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.

Reva is usually asleep during the day. She takes long naps throughout the day and rouses herself only to float a little higher to reach the next layer of food among the tree tops. For the most part, the other dragons of the Cave leave her alone to sleep, unless there is an emergency. Then, a special task force will have the job of bringing Reva to full wakefulness (a task that could take several minutes) and explain her to that she needs to come inside to the safety of the Cave. Even after this task is accomplished, and Reva is finally awake, she will only complain about how they ruined her very good dream.