Black Dragons are warriors. They are strong and capable in battles of force, but also ample magic users, capable of devastating opponents with their spells. Their bright eyes give them excellent night vision, which is why they generally hunt during the night.

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.

Nightspike is one of Phoenix's dragons. His mother and father are Molybdenumwing and Tinselfrost, who were quite surprised when they saw his very strange egg. It was indeed black, but when it moved, colors shifted along it like that of oil. No one knew what kind of dragon it was, but Phoenix certainly did. She made sure it was taken care of without delay. When Nightspike hatched, he looked around, saw his siblings, gave a quick leap, and gave his oldest brother a firm bite on the tail. Everyone saw he was a born warrior, and Molybdenumwing, who was also a warrior and knew one when he saw one, took it into his own claws to train Nightspike. Now Nightspike is one of the best warriors around, although his own father, Rageslash, and Night-talon are at the top. His mate is Minteye, a tiny mint dragon that somehow decided she trusted him above everyone else.