Pyralspite dragons are small, swift dragons that can breathe an intensely hot flame. They get their name from their resemblance to and affinity for garnets of the pyralspite family—they hoard such gems, preferring garnets that match their variant, and can tell the type of garnet from how it tastes. The red-violet variant is referred to as Almandine. Almandine Pyralspites are more aggressive than others of the same breed, and are very witty and love to mock or insult their opponents. They inhabit mountainous areas.

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 second eldest of Aldress the Unwilling, Aiete spends her days alone, just like her mother and brother, although she's not as unhappy as the latter. She is very well hidden: her lair is snuggled in the tiniest, rockiest crevice of the Relshaa Peaks, and is filled to the brim with almost a half ton of garnets. Aiete has so many garnets in her lair that she is one day afraid she will be killed for them, so she is constantly on guard at all times.