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.

Aerophone is crafty—he loves scrapbooking, tinkering, mixing beverages, and dabbling in all kinds of other crafts—and he wishes he had more time for all of his hobbies. He keeps finding ways to do his jobs more efficiently or wriggle his way out of some tasks via delegation, but the co-leaders only praise him for his way of thinking and openly worry that his chores bore him and he needs more to do. They and the community's builders have at least arranged a really cushy, airy, and well-guarded home for Aerophone, so he has lots of space to show off his crafts and store his supplies, but it doesn't change that the amount of free time available to him has not increased. He has not yet mustered the courage to ask his bosses for more breaks.