Suggestions

We've got Fiona and Scribbles for trans rep, and so I'd really love to see some LGB reps too! Partially for representation and partially because I lobe gay dragons so much. They me. To make it more natural I suggest having two dragons in the same area, a bit like Swipp and his daughters. They could be doing something cute and couple-ish or it could just be confirmed they're dating in a mod post. I'm thinking two lesbian dragons, I picked two breeds that we haven't got in the trading post and which have obvious dimorphism. [img]https://i.imgur.com/edBekbj.png[/img] I think it'd be adorable and nice representation and everybody adores npc dragons so 2-for-1 would be amazing. I'm not sure what their role would be, there's loads of good suggestions for new features already and I'm sure admins have more up their sleeves. ---------------------- A couple of people have suggested stories, similar to the BotE, for the trading post npcs! I think this is also a really good idea to flesh out their characters and give them a bit more of an identity beyond their role in the trading post. ---------------- EDIT: To address some concerns. In no way would these dragons be 'in your face' about their sexuality, they are simply in the same area. They would have a purpose. I expect the admins already have ideas for new functions in the trading group, which is why I haven't come up with one.

Honestly I’d rather not see the admins put any focus on a npc dragon’s sexual orientation. It would feel rather forced to me... as if the admins were waving a flag around saying see we are all inclusive. Because if you think about it It’s not like you generally learn the sexual orientation of thee majority of the people you meet such as your cashier at Walmart or your server at the restraunt or the like. Your more likely to know the orientation of people you have a deeper relationship with like your doctor or dentist or coworkers

Like DragonSage and Corviknight said, I'd rather there be focus on just the dragon themselves/in relation to the game mechanic role they're created for rather than just being there as representation for representation's sake. As in, have their role/mechanic come first and then how that mechanic affects the personality and then have other smaller traits worked in naturally.

And like, from my knowledge most of the other npc dragons don't even have their sexualities confirmed (e.g. Roundsey could potentially be lesbian but we wouldn't know because there's no reason to focus on her sexuality). LGBT npcs would just be regular dragons like the others, who fill a role for game mechanics :/

To be honest, I would rather the NPCs be only in stories, where it would be more natural to have casual references to significant others, such as X turns to look at Y, and shakes her head. 'I can't believe we survived that!' Y looks back fondly and shakes her head. 'Tell me again why I love you?' Where they just had been on an adventure where X was the ringleader.

NPCs for the trading post should not have their sexualities be a part of their 'story' unless it is like Swipp where he has daughters (and honestly, that is no reason why he HAS to have a 'mrs. swipp' Maybe they were adopted etc..)

Think like Fiona being trans can, and was, handled the right way in that they used male Skydancer art to represent her, and thus didn't make her being trans a HUGE part of her. It was just something that was, and they just confirmed that it wasn't a mistake or lessening of dimorphic differences between SD sexes (and honestly, I never noticed that males had more antennae than females...)

but for actual relationships, it would be much more difficult to work it into a trading post NPC and could come off feeling forced and unrealistic, compared to being able to expand upon the relationship in the context of a larger story.

[quote name="Jemadar" date="2020-01-24 21:00:04" ] To be honest, I would rather the NPCs be only in stories, where it would be more natural to have casual references to significant others, such as X turns to look at Y, and shakes her head. 'I can't believe we survived that!' Y looks back fondly and shakes her head. 'Tell me again why I love you?' Where they just had been on an adventure where X was the ringleader.[/quote] Working in a LGB dragon into one of the lore stories would be much more natural way of handling it than trying to assign it to an trading post NPC

In the end, I genuinely don't care how NPCs identify, so I'm largely neutral. Inclusivity is rad, and I say go ahead so long as the community it affects is on board.

That being said, this idea is very thought-provoking. These identities and issues are a very human thing. And the reason we like to see inclusion is that society has not been kind to those that are different.

Who's to say, beyond being dimorphic, dragons even observe a binary system of gender, or that they bother to define their sexuality? Beyond territory wars, it doesn't seem like the inhabitants of Sornieth are known for oppressing others via social warfare over such petty things (thankfully), and it doesn't seem like building a world that parallels our own was the intention of the site's creators.

Would Fiona even know the word Transgender? Would a gay dragon even think about how to define their preference?

As I type my thoughts, I am brought to my own headcanon theory:

Outside of territory wars and elemental conflicts, Dragons just let each other exist as they are without questioning it or finding it odd. I am reminded of that penguin couple that adopts eggs. I doubt the other penguins find it weird.

I would love to think Sornieth is a world where everyone is what they are and that's okay.

I wish humans were more like this, too.

@Corviknight That's fair, I just love messing with steroytypes so a soft ridegback (usually seen a tougher and more dragon-like) and a sharper pearlcatcher (usually seen as soft, more human-like and are smaller). I'd be happy with anything though!

@DragonSage I don't seen how having a couple is any more in your face than Fiona? It's not like they'd be saying 'Hi I'm *blank* and I'm lesbian!', they'd just be two dragons at the same spot looking happy to be around each other. I do love the idea of npc stories though that could be a cool feature in the future.

As I said, you don't typically get to know the sexual orientation of the average person you meet unless you get to know them on a more personal level. NPCs are generally providing a service for you so you don't really have that personal level with them, and having the admins come out to confirm or say a couple of NPC trading post dragons are in a relationship feels like they are doing it show "Look we can do representation and inclusiveness."

If it was done like Jemadar suggested as part of one of the lore stories the admins release occasionally, it would feel more natural as you get to know the NPC on a more intimate level