Caligene Dragons have long been considered omens of death—reinforced by the skeletal markings on their bodies. They exert a malignant force on the world around them, causing other living things to slowly waste away in their presence. Caligenes favor the seasons of summer and autumn, disappearing entirely from the forests they inhabit during winter and spring. These malevolent dragons are physically weak, though this is countered by their natural stealthiness and alarming speed—enabling them to close in on large targets quickly and silently to create ambushes from which prey cannot escape.

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.

Mismagielle always thought his powers slow-acting, and wished he could see things wither in minutes rather than weeks. His wish came true when he met the desipis Recolove, who could drain a creature dry of power right before his eyes with her disturbing, backwards flame. Of course, Mismagielle doesn't find the flame disturbing at all. He is head-over-heels in love with Recolove, and does what he can as a scrawny little caligene to keep her safe and happy. This mostly involves flaunting himself around the edge of their prey-village, causing the weakness that Recolove has convinced the people he cures.

Unfortunately, Recolove has another male whom she loves—Voidnihil. She has an active relationship with both males, despite the cassare's effects on her. Mismagielle is surprisingly amiable with this arrangement, and he and Voidnihil are actually good friends. If something comes that is a threat to one of them, all three dragons work together to deal with it.