Dragons are highly intelligent and powerful creatures that, while few in number, hold substantial dominion over many lands in Maradul. While the dragons all have varying personalities and goals, all dragons are characteristically united by one consistent trait: the overwhelming severity of their greed. The focus of their obsessions will range from dragon to dragon; while many covet material treasures, others may seek to hoard knowledge, or some might seek specific concepts or states of being, such as peace or war. A dragon's motivations can generally be boiled down to them seeking some aspect of their obsession, though their approaches will vary depending on the personality and intelligence of the dragon. The success of a dragon's pursuits is directly proportional to their power and lifespan; a dragon that loses its hoard, for example, may wither and die soon after it is taken. According to legend, dragons were created as a gift for the goddess Aliphates by her sibling Coritem as Aliphates had no people of her own.
Dragons that hoard wealth often look down upon those that seek more immaterial concepts, as such things are much harder to control and most of all, keep. Pursuits of ideology may be dangerous for a dragon, as failure to materialize their beliefs in the world can mean death. Many a dragon has sought to hoard people, though their relative fragility and penchant for violent uprising can make the task rather tricky. The dragon philosopher Isratrum of Papers theorized that the strength a dragon attains for their hoard is mostly dependent on the sense of worth the dragon themselves attributes to it, but that perspectives may be unconsciously skewed by the influence of Basriel.