Albino Dragons are so named because their translucent, scale-less skin lacks all pigment. Instead, to help protect their bodies from the sun, they are coated in an oily secretion that blocks the sun’s harmful rays. The call of an albino dragon is similar to a barn owl--a shriek instead of a roar.

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.

Named Porphyria, he is believed to be the twin of Porphyrianna. He was a very sickly hatchling, and it was doubted he would live to adulthood. A dragon specialist medic from outside the clan was consulted, and it was discovered that both Porphyria and his sister Porphyrianna, had porphyria. Successfully treated, Porphyria is now healthy, but both he and his sister have to be continually watched over to be sure episodic recurrences of their Porphyria symptoms do not return. Thus, Porphyria got his name from his inherited illness, both as a perpetual reminder to his human to watch over him to be sure he doesn't get sick again, and also as a proud reminder that he is a proud survivor of the dreaded inherited disease.