The Paths of Agathon

Agathon, the King of Jurijin in the eastern reaches of Krahnis, made a deal with the dwarves of Bur Dur to build a path through the snowy mountains just south of the Iron Teeth. This path would take them through the Cataclysmites mountain range and into the Southern Kranhis region. An ancient pact had granted Jurijin ownership of the nearby mountains which the dwarves called home. King Agathon promised payment with a final trade of the ownership of the mountains back to the Bur Dur Dwarves that lived in them. The dwarves would no longer make payments to Jurijin in metals and precious stones each year as payment for the land.
After 70 years, the finished mountain passes were a marvel of engineering. It took 40-50 days to make it through the passes. The trip was upwards of one thousand miles. To travel overland around the mountains was over 4,000 miles. By sail, it was 12,000 miles to the shores. The mountain pass was almost 1,000 miles inland from the southern coastline. But the return voyage to Jurijin was against strong westward water currents. Despite the thousand-mile distance, this would bring trade-based wealth to Jurijin and Eastern Krahnis unseen in a thousand years.
But the aging Agathon reneged on his promises and refused to give the Dwarves their homeland.
The Dwarves locked the mountain gates and collapsed some of the mountainsides down along the path to Jurijin's land, blocking access to the inner mountains and the Pass they had built. After twenty years of clearing the way up into the mountains, the Jurijins found a maze of paths into the deadly snow-buried cliffs. They sent teams to find the way through but none ever returned. For twenty years, the betrayed Bur Dur he Dwarves had continued to build more passes, false paths, confusing bridges, mazes, and tricks.  All designed to mislead any travelers that attempted to benefit from their work. And the Dwarves were nowhere to be seen. They had made their way to the western end and into Southern Krahnis to build new homes and trade with other nations.
The Paths of Agathon have become more deadly as creatures from the surface and the Underdark have found homes amongst the twisted maze of choices. Jurijins say the Dwarves were insane and had evil pacts with these creatures all along. Agathon was right to distrust them. It is rumored that people have navigated them to reach several far kingdoms. There are rare sherpas who know the way and can lead people through for a price.
The Horned Sherpa was a minotaur warrior who would lead groups of people through the Passes of Agathon for 1,000 gold a head.

Type

Mountain Pass