Altho Minstrelwish

Altho Minstrelwish was a world-hopping halfling explorer and trader of the Minstrelwish family in the 1 century DR.

History
Around, Altho traveled to the world of Earth, most likely to the realm of France, and collected a number of foxes. He imported these foxes to Toril, where he had plans to sell their fur (particularly their tails, termed "brushes") for fashionable attire, but found few halflings were interested because of their distinct smell. Fox meat, whether roasted or stewed, was even less popular.

In the end, Altho let the foxes run wild, thereby introducing foxes to Faerûn, and in time they displaced the native Faerûnian lynx. This origin of foxes was remembered in the hin word for "fox", rennard, after the French word for a fox, renard.