Aqualis Dragons inhabit the shallow seas of Valkemare, preferring to make their homes in coral reefs. Due to their need to return to the surface to breathe, they avoid deep water unless absolutely necessary. Although they are quite drab when first hatched, prolonged contact with salt water causes their skin to become bright and iridescent. This vibrancy, when combined with quick movements, confuses the fish these dragons prey upon. Nomadic males travel the length of Valkemare’s reefs in bachelor groups, while females tend to claim a specific area as their own. A group of males will herd a school of fish into a female’s territory, and if she is seeking a mate, she will join the hunt. Once she has eaten her fill, she will choose the most skilled hunter to be her mate.

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.

When he was an adolescent, Shiza happened upon a small sailboat that had gotten caught in a forest of seaweed. Since he didn't really have anything else to do, he helped the humans aboard the boat navigate away from the tangle of weeds. The humans then thanked him with several handfuls of salted fish that they had packed, and from then on Shiza developed a taste for fish "cooked in the human style", as he puts it. In the years since, he's made friends with plenty of humans in fishing villages along the coastline, and each season he will assist them with bringing in the daily catch for a week or so. In exchange, he gets to try all sorts of local fish specialties, whether fried or grilled or sometimes just raw with some seasonings. He knows this makes him a bit of a prude compared to his siblings who'll eat any fish, but honestly, now that he's tried fancy cooked fish he really can't go back to only eating the plain stuff.