Speckle-Throated Dragons are an active, playful breed. They are easily excited and rarely remain still, spending much of their time in the air. Living in groups of up to sixty dragons, they nest in open plains and at the bases of mountains. Their speckled throats are their most distinctive feature, as well as the loud, echoing call they produce to communicate with one another. Male Speckle-Throats have a small crest on top of their heads, which they can flush with blood to intimidate enemies and attract 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.

Of Anconia is the son of a deep sea dragon and was raised in a herd of deep seas, so he was very confused about why he didn't fit in and often suffered from the bends. He insisted he had "just a couple of defects, you know", which troubled his mother enough that she sent him to live in tundra, where he should be, anyway. Looking back at his childhood, Of Anconia feels rather silly he ever thought he was a deep sea dragon and could thrive in the depths of the ocean, and he's too embarrassed to divulge to any of his friends what he was doing for those two decades. Although he has caught the eye of a few speckle-throats, he avoids any romantic relationships with them. The other thing he keeps a secret from everyone is that his dreams sometimes involve finding a pretty and able deep sea lady flopping along the mountainside and engaging in an affair with her.