Nebula Dragons are nocturnal creatures. With the best eyesight to be found, they are often seen staring into space. Each dragon tends to observe a particular nebula and will eventually change their colors and patterns to match it. As the nebula changes over time, the dragon changes with it. The more intricate the design of the nebula, the better chance an individual has of attracting a mate. It is said that the markings on no two Nebula Dragons will be exactly the same.

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.

Oriyona is named after the well known Orion Nebula. She loved the bright constellation as soon as she saw it, and often hunts the sky for the prominent Orion's Belt, south of which is her Nebula. One star in particular caught the large Nebula Dragon's interest; Betelgeuse. Oriyona has found a space on her left wing for this stars image to sit, and when the red supergiant star explodes, her patterns will be some of the brightest of any Nebula Dragons' for days on end. Oriyona is extremely intelligent, and often other Dragons from all around will come to her with problems that she can solve in seconds. This has made her slightly vain and aloof, but not so much as to overshadow her happy-go-lucky nature.