Spindleshin Pass
I clutched my sister's hand tightly; whether to comfort her or myself, I couldn't be sure.
"Is it over?" She asked. I shook my head uncertainly.
"I don't hear anyone..." I trailed off, unable to finish the thought.
"Dying?" Kormick asked. I glared at the mercenary sitting in the armored carriage with us but nodded. He shrugged, keeping his hands on his sheathed weapons as he continued relaxing against the carriage wall. "Don't worry yourselves too much, misses. I've made two trips a month with this crew for ten years now. Some of us might go down, but we'll begin moving again soon." No sooner had he spoken than the carriage lurched into motion, startling us.
"See?" he said with a grin.
Spindleshin Pass is the only safe place to cross the Spider Spires, but 'safe' is a relative term. Private groups based in the two towns at its ends, which share the name Spindleton, keep up a steady business offering escort and transportation services through the pass in both directions.
Geography
The pass itself ranges from one to three kilometers wide, with multiple paths worn level over countless years of travelers making the dangerous trek from one side to the other. Runoff from the surrounding spires and melting seasonal snows forms minor ponds at irregular intervals; although usually frozen over with a thin layer of ice, they are the most common stopping points for those needing to camp overnight in the area.
Fauna & Flora
The vast majority of non-arachnid fauna in the Spider Spires resides here. Elk and other migratory herbivores can be seen in the spring and fall months, digging under the snow to munch on buried grasses as they pass from one side of the range to the other. Smaller mammals such as rabbits and foxes are the most common game for trapping and hunting purposes. The only birds to be found in the pass are the smallest and most agile of species that will tolerate the freezing temperatures.
In summer, enough of the snowfall melts to let bursts of color show throughout the pass. Patches of grass and flowers are quickly grazed down by rabbits and other small herbivores, while the foxes use this increase in their prey's activity to acquire stores of fat themselves. Through the rest of the year, scattered stands of fir trees are the only green breaks in otherwise-white tableaus of frozen serenity.
Of course, all this potential for sightseeing is overridden by the spiders. Although not as plentiful as deeper into the surrounding spikes of earth, neither humanoid nor game moves through the pass without keeping their eyes and ears open in all directions. Caravans of all sizes moving through the pass do so with intermixed wagons and other vehicles that bear iron and steel plating on their outer walls; some of the jumping and ambushing varieties of arachnid have enough strength to splinter wood. No matter the season, any movement during the day carries the risk of provoking a sudden attack from nearby ambush species. Moving at night, when the stalking and hunting spiders are active, simply isn't done.
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