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.

The son of a nameless dorsal sire and a beautiful silver mother, Dorsaal Tenera was abandoned to the pile since he was considered 'common' and not worth the effort to raise. One of his clan's dragons found him and picked him up out of sympathy for the purple dorsals, who have long been considered inferior to the golden and silver eggs that many dragon keepers prize and pamper. Brought back to the territory in which his clan resided, Dorsaal Tenera soon hatched and matured into a healthy adult dorsal. Unlike other dorsals he sees, who cower in shame and submission whenever they are around a snobby 'rare' dragon, Dorsaal Tenera instead holds up his deep, rich purple fins in pride and confidence. He believes that commons are as good as rares and should not be ashamed of themselves, so to this day he serves as a role model for those who stand up to the snobbery of the gold and silver dragons and refuse to be shoved lower down society by these so-called 'rares'.