Aria dragons are a brightly-colored and sprightly breed, perhaps most adored for their lyric calls. Their song-like melodies fill the areas they inhabit; their coos resemble those of birds, only more elegant and refined. They have fairly strong magical capabilities, but tend to reserve these strengths for last-minute defense, choosing to live their lives in simple peace. Arias, sticking to the tropics, typically live quite far from human settlements, giving rise to the previously held belief that they had gone extinct.

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.

Taken in when left out in the cold by her dragon mother, Mephau grew up with her egg-brothers Ashunar and Arunar, and her (quite a bit older) egg-sister Paliau. Anhoffter and Achubiaeth are the co-leaders of the military, while Brydiau and Chwithau share domestic duties. Although she has no memory of any other clan matriarch but Zyrieen, she is a capable caretaker and natural mother. She has taken on the duties of second in command of domestic affairs, pushing her way into the clan hierarchy. From a childhood romance, she and Ashunar have pursued a lifelong goal of mating with each other—despite the difficulties inherent in his nature.