Golden Wyverns are known for their beautiful metallic scales and rumored magical abilities. Living high in the mountains, these dragons do not believe in killing for sport or pleasure. They will hunt only when hungry and defend themselves when provoked, but will avoid killing to the best of their abilities. Golden Wyverns often mingle with other dragons of similar color and take pride in their shimmering hide.

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.

The Arena started as an informal sporting event between dragons in Sevra's cave, a way to prove their worth against each other. It has since turned into a rather large ordeal—the winner receiving the best prey, the best nesting area, and bragging rights. A new Champion is crowned each month on the day of the main event: the Bloodmoon. Smaller battles take place weekly to help determine who will actually participate in the main event, though winning these battles is not as great a feat as winning the Bloodmoon itself. The winners are called the Dryear-mitore, meaning "Champions of the Moon".

Faervel is one of the two official referees charged with breaking up fights in the Arena before they turn deadly. Unlike her co-worker, she often skips the verbal call for the battle to end and goes straight to diving in between the competitors and forcing them apart. She has always wanted to join in the fighting, but she could never make it past even the lowest ranked opponents.