Skywing Dragons spend most of their lives flying in the air. They hunt from the air, diving at prey from above, and land only to rest. They are some of the fastest fliers, capable of extremely high speeds. The webbing at the end of the tail acts as a rudder, allowing them to easily change direction during flight.

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.

Orifice Schwartz was adopted by a young (now middle-aged) couple after some other humans stole the egg and decided they didn't want it. The couple have several adopted children, human and draconic, with the older ones taking care of the infants when the parents are busy with work. Mister and Mistress Schwartz are good at what they do, but reading isn't one of them. Thus, their wards are all named terms that they think sound nice, without regard for semantics. Orifice and his sister Urethra often hunt for the family—he patrols from the sky, while the human jogs beneath with a crossbow.