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.

Lord Harkon is both sadistic and tricky, willing to lie and cheat in order to get his way. He is of the belief that Vampire dragons are superior to all others and has insane plans to 'blot out the sun' so that his kind can wander outside without fearing the 'tyranny of the sun.' Only a few of the other Vampire dragons actually believe in this, but his own daughter, Serana, rejects this idea. He is at odds with his daughter and never seems to understand why she is so stand-offish and cold towards him.