A dragon hatchling's color is based on what it will hoard during its life - and its parents don't know the color.

So, what if a dragon's color indicated what it will want to hoard, which could include abstract things like experiences or physical things like art? And if the parents don't know what will come from the egg until it hatches? And actually doesn't MIND if it's a different color, as that means they won't be trying to hoard the same thing? This means that no dragon is innately 'evil' or 'good', but how they go about hoarding their treasure indicates whether they are shaping more towards Tiamat's or Bahamut's ideals.

 

Having chromatic = bad and metallic = good always sat wrong with me after reading FASA's take, because basically a dragon is to humans as we would be to mice that suddenly learned to talk (but got no smarter). Sure, some humans would still treat the mice as vermin and some might try to interact with them, but overall we live so much longer, are so much stronger than individual mice, and would find it nigh-impossible to actually DESCRIBE in a way what being human is like to mice that they could understand. Instead, they would see our ample food and either beg for it or steal it as they always have.

 

Back to dragons. Because they're not foolish, they would still have immense wealth compared to lesser beings as money is the grease of everything (and they have a lot of time to accumulate it!) but the core notion here is that each color has a specialty; something it loves above all else.

 

Another possible aspect is that dragons might be more or less rare depending on that color, with chromatic hatchlings most common, metallics being rarer (maybe one out of every four?), and gemstones being once in a century hatchlings. That would also explain why chromatics are the most common dragons seen - and probably give them a chip on their shoulder about it. "No dragon is COMMON, and I'll make a morsel of you if you say it again!"

 

So, what would dragons hoard based on their color?

 

Black Dragons hoard historical relics and places, preferring to lair in the ruins of ancient, dead nations that have been forgotten and gather what remains of their civilization. The good will - for a price! - share this history with scholars; while they aren't themselves scholars, they know the value of ancient knowledge. The evil... are not above MAKING those nations dead and forgotten.

 

Blue Dragons hoard land. To them, there is nothing better than vast stretches of terrain that is under their wings - what kind isn't important, though they do prefer a variety just for the looks of it. The good won't care who lives there, as often people are a part of the land - or will actively help those who are polite and pay respect. The evil will either destroy intruders or lay down massive taxes for the privilege of living upon what's theirs.

 

Green Dragons hoard people - but only a few at a time, preferably once-in-a-generation luminaries or geniuses. Yes, they are transitory compared to the treasures of gold or art or land, but nothing shines more brightly. The good will help their chosen people shine further, polishing them until they truly stand atop history. The evil will delight in the gradual decline and corruption of their chosen victims, abandoning them when they are no longer amusing.

 

Red Dragons hoard money. Ancient, new, coins, bank drafts, gemstones, it doesn't matter whether it clinks or rustles or just sits there as numbers on a vellum hide as long as it keeps ticking upward constantly. The good will seek to invest and loan their money, keeping it rolling and moving to make more and more of it. The evil will simply take as much of it as possible, with no qualms about hurting everyone else ("QUICK PAYDAY LOAN FROM YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD RED"), and thirsts to see everyone around them suffering from poverty that just a tenth of their wealth could cure... but fuck 'em.

 

White Dragons hoard adversity. Ease and leisure atop a pile of comfy gold is not for a white; to test themselves and those around them are what whites live for. To that end, they live in the most extreme environments that they can possibly survive in: filled with powerful creatures to test their strength against and an environment that actively tries to kill them - or anyone within it. Good whites may help others that are actively doing their best to survive but coming up short... or at least will try to let their next of kin know where they died. Evil whites will pile more hazard and misery upon any who come near them, delighting in their despair.

 

Brass Dragons hoard conversation. To find out how others live from their own words, to debate the merits of legal succubi brothels, to exchange witty banter... a brass is at home when the hum and buzz of language is all around it. The good will seek to sharpen and hone the intellect of those around them, regardless of whether they agree or disagree with it. The evil will suppress any opinion but their own, creating a world where if they say that snow is black and sky is green, all will chorus agreement.

 

Bronze Dragons hoard causes. It's the clash of conflicting ideals which they love most; whether it be on the battlefield or in the streets or even in the parliament debate chamber, a bronze dragon will be there, trying to find the one that most appeals to it and joining in. While they often collect records and momentos of past conflicts, knowing that the past often applies to the present, it's what is happening now that most draws them. The good will look for those actively trying to help their fellow beings live better lives, those struggling against evil, or that are most sincere and aid them. The evil will be perpetual shit-stirrers, often adopting multiple identities and instigating conflict for their dark amusement.

 

Copper Dragons hoard entertainment. Jokes, plays, novels, songs, riddles, pranks - they want to laugh and to cry and to feel, more than any other dragon. The good will promote the creation of new works by others, sharing the ancient works that have been lost to all but their hoards, and find their enjoyment increased with sharing. The evil will be focused only on their own enjoyment, entranced by the suffering of others - which is usually caused by their own claws - is what makes them feel truly warm.

 

Gold Dragons hoard knowledge of those around them. There is no gossip too insignificant, no dark tome too wicked, for them to ignore. The good will serve as loremasters to those who prove themselves worthy, giving them not only what they WANT to know, but what they NEED to know. The evil will be miserly at best with their knowledge - or at worst murder those who know a secret and lie to those who seek their wisdom, secure in the fact that THEY know the truth and no one else will. Ever.

 

Silver Dragons hoard the weak. To them, weaker beings are to be cherished, and to a dragon there's no shortage of choice for that status! The good will seek to make those under its wings stronger, able to stand on their own feet when necessary - nourishing them, protecting them, but ultimately knowing that they cannot always be sheltered. The evil will enforce their weakness - secretly cursing their land, assassinating those who could teach a different way, and all the while acting as a soft shoulder to cry on and a shield to hide behind.

 

Amethyst Dragons hoard understanding. There are fundamental principles upon which not only this world, but ALL worlds rest upon, and they seek out those principles and test their limits. The good found schools to teach their methods of thought and methodical testing, spreading their understanding far and wide. The evil chuckle at the ignorance of others, and will actively suppress the truth - or spread a 'truth' that is horribly flawed and will lead to the suffering and death of others.

 

Crystal Dragons hoard the future. They know that time is a river with multiple branches, and those who have "seen the future" often only glimpse a part of what comes ahead - one path of many - and do their best to collate and collect as many prophecies as possible to navigate the river safely. The good will willingly divine for those who pay the correct price, and actively try to make futures come which will benefit as many beings as possible (regardless of draconic status). The evil will peer into the future only for its own benefit or of those allied to it, working to subvert the gains of others and cause suffering for its own sake.

 

Emerald Dragons hoard magic. Not just physical items, but the means of making them, ancient spellbooks lost by archmages, recordings of strange incursions or phenomena caused by magic - all of these and more are the chosen purview of the emeralds. The good may run a thriving business of renting out their items, with ancient dragons having some which would interest even the gods - but the items are THEIRS, only on loan. The evil will actively seek out and steal items which catch their eye, trying to complete their collections and lock them away - and you never know which items a dragon may or may not have.

 

Sapphire Dragons hoard warfare. Much like bronzes, they are drawn to conflict - but unlike them, the deeper meaning of the conflict is unimportant to them. What is important is the clash of arms itself, struggling to survive against an opponent - or BEING that opponent that someone is struggling against. The good will actively try to make the weak mighty, strong enough to not only fight for themselves but to be WORTH fighting against - often restraining their strength to match those they are engaged against. The evil will be bullies, delighting in knocking down and clawing at those who could never have stood against it.

 

Topaz Dragons hoard entropy. The decay of nations, the death of people, the slow and gradual erosion of the mountains itself: the evidence and remains of these things are what the topaz desires above all else. All things end, even the gods, and the topaz is too heavily touched by the force which brings that end to ever gather anything else. The good will encourage those who rage against the inevitable, knowing that the only thing which will stave off entropy (even for a brief, cosmic moment) is energy and determination. The evil will encourage the cycle, trying to accelerate it, and sowing despair among those who fight against it. 

 

Dragon Turtles hoard the ocean. Much like blues, it's the terrain itself it finds enchanting; the constant cycle of the water, the life that swims in it, the never-ending yet always changing tides. The good will promote that life, making it stronger and more abundant - and not mind sharing that abundance, if given proper respect. The evil will dominate it, terrorizing not only the what lives in it but what lives NEAR it.