“ A supposedly empty desert on the far side of the mountains has started growing. No one knows why. At the center of the desert lies a tall rock outcropping, hundreds of feet tall. Dust storms shroud the outcropping constantly, except for one night a year.”
“ Surnames: The Chinese were among the very first cultures to adopt the use of hereditary surnames (around 2800 BC). But the custom didn't quite catch on in Europe - at least not until the Venetian aristocracy made it popular sometime between the 10th and 11th centuries AD. What culture made it popular in your setting and why?”
“ The Red Lipstick - almost blood dark, this lipstick changes to become the perfect shade of red for the woman, and only woman, wearing it. She will attract positive attention from men, and will be the subject of female envy, for who else has such perfectly red lips?”