Balloon Dragons are so named because they are filled with a gas that makes them almost lighter than air, similar to balloons. However, they are not prone to bursting, as they are covered in tough skin and can deflate themselves if necessary. In addition, they generally are slow moving. They use their gas bladders to float to the tops of trees, where food is more abundant. They can shift their weight from their backs to their fronts, allowing them to reach leaves and fruit.

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.

Gassy Gerty was rescued from a house party which was being held by a bunch of idiots who thought it amusing to use balloon dragons as party decorations.  The poor things were tied to the ceiling in terror.  Gerty's future owner rounded up a bunch of neighbors and crashed the party yelling 'the Vikings are coming!' The rowdy, senseless humans fled in fear and RockChick and her friends rescued every balloon dragon in sight.  RockChick took Gerty home and tried to calm her nerves.  It took patience and effort but gradually she settled down.  She is joyful and fun loving dragon who loves to giggle and make jokes.  She is still very nervous around strangers however and jumps at sudden noises.  She loves mangos and passion fruit but is sensitive to raspberries, leaves and pine nuts.  She develops new sensitivities every month and a balloon dragon with Irritable Bowel Syndrome is not a pretty sight or smell but Gerty's pros outweigh her cons.