Sunstone Dragons are named after the orb on their tails, which resembles the gem of the same name. Their social structure resembles a lion pride, with one dominant male and several females banded together with their young. They prefer arid climates where they can blend in and dig for minerals and gemstones that they not only collect, but eat. The more gems they consume, the larger their tail stone grows. They are an aggressive breed; it is not uncommon to see two males battling for mates and territory.

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.

Jehan, an unusual member of his pride, does not often get caught up in scuffles for dominance. Due to a childhood tendency to play with his food, he developed a great interest in art, and spends much of his days grinding leftover gems into pigments for his fantastic illuminations of the tales told by the pride elders, which light up the walls of the nearby cliffs and caves. Jehan's favorite subject matter is the dragoness Melusine, who is to him a sort of Beatrice figure. He is lucky that the leader of his pride, his patron Jean, Duc de Berry, is himself a thoughtful dragon. His Grace will tolerate the presence of Jehan, another male, and sees him as a dragon who contributes something unique to their group. So it is that, between thoughtful nibbles, Jehan crushes some of his lapis lazuli and smears it across the rock to create beautiful visions of fairy tale worlds. The hunt need not define every dragon. Still, it'd be nice if the kids would stop licking the pigment off the walls...