Twenty questions, round 496

[Spartaculous]

RULES
0. The purpose of this game is for the Question Master (QM) to select an entity to be guessed, and for the contestants to deduce the identity of this entity by asking a series of questions.

1. Only binary (yes/no) questions may be asked. Conditional questions are allowed, but conditional guesses are NOT allowed.

2. If the QM cannot determine with reasonable certainty whether the answer to a particular question is "Yes." or "No.", they will simply reply with "Pass". Questions that are answered in this way will not count towards the twenty-question limit, but all other binary questions will count towards the limit. Re-asking passed questions verbatim is not allowed, but contestants are welcome to rephrase passed questions and ask those. The QM is permitted to use discretion to pass certain questions on principle, but must be transparent about this.

3. Before the twentieth question is answered, one free guess per contestant does not count against the total twenty questions, but additional guesses by the same contestant do.

4. After all twenty questions are answered, there are no more free guesses, and five total guesses (combined among the contestants) shall be allowed.

5. No player shall ask more than two consecutive questions, where a guess (free or unfree) counts as a question. EG: If Player A asks a question; and Player B makes a guess; Player A may go next with up to two questions. This means you cannot ask 2 questions and then follow it up with a guess.

6. The Question Master may choose entities real or fictional that are not horribly obscure, so long as they are not repeats.

7. Whoever guesses correctly takes over from the previous question master; if they do not want to do it, they may choose someone else provided they are willing.

8. In the unlikely event the question master remains undefeated three times in a row they must choose someone else to be the next QM (provided they are willing).

9. If terminology in a question is undefined, the QM defines it however they think is most reasonable (or may ask the questioner to clarify or re-phrase the question). Questions regarding the methodology used do not count towards the 20 questions and best come with an example figure.

10. A contestant can "scratch" their own question or guess before it is answered. Scratched questions and guesses do not count as questions or guesses for the purposes of the total count, or the two consecutive questions/guesses rule.

11. If someone guesses a character who has already been a correct answer in 20 Questions before, that guess will not be counted as a guess.

12. The use of artificial intelligence in the solving process, aside from the AI answers that automatically come up on search results, is not permitted.

For game history, see here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1uXCl7ynaYyUH86zL98dIx8Bbo9WEJCqFnFFsfGg8vz4/edit?usp=sharing

Begin.

[DarthPorg36]

Real human born in Europe, Asia, or Africa?

[Hominidae]

Real human born in what is currently a country that borders China, Italy, or Mexico, but is not China, Italy, or Mexico?

[Spartaculous]

Real human born in Europe, Asia, or Africa?

Yes.

Real human born in what is currently a country that borders China, Italy, or Mexico, but is not China, Italy, or Mexico?

Yes.

[miminena]

Was this person born during a time when the Italian peninsula was at least mostly unified? interpret the threshold as you will

[Spartaculous]

Was this person born during a time when the Italian peninsula was at least mostly unified? interpret the threshold as you will

Yes.

[DreamTrawler]

Was this person born during a period during which China was not unified? Let’s say during one of the following:

- prior to the Qin Dynasty
- The Three Kingdoms
- The Sixteen Kingdoms
- The Northern and Southern Kingdoms
- The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms
- the Southern Song Dynasty
- fall of the Ming Dynasty
- The Warlord Era
- The Chinese Civil War

[Hominidae]

Born in what is currently San Marino, Vatican City, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Nepal, Bhutan, or Laos?

[Spartaculous]

Was this person born during a period during which China was not unified? Let’s say during one of the following:

- prior to the Qin Dynasty
- The Three Kingdoms
- The Sixteen Kingdoms
- The Northern and Southern Kingdoms
- The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms
- the Southern Song Dynasty
- fall of the Ming Dynasty
- The Warlord Era
- The Chinese Civil War

No.

[Aristocrat]

Primarily famous for the arts (broadly speaking), chess, math, astronomy, addicting children to cigarettes, being an astronaut or being part of a government-sponsored space agency, or being royalty?

[Spartaculous]

Born in what is currently San Marino, Vatican City, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Nepal, Bhutan, or Laos?

Yes.

Primarily famous for the arts (broadly speaking), chess, math, astronomy, addicting children to cigarettes, being an astronaut or being part of a government-sponsored space agency, or being royalty?

No.

[JECE]

Born anywhere in Europe other than San Marino, the Vatican City, Ticino or Slovenian Istria?

[Spartaculous]

Born anywhere in Europe other than San Marino, the Vatican City, Ticino or Slovenian Istria?

Yes.

(Speaking of San Marino: I learned this winter that the Pittsburgh Pirates signed a baseball player who is now the first-ever Sammarinese-born minor leaguer. I hope he becomes a star so I can use him in 20Q five years or so from now.)

[Aristocrat]

Currently alive?

[Spartaculous]

Currently alive?

Yes.

[Aristocrat]

Does this person’s first or last name have a character that is not part of the standard 26 character English alphabet? (E.g., ö, č, ć, ü, etc.)

(Apologies if this is not the most correct way to ask the question - basically, it’s asking if any letters have accents, umlauts, etc., none of which exist in US/UK English)

[Aristocrat]

Does this person’s first or last name have a character that is not part of the standard 26 character English alphabet? (E.g., ö, č, ć, ü, etc.)

(Apologies if this is not the most correct way to ask the question - basically, it’s asking if any letters have accents, umlauts, etc., none of which exist in US/UK English)

Scratch and replace with:

Does this person’s first or last name (or both) have one or more diacritics?

[kingofthepirates]

Primarily famous for science or playing a sport?

[kingofthepirates]

Primarily famous for science or playing a sport?

Edit: include video games in that

The actual question then becomes:
Primarily famous for science, playing a sport, or something to do with video game?

[Hominidae]

Born after 1968?