Image credit, americanliterature.com
2/15/2025
For the February 2025 Blog Carnival, “Dragon Neighbors” hosted by Sea of Stars
“An enormous dragon had issued from a marsh neighbouring the town and had devoured all their flocks and herds. Already the monster had taken dwelling near the city walls, and at such distance the people had been able to keep him only by granting him two sheep every day for his food and drink. If they had failed in this he would have come within their walls and poisoned every man, woman, and child with his plague-like breath.”
– Heroes Every Kid Should Know (1905) by Hamilton Wright Mable
A common perception of dragons come’s from Tolkien’s “The Hobbit.” They are depicted as sleepy, gold-hoarders that reside in mountains. However, this is not the impression of dragons given in the ancient tale of St. George and the Dragon!
A beast of the chaotic wilderness
Where did the dragon come from? Is it old, young, or has it just always been? No one knows! It just kind of… appeared out of the marsh?
It implies an idea of chaos in the wilderness, seen in different areas across D&D and RPG history. Things are weird out there. Things are dangerous out there.
This reminds me of a passage on Kobolds in the AD&D Monster Manual (back when dog-men were dog-men dang it!):
“Kobolds are usually found in dank, dark places such as dismal overgrown forests or subterranean settings. They hate bright sunlight, not being able to see well in it…”
So, the two areas listed for these monsters to dwell are underground and “overgrown forests.” These forests are apparently so overgrown that almost no sunlight can reach the bottom, and there are tribes of these creatures running around in there?!
That’s the kind of environment a dragon would emerge from. A truly untamed place where people dare not venture because, well, there’s monsters over there! It’s beyond the countryside, it’s the Dark Forest or (in this case) the Dragon Marsh.
A ticking clock not a sleeping dragon
The people of the walled-town of Silene are deeply effected by the terror wrought by this dragon. First, it arrivers out of now-where and wrecks havoc on the countryside, devouring “all their flocks and herds.” It also has emerged from its dwelling place in the Marsh to nest closer to the town!
Clearly, this is an active threat that will get worse unless we intervene (a ticking clock has been detected, perfect for building tension and drama).
What little herds the townsfolk have left they must deliver to the dragon daily to keep it abated from pushing further into the town.
But oh no, the clock has ticked down. If we read further the story says:
“But now already all the flocks and herds had been eaten. Nothing remained to fill the insatiable maw of the dragon but the little people of the homes and hearths of all the town. Every day two children were now given him. Each child taken was under the age of fifteen, and was chosen by lot. Thus it happened that every house and every street and all the public squares echoed with the wailing of unhappy parents and the cries of the innocents who were soon to be offered.”
– Heroes Every Kid Should Know (1905) by Hamilton Wright Mable
They’re going to run out of people soon. The town is hollowing out. They need heroes! But who can slay a dragon? The players of course! But what do they stand to gain?
How did the dragon get its hoard?
We always imagine dragons as having great hoards of wealth. How do they get these hoards?
In the Hobbit, Tolkien’s answer was that the dragon raided the Dwarven Stronghold of Erebor and “inherited” all the gold there-in.
In the Black Dragon of Brandonsford, Chance Dudinack’s answer was that the dragon was the metamorphic results of overwhelming and consuming greed. So, basically, he already had money before he became a dragon.
For many classic D&D settings, dragons have minions that collect (often through raids) and organize their treasure for them. Usually kobolds, dragon-spawn, half-dragons, or (sometimes) cults devoted to the dragon.
However, in the story of St. George, its the collection of BRIBES paid to the dragon to keep it from attacking the town! Let us read further:
“Now it chanced that the King of the city had one daughter, an exceeding fair girl both in mind and body, and after many days of the choosing of lots for the sacrifice, and after many a blooming girl and boy had met an unhappy death, the lot fell to this maiden, Cleodolinda. When her father, the King, heard his misfortune, in his despair he offered all the gold in the state treasury and even half his kingdom, to redeem the maiden.”
– Heroes Every Kid Should Know (1905) by Hamilton Wright Mable
This explains where all the gold comes from, how magic items are found amongst them, and how things like crowns, golden chalices, and other art items are to be found there-in. They are bribes from rich rulers to not have the dragon attack their lands and/or eat their children. How do you think that makes the common-folk feel?
Peasants? The people I’m in charge of protecting in return for the gold I’m using to bribe the dragon not to hurt my children? What are those?
Drama and tension amongst the peasantry
It is a red-thread throughout history that common-folk dislike it when a plague or disaster afflicts them that the rich-folk can “buy their way out of,” they get pretty peeved. This can be seen in the rise of Socialism and Communism, the numerous peasant revolts over history (especially during famines), or the outcry when politicians went to parties or vacations during the COVID-19 pandemic (rules for thee but not for me).
An interesting, and particularly fantastical, interpretation of this can be seen in Edgar Allen Poe’s, “The Masque of the Red Death.” A good read for those seeking inspiration.
So too can we see this kind of reaction in the story of St. George! We read on:
“But at this many fathers and mothers who had lost their children murmured greatly and said, “O King, art thou just? By thy edict thou hast made us desolate. And now behold thou wouldst withhold thine own child!”
Thus the people spake, and speaking they waxed wroth greatly, and so joining together they marched threatening to burn the King in his palace unless he delivered the maiden to fulfil her lot. To such demands the King perforce submitted, and at last he asked only a delay of eight days which he might spend with the lovely girl and bewail her fate. This the people granted.”
– Heroes Every Kid Should Know (1905) by Hamilton Wright Mable
This is a perfect catalyst for roleplay. What more dynamic a situation then a peasant revolt, led by grieving families against the aristocrats who refuse to give up their children to the cause? Maybe the players could be hired by the peasants to help lead a raid on the noble’s home, to kidnap their child, or harass them in some way. Maybe assassinations are in order, or perhaps the king needs to be separated from his corrupting advisors and shown the truth of the matter.
Likewise, the players could be hired by the nobles to strong-arm the peasantry. To maintain order, break up riots, and enforce the lottery. Perhaps even to kill the greatest dissenters or rig the lottery so that the nobles don’t get targeted.
Talk about tough choices and morale dilemmas! Man, the room for throwing plot-twist wrenches into the mix is endless!
But in either case, this cannot continue forever…
Slaying the dragon… or not?
Why does a story involving a dragon rampaging the countryside have to end with it being slain? In many RPGs, dragons are nasty. Arrow-proof scales, teeth the size of swords, a breath-weapon of supernatural make and model.
I always found the excuse of “well, it’s a baby dragon” pretty lame for why my level one adventurer’s could defeat this pinnacle of apex predators. Also, as an avid fan of the Guardians of the Flame series, killing a baby dragon seems rude. It hasn’t done anything evil yet! Well, mostly. Kinda. Maybe a few things. That’s not important!
Maybe the party’s way of defeating the dragon is placating it long enough that it leaves. “If we keep the child lottery going for a month, the dragon will leave and terrorize another town.” That also encourages that intra-town politics and strong-arming I mentioned earlier. Could be fun!
But of course, slaying the dragon is also really cool, so how do we handle this?
First off, not just anyone can slay a dragon. Sword’s forged in dragon’s blood, black arrows of yesteryear, interventions from God Almighty, these things are necessary to slay the beast. If it were easy enough that a couple of yokels in leather armor and ringmail could do it, the town would have done it already! We read:
“At that moment the dragon was seen coming forth from his lair half flying and half crawling towards them. “Fly, I beseech you, brave knight,” cried the fair girl trembling, “Leave me here to die.”
But George answered not. Rather he put spurs to his horse and, calling upon his Lord, rushed towards the monster, and, after a terrible and prolonged combat, pinned the mighty hulk to the earth with his lance. Then he called to the maiden to bring him her girdle. With this he bound the dragon fast, and gave the end of the girdle into her hand, and the subdued monster crawled after them like a dog.
Walking in this way they approached the city. All the onlooking people were stricken with terror, but George called out to them saying, “Fear nothing. Only believe in Christ, through whose help I have conquered this adversary, and live in accord with His teachings, and I will destroy him before your eyes.”
So the King and the people believed and such a life they endeavoured to live.
Then St. George slew the dragon and cut off his head, and the King gave great treasure to the knight. But all the rewards George distributed among the sick and necessitous and kept nothing for himself, and then he went further on his way of helpfulness.”
– Heroes Every Kid Should Know (1905) by Hamilton Wright Mable
What a bad***.
Thank you for reading!
Until we meet again,
GOOD LUCK ON YOUR ADVENTURES
Ward Against Evil 
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