Dorsal Dragons are so named because they have large fins along their backs that can be raised and lowered at will. They use these fins to regulate body temperature; they raise them to cool off when they become overheated. The bright colors on the fins double as a means of attracting mates.

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.

Finnea Fa'atendro is the offspring of a Dorsal Dragon and a Double Dorsal, mother Finalia Fa'atendro and double-finned father Fingal O'Staffa. As a Double Dorsal, she displays the lovely double-finned recessive trait like her father. It would not be wise to breed two double-finned Double Dorsal Dragons as the resultant double-recessive trait may cause an excessive amount of wrinkles and folds in the fins. While attractive, these fins can become sore and infected from a lack of air to the inner folds of the dorsal. It is, however, possible for a double-finned Double Dorsal to pass on the single recessive trait to its offspring if it breeds with another single-finned Dorsal Dragon.