Balloon Dragons are so named because they are filled with a gas that makes them almost lighter than air, similar to balloons. However, they are not prone to bursting, as they are covered in tough skin and can deflate themselves if necessary. In addition, they generally are slow moving. They use their gas bladders to float to the tops of trees, where food is more abundant. They can shift their weight from their backs to their fronts, allowing them to reach leaves and fruit.

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.

Marcus claims that he isn't a Balloon dragon at all, but that his whole appearance can be traced back to a magical experiment, crossing a huge human wrestler with a solanaceous herb. Or as the humans would call it: a Sumoka with a tomato. No one—really NO ONE—has any idea how he got the idea that he was actually a Sutomaton, but it's hard to argue with a big, fat, round, red dragon.