Nightshade

Age
 Status
 Gender
 Species
 Type
 Element(s)
 Skill level
 Civil status
 Dark army status
Messenger (Secondary task)
 Intelligence
 Can speak?

Despite being a normal darker, **Nightshade** causes a lot of trouble, not only because his presence keeps the dragons from using their elemental powers, but also because it helps other darkers to heal and have a power boost.

## Personality & Character

Nightshade is eccentric, eloquent and - though he doesn't appear so on the surface - psychopathic. He can always be seen smiling or grinning, a wicked split in his jaws that grows wider once he has chosen his target. Despite this vicious nature, Nightshade tends to act and speak with refinement and sophistication. Even his threats and insults are shrouded in a cloud of cultured words.

## Skills & abilities

### Crystal Barrier

Nightshade likes to weave a barrier of crystal around him when he sleeps, keeping himself safe. It is not uncommon to find lesser Darkers "nesting" around his crystal shell when he wakes. Once he flies away, the shell loses power and the crystals crumble and darken, turning to dust. The lesser Darkers usually follow him afterward, seeking more dark energy.

### Crystal Breath

He can also breathe out a cloud of fine, granulated crystal dust. This dust is inhaled by his victims and reacts to the moisture inside their lungs, violently. The dust contains tiny fragments of his dark crystals, and once inside the target, the shards absorb the moisture and expand into their full crystal form. This consequently causes the crystals to puncture the lungs, causing internal bleeding or suffocation. It is not uncommon to see his opponents plummet from the sky, or collapse onto the ground with dark red crystals erupting out of their sides. He can use this breath to "herd" dragons towards his allies, or to chase them in a specific direction. Nightshade is immune to his own dust.

### Crystal Resonation

He can jab crystals into his victims and then make them resonate. He slowly increases the natural frequency rate of the shards, until the crystals vibrate so rapidly that they tear apart the flesh and muscle around them. He can effectively dismember something without his claws ever actually doing any damage.

### Energy Restorer

He can be seen in battle - hovering a distance away from the action - acting as a power refueling station for his allies. Other Darkers will fly close by, absorbing power from his fused crystals. This has also driven some Darkers to develop an urge to keep him alive. Do not be fooled, this urge was not born out of gratitude or friendship. The others care only for his crystals, and if he dies, the crystals are left without a host and will "die" as well.

### Scythe Master

He also loves ripping things to shreds with his sickle-shaped hind claws. One of his most common tactics is to swoop low, then flare his wings out behind him like as a brake, while lashing out viciously with his hind legs.

### Crystal Corruption

Nightshade can taint the physical structure of a crystal cluster, forcing it to adopt the same crystalline structure as his own crystals. Once the change is complete, he can command these new dark crystals as he would his own. The new dark clusters take a few hours to start radiating their signature dark energy.

Nightshade senses an extremely powerful gem cluster in the wastelands surrounding Warfang. So far, all his attempts to find it have been met with failure.

## Weaknesses

Elemental light.

His own fused crystals. Due to their close bond, if all of Nightshade's crystals are completely shattered or torn from his neck, his body will turn stiff - as he goes into shock - then collapse, becoming paralyzed.

## Backstory

Nightshade was lucky enough to have been born close to a cluster of dark crystals. The dark energy accelerated his already rapid growth, allowing him to quickly outmatch any potential predators. They also had a strange interaction with his crystal element. Possessed by a strange and overwhelming urge, Nightshade consumed the cluster once he became large enough to do so. This allowed the crystals to form a symbiotic relationship with him, fusing to his spine and eventually protruding from his scales. They gained a host to grow from, and in return, the crystals empower him, giving him a natural advantage against his foes. The fused crystals had an affect on his mind as well, allowing him to form a mental link with other crystals. He uses this link to find crystal nodes.

He is currently attempting to find additional ways to corrupt various crystal clusters, transforming them into dark crystals he can command. Thus far he has been able to darken sapphire, quartz, topaz, and emerald.

Nightshade prides himself on being able to act as a messenger, conveying orders to and from Alpha and other Beta Darkers.

## Gallery

The crystalline symbiosis has spread to other numerous locations across his body. It is becoming more difficult to tell where the crystals end, and the dragon beginsCan someone please get this boy a breath mint?Ready to start the day with a little mayhemUpdated reference sheetCaught in the act of killingHis smile; akin to staring down the barrel of a gunNightshade performing his dutiesOld reference sheet
## Notes

* Nightshade appears to enjoy the concept of music, as he frequently taps the ground with his scythe-claws to unusual beats. He can also be found tapping summoned crystals with his claws, producing a surprisingly beautiful crystalline sound;

* He eats in an unusual manner, carefully slicing his meat, sticking a single piece on his claw, inspecting it, then delicately chewing it. Almost as if he is practicing the art of high class dining;
* Nightshade is subtly flirtatious towards females of intense power or intelligence;
* Nightshade possesses a plush leather messenger bag and hat. He took the items off a courier dragon he killed shortly after the Third Dark War started. He sleeps on them and likes to carry various objects around in the bag. The objects range from anything to rocks, to bones, to crystals. What he does with these items is unknown;

* Nightshade assumes that the Dark Masters influenced him through the crystals nearby his hatching site, encouraging him to consume them, and setting him on his path to power. This of course, is highly unlikly as the Dark Masters do not interact with their underlings.