Ridgewing Dragons live just below the snow level on the upper slopes of mountains. They are a friendly, playful breed and enjoy dancing in wind currents near their homes or plummeting down into valleys from great heights. Their wings, by far their most striking feature, grow in fin-like ridges along their backs. While their bodies lack markings to blend better with their surroundings, a ridgewing’s wings have bright markings in the colors of the flowers that grow in their mountain habitat. Occasionally different-colored individuals can be found, but they are rare because their striking coloring offers little protection.

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.

Even as a hatchling, before he had fully gendered, Ypsydea was a hunter at heart. He insisted upon joining every hunt he could participate in, and the adults gave in to his demanding squeaks. But little did they know how seriously he took hunting. Most hatchlings are impatient, and after a moment of standing out in the heat they will complain and trot back home. But Ypsydea remained crouched in the bushes for as long as he could before prey wandered by. Often he would catch things that were easily twice his size, much to his dismay, as he could not carry home his own fresh kill! He never had time for a mate or a family, but nobody minded, because when they bit into a nice plump bird, they knew who to thank for their meal.