Dongui Wagon
"Wagons with sails! Only the Dongui could come up with that!" old proverb, author unknown
Engineers were hired to develop a vehicle that would fit a number of criteria to assist the Dongui when they chose to uproot their culture and become nomads rather then face the Bendei Empire. What was designed was a massive wagon that could use wheels or skis but also had small sails that could be raise from the sides or on top to assist whatever team was used to provide propulsion. A special wood was used to make them lighter then any wagon of it's size should be as well as resistant to damage and fire. Bendei wood was very difficult to work with but the investment in it was one that was repaid by several orders of magnitude over the years.
Each wagon could be modified in less then half a day to be used for either cargo hauling, comfortable passenger transport (complete with sleeping arrangements) or shops for the various skilled trades needed to keep the caravan moving.
Propulsion
8 horses, 4 oxen or 1 elephant
Weapons & Armament
each wagon has a rapid loading ballista mounted fore and aft. Each crewmember has a shortsword and a a light crossbow for defending their wagon
Armor and defense
Made of lightweight but durable and fire resistant Bendai wood. Each wagon can take a lot of damage before becoming unusable.
Communication Tools & Systems
Atop each wagon in the command perch is a mirror on an adjustable gimbal to signal wagons ahead and behind
Sensors
Above the command perch is a scout nook which is always manned by a crewmember with a spyglass.
Additional & auxiliary systems
The Dongui wagon boasts four large iron clad wheels that are over a meter and a half across. underneath the chassis are a set of steel ski runners. Each wagon is fitted with a geared mechanism that can transition from wheels to skis or back in about 5 minutes but requires the wagon to be stationary to do so.
Nickname
Dong Cart
Creation Date
Prototype built in 1189 BF, Mass production began immediately until 1186.
Decommission Date
Still in use though by modern time no part is the original having undergone daily maintenance
Destruction Date
Dozens have been lost in the history of the Great Caravans, if not hundreds. More are built as needed
Owning Organization
Related Professions
Rarity
Only the Caravans utilize them and there are between 75 and 150 in each of the Five Caravans
Width
3.5 meters
Length
10 meters
Height
4.25 meters with wheels engaged. 3 meters when ski runners are engaged, + 4 meters if land sail is engaged.
Weight
140 stone
Speed
In favorable winds 40- 50 kilometers a day. At it's slowest 25-30 kilometers a day
Complement / Crew
11 total, one commander, one second in command, two drivers, three canvas haulers, one scout and three alternates. Everyone cross trained at every position.
Cargo & Passenger Capacity
400 stone in passengers and or cargo
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