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.

Gray dragons are the masters of the skies. They are excellent fliers and land only to rest and eat. In addition, they have full control of the weather. They are very hot-tempered and easily angered. They will attack any human that bothers them, conjuring strong winds and dangerous lightning.

Windblast's favorite sport is pitting herself against the coldest and strongest winds of the high atmosphere. She has yet to win such a match, but continues to try. In trying she has trained herself to handle cold and winds to a high degree. Even on the hottest days of summer she can summon a freezing sleet that will freeze animals where they stand and turn them into ice-coated statues. (At least she can at the northern latitudes where Ferwe Weyr is located.) She has a vicious temper and will bear no insult to her weyr. She also can't stand flattery. Talking to Windblast requires some thought and practice if she is not to lose her temper.