Seasonal Dragons take on the characteristics of the season during which they are born. Thus, eggs that are laid in spring match the pink flowers and green buds of spring, and those that are laid in the summer grow to depict the bright green of the forest trees and the yellow of the sun. Eggs laid in autumn display the bright colors of leaves falling from trees, and those that are laid during winter take on the appearance of the icy snow.

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.

Some say that Sweeney Nightingale has the heart of a winter seasonal, but that's not true: after all, April is the cruelest month. There is certainly no love lost as Sweeney forces lilacs from the seemingly dead ground or forcefully awakens the dormant trees. For some time, many dragons throughout the city thought he would be a good partner for Mrs. Porter, but the two never did get along. It is suspected—but yet unproven—that Sweeney murdered her not long after he returned from an extended time abroad, that fateless spring.

Those who know Sweeney well are aware he follows a bestial philosophy that places no value on the magical and intellectual progress of dragonkind. Instead, the only things that count to him are hatching, mating, and death, though he tends not to share it because it is offensive and depressing. He has recently shown a liking for Dusty and Dorris, a relationship that most fear will end badly for the linnorm. Some have tried to warn them, but neither head listens.