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.

Legend in the weyr has it that Grizraz Hearteater was born from the bones of the earth, his egg buried deep within the crypts of the dead. All that is known is the wretched, naked little hatchling, bones jutting out of his blackening skin, crawled into weyr territory one Hallow's Eve. Despite the repulse of most of the dragons, Amaranthe, the Matriach, demanded the hatchling be put into her care. Most thought he was dying, but Grizraz grew and grew, feasting on the bones of long devoured prey. To this day most dragons fear and avoid Grizraz, now large and skeletal with glossy black and burgundy hide, but he surprisingly found a mate in the beautiful hellfire Infernal Hills. Together they have had a large brood of eggs which continues to grow, and more of Grizraz's kind have joined the weyr. He is a devoted mate to Infernal, despite his general hatred for everyone and everything else.