It is no mystery where Howler Drakes got their names. Though not very bright, these emotive creatures employ an impressive vocabulary of loud chortles, shrieks, and songs to communicate with one another, and almost never stop chattering. Howler Drakes inhabit dense jungles, foraging in the fertile soil for mushrooms, tubers, and insects. When threatened, a Howler will flare its wings to display its bright red eye spots, while letting out an ear-splitting scream.

Though it may appear at first that dragons and drakes have much in common, the two are completely separate species. Drakes are smaller and less intelligent than their cousin species, though both dragons and drakes sit comfortably near the top of the food chain. They are always found bearing antlers and leathery wings. Drakes share many of the same habitats that dragons do, and typically hunt in packs.

Speechify resides in a repository of books and other paper matter with stuff on them, which is owned by a big but nonthreatening human. He is astonishingly quiet while in the building; the only vocalization he makes is a distinctive "cra-cra-cra-cra" whenever he disapproves of someone's treatment of any of the repository's items. This includes folding pages, placing books spines-up on the shelves, dropping things on the ground, smearing ink, and eating or drinking near materials. The surprised owner says he trained Speechify to be quiet but claims he wasn't at all responsible for the disapproving behavior. He's quite sure that "cra-cra-cra" is the sound of disapproval because some of the more enterprising regulars have tested Speechify by doing various risky things only to hear that same shriek, and if he's very displeased, he goes "cra-cra-cra-cra" and shows his teeth at the offender. Nobody likes the sound, so patrons behave especially cautiously around materials to keep him quiet.