Swallowtail Dragons are graceful and quick flyers, much like their namesake bird. They are capable of precise aerial acrobatics, and can reach very high altitudes. Because of this, humans observing these dragons are often astonished at how large they are when confronted up close. A Swallowtail’s diet consists of insects and small mammals plentiful in temperate forests. These dragons are also made remarkable by their paper-thin wing membranes, which allow light to pass through, creating an astonishing effect on starry nights.

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.

Ptero-Ninetails Minus Seven is a high-ranking member of a secret underground society, only known to a select number of other dragons in Pteprocks' Clan. Members convene weekly in a hidden cave and are to telepathically announce the society's password, after which a boulder is rolled away from the cave's entrance, allowing the member to go inside. The problem is, Nine always forgets the password, and ends up having to ask other members of the society beforehand, even though the password rarely changes. Few of the other members mind, though, since she practically keeps the society running once she is reminded.