The Freckled Dragon is a small, cunning breed known for their obsessive hoarding habits. Males and females are visually identical, but one can tell the difference between genders depending on what they collect—males only collect green-colored items, while females only collect red-colored items. Though their wings are too small to sustain flight, these dragons can glide for a short distance. Instead of flying, Freckled Dragons travel by running at swift speeds for long distances. They are typically docile, but can become violent if their treasure is threatened.

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.

Shawn is master and tender of The Eating Bog, a patch of partially flooded land claimed by multiple dark green dragons. He happened across the place when he was very young and carrying a small collection of green rocks and gemstones to a new hiding place. The dragons of The Eating Bog were fascinated with the collection when they captured him, and were so distracted by the plantlike colors of the stones that he was able to untangle himself from their vines and slip out of reach.

Shawn was not easily discouraged, and when he was unable to steal back his treasures he began to consider the dark green dragons of the bog to be part of his collection. He cares for them now that he is grown, and for the most part hostilities between himself and the eldest of the patch have ceased.