Nilia Pygmies reside mostly in mountainous regions, tending to live in large flocks. They are a curious, hyperactive breed; their curiosity often gets them into dangerous situations. Despite this, they are wary around other dragons and animals outside their breed. They are naturally shy and seek their own kind for companionship. Once the trust of a Nilia dragon is earned, they are highly loyal critters, sometimes to the point of being annoying.

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.

A group of pygmy dragons reside in a secret underground world. Each of the small dragons had once lived with humans, but were discarded for one reason or another. Their existence was undiscovered until Indigo Fringe, while traveling with the nomadic herd he was born into, discovered them by chance. Realizing that they just wanted to be left alone, Indigo Fringe agreed to keep their existence a secret. But the Pygmy clan remain friends with the young Dorsal Dragon.

Mountain Shade, being true to her nature, is very curious and often goes off on her own. If she comes across a strange sound or smell by the entrance to their secret world, Mountain Shade sees nothing wrong with getting a closer look. Because of this, Strombolia often has to go out of her way to make sure Mountain Shade doesn't accidentally reveal their existence.