 Dragon
Falls
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largest settlement along the North Road between King’s Reach
and Tsurlagol is the village of Dragon Falls, named for a spring
that cascades down a bluff beside the road and runs down to the
Fire River. Of old, it was the lair of a fearsome red dragon named
Halarglautha Firewings. Some say that the Fire River’s
name comes from the devastation this great wyrm wrought on orc,
dwarven, and human encampments and settlements up and down the river,
until a human adventuring band finally slew it. Rather than tart
off its hoard of treasure, the survivors founded a stronghold on
the sire; their headquarters eventually became the fortified Inn
of the Dragon and the centre of a growing village populated largely
by their descendants. Dragon Falls stands where the North Road and
the Hlintar Ride meet, just north of the Fire River.
The village stands on a crag overlooking the only large cataract
on the Fire River. The original dragon’s lair and much of its
treasure were destroyed by the adventurers who slew the wyrm with
their spells, but a vast pile of coins remained to be divvied up
by the dragon-slayers. Each share was then divided again and again
among their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Some
say the last coins were spent long ago, but persistent rumour would
have it that a lot of the old hoard still lies buried in small caches
under the cottages and gardens of the village (adventurers who show
up with shovels won’t be welcomed). There’s also an old
local belief that the dragon made its lair here (rather than on
a taller, more easily defended peak in the nearby Troll Mountains)
because it knew of dwarven storage-caverns full of gold under the
crag and hoped to eventually trick, bribe, or bully smaller creatures
to dig down to the riches and bring them up to it.
From The City of Ravens Bluff by Ed Greenwood.
Dragon Falls was the site of a triumph for Ravens Bluff against
the Horde during the war, in a battle known as ‘Revenge
at Dragon Falls.’
The City’s Red Lancers, supported by a number of other
units, overwhelmed a superior enemy force. Only the great use of
magic by the enemy prevented a complete route.
From Last Stand at Dragon Falls by Tom Prusa, Before Its Time
(1999) by Rick Brill, A Grand Tour of the Realms by Ed Greenwood
and Jeff Grubb, and info from Dan Donnelly.
Two years after the Time of Troubles, barbarian herdsmen
and raiders to the east solidified into a huge united force under
the leadership of Yamun Khahan. This ‘Tuigan Horde’
stormed out of the Unapproachable East, conquering nearly
all that stood in their way. Even the Red Wizards of Thay dealt
carefully and deferentially to the Horde. The Horde passed through
the High Country and made it as far as Dragon Falls. The combined
forces of Tantras, Ravens
Bluff, Hlintar, and Calaunt forced them to turn back. The Horde’s
ultimate defeat was by the allied armies of several western nations,
lead by King Azoun IV of Cormyr.
Though over a decade has passed since Yamun Khahan was slain and
the Horde disbanded, their mark is still felt. A flood of refugees
and immigrants entered the Vast, some departing west via the Sea
of Fallen Stars. Others chose to remain, bringing to the Vast new
customs, heroes, and legends.
From The Trumpeter: The Newsletter of Ravens Bluff
(Special Edition, April 1997).
Consult the guide to the best inns and taverns
Find out about the calendar
Find out about the customs and festivals
Learn about the political background
Consult the maps
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