How could a single dragon pose a threat to more modern human settlements?

Question

Don't get me wrong, my dragons squarely fall into the player races, and definitely don't pose the same threat as real monsters.

You see, using Lobotomy Corporation as an inspiration, I created several monsters which should be more than enough for my world.

However, Lobotomy monsters are extremely destructive and don't even try pretending to be natural. Some also have extremely handy AoE attacks and the ability to come back to life no matter what.

In contrast, adult dragons are around the size of a larger draft horse and their natural weapons are physically incapable of killing many people quickly, and their breath weapons have a shot limit and can't reach farther than 20 meters. They don't even eat humans, most of their diet consists of fish, fruits, algae, and occasionally deer and boars.

Their ability to fly does make them able to traverse large distances relatively quickly, but not as useful in combat without a grenade launcher strapped to your back.

Sure, a Foundation dragon, equipped with an automatic grenade launcher, IS terrifying, but that's because of the Foundation (and also the now all-seeing and all-reaching grenade launcher). You should have seen when Captain McKenna hijacked an Irkalla-class air fortress and flew above a city with it while playing Ready to Die over the PA system. No international incident was ever that cool and terrifying!

Yeah, using the Foundation is cheating and not even the flashiest one at that.

So, let's suppose that there is a vengeful dragon that is really angry at humanity and she wants to cause as much damage to them as possible. To be more exact, she wants to force them out of her territory.

Both sides have access to modern technology. Humans are more numerous and dragons have a longer lifespan (more knowledge, experience, and time to wait) and can stay off the grid more or less indefinitely. Dragons can also precisely manipulate objects through weak telekinesis, it lacks the power to be effectively used in combat, but lets dragons perform tasks that require hands and an opposable thumb.

Despite their advanced technology, humans still live in a semi-feudal society. Settlements near the dragon's territory are sparse and relatively small, but word can still easily get out if she attacks.

Human armies have access to a small number of jet fighters and tanks. Sure, they will only be used when deemed necessary (i.e: when it's the fastest way to solve the problem).

Dragons do have natural armor around the most important areas of their body. This armor can stop shots from even the strongest hunting rifles, but also gets seriously damaged in the process. Intermediate cartridges are less dangerous but she still wouldn't want to be peppered by them. Also, a .50 cal can seriously injure and potentially drop her in a single hit if she isn't wearing additional body armor.

Even if the villagers don't have access to it, they can ask the help of people who do and there are quite a few of those.

I wanted the dragon to feel more like the classical version that can strike fear into the heart of man. Sure, she still wouldn't be on the same level as Blue Star, White Night, or Slenderman; but more than enough for villages to bend to her will.

This also means she can't ask for the help of other dragons, especially since those she knows shun her, and shouldn't rely on minions to do the work for her either.

So, how should this dragon go about driving humans out of her territory?

Answer 1

There is a vineyard in Chile called Concha Y Toro. They have this awesome red wine called Casillero del Diablo. Translating to English, that's "The Devil's Locker".

In the late 1800's people were stealing aging bottles from the storage. Legend has it that the vineyard owner made a pact with the devil, so Satan was there in person to make sure no more bottles were lost. It appears that around that time thievery practically stopped - whether because people were scared of the story or because the vineyard hired more muscle, I don't know.

You can look it up on the internet, and you usually won't find much more details than that. An uncle of mine, who is not from Chile but collects such stories from around the world, says that as things go spiced up variations of the story appeared here and there in the early 1900's. They added gory details to make things scarier for young would-be thieves. I've heard from two sources that the devil would not kill people nor damm their souls, but would let them go with a prolapsed anus and a pat on the back. If I were a thief I would totally read into it that the vineyard hired a rapist for security and would think twice before setting foot there.

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Your dragon can take advantage of the human tendency to be gullible about such folk tales. Specially in a semi-feudal society. The peasantry loves stories about haunted manors, wild hunts, caves of no return etc. All the dragon needs to do is spread rumors of a ghost, or some other invisible monster that kills people who enter her place. When people do enter her place, it would do well to her kill those people as stealthily as possible to reinforce the tales.

I grew up in a developing country, in a rural place where people were afraid to walk over a certain dirt road that was part of a private property because "earthbound, lost souls" inhabited there. I enjoyed hiking through that place because it was empty as far as the eye could see, even though it was the shortest and most level path between two neighbouring villages. That was in the f... 90's. If tales work to keep trespassers our in our own real world's 20th century, they can also work for your own world.

Answer 2

Human armies have access to a small number of jet fighters and tanks Both sides have access to modern technology

how should this dragon go about driving humans out of her territory?

Short answer. She can't.

I will offer solutions down after that.

we currently have fun things such as

• ICBM.
• Fighter jets that can easily push a top speed of 3000 km/h. Source.
• Bunker buster bombs that can penetrate up to 6 meters of reinforced concrete. Source
• Tanks. I love tanks. Their guns has a very limited range of 3-12 kilometers. Source. Yes that 12 kilometers range of the T-14 seems suspicion and we can argue about that military value of it. But the humble M1 Abrams has a much more realistic current gen range of 3-4 kilometers which is my point.
• "Short" air to air missiles with a mere 30 Km range. source.
• Longer missiles of 100 kilometres. Source.
• Artillery. With the lowest range being 100Km and longest 650km. Source.

Just to name a few random military things we have. Now what could nature possibility offer to go against anything like that?

Nature is about evolving to fit the environment and survive. As far as we know not a lot of creatures had to evolve to compete with main battle tanks for food. So basically any biological creature would be dead against any modern army.

And if you work extra super hard to make a challenging creature it would take all of two hours for engineers to comp up with a weapon to kill it. Even if the dragon emits EMPs many military weapons are shielded against that. CBRN protection is a thing. Because we are such a fun species that we have to come up with scenarios in which our own kind are using the most destructive materials science can come up with and militarize to use against us. But don't worry. We also maintain nuclear submarines if our nuclear missiles and air crafts failed to destroy life on earth.

I'm not saying this for no reason. I'm saying this because we are as a species are historically proven to be be capable of coming up with the most genius or ingenious ways to to destroy what we worked so hard to build. So. Even if your dragons have week telekinesis it is still screwed. We simply can invent and tweak what we know and have.

If a medieval society had to deal with a dragon and they have no access to gunpowder then it make a more challenging thing. Sure our ancient ancestors had to deal with monster of all kinds but it was much more difficult.

But if you can hope into a fighter then press a button and a guided missile is launched against a dragon then I honestly can't think of any reasonable solution to that issue expect magic.

Please don't let that discourage you. You can ignore my points or maybe you have a crazy context, like very context dependent, special scenario. But at least you should be aware of those problems so we can start fixing them.

how should this dragon go about driving humans out of her territory?

Politics, propaganda, sabotage, getting other humans to do it, get other dragons to help...etc.

Politics I have no idea of how politics work in your world but maybe she can petition your UN, maybe it actually works in your world, to get her lands. Maybe she can prove her rightful ownership. Maybe she can get a political alliance going offering something to the biggest strongest faction in offer of that land. Actual historic empires and nations are known to give lands to people or groups for all reasons.

Propaganda Maybe she can campaign all over the world to get the public opinion on her side. Maybe if the right dragon king or human lord is convinced they can provide her with an army.

Sabotage Hit and run attacks on their trade caravans, on their farms, on their fields, against their mines, their citizens who went to the local lake for fishing.

Here she is avoiding the powerful artillery and weapons of the humans to make the cost of living in that city much higher.

If she attacks when least expected and burns the fields she can start costing the people a lot. Remember a city depends on many many fields and mines and roads...etc to have not only it's basic supplies but the extra much needed stuff. Heck. Even the guns and ammo humans use can be imported or a component of which is imported. Long story short she has all the time in the world and slowly she attacks and kills humans.

However how long will justify the fighter jets not being sent after her is up to you.

Getting other humans to do it

This is the plot of so many movies and games that it is second nature in those stories. Can't kill the wizard? Send in a WIZARD of your own. Because having two character of the same power fighting against each other seems a very human thing.

Anyway make her a sort of warlord or bandit leader. Heck. She can get a claimant, or make one in reality it does not matter, and start making advances on the city.

Now this might start countering those human weapons. Say a military group is sent after her. She attacks from the air and as they humans start aiming and fighting her then her own men attack from the ground. Her fires might not do much to tanks but human made anti tank weapons would.

Get other dragons to help

If she can convince other dragons that if they can they can get something then she might be able to call upon those with resources that might mean she can oppose the humans. Maybe the dragon's king has magical armor or runes that makes her become ethereal at will. Maybe they can spawn an army of ghouls or zombie or whatever to help her. Heck. She might a little human army or militia to fight against the humans.

Anyway I think the question should be: what none direct military means can she use.

Answer 3

Greenpeace.

Since, by your own admission, dragons aren't especially common, your dragon could lobby to establish herself as an endangered species. By law, you can't develop land which is an endangered species' habitat. She'd have to put up with the occasional National Geographic documentary, but otherwise she'd be left alone.

However, that doesn't harm any humans (with the exception of whatever poor soul happens to own the property). As a result, she'll need to find another way to cause problems. With that in mind, here's a four-step process that should solve her problems (while also destroying some pesky humans):

1. Acquire two nukes.

2. Put one in her territory.

3. Detonate the other one in a nearby city or town.

4. Make it perfectly clear that she's willing to set the other one off if humans trespass in her territory.

This, possibly combined with Method #1, should be more than enough to prevent trespassers. As @Dragongeek mentioned, it would be possible to skip step 2; although if I was put in the position she would be putting humans in, I would be very tempted to clandestinely nose around with a geiger counter before yielding the issue.