Perhaps among the most venerated of dragon breeds is the Zyumorph, a breed whose selfless heroism and strong moral compass are nearly unparalleled by other dragons. Zyumorphs have an innate urge to fend off wrongdoing, and as such, are often sought after in times of peril. Although they are independently quite capable fighters, it is said that their true might is not unlocked until all six Zyumorphs are brought together in times of great duress.

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.

Holdfast Weyr is known as The Coil by former Braid dragons, Seawrack Tangle by former Xenotangle Weyr residents, and Holdfast Weyr by everyone else. Even though nobody can agree on what to call the place, it manages to be a close-knit community of dragons united by special living requirements. Duhalg's special living requirement is needing to live apart from his older zyumorph siblings. They treated him kindly enough, but he's keenly aware that being the third oldest blue zyumorph effectively means he'll never get the chance to help summon a sinomorph. At the Coil, he can focus on heroic deeds without feeling like his position in the birth order makes him a failure.