Underread and Underrated August 2021

Link to article: Underread and Underrated August 2021.

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**« [[[uau052021|May 2021]]] | __[[[uau082021|August 2021]]]__ | [[[uau092021|September 2021]]] »**
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Featured SCP!
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+++++ [[[SCP-5332]]]: Remnants of the Elder
//Storage: The cargo to be stowed in the hold, in a large standard crate with a sheepskin padded interior, and secured to the floor hull by rope.//

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Featured SCP.
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Featured Tale/Format!
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+++++ [[[The Definition Of Madness]]]
//He was cracking open the second beer when he heard the voice.//
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Featured non-SCP.
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+ Topic and Prompt of the month!
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+++ what's this?

Underread and Underrated is a project intended to shine a spotlight on, well, underread and underrated pages!

+++ oh neat. What's the blurb for?

As part of the associated UaU initiative, each month we'll be picking an element of SCP lore that people outside the general gestalt might not know about. We're also hosting writing challenges involving said lore!

+++ may i suggest [blank] for the topic?

Sure! Do note, however, that anything with a dedicated hub[[footnote]] Meaning a hub dedicated exclusively or primarily to the topic. GoI Formats would //not// count unless the primary content for the GoI is its formats.[[/footnote]] above +100 in rating can't be made topic. Sorry! D:

Suggestions should be PM'd to [[*user UraniumEmpire]]!

+++ oh cool how do i participate?

Just PM [[*user UraniumEmpire]] a link to your piece and she'll post it on next month's "Last Month's Pieces and Topic" section!

For artists: try to link to whatever social media page is hosting the art. It saves us space and ensures we have a solid reference.
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Last Month's Pieces and Topic
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++ [[[scp2000contesthub|Days]]] [[[scp3000contesthub|of]]] [[[scp4000contesthub|Contests]]] [[[scp5000contesthub|Past]]]
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The best of the past.
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Topic + pick of this month!
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++ [[[memorandum-083-regarding-project-guardianship|MEMORANDUM 083]]], [[[as-on-a-darkling-plain|Prelude]]], and stories set in West and Central Asia
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This month's piece.
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The combined population of West and Central Asia is just under 390 million, according to a 2019 UN population statistic. For an area slightly larger and more populous than the United States, you don't see as many stories in the former regions. It's a shame, because as the [[[ORIA-hub|Office for the Reclamation of Islamic Artifacts]]] and [[[Necropotence]]] show, there's a wealth of stories to be told.

Depending on the interpretation, the ORIA is either based out or a national organ of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The nation itself has a unique place in Middle East and Central Asian affairs:
* It is the largest majority Shi'ite nation on Earth, in population and area. As well, it served as a focal point in several Zoroastrian empires, prior to the 7th Century Muslim conquest.
* A regional superpower, it has tremendous influence on the affairs of both areas, both as an ally and an opponent.
* Partially as a result of its Shia Islamist government, Iran is a frequent opponent of Salafi jihadist terrorist groups such as ISIL and al-Qaeda; however, it has provided support to Hezbollah, a Shia Islamist militant group.

Central to most depictions of the ORIA is an opposition to imperialism. The ORIA sees itself as guardians against foreign incursion, a literal "reclamation" of the anomalous Islamic world from powers such as the Foundation and GRU-P. As a result, the dynamic of "normalcy" can change drastically within its areas of operation, necessitating a mix of diplomacy, espionage, and armed conflict.

Of course, the ORIA isn't the be-all-end-all of the regional anomalous. Just look to Necropotence, a story in the [[[the-coldest-war-hub|Coldest War]]] canon about the anomalous bits of the Soviet–Afghan War.

And writers shouldn't feel constrained to late 20th/early 21st-Century politics! Consider how the Daevite Empire had a presence in Northern Iran, or what GRU-P might've been up to during the WWII Soviet evacuations. Failing that, how does ORIA manage generic murder monsters? Not every West/Central Asian anomaly is uniquely West/Central Asian.

Sure, stories in North America are fine. Just... maybe think about a change of scenery.

+++ This month's challenge:
* **For writers:** Write an article taking place in one or both of these regions, from the perspective of a local.
* **For artists:** Draw a scene from Necropotence.

Underread and Underrated August 2021

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