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.

At the time of hatching he was named Shadow. Shadow spent most of his days with his mother, rarely leaving her side. His father was usually away fulfilling his duties as a warrior. His master (at this time) kept an eye on Shadow and as time went by he began to see Shadow's attachment as a weakness. He demanded that Shadow began training with his father as a warrior, and so he did. Throughout his training he received great praise from his master, but he still did not have the ferocity he required. On the final day of his training, his master set up a test. He told the now maturing hatchling to call his mother across Sharp Bridge--a bridge that hung above a river with jagged rocks--for a surprise. Shadow did this and as his mother crossed the bridge, it snapped and she fell into the water, speared by the sharp rocks. His master had made the bridge weak. It was a trap. His dead mother's blood spilled through the water. He passed the test, receiving his warrior name: Reddened Water.