Feisty and energetic, Whiptail Dragons pride themselves on their speed and agility. It is not unusual to see several whiptails racing each other. Though fragile, they can easily evade attacks with their superior speed, and often use their long tails as a weapon, giving rise to their name.

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.

When he was young, Zip Dustclaw was a rash and hotheaded lover of thrills. He was the clan's first messenger dragon and was always boasting about how quickly he could bring the post to its destination. He spent many years trying to woo the Magi, Narani Moonglow, but with no success. It was not till many years later, when he had grown up more, that she started to respond to his advances. Now many, many years later they have been happily mated with children for decades, and Zip has mellowed out.

Currently Zip is still in charge of the Messenger Dragons, and while he rarely goes on deliveries personally anymore, he has taught his fellow messengers well and the post always arrives on time.