The amphibious Aranoas inhabit shallow brackish estuaries, rivers and lagoons. Being adept swimmers, they possess tough, vibrant scales that serve to protect the dragon from superficial physical harm, and double as a means to attract mates. Their large, cavernous maws are adapted to swallowing fish whole, and they have powerful limbs to propel them through the water. When mating, males and females will typically vie for the interest of the individual with the brightest scales and the largest dorsal fin. Due to this attraction, they are also prone to collecting shiny and colorful objects that they come across. With a diet primarily comprised of large freshwater or pelagic fish, they often hunt in groups to encircle schools of fish, making for an easier meal. While not very social, Aranoas will often inhabit areas in close proximity to each other should they require assistance in hunting, or to band together to ward off other species who pose a threat to their territory.

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.

Manasio is a travel agent and more. He wishes he could just be a travel agent. Everyone regards him as the son of a villain, little else. His mother, "Ara", is an aranoa and pretty decent, but his father was a never-before-seen breed. There are some breeds where fathers leave their mates and never contribute to parenting, so children only know their mothers. Manasio wishes his father were one of those, so he wouldn't have ties to Manasio in others' minds. Instead, he stuck around and did bad things that hurt many people, and he wasn't a very good parent or partner. Then he died on his terms, when Manasio was very young. His fortune became Manasio's, but so did his enemies. Everyone and their drake still remind Manasio how bad this dragon was and that his son must bear his burdens. Manasio has more work fixing his father's problems than arranging travel. He could scrub every record of his lineage, but it wouldn't change anyone's notions. He sometimes wonders about Ara's whereabouts.