[Sendaz]

with just 2500 mature dragons, I could see a fun time if someone hacked the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature , the folk who determine what species are endangered or not) systems and slipped dragons into it's endangered listing (which they normally would not qualify for as they are not decreasing enough.. yet) and hit send.

Cut to scene outside SK HQ where hundreds of eco-troops are gathered outside the main gates to show their support for Lofwyr and dragons in general, sporting pithy signs spouting 'Save the Dragon!' as well as tons of plushies, t-shirts and other goldsnout inspired swag while a confused and somewhat irritated (nobody likes to be called endangered) Loffie looks on, surrounded by flowers from his well wishers  trying to determine if the humans have lost their minds or if this is some sort of trick.

[Crimsondude]

I could swear those extra zeroes were there in my final draft. Oh well. It's supposed to be 2,000 adults and two dozen greats.


The "Save the Dragons" movement would be funny, but given how Aztechnology and others are actively waging a fairly successful propaganda war against dragons, it's going to be a lonely one.

[Xexanoth]

Given the amount of people killed by dragons it's not like they really need to do a lot of work on that end.
Sirrug got the "Employee of the Month" plaque for that one.

[Herr Brackhaus]

I would have figured the dragon civil war took care of a few hundred individuals, no?

[Crimsondude]

Yeah. The dragon population fell because of that.

[Sendaz]

The "Save the Dragons" movement would be funny, but given how Aztechnology and others are actively waging a fairly successful propaganda war against dragons, it's going to be a lonely one.

I agree that the majority will most likely agree with the view the Azzies are trying to push given most folk don't like to think they are on someone else's food chain.

But this would likely also radicalize some of the more fervent eco-saviours to further embrace the cause of saving the dragons from the Big Corporate Bullies and their propaganda, even while conveniently 'forgetting' that Lofwyr certainly qualifies as a BCB as well.

Like you said, it would be a lonely few, but still could make the occasional splash on a slow news day and a quirky NPC to toss in the mix for a run.

Sirrug got the "Employee of the Month" plaque for that one.

+1 

[Tarislar]

This doesn't include Haesslich, who probably wasn't all that Great if he got gunned down by a mere minigun. 

Didn't he have to use a spell lock to maintain human form? 
He didn't have it as a standard ability IIRC, though I could be misremembering something.

[MijRai]

I'm pretty sure his human form was irrelevant, as he'd gotten geeked in dragon-form by said minigun. 

[Mirikon]

Great Dragons have the ability to turn into a metahuman form as an ability, but 'normal' dragons can still use a spell to replicate the effect. It would be only a minor variation of the Shapechange spell, after all.

[Herr Brackhaus]

To be fair, anything that happens in the novels should be taken with a massive helping of salt. For Sam Verner and crew to take out any dragon with a mere minigun is a feat, a Great nothing short of a miracle. I don't personally believe he was a Great, though, given his meager standing as a VP of a non-AAA company.

And confirmation of Haesslich's death was never actually described in the novel, if I remember correctly; he fell into the Sound, never to be seen again. Could be he faked his own death.

[Tarislar]

I'm pretty sure his human form was irrelevant, as he'd gotten geeked in dragon-form by said minigun. 

I think you missed my point.

Great Dragons have the ability to turn into a metahuman form as an ability, but 'normal' dragons can still use a spell to replicate the effect. It would be only a minor variation of the Shapechange spell, after all.

This is what I was getting at.
IIRC in Into the Shadows he pulls off a ring to release the spell he'd been using to appear human.
Something a Great dragon has no need to do.

To be fair, anything that happens in the novels should be taken with a massive helping of salt. For Sam Verner and crew to take out any dragon with a mere minigun is a feat, a Great nothing short of a miracle. I don't personally believe he was a Great, though, given his meager standing as a VP of a non-AAA company.

And confirmation of Haesslich's death was never actually described in the novel, if I remember correctly; he fell into the Sound, never to be seen again. Could be he faked his own death.

VP?  I thought he was Head of Security.  Though maybe VP was the title.  But position was Security iirc.
Agreed, I'm thinking he was not a Great Dragon. 

[Crimsondude]

He was not a great dragon.

[Wakshaani]

Waaay back in... '89? '90? The talk was that there were twelve Great Dragons, period. That changed heavily when Germany dropped, but ... it always struck me as an interesting concept that there's a hard limit on how many Greats there can be and that, once that number's full, you have to bump off someone to move up.

And... man. That had *so* *much* potential.

Sadly, things went away from that and, now, I doubt such a concept would have any traction.

But, you know ... what might have been.

[Thanael]

Read Robyn "Rat" King's old Shadowrun fan fiction, esp. the last book: Legacy. Iirc the great dragons convene in Switzerland there, and they seem a bit more than a single dozen iirc. It's only fanfic though...

[Nath]

Waaay back in... '89? '90? The talk was that there were twelve Great Dragons, period. That changed heavily when Germany dropped, but ... it always struck me as an interesting concept that there's a hard limit on how many Greats there can be and that, once that number's full, you have to bump off someone to move up.

Shadowrun first edition published in 1989 and set in 2049 listed as "known great dragons" only seven (Aden, Dunkelzahn, Hualpa, Lofwyr, Lung, Ryumyo and Sirrurg). London Sourcebook was the first in 1991 to expand the list with three more great dragons in Wales (Rhonabwy, the Sea Dragon and Celedyr).