Floating Carriage

The Floating Carriage was a dwarven invention designed to bring the utility of hovercraft to a technology-fearing Wonderland. By partnering with elven sorcerers, the inventors of the Floating Carriage were able to convert the tech-powered design they’d been using in The Reek into a magic-powered and horse-drawn alternative that the luddites of Wonderland would accept.

Hailed as “the transport of tomorrow” upon its debut, the Floating Carriage made good on its promise. It was adopted by folks across all seven kingdoms of Wonderland and was still in widespread use by the end of the Second Age.

Basic Description

The Floating Carriage was flat-bottomed wagon covered in an open-ended cloth top. It was wheelless and held aloft by a complex series of long-lasting enchantments, which allowed it to travel over rougher ground than many wheeled alternatives of the time. Though it was possible a sapient being of sufficient strength to push it to and fro, the Carriage was typically pulled by a pair of horses harnessed to vehicle’s chassis.

In its standard configuration, the vehicle came equipped with a wide bench seat for the driver and one passenger. A version with two bucket seats was also available.

Two front-facing headlamps were also standard.

Utility

Though it was perfectly capable as a passenger vehicle, the Floating Carriage really shined when it came to the hauling of freight. Due to the nature of its enchantments, it could carry twice the load of its wheeled competition. Even better? It could do so without putting any additional strain on the horses. The enchantments placed on the vehicle also enabled temperature control, an innovation which made the long-distance transport of fresh foodstuffs a much less dicey proposition than it had been before.