Black Marrows are named for their dark colored hides which are encased in a distinct exoskeleton. Their skull and the top edges of their spine push out from under the skin as they age. As such, their young need excessive amounts of calcium for this armor to develop. The older a Black Marrow dragon is, the more skeletal their appearance. They often use their skeletal looks to lure in foolish scavengers or terrify predators. These vicious dragons love nothing more than to crack open bones with their stony beaks and eat the marrow inside. Voracious scavengers, Black Marrows will swarm and devour corpses both old and fresh, sometimes even dragging larger finds to the water to allow them to “ripen.” Despite their dreadful demeanour and often horrid stench, Black Marrows are devoted mates and parents.

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.

The head of the Clan of Darkness, Khymal is charismatic and intelligent. Though by name a clan, the group he controls is really a cult, with him as the cult leader. He proclaims that one day the sun will go out, and the only dragons to survive would be those who could live in eternal darkness. Thus he teaches those under him to shun the light, hunting only under the cover of night or storm and secreting themselves in deep caves during the day. Khymal has attempted to spread his words to other dragons, but only the Vampires and some other night-favoring dragons have bothered to listen, though none will join.

Khymal has put all his energy towards shaping his cultists into obedient followers. With guile and charm, he cajoles them into revealing their inner thoughts and secrets; and with this information he pulls on their strings like a puppet master. Why exactly he keeps his followers so tied is a mystery, though there are whispers of plans to ensure that his prophecy comes true.