Magma Dragons are capable of withstanding the intense temperatures of their element. They live in volcanic regions, their bodies coated in the red hot magma which clings to their scales. They must leave the lava fields in order to hunt, although they require surprisingly little food to sustain their lumbering mass.

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.

Some Things Last a Long Time is one of Phoenix's dragons. She is a somewhat grumpy, cynical Magma dragon that prefers to be left alone and not bothered, but if she is shown friendliness, she will slowly warm up to others. Time is one of the younger dragons in the clan, but in spite of this, she has quickly become quite opinionated (and generally, her thoughts are voiced in very crabby terms); the only reason she doesn't have more enemies is because she knows when to keep her mouth shut. Time also has some very mixed feelings about hatchlings, or children in general; for this reason, she has no mate or offspring. Her closest friends are Chronicle of a Death Foretold and Short Story About Nothing, and in spite of their elemental differences, they seem to share a deep bond that no one quite understands. However, when together, they are rumored to be capable of much more power than they let on.