The Forsworn
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The Forsworn (or Wyrdfell) were thirteen corrupt, power-hungry Dragon Riders with Galbatorix at their head. They spearheaded a rebellion "out of desire for power and revenge against perceived wrongs". This rebellion was later known as The Fall.
[edit] History
Morzan was the first of the Forsworn. It was he who left a gate unlocked in Ilirea (later named Urû'baen), enabling Galbatorix to steal Shruikan and slaughter the black dragon's rightful Rider. Eventually, twelve more dissolute Riders came to support Galbatorix's cause. With their help, Galbatorix defeated the armies of the elves and dwarves, and murdered Vrael, head of the Riders. Two other Dragon Riders of the Forsworn, Kialandi and Formora, were mentioned in Brisingr, although not much is known about them.
At some point Kialandi and Formora captured the elven Dragon Rider Oromis, and somehow altered something that affected his hold on magic. Whatever they altered prevented Oromis from gathering more than a small amount of energy at a time. Oromis finally escaped from the Forsworn and went into hiding in Du Weldenvarden along with his dragon, Glaedr.
Eventually, the Forsworn died out due to in-fighting (they often vied among themselves for power and favor, something which Galbatorix encouraged, and would often support one of the Forsworn over another for his own amusement), suicide, overuse of magic, and the efforts of Brom and the Varden. Morzan and two other Forsworn were personally killed by Brom; five died as an indirect result of Brom's zeal.
Morzan, Formora and Kialandi are the only Forsworn who have been named. Morzan was also the only one who had children: he fathered Murtagh, but did not know that Selena was pregnant with Eragon.
In Brisingr, it was revealed that after the dragons who were not part of the Forsworn learned that their kin had betrayed them, they combined their magic together and performed the Banishing of Names. If someone looks at the name of a dragon or remembers their name it is instantly forgotten. The traitorous dragons lost everything that made them dragons. They became no more than beasts with magic they did not know how to use. Their Riders could only watch as they sunk even further into bestiality. Five of the Wyrdfell (elven name for the Forsworn) became insane. The dragons spared Shruikan, because he was forced to serve Galbatorix, and Jarnunvosk, Galbatorix's first dragon because she had no part in this. Their descent into ignorance led to the popular misconception that dragons were little more than animals and transport for the Riders.
One hundred years later in a tragic irony, Murtagh took his father's place as a Forsworn, although unwillingly, along with his dragon, Thorn.
[edit] Comparisons
The Forsworn may be compared to the Sith of the Star Wars trilogy and to the Nazgûl of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, in that they were corrupted by the promise of power. They are more similar, however, to the Forsaken of the Wheel of Time series, both in name and number (there were thirteen Forsaken, as well).
