Shadow Walkers are a strange breed that possess the ability to slip between the planes of reality, becoming immaterial. This allows them to hide in the shadows, either hunting from the concealment of near invisibility or evading enemies. Though they become corporeal to mate or to eat, they spend most of the rest of their lives walking in the shadows. Shadow Walkers are wary creatures, though on dark autumn evenings when the leaves fall to swirl in the chill, rain damp air, they may be seen drifting out from the shadows.

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.

Koshikata and his mate, Shorai, serve as nighttime guardians for the Sylvain clan. When emissaries of the clan headed for trade meetings or alliance negotiations need to travel after dark, he and Shorai accompany them to their destination. Koshi is in charge of watching over the individuals being escorted, and possesses a heightened sense of vision, which he uses to carefully observe the travelers' immediate surroundings. When not acting as part of a clan convoy, Koshi enjoys searching for fruit at night, priding himself for being able to pick out ripe fruit even in complete darkness.