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.

Every year, as the various Yuletide dragons finish preparing their feasts and celebrations, a quartet of shadow walkers put their plans into motion. After having spent all year observing dragons to find one most in need of their talents, it's time for them to reenact their own special morality play for this dragon.

Keph is the third to visit. As the one to bring whoever they're helping around to the wonders of life, he gets to create all manner of illusory parties and celebrations, and loves every minute of it. Naturally jolly, he needs no excuse to have a good time, and often gets so caught up in festivities that he overstays his allotted time and must be shooed out by Finveca. As befits his job, Keph disguises himself to look like an archetypal spirit of celebration—something like an autumn dragon with a harvest's build and a tinsel's garlands—and likes his costume so much that he would gladly wear it all year.