Dragons are creatures with nearly unlimited life spans. They can survive for long periods of time, and no one has found a dragon that has died of old age. Adolescence 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. Once they hit adolescence, hatchlings change quickly, maturing to their full forms in only 2 years.

Dragons don't communicate with each other verbally, but they will growl to scare off predators and frighten prey. Young dragons will emit an extremely high-pitched squeal when they are frightened. To communicate, they use telepathy with each other and to speak to other creatures.

Purple dragons are one of the few all-female breeds of dragons. Their bright colors make them easy to spot during dragon mating season. They are primarily herbivores, but eat meat during mating season when it is brought to them by a mate. Mating seasons occur once every 200 years and can last up to 2 years.

Akoko was raised mostly by Adine when her egg was found, a surrogate of Adine's own lost egg. It shows in her nature. She has none of her surrogate mother's rough outer layers, only the inner layers of kindness. She is submissive to the wills of her elders, happily going about her duties. Her duties are to be lairmother to the eggs and hatchlings collected or birthed, and she is delighted to be of service. With Alaunus to help, she takes great care of all the lair's young, wishing wistfully for some of her own. She is greatly taken with Alaunus, and offended that Syrieth snubbed him once. However, now that young Ermir has grown up, she has found the one who would protect her no matter what and while Alaunus is her best friend, Ermir is her heart.