Red Dragons are similar to typical story book dragons. They shoot flames, can fly, etc. However, they aren’t evil creatures as depicted in myths and won’t go around raiding castles, killing knights, or kidnapping princesses. They live in a variety of habitats, from forests to coastlines to abandoned castles, usually in warm climates, and eat whatever living creatures they can find.

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.

Heartsblood's egg was stolen from the outer portion of a small cave in the deep desert, far from the Breedery, on one of Lurhstaap's egg-hunting journeys. As if born with the suffocating heat baked into her bones, Heartsblood craves warmth and sunlight much more than most of the other dragons at the Breedery do. When not being fed or bathed, she can usually be found basking on the upper spires of the mountain-sized fluted upthrust of rock in whose cavern systems the Breedery is housed. A mild sort for a red dragon, Heartsblood avoids the vicious Seragamma Maunztross and her mate by perching well above where that pair like to lurk, but she gets along well with Gilderstane and most of the other Breedery dragons when she encounters them. She has no idea that she would have been wild if her egg had not been taken and is very loyal and affectionate toward Lurhstaap, by reptile standards anyhow. Her rather charming personality and endearing habits inspired her name.