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.

Ras Brass is an expert sword user. Not only one of the most highly regarded individuals among the ranks of Altea's army, but also one of their most esteemed tutors. Ras rarely trains abecedarians. Instead, he focuses on already accomplished pupils, helping hone their skills to utmost perfection.

The Archanean Western dragons have a particular way of equipping swords, the membrane of their wings carefully cut right where it meets the body just before the hip and healed to allow a belt to pass through while retaining flexibility and strength. The swords and their scabbards are hung at their owner's less dominant side, unsheathed with a reverse grip and transferred to the dominant paw for combat. Ras stresses focus on this one manoeuvre: it is a vital one, especially for defence. He and Gowdali—another top tutor, training wyverns—often spar together, trying to find flaws in fighting styles and how to better protect weaknesses: a universal tactic is the practice of targeting wings.