Water Walkers are small dragons that are frequently found around bogs and ponds. While they are flightless, they retain the flight sacs and hollow bones of their airborne cousins. These traits, coupled with their extraordinarily long, webbed toes, allow them to stand on top of calm waters, using their small sails to propel them wherever they please. They spend the majority of their lives on the water, retreating to the tops of lily pads when the waters become too rough to float atop.

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.

Vortexwalker is one of Phoenix's dragons. She can be a little timid and doesn't like being in crowds, for a very good reason—her eyesight is terrible. She can only see the general outline of things, and the rest is in shades of gray. She cannot defend herself against predators (or, as the case may be, teasing, mischievous hatchlings) and hence is easily startled by any sudden movements. She prefers to be left alone.