Balloon Dragons are so named because they are filled with a gas that makes them almost lighter than air, similar to balloons. However, they are not prone to bursting, as they are covered in tough skin and can deflate themselves if necessary. In addition, they generally are slow moving. They use their gas bladders to float to the tops of trees, where food is more abundant. They can shift their weight from their backs to their fronts, allowing them to reach leaves and fruit.

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.

The older dragons claim that before maturation, their ward was possibly the most annoying balloon hatchling they've ever supervised. As soon as he learned to inflate, he threw himself at the ground and bounced off without a scratch, ricocheting and cackling as the adults took cover or cast a protective spell. He was like a human in its toddler stage, but with less crying and more destruction. One of the adults remarked, "I can't wait until the little guy outgrows this lunacy. This balloon lunacy. Bal-lunacy. Hm."