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Basically, the dragons are European dragons, with fire breath, wings, and everything else. They are normally highly independent, but will cooperate when under duress. They do have a writing system but use it infrequently. They don't really have much of a culture or society, but they do have a 'Council' that convenes during times of crisis and expects the loyalty of all dragons and always gets it.

The humans have World War 2 era technology and belong to a dystopian corporate republic. This governmental megacorporation has been kidnapping dragonets by force, pairing them up with human children who've also been kidnapped and subjecting both to a horrifically brutal regimen of conditioning and training, with the goal of creating an elite unit of shock troops made up entirely of dragons paired with dragon riders.

My question is, how would the Dragons feel about this? And how would the dragons feel about the humans the dragonets had been paired up with? And what would the dragon's response to this look like?

Brinstar77
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    "How would the dragons feel about this?" Why is that a question you need to ask here? Why might the obvious answer (very angry) not be the right one? – KeizerHarm Mar 14 '22 at 14:44
  • I know that the dragons are going to be PISSED about the dragonet nappings, what I need to know is how they'll feel about the humans they've been paired up with. Would they see them as part of the problem, or would they just 'adopt' the human and accept them into a dragon's family? – Brinstar77 Mar 14 '22 at 14:49
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    I’m voting to close this question because this question is an off-topic high concept question. From the [help/on-topic], "Questions must be specific as well as answerable. If you are looking for discussion, brainstorming, or an overall process rather than specific questions and answers, the Worldbuilding Stack Exchange might not be a good place for your question." – JBH Mar 14 '22 at 15:18
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    Plus this depends entirely on your concept of what are your dragons. Anything goes, while you are the only one who can decide. I agree with the VTC. – Joachim Mar 14 '22 at 15:21
  • @JoinJBHonCodidact do you have an SE-alternative forum to put this ? There is no way this question can be edited to solve your objection. There are no answerable questions about dragons, anything that can be said about dragons is opinion based. This is a question without any science-related tag. Not even biology, or psychology.. Just a question about dragons. I really regret you have deprived me of the option to answer this question. The acknowledge META-answer in the topic you indicate also sais there should be clear, constructive criticism. Voted to reopen. – Goodies Mar 14 '22 at 18:54
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    @Goodies Of course it can be edited to fall within the Stack's rules and policies. The OP could describe the dragons in greater detail. Describe the specifics of the circumstance (aka "story") so the Q isn't Too Story-Based. The OP can explain what they're trying to achieve or why they're asking. There's plenty of ways we can help people overcome problems while they write their stories, but to quote (yet again) the [help/on-topic], "When asking questions keep in mind that the goal of the site is to help you build your world, not to tell your story." – JBH Mar 14 '22 at 20:30
  • @Goodies As for where people can go to have an open discussion (because SE is not a discussion forum), we provide a selection of such sites in the "Worldbuilding Discussion Forums" section of the Worldbuilding Resources list. And finally, your desire to answer an off-topic question doesn't make it on-topic. In fact, it only makes the entire situation worse. – JBH Mar 14 '22 at 20:33
  • @JoinJBHonCodidact I'm a pain in the ass you know me. Good thing, you have put some concrete tips, so the opener can now edit the question. This high concept thing is not mentioned in the Help Center and the discussion you refer to is far beyond the level of most WB members including me. You can't expect people to grasp all finesses of your philosophical objections against these type of questions. Some concrete, case-specific tips are more useful (rest my case.. you have put them..) – Goodies Mar 14 '22 at 21:33
  • @Goodies the policy against High Concept Questions has been around for years on end, but you're right, it's not codified in the [help]. I've asked that it be so codified, but the Mods rarely get around to doing anything like that. There's 2-3 things that desperately need to be included in the [help], but they haven't yet. As for grasping finesse, that's why I include links and references. I expect people to take the time to read. – JBH Mar 15 '22 at 02:09
  • @JoinJBHonCodidact what's the procedure for that ? Elected mods can add texts in the Help Center ? It will be a challenge to explain clearly... the term "HCQ" was apparently invented on Worldbuilding.. looking for info yesterday I tried https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=%22high+concept+questions%22 – Goodies Mar 15 '22 at 07:22

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No, humans can't domesticate creatures which aren't social.

Humans have repeatedly tried to do this to animals like this which aren't very social and which would be fun to own, like crocodiles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhraguAu_58

The end result is depressed, angry animals who don't like being in abnormal conditions and who will play along so long as conditions are good, and who will try to kill the humans as soon as they get a chance.

The dragons would likely feel that this was absurdly cruel, that their natural impulses deserved to be expressed, and because they are intelligent most would hide their beliefs till they got a chance to run or kill as many humans as possible. They would have zero loyalty to their riders.

Nepene Nep
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  • That's kind of the problem. The Corporation is trying to domesticate creatures that aren't very social. That's part of the reason why they start with baby dragons and pair them up with humans; the dragonet, stripped of siblings and parents, ends up 'adopting' the human as a sibling, and thus effectively gives the corporation leverage over it. – Brinstar77 Mar 14 '22 at 15:27
  • If you leave sibling reptiles in a cage together they'll often eat each other. The dragons are intelligent, so they can fake it, but given that they're not social creatures they presumably don't have the natural instincts to be domesticated. – Nepene Nep Mar 14 '22 at 15:31
  • Hmm.. @NepeneNep where did you get the information crocodiles are solitary animals ? Unlike most reptiles, crocodiles live in large groups. Wild dragons live in smaller packs (families), like lions. Also.. keep in mind military dragons were trained for centuries, to tolerate riders. One thing we certainly agree upon: a dragon won't appreciate getting captured and kidnapped and get traumatized indeed!! A dragon needs to be seduced into friendship, with a magic spell, or a poem.. or with gold, or.. a juicy swine. – Goodies Mar 14 '22 at 18:40