Sandwaste Dragons are sparsely distributed across very hot, sandy, dry deserts. They grow to large sizes, but very slowly, and they are well adapted to the harshness of the desert, being capable of surviving for long periods with very little water and food. They are constantly on the hunt for prey large enough to sate them, catching it mostly by ambush or, rarely, running it down. However, Sandwaste dragons are opportunistic and will not shun carrion, insects, and even plants when desperate. They are solitary and nomadic and build no lasting bonds with one another, though there is little animosity among Sandwaste dragons when they encounter each other.

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.

Cow Tail hates it when individuals of other species ask him about his tail. "It's perfectly normal for a sandwaste!" he explains. Still, in the back of his mind he hears that one misfit's voice singing, "Cow tail! Cow tail!" The voice isn't his imagination alone. A Song of Gibberish, the desipis, saw the teasing pygmy all those years ago and, amused, decided to twist the piping voice into a constant feature of Cow Tail's mind and rewire his brain to respond to the phrase as his name. He wishes he had a nice big tail like an ash dragon's. If the Voiceless Desert wasn't so vast, and he didn't have so many issues trying to talk with those of other species, he might find someone with the magic to undo the curse. His current strategy of waiting for the spell to wear off is taking a lot more time than he expected.