Direct answer
Objectives follow journal display order. Some depend on your choices; follow the active objective in the game.
Result
Once upon a time, Geralt took a contract from a group of refugees. I don't know if he felt sorry for the poor souls or if his witcher blood was simply itching for some action - one way or the other, he promised to find their missing companions, who had set off with a caravan headed north. All signs seemed to indicate a beast had attacked them en route.
