Narta

A narta is a sled used for transportation and hauling in the Maruvian cultures of the Western Woods. They are pulled by either a team of dogs or a single bankhur. Narta are lashed together from wooden logs or planks and rope, vine, or other fibres. The two parallel runners on the bottom of the narta allow it to glide well over snow and ice; however, they can also be used on trails of loam or leaf-cover if greased generously with a special seed oil known as gnartgnört.   Narta are primarily used by scouts for the nomadic communities and druidic circles of the woods. Though their long, narrow shape allows them to maneuver between trees easily, they are somewhat difficult to ride, and not especially suited for carrying both riders and their belongings. On a typical narta journey, several teams of dogs and riders are sent out to search for a new home base. The scouts send the narta back alone with examples of the game and forage found at the new location, and wait until either the narta is sent back with preliminary camp materials to set up, or a signal bird is sent back telling the scouts to return to their old camp. On longer or more dangerous journeys, the lead dog is either a druid in wildshape or an Awakened dog.   Narta have been used in the Western Woods since time immemorial. The remains of one narta carbonized in a Prozhg'atua, found in the buried wreckage of a gnomish hunters' camp north of Aajintéa, date back to the early Age of Audacity. Sages speculate that the earliest narta were adapted to allow gnomelociraptors, or a bridge species between the gnomelociraptor and the modern gnome, to carry game to a central location.   Though more common in nomadic or semi-nomadic communities, narta are still used for medium- and long-distance transportation between established villages. It is considered good luck to fashion a narta from the same wood used to build one's home, in order to call the narta safely back on its return journey. Recreational narta racing is also common in these villages, as it is in nomadic communities. The Barérehi is an extremely popular yearly narta race, held on 17 December, in which riders travel between Tontuwa Grove and Maunganiti.