IC

From all regions of great Golarion they have come, these Adventurers full of hope and seeking a bounty of Sail, but to survive they must unravel the secret of --

"The Lion and The Snake!"

Days? Weeks? Months! From the distant logging town of Macridi, the caravan and its stalwart driver, accompanied by his son, had traveled the infamous Conerica Straits trading route - through Isger and into the treacherous Menador Mountain pass of Cheliax - destined for the Dwarven village of Taggun Hold. The journey was as arduous as it was minacious, through regions plagued by foul goblin hordes, savage Orc raiders, degenerate bandits and nightmarish monstrosities that kept the bravest of warriors awake at night. Added to this was the shifting season as the ides of Neth brought chilling West winds and the bitter threat of snowfall. Still, the tantalizing rewards of such a daunting venture - enough coin to change one's life or perhaps start a new one - outweighed the obvious risk. A risk made lesser when in the company of good men with the resolve of the finest steel: the Runner Derkmal of Nirmathus; Jocelyn the Gallant and his companion the Elvish Sorcerer Elowyn Morguldir; Merrick the Acolyte of Jaidz; the roguish Hall Thorormsson and veteran swordsman Valeros, blood-brothers of Andoran; and, the Slayer Gabriel Stormcrow! Each and all coming together of their own accord but yet also intertwined by the machinations of the Gods, these seven labored now against beasts and Nature to find their destiny among the ancient spires of the Menador Mountains ...

... the trek was soon coming to an end as Taggun Hold was closer than further. Supplies were good and spirits were better as the driver, Wusder Prall joked with his teen son, Brumec, about their friends back home in Macridi. Their cargo? Two heavy wagons drawn by four heavy horses hauling a near king's ransom in exquisite Paueliel lumber (Dwarves coveted the wood for their extraordinary stone-working tools). For many, many leagues the seven adventurers rode on edge and slept with an eye open to defend their charge but with their objective not so far away, even they too had begun to feel a faint whisper of relief ---