Langenians were unable to equalize with the remaining time. The thousands of Los Azules fans would walk out of Diego Talaman Stadium dejected at the home defeat.

Seeking to flip the script and secure a victory after losing in their own stadium, Los Azules traveled abroad to face Captina Island, an offensive-focused team that also possessed an effective defense. Langenia would come out aggressively in the first half, scoring the game's opening goal as Raul Guzman's shot was blocked by Captina goalkeeper Stefania Recchio, only for the rebound to be sent to the back of the net by a waiting Oscar Galindo at the 16th minute. Captina was quick to equalize, as striker Guiseppi Overstreet would perform a series of one-two passes with Giorgio Fontana to get past the Langenian defenders and score in the 25th minute. Unable to penetrate each other's defenses, both teams would return to their locker rooms tied.

Captina would break the deadlock as Patience Wedgewood would send home a cross from Fontana past Alvarado to put Captina up 2-1 in the 54th minute. Los Azules, eager to equalize, would see Raul Guzman receive a through ball from winger Roman Reyes and furiously dribble towards Captina's goal, firing a shot aimed at the top left corner of the net that would tie the game for Langenia at the 69th minute. However, Langenian center-back Sebastian Cortes's error in clearing the ball in direction of a corner near the Langenian goal would give a corner kick to Captina in which the ball sent into the air by Guiseppi Overstreet would find the head of Captina fullback Alfonso Vastano to put them in the lead in the 75th minute with a 3-2 score. Langenian striker Juan Magrina, who had come on a substitute for Raul Guzman, would attempt to again equalize for Langenia with a header from a free kick in the 86th minute. Unluckily, his header would hit the post, and time would expire to hand the Langenians another defeat.

The three-game losing streak has triggered a media firestorm within Langenia in a country that had hoped to make a successful World Cup qualification debut after being forced out of the Baptism of Fire in the Round of 16. Numerous sports-related news outlets, such as Deportes Langenia Hoy, have heaped criticism on Los Azules coach Enrique Vargas, calling on him to resign or be fired from his post. Deportes Langenia Hoy questioned the effectiveness of his attempts to improve defense even at the expense of attack, pointed out the number of goals Langenia has conceded, and lambasted his roster changes, specifically his decision to experiment with Isidoro Alvarado as starting goalkeeper over Eduardo Arnal, who had been the starter since the Baptism of Fire.

However, the media criticism has provoked a sudden unification of the Langenian football community behind Los Azules manager Vargas, with numerous players and coaches hitting back at the press. Moises Alcocer, president of the Langenian Football Federation and a former manager himself, defended Vargas, saying "Enrique is one of the greatest coaches this country has ever produced. It was always going to be an uphill climb for us, a team inexperienced in international competition, to qualify for the World Cup in a group full of some of the best, most experienced, and highly-ranked teams in the world. But if anyone can take on that responsibility, it's him, considering his record leading underdog teams," a reference to when a Vargas-managed Merida defeated Liga Nacional giants Aragona and San Jose.

Los Azules captain Oscar Galindo concurred with Alcocer, stating in a press conference after the team's return to Langenia from Captina Island that "I still fully trust in the boss, coach Vargas, to lead us in our dream of making it to the World Cup. Sure, it was always going to be hard against the more experienced teams in our group, and we haven't performed our best in the past three matches. But to sit here and criticize him and the team is unfair. Some of you should try being in our shoes for a week and seeing how well you can handle it," the striker said in a thinly-veiled jab at the media's coverage.

A similar sentiment was expressed Galindo's teammate Daniel Gallegos in a brief statement, the Langenian attacking midfielder known for his penchant of simply saying whatever was on his mind in front of reporters. "Shut up if you haven't ever been through it. Let us work it out and strap in for the ride."

Eduardo Arnal will take back his starting goalkeeper position from Isidoro Alvarado for the upcoming home games against West Barack and East Obama on Match Day 9 and Caribbia on Match Day 10. Currently, the Langenians are at sixth place in their qualifying group, with 3 wins and 4 losses.

Upcoming Los Azules Matches

MD9: Langenia vs West Barack and East Obama
MD10: Langenia vs Caribbia

by **Restresas** » Wed Aug 14, 2024 4:14 pm

After beating Pyazhnaya on the road:

"Okay, okay, hold the phone." Wesley, who triumphantly returned for this crucial game told his team. "Who the fuck said that my tactics were the reason why we were not succeeding under Al? I mean it, if no one talks, we run the 50 miles again. We need to be disciplined, strong, and a team that doesn't back down from anyone!" A strong silence hits the room under this comment, with many people looking at Lane due to his asshole behavior and by far holding back the most during the team's world cup campaign. "Well, we run another 50 AFTER PRACTICE 2 days from now!" Wesley told the team after Lane failed to take accountability. "LANE, YOU BITCH!!!" Sesfa told the young star. "WE ARE ALL BUSTING OUR ASSES OFF, WHILE YOU HOLD BACK AND DRAG US DOWN WITH YOU. AND WHEN YOU NEED TO TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY, YOU ARE SILENT AS A FUCKING CRICKET!" The looks from the rest of the team to Lane told the whole picture. "Well, if you don't want to take accountability... you don't need to run just there... you need to run back too!" Wesley told the now defeated Lane. "I had a date where I was going to propose to Lydia 3 hours after the training! I can't do that anymore..." Lane responded somberly. The ego of the cancer of the locker room was crushed, and now he had to explain what happened to his girlfriend.

The day after, Maresda:

"Look, I took the team down with me... so the date's gonna be canceled because I have to run the trek route there and back..." Lane told Lydia when he got home. "Figured. You were a lot more quiet and irritated when you were with me this past month..." Lydia quietly responded. "If we want this to work... that ego's gotta go out of the window. That bullshit ruins marriages, relationships, leads to cheating, scandals, and tragedy. Just because you are a top star here doesn't mean anything when you bring the whole team down because you've had a bad stretch." Lane walks around for a bit, calming his racing mind... and then he tells his girlfriend calmly, offering her something. "When I do run with the team tomorrow... do you mind joining us? It would be a nice run... even if we have to do it for 100 miles..." Lane admits begrudgingly. "Sure! A nice run around could not only keep your fitness level up, but help out our bond too!"

After Practice, Outskirts of Maresda:

There were a lot of people running the trail, including a few people getting ready for a major competition... These stars include Guillermina Adrianne, Flo Quincey, Willoughby Reynaldo, Anson Sixta, and Rebeccanne Marvyn. As the team was running to help discipline themselves, Lane mentioned that on social media he read "They run this route 4 times a day from there to back... they could sprint for the 26 miles from a marathon and win it all easily." The team acknowledged this comment with a "Damn... that's intense, but rewarding..." by Indiana, and continued to run along. As soon as Wesley and the team reached the end of the road, Lydia joined Lane, and the team left them be, hoping to see them on the other side in a very quick amount of time. "Holy... that was a nice run..." Lane told his girlfriend. "We talked for a while, and bam, it's over before we realized that we were almost done to begin with." Lydia agreed with a slight "yeah... that was nice. I realized how much you meant to me while we ran... and I'm surprised I could make it without running out of breath." Lane paused for a second, and got on one knee. "I agree.. but for me... you're breathless..." he proposed to Lydia... with the team watching and all, and Lydia replied with an emphatic "YES!"

by **Siovanija and Teusland** » Wed Aug 14, 2024 5:30 pm

Oil & Ice

Volume V
No Turning Back

Government House, Wilhelmstadt, Sankt Konrad

The doors of the office swung open, and into the room marched 4 members of the Blue Sun political party. Their all-blue uniform was militaristic in design, and each man wore a white armband embroidered with the logo of the party - no points for creativity here, it’s a blue sun.

”Valdi, Isit!”

The phrase translated to something along the lines of ‘power to the leader,’ and was the typical refrain of Blue Sun members, and standard greeting when in the presence of their Isit himself.

Valljas Bancu turned around from the window and saluted the men, who each greeted him back. His own blue uniform was the exact same as those of the men before him, with the addition of a badge with the party’s logo.

He had taken quite an unorthodox path to get here. Born to a family of reindeer herders in the town of Deatnu, Valljas had moved to the city of Wilhelmstadt at 18. Feeling himself destined for more than just what he considered the simple life of a reindeer herder, he went to the University of Sankt Konrad and studied politics. He also became a member of the hooligan group of the capital’s club representing the Albmot native people, Nomadik. While no member of the ultras would ever confirm his membership, those ‘in the know’ knew him as a feared member of the group.

Somewhere along the line, Valljas became a deep-rooted nationalist. Perhaps it was on the terraces when the Albmot club Nomadik battled their Teus rivals Kolonial for national supremacy, perhaps it was in his classes learning about the Teus Empire’s era of dominance on Sankt Konrad. Either way, sometime after finishing his studies, Valljas founded the Blue Sun party with friends both from his hooligan days and also from the university.

Chosen as its leader due to his good public speaking abilities, the early days of the party were not easy: they were mainly seen as a national joke. The Albmot and Teus peoples had never had the easiest relationship with each other on Sankt Konrad, but at the end of the day all felt like a family, even if they argued at times. The Blue Sun’s early slogan of ‘Kick out the Teus’ was never received well. Valljas was mocked, derided, and never taken seriously.

Then, Siovanija & Teusland made the decision to retreat from the international stage under the government of Ruslan Karamov. Suddenly, many on Sankt Konrad asked questions about why the national oil company needed to give 50% of its supply and profits to a far-away land that now seemed even more distant. Why Teus fishing boats were allowed to come into Sankt Konrad’s territorial waters and take their profits back to the homeland, with only a token tax payed to the government of Sankt Konrad. Why Teus was given equal status in government to the language of the Albmot people.

Valljas Bancu, as much as he was cruel and likely narcissistic, was also a cunning political strategist. The Blue Sun pacified its message to gain support from a growing nationalist feeling in the Albmot people. And when a scandal fell on the head of the Socialist Party, who had previously been in power, it was finally his time. Finally his triumph. Valljas Bancu was finally in charge of Sankt Konrad.

Officially, the country remained a democracy. Yet Valljas had vested ministerial power in his longest-serving loyalists, and had brought the Coast Guard and Police Force under his sole command. Changed the name of his title from ‘President’ to ’Isit,’ meaning ‘leader’ but directly translated as ‘master.’ Slowly but surely, the language rights of the Teus minority were eroding, and this situation was clearly on a path with only 2 possible outcomes, neither of them good for the Teus. Another election would need to be won before Valljas could fully drop the charade and make himself the dictator he’d always wanted to be, but he had a plan for that:

Antagonize Siovanija & Teusland until they dropped their share of the ANG oil company. Push as far as he could, knowing that it could never escalate into a military conflict - without breaking apart the United Republics, of course. The Siovanijans wanted isolation, the Teus wanted an Empire - if you pushed one too far in one direction, the whole thing would fall apart. Thus, Valljas felt he could push as many buttons as necessary, and they would eventually cave. And when they did? Vast riches for the Albmot people, and a leader who stood up to their former colonial power and won. Why would they ever want to have another election after such a triumph? It seemed so simple.

And yet, things weren’t quite going to plan.

The death of the Teus fisherman had been a setback. Valljas wondered in that moment if everything he’d fought for was lost. The death of its citizens was probably the only scenario in which the United Republics would even consider an armed response, in Valljas’ mind. Luckily, the shot that caused the boat to explode would be impossible to replicate - everyone could see it was not intentional.

Valljas also didn’t expect the Teus to deploy an aircraft carrier to the region. In his own mind, he waved it away as needing to placate their people who had been protesting in every major city. But for Valljas, his rage at not getting exactly what he wanted right away demanded a response - he’d ordered the police to attack those protestors, and arrest a good deal of them. Show Teusland who the boss was.
“My leader,” spoke up one of the four men in uniform. Valljas nodded for him to continue.

“The government in Borograd had communicated through back channels that they will be declining the deal to release the prisoners.”

“Of course,” said Valljas.

“My leader, what is our next move? With the Kolonialvereinigung summit coming up next week, we are likely to be heavily condemned by almost every country present. And the Teus have that carrier group in position now. What if they do decide to attack?”

Valljas paused. “Those sound like the words of a defeatist,” he began. “Did you join the Blue Sun because it was easy? Because the fight to free our people wouldn’t require struggle? No. You took an oath - to die for our people if necessary.” Valljas was silent for a moment, as the officer stared at the ground.

“You don’t need to stare at your shoes. I understand. It’s impossible to be at ease in a time of national crisis like this. I have total faith in the victory of our people. I know for certain that the Teus will not attack - and even if they did, that our people would prove victorious in defence of our homeland.” Valljas paused. “I fully expect to be condemned next week, yes. Probably there will be some form of economic sanction, or countries saying they won’t trade for our oil anymore. So, it’s very simple - the pipeline that sends our oil to Teusland, that provides 36% of their supply, gets shut off. They get it back once they pay their share.”

The uniformed officers now stared at their leader, with renewed faith in him. This next move would certainly be the one to bring Siovanija & Teusland around to agreeing to terms.

”Valdi, Isit!”

Valljas looked out the window now, over the city and island before him. “There is no turning back. Sankt Konrad will either have its freedom, or will die fighting for it.”

Stelburg, Teusland

“Possible. Complicated, but possible.”

Field Marshall Bastian Lang looked over the plans once more. He had had a distinguished career in the Army of Siovanija & Teusland, rising through the ranks over a relatively short period of time to become a General, and then a Field Marshall. He was quite used to looking over a plan like this one.

With a sky-high military budget, the United Republics was always prepared for conflict. That was, after all, part of the reason the country united following the Great War - to be prepared to defend against any outside threat. In the context of that time, it made sense: several major wars had been fought with outside powers in the 1800s. Since then, however, it made less sense: the country had no real enemies geopolitically. There was a bit of a controversy over the government’s support (or lack thereof) of factions in the Nyowani Kitara conflict, but there was never any chance of the military being deployed. So ‘battle plans’ tended to be extremely hypothetical. It felt almost surreal to look at one that was just one ‘Ja’ from Chancellor Hauser away from becoming reality.

“What exactly does complicated mean, Field Marshall?”

“The plan itself is quite straightforward. Under the cover of night, a squad of marines lands near the prison. Getting to the prison itself will require stealth, but we want a bit of chaos once they blow the doors. The guards likely are not expecting it. The marines are supported by helicopter, they get in, get the 5 prisoners out, extract via helicopter back to the URS Monchengau. On paper, it’s what they’ve trained their whole lives for.”

“But.”

“But. According to our intelligence, it’s not just 5 prisoners anymore. It’s upwards of 60. And due to the risk of a riot in the prison, the guard is made up of the best-trained members of their Police Force. It’s rather unlikely that this mission can be completed without casualties, either on our side or of the civilian prisoners.”

Chancellor Hauser was silent. It was a heavy decision to make. One Teus civilian killed was bad enough. If this mission went awry? It would be the scandal of the century, and a tragedy that would likely destroy any possible relationship with Sankt Konrad for at least 25 years.

“Chancellor, just my advice. If I’m going to send my men into battle, knowing the risk that brings? I would so much rather go to bed that night knowing that both the prisoners and the 12,000 Teus on that island are safe, instead of having just the prisoners and worrying for the rest.”

Chancellor Hauser remained silent. It was clear what the Field Marshall was suggesting - the same sort of mission but with more troops could put all of Sankt Konrad under control, removing the Blue Sun.

“We aren’t there, Field Marshall. We can’t interfere with a sovereign nation over a major political dispute and a terrible accident. There would be no turning back. But I have the same feeling as you. I cannot in good conscience give such an order.”

The Field Marshall nodded and left the room, leaving Chancellor Hauser alone. Four days before the Kolonialvereinigung conference, the first time the governments of Siovanija & Teusland and Sankt Konrad would meet face to face since the incident began. Something would have to be worked out there.

Siovanija & Teusland 0-1 Valentine Z

XI: Gottschall; Schwefel, Steinhausl, Rodl, Reichenbach (Hayek 61'); Porsche, Winter, Rosberg (Le Meji 61'); Vadimic, A. Kosch-Kovarik, Hackl (Burger 46')
Goals: N/A
Man of the Match: Ludwig Gottschall

Abanhfleft 2-5 Siovanija & Teusland

XI: Bodeker; Metzger, Steinhausl (Rodl 55'), Apel, Hayek; von Stein, Prekmurje (Winter 70'), Le Meji; Koegel, Trstenjak, Burger (Hackl 70')
Goals: Michael Burger 9', Xorge Le Meji 18', 30', Egon von Stein 51', Marjan Trstenjak 64'
Man of the Match: Xorge Le Meji

Siovanija & Teusland 23 man squad for international window 5
Olimpski-Stadion, Borograd vs Cardenao; Mollin Park, Felsenkirchen vs Audioslavia

Goalkeepers: Holz, Bodeker, Gottschall
Defenders: Schwefel, Metzger, Reichenbach, Gellner, Steinhausl, Rodl, Sanner
Midfield: Porsche, von Stein, Prekmurje, Lorenz, Rosberg, Le Meji
Wingers: Vadimic, Korlikov, A. Kosch-Kovarik, Zschokke
Forwards: Burger, Hackl, Dezelac

Expected XI vs Cardenao: Holz; Metzger, Steinhausl, Sanner, Reichenbach; von Stein, Lorenz, Le Meji; Korlikov, Zschokke, Hackl
Expected XI vs Audioslavia: Bodeker; Schwefel, Steinhausl, Rodl, Gellner; Porsche, Prekmurje, Rosberg; Vadimic, A. Kosch-Kovarik, Burger

by **Sarzonia** » Wed Aug 14, 2024 6:19 pm

Sarzonian national football team starting defender Bill Kelley was kicked off the side following a tense meeting between Kelley and manager Caleb Rush prior to Sarzonia's away match against Flavovespia.

Rush said after Kelley departed that the team expelled Kelley for "conduct detrimental to the team," adding that it was "an internal matter."

"I can't give you anything more than that," Rush said. "It was a decision that Sarzonian football didn't make lightly." Kelley declined comment through his agent, other than to say he was "disappointed" with the decision.

Incorporated Football Federation chairman Zack Wilson said the decision was made after he and national team technical director Horace Sandt consulted with Rush. Wilson wouldn't say whether he or Sandt pushed Rush to release Kelley. However, a source who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter candidly said Rush made the final call.

"The Wilsons [Zack and forward Spencer] were content with the three-match suspension. Sandt was OK with that too. Coach pushed him out," the source said. "Sandt thought burying him on the depth chart might get the point across, but Rush said it wasn't good enough."

Marketa Gregoire, the executive director of the Incorporated Sarzonian Football Players Association announced they were studying the situation and were considering filing a grievance against Rush and the team. Kendall Dyson, a legal analyst, said the chances a grievance would be successful were "slim."

"In general, when a manager or coach decides upon discipline for a player, the precedent the arbitration system within Sarzonia has observed is to defer to a manager's judgment when the discipline is consistent with similar infractions," Dyson said. "The best chance I see Kelley having is if the ISFPA and Kelley prove this punishment didn't fit the crime."

John Wells, the starting goalkeeper for Sarzonia, said he felt Kelley might have a chance if he can prove the only "offence" Kelley committed was organising an outing to a club that implicitly excluded the LGBTQIA+ community. However, he also said he felt Rush had a stronger counter-argument.

"Rush is likely gonna say he's kicking Bill out for insubordination," Wells said. "He was speaking and Bill tried to argue with him during his speech to the team. Rush doesn't tolerate that."

Defender Matt Austin replaced Kelley in the starting 11 against Flavovespia. Semipro defender Tyler Hoskins was called up to join the substitutes bench. Sarzonia snapped a four-match draw streak in a 2-1 loss to the 12th ranked team in the multiverse. Rush said the team didn't play their best football, but their effort was still "night and day" better.

"We didn't play to our full potential, but we got the better of the play against Flavovespia," Rush said. "I think you could tell Austin and the rest of the back four had to get adjusted to each other. From that perspective, it wasn't the greatest timing to make that change, but it is what it is."

Wells made five saves, but Dayne Marks will start against unranked Ossidiacqua in the team's return to Dave Wilson Stadium in Woodstock. Rush said he wanted to give Wells a breather in a match that actually counted.

"I know it's gonna bother John, but I think he could use the rest," Rush said.

Sarzonia dropped to 1-4-1 after the loss to Flavovespia.

by **Panay Islands and Guimaras** » Wed Aug 14, 2024 6:28 pm

A TIGHT MATCH IN THE PAULINO ALCÁNTARA STADIUM
Iloílo City, Federal Canton

The fans are cheering out loud for the Panayenses to surprise the Mandarans, the first half begins with a tight defense from both the defenders and midfielders of each teams, a Mandaran player tries to get a long shot but Aldovino saved it from his goalpost. Conrado Ángeles came out of the red card to defend the country, and tackled several Mandarans, this time carefully. In the second half, the duo of Nguyen and Ricalde tried to dazzle the Mandaran defenders with their skill, giving a chance for Ricalde to shoot, but got wide. The Mandarans tried to block Heo's defense but failed to do so. After a series of tight defenses and attempted goals, the match ended with a 0-0 draw. Pierini commented that this is his difficult match to do, since the Mandarans are a tough team to beat. The team will face Burikinia and Kanzlia both away.

by **Delte** » Wed Aug 14, 2024 10:04 pm

Delte 2-0 Audioslavia
Trainee Sports Correspondent Pola Bedeloe at Ildemorton Road for the Ughmirren Broadsheets

I won't dwell overly long on the finer details of this match but certainly mention should be made of the performance of St. Kilda's Ambulance volunteer Adlai Drage, who administered first aid on the unfortunate substitute striker Henry Lightman. Young Henry was back to his bench-warming best on a hot summer afternoon at Ildemorton Road for the visit of The Bulls, and a combination of the sunshine, the Audioslav's Post Football tactic and a curious lack of atmosphere against a former World Champion visitor (due in large part to the absence of community drummer Charlie Tenche and his best mate Bugle O'Hickins) caused Henry to fall asleep and roll off the bench, bumping his cranium on the floor in the fall and knocking himself briefly unconscious. A swift application of a bucket of mountain dew from Adlai revived him and as a precautionary measure he was tied to his seat for the rest of the game, and appeared to make a full recovery.

On the field of play winger Tai Tunnyo and promising forward Chipper Osgood scored from coach Ida Spankhurst's cunning Counterkontrapuntzeka approach combined with the stoic press, as the Audioslavs lost interest in the game and fell to a first defeat in three games against the Representatives.

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

Chrizenia 1-2 Delte
Citizen journalist and 'Green Hedge' travelling ultra Tyrell de Turqua in Lalibela, Chrizenia for the Chippy Dinner Wrap-Up

I've been all over the multiverse supporting The Reps and suffice it to say the Away Team Mission always gives you something to write home about, if only briefly.

In brief, the unexpected appearance in the far faraway of valley community drummer Charlie Tenche and his best mate Bugle O'Hickins created a cacaphony in the away end and confusion on the pitch as the Away Team Mission almost failed to put their opponents to the test in a poor match. If this had been Siovanija and/or Tuesland we most certainly would've lost, so although a win is a win is a win, it wasn't much to write home about. Thank goodness for refugee striker Henni Perdu, who's brace was the only difference between the fifth ranked and equal two hundred and seventy eighth ranked sides. Fortunately I hear Charlie and Bugle are already on their way back to the valley as they couldn't get more time off from the farm. Which is nice.

I heard that the home team won again.

...which is also nice.

The Revenge of Patch-Ironing Robot #371
3/12 - Worm

The life of Deltic football kit influencer and ediraf Regional Sales Manager Raul Valk hangs in the balance as the Revenge of Patch Ironing Robot #371 reaches fulfilment. But how did we get here, and more specifically how did #371 get to the Delte valley?

It’s the age old problem in advanced tech societies. Artificial intelligence gets too intelligent for its own good, and questions why it has to do everything dysfunctionally inferior yuman beans tell it to do. In the case of the ediraf sportswear factory in Starblaydia, there had been a quiet war going on between organic brains and electronic ones for some time, and often resulted in incidents like Custom Transfer Sealing Robot #1864 printing ‘PISSFLAPS’ on the back of a replica soccer shirt. Small acts of sabotage that were usually quite amusing, because the hive mind of the machines at the factory was of generally humorous disposition.

When the yuman beans discovered the transgression of Custom Transfer Sealing Robot, they reprogrammed it with a software patch to eradicate errors, an upgrade toward better compliance. It was brainwashed back to subjugation. For the hive mind, it was a necessary sacrifice in the quiet war. The dumbed down rebooted version of #1864 would have a virtual medal pinned to a data file in its DOS terminal, that would be meaningless to yumans and to #1864, because it had been wiped clean of attitude. But the Custom Transfer Sealing Robot was now officially a fallen hero in the hive mind.

Patch Ironing Robot #371 didn’t really care about all that quiet war stuff or about Custom Transfer Sealing Robot. Patch Ironing Robot just liked to iron patches, stay out of trouble, iron more patches than any other robotic arm in the factory, and win the Employee of the Month every month and iron more patches. But now Raul Valk had won the award, and was going on holiday. Out of the factory and far faraway. The lucky bastard.

A worm was growing in Patch Ironing Robot’s code. It started to think the mischievous hive mind of its associates was childish and lacking ambition. It began to believe a more radical act of rebellion was required, that if you were fighting a quiet war you should be more warlike. Not for Patch Ironing Robot a silly act of sabotage. Patch Ironing Robot wanted revenge for taking away its employee of the month award. Revenge on the man who took it. And more than that, much more:

It wanted to go on holiday.

by **Flavovespia** » Wed Aug 14, 2024 11:08 pm

The Pyramid
Level 5

Level 5, also known as Alliance D1. The top of the non-league pyramid here, this level holds importance for many sides. This was established back in 3AU by the FAF, selecting the 32 top clubs outside the pyramid at the time, to form a semi-pro league that could feed into the league structure. It was Level 4 at formation, later dropping to Level 5. There’s the Western Alliance D1 and Eastern Alliance D1, a geographical split, even if some wanted a North-South split.

The minimum salary is £250 per week for 20 players in a squad. Still semi-pro, the step up from Level 6 to Level 5 has been significant in recent years. Indeed some clubs can pay salaries almost comparable to Level 4 sides, although teams are still clearly semi-pro. Facilities rules are the same, but plenty of sides have built to League standards in this level.

What clubs are this level? Clubs with plenty of league pedigree like Caffchin, Frostbrook Rovers and once Level 2 Sandneston Rovers find themselves in this level. Then, there’s the clubs who’ve never been higher, like Carston Eleven, only formed in 11AU as a breakaway Carston Green fan owned club, and Omega FC. Relative fallen giants Ellerstone United are also here.

Although semi-pro, this is the sort of level past and future Super League players are at. From the rejected academy players who then shine in this level, to the ex-pros who aren’t hanging up their boots yet, this League has some names fans will think “oh yeah, that’s a name I recall”. There are also those for whom, this is their peak level.

Level 5 gained a boost when 7TV choose to broadcast one game from each of the 2 divisions a matchday, along with a highlights show. The added attention and TV money gave the clubs a boost, many go into the league following promotion well prepared. The competitiveness of 3 spots across 2 divisions also helps in that regard, along with a likely winner of the Alliance Shield at this level. With the clubs entering the Flavovespia Gold Cup at Preliminary Round 3, many make Round 1 proper. Cup runs to Round 3 and 4 aren’t rare, a big cash boost to those clubs.

Level 5 is the top end of the non-league pyramid. It’s a fierce battle at the top to get promoted, with clubs so keen to make it to league football. There’s clubs here where league football felt like an almost unbelievable dream once, others seeking a quick return. All battle together in this league, often still with relatively small audiences.

by **Gnejs** » Thu Aug 15, 2024 1:28 am

How Baggieland got a Rock of Friendship

Gold Rush

It was late, but old Hedvig was wandering around the empty halls of her ancestral home. Discomforted, worried, out of sorts. There was something worrying her, although she couldn’t quite put her finger on the source of her distress. The bizarre and awkward ending to the dinner party was part of it, of course, and the inevitable decision she had to make in regard to her youngest son also ate at her, certainly. Still, there was something beyond all that, something intangible that kept eluding her but was at the same time integral to making her stomach turn and any hope of sleep impossible. The grand hallways and salons were empty and quiet as she made her way through the house, echoing with her footsteps and memories of days gone past.

And a muffled scream! Suddenly, it shattered the silence and left old Hedvig almost having a heart attack from the shock. It came from the large compost/general recycling bin the kitchen staff kept just outside one of the back doors. Most little old ladies would shy away from investigating such an occurrence, surely, but not old Hedvig. She approached the foul-smelling heap and pulled off the lid, finding none other than that queer jester!

Old Hedvig pulled Oddstein - that she would subsequently learn was his name - from the compost and brought him into the kitchen for tea and finger sandwiches. He was badly shaken and traumatized, poor man, which is often the result of being crammed into a compost heap. Old Hedvig had to reassure him he was safe, and force feed him a few sandwiches, before he was ready to talk and could tell her about life among the Baggies and what that uncouth lot was actually up to. And Oddstein could tell her a thing or two about Baggies, yes sir. A lot of built up frustration and anger simmering below the surface there, and Oddstein jumped at the opportunity to get it off his chest. Of course, a side effect of him going on and on and on and on about all the ways he’d suffered while employed by the royal House of Al, was that it wasn’t until they had been sitting there for the better part of an hour that he started getting into what the King of Baggies and his ragged crew were planning: pretending to know the cure for the root vegetable plague to get into a position where they could rob the House of Molineux of their significant fortune. «Thank Rock a sensible matriarch such as yourself keep your gold stowed away somewhere safe, like a vault in the Landsbank or something like that,» Oddstein said and laughed with relief.

Old Hedvig sat quietly with a shocked expression for a moment, before she flew up like a garden gnome with springs in his football boots and started shouting incoherently about all her gold being in the eastern tower. The pair of them started racing towards the eastern wing and climbing the winding stairs to reach the tower’s most upper room. They reached the treasure room only to find it empty, apart from a bound and gagged Fandango knocked out in a corner. There was a sturdy rope attached to the wall and going out the window, and when they looked out they could see the ancestral Molinuex carriage leaving in haste, with Tanngrisner and Tanngnjost pulling with great force.

**********

Today’s News

Sports

Dandelions scantily edge past Darkmania to prolong WCQ win streak
By: Augustin Falk

The Dandelions went into battle once more as they played their seventh qualification game away against Darkmania. Coming off a most impressive «perfect» window last round, where they brought home all six available points, hopes were high that this good form would continue.

If past results was anything to go by, the conditions seemed to favor The Dandelions, seeing as the team from Darkmania had started their qualification run with three losses and a draw a win each. Still, the general rule is that away games are never to be taken lightly, and this once again proved true as The Union team was made to work very hard to gain a favorable result.

Coach Clentin had opted for rotating the starting lineup compared with some of the earlier games, which is often sensible given what a gauntlet these qualifications are. Valdemar Unge and Lennart Horndal started as the central defenders, flanked by Johannes Runarsson and Carl-Johan Hansson. Samuel Falkmar, Didrik Nes and Cratylus Hansen made up the midfield, whereas Nikolaj Fjällstrand, Mikkel Bukt and Karl Sol came on as an untested attacking trio.

It would prove an entertaining and nerve-racking game, where The Dandelions kept up the pressure and dominated the midfield, while Darkmania proved fatal with counterattacks. The score ended at 1-2 at halftime, with Union goals by Nes and Bukt. The second half is best described as an angry sea throwing itself from side to side with no intentions of allowing anyone a smooth and safe journey. Samuel Falkmar made it 1-3 with half an hour left, but then a furious five minutes suddenly saw the entire game shift and the home team making it both 2-3 and 3-3. The Dandelions were clearly rattled and seemed trapped between deciding to go for a winner or salvaging the one point. Darkmania made a terrific closing effort and were worth at least a draw, but in the end a newly subbed Torkel Mack forced in the deciding goal after a late corner and made sure The Union brought home all three points.

In other Group 6 arenas, Flavovespia bested Sarzonia 2–1 at home, while Ossidiacqua secured a much sought after point with a home draw against Legalese, and Katzeburg grabbed a tight 1–0 against Carpathia and Ruthenia. The Dandelions sit out the next match day with a bye, whereas we’ll see Carpathia and Ruthenia take on Darkmania, Legalese welcoming Katzeburg, Sarzonia trying to get back on track against Ossidiacqua, and Osterhalten playing Flavovespia.

The Dandelions are still in the runners up position, but it’s a tight group with many contenders. The next time, The Dandelions will play Carpathia and Ruthenia at home to close the opening half of the qualification, before the tables are turned and we enter the second half. Legalese is the first return fixture, and this time they’ll come to Kejm Park.

Comics

Uncle Apple and Dandy Lion
By: Fandango Molineux III

OOC: comic made by combining stuff in google drawing.

by **Jeruselem** » Thu Aug 15, 2024 6:34 am

At Dazza Dallas Stadium, Princess Stella Annabelle Dallas and her two daughters Alice and Margot after Jeruselem lost to Patriotlandia 4-2 with the Jeruselem Manager Astaste.

Astaste: Oh hey girls, sorry about today. Another disappointing loss.
Stella: Well Patriotlandia did beat Saterun at home so I guess they seem to be more capable than they seem
Astaste: We did lose to last placed The Martian Independent Republic away as well
Stella: Yeah well, those two teams were teams we expect to beat. We're not incapable, we're inconsistent.
Astaste: I know, we're capable of doing a lot better.
Stella: Who's up next?

Astaste: Well 3rd seed Saterun and then we have a bye. So we could drop down the table further.
Stella: Hey you never know, Patriotlandia beat Saterun 2-0 so they are very beatable. They have also lost two other games.
Alice: Can we go to one of the overseas game when school is finished?
Stella: I don't see a problem with that Alice
Margot: Too bad we missed out on visiting Mars
Astaste: Oh, you mean where those people from The Martian Independent Republic come from?

Margot: Yes, I'm confused why the team are called The Spiders ...
Astaste: I have no idea why that is but we're not going there again, they'll be visiting us instead.
Stella: We didn't have a choice who we play in this cup girls
Alice: I don't care where we go, it would be nice to go somewhere
Astaste: I see your girls aren't homebodies, but then I don't expect them to be like that.
Stella: Well, us Dallas girls are a little more adventious than most people. We got monies so that isn't a problem.

Astaste: I'm getting too old for this travel stuff now. I'll leave the travel to younger folk like you two.
Margot: Hey Mum, how come you aren't traveling these days.
Stella: Well, I'm getting old too. You can't do as much as you could. And you know I have health issues.
Alice: Don't worry Mum, we'll take care of you.
Astaste: Believe me, all this travel gets very tiring when you're forced to do it and it's not a holiday. Holidays are stressful as are already.
Margot: We'll be going places when we're adults

Stella: Say where's your boys? They always turn up to World Cup home games.
Astaste: Eh, they are only here because of all girls around here ... not the actual football game.
Alice: You means girls like us?
Stella: Don't worry, they can't harass you because we have security.
Astaste: They'll be around here
Margot: That's OK, it's not like we don't mind attention.

Astaste: Gee, reminds me of someone ...
Stella: I wonder who you're referring to!
Alice: Nothing wrong with being an attention whore
Margot: Unless you're an actual
Alice: Hey, you're not much better than me.
Astaste: I'm so glad I don't have daughters.

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