Eragon Shadeslayer
From Inheriwiki, the ever-growing Inheritance database
 | |
| Eragon Shadeslayer | |
|---|---|
| Biographical information | |
| Born | 15 BBRW |
| Died | Unknown |
| Physical description | |
| Species | Human |
| Gender | Male |
| Height | Unknown |
| Hair Color | Brown |
| Eye Color | Brown |
| Chronological and political information | |
| Affiliation | Dragon Riders, Varden, Dwarves, Elves, Dragons |
| Dragon | Saphira |
| Known teachers | Brom, Oromis |
| This article or section is about Eragon Shadeslayer. You may be looking for Eragon I. |
Eragon Shadeslayer, or Eragon Argetlam, was a male human, the first in a new generation of Dragon Riders. He was trained by Brom and Oromis, and was chosen by Saphira, a blue dragon, as her Rider.
Eragon grew up as an orphan, without any real knowledge of his parentage except his mother's name, Selena, but later discovered that he possessed magical abilities and was destined to fight the forces of evil, headed by King Galbatorix. At the Battle of The Burning Plains, he met Murtagh, his one-time friend and ally, who turned out to be his brother and the son of the notorious Forsworn, Morzan.
Despite the immense age gap that separated them, Eragon was enamored of the elf princess Arya. The romantic tension between them was a focal point throughout many of his adventures, though Arya, for the most part, rejected his advances.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Early Life
For the first fifteen years of his life, Eragon lived on a farm in the small village of Carvahall. His mother, Selena, had vanished soon after he was born, and he did not know the identity of his father. Selena left him in the care of her brother, Garrow, and Garrow's wife, Marian. Marian apparently told Eragon shortly before she died that she and Garrow were not his real parents.
Brom often told him stories of the Dragons and Dragon Riders from the past, and of how King Galbatorix came into power. If the Empire knew that Brom recited the story, they would "silence" him.
[edit] Finding Saphira's egg
- "Besides, I found something that could be worth some money."
"When the traders come, we'll find out what it's worth. Selling it is probably the best thing to do. The less we're involved in magic, the better..." - — Eragon and Garrow
Eragon went on many hunts, and in 0 BBRW, his target, a small deer, led him to the Spine, an untamed range of mountains near Carvahall which most others feared. Eragon did not fear it, however, and was the only hunter near Carvhall who dared enter it.
When he was about to string his bow, an explosion shattered the silence and sent the deer bolting. Eragon attmepted to run after the fleeing deer, but he turned back to see that where the explosion of light there had been, there was now a cold blue stone.
Cautiously, he picked it up and decided that he would be able to sell it for food. After two days, he reached Carvahall and attempted to sell it to a butcher named Sloan, who at first thought he had come to buy meat. Sloan was interested in the stone, but because Eragon did not know how much it was worth, he told him he would only give him three crowns for it unless if he could find its value from a trader. Though it was a miser's bargain—Eragon thought it to be ten times that—the traders only came to Carvahall in spring and winter, and so he accepted the butcher's offer.
However, after learning where the stone came from, Sloan was furious and said that he would not deal with anything that came from the Spine. The two came close to blows. A smith named Horst, hearing the hubbub, entered and asked Sloan what he had done now. The butcher claimed that Eragon had come in and starting pestering him and would not leave when asked, but after hearing the true story from Eragon, Horst dealt with Sloan himself and bought food for Eragon with his own money. Eragon thanked Horst and said he would work for him in the spring.
He returned to his uncle's farm and showed the blue stone to Garrow. His uncle explained why Sloan had been so angry: his wife, Ismira, had went over the Igualda Falls the previous year.
[edit] Traders
Nine days after Eragon's return, a vicious blizzard settled over the valley. Eragon became worried that the traders would not come this year. Eight days later, his cousin Roran said that the traders had not yet come. Desparate, Eragon found food prints on the road that night, which confirmed the traders' arrival.
Eragon, Roran, and Garrow arrived in Carvahall the next day, where the drays had gathered, and showed the stone to a trader named Merlock. After he examined it, he, like Eragon, said that he did not know its value, and that whoever had shaped it had used tools he had never seen before—or magic. Eragon and Garrow were also shocked to hear that it was hallow. Again, Eragon asked what its worth was. Merlock was unable to say, but he knew others outside of Carvahall would pay much for it.
Additionally, he told them of news of the Urgals passing through populated areas. Whole villages had been forced to move because Urgals had destroyed their fields. Worst of all, there were reports of the apperance of a Shade.
Later, at the Seven Sheaves, two traders who speaking about the "good" of the Empire. Others started to agree, but the two traders had no answer when Eragon asked them for proof, except that it was "common sense". This started an uproar in the tavern.
[edit] The egg hatches
Eragon kept the "stone" for himself, and was shocked when it hatched a female dragon. He touched her with his palm, leaving him with the gedwëy ignasia, the mark of a Dragon Rider.
Because any reminders of the era of the Dragon Riders were outlawed in the Empire, Eragon raised the dragon in secret, torn between his delight with his new companion and his fear of what might happen should the Empire discover what had occurred. He eventually resolved to keep her, and built a home for her high in the branches of a tree. After consulting with Brom, the village story-teller, as to a good name for a dragon (without telling him of his dragon), he named her Saphira. For a while, he managed to keep her hidden, but when Saphira and her appetite continued to grow, he realized he would not be able to keep her existence a secret much longer.
Things were going fine until two menacing, hooded beings of immense power, the Ra'zac, came to Carvahall, searching for the dragon egg. Sometime after being warned about the strangers, Brom saved Eragon from them, but also (unknown to Eragon at the time) comfirming that Eragon was indeed a Rider, after twisting Eragon's wrist up, revealing the gedwëy ignasia. Saphira, now able to mentally communicate her thoughts, forced Eragon to flee with her, while the Ra'zac destroyed Eragon's farm (though it is never seen destroyed) and wounded Garrow who then died a short while after.
When Eragon first rode on Saphira, he suffered terrible wounds from her scales, which scraped his legs so badly that it ripped open the skin, making him bleed horribly. If he had known it beforehand, he would've put on a saddle.
[edit] Dragon Rider
[edit] Quest for Vengeance
Eragon, Saphira, and the cryptic story-teller Brom resolved to hunt down the Ra'zac and avenge Garrow. As they travelled, Brom taught Eragon swordsmanship and more about the history of the Dragon Riders. To his surprise, Eragon learned that he was named after the very first Dragon Rider, Eragon I.
While traveling around Utgard towards Yazuac, Brom used magic to light a fire, making it seem like a curse. This is found out by Eragon (next paragraph), after he used the same spell to save himself from Urgals.
When he later tried to defend himself and Brom, from an Urgal ambush in Yazuac, he discovered that he was able to use magic. Questioning Brom about it, he learned that all Dragon Riders possess magical abilities, and Brom subsequently took it upon himself to instruct Eragon in the proper use of the talent.
After a while, they lost the Ra'zac's trail, but were able to track the Seithr oil, the substance used by the Ra'zac to kill Garrow, to the port city of Teirm. With the assistance of Brom's close friend Jeod, they used the annals in the city's record room to discover that the Ra'zac were located in Helgrind.
During there stay in Teirm, Eragon learned to read and write - abilities which Garrow had considered unnecessary - and also to scry. He eavesdropped on a conversation between Brom and Jeod via magic. To his surprise, he learned that both men were members of the Varden, a rebel group that opposed the rule of King Galbatorix.
He visited a shop owned by Angela, a herbalist and witch. He met an intelligent and cryptic werecat named Solembum with her. She told his fortune, revealing that he would have a long lifespan, that the great powers of the land would struggle to control him, that he would fall in love with a lady of noble birth, that he would leave Alagaësia forever, and that he would face betrayal from within his own family. Afterwards, Solembum told him in cryptic words that, when he was in need of a weapon, to look under the roots of the Menoa Tree; and to speak his name at the Rock of Kuthian and open the Vault of Souls when his power was insignificant.
On the way to Hellgrind, Eragon saw a beautiful maiden in a dream. He confronted Brom about it and wondered if he had scried her in his dreams, later though Arya told him she was reaching out for help and felt a familar mind and thus was his dream. He saw that she was in a prison, and, spellbound by her beauty, decided to check the prison in each town they passed along the way in search of her. She continued appearing in his dreams for some time.
Outside of Helgrind, Eragon and his companions were ambushed by the Ra'zac. They were rescued by a mysterious man named Murtagh, but not before Brom was fatally wounded by a Ra'zac dagger. Brom died shortly afterwards, after revealing to Eragon that he was once a Rider. Brom was laid to rest, and Saphira used her magic to turn the tomb to diamond. Eragon and Saphira resolved to travel with Murtagh in search of the hidden Varden. They set out for Gil'ead, hoping to find a contact who can lead them to the Varden.
At Gil'ead, Urgals under the command of Durza captured Eragon and imprisoned him in the same prison where the maiden, an elf, was being held. Murtagh and Saphira staged a daring rescue but found Eragon had already escaped his cell. Eragon, Saphira, and Murtagh were confronted by Durza. The struggle ended when Murtagh hit Durza with an arrow to the head, causing the shade to be temporarily disembodied. Eragon insisted on rescuing the elf, as well. She remained unconscious throughout their journey to the beor mountains. After reaching the Beor mountains he grew worried, And reached out mentally to her and was able to converse with her. She revealed to him that her name was Arya, and gave him the location of the Varden. She told him that they must reach the Varden if she was to survive, for she had been poisoned in prison, and would die without being cured.
[edit] Journey to the Varden
Eragon, Saphira, Murtagh, and Arya crossed the Hadarac Desert, racing to reach Farthen Dûr, the Dwarven mountains that housed the Varden, in time to save Arya. Along the way, they were pursued by a small army of elite Urgals, the Kull. Before they reached Farthen Dûr, Murtagh, who had been reluctant to go to the Varden all along, revealed that he was the son of Morzan, first and last of the Forsworn. The Kull force the group to flee the place where they were resting, and Farthen Dûr opened to allow the group in. Ajihad, leader of the Varden, imprisoned Murtagh when Ajihad learned of Muragh's heritage. Arya was treated for her injuries; Eragon and Saphira were welcomed to Tronjheim, the dwarven city of Farthen Dûr.
Eragon was introduced both to Ajihad and to Hrothgar, the King of the Dwarves. he also met up again with Angela and Solembum. Ajihad wished to send Eragon to Ellesméra to complete his training; therefore, two magicians known as the Twins assessed his magic abilities. The Twins were cruel to Eragon, and attempted to use him to further their knowledge of the Ancient Language. A fully-healed Arya intervened, however, and took the task of assessing Eragon upon herself, sparring with him. Eragon, although being soundly defeated, passed the test in Arya's eyes.
The Varden respected and even revered Eragon. Soon after he arrived in Tronjheim, he was approached by an elderly woman and an orphaned child, Elva, who was the woman's charge. The woman asked Eragon's blessing upon Elva, which he gave readily, using the Ancient Language: Atra gülai un ilian tauthr ono un atra ono waíse skölir frá rauthr, which he thought meant, "Let luck and happiness follow you and may you be shielded from misfortune." But Eragon did not know that he said that she may be a "shield" from misfortune, he thought he had said "shielded". Saphira gave the child her own special gift: a silver star, similar to Eragon's gedwey ignasia, on her forehead. Saphira told Eragon that the child would have a significant future.
Not long after, war became imminent. Ajihad informed Saphira and Eragon of an impending threat: an intercepted message revealed that a legion of Urgals and Kull were marching steadily towards the Varden through the tunnels under the mountain range.
In the battle that followed, a seemingly endless tide of Urgals seemed poised to take the fortress. Within Tronjheim, Eragon was confronted once again by the menacing Shade, Durza. Eragon was greatly outmatched by the Shade, but, thanks to a sudden distraction from Saphira and Arya, Durza's attention was diverted long enough for Eragon to thrust him through the heart. Eragon paid a terrible price for his deed: he was wounded on the back, and the scar would trouble him greatly over the course of the next few months.
Following Durza's demise, the controlling link the Shade held on the Urgal's minds snapped, causing the remainder of them to flee and fight among eachother. Eragon fainted and was tended to by healers; he was watched over by mental presence of the Mourning Sage/The Cripple Who Is Whole which in Ancient Language is 'Togira Ikonoka, who urged him to follow Arya to Ellesméra, the capital of the Elves to finish his training.
[edit] Rider War
[edit] North to Ellesméra
Eragon decided to accept the advice of the Mourning Sage, and, accompanied by Orik and Arya, traveled northward through eastern Alagaësia to Ellesméra, in order to complete his training as a Rider. Before the set off Orik had a gift from the king, he said that the king offered to adopt him in his own clanDûrgrimst Ingeitum, the name of the clan of the family of Hrothgar (the King of the Dwarves). Eragon still donned the helmet and Orik helped him complete the ritual to make him a true member of the clan. This was the first time in history that a human would join a Dwarf Family, Eragon, Saphira and even Arya thought it was needed to balance out control over Eragon. He met with Islanzadí, the Elven queen, and the enigmatic raven Blagden, who spouted riddles concerning Eragon's past and future. Eragon was surprised to learn that Arya was Islanzadí's daughter, and therefore heir to the elven throne.
[edit] The Training of a Rider
Eragon's training began almost at once. His instructor was an ancient Elvish Rider named Oromis, who had managed to prolong his life by means of countless tiny spells binding his weak body. Eragon's exercises with Oromis were frustrating at first, but gradually Eragon learned what it means to be a true Rider, guided by principles and making responsible choices, and came to understand that his "training" was an ongoing process that would last his entire life. He learned other things, as well, such as history, art, and politics. His knowledge of magic and the Ancient Language expanded tremendously.
To his horror, however, he learned from Oromis that he had cursed Elva instead of blessing her due to a mistake in his wording (having accidentally said "may you be a shield from misfortune", thus dooming her to constantly suffer from the hurts of others). He resolved to revoke the curse, although such a feat would require tremendous magical ability.
Eragon's training also honed his fighting skills. He developed an intense rivalry with an elf named Vanir, and their mutual dislike came to a head during their sparring sessions. Eragon was defeated multiple times, often suffering bouts of pain from the scar on his back. Whilst his skills in magic and fighting increased, he also discovered a new found respect for all kinds of life becoming a vegetarian like the elves.
Tutored by Oromis, Eragon composed a poem to present at the Blood-Oath Celebration, a traditional Elvish ceremony commemorating the pact between the Elves and the Dragons. During the festivities, as a magical gift from the Dragon race, Eragon was finally healed of his wound, and was physically transformed, acquiring the features and abilities of an Elf. Only after this transformation was he able to beat Vanir, breaking the elf's arm. The two made amends. After this transformation, Eragon was able to cast much more powerful magic, His vision, Strength and Speed all greatly increased and he was now as fit as the fittest elf in Alagaësia.
[edit] The Burning Plains
Upon scrying Nasuada he found that Galbatorix was mustering his army in order to attack the Varden in Surda, Eragon and Orik departed from Ellesméra and flew south on Saphira. They joined up with the combined forces of Surda and the Varden on The Burning Plains.
The Empire was over 100,000 strong and was soon pushing the varden back, though thankfully the Dwarves appeared and the battle went into the Vardens favor. Unexpectedly, another Rider appeared, mounted on a red dragon. Wearied by the battle, Eragon was easily outmatched and driven onto the ground with Saphira, though he managed to do some serious damage to the hamstring of the opposing dragon as he went down. He and his opponent then faced off with swords. Eragon recognized the other Rider's manner of fighting as Murtagh's. Eragon managed to pull off his opponent's helm, revealing Murtagh, who had been thought dead. Murtagh revealed that he had been taken to Urû'baen by the Twins, and, when the red Dragon, Thorn, had hatched for him, he had been forced to swear allegiance to Galbatorix in the Ancient Language. He also revealed that Galbatorix knew his true name, so was able to control him. His orders from Galbatorix were to try to capture Eragon and Saphira because she was the last female dragon in existence. Galbatorix needed her to fulfill his goal of rebuilding the order of the Riders. Murtagh decided to have mercy on them because of his and Eragons past, but he claimed Zar'roc as his own, and revealed another terrible truth: Eragon was Morzan's youngest son and Murtaghs brother.
Haunted by this turn of events, Eragon imparted his newfound knowledge to Roran, Nasuada, and Arya. He then agreed to aid Roran in rescuing Katrina from the clutches of the Ra'zac.
[edit] Appearance
Eragon was a human, originally with intense brown eyes and thick eyebrows. However, in the movie, he has blond hair and blue eyes. After being influenced by elvish magic at the Blood-Oath Celebration he attended in Ellesméra, however, he much more closely resembled an elf; his face became more angular, pale, and smooth, his eyes became slanted, and his ears became pointed. All blemishes on his body were healed. He did retain some human qualities, including thicker cheek bones and the need to shave. He also becomes the as fit as the fittest elf in Ellesméra. Eragon, being human originally, During the Blood-Oath Celebration Eragon had been given a great gift from the dragons, he was given the physical and mental attributes of an elf, and he was releaved of his curse placed upon him by the shade Durza.
[edit] Love interest
There are three likely choices for Eragon's love:
- Arya: see below.
- Nasuada: She is also only a year older than him, whereas Arya is over a hundred years old. She's a more likely candidate because she and Eragon were both humans while Arya was an elf although Eragon is now immortal.
- Trianna: When Trianna came to Eragon after the Battle of Farthen Dûr to offer him the position of leader in Du Vrangr Gata, she showed him her familiar (a snake). Eragon was apparently hypnotised by the snake and invited her to come to the kitchen with him. This meeting was then interupted by Saphira, who made it clear that she would not allow Eragon to be romantically involved with Trianna. It is unlikely they will end up together due to Saphira's dislike and the fact that she seemed upset over Eragon taking leadership of Du Vrangr Gata.
[edit] Real-world connections
[edit] Comparisons
[edit] Star Wars
Eragon is similar in many respects to Luke Skywalker: His family is killed, leaving him with no where to go but with a mentor. He is given the responsibility of continuing the legacy of an ancient order (in Eragon's case, the Dragon Riders; in Luke's, the Jedi), and becomes the first of a new generation of that order. Also, he is given his father's sword by his first trainer, but loses it at the end of the 2nd part. The only big diffrence is swords; Eragon's sword was red while Luke's was blue and Luke got a green one in the 3rd part while Eragon will most likely get a blue one. He is trained by older members of the order (Brom and Oromis, compared to Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda). Eragon's father, like Luke's, was once allied with the "light" side, but later was corrupted and fell to the "dark" side. And was trained by the person who was their father's biggest rival.(Brom and Morzan, Obi-Wan and Anakin) Eragon also has a sibling he does not know (Murtagh, in Star Wars, Luke's sister was Princess Leia) that he does not know about until later in his life.
[edit] The Dragonbone Chair
Eragon Shadeslayer has been compared to Seoman Snowlock from Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn. The most noteworthy similarity comes from the endings of The Dragonbone Chair (Book I) and Eragon (Book I). Both slay a great evil; both are affected with its blood/memories and are almost consumed by evil; both have a series of visions during their brief lapse of sanity; both receive help from their respective wise old mentors (Morgenes and the Mysterious Cripple Who Is Whole); both wake up surrounded by friends when the battle is over, to have them explain what has happened the last two days; both have disfiguring scars from their encounter (Eragon's back, Seoman's face); both are given last names that are two words put together (Seoman Snowlock and Eragon Shadeslayer); both have paid a terrible price for their deed.
[edit] The Lord of the Rings
Eragon can be compared to 2 characters from Lord of the Rings:
- Frodo - Like Frodo is the protagonist of Lord of the Rings (appearing in 4 of the 6 parts), Eragon is the protagonist of Paolini's 4 books. They both set off with a wise old man who died in the first book. (Gandalf died, but was resurrected while Brom really died, but Oromis appeared to an unsuspecting Eragon) Also, the setting is also similar to Lord of the Rings.
- Aragorn - Like the brave warrior from Tolkien's imagination, Eragon is strong, powerful, and a major sword and bowman. Also, the 2 names are similar (Paolini simply changed the A to an E and left out the second R). Also, the 2 both fall in love with beautiful elves. (the difference: Arwen loved Aragorn back while Arya didn't.)
[edit] Real life
Author Christopher Paolini states that Eragon originally started out as an autobiographical character. Paolini started writing Eragon at the age of fifteen, which is his protagonist's age at the beginning of the novel.
"When I first invented Eragon, he was me. Writing about yourself is probably one of the easiest things for a fifteen-year-old author to do. However, I found that as the story progressed and Eragon did things that I've never done—such as fighting monsters and flying a dragon—he evolved into his own character, which I'm very happy about."[1]
[edit] Other
- Eragon was portrayed by Edward Speleers in the Eragon film.
- Eragon appears with blonde hair in the film, which compares him too much to Luke Skywalker, while he's described having brown hair in the novel. (Callow, young, blonde-headed farm boy destined to save the world from the evil Empire by joining an ancient and long-dead order of peacekeepers. Bzzt! Luke Skywalker is incorrect!)
[edit] Etymology
Christopher Paolini has stated that he came up with the name Eragon by replacing the d in 'dragon' with an E;[2] However, some have speculated that he instead replaced the A in 'Aragorn' with an E and removed the last r. There is also a character named Erragon in the Anne McCaffery book Skies of Pern, who is a Journeyman/Master Starman. Several people have said that he plagerized directly off of Anne McCaffery's books.
[edit] Appearances
[edit] Notes and references
[edit] External links
- Alagaesia.com, the official site for the Inheritance cycle
- Eragon on Wikipedia
- Eragonmovie.com, the official site of the Eragon movie
| Preceded By | Position | Succeeded By |
| Brom | Holder of Zar'roc | Murtagh |
| Preceded By | Position | Succeeded By |
| Vrael | Head of the Dragon Riders | Unknown |
| Preceded By | Position | Succeeded By |
| Trianna | Leader of the Du Vrangr Gata | Unknown |
