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.

Shadowbone, while still a hatchling, would never leave the shadows of the cave. A year after she hatched, she was attacked by a confused dragon owned by another human, which caused a bone on her left leg to shatter, and yet she still would not leave the shadows. A week later, her leg recovered, but by unknown means, since her leg was expected to heal in two months. It is said that a shadow spirit helped Shadowbone, due to her dedication to never leaving the shadows, hence her name, Shadowbone.