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.

Chicot Almandine hails from a long line of dragon pranksters. Nearly everyone among his blood relatives and ancestors were well-known for their love of practical jokes. However when Chicot Almandine reached his adolescent stage, his practical jokes took on a more mean-spirited air. In time, the whole dragon clan no longer viewed him as a practical joker but as a bully. The final straw was reached when one of Chicot Almandine's pranks reduced the clan leader's daughter into tears. In a unanimous decision, Chicot Almandine was chased away from his ancestral home and forbidden from ever returning. For a time, Chicot Almandine's heart began to nourish feelings of bitter resentment towards his former clanmates, leaving him wanting revenge for his banishment. Before his heart became filled with evil, he was found by Atalanta Pyrope and her friend, Raimbaut Spessartine. Under their constant guidance, Chicot Almandine slowly began to lose his mean streak. He still loves pranks, however.