Vampire Dragons are members of the undead. They sustain themselves by drinking the blood of others. It is said that they are only “alive” at night, and seem dead or asleep during the day, as they cannot endure sunlight for long periods of time. Vampire Dragons can only reproduce by changing the eggs of other dragons, puncturing the shell with their fangs and injecting venom that kills the baby inside.

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.

Even before he hatched, the other dragons avoided Darkeblood Helm's egg as much as possible. Darkeblood was very ferocious after he grew wings, snapping at anyone who dared come near. For that part of his life, he believed himself to be the only vampire in the cave, but he soon learned in his adulthood that he wasn't alone. When he found Bloodnyte, he didn't feel so much the outcast anymore, and together they formed the Helm clan. However, unlike Bloodnyte, Darkeblood has had much more success defending his transformed eggs than she, owing to the fact that he is much more vicious than the other vampire. In fact, he managed to steal and bite the egg of Syzmica and Ereal. It was several days before the theft was discovered, and by then, Darkeblood's apprentice Bloodemoon had already hatched. Because of this, Darkeblood is very much hated by all except Bloodnyte, who understands that biting eggs is very frowned upon.