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.

He looked at his reflection in the water. Jagged bones, a menacing skull, glowing red eyes. Rabid, dangerous, feared. And he should be. No one dared enter the woods, his woods, filled with skeletal trees. If they did they would never leave, their bones joining the growing piles that littered the ground. Skull made sure of that, even if he had to drag them screaming to their death. Anyway, food was too scarce to come by.

He hadn't asked for the consequences. Being feared came with a price. He would never have a mate. At first it didn't matter, but even the most twisted creature can still feel loneliness. And Skull knew that it was his own fault. Chipped bones, horrid scars, a terrible reputation. Ugly, foul, worthless...

He growled, slashing at his reflection. But it just came back, as it always would. He would always be feared, would always be seen as evil. There was nothing he could do. No one would pity the monster; no one would pity the lonely monster who realized he was worthless.