Black Marrows are named for their dark colored hides which are encased in a distinct exoskeleton. Their skull and the top edges of their spine push out from under the skin as they age. As such, their young need excessive amounts of calcium for this armor to develop. The older a Black Marrow dragon is, the more skeletal their appearance. They often use their skeletal looks to lure in foolish scavengers or terrify predators. These vicious dragons love nothing more than to crack open bones with their stony beaks and eat the marrow inside. Voracious scavengers, Black Marrows will swarm and devour corpses both old and fresh, sometimes even dragging larger finds to the water to allow them to “ripen.” Despite their dreadful demeanour and often horrid stench, Black Marrows are devoted mates and parents.

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.

Bone knows he has a frightening appearance; he just wishes it didn't matter so much to the other dragons. His breed's reputation is that of vicious, horrible monsters, but Bone feels this has been greatly exaggerated. He does love the taste of marrow, yes, but he only takes his treats from things already dead. Bone is quite shy, and has the added disadvantage of looking like the boogeydragon hatchlings are warned about by their mothers. He's managed to capitalize on this resemblance, however—a few bold parents, knowing Bone does not eat fresh meat, have approached him about scaring some sense into their overly adventurous hatchlings. Bone waits inside his lair, and when the mischievous hatchling wanders away from its parent, he begins his work. Afterward, he is paid well in fresh kills by the grateful parents. Bone would never harm a young dragon, of course, and he knows the plan is for the hatchling's own good. He may have a soul of bone, but he has a heart of gold.