Template:DidYouKnow/current

This page collects current trivia for Template:DidYouKnow. On the first Sunday of the new year, please make sure there are 53 sections of trivia in this page (Every 5 or 6 years we get a year with 53 weeks in it. See ISO week date.) and then copy the 53 sections to  where   are the last two digits of the new year. Then remove them from this page and add the trivia for the first week of the new year. The DidYouKnow template will select additional trivia from a random previous year for the current week. Archives should be named for the year they were created because the template looks for pages in the archive directory that start with "2".

Archives of previous years:
 * Template:DidYouKnow/archive/2013
 * Template:DidYouKnow/archive/2014
 * Template:DidYouKnow/archive/2015
 * Template:DidYouKnow/archive/2016
 * Template:DidYouKnow/archive/2017
 * Template:DidYouKnow/archive/2018
 * Template:DidYouKnow/archive/2019
 * Template:DidYouKnow/archive/2020
 * Template:DidYouKnow/archive/2021

2/1/2022 – 9/1/2022

 * The Akanamere was a freshwater lake that separated Chessenta from the Blade Kingdoms and Chondath. A kingdom of nixies could be found underneath its waters.
 * The Kara-Turan kingdom of Phutan was covered entirely in dense bamboo forest. The monks of neighboring Tabot saw it as a lawless land ruled by a violent heathen king.
 * Shepherdston was a pastoral village of shepherds and dairy farmers in Amn perhaps most notable as a hiding place for Tethyrian nobles during their many civil wars.
 * Selchoun's Sundries Shop in Waterdeep stood on the site of the former stables of the ill-fated Deepwinter family, whose ghosts occasionally meandered through the shop.
 * The Keystone was an Imaskari device that granted mastery of portal magic and access to the Celestial Nadir. Since it also gave off light, it could alternatively be used as a lamp.
 * When Bregg was passed over by the wychlaran to be named the next Iron Lord of Rashemen he rebelled, slaying dozens of hathrans. Ever since, the wychlaran wore masks to hide their identities as a safety measure.
 * His Deadliness Jabbar was the leader of the Purple Lancers, a militant order dedicated to the Mad God Cyric. Although he was a proponent of madness, he felt the battlefield was no place for whimsy.

9/1/2022 – 16/1/2022

 * Shalarins magically created pearl armor using the secretions of giant clams, and it was a tough as plate mail, but was rarely worn full-body because it still impeded swimming.
 * A golemmaster was a specialty priest of Azuth that specialized in creating golems, crafting them artistically and as close to perfection as possible.
 * The Reign of Misrule was an annual one-day Turmish festival filled with natives breaking oaths, dogmas, contracts, furniture, glassware, (possibly noses) and all propriety. Even paladins got rowdy!
 * Shadow spiders were huge arachnids from the Shadowfell with slippery webs and a paralyzing bite. They hunted on the Material plane and stashed victims in extra-dimensional larders.
 * The last member of the noble Deepwinter family of Waterdeep died in 1260 DR, all victims of the Guildwars and their own ambitions, leaving only ghosts and the family crypt behind.
 * Allandra Grey, the high priestess at the Water Queen's House in Baldur's Gate, followed an older form of Umberlant faith learned from her mother and grandmother.
 * The Fist of the Future, a fortress turned temple to Cyric in Hill's Edge, attracted hundreds of undisciplined and criminal types only a few years after its founding.
 * The Body Shop in Vaelan in Durpar grafted customers with the popular plangent crystal prosthetics, but it was rumored they were just not the same ever again.
 * Ippensheir was a twelve-day-long religious festival/trade conference when priests of Gond showed off their discoveries and inventions, partied, and sometimes even saw St. Ippen.
 * When Melkar of Mirabar tried to break into Ahghairon's Tower in Waterdeep in 1271 DR, his skeleton was left hanging outside as a warning not to disturb the first Open Lord's tomb.
 * Damh was a fey deity of the Seelie Court and patron of song, dance, revelry, and of satyrs, korreds, and atomies. Though earthy and self-indulgent, he was a powerful guardian of the fey.
 * Kzelter was a farming and garrison town in Tethyr that was seized by Teldorn Darkhope and the Knights of the Black Gauntlet of Bane while its lord was away at court.
 * The Herald of Mei Lung was a magical book and artifact that told the whole history of the world—right up to the present day, and beyond! Dragon Lord Mei Lung gave it to the monks of Ko'Chung Gompa for safekeeping.

16/1/2022 – 23/1/2022

 * Members of the Church of Waukeen were tasked with aiding merchants and traders across Toril, helping their businesses succeed and thrive&hellip; for a price, of course.
 * Priests of the Church of Jergal were sometimes transformed into mummies by Jergal himself, allowing them to carry out their divine duties beyond their natural lifespan.
 * The Army of the North was an alliance formed by the peoples of the North to stop the growing threat of the phaerimm after they slithered free from their imprisonment behind the Sharn Wall.
 * As'arem was an undersea empire of shalarin below the Sea of Fallen Stars. The empire originally worshiped the Shalarin pantheon until that group of gods was barred from Faerûn by Dagon.
 * The fabled, ever-moving Impossible Palace of the Silver Domes in Shou Lung was home to the great lung dragon Mei Lung, Grand Historian of the Celestial Empire.
 * The Deepwinter Vault was the eternal resting place of the noble Deepwinter family of Waterdeep. As it happened, it was also one of the secret entrances to the lair of the vampire lord Artor Morlin.
 * Fensir were giants native to the plane of Ysgard. Uniformly ugly in appearance, with large heads and warty skin, they were often referred to as "Ysgardian trolls".
 * Firedrakes were dragonets resembling tiny red dragons. That's just about the extent of their cuteness, though&mdash;these monsters had a "breathe fire first" policy to pretty much any stimuli.
 * Brother Hodges, a Baldurian priest of Ilmater, was treasured by his local community for his charitable nature. He was often seen talking amiably with the poorest residents of the Gate.
 * The Evening Glory was a goddess of love, beauty, and immortality who was imprisoned beneath the Amber Temple in Barovia, slowly turning her into a deity of undying obsession.
 * The spell meld of Lolth allowed a priestess of Lolth to meld her mind with another being, letting her see what they saw, read all their thoughts, and communicate with them telepathically.

23/1/2022 – 30/1/2022

 * The Order of the Dark Moon was founded by Alorgoth, a manipulative monk who traveled across east Faerûn spreading fear and strife, all in the name of furthering the Sharran faith.
 * Xet was the opal dragonet familiar of the geomancer Thormud Horn. Unremarkable both in the courage and combat departments, Xet was at the very least adequate as a paperweight.
 * Panzuriel was an evil sea god worshiped by scrags, koalinth, and krakens&mdash;and other unsavory underwater types to boot. His chief divine ambition was murdering Deep Sashelas.
 * Several deities of the Finnish pantheon established themselves on Toril as a ploy to gain more worshipers. These included Mielikki and Loviatar, but also Kiputytto (who died) and Untamo (who remained obscure).
 * The clerics, monks, diviners, and sibylites of the Church of Savras spent much of their time meditating in order to gain glimpses of the future.
 * The abjuration spell hide from animals rendered a druid, ranger, or cleric of the Hunt domain invisible to animals&mdash;even those who possessed tremorsense and blindsight.
 * The Generon was the seat of power of the nation of Chondath. As the most magnificent building in Arrabar, it frequently played host to glittering galas such as the annual Night of Ghosts.
 * Roaringshore was a pirate hold on the Sword Coast, not far from Baldur's Gate. One Harper agent claimed the local tavern was run by mind flayer spies.
 * The Hell Hound's Muzzle was a tavern-slash-assassin's guild in Skullport established by the Zhentarim githzerai agent Grimmbold after he failed a mission to kill Halaster Blackcloak.
 * The Hill of Lost Souls was a dormant volcano in the middle of Pelleor's Prairie haunted by the ghosts of human, goblin, and orc soldiers who died during the Battle of Bones.
 * The shipbuilding noble Raventree family of Waterdeep were primary backers of the expedition to Maztica that established New Waterdeep, from which they imported rare delicacies.

30/1/2022 – 6/2/2022

 * The world of Aebrynis was a little-known crystal sphere considered by planewalkers to be a backwater realm. The human rulers were characterized by their divine bloodlines, while dwarves there worshiped Moradin.
 * Battle Garde was the divine realm of Garagos, the Lord of War. The deity was known to roam the plane of Warrior's Rest, proclaiming any place he stopped to be his Battle Garde.
 * The cobra dragons of Kara-Tur were believed to be special king cobras that had reached great age and transformed into these destructive dragons.
 * The Endless Revel of Life was the name given to all festivals and celebrations of the Church of Sharess, of which there were many.
 * Gem magic was a unique form of magic that weaved spells into gemstones for later use. The art of gemstone magic dated back to ancient Netheril and practitioners of it were imaginatively called the "gem masters".
 * The Hands of Paymon were a set of gauntlets that had a demon bound to them. No need to lose your head searching for the Hands, as they were destroyed in 1375 DR.
 * Iyachtu Xvim, the Godson, was the half-fiend son of Bane, thought to have been fathered in the . Under the guise of Sirrion of Krynn, he tried to steal divinity from Beshaba and Tymora.
 * Pearl dragons were a rare species of gem dragon with scales reminiscent of pearls. A pearl dragon was known to exist on the shores of the Lake of Steam in the mid-to-late 14 century DR.
 * The Kiss of the Lady, also known as a kissmoots, was the most important ritual of the Sharran faith, during which clergy committed murders and other heinous acts in the name of the Dark Lady.
 * Baldurian politician Yvandre Rillyn was as blunt as a sledge and as sharp as a sword. She was well-trained in both from the years she spent with the company of the Flaming Fist.
 * Gathgaer Milomynt posed as an apothecary in Waterdeep, but was really a Sharran cultist and slaver serving the Dark Army of the Night and selling his victims to Skullport.
 * Waterwall was a spell granted to priests of Istishia. It paralyzed engulfed creatures and was particularly deadly when turned to ice by a cone of cold.

6/2/2022 – 13/2/2022

 * The head of the Church of Milil was known as the Patriarch of Song. He was a peerless harpist, a master vocalist, able to change his appearance and gender, and possibly immortal.
 * The Bastion of Hate was the divine realm of Iyachtu Xvim. By all accounts not the most hospitable of places, it was manned by an army of yugoloth mercenaries. When Xvim died, a gaggle of githzerai moved in.
 * Ularith was a ruined temple complex in the Anauroch dedicated to the concept of death itself. It was used as a portal hub for a sect of undead Netherese ne'er-do-wells.
 * Laothkund was an oft-contested city in the Unapproachable East, having been claimed at various times by Unther, the Red Wizards of Thay, and finally by the waves, becoming known as Laothkund the Drowned.
 * Lightning rats were a variety of dire rat unique to the Grayvale of the Savage Frontier. They were about the size of a dog and could bark like one too.
 * The Ilmatari clergy of St. Dobla's Abbey were rumored to engage in licentious and wanton activities; in truth, they worked to free slaves in the spirit of their patron, Saint Dobla.
 * Kendrick Selkirk, Overmaster of Sembia, was so fiercely devout a follower of Tyr that he forbade his own resurrection, not wishing to challenge his god's will.
 * The Geonomicon cataloged almost a hundred worlds of the Prime Material plane, detailing their features and life forms. Spelljammer captains considered it an invaluable resource.
 * Bane (no, not that one) was a powerful divine spell granted to priests of Horus-Re. It bestowed a permanent curse on a creature that was likely to make their life miserable and short.
 * Specialty priests of Malar were known as beasthearts. They spent most of their time living in the wilderness like savages, killing prey with their bare hands. And they smelled bad.
 * Rivalen Tanthul was one of the Princes of Shade as well as the Chosen of Shar, the Goddess of Loss. He sought to initiate his goddess's Cycle of Night, destroying Toril and all its people.

13/2/2022 – 20/2/2022

 * The Church of Eldath was dedicated to the pacifist teachings of Eldath, the Goddess of Shining Waters, and consisted of Eldathan clerics, druids, monks, mystics, and specialty priests known as peacemen.
 * The clergy of the Church of Milil were known as Sorlyn, though no one could remember exactly why. The Mililan faith included a number of dolphin priests who were known to employ whales to sing for them.
 * Commander General Malkur Forrin was dismissed from the Sembian army for his excessive brutality, so he went ahead and made his own personal mercenary army instead, known as the Blades.
 * The Selûnite acolyte Respen Moongleam was known for his cheerful nature and love for the sea&mdash;that is, until his brain was eaten by a doppelganger who wanted to infiltrate the House of the Moon.
 * After the Twin Towers of the Eternal Eclipse were destroyed in the Rage of Dragons, the Cyricist High Priest Haarken Akhmelere rebuilt the temple using the Golden Lamp of Samesaj.
 * The Bloodsailors of Neverwinter became embroiled in an internecine conflict when Callik, the pirate crew's second-in-command, kidnapped Vengaul Bloodsail's girlfriend and sabotaged a lucrative cockatrice auction.
 * Specialty priests of Mask were known as catfoots&mdash;not "catfeet", because apparently the Church of Mask disliked how it sounded. They were usually collecting money from thieves and stealing for themselves.
 * The evocation spell ship shield allowed priests of Valkur, the Captain of the Waves, to create a stormy barrier that halted the velocity of high winds, large waves, and torrential rain.
 * The guardian construct Cynosure of Stardeep once pranked the Keepers of the Cerulean Sign by reporting that a chicken singing the ballad "King of Stars" had invaded the fortress's Causeway.
 * Brightaxe Hall was the seat of power of the ancient shield dwarven empire of Shanatar. The Wyrmskull Throne stood in the Hall for millennia, until the drow of Guallidurth drove the dwarves away permanently.
 * The Temple of Sharess in Bezantur was a decadent place dedicated to pleasure and excess. Every tenday, the temple hosted a "High Worship" ceremony, which was really just a thinly veiled party.
 * The Tymoran temple in Ravens Bluff was known as the Hall of Luck. In addition to standard temple services, the Hall provided guest quarters for adventurers and several gambling halls.

20/2/2022 – 27/2/2022

 * Cyric was at one point the god of tyranny, murder, death, deception, and illusion, but after numerous setbacks the only portfolio left to him was that of lies.
 * Cynosure was the construct warden of Stardeep, a star elven prison fortress in the Feywild built to safeguard against the Abolethic Sovereignty.
 * The Ice Hunters of the Sea of Moving Ice worshiped totem spirits like Clever Oomio, Grandfather Walrus, Great White Bear, and Pindalpau-pau.
 * The wizard Sakrysta Golthard pursued a variety of get-rich-quick schemes with mixed results, including some that were beneficial, a few curses, and one that saw her enslaved by a lich for a decade.
 * Acting as a pawn for both Shar and Mask, Elyril Hraven helped bring about the Sembian Civil War by poisoning Overmaster Kendrick Selkirk, thereby destabilizing the nation.
 * Kholiathra were gentle and carefree servants of Sehanine Moonbow who floated about, invisibly and silently aiding elvenkind by stopping minor accidents and granting good luck.
 * The Selûnite Order of the Half Moon was formed to guard the High House of Stars in Waterdeep. When it was burned down, they kept on guarding the new temple instead.
 * Greater shadow evocation enabled a caster to tap into the energies of the Shadowfell to create shadowy imitations of powerful spells, such as cloudkill and wall of fire.
 * Priests of Abbathor, the dwarven god of greed, were granted the spell conceal riches that let them disguise their treasured riches as worthless junk.
 * When Sigil's Society of Sensation tried to record the activities of Milil with a recorder stone, the deity responded by performing the excruciatingly long opera The Fall of Myth Drannor, boring the Sensates senseless.
 * Chan, Princess of Good Aerial Creatures, did her best to foil fellow archomental Yan-C-Bin whenever she could, though always in a discreet manner so as to avoid reciprocal aggression.

27/2/2022 – 6/3/2022

 * Sapra was a port city on the isle of Ilighôn in the Vilhon Reach, considered to be one of the cleanest and calmest places in the whole of Faerûn&mdash;all thanks to the oversight and protection of the Emerald Enclave.
 * When the gods of the Mulhorandi pantheon first arrived on Toril, they traveled aboard the Matet, Horus-Re's planes-sailing solar barge.
 * Gremishkas were tiny, cat-like monstrosities born from unstable magic. They hunted for magic of any kind to devour, and would chew through any spellbooks and material components they could get their claws on.
 * Tsucora quori were nightmarish aberrations who hunted the dreaming spirits of sleeping mortals on the world of Eberron, only appearing on Toril in extremely rare cases.
 * The Errant Thoughts were, alongside the Minders and the Lore Filchers, one of the military branches in charge of the defense of the illithid city of Oryndoll.
 * The city of Tulmon in the Land of the Lions was once ruled by the Calavarr, a mighty wizard who spent much of his time developing a small army of aberrant deepspawn.
 * Endren Corrinthal was an influential Sembian politician who nearly succeeded Kendrick Selkirk as Overmaster, but was falsely accused of orchestrating Selkirk's murder himself and imprisoned.
 * The spell enchant an item, which often called for bizarre processes and esoteric components, was once considered an alternative to regular item enchantment.
 * The conjuration spell mists of Ghaunadaur allowed priests of Ghaunadaur, the Lord of Slime, to cloak and protect themselves in a flowing violet mist.
 * Crystallomancy was a divine spell granted to clerics of Corellon that could turn an ordinary gemstone into a scrying device for a short time.
 * The Sojourner's Portal was a magical mirror that doubled as a gate connecting Waterdeep's House of the Moon with several other places associated with Selûne.
 * The Draakhorn was a gift to all dragonkind from Tiamat herself during the war between dragons and giants. Tooting the horn alerted all chromatic dragons within 2,000 miles.
 * Clams were a staple food across the breadth of Faerûn, from Yeshpek in the south to Ten-Towns in the north. Some clams could grow to monstrous proportions, becoming giant clams.