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.

Like his mother, Swiftalon, Gaurav is an arrogant, warlike dragon who enjoys nothing better than showing off his "superior" fighting techniques. He is often seen parading around the Slashclaw clan's cave, displaying his sleek scales and well-muscled body, daring other dragons to challenge him for the title of "Best Fighter". It's true that he's one of the clan's best warriors, but he is young compared to many of his clanmates, and still has much to learn about the lethal art of tooth and claw. As such, he easily wins mock battles against rookies, but is frequently defeated by older Slashclaw dragons. Far from admitting his weaknesses, however, Gaurav insists that his skills are superior and he loses those battles purely because of bad luck.