Sheep

Sheep were a common species of mammal and herd animal. "The sheep gives the shepherd its fleece or there'll be mutton for dinner."

- An old saying from the Dalelands.

Description
Sheep were covered in thick, curly wool. The color of the wool varied, often black, white or yellow in color. Male sheep had a pair of sharp horns on their head.

Behaviour
Sheep were domesticated and lived in herds of various sizes.

Combat
Sheep avoided combat, fleeing predators when possible. Male sheep defended their herds, charging a target and inflicting damage with their sharp horns. A herd could panic and stampede, trampling most creatures in their path.

Biology
Many creatures hunted sheep.


 * Chiang lung
 * Cloud giant
 * Dire hawk
 * Displacer beast
 * Goblin rat
 * Hill giant
 * Kappa
 * Nightbeak
 * Oni
 * Orpsu
 * Red dragon
 * Wolves
 * Wyvern

Uses
A flock of sheep was tended by shepherds. The larger the flock, the more shepherds were needed to safely manage the sheep. Shepherds moved flocks from one area to another for grazing. This was due to the fact that sheep, when grazing, ate grass in its entirety, including roots. This combined with the damage caused by many sets of hooves, degraded the soil and left it exposed to the sun and wind. Improper management of a flock of sheep could turn a once lush field into a barren dusty field.

Among the Al-Badia tribes, shepherds were usually young men or boys. They led the flock to find suitable grazing ground. However, in the summer, grazing is practically nonexistent, so the Al-Badia tribes remain close to an oasis or settlement.

Sheep were herded by both gold and shield dwarves.

As livestock, a typical sheep was worth between 1 and 2 gp in Faerûn , and between 3 and 6 gp in Zakharan bazaars. . In Kara-Tur, a sheep was worth up to 5 tael.

Sheep were a source of wool. Wool was widely used as a material to make clothing. Zakharan wool was made from hair of a sheep blended with that of a camel. Fleece was a type of textile fiber, obtained from sheering the coats of sheep.
 * Clothing:

Sheep could be used as a source of leather. Sheepskin clothing was common and could be worn as a jacket. The Hobgoblin tribes of the High Moor manufactured high quality sheepskin clothing, complete with intricate embroidery and bead-work. Sheepskin could also be used to make boots, such as high boots.

The milk from a sheep could be used to make cheese. Elturian Grey was a sheep-milk cheese crafted in Elturel in the Western Heartlands.
 * Food:

Among halflings, sheep were considered a valuable part of a farm, and the milk and meat from sheep was an integral part of halfling cuisine. Halfling farmers in Corm Orp made a soft cheese from goat's and sheep milk called Orthin.

In Zakhara, butter was made from sheep's milk. A popular drink, rakiq, was a beverage made from sheep's milk and garlic known for its tang. The Al-Badia, nomadic tribes who roamed Zakhara, used mutton as the main course for banquets for honored guests. The considered the tail of a sheep a delicacy, with the guest of honor presented the fatty and succulent dish.


 * Other Uses:

If needed, a sheep could also be used as a pack animal.

Sheepskin was prepared in such a way it was used as a parchment. It could also be fashioned into a portable vessel for carrying water or wine. In Zakhara, sheepskin was part of a camel's riding kit, where it was used as a saddle pad. A hababa was a hammock made from sheepskin that was stretched over four poles of wood. It was used in Zakhara for children. Sheepskin could also be made into a rug.

On the Plain of Horses, most of the structures are yurts made from the skin of sheep or camels.

The bladder of a sheep could be inflated and used as a ball in recreational activities. Sheep's bladder was also used as a coin purse.

Sheep fat had several uses. It was used to make the wearer's skin glisten and shine. Candles could be made from sheep fat.

Paladin's often used sheep as part of their daily exercise routine. This routine involved the paladin, in a full suit of armor, hiking up a mountain with a sheep strapped to their back.

Sheep were sometimes used as a sacrificial animal. Once a month, the villagers of Volkumburgh transported up to five sheep to Mount Drakkor Rouge. There, the sheep were offered as a sacrifice to the red dragon Larghauseth, in hopes of keeping the dragon away from their village. When entering an unexplored dungeon, uncaring adventures were known to send a flock of sheep ahead of them to trigger any traps that laid ahead.

In the High Country, there were certain locations felt to be important to the Hidden People, such as sparkling pools, the rare standing stones, and small hidden dells thick with old, mossy trees. Wise and experienced shepherds avoided such places. If forced to enter by weather or misfortune, they made no fires and cut no trees, moved stealthily, and did their business quickly and left as soon as possible. They humbly and loudly apologized for the intrusion, and even left one or two sheep tied to stakes as payment. Those who did not take such precautions did not always return.

On Olympus, an individual who wished to cast a necormantic spell had to request it from Hecate, and a sheep was an acceptable sacrifice.

Habitat
Sheep were common across the Realms and beyond. Unlike most herd animals, sheep thrived in rocky terrain and mountain pastures. Sheep tolerated cold and temperate climates well, but did not tolerated hot climates such as deserts or areas where the temperature exceeded. Sheep preferred to stay out of forests and swamps.

Faerûn
Farmers in Aglarond, Berdusk , Calimshan , Chessenta , Daggerford , Elturel , the Great Vale, Julkoun , Land of the Lions, Llorkh , Pyratar , Ulgoth's Beard , Unther , Urst , the Vast, Xonthal's Tower , Yarthrain

The residents of Fireshear attempted to herd sheep during the short warm season every few years. But each time they made the attempt, the flocks of sheep attracted the attention of wolves. The sheep who survived to winter were sheared and then killed for their meat.
 * Frozenfar:

The verbeeg tribes of Icewind Dale captured sheep for domestic use such as food and to trade.

Klauthen Vale was a narrow valley filled with sheep and other livestock, who were left to their own devices. The valley was basically the private larder of the fierce and extremely powerful red dragon Klauth. He stole the livestock from farms across northern Faerûn, bringing them back to the vale. He was very protective of his food supply.

Sheep were common on the Moonshae Isles. Northlanders herded sheep on the windswept islands of the the Korinn Archipelago. Before it was controlled by fomorians, Oman's Isle had numerous sheep farms.
 * Moonshae Isles:

The hamlet of Rassalantar was surrounded by walled farms and pastures of grazing sheep.
 * Sword Coast:

Sheep were common in the Savage Frontier. Flocks of feral sheep could be found on the Forlorn Hills. Ruins dotted the Evermoors, all that remains of attempts by humans to raise sheep and other livestock within the Evermoors. All were lost to vicious raids by the trolls inhabiting the infamous moor.
 * Savage Frontier:

Goldenfields, a fortified abbey to Chauntea had fenced off area of pasture land for sheep. Beliard was home to many ranchers, including sheepherders. Their livestock was vulnerable to raids by hill giants.

Sheep were one of the most common domesticated herd animals in Luruar. Outside of Deadsnows, sheep grazed in the cleared pastures of coarse grass on the valley walls and lower slopes. The flocks were watched over by shepherds armed with crossbows.
 * Luruar:

In the Western Heartlands, sheep were among the most common domestic animal.
 * Western Heartlands:

Although most sheep avoided swamps, human tribes living in the High Moor managed to raise sheep. This particular breed of sheep had thick, shaggy wool that was difficult to shear. Hobgoblin tribes within the High Moor also herded sheep.

The Song of the Morning was a large temple dedicated to the deity Lathander in the center of Beregost. On the east side of town were hills where its clergy tended flocks of sheep. While shepherding their livestock among the foothills, the temple's priests kept a watchful eye over the unguarded eastern expanse of Beregost.

Despite the fact that the land surrounding Baldur's Gate was in poor condition for farming, farmers herded sheep and other livestock. Paddocks full of sheep were found in the Outer City.

A small settlement of shepherds lived outside of the Darkhold. Their flocks grazed on the meadows of the Sunset Mountains and they sent bales of wool to market.

In the halfling town of Corm Orp, herds of sheep populated the hillsides surrounding the town. The halfling settlements in the Trielta Hills also raised sheep.

In Tethyr, villages in the Starspire Mountains and Omlarandin Mountains relied on their sheep herds and fiercely defended them from predators. County Surkazar, a pastoral region located in the western foothills of the Omlarandin Mountains, held the largest population of sheep in all of Tethyr. Some rock gnomes found in Tethyr lived as sheepherders.
 * Lands of Intrigue:

In Amn, sheep could be found grazing in the plateaus of the Cloud Peaks. Lamb and wool were the main exports of the settlements here, including the town of Nashkel. Farmers also herded sheep in the Small Teeth region and outside the town of Imnescar.

In Cormyr, the Truebreeds Guild controlled the trade, breeding and care of all livestock, including sheep. Sheep were integral to the economies of several Cormyrian settlements, including Bospir, Dreamer's Rock , Eagle Peak , Eveningstar , Espar , and Gorthin ,
 * Interior Faerûn:

Huthduth was a Cormyrian keep that was home to priests of Chauntea. These priests raised a large herd of sheep within the wooded valley. They employed spells to teleport themselves, and their sheep, to different grazing grounds. The priests shepherded the sheep while armed with maces and wearing chain mail.

On Ilthan, an island in the Pirate Isles, cyclopskin herded sheep.

The gold dwarves of Underhome kept a large herd of sheep. They were herded within the Great Rift and was guarded by fully armored, and heavily armed, dwarven shepherds.
 * South Faerûn:

Within the Border Kingdoms, large herds of sheep grazed the fields around Ondeeme. The residents of The Realm of the Mount kept sheep in small paddocks within the forests.

The farmers of the Dalelands herded sheep. The largest herds of sheep in the Dalelands were found in Mistledale.
 * North Faerûn:

In the remote fields of Harrowdale, Mistledale, and Tasseldale, nomadic wemic shepherds tended flocks of up to 300 sheep. They traveled from field to field and tended to allow the sheep to overgraze, leaving damaged and depleted fields in their wake. The wemic shepherds trained wild cats to help manage and protect the flocks. They avoided contact with others, responding with violence unless a stranger was seeking to trade turquoise for wool.

In Battledale, large expanses of pastoral fields were ideal for sheep grazing.

During the summer, shepherds from Harrowdale set their flocks to graze the tall grasses in the Cold Field, located between Harrowdale and Scardale. The sheep merely ignored restless spirits found in the Cold Field.

In Shadowdale, sheep were often left on their own to graze on the grasses of the Common in the center of the village. The sheep usually wandered over to Elminster's Tower to drink from the small pond that was located there.

It was rumored that wyverns living atop of Wyvernfang in the Thunder Peaks captured livestock such as sheep, allowing them to live and breed, and culled them as needed. Thus they had created a renewable source of food.

In Cormanthor, sheep could be found living in both the Rimwood and Midwood.

Sheep were also found in Anauroch. The D'tarig survived by herding sheep as well as goats. The herdsmen of Hlondath also shepherded sheep.

Sheep were very common in Rashemen. Vast herds of sheep were found near Mulptan.

Farmers in Halruaa employed magic to aid them while herding sheep. Sheep grazed in the pasture-land surrounding the village of Crimel
 * Shining South:

Sheep could even be found in the Underdark. Sheep were kept in small pens on the Isle of Rothe in Menzoberranzan. Deep gnomes often cultivated herds of sheep on the outskirts of their towns, doing their best to keep the herds quiet and uninteresting to potential attackers.
 * Underdark:

Maztica
Colonists in Ulatos introduced sheep to the continent of Maztica. The sheep were transported by ship from the Sword Coast.

Zakhara
The nine major tribes of the High Desert in Zakhara kept herds of sheep numbering in the thousands. Nomadic tribes of Jann traveled with their herds, which included sheep, between fertile lands and oasis. Some ogre giant and reef giant tribes also kept herds of sheep.

Fahhas, Huzuz , Qudra as well as the settlements of the Masud Jazayir

Kara-Tur
In the Hordelands, the Tuigan raised and herded sheep. Sheep were found in great numbers on the Katakoro Plateau Within the Raurin desert, sheep lived in small flocks, isolated to the oases.

Sheep were part of the local economies of several settlements in the Hordelands, including Delbyl, Khazari , Quaraband and Ra-Khati.

In Tabot, villagers herded sheep across the high plateau. The herds were large, numbering in the thousands of individual sheep.

The tribes of the Plain of Horses herded sheep, with flocks large enough to contain a thousand sheep or more. The sheep of the Plain of Horses tended to be larger than sheep found elsewhere in Kara-Tur.

In the Koryaz Mountains of the Northern Wastes, the Pazruki relied on herding sheep as it was their primary source of meat.

Larger korobokuru settlements kept herds of sheep.

Elsehwere?
On the continent of Laerakond, feral sheep roamed the countryside of Relmaur.

The gnomes of Dothion, the first layer of Bytopia, kept herds of silver-wooled sheep. Silver-wooled sheep were also found on Arcadia. On Olympus, sheep were found in great numbers.

Sheep were common in the Feywild. Many Feywild settlements kept herds of sheep.

History
Circa, Mirabar began offering large sums of silver to entice sheepherders and their flocks to migrate to the city. The purpose was to provide Mirabar with a ready supply of wool for their harsh winters.

Subspecies
Crag sheep were found within Anauroch. Crag sheep lived in the Plain of Standing Stones. They grazed in the valleys and were hunted by most predators in the area. Frost folk kept herds of mountain sheep. Farmers living in the rugged parts of the Land of the Lions raised hardy mountain sheep. Mountain sheep were a main source of meat for the Azuposi.
 * Crag Sheep:
 * Mountain Sheep:

Notable Farmers

 * The Durinbold, a noble family on the Sword Coast, were known for their sheep farms.
 * Hlorn Estle and his family owed the biggest sheep herd in Espar, the farmer's sons and their vicious dogs were guarding the livestock as it grazed on the green hills outside the village.

Trivia
There are over 200 words for sheep in Untheric.

Yondalla, the creator and matriarch of halflings, was served by sheep.