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.

When he hatched, Brent was frail and prone to sickness. He was left in the care of Mitiki the healer and her human friend, a fisherman named Zane Johon.

Every night, the timid hatchling would sit in a shadowy corner of Johon's small cabin and listen as the old man told tales of perilous explorations, brazen heroes roaming the oceans and long-lost treasures. As the stories unfolded, he would forget his shyness and sneak closer and closer to the sailor's chair, round-eyed with wonder.

During his first Great Pumpkin Feast and to his utter delight, he had the opportunity to dress up as a pirate. Although his intrinsic reserve prevented him from fully personifying such a bold role, he nevertheless created an elaborate costume with Johon's help and enjoyed himself immensely.

To this day, Brent is still fascinated by pirates and remembers fondly Zane's stories. His den, which he refers to as his 'ship', is located close to the sea, near the ruins of the little house where he grew up.