Holiday dragons are a very mysterious breed. They are only seen during winter, and even then it is hard to catch a glimpse of one. They are responsible for the general cheer that spreads during the holidays. In essence, they are the “Spirits of Winter.”

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.

Drianine was betrothed to her life-mate, Spirit, at a very young age, but they were not permitted to meet until her first breeding season, in the middle of winter. She dreamed for a long time of the day when the two of them could finally meet and start a family, and the resulting children turned out to be all she'd ever dreamed of. Unfortunately, the same was not true of her mate. Drianine and Spirit are totally incompatible as mates, scarcely able to stand the sight of one another when the breeding season has passed. They spend one week together out of every year, fulfilling their obligations to the colony by producing children rather than because of any tender feelings between them. Over time Drianine has come to terms with this unusual situation, and found loving relationships elsewhere in her life that make up for the lackluster one she has with her mate. Still, one day she would like to find a partnership that can last the rest of the year.