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.

Shaunia always seems to have her fins raised. For a long time, the members of her clan always thought she was being a bit of a show-off, flaunting her vivid violet fins to attract any and all mates within one hundred miles. Not until a very hot summer was it realized that her body was constantly overheating. Her heat-induced collapse led her to leave her clan to journey to a much colder climate. The heartbreak she endured from leaving her friends and family lives with her to this day, but she cannot return to the heat.