Gold dragons are the ones most often killed by humans, who consider their scales to be extremely valuable. These golden scales grant them a high level of protection, similar to armor, and they use this to their advantage in battle.

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.

Watched over anxiously by Alaunus as a hatchling, Vanna grew into a beautiful female. The loss of the young skywing, stolen by another lair's storm dragon while she was a mere hatchling has made her a watchful adult, and while she is happy to give a quiet word of encouragement to any dragon, she watches the lair carefully, as protective of her dragons as the white once was of her. Second in strength only to their lair king, in grace and strategy she knows best, and often wins fights simply by letting others tire. Briefly, she was enamored with Arron, and produced two children for him. But first in her heart is Alaunus, the cheerful white who has been there for her since she was a child, and she is wary of manipulative Fatin, Silvius and Alaunus both having warned her since she was a hatchling. But the magi almost ignores her for the new young dragons, and Vanna is glad of the free reign she is given, taking patrols at dawn and dusk in case another like that gray would come again.