Royal Crimson Dragons are so named due to their massive size and confident, regal bearing. Most of the time they are laid back, ignoring non-prey creatures smaller than themselves, although they will occasionally take fresh kills from other dragons as a reminder of their place in the social order. Although there are few other dragons large enough to pose a threat to Royal Crimsons, they have little tolerance for potential rivals and will fiercely defend their territory from such intruders.

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.

Stemwinder is a businessman, a life he chose after many years of boredom, and goading from neighbors who were tired of his noisy antics in his home territory. He has started and now runs some hostel and bespoke clothing businesses. (They're usually separate, since those who stay at hostels usually can't afford bespoke clothing.) Profits vary wildly from year to year due to changing policies and Stemwinder's mood shifts. He's not above threatening to chomp down on rivals and critics, but he also can prepare and give fascinating and very persuasive speeches about himself and his products. He's either intelligent and pretending to be mad, or mad and pretending to be intelligent, and no one can tell which one he is. The people who support or are happy working for Stemwinder like his unpredictability and brashness, while those traits are the very reason others dislike him.