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.

Catullum is entirely devoted to two things in his life: his mate, Catnippet, and crumpets. All kinds of crumpets; big ones, small ones, middle-sized ones with butter and honey poured over the top, fluffy ones with strawberries, chewy ones with candied almonds and brown sugar—he loves all crumpets. He's taken to settling around the base of Catnippet's favorite tree and attempting to fend off the hatchlings that come swarming to the scent of crumpets, enduring her shouts of "GET OFFA MAH LAWN" that he occasionally hears coming (faintly) from the top.