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.

Bubo Balloon is rather average; other than befriending a whiptail, Swift One, Bubo isn't very unique, but this is what frustrates him most. He always wanted to be different, se he often spends his time trying to deflate or inflate faster than everybody else, and to float higher, faster. Being friends with a whiptail was a good way of training and they often raced up and down trees, Swift climbing and Bubo inflating. His dream is to float beyond the clouds and past the stars and he often confesses this to Swift and confides in his closest friend.