Dragons vs. Unicorns - Fly on the Wings of Just Retribution

[Hazel]

Dragons are large, predatory winged reptiles. They live in mountains and caverns, alone or in small groups, and hoard treasure.

Unicorns are horned equines with uncanny powers. They live in herds in forests and meadows, and pursue mystical knowledge.

Dragons and Unicorns have been at war for almost a century.

Pick a side. Which will you be, a magnificent dragon or an inscrutable unicorn?

:> _:

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Since my over-planned adventure didn't pan out, this time I'm flying by the seat of my pants.

[maxicaxi]

Dragons: 1
Unicorns: 0

[Neofafnir]

Dragons

[Rational Absurdity]

YEWW-nicorns!

[Hazel]

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2-1 in favor of dragons!

You are a dragon, a magnificent flying lizard who swoops down from the sky upon unsuspecting prey to rend it limb from limb and devour its still-warm corpse. Mmm, corpse.

You are a member of the Family Citrine, a moderately dignified family with some social standing. At present, you are representing your family as a legate to the rare dragon consortium, a gathering of hundreds of dragons from all over the known world. This meeting of minds may turn out to be either a diplomatic errand or a war council, depending on who you ask.

Your likes include shiny gold, fresh raw ibex and blue skies, and your dislikes include scalerot and dust storms. You have no mate, but you do have a mutually beneficial social contract with a neighbor of the Family Garnet.

What is your name?

[Neofafnir]

Lemonsnout, wait no that would be silly. Your name is Gregor Citrine!

[maxicaxi]

>Lemonsnout Citrine

[Pink Cone]

> Fiesty Understanding Ceelo Kracken

GET IT? :'D

[FawfulGengar]

Now now, pink cone. Let's be sensible ducklings.


OT: Yantso Lazerboppin

[Hazel]

Your name is Yantso Citrine. You make a flourish with your tail as you land at the edge of a wide, green valley. Secretly, you hope your fellow dragons noticed your elegant descent, but as you look around you realize there are more dragons than you can count present, and no one is paying any attention to you. Suddenly you feel very provincial, and you sigh a small puff of smoke.

The valley is packed with dragons. At the center of the commotion are members of the highest ranking families, Emerald, Amethyst, Topaz and, of course, Ruby. Family Ruby has held the lead in the Council of Four since time immemorial. An enormous red drake dominates the podium, but there are too many conversations going on for you to hear him. All around the dragons stand and crouch in knots of four or five, hissing rumors of war. You spot another Citrine dragon, probably a second cousin or something, but no one you recognize offhand.

You wonder whether you should join one of the ongoing conversations, or try to make your way towards the podium, where the real action is.

[Dfaran]

>Go check out the real action. Who cares about gossip?

[Pink Cone]

Go the podium.

[Neofafnir]

You are a dragon made for greater things, advance nearer to the podium.

[Hazel]

You worm your way between the groups of idle gossipers until you're only one or two bodies away from the podium. The great red drake speaks in a booming voice.

"For too long we have been patient," he says. "My opponent would have us cross our claws and wait for the stampeding herds to overrun us before we stir ourselves to action. Now is not the time for mincing and restraint, but for swift, decisive action. Let us fly on the wings of just retribution!"

The green queen across from his looks unimpressed.

Yet, the crowd responds positively to his arguments. His speech is answered by a deafening chorus of agreement. Dozens of draconic voices cry out his name triumphantly, while a smaller answering crowd takes up the opposing cheer, which you presume to be the name of the Emerald queen:

:> _:

[maxicaxi]

Harley Jade

[Hazel]

Jadeite measures between 6.5 and 7.0 Mohs hardness. Emerald is at least 7.5-8. This is clearly highly inappropriate, and a grave insult to boot!

(In case it wasn't clear, I'm prompting for a name for the Ruby dragon too.)

[Hazel]

"Tychon! Tychon! Tychon!" trumpet the dragons, congregating to the right of the podium. From the left, their opponents sound a weaker answering cry, "Olympia! Olympia!"

The queen called Olympia shoves at the drake with her snout and takes the podium. "Who here remembers the war against the gryphons?" she calls out. "Who recalls the charred fields strewn with the corpses of brave young dragons, and the rivers running red with blood? Who here wants to see another generation picked apart like the flesh of a hunted animal? It is well for the mighty Tychon Ruby to call for war, but will he be the one to take to the battlefield, or will he withdraw to his caverns to scribble maps and issue orders?" She turned and glared daggers at him, her nostrils smoking. "Would you risk your sons and daughters the way you so readily throw away the lives of strangers?"

Tychon snorted and prepared to give his reply.

"The lady makes a good case," says a black drake beside you. "What do you think?"

You feel flustered and increasingly provincial. You've never thought much about politics before.

Before you can fumble for an answer, the drake's mate snorts a cloud of smoke. "Sure, she talks well, but her whole argument rests on the unicorns' willingness to make a treaty, and you know how bloodthirsty they are. They won't back down until they've collected some tooth and claw for their blood rituals."

"The high sorcerers and encanters, maybe," objects a yellowish queen. "I don't think the common mare and stallion want to go to war and die any more than I do."

"You! Young Citrine!"

You look back at the podium. Olympia is pointing to you with three sharp claws. "Do you want to die in a futile war?"

You glance right and left. It seems somehow you got pushed to the very front of the crowd, and now everyone on the podium and around it is staring at you expectantly, waiting on your answer.

Oh dear.

:> _:

[SonicLover]

>"No, I want to survive through an absolutely non-futile war!"

[JegusV2]

"What would you have us do? If attacking is needless, and waiting is futile, what other course of action is there?"

[Raintalon]

>"I will stand up for my fellow dragons and fight to the death to protect those I love."

[swampmist1142]

"if I have the choice, then no. but if anyone I love is harmed, I will not rest untill they are avenged and the fighting is stopped."
( this is an answer that pleases both sides. always the best choice ;3)

[Hazel]

You become awfully flustered for what seems like a very long time. "Uh, no?" you stammer. "I mean, uh, of course, no one wants to die, but, uh, what about the unicorns? What if attacking first is the only way to stop them? I have a family, I mean, we all have families. We all want to go home safe, but what if we can't? What if risking our lives is the only way to protect them?"

The crowd cheers half-heartedly. They seem confused.

Olympia Emerald doesn't seem too thrilled by your response. "How do you know that fighting is the only way to protect your family?" she asks.

You resist the urge to make a funny face at her. "I don't, but I don't know that it isn't, either. How can I decide, if I don't have all the facts?"

Tychon Ruby roars with laughter, sending smoke and sparks flying from his nose and mouth. "He's got you there, Olympia!"

The queen snorts a hot blue flame. "We're not done yet, Tychon!"

You back away slowly while they continue their verbal spar to the audience's delight. Dragons love political debates. Off to one side, an enterprising pair of dragons are selling fresh game for completely reasonable prices. You purchase a grouse for a late-afternoon snack and, just as you are about to sink your teeth into it, you feel a snout nudging your hindquarters.

It's a young green dragon. "Olympia extends an invitation to tonight's deliberations in the Corundum Hall," he says. "Sundown in the caverns to the north," he points with his tail and you spot the dark opening of what must be a vast network of caves. "Don't be late."

> Be the unicorn.

You are now a black unicorn. Black unicorns are the military leaders of their herds, they stand beside their monarchs and advise them in troubled times. Right now, you are standing beside several irate royal blue unicorns as one of their senior advisors, and times are very troubled indeed. Dragons are amassing in the valleys to the east. Soon, you may be leading your troops to battle.

What is your name?

[JegusV2]

Victous Deathstomp.

[Captain Lhurgoyf]

> Twilight Sparkle

[Hazel]

Your name is Victous Twilight. As you mentioned, you are a unicorn general of some renown. Right now you are at a top secret war council with a dozen princes from a dozen unicorn herds. Nine of them, including the ludicrously admired and revered Prince Apya, are bent and determined to go to war. You are somewhat ambivalent on the matter, yourself.

"We will not make a final decision," says Apya, "until the last of the oracles arrives. Once we can get the clearest of possible readings, which no doubt will strengthen our claim, we ride to war. It will be brutal and ugly, and only the greatest of heroes will survive."

Smug stomper. You detest him, yet you whinny in assent along with the others of your class.

"This will be the last harvest that dragons burn down our fields with no repercussions," says Princess Kadan.

You feel something calling you from the shadow of the trees. Discreetly, you withdraw from the deliberations, if they could even be called that, and trot to the treeline to see what is up. The call came from your twin sister, a white unicorn and one of the aforementioned oracle class. She's standing in the dim underneath the foliage with a look on her face that seems all too familiar. You suspect she's about to make your life a hundred and forty four times more complicated than it already was, as is her gift. She's a sweet filly, but a little on the dippy side. Most oracles are.

She whinnies a greeting. "Victous, I have a problem."

You groan. "Of course you do."

"I'm serious this time, Victous! We can't go to war against the dragons. If we do, something terrible will happen."

You begin to suspect this will be the longest day of your life.