Einstein’s Tongue: Bahamut Wins!
Following is an essay written for Rhetoric. Before you begin reading, I should provide a little background information of myself so you’re not wondering where any of this came from and why a teenage boy is writing something like this: I play Dungeons and Dragons. Or I would if I had someone to play with. (These days we teenagers are more preoccupied with complaining about school work than really doing something to forget the work.) That point aside, again: I play Dungeons and Dragons when I can. I have played it for several years now too, and my experience has left me with a fascination in dragons. Said fascination is not as significant as it was in my middle school years, but it remains enough for me to have wanted to write the following.
Secondly, the essay was written in speech format. My overpowering creative edge forced me into doing so. If I could provide the whole story, I would, except I am apparently prohibited from sending fiction works to these blog entries. Too bad, because then some of this might make more sense. (Particularly the first two sentences: you’ll see what I mean.) Again, while reading this remember that what you’re reading is a speech, not a true essay, but I had to include the MLA citations to avoid the obvious, and to complete the whole assignment.
Enjoy at your own peril:
This debate spans far too long for any creature to relate every detail, excepting only what lore may tell the world. It says that the subject of this event originates itself upon the creation of Bahamut and Tiamat—brother and sister, silver and red respectively—from the Great Eternal Wheel. A series of events escalated to transform Bahamut into the King of the Good Dragons and Tiamat into Creator of Evil Dragonkind (Kestrel, Wilkes, and Liquette 16). Contrary to what my opponent may believe, the silver dragon will always triumph versus his nemesis, the red dragon, in any situation and under any conditions.
Take, for proof, the silver dragon base stats, specifically those of mental traits. Throughout all age cycles of both species from wyrmling to great wyrm, the average values for Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma are greater among the silver by an average of two to four points at all stages. There are tendencies, of course, but the average silver will be superior in mental attributes versus the average red, even upon hatching (Williams 75; 87).
This leads to my second point of the aging process between silver and red. The basic age cycles are universal, meaning that all dragons of all species ascend from wyrmling to very young after six years of life, from very young to young after their 16th birthday, and so on until ascension to great wyrm after the 1,201st birthday. Reaching this point in a dragon’s life is cause enough to celebrate, at the peak of their performance and skill. Unfortunately, every dragon who reaches this point faces one invincible enemy: twilight, or more commonly referred to as death. Guillaume and Cirjon say this on twilight: “The cessation of growth at the great wyrm stage heralds the onset of death… A dragon can survive for centuries after reaching the great wyrm stage, but… the twilight occurs when the weight of a dragon’s years finally comes crashing down, forcing the dragon’s physiology into a downward spiral.” The studies of Guillame and Cirjon estimate that the maximum ages for silver and red dragons before twilight sets in is 4,200 and 2,500 years respectively (Collins, Williams, and Wyatt 12; 14-15). Thus, the silver is capable of carrying almost twice as many years as the red, bringing a continued accumulation of intelligence and strength before succumbing to the weight of age.
Perhaps it is the red dragon’s quick seduction to twilight, their inferior Wisdom, or their hell-bent evil nature that lends to this third idea, but it is a well-known fact that silver has always been received with greater kindness and respect than their counterpart. “Red dragons are so rapacious, ferocious, vengeful, and avaricious that scholars regard them as the archetypical evil dragon.” On the other hand, “Silver dragons enjoy the company of humanoids and often take the form of kindly old men or fair damsels” (Collins, Williams, and Wyatt 51; 53). By simple and ethical definition, good cooperates with allies due to a circle of trust and evil cooperates with no one due to a lack of trust.
In that idea, I ask you listeners to consider the two positions. Silver dragons: gifted by divine might from some of the greatest Deities such as Bahamut, Tamara, and Lendys (Kestrel, Wilkes, and Liquette 151-152; 156-157); one of the most long-lived creatures in the universe; an accumulation of knowledge and strength spanning millennia; a common, respecting, and well-earned acceptance from all. No man or woman would give up approval from every existent social circle, which is precisely what the red dragon does via their roots in demonic haniwork.
Any opponent may and likely will take on the argument of such chaotic roots providing mighty strength in the red dragon’s most stressful situations: physically cornered by greater foes or a need for friendly enlightenment as two examples. What one may fail to acknowledge is evil’s lack of cooperation with fellow evil. The Player’s Handbook says this on chaotic evil: “Typically, chaotic evil people can only be made to work together by force, and their leader lasts only as long as he can thwart attempts to topple or assassinate him (Tweet 106).” By definition, chaos has no agenda besides personal enjoyment; chaos in evil has only one agenda—personal enjoyment at the expense of all, including fellow evil. With the incredible intelligence all dragons possess, a red dragon needs no reminder that black, blue, green, white, and others of its own color are not going to be so trusting of one who may be inclined “to topple or assassinate him,” as mentioned.
There are vast stores of additional information to use in this debate. Lays and lore dictate exactly how much can be used for Bahamut and his creations and what can be used versus Tiamat and her spawn. What I say to you hasn’t even breached the outer defenses of what can be said for the promotion of the Lord of the North Wind (Kestrel, Wilkes, and Liquette 151). Conclusively, however, one can predict that the last battle between the two spiteful siblings will end with Bahamut and his silver dragons on the wing, leaving the battleground, finally victorious.
Bibliography
Collins, Andy, Skip Williams, and James Wyatt. Dungeons & Dragons: Draconomicon: The Book of Dragons. Renton: Wizards of the Coast, Inc, 2003.
Kestrel, Gwendolyn F. M., Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, and Kolja Raven Liquette. Dungeons & Dragons: Races of the Dragon. Renton: Wizards of the Coast, 2006.
Tweet, Jonathan. Dungeons & Dragons: The Player’s Handbook. Renton: Wizards of the Coast, 2003.
Williams, Skip. Dungeons & Dragons: Monster Manual 1. Renton: Wizards of the Coast, 2003.
May 7, 2010
Posted in: Einstein's Tongue
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2 Responses
I was busy yesterday but hope it is OK to comment a day later. My boys loved playing D & D and entered the first competition that gav a trophies to the winning them. They were in high school & won that year. I never saw those two boys happier than when we came to pick them up.
Now they are grown and have sons in college and currently one still acts as a dungeon master and all four (sons & grandsons play WOW).
Thanks you for a very well written blog.
Helen Kiker
I never knew much about this game but it does sound interesting.
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