Balloon Dragons are so named because they are filled with a gas that makes them almost lighter than air, similar to balloons. However, they are not prone to bursting, as they are covered in tough skin and can deflate themselves if necessary. In addition, they generally are slow moving. They use their gas bladders to float to the tops of trees, where food is more abundant. They can shift their weight from their backs to their fronts, allowing them to reach leaves and fruit.

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.

Kalmur is a very serene dragon who has never been seen to get upset.  His mere presence can calm all but the most heated debates, and he's in high demand as a mediator.  Rather than pick one place to settle down in, Kalmur has instead chosen to wander, going where he is needed.  The only weyr he avoids is Fangrock Weyr, as conflict and competition are so much a way of life there that even he can have little effect on them.