Striped River Dragons dwell in clear, deep-moving water. These dragons are playful and active, but wild individuals are very shy and tend to flee at the first sign of humans. They are excellent swimmers and can hold their breath for up to an hour, and are also capable of magic-powered flight for short distances. Their hoards usually consist of shells, smooth river stones, and freshwater pearls; Striped River Dragons often trade objects from their hoard and give “gifts” to dragons or people they consider to be friends. These dragons are intolerant of poor water conditions, so their presence is often an indicator of a healthy river system.

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.

William Dewey lives on a river delta and runs a small community that he proudly founded. He even has a nice bronze statue standing in a dignified manner. He lacks most of the traits that makes someone admirable, but he is very tenacious, a trait that his descendents and colleagues value the most when they speak of him. A need for achievement in his name drove William to set sail across the sea when he was tired of his old clan (justifiably) having so little faith in him. Towards the end of the journey, the ship was lost when some giant water-dwelling dragon stole or destroyed it, but the crew were fortunate to be close enough to shore that they could fly the rest of the way. Where they happened to land became the location of the new clan, and from then on, William's main focus became governing his clan.