Cloudplume Dragons are as warm and friendly as they look. Living in groups of ten to twenty, these dragons make their home in snowy mountains, where their white feathers fit right in with the environment. During their waking hours, they spread out to fly all over the mountains and nearby plains and forests, collecting mana, exploring, and greeting whoever they happen to meet. When they need to rest, they return to the snowy slopes and curl up together. While a single Cloudplume can blast an air breath at attackers to make their escape, a group of Cloudplumes will stick close, feathers puffed up and the large feathers on their backs raised high and quivering, becoming one giant, bristling mass to intimidate the attacker away from their home. Smaller creatures—and some not so small—often get in between the resting dragons for warmth and protection, and the Cloudplumes welcome such guests. During summertime, these dragons fly higher up to the mountaintops where the air stays cool, mingling with the clouds.

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.

Shida loves the company of birds, particularly the small pudgy round birds that will shout at everyone and everything. She finds them charming and entertaining in a silly way. Every several weeks, particularly during the warmer months, Shida will gather large amounts of seeds and nuts together and pile them up near her favorite napping spot. She will then situate herself nearby and wait for birds to visit, enjoying the sound of their chirps and chattering. Other members of the family have learned not to ask her for anything while she is birdwatching this way, as Shida insists that if a bird lands on her to rest awhile, it is utterly unthinkable for her to move and disturb the bird.