Saintonge 2021 CEFA World Cup | Info + Reference

Kyle

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Welcome to the Information Thread for the 2021 CEFA World Cup! In this thread you will see information about Saintonge, the host cities, the base camps, and sponsors!

Contents



OOC Note: Special thanks to @Prydania for making my logo dreams come true!
 
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Sponsors

Category​
Sponsor​
Country​
AirlineLuftreedereiGoyanes
Sporting GoodsLeFortSaintonge
Beverage (Non-Alcoholic)
Beverage (Alcoholic)HarheimerGoyanes
Beverage (Others)DragagUlstome
Financial (Credit Card)NordAuGoyanes
Financial (Bank)
Financial (Insurance)Navan Assurance Lanceria
Financial (Online)PaySafeSaintonge
Social MediaTwitcherSaintonge
Fast Food ChainKhan'sAydin
Food 1AnveneLanceria
Food 2
Food 3
Food 4
Food 5
ElectronicsPêcheSaintonge
Hospitality (Hotels)FiscaUlstome
ToysSpilvelPrydania
Online CommerceNile.comSaintonge
Cars
TrucksPontmac - Division CamionsLanceria
Industrial Concern 1Royal Aydin Oil CompanyAydin
Industrial Concern 2
Industrial Concern 3
Technology Concern 1
Technology Concern 2
Technology Concern 3

This World Cup is also supported by:
  • Santonian National Fund (Fond national saintongeaise)
  • Santonian Ministry of Sport
  • Santonian Ministry of Tourism
  • Société saintongeaise des chemins de fer (SSCF, Santonian Railway Company)


OOC Part: If you want to submit a sponsor:

Code:
Country:
Category:
Sponsor:
Information about Sponsor:
Logo (highly encouraged, please put in spoilers):

Limited to only 5 per player (you can submit less than 5). Only one sponsor per category. First come, first served. You don’t have to limit yourself to the sponsor category in the table. You can worldbuild sponsors in categories that’s not in the table. I reserve the right to reject objectionable (looking at you, Kosh :P ) or poorly-worldbuilt entries. The rest of the blanks shall be filled up with host country’s companies at the end if nobody took the slot.
 
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About Saintonge

Saintonge is a country in northern Meterra, known for its centuries old neutrality, haute cuisine (wine, cheese, meats and more!), and endless cultural attractions. This year, Saintonge will be hosting CEFA World Cup 2021. Make your trip worthwhile by enjoying the attractions and food that Saintonge has to offer!

Basic Notes
Saintonge’s currency is the Santonian livre, which can be exchanged for most currencies at airports or even your own country if your local money changer or bank has them. Don’t be surprised when you get plastic money – Santonian banknotes are literally made of sheets of polymer plastic.

Saintonge’s language is Santonian, but many Santonians know a bit of Mercanti and other languages.

Preparation
If you are a citizen of META or your country has a visa waiver agreement with Saintonge*, there is no need to apply for a visa beforehand. If not, you can apply at the nearest Santonian diplomatic post. Requirements will vary slightly depending on your country, you can inquire at your friendly consular office. If your stated reason is going to watch the games, the Santonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs will make your application easier if you can present a ticket for one of the games!

Saintonge has a mediterranean climate, so no need to bring your heavy jackets. Bring your light clothes, and those light breathable football shirts and kits are indeed suitable for the Santonian climate this time of the year!

Getting There
Saintonge has multiple airports, which are indicated in the Venues section. Usual airline restrictions apply.

Getting Around
Saintonge has an excellent transportation system.

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Saintonge's high-speed train network.

Railways
Saintonge’s railways are operated by the Société saintongeaise des chemins de fer (SSCF, Santonian Railway Company). You can book your tickets at the railway station, but to ensure your seat, you can make a reservation beforehand (protip: it is also cheaper, just like plane tickets).​
Important to note, though, that in Saintonge, there are four kinds of trains:​
  • TGV (train à grande vitesse): High-Speed Trains. As the name suggests, these are faster, but they only stop at major cities. The routes are typically prefixed with “TGV” such as TGV Trans-Saintonge (The trans-Santonian High-Speed Railway) or TGV Pouilles.
  • Interurbain: Intercity trains. These are conventional-speed trains, but they only stop at select locations, usually cities and large towns. They skip smaller towns and villages, but they have more stops than TGV trains. They are thus slower than TGV trains but faster than local trains. Interurbain routes are typically prefixed with “SSCF Interurbain” such as SSCF Interurbain Val de Saine or SSCF Interurbain Griffonné-et-Soleure.
  • Local Trains. These are conventional-speed trains that stop at most of the train stations and provide local service. These routes are typically marked as “SSCF” – for example SSCF Transpouilles or SSCF Transalpin.
  • Metro trains. These are trains that serve a metropolitan area. These may or may not be operated by SSCF.
SSCF has a special offer for World Cup visitors. Simply present your foreign passport and your game ticket and you can avail of a special World Cup SSCF pass. The FootballPasse card is an unlimited transport pass that will let you ride all of SSCF trains (TGV, Interurbain, Local Trains), metro trains of all host cities, and bus and tram routes of within all the host cities. So you can explore Saintonge in between attending games!​
The FootballPasse card costs £900 and is valid for 21 days. Promo can be availed at major train stations in the host cities and at special kiosks at the airport. Santonian citizens are not eligible for the promo.​
Road
Saintonge also has an excellent road network, and you can hire coaches and coach services for your group. However, if you want to drive yourself, here are a few reminders:​
  • Saintonge drives on the right side of the road.
  • Licence: In general, if your country drives on the same side as Saintonge, you are allowed to drive in Saintonge. The following are specific requirements depending on your country’s category:
    • Country driving on the left: If your country drives on the left side of the road, you are not allowed to drive in Saintonge unless you get a drivers’ licence, regardless of whether your country is in META or not.
    • Country driving on the right, META member: If your country drives on the right side of the road (same as Saintonge) and is a META member, your driver’s licence can be accepted as a driver’s licence in Saintonge.
    • Country driving on the right, non-META member: If your country drives on the right side of the road (same as Saintonge) but is NOT a META member, your local drivers’ licence can be used as a temporary driver’s licence in Saintonge for one month from your date of arrival. Simply present your local drivers’ licence and your passport to indicate that you are a foreigner and your date of arrival. If you intend to drive around Saintonge for more than one month after your date of arrival, application for a drivers’ licence is required.
    • Restrictions may apply as well, depending on the country. If you are unsure, check with your local Santonian embassy or consulate.


*Non-META Countries with a Visa Waiver Agreement:
  • Xentherida
 
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Host Cities

The 2021 World Cup will be utilizing 16 venues throughout the country. Here is the list of host cities and venues:

With the information pages are short blurbs about the host cities and some points of interest – recommended sights to explore to make your trip even more worthwhile! Also indicated in the information pages are airports and instructions how to get there.

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Base Camps

The teams of the 2021 World Cup will be having their base camps throughout Saintonge, where they will stay and train. Depending on the team, the teams might hold events or even meet allow fans to observe or meet them!

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Base Camp: Team
  • Barenton: Syrixia
  • Bienne: Skanda
  • Brive: Ulstome
  • Coni: Iraelia
  • Creusenac: Essalanea
  • Dieppe: Predice
  • Drest: Shenghua
  • Lanester: Yalkan
  • Lavaur: Vallia
  • Malines: Lorbank
  • Mirande: Lanceria
  • Modane: Zhen
  • Redon: Mintoria
  • Saintes-Blondefontaine: Saintonge
  • Saint-Nazaire: Goyanes
  • Salernes: Naizerre
  • Santerre: Aydin
  • Sens: Makopa
  • Soleure: Tardine
  • Ten-Fours-les-Plages: Mansani
  • Tiffauges: Xentherida
  • Trappes: Suavidici
  • Valence: Prydania
  • Verceil: Ethursia
Group A games will be in northeast Saintonge (stadiums include Coire, Bâle, Plaisance, Beaune).
Group B games will be in northwest Saintonge (stadiums include Vantes, Béthanie, Torcy-le-Grand, Saintes).
Group C games will be in Saintes metropolitan area (stadiums include Saintes, Torcy-le-Grand, Provins, Aubeterre).
Group D games will be in central Saintonge (stadiums include Aubeterre, Aurigny, Beaune, Provins).
Group E games will be in southern Saintonge (stadiums include Nyon, Ratisbonne, Loudun, Novale).
Group F games will be in eastern Saintonge (stadiums include Plaisance, Côme, Novale, Loudun).
(First two stadiums will be the main venues. The latter two will just be backups. Schedules with the corresponding venue to be announced.)


OOC Note: Unlike IRL, I will be assigning base camps to teams by group, so that group games will be held in nearby venues. For instance, teams playing their group games at Vantes and Béthanie will be assigned base camps in Lanester, Drest, St-Nazaire, and Redon.
 
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Host City: Saintes

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Location

Saintes
Location:
Saintes
Stadium: Stade de Saintes
Capacity: 80,165


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About the City
Saintes is the capital of Saintonge, its largest city, and its seat of government for sixteen centuries and counting. Also known as the “City of a Thousand Steeples” (Ville aux Cent Clochers), Saintes has a plethora of churches, a testament to its rich cultural heritage. Aside from churches, there are numerous palaces, museums, and points of interest. Saintes also has a well-developed Metro subway system which can take visitors to many places.

Some Points of Interest
There are a lot of things to do in the City of Saintes, and if we list everything, we would run out of space! Definitely on a must-see list include:
  • Royal Palace of Saintes (Palais royal de Saintes)
  • National Basilica of Our Lady of Saintonge (Basilique Nationale de Notre-Dame de Saintonge)
  • Old Town of Saintes (Vieille ville de Saintes)
  • Royal Museum of Saintonge (Musée royal de Saintonge)
  • National Library of Saintonge (Bibliothèque nationale de Saintonge)
  • Les Halles (old market of Saintonge)
  • The Pantheon (Le Panthéon)
  • Museum of Discoveries (Musée des découvertes)
  • Museum of Modern Art (Musée d’art moderne)
  • Botanical Gardens of Saintes (Jardin botanique de Saintes)
  • Garden of Saints (Jardin des Saints)
  • National Theatre of Saintonge (Théâtre national de Saintonge)
  • Saintes Opera (Opéra de Saintes)
  • Saintes Planetarium
  • The Guildhalls (les Salles des Guildes)
Getting There
Saintes is served by three airports: Saintes-Réaux airport, which handles luxury flights and private flights; Gentilly Airport, which handles regular flights; and Saintes-Torcy Airport, which handles low-cost flights. All three have train connections to the downtown and the rest of the city.

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About the Venue
Stade de Saintes is the biggest football stadium in Saintonge, which can seat 80,000 people. It is the home turf of the Stade de Saintes team, the football team of the Association royale sportive de Saintes.

Located in left-bank Saintes in the 14th arrondissement, the Stade de Saintes is easily accessible via public transport. The stadium is served by the Stade de Saintes station on the green and orange lines of the Saintes metro.
 
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Host City: Aubeterre

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Location
Aubeterre
Location:
Aubeterre (Scyotte)
Venue: Stade de Tri-Villes
Capacity: 54,222

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About the City
Aubeterre is the capital of the department of the Scyotte in north-central Saintonge. Located on the mighty Loine river, the city forms part of a “Tri-City” conurbation with Montmirail across the Loine River and Neuilly-sur-Loine across the Dronne River.

That Aubeterre being a city fought over by various local magnates for centuries is a testament to the city’s desirability. The commercial capital of the old duchy of the Tyrosse, Aubeterre is dotted with palatial mansions of families who built their wealth on trade.

Some Points of Interest
  • Cathedral of Saint William, Aubeterre (Cathédrale de Saint-Guillaume d’Aubeterre)
  • Granary of Aubeterre (Grenier d’Aubeterre) – a former warehouse converted into a museum
  • The Riverfront (Bord de la Rivière) – where the stately mansions can be seen, some are open for tours
  • Museum of Cheese (Musée de Fromage) – a museum/mega-store where one can taste and buy a lot of cheeses that Saintonge has to offer
  • Museum of Printing (Musée de l'imprimerie)
Getting There
Aubeterre is served by the Tri-Cities Scyotte Airport, located in the parishes of La Ferté-sous-Aubeterre and Sully-sur-Loine. However, it is underserved by international flights. The nearest international airport is in Saintes, and fortunately the city is well-connected to the capital.

From Saintes
Both the conventional intercity train SSCF Interurbain Val de Loine and high-speed train TGV Loine (Saintes-Mirande) stop at the Aubeterre train station (Gare d’Aubeterre). From any of the three Saintes airports, take the subway to the Saintes Train Station (Gare de Saintes). Tickets for SSCF Interurbain Val de Loine and TGV Loine (Saintes-Mirande) can be bought at the Left Wing of the Train Station, where the platforms for these lines are also located.

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About the Venue
Each of the three cities (Aubeterre, Montmirail, Neuilly-sur-Loine) all have their own football stadiums for their lower-tier football teams, but Stade de Tri-Villes is the largest in the area. Home to the Nobles d’Aubeterre FC (currently in the second tier of the Santonian football league), Stade de Tri-Villes can seat 54,222 people. Despite being named after the Tri-Cities area, the stadium is not really located within the boundaries of Aubeterre, Montmirail, or Neuilly-sur-Loine. It is located in the commune of Terrefondrée, halfway between the airport and the city proper. It is connected to both via bus and the Tri-Cities metro system.
 
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Host City: Aurigny

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Location
Aurigny
Location:
Aurigny (Seudre)
Venue: Stade d’Aurigny
Capacity: 45,845


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About the City
Aurigny is the capital of the department of the Seudre and of the old duchy of the Aurignais. Its location at the confluence of the Saulx and the Loine rivers meant that it had been a transportation hub in western Saintonge. With this heritage and being nestled in predominantly agricultural western Saintonge, Aurigny has been dubbed a “provincial city” and not just a mere provincial town.

Some Points of Interest
  • Cathedral of Saint Arthur, Aurigny (Cathédrale de Saint-Arthur d’Aurigny)
  • Ducal Palace of Aurigny (Palais ducal d’Aurigny) – the old ducal palace, which has been converted into a hotel (paradour) and a museum
  • Palace of Agriculture (Palais d’agriculture) – a museum dedicated to agriculture and Western Saintonge
  • Dinosaur Museum (Musée des dinosaures) – the colloquial name for the Museum of the Aurigny Paleontological Institute (Musée de l’Institut paléontologique d’Aurigny), it houses the largest collection of dinosaur and other fossil bones in Saintonge. Western Saintonge is the most fossil-rich area for dinosaurs in the country, where many were unearthed and even discovered, such as Santosaurus rex.
  • Museum of the Confluences (Musée des Confluences) – a new museum of anthropology and sciences which is located on the tongue of land (presqu’île) between the Saulx and Loine River
Getting There
Aurigny is served by Aurigny West Saintonge Airport (Aéroport Aurigny-Ouest-Saintonge) located in the suburb of Vitry-sur-Saulx. International flights may not be common, and visitors may arrive in Saintes.

From Saintes
Both the conventional intercity train SSCF Interurbain Val de Loine and high-speed train TGV Loine (Saintes-Mirande) stop at the Aurigny train station (Gare d’Aurigny). From any of the three Saintes airports, take the subway to the Saintes Train Station (Gare de Saintes). Tickets for SSCF Interurbain Val de Loine and TGV Loine (Saintes-Mirande) can be bought at the Left Wing of the Train Station, where the platforms for these lines are also located.

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About the Venue
Stade d’Aurigny is the home of Association sportive d'Aurigny, the city’s football team that plays in the top-tier Première Ligue. Stade d’Aurigny is known for having a “benefactor’s section” where the reserved seats are cushioned with down seats, with the back and armrests intricately carved with harp patterns (the harp is the symbol of Aurigny), and gilded with gold. It has been likened to “thrones in a stadium”. The stadium is making these limited seats available for World Cup spectators at a premium price.
 
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Host City: Bâle

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Location
Bâle
Location:
Bâle (Sarine)
Venue: Stade de Bâle
Capacity: 56,152


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About the City
Bâle is an old city, established by the Umbrials in the third century. It used to be the centre of the Duchy of the Sillanais, whose dukes established the Principality of Sil Dorsett. It was their large trading city, a member of the Ganze, hence the cosmopolitan atmosphere in the city, almost rivalling that of Saintes.

Some Points of Interest
  • Cathedral of Saint Peter, Bâle (Cathédrale de Saint-Pierre de Bâle)
  • Ducal Palace of Bâle (Palais ducal de Bâle) – the old ducal palace where the Dukes of Sillans used to live. It is now a museum about the city’s seafaring tradition and its links with Sil Dorsett.
  • Cité de la Mer (“Maritime City”) – a maritime museum about ships and navigation and its history
  • Marine Botanical Garden (Jardin botanique de la mer) – located just off the coast, a unique botanical garden that is not found on land, but in the sea. It features aquatic plants and wildlife and can be explored on the surface by boat, by scuba diving, or by tours along the kilometres of transparent undersea tunnels from which one can observe the natural marine wildlife.
  • Puppet Museum (Musée des Automates) – a museum with a collection of 500 automatic puppets and marionettes. Several rooms and animated scenes reflect Bâle’s history and heritage.
Getting There
Bâle is served by Bâle International Airport (Aéroport international de Bâle) located in the suburbs of Belprahon and Tavannes. International flights are available, but in case one is not available from your country or city, you can arrive via Saintes or by Coire.

From Saintes
Both the conventional intercity train SSCF Interurbain Nord-Est and high-speed train TGV Transchartreuse (Saintes-Gresible-Bâle-Coire) stop at the Bâle train station (Gare de Bâle). From any of the three Saintes airports, take the subway to the Saintes Train Station (Gare de Saintes). Tickets for SSCF Interurbain Nord-Est and TGV Transchartreuse can be bought at the Right Wing of the Train Station, where the platforms for these lines are also located.

From Coire
Coire International Airport (Aéroport international de Coire) also sometimes serves flights not served by Bâle’s (for instance, Býkonsviði in Prydania). From Coire Airport, take the train to Coire Central Train Station (Gare de Coire). Then take the northbound SSCF Interurbain Griffonné-et-Soleure or TGV Transchartreuse trains. Disembark at Bâle Train Station.

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About the Venue
Stade de Bâle is the home of Sporting club de Bâle, the city’s multi-sport club whose football team that plays in the top-tier Première Ligue. Because of the cosmopolitan nature of the city, expect fusion cuisines and bastardisation of your food in the venue. Bâle prides itself in experimental cuisine as well, and downtown, seafront Bâle contains numerous fusion cuisine and multinational restaurants.
 
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Host City: Beaune

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Location
Beaune
Location:
Beaune (Côle)
Venue: Stade Beaunais
Capacity: 52,362


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About the City
Beaune is the capital of the province of the same name, and is also the capital of the department of the Côle. The Saine valley city is known for the wine of the same name, which is indeed produced in the area.

This city should not be confused with the city of Beaune in Callise. Beaune in Saintonge is the ancient Belena, a Galtic fortress city of the Senones tribe. As such the area is rich in archaeological digs and structures.

Some Points of Interest
  • Cathedral of Saint Adjutor, Beaune (Cathédrale de Saint-Adjutor de Beaune)
  • Ancient Theatre of Beaune (Théâtre antique de Beaune) – an Umbrial 5th-century amphitheatre built into one of Beaune’s hills, and is still usable until today
  • Museum of Ancient Arts (Musée des arts anciens)
  • Vinland (“Wineland”) – a wine-themed adult theme park located in the suburb of Courbevoie. Because it is a theme park about alcohol, only 18+ are allowed in. But since this is Saintonge and we are talking about wine, 16-17 year olds are also allowed in provided there is one responsible guardian per teenager.
  • Devil’s Bridge (Pont du Diable) – the oldest known bridge spanning the Saine River, it is also the longest Umbrial-era bridge in Saintonge
Getting There
Beaune is served by Beaune - Central Saintonge Airport (Aéroport Beaune-Saintonge-Centre) located in the adjacent city of Courbevoie. International flights may not be available, and visitors may arrive in Saintes, Plaisance, or Côme/Novale.

From Saintes
The conventional intercity train SSCF Interurbain Val de Saine and high-speed trains TGV Trans-Saintonge (Saintes-Nyon) and TGV Pouilles (Saintes-Loudun-Côme) stop at the Beaune Train Station (Gare de Beaune). From any of the three Saintes airports, take the subway to the Saintes Train Station (Gare de Saintes). Tickets for SSCF Interurbain Val de Saine, TGV Trans-Saintonge (Saintes-Nyon), and TGV Pouilles can be bought at the Right Wing of the Train Station, where the platforms for these lines are also located.

From Plaisance
If you are planning to arrive via Plaisance-Pouilles Airport, from the Plaisance Train Station (Gare de Plaisance), take the SSCF Interurbain d’Aube (Plaisance-Saintes). Disembark at Sens (Gare de Sens) and then take the SSCF Interurbain Val de Saine or TGV Trans-Saintonge (Saintes-Nyon), towards the direction of Barenton or Nyon. Disembark at Beaune.

From Côme/Novale
If you are planning to arrive via the Southeast Saintonge Airport Novale-Côme (Aéroport de Saintonge sud-est Novale-Côme, ASSENC), ride the connecting train from the airport to Novale. At Novale Train Station (Gare de Novale), take the TGV Pouilles (Saintes-Loudun-Côme) towards the direction of Saintes. TGV Pouilles stops at the Beaune Train Station.

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About the Venue
Stade Beaunais is the home stadium of the team of the same name. Stade Beaunais plays in the top-tier Première Ligue. One of the few football stadiums in Saintonge that can seat more than 50,000 people, Stade Beaunais is remarkable in that the in-venue alcoholic beverage choices are not limited to beer, but to a wide selection of wines as well. Indeed, wine is more popular than beer among stadium-goers in Stade Beaunais.
 
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Host City: Béthanie

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Location
Béthanie
Location: Béthanie (Rance)
Venue: Stade Béthon
Capacity: 48,652


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About the City
Béthanie is the capital of the old province of Bethany (Santonian: Béthagne; Bethanian: Bethogn), which was formerly an independent petty kingdom allied with Saintonge for centuries. This history will explain why Béthanie and Bethany may feel or sound different than the traditional image of Saintonge abroad: it has its own Galtic culture and its own language. Nevertheless, this fiercely independent people are still Santonian through-and-through, with many things thought of as “Santonian” abroad may actually be Bethanian, such as Kyle’s Sausages, crêpes, or gallettes.

Don’t worry about not being able to speak Bethanian language, the inhabitants do speak Santonian as well. But maybe one can delve into the cultural heritage of Bethany by visiting some of these points of interest.

Some Points of Interest
  • Cathedral of Saint Corentin the King, Béthanie (Cathédrale de Saint-Corentin-le-Roi de Béthagne)
  • Royal Palace of Bethany (Palais royal de Béthagne) – the old palace of the petty kings of Bethany
  • Bethanian Cultural Centre (Centre culturel de Béthagne) – showcases the culture and traditions of the province and its people
  • Royal Theatre of Bethany (Théâtre royal de Béthagne) – theatre which shows Bethanian-language plays and production
  • Hall of the Confederation (Salle de la Confédération) – the castle that used to be the meeting hall of the seven Bethanian tribes. Now a museum to the Bethonic Confederation and pre-Umbrial Saintonge.
Getting There
Béthanie is served by Béthanie Regional Airport, in the suburb of La Bosse-en-Béthagne. International flights to the regional airport are not common, visitors may arrive via Saintes or via Vantes-Drest.

From Saintes
Both the conventional intercity train SSCF Interurbain Nord-Ouest and high-speed train TGV Béthanie (Saintes-Douvres) stop at the Béthanie Train Station (Gare de Béthanie). From any of the three Saintes airports, take the subway to the Saintes Train Station (Gare de Saintes). Tickets for SSCF Interurbain Nord-Ouest or TGV Béthanie (Saintes-Douvres) can be bought at the Left Wing of the Train Station, where the platforms for these lines are also located.

From Vantes-Drest (Domnonée Airport)
If there is a flight available to Domnonée Airport (Aéroport de Domnonée), this is a better option, as the distance between Vantes and Béthanie is shorter than that between Saintes and Béthanie. Domnonée Airport is in the commune of Huelgoat, midway between the two cities of Vantes and Drest. The conventional intercity train SSCF Interurbain Nord-Ouest stops at Huelgoat-Airport Station (Gare de Huelgoat-Aéroport). Take any of these trains towards the direction of Saintes and disembark at Béthanie.

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About the Venue
Stade Béthon is the home turf of the football team Stade Béthon 50, which proudly bills itself as “Bethany’s Team”. Hence the venue is suffused with Bethanian imagery and culture. The most popular food in the venue is Kyle’s Sausage stuffed in big buns, oozing with white creamy sauce – a definite must-try when you attend games here.
 
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Host City: Coire

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Location
Coire
Location: Coire (Haine)
Venue: Stade de Saint-Tobie
Capacity: 60,564


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About the City
Coire, like its neighbour Bâle to the north, was also a cosmopolitan trading city, also founded in the third century by the Gotic Skirrians as Curia Sciriorum. Just like Bâle with its historic links with Sil Dorsett, Coire also has a historic link with a Craviterian country: Prydania.

The first traders were enticed to Coire during the eleventh century, steered by Prydanian mercenary knights of the Royal Santonian Guard who retired to the city. From then on, it was the Prydanians’ favourite trading port on the Santonian coast. From its cathedral to its Première Ligue team and to its stadium, the Prydanian links are everywhere in the city.

Some Points of Interest
  • Cathedral of Saint Tobias of Prydania (Cathédrale de Saint-Tobie-de-Prydanie de Coire) – formerly a Prydanian sailors’ church whose patron saint is King Tobias I of Prydania, it eventually became the seat of the Diocese of Coire.
  • Ducal Palace of Coire (Palais ducal de Coire) – even though it was the lesser of the two seats of the Dukes of the Soleure (their main castle is in Soleure), the Ducal Palace of Coire still exudes wealth and extravagance fit for a palace in a port city.
  • Gotic Museum (Musée gotique) – a museum about Saintonge’s Gotic and Germanic heritage, from the Skirrians to the present-day Prydanian immigrants
  • Gotic Quarter (Bourg gotique) – the district where the Gotic museum is located, this neighbourhood around the Cathedral preserves its mediaeval Gotic-influenced architecture.
  • Promenade of the Vikings (Promenade des Vikings) – Coire’s promenade along the coastline, featuring its pretty beaches, well-preserved 19th century mansions (many of which are available for rent or had been converted into small boutique hotels), and the Viking museum ship at the eastern end of the beach.
Getting There
Coire is served by Coire International Airport (Aéroport international de Coire) in the northern suburb of Prévondavaux. International flights are available, but in case one is not available from your country or city, you can arrive via Saintes or by Bâle.

From Saintes
Coire’s direct link to Saintes is the high-speed train TGV Transchartreuse (Saintes-Gresible-Bâle-Coire), which stops at the Coire train station (Gare de Coire). From any of the three Saintes airports, take the subway to the Saintes Train Station (Gare de Saintes). Tickets for TGV Transchartreuse can be bought at the Right Wing of the Train Station, where the platforms for these lines are also located.

If one desires the conventional rail transport, from Saintes Train Station, take SSCF Interurbain Nord-Est, disembark at Bâle Train Station (Gare de Bâle), which is the terminus of the rail line. From Bâle Train Station, take the southbound SSCF Interurbain Griffonné-et-Soleure (Tarascon-Vitrolles-Bâle-Coire-Soleure) train towards Coire.

From Bâle
If coming from Bâle International Airport (Aéroport international de Bâle), take the southbound SSCF Interurbain Griffonné-et-Soleure or TGV Transchartreuse trains. Disembark at Coire Train Station.

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About the Venue
Stade de Saint-Tobie, which is also named after the city’s patron saint (Saint-King Tobias of Prydania), is the largest football venue in north-east Saintonge. This is the home field of the AJ Saint-Tobie de Coire, the city’s football club that is currently at the top of the Première Ligue. True to their name and heritage, the stadium has a selection of Prydanian foods for game attendees.

(Caveat: They do not offer things such as brennivín, the cirrhosis-inducing Prydanian “drink” because Santonian law mandates a maximum alcoholic content limit for beverages served in sports events.)
 
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Host City: Côme

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Location
Côme
Location: Côme (Simbruins)
Venue: Stade ducal des Pouilles
Capacity: 66,874


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About the City
Côme is one of the two traditional capitals of the province of the Pouilles, along with Plaisance. Thus, the two cities are said to have a brotherly rivalry. Another intense rival of Côme is the city of Novale, which is located nearby, to the south.

The city is also home to a motoring heritage, Côme being the place where Santonian automobiles were born and where Automobiles pouillaises is still headquartered. Many of the attractions in the city are related to this industry.

Some Points of Interest
  • Cathedral of Saint Timothy of Côme (Cathédrale de Saint-Timothée de Côme)
  • Ducal Palace of Côme (Palais ducal de Côme)
  • Automobile and Motoring Museum (Musée de l’Automobile) – Saintonge’s largest museum dedicated to cars and automobiles, the museum also has a section on the development of the car in Saintonge and other modes of transport before the advent of cars.
  • Tour métallique de Côme (“Metallic tower of Côme”) – a Côme landmark, it is a a steel framework tower built in 1892, 90 metres in height, made by the automobile and steel industry in the city as a beacon for progress and industry.
  • Museum of Industrial Art (Musée des arts industriels) – “Industrial Art” is a Santonian team for “modern handicrafts”, distinct from traditional handicrafts (ex. basketweaving, pottery, woodworking) that use ancient techniques. “Industrial Art” typically uses metal, plastic, and even traditional materials, but in a modern, unconventional way.
Getting There
Côme is served by Southeast Saintonge Airport Novale-Côme (Aéroport de Saintonge sud-est Novale-Côme, ASSENC), within the communes of Lescheraines (Simbruins) and Plancherine (Basses-Alpes). The airport is served by the Aéroport-Frontières Train Station. Aéroport-Frontières Train Station has a direct connection to the metro system of Côme; one could simply ride a train to Côme city proper.

From Saintes
If unfortunately there are no direct flights from your country to Côme, you can book a connecting flight, or take a train from Saintes to Côme. There is a direct high-speed train linking the two cities, the TGV Pouilles (Saintes-Loudun-Côme). Tickets and the platform for TGV Pouilles are available at the Right-Wing Platforms of the Saintes Train Station (Gare de Saintes).

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About the Venue
The home stadium of Côme Football Club, Stade ducal des Pouilles is so-named because it was built with patronage of the Duke of the Pouilles, one of the few nobles to retain their titles after the Santonian Revolution. The duke donated the land to the city of Côme to build a sports complex. As part of a sports complex, the Stade ducal des Pouilles also has areas for many sports, including Odinspylic-sized swimming pools, skating rinks for ice hockey, and indoor courts for basketball and volleyball.
 
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Host City: Loudun

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Location
Loudun
Location: Loudun (Doire)
Venue: Stade d'Espérance
Capacity: 50,165


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About the City
Located at the Saine Valley, where the Germandie mountains open to the Central Plains, Loudun has always been a crossroads. The capital of the former duchy of the Sologne, the city had been fought over numerous times during its history. Unlike its neighbouring city of Tilly-la-Campagne to the south of the department, Loudun emerged relatively unscathed from the tumults that occurred during its history. Thus, Loudun preserved some of its heritage as the old capital of the Ludines, a Gotic tribe. It is from this that the city’s name derives: Ludinium >> Loudun.

Some Points of Interest
  • Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption (Cathédrale de Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption de Loudun) – popularly known as the “Black Cathedral” (Cathédrale Noire), the seat of the bishop of Loudun stands out from the rest of the city because of its colour – black. The 13th-century cathedral is made from black lava stone. It was also the scene of one of the most egregious desecration of a church during the Santonian Revolution: the anticlerical Duke of the Sologne held a “Black Mass inside the Black Cathedral”, ending in the physical crucifixion of the Bishop of Loudun. The event is commemorated at the Place de Golgotha in front of the Cathedral.
  • Academy of Magic (Académie de la magie) – the association of Loudun with the Black Mass and the purportedly Satan-worshipping Dukes of the Sologne made the city a centre for the dark arts. But with general intellectual enlightenment in Saintonge, the city instead became a haven for magicians and illusionists. The Academy of Magic is a museum dedicated to magic tricks and optical illusions.
  • Ducal Palace of Loudun (Palais ducal de Loudun) – again harnessing the association of the Dukes of the Sologne with the dark arts, the ducal palace in the city is purported to be the most haunted palace in Saintonge and is billed as “Saintonge’s Biggest Haunted House”. It has been converted into a hotel-inn (paradour) and the management of the paradour states that they will not be liable for any horrors, injuries, or deaths that may occur during your stay.
  • Comics and Anime Museum (Musée des bandes dessinées) – on a lighter side, Loudun also hosts the “Musee Bédé”, bédé being the initials (B.D.) for bandes dessinées, the Santonian version of comics and anime. The museum has sections on the history of bédé in Saintonge, along with exhibits about iconic Santonian bédés, such as Capitaine Saintonge, Fernand le Fermier, and Saint Brice de Saintonge.
  • Mediathèque de Loudun – a multimedia library connected with the Musee Bédé, where there are endless collections of anime movies, including a complete collection of all Capitaine Saintonge movies made ever.
Getting There
Loudun is served by Loudun – Upper Saine International Airport (Aéroport international de Loudun et Hauts-de-Saine, AILHS), in the parish of Montendry midway between Loudun and Tilly-la-Campagne. The airport has a built-in train station that is served by the SSCF Interurbain Val de Saine conventional train. Take the northbound train to Loudun city proper.

From Saintes
If there are no direct flights, there is a direct high-speed train linking Saintes with Loudun, the TGV Pouilles (Saintes-Loudun-Côme). Tickets and the platform for TGV Pouilles are available at the Right-Bank Platforms of the Saintes Train Station (Gare de Saintes). Alternatively, the conventional train SSCF Interurbain Val de Saine starts at Saintes and stops at Loudun was well.

From Côme/Novale
If you are planning to arrive via the Southeast Saintonge Airport Novale-Côme (Aéroport de Saintonge sud-est Novale-Côme, ASSENC), ride the connecting train from the airport to Novale. At Novale Train Station (Gare de Novale), take the TGV Pouilles (Saintes-Loudun-Côme) towards the direction of Saintes. TGV Pouilles stops at the Loudun Train Station.

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About the Venue
The Stade d'Espérance (literally “Stadium of Hope”) is the home turf of Espérance Sports Club de Loudun, the city’s football team in the Première Ligue. The city’s motto is simply “Espérance” (“Hope”), which was the rallying cry of prominent revolutionary politician Brice-Ulrich Charbonneau (later a Prime Minister of Saintonge) to the citizens of his city. The department of the Doire was one of the most devastated and poorest parts of Saintonge post-Revolution, and Charbonneau’s exhortation L’espérance nous conduira (“Hope will lead us”) helped the area cope. The Doire eventually overcome poverty, but the hope still lives on.
 
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Host City: Novale

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Location
Novale
Location: Novale (Basses-Alpes)
Venue: Tech Parc
Capacity: 50,845


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About the City
Novale is the capital of the department of the Basses-Alpes (“Lower Alps”) and of the old province of Novalais. Despite being founded centuries ago, the city was ravaged by wars, on account of its strategic location facing the Meterran Sea and being near Saintonge’s borderlands. This makes Novale more ‘modern’ by Santonian old city standards, although its last major reconstruction was immediately after the Santonian Revolution. Because of this history, the city’s cathedral is dedicated to the Our Lady of Peace.

Some Points of Interest
  • Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace (Cathédrale de Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix de Novale)
  • Place Bellecoeur – one of the largest neo-mediaeval town squares in Saintonge, planned and built during the city’s reconstruction after the Revolution, on the site of the demolished ducal palace
  • Museum of Chemistry and Radioactivity (Musée de la chimie et de la radioactivité) – Novale was a centre of chemical and radioactive discoveries during the 19th century. The famous science couple Marie and Pierre Jurie were based in Nyon, working off the uranium-rich rocks mined around Montmagique and the northern slopes of the eastern Alps. The museum is dedicated to chemistry, with a focus on geochemistry; and to radioactivity and nuclear studies, with exhibits on the history of the discovery of radioactivity, the power of the atom, and contemporary nuclear power.
  • Museum of Time (Musée du temps) – the city of Novale lies on the Prime Meridian, and so is the Museum of Time. The museum has exhibitions dedicated to timekeeping, its impact on people’s lives, and the history of the Prime Meridian.
  • Alexandrie Space Centre (Centre spatiale d’Alexandrie) – just a few kilometres (and a bus/train ride away) from Novale city centre is the city of Alexandrie (Basses-Alpes), also located on the Prime Meridian. Saintonge’s main Space Centre from which rockets are launched is located here, and there is an attached museum and educational complex dealing with space exploration and astronomy.
Getting There
Novale is served by Southeast Saintonge Airport Novale-Côme (Aéroport de Saintonge sud-est Novale-Côme, ASSENC), located at the border of the departments of Simbruins and Basses-Alpes. The airport is served by the Aéroport-Frontières Train Station (a pun on the fact that it straddles the border, where “you can be in two places at the same time” – and in fact there is a spot adjacent to the border sign that is popular among picture-takers). From Aéroport-Frontières Train Station you can ride a train to Novale city proper.

From Saintes
If there are no direct flights from your country to Novale, you can book a connecting flight, or take a train from Saintes to Novale. There is a high-speed train linking the two cities, the TGV Pouilles (Saintes-Loudun-Côme). Tickets and the platform for TGV Pouilles are available at the Right-Bank Platforms of the Saintes Train Station (Gare de Saintes).

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About the Venue
The stadium is named Tech Parc, but it is not a reference to technology. Rather, it is a reference to the Tech River, which runs through the city of Novale. The stadium is located on the riverfront/waterfront, served by the Tech Parc station on the Novale-Côme metro system. Tech Parc is the home stadium of the local football team USL Novale or Union Sportive Littoral de Novale.
 
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Host City: Nyon

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Location
Nyon
Location: Nyon (Bouche-du-Rhâne)
Venue: Stade des Princes
Capacity: 71,652


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About the City
Saintonge’s second largest city, Nyon is located on the shores of the Cottian Lake facing Predice. Despite it being Saintonge’s second largest city, it is still half the size of Saintes, the capital. But don’t tell the Nyonnais that. The proud city, as Noviodunum Cottium, was once the glorious capital of the Cottian tribe that valiantly resisted the mighty Santonian Army in the 10th century. After its defeat, it was reduced to a mere hamlet; but after a thousand years, it is back to its old place of as Saintonge’s second city. Nyon’s motto Contemnit procellas (“It defies the storms”) harks back to its history, and is in the same league as Saintes’ motto Fluctuat nec mergitur (“Tossed by the waves but does not sink.”)

Some Points of Interest
  • Cathedral of Saint Mary Major (Cathédrale de Sainte-Marie-Majeure de Nyon)
  • Princes’ Palace of Nyon (Palais princier de Nyon)
  • Nyon Museum of Fine Arts (Musée des beaux-arts de Nyon)
  • Museum of Contemporary Art (Musée d'art contemporain)
  • Museum of Fabrics and Decorative Arts (Musée des Tissus et des Arts décoratifs) – a.k.a. “Fashion Museum”, this is a testament to Nyon’s place in the fashion industry, with Saintonge’s two major international fashion weeks being held in Nyon (Spring) and Saintes (Autumn)
Getting There
Nyon is served by Nyon International Airport, which has connections to many cities and is the transportation hub for southern Saintonge.

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About the Venue
The name Stade des Princes (“Stadium of the Princes”) stems from the fact that the second-in-line to the Santonian throne is given the courtesy title Duke of Nyon. (The first-in-line, the Crown Prince, is styled Duke of Saintes.) Thus the city has the patronage of Princes, and in 1982, Prince Thibault, Duke of Nyon and Champagne, helped raise funds for a new stadium for the city’s main football team, Olympique Nyonnais. It was Saintonge’s largest stadium until the Stade de Saintes was finished in 1998.
 
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Host City: Plaisance

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Location
Plaisance
Location: Plaisance (Corb)
Venue: Parc de la Pointe Plaisante
Capacity: 44,516

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About the City
Plaisance is one of the two traditional capitals of the province of the Pouilles, along with Côme. The two cities have a brotherly rivalry. Plaisance is the smaller of the two, but its inhabitants say it is the more pleasant – a word play on its name, which indeed shares the Umbrial root word for “pleasant”. It is also the spiritual seat of the province of the Pouilles, because Plaisance is an Archbishopric.

Plaisance is another ancient Umbrial-founded coastal city in the third century. Its rich history spans almost two millennia, which can be seen in its heritage.

Some Points of Interest
  • Basilica of Saint-Brice, Plaisance (Basilique de Saint-Brice de Plaisance) – a 19th-century “White Cathedral” made from stone from the Nébrodes mountains
  • Ducal Palace of Plaisance (Palais ducal de Plaisance)
  • Gypsothèque – also known as Musée des moulages (“Museum of Casts”), it houses the largest collection of plaster casts in Saintonge. The root word of the museum name is gypsum, the mineral commonly used to make plaster casts. Gypsum is also known as “Plaster of Plaisance”*, because of its abundance in the area.
  • Spilvelland – a theme park based on Spilvel, the building block toys by the originally-Prydanian, now Santonian, company. Spilvel moved from Prydania to Plaisance in the aftermath of the Syndicalist Coup in 2002, restarting and rebuilding its operations there. In 2010, a theme park was opened based on the popular toys and also become a major tourist draw to Plaisance.
  • Underwater Museum (Musée Sous-Marin) – located off the coast, the Underwater Museum features miles of underwater tunnels where one can view underwater exhibits without getting your feet wet. In one area, one can even walk on bare seafloor with the fishes swimming around the transparent tunnels.
Getting There
Plaisance is served by Plaisance Pouilles Airport (Aéroport de Plaisance-Pouilles) which has many international flights, owing to the presence of Spilvelland. In those rare cases in which there is no available flight, the nearest international airports are in Coire, Côme, and if there is really no route available for you, Saintes.

From Coire
If you plan to arrive via Coire International Airport (Aéroport international de Coire), there are no direct rail links between the two cities separated by the Nébrodes mountains. To get to Plaisance from Coire, there is an intercity bus route plying the coastal National Route 4 from Coire to Plaisance. The route will take you through some spectacular seaside views, so make sure to sit by the window to enjoy the view!

From Côme
If you plan to arrive via Southeast Saintonge Airport Novale-Côme (Aéroport de Saintonge sud-est Novale-Côme, ASSENC) and go to Plaisance via Côme, there is also a direct conventional rail connection between the two cities, the SSCF Transpouilles (Côme-Salernes-Vicence-Modane-Plaisance). Tickets for SSCF Transpouilles are available at the Côme Train Station (Gare de Côme).

From Saintes
There are regular flights from Saintes to Plaisance and you can book a connecting flight. But if you want to travel by land, Plaisance has a direct rail connection to Saintes. There is a conventional intercity train, the SSCF Interurbain d’Aube (Saintes-Plaisance) plying this route. There is no direct high-speed connection, although it is possible to reach Plaisance from Saintes via high-speed train.

If you want a high-speed connection, you can take the TGV Pouilles (Saintes-Loudun-Côme) towards the direction of Côme. Switch trains at Sens (Gare de Sens) and take the eastbound train of TGV Centrale to Plaisance.

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About the Venue
The stadium is named Parc de la Pointe Plaisante (“Point Pleasant Park”) because it was built on a small rocky headland jutting off the coast. The area around it was partially reclaimed to fit the stadium. This stadium is the home stadium of Plaisance FC, the city’s top-tier football club.

OOC Notes: *IRL “Plaster of Paris”
 
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Host City: Provins

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Location
Provins
Location: Provins (Puy-d’Or)
Venue: Parc de Champagne
Capacity: 42,658


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About the City
Provins is the traditional capital of the large province of Champagne. Yes, that Champagne. Sitting amidst the vineyards whose grapes become the yummy bubbly called Champagne wine. This sparkling heritage is readily apparent in the city, it’s hard not to clink a few glasses away while you tour the city.

Some Points of Interest
  • Cathedral of Saint-Thibault, Provins (Cathédrale de Saint-Thibault de Provins)
  • Ducal Palace of Provins (Palais ducal de Provins)
  • Madame Trousseau Wax Museum (Musée de cire de Madame Trousseau) – named after its founder Marie Trousseau, it features the largest connection of lifelike wax sculptures of famous personalities.
  • Museum of Miniatures and Cinema (Musée Miniature et Cinéma) – a museum featuring miniature movie sets, props, and special effects
  • Champagne Fair (Foire de Champagne) – it sounds exactly what it is: a year-round fair and market for Champagne. Like a beer garden, but for bubblies. Many of the region’s Champagnes have booths and stalls in the Champagne Fair, where you can taste and buy the wine that tickles your fancy.
Getting There
Provins is served by Provins-Champagne Regional Airport (Aéroport régional de Provins-Champagne), which, as a regional airport, does not have much international connections. This is due to the proximity of Provins to Saintes; Provins is only forty minutes by high-speed train from Saintes.

From Saintes
From Saintes, the conventional intercity train SSCF Interurbain Val de Saine and high-speed train TGV Trans-Saintonge (Saintes-Nyon) both stop at the Provins-Champagne Train Station (Gare de Provins-Champagne). From any of the three Saintes airports, take the subway to the Saintes Train Station (Gare de Saintes). Tickets for SSCF Interurbain Val de Saine and TGV Trans-Saintonge (Saintes-Nyon) can be bought at the Right Wing of the Train Station, where the platforms for these lines are also located.

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About the Venue
The stadium is the home turf of Provins Football Puy-d’Or football team, which plays in the top tier of the Santonian League System. Like the Stade Beaunais, refreshments available in the stadium include champagne. Even if your team loses, you can still pop a cork.
 
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Host City: Ratisbonne

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Location
Ratisbonne
Location: Ratisbonne (Lauter)
Venue: Parc Odinspylique
Capacity: 50,895


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About the City
Ratisbonne is the traditional capital of the province of Bavière, the southernmost province of Saintonge where the Gotic influence is still very marked. Nestled between three mountain ranges at the confluence of two major alpine rivers, Ratisbonne is known for its clean, crisp, fresh mountain air.

Some Points of Interest
  • Cathedral of Saint-Pierre, Ratisbonne (Cathédrale de Saint-Pierre de Ratisbonne | Rengschburga Dom St. Peter)
  • Bavarois Ducal Palace (Palais ducal bavarois | Herzogshof boarisch)
  • Alpine Garden (Jardin alpin) - up in the slopes of the hills above Ratisbonne, the Alpine Garden showcases plants native to the mountains, including rare orchids and carnivorous plants.
  • Küchlerei – Saintonge’s oldest social housing complex still in use, Küchlerei is a walled enclave within the city of Ratisbonne. It takes its name from the Küchly family, stewards of the Duke of Bavière. Created in 1509 by Jacob Küchly the Rich, the Küchlerei was founded as a place where needy citizens of Ratisbonne could be housed. Indigent families still live in the Küchlerei until today.
  • Bavarois Ducal Library (Bibliothèque ducal bavarois | Herzogsbibliothek boarisch) – Saintonge’s second-largest library in terms of content, the Bavarois Ducal Library has a special interest in Germanic and Gotic literature and maintains collections in multiple Gotic languages.
Getting There
Ratisbonne is served by Ratisbonne-Bavière Airport (Santonian: Aéroport de Ratisbonne-Bavière | Bavarois: Flughofm Rengschburg-Boarn), located in the neighbouring commune of Saint-Martin-de-Lauter. Because of Bavière’s links with its Gotic heritage, the airport has connections with many Gotic cities. If a flight is not available from your city, you can book a connecting flight from Saintes. If you want to travel by land, the nearest other international airport is at Nyon.

From Nyon
Nyon is served by Nyon International Airport, which is connected to the Nyon Central Train Station (Gare de Nyon). Ratisbonne is directly connected to Nyon via the conventional rail line SSCF Interurbain Val Rhâne (Nyon-Malines-Ratisbonne-Brigue).

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About the Venue
The stadium Parc Odinspylique is a nod to the city’s football team Odinspylique de Ratisbonne, which is named after the biannual Odinspyl sporting contest – another testament to the city’s and the province’s Gotic heritage. Parc Odinspylique is also nicknamed “The Torus” or Le Beignet Bavarois (“The Bavarian Doughnut”) on account of its shape.
 
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Host City: Torcy-le-Grand

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Location
Torcy-le-Grand
Location: Torcy-le-Grand (Lisle)
Venue: Parc des Torsades des Pointes
Capacity: 53,161


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About the City
Formerly a small fortified town at the confluence of the Avre and the Saine rivers, Torcy-le-Grand was the scene of numerous battles throughout Santonian history, including one during the Santonian Revolution. After the Santonian Revolution, the town outgrew its walls and became an industrial town. The town was intimately connected with the development of railways in Saintonge. With the rapidly expanding Saintes metropolitan area, in the recent decades, Torcy-le-Grand is being transformed from a post-industrial city to a bedroom suburb of Saintonge.

Some Points of Interest
  • Basilica of the Martyrs of the Revolution, Torcy-le-Grand (Basilique des Martyrs-de-la-Révolution) – built on the former battlefield of Torcy-le-Grand, this cathedral is dedicated to the martyrs and devout people who died during the Santonian Revolution.
  • Saintonge Railway Museum (Musée des chemins de fer de Saintonge)
  • Funny Museum (Musée de drôle) – a museum dedicated to comedy, jokes, and pranks. Visitors beware.
  • Chocolate Fair (Foire de Chocolate) – a year-round fair/market dedicated to Santonian chocolates, including those made from the local Santonian cacao plant.
  • Torcy Water Park (Parc aquatiaque de Torcy)
Getting There
Within the city limits is Saintes-Torcy Airport (Aéroport de Saintes-Torcy), which primarily caters to low-cost flights to the Saintes Metropolitan area. You may also arrive via pricier flights to Saintes’ two other airports, Saintes-Réaux airport, which handles private flights; Gentilly Airport, which handles regular flights. The latter two airports are connected to the city of Saintes’ metro system, which is connected to Torcy via the Torcy-le-Grand station on the Cyan Line.

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About the Venue
The stadium Parc des Torsades des Pointes literally means “Twisting of the Points Park”, being located on a curve of the meandering Saine River. It is the home stadium of the football team Coeur-Rouge de Torcy and is located adjacent to the Torcy Water Park.
 
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Host City: Vantes

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Location
Vantes
Location: Vantes (Authie)
Venue: Stade royal de Vantes
Capacity: 60,885


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About the City
Vantes is the old royal capital of the petty kingdom of the Domnonée and the department of the Authie. The province of Domnonée is linguistically distinct from Saintonge, but is similar and shares the same language as the neighbouring province of Bethany, in which it is sometimes lumped into. The area also has a shipbuilding and seafaring tradition, and it is reflected in the city and its heritage spots.

Some Points of Interest
  • Cathedral of Saint Judicaël and Saint Brendan, Vantes (Cathédrale des Saint-Judicaël-et-Saint-Brendan de Vantes) – contains a museum of votive offerings brought by seafarers as thanksgiving for safe trips; there is also an exhibition about Pope-King Thibault I of Saintonge, who served as Archbishop of Vantes prior to becoming Pope and King.
  • Royal Palace of Domnonée (Palais royal de Domnonée)
  • Museum of Fine Arts of Domnonée (Musée des Beaux-Arts de Domnonée)
  • Fort Tromelin – an islet off the coast of Vantes that was turned into a lighthouse, then a fort, and then a prison. It has now been converted into a corsair-themed theme park, famous for its escape rooms/breakout room puzzles.
  • Museum of Ships (Musée des Navires) – a museum about ships, seafaring, and sailors.
Getting There
Vantes is served by Domnonée Airport (Aéroport de Domnonée), located in the commune of Huelgoat, midway between the two cities of Vantes and Drest. The airport is served by Huelgoat-Airport Station (Gare de Huelgoat-Aéroport), and is connected to Vantes via SSCF Interurbain Nord-Ouest and high-speed train TGV Béthanie (Saintes-Douvres). Time difference between the conventional rail and the high-speed train is negligible.

If there are no flights from your country to Domnonée Airport, you can book a connecting flight or travel by land from Saintes.

From Saintes
The conventional intercity train SSCF Interurbain Nord-Ouest and high-speed train TGV Béthanie (Saintes-Douvres) make a stop at the Béthanie Train Station (Gare de Béthanie). From any of the three Saintes airports, take the subway to the Saintes Train Station (Gare de Saintes). Tickets for SSCF Interurbain Nord-Ouest or TGV Béthanie (Saintes-Douvres) can be bought at the Left Wing of the Train Station, where the platforms for these lines are also located.

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About the Venue
The stadium name Stade royal de Vantes is so named because of Domnonée’s previous status as a petty kingdom, a higher status than the other provinces of Saintonge, which are mere duchies. Such status, and the fact that the Domnonée was the only province that had been loyal to the Santonian monarchy during all the five major civil wars in Saintonge, are a source of historical pride among the province’s inhabitants. Their football stadium is one of the few that had received royal support as well. This is the stadium of its top-tier football team FC Vantes de Domnonée.
 
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OOC: the Scorinator

Entire post is OOC.

Hello! Kyle here. I’ve built a spreadsheet-based scorinator for football. I know there are some scorinator tools out there, such as Xkoranate. Why did I feel the need to make one?

First, I wanted to build one that does not require me installing programs. Second, I wanted to be able to customise the formulae and test it myself. And third, I wanted it to be transparent. Why did Person X lose despite having a 3-0 post advantage? Were there other modifiers, or was this purely the result of randomness? I know some of the oldtimers here have had experienced similar issues when the scorination was not particularly transparent. Having a spreadsheet-based scorinator means that everyone can look at the formulae, and see how the result was reached. People can also suggest changes, and then scorinate publicly if they wanted (for instance, they can share screen on Discord while they scorinate.)

And since transparency is a big reason why I did this, this is the link for the scorinator for football (soccer for you Americans ). Feel free to play with it, report a bug, or ask questions to me on Discord. I will explain the formula in the next paragraphs.


Essentially, the scorinating sheet generates two random numbers for (let’s say) Team A and Team B, applies modifiers based on a set criteria, with some randomisation, and then decides the goal difference between the teams. This is because goal difference is a criterion for determining standings both in leagues and groups.

The basic formula is this:
Random Number A – Random Number B + RP Modifier + Skill Modifier = Outcome
Outcome is then used to determine the goal difference depending on the direction (positive or negative) and the percentile it falls on (more on that later).
Important note: If the Outcome is a positive number, it favours Team A; if the Outcome is a negative number, it favours Team B. The RP and Skill Modifiers can be either positive or negative numbers. (more later)

General Settings
Reference cells: “General Settings” in cells A1: B16
There are three general settings: Randomness Weight, RP Post Weight, and Skill Weight. You can put number 0-5 in those yellow cells, and this will determine the weight/contribution of the randomness, RP, and skill on the outcome and the percentile cutoffs. If for example, you are RPing a competition between RPers, you might not want to assign skill weights (because it could be controversial) - so you can set it zero. Conversely, if you are simming your domestic leagues, you might want to add a skill weight.

You can play with the weights and set it to your liking. This is a zero-sum game; increasing the number of one component will decrease the contribution of the others. You can see the relative contribution of each component in the Maximum Theoretical Contribution (cells D1: D4).

RP Post Ceiling is the maximum number of RP posts that would be credited to the RPer.

The Maximum Theoretical Outcome is simply the largest possible total outcome of the entire process. This is used to compute for the percentile cutoffs for each goal difference possibilities (more on this later).

“Score Now!” cells (A15:B16) is simply a tool to reveal the scores when you are ready to scorinate. The drawback with spreadsheet-based scorinators is that they rely on random number generators; and random number generators recalculate and give a different output everything you change something in a spreadsheet. So to make it less confusing, the outcome is only shown if you put YES in cell B15. So in order to scorinate, fill up the yellow cells first, and then type YES in Cell B15.

Since the sheet recalculates everytime you change something, if you want a permanent record, this is what you will do:
  1. Make a new sheet and label it accordingly.
  2. Go back to the scorinating sheet.
  3. Fill out the yellow boxes. For RP Posts and Skill Points, only integers 0-5 are accepted. Once happy with the data inputted, type YES in cell B15. You will now get the result output.
  4. Select the rows that you want a permanent record (there is a guide line).
  5. Right click the selection and COPY (if using Windows, you can use Ctrl+C)
  6. Go to the new sheet.
  7. On the Menu Bar, select Edit > Paste Special > Paste values only.
  8. This will give you a permanent record of the scorinator. And if you go back to the scorinating sheet, the values there will now be different than the one you just pasted. This is not a bug; like I said, the random number generator recalculates everytime you changed something in the workbook.
How does the scorinator come up with a result?

Random Number
Reference cells: “Random Components” in cells L20:S21
Let’s take Team A first. The BaseScoreA is a random number for team A. This is determined by three random numbers, RandomA1, Random A2, and RandProportionA. RandomA1 and RandomA2 are anywhere from 0 to the UpperRandomLimit, which is based on the Randomness Weight. The larger the Randomness Weight, the larger the UpperRandomLimit. For example, a Randomness Weight of 3 will have an UpperRandomLimit of 600, which means RandomA1 and Random A2 will be from 0 to 600.

RandProportionA is a number between 25 and 75 that used to combine the two random numbers randomly. This is to minimise BaseScoreA being just based on the vagaries of a single unlucky draw. What RandProportionA does is that it determines how much of RandomA1 and how much of RandomA2 will be used to determine the BaseScoreA. This is the formula:

(RandomA1 * RandProportionA / 100) + [RandomA2 * (100 – RandProportionA) / 100] = BaseScoreA

The same process, but with different random number generators, are used for Team B’s random number BaseScoreB.

RP Post Modifier
Reference cells: “RP and Skill Bonuses” in cells L22:R23.
The RPEffect is dependent on three numbers:
  • PostDifference. This is the difference in the number of posts between the two players.
  • RPWtProportion. This is another random number that is generated between RPWtLower and RPWtUpper. These two numbers are generated based on the number of posts the less active player made. If the less active player made zero posts, RPWtProportion will be a random number between 50 and 100. If the less active player made one post, RPWtProportion will be 43 and 83. For example, this means that a 3-2 post difference is likely to generate a smaller RPEffect than a 1-0 post difference, even though in both cases the more active player has one post more. This ensures that some credit will be given to the less active player who posted, by making the RP Effect lower.
  • RPMultiplier. This is the product of RPWtProportion and RP Post Weight.
This is the formula for the RPEffect:

RPWtProportion * RP Post Weight * PostDifference = RP Effect

Based on how PostDifference is structured, if A has more posts than B, the RPEffect will be a positive number; conversely, if B has more posts than A, the RPEffect will be a negative number. If PostDifference is zero, then RPEffect is also zero.

Skill Modifier
Reference cells: “RP and Skill Bonuses” in cells S22:U23.
The SkillEffect is dependent on three numbers:
  • SkillDifference. This is the difference in the number of skill points between the two teams.
  • SkillWtProportion. This is a random number between 50 to 100.
  • SkillMultiplier. This is the product of SkillWtProportion and Skill Post Weight.
This is the formula for the SkillEffect:

SkillWtProportion * Skill Weight * SkillDifference = SkillEffect

Based on how SkillDifference is structured, if A has more posts than B, the SkillEffect will be a positive number; conversely, if B has more posts than A, the SkillEffect will be a negative number. If SkillDifference is zero, then SkillEffect is also zero.

If you set Skill Weight is set to zero, then SkillEffect is also zero.

Outcome and Percentiles
Reference cells: “Outcome” in cells E20:J22; for percentile cutoffs, the green block from E1:Q14.
The formula for the Outcome is given earlier. This Outcome is then compared to what percentile it falls on based on the MaximumTheoreticalOutcome. If the Outcome falls between the 8th to 23rd percentile, the goal difference is 1; if the Outcome falls between the 24th to 38th percentile, the goal difference is 2; and so on. Notice that the intervals decrease as you go higher; this is because high goal differences are less likely and this models for that. (For instance, for a goal difference of 10, the Outcome needs to fall in the 99th percentile and up.) This goes for either direction.

Score
Reference cells: “Score Creator” in cells L24:X25.
The game’s score will now be created based on the goal difference. First, a number LoserGoals will be generated for the number of goals for the losing team. This is not based on a single number generator; if we would base it on that, we can get ridiculous scores like 9-8 for a goal difference of 1.

LoserGoals is generated by using 5 random number generators (Seed10) that will give out a number between -10 and +10. Then the values are added and the absolute value is taken. This would produce some sort of a gaussian distribution in which the most probable value for LoserGoals would be 0, followed by 1, etc. This would be consistent with the number of losing team goals seen in professional games.

Then to get the number of goals of the winner, the goal difference will be added to LoserGoals. The WinnerGoals and LoserGoals are then assigned to the respective teams.

The sheet also calculates halftime scores. This is merely a random number generated between zero and the number of goals of the team.

But in football, sometimes there are no winners or losers. There are ties. How does the scorinator simulate that?

Ties
Now, there will be a tie (goal difference of zero) if Outcome falls between 0th to 8th percentile in both directions (giving an interval of 17, as opposed to GD of 1 which has an interval of 15). How will ties be resolved?

Some games (ex. group games in world cups, domestic leagues which are non-knockout tournaments) do not require a tie to be broken. In others, such as knockout or playoff games, a tied game is required to be broken. This condition needs to be answered in “Need to force win?” (cells A28:B28). If any resulting ties needs to be broken (ie. A knockout game or playoff), answer B28 with YES; otherwise, the default answer is NO.

AET
In some games, they extend the time of the game. (AET = after extended time) This is simulated if the score falls between the 8th and 10th percentiles, in which the game with a goal difference of 1 is marked as won after extended time if the tournament has that rule; otherwise you can ignore it and just treat it as a normal win.

Penalty Shootouts
Reference cells: “Penalty Shoutout Randomiser” in cells L26:U28.
If “Need to force win?” is YES and there is a tie, a result would appear in the Penalty Shootout area (cell A27:C27). This is calculated in the “Penalty Shoutout Randomiser” area. Basically it simulates the penalty shootout of five people in each team trying to score a goal. Thus, for each team, there are five random number generators that gives either a value of 1 (a goal) or 0 (a miss). The total is then taken, which will be the Penalty Shootout Score.

If there is still a tie, the scorinator will automatically break the tie based on the Outcome score.

Last Notes
So I hope this long post explains how the scorinator works. If you have any questions/suggestions, feel free to message me on Discord. I am not scorinating this World Cup, somebody else will do it. :)

Also, if you want to use the scorinator for your own simulations, feel free to do so! Just credit me for it ;)
 
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Country: Saintonge
Category: Sporting Goods
Sponsor: LeFort
Information about Sponsor: Saintonge's largest sportswear and sportsgear company, LeFort manufactures football kits and the official football for the 2021 CEFA World Cup.
Logo (optional, please put in spoilers):
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Country: Saintonge
Category: Financial (Online)
Sponsor: PaySafe
Information about Sponsor: PaySafe is one of the largest online payments processing system, which has become increasingly popular with the explosion of online commerce.
Logo (optional, please put in spoilers):
2LZfkYl.png

Country: Saintonge
Category: Electronics
Sponsor: Pêche (Santonian for "peach")
Information about Sponsor: Pêche is the second-largest mobile phone and computer manufacturer in Saintonge, named for the favourite fruit of one of its founders. Pêche is known for its perceived exclusivity and luxury, and its intensely loyal user base.
Logo (optional, please put in spoilers):
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OOC: Yes, think Apple (the company), but Peach :P
 
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Country: Lanceria
Category: Insurance
Sponsor: Navan Assurance (Navan Insurance)
Information about Sponsor: Navan is a large insurance company based in Lanceria, offering car, home, boat, and a variety of other insurance products.
Logo (optional, please put in spoilers):
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Country: Lanceria
Category: Trucks
Sponsor: Pontmac - Division Camions (Pontmac's Trucks Division)
Information about Sponsor: Pontmac is a regionally popular manufacturer of automobiles. Historically a producer of passenger cars, competition on the world stage has led to their Trucks Division ("Division Camions") taking over as its largest source of revenue and a focus for the company. Today, Pontmac's trucks division produces light, medium, and heavy duty trucks as well as vans and pickup trucks for small commercial and personal use. Teams, jerseys, footballs, food, waterbottles, weights, and more all need to get to World Cup stadiums, and they get there best when hauled in a Pontmac truck, van, or bus.
Logo (optional, please put in spoilers):

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Country: Lanceria
Category: Food/Industrial Concern?
Sponsor: Anvene
Information about Sponsor: Anvene produces a wide variety of grocery food products, from tortillas to taco mix, from burger patties to fruit blends, from pasta sauce to pastries, if you see the Anvene logo then you know you can trust its a product of high-quality and even better taste. Look for it in your local grocery store. [OOC but maybe IC: "Now available in [grocery store chain] in Saintonge!" Sponsorship as part of a launch into stores there?]
Logo (optional, please put in spoilers):

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Country: Aydin
Category: Industrial Concern 1
Sponsor: Royal Aydin Oil/ Royal Aydin Oil Company
Information about Sponsor: The national Oil company of Aydin, know for being the primary asset of the Aydini Imperial Family and the primary asset of the nation of Aydin. It is its own retailer and has maintained a monopoly in Aydin since its inception. It is globally renowned for its strides in inland drilling, ocean drilling, and pipeline technology.
Logo:

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Country: Aydin
Category: Fast Food Chain
Sponsor: Khan's
Information about Sponsor: Founded by Baba Khan in the 1980s, Khan's has become the most popular Aydini Fast food chain. Serves delicious Aydini Cuisine which includes kebabs, rice dishes, baklava, and much more. All at affordable prices. Soon to be available in Saintonge (At Kyle's discretion)
Logo:

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Country: Goyanes
Category: Beverage (alcoholic)
Sponsor: Harheimer Brauerei A/S (Harheimer)
Information about Sponsor: Harheimer is the most widely consumed beer in Goyanes, and is a staple at many parties, bars, restaurants, and venues. The beer comes in numerous varieties including the classic wheat beer, a "light" version, and a higher-ABV "Ice" version. Harheimer classic is 5.7% ABV.
Logo:
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Country: Goyanes
Category: Airline
Sponsor: Gojan Luft Reederei A/S (Luftreederei)
Information about Sponsor: Luftreederei is the flag carrier and largest airline of Goyanes. Featuring the largest route network on the continent and global service, Luftreederei can serve the exclusive needs of the 2021 World Cup in Saintonge.
Logo:
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Country: Goyanes
Category: Finance (Credit Card)
Sponsor: Nordisk Austrykke A/S (NordAu)
Information about Sponsor: NordAu is the premier payment services provider in Goyanes and various other Gotic countries. With global acceptance via agreements with other countries and unmatched security for cardholders, you are more than just a number when you are a member of NordAu.
Logo:
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Country: Ulstome
Category: Hotel
Sponsor: Fisca
Information about Sponsor: Fisca is a major hotel chain that owns thousands of establishments, it has hotels in most towns and cities to provide availability nationwide wherever your destination is! Fisca offers affordable rooms that can have from a single double bed to up to 4 single beds in them to accommodate most visitors. It is seen as a reliable company to go to if you need an affordable roomquickly.
Logo (highly encouraged, please put in spoilers):
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Country: Ulstome
Category: Beverage (Non-Alcoholic/Others)
Sponsor: Dragag
Information about Sponsor: Dragag is massively popular energy drink in Ulstome, it has been well marketed since the companies creation in 1915 to be seen as one of the go to energy drinks to have when you are or have finished working out which has meant that it is available in almost every supermarket, gym and corner shop. It had a long history of being seen as a drink to have when you are sick to give you energy to help with your recovery. The brand has many flavor's with the colour of the dragon as part of the logo being used to display the flavour, the brand currently has 18 different flavours of drink available.
Logo (highly encouraged, please put in spoilers):

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Country: Tardine
Category: Industrial Concern 1?
Sponsor: Rabbit Industries
Information about Sponsor: Tardine's oldest manufacturer, RI was founded in September, 1821. Rabbit Industries is responsible of about 37.9% of Tardine's manufactured products, since they produce almost everything that is made of metal, from raw iron (Ironic Iron) to automobiles (Pergaro Cars). They own 54 industries in different sectors (food too), and their profit is at about 1 trillion Tars every year. RI is the 1st one and the biggest (and richest) of the so called "BIG FOUR" of the Tardineannen Industries.
Logo:
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Country: Tardine
Category: Technology Concern 1?
Sponsor: ESTARI (meaning STAR)
Information about Sponsor: The 2nd one in revenue of the "BIG FOUR", ESTARI was founded in May 3rd, 1957. Their slogan is: "Technotronika jareknoi bar haleeonen", meaning "Technology accessible for everyone". They simplified many foreign technologies and adapted them to our everyday needs, making their slogan true. ESTARI makes TVs, Smartphones, Desktops, and almost every electronics of the country has their well-known star. Their profit is of 329.4 billion Tars every year, which makes them a really profitable industry.
Logo:
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Country: Tardine
Category: Food 1
Sponsor: Strefrannen Marketorian (meaning Heavenly Market)
Information about Sponsor: Founded in the year 2012, this company went from a little market to the biggest food seller of the country in only 8 years! Also, they are the faster ones when it comes to delivery, which is one of the motivations that made Tardine's people love them. Making a rough 75.9 billion Tars every year, this is their first time sponsoring an event this big!
Logo: (work in progress, sorry)
 
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