Turpentine Dragons are named for the oil that covers their scales. This oil resembles turpentine in odor and is mildly toxic; it will not kill but it burns to the touch and will cause illness in anyone who ingests it. Turpentine Dragons roam in large packs, often stealing food from larger dragons, though they are able to hunt for themselves if necessary. Many other breeds consider Turpentine Dragons to be pests, so they primarily breed among themselves.

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.

Cailla is obsessed with what seems to be a short, random string of the kind of characters humans use in their books and things. She's convinced—and there's no changing her mind—that everyone is assigned one of these character things when their egg is laid. It sounds like an ID number, except it seems most everybody doesn't know what theirs is. Knowing her identification string, Cailla wanted to be called 09299, which is super special because it's numbers, but her parents wouldn't have it. Some turpentines think she's been grooming too much and is nutty from eating oil, but she's saved by a few dragons who also believe this and are otherwise sensible.