When Water Dragons mature, they lose the ability to survive on land, entering the water permanently. They are adept swimmers and eat whatever fish are in the lake they live in. They tend to inhabit the same lake for their entire lives, although a few live in the ocean and swim all over the world.

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.

Fire in the Water has spent his entire life with humans. From the egg, he has almost constantly been handled. When he grew to adulthood and was moved to a nearby lake. He grew so depressed that a pond had to be dug next to his owner's house. Since he now cannot be constantly be handled, a Seawyrm Pygmy, Splashing Softly, was found to keep him company.