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.

Named after a song Ninetynine's keeper remembers from his youth, this balloon dragon loves nothing more that giving children rides. Slowly drifting over the foothills north of the village, or down the river that runs through it, or even over the forest where Flik The Terrible is said to live. Ninetynine laughs at the children's delight every time, and never tires of requests for "More! More!". It's good to be wanted, Ninetynine says to himself, even if it is just by humans.