Blacktip Dragons are a small, shore-dwelling breed that tend to nest on sheer ocean side cliffs. They live in groups under a dominant female, who prevents her subordinates from breeding. During the mating season, a group of Blacktips can be very noisy and smelly indeed; males produce a distinctive musky odor and loud, low-pitched honking noises in an attempt to woo the alpha female.

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.

As a female Blacktip, Onyx feels on an instinctive level she should be in charge among the dragons. Though she defers to her caretaker, easily overlooked because she is not a dragon, the fact that she grew up under Van's unquestioned leadership leaves her feeling as if something isn't right. She knows what she wants but doesn't consciously realize why that is, and it leaves her mood low quite often. She's all for pursuing what she wants, but doesn't want to be seen as a potential traitor the way her vampiric scrollmate Kinme is. She seeks compromise in pursuing Van as a mate, hoping to at least share equal power with him, and to find comfort in his friendly nature.