Albino Dragons are so named because their translucent, scale-less skin lacks all pigment. Instead, to help protect their bodies from the sun, they are coated in an oily secretion that blocks the sun’s harmful rays. The call of an albino dragon is similar to a barn owl--a shriek instead of a roar.

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.

This dragon lives in a heavily shaded forest near a wide stream. Most of the forest animals are his prey, except one:  Otters are his pets.

   Backslide discovered otters near his cave when he went for a drink at the stream. Stopping right where the otters had their slide, he lowered his head to the water. An old, nearly blind otter reached the top of the bank and scampered over without noticing how the slide was now oil-smoothed scales instead of mud. It slid right down the albino dragons back and neck.

   Backslide, startled by the otter, raised his head; the momentum of the otter caused it to sail through the air and into the middle of the stream with a great splash. Entranced by the playful creatures, Backslide settled down over the otter slide again and waited. Gradually the otters returned to slip down his back and neck into the water.

   By now the otters are so accustomed to Backslide that they scramble to him for lots of fun sliding whenever they hear him approach.