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.

Namigin will eventually be responsible for naming every newly-hatched creature in her weyr, from dragons, drakes, and dinosaurs down to the chickens many dragons keep as pets. She knows it's a tremendous responsibility and has heard all of the stories of dragons who had to go through life with names like SpiderGetItOffMe, Red Dragon, or Stalactite because their namer got distracted or had their mind go blank at a crucial moment. Determined not to be one of those namers, Namigin prepares for her upcoming responsibility by asking weyrmates to give her some random theme, such as a letter, a place, or a type of food. If she can't come up with at least twelve reasonable names that are in some way related to that theme, then she knows she needs more practice.