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.

Talarian is a crabby old dragon, who is tired of everyone asking why he is so shiny. He also doesn't like it when someone asks him why he is always grumpy, that only makes him grumpier. The only dragon he doesn't get cross with is Urtho, whom he both adores... and fears. If one can catch him in a good mood, though, he can tell tales of far-away kings, and empires that have long since fallen. He has tried writing down these tales for others, but his writing is readable only by him. Others tell him they can't read his writing, and this, of course, makes him grumpy.