Pyralspite dragons are small, swift dragons that can breathe an intensely hot flame. They get their name from their resemblance to and affinity for garnets of the pyralspite family—they hoard such gems, preferring garnets that match their variant, and can tell the type of garnet from how it tastes. The red-violet variant is referred to as Almandine. Almandine Pyralspites are more aggressive than others of the same breed, and are very witty and love to mock or insult their opponents. They inhabit mountainous areas.

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.

Raorka has mastered the art of the argument. Far more than a series of back-and-forth contradictions, a true argument has a definite structure and must be developed with care. Such is her talent that even normally peaceful breeds can be drawn in, and she can even sustain an argument among many dragons with minimal effort on her part. Raorka has considered holding some sort of class or clinic, or even agreeing to argue with dragons for a small fee, but can't find anyone willing to agree to this.