Long ago, the sons of Jubal rejoiced at the destruction of Dragonbane, and the liberation of Nyx. The promises of the Emissary were fulfilled, and the First Machines were brought down. For the first time in fifty generations, the people of Nycos were free.
Craftsmen of that First Iteration saw fit to build a vanguard, a first-to-the-prize vessel worthy of the Jubilethans, as those sons and daughters of Jubal became known. From the ruined timber that once was the Forests of the First Ones, they laid the keel, the frame and foundation of the wagons. Singing into them Resilience, to survive all calamities, and Resolve, to hold the course regardless of the chaos, they made the Hull from the smooth beams of the Matronia, the mother-tree proffered by the Fey Realm, ageless and indomitable. FALAN and its adherents lent their Presence and Brilliance, which provide the eternal recognition and intellectual reverence to the Jubilethan cause. Finally, the Grace and Cognizance were brought to the fore by the Sons and Daughters of Jubal themselves, creating a conveyance and an emblem for all iterations, to remember the past, and embrace the infinite futures that Nycos would come to need.
The Wagons of the Caravanserai
The Box (Hull or Keel)
To look at them, one would think them common and unremarkable. A combination between a portable traveling home and a rolling sideshow, the Basis for the Jubilethan Circus is its conveyance, the Wagon.
Visually three horse-teams in length, in width an Oxen-team, the frame and box are laminated slats of wood, each individually cut with care from the burned and damaged timbers from that ancient time. For certain of the wagons, these slats have required replacement from time to time, and if studied in detail, all have a somewhat patchwork appearance, yet none are anything but seemingly timeless works of art. The main structure, called interchangeably the Box, Keel, or Hull, is a waterproof and airtight rounded oval container, roughly 18 feet across and 28 feet long. The magical properties, besides the obviously buoyant body and nearly indestructible nature, include characteristics of an impossibly large carry capacity and the sleeping quarter deck below. The disembarking of a Jubilethan wagon is reminiscent of the circus clown cart, as a whole family can deploy from one, dozens of men, women, and children, who call the wagon home. Thus, the wreck or remains of even the box itself can be extremely enriching, when recovered and returned to the Clan of Jubal.In the worst cases, a Hull has been recovered from war zones, natural disasters, and even beneath the coastal waters where their owners paid the last full measure. The ransom or bounty for its return is immense, and kingdoms have been purchased with the reward earned by returning a wreck to the surviving Jubilethans.
The Deck and Cover (Working Deck)
Fortune tellers, dancers, and performers of all kinds make up the Jubilethan clans. The coloration of the Wagon's cover is a patchwork of cloth and hide, the colors brilliant and the patterns hypnotic.
Despite the passage of time and the miles they travel, the Jubilethan Wagons are unmistakable, and their approach is with much music, laughter, and unbridled liberty of action and attitude. Of late, the clan has somewhat dispersed, the wagons traveling individually or in small groups. The cloth coverings themselves bear considerable research and study, as each section bears a tale, a map, or a memory of the journeys of the Jubilethan. The magic imbued into each can invoke a theme or location, a culture, or a dream. The sons and daughters of Jubal who inhabit a particular Wagon are well versed in its wonders, and many a traveler has lost his way, listening to the stories, and becoming so enthralled with them that he forgets his own journeys and joins himself to the Clan.
The Undercarriage (Wheels of Time)
Not to be outdone by the others, FALAN blessed the vessels with uncanny speed, unerring balance, and indefatigable endurance.
Meant to be global adventurers and advocates for the Emissary's vision of a united world, the Wagons of the Jubilethans required speed, stamina, and style. The wheels, constructed by lost skills, are virtually indestructible, and the undercarriage is unbelievably stable. Magic Effects that are imbued upon the undercarriage include supernatural speed, effortlessly smooth transit, and time-defying capacities for flight or float as the vessel requires.
Collectively, the ensemble would not be complete without steeds, and though often with draft animals in proximity, it is believed the Wagons of the Jubilethans do not need them, but rather keep them to comfort those unfamiliar with their ways, and as a fundamental trade resource should they be required.
Legends remind us that should a great calamity befall the world, the Jubilethans will gather at the Great Caravanserai, and every Wagon among them will be summoned to face this challenge. HIstorically, there have been sizable Caravanserai in the past, but only once, in the Fifth Iteration did a Great Caravanserai occur. Of course, the outcome of that meeting is now shrouded in Oblivion, but the resounding call of Jubal still echoes in the ruins of Cathedral in remembrance of that event.
