Dragon-scam 1

*Two questioners prod each other. Some whispering.*

How do you make a dragon do something he doesn't want to?

Brute force is obviously out. Bribery is out - he's annoyingly, well, content isn't exactly the word, but certainly stuck in his little rut: we don't know of anything he wants. Blackmail is problematic too, since (contrary to all draconic tradition) he does not seem to care for reputation.

Manipulation is going to be difficult because he is neither stupid nor naïve. But a direct request would be turned down and would put him on guard.

How do you deceive a deceiver into playing a role he doesn't think he wants to play?

Mrow?

How about not at all?

I second... Swiff.

*pats Ayu-Asra*

Most kind, Mr. Katamara.

Meep...

Well, there are plenty of approaches to secretive or overt manipulation, though I don't know how well they work with horrible giant wingy scaly flappy beasts.

No offence, Ayu-Asra. You're reasonably nice.

Questioners, if you were a brother diplomat, to begin with you'd have the benefit of ages, sometimes standard-years of research and intel. You'd get to know the target better than he knows himself.

Most of the time that's not difficult to do. Generally then an approach would suggest itself.

I suggest you start there, with research. Ignore whatever plans or arguments he's caught up in at the moment. You should get beyond temporary motives to the base things that motivate people (or dragons). Sex. Fear. Greed. And so on. Also, I suspect you're wrong about it being unbribeable; everyone is avaricious for something. What does he truly want? What does he miss? Why is he in this 'rut'?

Clever schemes are all very well, but the more moving parts, the more likely that one of them will fail you. If this creature is cunning like you suggest and he spots one of the threads of your carefully-woven plot, he'll be alert to the danger and then you'll be competing with him in his own area of expertise.

Suitov, they're not married, leave Sebastian alone. *twitchtwitch*

Oooh, good one!

I asked a diplomat brother and he adds that if this dragon enjoys plots, perhaps that's exactly what you should give him. A false conspiracy to unravel. Let him think he's very clever. And while he's thinking in tiny intricacies, march the real details past his nose in plain sight.

Of course the rest of the details depend on what it is you want him to do.

The m... moat? Nah, barricade - is right. You need to know the person you want to manipulate. How anyone who doesn't might be able to help you, I don't see.

So, either find out more about that dragon, or spend the energy on figuring out a way to achieve whatever you want his help for without said help.

* Ayu-Asra scuttles over stack of sandsacks and gnaws Weft's ear affectionately. *

Slen says "Give it beats and then go 'oi, you'." When asked how trying to beat it up would help, especially given that the subject will win any contest of brute force, he says "Yeah, but still give it beats."

... And once the dragon has recovered, he'll say "dude, I last laughed like that some millennia ago. I think I owe you a favour"?

At which point we say "oh well, since you insist on making it a point of honour, there is this one little thing that only you can do for us..." Yes, yes, we see.

Or not.

It is about as likely as anything else we came up with.

Well, I don't deny that.

I must say I never expected to hear that much sense from the little sandbagger over there.

Mmm. In fact, I think I'm inclined to take up that last idea of his.

Likewise, my dear.

Oh, this is too delicious.

Isn't it? You see why I love anonymity?

*peeks out, dragon on shoulder, since swashbuckler and mage aren't apparently killing each other yet*

What have Brother Tortile and I just inadvertently helped with?

That's what I'd like to know...

Don't worry, you'll probably find out... in a few centuries. You know how it is with dragons - there's no rushing them into anything.

Don't you dare look at me.

I am so, so confused. *pats the dragonling*

* Ayu Asra purrrrs *

Weft? Do you want to keep him?

I'm not allowed pets.

But you could keep him as a pest!