Balloon Dragons are so named because they are filled with a gas that makes them almost lighter than air, similar to balloons. However, they are not prone to bursting, as they are covered in tough skin and can deflate themselves if necessary. In addition, they generally are slow moving. They use their gas bladders to float to the tops of trees, where food is more abundant. They can shift their weight from their backs to their fronts, allowing them to reach leaves and fruit.

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.

Following the success of Pacis, a second clutch of four eggs were obtained; the first populous of the clan. Among these four eggs Pacis guarded was Intumesco. Intumesco (Esco for short) was always and still is the strange, floating dragon of the clan. As a hatchling, she had the envy of her fellow hatchlings (Navitas, Tutela and Occultus) because of her floating nature while they were ground bound. As an adult, Esco is rather leisurely and lazy, content to slowly float and munch on out of reach tree leaves from high canopies. Her closest companion is Somnium; together they drift about sharing the latest gossip of the clan below them.