Dragons are creatures with nearly unlimited life spans. They can survive for long periods of time, and no one has found a dragon that has died of old age. Adolescence 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. Once they hit adolescence, hatchlings change quickly, maturing to their full forms in only 2 years.

Dragons don't communicate with each other verbally, but they will growl to scare off predators and frighten prey. Young dragons will emit an extremely high-pitched squeal when they are frightened. To communicate, they use telepathy with each other and to speak to other creatures.

Red dragons are similar to typical story book dragons. They shoot flames, can fly, etc. However, they aren't evil creatures as depicted in myths and won't go around raiding castles, killing knights, or kidnapping princesses. They live in a variety of habitats, from forests to coastlines to abandoned castles, usually in warm climates, and eat whatever living creatures they can find.

Smaller than the average red dragon and unable to breathe much more than smoke, Faikke nevertheless commands nervous respect from her acquaintances. She is frequently found basking outside her cave, but rarely inside it. Local dragons debate this; the most popular theory involves hoards of magical treasure, scrolls of arcane knowledge, a demon with six heads and, for some reason, potatoes.

Since Faikke arrived in the area, only one dragon has managed to sneak into her cave. He found nothing unusual - however, for the next few weeks, whenever he passed Faikke, she would give him a faintly puzzled smile. Eventually, the suspense was too much and he fled to a forest on another continent, where he would never see her again.

Faikke is aware of the mystery perceived around her, and enjoys cultivating it; she even invented more stories about herself so she could watch them develop. She considers the best perk of her lifestyle to be the free food she is timidly offered every so often.