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.

Ketip thought he'd found the perfect place to start his own vampire army—a stretch of desert unclaimed by any other vampire dragon. His joy at having found the ideal home soon evaporated, though, after the first few nights of fruitless hunting for a meal. Ever the opportunist, he recruited the first dragons he did catch—a pair of turpentines—to do his hunting for him. Ketip has never been quite sure what they get out of the deal, but it's not as if they would have been particularly good eating anyway, since turpentine oil is just as unpleasant to vampire dragons as to other breeds.