Striped River Dragons dwell in clear, deep-moving water. These dragons are playful and active, but wild individuals are very shy and tend to flee at the first sign of humans. They are excellent swimmers and can hold their breath for up to an hour, and are also capable of magic-powered flight for short distances. Their hoards usually consist of shells, smooth river stones, and freshwater pearls; Striped River Dragons often trade objects from their hoard and give “gifts” to dragons or people they consider to be friends. These dragons are intolerant of poor water conditions, so their presence is often an indicator of a healthy river system.

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.

Rushing is a lot more isolated compared to her other siblings. Her family is driven by her troublesome mother, Flowing, who constantly starts riots wherever they go, forcing them to move with the river system of their home island. Rushing is their youngest hatchling and the least tolerant of this lifestyle, primarily seen in how she will disappear for days at a time down other rivers. Rushing has a major distaste for her family, and especially her mother. She prefers being solitary, which worries her father, Achilles, but Flowing is insistent that she's strong enough to handle herself. This isn't inaccurate. Rushing is a very skilled angler, swimmer, and even glider, and has been known to effectively escape danger time and time again. She doesn't stay alone forever, though, and always finds her family again to see her older siblings. She's offered many times to take them into the wild with her, but they reject it every time, something that really breaks her up inside.