Spitfires are a desert breed of dragon. Their dull brown bodies contrast with their brilliant turquoise markings, and they only blaze brighter when these dragons fight. Spitfires are notorious for their territorial natures, and the wing-edges of most are ripped and tattered before their first year is out. Spitfires are also noteworthy for their brilliant blue fire, which is used not for hunting or fighting, but rather for making glass caves from the sand, in which the dragons can soak up the sun.

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.

Aphakis is a somewhat reclusive Spitfire, and is less territorial than others of his breed. Rather than spend his time fighting, he enjoys refining his glass-making skills. Recently, he has made a discovery that he believes will benefit dragons everywhere. One sunny day, as he was lying in his cave of glass, he noticed that the light passing through the clear walls was oddly distorted in some places—especially where the walls curved slightly. Curious, Aphakis began experimenting with sheets of glass. He took a pane of glass, carefully broke it into smaller pieces, and melted the sharp edges to make a circular shard of slightly curved glass. The process took many tries to perfect, but once it was done, Aphakis carefully lifted his creation up, examined it closely—and gasped as the world took on a sudden new clarity. He had actually discovered two things: that he was farsighted, and that placing the glass shard in front of his eyes allowed him to see nearby objects like never before.