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.

Erika is a typically passive, gentle dragon, in contrast to her friend Ariadne. She takes mainly after her father, Erike Laquan, in looks, although her tail and paws are somewhat reminiscent of those of her mother.

Erika is not an attractive dragon. She has a broad, flat face, smaller and slightly shriveled fins (which means she can overheat more easily than some of her brethren), and several teeth jutting out at strange angles. She is also very weak, with a low immune system, which has greatly affected her life. This can make her absolutely miserable. She tends to blame these faults on all the inbreeding in her ancestry, although her father has none of them, and her mother only has a few strange teeth.