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ForgingtheRealmsArchive|12/21/2012

WhatsHeGotinHisWagons?
ByEdGreenwood

HowandwhereandwhendidtheForgottenRealmsstart?What'sattheheartofEdGreenwood'screation,and
howdoestheGrandMasteroftheRealmsusehisownworldwhenherunsD&Dadventuresfortheplayersin
hiscampaign?"ForgingtheForgottenRealms"isaweeklyfeaturewhereinEdanswersallthosequestionsand
more.

fswordsguardkingdomsintheRealms,andwizardskeepbruteforcefromturningintotyrannyeverywhere
acrossFaern,thenmercantiletrademerchants,riskingtheirlivesonshipsinstormyseasornursing
wagonsoverlandthroughmonsterhauntedwilderlands,orevenleadingafewpackmulesthroughbrigand
infestedcountrysideisthelifebloodofeverycountry.

Yetcommerceislessexcitingthanmonsters,magic,andhighadventure,soitgetsglossedoverinmost
Realmslore.Majortraderoutesareobviousfromthemapshereandthereonecanfindothermapsthatshow
majorsourcesofgoods(wheatgrownhere,goldsmeltedthere)andItrytomakementionofmajorexportsand
importswhereIcan,butallofthat's"bigpicture"stuff.Inevitably,aroundthegamingtable,itcomesdowntothis:
What'sinyonwagon?

Notwhat'sshippedbythecaravanloadorintheholdsofafleetduringaseasonbutwhat'srighthere,right
now?

Thievesandbrigandsaskthemselvesthatallthetime.Sodogateguardslookingtoferretouttrouble(ortolevy
thecorrecttaxes)atacitygate,andthewarehouseordocksidethickneckswholoadthewagonsinthefirst
place.

There'sanarttoloadingawagon,andalotofartinpackaginggoodstogetthemwherethey'regoingunspoiled
andundamaged.Partofitisdeterminedbythenatureofthegoods(What'sperishable?What'sfragile?Whatdo
youmostwanthidden?),andpartbywheninthejourneysomethingismostlikelytobeunloaded.Onlythe
largestcostersorbusinesseswillhavewagonsentirelydevotedtoonesortofcargo,orwagonsinacaravanof
similarlyloadedvehicleseachdestinedforaparticularplace(so,forinstance,sixwagonsintheirentiretywould
bedestinedforScornubel,whiletherestgoontoSilverymoon).

Heavystuffgoesdownlowandiswellsecured,becauseshiftingcargocandoomwagons,draftanimals,and
drovers,notjustruineverythingelsebeingcarried.Fragilestuffbelongswhereitwillbeprotected,andlightbut
bulkystuffisoftenslunguphigh,tiedinplaceacrossthewagonbyawebworkofropestiedwithknotsthatare
thepersonaldesignoftheloader(eitherintendedforveryswiftreleaseorrequiringaslow,carefuluntyingto
deterthieves),sothattheknotsthemselvessignalatonceifanystrangerhasbeenatthetiesorretiedthem.

Beyondthesebasics,everythingelseaboutloadingvaries.

Noonewantsawagontomoveunloaded,orevenhalfempty.Onceacargohasbeenoffloaded,something
elseevensomethingascheapandunappealingormessyasoldturnipsorsawdustmustbefoundtotakeits
place.Therearelimits,ofcourseonceawagonhasseendutycarryingfreshdung,itwon'tbethefirstchoiceof
conveyanceforwheelsofcheeseorapples.

IntheRealms,somefairlystandardmethodsofpackaginghavedevelopedovertheyears.Aswitheverything
handmade,theywon'tbeidenticalinsize,carryingcapacity,orappearance,buttherearecontainerseveryone
knowsaboutwhenthey'rediscussed.Theseinclude:

Thehandkeg:PicturethesortofcontaineraSt.Bernardcarriesarounditsneck,withropehandlesonbothends,
thatcanbecomfortablycarriedbyonepersonanddon'tforgetthatpickles,includingpickledeggsandthelike,
traveltheRealmsinsuchcontainers,notjuststrongdrink.
Thekeg:The"rainbarrel"NorthAmericansknowfrommovies,evenifthey'veneverbeennearafarmthinkofitas
thewoodenequivalentofa50gallonoildrum.

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Thehogsheadandgreatkegandtun:Biggerkegs,whicharerarelymovedbecausethey'resoheavy,fragilewhen
full,andtakesomanypeopletomuscleabout.Oftenfoundinbreweries,warehouses,andthecellarsoflarge,well
establishedtavernsandcityinns.
Thecoffer:Asmall,shallow,rectangularbox,sometimesornamentedandbeautiful,butmoreoftenutilitarian,and
alwaysabletobesecurelyfastenedthinkofasturdyjewelrybox.Usedfortransportingallsortsofsmall,valuable
items,fromnailsandgemstoscrollsyes,valuablescrollsoftentravelaboutinindividualscrolltubes,asopposedto
blankparchmentsthatoftengetrolledintoahugecylinderthat'sthentiedupinarugortwo.Noonehaseverputa
halfadozenormorescrolltubeslooseinthebackofawagontwice.
Thestrongchest:Thinkofasmall,flattoppedcoffin,orapirate'streasurechest,butwiththehoopcurvedtop
flattenedsothatseveralchestscanbestackedwithsomestabilitywithropehandlesontheends,andhorizontal
metalhookedflangesortubesmountedonthesides,sopolescanbeslidthroughorunderthemtoserveascarry
handles,ontheshouldersofstrongfolk.Thisisthebasiceverydaycontainerforsmallsizedcargo,becausecustom
madecratesareexpensive,andsoaregenerallymadeonlyforcustomsizeditems.
Thelongbox:Anarrow,shallowboxaslongasastrongchestorlonger,usedfortransportingswords,daggers
(edgedweaponswillhavetheirbladeswrappedinoiledclothtoinhibitrust),crossbowbolts,arrows,andvarious
metalbars,including"tradebars"ofpreciousmetal.Longboxesbeganasinteriortraysinstrongchests,butholding
thatmanyweaponsmadeastrongchestcursedlyheavy,andthetrayshadahabitofwarpingandjamminginplace,
forcingdestructionofthestrongchesttogetthegoodsout.
Thecrate:Olderreadersmightrememberwhenlargefurnituresuchaswoodencabinettelevisionsetscamein
cratesthatweresturdierthantheircontents,sometimesstrongenoughthatcarsstoredingaragesorbarnswiththeir
wheelsoffcouldberestedonseveralcrateswithoutcrushingthem.Well,intheRealmswoodandlaborarecheap,
andwhereskilledcarpentersandwoodcarversarelacking,workerswithcruderskillsoftenmakealivingbuilding
simplecrates.Theycomeinstandardsizesthatoftengetfilledwithallsortsofdrosstopadsmallercargo,aswellas
custommadesortsthatproperlyholdandprotectvaluablecargo,suchasmusicalinstruments,tools,weapons,and
armor.

Soinsideallthepackagingandthepackingthereof,whatexactlydoesthatmerchantgotinhiswagons?Why,
whateveryourstoryneedsthemerchanttohave,ofcourse.

AbouttheAuthor

EdGreenwoodisthemanwhounleashedtheForgottenRealmssettingonanunsuspectingworld.Heworksin
libraries,andhewritesfantasy,sciencefiction,horror,mystery,andromancestories(sometimesallinthesame
novel),butheishappiestwhenchurningoutRealmslore,Realmslore,andmoreRealmslore.Hestillhasafew
roomsinhishouseinwhichhehasspacelefttopileuppapers.

19952015WizardsoftheCoastLLC,asubsidiaryofHasbro,Inc.AllRightsReserved.

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