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.

Though he's always been surrounded by a happy life and a loving family, Lordling Myst feels as though his life is devoid of meaning. Living in the shadow of his father's status as high-ranking royalty, his mother's effortless skill with words, and his older siblings' greater strength and importance, Myst believes that he will never amount to anything. His parents encourage him to follow his passions and say that doing so will lead to greater joy than any amount of status could give, but he remains inconsolable; his increasing despondency devastates his mother.

His greatest fear is that he is doomed to never find a love comparable to that his parents share and that he will end up alone and unloved for the many eternities a dragon can survive.