Sunrise Dragons are closely related to sunset dragons. However, their behaviors differ greatly. Sunrise Dragons prefer to live in large groups and enjoy basking in the early morning sun. They are usually most active in the morning, and go to sleep in the early evening.

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.

Orphaeus is a brilliant male, but opposed to the generally accepted racial traits of sunrise dragons, he is a loner. Because he was raised by a human, he is often turned away by other sunrise dragons, and despite the fact that their brainless chatter is often beneath his level of intelligence, he feels the rift between himself and his kin so deeply that he often cannot bear to socialize with any other types of dragons at all. Rejected by his peers, Orphaeus turns to magic and knowledge to soothe the pain of his separation, and he is by this time thoroughly addicted to his drug of choice. He is very wise and prudent, but has very poor eyesight and so is sometimes thought to be quite unobservant.