Striped Dragons come in a dazzling array of colors complemented by an intricate pattern of stripes. These bright colors and patterns help attract their favorite food, insects. Because their prey is so tiny, striped dragons must spend a large portion of their day eating. The color of the offspring is usually determined by the dragon’s mate.

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.

Joukje's favourite food is butterflies, often putting her in competition with the human butterfly collectors. Whenever a rare butterfly is spotted, collectors group together in teams to capture it before Joukje arrives and devours their prize.

Joukje is confused by the antics of the collectors, not understanding why they spend so long hunting things they have no intention of eating. A collector whom Joukje befriended once showed her his collection and tried to explain, but she still remains none the wiser.

Despite being in competition with the collectors, Joukje is on good terms with them. There are many bandits and thieves who would attack a man or woman on their own, so knowing that Joukje is around to give aid is a great comfort.