World Cup 101 - The Roleplays

by **Tanirinthia** » Sun May 10, 2026 1:17 pm

THE LAST DIPLOMAT
Chapter Sixteen - Secrets Revealed

The small part of Sebastian that was holding on to the hope this was all just an elaborate prank vanished seeing Jefferson's face as he spoke. He was clearly holding a heavy weight and seemed to not relish having to pass it on. What was he supposed to do though? Put a solved rubix cube under a box with a stick and trap Choas that way?

"There's one last part to the histories that's not written down, it can't be written down. The written word can be altered by entities like Chaos, for some reason they can't affect things passed down into living memory. So the Uniter told his story to the first department head, who told it to next, and the next in a long chain over hundreds of years until this moment when I'll tell it to you. Most legends in the multiverse will tell of Order and Chaos thought the names by vary and change, they are ultimately about Order and Chaos. Forces that not only underpin the multiverse but are inexorabily linked to and expressed in sporting events. Should a higher ranked team win, or will there be an upset? All seemingly linked to Order and Chaos, and those are the legends that the Uniter read about, researched and ultimately sought out, but all the legends were missing a vital component. There exists a third entity."

He paused, as if recalling and making sure he was recalling correctly

"This third entity is the very reason our department was founded, Diplomacy could be it's name but it's more complicated than that as this enity exists regardless as to whether a nation, planet, galaxy or universe is actively engaged in diplomacy with others, rather unlike Order and Chaos which seem limited to the multiversal realm this entity seems to have reach beyond the dimensions of the multiverse, or rather is affected by things outside of multiverse. Diplomacy is a window through which we from inside the multiverse tell our stories, and those stories are seen beyond it, and those who see from beyond are able to effect us, outweigh Order and Chaos or at the very least compete with. Our department acts as a nexus for those stories, or rather one of our number acts as the nexus..."

He paused again, this time when he met his eyes, Sebastian saw a swirling ocean, no that wasn't ocean spray but starts, an entire cosmos in those eyes.

"I wish I could take this burden for you Sebastian, but my time is over now. My advice take a look at that sunrise coming up now, it's humble beauty seen through your eyes, the feel of it slowly warming your cheeks. Not that you won't appricate sunrises anymore, but you will see so much more I can barely remember what it was like to just beyond it simply."

Jefferson held out his hand. Sebastian remembered the first time that met he'd shaken that hand with reluctance back then, at the time he was seemingly being stuck into a dead department, now he was reluctanct to shake once again. My time is over Jefferson had said, and the look in his eyes didn't seem to mean just his time as the nexus or whatever he'd said he was, it looked like if he shook his hand that would be the last time. But just as the first time he found his hand going up to meet Jefferson's.

A surge of energy swept through Jefferson snaking down his arms, down his hand and over into Sebastian. Lifting them both off the ground as winds started the whirl around them, the skies grew dark and cloudy until with one final eruption of blinding energy they fell to the ground, the clouds parted and the sun fell on Jefferson's face for the last time.

"I believe in you kid, always have."

Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Chapter Five | Chapter Six | Chapter Seven | Chapter Eight | Chapter Nine | Chapter Ten | Chapter Eleven | Chapter Twelve | Chapter Thirteen | Chapter Fourteen | Chapter Fifteen | Chapter Sixteen

Matchday Five

by **Saint Eleanor** » Sun May 10, 2026 1:21 pm

OOC: I actually did have to advise Natkr that Lydia Nicholls was starting ahead of the EXT-NKR game, as I accidentally implied in my last RP that Matsuda was simultaneously suspended and good to start. Matsuda was, in fact, out of action for the Natkr game and Gentle Breeze's notes will shortly be edited ex post facto to correct this and include the name of the hotel.
Also, my apologies for the late interview, but Squorn has advised me that Aldra was a blank-slate newgen in the first instance. Therefore, this roleplay has very much NOT been precleared

Group of ~~Six~~ Twenty-Nine meeting (CVII) --- Kwrpania 2-2 SAINT ELEANOR (aet; 3-4 pso)
Participants: Gentle Breeze, Reniira Clevinger, Stephen Mitcham ~ Bridget Coombe [C], Cathy Winchester [VC], all other players [by convention]
Location: One of the Pwkzerem Hotels; besides the waterfront, Tydebwg, KWR

MAJOR MATCH EVENTS: Rynropeka-gyv 3, Magnws-rym 71; Emmerson 86, Matsuda 89. Shootout (EXT first): Bright O [0-1], Pabofen-nam O [1-1], Aldra O [1-2], Denrefwp-bok X [1-2], Winchester O [1-3], Fyrek-syn-nam O [2-3], Ohan X [2-3], Mamzwb-bab O [3-3], Matsuda O [3-4], Magnws-rym X [3-4]. All Eleanorian players will be available for the first round of WC101 qualifiers.

LESSONS LEARNED: This was "a match of unusually high quality" (~ Katy). There was "a lot of will-they-won't-they around Rynropeka-gyv" (~ Kichiro), as they were not tipped for the starting lineup, but "the element of surprise got to us, to start off with" (~ Kirsti) as they emerged with yet another goal. After that, "we got our stuff in order" (~ Kavezalea) - both strikers were marked closely, the midfield started putting in the hard yards, and "the wide players were dullened more than we planned for" (~ Rachel). The match came alive when "Magnws-rym gave us all a scare or three near the whistle" (~ Cathy, who would not be substituted on until much later), but "the second half was where all the fun stuff was, wasn't it?" (~ Graham)
To be sure, "this was no rip-roaring contest of wits" (~ Lydia V) - if anything, it was more all-over-the-place, perhaps even a bit less intent. Although "I think I should have scored from that close range" (~ Lily), and she would have done had she timed it just a bit better, Magnws-rym in particular was starting to "take advantage of our hard-working defenders" (~ Rick), getting one chalked off for offside only to net another in a tight set-piece situation not too long afterwards. "Don't forget the other two or three times they almost got an assist on the board!" (~ Arielle) While "hope could have easily deserted us, we were just playing the same as before" (~ Isabella), and with little to no further ado: first Nacle was denied a close penalty shout, then Lily popped up with "an almost Martinian goal" (~ Steve). That meant that an equaliser was required, and "though I would have really liked a winner" (~ Ian) - wilder things have happened at the end of some football matches - it was left to Kichiro Matsuda to "demonstrate why he was literally born to play football" (~ Tina, ignoring that he was a Wunderbar made in a lab), coming up with a messy yet effective effort that landed in the top-left corner.
Extra Time was "a better-deserved naptime than we had in the morning" (~ Maria); to be sure, there was some back-and-forth, the first few minutes were just as intense as the ones that preceded it, and Isabella came mighty close to being a hero when her shot got deflected onto the post, but "it really did feel like both teams were de-energised, even bringing their B-game" (~ Keith). The penalty shootout was, on balance, roughly what you would imagine it to be given all that; perhaps I will leave it to the only player of ours who missed to remark that "it really did take everybody to succeed" (~ Nacle). That goes for the first two hours, as well - well done to everybody for capping off a great World Cup with an equally-solid third-place playoff.

RECOMMENDATIONS: Notably, this World Cup is the last hurrah for Arielle, Cathy, Graham, and Olympia - not quite on the scale of 2016's exodus, "but nevertheless all great people who'll be missed" (~ Tina). While the core of the team remains - Lydia, Maria, Kichiro, and Nacle are all still there - and Kirsti, Gisken, and Isabella have commended themselves in the knockout stages, "we'll have to enter a kind of transition period, won't we?" (~ Lily). The consensus is that "Abdullah is possibly the next best goalkeeper we can rely on" (~ Matt), but there's much less certainly about the new gaps in outfield.
I sense that there is a bit of consternation within the camp about what's coming next - "next time might be a flash in the pan, in a bad way" (~ Olympia) - even though I feel like we're hitting a good stride in the near future. On the other hand, "if we can do this without Bridget or Esther, then we can do anything with anyone" (~ Diana) - no disrespect intended to either legend of the game. This was, by some distance, our best ever World Cup, "and definitely the kind of outcome my 2007 self would have been positively surprised by" (~ Lydia N).
Whoever we choose for the team, the culture change in wider Eleanorian football has definitely been apparent, and I think that our current tactical way of thinking has commended itself thoroughly: "I think everyone here agrees!" (~ Gisken). I expect that it should be easy to get whoever we find on board with "our religious belief in ruthless efficiency" (~ Ian); Gisken was made out to be the black sheep of the squad, but they perfectly understood the assignment more often than not. As always, 1-11 will be fielded for MD1 of WCQ101, and all other lineups will be decided via G6.

MOVING FORWARD: Stephen will be handling notes for MD1 of WCQ101. SEFA will be organising a major press conference tomorrow afternoon at which I'll summarise the notes made in this meeting there.

~GB

Gisken Aldra: "I really didn't have much of a future in Chalesm"
Chief Football Correspondent Jamie Rodgers finally gets to the bottom of the divisive new starter's thoughts - as well as their facts
Originally published on Tuesday 5th February 2019

Many things about Gisken Aldra would strike most Eleanorian onlookers as less than typical, such as how they came to play for Saint Eleanor. "I only became eligible pretty recently - not at birth like most other people - and the SCFA was headhunting me for the lineup. I wasn't close to their cut. I was pretty much guaranteed for ours!"

Aldra's formative years were not exactly dominated by football, as they grew up in Chalesm - the capital of the Squornshelan Remnant States - in what they insist was "a home comfortable enough for me to not lose my mind about anything. It's what the rest of the world would call lower-middle class, although closer to working class. I think you would call it being on $25-30k a year, although the exchange rates work differently." Away from the classroom, as well as football - "probably a bit more organised than what you guys have" - they had what they insist were "a small group of friends who I try, and sometimes fail, to keep in touch with. We need to meet up again some day; it would be fun!" They call themselves "a bit ditzier than you'd expect," however: "If I had to work a job in the real world... I think it would be in retail or hospitality? I'm not sure my school results are useful for much else, which kind of tends to happen when you start focusing on football a lot around my age, rather than Bridget Coombe's. I definitely have opinions and read the newspapers, but I could never multiply out triple brackets or explain the human impacts of desertification like most of the rest of the team can."

Aldra was on the books of their native Chalesm Academy - for which they drily note that "the squad fell off dramatically for some reason," having come 2nd and then 10th of the academies in the Confederate youth top flight - before serving out a cycle of Superleague football with the seniors: for which they are put down as a seventeen-year-old, despite having been introduced to the Saint Eleanor League seemingly the next season, aged nineteen as is common practice. "All I have to say is I don't write the teamsheets! I don't write the starting lineups, either. I wasn't really in a lot of them and I like to think that, while I tried to make an impact, it wasn't enough of one to get us more than maybe one point, on net. It wasn't even enough to get us into the Challengers' Cup; it was a shockingly defensive team and, while I loved the people, I wasn't sure how much I loved the playstyle."

Surprisingly, at least to them, Aldra was sold for $2m to the Polytechnic Institute ahead of the 2009 season, shortly after their rebranding and professionalisation. "I knew they wanted me gone, but I was genuinely surprised that they were willing to sell me to a club that I thought wouldn't be much more promising!" Their first season was marked by a high-profile marriage that overshadowed even the first-ever relegation race, "and I almost know for a fact was allowed on some kind of technicality. I am still with Suzy and we do have holidays lined up, but with these new one-year World Cup cycles, I'm not sure how much opportunity we're going to get unless it's right after Christmas or something." Famously, they scored the goal that got the Polytechnic out of trouble for that season, and helped keep them that way for years afterwards, being not only a regular but a cult hero. "I am definitely proud of myself for taking so many of these opportunities. I'm also happy that Mike Adamson, and then Justin Roland, saw my potential, gave my regular starts, and let me set up the other players. I know that the national team is a bit more conservative, but I do get to have some fun there, as well. When I think about it, I really didn't have much of a future in Chalesm."

In terms of their personal life, Aldra has spoken extensively about their love of shopping, holidays, parties, and their wife, Suzy Woodacre. "However, I definitely think that the whole thing is a bit overblown. Yes, I do drink a bit too much, but I never actually do it too much, if you see what I mean? I think the issue is that I keep talking about the same things. It worked for David Newcastle when he kept talking about problem-solving and attention to detail." And, as is to be expected, Aldra has befriended more or less the entire lineup - a far cry from her time in Chalesm, where her schoolfriends were few and close. "Even Lydia Nicholls and Rick Goldsmith! It is a kind of coping mechanism, since you don't want to get on anyone's wrong side - although, on the other hand, I have definitely forgiven Lydia Vickers for calling me 'Giskra Alden' a couple of times. If I had to name a best friend on the team... it's not really possible, but I like to focus on the smaller things in life or the everyday pleasures rather than bigger or fancier stuff. At a push, probably Kichiro Matsuda, then; it's a shame he's out of there in a couple of years' time." But what of their seeming reluctance to take part in a player interview in their first cycle? "I'm not rude and I try not to keep to myself; I'm just busy! I did have some time to take out of my day today, however, so thank you."

Aldra is, by any measure, a more explosive midfielder than Saint Eleanor would typically have. They are also more notable, more quotable, and more undeniable, as a person, than many of the other people to have worn the all-black. So far, it has worked out surprisingly well - and, given some time, it might work out even better still.

Group of Six meeting (CXII) --- SAINT ELEANOR 2-0 Natkr
Participants: Gentle Breeze, Reniira Clevinger, Stephen Mitcham ~ Lydia Vickers [C], Kichirō Matsuda [VC], Kavezalea Felaraneta [ballot]
Location: White Elephant Coffee; Whitehammer district, Saint Eleanor city, EXT

LYDIA'S SUMMARY

First half: Scratch
Second half: 0-1 [50m], 0-2 [57m]

Manager: Gentle Breeze secured the expected result against a nervous and wobbly, yet nevertheless committed, Natkr side; the full court press certainly helped, but a more-than-minimal shake-up may not have gone too remiss in hindsight, either. TWO CHEERS
Tactics: The more finessed, possession-based game was perhaps a moral necessity against an underrated attacking side, but may not be the best use of our time against mysterious unranked opponents. RETURN TO TRADITION

GK: Kirsti Sundgren made a couple of crucial saves, but we're playing a relatively weak team that's rooted to second-bottom next and a bit more risk-taking would make sense, even though I just said "return to tradition." DROP FOR ABDULLAH

LB: Edward Ruthan dropped back a few times, contrary to the gameplan, but it was probably for the best as he landed a surprising number of tackles while cutting inside. KEEP
CB: Lydia Vickers did well to keep out Henderson out of safety's way, and perhaps even better to set the pace of the high defensive line (no doubt helpful in keeping everyone else happy and satisfied). KEEP
CB: Katy Wilson had a couple of drama moments but was otherwise benign; however, Abdullah is more of a "sweeper-keeper," so while benching her for a season would make sense, two of our three centre-backs are relatively conservative. Hence, DROP FOR MORRISON
RB: Keith Barnett did his job and then some, landing a few interceptions and tucking the ball away to the midfield - where we really needed it - with surprising frequency. KEEP

LM: Elizabeth Wootton was absolutely perfect today, keeping her eye on the rest of the front line as she usually does, being a touch more proactive than she would be in most games, and somehow only getting flagged offside once. KEEP
CDM: Maria Morgan was her usual self - defensively spectacular, offensively competent, almost booked for her overeagerness, and thoroughly battered by the end of it all - which is always a good thing. KEEP
CDM: Lydia Nicholls worked in typical harmony with Morgan and was more comfortable in the less deep-lying role than would be expected after all these years; with that said, she was very much an emergency option. DROP FOR MATSUDA
CAM: Gisken Aldra is a solid player even on their worst days - this was close to it, as they weren't on their usual form today and sometimes had to be backed up by the pair from Celestia, but they had the right attitude and were good off the ball. KEEP
RM: Nacle Ohan was scattergun, as per usual, but there were times when his tendency to go off-script turned into bona-fide magic that should have resulted in a goal, or four. KEEP

ST: Isabella Bright didn't really click into gear: some passing on her end was evident, but not to the devastating extent that Kevin used it when he came on in the second half. DROP FOR O'LEARY

-----

LB: Tina Falconer was called in for some last-minute backup and has very much "still got it" at the age of 36. Maybe we can call on her again, but unless we're in real trouble she's NOT RETURNING
CAM (sub): Kavezalea Felaraneta did about as much as you would have expected for someone thrown on at 2-0 with fifteen minutes left, but even he accepts that he's more of an impact sub these days. NOT RETURNING
ST (sub): Kevin O'Leary scored the first goal, set up the second, arguably should have had even more, and could be our future up front if he continues to play his cards right. STARTING

-----

Hot: Vickers (dare I say it?), Morgan, O'Leary
Not: Ruthan, Aldra (at a push), Bright

4-2-3-1 with Kichiro returning, Kevin getting the nod, Abdullah making his debut and a bit more explicit positivity than we saw today

by **The Martian Independent Republic** » Sun May 10, 2026 1:23 pm

I?

Sometime later.
"So, Mom? When will you tell me the second part of that story?"
"This one's longer, Liv, so I wanted to make sure we had time for it."
"We have time for it now! Look at the clock!"
"Okay, darling."

And so the days went on for Roderick, Clio no longer one of the people he saw, time ticking onwards as he tried to keep everything in his life as it was. He wasn't too different from Clio in that way, he had realized.

One evening, he was visiting his friend Rose for dinner. Now, to pass the time, Rose and her husband Gil were betting on coin flips.
"Heads," said Rose. Heads it was. "Heads," said Rose again. Again it was heads. "Heads," repeated Rose. And it was heads. Every time, the coin would go up, and every time it would land on heads.
"Seventy-six love, I believe," Roderick kept score, with Gil glumly agreeing.
Heads. Heads. Heads.
"The law of probability says that this should be impossible." Gil at this point had resorted to excuses, and Rose was having none of it.
"You know as well as I do that it's simply improbable."
"As I understood it, the law of probability had something to do with an infinite number of monkeys and typewriters-" Roderick cut in.
"That, given enough time, they would produce the entire works of Shakespeare, including Hamlet-"
"And what of plays not by the Bard, such as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, or the rest of Stoppard's works, or indeed anything by any Martian playwright? Would they not also be included? What special merit does an Elizabethan man who died more than half a millennium ago have to be included in this?" Gil was surpassed in his interruption skill by Rose, who, when she went on a tear like this, was impossible to stop.
"No, no, no. There was no play in what I was to say, but I've lost my train of thought." Roderick could never cut back in quickly enough to remember anything, and the couple had gone back to their betting.

"Eighty-five now. That's a new record."
"Like any of the other ones haven't been."

Heads. Heads. Heads.

"Do you think all this is to build up suspense?"
"To what, exactly?"
"To the coin finally ending up on tails, of course."
"After eighty-eight? Tails?" Rose stared at Gil dumbly. Sometimes, Roderick thought, it was a bit hard to see how they were still together.

Heads.

"Eighty-nine."
"This must mean something."
"Well, what could it mean? Your degree is more mathematically oriented than mine." Roderick couldn't quite remember what degree Gil had, but considering Rose's was in art, that claim was probably sound.
"For one, it could be that time has stopped and I am simply seeing the same coin flip eighty-nine times."
"Doubtful. Also, it's ninety now."
"It could, of course, be that I am but a Boltzmann brain, formed for microseconds at a time and having a piecemeal memory that in this timeline but not in another has seen ninety heads."
"Boltzmann brains seem just to be a theory, though, and is it not better to act as if your entire existence will not collapse immediately after your current action?"
"Perhaps." Roderick had never seen Gil admit a point from Rose beyond just saying 'perhaps'. The two had very similar personalities, but that might not be enough for a successful match, perhaps.
"Mm."
"A third option is divine intervention. Either in favor of you or against me, some spirit somewhere may have decided these outcomes for their own personal enjoyment."
"Turning to religion already? I'd hardly call that logical reasoning."
"What do you believe, then, Rose?"
"I think this is just a spectacular vindication of another law of probability."
"What law?"
"The law that each individual coin flip has a 50/50 chance of landing on heads, no matter what happened before it. Look, the coin I'm about to flip won't be impacted by any of the previous results in my favor."
"Rose!" Roderick, hearing something, forced himself to butt in.
"And look, Gil, it's heads."
"Alright, then, I'll do another. See if I can get it to go tails just by saying there's a 50% chance. Not like my fingernails will suddenly grow just because I say that they are one of the parts of the body that still grows after death."
"Rose!"
"Nope. Besides, you're not dead. In any case, ninety-two in a row for me. Care to make that ninety-three?"

"Rose!" Now Roderick was just yelling."
"What?"
"Your pot's boiling over!"
"Oh, so it is. That might be a sign for you to cut your losses, Gil." Rose shouted over her shoulder as she rushed to the kitchen.
"It might well be. I'm afraid it isn't my day."
"And I'm afraid it is mine. Dinner's ready."

"Liv?"
"Olivia?"
"You awake?"
"Well, best to leave the rest for tomorrow, then."
And a kiss on the cheek is followed by departure.

by **United States Of Alpha** » Sun May 10, 2026 1:26 pm

MatchDay7 Preview:
United States of Alpha (137) vs Choppyhausen (81)

Details:
After a loss against the Sernetians and rumors spreading as to why it happened, United States of Alpha hosts Choppyhausen, another team from the 87th generation of the Baptism of Fire. These guys are ranked lower than Anewkansas, which we defeated 2-0, but are nevertheless looking like they wanna win this thing.

So, with that and Flavovespia coming up, in order to bring home as many points as possible, we need to play not just our best, but the very very best we can do. These next three games coming up are the ones that might make or break or chance at the World Cup Finals.

So, let's show everyone what we're made of.

MatchDay8 Preview:
United States of Alpha (137) @ Flavovespia (3)

Details:
Ladies and gentlemen, the sh*tstorm is now upon us. Our team now has to face not just the highest ranked team in the group, but also the third highest in the world. Man, are we screwed.

Not really, though. Have you heard of something called a miracle? On Matchday 3, The same team that we managed to draw, Drawkland, successfully drew the Flavovespians 1-1. Obvious this shows that this team is not invincible, like all teams, but it also shows that despite this avalanche that we're marching into, there's a chance, yet a tiny one, but still a chance that we can also squeeze water from stone; a draw from Flavovespia, or maybe even a win.

Again, we still have to play our very best no matter what to even have a chance, so good luck. And here's one final piece of motivation for you all: I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL WIN I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL WIN I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL WIN!!!

_{Good luck Alphanians, I believe in you
- JustBry4:)}

by **Dhemixia** » Sun May 10, 2026 1:30 pm

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The Columbus Dominion(Est.1873)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Is Dhemixian Football Savable?

Schedule:

~~MD1 @ Marsonne~~ D 1-1
~~MD2 vs. Smoltrendestof~~ W 5-4
~~MD3 @ The Kaisers Syndicates~~ L 3-4
~~MD4 vs. S&T~~ L 2-3
~~MD5 @ Tristan da Cunha~~ W 1-0
~~MD6 @ Airannia~~ D 1-1
MD7 vs. Crpostran
MD8 @ Juvencus
MD9 vs. Burikinia
MD10 vs. Marsonne
MD11 @ Smoltrendestof
MD12 vs. The Kaisers Syndicates
MD13 @ S&T
MD14 vs. Tristan da Cunha
MD15 vs. Airannia
MD16 @ Crpostran
MD17 vs. Juvencus
MD18 @ Burikinia

Clearly, Dhemixian football cannot be fixed by regime change. The FA hires Boro Ouattara, then are forced to call up two practically preschoolers in comparison with the rest of the squad, and they've still managed to weasel their way out of the playoff spots. That is frankly an impressive feat. In World Cup 101, all 5th-placed teams are awarded a playoff spot, in the very same format that has 10-team groups. Half the teams in a given group at least escape the group stage this cycle, granted that the fifth and fourth-placed teams would have to play at least two playoff rounds, but even a fifth-place finish would be the best in Dhemixian FA history seeing as how they've never even made the playoffs. The most recent run from the Serpents was arguably their worst beat, as they managed to stumble into pot two and still get grouped in third place. Point being, this is not an association known for winning.

Now, sure, we've just finished Matchday 6 of 18. There's a hard no dooming rule until at least MD15, but it's hard to not at least be a little concerned. No matter who the young guns have been, be it Bolton and Obisana or Calhoun and Grabõn, it's just never fallen the way of the Serps. The talent's definitely been there, but it doesn't seem like the pieces have ever fully been there. Even though the Dhemixians now have an actual manager in Ouattara, the Banijan still doesn't appear to be able to save them. It's almost like something still needs to improve when everything's already been improved.

The reason I say that? These might be two of the most important matches for the Serps all tournament in MD7 and 8. Pot 2 Juvencus and Pot 3 Crpostran against Pot 4 Dhemixia. If you want to pick up points, this is where you do it. Back to the wall, when there's nothing left to do better, the only thing you can do is play better. Eighteen-year-old Randy Calhoun at striker is the Dhemixians' ticket out of the cellar, and he's their ticket to the promised land, too.

by **Raspotochje** » Sun May 10, 2026 1:36 pm

R2WC101-PARADYSTOPIA & FARFADILIS

We're back on the football scene and launching a new sports campaign. This time it's an adventure on the road to the football world cup in Paradystopia and Farfadilis.
My name is Katica Dorić and you are watching ROAD TO WORLD CUP on your Gladiator TV!

A big football cycle has started in which we are also participating. Our players achieved one victory in the third round when we beat Mytania on our home field in Kotiga. It was a great match for our team and we won all three points at home with 2-0.
In addition to this victory, we played another great match against Yangchen, but unfortunately we did not manage to win, we played 2-2. The surprise and disappointment was the loss to Olastor, but we also managed to win a point against the favored Kelssek. Our players managed to save their net by playing 0-0.
Away from home against a far better-ranked team, we failed to win a point despite a great game, losing 2-1. The leading team in our group The Kytler Peninsulae has a great team and they are favorites to go to WC this season, they beat us 1-3 at our stadium in Kotiga.

Until the end of the first part of the qualification, we have to play three difficult matches, Srednjaci, Solgavden and Bostopia. Three very difficult and tough opponents, but our players showed quality in unpredictability. We hope that we will won more than the 5 points we have now in the group.

by **Vdara** » Sun May 10, 2026 1:40 pm

Vdaikus

Imma fight the group
Pomachetti lies ahead
Oh no they got hands

StrayaRoos up top
It's Anaia one and two
But the wrong way round

Moustakakos mad
Then again, he's always mad
Seems it comes with age

Beans beans beans beans beans
Tins and jars and tubs and shit
Bean receptacles

Clydebank and Milngavie
Galloway and West Dumfries
Angus North and Mearns

(OOC: In case it wasn't clear, I may have spent far, far too long obsessing over the Scottish election. This comes as a result of that. Haw haw.)

by **Saint Eleanor** » Sun May 10, 2026 1:44 pm

OOC: I have assumed that N&N's roster is the same as it was last time, as I did last last time. This RP has been shuffled over to Queb for his approval. I will edit this notice if he suggests that any changes be made.

Group of Six meeting (CXIII) --- Epicly Amazing Giraffes 2-4 SAINT ELEANOR
Participants: Gentle Breeze, Reniira Clevinger, Stephen Mitcham ~ Lydia Vickers [C], Kichirō Matsuda [VC], Tina Falconer [ballot]
Location: Torridge and Carey's ice cream parlour; University district, Saint Eleanor city, EXT

Stephen here. The Epicly Amazing Giraffes were neither epic, amazing, nor could you exactly call them giraffes, given how consistently Lydia and Matt - neither of them taller than six foot - managed to outcompete the opposition's strikers in the air. They somehow managed to grab the lead after thirteen minutes, but their wit and guile deserted them in short order when Nacle landed a quickfire double. Our regular tactics morphed into something a bit higher-pressure for the second half, with Kevin repeatedly nagging the opposition back line, synergising with Gisken and lashing into the bottom-right corner on the hour mark. Lydia was a bit naughtier than planned and got herself booked for her troubles, and Keith was outpaced for the goal to halve the deficit, but it was Kavezalea to the rescue in the dying moments as he took his first two touches to score a special fourth goal and put the result beyond any doubt. As you can imagine, this was a comprehensive team effort; the opposition may have been weaker than Zwangzug, but the execution of the plan was no inferior.

Having consulted the wisdom of my fellow staff, I'm confident in saying that "all change is no change" for the Natanians and Nosts, who should continue to focus on more central play. Mercifully, our wide players have improved significantly and it is clear that Elizabeth is a special talent - her relatively late blooming, touch of light sarcasm, surprisingly creative mind, and interesting approach to hierarchy reminds me of Bridget - so we will be doubling down on the wide play, which would mark a more aggressive attitude than we adopted for our two wins in cycle 99. The best option here would be to field a 4-1-3-2 of sorts - compared to our usual 1-11, you have Maria pushing upwards, Lydia and Katy asked to loosen up a bit to allow Abdullah to work effectively (EAG was good "batting practice" for him, so he's staying around), and Gisken dropped for Kevin (who is more comfortable working further up the field).

Abdullah Ibn Salam: "I didn't even have a proper mattress until after Gentle Breeze arrived"
Chief Football Correspondent Jamie Rodgers pries into the mind of one of the most provocative - and perhaps introspective - players in the team's history
Originally published on Tuesday 19th March 2019

Abdullah Ibn Salam is - as well as one of the most recognisable figures on the team, with his dreadlocks and his massive figure - one of its most mysterious, and not only because he prefers to keep to himself. "I played for Quebec at the Olympics because of my father. I'm sure their scouts believe whoever told them that he's a black Quebecois guy, but anything with any more detail that you read is almost definitely tabloidy junk. And I like the tabloids!"

We do know about Abdullah's mother, Fatima Ibn Salam, who - despite her name - is a White Tinhamptonian convert to Islam. He openly describes himself as "the misfits' misfit - obviously you get very, very few mixed-race people in Saint Eleanor, you don't get a lot of non-black or non-Sochean Muslims, so it was culture shock after culture shock for me. When you don't have a job and you're looking after this many children and you're in one of the apartment blocks that they keep promising to demolish, in the kind of place that you think is something like Sunset Gates Eastern Extension, obviously you are going to struggle." (J-Block was demolished in 2017 and all inhabitants rehoused, in the final steps of Trident District Council's New Slum Clearance.) "I didn't even have a proper mattress until after Gentle Breeze arrived!" In terms of school, "I am actually thankful I went to school here. They tell you to go to school, play in the [Charles Trump] Shield, then you do professional football. I'd say I did good enough in everything. Not great, not amazing, maybe a bit better than Gisken Aldra." But, outside of the classroom, danger lurked. "I used to have a few friends. Then, some time around 2009, we got into trouble, almost got shot a couple of times. Now I do some research before I make friends with people."

Abdullah remains possibly the only person in Charles Trump Shield history to have played for two schools, although the official record only shows him playing one game. After receiving a bye, Trident lost the first leg of their second-round tie at home to the Boys' Preparatory, not yet remembered as perennial finalists. "So I thought to myself, after the first leg, I'll talk to the substitute goalkeeper, pick his brains, see if I can get him to bail out, fake some kind of injury, and then I'm in." That he was, rather incredibly, as Abdullah - now bearing the name of Pavexalena neVetarexena, a more introverted and less athletically-remarkable student at the Boys' Prep - conceded only two goals in six games on the school's way to the final against Broadlands CS. "I was good. Really, really good! Not as good as some people made me out to be, but good enough that I felt like I deserved my second chance. David Green, the manager, wasn't happy, though" - learning just two days before the final that he was, in fact, Abdullah, and removing him from the teamsheet before his team suffered a 7-4 defeat. "My mum was proud of me, though. She told Pascal Dion all about me and he tried to get me onto the MFG [Misiriyaa Football Group, acting on behalf of Newbanks United] books!"

In the end, though, it was his beloved Good Hope Club who signed him, and fielded him in their starting lineup almost immediately. "2013... what a year, if you ask me. First of all, I was making money and didn't have to beg with Mary Kirkport to buy me a mobile phone, or just pretend to tell people that I'm doing okay and there's not really a lot going on with my life, so I could just do things in places where the buildings are maybe two floors tall, at most. I was fresh off the Olympics, although maybe I've gotten my timetable wrong. I have been playing a bit further up the field when it's required, which I think a lot of Eleanorians are afraid of, although it does work if you trust your defenders and the other way around - so it's worked for Good Hope. Really, is there anything I haven't appreciated? Maybe Grand Beach's fans or a couple of the new generation at MFG. But I have my own house now, I have a firearms license because of what you already know about, and I like it there."

In adulthood as in childhood, Abdullah tends to "I'll need to have a lot of dinners before I can make my mind up about who's good. I don't tend to trust people, but I've been told everyone trusts me and each other, so I hope it's a matter of time. I have had dinner with... Bridget Coombe, who's no longer on the team but likes me. Kirsti [Sundgren], who seems okay with me, but hasn't shaken off her Norrish habits. Izzy [Isabella] Bright, who has more opinions than I do and will always express them. And I'm planning to go out with Elizabeth Wootton tonight, although from my talks with her, she seems to be nice. Otherwise, I came this close to having a bullet in my arm - not even in my head -"

Abdullah Ibn Salam promised to be the harbinger of change for the Good Hope Club, and delivered, with the team now more defensively fluid than it has been in a generation. If - perhaps even when - he starts for the Eleanorian national team on a long-term basis, perhaps a similar reckoning may come for them, too. He may well see it as his way of exacting revenge on life itself.

by **Paradystopia** » Sun May 10, 2026 1:52 pm

by **Katzeburg** » Sun May 10, 2026 3:38 pm

Katzeburg 2-1 Aamathyr
Field 28', 78' // Shovot 60'

1 Ry Whinery, 2 Katharine Howland, 3 Laurence Herman, 4 Cale Fux, 5 Elicia Morton(Prudence Deering 65'), 6 Serena Plank (Starla Baumer 65'), 7 Babe Barr, 8 Elmer Spears, 9 Meriel Arkwright, 10 Lloyd Field, 11 Elvin Greenberg (Brianne Chaplin 65')

Possession - 67% / 33%
Shots - 18 / 6
Shots on Target - 8 / 4
Fouls - 13 / 9

Warkus 0-0 Katzeburg

1 Ry Whinery, 2 Katharine Howland, 3 Laurence Herman, 4 Cale Fux (Jerrold Dallas 65'), 5 Elicia Morton , 6 Serena Plank, 7 Babe Barr, 8 Elmer Spears (Brandt Godfrey 65'), 9 Meriel Arkwright, 10 Lloyd Field, 11 Elvin Greenberg (Kester Fuchs 65')

Possession - 53% / 47%
Shots - 3 / 2
Shots on Target - 0 / 1
Fouls - 10 / 11

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Katzeburgian Committee on Sporting Achievement and Infrastructure Development releases ruling on national footballing structure

KATZESTADT, KATZEBURG, June 1, AK25 - The Katzeburgian Committee on Sporting Achievement and Infrastructure Development has today released a significant wide-reaching report on the structure of football within the country with a recommendation to merge the Katzeburg Football Federation (KFF) and Katzeburgian National League (KNL) corporate bodies.

The report, titled "One Nation, One Goal - Katzeburgian football and the systemic challenges and redundancies inherent within the system which has led to multiversal mediocrity and average performances in both the international and domestic game" follows on from an extensive review process and inquiry held by the committee, which ran over a period of six months after the national team's failure to qualify for World Cup 100 and during the following Cup of Harmony run to the final.

The committee has levelled five core recommendations to the Katzeburgian government as to how to improve the state of Katzeburgian football, which will now be reviewed by Katzeburgian Parliament and voted on in the coming weeks. They are as follows:

Committee chairwoman and MP for Blackmouth Harbour Olivia Curtis said: "This report is the culmination of close to a year of hard work from all of the committee team regarding what is in the best health for football in this country, and I would like to thank all of those who have taken part both in hearings, background research, and their own submissions to the committee. Katzeburgian football is broken, and it is clear that from the national team's own recent performances - particularly in the ongoing struggle to make the World Cup despite several close calls - the level of investment into the sport and the quality it needs to be at to make positive progress is no longer aligning.

"These recommendations are a starting point to drawing those diverging lines back together at a national and domestic level and we urge the wider Parliament to vote these proposals through immediately to ensure that Katzeburg stands a good chance of turning the current challenger mediocrity into something more viable before the sport collapses in the country entirely."

The full 157-page report will be available for public viewing on the Committee's website at 3pm today, and members of the public and those affected by the recommendations are encouraged to comment on the proposals before it goes to a review in the Katzeburgian Parliament.

ENDS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Katzeburgian National League accepts Committee findings, encourages merger

KATZESTADT, KATZEBURG, June 1, AK25 - The Katzeburgian National League - the top flight of domestic football in Katzeburg - accepts the findings and recommendations handed down by the Katzeburgian Committee on Sporting Achievement and Infrastructure Development regarding the structure of football in the country.

The 157-page report, which recommends five core moves to foster a stronger footballing culture in Katzeburg, also includes a wider range of recommendations around the country's domestic footballing culture, including a cap on international players in top flight sides and an encouragement for commercial growth, which will be discussed by the league's steering group over the coming months.

However, the league must comment on the core recommendation to merge itself with the Katzeburgian Football Federation (KFF). Despite the clear cultural differences between the two organisations, it is the league's view that a merger would be the best for Katzeburgian football as a whole, and as such is accepting the core recommendation and has signalled its intent to work with the government in completing a merger in a timely manner.

Andrew Brachentauer, chairman of the KNL said: "We accept the many rulings and recommendations provided by the Committee in their wide-reaching report, and we would like to thank them for their time, efforts, and insight into how best Katzeburgian football should be organised and operated. A merger with the KFF will allow for the needless infighting and animosity to evaporate and put Katzeburgian football back in with a fighting chance of progressing forward once more.

"We know from a domestic level that the passion in the sport has exploded over these last five years - from a national team which shocked many to make the World Cup on their second attempt, to a number of deep runs and moments where we came within inches of glory; Katzeburgians are passionate about football and with that kind of backing, there's a World Cup winning nation somewhere within us. Unfortunately, we've not helped our chances by failing to grow the game here as much as we should have and now we are in a spot of stagnation. That needs to change immediately, and a merger with the KFF will only help serve that end."

The league will not comment further on this matter until after the Katzeburgian Parliament have voted on the core recommendations provided by the report.

ENDS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Katzeburg Football Federation responds to Committee recommendations

KATZESTADT, KATZEBURG, June 2, AK25 - The Katzeburg Football Federation has today issued a short statement in relation to yesterday's findings released by the Katzeburgian Committee on Sporting Achievement and Infrastructure Development.

Marvin Donaldson, the KFF Head of Media said: "The Committee is politely asked to go fuck themselves. The KFF remains the best route for Katzeburgian football to succeed, and any attempts at a merger with the domestic league will only succeed in forcing the game to collapse in on itself.

"We strongly reject any and all recommendations made by the committee, and will be petitioning the Katzeburgian Parliament to either condemn this sham of a report to its nearest waste-bin or be repurposed and sent as vital humanitarian aid to Jerusalem as recycled clothing for their terribly cold and disturbingly under-age looking reporters."

The KFF will make no further comments at this time.

ENDS

by **Bonusia** » Sun May 10, 2026 4:14 pm

Round 1: Nusandara 0-3 Bonusia - W
@ Nusandara
Round 2: Bonusia 3-2 HUElavia - W
@ La Caravana, Op, Bonport, Bonusia
Round 3: Libesia 0-1 Bonusia - W
@ Hasimou Biri Sports Complex, Hayaale, Libesia
Round 4: Bonusia 2-0 Katzeburg - W
@ Estadi de la Unificació, Somorrosta, Detrívora, Bonusia
Round 5: Beal an Mhuirthead 1-2 Bonusia - W
@ Beal an Mhuirthead
Round 6: Bonusia 2-0 Aamathyr - W
@ Tomàtic, Sant Molina, Ralí, Bonusia
Round 7: Aphrilia vs Bonusia
@ Millennium Dawn Stadium, Darlingtown, Aphrilia
Round 8: Bonusia vs Warkus
@ La Cova del Tigre, Unom, Plana d'Unó, Bonusia
Round 9: Carpathia and Ruthenia vs Bonusia
@ Carpathia and Ruthenia
Round 10: Bonusia vs Nusandara
@ Estadi d'Avellanes&Turró, Minga, Tionera, Bonusia
Round 11: HUElavia vs Bonusia
@ Estadio Porto, Portimao, HUElavia
Round 12: Bonusia vs Libesia
@ La Blanquinada, Tarraconova, Tarraconensis, Bonusia
Round 13: Katzeburg vs Bonusia
@ Anchor Field, Inverhaven, Katzeburg
Round 14: Bonusia vs Beal an Mhuirthead
@ Hepepelioli, Wèep, Pungapu, Bonusia
Round 15: Aamathyr vs Bonusia
@ Aamathyr
Round 16: Bonusia vs Aphrilia
@ Estadi Bonusià Inda' Regareka, Kekla, Keklagara, Bonusia
Round 17: Warkus vs Bonusia
@ Dome of Virtue, Nyareth Newydd, Warkus
Round 18: Bonusia vs Carpathia and Ruthenia
@ Estadi Casa Tarradellas, Kynetbo, AMK

MATCHDAY 3	MATCHDAY 4
LIBESIA 0-1 BONUSIA	BONUSIA 2-0 KATZEBURG
THE CHINESE WATER Persistence paid off as Cea eventually managed to score a lone goal against a much harsher opponent than expected.	LIKE CLOCKWORK A stainless Bonusia manages to overcome Katzeburg in Somorrosta, making it 12 out of 12 points for the Space Labubus, who lead group 14 by themselves.
Events (LIB): \|\| J. Ogot 48', B. Bhekinkosi 75' Events (BON): A. Cea 89' / \|\| T. Gonfaus 63'	Events (BON): A. Cea 22', X. Clotet 86' / \|\| F. Rojo 33' Events (KAT): \|\| E. Clarkson 69'
SUMMARY: Until before the qualifiers, little was known about Libesia. A nation in the lesser pots of the draw, without relevant information, almost no match reports, nor highlights, nor known tactics. These teams, fortunately, tend to be the weakest of the group; however, Libesia opened in their home field by absolutely stomping out Warkus, which is the closest rival, a priori, for Bonusia to achieve the coveted top 5 spot. Thus, despite the important wins for the Bonusians during the first games of the qualifiers, the Estrella Negra was extremely wary of this away trip. When the players entered the field, they understood why. The Libesians played extremely tight, high-instensity defensive football, which complicated the matter for teams that enjoy attacking spaces consistently such as Bonusia. They certainly put a lot of passion into the game aswell, and that also includes the home fans, who truly gave a strong push and acted as a twelfth player. The first half was dominated in possession by Bonusia, but almost no very clear occasions were registered by either side; with the game pretty much being more of a mudfight than an actual football game. The closest Bonusian chance was a curved shot by a keeled left Bernat Formiga that ended up hitting the crossbar. On the other hand, Libesia did manage a dangerous counter-attack, but the final shot by Xaba was securely blocked by Cloquell. During the second half, the tonic of the game was pretty similar, with the addendum that tackles became even more agressive, leaving a couple yellows for Libesia and the unfortunate expulsion of Tomeu Gonfaus after a well-timed tackle that was simulated and overacted by Libesian striker Mikhail Tsekani, who even (presumably) brought with him a couple of ketchup sachets to simulate a barely-noticeable bloody scratch near his shin. However, the Libesians, in a way, committed the same mistake as the Nusandarans; focusing too much on defense to secure a 0-0. And although they certainly did a better job than the latter, in the end the insistence of the Labubus Espaials ended up being worth it, as the boy from Pètar, Aitor Cea, scored a beautiful goal, stop-turn-score type; finishing a play started by Pol Miró and finally setting the final scoreboard, granting Bonusia it's third victory on a row.	SUMMARY: Back in home soil, the Estrella Negra really gave all fans in the iconic Estadi de la Unificació their money's worth as they faced Katzeburg, one of the stronger nations of the group, and beat them the Somorrostan way. Because the game, exceptuating for some occasions that showed the Katzeburgian skill, was utterly dominated by the Bonusian midfield, with Isaac Boleda getting the applause of his club's stadium. This Bonusian freehold during the first quarter of the game ended up paying off as Bernat Formiga got a great center towards Aitor Cea, who scored the first goal of the night by calmly tapping the ball away from Whinery and into the net. With this scoreboard we would reach halftime, not without a good occasion for Katzeburg, as Greenberg got a far, potent shot out of the hat, which was dulifully blocked by Biel Burgés. During the second half, not much would change, and the game would remain pretty static. The Katzeburgians didn't really managed to get comfortable in the game, and the Bonusian midfield slowed things down aswell. As a result, despite still seeing quality moves from both teams, the game remained quite static other than some fortuitious plays; at least until Xavier Clotet, the ex-Inter player who, funnily enough, is now playing in a Katzeburgian club, scored the definitive 2-0 after making a good combination with Ainara Valladares, a combination that we saw much in that winning U-20 Copa Rushmori side. With this result Bonusia keeps moving forward towards the World Cup. The biggest challenges still remain in the way, mainly the trip away to the top 3 seeds of the group. But, with a perfect record in 4 games, the nation seems more hopeful than ever.

MATCHDAY 5	MATCHDAY 6
BEAL AN MHUIRTHEAD 1-2 BONUSIA	BONUSIA 2-0 AAMATHYR
MYSTERY PRIZE In a literally unfollowable match, Bonusia managed to grab yet another three points against... uhm... against their oppositon.	WINNING IN A ZAP L'Estrella Negra extends their perfect record to 6 matchdays in Sant Molina against Aamathyr.
Events (BMH): Unknown 3' Events (BON): A. Valladares 50', A. Dou 78'	Events (BON): A. Cea 41' 56' Events (AAM): -
SUMMARY: A very odd situation took place in Beal an Mhuirthead. The bureaucracy needed to get visas for non-player travelers was so overcomplicated that no press representative nor fan managed to get it in time, leaving the Beal an Mhuirthead-Bonusia game as an odd unseen game. Any impressions were only given by the players and staff members who were at the game live. They mostly coincided in that it was a game that took Bonusia unprepared at first, with the Bealis quickly scoring in the beginning, but which later did turn for Bonusia, although it was required for the individual talent and passion of attackers to pull it through. The two Bonusian goals came from isolated individual plays; one by Ainara Valladares and the other from Antonieta Dou, who scored the final goal to settle yet another win. The FBF has issued a strong communicate complaining about this extreme difficulty to travel to Beal, claiming "anti-sportsmanship". After the unresponsiveness of the Beali representatives, officials in Pungapu are expected to make Beali fans take a C1-level exam of the Pedic language and another on the history of pre-Bonusian Wèep.	SUMMARY: Sant Molina saw a good display of Bonusia against Aamathyr in the 6th matchday of the World Cup qualifiers, with Cea being the finisher of a pretty methodical Bonusia that risked little and did what had to be done to ensure their 6th win in a row. Aamathyr, since the beggining of the game, looked clearly unorganized and without a clear idea of game, like even they themselves didn't know which style you prefered. And this was greatly proffited on by the Bonusians, who didn't hesitate to take profit of this vulerability. The two goals were almost identical, only switching the side of the field they were scored in. Poveda put a pass for Dou, Dou crossed and Cea smashed the ball into the net. After the both were scored, the game got pretty quiet. Something that didn't sit well with the speed-lover Molinans, who craved an exciting contest. Nevertheless, Bonusia now extends the undefeated streak all the way to 6 games, a third of the qualifying campaign.

PRESENTS...
PORTA ENLLÀ
Bonusians fora de Bonúsia
Amb REGINA QUARESMA

"Hiii my cootie-patooties! My name is Regina Quaresma! And welcome to my superfun new programme, PORTA ENLLÀ! During my supernice time with you, we'll go like deep into the lives of our loveliest Bonusian friendies that live all beyond the big beautiful portal that separates our dear Bonusia from the craaazy multiverse it inhabits! But to travel to the big and scary confines of reality we should, like, start close to home, shouldn't we? Besides, I'm like suuuper scared of travelling anyways! I've never even left Bonusia besides that trip to Farfadillis, and that place was like SUPER scary! Thus, we first will visit the confines of Bonusia, the Bonusian Rushmore! Are you excited my girls? It's going to be super fun! Woooo!"

Being officially adhered to the Confederation in 479 D.G.A (Després de la Gran Arribada), the vegueria of Rushmore Bonusià is the youngest of the 46 Bonusian vegueries. It's history started with the opening of the Porta del Mar*^{For more info, check out the Copa Rushmori RPs.}, the portal connecting this land and Rushmore to the rest of Bonusia, in 459 by the then young Roger Vàzquez, now known as King Roger I. King Roger and his court maintain more of a symbolic role in the vegueria's government, which is chosen during Council elections as any other vegueria. King Roger and his noblemen all live in Rogèria, the old capital and the closest city to the portal, and despite having ceded most of his political power to the new vegueria the king still maintains all sorts of royal rituals to maintain in Rogèria itself, the city where the moarch holds the most power. Roger's shenanigans and the portal's administration are the biggest concerns of the city of Rogèria, probably the newest old capital in the Multiverse. Today, we'll indagate deeper into the lives of one of Rogèria's citizens.

"Hey guyys, we're here about to cross the portal! I can't believe it I'm so exciteddd! Okay guys look, before we go, so this is like this big sea platform. Getting out of Bonusia is soo hard, you have to take a ferry from Kynetbo to get here, then cross the portal. This apparently will look like much more pretty when it's finished, but right now it's just a sad, ugly gray platform. Okay, alright, everything's going forwards, it's TIIIMEEE...
...
"And we're here finally in Rogèria, at the Portal Centre of the Rushmore Bonusià! It's sooo big, i will totally get like superlost, like this place is soo absolutely HUMONGOUS girllll."

Indeed it is "Humongous". With the growing number of foreign visitors that Bonusia recieves each year, the Rogerian airport the Rogerian Interdimensional port whitch was a forced stop for any visitor to the Confederation. This has severely prompted many expansions to meet with the demands of portal-crossing needs, which is now done in a series of cable cars to maximize efficiency.

"And here it is! Hiii sweetheart, a bit of introductionie mind you? What's your name love.
"My name is Carlous Rífic, but just call me Carlos. I'm 37 years old and I work in the airport, like most people around
"Great thing Carlos! Like soo gre- wait what? What do you mean? Really, are you counting the time in the airport?. No but I cannot like leave the programme like this... Can't you just edit it? I like so though we had like a team or something... Ooh... Mhm, okay,

"Like SUPER sorry Carlos, but it seems time's up for today honey. Next time I'll make sure, we won't don't film the programme in the airport. Stay tuned, if they don't like fire me we'll travel far and wide across the Multiverse. Until then, see y'all, my cootie patooties!!!"

by **Warkus** » Sun May 10, 2026 4:39 pm

Is Blethynball Already Dead?
by Thomas Blayney

Before the start of the World Cup Qualifiers, Warkus seemed like they could finally challenge for qualification. Now six games in and they sit just above the bottom of Group 14 with a single win, two draws and three defeats. The lacklustre performances have left fans and pundits wondering whether Jack Blethyn’s patented ‘Blethynball’, which emerged in the last Cup of Harmony, has already run out of steam.

The fluid style relies heavily on individual creativity and, more importantly, the rest of the team working hard to fill the gaps left by the players trying to create scoring opportunities. In most games they’ve lacked that creative spark but have managed to remain disciplined enough to avoid conceding, like in their most recent game against Katzeburg. In other games, like their narrow win in the high-scoring game against Beal an Mhuirthead, they were incredible on the ball but nearly collapsed every time they were off the ball. Other times, they’ve played okay but simply haven’t had the quality to avoid losing to teams like Aphirilia and HUElavia. And the opening loss to newcomers Libesia – the only team below them at this point – shows what can happen when Warkus is caught lacking in both respects.

It will be interesting to see if Blethyn reverts to the slightly more structured style his teams employed in the last two attempts at qualifying for the World Cup. Blethyn has historically been known for giving detailed instructions to his players in training and during games, which he has backed away from over the last two years. Such an approach might prove to be the remedy to his team’s woes, although Warkus fans will no doubt remember that this approach was abandoned because it too failed to achieve desirable results in the last qualification attempt.
A change of tactics might not do the trick because they might not be the problem in the first place. The Warkus squad has been remarkably stable since the team returned to international football in the World Cup 99 Qualifiers. Nine of out the eleven regular starters have been consistent starters since that tournament and the only new call up – the fourteen year old Phoenix Vos – has been the only player offering anything fresh in this team. His age and inexperience mean that it won’t be possible to rely on him as a talisman player, so Warkusians will be hoping that players like team captain Llewelyn Rose and young winger Siôr Castell find some form before the team’s chances of qualifying are completely dashed.

It would be remiss of me to ignore the elephant in the room here – the accusations that the team’s poor performances should be chalked up to off field distractions. Blethyn’s romantic relationship with Queen Eirian Protheroe, Rose’s guest gig as creative director for Arwr’s official Warkus national team apparel collection and some of the older players, particularly those on the bench, may already be thinking ahead to retirement. Rose’s complaints about the official World Cup ball being ‘hard to get used to’ were widely mocked on social media and only brought more attention to claims that his pivot into the world of fashion show he’s not taking his national team duties seriously.

Blethyn’s contract is set to run until the end of the next CAFA Cup and he’s likely earned some grace after his team’s performances in other competitions, so the WFA board will probably forgive one lacklustre tournament, but it’s not out of the question that he’ll lose his job if Warkus remains this close to the bottom of the group table by the end of the qualifiers. Even if results begins to improve, we will no doubt continue to wonder whether Blethyn’s brought the team as far as he can and if qualification can only be achieved under new leadership. We’ll simply have to wait and see whether Blethynball can dazzle us once again or whether it’s already dead.

by **Eriadni** » Sun May 10, 2026 5:13 pm

Chengshan Sports Review

Match Day 5 & 6 Roundup
Wires

Eriadni 2 – 2 Afanc Strait
Drawkland 1 – 1 Eriadni

The Eagles remain in search of a second win in the 101st World Cup Qualifiers, after drawing to both Afanc Strait and the aptly named Drawkland.
Down 2-0 at half time, the Eriadnians rallied magnificently in the second half against Afanc Strait, with a quickfire double from Gong An in the 73rd and 78th minutes to secure a draw. While the home crowd were happy to avoid a loss, there was still the feeling that more could have been done.
That same sentiment was shared by midfielder Feng Chengguang, who made a surprise appearance at the post-match press conference to share his thoughts on the match.
“Our team did an excellent job to rally at half-time and develop an understanding of our opponent’s strengths and weaknesses. We all try to be analytical on the pitch, so we can better understand how we as a team play, and how we can use that to beat our opponent. We noticed that the Afanc centre-backs tended to challenge early, so we could bait them into committing and then quickly pass through the space. We just need to start doing this kind of thing earlier, going down 2-0 before starting to get serious just isn’t good enough.”
Playing away at Drawkland saw the Eagles go 1-0 after 20 minutes but concede an equaliser just before half-time. While the second-half play was at times frantic and desperate, Drawkland held their own against a passionate but scrappy Eriadnian attack. Despite the Eagles’ best efforts, especially on corners, the Drawkland defence was exceedingly difficult to break down. The Eagles were consistently denied chances, thanks to quick movements and skilful reading of the play. When the final whistle blew, the Eriadnians were able to walk away with a draw, adding another point to their tally for a table position of 7th.
With a third of the campaign down, the Eagles will be looking to improve their performance in order to have the best chance of climbing the ladder and securing a play-off spot for World Cup 101 qualification.

Match Day 7 & 8 Preview:
Wires

Eriadni v Anewkansas – Tiancheng Central Stadium
Sernet v Eriadni - Gomswood Arena Stensemertef

Eriadni will be out to secure hopefully a second home win against Anewkansas, and following that up with a challenging game against Sernet away. Adopting a more patient approach, Eagles coach Li Meidong suggested that the team needed to be more considered and careful in their efforts. It remains to be seen whether this careful approach will pay off,

With thousands of fans expected to pack out Tiancheng Central Stadium, and a large cohort organising to travel away, the Eriadnian squad will be backed fully by their country. We eagerly await the results of recent preparations and are wishing our national team all the very best for their next games.

ISideWith UK · by **Eastfield Lodge** » Sun May 10, 2026 5:22 pm

Eastfield Lodge - Line-up

GK: Horak
CB: Webber
CB: Kirkup 31'
RB: Fevison (<> North 56' 80')
LB: Delaware-Mahmud
DMF: Forde 64'
CMF: Dinwoodie (<> Farrow 70')
RMF: Walkden
LMF: Hackett (<> Jafari-Law 56')
AMF: Caceres (<> Holdsworth 70')
ST: Ingersleben (<> Noble 80')

Kwrpania - Line-up

GK: Fakswr-rof
RB: Magnws-bym
CB: Bezypman-bof 30'
CB: Rynropeka-pyt
LB: Mamzwb-bab 12' (<> Synydwb-pyt 50')
RMF: Fyrek-nam (<> Pykpytyr-myf 69')
CMF: Magnws-rab
CMF: Vabwpetob-zok (<> Vabwzyb-kes 76')
LMF: Pabofen-nam
ST: Magnws-rym (<> Rynropeka-gyv 50' 63')
ST: Denrefwp-bok (<> Vabwpro-pyt 69')

World Cup 101 Qualifying Group 13 Matchday 5

Location: Lodger City Memorial Stadium, New Lodger City, Eastfield Lodge
Attendance: 147,954

59% - Possession - 41%
16 - Shots - 5
10 - Shots on Target - 1
8 - Corners - 4
10 - Fouls - 15

Eastfield Lodge 2 – 0 Kwrpania[][][][]

Ingersleben (15’) ––– [][][][][][][][][][[]
Caceres (49') --- [][][][][][][][]

Goals from Enoch Ingersleben and Boet Caceres help Eastfield Lodge gain their first victory of qualifying against the group’s top seeds Kwrpania with a dominant display.

After a terrible start to the qualifying campaign for World Cup 101, Eastfield Lodge fans travelled to the Memorial Stadium in relatively low spirits as the side hosted the group’s top seeds, and semi-finalists in the landmark 100th World Cup, Kwrpania, the side ranked 10th in the world hoping to add to their decent start to qualifying where they’ve won three of their four matches so far. The Lodgers enter this match on some of the worst qualifying form in recent memory, with only one point in four games seeing them bottom of the table, and despite being a third pot side, the majority of fans would be forgiven in thinking this was a foregone conclusion in favour of the visitors.

From the opening minutes, it was plain to see that the balance of power was going the way of the hosts. Daisi Hackett nearly opened the scoring in the first minute as Szilard Forde latched on to a mishit clearance from Rynropeka-pyt, and played the Felswyr winger through the defence before she placed the ensuing shot wide of the target. Ingersleben forced a smart save from distance to test Fakswr-rof a few minutes later, and then got on the scoresheet after 15 minutes of Eastfielder dominance as Fakswr-rof drops a corner cross straight into the path of his left foot, a stab home confirming his third and the Lodgers’ fourth goal of the campaign. He nearly doubled it five minutes later as well, Boet Caceres ending a counter-attack with a perfectly placed through ball around Rynropeka-pyt landing at Ingersleben’s feet, the Tihon United striker however only managed to fire the ball straight into the keeper’s body.

Kwrpania’s first significant attempt on goal came around the half hour mark, as Denrefwp-bok managed to pop up unmarked in the box to get on the end of Magnws-rab’s whipped free kick, his shot clattering off the foot of the far post when it should have been the equaliser. They managed their only shot on target in the first half as well, a tame curled effort from the corner of the box courtesy of Pabofen-nam that Amin Horak was perfectly comfortable catching and holding on to. Kwrpania then almost immediately conceded a second goal, as Horak launched the ball upfield into the path of Mutee’a Walkden, the Royals winger beating Magnws-bym to the ball and forcing yet another strong save from Fakswr-rof. The first half also nearly ended with a second goal from the hosts, with Elvio Dinwoodie firing a free kick with nearly perfect form, only failing to dip at the last second and clipping the top of the crossbar in the process.

The second half started off in very much the same way the first half ended, with the hosts in relative cruise control. Despite holding the ball for the first couple of minutes and trying to probe for a weakness in the Eastfielder backline, Kwrpania were unable to create any opportunities, and Magnws-rab then proceeded to lose the ball in midfield, his pocket picked by Szilard Forde who quickly played it out wide to Walkden. Walkden proceeded to beat Mamzwb-bab for pace, helped by the early yellow card conceded by the full back, and then she floated a cross to the back post where Ingersleben headed it back to the middle of the box for Boet Caceres to head past the Eels keeper. 2-0 to the Lodgers and Kwrpania were not looking like getting back into the game at all.

Manager Dobgazoz-bof then rang the changes, but it proved to be of little use as the Lodgers continued to dominate proceedings. Substitute Goldie Jafari-Law was the next to come close, her chipped effort beating Fakswr-rof from a tight angle but being cleared off the line by Bezypman-bof. Ingersleben also twice came close before taken off at the end of the game, the first a bullet header that was blocked by the defender on the post, and the second a curling effort from distance that was expertly tipped over the bar by Fakswr-rof. Chappell Holdsworth almost made it 3-0 in the dying embers of the game as well, popping up late in the box to meet Walkden’s pull back and again forcing a brilliant save from the Kwrpania keeper.

In the end, it finished 2-0, a big result for the Eastfielders that sees them move off the foot of the table and a step closer to qualifying for what will likely be the playoffs given the terrible start Meogegiv’s side had. Up next is a home match against the group’s second seeds Recuecn, a match that could possibly prove to be an even bigger challenge for the struggling Lodgers as well.

World Cup 101 Qualifying MD6:
Line-up (4-2-3-1): Horak - Webber (<> Peebles 78’), Kirkup, Fevison, Delaware-Mahmud (<> Phelan 58’) - Forde (<> Meskin-Collingwood 67’), Dinwoodie - Walkden (<> Aguiar 67’), Hackett, Caceres - Ingersleben (<> Holdsworth 78’)
Goals (Assists): Caceres (35’, 76’ - Dinwoodie), Hackett (54’ - Fevison)
Headline: Spoils shared in 6 goal thriller

Line-up to play Kwrpania and Reçuecn (4-2-3-1):
Horak - Webber, Kirkup, Fevison, Delaware-Mahmud - Forde, Dinwoodie - Walkden, Hackett, Caceres - Ingersleben
Suspended: N/A
Injured: N/A

by **Edsmontik** » Sun May 10, 2026 6:00 pm

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EAGLES MAINTAIN A STRONG WINSTREAK

Monday, 8/15/2033, 7:36pm
Written by Hansen der-Vaught, Joslen Verstrad

This is a transcript from a live ISN production written in paragraph form; however, speakers are not included.

Today is another day folks! ISN is here today with more good news for Eagles fans, as Edsmontik comes back from the Suberarenae with another big win. Many in Touve say they've had the best time watching the Eagles take down opponent after opponent and today is no different. The Suberarenae was packed today, nearly filling out to the brim as more and more people tune into the Eagles' qualifying journey.

Edsmontik defeated their opponent Legalese in a stunning 4-0 bashing, with Stuero and Bervaign leading that charge. It was an attacking team against a very attacking-focused team, yet the Eagles still came out of top. The Eagles' front row was able to slip through the powerful Legalese attack on several occasions to send goals past their keeper.

The game against Legalese started with a quick attack by the Eagles. While their maneuvering was countered by the Legalese, the Edsmons would be able to push pas them into the midfield soon. With knowledge that they already had, according to Dav der-Ghavyr, the Eagles would need to do a lot more "protecting their keeper" as the Legalese were very strong in their battering ram attacks. Each shot would wear down der-Stoiuben more and more if he was not careful and also if his defense left him alone. The Eagles themselves would be heavily attacking from the wings in hope that the Legalese sides would be weaker if their power was concentrated to the center.

Overall, this went well for the Eagles. Move after move throughout the first half, they were able to encircle the Legalese in an almost military-like move to steal possession and rush at goal. Each attack coordinated by the Edsmons' opponents basically went to waste. der-Stoiuben had only needed to make two saves by the 32nd minute. On the other hand, Ulyatt, the Legalese keeper, was barely able to keep up with Stuero, Svaardaen, and Bervaign's high-placed shots as he was pretty short for a keeper. Still, he had not managed to let in a single goal.

So there it was, goalless at half time. The Eagles thought that maybe they had finally met their match. Stuero's shots were barely knocked over the goal no matter how fast the ball went. Ulyatt was very agile. According to Stuero, he thought that it was indeed possible, but "to hit the back of the net with this guy [Ulyatt] in net was to throw a rock at a target a mile away and hit the bullseye." Stuero had to "launch a rock" instead of throwing one to make it in. In the 56th minute after halftime, Ulyatt finally broke. The thing that the Legalese would have used against the Eagles if given the chance was now being used by the Edsmons against the Legalese.

Every five to ten minutes, Edsmontik would pour in goal after goal. First, it was the opener in the 56th minute by Stuero. Then, it was Norseden's header in the 61st minute. Then, Aespana sent in a third goal at the 70th minute. It was basically over the the Legalese team. Edsmontik had broken through, and wouldn't let them repair their wall. Even worse, the Legalese wasn't able to break the Edsmon wall to equalize the scoring.

After the fourth and final goal of the game, scored by Marvic Svaardaen in the 83rd minute, where he landed a chip shot after dodging defenders, everyone basically knew the outcome. Legalese would not be able to score for the remaining time, including the four minutes of stoppage time given afterwards. Edsmontik won their second 4-0 victory, continuing their win streak and bringing home yet another clean towel.

Whatever's next for the Eagles in the Qusmo match, we here at ISN, like so many proud Edsmons, give thanks to our strong Eagles for their work in making the Edsmon people and fans from all around the world happy.

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VykrenDerTylvan [V]
I'm proud of our Eagles. Let's hope they make it all the way to the end, let's see a World Cup 98 where they finish the job!
11,872 Likes - 312 Dislikes
Fernasqr
Thanks for all of your good work to the team to make Edsmontik a better team. They must be proud to have you as a coach.
7,112 Likes - 92 Dislikes

DERSTOIUBENNUMBERONE1
We need more talk about der-Stoiuben! He does a lot for the team and is underrated overall.
11,872 Likes - 312 Dislikes
LersterviigeArkvlakken [V]
Well, there is a reason that FC Städeli bought him from us, and gave him a lavish lifestyle with a car as well! #GODERSTOIUBEN!
12,472 Likes - 54 Dislikes

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AN OVERVIEW OF THE EAGLES VS. QUSMO

Friday, 8/19/2033, 11:54am
Written by Vyktor Kalsefja

With what was considered some very safe prior matches, Edsmontik nearly dropped it all with Qusmo. The lead that Edsmontik would take came in very late overall, and shows the Eagles that they have got to be more careful, especially when giving breaks to star players like Stuero. Edsmontik's lineup for Qusmo is generally said to be the reason for the very close scoreline, and the fact that it was a home game for the Eagles also made the lineup targeted more. Whether or not this very switched out lineup and few substitutions was intentional or not by der-Ghavyr still remains a mystery.

Edsmontik's lineup started with der-Stoiuben in the net, which was typical. Dalsen, Javarqa, Travdt, and Vikral made up the defense line, however, which was not. Vikral, Travdt, and Dalsen had overall not had too much time on the field but have shown potential. That is quite literally the reason they were selected despite their age. However, it's clear that those three did not perform completely in sync with Javarqa who captained in the absence of Stuero.

The middle of the Edsmon lineup consisted of Wejikaj, Ystermakt, and Ghreksbvy. Ystermakt has been pretty consistent, however Ghreksbvy hasn't been at the peak of his performance. On club level, he isn't really delivering much either, unlike Ystermakt. Both compete in the Tikariotian Premier League. Wejikaj is a completely different story. He's had really good performances for Touve Tajhav, however, he hasn't been performing on the international stage. According to der-Ghavyr, this game would "be a test to see if Wejikaj could overcome his international problems."

Last but not least, the Edsmon front line consisted of some still powerful players. Bervaign would lead in the 4-3-2-1 and drop back in the 4-2-4, while he had Rehcikt on his left and Fotserr on his right. Fotserr would have his first experience starting, and maybe his second experience actually playing overall. His only other time since the beginning of qualifiers was a substitution for Svaardaen a few matches ago. Back in the BoF84, Edsmontik's second international tournament with a squad somewhat resembling the current one, Fotserr and Stuero played side by side. However, when the big talent came in, Rehcikt and Svaardaen both suppressed Fotserr's playing time. However, according to the striker himself, "it's competitive for a reason, and it will take a lot of work to earn that spot back, or even a substitution. I should be lucky to be a starter and use that to earn myself more chances."

The Edsmon game with Qusmo started off pretty strong in the early first half but got progressively worse as the Eagles failed to score anything going into the early second half. Edsmontik did take more shots than Qusmo overall, however, there were many examples of Bervaign, Rehckt, and Fotserr missing shots. Most of these shots were obviously risky shots, however, those players have made shots like that before. These weren't just saves by the keeper, but also shots that went far above the net or curved way too little. Even a diving header from Wejikaj hti in the 40th minute went so badly that it went in the completely wrong direction; backwards to the Qusmo's Prat-Culak, who cleared the ball shortly after.

Chance after chance, the Eagles found themselves denied. It was only seeming to get worse, until the Eagles suffered their first injury of their campaign. Javarqa fell in a clash with Helek-Pertz, whom he was chasing down. The defender supposedly stepped in the wrong way when Helek-Pertz tried to outdribble him, causing him to twist his ankle, sending him down onto the ground. This all happened in the 76th minute. The captain's armband was handed to Stuero who came on alongside Norseden. Norseden filled in the empty defense slot and Stuero substituted in for Rehcikt, which was surprising to many as they expected der-Ghavyr to take off Fotserr.

Supported by Stuero, Norseden would go on to score the only goal of the game in the 81st minute. During a corner, which failed pretty badly, Stuero received the ball as most Edsmon were retreating, eyed Norseden who ran, and fired the ball off at the defender. Norseden controlled it with his chest, dribbling past Vralx Lucex and firing a pretty high shot that went into the net past Kepex-Cheng's hands. Just like that, the Eagles barely secured a win.

This is a pretty big wake up call for the Edsmons who assumed qualifiers would be easy. Clearly, the Qusmo match has proven that the Eagles can't just make dumb moves and know it will work every time, because there's a point where waiting to sub in strong players late in the game is not going to change the scoreline. The Eagles were very lucky here.

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overICTER
Welcome back Kalsefja, and I totally agree with you on this. While it is still a win, the Eagles definitely gotta be careful out there.
11,320 Likes - 294 Dislikes

vdesmonyvucollector782
Quite right there. The Eagles need to keep consistent wins, not inconsistent wins. We need to be winning big to leave our mark on other teams.
10,211 Likes - 276 Dislikes

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NEW INFORMATION: IS FAR EATERN TO STRIKE A DEAL WITH CRPOSTAIR?

Wednesday, 8/17/2033, 12:36pm
Written by Darion der-Vadakt
Recent rumor has spread around Karma like wildfire. Edsmontik's Far Eastern Airlines, as we have described in recent news articles as suffering from a financial crisis, and old fleet that for some reason still isn't retired, passenger boycotts, quitting pilots, and a huge money scandal, may be the target of the Crpostair Group. While no official words have been uttered by either airline on this situation yet, some executives believe that this is the case, and that Far Eastern Airlines might be able to continue its life as one of the largest Edsmon carriers, just under different ownership.

Passengers and pilots alike have expressed hatred for the current executives up in FEA's hierarchy. With a recent discovery on the fact that executives are making way, way more money than they have said to be making, as well as spending airline profits for themselves, people have only gotten more reasons to throw backlash at the FEA executives. While the executives have not commented on the situation regarding the Crpostair Group buying a stake in the airline, they have had representatives talk for them to the press.

Just outside the FEA headquarters in Kalse Bay, where the CEO Averich der-Fersgard refused questions a few days ago, lies today hundreds of angry customers of the airline, as well as a press station, four representatives of the airline, and a dozen or so reporters. Online, Far Eastern Airlines had submitted an official message to confront the issue, announcing their sending of four representatives to the front of the headquarters this cold morning. Despite the cold weather, which as we can see, is dipping into the low teens in fahrenheit, FEA executives refused to hold the meeting inside. Many believe this was a tactic to ward off reporters to limit questions.

Despite that, many showed up to the FEA headquarters in warm gear to combat the chilly and windy morning. After many questions were asked by reporters from all across the nation, we here at Panzvaste Vdesmon have come to give answers that we have received thus far.

FEA representatives stated that there was a motive behind the CEO's spending of money, and that he was "deeply sorry for his 'addictive' usage with it." However, that "motive" was not stated at all. Only his apology was. He also clarified the reason for the skipped training according to representatives, who claimed that he simply "only made a mistake in the rule for training" which he had made very broad." This led to anyone who had basically sat in a cockpit at any time the ability to skip more than half of training. The representatives say that der-Fersgard specifically "blames the bad pilots for choosing to follow loopholes and not complete training."

Despite the fact that the representatives answered many questions, a lot of their answers were not conclusive enough, and we as a collective still do not understand exactly what the motive behind many of FEA's current acts are. As we figure out more day by day, stick with us at Panzvaste Vdesmon as we unravel the secrets of Far Eastern Airlines.

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fachnerZveis11
I knew they were shady the day I got a job with them back in 2010. I worked there until 2027, and since then, have cut as many connections with the airline as possible. It's unfortunate that no one believed us until now.
10,992 Likes - 691 Dislikes

4ventr1e0r
Crpostair Group potentially buying FEA was not on my bucket list.
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Edsmon Lineup, MD7
Lankiv - Kizani, Javarqa, Norseden, Vikral - Fruedenne, Ystermakt, Ghreksbvy - Fotserr, Stuero [C] - Utravak

Edsmon Lineup, MD8
der-Stoiuben - Dalsen, Javarqa, Norseden, Jervanois - Aespana, Verto, Ghreksbvy - Rehcikt, Stuero [C] - Bervaign

by **Of the Golden Harp** » Sun May 10, 2026 6:05 pm

Dublin News Opinion Article

It was predicted four years ago, in 2087, that the Holy Harps would qualify for the World Cup by 2091. This year. World Cup 99 went about as expected, and so did 100, ignoring the disastrous start. This year is much different than anyone expected, though. After six matches the nation sits at the top of the table with 15 points in six games along with an incredible +12 goal difference coming from a miraculous 17 goals for and a usually great defensive performance of allowing only five. Really the nation should be at 16 points and Banija at 13 rather than 15 all, but the referee made a controversial decision to not review a goal that was clearly offsides. The campaign started off with a solid 2-0 win against Libegeist, and the in that same set of games the Holy Harps tied their biggest win ever with a 4-0 against Cobrio. Next was a far too close match against New Eastern Canada which resulted in a 3-2 victory. These victories put the Holy Harps at the top of the table as they were set to play fourteenth in the world Banija, the group favorite. Late in the game the score was tied at two until Banija had an excellent shot on goal. It was saved, but it fell to the head of a Banijan attacker who headed it in from an offside position, but the referee chose not to review the call. Outraged by this Keane ran over to the referee and protested the decision and ended up with a second yellow adding to the unfortunate loss. Next came Delitai, who was defeated 2-0 even without Keane in the lineup. Then in their most recent match the Holy Harps faced Sharktail who they dominated with a 4-0 blowout. Next comes Zenic, who is the second highest ranked team in the group. Then after Zenic is Woodsmere who are ranked two above the Holy Harps in 98th. Then the last nation in the first half of the qualification is Darmen, ranked third in the group. Now for the question everyone is asking. Can The Golden Harp keep this incredible form up and qualify? I answer with yes. The only nations challenging our nation are Banija, Zenic, and Darmen. The Holy Harps have already shown that they can keep up with Banija who are by far the best team in the group. I believe they should have little problem staying in the games against Zenic and Darmen. With victories against Zenic and Darmen a top two finish is very realistic, and even with losses, a top five finish would be almost easy, and the Holy Harps can survive the pressure of playoffs. Now, I will leave my predictions for the last games of the qualification.

Vs Zenic 1-2 L
Vs Woodsmere 2-0 W
Vs Darmen 2-1 W
Vs Libegeist 3-1 W
Vs Cobrio 2-0 W
Vs New Eastern Canada 4–1 W
Vs Banija 1-1 D
Vs Delitai 2-0 W
Vs Sharktail 3-0 W
Vs Zenic 0-0 D
Vs Woodsmere 1-0 W

by **Nueva Compostela** » Sun May 10, 2026 6:18 pm

ANOTHER DISAPPOINTMENT IN THE QUALIFIERS
by sports journalist Carlos Mello

Growing up in La Libertad, midfielder Yonatan Carrillo looked up to Yael Tanner watching Milchama's highlights in the World Cup. Now as a player, he's excited to share the pitch with him. In the game, Tanner and Milchama dominated the first half of the game with Ben Yonatan scored two goals snd Tanner scored one. "I think we do our best to keep up with the big leagues", says Gimbat. "It doesn't matter if we play aggressively, we tried our best to don't get humiliated." On the second half, the Carabaos are now playing actually aggressive. Larrazabal faces off Haim Taim to waste his time then gets to Carrillo and assisted Oroquieta to score the first goal in the 60th minute. Substitute Germán Saitō keeps up the pace and get another goal in the 66th minute followed by Gunsanad's penalty after Dateri accidentally committed a foul on the 76th minute. All is going well for the Carabaos until a handball came from Noronha in a Milchaman free kick. And who's gonna take it? Yael Tanner. Tanner went on to score the winning penalty to give out the Carabaos' another loss in the qualifiers. After the game, Yonatan comes to Yael Tanner and wants to swap shirts and a photo to remember, which Tanner agreed. So they swap shorts and took a photo. "Tanner is so amazing, man.", says Carrillo. "Hope before they leave, I wanna dance with him!" "We did our best, but it's not enough for us.", says Gimbat. "We could try be more aggressive as much as we can." One day after the match, Tanner was seen at a park hanging out with his teammates in Centro Miguel Soberano urban park until Carrillo saw Tanner and talked with his teammates before teaching him how to dance salsa choke* and try to dance it when Carrillo uploads it on TikTok. Tanner might not be a dancer, but he's got the moves to do do. After Carrillo and Tanner danced in the Miguel Soberano park, all Carabao players including Carrillo travel to Fraymon to face Frayston for the qualifiers. The team still focusing on defense to try to take the win while still doing it aggressively as they dominated in the first half as Carrillo scored his first goal and dancing the salsa choke again to celebrate, and Asaka with the another goal to wow the crowd with a bicycle kick, then backflips followed after. It looks like the Carabaos are finally getting a win, until the Fraystonians boosted up their star player and score the hat-trick to seal the deal and hand out another loss on the qualifiers. "Well, we disappointed ourselves with that game.", says Gimbat. "We still play aggressively but we need a plan to win the game." The Carabaos will go back to Barranquilla del Oriente for two games against Baker Park and Sajnur. Will Gimbat's defensive, or as the teens would say, haramball tactics will be effective to win the game?

THE PROJECTED LINEUPS
vs Baker Park
GK Emillano Mojuntin
DF Tomás Larrazabal
DF Hernando Fonseca
DF Antonio Gunsanad
DF Benedick Da Silva
MF Daimis Tagal
MF José Noronha
MF Yonatan Carrillo
MF Solomon Cañete
ST Aiman Rafael bin Irfan Firdaus
ST Fernando Oroquieta

vs Sajnur
GK Emillano Mojuntin
DF Marcelo Anam
DF Jorge Alcaraz
DF Hernando Fonseca
DF Antonio Gunsanad
MF Germán Saitō
MF Lito Sequeira
MF Yonatan Carrillo
MF Daimis Tagal
ST Calderón Asaka
ST Fernando Oroquieta

by **Delaclava** » Sun May 10, 2026 6:38 pm

Symphony Monthly

Rheinhardt Prize not to be awarded this year

The Rheinhardt Prize for Music jury has shocked the Delaclav art music community by announcing on Tuesday that, for just the third time in its 87-year history, it would not be awarding the distinction to any of the works under consideration.

"After careful, thorough, and earnest discussion of the three finalist compositions, the jury was unable to select a single work that merited the prestigious distinction of a Benedict Rheinhardt Prize," the Rheinhardt Foundation for the Arts and Letters announced in a statement. "We extend our congratulations to the three composers whose contributions in OA-33 to Delaclav music merited themselves worthy of consideration for the prize."

The Rheinhardt Prize for Music, established by musician, educator, and benefactor Benedict Rheinhardt at the onset of the isolation era, and sponsored by the Rheinhardt Foundation for the Arts and Letters in collaboration with the University of Catherina, is awarded annually to "a composition, created by a Delaclav composer and premiered in Delaclava in the year of its consideration, which demonstrates outstanding technical prowess, musical excellence and innovation, and cultural significance." Rheinhardt Prize winners are awarded DK50,000, an additional grant to pursue special projects in their field, and a gold-plated cherrywood plaque.

This year's three finalists were: Helena Bloom's opera Wayward Child; Ryan Harkness's poem cycle Resistance for orchestra and electronics; and Beatrix Yu's choral cantata And The Earth Was Still.

Harkness's Resistance set five poems by Kir George exploring the meaning of resistance, nonconformity, and individuality in an increasingly politically monolithic Delaclava under the governance of Anna Voss, and is a relatively rare instance of renowned Delaclav art music composers steering away from composition purely for instruments and voices. Harkness previously won the Rheinhardt Prize in OA-30 for Brass Lanterns, a quadruple saxophone concerto, and Resistance has already this year taken home the Sonic Award for Outstanding Artistic Composition. However, some pundits wondered if Resistance would not sufficiently meet the innovation prong sought in a Rheinhardt Prize winner, despite its widespread popular appeal and relatively uncommon medium.

Bloom's Wayward Child dramatized and explored the early events in and leading up to the Mertagne-Bostopia War, and employed both a traditional pit orchestra and a synth rock ensemble. It is also the first known opera ever to be performed with two adult countertenor roles. This year was Bloom's first nomination as a finalist for the prize.

Yu's And The Earth Stood Still memorialized the Sigaro Train Disaster, in which a tunnel collapse caused the deaths of 108 passengers and triggered an unprecedented system-wide shutdown of Delaclava's underground rail system. The work splits into as many as 24 voice parts at times and features many aleatoric sections and extended voice techniques. And The Earth Stood Still was Yu's third nomination as a finalist for the Prize without a win.

Although the exact deliberation and selection process is not officially known, it is understood that the jury must clearly and convincingly agree that a single work is most deserving of the prize and meets the standards for such a distinction. The first time the prize was not awarded was in the year IE-6, when it was later revealed that no work was deemed deserving of the prize. The second time was IE-27, when the jury was apparently deadlocked between Ronald Carlsen's oratorio Red Sunday and Barron Zinn's Symphony No. 8, "Carousel", both of which have remained seminal works in the Delaclav canon. It is currently unknown why this year's jury could not reach a conclusion.

None of the three finalist composers could be reached for comment as of press time. However, Alison Green, the chair of the composition department at Western Conservatory, where Yu currently teaches, stated on her website, "The jury's unfortunate decision not to honor any of three phenomenal and meaningful works does not change the fact that our music community is blessed, perhaps moreso than ever, with a wealth and diversity of fascinating and excellent new music. I am especially proud of my Western colleague who has used her extraordinary capabilities to highlight pressing issues in our society that our government has chosen to ignore, as well as standing as a loud and prominent voice for women who continue to be underappreciated and marginalized in this field."

by **Aamathyr** » Sun May 10, 2026 6:44 pm

IV (earlier parts will be linked to later)

"No, no, no, no, no." Avshruun was more panicky than he was furious. "We're all screwed if someone finds out he's here. The long arm of the law has a rather large hand, and I'm not going to be collateral damage."
"Just give him a chance, you don't even know the details of his situation!"
"I've already given your projects enough chances. We've all suffered from that. I have. Sluuvle has. Why is this any different?"
"I'm-" Thuraand couldn't get a word in edgewise.
"Oh, so you'd rather stagnate? Let other ports outcompete us? Fight more with the Tjukkarl? Sluuvle will certainly love that."
"What if he tells me what's up with him, rather than you using your silvery tongue?"
"Fine." Sjashoom looked pointedly at Thuraand.

"Uh-uh- I'm not on the run from the government," Thuraand stuttered a bit, unexpectedly being put on the spot. "I simply pissed off someone rich, and I found I was no longer welcome in Nanwacj."
"I'm going to need details. Who, what, where, when, why."
"Um, who, Pliitigj."
"Pliitigj Nanwacjre?"
"What other Pliitigj would I be referring to?"
"Fair enough."
"What, I found out that one of their property lines was misdrawn, and they don't actually own the main storefront of one of their shops, because the building was originally split into two lots and they only bought the back one. This obviously would cost them a lot of money, but they and I were the only ones who knew about it, so their solution was to get rid of me."
"Okay..." Thuraand wasn't quite sure whether or not Avshruun believed him, but he had told the truth, if a simplified version of it.
"Where, Nanwacj, obviously. I fled here because nobody from Nanwacj goes here unless they're the tax collector."
"You got that last bit right."
"When, I found this out a day and two weeks ago, informed them two days later, and was on the ferry here three days after that."
"Okay, so this is all very recent."
"Yes, it is. Why, I was just their property lawyer. This was just a routine check of what they were doing for something completely unrelated."
"I don't know the intricacies of the law, but I'll believe you."

"So?" Sjashoom was quick to ask.
"Give me some time to think."

As Avshruun retreated into his back office, Sjashoom pulled out a flask containing some sort of murky liquid, and Thuraand's eyebrows shot up.
"What?"
"Aren't you way too young to be drinking that sort of thing?" Thuraand was quite accusatory.
"First of all, there's no liquor in here, unlike what you might have in Nanwacj, and second of all, even if there was, I'm not way too young for it."
"What is in there, then?"
"Have a taste."
Before Thuraand took a sip, he smelled the drink, and was overpowered by a medicinal odor.
"That smells like medicine."
"Well, yeah. It has a lot of herbs often used in medicine."
"What's this called?"
"The formal name is Shyzrroum, but that's some old word that nobody knows the original meaning of. A local nickname for this is Pwantjaszhoovifres. I'll tell you the more formal Thyrzanjo translation after you take a sip."
Thuraand took a sip and immediately spit it out, taking four steps back and nearly banging into the wall. "What the hell is this?"
"Well, would you like to know the translation?" Sjashoom asked sweetly.
"Sjashoom, what is it?" Thuraand suspected something was up.
"Well, it's just Puantiasyriminfrees."
"DRAIN CLEANER TEA?" Thuraand took a swing at Sjashoom.
"Oh, look, Avshruun's coming out!" Sjashoom desperately needed that diversion.

Avshruun exited his office, laughing at the sight of Thuraand trying to get rid of the taste of the tea.
"For once, you might have undersold your prospect, Sjashoom. He seems well-suited to this scenario."
"Does that mean he's hired?"
"Temporarily, at least, to deal with the Tjukkarl."
"You know what? I'll take it. Thanks, Avshruun." Thuraand jumped in before Sjashoom could 'negotiate' themself into this and cause more problems.
As the two left Avshruun in his office, the harbormaster shouted one last thing: "You start tomorrow!"

by **Sel Appa** » Sun May 10, 2026 7:07 pm

Sel Appa — Get around
As a modern, industrialized country, Sel Appa is easy to get around. There are numerous options such as flying, using mass transit, as well as private and personal options. Sel Appa is known for its excellent top tier public transit options, so there is no need to rent a car in most circumstances.

By plane
You have most likely entered Sel Appa by air, and thus, are also likely to have onward flights from one of the only two international hubs: Nemnenait and Anila City. While there is a push from the industry to add more options as capacity is stretched, these have yet to be approved as of publication. From these two cities, you can fly to most major cities and provincial capitals using Air Sel Appa or Turtle Airlines. There is also a low cost carrier, Shell, as well as a few smaller regionals that also serve minor airports that may not have transit access. Fares are reasonable due to the competition from the excellent high speed train system. As it is, most Sel Appans prefer the train, but for longer distances, one often takes to the air.

Air Sel Appa and Turtle Airlines are fairly comparable and highly competitive. Both offer a full range of routes and amenities. Air Sel Appa is the original flag carrier and traditional with the older crowd, but Turtle Airlines popped up and offered a compelling alternative. ASA, as it is known, presents a full-bodied service, whereas TA is more modern and customizable. ASA offers First and Standard class options for seating. First class will have more comfort, service, and legroom, but standard class is nothing to be snuffed at. This does lead to TA being a bit cheaper on the back end, where they offer Premier, Business, and Economy classes. Turtle Airlines evolved to fill the business and younger traveler niche more, and emphasizes their options to both. Premier could be said to be even better than First class on ASA, whereas Business is more straightforward and geared to business travelers. Economy class is exactly what you would expect. For baggage, all seats include a personal item and a carryon, except for some TA flights, which only allow a personal item for free or may require gate checking some carryons. ASAs First and TAs Premier, both include two checked bags. TA Business class sometimes includes a checked bag, but is focused on business travelers only doing carryon. Often, agents will upgrade Business class passengers to one free checked bag if asked. ASA Standard class and TA Economy class both charge for any checked bags. Mileage program statuses may change these situations.

Food is provided on the few domestic flights that are over six hours to all passengers. For flights three to six hours, food is provided to First, Premier, Business passengers. Standard class passengers sometimes receive a food service on flights over four hours, which is inconsistent, but will be noted when booked. ASA has tried to maintain their traditional service as best they can. Economy passengers with Turtle Airlines can, of course, purchase a meal as an addon. All passengers receive a drink and snack for any flight over an hour. Of course, alcohol is not served on board since it is illegal in Sel Appa.

Finally, Shell is in a league of its own. You get a seat, a personal item, and a water bottle if you ask nicely. Anything else is an upcharge. This means that if you travel light, it is very cheap and affordable. Shell will get you from A to B. While opinions of the airline are mixed, they beat out the majors in on-time performance, and focus on point to point service. It is rare you will have a layover with Shell because a direct flight will inevitably be cheaper. Customer service is notoriously bad, but the flight attendants often outrate the majors. Shells model is "we get you there, anything else is your problem" as a travel magazine once remarked, but they remain immensely popular among budget travelers. To the point that other attempts to start a low cost carrier have all failed one after another.

By train
The most popular way to get around Sel Appa is by train. Fast, affordable, and efficient. It is a wonder Sel Appa even has a domestic air industry. Almost every town and city of note will have a train station, and the major cities will have several. There are numerous options: commuter and local rail connecting small towns and suburbs to cities, intercity rail that offers more service at a slower speed, and Sel Appas world renowned and unique high speed rail system. All rail systems are government run: nationally, provincially, or by a city. Fizroe Island is the only province without rail, and Natives Province is somewhat limited.

Commuter and local rail are essentially the same thing. Commuter rail focuses on getting people in and out of cities, whereas local rail connects in the off peak and to smaller towns. As a traveler, you will only encounter this if you venture out of the major cities. These lines offer Standard 2x2, 2x3, or 3x3 seats along with Business class 1x1 and 1x2 seats, which varies by province and city. There are no amenities on these lines.

Intercity rail is run provincially and nationally, depending on the route, and often in partnership. This can be treated as somewhat local, but not as local as local rail above. It is focused on travel between major cities, but does make stops along the way. The same Standard and Business classes are offered, but longer routes will have a snack car and/or a dining car. Business seats include a snack and drink and/or meal(s), depending on route and length. Longer and overnight routes will offer Sleeper cars as well, which also include meal service. Intercity rail is all over Sel Appa, but travels at a slower rate than high speed rail, and consequently is cheaper.

And last, but not least, the prestige of Sel Appa: high speed rail. It is FAST, and by fast, we really do mean fast. Sel Appan high speed service is faster than almost any on the planet, has few stations, and in fact, does not stop until the terminus. Sel Appa has developed a technology that is bewildering and terrifying to many experiencing it for the first time. While the trains do serve many cities between terminii, they dont stop at them. Instead, they slow down to about 80-100kph and dock with a boarding train, where passengers are quickly taken on or discharged. The choreography is spectacular and truly a sight to see. Safety is paramount in this complex system, but it works. This saves hours over the course of a journey. Once onboard, the same Standard and Business classes are joined by First, which goes above and beyond with comfort and service. There is no sleeper option, as it isnt needed. High speed rail is the least subsidized of the three categories, and so, is the most expensive.

By bus
Bus travel is an option and offers more service points than rail. It is also common for smaller towns and villages to only have bus service. Fizroe Island only has bus service with no trains, and Natives Province similarly is limited and mostly relies on buses. Lines will be at least hourly, and usually more often. In fact, its much more common for halfhourly buses, even in less served areas. A ticket will get you an unreserved seat. Buses are mostly government run, but there are some private lines as well. The private lines offer a more comfortable experience, and long journeys will have a meal and beverage option. Buses are somewhat more affordable than their rail competitors, but not by terribly much. Buses fill in where trains cannot, but operate on a similar model: commuter and local buses connecting cities to their satellites, and intercity coaches venturing beyond that. As indicated, buses are generally operated by cities, towns, and provinces. There is no national bus service; those going between provinces are funded by those provinces. Unlike private vehicles, buses can travel on "Commercial Roads", so are fast, efficient, and comfortable, yet affordable.

By boat
Sel Appa is not without water-based transit, which in some cases, is necessary. If you are traveling to Fizroe Island, you will be travelling by air or by ferry. Ferries to the Island have a wide variety of options and frequent service. There are also ferries connecting the Hannaj and Lamantin Peninsulae, and all over Fizroe Bay. Additionally, ferries sail along coastal ports offering a unique option for travellers. Slow as they are, many Sel Appans do take the coastal ferries. Ferries are public where necessitated (Fizroe and the Bay) and usually private otherwise. Amenities range wildly from mere seats to cabins of many classes. Food is usually provided, whether a small snackbar on short journeys to full service restaurants on longer excursions. Casinos and entertainment venues are also on board the longer hauls. Additionally, there are coastal cruise lines which offer an upper tier experience with a full gamut of diversions.

By car
We dont recommend renting a car, hiring a car, or otherwise traveling by car, but you can if you feel it makes sense for you. There are a few rental agencies at most airports and strewn about cities, but can be rare outside of that. The rental agency will process a driving permit for you if you are licensed elsewhere, otherwise you will need to apply at a police station. You can also hire a private driver service, at great expense. The reason we advise against this is because Sel Appa makes it deliberately inconvenient. Public roads outside of cities and towns are poorly maintained, even the highways. Sel Appa has a separate "Commercial Road" system only available to trucking and buses, which is fully maintained. This is not to say you will be traveling on gravel, but it is often rough. Highways between cities are also heavily tolled. In the end, it all proves to be unnecessarily expensive.

By foot
Walking is a popular activity in Sel Appa, and it is not uncommon to go on walking vacations between cities. Many people will backpack 30 to 50km a day on a long adventure between cities they havent seen. Its possible to walk between cities and towns yourself, but it will of course limit how far you can go. Nonetheless, it is an exceptional way to see the countryside and get some exercise. There are walking tours that cater to exactly this market, with groups hoofing it from place to place, lodging at hotels or campgrounds. Walking infrastructure is well maintained where it can be, and right of way exists in most places.

By bicycle
As with walking, cycling is also a common activity, and naturally advances beyond that which one can walk. There are an inordinate amount of cycling paths across the country and it is a fantastic way to see it all. Cycling meshes well with other forms of transportation, allowing a seamless journey wherever you need to go.

by **Farfadillis** » Sun May 10, 2026 8:07 pm

CUT-OFF FOR GROUPS 9-16, MD7 & MD8

by **Libegeist** » Sun May 10, 2026 9:16 pm

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: Crockett

Play music.

"How do you operate this stupid camera?"

The camcorder was on, though Sven didn't know how to get it recording, since it was a new device that got recently released. The camera adjusted in focus, before it was turned to Sven. "Hey, internet." Sven gave a peace sign to the camcorder. He gave a tour of his own residence that him and his family lived in. Polished wood and many mirrors around the house. The camera paused briefly, when he saw his father in his underwear trying to get the wall bed up.

The camera pans down to Sven's wrist, which has a fancy silver minimalistic watch. A gift that he got for his birthday, since it was supposed to be a popular brand of watches in Libegeist. He was checking the time. He went to grab his skateboard, before he left his apartment.

The footage cuts to a view from out of the window of the Crockett Public Housing Building, one of the tallest buildings in the city, so that the camcorder can show off the nearby nearly endless farmland.

The footage cuts to Sven walking down the sidewalk to climb some stairs to the train platform. The camera pauses to focus on a man that was kneeling on the stairs, hands clasped together in a pray.

The footage cuts to Sven on his skateboard riding down through a parking lot, to which his friends are there. They are all wearing skater clothes like him, having their skateboards nearby.

"What's up, guys!"
"You trying to be a cinematographer." Troy asked him, when they saw the camera.
"Wanted to give this a test run. Send this over to the skate park later." Sven mentioned to them.
"Don't want to just hang over at the skate park, what else can we do today?" Gwen asked the group, until Billy suggested something.
"You wanna crash at the mall?"

"Hell yeah, let's go!" everyone jumped in on the idea, getting onto their skateboards.

The footage cuts to the local mall, the camera being focused briefly at random shoppers and employees alike. A montage of the teenagers going about in their shenanigans. Some footage at a clothing store, to which Sven filmed himself with a tie on and some new sneakers. Some of the others were allowing Sven to film them, while wearing ridiculous clothing.

A cut to Sven in the restroom, putting his hands clasped over the running sink to bring up to his head to fix his hair.

Another cut. This time at the subway. The security monitors are overhead, to which Troy wildly waves his hands at the monitor, as it records and shows his actions, including showing Sven with the camcorder, as the group enters the train.

Another cut of footage. This time, the location is at the skatepark. The group does what they do best, while Sven holds the camera. Ollies over ledges and railings. Gwen and Sven were shown to be capable of doing kickflips. Troy is shown managing to do a frontside 5-0 grind on a stone ledge. Billy attempts to follow suit with the same trick, but ends up wiping out on the tarmac.

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: Gloucester

Play electronica.

The mayor of Gloucester decided to have a parade go through the streets of town. To help establish a sense of Libegeistian pride with the national flags, plumes on costumes and floats, and even a guy with a glockenspiel.

You wish that you were there to enjoy the parade.

You can still remember the vacation that you had with her. The two of you on an island with beautiful blue oceans and green land. The perfect vacation that you spent time with her.

You ignore the parade entirely, when you went into the subway station. You take your walk through the bright yellow underground tunnel, until you get to the escalator onto the platform.

You still have the photo that you got of her. You know her well, though you do like the red jacket she had on her.

Next to her in the photo wasn't you.

It was another man. Both of them had smiles. Smiles at the pride of being married.

You end up seeing her again. She's in a business coach of a train, having moved up in the world. She was on a laptop, to which she took a sip from her water bottle. Before you can get a chance to have her notice you, she drew the orange curtains to a close.

You watched, as the train she was on disembarked from the station.

A few minutes later, when the next train was coming, you took a leap onto the tracks.

by **The Republic of the United Marble Tribes** » Mon May 11, 2026 12:14 am

Group 6

MD5
Valentine Z 1–4 Chromatika
Quakmybush 4–0 Cothe Saria
Serenitas Novae 3–1 Stewartika
The Ko-orenite Constellation 1–0 The Republic of the United Marble Tribes
TJUN-ia 3–0 Vetrahjart

Group 6                                      Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Chromatika                                  5    5   0   0    14    6   +8    15
 2 Quakmybush                                  5    3   1   1     9    4   +5    10
 3 TJUN-ia                                     5    3   0   2    10    6   +4     9
 4 Valentine Z                                 5    3   0   2     8    8    0     9
 5 The Ko-orenite Constellation                5    2   1   2     7    6   +1     7
 6 The Republic of the United Marble Tribes    5    2   0   3     6    5   +1     6
 7 Serenitas Novae                             5    2   0   3     6    9   −3     6
 8 Stewartika                                  5    1   1   3     7    8   −1     4
 9 Vetrahjart                                  5    1   1   3     2    9   −7     4
10 Cothe Saria                                 5    1   0   4     5   13   −8     3

Matchday 5 RP
(Words taken from the highlights recording)

It is another wonderful day. It is time for Matchday 5, Koreanite Constellation versus the Marblelanians. How exciting isn't it?

19th minute: Here comes the The Ko-reanite attacker coming in, good pass here, slipping past Davidson, and goal!!!! What a spec- wait, wait, the referee doesn't think so.. He's running to the VAR box. Oh no, the players are pushing now, somethin' is happening here.

20th minute: The referee has decided, it is offside! Oh, what a shame!

29th minute: Free kick, may be a good chance here. The players kicks... and oh! It hits the crossbar! What a hit! but what a miss! That was so close! Look at that beautiful curve over there! Good effort from the Ko-reannite.

48th minute: Marbleland is trying something, Davidson, Wright, to Cohen, Barack, Wilkins, Wilkins back to Cohen, Cohen slips to Harrison, Harrison slips it Law and Declan Law kicks it wide! What a spectacular run, but what a awful finish!

68th minute: The keeper kicks it high. Oh, the Koreanite midfielder gets it, slips it clean to the attacker. He's running, the defenders are chasing up. Here comes Hasbel coming with a tackle, oh, he misses! Beautiful pass. King is up, can he block. NO! Andy Terrance is dashing in, can he- no! It's open! It's OPEN! AND AN INSANE 1-0 lead for Ko-reannite Constellation, WHAT A GOAL! This is terrifyingly terrific! What a sensational play that was.

89th minute: One more minute before full time, can Marbleland do something? Marquez kicks... King is running in, Cohen dives, coming for a header and goes over the crossbar! Oh how unlucky!

90+1 minute: And that is full-time! Looks like today ain't a lucky day for The Republic of the United Marble Tribes. But still, good effort was shown for both sides. Ko-reannite 1, Marbleland 0. We have some pissed fans here in the stands. Hopefully next match is better.

MD6
Chromatika 4–0 Vetrahjart
The Republic of the United Marble Tribes 4–0 TJUN-ia
Stewartika 1–4 The Ko-orenite Constellation
Cothe Saria 0–1 Serenitas Novae
Valentine Z 2–0 Quakmybush

Group 6                                      Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Chromatika                                  6    6   0   0    18    6  +12    18
 2 Valentine Z                                 6    4   0   2    10    8   +2    12
 3 The Ko-orenite Constellation                6    3   1   2    11    7   +4    10
 4 Quakmybush                                  6    3   1   2     9    6   +3    10
 5 The Republic of the United Marble Tribes    6    3   0   3    10    5   +5     9
 6 TJUN-ia                                     6    3   0   3    10   10    0     9
 7 Serenitas Novae                             6    3   0   3     7    9   −2     9
 8 Stewartika                                  6    1   1   4     8   12   −4     4
 9 Vetrahjart                                  6    1   1   4     2   13  −11     4
10 Cothe Saria                                 6    1   0   5     5   14   −9     3

Matchday 6 RP
(Words taken from live highlights recording)

Another matchday for the Yellows and the Jags. Both teams have high energy today. Both teams had gone through highs and low so far in this world cup. The Yellow flames are out again! The atmosphere is thick with excitements. The players are out of the tunnels. The banners, bright, "Do not take us lightly, Or Else", oh I wonder what that means.

2nd minute: Marquez pass to Howards. Howard to Rottingham. Rottingham pass to Harrison, Harrison is moving forward, Matusaleh...! And it is off wide. What a wonderful play here, but it is gone off wide!

15th minute: Can the Marble Monkeys secure a lead here? Fariz takes the corner... Marquez... Harrison and OH! It gone off the crossbar! That was extremely close! It could have been a goal here.

31st minute: 31 minutes now. Oh here comes an interesting play. A beautiful cross from Hasbel, over to Fariz, Farzi to Marquez, Rottingham, Rottingham slides it through to Harrison, and Harrison scores!!!! WHAT A SENSATIONAL GOAL THAT WAS. Harrison, bringing the lead for Marbleland. The fans are rejoicing. What a play that was, absolutely terrific!

39th minute: Barack is up for a free kick. A beautiful flick, and a goal at the top corner of the net!! This is just a breathtaking goal! The TJUN-ians are awe-strucked! Marbleland levels the score!

63rd minute: The Yellows are trying to do something here... Here comes Saiful Ahmad fresh from substitution, Wright, Davidson kicks it away to Fariz, Fariz to Barack, Barack, Barack to Leicester and Leicester scores it clean for Marbleland! What a goal! 3-0 for the Marble Monkeys, and the Jags have yet to find their path to score at least one goal.

82nd minute: Here comes Matusaleh, running down the wing, to Barack, he dribbles down, and Matusaleh is tackled by Vilakazi and that is clear red card!

84th minute: Raja Matusaleh steps up, can the king score, and he takes another one for The Republic! The Jags are devastated. The Yellows are jumping with joy. Some having tears in their eyes! This has to be one of Marbleland's greatest nights. I'm getting live reports of streets pouring out with yellow flames and champagne! This is a superb penalty, a cheeky paneka from Matusaleh!

90+9th minute: And full time it is! What a night for the Yellows. Oh, we can hear the fans singing is there a fire drill, haha. Looks like Marbleland are back to 5th on the table, while TJUN-ia goes down at 6th. But this isn't their last. Marbleland 4, TJUN-ia nil. See you soon!

Group 6

MD7
Quakmybush 0–3 Chromatika
Serenitas Novae 0–1 Valentine Z
The Ko-orenite Constellation 1–0 Cothe Saria
TJUN-ia 4–0 Stewartika
Vetrahjart 0–2 The Republic of the United Marble Tribes

Group 6                                      Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Chromatika                                  7    7   0   0    21    6  +15    21
 2 Valentine Z                                 7    5   0   2    11    8   +3    15
 3 The Ko-orenite Constellation                7    4   1   2    12    7   +5    13
 4 The Republic of the United Marble Tribes    7    4   0   3    12    5   +7    12
 5 TJUN-ia                                     7    4   0   3    14   10   +4    12
 6 Quakmybush                                  7    3   1   3     9    9    0    10
 7 Serenitas Novae                             7    3   0   4     7   10   −3     9
 8 Stewartika                                  7    1   1   5     8   16   −8     4
 9 Vetrahjart                                  7    1   1   5     2   15  −13     4
10 Cothe Saria                                 7    1   0   6     5   15  −10     3

RP Matchday 7
(Words taken from live recording)

It is another exciting matchday. Welcome to Matchday 7, Vetrahjart versus The Republic of the United Marble Tribes. The fireworks are out. The atmosphere is absolutely epic. This is sensational.

28th minute: It has been almost 30 minutes of boring passes and kicks here and misses, oh wait- here comes a great slip from Barack, down to Matusaleh, and Matusaleh scores the banger! Taking the game to a lead!

41st minute: Barack takes the corner, Cohen gets the ball, passes to Lias-Naire, Hughes, a powerful kick by Hughes but it went off wide. That was so disappointing.

50th minute: Hughes with a good pass, Wright, Billings, Wilkins, back to Billings, Billings to Pratt, and Pratt is running, the black panther, beautifully gliding through the defenders, can he make the shot... and it is saved by the keeper. Beautiful dive!

68th minute: Leicester is fresh from substitution. King takes the shot, marvelous chip, Billings, Billings to Wilkins, Wilkins to Leicester, Leicester to Edwards, Edwards, EDWARDS! BURIES THE BALL AT THE BACK OF THE NET! LEVELS UP FOR MARBLELAND! WHAT A GOAL!

82nd minute: Another corner for the opposition, here it comes, a header, and the Korean spider saves it!

90+3rd minute: And that's full time! What a match, Marbleland takes home 3 points, moving up to 4th place. Marbleland 2, Vetrahjart nil.

MD8
Chromatika 2–1 The Republic of the United Marble Tribes
Stewartika 1–1 Vetrahjart
Cothe Saria 0–1 TJUN-ia
Valentine Z 2–0 The Ko-orenite Constellation
Quakmybush 1–2 Serenitas Novae

Group 6                                      Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Chromatika                                  8    8   0   0    23    7  +16    24
 2 Valentine Z                                 8    6   0   2    13    8   +5    18
 3 TJUN-ia                                     8    5   0   3    15   10   +5    15
 4 The Ko-orenite Constellation                8    4   1   3    12    9   +3    13
 5 The Republic of the United Marble Tribes    8    4   0   4    13    7   +6    12
 6 Serenitas Novae                             8    4   0   4     9   11   −2    12
 7 Quakmybush                                  8    3   1   4    10   11   −1    10
 8 Stewartika                                  8    1   2   5     9   17   −8     5
 9 Vetrahjart                                  8    1   2   5     3   16  −13     5
10 Cothe Saria                                 8    1   0   7     5   16  −11     3

[/box]

by **Audioslavia** » Mon May 11, 2026 3:01 am

Eight Straight
But Monterroso nonplussed by record run

After the adrenaline rush of Saturday evening’s late two-goal blitz stunned Pyazhnaya and further cemented Audioslavia’s position atop Group 1, the Bulls ground out an excruciating 1-0 away win over an out-of-sorts West Vdara.

Audioslavia have ridden their luck at times on the way to putting together an 8-0-0 record. It’s the team’s best start to a campaign ever. Better than the teams that went 9-0-1 and 13-0-1 in the 20s, better than the golden generations of the sixties and seventies. Things have never been this good at this point in the qualifiers.

In his press conference after the West Vdaran game, and making sure not to accidentally mention the crop shortage or disparage collectivism or say ‘lads have you ever thought about giving the means of production to just a few billionaires’, Monterroso was, if you pardon the pun, Bullish.

“We haven’t won anything. They don’t give out prizes for winning eight games in a row”.

When asked about the Ming Vase Metric, and how this is the first Audioslavia team ever to open a qualifying campaign by refusing to concede in eight games - breaking the record by two! - Monterroso looked like he was about to spit.

“Did any of you ever mention this ‘Ming Vase Metric’ before we started keeping clean sheets?” he asked the gathered journalists, who stayed silent. “I’ve never heard of it. Ever. And then Audioslavia do something statistically unlikely and all of a sudden the Idiot Project and the Aesthetic are treating it as a mark of greatness? Two Audioslavian publications? Pull the other one, it’s got bells on. And this is the seventeenth use of that idiom in the last thirty-four World Cups! Ooh, the Bellson Rate stays at nought point five, someone call Jeremy Jaffacake”

When reminded that Jeremy Jaffacake was dead, Salvador Monterroso simply shrugged.

“It’s Jeremy Jaffacake, who knows, with him”

Audioslavia do indeed have a Ming Vase Metric of 8, having now not conceded a goal in their first eight qualifiers.

WC G Form Team               MVM
02408WC20 Sarzonia            11
07907SQIS South Covello       10
09707SQIS Sylestone           10
02306WC12 Krytenia            9
06301SQIS Taeshan             9
07907SQIS South Covello       9
08116SLIS Brenecia            9
01304JOLT Gesamtkuntswerk     8
05204NSFS Jeruselem           8
09615SQIS Saint Eleanor       8
10101LISA Audioslavia         8
01103JOLT Squornshelous       7
01106JOLT The Belmore Family  7
01112JOLT Aquilla             7
01306JOLT Giant Zucchini      7
02301WC12 Crystilakere        7
02307WC12 Cockbill Street     7
02309WC12 Sarzonia            7
05306NSFS Albundania          7
05612NSFS Albundania          7
07902SQIS Sargossa            7
08118SLIS South Covello       7
08311NSFS South Covello       7

4: A Striking Distance

A small note before we start for audiences outside the anglosphere: Though we usually use metric measurements whenever possible, in this chapter we use the imperial yard. We do this because the original measurements of a football pitch were in yards. What you might call the five-metre area is actually nearer five and a half metres, or exactly six yards. The penalty area extends 18 yards forwards from the goal-line and the same distance either side of each goal-post. It’s a silly old game which uses an even sillier and even older measuring system.

A yard is a little over 90 centimetres, or exactly three feet, so put three of your trainers in a line and that’s about a yard. The six yard and eighteen yard boxes are so named for their distance to the goal-line. From the corner of the area to near goalpost, the distance is about 25 yards. Pitches vary in length and width. We’ll be assuming a 115 yard pitch, which puts the halfway line at around 57-58 yards.

You’d expect the World Cup final to be a hotbed of god-modding. It’s surprisingly not the case. We get hollywood goals, sure, but when it comes to long-range efforts, the multiverse has been surprisingly conservative.

The percentage of all goals scored from inside the penalty area is at least 83.7%.

26.3% of WC final goals were scored with six yards of goal. 53.2% come from eighteen yards out. 4.2% are penalties.

We say ‘at least’ because our data isn’t perfect. A description that puts the shot about 20 yards from goal may or may not mean the shot came from outside the area, depending on the angle. 83.7% is the lowest estimate for how many goals came from within the box. Any goal from between 18 to 25 yards from goal could well have come from the corner of the area.

Of the 31 goals scored from outside the area, 22 come from within 25 yards of goal.

16.3% of all goals scored in a World Cup Final are scored from outside the area. In a surprising show of restraint from the multiverse, it’s just 31 out of our 234 goals, with 22 of these coming from this flattened 25-yard arc around the penalty area.

Strangely enough, 13 out of these 22 are free-kicks, which seem a little over-represented. As mentioned before, Nina Nonaaia’s 37th minute free-kick for Crystilakere against Audioslavia in World Cup 19 is not included, but its two clones are, as are Raphaëlle du Valdor’s thunderbolt for Bettia against Ariddia in World Cup 35, a game-winning John Schiermeier curler in World Cup 46 and Sarafina Ikpeazu’s icing on the cake for Banija against Valanora in cycle 94.

We’re 25 yards out now, and there are only nine more goals on the list.

Just five of 234 goals from this area, between 26 and 39 yards from goal

Only five goals have been scored from between 26 and 39 yards, among them Juan Tzimisces - alone this time - scoring the only goal for The Holy Empire in World Cup 69. The distance from goal isn’t actually mentioned, it just feels like a thirty-yarder. Possibly just because it’s Juan Tzimisces.

The chaps noted that they realised that winning World Cups was old hat for Mr Tzimisces by now, but nonetheless they hoped he took some pride in his trademark 56th-minute thunderbolt that had not only won the match, but was in fact Mr Tzimisces' first ever undisputed World Cup final goal; his previous goal subject to some dispute over the scorer, and jointly attributed to Mr Tzimisces and Ug-Ug. The chaps gave their managers three huzzahs of thanks each.
:- The Holy Empire. 2014-09-21

At the other end of the thunderbolt spectrum is Riksa Valjariia’s deflected consolation goal for Vilita against Free Republics the previous cycle.

…when Riksa Valjariia's somewhat optimistic drive from 30 yards out took the slightest deflection before navigating perfectly into the top corner of the net leaving the Free Republics players in a state of shock as they watched their own World Cup dreams dissolve before them. Even Valjariia seemed a little surprised when the ball ended up in the back of the net, the Jungle Strike FC midfielder simply standing in place with his arms raised in celebration as his teammates erupted around him and congregated in excitement.
Vilita. 2014-06-01

.

After the 26-39 group, there are just four goals left to count.

Three goals were scored inside the opposition half, but outwith the 40-yard arc.

You know which goals are here. They’re our three god-mods. Tuade Lue’s chloroform moonshot was written by its author, Kaze Progressa, as being from 45 yards out. Goran Yurán’s freak top-spin thunderbastard was taken just outside the centre circle, which gives it a distance of about 50 yards. Jingus Gonorrhea was supposedly sitting in the middle of the pitch when the ball hit him. We don’t know pitch measurements for the overwhelming majority of multiversal football pitches, so we’re going to assume a 115-yard long field, so the ball struck him around 57 yards from goal. For it to hit him and still maintain enough momentum to fly into the goal, the forces involved must have been unimaginable. You get the impression that if he wasn’t the sort of person to bear the name ‘Jingus’ before the goal, he certainly was afterwards.

And with that, we’ve accounted for 189 of the 190 goals for which we can estimate a distance. The 190th has Jingus beaten.

By about 20 further yards.

From downtown!

Welcome to Ellis Island
Mitchell Ellis
World Cup 33 Final - 90+3rd Minute
Bettia [3]-2 Ac-cz
Written by Bettia

As the clock ticked into injury time and the stadium began to ring with the whistles from the Bettia supporters, all urging the referee to blow the final whistle. A premature cheer went up as his whistle did indeed sound out two minutes into injury time - unfortunately it was simply to award a free-kick some twenty yards into the Bettian half for offside. Desperate to see the clock wind down even further, Mitchell Ellis simply hoofed the ball into the home half as far as he could, then looked on as Gn-Lg yelled at his defenders to leave the ball, which they duly did. However, he had horribly misjudged the flight of the ball and could only watch on in despair as it bounced high over his head and trickled into the goal to make the game safe.
:- Bettia. 2007-03-19

It's certainly not the first long-distance goal scored by an inspirational captain, but we think it's the only World Cup Final goal scored by a goalkeeper. If we get round to checking positions of the players involved in goals, we can confirm that another time.

by **Kanzlia** » Mon May 11, 2026 3:36 am

✦✦
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⮜ Previous Part
^--04--
Corvus
Cold Breezy Thursday Night of April Seventh 1921. Eastern Quarter, Korvenhoude.

Mouro's family home was located in the eastern quarter of the city. This part is what others would probably call the suburbs with how much rows upon rows of housing lined it. Mouro's home was just around a corner, overlooking a small communal garden. This was the first house he bought seven years ago, and it might be time to move out sometime soon. The house was built in 1910, coinciding with the housing boom in Korvenhoude by that time as the city's ports began opening up to investors and private companies. It was the usual brick construction houses of the era, though unlike the houses in Kotr, the brick houses over in Korvenhoude we're more brown-y than in the capital of the province. Which only made the white door of the house stand out even more.

Mouro got in, took off his shoes, and was greeted by his wife Ekaterina. "Did the boss push some extra work again?" she asked as she took off Mouro's coat. "Or did you take the inter-city rail?"

"The former dear. You know how he goes." Mouro replied. "Where's little Reina?"

"Oh you know" Ekaterina waved her hands in a dismissive manner, "Comics."

This was Reina's latest obsession. After she thankfully moved on from bugs and bug collecting, their seven year old daughter had picked up comics as her new hobby. It started off last month when Reina joined her dad in the office and along the way a brightly coloured thin paper comic book caught her eyes. Reina couldn't stop nagging Mouro about the comic throughout the day until he finally caved and went to visit the bookstore on the way back. They left the bookstore with half a dozen comic books in hand. And now, a month later, Reina expects she gets a new comic book every week.

"Atleast they're cheap." Ekaterina commented as she looked over at her daughter in the dinner table reading one said comics. "Can you imagine if she's obsessed with those expensive dolls? The thought scares me alone."

"Yeah, could be worse." Mouro replied, "You'll head to Kotr this weekend yes?"

Ekaterina turned to Mouro and nodded, "Of course. Is there anything I should know?"

"Not really. I have an informal meeting on Saturday, you should be fine." Mouro shook his head.

"Are you sure you want to bring Reina on a meeting? Spade or the neighbour can look after her." Ekaterina asked, slightly worried. This was Reina afterall, and she has yet to develop the tact to not bother her parents when they're working.

Mouro in his mind already vetoed Spade babysitting Reina, all he'd do is shower her with sweets and not get a single job done, the neighbour was alright but he didn't want to bother. "Should be fine, I'll just.. give her another comic." Mouro whispered the last part. Unfortunately to no avail.

"Another comic?!" Reina ears shot up at the mere whisper. She turned to her parents direction, eyes gleaming. Ekaterina rubbed her temples and let out a sigh.

"She always listens, you should know this by now."

Mouro scratched his head, he'd rather not accept the realisation that his daughter could always hear him but actively chose not to listen. Unless it's about comics. Regardless, he'd tell about it at one point or another, so he might aswell inform Reina about it. "..Yes Reina."

"Can I get.. uh..." Reina turned to her comic, flipped the cover page over and, in vain, tried to name out, "C..Korv..us? Korwus?"

"..Yes Reina, you can get a comic book from Corvus." Mouro replied. Corvus was apparently Reina's favourite comic book author/artist. Mouro did briefly skimmed through the comics Reina was about to buy, he's heard rumours from neighbours about satanic rituals depicted in the comics, or egregiously brutal violence, or even worse, tones criticising capitalism. Corvus did annoy him in an aspect that was neither of those. Corvus's stories, at least from what Mouro could conclude from skimming through, always have the protagonist to be a gloomy ex-lovestruck character fighting evil so they can confront the big bad villain at the end. Who almost always was the protag's old flame. Mouro found it a boring repeated trope from Corvus, but at least everything else seemed okay. The dialogue didnt have incessant swearing nor were the fight scenes particularly brutal. So at the end, he didn't mind if Reina's favourite was from this Corvus person.

"Yayy!" Reina beamed.

"Though.. Reina, you'll have to join Dad to a cafe for Saturday, can you promise Dad you won't bother Dad or my colleague?" Mouro warned Reina. He didn't want Reina to bother the meeting.

"Hmmm" Reina hummed. "Will I get a comic after or before Dad's meeting?"

"After, on the way back."

Reina shook her head her arms crossed, "I can not promise."

Ekaterina giggled at the corner of the room, amused at her daughter's negotiation skills with Mouro, who's clearly on the wrong foot. Mouro sighed, "Alright, alright. We'll get the comic before we head for the meeting. Happy?"

"Hehehe, of course!" Reina replied with a gleaming smile before she returned back to her comic. Mouro turned to his wife who wore a similar smile.

"Sly girl isn't she?", she said.
Next Part ⮞

World Cup 101 - The Roleplays

Gisken Aldra on Gisken Aldra

Abdullah Ibn Salam on Abdullah Ibn Salam

WC101Q 6

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