Swallowtail Dragons are graceful and quick flyers, much like their namesake bird. They are capable of precise aerial acrobatics, and can reach very high altitudes. Because of this, humans observing these dragons are often astonished at how large they are when confronted up close. A Swallowtail’s diet consists of insects and small mammals plentiful in temperate forests. These dragons are also made remarkable by their paper-thin wing membranes, which allow light to pass through, creating an astonishing effect on starry nights.

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.

Along with eating rabbits and insects, Trash Compactor eats what other creatures might call "trash", such as bones, paper, rotten meats, and broken dishware. Ashes and rags are especially good eating for him, and he seems to suffer from no ill effect from all of that. Humans are surprised but happy about his choice of food, as their settlement does not have a dump because of dragons like Trash Compactor. When there's a lot of waste to go through, he'll squeeze piles into neat little cylinders to eat later.