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.

Ategan Fireheart is charismatic and compelling, and had no shortage of followers when he announced his plans to found Firebright Weyr.  As he led the way to the patch of land he had discovered, far from any existing weyr, Ategan waxed eloquent about the land's many charms—abundant greenery, fertile soil, plentiful prey.  The reality, however, proved to be far inferior to Ategan's stories—barely adequate to support a dozen dragons, let alone the hundred or so that had followed him.  Most left in disgust, but some few stayed, accepting the new challenge.  Ategan had never set out to mislead anyone—he was just prone to exaggeration and misremembering—and in fact has become a good (if occasionally impractical) leader, readily adapting to the changed circumstances.