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I wrote a four-part RP during WC87 that dives into the history of Northwestern AO somewhat, and focuses on Sorthern Northland and ASMV in particular.
Sources:
- ASMV, Sorthern Northland, Tamgu, Tachbe, Misrantis, Maraque post history
- AO Forums
- NS Forums
- Jolt Forums
- SRS Rankings
- Idiot Project DB
This post has been edited by Ko-oren on Mar 2 2021, 07:30 AM |
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Part 1: Northwestern Atlantian Oceania, or Nothandryun and the Salamantic Isles
With the Independent Athletes of Quebec surviving qualification group 15 and the playoffs, Northwestern Atlantian Oceania (or NWAO, pronounced 'Nwao') counts two World Cup nations. Not that that is a rare thing: it happened quite recently. For this, we have to go all the way back to... World Cup 86. A different era, back when the Independent Athletes were not specified by job title or dependency. With three whimpers, our easterly neighbours finished a horrid World Cup with three losses, copping a 3-0 loss to Farfadillis (yes, that Farfadillis, of the 6-7 semifinal defeat) to twist the knife a little. Meanwhile, the Dragonflies were having a very similar experience to the Grim Reapers. With the vast difference that we at least won a single game - nonetheless, NWAO finished with a combined 1-0-5, both nations in fourth place.
That said, is Quebec really northwestern? Geographically, sure, but so are Vilita and Turori by that measure. One doesn't become NWAO just from geographically alone. Now Rushmore has this area of social geography down. Their lands intersected by borders that don't always make much sense at first glance but are a perfect mixture of location and culture. Sicoutimont, in southwestern Terramidia, lies further east than Vaugania, which lies in the region called The Vatmark, which is to its southeast. There's no reason to cut off a region there, but the Rushmori did anyway, because geography isn't merely 100% location alone. And that means, surely, that there's more to NWAO than just being in the northwestern quadrant of the region. Traditionally Atlantian Oceania is home to two very strong subregions. The northeast (including Starblaydia, Audioslavia, Cosumar, Gyatso-Kai, Legalese, but also the Calanian nations of Krytenia and New West Guiana, but more on that later) and the southwest (known for the Elven Security Forces, Equestria, as well as the Eternal Empire, Banija, Valanora, Siovanija and Teusland, and many others). The southeast has some fantastic names including Pacitalia, Maklohi Vai, and Paripana. The southeast is responsible for an insane amount of AOCAF trophies but as you'll find, these nations aren't exactly alive and kicking around in the modern AOCAFs anymore. Likewise, Quebec is on the Calanian continent, which means that they (with Mriin, Osarius, etc) are members of CACOPHONY (CAlanian Confederation Of PHootball Organisations; Northeast Yincluded (old spelling)), a hamfisted acronym that describes the normal course of action of the associated nations very accurately. Arrogant, bombastic, loud, boastful, pretentious. Talking over one another to the sound of "I can't hear you through all this silverware". They later banded together in the exact same organisation of a different name, COCANEFA (Confederation Of Calanian And North-Eastern Football Assocations) and as such includes everything on Quebec's continent down to the islands from 95X to Cosumar and Chromatika to... Cobrio? Mriin? Flavovespia? You tell me.
So, Quebec counts as northwestern when they feel like it, and as COCANEFA when there's more to gain from membership. Then what's the true northwest?
Ko-oren, obviously, is in the group. There's not a nation in Atlantian Oceania with a landmass further west than us (thank you, Mawryshire). Or further north of us (thank you for not declaring your independence, Aerellen). The little continent to our southeast should also definitely count, seeing as it's north of The Cove™ and west of the continent of Calania. Sorthern Northland, Tamgu, Maraque, Andossa Se Mitrin Vega, and we'll just throw Tachbe (despite being an island of its own) and maybe Misrantis in there. Let's do a little CTRL+F in the list of World Cup 87 entrants to see how well represented NWAO really is.
Sorthern Northland. No matches. Lost in a nuclear, self-inflicted, disaster.
Tamgu. No matches. For the World Cup, that is. In the AOCAF... they are around. Sometimes. There are signs of life, is what I'm trying to say.
Maraque. No matches. Definite signs of life. Godspeed.
Andossa Se Mitrin Vega. No matches. Once a regional power, and centuries of history. Lost?
Tachbe. No matches. Vilitan sources speak of another nuclear disaster. Unrelated to the Sorthern Northland one.
Misrantis. No matches. Signs of life! But that's all there is.
While some of these names are lost by father time himself, another name that's not thrown around often anymore is Nothandryun, the name of the continent. Don't let it disappear completely. There's too much that happened here to let it go to waste.
Let's explore some lost secrets of Nothandryun and the islands in the Salamantic Sea. In the meantime, the Dragonflies will have another go at the World Cup. |
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Part 2: The Northwest's Ascent and Summit
With a little help from Jeremy Jaffacake's The Idiot Project and the SRS Rankings (in which Ko-oren is still no closer to the Hall of Fame), we can take a look at the timeline of Northwest Atlantian Oceania (or Nothandryun and the Salamantic Isles, which sounds nicer).
Tachbe. Never entered a World Cup (Qualification), or an AOCAF. Tachbe have been invested in AORDO, instead. Thanks for that, coming from an army-less Ko-oren.
Maraque. Never entered a World Cup (Qualification), or an AOCAF, but have a history in tennis. They are still a large modern-day Atlantian Oceanian nation but never made their mark in the athletic department, and we in the place sometimes have to be reminded that that's fine, too. Their government has insisted in being called Tsvarchi, but you tell me if that name change stuck.
Misrantis. Never entering a World Cup qualification tournament or an AOCAF, Misrantis have been World Cuppet heavyweights instead. The tournament has since been discontinued, but back in the day it was a good event for smaller nations, unrecognised places and the like to have something to play for.
Tamgu. Three WCQs entered, never made it to the big stage despite losing only a few more matches than it won. The sheer amount of games they drew over that time were the real killer. They are the most recent addition and most recent dropout, having competed from World Cups 83 to 85. They might be most well-known for the Adora Cup, a friendly tournament for club teams.
Sorthern Northland. Across 22 cycles, they've tried (and often succeeded) to defend the honour of Nothandryun in the World Cup. Between World Cups 36 and 57, and inducted into the Hall of Fame following the 52nd tournament, they have made three World Cup finals (52, 55, 56), winning two of them (55, 56). And it's not just trophies they brought in: they have qualified for the World Cup in 17 of their 22 attempts - an incredible statistic. Of course, what has helped them get there is a solid youth department, which has taken the gold medals home in Di Bradini Cups 11 and 12. They haven't been as successful in the modern AOCAF tournaments (the era starting at AOCAF 29), but they have hosted the only modern AOCAF in NWAO (AOCAF 32). Sorthern Northland club football is (sorry, was) nothing to scoff at either, conquering a UICA Champions Cup. Arguably the nation has been an even larger force in the rugby codes, between hosting one and winning one RUWC, and hosting one and winning two RLWCs, but that's a hot take I'm not willing to pursue further, for now.
Andossa se Mitrin Vega. They are the most experienced nation of Nothandryun when it comes to World Cup matches. Across 26 campaigns, between World Cups 25 and 67, they've won three Cups of Harmony, hosted two World Cups and one Baptism of Fire. Their performance in the actual World Cup isn't bad either: three bronzes and a silver. Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. The Dragonnii were a force of the Multiverse more than the region, having won zero AOCAFs. They have been rewarded with a well-deserved call to the Hall of Fame, after World Cup 63.
As you've probably noticed, the two behemoths of Nothandryun are very similar in how they did over the years. One starting in the 20s, the other in the 30s. One decided it was enough in the 50s, the other in the 60s. It looks like Andossa se Mitrin Vega was around for far, far longer, but there is a noticeable hiatus in the middle. That never stopped them from reigning fury in the World Cups before and since then. Now the question that everyone saw coming, which NWAO nation has been better? Maybe this debate is best reserved for the comment section of a pixelly video of early 50s World Cup highlights, wedged in between 'Kylx vs Di Bradini' shoutfests. We'll still provide some ammunition to both sides of the debate. Not that the Sorthern North side of the debate needs much ammunition. Ever since the event they've seen more than enough of that, so it should be an easy debate for the fans of light blue and yellow to win, there just isn't any opposition.
As they say: write history after it's completed. It'll be hard to mention Tamgu for we're still in the middle of their story. The same goes for us: we don't want to insinuate that our story is over now that we're writing it down. If you do write it down, you're getting some odd stats anyway:
Turns out that it's the Dragonflies that have played the most matches and have entered the most qualification campaigns - both Ko-oren and Andossa se Mitrin Vega have not entered some tournaments in the middle of their run, it has to be said. It remains Sorthern Northland and Andossa se Mitrin Vega who have done the most with their games, though. That gives us the following, slightly unfair chart (because it doesn't show the hiatuses):
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Part 3: Draggonnii
Let's focus on the two teams that were both around for an impressive amount of tournaments. One of these has left behind countless documents of their existence, the other left behind mostly documents of their demise. It's probably more fun to start with the first, and that means we take a look at Andossa se Mitrin Vega. Not only have the Sea Dragons inspired some of the early Ko-orenite teams to play more defensively, ASMV as a nation could tell us Ko-orenites something about our own roots. We have archaeological findings of the first humans on the Dragonfly archipelago, but where they came from is a mystery. The commonly held belief that the human migrations to our islands originated in Vilita is still not a fully accepted theory in academic circles, especially with the muddy evidence left behind (or destroyed) between Vilita and Ko-oren - of course, we're refering to Sorthern Northland's going out in a bang - which is a story for later. Another theory suggests that it's sailors and colonisers from ASMV that first reached Ko-oren. Maybe it's a bit of both, or maybe there are third, fourth, fifth parties involved.
ASMV: The Football Team
Playing a slightly defensive Tidal Surge formation - one of very few formations that have become famous by name and not a string of numbers (the '4-4-2', '4-3-3', '5-3-2'). The Tidal Surge doesn't make much sense as a string of numbers anyway ('3-2-2-1-2'). The defensive nature of the team is the only thing we have in common: for the rest, they play a dirty kind of football that maybe touches on Branvon CD's style, if that. At least, that's the kind of football they played in the second half of their long existence, the streak of participation starting in World Cup 50. After three missed qualification attempts, they qualified a handful of times. Their string of success only really kicked off after their hosting of World Cup 58, after which they made four semifinals in seven tournaments, losing three of them... and losing the final in the one shot they got at the title. They also had a knack for following up a deep run with a disappointing failure to qualify, going from 3rd in World Cup 61 to a third place in their qualification group in 62. They did the same in World Cups 65 and 66: from 3rd overall to 3rd in the group.
ASMV: The Country
Andossa se Mitrin Vega ("City of the Mother Star" - to be confused with Starblaydia) consisted (consists) of different territories united under a single government, including Maraquan Occupation Zones, Dwarven States, Economic Free Zones, and, oh, a bit of the nation is a collection of Royal Districts and Primary Vegai States. ASMV (they often refer to themselves via the acronym rather than the entire name) uses a number of words to refer to themselves, their country, and their government. A small dictionary:
- Vegai: the people that settled ASMV, "Children of the Mother Star". Seen as indigenous to the country but are settlers from the outside - but they were the first settlers of the island east of Nothandryun. Skilled sailors that might have played a part in early human migrations to Ko-oren as well, given that ASMV sources believe these people came from the Salamantic Sea rather than the rest of Atlantian Oceania.
- Draggonnii: the government (as 'Draggonnii Socialist Empire') that governs Andossa se Mitrin Vega (the three core territories) and all other areas under its jurisdiction (such as the Dwarven States and bits stolen from Maraque). ASMV refers only to the original three districts, but foreigners use the name to refer to the entire country. Draggonnii might refer to the Draconic part of the nation, such as the Dragon on the flag.
ASMV: The Language
Because no Ko-orenite publication is complete without a language chapter. Diacritics are to Farfadillis what apostrophes are to ASMV. As with Farfadillis, only certain characters get the apostrophes - Dwarves and Zirikulii, for instance, don't. Various Linguistics departments all over Ko-oren are still pouring over all the available documents.
ASMV: The Flags
Because secretly we all know what you're here for. ASMV is rare in the sense that their vexillological tradition centres around vertical rectangles rather than horizontal ones. Other than that, feast your eyes on these:
And with that, the chart looks like this:
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Part 4: Sorthern Northland
Lastly, let's look at the other team that has been around for a very, very long time. We just discussed ASMV (and the surrounding territories), a nation of inspiring culture, exotic and foreign but always with a familiar twist, who disappeared from the World Cup with a whisper. Then there is Sorthern Northland, culture unknown, who disappeared from the World Cup with a bang.
Sorthern Northland: The Football Team
The SNFA employed a somewhat offensive 4-4-2. Its team included players like goalkeeper Sonia Fuentes, who "is the next big young thing in goalkeeping. Hopefully," which, given the later events, is more heartwrenching than what I was in for while reading a World Cup 57 roster. She had been part of the trophy-winning team of the 56th World Cup, as a 20-year old, having seen her country win the 55th edition as an aspiring talent, presumably at 17 years old and hoping for a spot on a loaded roster ready to string together World Cup trophies. You read that right - the nation won back-to-back World Cup between 55 and 56, leading a whole generation of Ko-orenites (just coming out of their metaphorical cocoon and looking at the multiverse with wonder, on a mission to win the trophy ourselves at some point) to think that this was what a championship team looked like and we were ready to see them compete for a long time to come. At World Cup 57 they were eliminated in the second round (the second round! Of course! We can only assume there's something in the water in NWAO at this point). In World Cup 58, well, they were not there.
Sorthern Northland: The Country
A league full of names like 'Corcaigh', 'Hightop Hill', 'Castrograd SC' gives us a little insight in the background of this country. English is spoken, as is Russian, as well as a language that sounds suspiciously like our own southwestern Mawr language, of Celtic origin. Adding the odd 'Juahzhou', 'Rode Ster Amsterdam', and 'Marx-Stadt' suggests that the country was as much of a linguistic patchwork as our own - maybe even more, given further clubs in the lower divisions named 'Görmekköyspor' and 'Révolutionnaire', the latter reminding us of a certain Euran club. The club names correspond with our idea of related personal names on their national team.
Sorthern Northland: The End
Later communications speak of a war for Beningrad - hey, that just happens to be one of the names we found in old football league communiqués. Rebels (in the words of the government, of course they're rebels) threatened to take over the city as a small group of insurgents and their tanks came within a stone's throw. Krytenia then scored the 2-0, the final nail in the coffin, to send Sorthern Northland home from World Cup 57. It was the Krytenians all along!
Captain Jared Butler's memoires, one of few remaining documents, speak of his personal doubts in serving his country. He was on the government's side, but understood the point the Rebels wanted to make. Hopefully we can piece together the words and actions of both sides to make sense of the event that was about to happen. Beningrad was largely in ashes already. Rebel tanks bore down on the few remaining buildings, one of which held the Taoiseach, who had amassed power and ultimately leadership over the country and held on to that through his - now failing - military.
The next few moments cannot have been recorded anywhere. If they were, they cannot have survived what happens next. And yet, it is what must have happened.
| QUOTE |
“The launch codes. I want them activated.”
[inaudible]
“Yes General, I'm commanding you to activate the launch codes.”
"You'll kill us all... everyone... Everything"
“Look out there. Look out the window [at the ruins of a city], go on. Do it. They've already murdered Sorthern Northland. Destroyed it. There's nothing left now to save, she's taking her last few breaths. Put her, put us all out of this misery.”
The sound of footsteps. The rebels entered the building.
The sound of... nothing, followed by a button press. The Taoiseach only looked sternly at the general in charge of the launch codes. The glare did its work, or maybe it was the sound of the rebels coming ever closer, step by step, story by story.
The sound of... nothing, again.
And then everything started making noise at once. Very, very briefly.
And then the sound of nothing once more.
| QUOTE | | Sorthern Northland is dead. Long live Sorthern Northland. |
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Days before that, both sides involved in the conflict announced a ceasefire for the duration of the World Cup. And yet, streets were silent as noone dared venture out. "The World Cups used to be a time of celebration..." As the final whistle of the first group stage match sounded, the explosions started just seconds later. The conflict went back a few months, during which just about every population centre saw conflicts, leaving millions homeless and destitute. And yet, neither the government forces, nor the rebels, yielded. Nothing, apparently, was a good enough reason to stop fighting. First, there were protests. Under years of tyrannical rule, the people finally had enough of 'corruption, oppression, political murders by secret police'. Deaths in custody. Staged accidents. Killing protesters. And despite all that, it all started with an egg. It's unclear whether anyone made it out. Refugees reportedly entered ASMV in the weeks leading up to the nuclear detonations. None were left alive within the country, that much is clear. It's hard to say what happened to nationals abroad: for the few dozen present in Ko-oren, they were granted special rights to stay and settle on our archipelago - and when their passports had to be renewed, they were simply given Ko-orenite passports. Silent immigration. Researchers of the Greencaster Technical University and the Aevanna Ecologiske Universitet still detect heightened radiation levels whenever the wind blows in from the south. Tourism is out of the question - even establishing a research station on the ground is reportedly impossible. Flying over the area for measurements in the atmosphere is possible, and has been done several times, with strict precautions. It might be decades before we can finally find out what exactly happened in those final moments. |
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