Zar'roc

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Zar'roc was the sword of the fallen Dragon Rider Morzan, and had been once weilded by Eragon Bromsson. Brom kept it following Morzan's death and later gave it to Eragon; Murtagh, Morzon's son and Eragon's half-brother, then took it from Eragon, since it was rightfully his by birth, at the Battle of The Burning Plains. The name "Zar'roc" meant "misery" in the Ancient Language. The name "misery" contemplated with the swords actions for Zar'roc was known for its destruction of many Dragons and their Riders.

A fan-altered image to give a more accurate look for Zar'roc. (Notice that the handle is still black leather, and Morzan's insignia is still absent.)

[edit] Description

Zar'roc's pommel was tear-drop shaped, set with a ruby the size of a small egg. The hilt was wrapped with silver wire. The blade itself was bright red, while its sheath was the color of red wine. Both the blade and sheath were marked with a "strange-looking symbol" etched in black. Zar'roc was crafted by Rhunön, the Rider's sword maker. Though Zar'roc was a weapon that brought much pain and suffering, it was also a thing of great beauty. Zar'roc was originally 5 feet long, but was changed to 3 and 1/2 feet in the deluxe edition of Eragon. Eragon also thought the hilt should have been longer, so he could fight better two-handedly.

The symbo, on Zar'roc, redrawn from Eregon's Guide to Alagaesia

[edit] History

Eragon with Zar'roc

Zar'roc was originally created by an elf named Rhunön, the smith of the Dragon Riders. It was forged with a special metal found by Rhunon called brightsteel. Zar'roc was one of the last swords Rhunön forged before the Fall of the Riders, along with Brom's sword, Undbitr. The sword originally belonged to Morzan, but was taken by Brom, a Rider, after his death. Before Morzan's death, Zar'roc was feared by many as his ultimate weapon. It symbolized agony and betrayal, as Morzan had killed many Riders with Zar'roc. The Dwarves had not trusted Eragon when he turned up on their doorstep carrying the sword of a traitor, yet Hrothgar believed its luck had changed. He was right as Eragon used the blade to defeat his and the dwarves' enemies. Brom gave the sword to Eragon, although he refrained from telling him the blade's history, in belief Eragon would be disgusted by what had been done by the blade. The history of Zar'roc was eventually revealed to Eragon by Murtagh while they were traveling to the Varden. Eragon used Zar'roc to defeat Durza, a Shade of immense power, in the Battle under Farthen Dûr.

After defeating Eragon at the Battle of the Burning Plains, Murtagh claimed Zar'roc as his own, declaring that Morzan's sword should have gone to him, the older son of Morzan, and not Eragon, the younger (which later proved untrue as Brom was revealed to be Eragon's real father). "Zar'roc" in the ancient language means "misery", and Murtagh found this name fitting. When Eragon faced Murtagh again, Murtagh managed to wound Eragon with Za'roc, and Eragon felt a strange sadness of being wounded by the weapon he originally wielded.

[edit] Trivia

• Several inconsistencies exist between the movie Eragon and the book. Zar'roc has a ruby embedded into the hilt, however in the Eragon film it instead is a sapphire. Morzan's insignia appears on neither the sheath nor the blade in the movie. The sheath is also black rather than wine-red, like in the book as well as the guard of the sword which is gold in the book and silver in the movie. What's more is that the handle of the sword is leather-black, not silver-wrapped like in the book.

• In the movie, Brom used Zar'roc for the majority of the film, while in the book, he gave it to Eragon as soon as they fled Carvahall.

Zar'roc and its sheath from the film adaption