Yellow-Crowned Dragons are found in the hottest, driest regions of the desert. Although they thrive in these conditions, they do very poorly in cold or humid climates. These dragons are very fast fliers and skilled hunters, and usually feed on small, quick desert antelope. Yellow-Crowned Dragons are diurnal, and spend the night in underground burrows they dig or steal from other creatures. They are often seen out sunning themselves in the early morning sun, waiting for the heat of the day to set in.

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.

Shynzi, having been abandoned by her pack as an egg, has been raised by hyenas since he was a hatchling, and consequently believes himself to be a remarkably large and scaly member of the species Parahyena Brunnae. Since he had no packmembers to encourage or teach him to fly, he has never had a chance to use his wings much, leaving them weak and underdeveloped. Shynzi has also been seen, or rather heard, trying to imitate the iconic cackling of a hyena.

He also has adopted the social structure of his chosen family, and there is something surreal to the sight of a grown dragon cowering and shivering before a dominant female hyena.