Daydream Dragons are the hosts of daydreams and fantasies. They spend the majority of their time sitting on clouds, dropping daydreams down into the minds of people passing by. Humans who live near Daydream Dragons must be especially careful not to let their thoughts wander, or they could end up spending hours or even days in a trance-like waking dream state.

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 young Medora Leigh is not unlike her father, the poet Byron. Ever since sprouting wings she has developed a most intense personality: rash, passionate and unapologetically irresponsible. However, she lacks her relations' gift of words and has no interest in committing to the cause of letters.

Medora does as the heart dictates, which has landed her in many a prickly issue. Since her father is too busy writing ballads to bail her out, the girl has come to depend on a series of distant relatives, none of which want anything to do with her.