How do we reconcile Ferro caring about Sirio dying then? Separate WOJ attributes his reaction to basically 'Ferro would not have cared about some little D dragon nobody'. That being the case, if someone did step up to ascend to the role or duties then what does it matter to him if Sirio died? Coupled with the third WOJ that you essentially can't just go around saying you killed a Dragon because those in power will think you're insane...upsetting the 'status quo'...that if someone else took the role it ought not to matter.
Which is also why I don't like the idea of Dragon's being mantles. Too many ppl per in-book reaction and WOJ seem to be averse to what happened to Siriothrax dying that it doesn't make sense if the role just got interchanged. No need to be as bent out of shape about it then.
Hmm, fair points all.
Well, in the case of other people's reactions, I think they fall into two categories: the low end might not really appreciate the difference between the Smaug-like dragons that St George fought and the actual Dragons, while the upper end that knows better would be the sort that would not seek retribution against a Knight of the Cross acting while On-Duty, if for no other reason than that they'd consider him the Tool of a larger being.
In the case of Ferro's reaction; Michael, a mortal, /did/ manage to kill 1/3rd of all Dragon kind; regardless of cosmic fallout that would have to be an unpleasant thought for a being of Ferro's class (and longevity). And just because the ball doesnt get dropped entirely doesnt mean there wouldnt be a massive upheaval involved; Mab has an understudy waiting in the wings at all times, but...
The Dragons were /once/ keepers of the Cosmic Balances. When asked recently for an example, JB said "the Turning of the Seasons, stuff like that" (from memory). So that one example at least is clearly one of the bits that have been taken over by Humanity and Human-based agents (ie the Sidhe). Im less clear on how much actual responsibility they have, and how much influence otherwise, or if it's mostly just residual honor. Im thinking of the analogy of the Queen of England here; relatively little actual Power compared to the Old Days, but still enough of a Symbol to matter and to cause a massive storm if killed. (this came up recently when discussing the relative security forces around the Offices of the Queen vs the US President, as shown in a Nicholas Cage movie).
And Im not really thinking Mantles persay, not in the sense of what passed from Maeve to Molly, etc. (those are more fully formed with personality/style/theme of their own). But the role, the Purpose behind those mantles or that drives those mantles, the Responsibilities to the Universe. The Power. Mab is a Mantle; Gate Guardian is a Purpose. To fit it into the fae scheme, not he mantle directly, but what I imagine that the Power that would flow into the Court if they were sacrificed using the Table.
Thoughts?
6. ferrovax - is this because he's the OLDEST dragon? (i thought it was an empty boast) or because he's a dragon?
Ferrovax feels absolutely no need to boast. It's because he /is/ a Dragon, large D, an elemental force of the cosmos. He isn't some kind of Smaug hanging around a nice apartment. He's a Dragon in a more Asian sense of the concept, a semi-divine being who was once given authority over various portions of the mortal universe, and who was responsible for their orderly procession. There /are/ Smauglike dragons (though not nearly as many now as there have been in the past, thanks George!) but they are essentially nothing but emissaries and servitors created in the image of the real thing.
Regardless of big D or little d, dragons almost universally resent humanity for usurping the balance of power in the world.
#189 “Was Sirothrax a major dragon like Ferrovax or a minor dragon?”
He was the real deal, though he was in some ways the weakest of the remaining great dragons.
Ferrovax wouldn’t have given a damn about some nobody minor dragon being slain.
You mentioned that Mister Ferro won’t be back until the Apocalyptic Trilogy, right? [Jim: Probably not.] Will we see other dragons before that?
A: How many dragons do you guys want? [audience: “All of them!”] Actually, we’re darn close. There’s only like three or four of them left in the world. Which is why killing one is kind of a big deal. Also, its going to totally upset all kinds of things if that happens. So: of course. You can’t just go ‘I slew a dragon!’ ‘Greaaaaat. You did what? You did what?’ That’s the kind of reaction you garner, especially from people who are defenders of the status quo, which is pretty much everyone.
How do we reconcile Ferro caring about Sirio dying then? Separate WOJ attributes his reaction to basically 'Ferro would not have cared about some little D dragon nobody'. That being the case, if someone did step up to ascend to the role or duties then what does it matter to him if Sirio died? Coupled with the third WOJ that you essentially can't just go around saying you killed a Dragon because those in power will think you're insane...upsetting the 'status quo'...that if someone else took the role it ought not to matter.
Which is also why I don't like the idea of Dragon's being mantles. Too many ppl per in-book reaction and WOJ seem to be averse to what happened to Siriothrax dying that it doesn't make sense if the role just got interchanged. No need to be as bent out of shape about it then.