Striped Dragons come in a dazzling array of colors complemented by an intricate pattern of stripes. These bright colors and patterns help attract their favorite food, insects. Because their prey is so tiny, striped dragons must spend a large portion of their day eating. The color of the offspring is usually determined by the dragon’s mate.

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.

Among rich nobles with too much money and overly spacious gardens, the import and keeping of rare dragons has often been a popular sport. Those unfortunate creatures sold to them are given no choice in their captivity, and often forced to remain conveniently small sized through dark magic--never mind the fact that the sorcery will usually never allow them to have children or fly.

This was the future to which Smethywk, a young and playful stripe dragon, found himself consigned. Snatched from his home and caged, hope seemed bleak--until an older stripe dragon sacrificed himself to ensure the other's freedom. Living furtively in a land he did not know, always wary of humans, Smethywk is now a much more bitter and cautious beast then he ever was before. But his former kindness, while concealed, still remains intact--and he has vowed to go back one day and save the dragon who saved him.