AH Cultural Descriptions

1066: The Battle for Middle Earth

1066: The Battle for Middle Earth is a best-selling video-game. It is notable for being the first Chinese-produced videogame to be the highest-selling of the year in North America, long considered the center of the global gaming market. 1066: BfME was a sequel to a little-noticed Chinese game, 1055: The Uprising. In Chinese history, the year 1055 is notable for the beginning of a peasant uprising against the ruling dynasty. 1066, the sequel, takes place in the newly established peasant dynasty, still struggling against elements of the old regime. The title's use of Middle Earth is an unusual translation of the Chinese phrase normally translated "Middle Kingdom."

Mr. 3000

Cheers,
Ganesha

P.S. I'd just like to say that this thread has passed 3000 posts, which I find incredible! Thank you to all of you, especially frequent contributors like @ennobee, @TheProfessor, @Halocon, @Serenity2589, @TheChimeraVirus and @ThatOneGuy. I'm sorry if I missed a frequent contributor, there's a lot of people who've posted in this thread! :) Cheers to all of you!
 

Aurantiacis

Gone Fishin'

Mr.3000 is a simple game made in the early eras of gaming where you play as a batter in the Milwaukee Baseball team and your objective is to swing a pixelated bat when a baseball comes at you at various speeds. This quickly became popular in the United States, but no one understood the full extent of the game. No one really paid attention to the title and all believed this was simply a game which never ended, like the other star Pac-Man. In the end, it took approximately 4 months for someone to take the 3000th shot in a row, and they unlocked an easter egg where the batter applauds you for coming this far, and gives you a medal that you can wear while playing the game. This was regarded as one of the earliest easter eggs ever found in a game. The games were discontinued in the late 90s and soon became a mildly-rare collector's item.

!Cao!
 
!Cao!
!Cao! is a 2012 Mexican horror story written by Luis Francisco, a pseudonym. The book was largely inspired by online horror stories called "Creepypasta", and this is seen in its style. The plot was centered around an entity known as the "Shade", a being which lurks below consciousness. The "Shade" is said to attack people when they begin to gain consciousness from waking up. It soon gained notoriety for its poor quality. Tortured by his dreams of being a beloved author destroyed, Luis Francisco killed himself in 2013. This information was released by his family on Francisco's website, which soon after shut down. In 2015, the book gained attention once more, when numerous murders were committed in Mexico City, all signed under Francisco's name. The victims were all killed in their beds, but some indicated a struggle, and all were book store owners who refused to sell Francisco's book or known critics of the book. These murders continued till Rodrigo Leoz was caught. He admitted to the murders, saying he did so out of love of the work and wanting to take revenge for the author. Rodrigo Leoz is now serving life in prison, but on the internet some claim Leoz wasn't the true killer and that those known to criticize the book on forums are told to soon after die.

The Last Knight
 
The Last Knight
Part of a documentary series about the transition from the Middle Ages to the early modern period. The episode The Last Knight focused on the end of medieval warfare due to the advent of gunpowder and its introduction to Europe. It was the second to last episode in the series, followed by The Last Crusade, which focused on the last major Christian wars against the Islamic powers, with the Crusade in question being the Crusade of Varna.

Epic Battles of History: Julius Caesar vs. Shaka Zulu
 
Epic Battles of History: Julius Caesar vs. Shaka Zulu
A video in the popular Epic Rap Battles of History series on the video sharing platform VTube. In it two historical figures from actual history or pop culture are pitted against eachother in a rap battle usually taking jabs at each characters failures in history or their franchises. The Caesar vs Zulu battle was between Julius Caesar, one of the best generals in Republican Roman history and three time dictator, four time consul of Rome. The battle highlights his failed Civil War, exile to Gaul and the creation of the Julian Empire in Gaul and Britannia; and Shaka Zulu a tribal chieftain who fought against the Dutch South African Company as it expanded its influence deeper into Africa leading to the Zulu War, the Razing of Johannasburg and the Extermination at Cape Town. The battle plays on Shaka's death by assassination and the series of brutal civil wars that followed.

Bloody Ford

Aid to AIDS

or

Behold a White Horse
 
!Cao!
!Cao! is a 2012 Mexican horror story written by Luis Francisco, a pseudonym. The book was largely inspired by online horror stories called "Creepypasta", and this is seen in its style. The plot was centered around an entity known as the "Shade", a being which lurks below consciousness. The "Shade" is said to attack people when they begin to gain consciousness from waking up. It soon gained notoriety for its poor quality. Tortured by his dreams of being a beloved author destroyed, Luis Francisco killed himself in 2013. This information was released by his family on Francisco's website, which soon after shut down. In 2015, the book gained attention once more, when numerous murders were committed in Mexico City, all signed under Francisco's name. The victims were all killed in their beds, but some indicated a struggle, and all were book store owners who refused to sell Francisco's book or known critics of the book. These murders continued till Rodrigo Leoz was caught. He admitted to the murders, saying he did so out of love of the work and wanting to take revenge for the author. Rodrigo Leoz is now serving life in prison, but on the internet some claim Leoz wasn't the true killer and that those known to criticize the book on forums are told to soon after die.

The Last Knight

“The Last Knight” (Esp: el Último Caballero) is the nickname of a mysterious individual sighted in the Californio states of Nuevo México, Río Colorado, and sometimes even as far north as the border with the Columbia Republic [OTL Oregon Territory]. Records of eir appearance date back to 1849, and continue to this day.

The Caballero’s description has remained remarkably consistent across the years: a tall individual of unknown race wearing a full-body reflective suit that can easily be seen on a clear day, made of a smooth, metallic, and highly durable substance. They also wear a helmet which obscures all of the head, similar in color to the suit except for what is apparently a bluish visor over the eyes.

The origin of the Caballero is unusual: the first sighting, an 1849 journal entry of an American prospector, occurred in the Nuevo México desert near a small pond. The entry is as follows:

“Came to a little lake out in the drylands today, and decided to make camp. A few hours after I had set up my tent, when the sun was low in the sky, a series of shooting stars gleamed brightly, followed by a larger object that came down at a tremendous speed. I went to look at the place where it seemed to strike the ground, and found a large hole with scraps of metal within, along with what looked like a man in armor.

Whoever it was looked at me, then came over quickly, and to my surprise asked me, in perfect English, “Where can water be found in this area?” His voice was queer, as though it was a mix of a man and a woman’s voice, but, not knowing what else to do, I told him to follow me to my camp.

Upon arriving back at the lake, he waded in until his whole body was obscured, and did not come out. I watched the lake all through that night, but I never saw him leave.”

The next credible appearance of the Caballero was in 1850, when a group of Californio settlers was attacked by soldiers of Mexico, which still claimed the Gran California region. In total, the force numbered 50 riflemen and 2 5-pounder guns.

Within ten minutes of their initial assault on the 300 settlers, all of them were dead or so badly wounded they could no longer fight.

According to Julio Álvarez, the group’s overall leader, the Caballero appeared on a nearby hill, and was fired upon by the soldiers, first with small arms, then with the artillery, neither of which left any mark. The Caballero then appeared to produce a strange rifle from thin air, and proceeded to calmly cut down the attackers. After they were dealt with, e simply left, and was not seen again for nearly two decades.

After the Alamogordo Incident (as the defense of the settlers came to be known), the Caballero was consistently recorded as an opponent of what it likely perceived as destructive forces, fighting for anyone from isolated travelers to groups of Indios under attack from the settler governments, gaining a reputation and moniker similar to a knight of King Arthur. As the 20th century arrived, the Caballero would be the subject of novels, comics, films, and would even receive a monument in Alamogordo dedicated by the President of Gran California, and apparently was captured on camera during the ceremony.

The latest sighting of the Caballero was in 2017, by a pilot who saw the gleam of eir armor on a hill. A day later, human trafficker Esteban Sinclair, the “most wanted man in Gran California,” was found dead in one of his bases near the Columbian border, just a kilometer from the last sighting. He had a hole burned through the center of his forehead, which officially was from a conventional firearm, but is believed by most to be from the Caballero’s weapon.

What is the Caballero? Some believe that e is a messenger or warrior sent by God to Earth, to punish evildoers; others (the majority) believe that e is an alien whose craft experienced a structural failure near Earth and crashed.

If that is the case, e appears to have no intention of returning home, and is seemingly immortal.

[see above posts for next]
 
Bloody Ford:

A 1975 movie based on the urban legend of the "man with the hook hand" who terrorizes couples parked in secluded areas. Ford Motor Company sued Paramount Pictures over the title.

That's OK, the guy upstairs don't walk around much
 
That's OK, the guy upstairs don't walk around much
These were the infamous words said by Roger Jones, known as the M&M Killer, due to him leaving the candy at all of the crime scenes, after he was discovered in the home of Ben West, a 70 year old man who lived alone. Suspicion was raised around the house when Mr. West's neighbors reported that he hadn't left the house in weeks and started to smell a horrible scent. Mr. West's neighbor, Mr. Roberts, finally called the police after seeing a thin bearded man, who he had never seen before, staring out a window on Mr. West's second floor. Soon five police cars were parked outside and the police stormed into the house. They discovered Roger Jones in a closet, eating bloody M&Ms. He was took into custody, saying the above mentioned words. The police discovered the body of Mr. West in his wheelchair. The stomach was split open and filled with M&Ms.

The Day The Romans Took Back Rome.
 
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Nirgal

Banned
The Day The Romans Took Back Rome.
A 1980 Mel Brooks film parodying I, Claudius, the infamous A-list softcore porno Caligula, Spartacus, and a handful of other films about ancient Rome. In the film the oversexed buffoon Gaius Julius Caesar (played by Brooks himself) returns from Egypt with the, uh, "ravishing" Cleopatra (portrayed by Andre the Giant, of all people) to set Rome back in order. In a reversal of the usual story, Caesar's erstwhile henchman, the stiff, sober, honorable Marcus Antonius (Christopher Walken), turns against Caesar. While sympathetic, he allies with the German warlord Arminius (Arnold Schwarzenegger) to overthrow Caesar. Arminius plans a sack of the city in the process with Caesar's adopted son, the greedy Brutus (Jack Nicholson). At the same time, notorious and infamous slave revolt leader and all around badass Spartacus (Clint Eastwood) catches wind of the nefarious plot and risks life and limb to defend the innocent people of Rome from the barbarian menace. Marching toward the city, his positions threatens Caesar who rides out to confront the slaves, and is tricked (buffoon that he is) into handing over control of his army to Spartacus. This happens because Caesar shouts "Spartacus? Who's this meshuggana Spartacus?" at his main general Pompey (an old Kirk Douglas) who answers with tears in his eyes, "I'm Spartacus". With Caesar out of the way, Spartacus trains the Romans in revolver shooting in one of the first examples of an 80s montage scene, only to find out that they took so long that Arminius and Brutus are already sacking the city. The climax of the film comes with Spartacus, Caesar, Pompey, and allies storming the city and joining up with the regretful Marcus Antonius in a slapstick romp of epic proportions. Spartacus's cowboys fight Arminius's Indians and imperial Germans with Mother Teresa refereeing from the sidelines. Cleopatra's Nubian giants (not taller than Cleopatra herself) fend off Brutus's legionaries and pirates led by Captain Hook (Gene Wilder). Caesar leads a legion of venerable old Orthodox Jews who beat with their Torahs a motley team of football players, rock stars, cheerleaders, farmers, and astronauts led by Richard Nixon (Robert de Niro) and vocal Hitler (Joe Pesci). The free for all descends into chaos and ends with Caesar, eyes ears and nose plugged with pie cream, screaming "ET TU, BRUTE?" The film ends with Caesar's funeral from being overstuffed, attended by a weeping Cleopatra who agrees to marry the daunted Arminius for peace. Brutus is executed by being fired from a cannon. Grateful Marcus Antonius rules Rome with Pompey. Spartacus, his job in this little western town done, rides of slowly into the red sunset. Subplots include handsome young Augustus's (Patrick Swayze) attempts to seduce his stepmother, farmer Johnus Smitthus's (Kurt Russell) struggles to contain and eliminate a clingy alien lifeform, and the dark commentary of The Stranger (Lee Van Cleef) who watches all and comments sardonically. Widely panned by critics upon initial release, the film has become a cult classic for its extremely cheesy nature and lively spirit, managing to incorporate almost every genre and aspect of American film.

Don't Scream Mama, It's Only Me
 
Don't Scream Mama, It's Only Me
Comedy starring Michael J Fox about a sleazy estate agent who dies and is forced to become the guardian spirit of his estranged mother (Betty White). When his former partner/rival tries to sell out her retirement home shenanigans ensue.

I Bleed
 

Aurantiacis

Gone Fishin'

800 page Fantasy Fiction novel written by Harvey R. Jameson on the battle of the different gods in a titanic battle across the sky, for all to see. The main characters are a Roman god and Nuwa and Fuxi going in love with each other. Vaguely, Fuxi gets angry and disgusted that the muscle-rippling god is more attracted to Nuwa, Fuxi decides to kill Nuwa with a heavenly bamboo stick. This causes chaos in the godly world, and unfortunately the Earth will be the victim and suffering the most, as the planet's inhabitants desperately attempt to appease the gods. The book ends with a really nail-biting cliffhanger, as the Fuxi-slain Igaluk, Native American deity of the lunar skies, slowly wakes up and soughts to get its revenge on the Chinese gods. The book was a instant bestseller in North America and Europe, but unfortunately Harvey suffered from a stroke and had died, leaving his novel only half-finished.

Blue and Purple Winds
 
Blue and Purple Winds
A funeral hymn of the Neo-Quentinites, a successor sect to a 1960s hippie Christian commune led by Roderick Quentin II. The title refers to their belief in Heaven being a "gorgeous, extended high" with psychedelic visuals. The lyrics describe god as being an amalgam of various animals, including a cat, hippopotamus, roan antelope, and bagworm.

The Wolf in the White House: A History Guide for Furries
 
The Wolf in the White House: A History Guide for Furries
A book about American President Jonathan R. Hetmond, 53rd President of the United States of America. Running for the Unitary Party his election broke the centuries old two party system that dominated American politics up until that point and with his party taking enough seats in both houses in Congress to keep either party from forming a majority government; facilitated the first Coalition government in US History. His policies of Federal Intervention in the economy, Strategic Deterrence on the world stage and an influx of money into both NASA and the various space tourism countries began what many refer to as The Second Gilded Era where American businesses and foreign power led the world. He was referred to colloquially in the media as the Wolf of the White House due to his persistence in forwarding American interests both on Earth and in the ever expanding frontier of space. A few years after retiring from political life as one of if not the most celebrated US President in history, Hetmond gave a bombshell interview to TIME. In the magazine-filling mega-interview Hetmond answered questions about everything from his opinion on the then President (strongly supported) to his stance on poutine (strongly support). He also revealed that he was an avid furry with dozens of suits for dozens of different animals. His favorite suit coincidentally was a wolf suit. While he never stated it in the interview, in a Reddit AMA some months later Hetmond even hinted at him engaging in 'fur piles' (where a bunch of furries lay around on top of eachother, occasionally sexually) as a young man. The book itself was circulated extensivly in the furry community and even appeared on the NYT Bestsellers list for two weeks.

The Rise and Fall of the Neo-Yankite Imperium
 

samcster94

Banned
A late 20th century Confederate work of propaganda that criticized the policies American counterpart who was a populist leader who would move his country far to the left, especially on race. The Confederate text, which was written in this apartheid-esque police state, inaccurately claimed the American President's daughter had married a black man.
The Illusion of Terra Nullus
 
The Illusion of Terra Nullus

A scathing political commentary published in 1803 by Giorgio de’ Medici, former important member of the imperial Italian court exiled in Poland-Lithuania, decrying the Italian government’s systematic extermination of the indigenous peoples of Australia Italiana with the justification of the land being “terra nullius.”

The Great Stupa of Tyros
 
The Great Stupa of Tyros
The Great Stupa of Tyros is a holy temple constructed in the Greek city of Tyros around 241 B.C, by hellenized Chinese Buddhists fleeing after the defeat of the last Hellenic Chinese Emperor. The Refuges were given asylum by Emperor Alexander V of Greece and Macedon. The Chinese community brought over many advanced techniques and technologies to the Emperor's realm, and their fealty was secured with the Oath of Athens, which also formed the Empire of Greece and Macedon's elite River Guard, made of Chinese heavy infantry and crossbow men.

The Brotherhood of Steel
 
The Brotherhood of Steel
The name of the now infamous Private Military Company, taken from the mildly successful Fallout game franchise. While it would spend the first few years of its existence engaged in small bush wars in Colonial Africa where it gained a reputation as brutal, sometimes atrocious. It seemingly got its big break when the Anglo-French government hired it to aid in pacifying the Malay people of Malaya who had been launching a brutal guerrilla war for going on five decades by 2005. In the jungles of the Malay Peninsula the Company seemingly flourished fighting off dozens of attacks by Malay fighters. However, in 2007 the BoS was allowed to go on a localized counter-offensive to locate a Malay stronghold near Signapur and destroy it. The BoS went into the jungle and quickly tracked down the stronghold to find it was not a military target but a village. The current leader of the BoS, who went by Arthur Maxon as that was the founder of the faction in the Fallout games, was given operational freedom to decide how to deal with it. Theater Commander Charles Shaw IIX in a later tribunal stated he thought the BoS would at most evict the village. Instead the company surrounded and slaughtered the 10,000 people in the village and then hunted down the survivors. To cover up their atrocity the company burned the village and the bodies. However, the pyre was seen from space by a CANAM satelite and a UN observer was sent, who discovered the bodies and ruins of the village.

In the end everyone involved with the PMC were declared International Criminals and may of its backers across the world were arrested. However the BoS fled justice and the entire company vanished into the vast expanse of the African Congo. Even now, 11 years later there are still sightings of the BoS in the jungles of the Congo. A recent international military expediton to find the company found over a dozen razed villages and a former HQ that had only recently been abandoned. However the company still eludes justice and has become a sort of legend as multipule movies about their purported deeds have been made and a whole series of games on the company, reportedly funded by money embezzled by the BoS itself, has been released and found success in the West.

The 80's
 

A review of EMD's popular SD80MAC series of diesel locomotives, known popularly as "The 80's." The book details the mechanical and electronic specifications of the 80-series locomotives and the way they were used on the railroads that purchased them.

Chico and the Man
 
A review of EMD's popular SD80MAC series of diesel locomotives, known popularly as "The 80's." The book details the mechanical and electronic specifications of the 80-series locomotives and the way they were used on the railroads that purchased them.

Chico and the Man
Humberto Corona's first (and only) literary work, detailing the suicide of a fictional Mexican-American in the Central Valley published in 1958 in a failed attempt to achieve official bilingualism in California. The book inspired the more radical factions of the Chicano Movement, which eschewed the Christian-democratic (and Democratic) tendencies of Cesar Chavez for more militant, even violent, acts against the state and federal government. Following the Assumption Day bombings in 1980, almost every school board and library in California withdrew it from circulation, and the author was himself briefly arrested.

The Polkovnik
 
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