Turpentine Dragons are named for the oil that covers their scales. This oil resembles turpentine in odor and is mildly toxic; it will not kill but it burns to the touch and will cause illness in anyone who ingests it. Turpentine Dragons roam in large packs, often stealing food from larger dragons, though they are able to hunt for themselves if necessary. Many other breeds consider Turpentine Dragons to be pests, so they primarily breed among themselves.

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.

2yeiN the Turpentine is the "leader" of his pack by virtue of being one of few turpentines that took the time to learn magic. However, he only knows one spell, which creates a moderate display of harmless sparks and loud noises. The others in his pack do not seem to notice or care about the uselessness of this spell, as 2yeiN is able to consistently use it to silence infighting. His actual skill in coordinating hunts and food theft is mediocre at best.

While he himself is a capable fighter, he is also overconfident, and has made enemies of nearly all the neighboring Turpentine packs. He insists on fighting larger prey and rivals with only himself and two to three others, which has led to severe injury on more than one occasion.