The Bronze Serpent was the lifelong dream of Oscar Otera, a caravanner who saved two decades of wages to afford the price of a land grant from the Duque of Hueruvo Nache. He bought a former apartment building on the edge of the town, and hired a few locals to clear it out. Within a year, it was retrofitted and ready for business. The first few years were good, with traders and their guards staying there often, along with visitors and pilgrims. Business would slump in the mid-2180s, forcing Otera to seek a loan. The merchant bank refused to back him, and the Duque had no interest in cantinas, leaving only 'private' lenders. Otera found himself in debt to 'Cardinal' Enrique, a Comanchero Jefe rumored to be backed by several individuals in the Vatican. Otera would try to pay it off, but would