[1st T20 World Cup [rosters, roleplays, results]]

"Hello, everyone! From New Larxia, Larxia, we at Santo-Dominian Cable-Satellite Network Channel 3 bring you live coverage of the 1st T20 World Cup! Our coverage of the 1st T20 World Cup is brought to you by our generous sponsor, the shampoo brand Scalp & Dandruff! It's the shampoo brand of choice for people conscious enough about their scalp problems to buy it but not conscious enough to do some research about the scalp on the Internet! I, the corporate-friendly sellout and commercial model that is Approctoflecticus Blubberman, will be your mildly irritating host for the entire duration for the 1st T20 World Cup."

"And let's go over the results of Match Day 1! Specifically, let's take a look at the results for Group A. We've been informed that our Santo-Dominian team has won a comfortable victory against the team from Denieria, scoring 187 and then bowling them out for 94 runs. Meanwhile, our Larxian hosts seem to be enjoying playing in their home country, as they have won against the team coming from United Adaikes! So, to recap, Santos-Dominius and Larxia each have one win in Group A, while Denieria and United Adaikes have one loss each."

"Moving onto Group B! The nice people from fellow Auran neighbour Blue Bubble - or Glenpavia as they themselves call it - have triumphed over Teralyon! Seems like Polaris is not having a good time today. But wait a minute - the next result immediately proves me wrong, as Cambria has won against the team from countryside bumpkin nation Hertfordshire & Jammbo! I previously referred to Cambria by it's full name 'Tara and Cambray', but it was pointed out by me by a Cambrian friend that referring to it as such is a bit weird. So, to appease our Cambrian viewers - assuming that Cambrians watch this ad-infested underfunded mess - I shall now permanently refer to their country as 'Cambria' and not by its full name."

"Anyways, let's get to the results for Group C! The team from Auran neighbour and suspected drugland Dilber has tied with the team from another Auran neighbour of ours - major continental power and former coloniser Saint Mark! Luckily, the other Group C did not end in an unfruitful draw, as Fhaengshia won against the Giovannilandian players! So, to recap, Fhaengshia has a win under their belt in Group C, Dilber and Saint Mark share a tie, and Giovanniland has a loss."

"And finally, Group D! Alleged rogue state and gigantic landmine store Dalimbar has lost to war-torn chaos carnival Zoran! And Dalimbari neighbour and pacifist enemy Fujai has lost to the sporty Nieubasrians as well! It seems like continental infighting made Polaris have a generally bad day today on Match Day 1, with Cambria in Group C and Nieubasria here being the only two exceptions! So to recap, in Group D, Nieubasria and Zoran each have one win, while Dalimbar and Fujai each have one loss. Quite interesting!"

"And that concludes today's coverage of the T20 World Cup! It's only Match Day 1 after all, so nations that lost today still have plenty of time to bounce back and advance to the next stage. And that's why today's winners shan't get too cocky: losing often provides strong motivation for players to win the next matches, and it's that strong motivation that can drive them to ultimately beat you! I'm Approctoflecticus Blubberman, and this was Match Day 1 of the 1st T20 World Cup. Stay tuned to SDCSN Channel 3 for direct and live coverage of the Cup as well as un-skippable sponsorship advertisements, and see you on Match Day 2! Goodbye!"

[The Zoranian Civil War]

May 12th, 1420

6:30 AM Auran Standard Time / 8:30 AM Over Time

Fribernese Fortress, Federal City of Friberne, Canton of Friberne, Santos-Dominius

"What is it, Paul? Why did you summon me here this early in the morning? I have meetings this afternoon, and now my eyes are going to be baggy because of you!" Stuyvesant-Callaghan asked as she walked into the room. This was a busy day - Dominion Bank had a major deal to negotiate with another big corporation. As CEO of the bank, she was to do reading on the corporation's tactics, operations and details - so as to intimidate and threaten its representatives and secure a deal that would maximise benefit for the DB. But now, here she was, disgruntled and sitting in the meeting room at the Fribernese Fortress with the old and near-centenarian President Paul Goldberg. Her disheveled and frazzled assistant put her bag on a chair next to her and put a vase of flowers on the table as she sat down angrily.

"I'm sorry, Harriet, but I've summoned you on urgent business. It's about the Zoranian Civil War." Goldberg replied.

"What about it? Didn't we make a deal with that Quasena guy a while ago? I haven't heard from you about this war since then, so I assume that it's going smooth enough."

"Well, Harriet, it's safe to say that...I'm getting cold feet. And I need your advice on whether we should limit our involvement, stay the same, or increase our support for the corporates." Goldberg said in a reserved manner. Evidently, the old President was having concerns about both his political career and the safety of his relatively small country. If he makes the right decisions, then both would be safeguarded. But ally with the wrong people, send support at the wrong time or make any other wrong decision, and both would be in enormous peril. He was over 90 years old, and he didn't want the legacy of his 2nd term to be that of a catastrophic failure.

"Cold feet? You asked me to get here to provide you advice because you're having cold feet? Are you out of your mind, Paul?" Stuyvesant-Callaghan said as she walked towards the President. "You have advisors! National security advisors! Military generals! Seasoned diplomats! All at your disposal! Why bother me when you know I'm a busy woman with far too many responsibilities and far too limited amounts of time to deal with your cowardice!?"

"Stop it, Harriet! Don't you bully an old man." Goldberg stubbornly replied. "I have invited you here because you are my only major collaborator in this scheme of ours. Telling anyone else in the government would risk leaking this clandestine operation - one that isn't authorised by the National Senate, mind you - to the opposition. Just imagine the field day Art Bernstein and the Coalition of Roses will have with this scheme if it leaks! My party and I will crash to defeat at the next cantonal elections in Niedersasslen. Your bank will have serious questions to answer and will fire you. The stakes are too high for me to make a decision on my own!"

"Ugh! This is why I hate the public sector with a passion. People like Senator Bernstein cannot be bought, unlike in the private sector, where everyone is for sale...only at different prices." Stuyvesant-Callaghan moaned. "So, what are our options? Remind me again - and quickly! I still have work to do."

"Our first option is to stay the same, Harriet." Goldberg explained. "As long as we remain silent and keep upholding our end of the bargain, the corporates will probably give us the benefits they promised without fail. But, since our involvement with the corporates is low-profile, illicit under Santo-Dominian law and politically damaging if leaked, Quasena can easily renege on his word and refuse to give us anything if he does win. We will have nothing to hold against him, nothing to force him to give us what he owes. And we don't even know if he will win."

"Sounds like blind faith, Paul." Stuyvesant-Callaghan remarked. "That's very risky."

"It is blind faith, Harriet. And yes, it's risky. So that's why we can consider the second option: pulling out of the war. We will inform Quasena of our unwillingness to continue supporting the corporates in the war, and then slowly but surely cut back our aid until we fully retreat. We will cut our losses if Quasena had decided not to pay us back, but we will also miss out on the war chest if Quasena had originally decided to pay us what he owes to us. It's the safest option, but also the one that doesn't give us any benefits except an opportunity to fully save ourselves and avoid anything if Quasena loses."

"Sounds dumb. So, I assume that the final option is increasing our aid to the corporates."

"Correct, Harriet." Goldberg said. "We can opt to increase our monetary aid to the corporates. Now, we can either inform Quasena of our willingness to further support him...or we can choose to keep that from him. If we choose to inform Quasena, we will be able to secure his trust with our forthright attitude and honesty - but we will lose a bargaining chip. If we choose to go behind his back, we can make him inadvertently rely on us more. This is the bargaining chip we will get if we choose to increase support without consulting him, and it's the one we'll lose if we tell him."

"Three options...and all of them have positives and negatives. Well, Paul. I've already made my decision. But I want to hear from you. What's your decision?" Stuyvesant-Callaghan probed.

"Well..." Goldberg answered. "...I was thinking we should either maintain our current level of support, or pull out of the war entirely. You know, I'm serving my 2nd term as President, and I intend to run for re-election one last time in February 1421 to secure my 3rd and final term. If our involvement gets out, I will be doomed. Utterly. So I'm just thinking that we should play it safe and back out."

"You coward! I knew that caution ran in your blood." Stuyvesant-Callaghan barked. "Well, I like risks. Actually, to rephrase, I like taking risks with big potential rewards. I think we should opt to increase our monetary aid to the Zoranian corporates and Quasena. The war has been raging on for a bit now, and if we can send enough support, we might be able to help Quasena win decisive victories that scores him the final triumph in this devastating war. Then, we will be able to reap the numerous benefits we're entitled to for supporting the right people at the right moment by taking the right risks."

"Alright, alright! You're really disrespectful and rude in the morning, Harriet. Fine! We shall proceed with your plan. But since I call the shots in this country, we're informing Quasena of our willingness to increase aid. I'm not going to gamble big and try going behind his back - we don't know what tricks he has up his sleeve. I'll have someone send him a message via secure channels that will ensure the secrecy of this operation and our involvement. You can go now, Harriet." Goldberg said.

Harriet Stuyvesant-Callaghan snatched her bag, stood up and left the room in a composed hurry. President Goldberg then closed his briefing book, stood up, turned off the TV in the meeting room and went upstairs to his presidential office. Then, Stuyvesant-Callaghan's assistant came into the room, picked up the vase of flowers, and detached from its inside a small black cube that flashed a small red light. It was a recording device.

[1st T20 World Cup [rosters, roleplays, results]]

"Hello, everyone! From New Larxia, Larxia, we at Santo-Dominian Cable-Satellite Network Channel 3 bring you live coverage of the 1st T20 World Cup! Our coverage of the 1st T20 World Cup is brought to you by our generous sponsor, the video game "Assault: Shade Mythicals"!. We know you've heard about them in every sponsored video you've ever watched on the Internet, but we here at SDCSN Channel 3 are constantly in desperate need of funding and we don't care for your ears! I, the magnificent man with a name that's a mouthful that is Approctoflecticus Blubberman, will be your mildly irritating host for the entire duration for the 1st T20 World Cup."

"And we're here at New Larxia Airport, where our Santo-Dominian cricket team arrived about a few hours ago. Unfortunately, our flySD flight was delayed and we couldn't arrive here in New Larxia earlier to tape their arrival. Oh, and I've just been told that quite a few groups of Santo-Dominian cricket fans flew here to cheer for the team, but apparently mistook our Santo-Dominian players as Nieubasrian players and didn't cheer at all when our country's cricket players emerged from customs. It has been said that those fans were confused due to both the Santo-Dominian and Nieubasrian team uniforms using yellow as the primary colour, but we're still trying to get some additional information about that unfortunate incident."

"In the meantime, we've also managed to completely miss the opening ceremony! The bosses back in Friberne only sent one camera crew with us, and all of us were on the same delayed flight. Anyways, we've been told that our yellow-loving competitors from Nieubasria, as well as all the other teams, have attended the opening ceremony. I'm sure both Santo-Dominian and Nieubasrian fans won't be puzzled if the two teams face off against each other. That was sarcasm. Did I pull off sarcasm? I'm being scolded by my assistant who has mouthed that I shouldn't have clarified that I was being sarcastic. Alright, let's move on from that failure!"

"Wait a minute, that's the end of this broadcast? Okay! Haha! I'm totally not embarrassed at all. Santo-Dominian cricket fans, as well as the Santo-Dominian Cricket Association, are to sure to pay very close attention to this Cup, given that this is the first time Santos-Dominius has contested an international cricket competition! So, here's a reminder: this is the channel for live and direct coverage of the T20 World Cup! I'm Approctoflecticus Blubberman, and this was the Opening Day of the 1st T20 World Cup. Stay tuned to SCDSN Channel 3 for coverage of the Cup, and see you whenever stuff happens, even if that means that I have wake up at night and report from my hotel room!"

[The Santo-Dominian Post]

Cantonal Council snap elections in bellwether canton of Niedersasslen heat up

Today, Norbert Heitmann(DCB), Head Councillor of the Cantonal Council of Niedersasslen(NL) announced that he would be dissolving the council and calling a snap election. News of this quickly spread throughout the Federal Republic, and Santo-Dominians across the nation began to pay close attention. The Canton of Niedersasslen has long been one of the bellwether cantons in Santos-Dominius, often alternating between supporting the centre-right Democratic Congress Party(DCB) and the centre-left Coalition of Roses(CoR). Now, as news of the snap election reaches Friberne, the two major parties have already begun to field candidates, raise funds and schedule rallies in the canton.

The calling of the snap election proved to be rather surprising as Heitmann, a veteran in Niedersasslen politics, long presided over a slim but secure DCB majority in the Niedersasslen Cantonal Council. His decision was unexpected as many Santo-Dominians as well as the DCB party leadership thought that he would hold out until the regular elections in January next year, elections that he was projected to win. However, in recent days, public support in the canton has swung towards the left, especially after the formation of the CoR and the subsequent union of the Santo-Dominian left. It was these warning signs, political commentators believe, that led to Heitmann drawing the conclusion that he had to call for a snap election in order to secure his narrow majority and buy time for the DCB before it falls below the critical 50% line.

This isn't the first time the DCB has been forced to fight hard to retain Niedersasslen. In the February 1421 presidential elections, the almost-centenarian President Paul Goldberg(DCB) barely won the canton by 485 votes after weeks of intense and brutal campaigning in the cantonal capital of Anheit. To give some context: 400,631 Niedersasslons voted in that election. The canton saw the tightest presidential vote in Santo-Dominian history in that election. After the election, Sen. Art Bernstein(CoR-WS), Leader of the Opposition, said that "Niedersasslen's bellwether status is not to be underestimated".

Head Councillor Heitmann will face off against a formidable challenger in the form of Cantonal Councillor Jane Figures(CoR), former mayor of Anheit and leader of the CoR minority caucus in the Niedersasslen Cantonal Council. Figures is a well-known politician within the canton, mostly because her mother, Valerie Figures, famously led the successful push for universal suffrage in Niedersasslen. Following in the footsteps of her mother, Jane Figures has ran a strong campaign with voting rights and felony enfranchisement at the helm. Her populist rhetoric and criticism of Heitmann's notorious politicking has earned her the support of grassroots CoR voters and supporters, especially key demographics like youth voters, students and university graduates - all important support bases that have helped CoR win cantonal and national elections before. However, this has also attracted ire from established and entrenched politicians like Cantonal Councillor Robert Bennington(CoR), who has argued for a more moderate and pragmatic approach to the race.

As the race heats up, so have the polls. The latest poll conducted by the Santo-Dominian Institute for Public Opinion(SDIPO) shows the DCB and CoR in a dead heat, and Head Councillor candidate polls also show a similar picture - Heitmann and Figures are basically tied, with neither able to outpoll the other. With all 75 seats of the Niedersasslen Cantonal Council up for grabs, the DCB is expected to win at least 29, while the CoR will bag at least 26 seats. This reflects the uncertainty around the race: a whopping 20 seats are projected to be swing constituencies, with 14 of them being constituencies in which the leading candidate has a lead of less than 3%.

The stakes are very high in these Cantonal Council elections, and will likely make or break the Coalition of Roses. If the DCB loses, Heitmann will be ousted and replaced by Figures, and the CoR will receive enormous political capital. If the CoR loses, it will cast doubt on the new big-tent centre-left party's ability to truly unite the Santo-Dominian left wing, and it will also considerably worsen Figures' chances of ever getting the position of Head Councillor. Both parties are already campaigning hard to appeal to their support bases and undecideds, and the voters of Niedersasslen will have to pick between two starkly different parties in the elections.

[1st T20 World Cup [rosters, roleplays, results]]

The Cricket Team of the Federal Republic of Santos-Dominius

(Santosian: Équipe de Santosie-Dominigne de cricket)

(Dominian: Cricket-Team von Santoreich-Dominien)

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Team Information

Style Modifier: -3.5

Home Stadium: Mulberry Field, Friberne

Stadium Capacity: 20,000

Coach: Roger Bennington

Manager: Enoch Theroux

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

RP Permissions

Injure my players: yes

Dismiss batmen: yes

Deliberate unfair play: yes

Godmod injuries: yes

Godmod scoring: yes

Godmod other events: yes

 

                    

[1st T20 World Cup Signups & OOC]

The Federal Republic of Santos-Dominius will participate in the T20 World Cup.

Santos-Dominius

[The Santo-Dominian Post]

President Goldberg announces the Ten Stars Award Programme to encourage youth development

Today, President Paul Goldberg announced that after much consideration, he would be officially creating the Ten Stars Award. Set to be the Federal Republic's official youth awards programme, the Ten Stars Award would be awarded to adolescents, youths and teenagers of various ages for completing a multifarious array of extra-curricular activities. The Ten Stars Award programme is set to begin in six months, during which the Government would be accumulating funds and collecting taxpayer money from the Treasury to set up and kickstart the programme.

Speaking to SDCSN Channel 1 reporters at the Fribernese Fortress, President Goldberg stated that the programme "will ideally contribute to further and enhanced youth development in Santos-Dominius" as well as "usher in a certain trendiness that will hopefully make this Award and extra-curricular activities in general more popular and attractive to teens". The President acknowledged that "extra-curricular activities may sound boring, tiring and uninteresting to many youths who are more invested in video games and social media", but noted that "with a little encouragement and a good marketing campaign, Santo-Dominian youths should flock to join and excel in the programme".

Later in the day, Senator Pierre Theron(DCB-FR), Minister of Social Services, announced that his ministry would be spearheading the kickstarting, implementation and operation of the Ten Stars Award. He went into detail regarding its arrangements, and provided additional information and clarification. Sen. Theron revealed that the Ten Stars Award programme would be divided into seven modules: "Leadership, Athleticism, Forte, Charity, Exploration, Intelligence and Entrepreneurship". The Ten Stars Award itself would also be divided into five classes, which in ascending order of prestige are: Ten Bronze Stars Award, Ten Silver Stars Award, Ten Gold Stars Award, Ten Diamond Stars Award and the Grand Comet Award.

Sen. Theron explained that the awards would only be rewarded for completion of the modules, but also revealed that not all modules were required for a participant to attain a Ten Star Award. He revealed that for the Ten Bronze Stars Award, participants would have to complete two of the seven modules. For the Ten Silver Stars Award, participants would have to complete four of the seven modules. For the Ten Gold Stars Award, participants would have to complete six of the seven modules and have previously attained a Ten Bronze/Silver Stars Award. For the Ten Diamond Stars Award, participants would have to complete all seven programmes. To attain the most prestigious and desirable Grand Comet Award, participants would have to complete all seven programmes and be in the national overall top 3 for one of the modules. Sen. Theron also brought along with him a visual aid to better illustrate the aforementioned requirements, and the visual aid has been provided below.

Sen. Theron stated that the Ministry of Social Services(MSS) would be enlisting the help and support of youth organisations, charities, sport organisations, clubs and teams, hiking organisations, schools and businesses and other groups to assist with the operation of the programme. He said that participants would be able to get highly involved with Certified TSA Partners(CTSAP) - organisations that provide activities that would count towards completing the Ten Stars Award modules. He announced that to encourage groups to sign up and become CTSAPs, the MSS would be granting two-year subsidies to the first 150 organisations in the Federal Republic that sign up. The Ten Stars Award programme has received praise from teachers, experts, political commentators, educators and other Santo-Dominians, including Sen. Art Bernstein(CoR-WS), leader of the opposition, who has called the programme "a genuinely great idea".

[The Santo-Dominian Post]

Santo-Dominian left unites after narrow defeat in presidential elections, but old problems remain

Today, the Santo-Dominian left-wing overwhelmingly united behind one banner, ending years of endless division and factionalism in the political camp that once reliably dominated the Federal Republic's political scene. The centre-left Country Liberal Party(CLP), which gave this country Presidents Jan Davis Lovings and Eliot Klein, decided to merge with the far-left Santo-Dominian Communist Phalanx(SDCP). Interestingly, the long-running feud between these two leftist parties was chiefly perpetrated by none other than Lovings and Klein themselves. Here's a recap of the entire feud.

The year was 1306, and then-President Lovings enjoyed good approval ratings. As the 2nd President of Santos-Dominius, Lovings pioneered social and welfare reform, built and repaired rural infrastructure, and sought to eradicated illiteracy. He held the support of a majority of Santo-Dominians, and while he certainly had detractors, they were outnumbered by his supporters for the most part. However, within his own Country Liberal Party, a plot to topple and replace the extremely old President was brewing, and leading the plot was Senator Eliot Klein(SN) and his centre-left moderates.

Disillusioned with the seemingly "radical" and "extreme" measures that President Lovings pushed for in the National Senate, the young and charismatic Sen. Klein convinced many of the party elders, as well as young CLP voters, to support him and abandon Lovings. After all preparations had been done, Sen. Klein invoked the CLP's constitution and launched a sudden and unannounced leadership challenge against Lovings, ultimately winning it and becoming Santo-Dominian's 3rd President and the first one that came into office without being popularly elected. Infuriated by his own untimely and early demise, Lovings and his far-left base left the CLP, founding the SDCP and siphoning a reasonable amount of votes from the CLP's base.

Both Sens. Lovings and Klein have since died, but the feud continued on after their deaths, weakening the Santo-Dominian left for years. It was this heated feud that was heavily blamed by both parties for the left's defeat in the 1422 presidential elections, in which incumbent President Paul Goldberg, of the centre-right Democratic Coalition Party(DCB), barely defeated leftist challenger Sen. Jeremy Maxson(WS) from the CLP. Opinion polls had long predicted a massive CLP victory and Maxson's election as the 5th President of the country, but on election night, it was revealed that a razor-thin majority of Santo-Dominians had abandoned the left and voted to re-elect the old and white-haired President Goldberg, handing him his 3rd and possibly final term as he approaches 100 years old.

Though recommended by leftist commentators and columnists alike, Sen. Maxson declined to become the leader of the new party after the merge was completed and the appropriate documents submitted to the Government. Instead, the CLP's 1422 vice presidential candidate, Sen. Art Bernstein(LM), assumed joint leadership of the party with Sen. Diane Waterside(SDCP-RO), an avowed socialist and former schoolteacher. Bernstein and Waterside named the new party "Coalition of Roses"(CoR), selecting the rose - a historical symbol of the labour movement and leftist causes - as its party symbol. With the left now united behind the CoR, Santos-Dominius seems to be stabilising as a three-party democracy, with the CoL, DCB and the far-right Split Conservative Union(SCU) contesting elections. However, Sen. Bernstein's advanced age and Sen. Waterside's radical ideas may threaten the unity and appeal of the CoR, and Santos-Dominius' left-wing still has a long way to go if it aims to win an election against the now established and strong DCB.

Official logo of the Coalition of Roses(pictured above)

[The Santo-Dominian Post]

Tropical Storm Viola approaches western Santos-Dominius from Yatasail Sea

Today, the National Weather Observatory(NWO) of the Ministry of Science & Development(MSD) announced today that Tropical Storm Viola was swiftly approaching the Santo-Dominian archipelago. Senator Walter Untermann(DCB-NL), Minister of Science and Development, said in a press conference at the MSD headquarters that Viola "is quickly and swiftly approaching Santos-Dominius and rapidly increasing in strength and speed". He stated that Viola "will most certainly pose a strong threat to the Santo-Dominian archipelago", and spent the entire press conference speaking about precautions and preventative measures.

Sen. Untermann first announced that Viola "is undergoing the meteorological situation of rapid intensification, a dangerous process where a tropical cyclone intensifies dramatically in strength and especially maximum wind speed in a very short amount of time". He told reporters that the National Weather Observatory "predicts Tropical Storm Viola to be classified as a major hurricane and a very real danger to the country", and urged Santo-Dominians to "take any and all precautions and preventative measures possible so as to reduce and control ahead of time the damage and impact caused".

In line with Sen. Untermann's stern and serious warnings, the Ministry of Information(MI) and the Ministry of Biological, Ecological and Zoological Affairs(MBEZA) both announced extreme preventative measures. Sen. Terry Melvin(DCB-FE), Minister of Information, announced that all schools in the country would have to be closed indefinitely until further notice starting the day after tomorrow. "We must protect and ensure the safety of our children," Sen. Melvin wrote in his statement. Sen. Christelle Chantal(DCB-FR), Minister of Biological, Ecological and Zoological Affairs, announced that all zoos, parks, nature reserves, national parks and wildlife enclosures would be shut down indefinitely and the animals would be all moved to secure indoor facilities that would be well-stocked and able to run independently for weeks on end.

Other government ministries also took the threat of Tropical Storm Viola seriously. The Ministry of Commerce advised all non-essential cargo traffic to and from Santos-Dominius to be halted as soon as possible, and urged cargo ships and planes already on the way to arrive in Santo-Dominian docks and airports as soon as possible to "allow for protection and shelter". The Ministry of Defence was put on high alert as the Naval Constabulary, the country's non-military naval policing and patrolling force, advised all ships traveling in Santo-Dominian waters to dock and temporarily unload cargo immediately to allow for safe and secure storage. The Ministry of Social Services announced it would close its offices in three days and urged all who had business with it to come forward and "get it over with" before the closures.

Some ministries took preparation to the extreme. The Treasury of the State announced that all of its offices would be closed starting tomorrow and all employees would be on indefinite paid leave. It also stated that it would limit its operations to only accept applications, requests and documents online, and even those would only be processed after Viola is no longer a threat. The Directory of the Interior also announced that major highways would limit traffic and that after the tropical cyclone passes, all arterial roads would be restricted to government vehicles only. It also announced that the Bill Mulberry International Airport would be closing down tomorrow night indefinitely, and urged all Santo-Dominian planes to be securely parked in hangars and all foreign planes to return to their home countries as additional shelter would not be available at the airport.

With the entire government scrambling to prepare for the worst case scenario, where a Hurricane Viola wrecks havoc across the Federal Republic, it seems that Santo-Dominians across the country are also preparing to face the brunt of the brutal side of nature. In the big cities like Friberne, Sasslen, Louisann and Arkurter, traffic has ground to a halt as citizens rush to big-box stores and grocery markets to purchase essentials and stock up for the impending disaster. In the rural areas, villagers and farmers have prepared their farms, vineyards, lands and houses for what the NWO describes as "the most destructive natural disaster Santos-Dominius will encounter".

[1st World Cup of Football [rosters, roleplays, results]]

"Hello, everyone! From Steskia, United Adaikes, we at Santo-Dominian Cable-Satellite Network Channel 3 welcome you to the final day of the 1st World Cup of Football! Our coverage of WCF1 is brought to you by our generous special sponsor today, McBlah-Shill Educational Publishing! I, Approctoflecticus Blubberman, will be your host for the entire duration of WCF1. And we've just received the results for the grand final match as well as the match for 3rd place! That means...this is truly the last day of WCF1! I'm gonna miss this so much until the next one starts. Anyways, firstly, let's go over the results from the battle for third place! Let's look at this graphic here."

"And the winner of the match is the formidable and strong team from Tara & Cambray! Scoring a 4-1 victory, the biggest nation in Polaris managed to beat the team from Nagaraningrad in northern Andolia in a match that showed just how strong the Cambrians were despite being eliminated from contention for the championship this year. Congratulations to Tara & Cambray for getting 3rd and good job to Nagaraningrad, who still got a pretty respective 4th place in the entire WCF1! Now why don't we go to what everyone's been all waiting for: the results of the grand finals! Let's look at the graphic."

"And after a heated match full of action and competitiveness, the team from NIEUBASRIA has emerged jubilant as the CHAMPION OF THE 1ST WORLD CUP OF FOOTBALL! On behalf of the entire crew here at SDCSN Channel 3, I want to sincerely congratulate the Nieubasrians for pulling through WCF1 and demonstrating such strength and sportsmanship. Nieubasria has once again solidified its reputation as one of the nations with the best football players in the entire world! But let's not forget the footballers from Larxia, whose strong performance made this match captivating and one that wasn't lopsided right from the beginning. They deserve a round of applause for coming this far and winning a brilliant 2nd place in this tournament!"

"And here's the final results, with the final top four teams displayed in this graphic here! Once again, our heartfelt congratulations to these teams for their exceptional performances throughout WCF1! But also, let's have a round of applause for every team that participated this time! Not just the winners and runner-ups, but every team and every player that did their best for their country and strived for success! Let's hear it for all 24 participating teams: Fujai, Nagaraningrad, the Provisional Auran Team, Fuentana, Teralyon, Giovanniland, Pallandole, Larxia, Dalimbar, Libterraria, Fhaengshia, Zoran, Italia, Arifiyyah, Reçueçn, Hertfordshire and Jammbo, Irador, Nieubasria, Dilber, Tara and Cambray, Badgeria, Alchera, our home country of Santos-Dominius, and saving the best for last - our host country United Adaikes!"

"With teams from all four continents playing in WCF1, football has truly united Aura, Andolia, Polaris and Doll Guldur more than ever. It has been a wonderful honour for me to serve as the host. From our division of Channel 3 of the Santo-Dominian Cable-Satellite Network, thank you so, so, so much for watching our coverage of the 1st World Cup of Football coming live from Steskia, United Adaikes! I'm Approctoflecticus Blubberman, and see you next time! Goodbye!"

With Special Thanks To Our Sponsors

Dominion Philanthropies, +238flowers, the Santo-Dominian Embassy in United Adaikes, Überschuss Automobiles, AdBlocker, People for the Ethical Treatment of Crustaceans, and McBlah-Shill Educational Publishing.

And Thanks To

YOU, for watching SDCSN Channel 3. See you next time!

[1st World Cup of Football [rosters, roleplays, results]]

"Hello, everyone! From Steskia, United Adaikes, we at Santo-Dominian Cable-Satellite Network Channel 3 welcome you back to the second hour of our two-hour special broadcast today covering results from Match Day 5 to the semifinals! Our coverage of WCF1 is brought to you by our generous special sponsor today, PETC, because crustaceans will always be our lovely animal friends, not creatures to be eaten! I, Approctoflecticus Blubberman, will be your host for the entire duration of WCF1."

"As we went over the results of Match Day 5 and the Round of 16 in the first hour of the broadcast, we shall go over the results of the quarterfinals and the semifinals in the second hour. Now, starting with the four matches in the quarterfinals. Let's look at the graphic here!"

"In the first match, the Nieubasrians managed to score a 3-1 victory against the nation of Zoran, ending the war-torn nation's strong bid to become champion of WCF1 and propelling their team to the semifinals. I would like to take this moment to express my sincerest condolences on behalf of myself and the entire production crew here at SDCSN Channel 3 for the unfortunate passing of Nieubasria's team captain Earc Velding before their match with Zoran. I'd also like to applaud the Nieubasrian team for bonding together and giving such a strong and exceptional performance in the face of such a terrible tragedy. Quite a show of resilience and perseverance, one that exemplifies the strength of sportsmanship."

"In the second match, we have Nagaraningrad winning a 2-1 match against their opponents from Irador, thus advancing to the semifinals. In the third match, Larxia beat Fujai, who beat our home country in the Round of 16, in a 2-1 match that secured their place in the semifinals. Finally, in the fourth match, Tara & Cambray won a 1-0 victory over formidable opponent Arifiyyah, earning the Cambrians their place in the semifinals. To sum up, the teams that advanced to the semifinals include Nieubasria, Nagaraningrad, Larxia and Tara & Cambray. Now let's go over the results of the semifinals!"

"Let's look at this graphic here. In the first match, Nieubasria's team continues to shine bright as it beats Nagaraningrad in a 2-1 match, securing their place in the grand finals. In the second match, Larxia manages to end the nearly impeccable streak of exceptionally strong opponent Tara & Cambray in a 3-2 victory that secures the former their own place in the grand finals. Now, because both Nieubasria and Larxia have advanced to the grand finals, they will either get first or second place. Nagaraningrad and Tara & Cambray, on the other hand, are both eliminated from contention for the championship, and will either get third or fourth place depending on the results of the match for third place."

"And that's our two-hour special broadcast covering the WCF1's results from Match Day 5 to the semifinals! Congratulations to Larxia and especially Nieubasria, and good job to Nagaraningrad as well as Tara & Cambray! I'm your host, Approctoflecticus Blubberman, and this was the two-hour special recap broadcast of the 1st World Cup of Football. Stay tuned to SDCSN Channel 3 for coverage of the WCF grand finals and match for third place, and see you tomorrow!"

[1st World Cup of Football [rosters, roleplays, results]]

"Hello, everyone! From Steskia, United Adaikes, we at Santo-Dominian Cable-Satellite Network Channel 3 bring you live coverage of the 1st World Cup of Football! Our coverage of WCF1 is brought to you by our generous sponsor, AdBlocker, because you should be able to block every ad except theirs! I, Approctoflecticus Blubberman, will be your host for the entire duration of WCF1. And we've just received news that the semifinals have concluded and the results have been released to everyone! Let's look at the results from MD4 to the semifinals and analyse the general situation of the competition."

"But before we get into the results, I would like to apologise to our viewers on behalf of SDCSN-3 for not covering WCF1 on Match Day 5, the Round of 16 and the Quarterfinals. Unfortunately, funding for the WCF1 coverage division was diverted suddenly to the division covering the Annual Santo-Dominian Crustacean Creatures Race. Now that that amazing - I mean boring - race has concluded, we now have the funding to cover WCF1 again. To fill the gap, this will be a special two-hour broadcast succinctly summing up the results from MD5 to the semifinals! Now, let's first sum up Match Day 5's results, starting with Group A!"

"In Group A's first match, Nagaraningrad won a 1-0 victory against Teralyon, with both of them advancing to the Round of 16. In the second match, the pummelled Provisional Auran Team was again beaten, this time by Fujai in a 0-4 loss. Fujai advanced to the Round of 16, and the PAT obviously did not. In the third match, the square-off between Fuentana and host country United Adaikes ended in a 2-2 draw, with the former being eliminated and the latter advancing to the Round of 16. Now, let's move to Group B's MD5 results!"

"In Group B's first match, Larxia handily defeated Fhaengshia in a 5-0 win, with the former advancing to the Round of 16 and the latter getting shut out. In the second match, Pallandole lost to Dalimbar in a 1-3 loss, thus getting eliminated from the WCF1 and helping the latter advance to the Round of 16. In the third match, Libterraria and Giovanniland were both unable to score more points than the other, resulting in a 1-1 tie. The former was unable to get further in the competition, while the latter was able to advance to the Round of 16. Moving on to Group C!"

"In Group C's first match, Arifiyyah lost to Irador in a 1-2 defeat, but both teams managed to advance to the Round of 16. In the second match, Reçueçn and Italia both couldn't score any points in the match between them, resulting in a 0-0 tie. Neither of them were able to advance to the Round of 16. In the third match, it's another 0-0 draw, this time between Hertfordshire & Jammbo and Zoran! Both the extremely southern nation and the country of civil strife and refugees were able to advance to the Round of 16. Finally, let's get to Group D!"

"In the first match of Group D, Dilber defeats the football players from Alchera and scores a 1-0 victory. Unfortunately, neither of them were able to go to the Round of 16. In the second match, it's a 1-1 tie, with Tara & Cambray and Nieubasria both unable to get more points than the opposing team. Both of them are able to advance to the Round of 16. In the third match match, our home country Santos-Dominius beat initially strong competitor Badgeria in a 2-0 victory, but both are able to advance to the Round of 16. To sum up, the teams able to go to the Round of 16 include: United Adaikes, Nieubasria, Libterraria, Zoran, Irador, Giovanniland, Badgeria, Nagaraningrad, Larxia, Hertfordshire & Jammbo, Fujai, Santos-Dominius, Tara & Cambray, Teralyon, Arifiyyah and Dalimbar."

"Now let's go over the results of the Round of 16, starting with the first four matches! Let's look at the graphic here."

"In the first match of the Round of 16, Nieubasria knocks out host country United Adaikes in a 3-0 match that shows off Nieubasrian prowess in football! In the second match, war-torn Zoran continues its overall strong performance by eliminating Libterraria from WCF1 in a 1-0 victory! In the third match, Irador ends Giovanniland's run in the competition by defeating them in a 3-1 win. In the fourth match, the initially strong Badgeria falls to Nagaraningrad in a 0-2 loss that shuts them out of the Quarterfinals. Now, let's look at the fifth to eighth matches."

"In the fifth match of the Round of 16, the strong footballers from Larxia kick Hertfordshire & Jammbo out in a 1-0 match. In the sixth match, Fujai barely beats our home country of Santos-Dominius in a heated and close 4-3 match, ending the Santo-Dominian dream of winning the WCF1. In the seventh match, Tara & Cambray's strength once again shows as they beat Teralyon in a 2-0 match that solidifies the former as a competitive team to go up against. In the eighth and final match, Arifiyyah gives Dalimbar a 5-2 smackdown, shutting the Dalimbari out of the Quarterfinals so they themselves can advance."

"To sum up, the teams that advance from the Round of 16 to the Quarterfinals are: Nieubasria, Zoran, Irador, Nagaraningrad, Larxia, Fujai, Tara & Cambray and Arifiyyah. Now, let's take a short commercial break with a word from our sponsor AdBlocker before we return to cover the results of the quarterfinals and semifinals in the second hour of today's two-hour WCF1 special broadcast. See you later, and stay tuned to SDCSN Channel 3!"

[1st World Cup of Football [rosters, roleplays, results]]

"Hello, everyone! From Steskia, United Adaikes, we at Santo-Dominian Cable-Satellite Network Channel 3 bring you live coverage of the 1st World Cup of Football! Our coverage of WCF1 is brought to you by our generous sponsor, +238flowers, because every occasion needs some flowers. I, Approctoflecticus Blubberman, will be your host for the entire duration of WCF1. And we've just received news that the Match Day 4 has concluded and the results have been released to everyone! Let's look at the results and analyse the general situation of the competition. Let's start with Group A and look at this graphic."

"In Group A, we've got some typical matches. In the first match, Teralyon manages to beat the team from Fuentana in a 1-0 victory for them. In the second match, our host country United Adaikes beats the Provisional Auran Team in a 2-1 match that shows just how strong they are. In the third match, Fujai is unable to win against Nagaraningrad and loses in a 0-1 match. Now, let's move on to Group B and look at the next graphic."

"And in Group B, we've got one match that ends in a draw and two that end decisively! In the first match, Fhaengshia and Libterraria are both unable to score more points than each other, and therefore the match results in a 1-1 tie. In the second match, Giovanniland manages to beat strong competitor Dalimbar in a 2-0 victory that shows that nothing is impossible. In the third match, Pallandole is beat in a 1-2 match by Larxia, a major force in Group B. Let's move on Group C now."

"In Group C, we've got no underwhelming ties, and all three matches conclude decisively. In the first match, Irador handily beats the team from Hertfordshire & Jammbo in a shockingly strong 5-1 victory! In the second match, Zoran, one of the better teams from Group C, is beat in a 0-2 match by the underdog players from Reçueçn. In the third match, Italia loses in a 0-3 match to Arifiyyah, one of the leading teams in Group C. Finally, let's move on to Group D and look at the next graphic."

"And in Group D, we've got some pretty decisive matches! In the first match, Badgeria inflicts a crushing defeat on the team from Alchera in a 6-0 match, one of the most lopsided matches we've seen in WCF1! In the second match, our home country Santos-Dominius loses to the strong players from Tara & Cambray in a 0-2 match. Finally, in the third match, Nieubasria manages to pull ahead and win against Dilber in a 4-3 match. Now, let's go over the rankings and review the situation."

"Looking at the rankings, we can see that United Adaikes is the clear leader in Group A, followed closely by their fellow Polaris team from Fujai. Teralyon and Nagaraningrad, however, are also going strong and can possibly race to catch up. Unfortunately, Fuentana and especially the Provisional Auran Team are under threat of elimination and will have to try their very best to reverse their increasingly poor fortunes."

"In Group B, Larxia is leading the pack, followed closely by Fhaengshia and Libterraria. Giovanniland is also doing alright, placing beyond the three teams. Dalimbar, however, has been rocked by poor performance after initial victories and strength, and is now in the bottom two of the bunch together with Pallandole. In Group C, Arifiyyah is the leader with 10 points overall, while Irador is the strongest challenger with 7 points. Zoran, as well as Hertfordshire & Jammbo, are in the middle of the group, with both having 6 points. Reçueçn is behind them with 5 points, but Italia, with 0 points, is almost certainly doomed."

"Finally, in Group D, Tara & Cambray and Badgeria are the two strongest competitors, while Nieubasria and our home country Santos-Dominius are in the middle of the pack. Dilber, rocked by a doping scandal, and Alchera, with only ties and defeats, are almost certainly going to be eliminated, and will have to make a exceptional comeback if they want to have a chance of staying in the competition."

"And that is it for Match Day 4! Congratulations to the leading teams and players, and a 'Good Job' to the teams who are able to hold their own and fend off the threat of elimination. I also give a lot of encouragement to the teams and countries who are performing poorly right now, for I believe that all of the teams believe in the spirit of sportsmanship and fighting till the very end. I'm Approctoflecticus Blubberman, and this was Match Day 4 of the 1st World Cup of Football. Stay tuned to SDCSN Channel 3 for coverage of the WCF, and see you tomorrow!"

[The Santo-Dominian Post]

President Goldberg announces new passport designs to be rolled out with new citizenship policies

Today, President Paul Goldberg(DCB-FE) announced that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had completed designing new passports for Santo-Dominians. The endeavour, which cost around 675,000 SD Dollars, was completed by the MFA with the help of design and marketing firm DesignSD, famous for employing top students from the University of Friberne's Elaine Ip School of Arts and Design. Senator Diane Hutchison(DCB-YC), Minister of Foreign Affairs, said that the passports would be rolled out by 1422, though she added that expedited production may make widespread distribution possible this year.

Sen. Hutchison explained to reporters that the old passports, adopted after the foundation of the Federal Republic, had become outdated and inconvenient, especially for government officials and diplomats, as their passports were identical with the normal civilian version in terms of appearance and only identifiable by checking the first page. She stated to avoid inconveniences and misunderstandings, there would be three new passports, with one for civilians, a diplomatic passport for diplomats and a service passport for government officials.

The new passports were revealed to be in different colours. The civilian passport would be in a splendid shade of deep purple with gold letters, while the diplomatic passport would be in a much lighter shade of purple with white letters. The service passport was in a shade of burgundy(though some say maroon), Santos-Dominius' unofficial national colour besides the classic dark grey, with letters also in white. The 10-Star Partitioned Shield, the Federal Republic's most recognisable symbol and unofficial coat of arms, is displayed prominently on all three passports.

She also stated that accompanying the new designs would be a new citizenship policy. The Overseas Citizens' Rights Act of 1421, passed the day before yesterday in the National Senate, would introduce a new kind of citizen: the Santo-Dominian Overseas National(SDON). Whereas Santo-Dominians living overseas were traditionally required to completely abandon their citizenship if they stay for over 5 years with less than 10 visits to Santos-Dominius, expats abroad can now apply for SDON and stay indefinitely in foreign countries while still retaining the full rights and privileges afforded to a regular Santo-Dominian citizen living back home. Sen. Hutchison stated that SDON citizens would have to renew their status every five years, with the condition that they must at least stay in Santos-Dominius for an accumulated total time of at least one week every five years.

The new passports, as well as the Overseas Citizens' Rights Act, were generally well-received by most people. Sen. Jeremy Maxson(CLP-WS), former presidential contender, praised the designs of the new passports, calling them "an improvement over the previous, outdated version". Political commentator James Lindsey agreed, saying that the new passports "are miles better in appearance and design". However, Sen. Art Bernstein(CLP-LM) was more critical overall, calling the MFA out for "excessive spending on designing passports while the Santo-Dominian people yearn for better lives". Sen. Bernstein remarked that the cost to have DesignSD create these passports, 675,000 SD Dollars, was an "exorbitant amount of money wasted".

President Goldberg himself stayed notably silent on the matter following the announcement, with the press conference mostly dominated by Sen. Hutchison's explanations. Lindsey noted that this may be a result of his narrow re-election and weakened political standing, stating that since the President was elected on such a tiny margin, he would therefore attempt to avoid partisanship and controversy at all costs in order to solidify popular support for a possible fourth term. Now in the early days of his third term and nearing his later 90s, President Goldberg is known for his political strength and perseverance, which has allowed him to obtain victories, albeit with the thinnest of margins.

(From left to right above: the new civilian passport, the new diplomatic passport, the new service passport)

[Santo-Dominian Fables]

story #1

[santosia and dominium]

Long, long, long ago, before the first humans settled on the islands we now call Santos-Dominius, the islands were inhabited by a group of gods living there. These were the powerful gods who descended from heaven to create the Santo-Dominian archipelago. There were seven gods, and they were: Saxilon, god of creation; Palatina, goddess of fate; Arlancia, goddess of happiness and nature; Ubuntinius, god of hate and destruction; Oporil, god of weather and the seas; Rechs, the god of war; and Santosia, goddess of love.

Every day, the gods were living on the islands, nourishing and cherishing it. As the years flew by, however, the gods were beset by loneliness, and the gods met to discuss Arlancia's proposal of creating fairies to help them manage the archipelago. Ubuntinius enthusiastically supported the idea, given that he could create hate between the fairies and gods, bringing him great fun after years of creating boring hate between the gods themselves. Rechs too announced his support, for he could have new playthings to create war between.

Unsurprisingly, Palatina, Oporil and Saxilon all disagreed with the proposal. Palatina feared that she would not be able to handle the increased workload, as she had already been tired by years and years of determining the fate of plants, animals and nature all over the world. Oporil stated that since the fairies would live on land, he would therefore be equally lonely regardless of the creation of fairies. He refused to support the proposal unless mermaids were created instead, a counterproposal which Arlancia rejected as that would bring her loneliness.

Saxilon ultimately decided against the proposal, citing the reason that the creation of fairies would take all his energy and powers, and cause him to permanently lose the status of a god. With three people in favour of the proposal and three people against it, the deciding vote was held by Santosia. She agreed to the proposal, saying that she would be honoured to create love and romance between more creatures. And so, the fairies were created in Santos-Dominius.

Years after, on one fair day, Santosia walked on the largest island in the archipelago. She had always admired the beauty of it, from the beaches to the mountains. She was attempting to create a little shrine as a gift to Arlancia, who created the island, when something bumped into her. She turned around, and was mesmerised by the most beautiful fairy she had ever seen, a handsome male called by the name of Dominium.

Both of them knew it was love at first sight. Santosia believed that Palatina had blessed her and led her to the love of her life. From that day onwards, the goddess of love fell terribly in love with the fairies she promised to introduce romance to. They would play island-hopping. They would befriend animals and listen to the whispers of plants. But in the eyes of the gods, Santosia had made a big mistake. To fall in love with a creation of your own self, the gods thought, was a most unforgivable sin, one that would call for harsh punishment.

Santosia was summoned to a hasty meeting of the gods. She was angrily reprimanded by Oporil, who held the belief that the gods were superior to their creations and therefore must not indulge in romance with them, which would - in his opinion - diminish their superiority. She was warned that one more romantic encounter with Dominium would result in Palatina giving their relationship a terrible fat. Santosia lashed out, calling out the gods and angrily storming out of the meeting.

After the meeting, the goddess of love was haunted by her inability to go to her own lover. She yearned for the chance to see him again, and when the gods set off on a trip and left her alone on the biggest island, she flew to Dominium. But right after they finally reunited, the weather rapidly darkened and the waves started growing more and more violent. As the couple was about to share a kiss, a thunderous bolt of lightening struck Dominium, instantaneously turning him into a pile of nothing but glowing ash and dust. The waves crashed against the shore, sweeping the ash forever out to sea, where Santosia could not reach at all. He had been killed by Ubuntinius' lightning and Oporil's waves.

Santosia was distraught. She tried to have Saxilon, Arlancia and Palatina, who were sympathetic to her, to revive Dominium, but it was out of their control. Palatina explained that once she had set the fate of someone, it was impossible for anyone - even her - to change it or take it back, for that was the nature of fate. Santosia decided that if she could not get her lover back, she would remember him in spirit. She named the biggest island "Santos", after herself, and named the southern archipelago "Dominius".

Santosia also repaid the sympathy and support of her fellow gods. When Saxilon created humans to apologise for deciding against the proposal to create fairies, Santosia had the first two ancient city-states, Saxilonia and Palatinium, named after Saxilon and Palatina respectively. The beautiful city of St. Arlaine, nestled in the northern part of Dominius, was named after Arlancia, who tried her best in vain to obtain Dominium's ash from the seas. Rechs, who failed to help her, did not get anything named after him, and neither did Ubuntinius or Oporil.

And this tragedy, one that happened thousands and thousands of years ago, is rumoured to be the reason why Santos-Dominius is named so. Today, Saxilonia and Palatinium have become Sasslen and Palain respectively, while St. Arlaine has survived throughout the ages, something superstitious citizens claim to be as a result of divine protection from Arlancia. Nobody knows if this fable is real or not, but it is certainly one that has survived through the ages, earning it the right to be called a Santo-Dominian fable.

[1st World Cup of Football [rosters, roleplays, results]]

"Hello, everyone! From Steskia, United Adaikes, we at Santo-Dominian Cable-Satellite Network Channel 3 bring you live coverage of the 1st World Cup of Football! Our coverage of WCF1 is brought to you by our generous sponsor, Dominion Philanthropies, a subsidiary of Dominion Bank of Santos-Dominius. I, Approctoflecticus Blubberman, will be your host for the entire duration of WCF1. And we've just received news that the Match Day 3 has concluded and the results have been released to everyone! Let's go over them and analyse the WCF1 situation. Starting with Group A, let's look at this graphic."

"And we're seeing almost the exact opposite of Match Day 2, as Match Day 3 has a lot of victories and only one tie throughout the entire day! In Group A's first match, Fujai manages to cement their status as a leading country in the competition by beating Teralyon in a 3-1 win. In the second match, Nagaraningrad fails to defeat the host country and leading competitor, United Adaikes, with their match ending in a 1-2 loss for the former. In the third match, Fuentana handily wins against the Provisional Auran Team in a splendid 5-0 victory. Now, let's move on to Group B!"

"Just like Group A, Group B also has no matches ending in a draw on Match Day 3! Starting with the first match, Pallandole barely loses to Fhaengshia in a close match that ends with a 2-3 loss for the former. In the second match, Larxia successfully defeats the football team from Giovanniland in a 3-1 victory that puts the latter on the bottom of Group B. In the third match, the strong players from Dalimbar unexpectedly lost to Libterraria in a relatively surprising 0-1 defeat. Now, let's move on to Group C!"

"And in Group C, we also have no matches that end in a tie! Seems like today is quite a decisive day, indeed. In the first match, one between the "I" nations of WCF1, Irador scores a 1-0 victory against Italia, solidifying its place in the competitive field of WCF1. In the second match, Arifiyyah inflicts a 1-0 defeat on the strong nation of Zoran, breaking its consecutive winning streak of 2 matches. In the third match, Hertfordshire & Jammbo's strong performance leads them to victory against their opponents from Reçueçn. Finally, let's move on to Group D!"

"And in Group D, we find the sole match in the entire Match Day 3 that ends in a draw - the first match, where Nieubasria and Alchera both fail to score against each other, resulting in a 0-0 tie. In the second match, our home country of Santos-Dominius pulls ahead of the strong country of Dilber, winning a 1-0 victory against heavy odds. In the third match, the exceptionally strong players from Badgeria are given a wake-up call after losing 0-2 to the currently stronger team from Tara & Cambray! Now, let's review the situation and analyse the current rankings and positions."

"After Match Day 3, in Group A, Fujai and United Adaikes both lead the pack with 7 points overall, while Fuentana and Teralyon are close behind. Nagaraningrad and the Provisional Auran Team are losing, however, and will have to give a strong performance in their upcoming respective matches if they want to stay in the competition. In Group B, Fhaengshia and Libterraria are the best-performing teams currently while Larxia and Dalimbar stand strong in the middle of the pack. Pallandole and Giovanniland, however, on the edge of being eliminated and will have to claw their way back into the competition if they want to win."

"In Group C, Arifiyyah and Hertfordshire & Jammbo are the leading players in the struggle to win WCF1. Zoran and Irador are close behind as well, demonstrating that they are also worthy of victory as well. Reçueçn and Irador, however, are under threat of being eliminated and must do their best if they aspire to survive and thrive. In Group D, Tara & Cambray is the strongest football team, while Badgeria and our home country Santos-Dominius are close behind, with Nieubasria also holding its own against its opponents. Unfortunately, Dilber and Alchera may very well be eliminated from the competition, and will have perform exceptionally in the remaining matches to overtake the aforementioned rivals to take the win."

"And that is it for Match Day 3! Congratulations to the leading teams and players, and a 'Good Job' to the teams who are able to hold their own and fend off the threat of elimination. I also give warm encouragement to the teams and countries who may not be doing so well right now, for they still have a few chances to show their strength and excel in the upcoming matches. I'm Approctoflecticus Blubberman, and this was Match Day 3 of the 1st World Cup of Football. Stay tuned to SDCSN Channel 3 for coverage of the WCF, and see you tomorrow!"

[1st World Cup of Football [rosters, roleplays, results]]

As the camera pans to the courtyard in front of the WCF stadium, Blubberman is seen silently weeping. As the camera pans closer and closer to him, he takes out a handkerchief, wipes his tears and puts on a fake smile before facing the camera and beginning his monologue.

"Hello, everyone! From Steskia, United Adaikes, we at Santo-Dominian Cable-Satellite Network Channel 3 bring you live coverage of the 1st World Cup of Football! Our coverage of WCF1 is brought to you by our generous sponsor, Überschuss Automobiles! I, Approctoflecticus Blubberman, will be your host for the entire duration of WCF1. And we've just received news that the results for Match Day 2 are in! Let's get to looking at and analysing them. Starting with Group A! Let's look at these graphics."

"It seems that Match Day 2 is mostly indecisive for Group A! Teralyon prevails over the footballers from K66, resulting in a comeback win of 3-2! Other than that match, however, every other Group A match ends in a tie! Both Fuentana v. Nagaraningrad as well as United Adaikes v. Fujai end in a 1-1 tie, with all four teams being unable to score more than their respective opponents. It seems that they are all quite skilled at preventing each other from scoring. Haha!"

"And as we move on to Group B, we see that the craziness continues! All Group B matches on Match Day 2 end in ties! In the first match, Fhaengshia and Dalimbar are both unable to score more points than the other. The same can be said for the second match between Libterraria and Larxia. These two matches both end in a 1-1 tie. In the third match, both Giovanniland and Pallandole are unable to score any points at all! Therefore, that match ends in a 0-0 draw. Nobody wins in Group B!"

"The situation is slightly better in Group C. In the first match, both Irador and Reçueçn are unable to win any points, resulting in a 0-0 tie. In the second match, Hertfordshire and Jammbo loses a 2-3 match to Arifiyyah, with their losing margin being exactly same as the winning margin that they had for their victory against Italia yesterday. In the third match, the war-torn nation of Zoran extends its one-day victory streak and wins against Italia in a 1-0 win!"

As the graphic for Group D shows up, Blubberman starts tearing up, but takes out his handkerchief again, wipes the teardrops again, and resumes his monologue with the fake smile on.

"And in Group D, we have the exact opposite of Group B! All Group B matches on Match Day 2 end in victories and defeats depending on which side you're on, with no matches ending in a draw. In the first match, Alchera continues its unfortunate losing streak, with Tara and Cambray scoring a 2-0 victory against them. In the second match, Badgeria continues its strong performance and dominates the match against Dilber, winning a 2-0 victory. In the third match, Santos-Domini...Santo..."

Blubberman struggles to deliver the bad news. A producer comes into view, rushing to pat Blubberman on the back. Blubberman then resumes his monologue.

"In the third match, our country, Santos-Dominius, loses against Nieubasria in a 0-1 match. Truly a sad defeat. Now, let's go over the general situation of the teams as the dust settles after Match Day 2."

"In Group A, Fujai and host country United Adaikes, both from Polaris, take the lead! Teralyon and Nagaraningrad are also doing fine. K66 and Fuentana, however, will need to put in more effort and make comebacks if they are to stay in the competition and win. In Group B, Dalimbar is the clear leader in terms of overall points, while Fhaengshia, Giovanniland, Libterraria and Pallandole all hold their own. Larxia, however, must fight back if it wants to survive and thrive in WCF1."

"In Group C, Zoran and Arifiyyah are leading the pack, while Reçueçn and Hertfordshire & Jammbo are also doing pretty well. Irador and Italia, however, are under the threat of elimination and must win the upcoming matches to increase their chances of staying in the competition. In Group D, Badgeria continues to dominate with its strong performance, while Tara & Cambray is close behind. Our home country of Santos-Dominius and our opponent today, Nieubasria, are on equal footing. Dilber, rocked by the doping scandal, is doing poorly, and the same can be said for the team from Alchera. Both must claw back if they want to take gold."

"And that's it for Match Day 2! Congratulations to the winners and the leading teams! I also want to applaud the teams that are holding their own and doing well, though they might not be ahead of everyone else at the moment. As for the defeated teams, it's still not too late to make a grand comeback! I'm Approctoflecticus Blubberman, and this was Match Day 2 of the 1st World Cup of Football. Stay tuned to SDCSN Channel 3 for coverage of the WCF, and see you tomorrow!"

As the camera pans away from Blubberman, he is seen weeping and bursting into tears as he whips out his handkerchief. The screen then goes back to the SDCSN Broadcasting Centre and the sponsor screen shows.

[1st World Cup of Football [rosters, roleplays, results]]

"Hello, everyone! From Steskia, United Adaikes, we at Santo-Dominian Cable-Satellite Network Channel 3 bring you live coverage of the 1st World Cup of Football! Our coverage of WCF1 is brought to you by our generous sponsor, the Santo-Dominian Embassy here in United Adaikes! I, Approctoflecticus Blubberman, will be your host for the entire duration of WCF1. And we're here with the coaches of the National Football Team of our very own Santos-Dominius, Mr Paul von Kluger and Mr Arthur Hinterland! Hello, coaches!"

"Hello, Blubberman. Paul and I are glad to be here."

"Now, coaches, I believe you've heard of the recent allegations concerning the Dilberian team's doping scandal. These are bombshell accusations, and foreign media and governments, including the likes of Nieubasria as well as Tara & Cambray have paid close attention to this story. What is your opinion on this scandal, Mr von Kluger, and what is your general opinion on the Dilberian team, whom our Santo-Dominian players will eventually have to face off against?"

"Well, Blubberman, I am appalled by these recent allegations. WCF1 is a world-class international sports event, and in participating, I believe all players agree to abide to the rules and make this competition a fair and balanced one, with the result decided purely by talent. I sincerely hope that the WCF will not be mired by doping and cheating regardless of the outcome or truth of this scandal, and I hope that the Dilberians themselves will give us, as well as the organisers, the truth so we can all leave this behind."

"Indeed. Let's not dwell on negative things. In much better news, our National Football Team has won a 4-0 match against the nation of Alchera! Yay! Mr Hinterland, as one of the coaches of the team, what do you think helped our players win such a decisive victory?"

"Well, it's gotta be the unity in our team. Us Santo-Dominians have always had a unique bond with each other, and that bond is also very strong between our players. Although our players come from different places and speak three very different languages - Common, Santosian, Dominish - we still are united by our love for our country and for football. I believe that this bond and this unbreakable friendship showed in the match and was the deciding factor in our victory."

"That's inspiring. As Match Day 2 nears, I think all of the players regardless of teams are training very hard in preparation for the upcoming matches against opponents. As one of the coaches, Mr von Kluger, will you tell us what the Santo-Dominian team is doing right now in preparation for the next matches?"

"Well, we just finished an hour-long training session. Of course, our players were given some time to rest after the match with Alchera, but we cannot become complacent if we are to win the WCF and take gold. Arthur and I have been developing new strategies and tactics and learning from some of our future opponents, including the Dilberian team's innovative 'crab formation', which we find very interesting. We also did some friendship exercises with the team to strengthen the team bond Arthur just mentioned."

"Wonderful! Now, I know that both of you are very busy, so I shan't occupy your time any further. Thank you, Mr von Kluger and Mr Hinterland, for agreeing to this interview. I am the host, Approctoflecticus Blubberman, and this has been an exclusive interview with the two coaches of the National Football Team, Paul von Kluger and Arthur Hinterland! Stay tuned to SDCSN Channel 3 for live and full coverage of the entire WCF1 and see you on Match Day 2! Goodbye!"

[Santo-Dominian Fables]

[coming soon]

The Santo-Dominian Fables are a big collection of legendary stories and folklore that were first told during different times, eras and periods of Santo-Dominian history. Throughout the times, these stories have survived, some because of popularity, some because of extensive records, and all because of how good they are. Now, Visit Santos-Dominius has partnered with the Santo-Dominian Institute for Arts, Humanities and Culture to release these stories in the form of this collection. Be ready to enjoy Santo-Dominian fiction and folklore at its finest and most presentable.

[1st World Cup of Football [rosters, roleplays, results]]

"Hello, everyone! From Steskia, United Adaikes, we at Santo-Dominian Cable-Satellite Network Channel 3 bring you live coverage of the 1st World Cup of Football! Our coverage of WCF1 is brought to you by our generous sponsor, +238flowers, because flowers are appropriate for every occasion, even the WCF! I, Approctoflecticus Blubberman, will be your host for the entire duration of WCF1. And we've just received news that the first match day has concluded and the results are in!"

"Starting with the results in Group A. Let's look at this graphic here."

"And we've got some pretty similar matches here! In the first match, our generous host United Adaikes beat fellow Polaris nation Teralyon by 2-1. The same happened in the second match, where the northern nation of Fujai beat our Auran friend Fuentana, also scoring a 2-1 victory. In the third match, however, we saw quite some action from both Nagaraningrad and K66...so much action that the match ended with a 1-1 tie! For more details and specifics, I will direct you to these countries' respective media outlets. Moving on to Group B!"

"Speaking of ties, we've got two ties in Group B! In the first match, the teams from Giovanniland and Fhaengshia were both unable to best the other, resulting in a 1-1 tie. In the second match, Pallandole and Libterraria both failed to score even a point, resulting in a 0-0 tie. In the third match, however, the strong team from Dalimbar pulled ahead of their competent opponents from Larxia and managed to win a 4-3 victory! Now, let's get to Group C!"

"Some great matches in Group C! The team from Zoran, despite hailing from internal strife in their homeland, managed to persevere and win a 2-0 victory against the players of Irador! The football team coming from Italia posed a strong challenge, but failed to win against Hertfordshire and Jammbo, losing in a 2-3 match. Finally, we have another tie, this time with Arifiyyah and Reçueçn both unable to score points throughout their entire match, resulting in a 0-0 tie. Now, it's time to move on to the results for Group D!"

"In this first match day, Group D was where the drama and the action was at! In the first match, the great team from our homeland, Santos-Dominius, handily defeated Alchera and won a 4-0 victory, the second-biggest margin of victory so far. Woo! In the second match, the players from the Polaris country of Badgeria pummelled the team from Nieubasria, winning a 6-1 victory in the most lopsided match in the entire World Cup of Football so far! Good job to Badgeria! In the third match, our Auran friends from Dilber faced off against the giant Polaris nation of Tara and Cambray. Notably, both teams were able to hold their own against each other, and managed to prevent the opposing team from scoring any points at all, resulting in a 0-0 tie."

"And that concludes Match Day 1! As we eagerly wait for Match Day 2, let's review the general situation of the teams. In Group A, Fujai and United Adaikes have emerged as the stronger teams, while K66 and Nagaraningrad hold their own. Both Fuentana and Teralyon, however, are in a bit of danger due to their losses. In Group B, Dalimbar has become the clear leading force, though Fhaengshia, Giovanniland, Libterraria and Pallandole are all respectable opponents. Larxia, however, will have to do some catching-up if it desires to stay in the WCF and advance to the next rounds and the finals."

"In Group C, Zoran and Hertfordshire & Jammbo are the frontrunners! Arifiyyah and Reçueçn are also doing a good job. Italia and Irador, unfortunately, are in danger of getting eliminated from the WCF, and must utilise their strengths if they are to make comebacks and win the competition. In Group D, Badgeria and our home country, Santos-Dominius, are the leading teams! Woo! Both Dilber and Tara & Cambray are also doing quite well. Sadly, Alchera and Nieubasria are at danger of being eliminated due to their heavy defeats, and will have to put in all of their effort if they are to survive and thrive."

"And that's it for Match Day 1! Congratulations to the winners and the leading teams, and 'good job' to the teams that are holding their own and doing well, though they may not be leading right now. As for the defeated teams, don't fret! It's only day 1, and you can still make comebacks and fight back, so don't worry, and keep fighting till the end! I'm Approctoflecticus Blubberman, and this was Match Day 1 of the 1st World Cup of Football. Stay tuned to SDCSN Channel 3 for coverage of the WCF, and see you tomorrow!"

[1st World Cup of Football [rosters, roleplays, results]]

"Hello, everyone! From Steskia, United Adaikes, we at Santo-Dominian Cable-Satellite Network Channel 3 bring you live coverage of the 1st World Cup of Football! Our coverage of WCF1 is brought to you by our generous sponsor, Dominion Philanthropies, a subsidiary of Dominion Bank of Santos-Dominius. I, Approctoflecticus Blubberman, will be your host for the entire duration of WCF1. And we've just received news that the National Football Team has departed Bill Mulberry International Airport in Friberne, Santos-Dominius, and will arrive here in a matter of hours."

A group of passersby, covered in face paint and waving mini Santo-Dominian flags, hounds the SDCSN crew and Blubberman.

"As all of you at home can see, it appears that some fans of the NFTSD have already arrived. This is very good news for our players as they have been assigned to Group D of the competition, and will possibly be facing off against a few strong and skilled competitors, including the likes of Nieubasria, Tara & Cambray and Badgeria from Polaris, as well as our Auran friend, Dilber! The nation of Alchera will also be a competitor in Group D, so watch out! Our players, including Captain Rene Le Beau, will have to use all the strength they've got in order to prevail against such excellent opponents and advance to the quarterfinals, and then the semifinals, and then the finals!"

"One thing to note is that this is the first time that Santos-Dominius has participated in an international sports event, especially of such importance! No matter the result, this will surely give our National Football Team some precious field experience and help them improve and get better at this wonderful sport! I for one can't wait to see our players show off their strength and sportsmanship to the entire world and to their fellow competitors!"

A giddy producer hurriedly rushes to Blubberman, whispering something in his ear. Blubberman is delighted and turns to the camera with a mix of joy and surprise.

"We've just got word that the National Football Team is watching this right now on their plane here! Hello! Hello! Woo! Go Santos-Dominius! Go NFT! Go Santos-Dominius! Go NFT! Woo! Take that trophy for us, yeah! Let's sweep the field! Woo! Yeah! Hah! Hoo! Woo! Yeah! We can do it! Can we do it? Yes! Of course we can! Because we can do it, so we can do it! Yeah! Go us! Go them! Go Santos-Dominius! Yeah! Yeah? Yeah! Go! Woo! Woo! Boo! Actually I meant woo! Woo!"

Blubberman swiftly descends from professional host to overexcited fan, wooing and screaming on live television to the horror of the accompanying crew, staff members and Adaikesian passersby. Seemingly out of control, Blubberman unbuttons his shirt to reveal "GO NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM! GO SANTOS-DOMINIUS!" painted on his chest while his producers scramble to surround him and prevent Blubberman from embarrassing himself further on television, as the footage is replaced by a "Technical Difficulties" screen before switching back to the SDCSN Broadcasting Centre in Friberne, Santos-Dominius.

[1st World Cup of Football [rosters, roleplays, results]]

Team Information

Home Stadium: The Cloud, City of Louisann, Canton of Lemandie, Santos-Dominius

Manager: Pierre Berthold

Coaches: Paul von Kluger, Arthur Hinterland

Formation: 4-4-2 diamond

Spoiler

Style Modifier: -1

Main Team

Name	Age	Gender	Position	Home Canton
Valerie Theron	23	Female	Goalkeeper(GK)	Roivivion(RO)
Robert Smithson	26	Male	Centre Back(CB)	Lotharburg(LT)
Hector Escoffier	21	Male	Centre Back(CB)	St. Arlaine(SN)
Hermann Krause-Meier	25	Male	Left Outside Back(LOB)	Nordrhuin-Theronigen(NR)
Otto Rutger	26	Male	Right Outside Back(ROB)	Nordrhuin-Theronigen(NR)
Karl Jung	19	Male	Defending Midfield(DMF)	Sasslen(SA)
Jean Serres	22	Male	Centre Midfield(CMF)	Lemandie(LM)
Rene Le Beau	20	Male	Attacking Midfield(AMF), Captain	Framboise(FR)
Wilhelm Vogel	24	Male	Striker	Waldburg-Landschaft(WL)
Frances Thibaut	23	Female	Striker	Roivivion(RO)
Michele Valade	25	Female	Striker	Yatasailie-Comte(YC)

Reserve Players

Name	Age	Gender	Position	Home Canton
Markus Strandberg	27	Male	Goalkeeper(GK)	Niedersasslen(NL)
James Pierce	22	Male	Goalkeeper(GK)	Sasslen-Vorpalain(SV)
Jennifer Lawton	20	Female	Centre Back(CB)	Neuenstadt(NE)
Sophia Lawton	19	Female	Centre Back(CB)	Neuenstadt(NE)
Zoe Lehmann	21	Female	Left Outside Back(LOB)	Ostpalain-Westrhuin(PW)
Paul von Elsling	28	Male	Left Outside Back(LOB)	Waldburg-Stadt(WS)
Jeanine Sutherford	28	Female	Right Outside Back(ROB)	Oberandolien(OA)
Marco Sapienzano	27	Male	Right Outside Back(ROB)	Schwabenburg(SH)
Milly Brown Jr.	18	Male	Defending Midfield(DMF)	Friberne(FE)
Hans Kluger	26	Male	Defending Midfield(DMF)	Friberne(FE)
Daphne Matteson	25	Male	Attacking Midfield(AMF)	Friberne(FE)
Frank Lansberger	18	Male	Attacking Midfield(AMF)	Sasslen(SA)
Bernard Aliniere	23	Male	Striker	Framboise(FR)
Viola Gaultier	24	Female	Striker	Lemandie(LM)
Danielle Nivelle	18	Female	Striker	Lemandie(LM)

Team Clothing

The National Football Team will be wearing a simple maroon jersey with a gunmetal grey vertical stripe in the centre on the front and the back. The Santo-Dominian flag is on the top right corner of the chest on the front while the logo of the Football Association of Santos-Dominius(FASD) is on the bottom of both the left and right sleeve.

Spoiler

 

RP Permissions

Injure my players: yes
Assign my players yellow cards: yes
Assign my players red cards: yes
Godmod injuries: yes
Godmod scoring: yes
Godmod other events: yes

 

The National Football Team of Santos-Dominius is presented to you by

 

[The Zoranian Civil War]

May 5, 1420

1:24AM International Atomic Time / 2:24AM Over Time

Fribernese Fortress, Federal City of Friberne, Santos-Dominius

"Are we ready to seal the deal yet? I'm tired of this inaction. We need to finalise this thing, and we will do it here and now!" This was Harriet Stuyvesant-Callaghan, CEO of Dominion Bank, the dominant banking corporation in the Federal Republic of Santos-Dominius and one of the largest and most secretive financial institutions in not only Aura, but the entire world. Heard by few and seen doing business by even fewer, the DB has long been rumoured to be one of the most corrupt multinational companies in the leafy archipelago country, doing deals with the 0.001% and pursuing the shadiest of transactions solely for profit in the form of gold or cash. Stuyvesant-Callaghan herself - the absolute worst and most ruthless in the entire banking and financial industry in Santos-Dominius.

"Not now, not here! Can't you just wait? We're getting on a helicopter that will fly us directly to a black site in the Canton of Nordrhuin-Theronigen. This is a high-risk deal with a controversial faction participating in a significant civil war. This contradicts years and decades of Santo-Dominian neutrality! As President, I do not want our unspeakable goings-on revealed or exposed like dirty laundry. If we do a secret deal, we're gonna do it the right way: on a secure call in virtual reality in a secure black site facility accessible only with my explicit in-person permission." This was President Paul R. Goldberg, who is in for the battle of his political life as he struggles to ensure his re-election in the tightest presidential race in Santo-Dominian history.

As both Stuyvesant-Callaghan and Goldberg boarded the military helicopter in the large courtyard of the Fribernese Fortress, they both acknowledged that they had way too much to lose if this deal were to be exposed. For Stuyvesant-Callaghan, it would be her ability to attract private low-profile clientele. For Goldberg, it would be his ability to win re-election and his entire political career. Secrecy, they agreed, was paramount in this deal, and they would exhaust every option available to make sure that intimate knowledge of the upcoming event would not go outside of the meeting room.

May 5, 1420

3:57AM International Atomic Time / 4:57AM Over Time

Unknown Black Site, Canton of Nordrhuin-Theronigen, Santos-Dominius

"Mr President, the Zoranian corporates are ready to converse. Do we have authorisation to begin the call?"

"Yes, I now authorise you to begin the call."

"Please put on the virtual reality headsets, Mr President and Ms Stuyvesant-Callaghan. Your privacy and protection must be guaranteed."

Both put on their virtual reality headsets as the voice of Kunagadoga Quasena, one of the leaders of the corporate faction in the Zoranian Civil War, is heard clearly. A dark grey shadow is displayed in the meeting room depicted in the virtual headset.

"Good morning, Mr Quasena. I am President Goldberg of Santos-Dominius, and here with me is Harriet Stuyvesant-Callaghan, CEO of Dominion Bank."

"Good morning, Mr Quasena. There's no time for talk. Let's get straight to business. We are presenting you with an extremely favourable deal. Actually, that sounds criminal. Call it an 'investment package' instead."

Mr Quasena remarked: "I like the way you think, time is money after all."

"It's what I do for a living. Now back to business!" Stuyvesant-Callaghan replied. Pushing a button in her headset, she pulled up a holographic slideshow in the virtual reality meeting room, and continued.

"As the chief executive officer of Dominion Bank, we are officially writing the Zoranian Banking Clan thirteen cheques, with each being precisely ten million SD Dollars. They are unconditionally cashable at any point during the duration of the conflict, but I advise you to use these funds sparingly. Cashing too many of the cheques on a single occasion will present a logistical nightmare for my bank and my subordinates, and it will also draw extremely unwanted attention from some of the more inquisitive underlings of mine, or worse, the press. Therefore, I repeat, cash the cheques sparingly and separately so we can avoid getting onto the headlines of the Santo-Dominian Post."

"A very generous offer, Ms Stuyvesant-Callaghan. Now pardon me, will there be any other......resources?" Mr Quasena asked.

President Goldberg replied: "Of course. Seeing that the Santo-Dominian economy has done exceptionally well this year, Ms Stuyvesant-Callaghan here has managed to expertly convince a few other big names from our country to give up the exponential amounts of corporate welfare and business subsidies. Jean-Phillippe Montserrat, CEO of Meteor Telecom, as well as Otto Friedrich Schulze, CEO of A&A Unlimited,  have both agreed to her proposal to have their own companies do the same. My team of lawyers and legal scholars have found loopholes in Santo-Dominian law to instead inject those subsidies into your faction in form of cold, hard money. We will send it straight to you, no hassle. Our team will handle all the necessary procedures. You have my word that there shall be no headaches for you about this."

"I hope you extend on keeping that promise. Now what do you want in return? I know that regardless of what you say you are going to want something in return.” Mr Quasena inquired.

"There's no actual catch, Mr Quasena." Stuyvesant-Callaghan calmly responded. "In my entire career, I have made countless similar deals with no legal or financial catches. Many of my clients could've easily taken the money I gave them. They could've all gotten away scot-free without a day in court or a second in jail. But that's because President Goldberg and I have far more power in this conversation than you realise."

President Goldberg said: "We have the power of exposure. We expect some sort of tangible financial return or reward from supporting your faction with so much money. And if you betray us, then we will be forced to do two things."

"Number one: publicise this deal. Doing so will bring all three of us down, even if it means great harm to ourselves." Stuyvesant-Callaghan said as her smile faded.

"Number two: we'll retract all the financial aid and make it nothing but scraps of useless paper. And instead inject the money into the monarchist faction." President Goldberg added.

"We expect favours in return, Mr Quasena. Santo-Dominians are neutral, but when we do business, we know how to play smart too."

"You may have had power but I am going to give you a little lesson. Never reveal your hand to the person on the other side of the table. By revealing your hand to me you just exposed your weapon and diminished your power." Mr Quasena rebutted.

"Hm? And what lesson do you intend to give?" The President says, his voice audibly becoming a bit nervous.

"First off, I am not so worried as to what you could reveal, I have faced far worse things before and crushed bigger ants. This would be more of a liability to you in Santos Dominius as you would have violated your neutrality policy. I, on the other hand, would not be so badly affected."

President Goldberg lets out a silent but audible grunt of frustration, probably realising that the both of them had played their hand too early.

"Two, the monarchists are of no concern; they are only held together under that foolish girl Atsil, who will not be much of a threat to me very soon. Lastly, while we do appreciate the financial aid, the Corporate Union has more than enough funds in reserve to last us for about four years. Now I must say, you both have balls making a threat like that to me,” he cuts the end of a cigar before lighting it, “but we are civil folk, yes? I will let your ham-fisted attempt at a threat slide if we just let the deal proceed as discussed. Of course, I will pay you all back once the country is under the Union’s control, that is a given. What sort of businessman I would be if I didn’t provide returns on an investment.”

"Ah ha ha! Consider what we said a harmless joke. It was just our way of testing your resolve and your competence. We like your bravery, and admire your willingness to do whatever is necessary. You play to win, and we see that. Consider the deal sealed. Let us hope that your faction is too big to fail. Both President Goldberg and I can't wait to hear of your inevitable success soon. I'll leave you to whatever it is you're doing." Stuyvesant-Callaghan said as she attempted to transition out of their truly miscalculated threat to Quasena. Evidently, it was a terrible move on her part, one that clearly backfired on both her and the President. A short notification alert was heard, signalling Quasena's departure from the meeting.

"Next time, Harriet, use your brain before you threaten the leader of the Zoranian corporates! He's not just some tiny guy. He's a proven leader, and you should've known not to deal with him like you deal with your insignificant employees. Let's get out of here. I shouldn't have backed you up. Now I've made a fool of myself! The more I think about that embarrassment, the worse my day becomes!" President Goldberg angrily boomed after making sure Quasena was no longer in the meeting.

In the end, as the two signed off from the meeting, removed their VR headsets and walked out the room, they knew that their partnership was successful. Now all they could do was pray that the Zoranian corporates would win, and they would reap plentiful rewards from supporting the right faction at the right moment, for the rewards are huge, but so are the risks.

[1st World Cup of Football Signups & OOC]

Santos-Dominius signs up!

[The Santo-Dominian Post]

President Paul R. Goldberg barely wins re-election, beats Sen. Jeremy A. Maxson by razor-thin margin

Today, in what was widely described as the greatest political upset in the history of Santos-Dominius, President Paul Goldberg of the centre-right Democratic Coalition Party(DCB) won re-election, beating an extraordinarily strong and spirited challenge from Senator Jeremy Maxson(WS) of the centre-left Country Liberal Party(CLP), which was heavily favoured to take control of the Fribernese Fortress throughout the entire duration of the campaign. As polling stations opened in the early hours of election day, President Goldberg managed to consistently gain votes at a steady pace as Sen. Maxson underperformed expectations and saw terrible turnout among the mail-in voting demographic, which leans heavily CLP and tends to be counted the earliest.

As the day went on, Sen. Maxson pulled ahead several times as President Goldberg suffered from strong CLP turnout in the battleground swing cantons of Niedersasslen and especially Nordrhuin-Theronigen, where the President's lead shrunk to an abysmal 342 votes in what was called "the tightest cantonal race in all history". Sen. Maxson also suffered from low turnout in left-wing cantons like Lemandie, Framboise and Waldburg-Stadt, as well as voter apathy in important CLP strongholds like the cities of Roivivion, Louisann and Waldburg. At one point, upon looking at the results at a polling station in rural Lemandie, CLP vice presidential candidate Sen. Art Bernstein(LM) exclaimed: "my home canton has abandoned me for the President and the DCB!" Maxson purportedly did the same at his Waldburg home in Waldburg-Stadt, his home canton.

When night fell in Waldburg, the mood at the CLP election headquarters in the city's downtown slowly became sombre. It was becoming crystal clear, at the time, that Sen. Maxson would not be able to catch up to President Goldberg, who finally surpassed him in the popular vote an hour ago at 5pm. Leading in Niedersasslen and narrowly surpassing Sen. Maxson in Nordrhuin-Theronigen, President Goldberg had achieved what seemed impossible only a month ago - winning re-election, albeit by the smallest and thinnest of margins. He is expected to be sworn in, this time for his 3rd term, on February 16th. The final results of this presidential election have been provided below in detail.

Overall Presidential Results

Candidate	Party	Nat. Senate Canton	Incumbency	Approx. Votes	Approx. Vote Share
Paul R. Goldberg[WIN]	DCB	Friberne(FE)	Yes	3,641,749	50.0%
Jeremy A. Maxson Sr.	CLP	Waldburg-Stadt(WS)	No	3,640,929	49.9%

Presidential Results By Canton

Canton Name	Capital	Numeral	Votes for Pres. Goldberg(DCB)	Votes for Sen. Maxson(CLP)	Total Votes
Framboise(FR)	Framboise	1	154,557(38.9%)	242,221(56.5%)	396,778
Friberne(FE)	Friberne	2	563,897(71.8%)	220,663(28.1%)	784,560
Neuenstadt(NE)	Neuenstadt	3	110,034(55.6%)	87,830(44.3%)	197,864
Pressen(PN)	Carindorf	4	116,005(53.2%)	102,048(46.7%)	218,053
Lotharburg(LT)	Lotharburg	5	71,812(47.0%)	80,953(52.9%)	152,765
Lemandie(LM)	Louisann	6	247,839(37.7%)	408,995(62.2%)	656,834
Roivivion(RO)	Roivivion	7	29,485(23.6%)	95,137(76.3%)	124,622
Yatasailie-Comte(YC)	Gardewig	8	42,631(42.9%)	56,576(57.0%)	99,207
Sasslen(SA)	Sasslen	9	373,041(52.6%)	335,770(47.3%)	708,811
Niedersasslen(NL)	Anheit	10	200,558(50.0%)	200,073(49.9%)	400,631
Sasslen-Vorpalain(SV)	Rederburg	11	134,547(63.0%)	78,959(36.9%)	213,506
Palain(PL)	Palain	12	76,581(52.0%)	70,542(47.9%)	147,123
Ostpalain-Westrhuin(PW)	Busselfort	13	287,584(50.3%)	283,655(49.6%)	571,239
Nordrhuin-Theronigen(NR)	Arkurter	14	335,162(50.0%)	334,820(49.9%)	669,982
Waldburg-Landschaft(WL)	Wilhelmton	15	205,149(48.6%)	216,258(51.3%)	421,407
Waldburg-Stadt(WS)	Waldburg	16	137,355(21.4%)	501,795(78.5%)	639,150
Oberandolien(OA)	Franzhaven	17	62,209(45.6%)	74,159(54.3%)	136,368
Zentrum-Dominien(ZD)	Berchstein	18	59,124(82.2%)	12,781(17.7%)	71,905
Schwabenburg(SH)	Schwabenburg	19	425,238(74.8%)	143,055(25.1%)	568,293
St. Arlaine(SN)	St. Arlaine	20	8,941(7.0%)	94,639(92.9%)	103,580
Santos-Dominius(SD)	Friberne	-	3,641,749(50.0%)	3,640,929(49.9%)	7,282,678