Dorsal Dragons are so named because they have large fins along their backs that can be raised and lowered at will. They use these fins to regulate body temperature; they raise them to cool off when they become overheated. The bright colors on the fins double as a means of attracting mates.

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.

Nyghtfin is a stoic, aloof, suspicious and rather small Dorsal dragon. Her wing-fins reflect her mood: stiff and upright when she is offended, drooping slightly when she is reluctant, stretched when she is in earnest about something, the list is endless and the variations slight. She and her huge mate, Shield Skirata, are good friends with the other dark dragons: Mornyn, Evenyn, Grengoriar, and their sidekick Daestyrn. They have even formed a small tribe amongst themselves, with a name no one else knows of but is referred to as the Dark Tribe.