Sledge

Sledges were a type of large sled that were usually used to haul cargo or large numbers of passengers.

Description
These sleds had runners along their bottom that allowed a sledge to be pulled by a team of animals, such as dogs, horses, and caribou.

Availability
Places in the Realms where one could find sledges for sale included the following:
 * In the village of Aunkspear, where they were manufactured by the woodcarver Ubargh Jarn.
 * Elgath's Provisions in the city of Archenbridge.
 * Felsharp's Furniture in the hamlet of White Ford.
 * Samborl's Sundries-in-Trade in the small town of Asbravn.
 * Thunderwood Forays in the city of Berdusk.
 * Waelvur's Wagonworks in Red Larch manufactured sledges for use by nearby quarries.
 * The Way Inn had a trailwares shop that sold sledges.

History
In 1367 DR, sometime around the month of Alturiak, a sledge caravan that was bucking heavy snows west of Priapurl was attacked at dusk by a group of drow raiders whilst it was making its way towards a sheltered campsite. The caravan managed to fend off the drow and send them fleeing thanks to two of its members being minor wizards.

Around the late 14 century DR, Ras Nsi sought to gather Chultan wood to sell to the thriving cities of the Western Heartlands. To accomplish this he had his earth elementals uproot trees, gangs of zombies load them on to sledges, and then had those pulled by dinosaurs.

In the 15 century DR, the Fellowship of Carters and Coachmen, the Wheelwrights' Guild, and the Wagon-makers' and Coach Builders' Guild began working worked together to convert some drays and hire-coaches into sledges so that they could remain fully operational throughout the harshest parts of the winter season.

Groups

 * Some members of the Fellowship of Carters and Coachmen were known to own sledges.
 * The Stonemasons Guild of Ravens Bluff used sledges to transport stone down from their mountain quarry and north to their warehouse in the city's Southside District.

Races

 * Back on their home planet of Athas, the thri-kreen frequently built and used sledges to transport more fragile materials, such as their eggs. They constructed these from the large bones and sinews of their prey, or from a single scale of a greater hatori.

Regions & Settlements

 * In the region of Anauroch, one could find "sand-sledges" or sledges that had been adapted for use in its desert environment.
 * In the icy reaches of north Faerûn, it was common for caravans to transport goods by means of sledges. For example, both the inhabitants of Grunwald and Kheldell used sledges to transport stripped logs and milled wood respectively. And the gnolls that lived in the Frozen Flindyke transported ore from Mount Ghaethlauntar by means of sledge caravans.
 * In the more southernly reaches of north Faerûn, sledges could be found in use in much of the Dalelands.
 * In northwest Faerûn, during the winter sledges were sometimes used to transport goods to or from the city of Waterdeep, as well as to transport memorial stones. One could even purchase spare sledge-runners within its markets or simply rent a sledge.
 * During the winter time, if guests at the Waterdhavian inn The Jade Jug desired to go out in the city, the inn would have a sledge brought around to transport them.
 * Also in northwest Faerûn, quarries in that region were known to use sledges.
 * In south Faerûn, sledges were one of many vehicles used to transport goods to the city of Khôltar.  In Zehoarastria, once a year the winter weather made overland roads so impassable for draft beasts and wagons that in the city of Crimmor the only means of moving goods was sledges laboriously pulled by humans. And even then, only for short trips.
 * Beyond Faerûn, sledges were sometimes used in the jungles of Chult.

Trivia

 * Pelost Galathaer specialized in making sledge runners.