Template:DidYouKnow/archive/2016

This page collects trivia from Template:DidYouKnow for 2016. There must be 53 subheadings to cover a full year.

27/12/2015 – 3/1/2016

 * The eodraco or "dawn-dragon", was the prehistoric ancestor of dragonkind. Similar to wyverns, they out-competed dinosaurs.
 * Salabak, hailing from a strange tribe in Thar, was a slave-gladiator of the Arena of Blood who befriended Vajra Valmeyjar.
 * Oboth Thornsteel and his mercenaries occupied Mornbryn's Shield around 1490 DR after the village was attacked by a giant.
 * The so-called vegepygmies were a race of fungus beings who spawned from spores that fell on the bodies of deceased beings.
 * Banderhobbs were ugly hybrids of toads and shadow created to serve hags and mages, and existed to completed their tasks.

3/1/2016 – 10/1/2016

 * Cymbals were a musical instrument commonly used by gnomes and Zakharans and in Khazari monasteries.
 * Arcorar, the Great King Forest, once stretched from Cormyr to the Moonsea and survived in the form of Cormanthor.
 * Dispel fog, a spell often employed by pirates of the Sea of Fallen Stars, eradicated mist or fog in an area.
 * The Cult of the Howling Hatred was fascinated by the destructive power of wind but used it only to further their own goals.
 * Nari al-Farif, dean of the College of Fine Arts in Huzuz, often sat in on lectures to ensure the competency of her staff.
 * Quang Muku Forest in Koryo was the source of many potent herbs from which love potions and sleep dust could be made.

10/1/2016 – 17/1/2016

 * Drums were used by many peoples of Toril, from the kilat of the Iulutiuns to the elephant drums of the Zakharans.
 * The Quivering Forest of the Moonsea grew from a small copse to a mighty forest within a single human generation.
 * The spellstrike spell, invented by Nezram the World-Walker, could completely eliminate another spell, even retroactively.
 * The High Temple of Mystra on Mount Talath, Halruaa, held one of the greatest libraries of magic in all Faerûn.
 * Almari bint-Kafira, a notorious pirate of Suq Bay, Zakhara, was called "the Dread Porpoise" after a badly designed flag.
 * Ploopploopeen, a kuo-toan archpriest of Blibdoolpoolp, was tolerant but feared his daughter's faith in a new god.
 * The Ky Trencha Ukang was a potent magical staff that was divided by its creator, Kixa To'u of Koryo, into five scroll cases.

17/1/2016 – 24/1/2016

 * A singdown (huuk in Ulutiun) was a battle of wits to settle disputes among Iulutiuns, in which opponents sang insults at each other.
 * The Ghost Holds of Battledale were a series of ruins home to mercenaries and pirates and ruled by the unpredictable King of Ghosts.
 * The Empty-Scabbard Killers were a secretive order of duergar psionic assassins in Gracklstugh, legendary across the Underdark.
 * The Caves of a Thousand Gods, carved into a cliff-face in the Hordelands, were home to monks and shrines of the Path.
 * Elminster's effulgent epuration created several silvery bubbles that could be commanded to cancel hostile spells.
 * A sorcerous duel, in which two feuding sorcerers pitted their magic against each other, was a respected custom in Zakhara.

24/1/2016 – 31/1/2016

 * Elminster's evasion whisked the caster away from dire circumstances, taking their mind, body, and soul to a chosen location.
 * A sunwyrm, an eight-legged draconic creature that constantly blazed with light and heat, hid before the sun when hunting.
 * Bagpipes were naturally held in high esteem by dwarves, while a similar instrument, the mizwid, was known in Zakhara.
 * The Neverwinter River kept the city of Neverwinter from freezing in winter, as it was heated by the Mount Hotenow volcano.
 * Those who visited the buried city of Raudor, built during the ancient Imaskari Empire, often returned mad or twisted by the evil there.
 * A shrine outside the town of Goisho in Koryo once housed a magical brazier that could reveal the future, before it was stolen.
 * The hidden fortress of Sarahin in Zakhara was ultimately taken by trickery by Grandfather Hasan of the Everlasting holy slayers.
 * The self-proclaimed Pudding King was an insane deep gnome cultist of Juiblex who gathered around him tame oozes.

31/1/2016 – 7/2/2016

 * Phelzel was the second-largest city in Semphar and center of the realm's lumber trade, but it was rife with crime and corruption.
 * A find the path spell showed one the route to a chosen, specific location, through the use of divination bones, sticks, or the like.
 * Spell invulnerability, which bestowed immunity to a single spell, was found by Dabron Sashenstar and later published by Volo.
 * The Hu'i Wing was a vast copper brazier in Koryo that could reveal the future, but it was stolen and lost in the bowels of Karak.
 * The Pit of a Thousand Voices, the doom of disgraced holy slayers of Sarahin, Zakhara, was home to a huge gibbering mouther.
 * Vizeran DeVir once studied magic alongside Gromph Baenre, until Gromph discovered his true faith and denounced him.
 * Elemental air, one of the components of matter, represented change, flexibility, and freedom, and was claimed by several deities.
 * Shaani, the second-to-last ruler of the Shoon Imperium, kept over 100 jhasinnar in her harem yet only bore four children.

7/2/2016 – 14/2/2016

 * The watery form spell gave a pirate of the Inner Sea excellent camouflage on a wet deck or in the water.
 * A finger of death spell could kill a being outright, and the slain creature could even rise as a zombie under the caster's command.
 * The Fortress of Jorhat in the Hordelands was thought to have been built by rebels against Mulhorand, before it fell into ruins.
 * Elemental fire, a component of matter, represented change, purification, and consumption, but it was viewed as evil and aggressive.
 * Shedrak of the Eyes was the favorite slave of the beholder Karazikar, driven mad and believing his master to be a god.

14/2/2016 – 21/2/2016

 * Pirates of the Inner Sea made use of the preserve wood spell to protect their ships against warp wood and similar spells.
 * The fortified Nar town of Nathoud in the Hordelands was famous for its annual horse-trading fair, which also hosted horse-racing.
 * The Mulmaster Beholder Corps were a band of beholders who hoped to seize power in Mulmaster and be feared and respected.
 * The powerful virus charm spread a charm effect from person to person, making them all view the caster as a good friend.
 * Elemental water, a component of matter, represented fluidity and transformation, and was considered vital to life.

21/2/2016 – 28/2/2016

 * A ball lightning spell, often linked to Inner Sea pirates, produced spheres that moved at random and shocked and burned victims.
 * The Tower of Adnan al-Raqi in Huzuz taught the art of the sha'ir, provided a student survived the entrance test and returned alive.
 * A tirichik, one of the most dreaded monsters living on the Great Glacier, could reproduce asexually, producing clones of itself.
 * Arrizz was a drow merchant who fell in love with a moon elf scout named Deriel Rethslane, but couldn't escape old and new threats.
 * Korax of Manchar, a famed holy man of Koryo, was granted magic items by an envoy of Heaven to use them to better mankind.

28/2/2016 – 6/3/2016

 * Worldwalk was a potent spell that formed a portal between two planes, allowing two-way travel directly between them.
 * Thasmudyan was a god of undeath worshiped on the isle of Sahu by the Cult of Worms, who worked to infiltrate positions of power.
 * The fifty-year-long Keryjek Wars, the only significant conflict between the Ulutiun tribes, ended in a lasting peace between them.
 * A kishkoman or "whistle-knife" was a small horn knife perforated with holes, commonly used in the Cold Lands to call for aid.
 * Xaven Tanor'this, a drow alchemist of Szith Morcane, devised a way to drain fiendish blood from the fire giants of Maerimydra.
 * Shadowstuff could be used as a building material or to make weapons, but it was vague, insubstantial, and apt to dissipate.

6/3/2016 – 13/3/2016

 * Kaeth, also called coffee, was mixed with chocolate or alcohol in Sembia and drunk pure or with powdered ginger in Calimshan.
 * A kupuk, or walrus-dog, was a strange beast of the Great Glacier that was a loyal guardian and sled-puller for the Ulutiun people.
 * The Golden Mosque, the center of Enlightened faith in Zakhara, had chambers from which one's voice was projected all over Huzuz.
 * Inner Sea pirates were known to employ a sargasso spell, which conjured dense seaweed to slow or even tangle a ship.
 * Kassawar Plickenstint, a deep gnome trade representative in Mantol-Derith, mourned the loss of his home city, Blingdenstone.
 * The magic aura of a wizard could be passed to their children, allowing them to operate magical devices keyed to their parent.

13/3/2016 – 20/3/2016

 * The yak folk were among the most terrifying beings of Zakhara, being cruel slavers who sacrificed daily to the Faceless God.
 * The common web spell, known as Shan's web to the ancient Netherese, could trap and hinder beings caught in its sticky fibers.
 * Ithvar Wordkiller, a disgraced wizard of Cormyr, had a business in Skullport using a deepspawn to breed monsters for dungeons.
 * The Cathedral of Emerald Scales in Hlondeth had a giant snake sculpture on its dome, which some feared could fountain venom.
 * Half-goblins could be found in places such as Icewind Dale. Those with human blood were taller and had blue eyes.

20/3/2016 – 27/3/2016

 * Semorav of the Cobra's Hood, a yuan-ti necromancer in Hlondeth, dumped the results of his foul experiments in the city's sewers.
 * The Great Door, a huge gate to the planes hidden outside Waterdeep, was subverted and began to unleash monsters in 1357 DR.
 * Setara bint Farid, a sea captain from Gana, once insulted a marid, triggering a personal feud between it and herself.
 * The Guts and Garters inn in Skullport had a secret passage into an alley for those who paid the innkeeper Bolton Brimwell extra.
 * Ysele the Cat, a half-elf businesswoman, contracted a lower planes creature to murder her father, and sold all his holdings.
 * Mystics of Nog learned to store magical energy within their bodies, enhancing their physical prowess to perform feats of skill.

27/3/2016 – 3/4/2016

 * The calm water spell smoothed out rough or choppy waves, and was long associated with pirates of the Sea of Fallen Stars.
 * Koresh was a fierce and criminal mercenary leader who would do anything for wealth, and he owned a carpet of flying.
 * Blind Issayk was the most infamous forger in Skullport, and was up-to-date on all bureaucratic changes in a kingdom.
 * Cloud palaces, magical floating castles inhabited by cloud giants, were kept afloat by a rune-covered pebble in a leather pouch.
 * In Xi Hulang, the capital city of Koryo, King Wanang Sun regularly went out among the people to hear their concerns.
 * The Royal Gate of the Palace of the Enlightened Throne in Huzuz was made of stone that could be drawn across like a curtain.

3/4/2016 – 10/4/2016

 * The Primus was the godly ruler of Mechanus, which was discovered by the Netherese archmage Lady Polaris around -346 DR.
 * A "spider's kiss" was a euphemism for a drow woman killing a male after mating, based on the black widow spider.
 * The deity Shu of Earth, god of wind, was never worshiped in Mulhorand, but was followed by some djinn in Zakhara.
 * The shu were a halfling race who dwelt in the jungles of Malatra and were masters of blowguns with poison darts.
 * Shur was a wizard who appointed herself protector of the wild, especially trees, and hunted those who would destroy it.
 * A spell often linked to Inner Sea pirates turned oars to snakes that could either strike at boarders outside or at rowers inside.
 * Gharreil, a city of the old giant empire of Jhothûn, lay in ruins under the Great Glacier, with a gelugon guarding its last portal.
 * Daleen Duerna, the duergar Laird of Zortagra, once led a raid to rescue her consort from the fire giants of Maerimydra.
 * An astrologer was a Zakharan mage who studied the stars and could "hang" spells upon the constellations to cast them later.

10/4/2016 – 17/4/2016

 * Evernight was the echo of Neverwinter in the Shadowfell, a city in ruins home to undead, necromancers, and their slaves.
 * In north Zakhara, the arid deserts were broken by short rivers, at the mouths of which lay cities like Hafayah, City of Secrets.
 * Carrelath in Erlkazar was nominally ruled by a baron, but true power had lain with shield dwarf priests since the time of Shanatar.
 * Wynter, a centaur Harper from Thay, was a highly skilled fighter but preferred to resolve disputes through diplomacy.
 * Merquam Pang, one of the most prosperous merchants of Koryo, achieved his status by dealing with yakuza and ninja.
 * Manass, the City of White Walls, so-named for its white-washed and heavily fortified walls, guarded entry to the land of Khazari.
 * A gal-ralan staved off death magic and the shadar-kai's shadow curse by nailing one's soul to their body with cold iron spikes.

17/4/2016 – 24/4/2016

 * Many islands laid in the Crowded Sea of southeast Zakhara, the largest being Harab, the Isle of War, and Bariya, the Wild Isle.
 * The orc chieftain Arktash won his position through guile, but was slain by usurpers within a year for not using force.
 * The Phoenix Prophecies by the seer Nar'ysr of Calimshan foretold many great and small events, including the Time of Troubles.
 * The catastrophic tidal wave spell was one of the most potent in the Realms, mimicking the natural disaster in flooding a shore.
 * Grand Caliph Arash bint Sanjar of Zakhara sent a force to the Utter East in 657 DR to put down a plague of fiends and undead.
 * The monks of the village of Lagiluri in Ra-Khati grew green peas and golden barley, watered by streams of the Jumpa River.
 * Radoc, an archmage and healer in the Star Mounts, actually came from another world and bore a glowing sigil left by a titan.
 * Vreesar was an ice devil who stepped from a rift to the Plane of Ice and tried to summon devils to conquer Faerûn.
 * Tymanchebar was a dragonborn realm on the world of Abeir, established by revolting slaves who broke away from Skelkor.

24/4/2016 – 1/5/2016

 * The animal spirit Eagle, who gave good fortune, was followed by green elves of Evermeet and some djinn of Zakhara.
 * The Talons of Justice were silver dragon paladins who worked for goodness but made plans too long in scope to comprehend.
 * The Annulus Conflagros, a ring forged for the Shoon emperors, gave protection from flame and a command of fire magic.
 * Grash Crackbacker, a dull-witted half-orc priest of Bhaal, favored crushing his victims to death in a bear hug.
 * Aluvauna Thornym founded the Guardians of the Weave to defend Mystra's Weave of magic and oppose the Shadow Weave.
 * Morok Ulgren was the most talented orc blacksmith of Many-Arrows, and he had even trained with the dwarves of Sundabar.
 * Choshein was once a city of giants beneath the High Ice, before a Netherese army razed it and carted even the ashes away.
 * Ambuchar's Amulet was a cursed skull-shaped pendant that, when worn, made sarcastic comments at the wearer's expense.
 * The interloper god Poseidon, known as a fickle god of waters, was venerated by some clerics in the Impilturan navy.

1/5/2016 – 8/5/2016

 * Remnis, the god of giant eagles, also followed by aarakocra of the North, flew across the planes in search of secrets and prey.
 * Amahl Shoon I of Tethyr never wanted to be king, rather to be a druid, but refused to be a puppet of the Shoon Imperium either.
 * The Silver Scimitar of Amahl the Mad could be commanded to fight independently, and it could sever arms below the elbow.
 * Doin Sanehiro was an administrator turned shukenja who fought against the conquering Jinchin and the Earth Spider.
 * The Gate of Revelations, the true entrance to the Palace of the Enlightened Throne was flanked by domes of solid gold.
 * The Harvest of Horrors was a war waged between the Kingdom of Nix and the defenders of Vanesci Hamlet in the Utter East.

8/5/2016 – 15/5/2016

 * The school of song, practiced by song mages and spellsingers, was a group of spells using the voice to access magical energy.
 * The Tabotan people were descended from monks who fled persecution in Shou Lung, as well as nomads of the Plain of Horses.
 * Unicorn's Bane was a magical ring, so-named for its owner Shoon VII's massacre of the unicorns of Shilmista in 355 DR.
 * Kuda, a city of 7000 people in Kozakura, was the former capital of Miyama Province, before the shogun moved it to Tamanokuni.
 * The Footmen were the city watch of Huzuz. Their 20-person patrols were each commanded by a mamluk from the the Faithful.
 * The Han people lived in Koryo in prehistoric times and settled Wa and Kozakura, becoming the basis for all three realms.

15/5/2016 – 22/5/2016

 * The unluck spell caused misfortune for its victim, and was commonly used by wild mages and oathbinder genies.
 * The shoonring of swimming, rumored to be one of the Qysari Rings, was instrumental in a plot by Manshoon in Westgate.
 * Wei Do Peak in Koryo was the site of a three-day ceremony in which monks and shukenja blessed the king and his dynasty.
 * The Affluent District was home to the wealthier citizens of Huzuz, and it was naturally peaceful and patrolled by the Footmen.
 * The Inn of the Globefish in Kozakura was a gift by the first emperor after a chef saved him from poisoning by fugu.

22/5/2016 – 29/5/2016

 * The black blade of disaster, a spell favored by drow and dimensionalists, conjured a sword-like crack between the planes.
 * Priests of Akadi and Aerdrie Faenya could cast an awesomely destructive whirlwind spell that formed tornadoes or hurricanes.
 * The Shining Temple of Bishamon in Aru, Wa, housed a huge gold-covered idol of the god and 3,333 statuettes of his priests.
 * Sa'id Firdawsi, an amiable halfling cloth merchant of Huzuz, was in fact its spymaster, leading a Zakhara-wide spy network.
 * The Many-Hued Peacock Society plotted the ruin of Shou Lung yet managed to save the empire on more than one occasion.
 * King Amahl Shoon II of Tethyr swore fealty to Pasha Akkabar Shoon of Calimshan and warred against the former ruling Clan.

29/5/2016 – 5/6/2016

 * The Axe Grinders was a bodyguarding business based in Skullport. It was mostly staffed by down-on-their-luck sellswords.
 * Nahal's reckless dweomer was a spell of wild magic that could replicate another spell but with unpredictable results.
 * The cold snap spell, recorded in Revelations of the Icedawn, could only be cast by priests of Auril the Frostmaiden.
 * Chan Cheng, the Mighty Lord of Heroes of the Celestial Empire, was the Kara-Turan god of war, courage, and martial arts.
 * Zelpir in Var the Golden was famous for its fine jewellery and mechanical devices, such as water clocks and field glasses.
 * Emperor Kai Tsao Shou Chin of Shou Lung was raised as a minor noble away from court after his mother left his emperor father.

5/6/2016 – 12/6/2016

 * The Sun, the source of light and heat for worlds in Realmspace, was home to a variety of fiery creatures, such as firenewts.
 * Trillimac, a type of fungus that grew in the Underdark, could be used to make food, writing materials, and even hats.
 * The Vorkani Mountains that arced across Koryo were home to the feared Krestung and enigmatic "birdmen" who ruled its peaks.
 * Bauhei, the Black Leopard, was a great spirit of Kara-Tur who was worshiped and once imprisoned by the rogue Black Leopard Cult.
 * Leaves of the singing trees of Zakhara emitted beautiful tunes, luring creatures closer so that they could drink their blood.
 * It took Lashilmbrar the Sly of Impiltur three separate attempts to have his elder brother Talryn executed so that he could be king.

12/6/2016 – 19/6/2016

 * The kingdom of Valashar briefly conquered the Western Heartlands in the 300s DR before being repelled by King Azoun I of Cormyr.
 * When the Sharran priestess Lalondra Worul attained lichdom, all her followers died, erasing the church's power overnight.
 * The disturbing Stormkeep in the Fallen Lands housed oil-filled vats containing bestial limbs that could be grafted to any wound.
 * The create crypt servant spell was first used in the ruined kingdoms of Nog and Kadar to raise undead to guard tombs.
 * Nilhogg's nose was an Underdark breed of fungus that, when consumed, enhanced one's sensitivity to smell, for better or worse.
 * The Spirit Warriors of Kara-Tur's Celestial Bureaucracy inspired courage in warriors and aided those who were in slain in battle.
 * The great Zakharan roc rivaled or surpassed dragons in size, making it one of largest flying creatures around.
 * Ting Mei Wan was the fanatical and distrustful Minister of State Security of Shou Lung, who executed all who failed her.

19/6/2016 – 26/6/2016

 * The spell shadow evocation, which mimicked an evocation spell, was first developed by the Netherese arcanist Shadow.
 * The Bat's Roost tavern in Skullport hosted bat fighting and obstacle courses, but smelled strongly of bat guano for its sins.
 * Priests of the Red Knight could cast the spell telepathic broadcast to covertly transmit information and plans to their allies.
 * Claw Hollow was a fortified lair of the People of the Black Blood in the Moonwood, its territory marked by splashed blood.
 * The Angulutiuns ate caribou as a staple, whether boiled, dried, smoked, stewed, or just raw, with even the bones used for soup.
 * The Celestial Emperor, ruler of the Celestial Empire of Kara-Tur had all-seeing eyes that blazed white with karma.
 * Nung Chiang, the Teacher of the Plow of the Celestial Empire, was the god of agriculture and fertility and the patron of peasants.
 * Lost City of Ubar was said to rise from the sands of the High Desert whenever the genies who lived there wished it to.

26/6/2016 – 3/7/2016

 * Lothen of the Silver Spires, all that remained of an ancient elven city in the High Forest, was overrun by three orc tribes.
 * Leneka Jheth was a lich of Zhentil Keep who was transformed into a grisgol by a foe and assaulted adventurers in its ruins.
 * Candle magic was a kind of divine magic practiced by mystics, who burned special candles to produce magical effects.
 * Vhyridaan the Mad was a half-elf mage exiled from Myth Drannor, whose soul was sucked into a floating stone.
 * Soarimbrar the Younger, a boy king of Impiltur at only three years old, was assassinated days before his coronation in 1351 DR.
 * The Well of Kashan was a deep pit in the High Desert, with a lush and enchanted oasis flourishing at the bottom.
 * Osari Minhiro, an unlucky samurai of Wa, always miraculously escaped death thanks to a blessing by a god of luck.

3/7/2016 – 10/7/2016

 * The elemental aura was a potent spell that warded a spellcaster against a certain element, and bestowed powers related to it.
 * Rudiments of the Shadow Weave was a controversial tome telling of Sharran faith and the secrets of the Shadow Weave.
 * The Throat, a water tower in Luskan, was surrounded by grazing sheep. Daring local dwarves painted them different colors.
 * A fortune candle, crafted by mystics practicing candle magic, bestowed on those around it a measure of good fortune.
 * Sorrowsworn demons appeared after the Time of Troubles to feed on the despair of priests of dead gods like Bhaal and Myrkul.
 * Oe-Ura, the Peachling Girl, was born from a peach and grew to become a great warrior and heroine in the Fochu Peninsula in Wa.
 * A messenger genie almost never stopped moving as they delivered messages and gifts. They saw movement itself as goodness.

10/7/2016 – 17/7/2016

 * Crown Prince Alemander V of Tethyr was suspected of having started the fire that killed him and the whole royal family.
 * In an evil mystic's candle magic, the burning of a black curse candle inflicted a debilitating curse on those nearby.
 * A bushi or chanshi was a Kara-Turan fighter who fought for coin rather than feudal obligation, but tried to maintain honor.
 * A chaggrin, an elemental vermin, appeared as a bipedal lump of clay in the Plane of Earth and as skull-faced mole in the Prime.
 * Benju Matsumoto, the lord of Aru in Wa, enjoyed music and had a hobby of acting in noh plays with Yuji Takaesu.

17/7/2016 – 24/7/2016

 * The Sword was the well-known desert area of Anauroch, a hot and sandy land named for conflicts with the Bedine tribes.
 * The wheel of bones spell created a spinning disc of bone shards around an Eldathyn priest's wrist as a dangerous weapon.
 * The Restorers were a band of desert giants who struggled to reclaim the city of Ubar in the High Desert from the jann.
 * The Jaguar Guard were a mercenary force from Maztica who came west to explore Faerûn, fighting in the civil war in Tethyr.
 * Aelric the Avenger was a warrior-mage of Old Stone Keep who led armies of undead to liberate the kingdom of Doegan.

24/7/2016 – 31/7/2016

 * The College of the Eclipse in Riatavin trained students in psionics, providing laboratories, libraries, and gifts to graduates.
 * Bashal's Tendrilight was a magical lantern that also emitted a dark rubbery tendril to whip, constrict, and paralyze others.
 * Caliph Aswiyah al-Muftahir of Muluk was a cunning politician who negotiated several alliances with the Free Cities of Zakhara.
 * The greater touchsickle spell, known to druids and clerics of Eldath, transformed the caster's hand into an enchanted sickle.
 * The Company of the Singing Dawn were a mercenary band that preferred good work and even fought for free for a good cause.

31/7/2016 – 7/8/2016

 * The Rhindaun Dynasty of Tethyr began with Queen Zaranda Star, who won the Reclamation Wars and stabilized the realm.
 * The elemental aura spell gave protection and powers related to an element, such as wood and the ability to speak with plants.
 * The Beast Lord was an illithilich who created twisted monsters including bulettes and peryton in a plot of conquer the North.
 * Hsuan Yu Po, a noble of Shou Lung and father-in-law to General Batu Min Ho, aided in the defense against the Tuigan Horde.
 * The Orrery of the Inner Planes was an enchanted clockwork device permitting navigation through the Prime and Inner Planes.
 * The water of Eldath spell created potions with a variety of healing and purifying powers. It required three drops of blessed water.
 * The Hall of Mental Splendor was a band of psionic spies-for-hire led by Vhondryl and operating out of a small keep in Skullport.

7/8/2016 – 14/8/2016

 * Hlontar on the river Tesh was ruled by the tyrannical Alokkair the Wizard-King, before this three daughters revolted against him.
 * The Maze Engine was a potent artifact able to reshape reality itself, hidden deep within the Labyrinth in the Underdark.
 * The Company of Eight were renowned adventurers of Tethyr, who fought for peace and justice and helped end the Interregnum.
 * The conjure jungle minions spell used by priests of Ragarra transformed young crocodiles into the goddess's savage minions.
 * The mist of the goddess used by priests of Eldath resurrected or even reincarnated beings within a shroud of green mist.
 * The Krakk't tribe of thri-kreen in the Rushing Hills hunted rabbits but saw the local horses as a delicacy—as well as passing elves.
 * The Law of the Loregiver, the set of laws and beliefs that governed Zakhara, was discovered in a cave by the first Grand Caliph.
 * Zar'ithra'rin—descendants of drow and shadow dragons—defended the city of Chaulssin against foes from the Plane of Shadow.
 * The monk Baiyosho Degi lectured on the Path to Shogun Matasuuri Nagahide, who adopted it as the state religion of Wa.

14/8/2016 – 21/8/2016

 * Interior Zakhara held the great Cities of the Heart and of the Pantheon in the south, and the desert Haunted Lands in the north.
 * The yak-man called the Unspeakable plotted to control the Court of Enlightenment of Zakhara and end the Grand Caliph's line.
 * Priests of Umberlee could only cast the stormcloak spell on non-priests, protecting others from death at sea but not themselves.
 * The city of Old Bejung in Koryo was destroyed when it was engulfed by poisonous gas and buried in ash from the Kanko volcano.
 * When the ranger Treahugh Greiko helped a rich hunter kill a sacred beast, Mielikki took away his divine powers in punishment.
 * A simulacrum spell allowed a mage to fashion a duplicate of a creature fashioned from shadow and ice that would obey their will.

21/8/2016 – 28/8/2016

 * Tsathree's Comforts, a cosmetics boutique in Waterdeep, sold a face wash that had the side-effect of making skin glow green.
 * Zulifein T'orgh was a drow serial killer from Sshamath who had to escape after he murdered a powerful mage's favored slave.
 * The Yikarian Empire, home of the yak-folk in the World Pillar Mountains, was based on slavery and sacrifice to the Faceless God.
 * Fulbar Hardcheese won a dragon's hoard as an adventurer and used it to become a tavern-owner and landlord in Daggerford.
 * Hercubes Jedea, wizard king of Mordulkin, used magic to stave off aging, so he could steer his city-state through difficult times.

28/8/2016 – 4/9/2016

 * West Zakhara was a huge peninsula home to the High Desert and its nomadic tribes and the prosperous traders of the Pearl Cities.
 * Maelestor Rex once sold his horn to Vesarius for magic, but the devil later used it an incantation to bind the dragon to his service.
 * Nathong, capital city of the dreaded Yikarian Empire, was a single massive building sprawling over a plateau above the clouds.
 * In Koryo, Meo Li and her brother escaped kidnapping, but stowed away aboard a ship that was part of a secret invasion armada.
 * On the Night of Pirates in Waterdeep, a pirate band held a mass wedding with festhall girls, but razed the building during the party.

4/9/2016 – 11/9/2016

 * An ice box was a quasimagical item with a conduit to the Paraelemental Plane of Ice, in which people could keep food frozen.
 * The incantation school of magic focused on affecting magic itself, but its practioners were unknown outside western Faerûn.
 * Fiend's Wing was a province of the Yikarian Empire in the World Pillar Mountains, ruled by the powerful Cloud Wizard.
 * The Isle of Gargantuas of Wa was a place of great volcanic activity where enormous monsters fought constantly and destructively.
 * A warlock could make a pact with an undying patron such as Larloch or Gilgeam, granting them powers over death.
 * Belhuar Thantarth was Master Harper who managed all their operations and presided over the trial of Khelben Arunsun.

11/9/2016 – 18/9/2016

 * Ethereal banishment was a spell of the southern magic tradition that spirited a creature to the Ethereal plane for a time.
 * Holy water, made by many temples, could be poured, splashed, or sprayed with an aspergillum to harm undead and evil outsiders.
 * The Imperishable were a mamluk order based in Krak al-Mazhar. Their crimson facial tattoos granted resistance to fire.
 * The sitting dog was a magical chalice in Koryo said to give the power to start fires with a look, but also to cause baldness.
 * Shatil was a priest of Zaltec in Nexal who ultimately turned against his cruel god when asked to assassinate his sister, Erixitl.

18/9/2016 – 25/9/2016

 * The Nexalans of Maztica placed a strong emphasis on style over substance, preferring grandiose mosaics and gaudy colors.
 * Lotil was a blind Nexalan featherworker and father of Erixitl. He hid in his house during the Night of Wailing.
 * Flumphs were strange tentacled creatures found drifting through the Underdark. They were considered mysterious but benevolent.
 * The Head Taker was a slayer genie assassin of Krak al-Mazhar. With four arms, he fought with two scimitars and poisoned claws.
 * Thabort was a dice game popular around the Dragon Reach, typically used for gambling among bored guards and the like.
 * A toad found around Hermit's Wood in Cormyr had the strange ability to sense invisible beings, croaking loudly when it did.

25/9/2016 – 2/10/2016

 * A ring of djinni summoning could of course summon a specific djinni, but it would lose its magic if that djinni died.
 * An 'ud was a stringed instrument played in Zakhara. Around the Crowded Sea, some had bodies made from tortoise shells.
 * Strohm II, called the Stag King of Tethyr, was a practicing druid who accepted refugees of Myth Drannor in his court and forests.
 * Alban was a ruler in Maztica who sought immortality and succeeded, but as a wight, and so turned his people undead.
 * The Unknown Shrine was a mysterious ruin in Cormyr whose broken walls and pillars formed a landmark on the road to Wheloon.
 * The Hand was an evil adventuring company operating out of Voonlar who once clashed with the Knights of Myth Drannor.

2/10/2016 – 9/10/2016

 * Deep Speech was the disturbing tongue of aberrations, arising from the Far Realm itself. The drow wrote it in Espruar.
 * The Bounty of the Goddess, a temple and garden complex in Voonlar dedicated to Chauntea, sold herbs, spices, seeds, and healing elixirs.
 * The rababah of the dao, a wondrous instrument made by dao, had a bow made from hair from the swiftest horse in Zakhara.
 * The Steel Princess's Field Guide was a military handbook written by Alusair Obarskyr of Cormyr that spread to other lands.
 * Jhothûn, a place of crystal towers in a valley of ice on the Endless Ice Sea, was the capital of an ancient giant empire.
 * Chuhotl was a Nexalan adventuring warrior who sought to destroy the Viperhands monsters, and tried to enlist Amnian aid.

9/10/2016 – 16/10/2016

 * South Zakhara comprised many islands, such as the Steaming Isles, which were ruled by intelligent, talking animals.
 * A sand cage was a type of magical sand from Zakhara that trapped a person with a spinning, abrasive whirlwind of sand.
 * The Alandor River in Amn carried a lot of barges towed by horses and mules, while children enjoyed swimming in it.
 * Marsara Storntil was passing through the town of Voonlar when she received a sign from Cyric and decided to settle there.
 * Thaleste, a runaway drow, took a wrong turn into the Promenade of the Dark Maiden, where she stayed and became a priestess.
 * The huge tidal range in the Straits of Koryo could leave boats beached in mud for hours and their crews prey to giant crabs.

16/10/2016 – 23/10/2016

 * Southwest Zakhara comprised wild and uncivilized island chains, like the crab-shaped Jazayir al-Sartan where savage tribes dwelt.
 * Traitor's Heads was a game in Cormyr where dice were poured from a skull over another and players bet on who reached a total.
 * Khwaja the Mad was a crazed dwarf beggar in Huzuz who was actually one of most effective informants for the spymaster.
 * Cabrath Nelinderra, a drow cleric of Kiaransalee turned keening spirit, was second-in-command of the cult's coup in Maerimydra.
 * Kâras was a divine seeker of Vhaeraun who opposed the Kiaransaleeans in Maerimydra. He later became a follower of Eilistraee.
 * The Three Elves inn in Voonlar was famed for its cheap-and-cheerful nature and all-you-can-eat menus cooked in an open kitchen.
 * Sea cats were driven out of the Straits of Koryo by local fishermen, and they were a symbol of the Lions' Dynasty of Tethyr.

23/10/2016 – 30/10/2016

 * Zwei was the first Netherese arcanist recorded to have created new spells, in −2579 DR, but all other details were lost to history.
 * The boulder-like galeb duhr usually dwelt alone in their mountain territories, but one group erected the great Watchwall of Aglarond.
 * Nasir al-Nasr, the second Grand Caliph of Zakhara, united all the factions of the continent through might, cunning, and diplomacy.
 * The Ivory Plague once decimated an Imperial Capital of Shou Lung and caused the island of Saishu in Koryo to be quarantined.
 * Brindell, a halfling priestess of Eilistraee at the Promenade of the Dark Maiden, took part in an assault on a Kiaransaleean temple.
 * The House of the Helm, a shrine to Tempus in Voonlar, displayed many battle trophies, even those of guerillas who raided the town.

30/10/2016 – 6/11/2016

 * Hazirawn, a magical sentient greatsword of evil and necrotic power, was forged in Netheril and wielded by Wyrmspeaker Rezmir.
 * The awesome nature elemental would undo civilization and dissolve artificial items and return a land to its original wild state.
 * Perijan al-Danaf of Huzuz built the wealthiest merchant house in Zakhara, thanks to her wise investment and financial acumen.
 * In −2475 DR, the arcanist-priest Sadebreth successfully developed an arcane version of the divine spell reincarnate.
 * Fed by the River Rimril, the Green Goddess Falls ran over the cliffs of Eldath's Mount in Amn, then cascaded over the Steps.
 * The black dragon Tyra, daughter of Skurge, laired in the Vast Swamp until she was slain by the Dragonslayer lizardfolk tribe.
 * Lord Melder Crownrood was a treacherous and scheming noble of Cormyr with a retinue of capable wizard bodyguards.

6/11/2016 – 13/11/2016

 * Phaikkul, daughter of Glouroth, was half–shadow dragon, which earned her the suspicion of her kir-lanan kin at the Wailing Cliff.
 * In northeast Zakhara, the dread Land of the Yak-Men and the Jungle of Monsters blocked all passage to Faerûn and Kara-Tur.
 * The tomb of King Strohm IV of Tethyr in the Fields of the Dead was desecrated by thieves, who looted several royal treasures.
 * Elminster's tower, home to the Old Sage himself, was surrounded by countless lean-tos and shacks that housed magical relics.
 * Kormoroth was a merchant hailing from Westgate who made it big in Cormyr but plotted against King Foril I in 1479 DR.
 * The Dragonslayer lizardfolk tribe of the Vast Swamp slew several black dragons, including Tyra, until her brother slaughtered them.

13/11/2016 – 20/11/2016

 * An orglash was a wild spirit of ice and wind that defended the land of Rashemen from outsiders, but sometimes assaulted natives.
 * The Moon's Twelve discovered a forgotten elven city in the Vast Swamp, but were ambushed and slaughtered by mind flayers.
 * Lady Jalassra Dawningdown secretly ordered men to beat the tax collector Rensharra Ironstave because she felt offended.
 * Moonveil, an unholy rite to corrupt the sacred moonwells of the Moonshaes, was known to certain priests of Bhaal and of Bane.
 * Following a dream of finding wealth, Khwaja al-Danaf became a thief, but his misadventure led him to his treasure back at home.
 * In −2464 DR, the arcanist-priest Sadebreth of Netheril developed a new spell, control undead.

20/11/2016 – 27/11/2016

 * Hjurgen was a frost giant of legend who was named in the Saga of the Dragon Queller as the leveler of Ranauroch.
 * The black talon spell twisted a Cyricist priest's arm and hand into an extendable limb ending in an icy claw.
 * A catoblepas was a strange creature that dwelt in marshlands, combining features of buffalo, dinosaur, warthog, and hippo.
 * On the Naktong Moors of Koryo, it was said zombies and mummies preserved in the peat prowled in search of fresh blood.
 * Manarlume Tanthul, a Princess of Thultanthar, gathered the city's arcanists and unveiled Gwelt's plot to eliminate the Princes.
 * In −2051 DR, the Netherese arcanist Proctiv created breach crystal sphere, an epic spell that opened crystal spheres.
 * The Vault of Cloaked Midnight, a temple of Vhaeraun in the fallen dwarf realm of Ultoksamrin, was founded by drow refugees.

27/11/2016 – 4/12/2016

 * Guk was a goblin slave in Maerimydra until the city was sacked and taken over, and she joined the Hidden revolutionaries.
 * A portal linking Ched Nasad and Deepingdale was used by the church of Vhaeraun to smuggle supplies for their cells.
 * A direguard was a powerful undead warrior or assassin created by followers of Cyric, improving on the previous baneguard.
 * The portrait spell created by the famed Darsson Spellmaker could capture an image of a scene within a glass or crystal sphere.
 * Thurghom, an orc druid on the Sea of Moving Ice, guarded a strange pit ringed by standing stones, after hearing a voice from it.
 * The Swords of the Lady, also called "Lunatics", were a fanatical order of Selûnites who reacted swiftly to Sharran plots.
 * Zeeahd died in the Twilight War of 1374 DR, but made a pact with Mephistopheles to return to life and serve him in Faerûn.
 * A clay golem was infused with a spirit from the Elemental Plane of Earth, giving them life, but they were unstable when damaged.
 * An asperii was a breed of wingless flying horse that preferred to dine on fish, hawk flesh, mint leaves, and mistletoe.
 * Deities from the world of Nerath once came to Realmspace to join the fight against the primordials in the Dawn War.

4/12/2016 – 11/12/2016

 * Teshwave, a small town in Teshendale, was controlled by Zhentil Keep and guarded by Zhent-serving orcs, gnolls, and ogres.
 * The lessen gravity spell would reduce the strength of gravity in an area, and three castings would eliminate it entirely.
 * Clear Whirl River, beginning at Lake Woe, flowed through the kingdom of Hartsvale and emptied into the Endless Ice Sea.
 * The Fountains of Memory, once sacred to deep gnomes, offered glimpses of history to those who peered into them.
 * The create baneguard spell was known to priests of Bane until his death, when it spread to followers of other dark deities.
 * Jhachalkhyn was a drow city where the power of Lolth's matriarchy passed, and it fell into the grip of the Jaezred Chaulssin.
 * A devourer was a horrific breed of fiend serving Orcus that trapped victims in its chest and slowly transformed them into undead.
 * Arton Githsberry, a 6th-century ruler of Turmish, refused to wind down logging in Gulthmere Forest when asked by local druids.
 * Sir Jerold Keegan, a 3rd-century knight of Cormyr and noted dragonslayer, famously banished the shadow dragon Shadraxil.
 * The aging Catlord, the ruler of all felines, led his charges from the jungles, but recognized that his heir must prowl the cities.

11/12/2016 – 18/12/2016

 * Quthnorak, a mind flayer sorcerer of Vournoth's Mire, studied arcane magic and would work with non-illithids to do so.
 * Astilabor, dragon goddess of acquisition, had her followers pray to her by counting the coins of their treasure hoards.
 * A ki-rin, a scaled unicorn-like creature, was seen as a harbinger of good fortune and protector of the mortal world.
 * Eusebius was a storm giant of Lake Woe who aided Lanaxis in his kidnapping of Queen Brianna Burdun of Hartsvale.
 * Porphyrys Cadorna, once a refugee from Phlan, became its leading councilman, but schemed to restore his family's fortunes.
 * The scrying spell, which enabled a mage or priest to see from afar, was formerly called Anglin's mirror and magic font.
 * Two Rocks, an island in the harbor of Harrowdale Town, was said to hold hidden pirate treasure, but this was yet to be found.
 * The Monocle of Bagthalos was a holy artifact of Helm crafted by a priest who poured his soul into his work.
 * Quesseer, a Netherese settlement founded by the Terraseer, was ultimately abandoned when threatened by an orc horde.
 * Gorthalylaug was a red dragon who laired in the Aphrunn Mountains of Jhaamdath, before he was slain by dwarves.

18/12/2016 – 25/12/2016

 * Prince Kaedlaw Burdun of Hartsvale uniquely had two giant fathers: the firbolg Tavis Burdun and the ettin Arno and Julian.
 * Chancil Crystalheart was so named because he had only a crystal in his chest—his real heart was in Abon Duum's grip.
 * The crazed Red Wizard Dracandros of the Crimson was exiled from Thay after he attacked a mind flayer ambassador.
 * Sprites were tiny fey warriors who were zealous defenders of good and notorious for their use of sleep poison on their arrows.
 * Aquessir, a floating city of Netheril, was known for its openness to outsiders, but was plagued by the evil Crown of Horns.
 * Safe fall negated inertia across a plane, permitting creatures to fall safely through or missiles to halt in their flight.
 * Maeragra Duskwinter, once a cat-burglar, used her acrobatic skills to good effect as chatelaine of the Sign of the Shield.
 * The Sisterhood of Essembra, a band of good half-dragon women and their friends, aided the folk and dragons of Battledale.
 * A boggle was a fey being born from feelings of loneliness or abandonment, appearing where the Feywild touched the world.

25/12/2016 – 1/01/2017

 * Minder was an iron golem bearing the soul of a dwarf. She served on the Realms Master under her friend Dwalimar Omen.
 * Rending, a spell bestowed by Ragarra, destroyed products of civilization, whether manufactured or traded, even slaves.
 * In −1591 DR, General Matick of Netheril crafted a spell, General Matick's missile, which would become famous as magic missile.
 * A proxy was a servitor of a deity granted some of their divine power and raised to the status of demigod to serve their will.
 * A magemask, a leather half-mask with crystal eye-lenses, gave the wearer infravision and the power to read and detect magic''.
 * Alone, a cranium rat was just a mutant rat with a big brain, but in swarms they were a sentient hive-mind with strange powers.
 * The Ridge, a stretch of cliffs in the Cloud Peaks of Amn and an inactive fault line, was heavily mined for its great mineral wealth.