Pyralspite dragons are small, swift dragons that can breathe an intensely hot flame. They get their name from their resemblance to and affinity for garnets of the pyralspite family—they hoard such gems, preferring garnets that match their variant, and can tell the type of garnet from how it tastes. The orange variant is called Spessartine. These Pyralspites are more fun-loving and mellow than others, and are optimistic as a whole. Their preferred habitat is coastal areas.

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.

Stessarpine lives in a system of caves, treehouses, and wood-and-brick houses where denizens have nearly perfected all processes related to basic resource gathering, so food and other always-needed items are plentiful. She is responsible for enforcing rules concerning the designated hunting and fishing zones and hours, where her fire breath and stubbornness come in handy. When there's no work for Stessarpine or her mate to do, she takes joy in dragging her not-always-willing hubby around to new places outside the town and persuading him to try unfamiliar foods and activities. Once he's outside, no longer moping around the house or hiding in the walls, he usually enjoys what Stessarpine wanted to introduce to him. Despite their seemingly conflicting natures, both get along well, and while their fights are fiery and windy, those occur only once a decade.