Ghishveldi are similar in body structure to the Draco volans of our world. They are a reptilian species that is good at climbing and capable of gliding through the air on wing-flaps on the sides of their bodies.  Their wing-flaps are supported by specialized, elongated rib bones that can be folded flat against their sides, leaving their arms and hands free as they move and glide through the trees.

Ghishveldi live high in the treetops of jungles and forests where they construct their settlements far above most dangerous predators, and will usually do so in an area protected by one of the green-scaled Forest Dragons.  In exchange for providing some level of service for their dragon, the dragon's presence is usually enough to scare away any airborne predators large enough to threaten a village.    The Ghishveldi diet consists mostly of various fruits, nuts, insects and birds that are readily available up in the treetops. Some foragers may venture all the way down to the forest floor to harvest mushrooms or to hunt for meat, but descending all the way to ground level is typically considered perilous as being on the ground negates the Ghishveldi's ability to glide through the air to make a speedy getaway if they need to escape a dangerous situation.

Ghishveldi are unique among the races of Dunia in that their physical gender changes over time and is directly related to the Ghishveldi's age. Ghishveldi reach maturity around age 13 and can live up to 120 years. Before maturity Ghishveldi are genderless. They then go through a male phase until around age 30, followed by a female phase. Exceptionally old Ghishveldi may go through a 'Second Hatchling' phase where they again become effectively genderless.

Several thousand years ago, during the First Great Dragon Wars, it is said that a small group of dragons worked together to steal several powerful artifacts from their elders and used them to escape to a new world. Thus did dragons, led by the black-scaled earth dragon later known as Draconis, arrive to the worlds of Dunia. The new world was already populated with intelligent creatures such as humans, dwarves and elves, and it is said that each of the Five First Dragons of Dunia used the power of the artifacts that they brought with them to each create a race of creatures who could serve them and interact with these other creatures on their behalf. It is unknown whether the five races, collectively known as the "Dragonkin ," really were created or if they somehow traveled or were summoned from another world or plane of existence, but historians agree that there are no traces of the Dragonkin races in any form that predate the arrival of the dragons to this world.   Morrinda, First of the green-scaled Forest Dragons, created a race of arboreal reptilian humanoids known as the Ghishveldi. The Ghishveldi are well adapted to living in the treetops of their jungle villages, graced with climbing claws and wing flaps that allow them to easily scale the giant trees of their homelands and glide from tree to tree to move swiftly through the canopies. During the Last Dragon War, Morrinda led the calls for a cessation of the war and used many of the rare plants in her hidden garden to create powerful medicines to aid those who would join her call regardless of their background or origin. When news broke out that the Hrassitssar was slain and the Frost Dragons and the Aktril were completely wiped out, the shock led to widespread support of Morrinda's cause and she was able to pressure Draconis into accepting the peace terms and thereby bring about an end to the terrible conflict. As part of securing the support of Skryllex and the Storm Dragons she also committed to independence for the Ghishveldi, something that was accomplished within a century of the end of the war.   Despite their official independence, many Ghishveldi still live and thrive in communities that are protected by and provide for one of the Forest Dragons. Despite Morrinda generally having a positive reputation as being one of the most 'good'-aligned of the dragons and the leader of the Forest Dragons, the dragons are fiercely individualistic when not united by a common enemy and many less savoury dragons also exist. Ghishveldi tend to emulate their draconic leaders, and the arboreal dragonkin therefore also run the gamut from lawful to chaotic and good to evil. However, even in communities overseen by the most corrupt and self-serving dragons Morrinda specifically is well-respected as their leader, giving Ghishveldi everywhere at least that much common ground.   Ghishveld villages are typically found high above the forest floor. Older villages often contain a network of zip-lines connecting key buildings to allow visitors to move around almost as easily as the Ghishveldi can, but the slow-growing wire trees that provided the best material for the cables has been thought extinct since the white Frost Dragons and their kin went extinct in the The Last Dragon War.

Many Ghishveldi settlements are fairly isolated from other species, as their arboreal homes are often inconvenient for non-Ghishveldi to visit and because many are located close to the lair of a Forest Dragon. Because of their unusual biology with respect to gender, the typical Ghishveldi encountering members of another race for the first time is often easily confused about matters of leadership.  They tend to naturally defer to ranking female members of the other group, assuming those members to be the oldest and most experienced. Depending on how sheltered an individual was before encountering members of another race, an individual Ghishveldi may also have trouble figuring out how to tell the difference between males and females of other species.  They may, for example, figure out that "Males have fuzzy dewlaps (beards)" and then proceed to misidentify anybody who shaves regularly.   Like other dragons of Dunia, the Forest Dragons like having eyes and ears out in the world to bring them information and hunt for treasures to help them score points over their rivals in the Great Game. Though the majority of Ghishveldi may live and work in their forest homes, many set out into the world to work as scouts, diplomats, spies and occasionally thieves.  Morrinda is generally regarded favourably by the other races and so the Ghishveldi typically enjoy a somewhat positive reception wherever they go, though the less altruistic among the green dragons and dragonkin lean into those stereotypes as a way to help advance their selfish schemes.