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.

Shadiza is the eldest Black in her tribe, and with that age comes strange experiences. She tells a story every Halloween about a mishap she once had with magic. Shadiza and her tribemates had been experimenting with an unusual fungus when one she was holding exploded into smoke. When the smoke cleared, supposedly Shadiza had vanished, and in her place was a giant black mushroom. The others failed to find the dragoness until the next day, and when they did find her the mushroom had vanished. Shadiza claims that she was that mushroom, although most of the others think she's either making it up or just had a strange dream.