| blahpers |
They might serve an even stronger great wyrm (advanced, mythic, or with class levels), or even something else if it's much stronger than they are--they respect power, after all. If the dominant being wasn't another red dragon (or possibly a gold), it would likely chafe at them, though, and most would exploit any genuine opportunity to assert the dominant position in such a relationship--and woe to the creature who once asserted dominance over such a cruel tyrant!
| PossibleCabbage |
Red Dragons fundamentally believe in "might makes right" and that the weak should defer to the powerful. When faced with a more powerful potential adversary, even a very powerful Red will defer to their "betters" but won't be happy about it and will look for any opportunity to betray their "master" for personal gain or simply set out to become even more powerful.
So if you're the boss of a great wyrm red dragon, it's incumbent on you to make the red feel like this is a mutually beneficial arrangement, and that they're ultimately of primary importance in the endeavor.
| Zhangar |
It's in a weight class where it could kill a demigod if it prepared appropriately.
Trying to "force" the servitude of something that strong is an insane gamble that can blow up in your face any time.
Willing service involves an actual god or something approaching that level of absolute might (as demonstrated by Kazavon, great wyrm dragons that become religious zealots can be terrifying).
A great wyrm red dragon is king of all it can survey, and they can probably reach the upper atmosphere when flying.
But kings will still accept friends and allies.
It won't bow down to you, but if you aren't competing with it and you share similar passions and you're strong enough that it would have to risk its life to fight you, you may well be able to make an agreement to start splitting the world between you.
| avr |
Maybe a particular red dragon is more greedy than proud; they don't all have to have identical personalities. Hire of that kind is likely to be a temporary arrangement though.
Another might have been raised from hatching to identify their pride with the glory of the lord or state which raised them. Dragon eggs are an expensive commodity.
If they don't see it as service, a red dragon might be just fine with having a skilled rider with a bow or polearm to add some extra punch in a fight.
| Bjørn Røyrvik |