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

3/1/2021 – 10/1/2021

 * Zombie lords were neither especially regal zombies nor the unliving remains of nobles, but rather particularly intelligent and powerful undead created from a raise dead spell gone wrong.
 * Captain Zemmer, a mercenary in the service of Lord Neverember, was the daughter of a Thayan necromancer and had a zombified family dog growing up.
 * An ephemeral hangman was a malevolent aberration formed from pure shadow, a sort of Shadowfell equivalent of a roper except stealthier and arguably nastier.
 * Black Dugal's Music Shoppe in Ravens Bluff was the city's one-stop shop for all manner of musical instruments, all expertly crafted by the proprietor, "Black" Dugal Buchannan.
 * The noble Lanngolyn family of Waterdeep controlled the city's textile industry and once had one of their number kidnapped by the doppelganger syndicate known as the Unseen.
 * Saddles enabled the denizens of Toril to mount all manner of steeds both exotic and mundane, providing a marginally more comfortable experience than riding bareback.

10/1/2021 – 17/1/2021

 * The Ruldegost family of Waterdhavian nobility seemed like a respectable House that made their coin through trade and banking, but the family matriarch's brother was secretly a member of the sinister Knights of the Shield.
 * The Grove of Meditation in the kingdom of Synnoria on the Moonshae Isles was blessed by the Earthmother to provide meditating elven mages the insight needed to advance their powers.
 * The horned devil Rotbite possessed the stone golem Awtawmatawn no fewer than two times, terrorizing the inhabitants of Volkumburgh Vale on both occasions before ultimately being foiled by falling down a hole.
 * The Lake of Steam separated the Shining South from the rest of Faerûn. The Border Kingdoms, the Shaar, and several free cities such as Mintar, Yeshpek, and Ankhapur all lay along its coast.
 * Luthbaern was a town of corpulent cheese-makers, which is just about the nicest thing anyone could say about Luthbaern; its citizens were pompous and arrogant, and the town itself was gray and cramped.
 * The humble torch kept darkvision-impaired adventurers across Toril safe as they plundered dungeons and crypts. Remember: always light a torch before opening a sarcophagus. No exceptions.
 * The Tower of Solace was a grand building in Neverwinter's Protector's Enclave district where the evil wizard Rhazzad experimented on the plaguechanged victims of the Spellplague under the guise of charity.
 * Clangeddin's Hearth, a dwarven group touting themselves as the survivors of Clan Melairkyn, briefly retook the Temple of Clangeddin in Undermountain before they were slaughtered by the lich Morik Stormhand.
 * The deep waters of Waterdeep's Deepwater Harbor were kept exceptionally clean by the continuous efforts of the Guild of Watermen and local merfolk from the villages of Tharqualnaar and T'Quession.
 * A powerful and ambitious wu jen was once cursed by the Eight Million Gods of Kara-Tur to become a vile tigbanua buso, wandering the island of Wa and turning innocents into savage tagamaling busos.

17/1/2021 – 24/1/2021

 * Tashluta, the capital city of Tashalar, was built into the ridge of a volcanic caldera, which formed a natural harbor for the city's fleet of ships.
 * The First Unhuman War ended in a decisive victory for the Elven Imperial Fleet against a coalition of goblinoids and orcs, but also led to the formation of the feared scro.
 * The Nakulutiun villagers of Ahtitlak were notoriously intolerant of outsiders, preferring instead the company of a pack of remorhazes.
 * Priest-King Vishnan VII struggled to convince people to settle in Garuji, due in large part to the surrounding area being threatened by busos and other strange creatures.
 * The alteration spell venom of Varae allowed followers of Sseth to spit snake venom at other people, which was as lethal as it was rude.
 * Elboar's Finest offered wine, spirits, spices, and sauces to the residents of Amphail in the mid–14 century DR.
 * The Garden of the Drow in Undermountain was famous for its delicate crystal roses, but had little else to recommend it, owing to both its unfortunate location and it being infested with pests.
 * Doombats were particularly nasty bats that were gigantic in stature, extraordinarily bloodthirsty in demeanor, and capable of blasting their victims with sonic energy.
 * The fortress of Dun-Tharos was the seat of the Nentyarchs of Narfell during that empire's zenith, but was later occupied by a Chosen of Talona and an unpleasant demon cult.
 * The crater of Mount Drakkor Rouge was filled with a salt marsh covered in scum, and was also home to many other types of scum, ranging from swamp sharks to adherents of the Cult of the Dragon.
 * The Netherese arcanist Lucke was a known lover of animals, and so was disappointed to learn that other wizards used the conjuration spells he invented to pit creatures against each other for entertainment.
 * As far as demon lord realms go, Yeenoghu's Death Dells was actually rather charming, apart from the sweltering heat, hordes of ravenous gnolls, pools of obyrith goo, and the aptly named "Screaming Peaks".

24/1/2021 – 31/1/2021

 * New Sharandar was an outpost of Iliyanbruen elves situated on the border between Neverwinter Wood and the Feywild, linking the two realms and serving as a bastion against dark fey invaders.
 * The Waterdhavian festival of Selûne's Hallowing was celebrated to commemorate the slaying of a group of fanatical Malarites by a group of good lycanthropes led by three Shards of Selûne.
 * A bloodsilk spider ensnared its victims in a sticky, blood-red web that slowly squeezed the blood out of their bodies and channeled it into the bloated blood-blister on the spider's back.
 * The Kuong Kingdom capital city of Parmahana was suddenly abandoned, its buildings left for the jungle to reclaim as tales circulated that the site was cursed by the gods.
 * The Red Wizard Kizzaf concocted a scheme to use love potions and spells of charm person to lure unwitting innocents into slavery, selling them to Thayan merchants such as Mahzed.
 * The ancient kingdom of Peleveria stretched from the Firesteap Mountains to the Shaarwood. Its capital city of Peleveran was built into the side of the Landrise and was rumored to contain a portal to the Nine Hells.
 * Arctic stink squirrels were among the most playful and snuggly animals found in Icewind Dale, but also among the stinkiest&mdash;the stench they could exude was comparable to a stinking cloud.
 * The arctic dwarf village of Gomwemk was nothing more than a ruse meant to dissuade frost giants from attacking; all the inhabitants actually lived in a hidden tunnel network below the mock houses on the surface.
 * Noted wild mage and spell inventor Nahal the Incorrigible set out to search for her teacher, Hornung the Anarch, when he disappeared in a wild surge that sent him to the world of Oerth.
 * The adventurer known as the Khelbenite slogged through large portions of Undermountain in a joyless quest to stop a maniacal drow from loosing an avatar of Lolth herself on the unsuspecting city of Waterdeep.

31/1/2021 – 7/2/2021

 * The noble Moonstar family of Waterdeep split into two factions when Vanrak Moonstar declared war on the Church of Selûne from his lair in Undermountain; the other family faction remained comparatively normal.
 * Certain Underdark beholders were known to keep petrified statues of ambassadors from other races, either for artistic value or for later consumption (or both).
 * Although the male offspring of medusae were known as maedar, it was possible for males to be cursed into becoming "regular" medusae. One such example was Marlos Urnrayle, leader of the Cult of the Black Earth.
 * The medusae sisters Corinye and Kathala kept nosy adventurers from disturbing the lair of the dracolich Azurphax, who was fortunate enough to be immune to their petrifying gazes.
 * Howser's Trail ran across the Giantspire Mountains in the Duchy of Soravia, connecting the small town of Cutrock with Howser's Mine.
 * The Angalpuk region of the Great Glacier was notable for its population of Angulutiun tribes, their massive migrating caribou herds, and for the majestic &hellip;flatness of its plains.
 * When he wasn't showing off on his magnificent unicorn steed, Thradisar Starwise helped guide adventurers through the Fey Crossing to the Iliyanbruen settlement of New Sharandar.
 * The holy sword First Light belonged to Commander Lyssic of Myth Drannor, a devout adherent of Lathander. Centuries later, the sword remained in his crypt, conveniently waiting for a fellow Lathanderite to pick it up.
 * Shockers were intensely curious creatures composed entirely of electricity that were often seen outside their native Plane of Lightning&mdash;one shocker even joined the Mindulgulph Mercenary Company.
 * Although the diet of carnivorous apes consisted largely of meat, their reputed fondness for human flesh was largely exaggerated. Adventurers were advised not to test this out in practice.

7/2/2021 – 14/2/2021

 * The Blushing Mermaid festhall in Waterdeep's Sea Ward was owned by the secret archlich Alathene Moonstar, who maintained her unlife by draining energy from the Mermaid's least pleasant patrons.
 * The Cathedral of Helm in Helm's Hold was an impressive and peaceful place of worship for the adherents of Helm, at least when it wasn't being controlled by murderous Ashmadai cultists.
 * Many adventurers came to the Tomb of Damara to search for a hidden orb of dragonkind, but they stayed because they had been killed by the ogre warlord Bonegnasher and his minions.
 * The Nakulutiun villagers of Kresttet chose&mdash;somehow&mdash;to live in a desolate, earthquake-ridden valley filled with deadly crevasses, where they subsisted on lichen and fought off frequent white dragon attacks.
 * Banda, a fortress-town in the Kuong Kingdom, was built as a show of strength toward the neighboring realm of T'u Lung. This was unnecessary, as T'u Lung had little interest in crossing the border.
 * The lakshu Viper knew she was dealing with an imposter when her reigar mistress Cholana strangely reappeared after a fatal phlogiston experiment but could not guess the imposter was a radiant dragon.
 * The elven druid Walnut Dankgrass wanted to bring down urban civilization from the inside, so taking a position as a documancer in Acquisitions Incorporated seemed like a good move (at the time, anyway).
 * Scrivenscry was an arcanaloth who searched the planes for the Books of Keeping, said to contain the names of every yugoloth in existence. He was accompanied in this quest by his pet penguin Kingsport.
 * The woodcutter Dharmun sought to avenge the death of a colleague at the hands of a black firedrake, but in the ensuing combat he was immediately, gruesomely, and predictably melted to death.
 * Dragonwights (also known as "wight dragons" and "discount dracoliches") were created by infusing the spirit of a chromatic dragon with negative energy&mdash;yet another innovation of the Cult of the Dragon.
 * Algid was a small fishing town in Netheril located south of the Hidden Lake. It was destroyed by the phaerimm in.

14/2/2021 – 21/2/2021

 * Taran Goldenstar was an elf apprentice wizard of Freedale. He went hunting for the lost orb of dragonkind but was captured by Bonegnasher's gang and tortured by a hobgoblin.
 * Enlasre was a stopover village on the Kuong Kingdom's southern trade road. Its main attraction was its hot mineral springs and the legend of a lost magical spring created by a goddess in the jungle.
 * Griffon Hill was a thorp in Cormyr lying on the Stonebolt Trail, home to sheep farmers and priests of Chauntea. In the event of orc, they hid in a cavern under the hill, but it was said to link to the Underdark.
 * Thadat was a mage who sold magical items and services in Innarlith, but this put him in competition with the Red Wizard Marek Rymüt. He once wrote a Draconic poem of necromantic magic on a clove of garlic.
 * Lady Arilain was a Netherese archwizard who led the Opus enclave of Netheril. She confronted Karsus over his dangerous new spell, but afterward was never heard from again.
 * The Lugotak Sea on the Great Glacier was a deadly place where unwary travelers could fall through thin ice into freezing water and ice spears. Worse, there was also species of aggressive sharp-fanged seal.
 * Broalaunt was turned into a boar for being a pig to Samaerra, an apprentice of Larloch. To break the curse, he had to perform many strange and impossible tasks, from eating chipmunks to kissing the Simbul.
 * Moonweb was a spell granted to clerics of Selûne that formed an impenetrable barrier to cocoon a creature or block a doorway, possibly reflecting attacks both magical and mundane.
 * The Order of the Gilded Eye was a zealous Helmite order based in Helm's Hold. They destroyed those they perceived as corrupted by extraplanar evil and persecuted those who disagreed.
 * An araton, also called a desert devil, was surrounded by swirling abrasive sand. With their own hides sandblasted and oozing blood, they were often mistaken for undead.
 * Anguiliians, a race of eel-like creatures, would hunt and eat anything, even their own dead. Against whales, giant squid, and kraken, they would attach, drill inside, and eat from the inside out.

21/2/2021 – 28/2/2021

 * Shedaklah, the 222 layer of the Abyss, was fought over by the demon lords Juiblex and Zuggtmoy, who apparently found its humidity, green-brown color palette, and population of insane myconids quite charming.
 * Living spells were essentially spells given permanence and a degree of sentience, often found in places where magic had gone catastrophically wrong, such as the ruined Netherese enclave of Ythryn.
 * Gremlins were mischievous goblin-like fey with a penchant for thievery and vandalism. They could mate with other goblinoid species, producing variant gremlins like the fremlin, the jermlaine, and the snyad.
 * Gnarhelm was a Northlander kingdom in the Moonshae Isles known for its rocky terrain, its rich copper mines, and for the ineptness of its sailors.
 * When the people of Suranatra relocated to the new Kuong Kingdom capital of Parmahana, they decided to beat would-be-desecrators to the punch by destroying their own temples as they left.
 * The Tor of Swords was named for a quintet of magic Anaurian swords hidden within its grottoes. The blades were found by the swordswomen of Haela's Host, who put them to good use culling the monsters in the area.
 * Twilight Gate Farm was, despite its very inspired name, just a turnip farm in Sembia. Not even a particularly nice turnip farm, actually, as it was both ramshackle and overgrown.
 * The planetar-turned-demon lord Adimarchus ruled the Abyssal layer of Occipitus until he was betrayed by the son of his archenemy, Graz'zt, apparently as part of a plan to unify all demons.
 * The archmage Traxigor polymorphed himself into an otter by mistake, but found that he actually preferred life as a cute little furry creature, and made the change permanent through a wish spell.
 * Malgi Hi was a mysterious human sorcerer who preferred the company of lizardfolk over the "civilized" races, to the point that he became the leader of a tribe of lizardfolk in the ruins of Myth Drannor.
 * Vulkaran the Dark was the emperor of the Vodoni Empire and the self-entitled “Ruler of All Known Space”. His expansionist decrees led directly to the outbreak of the War of the Spheres.
 * Alathene Moonstar, proprietress of Waterdeep's Blushing Mermaid festhall, was secretly an archlich who sustained herself by draining the life force out of others, though she usually only preyed on people she disliked.

28/2/2021 – 7/3/2021

 * Time travel was achieved in several ways, such as chronomancy, time gates, or the black obelisks, meaning it was theoretically possible to go back and stop Karsus before he made such a mess of things.
 * The world of Eberron was contained within its own material plane, isolated from the rest of the multiverse. Although exceedingly rare, a select few Eberrans came to Toril, though always by exotic means.
 * Princeps Kovik did not approve of how his superiors directed the infernal 8th Legion in the Blood War, so he broke free of the hierarchy of Hell and became a warlord of Avernus.
 * The tapal was a triton weapon that combined, somehow, elements of a dagger, a spear, and a longsword. They resembled crystalline fish hooks and were considered prized family heirlooms.
 * A Weave anchor was an area invested with the divine essence of Mystra that aided in stabilizing the Weave. Without Weave anchors, the Spellplague would have been a true catastrophe.
 * The magical sword Flame Blade was a physical manifestation of the spell flame blade, and further evidence that the clerics of Mystra weren't the most creative when it came to naming things.
 * Pegataurs were essentially winged centaurs, resembling a cross between an elf and a pegasus. Though not native to Toril, they sometimes acted as messengers for the Seldarine deity Aerdrie Faenya.
 * Spyder-fiends were horrific tanar'ri demons with the bodies of giant spiders and wolf-like heads. They were thankfully rare, being mostly contained to the 14 layer of the Abyss, the Steaming Fen.
 * The noble Nesher family of Waterdeep made their coin in the lumber industry and were avid hawk-masters. They opposed the suggested creation of a haven for Waterdeep's non-human residents.

7/3/2021 – 14/3/2021

 * Ha-nagas were not merely content with making their lairs in the ruins of ancient civilizations&mdash;they had a preference for the shattered wreckage of civilizations they had personally brought low.
 * Jake's Encyclopedia of Eels was a seminal reference work on the nature of eels that ascertained, among a number of other findings, that eels were neither baby leviathans nor Underdark spies.
 * The copper dragon Balarystul posed as a Calishite barber in Avernus, hoping to learn the whereabouts of Arkhan the Cruel from chatty customers.
 * Senator Aikiko of Innarlith was known for her lack of wits and also for allying with the Red Wizards in an attempt at seizing power in the city&mdash;two facts that may or may not be related.
 * A meal of Beef and Oysters Barnabas, combining succulent beef with the slime-like consistency and taste of oysters, could not be described as complete unless served with a glass of Westgate Ruby wine.
 * Despite getting himself enslaved by no less than two separate gladiator arena masters, the gnomish potion merchant Bellowgulp Bluefingers remained cheerfully optimistic.
 * The black lichen mikka, found in the Alpuk region of the Great Glacier, tasted a bit like mint and lent a nice crunch to the soups and stews prepared by Iulutiun cooks.
 * Ash mephits had a perpetually depressed and gloomy disposition, and one could hardly blame them; the Quasi-Elemental Plane of Ash was not a place that would incline anyone toward joyous frolicking.

14/3/2021 – 21/3/2021

 * Gideos was the mind flayer leader of the Bloodrovers pirate band that roamed Avernus in their infernal war machines. He even had an eyepatch, which concealed a magical gem.
 * Nagathas were the servitors of spirit nagas, created in a horrific process that deformed a humanoid's body and erased their memories but left their trauma intact.
 * The Mtair Dhafir were a Bedine tribe of Anauroch manipulated and attacked by the Zhentarim. One survivor was the heroic wizardess Ruha, the Harper Witch.
 * Peacocks were a species of bird known for their vaguely human-like shrieks. They roamed wild in Furthinghome after being imported and escaping captivity.
 * Z'neth was once an up-and-coming hobgoblin warlord on some other world about to wage war in Gehenna before he was forced to sell larvae in Avernus for the rakshasa Mahadi.
 * Idle dice were a pair of enchanted dice inscribed with Dethek runes for the numbers 1 to 6. When rolled, they imparted a little healing to allies according to the result.
 * A cranial drill was a surgical tool used to make a hole in the skull to relieve headaches or madness. Some survivors swore it was effective.
 * Adabra Gwynn was an acolyte of Chauntea who served as midwife and apothecary for the village of Phandalin, until her home was attacked by a manticore.

21/3/2021 – 28/3/2021

 * Although they became a respectable house over time, the Gosts of Waterdeep were historically known for their many "get rich quick" schemes, their criminal enterprises, and for consorting with yuan-ti.
 * Kitcher's Folly was a monument to human ambition, specifically that of Sir Ilyber Kitcher of Scardale, who heroically braved the jungles of Chult until his total ineptitude landed him in an early grave.
 * Vellynne Harpell (of the Longsaddle Harpells) was a noted necromancer and explorer who sought to uncover the secrets of Ythryn, a lost Netherese necropolis in the Frozenfar.
 * Horemkensi, a senator of Innarlith, briefly oversaw a project to build a canal from the Lake of Steam to the Nagaflow, a job he did with practiced incompetency until he was killed by a spirit naga.
 * Umbrage Hill near the village of Phandalin was so named because two feuding dwarf clans once fought a pitched battle atop it, though no one could remember the exact cause of their umbrage.
 * The Sheaf of Wheat in the town of Ghars, Cormyr, was described by Volo as "forgettable, but not dreadful". It might be because the owner substituted cheaper meats, such as horse instead of beef.
 * Life took many turns for Keresta Delvingstone: she was, at various points, an outlaw, an adventurer, an enthralled vampire spawn, and finally head priestess of Shar in Undermountain.
 * Bright nagas were not, as their name implied, very intelligent nagas, but rather the dregs of naga society. They could only cast a single spell and were often better at running away than fighting.

28/3/2021 – 4/4/2021

 * The Wind Dukes of Aaqa were a group of extraplanar beings opposed to the Queen of Chaos and obyriths in general. They were worshiped by aarakocras and certain elements of Omuan royalty.
 * Zygoms were evil fungi found in Chult and certain layers of the Abyss that preferred infecting living creatures and feeding on their flesh and bone.
 * The Flame of the Spirit was a Tymoran sacred object that, when touched by someone of the faith, would display one of the many spells stored within it, and if not, burn them to death.
 * Ysgardian dwarves were much like regular dwarves, but hailed from the plane of Ysgard and were less drunk. They were suspicious of deities in general, but many of them served as agents of Sharindlar.
 * The minotaur Maku led a group of his kinsmen in a conflict against House Freth in the Maze Level of Undermountain. His ultimate goal was to summon Baphomet himself to put a swift end to the drow.
 * Harkhuf was an incompetent alchemist in the city of Innarlith on the Lake of Steam. His ineptitude when dealing with smokepowder led to hundreds of accidental worker deaths.
 * Alfonse Kalazorn ("Big Al" among friends) was the owner of the Butterskull Ranch near Conyberry. Prior to his career as a rancher, Big Al served as the sheriff of Triboar.
 * Sheik Sa'ar was the intelligent yet contentious leader of the Bait Mahwa tribe of the Bedine people. His reluctance to accept outside aid almost caused his people to lose a conflict with the Zhentilar.
 * Kendra was a notable adventuress who plied her trade across the breadth of Faerûn. She often ran afoul of men who were pigs and fools, and treated them accordingly.

4/4/2021 – 11/4/2021

 * The powerful enchantment spell binding was developed by the Netherese arcanist Yong. It could bind a creature to a specific spot for several years&mdash;or even longer if other spellcasters aided in its casting.
 * Balt was a demanding Batiri general who lived in fear of being fed to Grumog, whom his people saw as a god. This so-called "god" was later cut down by Artus Cimber and a pair of talking wombats.
 * Though most inhabitants of Ghars thought that Dovo was merely a moronic blacksmith's assistant, he was in fact a spy. His fellow spies, however, thought him similarly moronic and put him to death.
 * The herb known as horsetail was used by the Azuposi tribes of Maztica to treat conditions such as hay fever and colds.
 * In 1328 DR, the bard Velorna Jalaneth published Friends I Weep For You, a ballad that described friends standing together through life until after death.
 * Myth Drannor's Shop of Secrets was a specialized store that sold hard-to-find wizardly goods. Customers often had to wait for years&mdash;and hand over bags of gold&mdash;for the super-rare items they'd ordered.
 * Favored servants of Lolth, wall-walkers were spider–reptile hybrids. In addition to bearing paralyzing stingers, these psionic creatures cast such spells as shadow-form and mind blank.
 * Ouwoonivisc the Infected was a chaotic illithid who'd contaminated its hive mind. Kimmuriel Oblodra realized something was wrong with Ouwoonivisc and used his immense psionic power to mentally destroy it.
 * The Blood Rift, which crossed the planes, was teeming with gulthirs, ghastly baatezu that were covered in tumors and lesions.
 * Petunia was a dairy cow that was branded with her owner's name. Even when Butterskull Ranch was raided by orcs, the calm cow had somehow managed to escape and survive.
 * Florentine Turmish was a short-reigning ruler of Turmish who favored peace and commerce. She was assassinated in the, after only four years in charge.

11/4/2021 – 18/4/2021

 * The Fireplace Level was a large dungeon beneath the villa of the noble Gost family of Waterdeep, and a favored haunt of the famous vampire lord Artor Morlin and his undead underlings.
 * The Temple of Ubtao in the Chultan city of Mezro was built by the deity Ubtao himself. The building's exterior was magically fashioned so it looked exactly the same from all angles.
 * Hatchrin Alet'taz was the consort of Erelal Freth, drow matron of House Freth in Undermountain, but lost his position after being falsely accused of plotting to poison his and Erelal's unborn child.
 * Gustaf Stellern, or "Falcon the Hunter", was the owner of a hunting lodge in the Neverwinter Wood. It catered to bored nobles and was decorated with orc skulls.
 * Mayella Meadowbrock, daughter of the wealthy merchant Barthelm, was described as "the fairest flower in Cormyr". Although she had many suitors, she only had eyes for a roofer named Rolf.
 * Even before it fell into ruin, the port town of Pros was a ramshackle affair consisting of rickety docks and deteriorating buildings. When the Sea of Fallen Stars receded from its ports, so did its citizens.
 * Lesser tree healing allowed an adherent of Baervan Wildwanderer to rejuvenate by drawing upon the healing energies of a tree. This could last a long time, lending the spell its other name: tree nap.
 * The Illistine family of Chondath were, at varying times, the rulers of Hlondeth, Sembia, and Westgate. Their dynasty ended abruptly when Mulsantir Illistine III was killed by an agent of the Shoon Imperium.
 * Menhirs were not an uncommon sight in Faerûn, having been erected since ancient times to serve as religious shrines, landmarks, and, by the ancient Yuir people, to power enormous magical portals.

18/4/2021 – 25/4/2021

 * Weredragons were lycanthropes who transformed into dragons. They're not to be confused with song dragons, also called "weredragons", who were true dragons who assumed the form of female humans.
 * The half-elf sorceress Ghleanna Stormlake was one of the Veiled Ones who defended Myth Drannor from an invasion by the Cult of the Dragon, as prophesied in the mysterious ballad Song of Faerûn.
 * Arrick Kaarvol, a merfolk cleric of Umberlee, demonstrated such prowess in the Deepwater War that he earned the admiration of the Waterdhavian vampire lord Artor Morlin, who took him for one of his spawn.
 * Sangin was a warlock in the service of the dread vampire Strahd von Zarovich who was sent to Toril to find a magical item that could free Strahd from the Domains of Dread.
 * Urlon was second-in-command of the githyanki contingent at Stardock. He hated his boss, Al'chaia, and secretly sympathized with the plight of the githzerai.
 * The Sewn Sisters, consisting of Widow Groat, Peggy Deadbells, and Baggy Nanna, were a coven of night hags in the service of the lich Acererak in his Tomb of the Nine Gods beneath Omu.
 * Abyssal wretches were the unfortunate victims of rutterkin and sibriexes, transformed via a terrible disease to become disfigured demons themselves. The only way to reverse it was with a wish spell.
 * Cyclocones were enchanted hats that, when thrown, spun at tremendous speed to form a magical whirlwind. Although once considered quite fashionable among mages, they eventually became old hat.
 * Lettuce was a leafy vegetable grown around Faerûn. It was used in various salads, while marsh lettuce was an ingredient in roasted cockatrice.

25/4/2021 – 2/5/2021

 * The Beholder language, or "Quevquel", was a guttural tongue with much lip-smacking, gurgling, and slobbering. A conversation between two beholders quickly covered their surroundings with spit.
 * Not merely content doing evil in the name of Bane, spellslinger-for-hire Lychor the Thunderwizard offered his services to both the Red Wizards and the Zhentarim.
 * When the medusa Medechai was turned into a vampire spawn by the notorious blood-sucker Artor Morlin, her mouth did not exhibit the typical fangs; instead, the snakes on her head each sported a set.
 * Fastred was a legendary Cormyrean bandit who terrorized the Way of the Manticore from his base in the Vast Swamp. Rumors abounded that he still haunted the swamp even centuries after his death.
 * Princess Wei Dao resented her posting at the Shou trade embassy on the Dragon Coast of Faerûn. She would do anything to return to Shou Lung, including conspiring with the Cult of the Dragon.
 * Moradin's Gauntlet was a golden gauntlet customarily worn by the dwarven overseer of the forge-complex of Hrakhamar in Chult. When the forge fell to firenewts, the gauntlet was left behind.
 * Keches resembled monkeys covered in green leaves and seemed truly committed to the practice of luring unwitting humans to their doom in the deepest forests with false screams of distress.
 * Just as the Netherese archwizard Kartaklys had shaved the top off a mountain to create his own flying enclave, he was sabotaged by his rival, Buoyance, causing Kartaklys to be crushed beneath his own creation.

2/5/2021 – 9/5/2021

 * The Twilight Marsh near Phlan was home to no less than three tribes of lizardfolk. The black dragon Throstulgrael tried to enslave them all, but was chased off by meddling adventurers.
 * Sheep were kept as livestock all across Toril, from Faerûn to Kara-Tur to Zakhara. Nearly every part of the sheep could be used for a practical purpose: their meat, their milk, their wool, and even their skin.
 * Rorrina Stoneshaft, a shield dwarven cleric of Abbathor, was turned into a vampire spawn by Waterdeep's vampire extraordinaire Artor Morlin.
 * The noble Gundwynd family of Waterdeep specialized in the procurement and sale of hippogriffs&mdash;perhaps the loftiest of trades.
 * The Joy of Extradimensional Spaces was a treatise on Mordenkainen's magnificent mansion. Scribbled into its margins was the procedure for creating a permanent extradimensional space.
 * Doom guards were golem-like guardians created using an anvil of darkness that could be found protecting all manner of dungeons, ruins, and castles, such as Castle Ravenloft and Durlag's Tower.
 * Hoarder dragons were exceptionally greedy undead dragons who refused to leave their hoards even after death. Unwilling to lose even a single copper, they possessed their beloved treasure to drive off thieves.
 * Norkers, dimwitted distant cousins of hobgoblins, were cruel, lazy, and vicious even by the standards of other goblinoids. On Toril they were found in the Underdark and the Forest of Tethir.
 * The interloper deity Hermes was barred from entering Realmspace, making his search for Tyche&mdash;who had been split into the Torilian goddesses Tymora and Beshaba&mdash;that much harder.
 * Razor was one of almost a hundred cats owned by the retired War Wizard Benelaius. Well named, Razor was very irritable and swift to bite and scratch when disturbed, or ordered.

9/5/2021 – 16/5/2021

 * Giant wolf spiders were much like regular giant spiders except slightly smaller, nimbler, and more intelligent&mdash;qualities that made them excellent hunters in most types of terrain.
 * The House of Good Spirits was the guildhall, brewery, inn, tavern, and wine store of Waterdeep's Vintners', Distillers', & Brewers' Guild, and one of the city's few sources of elverquisst.
 * Phalantar's Philtres & Components was renowned for its broad selection of medicines, spell components, and herbs, as well as for its owner's no-questions-asked policy.
 * Membership in Waterdeep's Most Careful Order of Skilled Smiths & Metalforgers did not come cheap: prospective members had to pay thirty dragons for the privilege of joining, plus twenty more in annual dues.
 * The gnomish city of Forharn lay in the darkest depths of the volcano Kossuth's Ire in the White Peaks. Its citizens were mildly inconvenienced when the volcano erupted after a long period of dormancy.
 * The isle of Sumbrar served as the headquarters for Evermeet's military and navy, and was defended by a fleet of Ruathimaer and no less than twelve ancient dragons.
 * The tome Hippogriff Riders of the Hand told of the history and practices of the elven hippogriff riders that operated out of the Hand of the Seldarine in the Spine of the World.
 * Mazfroth's Mighty Digressions was a collection of rambling essays hastily scribbled by Mazfroth Gethur on subjects as varied as the Weave, lycanthropy, and the demon lords of the Abyss.
 * The tools of the common man was a set of farmers' tools blessed by Chauntea to aid the defenders of Cuardin on Gwynneth against an invading force of Northlanders.
 * The Cormyrean warlord Gondegal was supported by several Arabellan notables, such as the saddler Arth Tembroar, the clothier Culdath, the herbalist Azunt Haelcloak, and the mercenary Baerendros.

16/5/2021 – 23/5/2021

 * The Knights of the Black Fist were once a zealous band of warriors dedicated to Iyachtu Xvim, but time and circumstance turned them into a zealous force of soldiers dedicated to the city of Phlan.
 * Leafing through a manual of bodily health would magically improve the reader's constitution, unless the manual were one of Halaster's fakes, in which case they would be devoured by hungry palimpsests.
 * The Book of the Raven was so named because that's how it arrived at Candlekeep; carried in the talons of a raven. The Avowed were forced to shoo it away lest it peck the book to shreds.
 * In the Realms, a minor death was a type of robed skeleton that could be summoned by clerics of Kelemvor. On Earth, a minor death was... something else.
 * Cuardin, a minor farming town in the Moonshaes, was once invaded by Northlander raiders, but its villagers beat them back with the Chauntea-blessed tools of the common man.
 * The shepherding community of Wyvernhunt was haunted, figuratively, by the legend of the werewyvern bandit Black Shaernauba who supposedly murdered a contingent of Purple Dragons in the area.
 * The hearty horse breed Carmathan Red was also known as the "Carmathan horse-ox" for their strength and durability. Needless to say, these beasts of burden were popular in their native Damara.
 * Arquebuses, relatively crude smokepowder weapons from Lantan, tended to backfire with alarming regularity, making them nearly as dangerous to their wielders as they were to their targets.

23/5/2021 – 30/5/2021

 * If you were so inclined, you could implant the Teeth of Dahlver-Nar into your own mouth, but in doing so you risked falling under the influence of malevolent entities like Acererak. And that's the tooth.
 * The Imaskarcana were the seven most powerful artifacts of ancient Imaskar. In addition to providing their wielders with great power, the Imaskarcana also contained vast amounts of Imaskari knowledge.
 * Mortarchs were clerics of Kelemvor who specialized in the fine mortuary arts, and were especially known for blessing the recently deceased to prevent them from rising in undeath.
 * The drow race consisted of three distinct cultures: the jungle-dwelling Lorendrow, the frost-favoring Aevendrow, and the "classic" Underdark-dwelling and Lolth-worshiping Udadrow.
 * The Black Lord's Altar in Mulmaster was considered the center of Bane's worshipers on Toril. The Cult of Black Earth once tried to destroy it in an attempt at humiliating the Banite faith.
 * Devuri was a crayfish hengeyokai priest of the Lords of Creation in Kataburi. Thanks to his work, the town was blessed with a bounty of giant crayfish, courtesy of a local water spirit.
 * The Salamander's Tongue was a powerful and grim-looking magic kris that seemed to change owners with alarming regularity, traveling from Westgate to the Spine of the World via Selgaunt and Hillsfar.
 * That most majestic of undergarments, the simple yet elegant loincloth, was a popular fashion choice for folk across the breadth of Faerûn.
 * Waterdeep Way was a major thoroughfare in the City of Splendors, and a prime spot for broadsheet cryers to hawk their wares.

30/5/2021 – 6/6/2021

 * The city-state of Mourktar was considered by some to be a vassal of Chessenta. In reality, Mourktar was a notable regional power, evidenced by the city later becoming the capital of Threskel.
 * The Citadel of Strategic Militancy was the heart of the Church of the Red Knight. During the Time of Troubles, its leader, Kaitlin Tindall Bloodhawk, served as the Red Knight's avatar host.
 * The village of Halfcrag was so clustered together that it looked like a single structure from afar. Its villagers were exceptionally cautious, often employing helmed horrors to protect their valuables.
 * Olmhazan's Jewels was a jewelry shop in the Castle Ward of Waterdeep whose façade was shaped like an enormous faceted gemstone. This aesthetic choice was commonly mocked by the Waterdhavian nobility.
 * A tome of leadership and influence taught its readers how to deftly navigate the complex landscape that is interpersonal relationships. It also magically made them more charismatic, which helped.
 * The First Imaskarcana (of seven) was a lavender crown that granted its wearer access to several powerful spells. It also answered direct questions, provided they were asked in the Roushoum language.
 * The tren were reptilian humanoids originally bred as hybrids of troglodytes and lizardfolk in vile yuan-ti experiments. Fortunately for the tren, the vile stench they exuded made them unlikely candidates for slavery.
 * Shemshime's Bedtime Rhyme was a colorful and lovingly crafted mechanical pop-up book with an integrated music box. Unfortunately, it was also the subject of a terrible and infectious curse.
 * The nun Ama of the Kuong Kingdom was highly skeptical of foreign "barbarians" from "so-called kingdoms," and was convinced the Kara-Turan Path of Enlightenment was a false religion.
 * Strongor Bonebag was a priest of Myrkul who moonlighted as the leader of a Cult of the Dragon cell. Notably, he convinced the black dragon Ebondeath to become a dracolich.
 * Talisid, the Celestial Lion, was the most powerful and wise of all leonals. He was also considered the king of all guardinals, though he himself merely viewed himself as a servant of his people.
 * Ezmerelda d'Avenir, or just "Ez" to her friends, was a vampire hunter who traveled the breadth of the Domains of Dread to ply her trade, though she struggled to get the better of Barovia's Strahd von Zarovich.

6/6/2021 – 13/6/2021

 * The sewers of Waterdeep served as a much-needed sanitation system but was also connected to the city's many dungeons and was absolutely filled to the brim with horrifying monsters.
 * Although thankfully uncommon, lifeleech otyughs could be found in unsavory and refuse-filled pits such as the sewers of Waterdeep, where they subsisted on a diet of dung and healing spells.
 * Folks disagreed on whether the mysterious Lurker in the Shallows of Yhauntan Bay was a morkoth or an aquatic dragon, but one thing was for certain: adventurers who sought it out never seemed to return.
 * Although linnorms were not known for being the most pleasant of creatures to begin with, those of the corpse tearer variety were said to be especially greedy, untrustworthy, and downright cruel.
 * The wizard Madryoch, a pioneer in the use of the Shadow Weave, attempted to overthrow the leader of the Imaskar Empire, but his plans were thwarted by a young Halaster Blackcloak.
 * Ansoain was a traveling mage who wandered from town to town with her son Galimer and her apprentice Druhallen. She met an untimely end at the hands of the Red Wizards while guarding a wedding party.
 * The archdevil Bael was one of the greatest tactical minds of the Nine Hells, but his bullheadedness and lack of political prowess kept him from rising in the infernal hierarchy.
 * Domino was a yuan-ti pureblood illusionist who was part of Esau Enoch's laboratory crew, first in Iniarv's Tower and then later&mdash;having been run off by Justin Melenikus&mdash;in Wolfhill House.
 * Corran D'Arcey was the de facto leader&mdash;mostly because of his lack of humility and inflexible morals&mdash;of the Veiled Ones who defeated the Cult of the Dragon in Myth Drannor.
 * Hillsafar Hall was a major dwarven hold in Vaasa renowned for its relative impregnability, its rich bloodstone mines, and for the battle prowess of its king, "Grumble" Hillsafar.
 * The Lowerdark town of Reeshov was settled by former mind flayer slaves, making its population an eclectic mix of grimlocks, quaggoths, lizardfolk, and troglodytes.
 * Platinum knights were sworn to the service of Bahamut, the Platinum Dragon, and devoted their lives to defending noble metallic dragons from decidedly ignoble chromatic dragons.
 * Valdick's spheresail allowed its caster to create a spelljammer that required neither a helm nor a helmsman, instead drawing divine power directly from Mystryl, the goddess of magic.
 * The Book of Inner Alchemy contained secret ki techniques for achieving immortality, which made it an object of interest for the corrupted monk Bak Mei and his Order of the Immortal Lotus.