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.

Nanachu Raande is an amiable fellow, and one of the members of the unofficial council in the cave. He is quite good at defusing tense situations, and is capable of talking nearly anyone into anything. He is often hurt by the aloofness of his mate, and many of the other dragons wonder why he stays by her side at all. The truth of the matter is, he realizes that she really, truly needs him, and he loves her deeply enough to endure her coldness and hurtful words, knowing that they come from wounds far deeper inside of her than anyone could possibly understand. He has a great fondness for illusions and magic tricks (as he doesn't command much practical magic) and he is quite good at them. He dislikes the first part of his name, preferring to be called Raande.