Avatars of Destruction possess a volatile disposition. They thrive on chaos and decay, and their horns and plated scales are as hard as forged metal. Because of their affinity with darkness and the destructive forces of nature, it was once thought that these dragons were omens of ill fortune.

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.

When Viper was a hatchling she was very destructive and difficult, nipping at her caretakers and snapping insults one would not believe came out of an infant's mouth. This displeased the cave's Queen, who, when the Avatar matured, appointed her a nanny as punishment for her nasty childhood behavior.

Viper is still unfriendly and troublesome, and her job as hatchling-sitter has not calmed her in the least. Some dragons fear that she will harm the scroll's young, but as long as Doomer continues to live and breed there will always be a guard in the nursery to watch over the young Avatar and the hatchlings.

She does not enjoy her job, and the only thing close to pleasure she gets out of it is toying with the young she is supposed to care for. Playing a rough game of wrestling or "hide-and-never-seek" have become routine for Viper, and all dragons who are younger than her have experienced these games sometime in their lives.