Barrel Wagons were originally built by the Sheild Dwarves of the west but later adapted as the primary means of transportation of the Norbril and many human gypsy caravans that wander around the lands.
They are so named due to their rounded sides and resemblance to large barrels on wheels. Most wagon makers tend to follow the Norbril design as it is the most popular though they don't paint them as colorful as the halflings.
In Trade[]
Barrel wagons are commonly found in the roaving trade caravans that criss-cross the lands bringing trade and commerce to the farthest regions of the lands. Pulled by a pair of horses, the wagons are quite spacious allowing for the merchants to live in them for many months on end. For the Norbril, the average barrel wagon is large enough to acomodate an entire family - for the humans it's large two people fairly comfortably.
In Adventures[]
Because of their durability and ease of transport many folk who go on adventures of varying sort have shown a fondness for the design of the barrel wagon and adopted their use for long trips away from civilization.
What was originally the home of a traveling alchemist easily becomes the center of an adventuring party's operations.
Modifications[]
Most barrel wagons will have an awning tarp that extends over the back door to create a covered "porch" of sorts. This combined with a tressel table or two creates a perfect 'booth' for most small merchants.
Barrel wagons will often have chests and locked boxes mounted on the side rails (below the rounded sides) to hold various bits of gear or things that are used to set up the canvas awning.
Inside the wagon there can be a number of beds but normally, for traders, it's a pair of bunk beds on one side and a table on the other as work space. The bunk beds are hinged against the walls with supporting chains so that they can be folded up when not in use.
The inside of a barrel wagon looks more like a ship's cabin rather than the inside of some land vehicle. Everything must be secured when traveling and must also be compact enough to provide the much-needed space. The similarity is so commonly found that barrel wagons are sometimes called 'Land barges'. Some of the human versions of the craft even have nautically-inspired, round windows set into the sides or top of the wagon to provide additional light.