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"When all seems lost and your power is insufficient, go to the Rock of Kuthian and speak your name to open the Vault of Souls." -Solembum[]

Theories[]

  • I think that the Rock of Kuthian is a place on the former dragon rider capitol Vroengard and a true dragon rider speaks their true name and it opens to the Vault of Souls where the heart of hearts of the dragons of old are kept, Galbatorix could not open this becuase he does not know his true name.
  • I just had an idea. Couldn't the banishing of the names have just been a way for the dragons to protect a cache of eldunari, or some other important artifact? After all, when dragons are able to summon the energy to do magic, their strength is nearly unlimited, as Saphira demonstrates when she repairs the star sapphire. Therefore, they could have used the combined strength to completely hide the vault of souls and the rock of Kuthian, making it only able to be opened by Eragon's true name, which is probably the same as the first Eragon, and therefore could be a sacred word among dragons, while banishing the names of the forsworn's dragons, so to give Galbatorix a reason for the great magic that was performed, without arousing suspicion.
  • Du Fells Nangoroth! In Brisingr, Glaedr says that they moved most of the eldunari! Most! Isn't that suspicious to anyone?!
  • I have a pretty outlandish theory that many people will probably discredit immediately. What if the vault of souls is the hiding place of the original Eragon? As we know, riders are immortal unless they die in battle, and as far as I know, there has never been any mention of Eragon's death. As the first rider, he probably knows much more about dragons and their powers than anyone else, including Gabatorix, which would probably be enough to give the Varden the upper hand in the war. But I think that in an earlier interview, Paolini said that there were no more riders OR dragons, (I can't remember which he said) hiding in Alegaisa...he never said about overseas.


  • I think that the Rock of Kuthian is a place where someone can access magic and energy freely. Now we all know that Christopher Paolini likes to surpise us, so what if the Vault of souls is Eragon's own heart and his memories will help him? Also, maybe Eragon's name is so great and glorious that upon knowing it, he will be able to control something uncontrolable... like if his name is Rider or Power or Magic and by finding it out, he will be able to defeat Galbatorix. Just a guess.


  • I can't remember where I read it, It may have even been on this page, but I like the idea that Kuthian was the orginal name of Galbatorix's dragon (Shruikan). Therefore his heart of hearts would be almost a rock of Kuthian. The only problem would be getting it, because Galby would almost certainly have it in his posseision already. But Vrael could have stored it at Edoc'sil during his escape so that it could help a new generation of riders. Even if it isn't Galby's Dragon it could be something like the first ever dragon's Eldunari. And having control over either of those would be a great boost to his knowledge and power. I also like the random idea that Aren, his ring has something to do wth it and also the seven words that Brom told Eragon.
  • Im pretty sure that the Rock of Kuthian which is seemingly the entrance to the vault of souls is somehow connected to the secret name of the Beor Mountains which no race knows except for the dwarves and that though the name of the mointains themselves would probably not be known to the monks of Arcaena they might have mentioned either the The Rock of Kuthian or The Vault of Souls in Dominia abr Wyrda since it is after all a human writing not elven from Oromis. [quote] I seem to recall having heard it before. I shall search for it but i do not think i will find mention of it in elven writings.[quote] which highly indicates its location is out of the elven area of influence. I think the most likely in Tronjheim AKA The city of twilight because i have heard something similar in regards to Angvard(The God of Death) whom resides in the realm of twilight and therefore it is only fitting that the entrance to his domain(The Vault of Souls) is within The City of Twilight. i also think that since the Elves are immigrants to the land and not a native species that the dwarves the only race that is as old as the dragons themselves are the keepers of this Rock. I also think that this rock is a sacred secret kept by the dwarves and is probably something that has enforced theyr beliefs to extreme that they were made of rocks by Helzvog. It also fits since Angvard is a word of dwarven Origin. And if not in Tronjheim i would think that it resides somewhere else in the Beor Mountains. _-_-_---Eyzi-33.1
  • The most probable theory is that the Vault of Souls is a place that contains Eldunarí which Galbatorix couldn't get his hands on. In book 4 many speculate that Eragon will try to uncover his true name, in order to visit the Vault of Souls ("Then, when all seems lost and your power is insufficient, go to the rock of Kuthian and speak your name to open the Vault of Souls," -Solembum, in Eragon, page 206). Oromis stated that he had scoured Alagäesia many times over (mentally) and had never found any Eldunarí, but there may be an explanation for that. Oromis also states in Brisingr that Galbatorix had passed the last 20 years hiding in Urû'baen, forcing all the Eldunarí to obey him, as well as stating that Galbatorix was finished with this and was occupied with another task, a mystery. When the Banishing Of Names happened, it is possible that the dragons who cast the spell also banished the rock of Kuthian. Eragon may, therefore, be the only human who knows the name, and Solembum the only one who knows anything else. That may be why it sounded familiar. but couldn't be placed by Arya and Oromis. During Eragon's visit to Hellgrind in Brisingr, when he is face-to-face with the last Ra'zac, the Ra'zac says that Galbatorix had almost found "The Name". There are widespread theories that the Vault Of Souls is located in Helgrind, Du Weldenvarden, the Crags of Tel'Naeír, Du Fells Nángaröth, or Vroengard.
  • It may be that, when the Ra'zac said that Galbatorix had almost found the "True Name", that he was attempting to find the true name of magic. As Brom stated, in Eragon, to know the name of the Ancient Language would be to have control over magic itself.
  • In Brisingr, Oromis and Eragon spoke of Solembum's prophecy. Oromis stated that they had scried the land for Eldunarí, Brom as well, and had not detected even a whisper of one. He concluded Eragon's speculation when he said that the existence of any remaining Eldunarí not captured by Galbatorix would be inconceivable. From this hint from Paolini, it will be very interesting to see what happens when Eragon speaks his name (probably his True Name and not his given one) to open the vault of souls.
  • One possibility that the name Kuthian and Vault of Souls is familiar to Oromis, Arya and possibly others is that the information was wiped from their memories in somewhat the same fashion as the Banishing of Names, or as part of it. If the information was important enough, and it may well be if Solembum's warning proves true, the information could have been wiped in the hopes that Galbatorix could not force it from someone to obtain it himself.
  • That is extremly unlikely because of the fact that Eragon had read the names of the Forsworn's Dragons (stated in Eldest). If one of them was Kuthien, than he would have noticed something. In addition, it is IMPOSSIBLE to memorize the names of the 13 dragons, while Eragon has clearly memorized the name "Kuthien"
  • While the theory was that this was the place from where Galbatorix, and after Eldest, Murtagh too, obtained their great power, this was proven to be untrue in Brisingr, as it was explained that Galbatorix got his power from the "Heart of Hearts", or Eldunarí, of the dragons he killed, but it may be that, since the Heart of Hearts literally traps the soul of the dragon within it, the Vault of Souls is where Galbatorix stores them.
  • It is also possible that Eragon and Saphira will summon the spirits (souls) of Bid'Daum and Eragon I and their Eldunarí.
  • In addition, speaking his true name could possibly be the key to opening this Vault of Souls. Further, it is speculated that if Eragon does open the Vault, he will gain the power of the souls trapped within, depriving Galbatorix and Murtagh of the advantage. Alternatively, the souls would escape or he would release them from the open vault and rob Galbatorix and Murtagh of their enhanced abilities.
  • The Vault of Souls is speculated to hold the Eldunarí of either/or Bid'Daum (the first dragon in the order of the Riders) or the Eldunarí of the white dragon who made the pact with the elves after the Dragon War.
  • I believe that either Bid'Daum or 'the white dragon with no name will be connected to the vault of souls. In Saphira's memory of Brom in Brissingr, it says that every hue of blue was sharper, whilst the reds and greens were dulled. I realised that the colours of the three new dragons were also the primary colours of light (red, blue and green). Shruikan is the only other living dragon in alagaesia, and he is black which is an absence of light. If this is Paolini's train of thought, it makes logical sense for a white dragon to feature; white being a combination of all the colours of light. Morzansson 23:00, June 1, 2011 (UTC)
  • Another theory is that by speaking his name, he will call upon Eragon I, his namesake and the first Rider. After some conversation between Eragon and the ghost Eragon, Eragon will be imbued with his namesake's powers, giving him all of the magic the first Eragon knew.
  • It is possible that Eragon will go to the Vault of Souls if he requires immense power for his final fight with Galbatorix in Book 4.
  • There is a theory that the Vault of Souls could possibly contain Vrael's dragon's Eldunarí. Since Vrael was so old and powerful (arguably more powerful than Galbatorix) its only natural his dragon would be equally old and powerful, making that Eldunarí a much larger source of power then all of Galbatorix's stolen Eldunarí. It could also contain the Eldunarí of all the past leader's dragons. It is more likely that this new found power will give Eragon just enough strength to hold his own against Galbatorix, as Galbatorix had already hoarded hundreds of Eldunarí.
  • Another theory is that the word, "souls", is similar to spirits. Eragon has already freed two Shades, and the spirits are not ignoring what's going around in Alagaësia. As a reward, Eragon could be transformed into an "Anti-Shade". This unlikely because the spirits of Shades purposely take control of the sorcerer, and as such they are not trapped against their will.
  • Yet another theory is that the vault of souls is inside Eragon's own mind, and that by speaking his true name, he can unlock his full potential.
  • This is unlikely because if it were true, Oromis would not have said that he had heard the name before.
  • If the Vault of Souls does contain the Eldunarí of a dragon which is not already under Galbatorix's control, it would have to be someplace remote, possibly an island beyond Alagaësia or a place protected by powerful magic, for as Oromis tells Eragon in Brisingr, Galbatorix made sure during the fall of the Riders that he found all of the heart of hearts that he possibly could. Since then, Oromis has scoured Alagaësia with his mind, searching for a dragon consciousness. He tells Eragon he never has found anything, which makes it unlikely that Galbatorix missed whatever may be in the Vault. However, because Oromis is crippled in his use of magic, it could affect how well he searches. Oromis's mind is still strong, as he demonstrates by contacting Eragon in Farthen Dur all the way from Ellesméra.
  • Another plausible theory concerns Eragon I. From Eragon, we learned that Selena, Eragon's mother, insisted he be called Eragon. Also that she had her fortune told to her by Angela, and that it caused her much distress. In Eldest, we learned from Islanzadí that the name Eragon was a name that they rarely bestowed upon their children because of it's power. In Brisingr, we learned from Oromis that it was inconceivable for there to be any remaining Eldunarí not under Galbatorix's control. There is a slight chance there are some that exist, but considering all the hints and clues from all the books, it most likely has something to do with Eragon I. Maybe as the first Rider, he will give Eragon some power over all the Riders, including Galbatorix and Murtagh. This could include the true name (essence) of what it means to be a Rider. Or, that Eragon I never died and will agree to assist Eragon in defeating Galbatorix.
  • In Brisingr while Eragon was fighting against the last of the Ra'zac, the creature reveals that Galbatorix almost found the "name". The theory is that Galbatorix had discovered the Rock of Kuthian but unable to open the Vault of Souls. Therefore he tried find the name to open it. The "name" might be Eragon's true name which Galbatorix is unable to figure out. The "name" may also be the true name of the ancient language, a name which Brom said would have immense power.
  • In Oromis's accounting on Eragon's parentage (Brom and Selena), he said that it is unknown where Selena went out for her last mission before she gave birth to Eragon in Carvahall. Selena's last mission could be to find the Rock of Kuthian and the Vault of Souls. Mysteriously,  she became ill as a result of her mission and died soon afterwards (After Eragon's birth). As mention above, she insisted that her child should be named "Eragon". It is possible that Selena might discovered the Rock of Kuathian and the Vault of Souls and figured out how to open it (By saying Eragon's true name). Since she was in love with Brom and had already betrayed the Empire, she kept the secret with her but was unable to tell Brom as he was pursuing Hefring and Saphira's egg. Therefore she named her child "Eragon" in the hope that one day her son would find the Rock of Kuthian/Vault of Souls and that he speak out his true name to open it.
  • The Vault of Souls could be the place where galbatorix keeps his "stolen" Eldunarís, solembum mentioned that he should go there when he is in need of strength, so eragon can get his strength back from the Eldunarís
  • It could be that Eragon is Eragon I and he seperated and when he opens the vault of souls he joins together and becomes Eragon I, kills Galbotorix and restores peace.
  • My theory is that because it was already been reveiled that Brom will be brought back from the dead in some way, it is quite possible that Eragon will use the vault of souls will do this. However, Brom mentions that the area where people's souls go after the person has died is very dangerous, and that any attempted contact with this area would result in the person contacting it to die. But, if this location is the vault of souls, than it would have so much power it would easily be able to kill Galbatorix, if Eragon could use it against him.
  • Another possibility is that both Eragon's sword, Brisingr, and his true name may be the key to open the Vault of Souls. Fire consumes life, but also prepares for a new beginning. When the Vault of Souls is opened, it may kill most or all life in Alagaësia, because of its name. During this plauge, Galbatorix may be killed, because Solembum stated '...when your power is insufficiant, go the the Rock of Kuthian and speak your name to the Vault of Souls.' Eragon's true name could be Eldest, because it has not been said who he/she was.
  • NO! When Eldest came out i read it fast. At that point Eragon AND Murtagh thought that Murtaghs father was Eragon's father... Correct? So i would assume that 'Eldest' means that when Murtagh claimed Zar'roc he said he was the oldest or ELDEST son so he claimed it by right of inheritance.
  • In Brisingr, when Eragon goes to speak with Jeod, Jeod claims that after Brom killed Morzan when he returned he said that somethng changed and that Brom found something improtant. Even though where Brom and Morzan fought was outside of Gil'ead it cold be possible that is where the Rock of Kuthian/Vault of Souls is. Also the most probbilbe reason why Arya and Oromis cannot remember the Rock of Kuthian was because of the bannishing of names. However it is possible that the Rock of Kuthian was actaully created by Brom after Eragon was born so that only Eragon could open it and Brom had stocked up variuos Eldunari he found and that of the original Saphira and of the various Forsworn and that of Galbortix's orignal dragon. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 74.100.97.70 (TalkContributionsLogs) 02:51, April 29, 2011. Please sign your comments with ~~~~.
  • Yeah but the vault of souls is most proably in the center of the desert underground because it is said that dwarves lived there before they moved to the beor mountains and in the vault is most likely either or all of these thing
    • Some wild dragons and maybe saphira's mother Vervada
    • Some dragon eggs
    • And most likeliy Wild Dragon's Eldunari.
  • It is possible that the Vault of Souls is the place where the wild dragons went to die. After all, Eragon told Saphira he'd like to visit there. But, I could be wrong. Everyone has great ideas. Videogame 22:37, August 14, 2010 (UTC)
  • It could also be the floating crystal at Eoam that Arya mentioned as self perpetuating magic. This could be a massive Eldunari and I'd imagine it would be always casting magic to remain afloat making it far more powerful that any other dragon if it can choose to cast magic. It would also be quite large so much more powerful than even Glaedr's Eldunari, since if it was that size it would have been stolen easily. If it was Eldunari then it would also explain where the crystal gets the strength to float.
    • That is unlikely because if doesn't match the description of Glaedr's Eldunari. It is an organ, so therefore it should have a uniform shape.
  • (added by austin5895): what if the name that the Ra'zac said that Galbatorix was close to, was in fact the name of the ancient language? as Brom said in Eragon, that 'no one knows the true name of the ancient language because if a person knew it they could control all aspects of it. maybe the one thing that Galbatorix still needs to know about is the way that you can use the living things around you to power your spells. as Oromis said in Eldest 'this may be our one advantage over Galbatorix'. this would imply that Galbatorix doesn't know of it and that he needs to in order to discover the name of the ancient language.
  • My speculation for the reason why Arya and Oromis cannot remember the Rock of Kuthian, and why Oromis doubted he would find it in elven works, is that the Rock of Kuthian predates the elves. It is possible it is some remainder of the Grey Folk, some powerful place of magic that was in Alagaesia before the Elves arrived, and as such would only be found in Grey Folk or possibly Dwarf writings. So the Vault of Souls, hidden in the Rock of Kuthian, could be a vault of Eldunari made by the dragons at this ancient place of magic. It is unlikely that anyone alive would know where it is, as all the Dragons still alive at the end of Brisingr are too young and untrained to know, the Gray Folk have disapeared, it Predates Elves and Humans, and the Dwarves cared nothing for old magics and the dragons.
  • When Brom died, he whispered several words into Eragon's ear; could these have something to do the Vault of Souls, perhaps the location of it and what it was? If the words were instructions, it is likely that he forgot them in his mourning of Broms death and will remember them in the 4th book. As for the Vault's contents, it is likely it will be something similar to the Brightsteel in the Menoa tree, it will be needed badly but will need assistance to unlock the full potential. It is also possible that Brom left more memories for Saphira, and these could reference the Vault, perhaps how to find it and what resides within it. Most likely the vault will reside on Vroengard, inside a cave shielded by the Rock of Kuthian, and will contain Eldunari or other sources of great power created by the Riders who stayed for long periods on the island.
  • Remember, Eragon asked Saphira if she had any more memories. I do like the idea about the words being instuctions though.
  • Why does everyone assume that the Vault has something to do with Eldunari? Maybe, the "Vault" is the home of the spirits. They are the only race that hasn't had a big role in the books other than turning a lily into gold. Makes sense that the least-known race houses the Vault.
    • Arya states in Brisingr that spirits are not souls. That makes it unlikely that the Vault of Souls would contain spirits
  • I believe that in the Vault of souls is a gem of improportunate size which is the fusion of many different Eldunari. This and maybe a scroll revealing the true name of magic it self. please leave a comment.
  • I agree fully with that statement and MAYBE when eragon said that 'Wouldn't finding Galbatorix's true name be the easiest way to end this war?' and maybe the vault includes a spell that can stop his 'protection' against people saying his true name?
  • If you notice the people who have forgotten the rock of kuthian are ELVES and humans who knew have probably died. elves probably erased their own memory of a painful experience probably involving the rock of kuthian. they must have tried to commit suicide by draining all their energy by raising a dead elundunari but they succeeded and that elundnari was over saturated with energy and magically reproduced creating an new race of elundnari that was more powerful and could completely hide their minds when they wanted to. this probably happened when the elves were losing their war with the dragons.
  • I think that elundunari has nothing to do with any of it, and why does everybody think that. I think that the Vault of Souls is going to open some kind of portal, and Eragon is going to lead the people of the Varden, Surda, and the Elves through the portal leaving the Empire, meaning Angela prophecy would come true. Also we know that in book four Eragon has a vision of him leaving with another Dragon so the third egg has to hatch to someone outside of the Empire. This would make sense with this whole theory.
    • In his vision, Eragon sees some people leaving on a boat. It never says who is involved
  • Maybe the Vault of Souls is a place that is sacred to dragons and must be kept a secret and not told unless in a time of great need. If this is true than prehaps Glaedar will be able to tell Eragon where the rock of Kuthain is and would be able to help him succed.
    • Eragon asked Oromis and Glaedr before they died, and, though they had heard of the word, they did not know what it was.
  • The Book 4 page says that Brom will come back, but in an unexpected way. May be the Vault of Souls could be where the souls of living beings went to after death.
  • When Angela made the prediction about the Vault of Souls, it could be argued that this is where Galbatorix keeps his Eldunarí. This is because an Eldunarí can be considered a dragon's "Soul". (Moved from mainspace.--Wyvern Rex. 15:15, February 5, 2011 (UTC))
    • Solembum made the prediction.
  • What if the true name of magic is the weapon to be found under the roots of the Menoa tree? That leaves the vault of souls open to be a different power. There are religious themes in Eragon, and the name souls implies that the vault connects to nothingness, and perhaps to the old Gods, or to the eludinari of the dragons who were not killed by Galbatorix. Many questions could be answered, and Eragon could meet the spirit of his mother, Vrael, Eragon I, the elder dragons, maybe even the old gods, etc. He would not do something so twisted as sorcery, but if he was desperate enough to use the true name of magic to end linguistic control of magic itself, then meething the dead and facing death could give him peace within his own soul that allows him to control magic insintively. Also, Roran is set up to be the next King of Alafaesia (descended from Palancar I) so what if Arya's dragon, being attuned to her magic, also posesses this inner peace and complete mastery of willpower?
    • It can't be under the Menoa tree. It is unlikely that Eragon will visit Du Weldenvarden in the last book, and the brightsteel for his sword was found there already.
  • A lot of people have speculated that the Vault of souls is the hiding place of Galbatorix's dragon hearts. Others have thought that the name "Kuthien" was wiped clean in much the same manner as the dragons of the Forsworn. Neither is really plausable. Because the prophecy states that it will only open when Eragon 1) finds his power insufficient, 2) when he speaks his name to it. This implies that Galbatorix doesn't have it open, and wouldn't actually have any need for it, since his power has never been insufficent, up to this point. Because Eragon needs to say his name, and Galbatorix doesn't know his true name (guessing that the name "Eragon" isn't sufficient), Galbatorix can't open it. Even if it worked for Galbatorix's name, he would be unable to open the vault because his true name is laced with curses. I really doubt he would risk that. Kuthien can't have been a forgotten word, as the dragons of the 13, because it can be remembered. The only way for a person to be able to actually say the names of those dragons is if they read it from a paper. Oromis specifically says this. In contrast, Kuthien has never been seen in paper, and it has been uttered and remembered. Also, Eragon recalls that he knows that he has read the names of the dragons, and it would have told us if one of them was Kuthien. In addition, Oromis says that he is sure that he has heard the word before, though where, he knows not. This statement means that it is extremly unlikely that it is a holding place for multiple dragon hearts. Oromis was a member of the Rider council, BEFORE Galbatorix took power. He would have know if that was a holding place for Eldunari. This implies that Galbatorix may have never heard of the vault of souls. However, he could have discovered it. If the quote from the Ra'zac about him finding "The Name" refers to the Vault of souls, than he would be looking for Eragon's true name (coincidentally). This leaves a power struggle to whoever has the mastery of the vault, as they would also have mastery over Eragon. In addition, the dwarves would not know it, since there are none as knowledgable and old as Oromis (except perhaps other elves, and I don't think Eragon is going to get a chance to speak with one of them). Now, if you remember the tip on the weapon, the werecat's prophecy was extremly vague, vague enough for a rock to be equated for a sword. This is likely to happen in this case as well. One idea that seems plausable is that Eragon's (the first one) dragon's heart is kept in the vault. This is appealing in that it would offer a means for Eragon to gain much, much more strength, since his heart is thousands of years old and would contain tons of power. However, the place is calle the "Vault of Souls". That's plural. Therefore, there has to be multiple souls contained in the vault, at the very least. In addition, Eragon is something of a foil of Eragon (#1). One Eragon marks the start of the Riders, the other marks the end. If Eragon (#1) comes back in any way, than this idea is blown out the window. I think Paolini has intentionally kept that in the series, so I doubt that he would scrap it like that. A personal idea of mine is that the vault represents all those who have departed (including Brom) and from here, he gains the true name of either the Ancient Language, or Alagaesia. With both, he would gain immense knowledge and strength, and would also be capable of changing Alagaesia (satisfying Angela's prophesy in Book1. If Alagaesia no longer exist, Eragon is no longer a part of it, there fore, he has left it). Another explanation would tie in the idea that Brom would make some sort of a return (It is stated in Inheriwiki that Paolini stated that that would happen, though not in a way that would be expected). As for a place, I don't see anything wrong with the Vault of Kuthien being in the Spine, since it is such a hazardous place. It would also say something about why Eragon can traverse across it, since he has some sort of a link with Kuthien. I only have one slight problem with it. If that is the reason the Spine is so treacherous, then how did the entirety of Caravhall get across it? Of course, one could just say that it's a different part of the spine, but still, that seems like a stretch. As for Mount Utgard, I don't think that that location would work very well. It was Vrael's hiding place, and where Galbatorix slew him. I would think that he wouldn't lead him straght to it. But there is another place that I am sure Eragon/Saphira will at least visit -Vroengard. It would be fitting place to have the key to Eragon's success be located where the Riders were defeated. It would also explain the "strange beasts" that Brom states prowl across Doru Araeba.
  • What if the Rock of Kuthian is Isidar Mithrim, the jewel that Saphira fixed. If Eragon went up to it and spoke his true name, maybe it would a dwarf god(s) would bind with him, giving him limitless power.
  • I have several theories:

1. Undbitr is hidden inside the vault of souls and has alot of power in it for Eragon to use.

2. Kuthian is in Du Weldenvarden. Though very unlikely.

3. Eragon gets to talk with Garrow, Ajihad, Brom, Oromis and perhaps even the old dragon riders? They grant him wisdom to defeat Galbatorix.

4. Galbatorix was close to finding Eragons real name so that he could open the cliff of Kuthian to gain alot of power. But Eragon gets there in time and gets so much power that his name changes. Then Galbatorix and Eragon fight outside the vault and Galbatorix dies, but his body gets absorbed by the vault and spirits appear to thank him.

Locations[]

  • A possible location of such a place, taking count that it has to be within the boundaries of Galbatorix's properties, would be the feared mountain, Helgrind. However, Eragon had explored Helgrind a little in Brisingr. Eragon hardly had time for a lengthy search, as Saphira had told him that men from Dras-Leona were riding toward Helgrind. Still surely either the Ra'zac or Galbatorix would have found it during its use by the Ra'zac. In this context, note the relation between the names Vault of Souls and Helgrind, which means Gates of Death (or Gates of Hell).
  • It could be in Doru Araeba, though Galbatorix raided all the dragon spirits of Vroengard, or, more likely, in the mountains of the Hadarac Desert. It may also be in Urû'baen, and the vault itself may be Galbatorix's hoard of dragon hearts.
    • Galbatorix also raided the above-ground dwarf cities. That makes it unlikely that he wouldn't think of checking the Hadarac desert. Also, Oromis would have checked for hearts there.


  • What about sharktooth i meam there is no real explainatian or reason for its existance for the moment it would make the perfect inconspicuous hiding place also mabey aren is the key as it is relitivly old and the old dragons could have used it as a seal
  • It is also possible that the Rock of Kuthian may be Urû'baen because if the Rock of Kuthian/Vault of Souls is Helgrind then Galbatorix would then choose to live in Dras Leona to be closer to the Rock of Kuthian. However, it is not possible for Galbatorix to open the Vault of Souls because he doesn't know Eragon's true name.
  • The Rock of Kuthian could also be the stone forest that Orik showed to Eragon in Brisingr. Eragon goes there, speaks his true name, and the whole forests collapses. Underneath the forest is all the Eldunarí.
    • Unlikely because then, Oromis would have noticed the Eldunari in the Beor Mountains
  • There is also Du Fells Nángoröth (the mountains in the Hadarac desert). On page 575 in Eldest, it says that the wild dragons went there to die, therefore leaving their Eldunarí. Note that in the book, it says that the dragons kept there Eldunarí. It then says that after there pact with the elves "From then on they took their Eldunarí to the place which the elves kept them". It doesn't ever say that the Eldunarí were moved from Du Fells Nángoröth so their might be a large amount of ancient Eldunarí there. Also, because they were so old they would be incredibly wise so that would be able to help Eragon more then one of the more recent Eldunarí.
  • Based on the references to Eldunari, the war of the dragons and elves, and the prophecies of Angela and Solembum; I am sure that the Vault of Souls is in Du Fells Nángoröth. The Rock of Kuthian must be the exact place or what the dragons called it. The first dragon rider was Eragon, so that means he must have been very close with the wild dragons in order to end the war. This is why Eragon's name opens the vault. Kuthian maybe the actual name of the dragon that is spoken about in Eldest whose name cannot be spoken in the human tongue or perhaps not. either way, Doru Araeba was bled dry by galbatorix for forty years and the Razac would have weeded out anything that smells like a dragon if it was in Helgrind. Also, the name of which the Razac speak once Eragon extincts theml maybe the name of the unamed dragon which would be an alternative to opening the vault. Also, furthering my original point, the memory of what may be the unamed dragon or a projection of the powers of the Ancient Eldunari in the Vault of Souls far away (the thing tatooed into the two elven ladies) may have given Eragon the appearance of an elf but also not an elf so that the rock will recognize him as closer to Eragon.
  • In Eragon, Eragon stated that the island Vroengard looked liked a "knobby hand", which could mean that the vault could be where the gedwey ignasia is supposed to be on that hand.
  • Another possibility is that the Rock of Kuthian is actually Aren, Eragon's ring. Brom could have found the Rock of Kuthian and sealed away most of its power with his true name. Since Eragon and Brom are so much alike, they may have the same true name and Eragon would be able to access the Vault of Souls through Aren. It would also explain why there was so much energy put into Aren. Eragon could use it to get more power when he is feeling weak.
    • Aren was given to Brom by the elves. So, they should know what it is. It's also extremly unlikely that Brom and Eragon share the same true name, since a true name can change over time, and Brom was much older than Eragon.
  • Another possiblity is that the Rock/Vault is in Du Weldenvarden near the Menoa tree. As Solembum gave his prophecy, he mentioned the Menoa tree as well as the Rock/Vault. As we have seen throughout the books Du Weldenvarden and Ellesméra in particular fascinate Eragon and have great meaning to him. It is possible(although perhaps unlikely) then that Eragon had passed the Rock in his travels there, perhaps even at the Blood Oath Ceremony.
  • It is extremely likely that the vault of souls (if it contains the Eldunarí) is located either in Doru Araeba or in Du Fells Nángoröth. This is because the were the only two repositories for the Eldunarí. Glaedr or Oromis mentioned that another repository was built on Vroengard after the establishment of the Riders. If Galbatorix is as clever as he claims to be, wouldn't it make sense for him to use one of the two repositories? After all, if he needed another one built, he would run the risk of others finding out about the Eldunarí and thereby risking losing some or greater dangers.
    • Galbatorix would need the hearts in order to 1) get their true names, 2) give them to Murtagh. He can't do either if the hearts were elsewhere when he hasn't left Uru'baen in dacades.
  • It could also be were the utgard mountain because that was were the last leader of the dragon riders called Vrael and his dragon took refuge before galbatorix killed them and they could have hidden the eldunari of his dragon there and of the other leaders before him there as well because oromis said to eragon that the riders use to carry around the eldunari of the dragons for support for their magic and their knowledge Ancient Language and wisdom as well as the place became tainted after Vrael was defeat by galbatorix it could be the dragons-eldunari defending themselfs by using the mind and magic as well as making the place tainted.
  • It could also be somewhere deep in the Spine Mountains due to all of the strange occurances within them. Such as Galbatorix losing part of his army in them. Also possibly were Eragon found Saphira's egg. It could have been drawn there by the Eldunari and they had her chose Eragon because they sensed who his parents were and that he would become a great hero and rider.
  • I'm just speculating, but i think i might have an idea of what it is, and why nobody knows where it is. It's because The Vault of Souls contains the Eldunarí of the dragons of the forsworn...They were put there for safekeeping, and when the banishing of names happened, they were forgotten by everyone. That would explain why nobody can remember their names; There is no reason why the dragons would accidentally remove the name of the rock of kuthian, that just doesn't make any sense. And if his true name was the key to return their names to them, they would probably be willing to help him at any cost to themselves, just because they would be happy to have their sanity back. (from top speculation)
    • That is extremly unlikely because of the fact that Eragon had read the names of the Forsworn's Dragons (stated in Eldest). If one of them was Kuthien, than he would have noticed something. In addition, it is IMPOSSIBLE to memorize the names of the 13 dragons, while Eragon has clearly memorized the name "Kuthien"
  • I think it might be hidden in the spine, because maybe the person/people who hid it there put a spell so that anyone who went in the spine had bad luck there.They would of done that to keep the eldurnari safe.
  • Hey people, one thing is you have to take places that haven't been used in the story before cause otherwise there's no reason for them to exist. For instance Vronengarg, the mountains in the Hardarac Desert, and I'm sure Eragon is gonna find out something interesting in Kuasta.
    • Brom was born in Kuasta. That is why it is memorable.
  • The most likely of all the theories is that the Rock of Kuthian and the Vault of Souls is wherever the author, Christopher Paolini, deems necessary. This theory has a 100% chance of being correct.
  • If you think about it, the spine location theory makes a lot of sense - many people find it strange and unbelievable that Eragon can travel through the spine unharmed this now makes more sense if this was the location of the vault because he is the one supposed to open the vault.
  • If I had to guess, seeing as the name "Rock of Kuthian" seems familiar to them, but not rememberable, I think "Kuthian" was the name of one of the Forsworn's dragons. This, coupled with the fact that Morzan is the most notable of the Forsworn, I believe it was the name of Morzan's dragon, and as such the vault might reside where the dragon stayed when Morzan was not out on missions. The place might be a secret entrance to Galbatorix's Eldunari, openable only by stating your own true name (perhaps an ancient entrance created before Galbatorix made it his home)
    • That is extremly unlikely because of the fact that Eragon had read the names of the Forsworn's Dragons (stated in Eldest). If one of them was Kuthien, than he would have noticed something. In addition, it is IMPOSSIBLE to memorize the names of the 13 dragons, while Eragon has clearly memorized the name "Kuthien"
  • you know what I agree that the Rock of Kuthian has the same name as Morzan's dragon, and so that is the reason why Arya and Oromis recognized the name but could not recall anything conserning it other than it was the name of the Rock of Kuthian. But what I think is that it could be in the Spine, explaning the mysterious happenings there (i.e. Galbatorix loosing half his army in it), or in that castle Eragon saw in the Beor mountains just after he left Farthen Dur in Brisingr. Also, we are never told that the Rock of Kuthian and the Vault of Souls are near each other, if we have then please tell me where and when that was mentioned, so the Vault of Souls could be the chamber in which the Dragon eggs were kept before the fall, and so the location where the last dragon egg is located, think about it, it makes sense, and if Galbatorix doesn't want any one to steal the egg, he would probably keep it in the same spot where the Riders kept it before the fall. Eragon speaking his name to open the Vault of Souls could mean taking the Rock of Kuthian to Morzan's castle, if it's not already there, speaking his True Name into it, and opening up a passage way into the chamber, that Galbatorix thought only he knew of, and enabeling the Varden to steal the last egg, albiet at a price because even Galbatorix, mad as he may be, is not stupid enough to leave the egg ungaurded. Hey, we were also never told that the Vault of Souls would increase Eragon's power. Stealing the last dragon egg would go along way to increasing the Varden's power, and decreasing Galbatorix's power. Did anyone consider these thoughts?
    • If what you say were true, Oromis would likely have known about it.
  • Mabey he built the passageway as a precaution against any one stealing them he lost Saphira's egg. Besides Oromis may have an increadible intelect, but even he can't know everything.
  • i haven't read all the speculations and somebody has probably already said this but The Dwarves know the most about rocks so why not ask them. it could be some dwarf place which is new in Inheritance eragon book 4, but i could be wrong. also galbartorix hasn't been to the dwarf holds to he wouldn't know about it.
  • I am fairly confident the crystal Saphira promises to repair for the dwarves is the Rock of Kuthian.
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