Gemshard Dragons are small, gregarious, expressive easterns, living in large clans high in the jungle canopy. Their bodies are covered in tiny, gem-like scales that shimmer in direct light, and each dragon has a unique pattern of markings on the forked spade of its tail. Though Gemshard Easterns cannot fly, they often leap from springy branches high into the sky on sunny days and perform acrobatic spins and twirls to entertain themselves. When the weather turns foul, they pile up together on sturdy tree limbs and interlock the forks of their tails with others to keep warm and dry.

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.

Yona practices her tree acrobatics every day, but still makes sure to set aside some time for exploring the forest to look for different kinds of trees to jump from. She knows that different kinds of trees have different kinds of springiness, and she wants to be able to perform no matter what kind of trees are nearby. Her dream is to one day perform at some of the larger clan festivals in other biomes, alongside other dragons with performance talents like magic or singing. To stand out, Yona is constantly developing new ways to make her acrobatic acts showier, whether tossing handfuls of flowers into the air as she twirls, or balancing fruit on her head as she moves from branch to branch. She has decided against wearing ribbons since the last time she tried those, she got her tail tangled in a fruit tree and had to ask her siblings for help getting free.