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.

Black dragons are warriors. They are strong and capable in battles of force, but also ample magic users, capable of devastating opponents with their spells. Their bright eyes give them excellent night vision, which is why they generally hunt during the night.

One of the primary hunters for the weyr, Lord of Blood is a voracious predator whose lust for the kill can sometimes keep him from bringing any actual food back to his weyrmates.  The hatchlings learn very quickly to keep out from under his rust-red claws, which he grinds sharp every night on the stones of the weyr.  His mate, the white Lady Of Words Of Power, has tried using her magics on him to keep his mind from going wild in the pursuit of prey, but has yet to bring him fully under her control.