Sweetlings are a small, flightless breed of dragon. They are omnivores who favor sweet fruits and honey, and have been known to go to great lengths to obtain their favorite treats. Their long, prehensile tails allow them to grab onto branches and give them superior balance. Sweetlings are expressive dragons and have a large array of calls to communicate with others. They become very vocal during breeding season and sing long, beautiful melodies to attract a mate. Inquisitive in nature, Sweetlings are known to investigate anything that piques their interest, and are quick to flee if the object of their curiosity strikes back.

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.

Varleus is the eldest of the Valenus Twins. He is quite smooth and charming, and most of the single females in the caves have their fluttering eyes on him. Unfortunately for them, he has no intention of finding a mate for a long while, and simply likes the power he holds over the members of the opposite gender. While many of them are annoyed by this (when they are not being swayed by his charm), he has not truly broken any hearts yet, and therefore he has not been confronted by the Council. The fact that he is expected to look after Voltario has caused him no end of aggravation; he has pointed out over and over that his airheaded nestmate is not actually his brother. In spite of his sulking and his protestations, however, he keeps careful watch over the other Sweetling, and allows no harm to come to him. He can't stand the smell of licorice (thankfully, it is rarely seen by any of the dragons, so he has nothing much to worry about).