Dumbwaiter

A dumbwaiter, known in Common as a durthdra, was a type of lift designed for carrying food and small items though some were large enough to carry furniture or even a person.

Description
Dumbwaiters consisted of an open-fronted box that came in a variety of sizes, with some being large enough that five human-sized people could cram together inside of one. They were housed within shafts and raised or lowered between the floors of a building by means of ropes attached to a pulley system.

Etymology
The term "durthdra" was a compound word, made up of the Alzhedo words "durth" and "uldra", meaning "platform" and "rope" or "pulley" respectively. Though made up of Alzhedo words, durthdra was not a proper word within the Alzhedo language and was little known by its speakers as such contraptions were rare in west Faerûn.

Businesses

 * The Cutlass, a popular tavern in Luskan, had a large dumbwaiter.
 * Halaband's Inn, an establishment in Immersea, had a dumbwaiter that bats were prone to riding upon.
 * The Nine Fires, an inn in the city of Arabel, had a dumbwaiter that allowed the staff to quickly deliver warm meals to most rooms.
 * The Purple Lady, a festhall in the city of Westgate, had a dumbwaiter that connected the kitchen to a kitchen antechamber within one of the private meeting-rooms on the second floor.
 * The Sign of the Shield, an inn in Voonlar, boasted the only dumbwaiter in the small farming town.
 * Spath Investigations, a detective firm in Ravens Bluff, had a dumbwaiter.

Private Residences

 * Blackstaff Tower had a dumbwaiter.
 * Castle Spulzeer had a dumbwaiter that was large enough for four human-sized creatures to stand in, leading up to the banquet facilities on the second floor. It was notably haunted by a weeping spirit.
 * Cholandrothipe's Tower had a dumbwaiter connecting all of its levels.
 * Fzoul's Tower had a dumbwaiter that connected its feasting hall to the tower's kitchen and cellar.
 * Oldspires, an old mansion belonging to Sardasper Halaunt.
 * The fortress city of Orcus had two large dumbwaiters that were ridden by dretch servitors.
 * Phelhelra, a fortess on the Marching Mountains, had a great deal of small dumbwaiters that connected the various rooms of the complex.
 * Raventree Villa, the private estate of House Raventree, had a dumbwaiter whose shaft climbed from the kitchen all the way up to the bedchambers of the villa's tallest tower.