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.

The Princess Xuan is a deeply religious, some might even say superstitious, dragoness. She believes deeply in the religion that all her dragons profess to follow, and, for that reason, acts as the high priestess on behalf of the clan on top of her duties as a member of the court. Within the court, of course, she is a staunch voice of tradition, always reminding the other court members of the dictates of their beliefs and of the consequences of violating those excessively. More often than not, this means that she acts as the conscience of the court; and she isn't one to allow the others to get too far afield, even if they aren't all as pious as she is. She is also a firm believer in the equality of all dragons, whatever their gender or breed. All were created along with the world, after all, and therefore all of them are ultimately equal. Though usually a peaceable dragoness, she cannot abide injustice, particularly not from those who have the power to enforce their wills upon others.