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.

Olinbar is Highrock Weyr's leader and sole hunter—no other dragons remain who are strong enough to bring down prey.  As a last-ditch effort to save his weyr from the steady encroachment of humans, he ordered Curnsaro to close Highrock's boundaries, and he's also imposed a strict isolation policy, killing anyone—human or dragon—who ventures near Highrock.  Olinbar only spared Kazara because he realized his weyr badly needed a healer.  Highrock's only chance for survival is to reopen its boundaries to the outside world, and on some level Olinbar realizes this.  However, Kazara's best efforts haven't yet persuaded him to tell Curnsaro to bring down the shields keeping Highrock isolated.