• CannedTuna@sh.itjust.works
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    10 months ago

    “…and because they burn villages and homes, eat livestock and people. Do you really have to ask why we should kill the terrifying man eating beast?”

      • chillhelm@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago

        No. Metal Dragons are so GOOD so LOUD at all times that the resulting tyranny is as bad as a chromatic dragons. You stole a loaf of bread because you’re starving? Still theft, you die.

        • nxdefiant@startrek.website
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          10 months ago

          silver dragon: This is NOT a “human costume”, this is my PERSONA. YES, I’m going to wear it to the restaurant, what’s the problem?!

      • CannedTuna@sh.itjust.works
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        10 months ago

        I mean sure as far D&D goes. But generally speaking dragons are giant, scary, flying, firebreathing, winged monstrosities with lots of scary sharp teeth and claws.

  • Alteon@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    I have a very strong feeling we’re about to have a lot of dragonslayers coming back into popularity within the next few years.

  • Ð Greıt Þu̇mpkin@lemm.ee
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    10 months ago

    I think those tropes were mostly accidents actually, in medieval times you’d slay a dragon because it was literally a demon from hell, like that’s literally where fire breath comes from, because their mouth is a direct portal to hell and opening it can unleash the fires of hell.

    Tolkien is probably one of the first authors to portray the Dragon’s horde in a context of a sign of the Dragon’s immoral character, as opposed to an incidental that made for a good source of loot for the hero to get a cool new toy from, and even then that’s how most narratives involving dragon’s hordes treat the actual horde, the horde itself, given back to the people or not, is not especially relevant except for a few choice items which the hero takes a shining to and keeps, it’ll happen in D&D just cause.

    • DigitalTraveler42@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      Just to point out, belief and depictions of dragons transcend European literature and mythology, so limiting dragons to European medieval depictions and Tolkien means ignoring other cultural depictions.

      Overall Smaug was based on elements of Beowulf’s Bane and Norse mythology’s Fafnir, and Fafnir is considered Norse symbolic for greed.

      • Ð Greıt Þu̇mpkin@lemm.ee
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        10 months ago

        Yeah but we’re talking about a euro-centered perspective anyways since it’s a knight out to slay the dragon and not an emperor seeking council of their dragon ancestors or Quetzalcoatl being Quetzalcoatl as usual

        • samus12345@lemmy.world
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          10 months ago

          Yeah, although Western and Eastern mythological giant flying reptiles are both called “dragons,” they’re very different creatures.

      • Kusimulkku@lemm.ee
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        10 months ago

        I assumed from the talk of a king and knight that these were euro dragons

    • qarbone@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      I believe the spelling for the mass of treasure is “hoard” as opposed to the mass of bodies, “horde”.

  • Kusimulkku@lemm.ee
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    10 months ago

    I would’ve assumed because they’re big, dangerous, unpredictable animals. Like killing wolves or something.

    • AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      Depends on the type of dragon. Sure the ones in King Arthur were dumb beasts, but almost all other mythologies and fantasy systems have made dragons extremely intelligent, and wyverns are the dumb beasts.

      Also see why Skyrim dragons are actually Wyverns

      • Kusimulkku@lemm.ee
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        10 months ago

        Provably does. If his lands and peasants or those of his vassals are fucked up then it obviously causes problems. Who wants their lands burned, cattle eaten or serfs killed? Bad for business, innit