Spirit Ward Dragons are a special breed that ward off evil spirits—at least, that’s what the legends say. During nighttime festivals, people love to see these dragons, because they believe that the dragons guard against evil spirits. The dragons are dark-colored, but glow with a flame-colored internal light that has an intensity that they control.

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.

Cupta was never very good at warding off spirits. He was timid and more likely to politely ask them to go away than to go through the whole charade. His parents expected much of him, and realizing this wasn't the life for him, he abandoned his herd and fled to a distant human village. The humans were quite glad to see him—they didn't get very many Spirit Ward dragons out there. He accepted the praise, but he was ashamed. He knew he couldn't do the job they required of him, and so he contemplated fleeing again. At midnight, he was about to take off when a man stopped him, asking where he was going. Cupta explained his situation. The young man smiled and explained that the town was already warded of spirits by magic—and that he was just a symbol. Cupta was happy with this and decided to stay. He lived there for generations and was a close friend to everyone in the town. In the end, he never learned how to ward, but he was fine with that. He loved his life the way it was.