Shadow Walkers are a strange breed that possess the ability to slip between the planes of reality, becoming immaterial. This allows them to hide in the shadows, either hunting from the concealment of near invisibility or evading enemies. Though they become corporeal to mate or to eat, they spend most of the rest of their lives walking in the shadows. Shadow Walkers are wary creatures, though on dark autumn evenings when the leaves fall to swirl in the chill, rain damp air, they may be seen drifting out from the shadows.

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.

Elvira has devoted her life to her children. She spends hours campaigning for sign language to be introduced into the cave for Carrie's sake, and many more worrying about what will become of her little Sookie out in the world. Painstakingly pulling Corvus out of trouble time and time again, Elvira never gives into despair, but picks herself up and carries on every time. The stress is clearly shown on her elegant form, and her scales have lost their gleam over the years, and her mouth is constantly pinched in an empty smile. Keeping down her full time job of managing the food allowances for each dragon means she has little time left to spend with her husband, let alone snatch a few seconds of precious sleep. Her social life hangs in tatters, and although devoted friends try to keep up with her, they soon find themselves overwhelmed with the speed at which her life travels. She trudges on with her mission, although sometimes she sits back and wonders if her burden will ever be lifted.