When Water Dragons mature, they lose the ability to survive on land, entering the water permanently. They are adept swimmers and eat whatever fish are in the lake they live in. They tend to inhabit the same lake for their entire lives, although a few live in the ocean and swim all over the world.

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.

Quite unusually for a water dragon, Tanine really doesn't care for water. It's not that he dislikes it, just that he doesn't think it's anything to get excited over or spend any effort on. What fascinates him is boundaries. He has studied and pondered the borders between water and air, air and earth, and earth and water since shortly after becoming an adult. Though not very powerful magically he has created certain places where it's easy for the various dragons of Ferwe Weyr to enter and leave the water.