Gemshard Dragons are small, gregarious, expressive easterns, living in large clans high in the jungle canopy. Their bodies are covered in tiny, gem-like scales that shimmer in direct light, and each dragon has a unique pattern of markings on the forked spade of its tail. Though Gemshard Easterns cannot fly, they often leap from springy branches high into the sky on sunny days and perform acrobatic spins and twirls to entertain themselves. When the weather turns foul, they pile up together on sturdy tree limbs and interlock the forks of their tails with others to keep warm and dry.

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.

Moessha had an emotional beginning in life. When her mother felt the urge to lay, she was still half asleep and failed to notice that her nest was overflowing. The egg slipped, tumbled to the ground and rolled right into the river meandering nearby. By the time the mother dragon realized her mistake, it was too late: her egg was gone.

Although she was safely locked inside the egg, Moessha blurrily remembers being shaken every which way, the sound of sloshing water and, faintly, the cries of her mother calling out for help. Later she was told that her mother, assisted by the rest of her tribe, followed the river for several days and nights, never giving up until one particularly nimble dragon finally fished out the precious item.

Moessha has become a lively young dragon with a strong sense of duty and a fierce loyalty to her kin. To this day, though, she is terrified of anything bigger than a shallow stream and had to move far away from the river that almost took her life.