Ice Dragons are fierce predators who hunt using their extremely cold breath. The breath of an ice dragon can freeze its prey solid in seconds. The body of an ice dragon is so cold that icicles will form along its skin no matter the outside temperature.

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.

Merc grew up always hearing about his older "sister who went away and freed the dragons from Vexen's tyranny". He doesn't know her real name and wonders if it actually IS "my baby who went away and freed the dragons from Vexen's tyranny" like his mother always says when she mentions her. He doesn't even know who this Vexen is supposed to be and just wishes that his mother would stop talking about him an his sister ("who went away and freed the dragons from Vexen's tyranny").

All in all, he guesses it could be worse though, his parents both loved him, taught him good values, and at least he was allowed to stay with his clan instead of being send off to a far away clan.