Curious Artila TheMike Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 I've played all of Exile 1-3, Blades of Exile & Avernum, and the first bits of Avadon and Geneforge 1 on a friends computer. One thing I've noticed in every single one of these games is that dragons tend to be gigantic jerks. Whether it's trying to eat you right when you meet, or eat you later, or imply that they'd eat you if they could or even just regarding you as something inferior that they wouldn't lower themselves in order to eat they're simply not very nice. The single exception to this is/was Motrax(Mortrax?). I'm just wondering if there are any others I missed who weren't condescending and arrogant giant lizards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast Jerakeen Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 Well, if you were 50 feet of fire-breathing hell on wings, you probably wouldn't have much regard for a bunch of jumped-up monkeys either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well-Actually War Trall Actaeon Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 Dragons in general are not known for humility. Why do you think they cast Cumberbatch as Smaug? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyshakk Koan Mod. Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 In many works of literature as well as games, that's just the way dragons have always been. It fits well, and they just classically have that character. For Jeff to make Dragons not arrogant, he would not follow the classical dragon nature, and the games wouldn't feel as good in a immersive sense, as it is different from the idea of dragons most people are used to. Its just the way dragons anywhere are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnificent Ornk Aran Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 Well, in terms of lifespan and power they sort of relate to humans like humans to something really low in the food-chain. Even the ones who aren't evil are, as a general rule, not good. (As some quote on TvTropes went: "Few people mistake a noble dragon for a nice one more than once.") Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast Dantius Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 Originally Posted By: Mod. In many works of literature as well as games, that's just the way dragons have always been. It fits well, and they just classically have that character. For Jeff to make Dragons not arrogant, he would not follow the classical dragon nature, and the games wouldn't feel as good in a immersive sense, as it is different from the idea of dragons most people are used to. Its just the way dragons anywhere are. Only in Western mythology are dragons like that. Dragons in Eastern folklore tend to be seen as much more benevolent. Then again, Jeff doesn't make Eastern-style RPG's, so it would be strange to expect him to use those themes in his games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatchling Cockatrice ex post slarto Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 Dragons in eastern and western folklore probably do not deserve to have the same moniker, though they have many things in common. Neat article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curious Artila TheMike Posted July 9, 2012 Author Share Posted July 9, 2012 Oh I know they're supposed to be like that, I find their condescending attitudes hilarious (it also makes it much more gratifying to kill one of them) and I even understand it. After a few hundred years of tiny, quick lived things trying to kill you for your body parts or treasure you'd probably not have a very high opinion of them either. Especially when you kill thousands and thousands of them and they still keep on coming. It'd be comparable to a human dealing with a roach infestation. I just wonder if there are any nicer ones that I haven't run across. I swear I remember freeing one in Exile 3 that wasn't completely rude. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatchling Cockatrice Alorael at Large Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 Only Sulfras and Pyrog are hugely condescending. Khoth and Athron are just aloof, the former more from not bothering to pay attention and the later from isolationism. Motrax is quite genial most of the time, really, and a good sport about all the mages who want to study him. The one you're thinking of may be Sulfras in E/A2, who's at least a little grateful when you liberate her. —Alorael, who suspects the humans are more terrifying. Dragons may have killed humans by the scores, or hundreds, or thousands. Humans have killed dragons by at least two... out of five, apparently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well-Actually War Trall Cairo Jim Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 The Empire would of killed quite a few, that's why Motrax and crew are in the underworld. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ineffable Wingbolt Erebus the Black Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 The only stories I remember with good dragons are dragonlance and death gate cycle. On a sidenote chinese dragons are in fact considered to be : *Drumroll* *Drumroll* *Drumroll* *Drumroll* Click to reveal.. Sea Horses *Fireworks* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast Jerakeen Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Originally Posted By: Cairo Jim The Empire would of killed quite a few, that's why Motrax and crew are in the underworld. Ahem. Originally Posted By: Motrax I have been down here for centuries, long before the Empire commenced their savage genocide against my kind. and... Originally Posted By: Motrax The Empire has never touched me, and it never will. If the other dragonsss were too weak to protect themselves, why isss it any concern of mine? furthermore... Originally Posted By: Motrax I will only say that I am of different breeding than them. I was born in the underworld centuries ago and came to know humansss only recently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well-Actually War Trall Cairo Jim Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Well not Motrax then. I can't remember which ones cam down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast VCH Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ineffable Wingbolt Necris Omega Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Falcor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast Dintiradan Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Falcor's niceness was all a matter of . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well-Actually War Trall Balladeer Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Pete the magic dragon? I'm reading the Dragon Prince series by Melanie Rawn. The dragons aren't exactly benevolent (portrayed more like animals relying on instincts), but book two ends with the protagonist learning to communicate with them and having a rather pleasant conversation. I expect book 3 to have some nice dragons and some who just want to eat the people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well-Actually War Trall A less presumptuous name. Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 The dragon in Pete's Dragon was named Elliot. Gosh, shame on you! EDIT: or were you thinking of Puff the Magic Dragon? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well-Actually War Trall Balladeer Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 Yeah, Puff who lived by the sea and frolicked in the autumn mist... and Elliot. I was thinking the song but seeing the movie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Understated Ur-Drakon Tyranicus Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 There are also Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon and Draco from Dragonheart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnificent Ornk Student of Trinity Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 There's Mayland Long from R.A. Macavoy's Tea with the Black Dragon. There is also Kalessin, from Earthsea. Not necessarily nice, but certainly not mean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ineffable Wingbolt Erebus the Black Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 Ah yes, from movies you have Eliott and the dragon from Disney's "Reluctant dragon" and nearly all dragons in "Flight of Dragons" were good or just not evil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast Jerakeen Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 Originally Posted By: Student of Trinity There's Mayland Long from R.A. Macavoy's Tea with the Black Dragon. A dragon in human shape hardly counts. But in Raphael, he appears in his full (benign)* glory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well-Actually War Trall A less presumptuous name. Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 Christopher Paolini wrote four books in which dragons weren't necessarily mean. There were certainly wild ones, but they weren't seen as the scourges that they are in other fictions. At least not since the war between dragons and elves that took place long before the story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatchling Cockatrice Alorael at Large Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 I'd call Earthsea dragons still mean. The standard is more Yevaud, who fits the marauding wyrm mold to a T. Anne McCaffrey's Pern books have very nice dragons, but they're not quite as intelligent. Gordon R. Dickson's series starting with The Dragon and the George have dragons who are more human than anything else. They tend towards arrogance, but at a human scale, and can be friendly enough. —Alorael, who also realizes that D&D may have some of the most positive portrayals. Chromatic dragons are standard dangerous foes with wonderful hoards, but metallic dragons are powerful and benevolent, shading into excessive pride or paternalism depending on the writer/designer/GM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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