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.

Ashpey is quite a morbid young dragon. He takes his special interest in death seriously, allowing no dragon to make fun of him for it, for they often end up dead. Ashpey's aggressive way of protecting himself caused him to become aloof and somewhat bashful around other dragons. One of the few dragons he has ever seen associating with is Scadams, a Gray Dragon who also has an unusual interest in gruesome subjects. He and Scadams are often seen looking for things to kill together, but they avoid each other otherwise. In spite of Ashpey's grisly behavior, he strongly denies being a sadist, as he always says that his interest in death is, well, a mere interest, not a sordid passion.