Fire is a good servant, but a bad master. Humanity was using and utilizing fire since the prehistory shrounded in deep time, but the DRAGON is a remainder that the fear of the flame should never be forgotten. It has a body of coals and embers, of charred corpses and half-molten steel girders, of sand burnt into glass and glowing lava. It radiates deathly heat, like a cracked blast furnace, a volcano or a wildfire. The DRAGON is a mindless, unstoppable destruction without purpose. A gentle remainder that the forces of nature could wipe us out in an instant, should they so choose. A lesson in awe and humility.
The DRAGON is a simple creature, and horrible in its simplicity. It comes, burns everything to the ground, and goes. Those who fight it burn. Those who run burn, too. Those who cannot burn choke on noxious smoke and drown in molten stone. The term "draconic desolation" is not used for no reason.
The DRAGON's breath weapon is a stream of superheated flames. They stick to anything they touch like napalm. They cannot be easily extinguished and continue to burn for a long time even on metal or the surface of water. A glancing blow will burn through a wall. A true strike will melt both a magical armour and the demigod inside. It is the one way to kill the immortal and destroy the invincible.
And the dragonslayers? Those who had truly slain the DRAGON and inherited its soul? They were powerful, yes, for a time. As long as they were still themselves. Why do you think it is called "the DRAGON", singular?
25 June 2022
QHW, Day 25: Dragons
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How does one kill a being of pure destruction, a beast of fire stolen from the Sun, hot enough to burn hope to cinder and dreams to ashes?
ReplyDeleteWater is not sufficient- an Ocean would not be enough. There is no ice cold enough to smother that heat. Even blood from the mightiest of veins cannot slake a DRAGON's endless thirst.
Yet there is a way. For the DRAGON must continue to burn. If the DRAGON does not destroy, it cannot be. So it must be trapped, confined to a single location. This location must be near it and rich in unburned kindling. If the DRAGON can be trapped here, it will spawn a blaze that burns that location down to ashes. But, if trapped, it will be unable to leave. The flames will burn and burn until there is nothing left.
According to the theory, this will cause the DRAGON's flames will consume themselves as it eats itself alive. This is the only known method that has ever come close to harming the DRAGON.
All attempts to trap the DRAGON have failed.