Swallowtail Dragons are graceful and quick flyers, much like their namesake bird. They are capable of precise aerial acrobatics, and can reach very high altitudes. Because of this, humans observing these dragons are often astonished at how large they are when confronted up close. A Swallowtail’s diet consists of insects and small mammals plentiful in temperate forests. These dragons are also made remarkable by their paper-thin wing membranes, which allow light to pass through, creating an astonishing effect on starry nights.

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.

Ace of Shades is the favorite of Dark Card. After finding her as a wounded hatchling, the young Dark Card (who was a hatchling with his wings newly grown in at the time) took her in. She became a favorite of RunningAir too, and he cared greatly for both of the dragons. Dark Card soon took her as his mate, despite his being unable to have children. Ace of Shades is just as dark and vampiric as Dark Card himself, despite herself not being a vampire dragon. This was a learned behavior from him.

However, she enjoys showing off her beauty in the moonlight, gliding over the land, casting a glow with her translucent wings. She enjoys flying and hunting with her mate, and helps in his guiding of the Styxin line. The others can't help but refer to her as 'The Queen Countess', because of her love and devotion to Dark Card, and her nobility amongst the rest of the Styxins. She is well respected for both her rank, and her dangerous and cold attitude.