Ember Dragons have a great affinity for hot environments. While they themselves are not hot to the touch, their tendency to lurk amongst smoldering ashes has caused many to believe they are fire-starters. Their dully glowing markings serve many purposes: acting as a means of identification between individuals, as an important part of mating displays, and as a way of showing aggression. The long, low build of the breed makes them ungainly in flight, and the thick fleshy membranes of their wings hinder them further. As such, it is rare to see an Ember Dragon take to the air. Ember Dragons are also not particularly sociable; females tend to be defensive, whereas males are more aggressive. Once they have settled with a particular group of dragons, Ember Dragons are incredibly loyal and will defend their pack by any means possible.

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.

Afanas is a smart, adventurous dragon. One day, on one of his outings to the crater of Fire Peak, he discovered a large cave which was warmed by the lava in the volcano, and he immediately saw the possibilities.

He had no trouble convincing the other Embers to move into that cave (and outside the influence of Aquia and Acanthus), and then got them to crown Aenea as their queen.

While Abraxas enjoys his status as the queens first mate, Afanas became the actual leader of the Chovoli Clan, since Aenea will never make important decisions without consulting him.