Dorsal Dragons are so named because they have large fins along their backs that can be raised and lowered at will. They use these fins to regulate body temperature; they raise them to cool off when they become overheated. The bright colors on the fins double as a means of attracting mates.

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.

Heart of the City is half of an exchange program between Sandstorm Weyr and Dragontown. Dragontown sent a nocturne dragon to fill her role as bodyguard, while she stepped into the departed dragon's place. She's still not sure how well she likes the arrangement. Human behavior is still often strange and deeply weird to her, and the climate is both much colder and far less humid than she is truly comfortable with. On the other hand, she'd much rather be facing human criminals and the occasional larcenous pygmy than the brimstones that were the bane of her existence before, so she's decided to do everything she can to make herself indispensable, including changing her name.