Dragons in modern times?

Dragoness · Post by **Dragoness** » 2006-10-06 06:33pm

Well, I'm thinking about writing a story based on the books by Naomi Novik(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temeraire_%28series%29), only set in modern times(2006 most likely). But as dragons exist in that alternate history, I'm trying to think out how they might have affected the cultural and technological development throughout the world.

Even if technology has developed along the same lines as in our reality, might there be any uses for dragons alongside cars, airplanes etc?

Though I do have some ideas, I thought that I should post this-- to hopefully get a bit of debate or if someone has possibilities that I haven't thought of.

NeoGoomba · Post by **NeoGoomba** » 2006-10-06 07:23pm

I doubt they'd be any use to any non-military applications. They'd eat a friggen TON. Makes gas prices seem like pennies. And they can't really do anything destructive that we can't already do.

Drooling Iguana · Post by **Drooling Iguana** » 2006-10-06 11:39pm

Just another top predator. Probably be an endangered species by now, if they hadn't already been hunted to extinction by ancient man.

Eleas · Post by **Eleas** » 2006-10-07 05:47am

If more intelligent and/or magically than man, some may sue for peace and equality, eventually ending up in top positions where they can influence a lot of people and craft a lot of long-term plans.

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2006-10-07 06:21am

In at least two different series, dragons were both magically very powerful and invested their hoards, acquiring all the power of the obscenely rich and of a large corporation.

Drooling Iguana · Post by **Drooling Iguana** » 2006-10-07 11:26am

If they are of equal or greater intelligence to man and are able to use tools, mankind goes extinct before it's ever able to form any kind of civilization. There simply isn't room for two species in the same niche.

Eleas · Post by **Eleas** » 2006-10-07 12:30pm

Drooling Iguana wrote:If they are of equal or greater intelligence to man and are able to use tools, mankind goes extinct before it's ever able to form any kind of civilization. There simply isn't room for two species in the same niche.

You forget that what you describe isn't a "niche" so much as a set of capabilities. We would have something they'd always lack, and we'd outbreed them, if it came to that.

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2006-10-07 08:40pm

Dragons can use humans. Mostly because most dragons lack fine manipulators.

I imagine modern dragons would sped alot of time playing the market and lairing in huge mansions.

Batman · Post by **Batman** » 2006-10-07 08:42pm

SirNitram wrote:Dragons can use humans. Mostly because most dragons lack fine manipulators.
I imagine modern dragons would sped alot of time playing the market and lairing in huge mansions.

Shadowrun comes to mind...

Post by **weemadando** » 2006-10-07 10:05pm

Or the D20 setting that I brought up in G&C a while ago...

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2006-10-07 10:09pm

Batman wrote:
SirNitram wrote:Dragons can use humans. Mostly because most dragons lack fine manipulators.
I imagine modern dragons would sped alot of time playing the market and lairing in huge mansions.
Shadowrun comes to mind...

Yep. There's also a novel by S. Andrew Swann involving refugees coming to Earth through a magical portal. A dragon explains to the main character (while using a computer with special dragon friendly interface) that the reason dragons hoard wealth is as a tool to manipulate the more numerous humans.

Solauren · Post by **Solauren** » 2006-10-07 11:44pm

QUalify the dragons
Are we talking standard fantasy dragons, or dragons more like Reign of Fire (With out without human level intelligence)

Ritterin Sophia · Post by **Ritterin Sophia** » 2006-10-08 12:29am

Depends, what kind of fantasy Dragons, I've seen Dragons about as intelligent as a rock while others are intelligent enough to know or figure out the meaning of life. (Remember in Fantasy, Dragons can range from giant beasts to gods)

ray245 · Post by **ray245** » 2006-10-08 01:27am

Try going here for more ideas about his story...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temeraire_%28series%29

It's about dragons being used as air force in Napoleonic Wars, and are fairly intelligent but still under control of humans.

Crossroads Inc. · Post by **Crossroads Inc.** » 2006-10-08 02:09am

To begin with, if they where ever 'tamed' it would stunt air flight but quite a bit. Humanity usually never invents what it already has. If we hav something that can fly, lift heavy loads, and drop things, then people playing with primitive machines like the Wright brothers arn't going to seem too special.

Darth Yoshi · Post by **Darth Yoshi** » 2006-10-08 05:02am

Not necessarily. After all, the automobile pretty much replaced horses. Once humans invent the combustion engine, it's only a matter of time before dragons become phased out of active flying due to cost.

Dragoness · Post by **Dragoness** » 2006-10-08 05:51am

Darth Yoshi wrote:Not necessarily. After all, the automobile pretty much replaced horses. Once humans invent the combustion engine, it's only a matter of time before dragons become phased out of active flying due to cost.

That's something that I agree with.

How common dragons were in the books, depended on where in the world one was. They were common enough in the western world to be regulary used in war, and in China there probably was some thousands of them.

Research into airplanes would happen, and as they became more efficent and affordable-- favored in place of dragons. Planes would be able to go farther and faster than dragons after all, even if they might not be that much cheaper to have in service.

In most ways, I imagine, dragons might have gone the way of the horse. Say that smaller breeds have become increasingly favored into modern times, for civilian service and possibly some military as well.

They might help in rescue operations, they would be able to reach areas that even such aircraft as helicopters couldn't. Possibly scouting, though that might be phased out with the invension of such things as satellites.

Police work?

Elfdart · Post by **Elfdart** » 2006-10-09 03:36pm

Dragons would probably have gone extinct in the last Ice Age after the megafauna diappeared. There simply wasn't enough meat on this planet to feed predators that big. If there was that much food, you'd think that there would be real-life land predators that large. Even during the Ice Age, predators like the Short-faced Bear topped out at around 2000 pounds. Once in a while a Kodiak or polar bear weighs over half that size and those are RARE animals.

If you want a good idea of what would have happened to dragons if such creatures existed, take a look at a real-life "dragon": The Komodo Dragon. You'll notice that this 300-pound lizard is only found on one small, remote island, even though there are so many nearby islands with similar habitat. Why? Because when dogs were introduced to the neighboring islands, they began competing for food and eating the eggs and hatchlings. So at first glance, you'd think a 30-40-pound pariah dog would be no match for a lizard the size of a lion with a poisonous/fetid bite that kills every time, but in fact the giant monitors were killed off throughout Indonesia and Australia. Now the Dragons only live on one small island that dogs haven't reached yet.

Another strike against any creature that preys on humans is that primates have two things other prey species lack: altruism and revenge. Baboons make it a point to band together, hunt down and kill lion and leopard cubs whenever they get the chance. Humans react the same way. If some huge scaly beast did decide to start hunting people (why it would bother with such small prey is beyond me), they would do the same thing villagers in India and Africa do when a big cat turns maneater: they hunt it down and kill it, along with any young they find.

There's a reason such creatures don't exist in the Age of Mammals.

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2006-10-09 07:31pm

For Novik's dragons, I certainly could see some become philosophers and scientists - especially the Celestials. Their work utility decreases as Man's technology improves; they probably can only compete as "white collar" workers.