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.

Balrog lives in a volcano at the end of the mountain chain that his clan calls home. He is known by his clan and by other dragons as The Guardian, for he viciously protects his mountain and its embers. It is not clear why Balrog so dotes on the embers in the volcano. When other dragons sneak into his "territory" they can hear him crooning to the fiery beds. Balrog rarely leaves his mountain, and when he does it is only because the clan Lords command it. Some say that Balrog's egg was found abandoned on that mountain, and that is why he always returns there. Balrog himself has never confirmed or dismissed this rumor, but as he is so secluded, there is doubt he ever heard it. The only dragon that Balrog allows to live on his mountain is Grond, a Hellfire Wyvern. Balrog lives on the lower half of the mountain while Grond lives on top, so they rarely collide. Balrog prefers a solitary life.