Dorsal Dragons are so named because they have large fins along their backs that can be raised and lowered at will. They use these fins to regulate body temperature; they raise them to cool off when they become overheated. The bright colors on the fins double as a means of attracting mates.

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.

"My fins are red," this dragon can constantly be heard insisting. "My fins are red, they are, my fins are red." Though everyone keeps pointing out to him that his fins are purple, he never listens. As a result, most dragons just avoid him, thinking of him as some kind of crazed nut, and those visiting his clan are warned by his fellow dragons to steer clear. However, nobody has really bothered to ask this dragon why he says such a lie, and the truth is so horrid that they might not want to know.

When this dragon was a hatchling, a group of dragon hunters killing dragons for sport arrived at his mountain and found his nest. They were about to kill him when his parents arrived. What resulted was a bloody fight, and at the end, only he survived. The dragon saw his parents' fins, covered with blood, and thought they were red, and therefore, that his own fins must be red. And since he can never see his own fins upon his back, he assumes they are red too, and still does to this day.