Holiday dragons are a very mysterious breed. They are only seen during winter, and even then it is hard to catch a glimpse of one. They are responsible for the general cheer that spreads during the holidays. In essence, they are the “Spirits of Winter.”

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.

Zufli hates to see animals caged or trapped. He makes it his mission to release all animals back into the wild. Most of those he sets loose race away from their captivity. Some of them get recaptured, some get eaten as prey by other dragons, and some live to breed more of their kind, but all who flee are elated to escape.

Zufli does not understand why some domesticated animals remain in their pens once he opens the gate, but he feels as long as they have a choice about where to be, that is enough. This does not generally work out well for the livestock after he leaves: a sneaky fox may take advantage of the open door to a hen house, or a wolf may prey upon sheep in an open barn, if the farmer does not close it back up in time. Zufli figures that if they run when they have the chance, they can avoid that kind of fate; it is their choice to stay in a bad environment that causes their downfall.