When Water Dragons mature, they lose the ability to survive on land, entering the water permanently. They are adept swimmers and eat whatever fish are in the lake they live in. They tend to inhabit the same lake for their entire lives, although a few live in the ocean and swim all over the world.

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.

Ripple couldn't be more different from her father, Wave. She's playful, easily excited, and sometimes temperamental. She shares her mother's love of a good story, but she's more into hearing them than telling them. Ripple's a favorite with the adventurous teens and older children of nearby villages—thrill rides, deep dives, and twisting water acrobatics. She jumps through the air, corkscrews and twists, and dances under the surface of the water, matching her mother's patterns in the sky.