Red Dragons are similar to typical story book dragons. They shoot flames, can fly, etc. However, they aren’t evil creatures as depicted in myths and won’t go around raiding castles, killing knights, or kidnapping princesses. They live in a variety of habitats, from forests to coastlines to abandoned castles, usually in warm climates, and eat whatever living creatures they can find.

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.

When he was younger, Mekong Stripe wanted to be a striped dragon like his father, whom he rarely sees. Once his mother taught him the art of tattooing, though, he didn't need to be a striped dragon to have stripes; as soon as he was able, he tattooed his entire body with bold black patterns. The black stripes make him look more terrifying than any striped dragon. He insists on being called "Stripe," short for Stripesong, and is the resident war-painter and tattoo artist of the Cave, as well as a fierce fighter.