Ylanda was an Ysandir, and thus was an ancient immortal being who inhabited the Black City of the Great Southern Desert in Tortall. By 432 HE, Ylanda and her clan were nearly two thousand years old. Ylanda was presumably from the Ianto clan of Ysandir, the clan that warred with a rival dragon family. By the 400s HE, the Ysandir are greatly diminished, due to the Bazhir keeping their children from going to the Black City in order to be fed upon. She and the other leader Ylon were defeated by Prince Jonathan and Alanna of Trebond with the help of the Great Mother Goddess.