Thunder Dragons are the masters of electricity. Their wings gather energy as they soar through the clouds, and when they clap their wings together they can create devastating arcs of lightning. They can stay airborne nearly indefinitely, landing only to sleep and breed; they catch their prey from the air and take moisture from the clouds. A thunder dragon’s roar is considered to be an omen of misfortune.

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.

Being a thunder dragon, Zia is encompassed by the electricity which crackles around her, which is supposed to protect her from those who wish to harm her. Maybe something went wrong when Zia was only an egg because she can feel the sting of the lightning as well as any normal dragon in the cave, the constant jolting of clenched muscles always distracting her from her day to day activities. Normally she runs at a low voltage, and the unpleasant sensation is easy to ignore, but when she feels any strong emotion, the voltage rises, and she can soon find herself collapsed on the floor in agony as electricity races through her body. The only way to avoid this happening is to take long, high flights, as then the electricity won't be able to reach the ground, so the second she feels herself get worked up Zia is off, into the sky where she will remain until she is calm. As a result of this Zia is a skilled long-distance flyer, as she spends more time in the air than on the ground.