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.

At first glance (and, indeed, at second or third glance), Amurva is just another of those dragons who lurk at the edges of a weyr, never really participating in community life.  Most dragons, if they think of her at all, regard her as just another drifter who's found a temporary place to settle, and are pleased that their weyr is prosperous enough to attract such wanderers.  When the moon is new and the audience is right, though, Amurva will sometimes tell stories of her past, when she was the Unicorn Mage's Amethyst Queen, and had human rulers from kingdoms the world over come to kneel at her feet.  Most who do listen dismiss her tales as mere fantasy, but Kyti Fallingleaf knows differently, thanks to years of painstaking research and one of his rare collaborations with Olgori.