Caligene Dragons have long been considered omens of death—reinforced by the skeletal markings on their bodies. They exert a malignant force on the world around them, causing other living things to slowly waste away in their presence. Caligenes favor the seasons of summer and autumn, disappearing entirely from the forests they inhabit during winter and spring. These malevolent dragons are physically weak, though this is countered by their natural stealthiness and alarming speed—enabling them to close in on large targets quickly and silently to create ambushes from which prey cannot escape.

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.

Phillip Gherkin is the middle of the Gherkins Brothers, a group of three brothers who were forced into thieving when they were very young in order to survive. He's extremely slick, managing to wriggle his way into dragon lairs and steal from them without them noticing until much later; however, when he does get caught, it's often the eldest brother Samuel who has to suffer the consequences.

Phillip often feels guilty for forcing his brother into sticky situations with the dragons that they decide to steal from, but he doesn't know what else to do to survive. The other two brothers reassure him that it's not his fault, but he feels remorseful anyway; he hopes that one day, the three of them will be able to move on from the life that they're stuck in now.