Aqualis Dragons inhabit the shallow seas of Valkemare, preferring to make their homes in coral reefs. Due to their need to return to the surface to breathe, they avoid deep water unless absolutely necessary. Although they are quite drab when first hatched, prolonged contact with salt water causes their skin to become bright and iridescent. This vibrancy, when combined with quick movements, confuses the fish these dragons prey upon. Nomadic males travel the length of Valkemare’s reefs in bachelor groups, while females tend to claim a specific area as their own. A group of males will herd a school of fish into a female’s territory, and if she is seeking a mate, she will join the hunt. Once she has eaten her fill, she will choose the most skilled hunter to be her mate.

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.

Ducktail looks confusedly at her tail a lot, though only when nobody's attention is on her. Since she lives by herself, she doesn't do names (and didn't do language, either, until recently), but the mammalian land dwellers nicknamed her for ease of recognition. Ducktail's lilac crest is the wrong shape: the spines toward the bottom of her neck are longer than the rest, so the fin is long and droopy, too. Another aqualis has never courted or even spoken to her, probably due to her horrible deformity. The talking beach creatures are all fairly nice to Ducktail, but she still can't fathom why they think her tail looks like a duck's and is reluctant to ask. She suspects that she's thought to be ugly even by members of a different species.