Dorsal Dragons are so named because they have large fins along their backs that can be raised and lowered at will. They use these fins to regulate body temperature; they raise them to cool off when they become overheated. The bright colors on the fins double as a means of attracting mates.

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.

Lady Ruby the Finned is a dorsal fin dragon, with a long and elegant ruby coloured fin running down her back, which gives her her name. The problem is that with such a fin, one would be inclined to assume that Ruby is a water creature. Well think again. Ruby is terrified of water, hardly daring to go near it. The most hydrophobic dragon imaginable. She has trouble talking to her aquatic grandchildren for this very reason, despite the fact that she loves them oh so dearly. She just cannot bear to go near the water's edge, and even the thought of water will make her shudder and cringe. Not even Hoang, her devoted mate, can convince her otherwise, and so she still sits as far from the water as she can, only drinking water that has been artificially coloured so it no longer resembles actual water.