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.

When Alastair was just a young hatchling, he heard stories of strange creatures that lived just outside the lake. He was the only one of his friends whose fins had not yet developed, so his friends dared him to see if the stories were true. He trudged up the beach until he came to a giant, gray rock. There were many of the—creatures—conversing around the rock. One of the creatures had been walking away from the others when it noticed Alistair. Alistair tried to flare his fins out and roar at the thing, but found he had become paralyzed with fear. For some time the two stayed rooted to their spots, afraid to move should the other attack. Then, the strangers eyes became more friendly than afraid, and it turned to call its comrades. Alastair sped back to the lake as fast as his flippers would take him. Alastair told his friends that huge, terrifying creatures, with eyes like demons, had tried to devour him. The dragons of Loch Ness have refused to leave their watery depths ever since.