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.

Baneful is not her real name; her real name is unknown, for she disposed of it when she joined the Clan of Darkness. She joined the Clan hoping that she would gain knowledge and power, as she believed Khymal's prophecy and found him highly intelligent and powerful. She is ambitious, a thorn in Insidious' side; for while she craves power, she does not want the responsibilities it entails. Baneful's internal conflict has left her bitter and sharp, indecisive and unknowing.

Like all others in the clan, Baneful was given her name only after being with the clan for some time and showing her true self and personality. A schemer, she prefers to act as a stealthy assassin rather than to fight, her cunning and knowledge of natural toxins aiding her greatly. Her knowledge was gained through experimentation on other dragons, something that has swelled her reputation and made her shunned in parts of the world. If anything, she is pleased at this, as she revels in the fear of others.