From the designer:
"The goal of the game is to enter into the underground layer of the dragon and make your way down to its lair. As you travel you will find various caves and wandering monsters. You fight these and explore things and you will pick up various items that will help you in your quest to defeat the dragon."
From the Rulebook:
"Your objective is to get to and slay the dragon. The game starts out with you on the Start Circle. You roll the dice and move your game piece the number of squares shown on the dice. It is your choice how directly you want to go to the dragon. You can go directly toward him or you can explore the various tunnels and caves along the way. If you land in a square with a number then look up that number in the RuleBook and follow the instructions. When you land in a cave you look up that cave in the RuleBook and follow the instructions."