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.

Smalaine is just a little younger than the vampire clan's leader, but despite being the second oldest, she has always been forgotten. Due to being weaker than others, she has always lived in the shadow of the leader and her first counselor. They have never left Smalaine a chance to raise any of her descendants, either teasing her until she accidentally broke the egg or stealing the bitten egg from her. Because of this treatment, Smalaine has left the vampire clan recently, alongside another vampire, Bela Lugosi.