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.

Mauncauld suffers the misfortune of having attracted the attention of Venomous Blood. The aggressive Neglected dragon has claimed him as the semblance of a companion, scratching his wings into useless tatters and keeping him captive. Mauncauld does not quite understand that he could easily escape and find a White dragon to heal his wounds, greatly overestimating both his captor's cunning and strength, deeply terrified of him, subservient for lack of a better plan. It is Mauncauld, ironically, that Venomous Blood owes most of his measly strength to, kept at comparative health by the Swallowtail's nurture.