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.

Blood. She needed it. Craved it. Every cell in her body yearned for blood, for the energy it would provide her. She had gone too long gorging on cattle; it was blood of her own kind she needed. Luck shone down on her that day: a Guardian hatchling was playing by a small loch with no parents in sight. Swift as a shadow Escaine descended upon it, sinking her fangs into his skin as he squealed and struggled to break free of her grip. His blood began to flow through her veins, a sensation of ecstasy spreading through Escaine's body. Then out of nowhere a silver fury attacked her, tearing her from her victim; the hatchling's father had heard its cries. Escaine only barely managed to escape his claws, grasping the opportunity to flee as the father chose to stay with his injured son rather than pursue.

As Escaine fled, she turned to put a curse on Shoogle and his entire clan: her blood-thirst would become theirs too, as egg after egg would be turned into the same unliving monster she was.