The Dragon of Mount Ferrule

The Dragon of Mount Ferrule is a local legend - a handful of stories about encounters with an unusually reclusive dragon reputed to have its lair somewhere in the far northwest of the Iron Hills.

Summary

The principle story describes the fate of a surveying expedition exploring near Mount Ferrule. They had been exploring a cave deep below the mountain when they were mighty dragon that leapt into their midst, killing the leader of the group instantly and driving the rest deeper into the cavern. The story generally then goes on to describe various members of the group being picked off one by one in a variety of gruesome ways. Only one survived to reach the surface and tell the tale of the terrible dragon that killed his friends.
There have been number of reported sightings in the 140 years since, though they differ significantly from the original story. Most are simply alleged sightings of a dragon seen flying over the summit of Mount Ferrule, though these stories often differ in important details like the colour and size of the dragon. And all of these accounts point out an important issue with the original account - had a creature capable of flight been pursuing the last surviving surveyor, they would almost certainly have perished as well.

Historical Basis

The supposed "dragon" more closely matches the description of a Cave Drake, a fearsome predator that lives in the Iron Hills, aside from its incredible size. Most scholars agree that this is the most likely explanation, thinking it highly unlikely that such a rare and powerful being would make its home so close to civilization without making its presence known. The unusual size is attributed to a combination of age - for cave drakes never stop growing - and the survivor's understandable panic.