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.

Despite her name, Dr. Scarlet Surgeon is a psychologist. She travels the world searching for and studying the manias of other dragons. Recently, she has found herself stuck in the Madder Jungle to study the phenomena that occur there. She is particularly fascinated by the mass delusions of the neotropicals concerning the flavours of bananas, but she is often distracted by aGUZL's drinking problems, Kara the Carmine Carbine's chronic alliterations, dOtYU and DoTWr's polka-dot obsessions, Eapoxy's adhesive attraction, and other quirks of various local dragons. She is somewhat overwhelmed by the density of strange behaviours exhibited per capita, and has even begun suffering from a mania of her own. She has dubbed it 'protagonist syndrome, and the symptoms include running instead of walking in all circumstances (excluding what she calls 'cutscenes'), a tendency to jump as if it made travel faster, and a distinct combination of laziness and over-enthusiasm for world-altering events.