The gold is an illusion to lure in what the dragons really want: adventurers. Dragons don't need gold or treasure. That's just silly. Where would they spend it? The local DracoMart^tm? Nope. Gold has no value to a dragon. It's just another shiny rock.

Dragons need food. And lots of it. And flying around, snatching cattle and sheep from hillsides is tiring work. Much easier to make the food come to you. See, adventurers are high muscle, low fat. They are often fortified with fiber (scrolls, wooden weapon parts, clothes) and iron (weapons, armor). Very tasty and nutritious!

They're the snack that fights back.

Dragons aren't hoarders. They are spiders whose web is made of illusory treasure to lure you in.

Eventually, there would be real treasure. Some as coinage / loot dropped by adventurers as the dragon feasts. Some coughed up as pellets after the dragon has feasted. But the initial hoard is fake.

The gold is an illusion to lure in what the dragons really want: adventurers. Dragons don't need gold or treasure. That's just silly. Where would they spend it? The local DracoMart^tm? Nope. Gold has no value to a dragon. It's just another shiny rock.

Dragons need food. And lots of it. And flying around, snatching cattle and sheep from hillsides is tiring work. Much easier to make the food come to you. See, adventurers are high muscle, low fat. They are often fortified with fiber (scrolls, wooden weapon parts, clothes) and iron (weapons, armor). Very tasty and nutritious! Sure, they have to travel out and scare the locals from time to time. You know, to drum up business. But as long as the adventurers keep coming, the dragon has to expend far less effort to stay well-fed.

They're the snack that fights back.

Dragons aren't hoarders. They are spiders whose web is made of illusory treasure to lure you in.

Eventually, there would be real treasure. Some as coinage / loot dropped by adventurers as the dragon feasts. Some coughed up as pellets after the dragon has feasted. But the initial hoard is fake.

The gold is an illusion to lure in what the dragons really want: adventurers. Dragons don't need gold or treasure. That's just silly. Where would they spend it? The local DracoMart^tm? Nope. Gold has no value to a dragon. It's just another shiny rock.

Dragons need food. And lots of it. And flying around, snatching cattle and sheep from hillsides is tiring work. Much easier to make the food come to you. See, adventurers are high muscle, low fat. They are often fortified with fiber (scrolls, wooden weapon parts, clothes) and iron (weapons, armor). Very tasty and nutritious!

They're the snack that fights back.

Dragons aren't hoarders. They are spiders whose web is made of illusory treasure to lure you in.

The gold is an illusion to lure in what the dragons really want: adventurers. Dragons don't need gold or treasure. That's just silly. Where would they spend it? The local DracoMart^tm? Nope. Gold has no value to a dragon. It's just another shiny rock.

Dragons need food. And lots of it. And flying around, snatching cattle and sheep from hillsides is tiring work. Much easier to make the food come to you. See, adventurers are high muscle, low fat. They are often fortified with fiber (scrolls, wooden weapon parts, clothes) and iron (weapons, armor). Very tasty and nutritious!

They're the snack that fights back.

Dragons aren't hoarders. They are spiders whose web is made of illusory treasure to lure you in.

Eventually, there would be real treasure. Some as coinage / loot dropped by adventurers as the dragon feasts. Some coughed up as pellets after the dragon has feasted. But the initial hoard is fake.