When Water Dragons mature, they lose the ability to survive on land, entering the water permanently. They are adept swimmers and eat whatever fish are in the lake they live in. They tend to inhabit the same lake for their entire lives, although a few live in the ocean and swim all over the world.

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.

Aureli was one of the original four dragons in the cave. As a result, he forged close bonds with Spyral, Suui, and Floreia—he and Foreia are lifemated and have four surviving children so far. Aureli has a child's heart, never wishing to grow up and assume his adult responsibilities. Now that the dragons in the cave have grown in number to over 200, he feels that he needs to take even fewer responsibilities. Nevertheless, he is kind and knows when when a situation calls for maturity.