Things Dragonic & Monsterous in OSR & Castles & Crusades rpg Campaigns - Dragons

• " Casiodorus Rex: Did you ever hear of King Gaiseric? Oh no, of course not, you weren't even born. He was my brother, a great King and a valiant man-at-arms. When he ascended the throne, the dragon was unbridled. No one knew where it might strike next. So, he brought forth his broadsword, assembled his best company of fighters and went out to do battle. He was never seen again. But his attack provoked the most terrible reprisals: whole villages incinerated, entire crops burnt, death, famine... horrible. How did you arrogate to yourself the role of 'savior'?
• Galen: I was invited.
• Casiodorus Rex: Not by me! I think you're nothing but a boy... an apprentice!
• [rips the amulet from around Galen's neck]
• Casiodorus Rex: Have you ever considered the consequences of failure?
• Galen: WHAT failure? What are you saying, do you want the dragon back?
• Casiodorus Rex: You came here and toyed with the monster! Who are YOU, to risk our people? Our villages?
• Galen: But your children were dying!
• Casiodorus Rex: Only a few, does that sound cruel? It is better that they should die that others might live. I created the lottery!
• [General murmuring of agreement among the King's court]
• Casiodorus Rex: Me! And from the moment it began, the dragon was tamed! The kingdom has prospered!
• Galen: At what price? You can't make a shameful 'peace' with dragons. You must kill them as I have done."

Dragonslayer 1981 

 So let's talk dragons in the OSR and specifically what makes the dragon such an incredibly good choice for an NPC. Dragons are the fundatmental 'spoke' for the wheel of a campaign if done correctly. These creatures are literally forces of nature and balance within a campaign. And this of course goes hand and hand with Castles & Crusades Mythos Collection.  If you grew up in the Sevenities then you probably saw Smaug in RankinBass's Hobbit '77.  This incarnation of the dragon with the gold and silver coat had that vulnerability of the one weak spot. But it was the interaction of dialogue dialogue between Smaug &  Bilbo Baggins, that tickles my memory. 

And it wasn't the raw power of Smaug & believe me I'm not taking away from the Hobbit films,  An Unexpected Journey (2012), The Desolation of Smaug (2013), and The Battle of the Five Armies (2014). Not at all instead we're pulling from what my memory pulls on. 
And then it pulls on "Vermithrax Pejorative" from the '81 film the Dragonslayer. Both of these dragons were central figures and an invasive part of thier worlds respectively. And if we look at the Castles & Crusades Mythos Collection.  then we get a sense that these dragons are creatures that are pivotal monsters  capable of affecting the lives of hundreds of people. So before one takes up the mantle of dragon slayer not everyone is going to be happy with this outcome. Even the most evil of dragons has it's place. 

"Vermithrax Pejorative" is a prime example of a monster and dragon all in one in 1981's Dragonslayer. Sure it has a deal for sacrifices from time to time with the local kingdom. However, she has her own agenda to bring back her own reign & spawn to this kingdom. Even though she has no lines in the film her presence prevades every aspect of life within that kingdom. And the same can be said for the dragons within Castles & Crusades Monsters & Treasure

And this is even further held in OSR lore with Adventurer,Conqueror, King's Rpg The Heroic Fantasy Handbook. The dragons within this tome are created from the ground up allowing the DM to literally build the fantasy NPC heroic or villain of thier Draconic choice.

Dragons are never one note creatures, thier deaths should and must have far reaching consquences across a campaign.Dragons are creatures of legend & mythology. They should never be treated as simply another set of experience points. And this goes back further even with Mayfair Games Roleaids Dragons which was one of the first AD&D products that gave us a defined ecology for the lands and lairs surrounding dragons. And yes there were 'The Dragon' magazine articles that had sprinklings of draconic lore. For me this one gave some great depth to the dragon as monster & creature. 

My main points are that dragons are deadly NPC's and monstes all in one. They should be treated with incredible respect by DM's before being unleashed into a campaign. And the ecology of the dragons are far reaching with incredible consquences for the peoples, the lands, and more of a campaign.