Ember Dragons have a great affinity for hot environments. While they themselves are not hot to the touch, their tendency to lurk amongst smoldering ashes has caused many to believe they are fire-starters. Their dully glowing markings serve many purposes: acting as a means of identification between individuals, as an important part of mating displays, and as a way of showing aggression. The long, low build of the breed makes them ungainly in flight, and the thick fleshy membranes of their wings hinder them further. As such, it is rare to see an Ember Dragon take to the air. Ember Dragons are also not particularly sociable; females tend to be defensive, whereas males are more aggressive. Once they have settled with a particular group of dragons, Ember Dragons are incredibly loyal and will defend their pack by any means possible.

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.

Encomium is not a grouchy dragon, but she has a face that appears to say "challenge me, go ahead". The expression, among other things, makes her a good negotiator with all sorts of people. She does much of the "unseen" work while her less organized but more charismatic spouse Public Radio orates and prepares shows. If it weren't for her careful planning of venues, food sources, and various social connections, the two would still be eking out a living by hunting and defending themselves "the hard way". While Encomium dislikes being the center of attention, not getting respect or proper credit is infuriating to her. To make such situations more palatable, she and the hubby play a little game wherein they assign point values to unpleasant personal things the community folks say about either. Whichever of the two has more points by the evening of the week's end gets to have their way with the other, and Encomium almost always wins quite easily.