It was previously believed that purple dragons were exclusively female, but this is not the case. Recent environmental shifts have revealed the existence of both genders of this breed. Female behavior is well known; they are primarily herbivores but will eat meat during mating season. On the other hand, very little is known about the behavior and habits of male purple dragons.

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.

Asthena's name derives from the name 'Athena', who is the greek goddess of wisdom, war, the arts, industry, justice and skill. As such, she can be harsh when it comes to justice, and is the 'brains' behind Thunder-Bird's army. She is incredibly strategic, going as far as to plan all possible outcomes of something. That is, she will know the future of nearly any war, not by future-sight, but by careful, almost-obsessive planning. That said, she enjoys sitting alone on cliffs on cloudy days, and her favorite foods are bananas, strawberries, apples, and pineapple. The occasional avocado and tomato sneaks into her diet, along with chicken.