Heartstealing Dragons are an unusual breed, named for their mating rituals. These dragons use their long, slender bodies to sneak into both human and dragon holds to steal things over the year. Then, when the right season hits, they give away their entire hoard as gifts, leaving things in the homes of other dragons to attract them. When these gifts are found, however, the recipients can’t always tell who gave the gifts. This receiver often assumes the source of the gift was the original owner, causing them to form friendly bonds with other dragons in the area, spreading peace—and sometimes even sparking love. The only way to know if a gift is from a Heartstealing Dragon is to find one of their wafer-thin scales at the scene.

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.

Briny Embrace is a dragon with a problem, and she doesn't know what to do about it. Called Brine by her friends, this sweet, loyal creature is an unusual example of her kind. She rarely steals and always makes sure that the recipient of her gifts knows who they came from. She is in love and invests her energies exclusively into wooing her chosen mate. The unfortunate part is that her chosen mate is a Blusang Lindwyrm named Iridescent Art. The first time they were together, it was during the Festival of Love, and the two shared dragonwine, which led the otherwise solitary lindwyrm to behave more affectionately than normal. When the festival ended and his mind cleared, he was embarrassed by his own behavior and fled from Brine, rejecting her. She was heartbroken. Sometimes Brine considers moving on, but each year, at the Festival of Love, Iri visits her—with wine. So she retains hope that maybe he will accept her fully... someday. In the meantime, she continues to bring him gifts.