From the article archive
Walking With Dragons (Part Four)
Interlude Eight
The sea is calm today, after three days of storm. She floats at the surface, letting the waves lap at her shell. A flock of seabirds pecks at her carapace, picking off the parasites and soothing an itch at the same time.
A rumbling off to the north reaches her.
She lets here awareness rise above her body. "Sees" to the north a large oil tanker headed straight her way.
"Damn." she mutters to herself.
She was certain she was off the shipping lanes. She checks her surroundings to make sure. No, it's the ship that's in the wrong place.
After a shake to scare off the birds she dives. Below the turmoil of the waves she glides through the water until the hull of the tanker comes into view. She rears up out of the water, plants her great foreflippers on the deck, and glares in the bridge.
As the consternated crew cower before her the ancient lung wang roars, "You're off course! Return to your assigned route!"
As soon as she releases the ship they hurriedly follow her directions. When she's sure they're headed the right way she returns to her basking. The birds are soon back.
As if she needed a million gallons of crude smearing her territory. Not only did it look bad, it did nothing for the taste of the jelly fish. Even worse, it brought the scientists, and they were always asking for blood samples to check her state of health. And none of them ever knew how to draw blood from a dragon.
Psychology
The keys to understanding how dragons think are; the great size, the fact they are apex predators, and their great intellect. Trying to overawe a multi-ton creature with teeth the size of spears (the whole spear, not just the spearhead) and an intellect that makes Stephen Hawkings look a bit slow is an exercise in futility.
Dragons, even the smallest, are studies in self assurance. Dragons don't hesitate to act, they're simply considering the options. To get a dragon to act cautiously is a feat worthy of the classical hero.
Now add in a curiousity that can get a dragon into serious trouble. It isn't a case of idle curiousity, they have to know everything. This trait has helped save the lives of many. Get the dragon intrigued, and promise to find out new things for him (no matter how capable, no dragon can do everything), and live up to your promise, and you'll have it made. It has been estimated that of all the servitors a dragon gathers to himself over the course of his life, nine out of ten are there just to pass on gossip.
Hell, in the United States alone there are five cable channels just for dragon news alone. The one that simulcasts the Imus in the Morning
Now let us consider the dragon's love of treasure.
Doesn't exist. Yes, they do know the value of the items they own. (They do keep up with the economy etc.) But it really isn't the value of the item they're concerned with, but how shiny it is. Dragons love sparklies. If it's bright, colorful, well made, esthetically pleasing, goes well with something else in their horde, or sounds good, it has to be their's. Why do you think Elvis disappeared for those three months back in 1967?
There are those who have opined that dragons really should stash their treasures away in safe places where treasure hunters can't find it. This advice ignores entirely why dragons gather their treasure in the first place, to enjoy it. If a dragon can't see his treasure; smell, feel, and taste his treasure; he might as well not have the treasure in the first place. A mature adult male red once asked, "If you can't dive into your treasure like Scrooge McDuck, why have it?"
And they do know every piece in their horde. Some have theorized that dragons became highly intelligent so they could keep track of what they owned. If so much as a single Italian lira is lost from a dragon's treasure, he'll know about it, and will go looking for it.
However, most dragons will take something in exchange, so long as the proferred item is of equal or greater value than the item taken. Such as exchanging a gold ring with a one carat diamond for that self same one lira note.
Finally there is the matter of dragon persistance. It is possible to stop a dragon without killing it, but it takes a lot of doing. When a dragon is on the march one either gets out of the way, or writes up one's will.
There you have a look at how dragons think. They are determined, self assured, love to gab, fascinated by shiny things (and other stuff), and good at what they do. Forget that at your peril.
Interlude Nine
He soars above the range. The air is cold and thin up here, but he pays it no heed. Michael is now 1200 years old. At 60 feet in length and weighing 15 tons, he is large for his breed. Up here in the land Man calls Alaska, he is master of all he surveys.
With the exception (damn-it) of the U.S. Airforce. Seeing a much larger red get shot down by a single missile persuaded Michael to make his peace with the new rulers of the land. Being a dragon does not make him a fool.
He spots something. The dragon does a wing-over and dives on the herd of woolly mammoths below. A quick snatch and he has his meal. A single bite and the squaling beast falls silent.
Life is no longer as exciting as it used to be. But with his arthritis and the lump in his chest, Michael doesn't feel as adventurous as he used to. Besides, he starts chemotherapy this Monday, and that always takes a lot out of a person. But it's better than dying of cancer.
He takes his meal back to his lair. The dwarfs are still there, still picking over his trove of gold and rubies. They did offer a good price in diamonds however, and prime cut diamonds at that, so life is good. He remembers a time when he would have accepted industrial diamonds in trade, and thanks the gods the dwarfs didn't show up back then.
As the dragon eats, and the dwarfs sort and appraise, they talk about the world and all it's doings.
Society
Yes, dragons do have a society. While not as tightly knit as, say, cat society, dragons do socialize with each other. Mostly it involves territorial disputes, stolen treasure, and who gets the newly deceased rhemoraz. Sometimes dragons get together to talk about things. As of this writing the favorite topic was the plot of the second Dangerous Journeys: Mythus movie. That and the contract dispute between the studio and the bronze set to play the lead in Dragonheart III.
Still and all, dragons by and large do not get along all that well with each other. They prefer to socialize with lesser beings, creatures that do not present much of a threat to them. Since they don't really trust each other, and lesser beings don't really trust them, much of the time dragons live solitary lives. Being predators, they spend most of their time alone snoozing to save energy for the next hunt.
But sometimes a fellow's slept as much as he can stand, and so dragons on occasion fly off to see what they can see, and find somebody to talk with.
Encountering lonely young dragons who merely want to gab has gotten so routine in most police jurisdictions the authorities have a set procedure for it. Only once in the past thirty years has a hominid been eaten by a dragon while a chat was going on. The human was drunk and belligerent, and the dragon's action was ruled justifiable ingestion.
In Closing
I think I missed something, but I can't recall what it is. If it was child rearing, I'll cover that in part five. The way things look right now, this should be done with part six. After which I'll be revising and expanding the beast for possible hard copy publication. If GO is interested in electronic publication of an expanded version, I'll consider any reasonable offer.
Your feedback on this part, and the series as a whole is welcome, either through email or on the forums. Till tomorrow.
Alan Kellogg
The sea is calm today, after three days of storm. She floats at the surface, letting the waves lap at her shell. A flock of seabirds pecks at her carapace, picking off the parasites and soothing an itch at the same time.
A rumbling off to the north reaches her.
She lets here awareness rise above her body. "Sees" to the north a large oil tanker headed straight her way.
"Damn." she mutters to herself.
She was certain she was off the shipping lanes. She checks her surroundings to make sure. No, it's the ship that's in the wrong place.
After a shake to scare off the birds she dives. Below the turmoil of the waves she glides through the water until the hull of the tanker comes into view. She rears up out of the water, plants her great foreflippers on the deck, and glares in the bridge.
As the consternated crew cower before her the ancient lung wang roars, "You're off course! Return to your assigned route!"
As soon as she releases the ship they hurriedly follow her directions. When she's sure they're headed the right way she returns to her basking. The birds are soon back.
As if she needed a million gallons of crude smearing her territory. Not only did it look bad, it did nothing for the taste of the jelly fish. Even worse, it brought the scientists, and they were always asking for blood samples to check her state of health. And none of them ever knew how to draw blood from a dragon.
Psychology
The keys to understanding how dragons think are; the great size, the fact they are apex predators, and their great intellect. Trying to overawe a multi-ton creature with teeth the size of spears (the whole spear, not just the spearhead) and an intellect that makes Stephen Hawkings look a bit slow is an exercise in futility.
Dragons, even the smallest, are studies in self assurance. Dragons don't hesitate to act, they're simply considering the options. To get a dragon to act cautiously is a feat worthy of the classical hero.
Now add in a curiousity that can get a dragon into serious trouble. It isn't a case of idle curiousity, they have to know everything. This trait has helped save the lives of many. Get the dragon intrigued, and promise to find out new things for him (no matter how capable, no dragon can do everything), and live up to your promise, and you'll have it made. It has been estimated that of all the servitors a dragon gathers to himself over the course of his life, nine out of ten are there just to pass on gossip.
Hell, in the United States alone there are five cable channels just for dragon news alone. The one that simulcasts the Imus in the Morning
Now let us consider the dragon's love of treasure.
Doesn't exist. Yes, they do know the value of the items they own. (They do keep up with the economy etc.) But it really isn't the value of the item they're concerned with, but how shiny it is. Dragons love sparklies. If it's bright, colorful, well made, esthetically pleasing, goes well with something else in their horde, or sounds good, it has to be their's. Why do you think Elvis disappeared for those three months back in 1967?
There are those who have opined that dragons really should stash their treasures away in safe places where treasure hunters can't find it. This advice ignores entirely why dragons gather their treasure in the first place, to enjoy it. If a dragon can't see his treasure; smell, feel, and taste his treasure; he might as well not have the treasure in the first place. A mature adult male red once asked, "If you can't dive into your treasure like Scrooge McDuck, why have it?"
And they do know every piece in their horde. Some have theorized that dragons became highly intelligent so they could keep track of what they owned. If so much as a single Italian lira is lost from a dragon's treasure, he'll know about it, and will go looking for it.
However, most dragons will take something in exchange, so long as the proferred item is of equal or greater value than the item taken. Such as exchanging a gold ring with a one carat diamond for that self same one lira note.
Finally there is the matter of dragon persistance. It is possible to stop a dragon without killing it, but it takes a lot of doing. When a dragon is on the march one either gets out of the way, or writes up one's will.
There you have a look at how dragons think. They are determined, self assured, love to gab, fascinated by shiny things (and other stuff), and good at what they do. Forget that at your peril.
Interlude Nine
He soars above the range. The air is cold and thin up here, but he pays it no heed. Michael is now 1200 years old. At 60 feet in length and weighing 15 tons, he is large for his breed. Up here in the land Man calls Alaska, he is master of all he surveys.
With the exception (damn-it) of the U.S. Airforce. Seeing a much larger red get shot down by a single missile persuaded Michael to make his peace with the new rulers of the land. Being a dragon does not make him a fool.
He spots something. The dragon does a wing-over and dives on the herd of woolly mammoths below. A quick snatch and he has his meal. A single bite and the squaling beast falls silent.
Life is no longer as exciting as it used to be. But with his arthritis and the lump in his chest, Michael doesn't feel as adventurous as he used to. Besides, he starts chemotherapy this Monday, and that always takes a lot out of a person. But it's better than dying of cancer.
He takes his meal back to his lair. The dwarfs are still there, still picking over his trove of gold and rubies. They did offer a good price in diamonds however, and prime cut diamonds at that, so life is good. He remembers a time when he would have accepted industrial diamonds in trade, and thanks the gods the dwarfs didn't show up back then.
As the dragon eats, and the dwarfs sort and appraise, they talk about the world and all it's doings.
Society
Yes, dragons do have a society. While not as tightly knit as, say, cat society, dragons do socialize with each other. Mostly it involves territorial disputes, stolen treasure, and who gets the newly deceased rhemoraz. Sometimes dragons get together to talk about things. As of this writing the favorite topic was the plot of the second Dangerous Journeys: Mythus movie. That and the contract dispute between the studio and the bronze set to play the lead in Dragonheart III.
Still and all, dragons by and large do not get along all that well with each other. They prefer to socialize with lesser beings, creatures that do not present much of a threat to them. Since they don't really trust each other, and lesser beings don't really trust them, much of the time dragons live solitary lives. Being predators, they spend most of their time alone snoozing to save energy for the next hunt.
But sometimes a fellow's slept as much as he can stand, and so dragons on occasion fly off to see what they can see, and find somebody to talk with.
Encountering lonely young dragons who merely want to gab has gotten so routine in most police jurisdictions the authorities have a set procedure for it. Only once in the past thirty years has a hominid been eaten by a dragon while a chat was going on. The human was drunk and belligerent, and the dragon's action was ruled justifiable ingestion.
In Closing
I think I missed something, but I can't recall what it is. If it was child rearing, I'll cover that in part five. The way things look right now, this should be done with part six. After which I'll be revising and expanding the beast for possible hard copy publication. If GO is interested in electronic publication of an expanded version, I'll consider any reasonable offer.
Your feedback on this part, and the series as a whole is welcome, either through email or on the forums. Till tomorrow.
Alan Kellogg
Recovered from the Gaming Outpost database backup. Original wording is preserved; damaged punctuation and presentation markup have been repaired. Historical links without a local match point to the Internet Archive.