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.

Udemae (often called Mae by her siblings) loves to hum carols and other holiday songs as the seasons change. Her cave is filled with sheet music from minstrel songbooks spread across the stone walls. She often gets invited to help others decorate for different festivals, and has become somewhat renowned for her voice and pleasant tone. Unbeknownst to most dragons, however, is the fact that Mae doesn't hum because she's shy. She actually finds the words to holiday songs kind of repetitive and boring, so she substitutes her own words in her head to turn the carols into nonsense ditties about cabbages rolling down the hills or birds tap dancing on the spiky pine trees.