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.

Malignant is not her real name; her real name is unknown, for she disposed of it when she joined the Clan of Darkness. She was taken in by Khymal, who found her injured and weak from an encounter with not-quite-dead dragon. Rather than preying upon her, Khymal nursed her back to health. Malignant is now entirely devoted to him and the clan, not only because he saved her life but because she now has a purpose and place in life as a provider for the clan.

Like all others in the clan, she was given his name only after being with the clan for some time and showing her true self and personality. Black Marrows have strong immune systems, allowing them to eat rotting corpses without ill effect. Besides having a strong immune system, Malignant also acts as a carrier, transporting a host of virulent diseases without becoming sick herself. Living in a clan of her kin, she is not outcast because of her ability; rather, she is revered, as wherever she goes an abundance of corpses will crop up.