Saint Mark
-
Posts
1383 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
88
Posts posted by Saint Mark
-
-
Saint Markan Royal Rugby Team (Lions)
Style -1.00
Coach - Sir Evan Rahl
RP permissions:
If my opponent RPs first, they may...
Choose my try scorers: Y
Choose my kicker: Y
RP injuries: N
Godmod scoring events: Y
Godmod injuries: N
Godmod other events: Y
-
Saint Mark is very much looking forward to participating!
- Zoran and United Adaikes
-
2
-
Even though I'm not at all athletic, I picked the sport one because this would mean I'd be in great shape, and I could still listen to music.
-
5 minutes ago, Giovanniland said:
10 smaller gifts, for the surprise and joy feeling when opening each one.
Exactly!
-
The Saint Mark Angels
Football Club
Spotlight on #1
The Most Honorable Andrew, Marquess of Mane
Saint Mark scores!
The Saint Mark Angels Football Club have finally ended their drought in this World Cup with a 1-0 win over Ryxtylopia. The single goal was scored by the leader of the team's offense, #1, Andrew Lionguard, with a beautiful diving header.
Andrew is the eldest son and heir of The Duke of Lion's Watch. At twenty-nine, he is the second oldest player on the team, and is responsible for keeping the Angels' offense focused, often devoting hours of his own time to train up new members of the club.
Football is a new pastime to the Lionguard family. The Duke was an avid sailor, as is Andrew's sister, Anna. Watch for her in the next Esferiad.
Long one of Saint Mark's most eligible bachelors, Andrew's heart was finally captured by Lady Sara Nee. Andrew and the second daughter of the Earl of Feycrest were engaged this summer.
-
The Saint Mark Angels
Football Club
"Sure, it worked," argued Merlin Dragonhart, Defender and the most superstitious member of the Saint Mark Angels.
He and his good friend, fellow Defender, and unoffical team leader, Gerhard Wolfensbach, were sitting on the bed of Gerhard's hotel room. They had just come from a huge traditional H&J breakfast. Gerhard had wolfed down Banichka (prepared by layering a mixture of whisked eggs and pieces of cheese between filo pastry and then baking it in an oven), Mekitsas (deep-fried kneaded dough with feta cheese), porridge with jam, rye bread, stewed yak, and strong coffee. Merlin, a gluten-senstitive vegan, delighted in the fresh fruit and sorghum mash.
"The game was much closer this time, and Andrew almost scored. I know my crystals helped us. They've certainly allowed my back to heal with amazing speed."
Gerhard sighed. "Look, Merlin, I say it was the good night's sleep and vigorous work-out that did us the most good, but if crystals make you happy, go for it. I guess you're not the only one with pre-game rituals."
"Right", replied Merlin. "Westly has to wear orange socks and Andrew always keeps that ancestral talisman somewhere on him at all times. I hope we can generate even more luck in the upcoming games."
"I'll take any luck we can get," smiled Gerhard. "Let's go downstairs and work off some of this breakfast and then join the others for practice. I have some thoughts on how to better control the field."
- Cyrylic, Zoran, United Adaikes and 3 others
-
6
-
The Saint Mark Angels
Football Club
Sir Karl Rodenberg, Coach of the Saint Mark Angels, was sitting at the small desk in his room at the The Vertex, a five-star hotel within walking distance of the Blizzardfall Stadium. Despite the near-freezing temperature outside, the window was open to allow the icy breeze to cool off the over-heated space. Apparently, their host country thought that those from the warmer climes would feel more at home in a sauna. The hotel was obviously of a high quality, but furnished in the spare, modern style that Sir Karl disliked. The accomodations weren't what were making him uncomfortable, however. He was on the phone with his sovereign, Prince Marcarius.
"Yes, sir. Westly definitely did not play up to his potential. Our first-rate Keeper seemed sluggish. I'm sure it was a combination of jet lag and acclimating to the cold weather."
"Well, we originally did want to arrive earlier, but with Lionguard having to attend his sister's Presentation, and Dragonhart being unable to travel until he received the ok from his doctor, we couldn't fly in until just the day before."
"He's doing much better. Thank you for asking, sir. He feels that his crystals are strengthening his back, but of course, it's probably his physical therapy."
"Yes, or both ... of course."
"Yes, sir. That's kind of you to say, sir. We won't let you down."
Sir Karl put down his phone and sighed. It was nearly time to join his team on the practice field. He hoped last night's early bedtime and today's exercises would bring them back to the high level of play of which he knew they were capable.
- Zoran, United Adaikes, Giovanniland and 2 others
-
5
-
The Saint Mark Angels
Football Club
The Saint Mark Angels are excited to debut in this year's World Cup!
Roster
Coach: Sir Karl Rodenberg
Name / Position / Number / Age / (Starting/Reserve)
Matthew Westly / Keeper / 3 / 24 / (Starting)
Ronald Harper / Keeper / 10 / 23 / (Reserve)Gerhard Wolfensbach / Defender / 2 / 32 / (Starting)
Merlin Dragonhart / Defender / 7 / 28 / (Starting)
Corwyn Armsforth / Defender / 9 / 25 / (Starting)
Scott Granger / Defender / 11 / 25 / (Starting)
Rudolph Quagmire / Defender / 13 / 24 / (Reserve)
Renfrew Trecoup / Defender / 15 / 23 / (Reserve)Evard Wolfensbach / Midfielder / 6 / 26 / (Starting)
Harold Brickhouse / Midfielder / 8 / 28 / (Starting)
Lincoln Praiseworthy / Midfielder / 12 / 24 / (Starting)
Donald Masters / Midfielder / 17 / 22 / (Reserve)Andrew Lionguard / Forward/ 1 / 29 / (Starting)
Hunter Wilcox / Forward / 4 / 26 / (Starting)
Cedric Seabroom / Forward / 18 / 27 / (Starting)
Roland Croft / Forward / 20 / 26 / (Reserve)
Mark Blaze / Forward / 22 / 24 / (Reserve)Injure my players: yes
Assign my players yellow cards: yes
Assign my players red cards: no
Godmod injuries: no
Godmod scoring: no
Godmod other events: noStyle Modifier: -2
-
The Holy Principality of Saint Mark will be honored to participate.
-
Thousands of fans in the streets of Sanctus Leo
Thousands of enthusiastic fans have taken to the streets in Sanctus Leo and in cities throughout Saint Mark to show support for their Lions Royal Rugby team. Although a new sport to Saint Mark, rugby fever is spreading quickly, fueled by the efforts of the royal team.
One participant said, "Rugby is cool now! My son and I were able to attend most of the Lions' practices last summer and haven't missed a game on TV. He and his friends have started to play rugby together and his school plans to create a team this spring. Go Lions!!!"
- Zoran, United Adaikes, Giovanniland and 1 other
-
4
-
The Saint Mark Royal Lions got back on track with a 10-0 win over Teralyon, as Hugo Dasher scored two tries. The loss to Zoran, although expected, was a heart-break for the Lions since it was so close, but they made up for it with today's blow-out.
Christopher Dancer scored his second try in two games and Dasher crossed twice before the break, with Dancer nailing all three conversions.
Nelson Saint Mark sealed the bonus point with a try early in the second half and Michael Hawk added a late fifth. Saint Mark avoided conceding any points to Teralyon.
"We put a big emphasis on today. If we were to move forward, we had to win," responded Coach Rahl.
The result keeps the Lions in the running, but their next match against Santos-Dominius will prove more difficult.
- Larxia, Zoran, United Adaikes and 2 others
-
5
-
Prince Marcarius folded his newspaper, placed it on the desk and took a final sip of his South Coast Blend.
"Clarkson, it always amazes me how the foibles of one person can cause so much trouble. This commentator person, what's his name ... Blubberman or something ... is either a drunk, unstable or a fool. Santos-Dominian was on the wrong side of this nasty war and this sort of thing tears open a barely healing wound. The Zoranians have suffered so much. I wish they could find some peace. Please send my support to Queen Atsil and also have Ringman draft an official statement from the Crown for my review."
- embubbleblue, Zoran, Haetonia and 3 others
-
6
-
Principality Stadium in the background with Hillborough Castle in the forground
Principality Stadium was constructed two years ago as the official home of the Saint Mark Royal Lions. Funds and the site were donated by Lady Arlene Reston, Dowager Countess of Hillborough and aunt to Paul Reston, the Number Eight for the Lions. She is said to have wanted the arena close enough that she could watch her favorite nephew and his friends as they played. It is a fairly small stadium, with a capacity of 19,000. The artwork decorating the exterior walls was the inspiration of artist Manuel Porjiere and carried out by the students of the Academiae Debiles Artifices.
Principality Stadium
- Larxia, Giovanniland, embubbleblue and 3 others
-
6
-
The coach thought that they were enjoying the sights, but after a nap after brunch, the team had secretly gathered in the room shared by Michael Hawk and Nelson Saint Mark to review strategy tapes.
All eyes were fixed on the screen ...
Get defenders off balance and less effective by making them commit to one tackling line while attacking another. You can do this by varying your angle of attack.
A tackler is at their strongest when they are “on square” – front-on to the defender and able to exert maximum force in contact. For this reason, you should find ways to drag a defender or a line of defenders “off square”. As soon as a defender begins to favour one side of his body and turn either out or in, he creates a vulnerable shoulder to attack.
The best teams use a combination of “overs” (running away from the pass) and “unders” (running towards the pass) lines to get their opponents to commit one way or the other.
THE DOUBLE UNDERS DECOY LINE
The first objective is to prevent the 12 from moving too far across field towards the point of attack. The unders angles from the attacking backline forces the 12 to stop and square up on them. It is likely that the defending 12 and 13 will be disconnected. The gap has been created.
THE OVERS ATTACKING LINE FROM THE WINGER
If both of your centres are running this line, your winger can arrive through the gap.
THE EXPLOITATION
With the opposition 13 now disconnected from 12, the blindside winger has a chance to inside or outside the 13.
adapted from The Rugby Coach Weekly
-
Bruno Goldwash, Loose-Head Prop for the
Saint Mark Lions Royal Rugby Team, and his brother, Baxtor, the Tight-Head Prop,
demonstrating their before and after looks.
The Lions don't shave until the final game of the match.
- United Adaikes, Giovanniland, Zoran and 1 other
-
4
-
Coach Rahl paced in front of his attentive players. They were seated in a small conference room at their hotel, going over the game they had just lost against the Zoranians.
"That was a decent match, and we kept it close, but we could have done so much better. Bruno and Baxtor, you are our strongest forwards. Using your strength in scrums and rolling mauls, we should be able to achieve significant territory gain. You should pick and drive until the moment is right to release it to the backs. I know you know this, but you need to keep it in your heads. What did we practice? Exactly this. You were too timid. The couple of times that you did execute well, Michael and Nelson weren't ready. You guys weren't focused."
He sipped from his cup of South Coast Blend and continued.
"There were things we did well, of course, which is part of the reason we were able to keep it close. You organized quickly. Your heads were up and looking at the opposition. You didn't do too badly at controlling the space and it was clear that you enjoyed your tackling. Communication could have been better, Michael."
Michael started to object but caught himself at a raised eyebrow from the coach.
"You are a talented team. You didn't play too badly, but can do much better. I have confidence that you will play much better. You were just overly excited by our first win. Now we have a loss. That is well enough. It will sober us up a bit and help us to focus. You have the afternoon off. Get some rest, enjoy the sights, and be ready for practice at 7 AM."
- embubbleblue, Zoran, United Adaikes and 1 other
-
4
-
several months before the match ...
Nelson Saint Mark, Fly Half for the Saint Mark Royal Lions, sat in a small parlor lit only by eight candles placed at points around the purple-satin-draped table. The flickering light cast alternating light and dark on the wrinkled face of the woman seated across from him. She stared at the crystals she had just thrown, her sharp green eyes searching for patterns in the sparkling reds, yellows, greens, and blues. Although officially denounced by The Faith, divination dates from the time of The Mystics and was still practiced by a few in Saint Mark, especially those of the oldest families. Nelson was from such a family. Before every important undertaking, he sought the advice of Madam Konosco.
He know better than to interrupt her, but his anxiety showed itself clearly in his taut features.
"Your team will perform better than expected." She looked up and smiled slightly. " ... and your play will prove to be crucial several times. In order to improve your light and lessen your dark, you must wear this while you play." With that she took one of the small red crystals from the table, threaded it onto a thin silver cord, and handed it to the now much more relaxed rugby player.
"Thank you Madam Konosco!" Nelson replied full of gratitude. He took the bead from her and tied it around his neck. "I'm always so grateful for your wise help and guidance." He stood, bowed slightly, and left several large bills on the table before heading through the draped doorway.
-
This post is the combined RP effort of Giovanniland and Saint Mark
With a wide grin, Prince Marcarius faced the salty wind and warm sun as The Sea Lion cut through the foamy chop of the New Zoradian harbor. It was early in the morning and the sails were taut in a stiff breeze. He and King Giovanni VI were relishing the privacy and freedom of the prince’s royal yacht.
“Both of our teams did quite well, Giovanni. We play Zoran next and that’ll be tough. The crowd will definitely be on their side. How do you rate your chances for your next match?”
King Giovanni VI replied: “Indeed the first matchday was nice for both our teams! We won against Hanita Gracse, a newcomer to the tournament but nevertheless a good team.” He continued, “our next match will also be considerably harder. Giovanniland will play against Hertfordshire & Jammbo, which are the champions of the 1st Rugby World Cup, and have a roughly equal rating in comparison to our team (54.51 for us vs. 53.77 for them). So I think both teams have equal chances of winning.”
“Good luck to you! Have you had a chance to think about my idea of our two nations hosting a joint gala fundraiser in support of Zoran’s widows and orphans? I know they have given their blessing to the concept, and my ministers think the people of Saint Mark will be behind it.”
“That is certainly a great idea!” remarked the Giovannilandian king. “I personally support the idea, although I would also have to talk to the Prime Minister Amore Gile Abrente to confirm. However, I am sure they will also agree, and will contact them shortly after this conversation.”
“Thank you, Giovanni. I’m still haunted by the sadness in the eyes of so many of the brave Zoradians in the immediate aftermath of the war and want so much to make things better for them. It was such a tragedy.”
The prince stared at the horizon for a minute and then shook himself free of his thoughts.
“Enough of that! We are doing what we can and I’m glad we can work together on this!
Let’s take this craft out a bit further and see if we can catch some real wind!”“Indeed! Changing the subject a little, how is Saint Mark at the moment?”, the King asked. “In Giovanniland we have just finished another edition of the Lavender Festival and New Year, and also the Empire Day celebrations on January 16th.”
“It sounds like you’ve been busy! This is a quieter time of year in Saint Mark … after the First Light festival and before the Rebirth. I enjoyed a ski trip to the mountains with The Electors … well, enjoyed it somewhat I guess … part of it was politics, of course. I’ve also been working on my sailing. Oh! I’m hosting a private showing of several important works of the Masters in Sanctus Leo next month. I’d be honored if you could attend.”
“In fact the past few months have been busy in Giovanniland. As for the private showing, that sounds like it will be a very good time! I haven’t visited Saint Mark for a while, and this is a good opportunity to do so, therefore I gladly accept the invite,” the King replied. “Back to sports, I have also heard that many nations are talking about their own processes of inducting new players into their national teams. How does that happen in Saint Mark?”
“Ah. Good question. As you probably know, Saint Mark didn’t even have a national team until two years ago. Last year was the first time they ever competed internationally. Rugby is just now becoming popular in our country. What we did to develop this team was to have each college and club send their three best players to open try-outs in Sanctus Leo. There, under the close observation of our coaches over several weeks, fifty were chosen. Over the next month, these were winnowed down to the current team. There was one late addition just before we arrived. Colin is the son of our coach, Sir Evan, and he plays as an Outside Center in a reserve position. Arthur Freeborn, the previous Reserve Outside Center, had some bad luck with appendicitis. How was your team formed?”
“That is certainly an interesting process! In Giovanniland, rugby was introduced in the early 14th century, and the first national team was formed in 1329 in the capital Giovannia, with some of the best players from the National Rugby League of Giovanniland, itself created four years earlier. This is a standard process used for most sports in our country, and I presume also in other parts of the world,” noted the King.
He added: “While the team that competed in the 1st and 2nd Rugby World Cup as well as in the 1st Summer Esferiad achieved great results, a large revamp was undertaken just in time for the 2nd Summer Esferiad. Managers such as Giordano Magisto retired, with the Esferiad’s stadium for Rugby in Quorivo being named after him after this fact, thus new leadership was also brought besides many new players. I hope to see their success continue during this World Cup!”
As the King finished talking, both noticed the conversation had continued for a long time. They decided to look at and appreciate the nature around the New Zoradian harbor, as the morning passed and the sun rose to the top of the sky.
-
Helmut Landgraf, reporting from Spirit Park:
Kick-off saw the Lions with a slight wind advantage, and surprisingly they literally parked themselves inside the Denieri half for the next 25 minutes. Their play was aggressive and quick and their opponents found them difficult to counter. With little ball to play with, their forwards were called on many times to protect their own line and then young Denieri flanker Blake Gibson broke the try drought. A good bust for a loose forward, that made the score 10-3 after shared early penalties.
The final plays of the game were shear Lion brilliance. Using a set move, the familiar wall of forwards took a couple of tap-kicks – Napoli almost scored and then the backs released the ball to Shoreman, who offloaded beautifully to Hightower who capped off a fine match with a try and a haul of 14 individual points. That demonstrated their total application against a side who seemed hamstrung by over-complicating their gameplan. The final score of 25-14 must make Sir Evan, and all of Saint Mark, proud to be sure.
The Lions have come along way since last year's inaugural tournament. Whether or not they can stay in the game against the Zoranian home team remains to be seen.
-
This post was developed between Zoran and Saint Mark
Clarkson, valet to His Serene Highness Prince Marcarius, unpacked his sovereign’s wardrobe in the elegantly appointed penthouse suite in New Zoradia’s best hotel, The Royal Sunset. Except for the faint whiff of new paint smell in some of the hallways, the fact that it was only completed after the civil war wasn’t evident at all.
While he worked, he glanced at the prince. He looked calm, sipping Aurum Sherry and reading over the Saint Markan Clarion, but Clarkson knew him too well. The prince was nervous … and maybe excited? Hmm … he had met with Queen Atsil several times in the aftermath of their civil war … Saint Mark had been a great help in providing funds and expertise to help them rebuild … but those had been official visits. Tonight’s meeting with Her Majesty was a private dinner with nothing official on the agenda. I wonder … ?
The limousine pulled away as Prince Marcarius entered the manor. He looked up. It was an impressive structure, and quite secure to be sure, but certainly not where a Zoranian queen should be residing, he thought. It was a shame all the damage that had been done, not to mention the lives that had been lost or ruined, in the awful civil war. Under his direction, Saint Mark had done all they could to assist. It still didn’t seem enough. Well, no more dwelling on state affairs. He was here to develop a closer, more personal relationship with Atsil. While his government and courtiers were in favor of this for obvious political reasons, he didn’t think that anyone suspected how this meeting made him feel. His palms were sweating and his heart was racing. Could this develop into more than two leaders of allied nations seeking closer ties?
A footman in the queen’s livery met him at the door and showed him into the small, but beautiful marble foyer. A carpeted staircase descended beneath a warmly glowing chandelier.
It had been a while since Atsil had been able to take a break from, well, setting up a new government for her people. The prince’s invitation was a nice distraction, hopefully she could further strengthen the ties between Zoran and Saint Mark.
When was the last time I actually took a break? I guess the day my father told me to have the day off when that foreign dignitary met with them…it seems so long ago yet it has only been two years since then…
She shook her head as she put her hair up into a bun, dismissing the sad memory of her father from her head. Now was not the time for sorrow and gloom, it was a time to celebrate with a friend. She was surprised to receive the invitation to dine with the prince but I guess being accepted as the host of the Rugby World Cup is a major step in Zoran’s recovery that deserved some celebration. As she looked at herself in the mirror she sighed as she noticed the bags under her eyes,
“Don’t think about work, Atsil, tonight is a night with a friend. That is all it is and nothing more. Don’t make it diplomatic, political, or anything remotely work related.”
After giving herself a pep talk, she exited her room and descended the staircase, dressed in a dark blue gown, to meet with the prince.
Marcarius felt his heart skip a beat. The queen was beautiful, yes, but also intelligent and devoted to her people. He hoped that in time she could see him as more than just a friend. She looked tired, though. Rebuilding her nation has been a heavy burden for her. Tonight, she needed a friend and relaxation. This was not the occasion to bother her with anything else.
“Astil, it is so good to see you again,” said the prince as he smiled and briefly held her hand.
“I’m glad we could have this time to enjoy ourselves before the tournament.”“Yes it is, apparently Saint Mark will be the first team the Zoranian Sun Hawks face.” she said with a smile. A guard escorted them to the dining room where they took their seats.
“How have things in Saint Mark been?”“We have been well, Astil. I’m looking forward to the tournament. The poor Lions have to play your Hawks so early. Two years ago we didn’t even have a national team.They didn’t do too badly last year, though.How have you been? Have you been taking any time for yourself? You’ve been under such a heavy burden for so long.”
Atsil lets out a sigh at the question,
“I have been fairly busy, creating a government for your country is difficult. I haven’t really had much free time since I was wrapped up in the Civil War. But I thankfully have my ministers and technocrats to take on some of the burdens of ruling.” Atsil took a sip of the water that had been poured out for them, she has avoided drinking alcohol in order to avoid the risk of dependence from the stress of her position.“Any help either Zoran needs from Saint Mark or you need from me, please do not hesitate to ask. Our nations have a long shared history and many current common interests as well.” The prince sipped the old Zoranian vintage that had been poured for him by the attentive footman. Seeking to take her mind off her troubles, he sought to change the topic. “Before the exhibition opens to the public, I will be hosting a small private showing of a rare collection of Masters at my palace in Sanctus Leo. I would be delighted if you would attend.”
“I wish you could help with this but this is something we need to do on our own unfortunately. As for the collection I am not sure if I can, the country needs me to be pretty hands on at the moment, I still need to develop the bureaucracy and social infrastructure needed to implement a parliament and elections. But I thank you for the offer.”
“You need to refresh your strength once in a while, if you are to be at your best. Don’t say no just yet. Let’s see how things go. In the meantime, let’s enjoy this fabulous dinner tonight and the games tomorrow.” He smiled and lifted his glass to the admirable queen, his friend.
She smiled back at him and did the same,
“While I cannot say that I will be able to enjoy the entirety of the games, I am glad to be able to dine with a friend.” that was when an soldier wearing a raspberry colored beret entered the room and bowed to Atsil and Prince Marcarius,“Sorry for interrupting, Your Majesty, I know you requested you remained undisturbed but I have news that you may like to hear about the condition of CGZ, just got them from the SIC and the contingent of the Raspberry Berets you tasked with discovering this intel.” Atsil frowned a bit as her memory of the day CGZ was taken away played in her head,
“Thank you, Major General, leave the report on my desk. You are dismissed.”
-
Saint Markan Royal Rugby Team (Lions)
Style +1.50
Coach - Sir Evan Rahl
Injure my players: no
Assign my players yellow cards: yes
Assign my players red cards: no
Godmod injuries: no
Godmod scoring: yes
Godmod other events: yes- embubbleblue, Min-Su, Giovanniland and 2 others
-
5
-
Saint Mark will enjoy an opportunity to visit some of its friends.
- Zoran and United Adaikes
-
2
-
I love your Factbook!
-
We can leave it as former del. On the Forum, it doesn't really matter.
&f=1&nofb=1)
4th Rugby World Cup [rosters, roleplays, results]
in Roleplay - How the West Was Won
Posted
Principality Stadium in the background with Hillborough Castle in the foreground
Principality Stadium was constructed three years ago as the official home of the Saint Mark Royal Lions. Funds and the site were donated by Lady Arlene Reston, Dowager Countess of Hillborough and aunt to Paul Reston, the Number Eight for the Lions. She is said to have wanted the arena close enough that she could watch her favorite nephew and his friends as they played. It is a fairly small stadium, with a capacity of 19,000. The artwork decorating the exterior walls was the inspiration of artist Manuel Porjiere and carried out by the students of the Academiae Debiles Artifices.
Principality Stadium