Iratus Cantormaris Dragons are a chaotic, malevolent breed of coastal-dwellers. Their annual migrations at the start of spring are among the first indications that winter has ended. They use their haunting calls to lure people with a deep resentment to them in an attempt to slake their hunger for carnage. It is considered a sign of ill luck to hear their calls.

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.

Shake my hand is a teacher at the Academy. Unlike most, he only teaches one term out of the year, and that's perfectly fine with the students and some of the staff. Students of a certain age returning to school in the spring grit their teeth hoping he won't be THEIR teacher, since he's mean and humorless and happy to issue corporal punishment. He doesn't find the harmless pranks and Eastside Graffiti Wall at the Academy funny. He doesn't find much of anything funny. He considers the campus too cold and dry, but after a few years traveling to and from the area, he's inured to the environment and wouldn't complain about the discomfort, which is unseemly. Some of the nicer teachers have spent some time with shake my hand and know him a bit more than the other staff, saying they think he's kinder than he lets on and appreciate his frank opinion on matters, but rumors among the students have it that he's lying to them, or he's magically or psychologically manipulating them.