Almerald Dragons are an unusual species. They have gem-like protrusions along their spine that brighten and darken depending on their mood. In addition, their body temperature grows warmer during periods of excitement, and cooler during darker moods such as anger or depression; as such, it is fairly easy to read an Almerald’s emotions. Their mood can change quickly at times, going from calm to angry in a matter of seconds. If their anger becomes bad enough they can become a frightening opponent. Adults are not normally high in energy, so they hunt infrequently and prefer to lazily consume large quantities of fruits and nuts.

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.

Obvolute tries not to talk too much, since it seems every time she fires those neurons, she says something dumb or awkward. She is a "thing tinkerer". ("Inventor" is too lofty a title for her.) She creates things that go with existing technology, never something standalone. One item she worked on all winter was a set of brakes for the Steerable Wheeled Vehicle. Noting the device's lack of safety, Obvolute went to work creating a braking system made of tacks. When she was ready with a set, the ridgewing, Noetic, was first to place an order on the brakes. In fact, the ridge was the only customer, but that was fine: Obvolute had been hoping to get a date with her. She spruced up the brakes, just for her, and even threw in a free box of tacks. When Noetic came over to pick up the brakes and extra tacks, Obvolute spoiled the chance to ask her out by proudly proclaiming, "Tacks brakes for the ridge!", causing a red-faced Noetic to hand over payment and skedaddle without another word.