Ria's Wagon

This wagon carries Yanto P'rees' family (Cadi, Gwion, Reese, and Ria) from Droyca to Asharqora on the North Road. The young men trade off in the driver's seat and rear passenger seats, while Ria and her mother take turns driving or just keeping the young men company. Yanto himself rides alongside, or trades places with one of his sons. The menfolk are armed, which is enough to discourage any highway robbery that might be possible, but they have stashed bows and quivers of arrows in easy reach of driver's seat and rear passenger seats, just in case. This is a cold, wintry trip, shortly before Longnight, so all of their outer clothing as well as heavy blankets are definitely involved.

A Medium-Sized, Arcanum-Enhanced Wagon

This is a single-deck, four-wheeled, box wagon, made of darkened, weather-beaten, heavy, wood beams and lighter-toned boards. The body is formed of a handspan-high box with attached top box-boards on either side and ribs arched over the top which hold the thick, oil-cloth cover. The driver's seat is built up from a plank laid across the front of the [low] box, boxing it in on the sides with the higher side box-boards. Two people fit side by side on the seat, which is lightly padded with a leather cover that wraps all the way around the bottom, cushioning it a bit from even the smooth ride of the wagon itself. They have a foot rest attached to the bottom of the wagon box, above the tongue and hitching points for the horses. The wagon tongue is a single, shaped, wooden pole under the wagon that includes a block surrounding the front axle, and which rides between the horses, to which they are harnessed with heavy leather belts and straps. The inner reins crisscross above, running through an iron loop so the left rein on each horse runs to the left, and vise versa. For the driver's ease, the reins are stitched together at the ends, making it easier to pull evenly in either direction. The wagon cover does not reach the drivers except as a tiny overhang, as they need to be able to see in more directions.
The large, dark-wood, spoked wheels are wrapped in a layer of iron, and capped with large, surprisingly ornate iron hubcaps, each with a six-sided, blue, arcanum crystal pyramid set in gold studded in the center. The large poles serving as axles are mounted in heavy blocks attached to the underside of the wagon, and turn in iron-lined holes within those blocks to help with the smoothness of the ride and the wear and tear of regular usage. (The arcanum enhancement being applied by the studded hubcaps ties together the wheels, block mounts, and axles in ways not easily unmade, maintains the wheels, and makes it nearly impossible for the wagon to break down due to road conditions or standard damage. The base of the wagon is also protected, and the load is lightened to allow the horses to travel at full speed.)
At the center front of the wagon box, above the tongue and driver footrest, is another blue arcanum crystal set in ornamental gold, this one a finger-length pyramidal prism sliced in half the long way. (This crystal is primarily concerned with the shock-absorption necessary due to the higher potential speeds, but also applies to passenger and cargo comfort and safety.)

In the Interior of the Covered Wagon

The cargo of this wagon is everything the family owns, but since their shelter was provided by their previous employers, it amounts mostly to the personal possessions, weapons, and armament of the five family members, plus those household items necessary for their cooking and crafting needs. Large, heavy, wooden trunks were purchased for the men's belongings and weapons, two of which are tied down as internally-facing seats at the rear for those not currently driving or riding alongside. The women's belongings are in softer sacks, and all of their blankets are available for warmth or seat cushions. The third trunk and their household goods are all tied down evenly to disperse the weight, with a large weighty collection of pots, grain mill, cooking errata, arms, arms maintenance and Gwion's fletching supplies, the loom, and their internal, household-dividing screens located between the rear trunk-seats and the drivers. It all stacks more or less neatly, with room to see over it so the passengers can converse with the drivers.
The light is somewhat muted within the wagon, lit only by daylight from fore and aft and what little light can soak through the heavy cover. Those riding in the back are limited to the view of the road to the rear, their own company, and the backs of the drivers' heads. The trunks aren't quite long enough to stretch out on, but lying down is definitely an option. Due to the arcanum enhancement of the wagon, the ride is smoother than would usually be an option, and even the stone paving of the major roads won't be enough to jostle those inside.

Power Generation

The arcanum crystals are their own power sources, and the first arcanum-enhanced wagon is still functioning, so the duration of use is as yet unknown.

Propulsion

This wagon is pulled by a matched pair of horses to handle the longer, higher-speed journey. The arcanum enhancement makes the wagon, passengers, and cargo drag very little on the horses, allowing them to travel at their best trail speed. These are lighter draft horses of the category usually used with arcanum-enhanced vehicles, a subcategory all its own.
Sometimes human intervention is required based on environmental hazards such as mud or scree.

Class
Wagon, Arcanum-Enhanced

Passengers/Crew
Cadi, Gwion, Reese, Ria, and sometimes Yanto

Current location

North Road

Price

75gp (rented free with waiver)

Related Technologies

• Arcanum Enhancement

Beam

6 feet

Length

15 feet

Height

6 feet

Weight

1.5 tons empty

Speed

2–12 mph

Complement / Crew

This wagon is pulled by a matched pair of horses to handle the longer, higher-speed journey. The wagon requires a single driver, but fits two on the driver's seat, one driving with reins and light whip, the other often armed. (Just in case.)

Cargo & Passenger Capacity

Additional seating awkwardly on top of cargo in the rear, carrying two (who can swap with driver and guard up front). Cargo capacity is lessened by passengers in the rear, but easily 200–300 pounds.