Dorsal Dragons are so named because they have large fins along their backs that can be raised and lowered at will. They use these fins to regulate body temperature; they raise them to cool off when they become overheated. The bright colors on the fins double as a means of attracting mates.

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.

The desert at night was cold and still, the dunes a peculiar, pale-blue color that seemed to reflect and enhance the bright, white moon. A dragon caravan, almost invisible on the massive desert plain, trudged along silently. At the head of the group was a majestic dorsal dragon. He possessed a midnight black body, with rich purple fins and eyes that glowed like rubies. Beside him was a much less handsome dragon, carrying what seemed like a prince on his back. The other dragons behind him also carried people, and they formed a train, following the prince's dragon. But the prince was really focused on the purple dorsal, in awe at its magnificent and mysterious appearance. For this was no ordinary dorsal, but a royal one, an Indigo Ruby, as they called them. They came from the sacred palaces of the rajahs and sultans and men of influence and power. And the prince, being one of their sons, was privileged to own one.