The Destruction of Fallow's Cross

Toward the end of the summer of 1365 DR, the groups finances were running low and a party decided to try another setting of the circle. This trip, however felt very strange and the party found themselves in an overgrown stone circle in the middle of a forest. Soon after they were ambushed and left for dead, all their belongings being taken. needless to say, this angered them. They travelled to the nearest town which turned out to be a city called Raven's Bluff. Here Danilo, apparently a fop from Waterdeep showed some mettle and managed to use some contacts via the local thieves' guild to track down some of the people who had robbed them. Thus they were able to recover some of their property but the Amulet was missing. They discovered that a mage called Katalia had taken it on board a ship headed out to sea. They quickly managed to hire a ship to follow it and caught up with her ship on the coast of an island called Lonely Isle. There the mage fireballed the ship she had travelled in. The party followed her to a tower where just before they were attacked by her and a host of Hell Hounds, Gargoyles and Golems, she saw her give the Amulet to a robed and masked mage who put the Amulet on and with these words vanished with it: "Welcome friends and thank you for delivering Mulmar's treasure to me at last. Now I reclaim my prize..."

After a ferocious fight, they managed to win and took possession of the tower. There, they discovered the mage's notes. His name was Apharac and it appeared he was a one time collaborator with Mulmar on the summoning circle. On searching the tower further the discover a cavern beneath which has an enormous pile of treasure. It was Sable who first made the comment that it looked like it was a Dragon's Hoard! With the aid of wheelbarrows and the crew of the ship they had hired, the party managed to salvage the hoard, little knowing what was happening half way round the world at Fallow's Cross...

The party had been gone for several days when the voice which announced an arrival at the summoning circle spoke. Jason and Corrie were in the basement but instead of seeing the party returning, all the saw was a man with a full-face mask and red robes appear. He lifted a reddish scaly hand to the mask and took it off to reveal blood red scales on his lizard like face. As he did so he started to grow and transform. His expanding body broke through the ceiling of the basement and pushed aside the walls and upper floors of the house. As wings grew from his back and his spine lengthened to a huge tail, the tower came crashing down, with Marie still trapped in her room at the top, almost killed by the fire traps protecting the windows which went off as she struggled to open them to escape. The man was transforming into an enormous Red Dragon!

Several of the fighters were in the inn and came rushing out and piled into the attack. A travelling group of Priest of Lathander were passing through who joined in the attack with an Unearthly Choir. The Dragon breathed over the village and set many buildings alight. The alcohol stored in the inn exploded, and the tower of the Church of Chauntea was partly melted by the heat of the Dragon's breath. Arne leapt to attack the Dragon and was caught in its jaws and ground to pulp. Dustar charged in and began hacking at it. Corrie - without her treasured armour for once stabbed it in the rear leg, while Marie used the last of her poison to stab its other foot, rewarded with a kick that sent her crashing through a wall into unconsciousness. Bobat and Tim fought the beast, and together they were able to beat it off, but as it left it breathed again and Tim was burned to death. Afterward, all that could be found was his bent and melted shield.

The had driven off the Dragon, but at terrible cost. The Tower and house were destroyed, although the summoning circle was still intact. The Amulet, however, was still with the Dragon, who had identified itself by the name Apharac. Half the town was in flames and many villagers had died. The inn was burnt to the ground. It was a terrible price to pay for victory, and worse yet, the Dragon had only been driven off, not killed.