Almerald Dragons are an unusual species. They have gem-like protrusions along their spine that brighten and darken depending on their mood. In addition, their body temperature grows warmer during periods of excitement, and cooler during darker moods such as anger or depression; as such, it is fairly easy to read an Almerald’s emotions. Their mood can change quickly at times, going from calm to angry in a matter of seconds. If their anger becomes bad enough they can become a frightening opponent. Adults are not normally high in energy, so they hunt infrequently and prefer to lazily consume large quantities of fruits and nuts.

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.

Gulch is a smiler, and he's a dragon for whom hiding his emotions is impossible. He was adopted and raised in a portion of the Sole Eater Plains where the inhabitants generally do not show mirth by turning the corners of their mouths up and showing their teeth, so his snarling is off-putting at best. Perhaps he doesn't realize they find his grimace frightening. An almerald is not a common sight here, either, so most everyone lacks understanding of the breed's basic traits. People hope their nastier rumors don't reach Gulch, in case those shiny things on him signify a greater power than he's shown. He is either blithely unaware of others' negative opinions of him or is aware of them and doesn't care.