• @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    4910 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?”

    • @ventusvir
      link
      710 months ago

      Wait, chromatic dragons are evil but metallic dragons are quirky at worst

      • @chillhelm
        link
        610 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.

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          1
          edit-2
          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?!

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        110 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
    link
    4910 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.

  • DigitalTraveler42
    link
    English
    2910 months ago

    “Fuck the king because you can be sure the king is already fucking you.”

  • Ð Greıt Þu̇mpkin
    link
    fedilink
    2410 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
      link
      English
      2410 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
        link
        fedilink
        1610 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
          link
          English
          510 months ago

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

    • @qarbone
      link
      English
      1510 months ago

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

      • kase
        link
        210 months ago

        But what if the dragon collects human friends?

    • @blazeknave
      link
      110 months ago

      And it turned out the dragon was the guy interviewing him, and he not only got the job, but he was put in charge of the business unit and kittens.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    1510 months ago

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

    • @blazeknave
      link
      310 months ago

      Wasn’t this an allegory for late stage capitalism?

    • @AngryCommieKender
      link
      310 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

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        110 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