When Water Dragons mature, they lose the ability to survive on land, entering the water permanently. They are adept swimmers and eat whatever fish are in the lake they live in. They tend to inhabit the same lake for their entire lives, although a few live in the ocean and swim all over the world.

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.

Seanlaoch's tribe, the Water Dragons, swam the Earth's oceans when they were new and witnessed the creation of continents. They also observed the rise and spreading dominance of the animals called humans. From Seanlaoch's ancestral family home, in a river estuary that empties into the northern sea, he can see ample evidence of the human's impact. Venturing into the ocean he has, on more than one occasion, rescued these apparently weak creatures from capsized boats and strong riptides. In some dragon circles a culling of the humans, if not outright obliteration, is advised but Seanlaoch always argues against it. He thinks that their weakness is deceptive and that they are capable of great accomplishments, including restoring the rivers and seas to what they once were. It should be said, however, that he is one of only a few who are against the culling.