With their iridescent wings and sleek gray bodies, Iridichi Dragons are an enchanting sight to behold in the decaying autumnal world. Coming across an Iridichi, or having one approach you, can either be a blessing or a curse; rumor has it, Iridichi Dragons are messengers and anchors for the dead. Their disconcerting white eyes always seem to connect to the spiritual world, and the intimacy of life and death during autumn compels them to seek the deceased. Superstitious folks claim that the magical effects of their wings allow the dead to be seen as well as heard. As a result, travelers seek out Iridichi Dragons during their most active season, claiming they act as a bridge between the living and the dead. Iridichi Dragons have allegedly facilitated hauntings and offered consolation for those departed with unfinished business when a simple message will not suffice.

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.

The Old Ones are breeds of dragons that appear and breed true only for a brief window each year, and the Grave Speaker is of one such breed. His strange magic as an Iridichi has given him some luck navigating the complex structures of power at work in this land. The Weyr of Flame, led by the Tyrant Flameflow, controls most of the continent, demanding tithe and obedience from all who dwell in his vast territory.

The human city near which the Grave Speaker dwells is located within that territory, but he tries his best not to tangle with dragon affairs too much, ducking Flameflow's control. He appears in the humans' graveyard and stays there, connecting lost loved ones for a time each autumn amidst the dying leaves.

The Grave Speaker has made many ghostly friends in the city who warn him of any of Flameflow's peacekeepers, coming to demand some tithe of him. He would rather deal only with the humans, their love for and connections with their dead. Their ghosts make for quite true friends.