Gold dragons are the ones most often killed by humans, who consider their scales to be extremely valuable. These golden scales grant them a high level of protection, similar to armor, and they use this to their advantage in battle.

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.

Ten's tiny childhood was mostly spent dreaming about the future--in particular, his fascination with flight. Despite the warnings his kin gave, once his wings grew in, he boasted about his new flight ability. Unfortunately, his shiny scales served as a beacon to human hunters, and a nasty battle occurred when they fired arrows at Ten. His thick hide allowed him to escape with his life, but his wings were so punctured and torn he would never be able to fly again. As upset as he is about the incident, Ten has grown far more wary, and uses his tale to educate young naive dragons.