She never speaks (to avoid being heard by the dragon). She communicates solely through her incredibly detailed, charcoal-smudged maps that include notes like "Watch out for the loose gold coin—it squeaks."
A former adventurer who lost his nerve but not his greed. He sneaks into lairs, scribbles a map of the gold piles and exit routes, and then sells them to "braver" souls for 10% of the haul. Sees what the dragon hoards, draws the maps NPC...
The NPC didn't just draw the map; they accidentally stole a single, sentimental item from the hoard, and now the dragon is hunting anyone who carries that map. She never speaks (to avoid being heard by the dragon)
An artist who believes a dragon's hoard is the only subject worthy of his talent. He isn't there for the gold; he's there for the composition . Plot Twist Ideas The NPC didn't just draw the map; they
The NPC is actually a transformed dragon or a mimic who lures greedy adventurers into the lair to provide the "hoard" with fresh gear (and the dragon with a snack).
The NPC sells the party a map of the hoard, but the dragon moved half the treasure to a different chamber yesterday.