What should you do?

I was originally gonna post this in Elitist Debate, but I think it's suitable enough just for General Chat.

Now then, here's an interesting hypothetical situation:



You are the ruler of a small country in some fantasy world. Lately, the land has been plagued with famine and fires, all thanks to the wrath of a an angry dragon. There is no hero capable of slaying the dragon, and there is no way of removing the dragon through either force or wit. There is only one way of getting rid of the dragon: the dragon has given you its word that it will leave your country forever if you sacrifice your family to it for its dinner, and a dragon cannot break a promise or else it dies. With the lives of hundreds in your hands and no alternatives, you agree to let the dragon have your family (who reluctantly have agreed to go through with it).

Just when you are about to let them go out to be the dragon's dinner, a hooded figure in a black cloak appears before you. He tells you that he can slay the dragon with powerful magicks and spare your family from being eaten. BUT! In return for the deed, you must forfeit your kingdom to him for his own purposes. The man is shady, to say the least, but if he can do what he says he can do, you can save the lives of your family. However, should you agree, you'll be abandoning your duty as the country's leader and leaving the future of the country in the hands of a complete stranger (who for all you know could be wanting to lead the country into war).

In one hand you hold the lives of your family, and in the other hand you hold your duty as the leader of the country's future. If you give your country to the hooded figure, there's an unpredictable possibility that a number of people will die. Then again, it may turn out that no one but the dragon will die, and that he comes to be a better ruler than even you. There is no way to know. But, if you don't give him your country, then you do know for a solid fact that all of the people close to you will die.

Now, based on your set of ideals and morals, what do you think you should do? Should you let your family be eaten by the dragon, or should you give up your crown to the stranger?

I would sacrifice my family to the dragon. I won't say anything else until others get their decision without the influence of other posters, aside from individualized action. 

I'm going to be honest, its a decision I couldn't make. The logical answer would be to sacrifice your family, since that is less lives lost in case the shady man has ill ideals. A few lives sacrificed to make sure hundreds of others would not lose theirs.

But, it would be too hard to make that decision.

I'm no king anyway. I'd rather just own a cafe in the village. >.>

I'd take a bunch of peasants who no one would care about, dress them up as my family, and give them to the dragon.

Of course, if I can't do that, it'd be impossible to choose. I'd be leaning more towards trusting the stranger.

Let's assume that you can only choose to either give in to the strangers demands or sacrifice your real family, since the dragon cannot be removed by wit.

So, we have two for sacrificing your family, and one for giving up your crown.

That's a pretty hard one right there, but if I was the king and the shady man had come to me with that deal. I'd have people investigate his past, and see if he is someone we can trust to keep our kingdom safe and actually slay the dragon, of course I doubt he will be any crusading hero who can do this. Why? Well you yourself said no one can slay the dragon and or remove it with wits or force. I'd sacrafice my family and save everyone else and live with the guilt that I let them die but also with the upside I saved everyone else at the cost of so few lives no matter how close they're to me.

Spoiler for:

Is it me or does the shady figure sounds like some kind of person who would conjure the dragon under their control and have it do all of this. Until you/I the king broke down and did either of the two?

My family would understand. To the dragon with them!

Spoiler for:

Alternativly, I would tell the man he can have the kingdom so he slays the dragon but then kill the man before anyone else knows 

It would be hard, but i'd have to give up my family.

Then life would probably suck, but if everyone else is okay, it's worth it, right?

Let's assume that you can only choose to either give in to the strangers demands or sacrifice your real family.

Also, so many people are willing to let their family die. Definitely gives you something to think about, eh?

It's a hard decision to make, especially when both your family and your people are probably the most important thing for a human and a country ruler. This decision I probably can't make in real life.

If I must make a decision though, I'd probably try to manipulate the hooded figure to somehow defeat the dragon without giving him my position as a reward - or feed him to the dragon as a bribe to give my family and kingdom at least a couple more years.

:|

Hard decision made easy? I'd let the guy kill the dragon, see how his rule of my Kingdom goes and if he turns out to be a bad man, then I'd assasinate him, or get someone else to.

I don't even need to think twice, shady or not he'd rescue you. Whatever happens after that is a problem for the future~ just save your family

I would accept the offer of the shady guy. Not only is saving your family optimal, but I'm willing to bet that the mysterious dude can't be that much tougher than a dragon, or he would have just used his awesome powers to take over by force to begin with.

I would accept the offer of the shady guy. Not only is saving your family optimal, but I'm willing to bet that the mysterious dude can't be that much tougher than a dragon, or he would have just used his awesome powers to take over by force to begin with.

That's an interesting assumption

I'd ask my family.

Eat Dragon, shit fire on hooded character.

That's an interesting assumption

Well think about it, if the spooky dude is as bad as he seems, why would he sit around playing stupid games? He could have just used his crazy dragon-killing magics to turn you in to dust and take your crown, but instead he chose to initiate a dialogue. Besides, if a childhood of Disney movies has taught me anything, it's that for every evil wizard, there's a sword powered by friendship and rainbows that can kill him in one good swing.

you are my hero 

That's an interesting assumption

Well think about it, if the spooky dude is as bad as he seems, why would he sit around playing stupid games? He could have just used his crazy dragon-killing magics to turn you in to dust and take your crown, but instead he chose to initiate a dialogue. Besides, if a childhood of Disney movies has taught me anything, it's that for every evil wizard, there's a sword powered by friendship and rainbows that can kill him in one good swing.

Amen to that.

That's an interesting assumption

Well think about it, if the spooky dude is as bad as he seems, why would he sit around playing stupid games? He could have just used his crazy dragon-killing magics to turn you in to dust and take your crown, but instead he chose to initiate a dialogue. Besides, if a childhood of Disney movies has taught me anything, it's that for every evil wizard, there's a sword powered by friendship and rainbows that can kill him in one good swing.

You sir, are one of the smartest new people I have ever seen.
I would give my kingdom to the shady dude, even before I saw BedLlama's post.