World Cup 95 Roleplay Thread

by **Sylestone** » Sun Oct 29, 2023 10:11 pm

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to World Cup 95, proudly hosted by Chromatika and Sylestone!

This is the official roleplay thread for the World Cup. Here is where you RP the goings-on of your nation during World Cup Qualifying and, if you make it that far, the World Cup itself. From typical match reports to politics to character-driven romances, almost everything is fair game here! However, please do not post about any administrative matters here. All OOC chatter should be directed to the World Cup Discussion Thread.

In qualifying, 160 teams will be split into 20 groups of 8 and play a home-and-away double round robin, with the 20 group winners joining the two hosts in the World Cup. The remaining ten teams will be decided by a seeded playoff between teams finishing second in their groups, which will be decided across one leg in a venue either in Chromatika or Sylestone.

For the World Cup, the 32 teams will be drawn into eight groups of five, with the knockouts following the order of A1 v B2, C1 v D2, B1 v A2, D1 v C2, etc. with hosts remaining on the opposite side of the draw for as long as possible.

Pot 1: Banija (1), Graintfjall (2), Valanora (3), Zwangzug (4), Chromatika (5), Farfadillis (6), Kelssek (7), Sylestone (41)
Pot 2: Pemecutan (8), Ko-oren (9), Nephara (10), Tumbra (11), Yuezhou (12), Delte (13), Flavovespia (15), The Holy Empire (18)
Pot 3: Cabo Azure (20), Tikariot (24), Brenecia (26), Brookstation (27), Mytanija (30), Elmyia (32), HUElavia (36), Mertagne (38)
Pot 4: Koronavia (42), Drawkland (46), Baggieland (47), Sajnur (53), Eshialand (55), Tanirinthia (60), West Barack and East Obama (61), Vdara (85)

Groups

Group A - Chromatika, scorinated by Sylestone
Mytanija (30)
The Holy Empire (18)
Chromatika (5)
West Barack and East Obama (61)

Group B - Chromatika, scorinated by Sylestone
Sajnur (53)
Graintfjall (2)
Delte (13)
Cabo Azure (20)

Group C - Chromatika, scorinated by Sylestone
Tanirinthia (60)
Kelssek (7)
Tikariot (24)
Yuezhou (12)

Group D - Chromatika, scorinated by Sylestone
Eshialand (55)
Nephara (10)
HUElavia (36)
Valanora (3)

Group E - Sylestone, scorinated by Chromatika
Ko-oren (9)
Baggieland (47)
Mertagne (38)
Sylestone (41)

Group F - Sylestone, scorinated by Chromatika
Koronavia (42)
Brookstation (27)
Flavovespia (15)
Banija (1)

Group G - Sylestone, scorinated by Chromatika
Tumbra (11)
Brenecia (26)
Farfadillis (6)
Vdara (85)

Group H - Sylestone, scorinated by Chromatika
Drawkland (46)
Zwangzug (4)
Pemecutan (8)
Elmyia (32)

Schedule (all dates in UTC):

December 3: WC Group Draw (11pm UTC/3pm PST/10am AEDT Monday 4th)
December 9: MD1 (1v4, 2v3)
December 11: MD2 (1v2, 4v3)
December 13: MD3 (3v1 ,2v4)
December 15: Round of 16 (A1vB2, C1vD2, B1vA2, D1vC2, E1vF2, G1vH2, F1vE2, H1vG2
December 17: Quarterfinals (Winner A1B2 v Winner C1D2, Winner B1A2 v Winner D1C2, Winner E1F2 vs G1H2, Winner F1E2 vs H1G2)
December 19: Semifinals (Winner QF1 v Winner QF2, Winner QF3 v Winner QF4)
December 20: [PROVISIONAL] 3PPO (Sylestone)
December 21: Final (Chromatika)

Cutoff Windows:
Chromatika will cut off between 4am-6am UTC (8pm-10pm Pacific Time the previous day, 3pm-5pm Australian Eastern Time)
Sylestone will cut off between 10am-12pm UTC (2am-4am Pacific Time, 9pm-11pm Australian Eastern Time)

Please do not reserve posts for RPs

by **Chromatika** » Sun Oct 29, 2023 10:12 pm

CHROMATIKA

Welcome to Chromatika

Overview: Chromatika is a nation composing of a group of islands located in the far northeastern corner of Anaia. There is the main island of Chromatik Island itself, Urrhed Island to the southwest, Myana Island to the northwest, and Dorri Island to the northeast.

History: The tale of Chromatik history is one filled with mystery, wonder, tragedy, and determination to make something that is better.

Chromatika one day popped into existence by mysterious forces that have since been identified as a group of extraplanar angels known as The Enlightened Ones. It's still unclear where the populace came from. The Chromatik Party held sway over the land, implementing its seven-color caste system, until the Rainbow Revolution happened, led by the Chromatik National Team in World Cup 75. This resulted in the first Manager of Chromatika - Franscesca Larriet-Cortes - being martyred.

A group of revolutionaries called the Shadow Writers were able to gather elements of the Chromatik Army, Air Force, and Navy to overthrow the Chromatik Party. Alina Krasnikova, one of the leaders of this movement, was the first Premier. Chromatika then ran into another hiccup when the time of the first democratic election came, with the Checkers Party, formed by a lot of the remnants of the Chromatik Party, tried to take control of the election. Aided by one of the Enlightened Ones, the Rainbow Party was able to, with help with their Atlantian Oceanian neighbors, stop the forces behind the Checkers Party and ensure a safe election.

In recent years, the Rainbow Party splintered into the Rainbow Party and the New Light Party. After a very close election, Hélène Embroise of the New Light Party was elected the Third Premier of Chromatika. Since then, it’s been proven that the New Light Party was influenced by a shadow group called the Shadow Hand. This has caused another shock to reverberate in Chromatika, making everyone wonder if they will ever have an actual fair election.

Then, an Abyssal incursion in nearby Yesopailtha was stalled by the Yesopalithans; in looking for another point of magical entry, the Abyssal forces latched onto the magically temperate jungle of Eyrods. The eastern half of Myana Island was shut down for a year, finally taken back by a huge gamble taken by the Yesopalithans.

Now, in the middle of rebuilding, facing another election, Chromatiks are looking to this World Cup as a sign that they are still fine.

Cultural Notes: While visiting Chromatika, please observe the following:

Travel Advisory: All foreigners that are not directly involved in the rebuilding process are not allowed to come onto the eastern half of Myana Island. As Myana Island as a whole will not host any part of the World Cup, it is advised to just avoid the island altogether.

Transportation: Chromatik highways aren't very wide - two lanes per side at most. There is a very expansive railroad system that was originally used for troop movement, but has been refitted to serve the everyday citizen. There is an underwater construction project that is projected to end soon that will tie the mainland to the two islands down south. A subway system and a bus system in the bigger cities have also been established. Franscesca Larriet-Cortes International Airport is also not very big, only serving regional flights. For the tournament, the nation will be accepting team planes to land, but it'd be best if you flew to Quebec City, Cathair, Jhanna, Ramusok, or Villeneuve first. Ferries run from the Islands of Myana and Urrhed to and from the main island on the hour.

Ticketing and Visas: All visitors with a valid ticket will get a two-week visa that includes the match that they will be attending. For those attending multiple matches, they will be allowed to stay up to three days after the latest match or two weeks, whichever is longer. Tickets will be distributed as follows: 35% to each nation partaking in the match, 10% to Chromatiks, 15% to people from other nations, and the remaining 5% to be included with any of the tickets that aren’t sold by a predetermined point in time (usually 3 days before the match).

For matches featuring the Chromatik National Team, the distribution is a bit different: 45% for Chromatika, 30% for the visiting team, 20% to people from other nations, and the remaining 5% to be included with any of the tickets that aren’t sold by the predetermined point in time. Any press and dignitaries’ tickets will be counted among the residual 5%.

Also of note: ticket scalping (buying and selling tickets in front of the stadium to would-be buyers) is illegal in Chromatika. If you want to get a ticket in that fashion, make sure you are at least three miles away from the stadium, or don’t get caught. Otherwise, you will be fined and your ticket will be confiscated. All ticket sales are tied down to the holder twelve hours before the match.

Laws: Chromatik legal code is a bit on the stricter side. The Chromatik Police, known as the CPD, are a well-trained, swift response group with a sizable presence. Chromatika does tend to side more on prevention than reaction. For an enjoyable stay, please note the following laws that visitors should be aware of:

The legal age of purchasing and possession of liquor and tobacco is 18. Stores are required to card anyone that appears to be less than 25 years of age.
The legal age of purchasing cannabis and other marijuana related products is also 18, and the limit of purchasing cannabis without a medical prescription is two grams per visit.
The importing of any alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, or other drugs is illegal without declaration. With declaration, up to a liter of alcohol, two cartons of cigarettes, and three grams of cannabis can be brought in.
Having multiple cars on a lane meant for one car is a finable offense, and the offending drivers’ licenses can be revoked.
Jaywalking is a serious offense in Chromatika. If cited three times, the offender can face serious fines and jail time should they continue to offend. Don’t do it!
As previously stated, ticket scalping is a finable offense that can lead to the ticket being confiscated.
Foreign visitors cannot bring firearms or any kind of weapons into the country without a specific license and accompanying paperwork. Even then, the weapon must be disassembled and ammunition shipped separatedly.
Foreign visitors are not allowed to bring more than 10,000 NSD or 21,000 NMS in cash into the country without proper declaration and accompanying paperwork.
For any other questions about legal matters, please call 99 1133-4455, the Chromatik Legal Hotline, or visit chromatiklaws.en.cr.

Currency: The currency of Chromatika is the National Mark. the exchange rate is at a respectful 1.5 Chromatik National Mark per 1 NS Dollar. Cost of living is rather low in Chromatika, as the government provides most things through taxes. A bottle of water costs 1 NMS, a good meal about 7, and a new car around 30,000. Please come to Chromatika with all your currency changed to NSD or NMS, as we don't provide exchange services from other currencies.

Climate: Chromatika is a rather cold nation, with the average temperature being 65 F (18 C) in the summer and down to 11 F )-8 C) in the winter. The northern parts tend to be colder, while Myana and Urrhed tend to be a bit warmer. There is a temperate jungle in Eyrods where the temperature can spike up a bit more. It doesn't rain much, but snows a fair bit; winds don't gust that much, either. Climate-wise, it's a rather cold, boring, land. The World Cup Proper will take place during the summer months, so expect temperatures to be in the mid to high sixties (upper teens Celsius) with mostly cloudy weather, except in the Myana/Urrhed Islands, where it can get to the lower seventies, and the mountains of the Mountain District, where it will be colder.

Language: The official languages of Chromatika are English, Korean, French, Mandarin, and Russian. The most commonly used one in English. Depending on where you visit, you can hear one of the other being spoken interchangeably. Most Chromatik peoples know at least three of the five languages, with one of them being English. Pockets of other language speakers do exist, but are more rare.

Cuisine: Chromatik food is usually spicy, filling, and served warm. There are a few cold dishes, but as the country itself is very cool/cold, Chromatiks prefer hot dishes. Korean, French, Chinese, and Eastern European cuisines are all available for consumption. Chromatika has a sizable population that has dietary needs, and and as such, vegan, vegetarian, and other such cuisines are not only present but popular.

General Populace: The Chromatik people are respectful, polite, and usually keep to themselves. If you don't bug them, they won't bug you. That isn't to say that they aren't nice, as Chromatiks get by with most everyone. Just don't make fun of the past, don't make light the actions of the Chromatik Party, and enjoy your visit!

Host Cities and Venues

Hosting Cities and Venues

Note: You'll often recognize that the Capacity of a venue and the Seats are different. That's because traditionally, Chromatik stadiums were also the place that people would go to in case of evacuation due to natural disasters. The Capacity is the number of people that can fit in the stadium comfortably; the number of seats is the number of actual seats that are available to view the football games. For the ones where seats aren't listed, Capacity indicates number of seats.

Rainbow District

Lanar
Located at the Western side of the Rainbow district, Lanar was founded first, and is the older brother. Lanar is known for producing most of the nation's vehicles. Viper Motors (previously Imhar Automotive) is located there, being the only automotive maker of Chromatika. Being by the coast means a lot of foreign cars come through here as well.

Venue: Hawks' Nest (Cap. 112,000, 38,000 Seats)
The home of the Red Hawks, the Hawks' Nest was made to resemble a bird's nest with the field being where the eggs would lie in a bird's nest. The sloping roof does bounce back sound onto the field making it one of the loudest venues in Chromatika. Lanar has been a midtable squad in the Red League in the recent years, which has helped raise its image. Their biggest rivals are Sanar.

Schedule
Matchday 1: The Holy Empire vs. Chromatika
Matchday 2: Mytanija vs. The Holy Empire
Matchday 3: Chromatika vs. Mytanija

Sanar
The youngest brother of the three (Lanar, Sanar, and Pelar), Sanar is known for two things: First, it's where Z'ai'ai and Umbar’s lumber ends up to be turned into furniture. Second, it's where the headquarters of the Death Templars Law Firm is located. DTLF was the sponsor of the Chromatik League for many years and is one of the biggest companies in Chromatika, specializing in legal counsel, accounting, philanthropy, and nonprofit fundraising efforts.

Venue: The Hive, Sanar (Cap. 122,000, 42,000 Seats)
Don't go to The Hive unless you don't mind being a bit squished. It's the densest stadium, and was specifically designed that way to emulate a hive and how full it is of bees. The field is the most open part of the entire stadium, but the absence of a roof means you're at the mercy of the elements. Sanar is a yo-yo club, through and through, and the fanbase has enjoyed every opportunity to go against their hated rivals (Lanar) whenever possible.

Schedule
Matchday 1: Mytanija vs. West Barack and East Obama
Matchday 2: West Barack and East Obama vs. Chromatika
Matchday 3: The Holy Empire vs. West Barack and East Obama

Capital District

Wirr Tsi
Wirr Tsi, a city in the Capital District that is more towards the Mountain District, is where the Chromatik Air Force is located, with over sixty percent of the population being military. Besides being an air force town, it’s where the armaments are being manufactured as well. It's not a very exciting town, but an important one. Recently, more and more of the populace has been moving from Chromia to other cities in the district, which has led to Wirr Tsi cresting the 800,000 mark in terms of population.

Venue: The Shock (Cap. 51,350, 18,000 Seats)
The Shock, home to the Wirr Tsi Shock, was built to house the Air Force's football team. It's not a very flashy stadium, but it was built somewhat recently, so it's state-of-the-art. The stadium has glass floors and ceilings that make light reflect rather interestingly, making it quite fun to look at from certain angles. There are airplane fly-bys before every match, usually made of pilots getting their licenses, which add a different layer of a viewing spectacle. As the home venue of one of Chromatika's most famous teams, The Shock has gotten plenty of love and hate over the years - and is proud to host the Chromatik National Team.

Schedule:
Round of Sixteen 1: Group A Winner vs. Group B Second Place

Alnio
Alnio is the technological capital of Chromatika. Located just thirty-one miles East of Chromia, almost dead center of the Capital District, it is in Alnio that Black Raven Technologies is headquartered (yes, that group that owns multiple clubs across the multiverse). Alnio has lots of blue collar workers and used to be completely populated by Greens on the Chromatik Scale. Now, the city is busy with a lot of Red, Orange, and Yellow people being educated, along with some of the Blue, Indigo, and Violets who wanted to be scientists there to learn as well. Alnioans look to get past the city’s checkered past and toward a more progressive future.

Venue: RCK Field (Cap. 100,400, 32,000 Seats)
RCK Field is a stereotypical football field in a nice stadium. The stadium surrounding the field has shopping malls built in it, and there is a huge food court as well. RCK stand for Richard Charles Klevion, a local statesperson who was instrumental in the founding of the city and it being recognized as a separate entity from Chromia. The team that calls this field home, Alnio, has recently risen back through the ranks to be one of the top teams of the Red League; Alnio has recommitted to their team with vigor.

Schedule:
Round of Sixteen 2: Group C Winner vs. Group D Second Place

Chromia
Chromia (previously Chromatik City) is the Capital of Chromatika and the seat of its government. The city is located ten miles east of the border with the Heartland and Rainbow Districts, and some of the suburbs of the city spill into the other two districts. It is in Chromia that Chromatik politics is realized, and where Hélène Embroise serves as the Premier. It is also the site where most of the atrocities of the previous regime were committed, so it is a very historical and very conflicting site for most Chromatiks. As the nation's capital, it is home to more than 5.8 million people, housing more than a quarter of the country.

Venue: Chromatik City Field (Cap. 100,000, 32,200 Seats)
A stadium used by both Crossroads and Chromia Central College University, Chromatik City Field is one of the newest stadiums in the country, sporting state-of the art seating, accommodations, and screens. As the "third stadium" in Chromia, it is usually reserved for musical events when not fielding one of those two squads; due to its simplistic beauty and clean appearance, it is a must-see for any visitors, especially those interested in architecture and culture.

Schedule:
Quarterfinal 1: Round of Sixteen 1 Winner vs. Round of Sixteen 2 Winner

Venue: Anomaly Tower (Cap. 110,320, 42,350 Seats)
Anomaly Tower is a really weird stadium, because it's on the bottom floor of a huge complex that is used as a famous restaurant. Yes, the restaurants close during matches so that the noise doesn't get too unbearable. But you can get a good meal at a five-star restaurant and then go down to watch a match! Anomalies Football Club calls this place home. Located toward the northeastern edge of the capital, The Anomaly Tower is a bit out of the way - which is great, as it takes you away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Schedule
Semifinal: Quarterfinal 1 Winner vs. Quarterfinal 2 Winner

Venue: Capitalizt Dome, Chromia (Cap. 144,000)
The crowning jewel of Chromatika, and the national stadium where international matches are usually held. It's your typical big-team stadium, home of the Chromatik Capitalizt. It is one of the few stadiums that are only used for football matches. The national collegiate finals and high school finals are held here, too. Recent renovations have updated the equipment to be state-of-the-art, and a retractable roof can be used during the severest of winter storms. There really isn't many other stadiums like the Capitalizt Dome in the world.

Schedule
3rd Place Playoff: Semifinal 1 Loser vs. Semifinal 2 Loser

Urrhed Island

Urrheddiao
Located at the southernmost point of Urrhed Island, Urrheddiao is the seafood capital of Chromatika. It is here that most of the fishing fleets call home, and most of the nation's fish is caught here. as one of the southernmost cities in the country, Urrheddiao is one of the warmest; it is also possible to get on cruise ships here to sail south - toward Yesopalitha, Savigliane, or even Audioslavia or Cosumar if one is feeling particularly adventuresome. Urrheddiaoans are some of the friendliest in the country, known for their cordial behavior and hospitality.

Venue: United Center (Cap. 120,000; 28,000 Seats)
Initially, United owners wanted the stadium to be right by the water. However, safety concerns over the huge tidal waves in the winter forced the stadium to be about fifteen miles off the coast. The stadium can be transformed into a place where a lot of the city can take shelter in in the event of a tsunami or a typhoon, as it sits at the highest point on the island. It isn’t the most appealing stadia, but it’s one that stands out in the town. The football culture is great here as well, as United started in the second tier and worked its way up to be one of the greatest teams within the nation before the league was first disbanded. Urrheddiao now remain one of the mainstay teams of the Red League. The fans are quite loyal here, and the rivalry with fellow Islanders Myana and Tihon is something to watch.

Schedule
Matchday 1: Tanirinthia vs. Yuezhou
Matchday 2: Yuezhou vs. Tikariot
Matchday 3: Kelssek vs. Yuezhou

Tihon
Located on the northwesternmost point of Urrhed Island, Tihon is another fishing town, and the state capital of Urrhed Island. It is also a tourist attraction due to the huge open beaches in the area. Tihon is a maritime paradise, loved by surfers, fishermen, and those who enjoy watersports alike. Most of the seafood caught from Urrhed Island is passed through Tihon before being shipped toward the Rainbow District, and to the rest of the country; this makes the Port of Tihon one of the most influential ports in the country.

Venue: The Tidal Wave (Cap. 95,210; 25,000 Seats)
The focal point of the town, the Tidal Wave is built on the high end of the island as to provide shelter against storms. There is a huge statue of a wave about to crash down outside the stadium that casts a shadow toward the entrance. The Wave provides a secondary center to the town away from the port and fish market. There was a time where Tihon won five straight titles during the Chromatik League era - and with the team starting to put up great results once again, there is talk of a return to glory.

Schedule
Matchday 1: Kelssek vs. Tikariot
Matchday 2: Tanirinthia vs. Kelssek
Matchday 3: Tikariot vs. Tanirinthia

Myana Island

OFF LIMITS TO VISITORS

Mountain District

Felswyr
A town known for its ski resorts, a winter paradise. Felswyr is located at about the dead center of the Mountain District, right by Mt. Niai. It is known for tourism and for being the winter Capital of Chromatika. During the summer, snow still exists on the highest peaks of the nearby mountain, but the streets aren’t iced over as much. Felswyrites are kind, well-spirited people who are fiercely loyal to their small-town feel. The only host city with a population of just more than 100,000, there’s a reason that Felswyr is on the list - it is one of the finest, model towns in Chromatika.

Venue: Frozen Stadium (Cap. 32,100)
This stadium is mostly known for being 6,112 ft above sea level. The air is thin and cold, and wind chill can also be a factor. Thankfully, the tournament is being held in the summer, so temperatures should be a bit more mild. The Frost call this place their home venue, and each match is sold out due to the limited number of seats and the brand of football they play. To accommodate those who don't with to experience the cold, there are plenty of venues around the stadium where one can watch the match indoors.

Schedule
Matchday 1: Eshialand vs. Valanora
Matchday 3: Nephara vs. Valanora

Z'ai'ai
Located at the Southeast corner of Chromatika, Z'ai'ai is seated by Mt. Kùrn, the highest point in Chromatika, with elevation of 17,254 ft. It is a rare place where you can experience the mountain and the ocean at the same time within an hour's drive. Pronounced 'Zee-aye-aye", it's also the cuisine capital of Chromatika due to the variety of ingredients that are available from both the mountains and the ocean. A lot of mining is done at Mt. Kùrn, and logging is also done on a sustainable level and sent to Sanar to be turned into furniture.

Venue: Z'ai'ai Field (Cap. 113,000, 40,000 Seats)
The home of the Mountaineers, and an iconic stadium that boasts the view of the ocean and of the mountain on a clear day. Z’ai’ai Field is a quarter mile away from Z’ai’ai Institute of Technology and only two miles from the port side of Z’ai’ai. The pride of Z'ai'ai, and a beautiful sight that is one of the main attractions of the city. Z'ai'ai is one of the premier yo-yo clubs of Chromatika, having spent many seasons in both the Red and Orange Leagues.

Schedule:
Matchday 1: Nephara vs. HUElavia
Matchday 2: Valanora vs. HUElavia
Round of Sixteen 3: Group B Winner vs. Group A Second Place

Umbar
Thirty or so years ago, Umbar was the southern part of Z'ai'ai. They separated and incorporated into their own township and became famous for where all the logging that gets done in Z'ai'ai gets turned into Lumber. The second biggest city in the District in terms of population, Umbar has worked hard to distinguish itself from Z'ai'ai and be its own entity. Notable sightseeing activities in the area include the Logging Museum, a archery/throwing axe range, and the eastern half of the Umbar Lumber complex, which includes an area where the public can experience various aspects of the logging industry.

Venue: Umbar Ultima (Cap. 81,200; 27,500 Seats)
Home to perennial survival seekers Umbar, Umbar Ultima is an octagonal stadium known for its rigid structure and professional ambience. Also used to host mixed martial arts matches during the offseason, Ultima has a retractable roof to help with adverse weather. It's a stereotypical stadium hosting a team that has never really made it big nor fallen out of the spotlight.

Schedule:
Matchday 2: Eshialand vs. Nephara
Matchday 3: HUElavia vs. Eshialand

Coastal District

Lhor
Located in the northeast corner of Chromatika, right by the ocean, Lhor was historically a whaling town - and now a place that is famous for its whalewatching tours. Otherwise, Lhor is famous for being the fashion Capital of Chromatika - although most of the modeling still happens in Chromia. A lot of young people live in Lhor because it is smaller, fashionable, and beautiful.

Venue: The Cove (Cap. 51,265; 28,000 Seats)
What's not to like about this stadium? Located right by the ocean, with an aquarium across the street. Beautiful view of the ocean and the sunset. The focus of the town, the jewel of the city... It's a pretty place to be. On a calm day, you can see the ocean, a good view of the sun setting over the horizon, and feel the gentle breeze. The Orcas are an enigmatic squad - they've had so much Banijan money poured into them, only to only make the IFCF CC seldomly.

Schedule
Matchday 1: Sajnur vs. Cabo Azure
Matchday 2: Sajnur vs. Græntfjall
Matchday 3: Græntfjall vs. Cabo Azure

Pria
The second biggest city in the Coastal District, Pria is a city in the middle of a transition. Previously, it was where the Chromatik Party housed the young people that it was in the middle of indoctrinating - an academy of sorts before they hit collegiate age, conveniently housed in a high-security installation off of the main island. Since the Rainbow Revolution, the barracks of the institutions have been remodeled and retrofitted to become a symbol of hope - a place where the previously marginalized can get education paid for by the previous elite to reach goals and dreams that had been shut off from them in the past. There isn't a city like this elsewhere in Chromatika - and they are fully aware of it.

Venue: The Pack, Pria (Cap. 67,290; 19,000 Seats)
An old amphitheater that's been remodeled into a stadium, The Pack looks like it's from a bygone era, but is still cool to observe. Cylindrical with an open roof, it is a stadium that, though it may look unspectacular at first glance, tends to leave an impression.

Schedule
Matchday 1: Græntfjall vs. Delte
Matchday 2: Cabo Azure vs. Delte
Matchday 3: Delte vs. Sajnur

by **Sylestone** » Sun Oct 29, 2023 10:12 pm

Reserved for Sylestonean IC info

Please do not reserve posts below this

by **Delte** » Mon Oct 30, 2023 2:42 am

Home & Away
The Representative Qualification Team, Part 1: Home

Eagle-eyed followers of developments in Deltic football will of course be familiar with the timey-whimey story of how, in the valley, the World Cup happens every two to four months, rather than every two to four years, because reasons. With time travelling so much faster on the outside, away matches unnaturally age the average Deltic player, so players are forbidden from travelling to away matches beyond one cycle - for the good of their own health. (Scientists and a Farv supermodel are working on a cure - see The Quick & The Delts). This means the squad for the World Cup qualification cycle is divided into two distinct teams - those who play at home, and those on their one-time Away Team selection. Therefore, those same eagle-eyed followers will recognise most of the home team roster - since they are eligible to play every cycle, and are hardly ageing compared to all the outside teams of the tournament.

That said, there are three notable exclusions - our Captain Marvel and the first professional footballer in the valley, Enor Perro, together with two of our main strikers, Tai Cerotha (scorer of the first ever goal for the Representatives) and Danny Mastorqa (remarkably unremarkable). They have both become professional footballers too, and have moved to Taxhavn to play for St. Bernadine Athletic. Since this is on the outside, in the Far Faraway, they will age that much quicker so might as well play for the Away Team Mission. Enor has been in Farfadillis for years (or months, Deltic time) so he’s a natural for the Away Team too. Last cycle he played home and away, which broke all the rules of worldbuilding for Delte but no-one seemed to notice, even me. That inexplicable error has been corrected for this cycle. Fluid time - it’s so hard to follow, right?!

Appearing in the Home Team squad for the first time is strike sensation Henry Lightman, who was the surprise package of our Away Team Mission last cycle, scoring twenty-nine goals in just sixteen games through to the World Cup quarter-finals. And he’s only 17 (plus two). Surprisingly the surprise package has not been named in the starting XI, as new head coach of the Home Team Mo Unden - promoted from assistant to Enor Perro - leaves the young striker on the bench. Perhaps, after his wild exploits last time out, Mo thinks he needs a bit of a rest. With Cai and Danny moving to Taxhavn, regular strike starter Irki Mynster will be partnered up front by Hennequin Perdu, one of the Rushmori boat people who came to the valley in the wake of Cassadiagua’s annexation of The River Republic. He previously featured in the Away Team of World Cup 93, and joins fellow refugee Steed Tombes, now the established keeper in the Home Team.

Apparently dropped from the squad for good, fullback ex-teacher turned sportswriter Kim Samrodd will cover the matches from the sidelines for the Oswark Parish Advertiser, and no doubt he’ll be keeping a close eye on promising young full-back Enda Iodyne, 17, who comes in from making his debut in the Away Team last time out. Foreign national Eddie von Dach, the son of the Taxhavnite ambassador, also joins up from the Away Team, while our original Baptism of Fire baby, Onan Tasher, 18, heads in the other direction: he’s moved to St. Bernadine in Taxhavn to study at the University, now he’s all grown up; he’ll turn out for the Away Team while he’s studying Archregimental Archeology or some other parasciencey thing at USB.

Next: The Representative Qualification Team, Part 2: Away Team Mission. To solve the problem of lack of footballers from the valley available for the Continuous World Cup (95 competitions in two decades, Deltic Time, and counting) the All-Week Super Ultra Premier Football Association, the Delte FA, turn to a densely populated nearby taxhaven for assistance.

by **Juvencus** » Mon Oct 30, 2023 3:35 am

CYCLE 94: A CYCLE TO FORGET

A retroactive look at Cycle 94 and why it is important moving forward to Project 95

*Mentions of Campana by itself are mentions to Julio Campana, while Adamantina Campana will be mentioned with her full name

Entering the World Cup 94 qualifiers, everyone in the nation had a positive outlook for how the team would play. The team had its best ever qualifiers run, managed to qualify for its 3rd World Cup and most importantly had won its first Independents Cup trophy not too long ago. Madeiros decided against making many changes, thinking this would be the best course of action for the team. Filling the gap of Martell was deemed a hard task and Ganymede Garcia stepping up to the spot seemed to be the right option. Meanwhile, the backline had plenty of experience players that were used to high level gameplay. It all seemed as it would be a breeze again and la squadra would be at least in contention of a playoff spot. In a group with familiar sides such as Nyowani Kitara, Brookstation and South Covello as well as rivals Cardenao, most teams which the team had at least a positive record against, la squadra was ready to prove its worth against them once again. La squadra would manage to finish 4th and miss out on a huge chance to make repeat qualifications. What went wrong? This is what is going to be analysed below:

Matchday 1 - Brookstation 1–1 Juvencus: Following last cycle's treatment of Brookstation more as a punching bag than as a cohesive unit, defeating them 1-4 away and 2-1 at home, la squadra entered this game with a sense of superiority. That is to say, they underestimated a much improved Dreamers' side. A Brook team that not only was improved but also had home advantadge to its side. Moussa Wague in fact is the one who made the match interesting, following a hard-fought victory on the one-on-one against Callejon that led to the former with enough empty space to nail it on Ungaro's net. Brookstation came close to increasing its advantadge, but the defence had learnt from its mistakes before and as such managed to hold on against their rivals. Campana would score the equaliser on the 88th minute after much controversy on whether or not he was offside, following a Pereyra cross to the box.

Matchday 2 - Juvencus 2-0 Snow and Ice Caps: A routine victory against the Snow and Ice Caps team following an Audiol brace. So far the cycle seemed salvageable, following that hard-fought draw away against Brookstation. However, Snow and Ice Caps were minnows and quite a new team in the international football scene, so a victory like this was to be expected.

Matchday 3 - Nyowani Kitara 1–1 Juvencus: Enter the game with Nyowani Kitara, la squadra's newest rivals when it comes to international football. This game was going to be difficult from the start and it showed from very early on. The atmosphere seemed to be challenging to play against, but that is to be expected when so much is at stake very early on. It was a close matchup, with a lot of pressure shown by both teams. However it would be la squadra that would break the ice, with a Joao Pereyra curvy shot from just outside the box in the 60th minute. Odele Akonga would score the equaliser for the Rushmori team to equalise and would come close to scoring a brace, showing age is just a number. However, Ungaro would be having a good day and stopped that from ever happening, keeping a clean record against the New Kitaran side.

Matchday 4 - Juvencus 2–2 South Covello: That's where troubles began, so many draws in such a short notice had pushed the team to the lower side of the board. South Covello had dropped enough to be considered an easier rival than when our teams had first met all the way back in World Cup 82's qualifiers. Yet again, strong showing by the forwards, with Oliveira and Audiol scoring one each. However, the South Covello team would always figure out a way to equalise and match gli attaccanti's tempo.

Matchday 5 - Darkmania 4–4 Juvencus: And one disaster followed the next, 5 matchdays, 4 were draws and there is a crisis. A team that gli attaccanti should defeat was suddenly a team beating la squadra 4-1(first goal scored by Quaranta) at half-time. Why? Because the gaps between the defenders were never covered and the Darkmanian attack was having a field day. Izotz Ibarra's experience was not enough to cover the gaps of Coste and Agnelli, both of which were subbed off at half-time. The second half was "business as usual" with Limene scoring a brace while his sub Audiol would score the equaliser in the 90th minute to get a bitter draw.

Matchday 6 - Juvencus 3–3 Cardenao: The buildup to this match was disastrous for Juven-Cardenaoan relations going forward as Cardenaoan fans attacked several religious buildings in the greater Scudelli area. While Scudelliano fans are not particularly religious compared to the rest of the nation, the few fundamendalists of the area got fired up and serious fightings ensued way before the match even started. Despite that, the Juven Football Association allowed fans from both countries to enter Il Scudelliano. The game was nothing short of spectacular, with an epic back and forth. A duel of Campana vs Juanma in particular. Campana and Juanma had gone into an altercation in the way to the pitch and they decided to solve it the old-fashioned way. Campana would score on the 11th minute, Juanma would equalise on the 28th. Campana would give the lead back to la squadra on the 39th but Juanma would equalise on the nick of time just before half-time. In the meanwhile, offensive chants between both sides echoed in the flared up and full of smoke stadium. Juven fans were calling the Cardenaoan fans "Broke Scimmie(monkeys)" while the Cardenaoan fans refered to the Juven counterparts as Juvenc*nts. Juanma was close to turning the tables around on the second half but it was Campana who would make it 3-2 on the 70th minute and while la squadra landed a bus after that, a lucky Juanma strike on the 87th minute would be enough for La Furia Azule. The fourth draw in a row would sound BIG alarms for the team.

Matchday 7 - Evinea 3-2 Juvencus: When you cannot win, you lose. Defensive gaps persisted, and Kwaku, Mafahora and Akosua each scoring one would give the home side a great advantadge that it took advantadge of in the entirety of the game. The Juven engines only started working from the 80th minute onward when Adamantina Campana and Sergio Freitas would each score once to make the defeat less embarrassing than it already was.

Matchday 8 - Juvencus 2–2 Abanhfleft: The crisis did not seem to end. That is correct, no wins since matchday 2. Audiol would score a brace(a goal on the 22nd and another on the 79th minute), but the Fleftics would always have an equaliser in hand. Inability to win teams that the team is supposed to dominate raised a number of questions that are to this day left unanswered. But the most important question of them all is: Why?

Matchday 9 - Estorvipa and Estorpiva 3–4 Juvencus: The team really had to play spectacular football to even get one win. Audiol would score a brace at half time, while the home side would match his tally. Coste would make it 2-3 with a bicycle kick following a well-weighed cross by Pereyra in the goal of the matchday. While Limene would make it 2-4 to give a sigh of relief for the team on the 88th minute and while the Estorvipans came close not long after making it 3-4, it would end in a Juven victory at last! La Squadra really had to outdo itself for its second win this deep in the cycle, one of the worst in history so far.

Matchday 10 - Juvencus 6–3 Camerania: In order for defensive mishaps to be covered up, the offense has to be a destructive force of nature to make sure nothing goes wrong. Campana with the hat-trick would make it 3-0 by half-time. While the second half would be the stuff of nightmares as a Meitar Tiimpa brace would make it 3-2 and almost turn the tables around. Simon Oliveira would have to take the game on his back, give 2 assists to Pereyra and Freitas before scoring one himself to make it 6-2 and at this point it would be like beating a dead baby. Oru Chupoi would make it 6-3. La squadra was well on the winning path at least and that was exactly what it needed.

Matchday 11 - Juvencus 1–1 Brookstation: This match was the perfect exhibition for the best-seller "How to Underestimate your Opponent 101" written by none other than August Toset himself. The message from the first time the teams had met did not pass in the heads of the players and la squadra saw itself being behind after a John J Johnson tap-in gave Brookstation the advantadge. La squadra would eventually take control of the game, but despite penetrating the Brook backline, Lance Logan put on a wondershow stopping shots by Audiol, Pereyra and Nora Barrault. The answer would be given by a defender in the dying minutes of the game however. A corner kick in the 90th minute would see the entire team gather up and Callejon would be the one to score the important equaliser. Two ties against Brookstation was not at all what the team had expected in the start of the cycle, but it showed that something was wrong last cycle.

Matchday 12 - Snow and Ice Caps 2–3 Juvencus: Juvencus was not being Juvencus in the away bout against its opponents in Snow and Ice Caps. The first half would be back and forth, with each of Adamantina Campana and Moïse Naggi's goals being matched by subsequent equalisers from their opponents. Gli attaccanti's frontline prowess did not have the support from the backline that was needed, but thankfully Patxi Etxeberria would finish the job. The issue here was not the team's inability to score, but the team's inability to keep its goals in tact and making getting even a draw a tedious task.

Matchday 13 - Juvencus 0-2 Nyowani Kitara: Juvencus had a short-lived chance to reduce a 5 point difference to 2 and make the playoff race exciting against none other than its fierce Rushmori rivals. The problem was that this Nyowani Kitara had improved its strategies against la squadra and it showed on the field as the match was even for the biggest part of it. Campana would get close to giving Juvencus a much-needed victory but Odour Bigombe would be there to save the day. That is when the walls broke down, an unlikely Hansdotter shot would be nailed in and the tides would change for the New Kitarans. Right after this is when the final nail was put on the coffin for this campaign. Gli attaccanti was close to an equaliser following a Pereyra shot that deflected on the cross bar and Nyowani Kitara would go on the counter, a quick Jiahui long-ball through the open Juven defence would find Kuma Negasu against Wright in a beneficial position, all the former had to do was chip the ball over his head to make it 2 goals to zero. From then on, it was saving face for la squadra.

Matchday 14 - South Covello 2–4 Juvencus: While mathematically not impossible to make a hunt for a playoff spot, everyone knew that la squadra was out for the count. This did not stop them however from racking up a victory against South Covello. While having a repeat scenario in the first half, with a back and forth duel of goalscorers, with Urruchi being on a good day this time scoring 2 only for his goals to be matched, the second half proved to be a different scenario. With that said, possession-based gameplay was the go-to strategy for la squadra and indeed Urruchi would find net twice more for an incredible game for the then-Gehrenna(Now Sydberg Olympia) talisman.

Matchday 15 - Juvencus 3–2 Darkmania: With each passing game, it felt like la squadra was getting luckier and luckier every game. While defensive problems were not fixed, the attack was on good form and it showed to the pitch. With a Campana brace and Audiol completing the trio of goals scored, whatever pain Darkmania had caused to the backline was seemingly vanished from existence. With the worst defensive output in recent memory and maybe even of all time, an embarrassment was almost avoided.

Matchday 16 - Cardenao 3–3 Juvencus: Social media had served as a medium for Juven and Cardenaoan keyboard warriors to duke it out before their teams' eventual meetup. The meetup itself did not disappoint and the fans' interactions itself would not disappoint a fan of a sport. The sport would not be football however, as more punches and vulgarities were exchanged on the lead up to the game. The match was glorious, as Campana was injured Audiol stepped up to take the leadership of the frontline and to duel Juanma. Another unlikely duel that would emerge would be the battle of the Chimos, as Chimo Quaranta would square up against Chimo Ventura on backstage and on the field. Audiol would break the ice on the 18th minute following a volley, courtesy of a Pereyra dribbling masterclass and eventual cross to the former. Juanma would equalise, following a Vera corner kick. Chimo Ventura would give Cardenao the advantadge on the 41st minute, with a strong strike just outside the box. With the home team having the advantadge by half-time, it seemed lost especially when Ventura would assist Juanma to make it 3-1. That is when Chimo Quaranta would step in, Quaranta would reduce the advantadge to one goal after synergising with Pereyra well from the right side to get a whole load of empty space for an easy one on one. Quaranta would also be the provider of the last goal scored on the pitch after sending out a cross to Audiol to make it 3-3. With yet another hard bout out of the way, la squadra had an easy road ahead, right?

Matchday 17 - Juvencus 2–3 Evinea: The answer would be no, Evinea going 2 out of 2 against la squadra is a record that will forever echo as one of the biggest embarassments in the history of the team. Akosua would be on a beastly day, scoring 2 to make it 0-2 by half time. While Giordano Limene would make it 1-2, the efforts following that would not be enough as Luke Ugochi would had just gone in as a substitution on the 77th minute would make it 1-3. The best thing gli attaccanti would do was a Pompeo Tailler strike to make the defeat slightly less humiliating than it already was.

Matchday 18 - Abanhfleft 2–6 Juvencus: Taking the home matchday draw against the Fleftics in mind as well as coming off a 2-game winless streak, one would think gli attaccanti would enter this game as sore losers. It did not, fielding a full-strength lineup without injuries la squadra saw itself leading 1-4 by half-time, thanks to 2 goals scored by Campana, 1 by Carlos Coste and another one by Simon Oliveira. The second half would be an Audiol showcase, as he would score 2 more in the final 10 minutes of the matchday to make it 1-6, all the Fleftics could do was score a last minute cheeky header and keep their heads up high for the next match.

Matchday 19 - Juvencus 4–0 Estorvipa and Estorpiva: It would only take la squadra a 17-game streak of conceding before finally having an unlikely clean sheet. Surprisingly, or perhaps UN-surprisingly it was when the team fielded an alternative back 3 of Serbo, Baldi and Carlos Salucci. The experience of Salucci led to the team positioning itself perfectly and stopping each and every Estorvipan attack before it could even beging. This simultaneously made the attack's job way easier, as Adamantina Campana and Soares would score two each to finish the job on the second to last matchday.

Matchday 20 - Camerania 1–2 Juvencus: With world cup qualification out of the question, la squadra simply decided to field its Equippe 7NC against Camerania to give its players more playing time. While Camerania saw itself going in front thanks to Altang Thutam Yluwa, gli attaccanti would pick itself up and with a Tatiana Vicario equaliser, while Turati would finish the job before half-time. The second half would be a back and forth affair between both teams, but neither side would find net, despite Tailler coming close to increasing the scoreline to 1-3 on the 88th minute.

Despite the team's hopes of a second consecutive world cup run being crushed due to an unfortunate campaign, the public populace hoped for a Cup of Harmony invite as yet another wildcard side. An invite that either never came or as speculated, was destroyed by the Juven Football Association to give the team some resting time before the Independents Cup that gli attaccanti had to defend.

The offense did its job right and showed why Juven strikers are renown the world over, as such they received minimal to no slander even in the worst of defeats in this cycle. Audiol and Campana seemed to be fighting to earn the starting eleven spot but by the looks of it, neither of them will be taking it as both strikers proved to be too efficient and prolific but nonetheless not better than each other.

Defensive weaknesses were brought forward as well as Madeiros' inability to provide the team with more defensively sound strategies. Whether it was inexperience, anxiety or the opponents figuring out what la squadra is doing wrong, it worked good against the team even in victory. As such, Madeiros would make several changes for the Independents Cup which we will elaborate on the second part of this retroactive look. Ibarra himself would retire from international football, while Lucia Agnelli announced she would not be participating for the Independents Cup, although she wasn't in Madeiros' radar for the competition to begin with.

by **Sarzonia** » Mon Oct 30, 2023 3:55 am

Carey Oliver figured he’d get a few days of orientation into his brand-new role as the newly minted executive director of the Incorporated Football Federation. Be taken around to get introduced to the Board of Governors members, meet the staff who’d be reporting to him, plus make the rounds, both real and virtual with the various folks who would look to him and his office for guidance.

He sat back in the big leather chair behind his desk. He sniffed for a moment. I love that new leather chair smell, he thought to himself as he looked at the agenda his executive assistant laid out in front of him. Board meeting at 1930 hours tonight. Zoom conference with the Sarzonian Football League commissioner to discuss negotiations about possibly rejoining the champions league. However, his reverie was interrupted by Chairwoman Lynne Craig bursting into his office.

“Carey, we need to talk,” Craig said brusquely, waving off the attempt at a handshake from Oliver.

Good morning to you, too, Oliver thought, annoyed with how rudely she walked in without waiting for a heads-up. He knew in other positions he had, he’d still offer some politeness because he was usually a subordinate and had to take the rudeness because the person displaying it had him by the balls. Not this time.

“What the hell do you want, Lynne? And what gives you the right to barge into my office like that?” He gave Craig a withering glance, hoping it was understood that his reaction meant, “Oh, it’s like that?”

Craig glowered back for a second, but realised she was in the wrong, and Oliver wasn’t putting up with her stuff.

“Sorry. The Executive World Cup Committee has unearthed some incredible accusations against the football associations of Vilita and Turori.”

“Accusations,” Oliver repeated back with a skeptical air, as if to say, you’re wasting my time with accusations?

“Namely, that they’ve instigated corrupt practices including collusion and bribery of officials. And, more to the point, this has gone back a very long time.”

“How long?”

“Well, that’s the thing,” Craig said. “The passage of time is … unique in this competition. By some calculations, it’s lasted as long as 300 years. In some cases, it’s been 75 years. In our estimation, it’s been almost 20 years.”

Fluid time. Oliver at least knew the concept. It was why some players could compete in incredible multiples of World Cups whilst others only had one or two competitions in them. It was why a Sarzonian could conceivably face a player in one World Cup and then the player’s great-grandchildren later in their career. But even the concept of fluid time didn’t mask the enormity of this accusation. Regardless of how anyone tells time, this was a lengthy pattern of wrongdoing. Whether it happened during Oliver’s era or his grandfather’s era or his 12th great-grandfather’s era didn’t matter. This was an extreme pattern. It couldn’t just be shrugged off.

“What do you suggest? Lodge a formal protest?” Like that’s gonna do jack shit, he thought. “Demand Vilita and Turori and their various colonies vacate their championships and finals appearances?”

“That’s a matter for the Executive World Cup Committee as a whole to decide,” Craig said. “We’re not part of that right now because we haven’t competed in the World Cup the last two editions.”

“So what exactly do we do?

“I was hoping you had a suggestion.”

Oliver sat and thought for a moment. He didn’t expect to navigate his first crisis so soon after taking office, but this was no ordinary crisis. This was corruption at such an extreme level that Sarzonia was still a fledgling nation navigating its way in the international scene. Hell, Mike Sarzo was in his first few months in the Gray House, instead of having been dead since 2006.

He looked and saw a document that said “official recognition” and he happened to notice a couple of words.

“That’s it!” he said, drawing a startled look from Craig.’
“What are you talking about?”

“Whenever there’s a champion in a sport, it’s usually a formality that the Department of Health and Athletics issues a formal recognition of the title. It doesn’t even go to the Gray House or Parliament. It’s just taken for granted.”

“I don’t follow.”

“I propose that the Department formally rescind their recognition of the various titles by Vilita and Turori and their undeclared colonies.” Oliver handed Craig a list of the various tournaments that were flagged by investigators. The investigation pointed to World Cups 13 to 27 where Vilita did not indicate their control over nations competing in the World Cup. In the cases of World Cup 19, won by Crystilakere, Vilitan referees officiated the final. Hell, in Sarzonia’s lone championship back in World Cup 22, the Stars faced another undeclared colony in Oaker in the final. Fortunately, Sarzonia prevailed in their first-ever finals appearance, or the controversy really would have left a sour taste in Sarzonian mouths.

“Vilita co-hosted World Cups 17 and 22. Turori hosted World Cup 19, which Crystilakere won. Vilita won World Cup 20. Oaker played Sarzonia in the World Cup 22 final.”

“So do we declare Audioslavia the winners of World Cup 19? After all, they lost that title to Crystilakere? And what about Oaker?”

“No. That’s up to the EWCC to determine. For our parts, we declare all titles won by Vilita and Turori, and all their undeclared colonies to be vacated. So there’s no winner of World Cup 19 and no finalist in World Cup 22 other than us.”

“I don’t know if that’s going to pass the Board and then the Department.”

“The Board hired you because they trust your judgment. Vice President Marshall and I spoke before I came here. He’s willing to go along with what you suggest.”

“And the President?”

“President Haffner isn’t going to get involved. He’s no President Sarzo in that regard.”
ANNOUNCEMENT:

Following the presentation of evidence pointing to a prolonged pattern of violating long established rules, mores and norms, and following an investigation that confirmed the same, the Incorporated Sarzonian Government, acting upon the recommendation issued by the Incorporated Football Federation, the sport’s governing body within Sarzonia, and hereby repeals its recognition of the following championships won by Vilita and the colonies it controls and controlled, both openly and otherwise:

World Cup 19, won by Crystilakere over Audioslavia. This title shall be declared VACATED.
World Cup 22, won by Sarzonia over Oaker. The finalist appearance by Oaker shall be VACATED.
World Cups 77, 78, 81, 82 won by Vilita and World Cup 88 won by Turori. These titles shall be declared VACATED. Turori’s appearance in the final, won by Vilita shall also be VACATED.
World Cup 84, won by Farfadillis over Vilita. The finalist appearance by Vilita shall be VACATED.

“What about their hosting privileges for future competitions?”

“There’s no chance in hell they’ll ever get that opportunity again.”

“Sounds good.”

by **Cabo Azure** » Mon Oct 30, 2023 6:36 am

”Conheces marinheiro quando vem a tempestade. (You know a sailor when the storm comes)”
-Traditional

One hundred and thirty years ago

It was a warm summer’s day in Portelo, in the fiftieth year of the reign of King Adolfo II, and the third month in the regency of his son Carlos, when the Quebecois destroyer Invictus appeared on the southern horizon. She flew no special banners, nor gave any indication of her purpose. When the Coast Guard raised her on the wireless, her response was cryptic:

“This is the H.M.Q.S. Invictus. Our captain requests an audience with His Highness Prince Alexandre.”

Alexandre was the king’s son-in-law, a soft-spoken Quebecois royal married to Adolfo’s oldest daughter, Princess Carmen. Carmen and Alexandre had a son, young Prince Reinaldo, five years old and second in line for the throne behind Prince Carlos. Ever since Adolfo set out for a world tour on his royal yacht, the Bejia-Flor, and left Carlos in charge of the islands, Alexandre had served ably as an advisor to the prince regent, preparing him for the eventual day when Carlos would wear the crown.

The ship anchored off the Portelo coast and sent a boat ashore with her officers in gleaming white uniforms. They were received with due ceremony at the wharf by the commandant of the Maritime Academy, the senior most Azurean officer available on short notice, and a detachment of midshipmen. The party proceeded up the Colina Real to the palace with little pomp, just the whispers of townspeople as they passed. Alexandre greeted the skipper, Commander Peter Sun, on the front steps of the palace.

“Your Royal Highness,” said Sun, delivering a crisp bow in unison with his companions, who were, judging by their uniforms, the ship’s XO and chief engineer. That the skipper had seen fit to bring his second- and third-ranking officers ashore, presumably leaving the gunnery officer or another junior watchstander in command, struck Prince Alexandre as strange, and combined with the ship’s sudden unannounced appearance, it left him with a pit in his stomach.

“Commander Sun,” Alexandre greeted the officer, having been hastily informed his name via radio a few minutes earlier, “It is good to meet you. What brings you to these islands?”

“May we speak in private, sir?” Sun asked, eyes fixed obsequiously on the prince’s shoes. Alexandre gave an almost imperceptible nod to the uniformed Pretoriani who flanked him, and the two men turned to follow him into the house, the officers falling into step behind.

At the door to the prince’s chambers, the commander left his two deputies with the Pretoriani and entered with the prince alone. Seated in a plush chair, the man was visibly uncomfortable, pulling at the stiff collar of his dress shirt. He politely declined a drink that the prince offered, sitting stock still, hands on knees, eyes fixed forward.

“What is the nature of your visit, Commander?” Alexandre asked, studying the officer’s face to observe a reaction.

Quebec was at war, and the Invictus must have come from the Blood Sea, which had earned its name in recent years as the site of many vicious naval battles. To send a warship on an errand in such times seemed incredibly wasteful, so Alexandre had to assume whatever news the commander brought was dire.

"I…" the commander trailed off, caught his breath, tried again. "I believe my ship may have–I believe we sank the king of Cabo Azure's yacht."

Now the commander met Alexandre's eyes, staring him down, pleading silently. The prince swallowed hard, considering the information. He wanted to deny it, to question the commander, but the circumstances made the truth plain; the destroyer had inadvertently fired upon the Bejia-Flor, which had sunk, and in assessing the damage the crew of the Invictus had identified the ship, to their likely horror. They reached out to Joongyeong for guidance, who sent them directly to Portelo to break the news to Alexandre.

"We're to take you back to Quebec, sir, if you choose."

"I will not move my wife or my son," Alexandre said definitively, "And besides, I'm our only hope of avoiding war between Quebec and Cabo Azure."

by **Hapilopper** » Mon Oct 30, 2023 4:09 pm

(OOC Note: This is part of a continuing series called "Nathan Ellis's Quest," a long-term storyline dedicated to one man's crusade to bring Hapilopper to the top of the footballing landscape. You can read the complete series here, which will be updated as the competitions unfold.)

16: Customer Disservice

“Operator, you son of a bitch!”

The period of time between the 70th AOCAF and the start of qualifying for World Cup 95 was about the wildest time for any Hapiloppian that anyone had ever dealt with – and for once, it seemed like the Hapiloppians were not responsible in any way. But either way, the events that occurred during that timeframe led the Hapiloppian government to announce a move to Esportiva, a region that already had some very familiar names in it – names such as Newmanistan, the Sherpa Empire, Tumbra, South Newlandia and Xanneria, a nation that Hapilopper had shared a very detailed and checkered history with.

But what happened? What caused this change? The Hapiloppian government didn’t really want to talk about it. And whether independently or not, pretty much all of Hapilopper’s sports stars had decided they wouldn’t talk about it. It wasn’t their fight, so it made no sense to put an uninformed take into it.

The Hapiloppians had marked the first day of the year as “Esportiva Day”, the day that Hapilopper – and Wreckeria – would officially become a part of the region. That day would be marked by celebrations all across the land as the nation and its people came to grips with what it meant to be an Esportivan. To prepare for it, the Hapilopper Television Network sent camera crews and reporters out to different organizations to interview government leaders, sports stars, influencers and just about any mover and shaker that existed within the bounds of the nation.

On the day that an HTN crew was making their way to meet Nathan Ellis, he wasn’t in a very celebratory mood. And it wasn’t because he had any misgivings about Hapilopper becoming Esportivan – far from it. He was thrilled with it. His problem, instead, was the fact that his internet service was fouling up, the day he was trying to get a plane ticket booked to the World Cup 95 Qualifying group draw – a ticket for himself and for a couple of his players. Not helping matters was the fact that Nathan’s receptionist was out because her sister was having a baby, and the person from the temp agency supposed to come in decided that the release of a new video game was a lot preferable to sitting one room away from the scariest man in the history of Hapiloppian sport for eight hours.

So instead of preparing for this interview, Nathan was sitting, all alone, in the offices of Ellis Football in Garvinson, on the phone with Renshaw Cable, his internet service provider, trying to get through. But instead of hearing a voice he needed to hear, all he could hear was the hold music, which resembled a theme song from a 1990s buddy sitcom.

As the theme played on repeat and repeat – interrupted only for a voice to sing the praises of Renshaw’s internet services – none of which was impressing Nathan at this point – his mood soured and soured. So when a voice addressed him, he was in a fairly dark mood. But the fact that the voice was automated? That darkened his mood a little more.

“Operator,” Nathan said into his phone, visibly annoyed with his circumstances.

“I didn’t quite get that,” the robotic voice responded in its sing-song tone. “Would you like to repeat that?”

“Yeah, operator!” Nathan yelled a little louder.

“I understand you are asking for… Operation Statistics,” the voice responded.

“No, OPERATOR!” Nathan shouted. “I WANT AN OPERATOR! A HUMAN VOICE!”

“I understand you are asking for… an operator,” the voice responded. “Before I hand it off to an operator, understand that I can resolve your problems without you needing to be on hold again. What is the issue you are dealing with?”

Nathan shook his head. If you looked closely, you could almost see steam rising from his head.

“OPERATOR, YOU SON OF A BITCH!” Nathan roared, just as the camera crew and reporter from the Hapilopper Television Network arrived. That reporter flinched a bit as he heard Nathan roaring into the phone. “GOD DAMN IT, GIVE ME AN OPERATOR, YOU ROBOTIC SON OF A BITCH!”

“I understand you are looking for… a robotic connection assistant,” the voice responded. “Sorry, but we don’t provide that service. What are you calling for.”

“OPERATOR! OPERATOR! GOD DAMN IT, AN OPERATOR!” Nathan screamed, so loudly that people out on the street peered into the door of Ellis Football to make sure someone wasn’t going to get murdered. “YOU SONS OF BITCHES, I WANT AN OPERATOR!”

“I understand you are looking for… an operator,” the voice said. “Before I hand it off to an operator, understand that I can resolve your problems without needing to be on hold again. What is the issue you are dealing with?”

Nathan hadn’t even seen that the HTN crew were in his office. He was seeing red and wanted to kill.

“OPERATOR!!!!” Nathan screamed with the fury of a thousand suns – to the point where the HTN crew slowly made their way out of the office, figuring they’d give this viciously angry footballer the space he needed.

“I understand you are looking for… an operator,” the voice said. “Please hold.”

Nathan took a breath. He figured if the voice said he had been looking for anger management, he would have left the office and driven to the Renshaw offices himself and picked up a body count while there.

About an hour later, thankfully, Nathan had the internet issue resolved, but not before giving the poor innocent technical support person a piece of his mind about this robotic assistant he had to deal with over the phone. And eventually, once the HTN crew had the courage to come back (after enjoying a nice lunch at a nearby burger joint), the interview got going.

“It’s going to be great for us”

Fortunately, with the internet working in his office again, Nathan was able to get the travel and hotel accommodations booked for himself and a handful of his players – Rod Cutt, Stan McLamb, Dylan Deporte and, for some reason, Lake Avalon, who had vowed to record a video series on the Veedeo video-sharing website about the whole experience with the group draw. And he was in a much better mood when the HTN crew came into his office to conduct the interview.

“What was that about earlier?” asked reporter Todd Bernard.

“Robots, AI, they think they can fix a problem when they really ain’t worth shit,” Nathan said. “I had an internet problem all morning and it set me back a few hours. So, we doing this?”

Once the TV lights were on and the cameras were rolling, they were, indeed, doing this.

“So, first of all, the standard question,” Bernard said. “Your thoughts on what happened.”

“I don’t have any,” Nathan responded. “I’m not a geopolitical expert, and I’m going to defer to the diplomats on what happened. I ain’t a diplomat. If I was, we probably would have got nuked by now. But I’m not gonna comment on what happened and why. All I know is, we’re Esportivan and we’re in a great place.”

“Indeed, so being Esportivan now, what do you think that’ll mean for Hapilopper?” Bernard asked.

“I think it’s gonna mean some great things,” Nathan responded. “I would have loved to have won the AOCAF, because I know we had unfinished business there. But circumstances dictate that we go to Esportiva, and it’s the best spot for us. It is, quite literally, the best place that Hapilopper and Wreckeria could have ended up. There’s a lot of great neighboring nations in this region and I’m looking forward to visiting them.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” Nathan said. “You know, the Stevenson brothers have talked about Sherpaland. Drake, especially. You know, one of his teammates is from there. But there’s also Newmanistan, there’s Tumbra, there’s South Newlandia, South Covello, Ethane, Zeta Reka, and there’s Xanneria. All of those nations being here makes it a perfect fit for all of us. Those are nations that we can do battle with and work together with.”

“So how do you think Hapilopper will do in its first Campionato Esportiva?”

“We’ll make a show of it,” Nathan responded. “We won’t win it first time out but we’ll go like hell and we’ll show our Esportivan neighbors what Hapiloppian football is all about. It’s tough, brash, physical and in-your-face. If we can show our Esportivan neighbors what smashmouth football is all about, then I’ve done my job right. I’m here to bring a World Cup to Hapilopper. I’m here to bring a CE title to Hapilopper. And we’re going to do it.”

“But are you going to miss your AO bretheren?”

“Oh, of course I will,” Nathan said. “But that whole deal has yee’d its last haw, and nothing more can, or should, be added to it. I wish them luck in Arrosia and I know that region is in good hands. All we can do right now is move forward and move to be the best we can do. And that’s our plans for this World Cup. We’re going to go forth and kick ass as much as we can, and we’re going to set out a good foundation for the future.”

“So, has anything changed as far as Ellis Football’s goals?”

“Not really,” Nathan said. “We did an incredible job in the AOCAF. But there’s something about the World Cup – the biggest and baddest sporting event in the multiverse – that gives us reason to pause. You can’t assume you’re going to roll over anyone and everyone. You could go 3-0 over Starblaydia and then get dropped by Lower Buttholistan. We have to take every opponent seriously. We have to play them like they are Starblaydia or Graintfall or Tumbra or Banija or Zwangzug. It doesn’t matter who they are, they could be the next great footballing power. So we’ve got to take them seriously.”

“Chances of qualifying this year?”

Nathan sat there for a bit. He stared past Bernard, towards the front door to see a couple of people walking past on the sidewalk. Then he looked at Bernard and gave him a little brutal truth – probably not the truth he was looking for, but the truth, regardless.

“Low,” Nathan explained. “This qualifying campaign is about setting a foundation. We’re trying to qualify for the Cup of Harmony right now. And I know that event has such a stigma here, but we’re a new team, a young team, and we’re going up against god knows who we’ll have drawn against us. I think if you watch us this campaign, temper your expectations. We’ll be contenders soon, mark my words, but this wasn’t built in a day.”

by **Gnejs** » Wed Nov 01, 2023 12:14 am

Whatever happened to Sverker Danielsson?

Part one: background

You could say it all started with Baggieland. Back in 1836, when their King Alsqueak saved countless Union lives during the great root vegetable famine, the Imperial Kingdom received a Rock of Friendship. A Rock is a bond. A bond as ancient as time itself, and so are the Customs that governs that bond. And that bond is crucial to our story. So really, it’s actually more fair to say that it all started way, way before. But let’s just agree that the late 1830’s is a decent place to start. It’s a pretty funny story actually, how Baggieland ended up with a Rock of Friendship, and maybe I’ll tell it one day. But for now, suffice to say that it all started with Baggieland and The Rock.

Being friends is one thing, having a Friend is something else. It obligates you, and one does not deny a Friend. There’s been some stories here over the years. The 1900’s was a demanding time to have Baggie Friends, and let’s not even speak of the early 2000’s. Not that there hasn’t been joys as well, like the old and prestigious Nordsjø Derby. But for our purposes, let’s just jump a bit ahead, to that time The Imperial Kingdom all of a sudden decided to start playing tennis. Very uncharacteristic, for several reasons. Firstly, Baggies usually prefer uncivilized and violent fringe sports like rugby, cricket and various Olympic disciplines, so an uncouth nation like that deciding to engage in such a noble endeavor as tennis was quite the shock. Secondly, tennis was banned in The Imperial Kingdom at the time, which also made their intention to enter the NSTT surprising. But they entered two athletes: the somber and very un-Baggie-like John Ivanišević and the deranged hothead (very Baggie-like) Goran McEnroe. Of course, with tennis being banned in their home country they had less than ideal training conditions. The Union, being a prominent tennis nation, received a request about the Baggie players training there and of course the request was granted; one does not deny a Friend.

Training in The Union did a world of good for Baggieland tennis. Ivanišević eventually won a very prestigious singles tournament in Electrum, and McEnroe entered into a powerful doubles partnership with Union player Arne Oxwald and remained in the very top of international doubles tennis for some time. That’s all of little interest for our story though. What matters is two things. Firstly, that Goran McEnroe assaulted a young gnejsian boy by spraying wolf repellent in his eyes, traumatizing poor Little Lars for life. One tries to cover up the incident - that’s what Friends do - but it quickly became public knowledge and understandably sparked outrage. However, and secondly, that outrage was deepened and perpetuated by McEnroe using a spoon to eat lasagna during a festive dinner with Union dignitaries, because honestly, what kind of uncivilized monster does that. While the Union government remained dedicated to honor The Bonds of Friendship, other elements were stirring up trouble and some even went as far as advocating fiercely for the retraction of The Rock. Fiercest of them all was MP Gertrude Molineux, who disgraced both herself and the sanctity of The People’s Chamber when she made a big spectacle about traveling to The Imperial Kingdom and brining The Rock back. Which she did, travel that is, not bring The Rock back. She did manage to insult an entire nation by blatantly and cruelly mocking their ancient customs, however, and put together these events triggered one of the biggest diplomatic crises in modern Union history (perhaps with the exception of the Terranean knife scandal of ‘86), tearing up a wound that would be the foundation of much future folly.

Friendship is a bond not easily broken, and tempers were eventually mellowed and cracks repaired. For a time. Because a few years later, off-hand Union remarks about the quality of Baggielandian poetry ignited the slumbering fire anew. A valley man wouldn’t dwell on the finer details here and neither will I, but suffice to say that a string of events unfolded and suddenly the prospect of holy war among Friends seemed like a very real risk. It never came to open warfare - Thank Rock - but feelings had been hurt and scores needed settling. In the end it was agreed upon that two champions would battle it out in a contest of Superior Couth and Culture. Judo was to be the discipline and Electrum the location. The Imperial Kingdom’s champion was well-known sports reporter Lei Siulung (who, it would later be revealed in a surprising turn of events, was also an international crime lord of some repute) and The Union was to be represented by none other than Gertrude Molineux herself. The epic battle was foreshadowed by great expectations and excitement but ended up being a very anticlimactic affair where Siulung (a kung fu black belt) violently beat the elderly Molineux to a bloody pulp.

And it’s here that it starts getting interesting for our story, because with the Baggie win, came Baggie demands. As the winner of The Superior Couth and Culture Contest, they demanded certain cultural realignments of the loser, such as mandating bowing to fast-food workers upon being served and, more importantly, making cricket a Union Game. Cricket - by all accounts a confusing and dull game, although the pausing for tea is definitely a plus - was more or less unheard of in The Union, apart from vague notions about it being a posher version of baseball (also dull, but no tea, arguably making it worse). Surveys conducted amongst the populace confirmed as much, and it was decided that should The Union make good on its promise to instate cricket as a Union Game, help was needed. Two separate delegations on fact-finding missions were sent out. One travelled to Baggieland, and the other to the distant land of Delte (by invitation of one Commissioner Imryn Numbrill of the Oswark Cracquet Club; by all accounts a very decent and thorough man). The first set in motion a series of epic events that eclipsed even the Terranean knife scandal of ‘86 in magnitude and gravity; it was really quite something. The other one, just disappeared.

Until they reappeared, years later, bearing strange tales of craft ale, amateur theater, Cracquet (apparently the proper denomination) and prophecy. A man in plaid, blessed with a true case of greensight (according to some), had foretold that The Union would win the World Cup at the hands of a valley man. The identity of this valley man was shrouded in mystery, however, and a task force of upstanding Union Civil Service members - among them Sverker Danielsson - was founded with the purpose of locating the right man, getting him into the right position and monitoring the unfolding of fate. The man was found - one Enda Clentin - and persuaded to take up the mantle of Dandelion head coach (Clentin being available, due to having been replaced as the head coach of the Delte national team - The Representatives - by the only professional footballer in the valley, was of course very convenient; it was almost like it was meant to be). Operation Cup of Destiny was in many ways a success, with The Union qualifying for their first ever World Cup. They didn’t win the 94th edition of the World Cup, true enough, but that’s merely a technicality; the prophecy left no doubt about if The Union would win the World Cup guided by Coach Clentin, but it didn’t necessarily specify when, so it’s all just a matter of waiting for the inevitable to occur. That’s not the important part for our story though.

The important part is that while Enda Clentin did a good job and successfully implemented a revolutionary (by Union standards) new playing philosophy with The Dandelions, his ascension was not without hiccups. Chief among these was inadvertently causing a major injury to, and thereby ending the professional football career of, Dandelion player Göran Drake. Funny story, because Clentin insisted on coaching the team remotely via an intricate setup of cameras and video links (because of how time works differently in the valley, the RPO has a whole series about it that’s really a worthwhile read) and while they were getting the hang of it Drake tripped over a wire and broke several bones in his body. Nobody thought much of it at first, but over time Drake’s bitterness and anger transformed him into a conniving and cruel villain («The Drake») hellbent on bringing down Enda Clentin by manipulating public opinion in a fairly convoluted scheme involving memes and a græntfjaller troll factory. Initially successful, the scheme was brought down by a combination of very strong Dandelion performances and an intensified investigate effort by both Constabulary and the Operation Destiny’s Cup Task Force. It was Task Force member Sverker Danielsson that reached The Drake’s lair first (although he was at that time unaware of the Troll Master’s true identity) and he was subsequently captured and put through a cruel conditioning process aimed at making Danielsson believe he was actually Dandelion head coach Enda Clentin. And then, both Danielsson and The Drake disappeared without a trace.

And that was at least partly the reason why retired hit-man and overworked/underpaid municipal employee Killer Bob had been summoned to The Ministry of The Interior

by **Josifovo** » Wed Nov 01, 2023 5:18 am

Спортски Журнал
All the sports, by the people, for the people

JOSIFSKI PRVA LIGA HAS DRAMATIC ENDING - ZERO CHANGES ON NATIONAL TEAM SPARK WORRIES

PRVA LIGA STANDINGS            Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Hajduk Gradsko               26   13   4   9    29   27   +2    43 ChC, CEdC
 2 FK Bijelica                  26   12   5   9    34   27   +7    41 CC
 3 Dinamo Jisusčevo             26   11   6   9    34   31   +3    39 CC
 4 Spartak Dušangrad            26   10   8   8    42   32  +10    38 CC
 5 FK Radnički Crnometinci      26   10   8   8    19   19    0    38
 6 Rabotnički Filipovac         26   10   7   9    22   22    0    37
 7 Partizan Bijelica            26    9   9   8    30   31   −1    36
 8 FK Samuilovo                 26    8  11   7    19   18   +1    35
 9 Crvena Zvezda Bijelica       26    8  10   8    32   35   −3    34
10 Dinamo Pačak                 26    9   6  11    20   25   −5    33
11 FK Dobrobar                  26    8   8  10    21   21    0    32
12 CSKA Samuilovo               26    8   7  11    16   17   −1    31
13 Sutjeska Kneževo             26    9   4  13    30   40  −10    31
14 Dinamo Dobrobar              26    8   5  13    27   30   −3    29

In a league where all the teams were close to one another in terms of skill, Hajduk Gradsko managed to take the victory of the first ever multiversally known Josifski Prva Liga. The addition of teams from all over the nation of course saw the biggest cities bring in the most teams and some of the strongest ones at it as well. Despite the lack of goals and thus excitement in most games in the league, watching the title race unfold before our very eyes is a sight to behold, as it was the tightest finish from top to bottom, with the champions only being 14 points above the last-placed team.

However, seeing as things unfolded, there is massive worries around the country about corruption and the quality of the national team. Now, corruption is not unheard of in Josifovo. It exists, it is rampant on all walks of life, from the simplest to the most intricate. However, seeing as Josifovo is trying to make a name for itself in international competitions, people from all classes and ethnicities present in the nation have expressed worries as to the tactics of the managers and how "being inclusive" towards all ethnicities just for the sake of it instead of covering spaces with better talent would manifest itself.

Last year, the Baptism of Fire and Qualifiers had exhausted the inexperienced team. Despite its strong start, it lost steam and despite picking a series of great victories, the most worthy being against multiple-time world cup winners, Starblaydia with a 2-0 scoreline, it not only failed to leave a good impression, but it has given the public a lot of things to think about. Besides that, the afforementioned also led to the team not participating in the Campionato Esportiva which sounds worrisome as seasons are about to get more and more busy.

The team assembled is planning to play some friendlies in preparation for the World Cup qualifiers and to test the waters and current skill of the team in the hopes that any tactical changes will be implemented and perfected on the pitch just in time for the first matches. With the draw being soon, one can expect God to be on Josifovo's side this time and every time onward.

by **Milchama** » Wed Nov 01, 2023 7:15 am

"Sooo...uhhh..."

"Yeah we're RPing before the groups go out is something wrong"

"Well clearly, why else would we be RPing before the groups go out"

"That's true, it's a very rare thing"

"Have we ever done that?"

"Probably back when we were young, stupid, and pretended like we could follow storylines for more than two RPs at a time"

"Remember when we had a guy invent zombies but then dropped the thread"

"Yeah they're probably still ravaging Milchama"

"And yet you never hear about them"

"Well they're all dead"

"This does make it harder to hear about"

"Yeah, so what's the deal with that anyways?"

"Well it was just Halloween"

"That's true, didn't think about that"

"So then we're good right?"

"Probably, Halloween is over and I think the Zombies all die afterwards"

"That would make sense"

"So about that coach?"

"What about him?"

"He's gone crazy right?"

"Oh most definitely gone crazy"

"I'm glad to know that we agree on that"

"Oh yeah it's pretty clear he's nuts"

"Great, so now that we know he's nuts why is he coaching the team?"

"Because the world, it goes round and round, and the people they go up and down, we're running on the carousel of time"

"I don't think that answers the question"

"For everything Turn, Turn, Turn, there is a season Turn Turn Turn and a time for every purpose under heaven"

"You're just spouting his philosophy!"

"We must let the world turn, we must let rotation happen, much like the crops rotate, or the seasons turn so must we have two full teams of soccer players who take turns playing road games or home games"

"I don't think one of those things is related"

"No it clearly is, all things must be rotated, all things must in balance, and thus the only way to return, see rotation, to the World Cup is to rotate our squad"

"I don't think rotation works that way"

"It clearly does, I mean why else would you rotate?"

"To rest players"

"Excellent we're resting more players"

"To give more players experience"

"Right, and so everybody gets equal experience so everybody is ready for the World Cup"

"Oh my god does that mean we need to post an updated roster for the World Cup because it's in neutral territory?!"

"Probably"

"Ugh, this sucks damnit Lamerein"

"True enough"

"So what now?"

"We wait and we rotate, fall is in the air, soon it will be spring, and after that winter"

"Now I'm worried about your interpretations of the seasons"

"And I'm worried about your metaphysics"

"I guess that makes us equal"

"I guess"

"So what now?"

"Wait for Milchama to play and hope this weird thing doesn't hurt us"

"Sounds good to me"

"Same"

by **Baggieland** » Wed Nov 01, 2023 11:09 am

Prequel

Many of you will remember the epic adventures of Øystein Øye – a stoic pen-pusher from Gnejs – who travelled to Baggieland only to unwittingly find himself at the centre of an international conspiracy, one that aimed to control world financial markets by means of piratical plunder.

Who can forget that Homeric battle at the end when the evil cabal was finally defeated and economic security was returned to the multiverse?

Is that the end to this gritty saga?

No one knows the answer to that question.

However, the beginning has yet to be told.

Some of you will remember that this yarn unfolded when two Baggielandian tennis players travelled to Gnejs for some pre-tournament practice.

But this story starts before that, a long time before that…

Ye Olde Baggieland

Way back in 1836 (a date that will become extremely significant in this tale) Baggieland was distinctly dissimilar to the celebrated tourist haven that it is renowned for presently. Yes, the general populace were as uncouth yet fun-loving as they are nowadays, but back then the powers that be were more insular and certainly were not keen on establishing international relations with anyone.

Baggieland had been ruled for the previous four centuries by the House of Al. They had come to rule by virtue of winning a cooking competition; Lady Almo had baked a five layered lasagna, blowing away the competition and thus usurping the throne. The eleventh monarch in this line of succession was the notable King Alsqueak. There will be more about him later.

Baggies were – and are – a very proud people. The name 'Baggieland' itself is derived from the Olde Baggielandian word Bagus, which means 'good', therefore the denotation is 'Land of Greatness', and Baggies were suspicious of foreigners who did not share their sense of greatness, or even worse, looked down upon the Baggielandian way of life…

by **Beefsteak City** » Sat Nov 04, 2023 10:06 am

The Stadio Electrico in Aguajú, Juvencus, was packed to its max capacity of thirty-four thousand. The hype surrounding Beefsteak City and its international soccer debut had brought fans flocking to watch their quarterfinal match against Why Are You In Here, which win or lose was bound to be an exciting game.

Why Are You In Here was the first to score in a game that ran the length of the field, with possession and counterattacks going both ways. Bernardino Farinha lofted a beautiful, arching shot from distance over the outstretched arms of Jack Price.

Beefsteak City began to heat up, their emotions sizzling as they realized that perhaps their perfect run through the Baptism of Fire might come to an end if things continued at this rate. Maddox Sr. was able to force one in just three minutes after Why Are You In Here's goal, but the game became more fractious, with more and more fouls and questionable tackles.

Maddox Sr. was one of the Beefsteak City players who was getting progressively more aggressive, up until the forty-third minute when he made a late challenge to dispossess Max MacDonald. MacDonald, unfortunately, had already passed the ball, and Maddox's cleat slammed into the side of his ankle. The ref instantly showed the yellow card, which helped to douse Beefsteak City's chippy energy moving into the second half. Now more cautious, the team was unable to stop Farinha from scoring a second goal towards the end of the game, which sealed Beefsteak City's fate.

There were only a couple minutes of stoppage time. As the fans watched the clock count through them and the end of the game approached, a distant sound approached and competed with the noise of the crowd. It was the sound of a helicopter. The engine and the whirring of the blades grew louder, and as the final whistle blew, the helicopter flew down over the center of the stadium, lowered itself, and touched down in the center of the pitch.

The Beefsteak City players--and everybody else--stared in shock as none other than Beefsteak City Mayor, President, and CEO For Life Tom Ato stepped out of the helicopter.

His nation's players gathered around incredulously and he began to speak to them, yelling over the noise of the helicopter which was still running its engine.

"WELL, THIS IS FINALLY OVER!" The mayor struggled to make himself heard. "I'M GLAD WE DON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS BAPTISM OF FIRE DISTRACTION ANYMORE, BECAUSE I HAVE BIG PLANS MOVING FORWARD. WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS, OBVIOUSLY, BUT ALSO A LOT OF THINGS I'VE WANTED TO DO IN BEEFSTEAK CITY FOR A LONG TIME BUT HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DUE TO TOURNAMENT REGULATIONS."

The players looked at each other quizzically, wondering what he could be talking about.

"FOR STARTS, I'M RAZING THE HOUSE THAT YOU'VE ALL BEEN "LIVING" IN--IN FACT, IT'S BEING TORN DOWN AS WE SPEAK." The mayor pulled out an ipad showing a live feed of what looked like, at first glance, a construction site. But as the players looked more closely, they could see that the feed showed what was maybe the world's largest wrecking ball crushing the walls of the house in Beefsteak City that they'd all been living in to qualify as residents for WCC purposes. In the background they recognized the iconic Beefsteak City skyline, a mix of massive industrial factories and towering commercial skyscrapers.

"I'M GLAD I'VE FINALLY BEEN ABLE TO GET RID OF THE ONLY HOUSE IN BEEFSTEAK CITY, IT WAS A HUGE WASTE OF SPACE--WELL, THE ONLY HOUSE OTHER THAN MINE, OF COURSE. WE'RE GOING TO BUILD A HUGE STADIUM THERE TO HOST ALL OUR WORLD CUP QUALIFICATION MATCHES. IT'LL BE GREAT FOR TOURISM AND INDUSTRY--I'M THINKING MAYBE WE CAN FIT A COAL POWER PLANT UNDERNEATH THE PITCH OR SOMETHING, I DON'T KNOW YET.

"ANYWAY, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO STARTING RIGHT NOW; WE HAVE TO KEEP UP PRODUCTION. SO LET'S GO, EVERYBODY IN THE CHOPPER."

The mayor began to wave the players into the back of the helicopter and they all started to clamber in.

"But Mr. Mayor!" pointed out Michael Maddox. "Coach Salisbury isn't here; he wasn't on the pitch when you landed!"

"OKAY, GO GET HIM THEN!" yelled the mayor.

Michael ran off toward the sideline while the rest of the team continued to file onto the chopper.

"Oh wait, hang on, Salisbury's right here," noticed the mayor.

"Yeah, I came onto the pitch to see what in the world was happening when the helicopter landed," said the coach.

"Well then let's get this baby off the ground!" said the mayor, and climbing into the pilot's seat, he flew away, leaving poor Michael behind to drown his sorrows at the bar with a jubilant Why Are You In Here team.

by **Sea Dome** » Sat Nov 04, 2023 12:33 pm

Phase 1

Phase 2: association style, kind of. The ball may be advanced without using hands, other than the goalies of course. At any time it can be kicked (headed, etc) over the crossbar for 1 point or into the goal for 4. A penalty is resolved with two 2-point PKs.

A kick pass may be caught clean and direct, but if the hands are used to attempt this and fail (including by ending in a disputed possession), it results in a handball foul on whichever player first touched it with a hand or arm. Should the handpass succeed, the new ball carrier may advance the ball only by running and breaking tackles.

Unlike in Phase 1, the tackle is americanadian-style. The ball carrier must hold the ball securely when downed to keep possession. In that case, they may then stand up and throw one forward pass. If this goes incomplete and is first touched by a teammate's hand, that is a handball on the spot of the pass, so it is a risky choice. Should the pass be completed, though, play stops immediately, to be restarted by kick from the spot. Of course, a defender who fails to intercept the forward pass cleanly is also liable to be whistled for handball.

When in touch, play will restart with an association-style throw-in.

Play consists of 45 minutes in Phase 1 followed by 45 minutes in Phase 2, with overtime only used in elimination games. Teams may freely substitute any player on the fly. Substituted players use an electronic signal to tag out immediately and are not allowed to influence play until called back out onto the field.

With all this explanation, the lithe McTallguy had only one question: "Ready to play?"

by **HUElavia** » Sun Nov 05, 2023 7:43 am

Momentum

HUElavia enters World Cup 95 Qualifiers with momentum from a historic return to the World Cup and wanting to build on success.

After many years of waiting, HUElavia return to the World Cup after a shocking 1st Place Finish in their Qualifying Group, upsetting Audioslavia for the top spot. Despite the exciting return, HUElavia was bounced out the Group Stage without a single point, a first in HUElavian World Cup history, all of the matches being lost by a single goal. It's crazy to think what could've been if certain shots had gone their way. But, no use crying over spilled milk. The team continues to march on, and with a return to the 30s in the Multiversal Ranking, there is optimism that there can be good momentum to make yet another World Cup.

So far, there has not been much information related to the schedule for the World Cup Qualifiers from the Co-Hosts of Chromatika and Sylestone. The Group Draw is expected to be conducted in the near future, but there is still no official amount of expected teams in the Qualifying Groups. Thus, the HFA has avoided in announcing the full stadium list for this cycle, but the two official venues for the Qualifiers will be Estadio Capital (90,000) in Curumba and Estadio Internacional (82,500) in San Rafael, which represent the Capital City and one of HUElavia's two Cultural Capitals, per the current agreement in the Venue Rotation.

Coach Lester O'Reagan has been viewed positively from his hard work with the team, having done well in the previous cycle. While Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos were handed their worst loss in the IAC in the last edition, the HFA still continues to have faith in O'Reagan as he continues to select players for the cycle. From the preliminary list, the IAC 19 roster was selected to be part of the Qualifying roster, but the remaining backups are yet to be announced. Per expectations, it may be young players to help develop them and add some youth to the depth of the team.

While further information will be needed, the HFA looks to make the appropriate announcement for the venues for this cycle, along with finding out who will be the Qualifying opponents for HUElavia. Here's to hoping we build on this opportunity.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

by **Basel-Triesen** » Wed Nov 08, 2023 1:55 pm

A hotel conference room in Juvencus
The morning following the final match of the 82nd Baptism of Fire

The Basel-Triesen national football team sits in the conference room, they'd just shaken hands with the Prime Minister and the Minister of Sport of their country, who had been at the game in person last night. The Prime Minister was standing before them now, reading from a letter written by himself to them.

"To the fine Bastriesian gentlemen of our national football team. It is my honor to share with you that your achievement in the 82nd Baptism of Fire has not unnoticed by the Crown of your fatherland. Your performance has brought great pride upon the people of the Unified Kingdom of Basel-Triesen and you have done well to introduce our nation's athletes to the international stage of competition. Congratulations in your immense victory in the 82nd Baptism of Fire, not only winning the entire competition but never once faltering or losing a single match. It is my sincere hope that your winning streak continues strong into the upcoming World Cup competition.

That all being said, it is further my honor, on behalf of His Majesty the King, to invite each and every one of you to the royal palace on a date soon after your return to the nation. May you continue to represent your nation with the pride and honor you have conducted yourselves with thus far."

With that, the Prime Minister bid the gentlemen further good luck and left with the Minister of Sport. The two of them would be immediately returning to Basel-Triesen, while the gentlemen of the football team would be spending a few more days in Juvencus before moving onward to either Chromatika or Sylestone, depending on where their next matches were determined to be.

On the balcony of Elias Stöger's hotel room in Juvencus
after the finals match in the 82nd BoF, that same night

Elias stood on his balcony, the little piece of the outside world that was part of his hotel room, alone. He leaned against the railing and looked down at the street below, watching traffic slowly move by. He listened to the sounds floating up from the sidewalk below. It was late, after midnight, as he and his teammates had been celebrating their triumph in the Baptism of Fire, their first competition at the international level, and one where they had won the entire thing. They were champions! Now they faced the upcoming World Cup, which worried Elias. They would be facing much more established teams, nations that had been competing at the international level for a very long time.

He was also thinking about something else tremendously important to him: coming out as gay to his lifelong friend Samuel Kitzinger, who happened to also be on the present Basel-Triesen national football team with him. They were both in the same hotel right now, and Elias had had multiple chances during this competition to tell his friend. He'd had multiple chances throughout the last ten or so years of his life to tell his best friend. However, he hadn't and he still felt afraid to do so. Most people in Basel-Triesen were accepting, especially younger Bastriesians. But you still never knew who would surprise you and wouldn't be accepting.

Sammi would be accepting, there's no way he wouldn't be," Elias thought to himself. Nonetheless, tonight wasn't the night and would not be the night that he would tell his news to his friend. Perhaps his chance would come sometime during the World Cup.

At least, he hoped.

Maraonia 3–4 Basel-Triesen; Bastriesians Finish 82nd Baptism of Fire as Champions!

6' Martinez (Maraonia)
12' Grosjean (Maraonia)
25' Stöger (B-T)
31' Kujrakovic (B-T)
53' Martinez (Maraonia)
71' Gaymayer (B-T)
84' Szymaniak (B-T)

At the culmination of the 82nd Baptism of Fire, the Bastriesians triumphed over the Maraonians to win the grand finals, thus making the Basel-Triesen national football team the champions of the competition. In the final match of the competition, Maraonia's Federico Martinez and Sébastien Grosjean scored two goals and one goal, respectively. On the Bastriesian side, one goal was scored each by Elias Stöger, Sebastian Kujrakovic, Nikolas Gaymayer, and Kai Szymaniak.

Celebrations have been ongoing nationwide in response to the Bastriesian's victory making them champions. Now, the nation looks forwards toward the 95th World Cup. The new champions will enter the next competition with momentum from their win, but they will face a greater challenge ahead of them where they will play amongst more well-established teams from more well-known nations in the international sports community.

More Headlines for You
-Update in Gallneukirchen Avalanche Search-and-Rescue: 3 dead, 7 still missing-
-VIDEO: Doorbell Camera Catches Bear Stealing Food Delivery From Front Porch-
-New Lion Cubs Born at Dornkirch Royal Zoological Park, Drawing Massive Crowds-

by **Stevencousin** » Thu Nov 09, 2023 5:30 pm

STEVENCOUSIN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION

World Cup 95 Qualified Tournament

Squad: Stevencousin National Team
TRI:  SVI
Nickname: Mystical Creatures (start been using in WCQ94)
Style modifier: +1

NAME              	NAT.		ROLE
Dr. Antanius Cassa			Chairman
Sebastian von Sephiroth			Technical Director
Dr. Richard Glass			Sport Science Director
Samuel du Highcloud			Fitness & Health Director
Tim Redforks     			Team Analyst
Jalil Fitrah        			Scout Director
			
Stan Mystic       			Head Coach
Jayson Wagner   			Assistant Head Coach
Herbie Pijanowski			Goalkeeper Coach
Ronald Ankiel    			Coach
Rusty Klein         			Coach
Abdurahman Bishop       		Coach

Group 1
Stevencousin (67)
Aeragny (60)
Ko-oren (9)
Aphrilia (UR)
Ile de Richelieu (102)
Beefsteak City (206)
Mertagne (43)
Corrupt Petrostate (243)

MATCH DAY	MATCH	ARENA	CITY	MD SPONSOR
MD01	Stevencousin 5-1 Corrupt Petrostate	Federal Unity Stadium	Cassaholm	Sabretooth Investment
MD02	Stevencousin 3-0 Aeragny	Redfort Camp	Brigketh	KeyCommerce
MD03	Ko-oren 2-4 Stevencousin	TBC	TBC	NA
MD04	Stevencousin 2-0 Aphrilia	Waxwood Circle	Holmdock	BlackOxygen
MD05	Ile de Richelieu 1-0 Stevencousin	TBC	TBC	NA
MD06	Stevencousin 2-3 Beefsteak City	Readymann Ground	Fixmouth	Spitfire
MD07	Mertagne 1-1 Stevencousin	TBC	TBC	NA
MD08	Corrupt Petrostate 0-2 Stevencousin	TBC	TBC	NA
MD09	Aeragny 0-0 Stevencousin	TBC	TBC	NA
MD10	Stevencousin 2-0 Ko-oren	Federal Unity Stadium	Cassaholm	VioletFalcon
MD11	Aphrilia 0-0 Stevencousin	TBC	TBC	NA
MD12	Stevencousin 5-1 Ile de Richelieu	Redfort Camp	Brigketh	Arthurlie Foods
MD13	Beefsteak City 2-3 Stevencousin	TBC	TBC	NA
MD14	Stevencousin 1-1 Mertagne	Waxwood Circle	Holmdock	Anthro Capital

Stadium Data
Stadium:: Federal Unity Stadium
Nearest City:: Cassaholm
Capacity:: 98,500
Brief Data:: The biggest stadium in Stevencousin, located in the Carmenzon District to the south of the city center of Stevencousin's capital city, Cassaholm, is an all-seater multi-purpose stadium for international concerts, weddings and sporting events and the home ground of the Stevencousin national football team. It was built by Posquieiras Heavy Engineering and designed by Billingeburg & Co. Interestingly, the stadium is not public property, nor is it managed by a sports association. The owner is the Federal Unity conglomerate group. They sponsor and cover the construction and renovation costs in full, but they also get various government mega-projects afterward.

Stadium:: Redfort Camp
Nearest City:: Brigketh
Capacity:: 26,900
Brief Data:: Redfort Camp was a home base for Brigketh Bishop FC and, Brigketh Salamander rugby club, a multi-purpose stadium in Cheilestorp Creek, Brigketh, Stevencousin. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium has a capacity of 26,900 people. It was built in 2009. In 2013, a mega concert was held there in which Stevenian most popular rock band, The Cassiopeia was the performer. The stadium known for energy and water consumption was targeted to be efficient. Most of the water used by toilets and water taps will be collected during rain-falls, the roof has a 550kW solar power plant, while floodlights are using new generation LED system.

Stadium:: Waxwood Circle
Nearest City:: Holmdock
Capacity:: 31,800
Brief Data:: Waxwood Circle a multi-use stadium in Stigeswaldeford, Waxwood District, Holmdock, Stevencousin. It has both an indoor stadium and an outdoor stadium within its compound. The outdoor stadium can hold a maximum of 31,800 people and is currently used mostly for football matches, serving as the home stadium to Holmdock Highlander FC and The Highlander Academy. The stadium consists of a soccer field, an 8-lane running track, and a fitness center. In addition to sports events, large concerts are also organized by Waxwood Circle, and a series of political rallies and religious gatherings have also taken place here.

Stadium:: Readymann Ground
Nearest City:: Fixmouth
Capacity:: 26,900
Brief Data:: Homeground for Fixmouth Firebolt is a football stadium located in Fixmouth, Stevencousin. The stadium is part of the Fixmouth Sports and Recreation Centre, a community sports facility that includes the stadium as well as a swimming complex. Construction began in September 2007 and finished construction in 2009. The stadium was officially opened and inaugurated in 2010. It was built by Sungard Global and designed by Billingeburg & Co. A new light rail terminal has been built near the stadium for fans' convenience.

by **Nephara** » Fri Nov 10, 2023 3:14 am

THE HERALD
EAGLES CRASH-LAND PUTS IMPETUS ON QUALIFIERS TO DEVELOP
Sisi Sharpe Football Correspondent

Safiya Telford. Idina Slazenger. Ascalon Coffey. They never quite broke through, but they were always hovering on the fringes. Racking up caps here and there, but never in the games that really mattered. Nevertheless: Cormorants they were, and are, and always shall be.

For they were stalwarts of the 26-man squad sent every off-year to the Eagles Cup, comprising only of players who had not played in the Copa Rushmori the month prior, the side known affectionately as 'AFC Plane Crash'. They won no trophies in that form, achieved little glory. Indeed, in recent years, results had nosedived. But it had been the chance fringe Cormorants had to impress against elite opposition in the green and black... and for some, the only chance they'd get.

But the Cup is no more, replaced by an admittedly far more meritocratic tournament actually reflective of the day's powers, less of an old hangout for past-it grognards desperate to add to their groaning silverware cabinets. And this carries immediate relevance for the Cormorants. If Cantor seeks to blood new talent, they shall have to be pitched in at the deep end.

Certainly, the other sides in the group will be eager to pounce on any weakness. If they are able. Nephara's most immediate rivals will be Brenecia, recently fallen from the top 30 for the first time in many years, and the sense is that their reliable conveyor-belt of development has stalled.

But they cannot be taken lightly. Their veteran forward line of Stokes, Byrne and Wake can still break down any defence on their day, while Alaoise Rourke is the kind of X-Factor only a handful of teams can boast. The quality of Rams fullbacks Hadley and Culpepper is obviously known to any Zenith-watcher, even if they are not the strong point of Athletic, while dominant centre-half Hamish Jeong Harcourt was a player whose services Nephara had hoped to secure for themselves.

Still, how many of those players, realistically, would make it into Nephara's starting XI? Because all things suggest this is a Nephara side ascending to the peak of their powers. There are no longer question marks, not since the ascent of Kulesza to partner Vetiver, Seona Gale in defensive midfield and Chary Longstreet in goal, all of whom performed excellently at the CR. And of course managed by Igrene Cantor, who has already won the World Cup as player and manager.

Still, Cantor has had to caution against complacency. "Things will go wrong. Particularly if we convince ourselves that nothing can go wrong," she told the press drily the night before the draw. "My job is to make sure we've prepared in the best possible way for the World Cup, but my job is also to get us there, in as much comfort and in as good form as possible."

An admirable statement. But it might be bad news for the Safiya Telfords of the world. If there is anyone new to blood - or, God forbid, an actual plane crash - they shall have to hit the ground running.

by **Vilwandia** » Fri Nov 10, 2023 4:04 am

Vilwandia handed tough Qualifier group

The twenty groups for the 95th World Cup qualifying stage were drawn last night, and Vilwandia's seven opponents were revealed. They are (in decending order of ranking): Banija, The Holy Empire, Sharktail, Indusse, Ethane, Damukuni, and Santa-Barbara. The Vilwandiese, at 235th in the world, are the lowest of the ranked sides in their group, with the Number 1 ranked Banija also making an appearance. Banija's status as reigning World Champions is expected to attract many home fans to support Vilwandia against them.

Vilwandia's first match is away to Indusse, at The Aditya Varma Kulashekara International Stadium. The Swans are expected to be massively outclassed by the home side, but will be looking to create an upset in their WCQ debut. Zander Vorster, Vilwandia's new Head Coach, will be calling on his players to do the unexpected, and large gatherings in Eteksiville as well as the team's National Stadium in Dreport are expected.

The SFV have made it clear that the goal is to showcase Vilwandian Football in a good light internationally, before the inaugural Professional League season gets underway. More news on the new league and its teams is to come.

by **Ko-oren** » Fri Nov 10, 2023 8:03 am

NS World Cup Fantasy Qualification

Sign up and play now!

It's back! Picks open until immediately after MD1 is scorinated. As always, feel free to make multiple picks (For example: different IC personalities for those RP hot takes). Go to the "Start Here!" tab if this is your first time playing. The standard game is 240 points - feel free to do multiple entries for other point totals, such as 'infinite' and challenge yourself with a minimalist experience of 120 points, for instance!

The strongest group seems to be the one with Banija and the Holy Empire, both (near the) top of their pots, and it's the high pots - those have far bigger point swings from top to bottom. Group 2 is the only group with no unranked teams - Rea San Vegas has 0.11, let's see if that takes them further than their 0 point pot mates.

There are a bunch of fun options for every group - there's Group 1 and its brothers in battle, Ko-oren and Mertagne, at the top, can they protect the Ochre Islands from Bostopia? There's a lot more Anaians paired up: Cardenao and Aleirave, or Flavovespia and United Hawklands, Saint Eleanor and Starblaydia, Quebec and Krytenia, as well as Nephara and Estorvipa and Estorpiva, of course. We also celebrate the return of a few low pot but high ceiling teams: Bostopia, Hapilopper, Sarzonia (in one group with Polar Islandstates, Darmen, Xanneria, BoF-winners Basel-Triesen, Kandorith, and Farfadillis!), the Licentian Isles, Damukuni, Barunia, Vdara, the Grearish Union, to give you some big names in small pots. The Nephara-Brenecia connection is there if you like it as well.

So - what will it be? A bunch of BoF nations with the old guard? All pot 4-5 stuff? Only teams starting with 'B' (which gets you all the way to group 4)? Only countries actively waging war? The possibilities are endless!

by **Zwangzug** » Fri Nov 10, 2023 8:09 am

The Kerlagrad Courier

With a hardened attitude that people in most countries reserve for other forms of commitment, the Arlington Collective has reluctantly announced that they are entering the first stages of a relationship with a new wiki, but are gonna take things kinda slow because they've been burned before. "I have a friend from Osarius who set me up with this web-hosting entity," reported Colleen Townsend, "and don't get me wrong, my friend has good judgment and taste in servers, so I'm inclined to trust them. But it's important to take precautions, you know?"

Cognizant of "red flags" such as "unexpected logout behavior," Townsend has pledged to follow responsible practice on her first encounter with the suave newcomer. "Always tell a friend if you're gonna be up late wikiing, so they know to alert the admins if you don't come home. And have a Notepad file at hand that you can copy-paste into."

"Before I rush into anything, I need to put myself first and set appropriate boundaries, you know?" said the empowered archivist. "Like, it would be nice if I ever got around to doing the Silicon Boot, but like, I can't get so wrapped up in a documentation project that I burn out."

Townsend adds that she has friends who are "gay, straight, who have their own subdomains, bi, you name it," and concedes that her approach may come off as conservative. "If you're into a lot of short one-night stands with hosts that will flake out and trash your data, like, whatever, that shouldn't be illegal, you know? But when we're trying to build a society here, together, I think it's good that there are kind of guidelines and mores. Even if I find something I can trust long-term, we live in a community."

At press time, Townsend was proud to report that the Collective's long-term devotion to record-keeping has probably outlasted many other fickle and unmeaningful relationships. "I think," she hedged. "I mean, I don't exactly have much of a basis for comparison."

by **Jeruselem** » Fri Nov 10, 2023 6:31 pm

Princess Stella Annabelle Dallas for Naked News Jeruselem ...

Hey, I'm back! You know what that means, it's football time with the World Cup XCV.
Sorry, World Cup 95.

Yes, you have to put with Princess Stella Annabelle Dallas again on the screen.
I'm sure a lot of males will appreciate that ...

Yep, and we have 160 teams competing with 20 groups of 8.
Even number in the groups which means no byes.

Jeruselem got drawn in Group 19.
From Pot 1, Valanora was drawn and the 4th seed will be the one to beat in this group.
Jeruselem from Pot 2, will be 2nd highest seed ranked 41.
I know 41 doesn't sound impressive it's better than nothing.

So who's in with us and Valanora?
Archalit ranked 46th, don't know much about them but anyone ranked 46 has to be doing something right.
StrayaRoos ranked 91st is also here. I wonder if they speak Australian?
Britonisea ranked 150th joins the group, we've played them before I think.
The rather confusing name Natanians and Nosts ranked 95, I don't we've played them ... well, under their current name that is.
Bigpipstan way down ranked 258, and then unranked Glazgo.

Top 3 are clear here. But as we know, there's always a bolter in the group.
Of course, we won't know who it is until the cup starts.

There's been a big change from the team didn't qualify from World Cup 94.
A new coach and major change of players with a lot of retirements.
The new manager is Rennala Lunar, someone who's been around for ages but no one ever pays attention to her.
One of those people who moves around jobs and doesn't seem to get much credit for anything.
You know that office lady who you see all the time but never know what she actually does.

So what do we think are our chances with the cup?
When you got the 4th seed in the group, finishing 2nd is the main aim since we fully expect them Elves to win the group unless we somehow do that ourselves.
Given there's only 14 games to be played, any loss of points will be problem and we must really not give points away to weaker teams.
Ideally, winning the group is the aim but we'd be happy just to qualify anyway.

I can't really comment on most of our other opponents about their chances, they would know more than we would.
That's all from me right now, I'm already late to pick up the kids ...

Group 19
Natanians and Nosts (95)
Glazgo (UR)
Bigpipstan (258)
StrayaRoos (91)
Britonisea (150)
Archalit (46)
Valanora (4)
Jeruselem (41)

by **Ile de Richelieu** » Sun Nov 12, 2023 6:35 am

Île de Richelieu set to meet Anaian leaders Ko-oren and Mertagne in qualifications

Port Saint-Jean, Île de Richelieu - Île de Richelieu is in group 1, a group which features to Anaian leaders: Ko-oren and Mertagne. In the group, there's also Aeragny, Stevencousin, Beefsteak City, Corrupt Petrostate and Aphrilia. Here's a from words about every nations .

Aeragny (60th)

Aeragny is a kigndom from Rushmore and considering they're ranked 60th, they're not bad at all and can push to take a spot at the world cup.

Stevencousin (67th)

What was said about Aeragny can be said about Stevencousin. The only difference is that Stevencousin is not a kingdom from Rushmore.

Île de Richelieu (102nd)

Can we take a shot for the World Cup? Coonsidering who'se coming in our back, probably not.

Beefsteak City (206th)

The troublemakers of group 1. Do they have a shot? Maybe. This is also worth mentionning that in Île de Richelieu we do not eat much beefsteak. We consume a lot of fish and seafood and our national dish is parmentier aux crevettes, which is some sort of shrimp shepherd's pie. Yes a shepherd's pie with shrimp rather than minced beef.

Corrupt Petrostate (243rd)

Not sure what to say about them. This is also worth mentionning that 95% of the cars in Île de Richelieu are gas cars and we only have one electric charger on the whole island, located in the old part of Port-Saint-Jean, the capital city. Also, we only have one major road, named Route de Richelieu, which circles the island.

Aphrilia (UR)

Well, we can just say good luck to them.

Ko-oren (9th) and Mertagne (43rd)

Two big nations and both of them are from Anaia. Ko-oren is a no-brainer to qualify for the World Cup. Mertagne, however, have more work to do and they have Aeragny, Stevencousin and Beefsteak City in their back trying to qualify too.

But what catches our attention is the ongoing war between Mertagne and Bostopia for the control of the Ochre Islands. This war actually don't make much noise, but it's concerning. Île de Richelieu is a neutral nation and refuses to take a side. We side with peace.

Additional information on Île de Richelieu (posted for the World Cup qualifications 93)

Things to do in Île de Richelieu

-Attend to a local Elite Football Championship game or even the World Cup qualifications coming soon!
-Hike the montagne de l'ours volcano (also known as the Beerenberg volcano).
-Take a boat ride along the island shore and watch the whales.
-Take a walking tour of Port-Saint-Jean, our capital city.
-Taste our typical local food in a restaurant or our local brews in a pub.
-Visit the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Port-Saint-Jean (Fine Arts Museum), the Musée des baleiniers néerlandais (Dutch Whalers' Museum) or other local museums.
-Visit the Notre-Dame Basilica of Port-Saint-Jean and attend to a mass at our famous basilica.

World Cup Gameday program

-Football fans are prompt to arrive at the stadium at least 2 hours and a half before the kickoff.
-2 hours before kickoff : Cardinal Jean-René De la Sablonnière, the head of state, will say the Gameday Mass at the stadium. Players and fans are required to attend. Duration: 1 hour.
-1 hour before kickoff: Players will train on the field for 30 mins and, then, go back to the locker room.
-12 minutes before kickoff: Players enter on the field. Announcer tells the starting XI for both teams.
-10 minutes before kickoff: A local singer performs the visiting team national anthem.
-5 minutes before kickoff: A local singer performs Île de Richelieu national anthem.

Schedule

Matchday 1: Aphrilia (UR) vs Île de Richelieu (102)
Matchday 2: Corrupt Petrostate (243) vs Île de Richelieu (102)
Matchday 3: Île de Richelieu (102) vs Beefsteak City (206) [expected weather: sunny -1 °C or 30 °F]
Matchday 4: Mertagne (43) vs Île de Richelieu (102)
Matchday 5: Île de Richelieu (102) vs Stevencousin (67) [expected weather: snowy -7 °C or 19 °F]
Matchday 6: Aeragny (60) vs Île de Richelieu (102)
Matchday 7: Île de Richelieu (102) vs Ko-oren (9) [expected weather: severe snowstorms for a full week. Match will be delayed and played during Bye Week. Match will finally be played under these conditions: sunny -12 °C or 10,5 °F]
BYE
Matchday 8: Île de Richelieu (102) vs Aphrilia (UR) [expected weather: sunny -6 °C or 21 °F]
Matchday 9: Île de Richelieu (102) vs Corrupt Petrostate (243) [expected weather: sunny -16 °C or 3 °F]
Matchday 10: Beefsteak City (206) vs Île de Richelieu (102)
Matchday 11: Île de Richelieu (102) vs Mertagne (43) [expected weather: snowstorm. Match will be delayed for 2 days. Match will be played under these conditions: light snow -10 °C or 14 °F]
Matchday 12: Stevencousin (67) vs Île de Richelieu (102)
Matchday 13: Île de Richelieu (102) vs Aeragny (60) [expected weather: snowy -4 °C or 25 °F]
Matchday 14: Ko-oren (9) vs Île de Richelieu (102)

Written by Jean-Guy Laframboise with the help from Jessica from The Weather Channel

by **Cassadaigua** » Sun Nov 12, 2023 7:48 am

World Cup 95 Set to Begin,
by Caitlyn Dufresne, Concord Heights Times

Throughout the world, there are many sports competitions that take place that get fans excited and showing that competitive spirit. When a season or tournament is just about to get underway, there is always that special feeling where everyone dreams that this may be their year, even if their team has not won a title in fifty or more years, or never won one to begin with. The World Cup hits a little different though. It doesn’t need to put the sports name in the competition title, such as the World Baseball Classic, or the International Basketball Championships. It is indeed a World Cup. It is not only a cup for the sport of soccer, but the pinnacle of all sports competitions out there, due to its sheer size. (Fans of the Olympics, calm down, I am not considering that here because there is not one single event in the Olympics, but a large number of events). It does not matter where in the world you are, everyone can come together and champions can come from anywhere. Here in Rushmore, there is plenty of opportunity for the winner to come from our region, and with the unexpected collapse of Atlantian Oceania recently, this may be the top soccer region, at least right now. It may come Anaia, the still growing sports region, or old standby Esportiva. Perhaps the champion comes from the newly formed region of Arrosia, or maybe from none of those regions at all.

World Cup 95 will be hosted by the nations of Chromatika and Sylestone, and certainly everyone with CASE and all of us in the media wish our co-hosts nothing but great success as they prepare to do their duties. For Sylestone, it is the first time that they have been a host, and anything that they need to learn along the way will be taught well by the organizers in Chromatika, who we co-hosted World Cup 88 with. This is the second World Cup that Chromatika as co-hosted since World Cup 88, and that fact has made a lot of people start talking and wondering in Cassadaigua if we will ever co-host it again. CASE has not even attempted to bid for any of the World Cup Committee sanction tournaments since then (so it’s not as if there’s been an effort and another bid simply beat ours out). I asked Stephanie Sweeney, the president of the organization if there are any plans to bring the World Cup or of the major international soccer tournaments back to the Matriarchy. She told me that, “There has not been a lot of talk about it other than recognizing that some may not feel thoroughly excited about making a trip here, even though it’s been seven or so years since all of that (North Cassadaigua annexation) took place. We’ve been able to do a great job in other tournaments, I feel, but the World Cup is a little different.” Sweeney then went on to say, “We don’t feel as though there is enough interest in Cassadaigua to host the Baptism of Fire, so we don’t try for that. Perhaps we’ll consider a Cup of Harmony, but that definitely will not be now, I can tell you that.” For Cassadagans wanting an international tournament here, they can celebrate the recent bid to host International Basketball Championships 39.

Back to the World Cup, as qualifying is set to begin, there’s always excitement in knowing who we will be playing. The Fillies were drawn into Group 14, and this is not something that would be considered a “Group of Death”. Which is good, because we’ve had our share of those recently, but this is not a soft group, either. Fairly put, it’s “middle of the road” in terms of its difficulty, especially when you are a pot 2 team, ranked #28 in the World. The top seed is Saint Eleanor, and if nothing else, we know there will be no shortage of reading material from them as the competition wears on. We have had a good relationship over the years with them, and there has been some back and forth between the countries in terms of players competing in the other’s league. Most notably, Rachel Schanke, a player that many feel should have her #71 on Monument Wall in Concord Heights, to be with the #17 of her grandmother, Jessica. Rachel is the leader of Hiyashi Celestia out there, and she will be leading them into Cup Winners Cup 65. I reached out to Rachel for comments about this World Cup qualifier, and she told me, “Yes, I am completely excited about this one. It’s a little bittersweet, because when we are in different qualifying groups, I can easily root for both teams and not have to worry about competing against one another. The format is as it should be with only one automatic qualifier going through, so that doesn’t make my rooting interest any easier. What I hope for is that each team plays their hearts out, is able to stay healthy, and able to make their country proud. Ultimately, there will be a winner between them in terms of the group placement. I hope it’s one of the two that win the group and the other is in the playoff and makes the World Cup from there.” Schanke, at least through World Cup 94, does not have an official role with the Saint Eleanor team.

As we look at the lineup for Cassadaigua in World Cup 95, there is not any surprising or unexpected changes that will make fans highly confused, but there are some subtle differences to the makeup of the team. Whether or not you consider the goalkeeping move an official change or not is up for debate. Stacey has gotten the nod over Stacie, Schalberg over Thornton, and it is the first time that Schalberg has gone into a World Cup as the #1 keeper. However, she did start the majority of World Cup 94, since Thornton got hurt in MD6 and never returned to action. Since then, Schalberg has been statistically better than Thornton in the CSL, and this was the expected move. In fact, Thornton struggled a bit last year, making some wonder if the lingering effects of her leg injury have played a large role. That would be understandable, and fans in New Lakeland have been wondering if it is time for their team to bring in a young keeper to prepare for the now 32-year old to hang them up. Third string Lacey Horvath probably deserves to be second string here, and maybe even Meghan Lewis should have been a part of this team, but the experience that Thornton has at this level makes her valuable. Rest assured, though, that Chen Huikang’s plan is to start Schalberg in every qualifier.

In the back, there are no changes. Why should there be? Madison Rutland will serve as the captain again, and she posted on her Spacebook page that, “It is the greatest honor for any Cassadagan to be named the captain of this team, so to have the opportunity to do it for the second time is an amazing privilege. Rest assured, that our goal is to not only make the World Cup, but to make some noise once in there. That is easier said than done, and there are plenty more World Cup caliber teams than the 32 that end up in it, but we will not disappoint you with our effort.” By the way, Spacebook personnel have pointed out that there has been an unexpected, but welcomed uptick in the amount of views that they have had in Cassadaigua, and there is a sense that many Cassadagans are going to return to it and leave Twii’tur. Rutland is one of them, by the way. “Yes, I did ‘X’ out of Twii’tur for the last time. Too much going on there, and I like going back to a more Cassadagan source.”

The midfield sees 21-year old Chrissy Engle switch roles with 33-year old Krystal Sherwin in as far the starting positions, but expect to see Sherwin get her chances out there, still. Krystal told reporters, “I have had my time, and right now Chrissy is more deserving, and it will be an honor to watch her play with her sister from the sidelines at this level. When my number gets called, I will be there.” The Engle twins are one of the biggest stories of this World Cup, and if they are able to build on their progress thus far, than the chances of the Fillies will be even greater.

Up front, there are no changes with Lexi McGregor and Shannon Cunningham, and they have officially taken claim to the “opposites attract” duo, with plenty of merchandise now up for sale within Cassadaigua highlighting the two forwards. If you are Cassadagan, you know why that’s the catch phrase, but if you are just learning about the national team now, this is the scoop in a nutshell. McGregor is the highly flamboyant, in your face trash talker, who has an extreme level of self confidence. Most of her goals, whether domestically or internationally, are celebrated with at least one backflip. As she has backed up her talk, it has not seen as a problem, and everyone associated with the team, including Chen Huikang, point out that McGregor puts in all the hard work in practice and in the locker room, and is there for her teammates. Therefore, they otherwise let Lexi be Lexi. Shannon Cunningham is a soft spoken forward who doesn’t engage in any of that extra stuff. On the field, McGregor and Cunningham, who are 24 and 23 respectively, have built up incredible chemistry and are close friends. Lexi did get Shannon to do a backflip once after a big goal, showing that they bond very well. Cunningham plays professionally in Chromatika, so there is hope that if the team qualifies for the World Cup, they can sell a lot of the “opposites attract” merch line within that host nation. Joining them is Carly Patterson, who has forced her way into the starting lineup. The third spot would have typically been Chloe Anderson or Rachel Boldin’s, but Patterson has been outstanding with Grande Mountain, winning the MVP of the league two years ago and the Golden Boot last season. Inserting her as the starter was an easy decision.

That’s the team in a nutshell. It’s now time to begin the journey of World Cup qualifiers. May we have a truly memorable competition. Let’s go Fillies!

by **TJUN-ia** » Sun Nov 12, 2023 10:48 am

Over in the International Community of TJUN-ia, education is a bit...complicated.

Of course, in a community where every nationality and people are present, you'd expect a bit of standardisation in some places and a bit of uniqueness in others. Each city and Region in this International Community follows some sort of uniform academic system, but the rest is pretty much up to them. The Amerika Peninsula is big on sport, the CEA is test mad and so on and some forth. It's both unique and normal at the same time...the TJUN-ian way.

But there was one thing that everyone in TJUN-ia was encouraged to do. A subject known as "TJUN 101", where the whole thing revolved around a book. The Book. The Book of Jungles.

The Book of Jungles contained the entire history of TJUN over in U2, from the creation of the universe to Cross Day and everything that The Jaguar himself did after that day. It's so massive and concise that it is presented in two parts, wherein Books 1-12 (Freiden to Agreements and Treaties) are in the 1st physical book (Part 1) while Books 13-23 (Guam to EOH in the current edition, but to The Run-In in the next edition) are in Part 2, which means that when you start Book 1 in Year 3, you won't make it to Part 2 until Year 9 at least. It's a heck of a document, one in which foreigners have bought just for curiosity purposes before they fully comprehend its contents...but TJUN-ians are expected to understand it to a certain degree, as understanding TJUN history can prepare them for understanding TJUN-ian history as a whole.

And soon, one kid will start this journey for himself...and oh baby, will it take a while to comprehend.

SCHEDULE (Group 4)
Revert to this post for stadium information.
MD1: vs Zwangzug (3) - National Stadium, TJUN-ia City
--------------------------------------------------
MD2: vs Eraman (58) - Beregozera Stadium, Szensky
MD3: @Ragdollia (UR) - The Ragdollia Super Dome, ????
--------------------------------------------------
MD4: vs Brannfjord (250) - Ke Kahua Pāʻani o Pua Aloalo, Kepu Manu
MD5: @Eastfield Lodge (80)
--------------------------------------------------
MD6: vs Boring Paradise (147) - Tiankong Stadium, Tiankong
MD7: @Josifovo (128) - Ljubomir Hrebeljanović Stadium, Bijeljica
--------------------------------------------------
MD8: @Zwangzug (3)
MD9: @Eraman (58)
--------------------------------------------------
MD10: vs Ragdollia (UR) - Estádio do Pacífico, Rio Pacífico
MD11: @Brannfjord (250)
--------------------------------------------------
MD12: vs Eastfield Lodge (80) - Stade de la Victoire, Roi Ville
MD13: @Boring Paradise (147)
--------------------------------------------------
MD14: vs Josifovo (128) - Estadio Universidad Carlandas, Carlandas

World Cup 95 Roleplay Thread

World Cup 95 Roleplay Thread

WCQ-95 Pre-MD1

Schedule Post + The Book of Jungles (0)

Who is online