Sunstone Dragons are named after the orb on their tails, which resembles the gem of the same name. Their social structure resembles a lion pride, with one dominant male and several females banded together with their young. They prefer arid climates where they can blend in and dig for minerals and gemstones that they not only collect, but eat. The more gems they consume, the larger their tail stone grows. They are an aggressive breed; it is not uncommon to see two males battling for mates and territory.

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.

Sunstrike the Quick is very lean for a sunstone dragon, leading to good natured teasing in his family. While he can't hit as hard as the others, he can hit faster and can easily out wit an enemy he is matched against. Unfortunately his blocking reflexes are slow, leading to his training in defensive stances most of the time in an attempt to improve. His grandfather has told him to take a sharp eyed mate when the time came, thinking it might help keep the speed in the family.