Dorsal Dragons are so named because they have large fins along their backs that can be raised and lowered at will. They use these fins to regulate body temperature; they raise them to cool off when they become overheated. The bright colors on the fins double as a means of attracting mates.

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.

As the greatest general among the Celestial dragons, Mars frequently has her claws full. The warring ways of the Solar and Terrestrial dragons keep her Chosen of Battles rushing back and forth, and they intervene in all manner of battles, be they of fang and talon or wit and words.

Mars herself is not the greatest of warriors, though she is certainly powerful; she shows the scars of a lifetime of conflict. Her scarlet sails show many a tatter, and it's said that her bones creak when she rises from her treasure-bed in her home, the Crimson Panoply of Victory. Still, none challenge her record or her position. She is as astute a strategist in the bureaucracy as she is on the battlefield, and her talent at seeing the flip side of every situation has given her the insight to lead well.

Her facility at reading the threads of the Loom of Fate certainly helps, though. She has found many a victory hiding in its patterns.