Shimmer-scale Dragons are a very beautiful breed with small—but highly reflective—scales that shimmer and shine as the dragon moves through water. They don’t have fins or webbed feet, but their long, eel-like bodies allow them to swim quite fast. They were once rumored to carry large pearls in their claws—causing many to seek them out in search of this fabulous treasure. In reality, the “pearl” is of greater value to the dragon, for the fabled treasure is actually an egg carried by a migrating female.

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.

Taiyang-Xilang was once a long-standing guardian of a river within a distant land. However, when humans began to settle along the banks of his river, they formed dams and levees to prevent flooding, thus forever changing the very nature of Taiyan-Xilang's river. With this act, the humans unwittingly stripped Taiyang-Xilang of his time-honored title of River Guardian, and he was forced to abandon his old home. The now homeless dragon wandered the world for a long time, until he chanced across the island home of Shield Tail and Dark Drakon's dragon herd. Upon his arrival, he was amazed to discover Luolon Long and Magical Origami, who used to play by his river as hatchlings long ago. Seeing this reunion with the pair as a sign, Taiyang-Xilang took up residence within a river that spanned the length of the island. While not an official member of the herd, all the dragons formed a fast friendship with the newcomer, particularly Diamond Luster, who saw the Shimmer-scale as a potential mate.