Tsunami Wyverns are gigantic dragons that live near the ocean. These wyverns can create deadly tsunamis by vigorously flapping their wings directly above the water. They create these waves to catch the eye of potential mates or as a form of self defense, as they are hunted for their beautiful skin. A Tsunami Wyvern’s wings are also helpful in gliding over the ocean without expending much energy. Their colors make it easy for them to blend in with the ocean water, which can be useful while stalking prey. Using their rudder-like tails and webbed feet to dive deep into the water, they can easily catch and eat their fill of big fish. Tsunami Wyverns can be found mostly near island chains.

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.

McManus is the glaciology and climatology teacher at Lumino Polytechnic. He is also an enthusiastic amateur wavewind rider and once placed eighth at the Ma'at Headland Meet, and he once touched wings with Fill "Flappers" de Brand, the only flightless athlete to place first. McManus tries to keep the wavewind riding part of his life a secret from his students, but a few have been fans of local coastal sports and found out anyway. A student combined wavewind and glacial deposits as her final project and even name-dropped Flappers de Brand in the observations section. While pleasantly surprised and somewhat uneasy, McManus gave it top marks because the resulting diorama and report were somehow cohesive, and he's very proud that she decided to study the long history of glacial movement at the Headland.