Cup of Harmony 89 - Everything Thread

[West Vdara]

With the Treacherous East Vdarans seemingly succeeding in the World Cup, the glorious Western Vdaran Territories had to find a way to upstage their noisier, bigger, and hated brothers. But how can you make your campaign out to be better than your rivals when they've actually qualified for the largest footballing tournament in the cycle? Well, that was a job for the Definitely Not Propagandist Vdaran Intelligence and Information Bureau, who brainstormed many ideas before landing on the following statement, printed within the national newspaper...

Fellow comrades,

Many of you will have noticed that the globalist capitalist elite have HANDED a place in the World Cup to the pigdog traitor state East Vdara, who do not adhere to our capitalist ideals or our truly glorious ideology. Why is this? Why have they seen fit to invite such an offensive, insulting nation into their realm of footballing heroes? Of course, the answer remains the same as it does to any problem - CAPITALISM! The world simply cannot handle the collectivised system that we so proudly adhere to, taking our nation from strength to strength, whilst helping our people remain fed, working, and happy. Such a shame to see the ruling parties CAPITULATE to the whims of a nation who cares not for their dairy farms, for their people, or for their cheese exports, but for profits alone. Thankfully, they have seen fit to invite us to the BETTER and more EGALITARIAN tournament known as the Cup of Harmony - harmony, of course, being an important attribute of communist systems. Here, there shall be more nations who are better-suited to our ideals and who will be friendlier to our workers, our comrades, everyone. None of this rambunctious hooliganism you see from the filthy, unwashed, treacherous Eastern Vdarans who pretend to be good at football despite their moral and political deficiencies! We West Vdarans are a proud people who respect other nations as we would respect our own, provided they have a ruling party who supports our very specific brand of leftism and communism. So, comrades, let us all come together to back our sportspeople in Banija, as they try to navigate the complicated capitalistic world of international football once more!

[Restresas]

March 13th, 1013, Banija:

The team arrives in Banija with one focus and one focus alone... winning the cup of harmony. Wesley pep talks them, saying that "We know that this group isn't the best for us... but we know who we are, we have been through WORSE, and we have been through HELL. We can do this... I know we can."

At Warmups, Indiana talks to his team, and he mentions the keys to this tournament being team unity and strength, they can't beat everyone by raw talent, they need to through sheer strength of will, and they know the Banijan crowds will be friendly to them... which is comforting, but also concerning, as many people are expecting Restresas to advance, and they know that they will give it their all, but in this familiar territory, can they thrive in the struggles, or will there be a rude awakening in the international ally of Restresas?

- Kelly Ionescu, Channel 3 news.

[Banija]

Hello folks! Welcome to the first cutoff for Cup of Harmony 89! Let's approach this first cutoff with An enthusiasm unknown to mankind. Obligatory Rest in peace to James Earl Jones

Note that the IC info has been updated. Sorry it took me so long, but Here is the Banijan IC info. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out and I will respond as soon as possible!

RP Prompt: Tell me a little bit about your nation's first leader. The definition of that is up to you- if there are multiple options for that slot, due to historical changes with your nation, give me all of them! Tell all of us their job title, how they became the leader, and what their legacy is in your country to this day- does history smile upon them, or do your history teachers talk about them with shame? Or, is it not so cut and dry- is that leader's legacy harshly debated within your country, lionized by some while demonized by others?

If your nation's current leader is your first leader, you can replace the second part of the prompt with how they hope to be remembered!

Lastly, if your nation does not have a leader(or has never had one), tell us how that came to be! Why don't they, and how are ambitious beings prevented from taking power?

Matchday 1 Scores

Group 1
Audioslavia 4–1 HOT-DAMN
Kanzlia 4–2 Patriotlandia
North Oharan Valley Union 2–1 Reçueçn

  Group 1                         Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Audioslavia                       1   1  0  0    4   1  +3    3
2 Kanzlia                           1   1  0  0    4   2  +2    3
3 North Oharan Valley Union         1   1  0  0    2   1  +1    3
4 Reçueçn                           1   0  0  1    1   2  −1    0
5 Patriotlandia                     1   0  0  1    2   4  −2    0
6 HOT-DAMN                          1   0  0  1    1   4  −3    0

Group 2
Valentine Z 3–3 Kronbia
Langenia 3–2 Doubeia
Indusse 2–2 The Ko-orenite Constellation

  Group 2                         Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Langenia                          1   1  0  0    3   2  +1    3
2 Indusse                           1   0  1  0    2   2   0    1
  Kronbia                           1   0  1  0    3   3   0    1
  The Ko-orenite Constellation      1   0  1  0    2   2   0    1
  Valentine Z                       1   0  1  0    3   3   0    1
6 Doubeia                           1   0  0  1    2   3  −1    0

Group 3
Yakk Empire 0–2 Savojarna
Oberour Ar Moro 1–0 Drawkland
West Vdara 1–3 Riena

  Group 3                         Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Riena                             1   1  0  0    3   1  +2    3
  Savojarna                         1   1  0  0    2   0  +2    3
3 Oberour Ar Moro                   1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
4 Drawkland                         1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0
5 West Vdara                        1   0  0  1    1   3  −2    0
  Yakk Empire                       1   0  0  1    0   2  −2    0

Group 4
Alanis Star 0–1 Kamijiro
Brusseldorf 5–4 Restresas
Captina Island 1–1 HUElavia

  Group 4                         Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Brusseldorf                       1   1  0  0    5   4  +1    3
  Kamijiro                          1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
3 Captina Island                    1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
  HUElavia                          1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
5 Alanis Star                       1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0
  Restresas                         1   0  0  1    4   5  −1    0

Group 5
Qusmo 1–4 Hispinas
Katzeburg 3–2 Darmen
Xanneria 1–4 Sangti and the Filindo Isles

  Group 5                         Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Hispinas                          1   1  0  0    4   1  +3    3
  Sangti and the Filindo Isles      1   1  0  0    4   1  +3    3
3 Katzeburg                         1   1  0  0    3   2  +1    3
4 Darmen                            1   0  0  1    2   3  −1    0
5 Qusmo                             1   0  0  1    1   4  −3    0
  Xanneria                          1   0  0  1    1   4  −3    0

[Xanneria]

[Yakk]

[Audioslavia]

The name of Audioslavia’s first leader is lost to history, as are most aspects of the early history of the nation. The position does pre-date the invention of writing (and, in fact, necessitated its invention in order to deal with the sheer amount people wanting to categorically prove that, yes, the leader had said the thing they’re currently flatly denying) but it’s not so much that, and more the fact that the history books have been defaced by thousands of years of people deciding, two months after the leader stopped being the leader, that they were a douche whose name required overwriting with the word ‘DOVCHE’ in capital letters.

One almost universal standard, throughout the history of the country, has been the way the leader is chosen. The system hasn’t always been an open democracy, but has always had a democratic element, even if the amount of people selecting a leader could fit into one average sized living room. The main standard has been this: Whoever the leader’s first child son is, they’re not getting into that seat themselves. Say what you like about early Audioslavia, but they had correctly identified that the offspring of successful people were almost always not fit to make decisions for other people.

And there you have it. The universal standard. An almost unbroken line of democratically elected rulers from the ancient in-group cabal to the open democracy we have now.

Almost.

The date is always written as ‘X000 years ago’, because nobody is actually sure when it happened, but historians are very certain about how long it happened for. Fourteen minutes.

His name was Nepoleon, First Minister of Audioslavia for fourteen years in total, with a five-year term coming earlier in his life before two successive stints in his late forties, the latter cut short by the man’s untimely death from neck injuries sustained from having an awkwardly shaped hat. On his death bed, Nepoleon was visited by six of the then-twelve members of his assembly. For reasons lost to history, the seven men decided that, rather than hold another vote, it would be ‘easier’ and ‘quicker’ and, it turned out later, ‘better for my wallet’ if they all decided that they would just install Nepoleon’s son as leader instead. And what the hey, why not let Nepoleon’s son’s son have a go when he came of age? Kingdoms were all the rage elsewhere, why not just…

Fourteen minutes. Nepoleon died, his son was given a crown, a dismbowelment and a thorough telling off, in that order, and the age of the Audioslavian monarchy was over.

Except it’s never that easy. You can’t just get rid of a monarchy, because monarchies always come with a side order of belligerent restorationists. No sooner had Nepoleon the third been shipped off to the relative safety of Krytenia than the cause to restore him as ‘rightful king’ of Audioslavia had begun. When he did eventually return, twenty years later, he was murdered before he’d even left the port. That would have been the end of it but, like a fool, Nepo III had already had three sons and a daughter, each of which with a number over their head. One for the oldest, two for the second oldest, four for the third oldest by dint of her being a her, and three for the youngest son. Each would go onto have children of their own, each with a number over their head. Each would be advised never go go to Audioslavia, a land of people for whom one thing was certain: Whoever held the position of ‘rightful heir of the Audioslavian throne’ must die.

Thousands of years on, the app Successr is pre-installed on every phone sold in Audioslavia, and available for download everywhere else in the known world. Enter some identification, and a number is given to you: Your position in the line of succession to the throne of Audioslavia. Should that number get down to one while you’re still in Audioslavia, you can expect your imminent capture and murder. The app functions largely as a warning for anyone in single digits to pack their bags and figure out an escape route post haste.

To this date, the brief establishment of the monarchy of Audioslavia has resulted in the murder of an estimated 840 people. Considering the monarchy only lasted fourteen minutes, that’s arguably one death per second, and counting.

Monarchy: Not even once. In fact, especially not once.

[HUElavia]

Captina Island 1–1 HUElavia
(Overstreet 61' | Taylor-Calañas 64')
BCEL Stadium, Jinja City, Banija

Forgave Too Much

HUElavia munsters a draw against Captina Island after missing many clear opportunities to take a victory.

HUElavia was back for another opening matchday at the Cup of Harmony, looking to make a strong mark and impression for Matchday 1. Going to BCEL Stadium in the northern city of Jinja City, thousands of HUElavians flooded the stadium, in what nearly looked like a home game for Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos. Coach Casillas did a surprise inclusion of Ancel as the starting goalie for the match, while Cocha started over Lobo for Leftback. Otherwise, HUElavia and Captina Island was coming in with desire to start the tournament well.

The match saw both teams playing cautiously and meticulously, wanting to play it safe in order to prevent any sort of counterattack. The opening shot-on-goal would come in the 12th minute, when a pass by Oh reached Milano, who got past Recchio to slide the ball just narrowly past the open goal for a goal kick, with much frustration on the face of the promising starlet. Captina Island had their opening chance in the 15th minute when Tardelli sent a cross into the box, where Fontana towered over Alvarez to head the ball off the post out for a goal kick. While there were still good chances, neither team could get the ball past the respective goalies and ended up having to contend with still a 0-0 draw at the half.

In the second half, both teams began to push more and more, wanting to take more risks as they wanted to get that desired opening goal. Captina Island would eventually strike first, as in the 61st minute, a pass by Tardelli reached the likes of Overstreet, who gave a chipped shot over the hand of Ancel to bounce into the goal, making it 1-0. The Captina Islanders jumped with joy and passion for the goal while Overstreet was hugged and cheered by their teammates for the goal. HUElavia began to put more pressure and it did not take long for Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos to strike back. In the 64th minute, Cocha gave a pass to Canchon, who was running being covered by Owenby, where a low pass was sent into the box, only for Taylor-Calañas to slot a low, one-time shot past Recchio into the goal to make it 1-1. Taylor-Calañas got the ball and ran back to center circle while getting pats from his teammates for the goal, all while the HUElavian crowd was jumping and cheering in joy for the goal to make the stadium rumble a bit. HUElavia's next best chance would be in the 85th minute, where a pass from Dias (in for Taylor-Calañas) got to Uchee, where he slotted the ball into the goal, but VAR ruled it offside after Uchee was marginally offside past Coverdale in the exact touch for the pass. Captina Island would also get their best remaining chance in the 90+1st minute, as a corner taken by Tardelli met the head of Coverdale to head the ball towards goal only to hit the post and bounce out for Oe to clear out to safety. Goal-line technology showed that the ball never crossed the line. In the end, the teams had to contend with a draw for their opening match.

HUElavia sit in 4th place with their 1 Point, only behind via yellow cards compared to Captina Island. Brusseldorf leads the group after a thrilling 5-4 win over Restresas, while Kamijiro got a lone 1-0 win over Alanis Star. Coach Casillas was quoted as saying "It was a solid game from the team and this matched showed how resilient this team can be when trailing, but the result was not so good for a team like us. Still, it's only matchday 1 and we got 4 more games to go. We intend to train well and study our next opponents so we can go for a win the next time by." So far, many fans were impressed with the tournament debut of Ancel, who was solid for the match, expect for the lone goal he conceded, but credit was more for the cheeky shot by Overstreet than terrible goalkeeping for Ancel.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

[Brusseldorf]

Online Article, 09.09.24, 03:04pm

STOP THE COUNT!

Brusseldorf is top of the table. No, you haven't forgotten to take your meds. After a rollercoaster 5–4 victory over Restresas, the team in red find themselves looking down on the rest of Group 4 from the top spot. It’s not a glitch, we’ve checked, double-checked, triple-checked and hit F5 on the standings webpage more times than we'd like to admit — Brusseldorf is in first place. Let’s be real — it’s probably not going to last but thanks to a madcap nine-goal thriller, we’ve just managed to edge past Kamijiro on the table, who only managed a 1–0 win over Alanis Star. Meanwhile, Captina Island held HUElavia to a 1–1 draw, leaving us to steal the spotlight. We’re up top purely on Goals For, but who’s counting... besides us, obviously.

Is it sustainable? Probably not. Did we still rumble into work this morning hungover after last night's celebrations? Absolutely. For the time being, every football fan west of Essen has earned the right to bask in the glory of an Alrededores side that have hit the ground running. Lets hope we haven't jinxed our way to the bottom by next week!

Golazo correspondent Timbsy interviewed lifelong Brusseldorf fan Mario Sanchez after the game. ¡No lo puedo crrreerrr! ¡Baya, baya, baya! Fibe goals forrr us - fourrr goals forrr dem, ant we won! Ay! but always I beliebe in my team - Of courrrse. Afterrr de game, jhe tell me (my son) dat we arrre top of de table! I am so berrry jhappy. But let me tell you something, dey no arrre rrready porrr us. We arrre berrry goot at de Cup de JHarrrmony. I dink dat maybe we will do well.

Who was the stand-out player for you tonight?

Stant out... stant? Ay, de best! Porrr me, tonight, de best playerrr was Borrronia. JHe was berrry goot on de wing, I dink maybe dey no gibe jhim de playerrr of de match porrrque Gimenza made so many sabes. But de kit was goot tonight, I dink without jhim, we no woult jhabe won.

[Indusse]

OOC: The Copyright message at the end of the post has been used from the standard copyright message from multiple books.

LexiRead™ > Web Edition

Close [x]

---

The Half Blood Saga I
Chapter III
Unveiling Secrets

---

Previous Chapters:
Chapter I Part I
Chapter I Part II
Chapter II Part I
Chapter II Part II

The walk home was tense and silent. Adael could feel the weight of unspoken words hanging between him and Azahl. As they entered their house, Mehrea looked up from her weaving, her face etched with concern. "What happened?" she asked, rising from her seat.

Azahl sighed heavily. "It's time, Mehrea. We can't keep this from him any longer." Mehrea's eyes widened, but she nodded slowly. "I'll make some tea. This... this may take a while." As they moved towards the gable and sat around the kitchen table, Miha perched on Adael's shoulder, sensing the seriousness of the moment. Adael's grandmother joined them, her old wrinkled hands clasped tightly in her lap.

Azahl took a deep breath. "Adael, what your grandmother told you yesterday... it's true. But there's more to the story. Much more." "Your birth father, Ethran," Mehrea continued, her voice soft, "he wasn't just obsessed with finding Jehnara. He was.... chosen."

Adael leaned forward in surprise. "Chosen? By whom?" "By the Guardians of Jehnara," Azahl explained. "They're an ancient order, tasked with protecting the secret of the hidden city. Every generation, they choose a worthy individual to undertake the quest to find Jehnara."

"But why?" Adael asked, his mind reeling. "Why is there a lot of secrecy?" His grandmother spoke up, her voice carrying the weight of years. "Because Jehnara isn't just a city of wealth and luxury, child. It's a place of immense power. In the wrong hands, that power could bring destruction to all of Janara."

Azahl nodded grimly. "The map your father possessed... it wasn't just a map. It was enchanted, revealing different paths depending on the intentions of the one who held it." "Those men in the market," Adael realized, "they're after the map?"

"Yes," Mehrea confirmed. "There have always been those who seek Jehnara for their own gain. We've managed to keep you safe and hidden all these years, but now..." "Now they know," Adael finished, a chill running down his spine.

To be Continued...

---

Copyright © Akiho Banwari.

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

http://www.lexiread.org

[Kanzlia]

Zaouane Mido to leave Kanzlian camp
NT

SZBEDANSK – Zaouane Mido has left the Kanzlian camp by mutual consent.

Citing personal problems and media pressure - Zaouane Mido has informed the VVK of his desire to leave the Kanzlian squad for the upcoming Cup of Harmony tournament.

Who was Kanzlia's first leader?

Nobody knows really.... well it depends.

The story of Kanzlia's first leader gets more complicated when you look more into it for longer than 2 seconds. As the concept of merging the island of Kalta and Kanzlia into one single entity is a relatively new thing. Kanzlian textbooks will often cite King Szedin I of the House of Szbedansk with his declaration of secession to the Empire of the North on May 9th 1637. This makes King Szebdin I the first Kanzlian leader right? Well the original question did not ask for who was Kanzlia's first independent leader now does it? If we really want to go even further we can trace back to the House of Kotr's Gracious Earl of Kotr (whose actual name is lost to history) who was the first Empire of the North's Kaltan subject and by their decree the Gracious Earl of Kotr was to rule over the entirety of Kalta. But this notion is in itself rather Kalta-centric, afterall our brothers and sisters in Farioli island is still Kanzlian so if we interpret the question as who was the first to rule over Kanzlia's modern day borders then it would be King Szebdin V. However this was during the time of constitutional monarchy and if we interpret as to who was the first leader to have actual total power over the territories of modern Kanzlia then it would be King Szebdin V's prime minister - His Grace Crysencio te'Kotr. You see how confusing this dilemma is dear reader? Hell if we want to consider the Kanzlian Mythological Sacrament then our first leader is ZED. Then again if we want to interpret the question as who was the first human leader of Kanzlia then it would be Jakar - mentioned in the story of Jakar and the Tulips inside the Kanzlian Mythological Sacrament.

[Katzeburg]

High in the upper echelons of the Keystone Arena sat Anton Waldo. Having lugged his way up the steps to reach his seat - perfectly aligned with the halfway line but a long, long way from the action - he sat there with a sense of excitement.

He had never left Katzeburg before this trip - even when the side played in the Baptism of Fire in Happilopper and Tumbra or during any of their away qualifiers during the World Cup, he had stayed at home watching from afar.

With Mathias and Greyson beside him getting comfortable in their seats, he sighed in relief. He had made it. And he was going to watch Katzeburg make their Cup of Harmony debut - this is the stuff he would be telling his kids about, if only Brenda would return his calls.

Anton leant over to Greyson. “So Arno didn’t manage to get in yet?”

Greyson chortled. “Wait, you didn’t hear? He never got to Banija. Managed to get his passport and back to the airport in time, but got stopped at the door before he could board the flight - apparently his kid coloured in his picture with crayon.”

“And they couldn’t let him through because of that?”

“Well, he forgot to bring the pirate hat his daughter drew on.”

Anton chuckled and returned to taking in the spectacle. He had been to one or two games before at Katzestadt Arena, but this was something else - easily double the size of Katzeburg’s national arena, people were filling in from all sides and ready for a huge game of football.

“Now remember guys, we’re here representing the great nation of Katzeburg,” Anton said puffing out his chest. “So that means no pulling down your pants when we score a goal, Greyson.”

“My belt came loose!” The man argued in protest.

“Sure sure. Now - As you would have seen in my notes, we are to cheer on the team for the full 90 and break into our classic chants whenever we see our players with the ball - in this case Serena.”

“How will we be able to spot her? We’re miles away from the pitch,” Mathias snorted.

“Oh, we’ll know,” Anton said with a hint of certainty. “She’s down there on the pitch right now, running between cones,” pointing to a small speck darting back and forth on the field.

“That’s someone from the Darmen team, Anton.” Matias said. “He’s wearing their colours and everything.”

“Are they? Maybe I do need my binoculars…” Anton said, starting to rummage through his bag. He wasn’t going to miss anything. Not a single moment in what he was sure would be a historic campaign.

Katzeburg 3 - 2 Darmen
(Wruck 14’, Plank 70’, Marsh 86’ // Lee 37’, 62’)

Possession - 42% // 58%
Shots on Target - 5 // 6
Shots - 9 // 13
Fouls - 15 // 9

1 Whinery, 2 Howland, 15 Clarkson (Levitt 65’), 4 Knepp, 5 Colbert, 6 Plank, 7 Horsfall, 18 Arkwright, 19 Spears (Cummings 65’), 10 Wruck, 11 Niles (Marsh 65’)

Player of the Match - Plank (KAT)

Blue Cats power to win over Darmen to kick-start COH Campaign.

Katzeburg got their Cup of Harmony campaign off to a winning start, with a 3-2 victory over the higher-ranked Darmen at the Keystone Stadium in Sisonke.

An early strike from Drake Wruck opened the scoring for the Blue Cats, who are hoping to make up for their slide down the ladder in the final matchdays of World Cup qualifying to finish 5th in Group 6.

However, their positive start was blunted heading towards the half-time break as Darmen’s Marianne Lee finished off a neat cross into the box to bring the sides into the break on level scores.

Lee would nab a brace and put Darmen ahead in the 62nd minute with a curling effort from the edge of the box, but Katzeburg would pull level themselves eight minutes later through youngster Serena Plank, who seemed powered on by a small section of fans chanting her name shortly before the goal.

Clay Marsh, who came on midway through the second period for Lambert Niles, netted the winner four minutes from full-time, sneaking past the defence of Amias Shelby and Corentin Melsbach to fire a thundering shot past a diving Ildefonso Daube and secure Katzeburg’s maiden Cup of Harmony victory.

Manager Becka Haberkorn was optimistic about the side’s chances for the rest of the group stage, saying “It’s a really good start to pick up a win against a higher ranked side like Darmen, and sets us up well for the rest of the group.

“We need to get results in games like this if we want to advance, and a winning start is the best way to do that - the team looked hungry out there which is a huge boost given how we ended the World Cup qualifiers.”

[Qusmo]

Ibilx-Irtix Ono, centreback.

I was always taught we humans had five senses. Taste, touch, smell, sight, sound. I know some people say they have a sixth, or that some other animals might have even more. But really, it’s what we’re all taught, isn’t it: five senses.

It’s a funny thing, though, when they all seem to be the same one. A sound so powerful, you can feel it. Not in your heart, not in your soul, though that, too, certainly. But really, physically feel it. As real as the ground that’s trembling, the tunnel that’s vibrating, the stadium that’s pulsing. A wave of red, gold, racing across your whole field of vision. A swelling of confidence, of pride, of the belief that the impossible is the inevitable. Everything, cascading through your whole self, through your whole world. & all the while, you’re at once connected with the entire world around you, uniting for one purpose, while you’ve suddenly become aware of your heart & lungs, vibrating within you with every beat of the drum.

Mastad Qusma. The stadium of Qusmo. But here’s what you can’t understand until you’re in it: it’s not an arena. It’s a pilgrimage.

The boss told me I was starting. We were eliminated. Final matchday, three points back of the playoffs, tiebreaker already lost. No hope, no chance, no reason why not to put the young kids in, see what they’ve got, bed them in, marry the hope with some experience. And yet. And yet. One last time. One last time to be in that stadium, to play for our country, to see & hear & feel & commune with tens of thousands.

I’m addicted to football. There’s nothing else I crave more. My legs are going, my career’s ending, I understand that. I accept it. I’ve done all I can to buy another day, another week, another season, another year. & it’s helped. But to not play in front of these fans again. To not play again in Qusmo. To never represent my home in a World Cup. I wept. I wept, & I just couldn’t help it. It just washed over me, it washed through me. But equally, this isn’t the end. It can’t be. I’m addicted to football. & maybe I’m retiring, but I just can’t quit it.

[Sangti and the Filindo Isles]

Xanneria 1–4 Sangti and the Filindo Isles
Cup of Harmony 89 - Keystone Stadium, Sisonke, Kitara, Banija
SFI Scorers: Aletta Abigail Reano (19'), Renze Coligado (32'), Aletta Abigail Reano (59'), Aletta Abigail Reano (77')
SFI Lineup: Federick Roncal, Serio Irorita, Jiorjohn Pico, Arshed Basque, Julie Ashley Limpiado ▼ (▲ Analyn Joyce Berin 73'), Cherlotte Penafiel ▼ (▲ Mary Virginia Fonder 54'), Renze Coligado, Rutchel Cerdeno, Owen Makalintal, Tomio Sulangi ▼ (▲ Rowel Rizaldy Mercurio 87'), Aletta Abigail Reano

---

NEWS | FEATURES | SFI SUPERLIGA | LSIFB | SCORES | CONTACT US

CUP OF HARMONY 89 IN BANIJA
Agilang Dilaw defeats top-seeds Maroons to start CoH campaign on the right note
Golden Sealions match to determine top of the group by end of Matchday 2

BANIJA - The Agilang Dilaw of SFI made the best start possible of their Cup of Harmony 89 campaign - a win over the top seeds in the group.

Aletta Abigail Reano scored a hattrick with Renze Coligado adding another goal as the Sangtians beat fellow Esportivan team Xanneria 4-1 in the opening matchday of the Cup of Harmony held at the Keystone Stadium. The left winger scored the first goal in the 19th minute in open play as Rutchel Cerdeno's through ball able to beat defender David Iowa and the ensuing one-on-one against Evan Jefferson Jr. resulted to the former scoring her and the team's first goal of their Cup of Harmony campaign.

Coligado doubled the Agilang Dilaw's lead during a set play with a shot outside the penalty box in the 32nd minute, ending the first half with a 2-0 scoreline. The team clad in golden yellow extended the lead in the 59th with Reano scoring another goal after beating Iowa in a jostle for the ball after Mary Virginia Fonder's lob. Xanneria got a goal back through Malcolm-Jamal Haddix in the 60th with a lapse in the defense from Arshed Basque. However, the Sangtians restored the three-goal advantage when Reano completed her hat-trick with a long range shot past Jefferson in the 77th minute. The match ended 4-1 in favor of SFI.

It was an eventful matchday 1 in Group 5 as all the higher seeded teams lost their opening matches, with Qusmo which SFI faced in World Cup qualifying continuing their poor form against Rushmori teams, losing 4-1 to Hispinas, and Katzeburg scoring a 3-2 upset win over Darmen. The Sangtians face the Golden Sealions in the second matchday, trying to avenge their loss in the Trofeo del Cielo y Mar prior to the start of the qualifying campaign. Familiarity will be key as consultant Alfonzo Medrano faces his student in Casimiro Coro and that might be a key whether the Esportivans can score one over their Rushmori allies.

[Hispinas]

ES | EN | EU | FIL

Hispinas' PREMIER sports magazine!

No consultant, no problem
Hispinas opens Cup of Harmony campaign with Qusmo win amid calls for permanent abolishment of consultancy system

BANIJA - Despite being the lowest seed in Group 5, Hispinas managed to beat one of the high seeds of the group in Qusmo 4-1 to open their Cup of Harmony campaign and further justify the calls from football officials and fans to the Hispinian King to abolish the consultancy task force that he employs in national sporting teams.

A brace each from Xanti Osa and Arcelia Solorzano gave the Golden Sealions, clad in their alternate black and white kit, the victory, with a spirited performance in the second half netting them three goals which secured the win for the Terranean nation. The result gave them another reason to convince the monarchy to take away the system that plagued the team in the first half of their World Cup qualifying campaign, and since the resignation of Gorane Iturraspe and FRHF deciding not to place anyone or accept any nomination by the King, the fortunes of the team started to change with occasional wins in the second half of their campaign followed by this win.

As with previous instances, no official comment was released by the Monarch of Hispinas related to the issue, but rumors persist that they might be finally cave in to the demands of the public and remove the system. The Monarchy, especially the current King of Hispinas, are known to be stubborn with their policy making especially in sporting events, and the public opinion of the consultancy system started to sour during the basketball team's campaign in the 40th IBC, also held in Banija.

Hispinas next face their international ally in Sangti and the Filindo Isles, a relation that culminated in the biennial Trofeo del Cielo y Mar event, where they won at their home turf. SFI with the hated consultancy system has former manager Alfonzo Medrano in their ranks as their consultant, and also won their first match against a high ranked team in Xanneria, 4-1. The winning team might lead Group 5 depending on what Katzeburg does against Qusmo as the former are the only other team on three points after their 3-2 win over Darmen.

[North Oharan Valley Union]

Timestamp: 10 September 2024 - 19h31
Tags: Football, Cup of Harmony 89, Green Lions

---

Handling the Pressure
Motivated Green Lions punch above their weight but PM shows how hard that can be

Were the Green Lions the better team in the B&B Grocers Field? The short answer is ‘no’ and the long one is probably ‘heck no’. But even if les licornes showed more individual talent, one could not escape the sentiment that a few had set their mind on a trip to the headlines at Eastfield Lodge or Pasarga rather than strolling into the home ground of a Banijan second divisionist. Sometimes the statistics hide more than they tell, but the 2-5 in terms of shots on goal aligned with what the audience had witnessed for the first forty-five minutes. Reçueçn in a dominant possession with the Valley Union carefully awaiting a chance to break through the ranks. What Reçueçn owned in terms of possession, they lacked in terms of decisiveness in the final third. Picking Geir Arnesen, a bit more defensive minded than Daniarev, to cover the right side proved to be a good move by Baltuk as young gem Dirk Trommler saw his wings clipped by the no-nonsense back. At the other side of the field, the Green Lions picked quality over quantity. A first shot by Timur Ghazaryan was artfully flown out of the top corner by Gerauld Firaut but on the second attempt, the captain had to give in. A cross from Japaridze was poorly handled by his defenders, allowing Frederik Rosendahl to appear out of thin air and smash it home.

It had been anticipated that les licornes would come out with more hunger to set aside the group minnow, predicting a difficult second half but there had been a thunderous speech by Bonhour Relié, it missed its target. The traffic became a bit monotonous, with everything going to Franky Adams. It was a route much preferred by our defensive duo where Hovnatan Zakoyan proved he is more than just a defender with a knife between the teeth. To make matters worse for the number 47 of the world, the Green Lions got lucky when a miscommunication between Cutrona and Kayserling allowed Jens Holmsen to double up (and the Oharese to completely park the bus). The fallout between the two defenders seemed to completely tranquilize Reçueçn completely and Relié was forced to make changes in personnel. This led to a far more difficult last twenty minutes, with an energetic Béranger bringing trouble against Baltuk’s exhausted back four. Luckily, his goal came too late to give Reçueçn the wings to grab a deserved point.

Needless to say that the post match interviews shared a triumphant sentiment. Serhey Baltuk placed his emphasis on the tactical maturity of the team. Despite rotating in a few players, both at kick-off as during the game, the system stood as a whole. Tactically, he passed some praise to Daron Lyzolian who seems to have definitely lost the duel with Krastins for the starting spot. Many expected him to kick up a fuss over that, but during his short stint, he remained disciplined and took on more dirty work than we are used to seeing of him. Sandors Calitis, by virtue of his age usually asked in front of the cameras, kept himself to platitudes about grit and ‘giving 110%’ but in fairness, that is exactly what the squad did. Goalscoring Holmsen was a bit more realistic and aware that this was not the best version of Reçueçn they faced, but looked forward: “one more victory and we can start talking about the knock-outs”.

Well, most of the post match interviews were triumphant. Unfortunately for the Green Lions, their excellent performance got a shadow side out of their will as some part of the press focussed on a short chat between Prime Minister Ilya Kavorkian and NOC7, a domestic news channel. The Prime Minister, in an attempt to look more like the ‘common man’, tried to drink a beer during his interview but managed to sip on the wrong side as if he was unaware of how beer cans worked. Add to that his failure to properly name the players (a good goal by Holmers, really kicked the ball good) and even high-brow papers bothered an analyst to discuss the ‘incapability of our prime minister to present himself as a charismatic national leader’. Tabloids summarized those critical notes with ‘so cringe’ and even a ‘Cringe Vorkian’ headline, a stab at his very short lived young adult oriented social media account King Vorkian.

And so the jury is more split than ever about Kavorkian. Some insist that under the surface, he is a valuable politician. When appointed as government leader of the fresh-faced, his prime feature was that all alternatives were worse. But in his endless drive to find a consensus, Kavorkian first and foremost managed to ensure that the fragile union looks on its way to celebrate its first birthday. By insisting that everybody gets something, he failed to speed up the country but at least it is still in existence. Down to the southern part of the valleys, conflicts are raging, people need shelter and inflation is rife. The security for the basic needs, promised when the Union came to be, is maintained and protected. Lots of other things are carefully pushed forward, but the separatist movements remain fringe groups and get the wind taken out of their sails by carefully taking care every of the seven regions gets a bit of the pie. This might not be the hands-on leader the unionists craved for but if you feel left behind, it is your own fault. The question is whether history will judge as mildly on that tactical decision.

And that is even disregarding the painful contrast with his public image. At the start of the Union, the ambition came around for splitting the powers between a Prime Minister and a President. The latter would have a smaller but more independent role, weighing primarily on international affairs and forming a representation of the national spirit. No one could determine how that function should be outlined or determined, let alone that a suitable candidate was found. And so, Kavorkian currently and clumsily takes on the role. It is visible that this man who is even by his supporters called ‘a gray mouse’ lacks the skills to pull it off. It reflects negatively on all his other actions: it opens up space for discontent domestically and weakens his international position. No doubt that tonight’s images will be shared abroad as well.

Prime Minister Ilya Kavorkian at his best

What grows painfully clear is that Kavorkian does not improve with practice in this department. His antics during the IBC were already rather shameful and his return to Banija shows a failure to at least show that this had been a learning moment. No place does this become painfully clear as when he attempts to let the glory of the Green Lions reflect on him. Baltuk’s team initially struggled when they had to perform under the big headlights but a game like this demonstrates they can play that role already, within the limits of their capacities. All it does for Kavorkian is highlight those limits, time and time again. A legacy of our first national leader that might be looked at less kindly in the future.

[Kamijiro]

衞。Defend, Part Two: Rumblings From Home.

All's well through one matchday in Banija... but back home, a rare red alert at the Relâmpago Naval Base...

"All hands to your stations! This is not a drill!"

The sirens blare out into the night as the whines of aircraft overhead catch every sailor by surprise. An attack? No way. Kamijiro hasn't known war since... well, the St. Jerome civil war. But even then, that was entirely expected - formal declarations of war and truly organized battles to avoid needless civilian casualties. A war from outside of her own borders isn't just rare in Kamijiro, it's never happened. At least, not until now.

Ash shoots up in her bunk. Chaos reigns around her as her fellow sailors on the KNB Elysia scramble to their stations.

"What's happening?!" She calls out to anybody who'd listen.
"We're under attack! Nakahini attacked!" A baby-faced sailor says back as he runs by, going the other direction.
"Nakahini? I thought it was Velikaca!" Calls another voice from down the hall.

Whoever it was, it doesn't matter. Battle stations.

When Ash arrives at her gunner post, all she sees is flames and explosions. The Elysia's sister ship, the KNB Yomi, is sinking. Sailors jump overboard as the ship is declared a total loss. She quickly takes aim at the nearest target, a small plane that is heading straight towards her position. A few rounds of fire later and one plane is down. For a while, it looks like the under-prepared Kamijiroan Navy might be able to repel the attack. A few more planes arrive from the offensive force. One flies directly overhead.

And... BOOM. Ash's world goes black.

Just minutes later, the Elysia is sinking as well. The call to abandon ship is announced. Ash is half-conscious on the floor of her battle station. A fellow gunner, a single mother named Emi, runs by Ash's station. She expects either an abandoned station, a dead gunner or a gunner too absorbed in the fight to even hear the abandon ship signal.

What Emi sees, however, is none of those things. She sees Ash, a girl who looks no older than Emi's daughter (although, in Ash's defense, she has been accused of looking way too young to be in the Navy), rolling around in a daze. If Emi leaves Ash, well... she won't make it. But picking her up would weigh her down and delay her chances of escape in a situation where every second matters. Just as she's about to say "screw it, nobody will know," she hears the faintest "help..."

Scrambling, Emi grabs Ash and slings her over her shoulder. Running up the stairwell and bursting onto the main deck, she jumps into the water, unconscious Ash still in tow. The whines of bombers eventually disappears - most of the Kamijiroan fleet stationed at Relâmpago Naval Base is destroyed and whoever sent the bombers has backed off. All told, over 600 Kamijiroan sailors perished in the battle. Not among them, however, are Ash and Emi.

When Ash wakes in a military hospital, all she sees is the news on the television screen. Missing persons, a declaration of war and a list of survivors. Relegated to the bottom ticker? The Kamijiroan National Team's win against Alanis Star. A 1-0 affair in Banija, highlighted by a Haruki Kagawa backheel goal. It's rare that sports in Kamijiro are sent to the bottom scroll instead of being the headline, but for once... to the ticker they go.

[Riena]

The Riena Sentinel

---

Cup of Harmony 89: West Vdara 1-3 Riena
Wavelets make encouraging start with solid victory over Anaian rivals

---

Riena's Cup of Harmony campaign started off on the right note at the Hangaza Unified Stadium in Aissa, securing an efficient, if unspectacular victory over fellow low-ranked side West Vdara to sit clear of the rest of group three by virtue of goal difference. Cocoa Haneda's side dispelled any concerns over a potentially disorienting hangover from the heartbreaking loss to Zenic in their qualifying campaign, bouncing back with a bright collective performance that was enough to see off the challenge of West Vdara in fairly comfortable fashion. Here are three things that we learned from this encouraging start to the Wavelets' Cup of Harmony campaign.

Midfield engine key to unlocking Riena's potential

---

It is a well-known fact by now that Riena's main strength lies in the beating heart of its midfield, which is made up of three of the finest players Haneda has at her disposal — Ichika Kirikaze, Kanna Nagara, and of course, Riena's main attacking talisman Nagisa Nakiri. Each of these three players are of different profiles, but their partnership in the Riena midfield has been crucial to ensuring that the Wavelets strike a fine balance across the park. Captain Kirikaze is a feisty, uncompromising box-to-box midfielder with seemingly boundless reserves of energy, whose tireless shuttling runs between defence, midfield, and attack allow Riena to double up in critical areas of the pitch; Nagara's excellent passing range helps keep Riena ticking over when in possession, and her vision is an important weapon in Riena's armoury against high defensive lines; and Nakiri's goalscoring prowess and general ability to wreak havoc in between the opponent's lines makes her a crucial piece in the Riena attack. Against West Vdara, all three of these players turned in excellent performances.

The Wavelets' second goal in particular was an instructive example as to why these three players are so important to Haneda's brand of football — Kirikaze doubled up on the left side of defence with Akari Kisaragi to win the ball back before laying the ball square to Nagara, who in turn unleashed an exquisitely-timed through ball for an onrushing Nakiri to run onto and lob the opposition goalkeeper from twenty yards out. For all her attacking talents, however, it's still worth noting that Nakiri can be a bit of a luxury player, in the sense that she tends to take on the role of a specialist trequartista-slash-shadow striker who contributes very little in the defensive phase, a well-documented weakness in her game. While the benefits of fielding Nakiri clearly outweigh the negatives, particularly in cases where Riena are up against sides who will give her the space and time between the lines to thrive, Haneda might well have to rethink her midfield setup against superior teams who are unlikely to do the same. For now, though, she will be hoping that her best attacking player is able to overcome her defensive deficiencies with time and experience. It is no exaggeration to say that Nakiri might well end up being the most impactful national team player of her generation if she manages to do so.

Iroha Shishido's versatility gives Riena an added dimension in attack

---

Before the game against West Vdara, speculation had been rife that Haneda would abandon the orthodox 4-2-3-1 that she has regularly preferred over the course of the World Cup qualifying campaign in favour of a more novel experiment — fielding established center forward Iroha Shishido out on the right flank as a target player. The continuously disappointing form of right wingers Reisa Yuzuriha and Kaoruko Moeta has left many Riena fans scratching their heads, and in the absence of alternatives, Haneda had previously resorted to playing Shishido in their stead. Against West Vdara, she did just that, pitting the physical center forward against the opposition left back and allowing her license to drift into the center to form a strike partnership with first-choice forward Emiri Nekoda. This meant that Riena nominally played a 4-2-3-1 when out of possession, but the Wavelets were actually playing something resembling an asymmetric 3-4-3 when they had control of the ball. The tactical intricacies of Haneda's tactical system are beyond the scope of this article, but in brief, the left-back Akari Kisaragi inverted into midfield, and the right-back Shiori Mihane was instructed to overload the right flank together with Nagisa Nakiri and Shishido, who also doubled up with Nekoda in the middle of the opposition area when necessary.

Not for the first time, Haneda's unorthodox tactics bore fruit — West Vdara had no answer to her tinkering, and Shishido proved to be highly effective in her unconventional role, assisting Nekoda's thirtieth-minute opener with a flicked header from Mihane's deep cross and generally causing chaos with her movement. On a personal note, Shishido will have been delighted with her performance — the Utakata Suisei forward has shown enough to suggest that she is a capable deputy for Nekoda up front, and she will no doubt be fancying her chances of challenging her teammate for the privilege of leading the Riena attack if she can keep up her purple patch. For Haneda, the success that she has had with deploying Shishido in this way will no doubt have an influence on her tactical approach to Riena's upcoming fixtures, especially in light of Yuzuriha and Moeta's poor form, and it would take a brave punter to bet against her employing the same tactical ploy at some point during the Cup of Harmony, particularly against less tactically astute opponents.

Mihane's return to fitness provides welcome boost for Riena

---

Much ink has been spilled about Shiori Mihane's potential return to the starting XI. Plagued by injury for the better part of the cycle, the right-back has found it difficult to string together a run of consistent starts for Riena, never mind consistent performances, and there were fears that her injury problems could derail what has been a highly-promising career up to this point. Haneda had been circumspect about Mihane's chances of making the starting XI against West Vdara during her pre-match press conference, but ultimately was unable to resist the opportunity to play her first-choice right-back. Her decision to play Mihane will no doubt have been taken in tandem with the decision to play Shishido ahead of her — Mihane's deputy at right-back, Origami Sangomiya, would not have been able to provide the attacking enterprise and width necessary to make it work. But for all that there were concerns about Mihane's ability to shake off the ring rust and play at a high level so soon after returning from injury, she performed to her usual high standards against East Vdara. Considering that her injury issues have been largely muscular in nature, Riena fans will have shuddered at the sight of her charging up and down the pitch with her customary pace and verve, especially given the fact that Haneda's tactical setup relied on her to cover every last blade of grass on the right flank, but Mihane was able to play a full hour of the match before being substituted, likely as a precautionary measure to guard against a recurrence of her injury.

Credit where credit is due — Mihane deserves a lot of praise for making an instant impact immediately after coming back from her long layoff, and for enduring the difficult rehabilitation and reconditioning work that is the norm for players suffering from prolonged injury absences; the coaching and physio staff too should be recognised for the part they played in supervising Mihane's recovery and ensuring her smooth, uneventful return to playing for the national team. The hope is that the worst of Mihane's injury hell is behind her, but it is worth keeping in mind that time-honoured footballing maxim — availability is the best ability — and it remains to be seen whether her body is up to the task of playing for Riena, especially in the physically-demanding role Haneda has earmarked for her.

---

[Recuecn]

Ask any Reçuecian schoolkid who the first leader of Reçueçn was, and they will list off the name "Carl Blancpic" by rote. The thirteenth century baron, the first unifier of Reçueçn, would be horrified at not being referred to as "Carl the III of Reçueçn," but even more so were he to know that his legacy is taught in schools today not as a great general, conqueror, and king, but as a rapacious, villainous megalomaniac whose evil ambitions forced the nation to cohere and learn to defend itself.

Carl's rise to power, his brief and brutal reign, and his downfall and execution which led to the signing of the Treaties of Alliance, are all topics that Reçuecian schoolchildren know well. The nation's curriculum focus on the history of the thirteenth century as the period that gave the entire nation of Reçueçn its identity, and studies it in more detail than other periods of history as a means of instilling a sense of patriotism in the country's young citizens. But a thousand years before any of those events took place, lived another figure, without whom none of the subsequent history would ever have come to pass.

Historians who specialize in Reçuecian history from this period--of whom there are not many--refer to these thousand years as the "missing millennium" (millénaire manquant). In this era before the Treaties of Alliance or the conquest carried out by Carl Blancpic (usually referred to as "The Conquest of Reçueçn"), many of the territories that would later come to identify as part of the nation did not consider themselves to be Reçuecian at all. Reçueçn, in fact, was originally a family, not a place.

It was in the second century a.d. that the head of that family, Ifheda Rcuecn¹, established himself as the head of a small feudal domain that would eventually be referred to as a duchy. Rcuecn is often referred to as "the first duke of Reçueçn", but this is anachronistic. Rcuecn established his fiefdom during the Roman empire, and the feudal ranks of nobility had not yet been established. In fact, it was a period of chaos in the Roman empire that allowed Rcuecn, the chieftan of a small band of riders, to carve out a little space and establish himself.

AD 193 was known as the "Year of the Five Emperors". After multiple assassinations, a period of unrest and civil war began which culminated four year later at the Battle of Lugdunum. During this battle, Septimus Severus defeated the army of Clodius Albinus, who was attempting to usurp the empire. The battle was bloody, vicious, and most of all massive, with anywhere from 120,000 to 300,000 soldiers taking part.

In the aftermath of the battle, Septimus Severus, furious at the attempted usurpation and looking for something or someone on which to take out his anger now that his victory had been assured, ordered the total destruction of the settlement of Lugdunum, which had backed Albinus and housed his army. Lugdunum had been a prosperous Roman settlement with a sizeable population and much potential, and had it not been utterly razed, it might have gone on to become a major modern population center. But with its destruction, the area fell into a power vacuum as soon as Severus' army returned to Rome, and the area was saturated with refugees.

All of this chaos and tragedy became opportunity and fortune for Ifheda Rcuecn. Rcuecn and his family had established themselves in the area just prior to the battle (whether that means several months or up to a handful of years earlier is unclear). Rcuecn had constructed a small fortification on the hill on the other side of the river, not far from Lugdunum, and a small village had sprung up at the base of the heights. When refugees poured across the river in the aftermath of the battle, Rcuecn welcomed them as new settlers in his city, and with Lugdunum gone, his importance in local politics had just increased by leaps and bounds.

The Rcuecn clan continued to grow for several centuries, eventually earning the rank of Duchy during the feudal period, although at some point the dynasty died out and was eventually replaced by the Blancpics. But the events of 197 a.d. and the leadership of Ifheda were what had established Rcuecn as an entity.

Little is known about Ifheda Rcuecn the individual. Some believe his family was indigenous to the area and had been there long before the Romans ever settled Lugdunum. Others believe that his "family" was in fact a band of mounted warlords who had descended to the Rhône valley. Rcuecn's symbol was banner bearing a white unicorn on a purple field--the unicorn was later adopted by Carl Blancpic as the supporter for his coat of arms, and much later, as the crest of the Reçuecian national soccer team. But the imagery of a horse on a banner conjures up ideas of riders and warbands descending upon the valley to loot and conquer, so perhaps this theory is accurate. Or, more likely, it is just another story Reçuecians tell themselves about their past, in their constant fight against the march of time to remember who they are.

---

¹The spelling of Ifheda Rcuecn's name is a topic of hot debate. No documents from that time period exist. The only reference to Ifheda Rcuecn in a primary source is in a codex from the VII^th century, fully four hundred years later, and many argue that it was misspelled. Certainly by the time Carl Blancpic began to style himself "Carl of Reçueçn", the spelling had been modified to be at least slightly more acceptable to speakers of Occitan, French, and Franco-Provençal. Theories explaining the original spelling, if it is to be believed to be accurate, abound, including distant ethnic origins, lost scripts or shorthands, or even simply illiteracy.

[Drawkland]

Origin

The Interstellar Empire of Drawkland has existed for several thousand years, long before the concept of something being "interstellar" had even been imagined. Hell, at the time of its founding, the idea of an empire lasting more than two generations was laughable. The continent that became Drawkland was marked with centuries of strife. Conquerors swept through the land, only for their holdings to collapse soon after their death. Great beasts and creatures roamed the lands freely, terrible disasters plagued the land. Things didn't last long-term. Besides a select few cities and small regional regimes, turnover in authority and periodical ransackings were a way of life for most that lived in this land.

Then came the Drawkionels. Five great leaders rose from the chaos of their corners of the continent, and came to war with one another. It was a great conflict built over a series of misunderstandings, but eventually one side managed to force a surrender from the other, and the five came to terms. The winning side, led by one leader named Iarocav and his allies Kanyo and Ellzidan, did not seek domination of their foes. Iarocav knew the truth of the conflict, that all sides were merely acting in what they saw to be self-defense. Instead of destroying the side of Malicoll and Callagard, he searched for an avenue of peace between all five territories.

The rest, as they say, is history. The biggest burning question was if this alliance could survive once the leaders that forged it passed away. Most of the previous empires and kingdoms of the land were shattered by succession crises. Several decades after Iarocav and the other four newly-minted Drawkionels brought that uneasy peace to the land, they suffered through the quest for immortality and returned triumphant. Now the question of what happens when they died was answered: they simply wouldn't die. The Drawkionels grew in power and trust of one another, and the faint alliance turned into a truly united nation under the oligarchy, the same one we know today.

Who's (on) First?

So to answer the question "who is the first leader of Drawkland," you have to determine who "the leader" is. Technically speaking, each of the five Drawkionels are of equal footing in governmental terms. They were also all recognized as leaders at the same time, as they signed the document founding Drawkland in the same meeting. If you're willing to be technical, Iarocav is generally considered a half-inch above the other Drawkionels in authority. If the five are in deadlock, usually his will is the tiebreaker. He's the most public-facing and politically active of the five, and generally if a single Drawkionel is required to appear at an international event, he's the one that'll be there. However, this is not codified in any official government document. Legally, Iarocav isn't above the rest, it's more of an assumption than anything else. By this logic, though, Iarocav is the "first" leader of Drawkland as he's the one you can consider the true leader among the Drawkionels.

Now say you don't subscribe to the the theory that Iarocav counts as a true leader above the rest, since you're going to be picky about what is written in the government documentation. It's hard to make exception here since again, the Drawkionels all "became" leaders of the nation at the same time. You could maybe argue that whoever signed the official alliance document way back in the day could be considered the first, but none of the Drawkionels have ever confirmed which of them was the first to sign it at their private meeting. The biggest clue is that Iarocav's signature is larger and above the others, but you can't consider that direct evidence.

Let's move back in time, then. Which of the leaders was the first to rise to power in their own territories, before the great war that unified them all? Callagard was the most recent of them; she was only chosen to lead her people after the war began, as previously her lands were not very unified in anything. Malicoll and Iarocav likely came to power around the same time in their individual territories, a couple years before the war broke out. Kanyo was royalty in a queendom that had existed for several hundred years prior to her birth. She was the youngest among them when she rose to power, thanks to her father committing regicide against his own wife. Kanyo survived a murder attempt herself, and had her father exiled, forcing her into the position of Queen as a young teenager. Of those four future Drawkionels, Kanyo was the first to wield true power in her territory.

However, Ellzidan came before all of them. Thanks to being half-elf and blessed with semi-immortality from the get-go, she struggled in the dangerous southeast wilderness before rising above and establishing herself as Queen of Elstrund Valley. Over the next few decades, she extended this power out to the coasts of her corner of the land, and was quite content with that before she was pulled into a war that barely involved her. Iarocav was certainly thankful for her inclusion, though, as Ellzidan's wild armies turned the tide of the war and allowed for the founding we know today. Regardless of that, Ellzidan was certainly the oldest, and thus the first to take her post.

Therefore, depending on your personal definitions of who Drawkland's true "leader" is, or what you consider to count as being "first," the answer to Drawkland's first leader is either Iarocav, Kanyo, or Ellzidan.

The Current Situation

Now Ellzidan is in danger of losing her power forever. No, we're not talking about her position on the Drawkionel's council. Deposing her from that role would be quite impossible. We're referring to her employment as the manager of the Kick Corps, Drawkland's national soccer team. See, despite a World Cup Round of 16 experience a few cycles ago, the Corps has now missed qualification several cycles in a row. A team of Drawkland's pedigree and caliber managing to avoid qualification in a 48-team format is impressive in all the wrong ways, and it was none other than "the Elf" at the helm.

The consequences for failure were well established to Ellzidan prior to the decisive qualification playoff match against Sarzonia. Then the Kick Corps proceeded to lose to Sarzonia in predictable fashion to miss qualifying. For the cause and effect, you figure that the great Drawkionel would be fired from her post as Kick Corps manager (quite an absurd scenario, devoid of context). Yet, for this Cup of Harmony, Ellzidan has been the one on the sidelines making the decisions. How did this happen? Well, it went something like this.

The Conversation

Harvey Flantar was sweating bullets. The Director of the Drawkian International Sporting Council was not looking forward to this meeting at all. The last one involving a certain Elf was nearly disastrous. He was certain that if Iarocav hadn't been there to defuse the situation, he probably would've ended up as a gruesome-looking stain on his office carpet.

Kristen Teller, the Director of Soccer Operations at DISC, wasn't much excited about the prospect either. She at least seemed cool on the outside, compared to Flantar's visible percolation behind the desk.

The pair were sitting at one end of a conference room desk at DISC HQ. It was a week after Drawkland's failure in Lodger City. They had called Ellzidan for a meeting, and the implications could not be any more obvious. Their previous meeting had made the stakes clear. Lead the team to qualification, or step down as manager. Of course, after falling to Sarzonia 2-1, Drawkland hadn't qualified. The Cup of Harmony invitation was definitely on the table, but that didn't matter. Still, Ellzidan had not made any announcements or even been seen publicly since the loss. The hands of the Directors were forced.

The Directors saw a silhouette walk quickly past the shaded windows then stop at the door. It opened slowly, and Ellzidan, the Queen of the Valley, the Elf, the Dragon of Drawkland, the Heart of the Roots, and about 20 other overblow titles entered the room. She was wearing simple leggings and a black Kick Corps blazer as she marched silently into the room, taking a seat across the conference table from the Directors without a word.

"Thank you for meeting with us," Teller began quietly. Ellzidan did not reply.

"We decided to call this meeting to discuss your recent performance as manager of the Kick Corps," Flantar continued, stating the obvious. Ellzidan still did not respond.

"We believe you're aware that we expect consistent qualification from this squad." Teller tightened her lips. Ellzidan remained silent. The only indication that she was even listening was how her piercing blue eyes flicked between the two bosses.

"Obviously, the playoff loss does not need our standards." Flantar was leaking uncertainty from every orifice. He found it hard to return eye contact with the Elf.

"This, combined with the last few cycles of failed qualification, leaves us no choice." Teller took a deep breath, steeling herself.

"We were hoping it wouldn't come to this!" Flantar added, with a nervous chuckle.

"We are relieving you from your duties as Kick Corps manager," Teller finished. "You may-"

"No." Ellzidan replied suddenly. It wasn't yelled, or even said particularly loud, but it was said with such conviction that it seemed to echo through the room.

"W-what?" Flantar replied nervously. "We are your supervisors. The manager position is ours to determine. You-"

"I am the manager, and I am not done with these players." Ellzidan twisted her lips. The Directors couldn't tell if it was rage or discomfort, but prayed it was merely the latter. "My tenure will not end with such a pathetic loss. I will admit that the Corps has not succeeded as I have hoped in these past few cycles. But, for better or worse, this is my team. I will pilot them for one last run, and then I will resign."

"You can't-" Flantar started, but he was interrupted.

"Fine." Teller said, with much more authority. "Understand that your employment will expire at the conclusion of the Cup pf Harmony, regardless of the result."

"Understood." Ellzidan said simply. She stood up swiftly, then started for the door. "Thank you for the gracious offer." She was gone a moment later.

"She ... she can't do that!" Flantar insisted. "We are in charge. She can't dictate when she leaves."

"I didn't feel like getting defenestrated today," Teller replied, stacking her papers and standing up from her seat as well. "She gave us an easy out, we're taking it. You're welcome."

"But ... we ..." Flantar blubbered as Teller left the room just as quickly as Ellzidan had. He was supposed to be in charge of this organization. He was the boss of both Teller and Ellzidan. So why did he feel so powerless?

[Banija]

Hello folks! Welcome to the second cutoff for Cup of Harmony 89! Here is our cutoff song.

RP Prompt: Back to a football prompt! Tell me a little bit about your national stadium. If you have one, why is your current national stadium the choice as the national stadium? Is there anything special about it? Or the site it is on? Is it your country's largest stadium? Give me all the deets!

Matchday 2 Scores

Group 1
HOT-DAMN 3–5 Reçueçn
Patriotlandia 1–0 North Oharan Valley Union
Audioslavia 0–1 Kanzlia

  Group 1                         Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Kanzlia                           2   2  0  0    5   2  +3    6
2 Patriotlandia                     2   1  0  1    3   4  −1    3
3 North Oharan Valley Union         2   1  0  1    2   2   0    3
4 Audioslavia                       2   1  0  1    4   2  +2    3
5 Reçueçn                           2   1  0  1    6   5  +1    3
6 HOT-DAMN                          2   0  0  2    4   9  −5    0

Group 2
Kronbia 1–0 The Ko-orenite Constellation
Doubeia 3–0 Indusse
Valentine Z 3–1 Langenia

  Group 2                         Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Valentine Z                       2   1  1  0    6   4  +2    4
2 Kronbia                           2   1  1  0    4   3  +1    4
3 Langenia                          2   1  0  1    4   5  −1    3
4 Doubeia                           2   1  0  1    5   3  +2    3
5 The Ko-orenite Constellation      2   0  1  1    2   3  −1    1
6 Indusse                           2   0  1  1    2   5  −3    1

Group 3
Savojarna 1–3 Riena
Drawkland 5–3 West Vdara
Yakk Empire 3–2 Oberour Ar Moro

  Group 3                         Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Riena                             2   2  0  0    6   2  +4    6
2 Savojarna                         2   1  0  1    3   3   0    3
3 Yakk Empire                       2   1  0  1    3   4  −1    3
4 Oberour Ar Moro                   2   1  0  1    3   3   0    3
5 Drawkland                         2   1  0  1    5   4  +1    3
6 West Vdara                        2   0  0  2    4   8  −4    0

Group 4
Kamijiro 1–0 HUElavia
Restresas 1–1 Captina Island
Alanis Star 0–1 Brusseldorf

  Group 4                         Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Brusseldorf                       2   2  0  0    6   4  +2    6
  Kamijiro                          2   2  0  0    2   0  +2    6
3 Captina Island                    2   0  2  0    2   2   0    2
4 HUElavia                          2   0  1  1    1   2  −1    1
  Restresas                         2   0  1  1    5   6  −1    1
6 Alanis Star                       2   0  0  2    0   2  −2    0

Group 5
Hispinas 0–1 Sangti and the Filindo Isles
Darmen 1–2 Xanneria
Qusmo 1–2 Katzeburg

  Group 5                         Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Sangti and the Filindo Isles      2   2  0  0    5   1  +4    6
2 Katzeburg                         2   2  0  0    5   3  +2    6
3 Hispinas                          2   1  0  1    4   2  +2    3
4 Xanneria                          2   1  0  1    3   5  −2    3
5 Darmen                            2   0  0  2    3   5  −2    0
6 Qusmo                             2   0  0  2    2   6  −4    0

[HUElavia]

Kamijiro 1–0 HUElavia
(Kanazono 33')
Kawesa Stadium, Mynda, Banija

Estadio Nacional

Estadio Nacional (lit. National Stadium) is the largest sporting venue in The United States of HUElavia. Located in the capital city of Curumba, within the financial district of Cobrero, Estadio Nacional is considered as the "Crown Jewel" of not just HUElavian Football, but of HUElavian Sports (although, many stadiums throughout the country attempt to dispute such a claim). It has a capacity of 100,000 spectators, the largest throughout the country. It is also the long-time home of Real Curumba CF, one of the "Big Four" teams of HUElavia (along the likes of RCD San Rafael, Internacional Curumba, and FC Santos)

Estadio Nacional during a Real Curumba match involving a 360* Tifo

Estadio Nacional was originally built during the early years of the HUElavian Football Association, and was built more in favor of the "Concrete Bowl" design of the stadium that was popular among beginner teams. It had an original capacity of 150,000 spectators, although 50,000 were for standing spectators only. The stadium's first major event hosted was the Unity Cup, where HUElavia finished 3rd place in their first foray in hosting a sporting tournament. From there, the old Estadio Nacional was essentially the main venue used by the HUElavian National Football Team in hosting home games during the World Cup Qualifiers.

Estadio Nacional in it's old, original configuration.

Eventually, Estadio Nacional was given a major renovation for the team during its time after the Unity Cup, but was used mainly during the time that the HUElavian National Football Team was on the rise and began to contend towards the midtable finishes of the World Cup Qualifiers.

Estadio Nacional in its last renovated format before the new renovations

Eventually, the entire facade and roof was taken down and began to get the more rectangular shape that it has today, being temporarily reduced to a capacity of 85,000 for a while. Most of the crowd was covered by a roof, with the lower bowls being susceptible to the elements, especially the heat and humidity, or the rain.

Estadio Nacional during a Curumba Derby match

After many years serving as the main configuration, Estadio Nacional was renovated with its new look, gaining its iconic full roof with a cover, along with a 360* jumbotron to show all the replay angles and the full match. Its first tournament that it served was the 9th Independent Associations Championship and ultimately was the first FFI Champions League Final venue, as well as eventually hosted the IAC 15 and IAC 20 Finals, the former being the first IAC Title the team had won. Estadio Nacional is a popular venue among sports fans in HUElavia and abroad, where many marvel at the architecture and the technological advances, despite the "Printer" look some say it has.

[Kanzlia]

Kanzlia off to a cracking start
CUP OF HARMONY

KANZLIA 4 - 2 Patriotlandia
12' Fortinello (PTR)
24' Konadoe (KNZ)
39' Konadoe (KNZ)
76' R. van Coevorden (KNZ)
81' Sarazin (PTR)
88' A. Wolf (KNZ)

Audioslavia 0 - 1 KANZLIA
90+3' M. te'Maarden (P) (KNZ)

BANIJA – The Exiles got off to an exhilirating start, very much similar with our previous WCQ campaign...

Drawn to group 1 amongst the likes of Audioslavia and Patriotlandia the Kanzlian side entered the group stages as a weaker half of the 6 team group. Kanzlia kickstarted the group stages with an exhilirating 4-2 victory over Patriotlandia - a massive upset in Kanzlian terms. It was Jackie Stadt's debut and what a debut for the 24 year old. While his debut wasn't rewarded a clean sheet it was clear to spectators that Stadt really showed his class. The VVS keeper put on a superb sweeping effort - though some may call it reckless. His reflexes were also put to the test and managed to save a rather unfortunate deflection from Bagheria from going in. On the offensive side Rayane Konadoe scored twice in the first half and Reiner van Coevorden and substitute Angelo Wolf scored one goal each in the second half.

This victory against Patriotlandia places Kanzlia 2nd in the opening matchday. However with the next opponents being Audioslavia (who also won their opening match) which in terms of ranking is higher than Patriotlandia - another hard fought game is to be expected, a draw would win as a victory in our hearts. When the game kicked off it was clear the sheer difference in quality from both sides. Zendagorta posed the most significant threat - especially when Audioslavia got the ball in the midfield. The 33 year old easily absorbed pressure and multiple times disoriented Evert van Selm. It is rather very lucky that Kanzlia faced three disallowed goals for offsides and a foul committed prior (Brandon Bruhn nearly decapitating Maurice Bouma in an aerial duel). The Audioslavians showed immense physical strength which saw the Kanzlians firmly on the back foot for most of the match. Thankfully the Kanzlian defence - especially Ardentius van Coevorden was able to absorb much of the pressure. Christian Bagheria's physicality was too much even for the Audioslavians. A brilliant Greg Hilson pass in the dying minutes saw Jan Tykis through on goal... until he was fouled by Uriah Malcolm. A brief spat ensued which saw not only Malcolm but also Gainza AND Jan Tykis sent off. Once the referee got the situation under control and awarded a penalty, Manechis ter'Maarden slots home the winning goal from the spot. Ending the match 0-1 for the Kanzlians.

This puts Kanzlia top of Group 1 with 3 games remaining, and arguably having defeated some of the hardest teams of the group.

"Confidence is high, very high indeed. But we still have 3 games left and if we still fail to qualify from this position - we shouldnt have deserved our victories now." said Vassilis van Coevorden post-match.

[Langenia]

Posting an article for the first Match Day too since I couldn't get it off in time for the first cutoff lol. Sorry!

Noticias: Deportes Los Azules Start Cup of Harmony With Wild Opener Los Azules would kickoff their opening game against Doubeia in a back-and-forth game that ultimately end with a 3-2 win for Langenia thanks to a game-winning header from Raul Guzman. A notable part of the game was the fanbases in the stadium stands, both sides coming out in full force to sing chants, wave flags, wear team colors, and blow horns, contributing to a jubilant atmosphere around the pitch. The initial win places the Langenian national team at the top of their Cup of Harmony group for now. The Langenians would begin the first half by attempting to keep possession of the ball for themselves as much as possible and trying to create as many chances as possible to form an early lead. Striker Oscar Galindo, the team's captain, would perform a series of one-two passes with attacking midfielder Daniel Gallegos to get past the Doubeinese defense and chip the ball past goalkeeper Olivia Leonova to open up the scoring at the 11th minute. Doubeinese winger Scarlet Rozhkova would cross the ball to forward Summer Semerikova in a counterattack that would see Semerikova's shot saved by Langenian goalkeeper Eduardo Arnal. At the 29th minute, Galindo would receive a through ball from central midfielder Rafael Semprun and spin around Doubeinese center-back Megan Menshikova to again score at close range from the Indigo Army's goalkeeper Leonova, thus giving the Langenians a 2-0 lead. Raul Guzman would just miss a chance to increase the Langenian lead in the 39th minute as his header from a corner would be saved by Leonova. The Doubeinese would make a strong comeback as the second half began, taking back possession of the ball from the Langenians to force them on the defensive. Their efforts would pay off as Semerikova would make a spectacular bending shot that bounced off the edge of the post and into the back of the net, flying behind Arnal who had jumped into the air for the save. With the game now 2-1 in the 51st minute, the Langenian defenders would become even more aggressive in attempting to clear the ball from their side of the pitch to try to allow the attackers at the front to make a play. Unfortunately, this newfound aggressiveness would backfire as Los Azules fullback Ivan Elvira would foul Doubeinese winger Benedetta Marin in the penalty area to concede a spot kick to Doubeia in the 60th minute. Summer Semerikova would score from the penalty to tie the game, tricking the Langenian goalkeeper Arnal into jumping to one end of the net while she rolled it to the opposite side. With the score now level, the Langenians would desperately seek a game-winning goal, resuming their usual attacking strategy to create opportunities for a goal. Raul Guzman would attempt to be tonight's Langenian savior, making a spectacular dribble along the wing and attempting to rainbow flick the ball over Doubeinese fullback Maddison Barkova. As he would try to move away, however, the fullback would knock the ball out of the edge of the pitch, thus conceding a corner kick to Los Azules. Rafael Semprun would take the kick, curling towards the wall of Langenian players as Guzman leapt into the air for a game-winning header at the 71st minute. The Langenians would manage to stifle Doubeinese counterattacks for the rest of the match and into stoppage time, however, Semerikova would make one last attempt to equalize with a powerful kick that would unluckily fly just above the Langenian goal and into the stands. The 3-2 win has put the Langenians at the top of their Cup of Harmony group only for now, as they face a strong Valentine Z side for their next match. Los Azules manager Enrique Vargas praised the Doubeinese team for their performance, calling them "a resilient side who mounted a great attempt at a comeback," then switched topics to the upcoming match with the Valentian team. "They are a more experienced team than us, no doubt. Even so, we've been training to succeed and learned a lot about how to compete with such opponents during World Cup qualification." This optimistic tune is reflective of the jubilant mood in Langenia as the country approaches its September 15 Independence Day. On September 15th in the year 1810 a congress of leaders from various ethnic groups and social classes united to declare independence from the Kingdom of Tauridia which had governed Langenia as a colony since the 16th century. However, the road to independence would be a long one, with a long, grueling Langenian War of Independence necessary to ensure full freedom from Tauridian rule. Joaquin Alcocer would be the leader of the Langenian war effort, little by little pushing the colonial forces out of the country until the last Tauridian force withdrew with the conclusion of a peace treaty in 1820. After the war, Alcocer became the first president of the young nation, attempting to institute numerous social and economic reforms such as a democratic system of government, the freedom of slaves, more rights for the rural peasantry, and changes to increase the efficiency of the postwar economy. However, Alcocer would be stifled by powerful interests and would die before his reforms could be completed. It would take a century of rule by military dictators called caudillos for the country to achieve full democracy. Nonetheless, Alcocer remains a national hero in the Langenian conscience. As Independence Day approaches, many across Langenia reflect on the symbolism of Independence Day, fundamentally intertwined with the legacy of Joaquin Alcocer, and adopt a feeling of optimism in the hope that many of the issues facing the country will come to an end, such as the hope peace will be achieved in the armed conflict with neighboring Parador in the wake of terror attacks on Langenian cities by Paradorian-backed terrorists. The Cup of Harmony, representing the hope that Langenia can beat the odds and clinch an international title, is reflective of that Independence Day spirit.

---

Noticias: Deportes For Langenia, A Painful Defeat After their initial 3-2 opening win, Los Azules would suffer a painful 3-1 thrashing at the hands of a strong team fielded by Valentine Z. Facing a side that was even more focused on attacking than they were, the Langenians were once again forced into the unfamiliar situation of being forced on the defensive. Coach Enrique Vargas was forced to make a key substitution to create a formation more oriented towards defense, however, this would come to naught as Los Azules conceded three goals to ultimately lose the game. From the beginning of the game, it was immediately clear that Langenia, a team used to being the one doing most of the attacking, would have to play a very defensive game uncharacteristic of their usual strategy. The Valentian team would hold possession of the ball for more time, ultimately forcing the Langenians to concede a goal at the 38th minute as Valentian forward Kortnev Konstantinovich would take a cross from Elisabetta D'Elia and send a powerful kick past Los Azules goalkeeper Eduardo Arnal to put Valentine Z up 1-0 before the end of the first half. A Langenian counterattack would see Oscar Galindo and Raul Guzman perform a series of one-two passes for Galindo to end up one-on-one with Valentian goalkeeper Martina Bukvic and have his shot unluckily hit the post and the follow-up saved. As the second half began, Los Azules manager Enrique Vargas would make a series of substitutions to change the Langenian formation from a more offensive 4-3-3 to a defensive 5-3-2. Attacking midfielder Daniel Gallegos would be substituted off for center-back Leonardo Ciceron to create a five-man defense. Nonetheless, the Valentians would manage to force a corner kick in the 49th minute, and midfielder Antel Daniel would send the ball flying for striker Štěpánka Sedláčková to head it in. The forward's header with their height advantage was indicative of one of the many problems the Langenians faced playing the Valentian team who had a height advantage that allowed them to stop any Langenian passes that were sent flying through the air. Even so, the Langenians would manage to put themselves on the scoreboard with a goal at the 68th minute as Oscar Galindo and Raul Guzman would each take potshots of the goal only for them to be saved. As the ball rebounded away from the net, winger Roman Reyes sent a powerful shot that would make it past Martin Bukvic for a 2-1 score. The Langenians surprisingly would not resume their usual offensive formation to score an equalizer, and this would prove to be fatal for their hopes for a comeback. Without the playmaking skills of Daniel Gallegos, Galindo and Guzman would be unable to penetrate the Valentine defense, and Valentine Z would score a third goal from another powerful shot by Kortnev Konstantinovich in the 83rd minute. As time expired, the Langenians would leave the field in front of the silent Los Azules fans, their heads bowed. Even with the defeat, Oscar Galindo decided to give a rare statement to the media. "Valentine Z are a great team. They outplayed us and clearly wanted it more. But we'll rally back for the next game. It's what we do." The Langenian captain would then walk down to the tunnel with the rest of his teammates. It remains to be seen whether his words will hold true for the next Los Azules match.

[Audioslavia]

Carrying the One

A few thousand years ago, Audioslavia had a disastrous fourteen minute experiment with a monarchy. The movement to restore the monarchy has never gone away in the millennia since, which in turn means the righteously violent republican movement continues to pursue its ancient and sacred oath to murder anyone in Audioslavia who holds the title of First In Line For The Thone. Due to the popular Successr mobile app, Audioslavians keep an occasional tab on where they might be in the line of succession, and are advised to emigrate sharpish should their number drop into the single digits.

Koroatuz, Audioslavia

ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding dung dung dung dung

The icy Herraduran air ripped around Farrington’s lilac and chartreuse spandex ski suit as the young man scythed down the side of Koroa Mountain, leaving curling ribbons of snow in his wake. The sound of cowbells rang in his ears, some via the rattles of fans, some perhaps from some passing prog rock band.

He narrowed his eyes as another turn came up to meet him. He knew there was the safe line and the quick line. The quick line was bumpy, but straighter and with snow that had hardened into ice. The slow line was softer, more in line with where the skis were going naturally after the previous turn, but would lose a couple of tenths straight away, with more lost through the more awkward approach to the following corner.

But Farrington was a veteran. He’d been skiing now for, ooh, months. He’d become a professional yachtsman and had excelled at that, using his tactical nous, natural athleticism and the best professional training forty thousand dollars could buy. Sure, he hadn’t won any races, but he hadn’t come last in any where he still had his boat the right way up at the end. And prior to that, the brief professional polo career had been fun, especially the minty-flavoured donut suit, which he’d been allowed to keep.

Farrington faded right towards the icier, bumpier but quicker line. He ducked low, making himself as aerodynamic as possible, and rode the bumps.

Huh. This feels a bit…

---

Koroatuz, Audioslavia

Farrington here, veering right, it looks like your brother is going to be the first to try this quicker line, Terrence…
Good gosh, here he goes, over the icy section like a champion, a little unsteady on your feet there, Torquil…
A little unsteady and, oh that bump looks bad, and so close to the finish it looks like Torquil Farrington is going to crash…
He’s still on his feet, he can save this, I think…
He’s wildly off course though, the crowd is parting…
Oof, he’s upside-down, but he might still…
Gosh it looks like he’s heading towards that trailer
Rather looks like the trailer we do our commentary from. I say, is heading towards that windOH

---

Emberton, Cathair

"Mr Farrington? Mr Farrington? Did you fall asleep in front of the skiing again? Mr Farrington? Mr. Farrington you've dropped your croissant. Mr Farrington?

Oh my god... Someone! Someone come quick! I think Mr Farrington may have had a heart attack..."

---

Cathair, Audioslavia

“Farrington!!” came a stern, identifiably Ceilerden-accented voice. “Not keeping you up are we?”
All Farrington could respond with was an ‘er’ and a blush, followed by a mumbled ‘sorry’
“I was asking if you could put those costs into the docs. The client has to have it tomorrow morning”
“Yeah, yeah. We have to sexily them though, right?”
“No” said the Ceilerden voice. “That’s just what we were talking about. We want it to be boring after all. No point trying to polish a turd if you can just hide it under a thing. Like a…”
“Like a colander?” came another voice.
“Sure, whatever” said Ceilerden. “So, Farrington, can you run those numbers, or is your mind still on the great big ‘four’ above your head”
“Yeah” said Farrington. “Yeah I can run them.”
“You still Number Four?” said another voice at the table. “I thought your brother was having a kid. The commentator one”
“Yeah, he’s the oldest so, hey, it’ll be Five soon. That’s next week. Could be Four again though. Dad's not been doing to well. Had a bit of dicky ticker recently, so he's been in and out of hospital”
“Shame, sorry to hear that" said another voice.
"Still. Best hope nothing bad happens to them all at once, hah” chuckled Ceilerden.
“Hah, yeah” said Farrington.
A phone dinged. And then dinged again. And then dinged again. Ding. Ding. Ding ding ding ding ding ding ding…

[Captina Island]

TCCNT hang tough in Banija
The Captina Company Press Association

The Captina Company National Team have opened play at the 89th Cup of Harmony with a pair of draws ahead of their meeting with Alanis Star.

The Rosso e Oro settled for a 1-1 draw against 13th ranked HUElavia at the BCEL Stadium in Jinja City in their first match, letting the lead given to them by Giuseppe Overstreet's goal in the 61st minute slip away in only three minutes when Raphael Taylor-Calañas equalized for Los Amarillos. Both sides had chances to win the match late but Captina were the happier side at the final whistle.

The scene shifted to Mynda for matchday two against newcomers Restresas at the Kawesa Stadium. Patience Wedgewood opened the scoring for Captina but once again the defense couldn't hold off the opposition from clawign back a tally to share the spoils by the same 1-1 scoreline.

The third match will be at the Albert III Stadium in Dodoma as the Rosso will look for a third time for the nation's 50th all time victory, which would strengthen their current 3rd placed position in the table of Group 4.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Captina Island's modern history dates from the “discovery” by Giancarlo Collina in 1922, following which the influx of Italini settlers began around 1924. Collina was the nominal leader of the nation with help from the chieftains of the scattered Captini settlements along the coastline.

Collina didn't set out to be an explorer or a colonial overlord--he literally came across the island completely by accident because it didn't show on his navigational charts. He was a merchant ship captain and relatively ego free. His appearance on shore near what is now Port Genoa amazed the native population which had never seen a white man. He made sure to convey through non-verbal communication that he did not come with ill intent and that his crew members who came ashore with him behave as guests.
It took several return trips and protracted negotiations with the chiefs to finalize the settlement of portions of the island that were largely uninhabited (few Captini lived more than a day's walking distance from the ocean coast).
Collina's legacy was his respect for the native population and the great pains he took to not be seen as trying to conquer the island. Additionally, his arrival and the subsequent Italini immigration brought Captina out of isolation, moving from a pre-literate to a modern society. There is no shortage of everyday references to him across the nation.

Organization was quite loose as the two groups of residents learned to coexist alongside one another in the general areas that developed into the island's major cities.
When it was finally decided in 1937 that a more formal structure was needed, Collina gathered the leading men from both communities and worked out The Captina Island National Community Operation Master Plan [CINCOMP], which established the five major companies that control the affairs of the nation today: Captina National Organization (CNO), State Economic Corporation (SEC), Industrial & Manufacturing Alliance (IMA), The Captina Company (TCC), and Brandstadter Corporation Authority (BCA). The Captini established CNO & TCC, the Italini formed IMA & BCA, and the SEC was a joint venture between both.

The function of a national government was devolved into The Burkett Group, which is owned in equal shares by the five main corporations, which also included a public “peoples share” funded by a 2 crown per week deduction from the wages of all citizens (now 50 crowns, or about NS $10).

Today, the Head of State is The Chairman, selected by a vote of the six companies' CEOs, who serves at the pleasure of that group. Traditionally the position was filled on an alternating basis between a Captini and an Italini, although in modern Captina society intermarriage between the groups has effectively ended the practice.