Guardian Dragons have large shields on the end of their tails. Although the shields appear to be heavy, they are light, yet nearly unbreakable. Guardian Dragons use their tail-shields, as well as their wings, to deflect attacks and protect others. Often, they will guard the eggs and hatchlings of a nest while others are away. They are generally peaceful, and will not retaliate unless necessary. They have no need to forage or hunt, as they are fed by those they protect.

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.

The gate of Aedin's Reach is under constant guard by the dragon Alija Steiner. That dragon's caretaker, Patrick, worried about Alija never getting out of the weather for awhile, or getting a little exercise, so she figured that she would find another Guardian dragon, so that they could take shifts. To this end, she acquired an egg from a friend, but there was a flaw in her plan: the egg hatched into Marissa Royal. Marissa and Alija disliked each other immediately-Alija believed that Marissa would never be a worthy guard, and Marissa believed that Alija was dull and stupid. Moreover, Marissa did not want to guard the castle. She wanted to guard Patrick's collection. Arms, armor, jewels; Marissa could, and did, spend all day admiring them, and preventing anyone else from doing the same. Patrick tried reasoning with her, but to no avail. Marissa was convinced that any dragon in Aedin's Reach would gleefully abscond with the collection the moment she left it, and has vowed never to do so.