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.

Osew was always a head-strong hatchling, and that wasn't something that changed as she got older. She rejected her parents' advice, and would always do the exact opposite of what they, or any adult, told her. Even when she had grown up, most adults she trusted were urging her to pick Inan as a mate, but she went against everyone's wishes and chose Archean, who was as old as her father. In this particular choice, she turned out right, but there were many instances where it would have been best if she had just followed the advice of her elders.