Board Thread:Skyrim/@comment-11260027-20130625152530/@comment-11260027-20130628003024

OK, this is for anyone who might be having a similar issue who happens to stumble upon this discussion in the future: The cause was--and this makes no sense--Redwater Den. It's part of the Dawnguard add-on.

When I load a save just prior to entering Redwater and then fast travel to a dragon lair, the dragon is there. When a load a save from just after exiting Redwater and then fast travel to the same dragon lair, no dragon is there--just a mage and a couple of skelletons. I tried several saves after Redwater, and they all have the same result when fast traveling to the same dragon lair.

Cannot fathom why clearing the den of skooma dealers and vampires would cause the missing dragon bug. Guess I'll just stear clear of the place. It's a shame, cause me and the Lioness wanted to clear out all the drug dealers after wiping out the thieve's guild.