Hellfire Wyverns are so named for their foul tempers and fiery visages. Their social structure places all females above all males, due to superior physical characteristics and violent dispositions. Forced subservience of the males causes them to become vicious, petty, antisocial, and passive-aggressive compared to the aggressive and social females. However, orphaned hatchlings raised by foster parents of another species can develop surprisingly even tempers and mellow dispositions, proving that their defining unpleasant nature is, in fact, a learned behavior.

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.

Gosling is an architect that could compete with even mankind for ingenuity. His clan primarily dwells under a hollowed-out mountain, so he finds much of his work in designing supports for the mines below and in planning out wall carvings that won't bring the cave ceiling crashing down on anyone. Due to the importance of his position Gosling is generally given the space and materials to do as he pleases. He also dabbles in masonry between building projects, and for a male Hellfire Wyvern he lives in relative luxury.

Zefarrem and Cid Umbers, a father and son in less favorable conditions, jokingly refer to Gosling as "Mrs. Red".