Finally inspiration struck - what we have here is a list of expeditionary dragon-related folk away from their home realm and what they might be up to. PCs may be lightly disguised to protect the guilty.
These could equally be relatively non-descript half-dragons as per Dragon #206 or they could be dragonborn as best suits your setting.
d20 neighboring dragons out and about
Half dragons
1. The charming bard and their tiefling fixer - running away from their duties and problems, but likely to interfere wherever they stumble over injustice, cruelty or other evil deeds
2. The mage - poking about trying to decide where to set up their tower. Or lair. Or palace. They having been touring trying to decide for some decades now and are stuck in analysis paralysis.
3. The cleric of Bahamut - a bit more subtle than a mailed fist to the chin but not by much. Touring about being very loud and obvious, waiting for trouble to find them so they can stomp it.
4. The elder clan leader - battle-hardened mastermind, travelling with their utterly loyal entourage of assassins, spies, shapeshifters and scouts to maintain their reputation for seeing all and causing trouble for those who cross them.
5. The runaway princess - with her very attractive, deeply unsuitable paramour, this heiress to power and fortune has run away to live simply but draws chaos in her wake.
Mature dragons, shapeshifted
6. The rugged mountain dragon chief with small band of vassals - has been watching over this clan for generations, barely ever shifts to dragon form
7. The diabolist trafficking with hags and fey - actually a powerful sorcerer who happens to be a dragon, uses human form because it makes people underestimate them, mean, cunning, icily patient.
8. The cultured matriarch visiting craftsworkers she patronises - cultivating the arts and crafts of the settlements within their domain, seeks talent and promotes it, buys the masterpieces for bragging rights with rival dragon over the mountain.
9. The cult-leader, most faithful grandchild of their sleeping ancient ancestor. Personally affable, modest, discreet and honorable but will do ruthless violence and spare no effort to defend what they see as their ancestors interests. Epitomises 'a good person will kill you with hardly a word'.
10. The shrine-keeper, touring the lands, shoring up ancient defences, tired and burdened by the knowledge of the vampires, demons, aboleths and illithids sealed in or kept away by the wards they shore up.
Actual dragons
11. Juvenile dragon poking about, utterly lost - they ate a druid and his sack of psychadelic mushroom and are no longer sure they are on the right continent
12. Young dragon refurbishing a tower they found empty - has big dreams of imprisoning a princess, building a hoard, upholding the old traditions but is well aware that careless dragons get dead so are looking for suitable challenges to work their way up
13. Two young adult dragons of differnt kinds, having fought each other to a standstill on multiple occassions for possession of a choice lair site, now seek allies to get the other evicted
14. Three young dragon siblings squabling over the hoard of a dead uncle. None of them really want this lair, the mouldy treasures, the stinking troglodytes who keep the place but pride forbids them from admitting this. Likely to be encountered arguing in the relatively well ventilated cavern entrance
15. Elder dragon who has just been on a century long trip, has returned to reclaim their territory. They are now the new neighbour. Goes about turfing out intruders with the attitude of someone cleaning bugs out of their attic.
16. Mature dragon freaking out because they have lost a gem mine and all the dwarves they had mining for them. Engaged in the loudest, most destructive 'rescue' conceivable. The dwarves are fine, have not yet noticed the mountainside above them collapsed.
17. Mature dragon dwelling in a swamp infuriated with the local settlement. Have been slowly working up the motivation to get up and destroy it based on lies and misdirection from a cunning bandit chief who hopes to open up raiding opportunities in the chaos
18. Mature dragon had their hoard scorned by a potential mate and is now in a fury to show them. They have dominated some local clans of various species, forcibly inducted travellers into their new dragon cult and have started taxing all nearby trade routes. They are completely focused on the goal of building an enormous hoard and spiting their now bitter foe.
Dragons pretending not to be dragons
19. A wizard in a tower, welcoming, charmingly eccentric, very obviously a divination specialist, seeks adventurers to go places and investigate things
20. A fine baronial court in a castle; hews to every archetype but the only thing that is not as it seems is the dragon who plays the baron. Everyone knows what they are. Disturbing their 'storylines' will lead to furious reaction.
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