Vampire Dragons are members of the undead. They sustain themselves by drinking the blood of others. It is said that they are only “alive” at night, and seem dead or asleep during the day, as they cannot endure sunlight for long periods of time. Vampire Dragons can only reproduce by changing the eggs of other dragons, puncturing the shell with their fangs and injecting venom that kills the baby inside.

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.

Zelkora was the result of Olinbar's deal with Alkan Bloodfang—a good meal in exchange for biting one of Highrock Weyr's eggs.  Olinbar had planned to use her to build a vampire army to attack the steadily encroaching human settlements, but thanks in part to her white dragon heritage and the heavy influence of her mother, Zelkora developed her own ideas.  While she was perfectly happy to help hunt and would certainly bite the occasional egg, Zelkora was smart enough to realize the end result of sending a pack of vampires to attack the nearby towns.  Instead, she encouraged any vampires she created to leave once grown and seek their own paths.  Olinbar didn't like her decision, of course, but was reluctant to challenge a full-grown vampire (and had too much honor to attack her during the day).