The Peasants Have A New Sport

[Diamond Cross]

It's called "Poke The Dragon".

An ancient Dragon has a cave nearby and is in a deep slumber and will be for thousands of years. The peasants go in. poke it real hard with a spear, then run out.

Do you as the Lord of the land, embrace it, or do you make it illegal?

 

[Stormonu]

Remembering stories with Beowulf and a golden cup, I institute a law that those who participate in this game are to be beheaded.


Storm-"suffer no fools"-onu

 

[Umbran]

Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

Depends on the habits of dragons - if the dragon is apt to take annoyance out on whoever just poked him with a speak, then that's the poker's problem. If he's apt to go all Smaug on the countryside, then it becomes illegal.

 

[Piratecat]

Remembering stories with Beowulf and a golden cup, I institute a law that those who participate in this game are to be beheaded.

... AND all their worldly possessions and estates become property of the crown. That way you can make some money off of drunk nobles.

 

[jonesy]

I'd allow it. Even sponsor it. As long as they did it in the country next door. That no-good king next door, always challenging the territories where my gold mines are. He deserves a little grief.

 

[Rhun]

If the dragon is ever like to wake and bring its wrath down upon the land, then as a lord it would be my duty to make such a sport illegal.

 

[Thasmodious]

I would decree it to be illegal, then have my propaganda ministers actively encourage the popularity of the game. Then I would inform the sheriffs to only enforce the law on 'undesirables' (gnomes, bards, gnome bards, half-orc barbarians not already in my service, elves, and fishmongers) and use it as an excuse to beat, imprison and expel them from the county.

 

[Crazy Jerome]

... AND all their worldly possessions and estates become property of the crown. That way you can make some money off of drunk nobles.

And then you quietly arrange to split half of it with the dragon. Better to get half of a big pile, and have a happy dragon partner in crime, than some of the likely alternative results.

 

[Aeolius]

I'd allow it, so long as each participant tithed one hundred pieces of gold, to be dropped down a shaft next to the lair. Granted, the mayor collects that money at the end of each month and keeps it for himself. Only he knows that the dragon died ages ago. Only a portion of its hide, now stuffed with straw, remains.

 

[Stormonu]

... AND all their worldly possessions and estates become property of the crown. That way you can make some money off of drunk nobles.

Pddly enough, in the novel I'm writing, this is EXACTLY what happens to folks that "provoke" the dragon (i.e., do anything other than run or kill the thing). (Of course, the main hero's story starts when he provokes the darn thing by trying to stop it from eating his cattle).