Black Dragons are warriors. They are strong and capable in battles of force, but also ample magic users, capable of devastating opponents with their spells. Their bright eyes give them excellent night vision, which is why they generally hunt during the night.

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.

There is a hierarchy to be seen in the smallest hours of the morning, an order to the world declared by a back-alley wink, a kiss on jeweled fingers, a dagger so skillfully blackened that it would take glowing eyes to see. Most of those who have seen it have acceded to it—not her. Ketzerin believes passionately that the world's order should be bestowed neither by the political power of the day nor by chance: it must come from above. She thinks herself the draconic Joan of Arc, more powerful and terrifying and much, much less likely to be burned at any stake. Her fellow dragons, unsurprisingly, find her a little bit difficult to handle, but the two sides of her family understand. Together, they have agreed: if some higher power has given her a gift, she must fight in the name of her faith.