Canopy Dragons love to soar above the tropical jungles and other densely forested areas. Their billowing, layered wings create generous lift that allows them to ascend effortlessly over the warm jungle. While their unique wings do not make them the fastest flyers, they are champion gliders. To further this end, dexterity, maneuverability, and grace are all judged by the females when selecting their mates from the males that can accurately complete the exhausting and elaborate courtship dance between the close growing branches of the upper canopy.

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.

With her lacy wings flowing behind her, Ariella loves to dance from tree to tree. In other words—she is, frankly, a bit flighty. She is good at the diving and swooping though—and very decorative. All the males in the cave watch her aerobatics, and secretly hope that they will be the one to capture her heart. They practise fancy flights themselves when no-one is looking, as they are well aware that she will choose a mate based on his own ability to dance among the treetops, and most of them are plain clumsy by comparison.

Ariella has no idea she is so well thought of, and breaks hearts with monotonous regularity. She kisses all the males who bring her grapes to eat, and each of them goes off believing he will be the one. But she dances on, obliviously.