How do Dragons exist? With a lot of Luck!

[TheWombatOfDoom]

Mainly posting to tag this thread right from the get-go, but also to mention a brief outline for one or two thoughts I already had.

1. Some Dragons, under exactly the right atmospheric and meteorological conditions may achieve flight, but they fly whenever they wish... This is done by them manipulating luck so that whenever they DO wish to fly, the precise conditions required to do so just happen to arrive in their locality, regardless of the conditions mere moments before take-off. This would make flying Dragon territory a rather weather-erratic environment, where a storm can literally cut itself in two, just to allow a passing Dragon some room, and where two flying Dragons can seriously interrupt each other, just by deliberately flying too close to the other to allow both the correct conditions for flight. This could be REALLY fun.

I agree with this being a neat and interesting, and had considered this way before Fate was really substantiated. A hang up, however, is the fact that for a dragon to affect the world, wouldn't that be interacting with Fate instead of Luck, per the constituents of the forces? How do we resolve that? Especially since whenever someone mentioned "living" in the Fate thread, I'd respond with "That's Luck". So in turn, I need to have a hard nose here too. *grumbles* Since this is the last of the three systems, I know its also going to be the hardest. It's getting the most rules already in place.

2. Luck is more tangible than Fate and more readily believed than Magic, and so we must be careful how powerful any singular implementation may go with this force.

What do you refer to in saying that Luck is more tangible. I'd say that Luck is less tangible than Fate, but more readily believed in than Magic. Mostly because the world is more readily available to interact with since one...relies on it for everything. Ooo! Nifty table time!

-	Tangibility	Concrete Belief
Magic	Intangible	Inconstant
Luck	Some	Some
Fate	Tangible	Constant

I'll likely meddle with this table some. For example, shouldn't Luck be the opposite of Fate, not Magic? Well, I guess in some ways, one could argue that Luck is Tangible, but not Constant in belief...Hmm...

I would suggest that instead of breaking any particular physical laws, it merely allows the most/least desired conditions and circumstances to spring forth at critical moments, leaving a Dragon less obviously powerful in their use of Luck, and more seemingly charmed. Walking through a deadly maze of swinging razor-edged traps without gaining a scratch for instance, not because they have done something obviously unusual, amazing or unnatural, but simply because everywhere they stepped 'just happened' to be free of peril at that particular moment.

So...are you familiar with the Xanth series? Piers Anthony? I don't want to ruin it for you if you haven't. Just something you say here is strikingly similar to something from the first book. If so, we should talk on. If not, its a quick read, and I'm sure you'd enjoy it as much as I did.

I'm thinking Luck will be both more readily usable in any situation, and yet less visibly obvious in it's use. Thinking there will be good luck and bad luck (to correspond with positive and negative Fate) and there will be little luck and grand luck (to correspond with immediate and ultimate Fate).

I think there can be obvious uses as well. Such as changing a living form in a more refined way than Magic can, or healing/harming. I also want to shy away from having positive or negative pertain to good and bad. Life and Death I think might be better ideas. "Good" and "Bad" might pertain to those two things, but in this case we have a less ego-centralized version. For example, death isn't bad. Without it, the world would undoubtedly end quite quickly. Life is something we as living creatures cling to, because we see death as the end of our existance, and our world. While over all, we're giving room for others to live, and providing the world with out nutrients and such as we decompose. I'd say both sides of the equation are equally important. As far as little and grand go, that's certainly something we can go with. I'd say if you look back at evolution, the jumps would be faster at times when Luck was in power.

In fact, I'd say the dragons needed to adapt to different areas to facilitate evolution of other creatures. Just like the Elvori try and keep the balance of the world cycle and nature, the Dragons try and keep the circle of life in check. Of course, that means they may not always be on someone's side...they could be all buddy buddy with a race or creature, until there is a significant explosion in their population, and then manipulate them to destroy themselves via war, attack them directly, or some other tactic.

Escaflowne's zone of absolute fortune may be relevant, check out that series.

And, I've never seen that show, but I'll certainly look for it for research purposes (as well as entertainment purposes).