Shallow Water Dragons are found in tropical regions where the water is warm. They use their magic to hunt, using bubbles to capture small fish and animals. Their large, webbed feet make them excellent swimmers and they are able to move at very high speeds. Due to their bright color, these dragons are easily spotted in the lagoons where they live.

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.

The coast that Siren's colony calls home is pocked by small twisted caves whose entrances are submerged. A solitary dragon by nature, she has quietly claimed one for her own. It is a strange place, bearing as it does the unmistakable marks of habitation sometime in the distant past. The walls are painted with images of humans, dragons, and animals that she cannot identify. Nonetheless they fascinate her, and she often visits here to reflect and recharge from a tiring day. Though the cave's entrance is beneath the water, it contains some large pockets of trapped air and ledges for basking undisturbed. The rest of the colony is aware of the cave's existence, but out of respect for their eldest member none of them have ever entered it. They assume that the day Siren chooses a life-mate will be the day she invites another dragon into this sanctuary, but Siren has a secret: she plans not to choose a life-mate, preferring her solitary life as the colony's oldest and most influential member.