Avatars of Destruction possess a volatile disposition. They thrive on chaos and decay, and their horns and plated scales are as hard as forged metal. Because of their affinity with darkness and the destructive forces of nature, it was once thought that these dragons were omens of ill fortune.

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.

Willems has never seen another dragon like him, and he's very curious why he was born with a different appearance from his mother. He doesn't see his father much, but they don't quite match in looks, either. He's rather confused what he's supposed to be, like he just had a "wrong" upbringing, somehow. He's baffled that he could inherit none of his mother's calmness, which he tries very hard to emulate with some success. While Mother grows flowers and potted plants with the easy flick of a tendril, Willems feels an odd urge to stomp on them. They live in a house with a bunch of papers and books, which he is occasionally tempted to burn, but he doesn't because he knows that would upset her.