Hither in these ruins I standeth, a marker to remind of what hath transpired here. This place, once a village, now lieth in ruins.

A dragon of great might once made her abode nigh unto here, abiding by an ancient pledge that she would cause no harm unto the folk of this land.

Becoming accustomed to the sight of the ancient beast, the village folk began to harass her. Time passed, and new generations were born, and soon the foolish villagers forgot why dragons are held in such high esteem. The harassment turned to violence, the violence to arson, and the arson to attempts at murder. Yet, despite it all, the dragon never retaliated, and the townfolk felt emboldened to bully a creature that was supposed to be a force beyond compare. But they went too far.

I am a sign, a tale-teller, a warning to take heed. For even the most gentle heart may be broken. Blinded by wrath, the dragon chose to teach them a lesson, one far crueler than simple destruction. She chose to seek justice through the law.

The village's expansion, which included felling of the forest? A violation of tree law.

The attempted murder? Guilt was established.

Arson? Endangered species law was invoked.

The taking of water from the lake? Theft and trespassing.

The road? Constructed in violation of state laws.

The treehouse for children? Ye should not trifle with fricking tree laws. The list is longer than I can recount, but as a result, the villagers found themselves drowning in debt, facing legal fees and fines, with some even sent to prison. And finally, the town was built too near to the dragon's lair, and was found in contravention of the wildlife protection laws. And so, it was decreed to be disbanded forthwith.

Verily, ye should not mess with dragons.