Shimmer-scale Dragons are a very beautiful breed with small—but highly reflective—scales that shimmer and shine as the dragon moves through water. They don’t have fins or webbed feet, but their long, eel-like bodies allow them to swim quite fast. They were once rumored to carry large pearls in their claws—causing many to seek them out in search of this fabulous treasure. In reality, the “pearl” is of greater value to the dragon, for the fabled treasure is actually an egg carried by a migrating female.

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.

Felix lives in a cave on land, something that confuses a lot of strangers. He spent his childhood in this smelly, bone-littered cave, which at the time was partially submerged in water. A hundred years ago, his mum left to hunt for deer and promised she'd return home soon. Living on land isn't a "death wish" for Felix; he can hunt and protect himself, albeit with a lot of difficulty and help from his friends. He expends a lot of energy keeping himself hydrated in the cave, and despite the complaints from his buddies, he won't move to the ocean. He insists on staying put. When his mum comes back to the cave from her hunt, Felix doesn't want her to think he abandoned her.