Shadow Crystal

These unearthly crystals grow from a Shadow Seed, a hardened physical form created when one or more dying Nictus fuse and solidify themselves in the presence of rare earth minerals. Shadow Crystals project a field that allows Nictus to survive for extended periods without a host even on a planet's surface. The Crystals also act like wormholes, allowing Nictus to travel instantly from one crystal to another on a planet, and if allowed to swell in size to become a Cyst, can even cross interstellar distances. If allowed to grow in the right conditions, a Shadow Cyst can flood a world with Nictus.