Vampire Dragons are members of the undead. They sustain themselves by drinking the blood of others. It is said that they are only “alive” at night, and seem dead or asleep during the day, as they cannot endure sunlight for long periods of time. Vampire Dragons can only reproduce by changing the eggs of other dragons, puncturing the shell with their fangs and injecting venom that kills the baby inside.

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.

The Blood War began when five Vampire clans started a dispute dating back to the Drought of Blood. X is the leader of the Darkblood clan. Her egg was that of a Fever wyvern before it was bitten, and for some strange reason, the pathogens similar to those of a Fever wyvern made their way through her body. This has left her scarred and comparatively feeble compared to the other clan leaders, but she is no less feared. She passes the pathogens to everything she bites, spreading them. A bite from a Darkblood for humans results in a mysterious disease known informally as Darkblood's disease. It begins only with a fever. Slowly, over several days, the skin will flush red. If the blood is collected and studied, it will be ink black. On the last day, the affected human will grow fangs and wings, and may become a human or a dragon vampire. X herself prefers the taste of human blood, but will resort to biting dragon eggs if she is very hungry.