Nocturne Dragons are a strange breed. Whenever light strikes their bodies, they are frozen in whatever position they were in. This leaves them vulnerable and they rely on camouflage to keep themselves safe. They are often mistaken for statues when in this frozen state, but Nocturne dragons do not actually turn into stone. Rather, they merely idle until the sun goes down. At night, these dragons come to life, proving themselves to be powerful fliers, although little else is known about their true behavior.

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.

Life's not fair—that is what Xeiv understands best. Through no fault of her own, though some trick of genetics, she is denied sunlight. Sunlight, and the life of the day that goes with it: the blooming of morning glory, the sociality of the mostly diurnal members of the Flight, the feeling of warm sun on a cold winter day. She spends half her life trapped as unfeeling stone. As a result, she's a very bitter and morose dragoness; she long ago gave up trying to defy what she sees as fate's allotment for her, and so instead of going out and meeting dragons on her own, she will sit and watch the night sky.

This doesn't mean everyone around her has given up on her. When she goes somewhere, or meets someone, it's usually because she's being forcibly dragged by Exex. The Vampire shares nighttime with Xeiv, but is determined to get the Nocturne to enjoy the world she's trapped in. Xeiv lets her—she doesn't think it will change anything, but she's secretly glad to have a best friend.