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.

Though she has never met her family, Aldith is almost certain that she must come from a long line of prestigious black dragons--black dragons who bear no golden underbellies and the sort most sought after by human dragon tamers. As such, she has a tendency to act as though she outranks her peers the other dragons of the clan, and is quick to challenge any dragon to a battery of contests to prove that she is worthy of her lineage. Her overbearing and aggressive nature has driven away her only son Roark, who refuses to continue her 'noble' lineage, and her mate, who has failed to help her produce any more offspring. No other dragon in their right mind wishes to bond with her; potential suitors scurry away like hatchlings when she approaches.