Sapphire Dragons were so named for their brilliant color, which is reminiscent of the gemstone. This breed was historically hunted for their scales; even long after, they remain distrustful of humans. Normally a Sapphire is not very aggressive, but they will defend themselves vigorously if under attack. Their diet consists mainly of fruit, with smaller portions of large insects and other invertebrates. Males woo females with vocalizations similar to bird songs. Sapphire Dragons are very loyal to their mates, and it is not unusual that they pair for life.

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.

Devs is officially named (Devin Dev)—One of Them Schaefer, and he goes by "Devs" for simplicity. According to his adoptive parents, he was mistreated as an egg and young hatchling, so when they took him, they promised they were going to care for him and not let him endure hardship. Now, he wonders if he's missing a lot of life skills because Mum and Dad did a lot of things for him. Nobody has ever told him that he takes too long to think, or doesn't say the right things, or doesn't know enough spells, or is a slow reader, but he wonders if everyone thinks it but is too polite or secretive to tell him. Devs likes unseasoned oatmeal, spiders with faces on their bums, and listening to other dragons discuss their dreams. He doesn't know anybody who's mentioned they like those, too, so he keeps them to himself.