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.

Gassesnpeak the Greedy was named so because of the excessive amount of warmth it took to get his egg to finally hatch. After three days, with enough warmth applied to hatch five eggs, he still decided to lounge around until one of the white dragons took a rock, cracked the eggshell, and pulled him out. Then, he ate enough food to feed two hatchlings into adulthood, and still decided to not grow up. Eventually, the poor white dragons had to use up their last stock of a strange, magical maturing herb to get him to become an adult. Even today Gassesnpeak is quite greedy when it comes to eating and getting what he wants. And if that's not bad enough, Gassesnpeak often brags about all of his little accomplishments. Many dragons say that there's not a single good thing about Gassesnpeak, but that's not quite true: at least his funny name makes the hatchlings laugh.