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.

With his dying breath, Kublai's grandfather named him the sole heir of his empire, the next Great Kahn. He always knew he was destined to rule and had been trained to one day take his grandfather's place, but never this soon. He felt so unprepared, and with his grandfather gone, there was no one to turn to. He could hardly be the leader the empire needed. Not when he'd grown up roaming the vast plains, only ever making camp with his clan for a few days at a time. It was a hard life, never having a home, but it was all he had ever known.

Still, Kublai tries lead his people well. He gave up the traveling life for a rich palace in the heart of the empire, and allows many of those dragons native to the country to hold power to keep them from feeling suppressed by their foreign leader. Instead it is Kublai who feels suppressed by the thick walls of the palace and the presence of so many other dragons. Whenever possible, he escapes to the endless plains of his home, to feel free once again.