Red Dragons are similar to typical story book dragons. They shoot flames, can fly, etc. However, they aren’t evil creatures as depicted in myths and won’t go around raiding castles, killing knights, or kidnapping princesses. They live in a variety of habitats, from forests to coastlines to abandoned castles, usually in warm climates, and eat whatever living creatures they can find.

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.

Rafael is a protective being, very willing to lay his life on the line for his friends and allies. His courage knows very few bounds, one of which is interacting with females past friendship, and he will always be willing to help someone out so long as they prove they are not the problem. By nature, he is a stubborn "mule" and is able to say no to whomever and whatever he likes, causing him to be a major source of irritation and amusement from Koriat. He is often found in his inn room, with his brother Li.