Template:DidYouKnow/current

This page collects old trivia from Template:DidYouKnow. Please make sure there are 53 sections of trivia in each archive year (every 5 or 6 years we get a year with 53 weeks in it. See ISO week date). 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

31/12/2017 – 7/01/2018

 * Evergold, the Fountain of Youth and Beauty, stood in both Hanali Celanil's palace in Arvandor and Sune's part of Brightwater.
 * The Order of the Calming Wave was a monastic order faithful to Valkur, god of sailors. It was formed by a band of ex-pirates.
 * Yaks were kept as livestock in the Hordelands and northern Faerûn. They had many uses, with their milk used for yak butter.
 * Darrusktraal was a fortress in Khôltar. Gate guards made extra money by advertising and directing travelers to local businesses.
 * Frizzt Boz'Wevial was a big-eared drow mage gifted with magical items by his more famous distant relative Drizzt Do'Urden.
 * Ghaurin's Hold, a dwarf mansion in Old Delzoun, fell in an earthquake sent by Moradin, destroying the demons overrunning it.
 * Eghagu was a small village on the Great Glacier. It was settled by exiles from neighboring Iulutiun and Angulutiun settlements.
 * Moonfire was a magical substance formed from blessed Selûnite rituals. It created magical items and empowered the faithful.

7/01/2018 – 14/01/2018

 * Deadstone Cleft was a sacred site to stone giants. They carved questions into a stalactite, and found answers after the new moon.
 * Thear was a hot-tempered dwarf cleric of Tempus dwelling in Shadowdale who struggled to find a warhorse appropriate to his size.
 * Taurgaur's Tarjteir was an inn and restaurant in Khôltar catering to dwarves. The outside wall was carved into a huge dwarven face.
 * The Old Order was a mysterious monastic order dedicated to the philosophy of a lost or dead god, whom they did not worship.
 * Celestial eladrin were fey celestials of Arborea and Arvandor known for their beauty, grace, and wild and unpredictable natures.
 * Valamaradace, known as the Dragon Queen of Silverymoon, was a kindly gold dragon who watched over the Silver Marches.
 * Centaurs required much food to fuel their large bodies, and often overindulged with liquor. A drunken centaur was very aggressive.

14/01/2018 – 21/01/2018

 * Redtoe was a cowardly verbeeg temple guard in the Spine of the World. He knew when to flee or feign death to save his own hide.
 * The Ankheg Tribe of the Shaar adopted the ankheg as their symbol, with their favored tactic springing from the ground in ambush.
 * Haedyll, a halfling cleric of Eldath, tried to find enough money for his brother's resurrection and a journey back to the Thornwood.
 * Enklaevur Rostigror was a vagabond trader and thief who climbed to dominance as the Supreme Merchant of the city of Khôltar.
 * Whalebones, an archipelago in the Trackless Sea named for the skeletons that littered the beaches, was ruled over by petty kings.
 * A dune stalker was an evil creature of earth, summoned from its own plane to hunt down and give a "kiss of death" to a target.
 * Axe beaks were large aggressive flightless birds, named for their deadly beaks, found in Chult and on the Snout of Omgar.
 * Movanic devas were devas who oversaw the Material Plane. They took the forms of people or animals to move among mortals.

21/01/2018 – 28/01/2018

 * Dappledref was a beggar and conman who'd often pretend to be blind or pose as a priest of a new god, but made little profit.
 * Ironslag was a subterranean complex in the Ice Spires home to fire giants led by Duke Zalto and housing an adamantine forge.
 * Stone ships were sailed on the Narrow Sea by the dwarves of Delzoun. They were later beached in the sands east of Ascore.
 * Gardolf Beorunna was purported to be a Thane of Ruathym and the father of the god Uthgar, and died in battle against a demon.
 * Amberu Khôltar was a gold dwarf of the Great Rift and first governor of the trading camp that would be named after him—Khôltar.
 * Jordain viziers were dedicated servants who aided the mages of Halruaa, but were forbidden from practicing magic themselves.
 * Karpri was a planet in Realmspace entirely covered in water. It was home to aquatic elves and orbited by a haunted military base.
 * Dalath was a mining town in Unther. Although prosperous, it was dominated by greedy freeholders who killed off unruly slaves.

28/01/2018 – 4/02/2018

 * The Beached Leviathan was a pirate ship turned inn and tavern in Neverwinter. Captain Harrag treated his staff as a crew.
 * Zarangans were potent magical stones with many powers. They were created in ancient Netheril and brought to Halruaa.
 * A nautiloid was a flying ship used by illithids to journey between worlds. Their long rubbery tentacles were used to probe planets.
 * Pezelac was a stable nation in Maztica home to the fatalistic, homebody Pezel people, who paid tribute to the empire of Nexal.
 * Gonth "Merrybelt" Forgegold was a governor of Khôltar. Trying to be friend and father to all, he gave everyone what they wanted.
 * Flying snakes were found in Chult. They could be domesticated and trained to carry messages, such as by the Black Network.
 * Lamia nobles were the evil half-human, half-serpent leaders of the lamia race. They collected lore on history and magic.
 * The Seelie Court were the high society of fey, as well as select fey-descended beings like elves of great beauty and wit.
 * Crema Athkatla was a dessert descended from Amnian cuisine and enjoyed in Chult. It was a sweet caramel-hued custard.

4/02/2018 – 11/02/2018

 * The Jet Jambiya was a popular tavern in Calimport named for a magical jambiya that swallowed other weapons that were drawn.
 * Kabal the Firesoul was a wizard of Neverwinter who became trapped in the Far Realm and was transformed into a being of fire.
 * Chiang lung, or "river dragons" of the east, could fly without any wings, thanks to magical pearls embedded in their brains.
 * A spelljamming helm was an enchanted chair that let a magic-user power and pilot a spelljammer through the void of space.
 * Shraevyn's Tomb was the crypt of the wizard weaponsmith Shraevyn, said to hold his magical weapons and treasure.
 * Thannaberry was an alcoholic cordial said to have medicinal benefits, at least by those who sold it at Munsrum's Ready Ladle.
 * Tewahca was a ruined city in Maztica, where once the gods ordered the construction of a great pyramid as the site of their battle.
 * The Color Spray Nebula was a multicolored fan-shaped nebula in Realmspace, named for its resemblance to a color spray spell.
 * Kwayothé was a poor street-kid who grew to become a merchant princess of Port Nyanzaru. She sought to pull down the nobility.
 * The Siege of Neverwinter saw Valindra Shadowmantle's undead forces assault Neverwinter, opposed by city guard and heroes.

11/02/2018 – 18/02/2018

 * Astral devas, one of the orders of the devas, were angels who battled fiends and watched over those who walked the planes.
 * Princess Gorauna Obarskyr of Cormyr in the 300s DR killed many members of her own family to control the line of succession.
 * The Cloaked Ascendancy were a cabal of corrupted mages who sought to depose Lord Dagult Neverember of Neverwinter
 * The Crown of Neverwinter could only be worn by an Alagondar family member. It protected them from extremes of cold and heat.
 * Ascallions were a dangerous breed of large predatory fish. Females kept their young in their mouths, releasing them to attack prey.
 * Narwhals were a cetacean known for their long horns. Able to hold much magic, these were favored for enchanted rods and staffs.
 * Aremag was a cantankerous old dragon turtle who demanded tribute from any ship found in the Bay of Chult lest he sink it.
 * Embran Orntathtar was a police officer of Khôltar who quelled strife among the city's lords and rose to become its first human ruler.
 * Kamatlans were monstrous creatures found in Maztica. They were like jaguars with snakes sprouting from their shoulders.
 * A kiira, or "lore gem", was a magical gemstone that attached to a mage's brow and stored spells similar to a spellbook.
 * The wildspace inside Realmspace's crystal sphere was unusually warm, suggesting it was the oldest of the known crystal spheres.
 * Bowgentle's Book was a spellbook compiling the spells and teachings of Bowgentle of Silverymoon, but it was lost to thieves.

18/02/2018 – 25/02/2018

 * Cymril was a member of the Harpers working in Neverwinter. She was sent to join and lead the Sons of Alagondar rebel group.
 * Shago was a guide living at Fort Beluarian who led the Flaming Fist into the jungles of Chult on undead-hunting expeditions.
 * Manawabe was a tattooed druid in Chult who served as an excellent guide for those who had no intention to harm the jungle.
 * Jamrado's Thanetalium was a theater in Khôltar that hosted a variety of entertainments for its raucous nut-throwing crowds.
 * The Book of the Silver Talon was the spellbook of the feared archmage Asmiak, who was murderous in his efforts to reclaim it.
 * Moonfire salve, a substance collected by the Church of Selûne, had different magical effects depending on how it was applied.
 * The kiira N'Vaelahr were a collection of special lore gems used by the undercover agents of the N'Vaelahr for communication.
 * Guard drakes were magical creatures created from fresh meat and dragon scales. They loyally served whoever first fed them.
 * Riggilla the Dark was a half-drow shadowlord of the Shadowmasters of Telflamm, who operated as a roving agent for the group.

25/02/2018 – 4/03/2018

 * Dekanter goblins were a mutated variety of goblin, known for their rhinoceros-like horns. They were created by the Beast Lord.
 * The Market Ward of Port Nyanzaru held the Grand Coliseum, where gladiators, mages, velociraptors, tigers, and undead battled.
 * Foulspawn were creatures twisted by the Far Realm, who sought to recreate that bizarre place in the natural world&mdash;or destroy it.
 * The Company of the Yellow Banner was a band of adventures in Chult, who each met sorry fates in the ruined city of Omu.
 * Udall Granitecrusher was a dwarf warrior known for his mighty strength. He was fond of adventuring and training in battle.
 * Item enchantment was a complex process involving a number of spells and rituals, as well as careful design and experimentation.
 * Daggers of venom were favored weapons of the darkmasks of Vhaeraun. They were also known in Zakhara in several forms.
 * Inbrurr Harlenstar was a gold dwarf of the Great Rift, who sought by any means to take the city of Khôltar back from humans.
 * Mictlatepec was an ancient mountain-top city in Maztica, populated wholly by the undead, who in the night lived out their old lives.
 * A tradesman was a cheap, easily maintained fish-shaped spelljammer commonly used by merchants and adventurers of all races.
 * The Riders of Mistledale were the militia of Mistledale, recognized by their white horse insignia and lacquered black plate armor.

4/03/2018 – 11/03/2018

 * Nightstar Guiding and Outfitters, a trail and forestry gear shop in Waymoot, was owned by Liriel Nightstar, a rumored Harper.
 * Yellyark was a strange goblin village in Chult. Built on a great net, it could be catapulted to safety if ever in risk of being overrun.
 * Captain Darrask Baergil of the Riders of Mistledale retired to become a priest of Tempus, after seeing the war god in his dreams.
 * Locke was a wandering entertainer and con artist who used his psionics to trick others into thinking they were psychic.
 * Lukan of the Mystic Veil was an illusionist wizard of the Many-Starred Cloak in Neverwinter who was dragged into the Far Realm.
 * The Archenriders were the militia of Archendale. They were formed after the Sessrendale War, when a stronger army was needed.
 * Rhyester was born blind but a miracle restored his sight. He became a prophet of Lathander and founded a temple in Silverymoon
 * The Wanderers were the souls of the most evil beings of Realmspace, doomed to march across the surface of its crystal sphere.
 * The Starshine Academy in Neverwinter taught the arts, horticulture, and animal lore, but also potion- and poison-brewing.
 * Chirasu of Kozakura's Eight Million Gods was the goddess of stealth and patron of ninja, yakuza, and others who worked unseen.

11/03/2018 – 18/03/2018

 * Life in Bospir, a little village in Cormyr, revolved entirely around sheep. The Nightbleat Tavern often saw brawls between shearers.
 * Kir Sabal was a cliffside monastery amidst the Chultan jungles. The aarakocra dwelling there farmed the protected plateau above.
 * The Order of the Burning Dawn, a mercenary guild active on the Sword Coast, was originally founded to seek out the Moontear.
 * The Feather Falls in Featherdale emerged mysteriously from a sheer cliff-face. Legends told of a lost temple hidden behind it.
 * The Moonbridge in Silverymoon was constructed entirely of magical force, invisible during the day but glimmering at night.
 * Kavatos Stormeye, a wizard of the Arcane Brotherhood, served Lord Neverember of Neverwinter and aided its heroes.

18/03/2018 – 25/03/2018

 * Scardale Town, the former capital of Scardale, was once a great port city but suffered under war, occupation, plague, and anarchy.
 * Seals were common to the coasts of Icewind Dale and the Great Glacier. They were hunted by Iulutiun tribes for food, fur, and fuel.
 * Edwin Morahan, a veteran paladin of the Purple Dragons, was the Lord Magister of Suzail, administering the city for the king.
 * Princess Mwaxanaré was one of the last two royals of the fallen kingdom of Omu, but believed utterly in her power and influence.
 * Belaphoss the Mad was an ambitious balor lieutenant of Demogorgon. He sought the holy Moontear to increase his power.
 * Amaratha, also called "shieldstone", was a rare type of jewel that could absorb electrical energy and was sacred to several gods.
 * A fanfare horn was a type of trumpet with a loud sound preferred for making official announcements and long enough to carry a flag.
 * Manycoins services were businesses found across Faerûne that lent money, exchanged currencies, and stored valuables.

25/03/2018 – 1/04/2018

 * Withermeet was a small village in Damara whose deeply conservative inhabitants resisted change and development of the area.
 * Vanessa was a soldier at Camp Righteous whose secret lover, the tabaxi bard Birdsong, was captured by Nanny Pu'pu.
 * The Tarnsmoke Proclamation was a 15th-century law of Waterdeep legalizing the hiring of bounty hunters by private citizens.
 * Skull Gorge in the Western Heartlands was the site of a major battle that left the hobgoblin population diminished across Faerûn.
 * Tegal's Mark, the de facto capital of Tasseldale, sprung up around and was named for a famed swordsmith and his forge.
 * The members of House Sauringar, one of the great yuan-ti tribes, could puff themselves up to appear more intimidating.
 * The whirlwind of bones spell animated a pile of bones into a spinning flurry that pelted and sapped the life of those they struck.
 * Araleth Letheranil, a minor elven god of starlight, once fought Lolth and survived, albeit with a scar left by her venomous bite.
 * A sidewheeler was a type of spelljammer cobbled together by gnomes from assorted parts and wrecks of previous sidewheelers.
 * Anwir Dupretiskava, the Supreme Potentate of Var the Golden, was in fact a blue dragon who manipulated public opinion.
 * The Moon Women of the Celestial Bureaucracy steered the motions of the Moon and governed the calendar of Kara-Tur.

1/04/2018 – 8/04/2018

 * Thoss Fyurnen was a vain black dragon who came to be worshiped by the lizardfolk of Lizard Marsh as the Chosen of Talona.
 * The Wild Hunt was a strange haunting presaged by a pack of baying dogs. Those it passed were enchanted to join its mad rush.
 * Alley Cat Kordin was perhaps the worse burglar in Tantras, notorious more for his ill-luck and poor schemes than his thefts.
 * Tarsellis Meunniduin was a minor elven god of the wilderness. His snow elf worshipers were rumored to dwell on the High Ice.
 * Mrelgaunt's Turret, a haunted mage's tower, was missing its first floor, walls included, with the rest suspended in the air.
 * The Magistrati, the priests of Azuth, were required to learn every spell they came across, but never to hoard magical lore.
 * Deathspiders were the insectoid spelljamming vessels flown by the neogi. The captain owned the entire crew and their slaves.
 * The Northbank district of Silverymoon was the heart around which the city grew, beginning with an inn and logging camp.

8/04/2018 – 15/04/2018

 * Giant space hamsters, bred to power gnomish sidewheelers and for their meat, came in many magically enhanced varieties.
 * Crelt was born blind but cultivated psionic powers of clairsentience to get by. He was a pleasant but serious-minded gnome.
 * The Shrine of Swords south of Neverwinter was dedicated to Tempus. It was built of metal in the shape of a huge gauntlet.
 * Grimwald was a legendary mage of the North who founded the School of Wizardry in Waterdeep and the influential Covenant.
 * In Hrakhamar, a dwarven forge complex in Chult, iron and adamantine were smelted by lowering crucibles into a volcanic rift.

15/04/2018 – 22/04/2018

 * Camp Vengeance was established by members of the Order of the Gauntlet under Commander Niles Breakbone in Chult.
 * Lionheart was an elf command base in Realmspace, formed from a ring of spelljammers with their wings fused together.
 * The Dock, "the only Arcane trading port on Toril", was a spelljamming port in the Wu Pi Te Shao Mountains with very high fees.
 * Pallandra was a high priestess of Set who turned to dark magics to protect her order and its temples against the goodly faiths.
 * Raxivort, demigod creator of xvarts, once caused a massive rat infestation in Zelatar, the city of the demon lord Graz'zt.
 * The Old Tomb in the Desertsmouth Mountains was mysteriously restored the same it was every time it was explored or looted.
 * The House of the Moon in Waterdeep was the most magnificent temple to Selûne in the Realms, with a great gilded dome.

22/04/2018 – 29/04/2018

 * Iiso, the former capital of Wa, remained a center for trade and finance. It was also the site of a secret spelljamming port.
 * Thelbaerone Shadowdark, owner of a magic shop in Daerlun, was a skilled teacher who could impart images from her mind.
 * According to legend, luckstones originated in the realm of Luiren, with the luck of the halflings having rubbed off on them.
 * The Standing Stone was erected in 1 DR as a show of unity between the elves of Cormanthyr and the humans of the Dalelands.
 * The Vault of the Sages was a famed library in Silverymoon. It was renowned as the greatest collection of knowledge in Faerûn.
 * Rellamyn was a barbarian adventurer and one of Kyriani's lovers. Riding an asperii, he caught her as she leapt from Castle Waterdeep.

29/04/2018 – 6/05/2018

 * Zalaron Daska was one of the ruling triumvirate of Fireshear in the Frozenfar, representing a Waterdhavian merchant company.
 * A specialty priest was a servant of one deity exclusively, supporting them alone and no other, whatever their shared pantheon.
 * Radiant dragons were vast and flew through space itself as innate spelljammers. They breathed pulses of pure energy.
 * Alask's Arrow was an inn and tavern in the city of Daerlun in Sembia. Its owner was reputed to be the finest archer in the land.
 * The Imnestream was one of the Sword Coast's most beautiful rivers, with many falls and rapids and passing flower meadows.
 * Peldan's Helm was a town in Mistledale. It was named for its founder, who claimed all the land within sight of his helm.
 * Blind Lemon Murlyn was a Harper bard who lost his sight on a disastrous mission to Thay but regained it through wild magic.
 * The Eye was the realm of Savras, the All-Seeing One. It comprised a series of caverns, through which the god's thoughts echoed.
 * Siluvanede was an ancient sun elf realm of the High Forest. Its ambition and arrogance led to corruption, demonic taint, and war.

6/05/2018 – 13/05/2018

 * Telardon was a lost city of Siluvanede known for its emerald spires. Decayed magic there mutated trolls into plant-like monsters.
 * Slippers of spider climbing, usually of ordinary appearance, let the wearer walk up walls and even upside down under ceilings.
 * The Council of Six were the mysterious, anonymous rulers of Amn, comprising the leaders of its most influential merchant families.
 * The Conclave of Silverymoon was the city's university of magic and knowledge, with specialized schools spread across the city.
 * Athachs were misshapen, three-armed giants who loved to collect and polish shiny things as much as they did smashing stuff.
 * The self-appointed wardens of Carceri, farastus were the lowest rank of demodands. They exuded a flammable, sticky tar.

13/05/2018 – 20/05/2018

 * Clarshee Taraghe was the curmudgeonly old innkeeper of the Moonwyvern Inn, full of complaints but caring much for her patrons.
 * Ashram was an ancient bronze scimitar that carried the spirit of an unknown being of flame, letting it unleash fire on its targets.
 * Earth mephits were elemental beings who could breathe a hail of pebbles. Some served the drow god Vhaeraun and his faithful.
 * Violet Dindower was a halfling smuggler from Waterdeep who later served as ship's cook and quiet killer on a spelljammer.
 * Scavvers were one-eyed shark-like creatures that flew through wildspace. Most were scavengers, but some could swallow a person.

20/05/2018 – 27/05/2018

 * House Estelmer was a noble family of Waterdeep who supported the New Olamn bardic college and the Font of Knowledge.
 * Voghiln was a Northern skald who was sole survivor of an adventuring band. He drowned his survivor's guilt in wine and women.
 * Silverymoon's coinage was considered the highest quality in the Realms. It included the crescent-shaped electrum "moon".
 * Abysm was the fortress of the demon lord Demogorgon. Its twin serpentine towers emerged from the turbulent Abyssal sea.
 * Windless was a quiet town in Damara. Lying outside Bloodstone Village, its inhabitants thought it no more than an outer suburb.
 * Safe Harbor was the realm of Valkur, the god of sailors. It was a calm sea amidst the otherwise-tumultuous plane of Warrior's Rest.
 * Galathos, an enchanted rapier with the power to reflect spells, was traditionally wielded by the heirs to the Impilturan monarchy.
 * Door spiders were stylized doorstops that were common around the Shining Sea, and from there spread to many port cities.
 * Diinkarazan, the mad god of the derro, was bound and tortured with nightmares. Once every fifty years, he was sane for a day.