Hellhorse Dragons are foul-tempered, spirited creatures with tempestuous and violent dispositions. Torrents of scorching flames erupt from their bodies and can easily set their surroundings ablaze. Highly aggressive and territorial toward other dragon species, Hellhorses will tolerate others as long as they believe the association to be beneficial. Such alliances are tenuous in nature and frequently short-lived, as the slightest disagreement can easily escalate into a full-out brawl.

Dragons are highly-intelligent reptilian creatures that—from a human perspective, at least—appear to live forever. Many different varieties of dragon exist, each with their own unique qualities, habitats, and behavior. Adolescence in dragons is usually marked by the growth of a hatchling’s wings, although not all breeds of dragons grow wings and some breeds have other traits that indicate the beginning of maturation. In Galsreim, dragons and humans coexist peacefully.

Gawlin's weyr was one of those slowly engulfed by the Hundred Cities. Most of the residents left, but Gawlin and a few others refused to. Now, she is the last one left, wandering the hills that are too inhospitable for even the hardiest humans to consider building homes on. Though lonely almost beyond bearing, Gawlin is too stubborn to leave the last remnant of her family's ancestral home.