Speckle-Throated Dragons are an active, playful breed. They are easily excited and rarely remain still, spending much of their time in the air. Living in groups of up to sixty dragons, they nest in open plains and at the bases of mountains. Their speckled throats are their most distinctive feature, as well as the loud, echoing call they produce to communicate with one another. Female Speckle-Throats are slightly smaller than males and lack a head crest. However, they are swifter and more agile and prefer to hunt in small groups in order to take down prey.

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.

Most fond of mountain rams that graze on the alpine underbrush, Ermes Costello lives with a wild pack of Speckle-Throats that never seem to keep quiet. Her closest connection is to a dragon in her pack that she practically considers to be her sister, Gloria, a slightly larger female Speckle-Throat that raised Ermes from an orphaned hatchling. The two are rarely seen apart, and if Gloria is hurt, Ermes will rush down whatever hurt her, even if it happens to be just an accidental stick. This sense of justice gets Ermes in trouble sometimes, but it leads to proud moments, like the time she singlehandedly fought off several Red Dragons before her pack finished what was left over.