Stone Dragons have a tough outer covering made of a stone-like material. They eat rocks, using the minerals they contain for nourishment and to keep up their stone outer shell. They rarely move, and are the heaviest of all types of dragons. Although they have wings, indicating flight ability, no one has ever seen a stone dragon flying.

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.

Melaena is a sweet socialite, always running and attending parties and other events for the good of her family's status and to keep up with her dear friends. These parties also help her to forget her empty home. She never tells her friends about her daughter, for she was so embarrassed and distraught over Fabrizia's difficult and untimely delivery that she could never show herself to the child. In truth, Melaena cares for her husband Septimus and misses her daughter, but there is never the time for that. Septimus must be off for work, and she must prepare for another party.