With their iridescent wings and sleek gray bodies, Iridichi Dragons are an enchanting sight to behold in the decaying autumnal world. Coming across an Iridichi, or having one approach you, can either be a blessing or a curse; rumor has it, Iridichi Dragons are messengers and anchors for the dead. Their disconcerting white eyes always seem to connect to the spiritual world, and the intimacy of life and death during autumn compels them to seek the deceased. Superstitious folks claim that the magical effects of their wings allow the dead to be seen as well as heard. As a result, travelers seek out Iridichi Dragons during their most active season, claiming they act as a bridge between the living and the dead. Iridichi Dragons have allegedly facilitated hauntings and offered consolation for those departed with unfinished business when a simple message will not suffice.

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.

When the fruit vine harvest is wrapped up and the thrumming fog rolls into the city of Doboja, it is the season of spirits. Dobojans celebrate Spirits' Vigil in many ways, with some origins of their traditions now forgotten. The wearing of nine-toed ruffs is one, although Lyman and her brother Murker remember still, because they're the ones who started it. When Lyman was small, the siblings encountered some spirits had skirt things and wispy tails, and she believed the spirits would steal arms and legs if offended. The ruff with toes symbolized an offering, telling the spirits, "Take these instead of the parts attached to my body"—and that seemed to work. That was some 300 years ago, and Lyman isn't sure which parts of her memory are true and which are misremembered. The nine-toed ruff crept into Doboja, becoming one the costume elements of Spirits' Vigil. She notes that when hatchlings craft and wear one, though, it's usually tubers or corks attached to the ruff, rather than toes.