Feisty and energetic, Whiptail Dragons pride themselves on their speed and agility. It is not unusual to see several whiptails racing each other. Though fragile, they can easily evade attacks with their superior speed, and often use their long tails as a weapon, giving rise to their name.

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.

Dippel lives in the south side of town, where the shade and the cloudy, musty weather ensure the lamps of mana and Lindt's Lighter Flies need to always be lit. She's grateful that her parents had the means to move closer to the river, where there's space to run. Since she has a long tail that would get in the way in tight quarters, she didn't follow them into their field. Instead, she is a river lookout, warning others of dangers on her route. She can fight off a trio of reed-shrouds herself, and she saved Neighbor Loewler from the bite of a swamp skimmer by snagging its hump and tearing its fins in one motion. As thanks, the Loewlers would give Dippel parsnips from their garden for as long as they have a garden, and for three nights, they shared a dinner of roast skimmer and parsnip stew. People tell Dippel that since she's easily able to fend for herself, she should leave town and be free, but she can't bear to leave her parents and friends behind, and she'd miss the parsnips, too.