Pipio Pygmies are a hardy—but not very intelligent—species able to survive in most places. They communicate with each other using chirps, coos, and clicking sounds. They are very easy to tame, and as they breed readily in captivity and aren’t terribly picky eaters, these small dragons are a common sight in human settlements. However, Pipio Pygmies are still dragons, and are bolder in groups: when a group of these pygmies feels threatened, they may take off all at once in a disorienting swarm, and if the threat is great enough, they will attack the instigator with razor-sharp claws and teeth. Predators hoping for an easy meal, or abusive caretakers, have been known to lose an eye.

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.

Pygmy dragons are the smallest category of dragons, being on the same scale as domesticated animals. They are often found around concentrated populations of dragons, relying on their larger brethren to ward away potential predators and leave scraps. As such, the majority of a pygmy’s diet is scavenged. Due to their tiny size, pygmies do not breed with larger varieties of dragons.

Tern is stern. She's quite the serious, little pygmy and has this sense of strict dutifulness to her. She tends to keep herself busy. Tern does not care for big messes so will systematically clean every square inch of her family's den to ensure it's spotless. She's also a pretty annoying nagger, often getting on her siblings' cases about where they've been, what they've been doing, and their general well-being. In this way, she functions like more of a mother than her brood's actual mother, which is both appreciated by her and dreaded by everyone else. Despite her irritating routines and demeanor, Tern is incredibly protective of her brood and will always be ready to defend them at a moment's notice. She's typically the one to orchestrate defensive swarms and attacks, and she does so masterfully. She's also fairly threatening just on her own. Tern keeps herself groomed to perfection at all times, but that also includes sharpening her claws. These pristine daggers can easily draw blood.