Grave Dragons are not named for their connections to death or burial, but for the grave expression on their faces. This strange expression is used as a defense mechanism that causes fits of panic and terror in potential predators. Since they only eat ash and charcoal, they do not hunt. Grave Dragons are powerful fire-breathers and have been known to burn down forests and villages alike to make meals. It is believed that the markings on each Grave Dragon’s wings are the faces of those who have lost their lives in fires started by that dragon.

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.

It was only a simple act of carelessness, but it changed Sullen's life forever. Someone had placed his helpless egg on a slope, and he simply rolled away, deep into the wilderness. Many searched for him, but few even came close to where the young egg lay. Sullen's childhood was made up of hunting insects for sustenance and running from other predators, while the hatchlings in the clans lived a childhood of luxury. Sullen taught himself to fight, to survive, before his wings had even grown in, so when he finally encountered the clans again, he was shocked to see the laidback attitude of the dragons there. They were just so idle and lazy, knowing that the guards would protect them and the hunters would feed them, while they could just lounge around in their spare time. Sullen did simply not understand how one could live such an unsatisfying life, where one achieved little, so he returned to the wilderness again, preferring a life of risk and excitement.