Hellfire Wyverns are so named for their foul tempers and fiery visages. Their social structure places all females above all males, due to superior physical characteristics and violent dispositions. Forced subservience of the males causes them to become vicious, petty, antisocial, and passive-aggressive compared to the aggressive and social females. However, orphaned hatchlings raised by foster parents of another species can develop surprisingly even tempers and mellow dispositions, proving that their defining unpleasant nature is, in fact, a learned behavior.

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.

Cautious Combustion certainly lives up to his name. Unable to even sleep without the permission of his mate, the Beta Fel Shrieker, Cautious truly is a living example of the phrase 'hen-pecked'. Despite being the Beta male of the fires, he holds no power in the sub-clan, and is confined—much to his extreme distaste—to raising and baby-sitting any hatchlings or eggs while the females hunt and fight.

Although Cautious will readily injure any dragon that irritates him due to his bitter character and vile temperament, he has taken a liking to the previous Beta before Fel ousted him from his position—the Magma, Grumpy Bean. Under the pretence of hunting for his mate and offspring, Cautious will often sneak whatever morsels he can spare to the old Magma and his mate, often accompanied by a harsh nip to remind them that he is higher in the pecking order than they.