Originating from a single species that thrived in ancient times, Xenowyrms have become an incredibly diverse breed whose appearances vary depending on their habitats. Each Xenowyrm subspecies is heavily reliant on the power of different types of mana, making them powerful magic users. Umbras are a solitary and generally unwelcoming subspecies found in the deepest and darkest recesses of the jungle. This highly intelligent and cunning wyrm has little fondness for intruders and those seeking them either for their hoarded wisdom or gleaming, crystalline scales. They are content to leave travelers alone, but are not above bringing a swift and harsh end to those that disturb their peace.

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.

Holdfast Weyr is known as the Coil by former Braid dragons, Seawrack Tangle by former Xenotangle Weyr residents, and Holdfast Weyr by everyone else. Even though nobody can agree on what to call the place, it manages to be a close-knit community of dragons united by special living requirements. Tezwak bonded with Yaxanor over a shared weight of parental expectation, as they both had a sinomorph mother and a staterae father. He encouraged her to seek her fortune elsewhere, rather than live her life in the shadow of her zyumorph siblings. When Yaxanor left, Tezwak followed her to the Coil. The dragons of the Coil occasionally consult with him, but are happy to let him have the quiet life he craves.