Alagaësia
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Alagaësia is a literary fantasy world in which the Inheritance trilogy by Christopher Paolini takes place.
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[edit] Inhabitants of Alagaësia
Major races include Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Urgals, and Dragons, although the Dragons are on the verge of extinction. There are also a number of creatures whose origins are hidden and are not understood, such as the Ra'zac. Apart from the different kind of beings found in Alagaësia, there are also societies that have existed or do exist that deserve recognition, such as the Varden, the Dragon Riders, and the Forsworn.
[edit] Humans
Humans seem to populate most of the known world of Alagaësia, though they came from across the sea relatively recently. A group of twenty warriors found Alagaësia, and although their exact cause for coming has not been revealed, it's quite possible that the Ra'zac made them leave. The warriors came three hundred years after the formation of the Dragon Riders. They landed in Surda from lands far south of Alagaёsia. The humans began adapting to this new place they had found, and lived in peace. Here they first learned of the existence of Dwarves, with whom they frequently traded with for a few years before they left for isolation. The warriors went northwest and began to settle in a nice area of isolated land for two thousand years. After two thousand years or so, King Palancar, current king of the humans from whence the warriors came, arrived in Alagaësia. First the humans arrived in Surda, and then found Palancar Valley, which was where the original humans had settled. Palancar Valley was named after the king and it still retains that name in Eragon's time. Palancar then began to construct a mighty state. Palancar learned from the humans that this land was populated by short, hairy beasts that stole their children. These beasts were, of course, the Dwarves, and they did not actually steal human children, but the true nature of the Dwarves were forgotten over time and remembered as such. Palancar wanted to expand his boundaries and fought against the Elves and Dwarves three times, and lost all three times.
A group of lords brought a treaty before the Elves requesting peace without Palancar's knowledge. Palancar was banished and usurped, but he, his family, and vassals refused to leave the Valley. To prevent Palancar from attacking anyone or rising to power, the Riders constructed Ristvak'baen on Utgard Mountain, to watch over Palancar and his empire. Eventually, a greedy son who couldn't wait until Palancar died naturally killed Palancar so that the son could become King. That led to assassination, betrayal and other such things in Palancar's house, reducing Palancar's once mighty state into a mere shadow of its old self. The predecessor of Vrael - ruler of the Riders - Anurin, wanted Human Riders to come into existence to prevent things like that from happening. They would then be allowed to watch and protect human governments, a choice that was very unpopular and led to a huge argument between him and the Elvish Queen Dellanir. Anurin separated the Riders from the Elfish government and moved to Vroengard. They could not watch and protect the governments, so their purpose waned, until Queen Dellanir saw wisdom in letting the Riders free of any government, and allowed them back into Du Weldenvarden. However, this choice did not please her, as now the Riders' power was greater than her own, and therefore no one could watch the watchers, as the Elves used to do, which led to the eventual downfall of the Riders (also called the Fall) at the hands of now-king Galbatorix. For details, see The Fall.
[edit] Elves
The Elfish race dates back to ancient times, when they existed with other creatures that were bound to the land. Their appearance is that of a fair, smooth faced human with pointed ears, pale skin, slanted eyes, thin brows and refined facial features. The Elves are usually thin, but they have muscular bodies. Unlike the other races introduced so far, Elves (Or at least Oromis) do not have any body hair. The Elves love song and revelry.
They came on silver ships from a land they called Alalea and settled in Alagaësia. It is rumored that Teirm is where they first landed in Alagaësia. Nowadays, they have withdrawn to the forests in hopes of distancing themselves from Galbatorix. The Elves are led by Queen Islanzadí, who succeeded King Evandar and Queen Dellanir. Islanzadí became Queen after her mate, Evandar, was killed in the Elves' last stand against Galbatorix in Ilirea. She inherited the title through marriage, not birth. Should Islanzadí die, her daughter Arya Svit-Kona will become queen.
The elves' natural abilities are said to be immense, to the point that even the weakest, untrained elf could defeat a well-trained human in a battle of swordsmanship. At one point in their history, the Elves once had a horrible misunderstanding with the dragons which led to a massive war. They eventually were able to settle their disputes with the help of Eragon, who had raised a white dragon hatchling and, in doing so, became the first Dragon Rider. To ensure that there would be no more wars between them, the Elves and Dragons gathered at Ilirea to magically join their races together. The Elves provided the structure, the Dragons the power necessary, and the souls of Elves and Dragons melded together. The Dragons received the trappings of language and other things of civilization and became less ferocious. The Elves obtained great strength and grace, as well as greater ability to work magic. This also resulted in the Dragon Riders, who were originally figureheads, but gained authority as their power was realized. The Elfish lifespan increased until they were nearly immortal, though they have never been invincible. Their skill as magicians took the form of song, wherein their voices became a tool of shaping. As a result, all their tools, including their houses, were soon sung out of the source material.
Before The Fall of the Riders, the Elves had many great cities not only located in Du Weldenvarden, but all over the continent; places taken over by Galbatorix during the Fall.
It is said they loved the seas more than anything and probably had many cities among the coast. Ellesméra is the Elfish capital city after The Fall, and is located in the heart of Du Weldenvarden. It is protected by arcane barriers that make it impossible to send any item or thought to Du Weldenvarden by magical means - it is unknown if these barriers prevent anything else. To enter Ellesméra, you must pass the Gatekeeper, Gilderean the Wise, or it is impossible to enter. He has existed since the Dragon War with the Elves, and is the wielder of the white flames of Vandil and is Prince of the House Miolandra. It is known that the typical Elfish greeting is touching your middle and index finger to your lips and saying a certain response in the Ancient Language.
The traditional greeting is:which translates as
- Atra esterní ono thelduin
- Mor'ranr lífa unin hjarta onr
- Un du evarínya ono varda.
This is used to ensure that conversation will not be altered by lies.
- May good fortune rule over you
- Peace live in your heart
- And the stars watch over you.
Because they speak in this language, the Elves are unable to lie, though they can conceal the truth or imply something while meaning something else. In conversation, the person of higher status speaks first, the one of lesser status second. If one is unsure which person's status is higher, one waits for the other to speak, and if he/she doesn't, one may speak.
The Elves are known as the "Fair Folk"; their greatest weakness is their vanity. They often use magic to change their appearance to better suit who they really are. The Elves have used their exceptionally powerful magical abilities to create their homes in the forests of Du Weldenvarden by melding the trees and plants in various ways to create a living area. All Elves are vegetarians, because they value life very highly, and they sing their weapons and tools from the trees and plants - using magic to send energy into them and give them certain attributes. For instance, Arya told Eragon that elfish bows are "sung from trees that do not grow". This technique is used by Rhunon, forger of the Riders' swords and the most accomplished forger in Alagaësia; she charms the Riders' swords so they will be eternally sharp, never dull, and will never break. This technique also led to the creation of the Menoa Tree, where the Elves celebrate the Blood-Oath Celebration. The Menoa Tree was originally a Singer, called Linnea, who was disappointed in love. After killing her insincere fiancé, Linnea sang herself into a pine tree.
[edit] Dwarves
The Dwarves have lived in the Beor Mountains since the beginning of their race, reputedly eight millenia ago. They are short and stocky humanoids with long, dense hair, and have seven toes on each foot. The Dwarves have long lives, but are not immortal like Elves and Dragons. They believe that the god Helzvog created them. They are polytheistic and devout.
According to the Dwarvish religion, Guntera, King of the Gods, is a warrior and a scholar, but he is moody, so they offer sacrifices to please him. They worship him because he used the bones of a giant to create the land. It is said he was born to a she-wolf at the dawn of the stars, and battled giants and monsters for a place for his kin in Alagaësia, and how he took Kilf, the goddess of rivers and seas, as his mate. Urur is the master of the Heavens and the air, and his brother is the god of fire, Morgothal. The brothers loved each other so much that they could not separate - hence the sun and the stars.
In the Dwarves' religion, Sindri is the mother of the earth, and Helzvog is the favorite of the Dwarves' gods. After the giants were eradicated, Helzvog believed that Alagaësia should be populated, and though the other gods disagreed, he secretly created the first Dwarf from the roots of the mountains. Learning of this, the god created various other things: Sindri created Humans from the soil, and Urur and Morgothal created Dragons. Guntera created the Elves, and thus the races entered the world.
The Dwarves' burial rituals say that all Dwarves must be buried in stone; otherwise, so they believe, their spirits will never join Helzvog in his stone halls. If one does not complete the ritual by joining the dead dwarf with stone, they will be banished from their clan and never spoken of until their death. The only exception to this are on account of injury or a proliferation of enemies. The more scientific Elves do not share the Dwarve's religious values. Arya believes the religions to be foolish.
Dwarves and dragons did not coexist easily. Before the Dragon Riders were established, Dragons made a habit of stealing gold from the Dwarves and eating their livestock, causing tension between the two races. These happenings caused that the dwarves refused to be included in the pact between the elves and the dragons and thus, there were never Dwarven Dragon Riders.
The Dwarves are split into thirteen clans. As well as a King who rules over all the Dwarves, there are thirteen Clan Chiefs who decide the new king when the old one dies. These Clan Chiefs wield enormous power, and many are against Eragon, resenting that the new Rider is a human.
In the course of 8,000 years, there have been 42 Kings, the first being Korgan, the forty-second being Hrothgar, a prominent Dwarf in Inheritance. Volund, the hammer of Korgan, first of the Dwarf Kings, is wielded by the current Dwarf King. In Inheritance, they were led by the late King Hrothgar before he was killed by Murtagh, as were four other Dwarven magicians who were drained of their life in an attempt to save their King. Orik, a friend of Eragon's, is the heir of Hrothgar.
The Dwarves are possibly the finest smiths, rivaled only by the Elves. In Inheritance, it is said that Orthiad, one of the Dwarves' abandoned cities, used to be the capital Dwarven city, before Tronjheim was created in Farthen Dûr. Tronjheim is so large it can house the entire Dwarf nation if facing emergencies, which has happened three times. They have created many marvels, including iron fists, ascudgamln, which they embed metal studs into one's knuckles and attach spikes to them. The Dwarves provided Eragon with his armor and created Dragon armor for previous Riders. The Dwarves have a form of magic that can be fused with their creations. They gave Eragon a necklace that prevents him from being able to be scryed, although it drains the wearer’s energy. Dwarven spell weavers created that artifact. Not surprisingly, their craftsmanship is also only rivaled by the Elves.
Humans use the form of rune writing which the Dwarves invented, because when Humans first arrived in Alagaësia, they were illiterate, and so the Dwarves taught them. The Dwarves ally and secretly house the Varden, giving them much aid. They, along with the Elves, have pledged their support to the Varden, and have sworn that when needed, they will march against Galbatorix.
[edit] Urgals
Urgals are a race that serve an antagonistic role in Eragon, but become Eragon's allies in Eldest. Like the elves, urgals are not native to the land of Alagaësia. The urgals followed the elves from Alalea. Urgals are resemble men with bowed legs and thick brutish arms made for crushing, and very large ramlike horns. They have yellow, piggish eyes, and have grayish skin. The Urgals are usually split into small clans which fight with each other over food, land, and power. The Kull are a particularly strong subspecies of Urgals. They are strong enough to match a non-magical being of Alagaësia. The average height for a Kull is eight feet.
The Urgal's rank in society is determined through combat skills, whether male or female. The more an Urgal kills, the more authority he or she given. The Urgals were magically forced to fight together against their will by Durza, a lieutenant of Galbatorix. In Eragon, Durza led this Urgal army when they attacked Farthen Dûr, but when Durza was slain, the enslaving magic was lifted, and the clans turned on each other. This allowed the Varden and the dwarves to defeat the diminishing the army.
Later, the decimated Bolvek Tribe approached the Varden, seeking revenge on Galbatorix for his shameless deeds. The Varden formed an alliance with the tribe, desperate for help.
[edit] Dragons
Dragons have lived in Alagaësia since ancient times. The skin of a Dragon is nearly impenetrable, though the thin membrane of their wings can be easily pierced. Their scales glitter like gems, although each Dragon only has one scale color. They also have the same eye color as their scales, and their teeth and neck spikes are usually white. The Dragons breathe flame the color of their scales, and some can impressively hold the flame for over an hour. They never stop growing until their death.
Since the Dragons are bound to the land, they possess magical properties. They cannot willingly use their magic, except for their fire. In the war between Elves and Dragons, which started when an Elfish youth hunted down and killed a Dragon like a normal animal, the Dragons banded together, and furiously attacked the Elves, leading to war. Five years into the war, an Elf found a white Dragon egg and raised it, and they stopped the war, bringing peace. In order to prevent another war, the Dragons connected their souls with the Elves, changing both races. Dragons gained the use of language and other trappings of civilization, as well as a less fierce outlook on things. Elves gained strong magic, agility, and immortality. Since Humans came afterwards, the Human Riders were not affected by the Dragons as much.
Dragons give their Riders "shining palms", the Gedwëy Ignasia, as a result of first touching them. Dragons communicate telepathically with their Riders, and house incredible magic that can combine with that of the Rider. Dragons with riders are immortal and remain that way until their Riders are killed.
[edit] Dragon Riders
In early history, an Elf killed a Dragon in the manner he would kill a deer. The mistake caused a large-scale war between the Elfish and Dragon races until one day a Elfin teenager named Eragon found an abandoned egg and raised the Dragon. They formed a strong friendship and became ambassadors between the two races. Finally, peace was brought to the land and so the first Dragon Rider's task was simply to keep the peace between the groups. Later, the Riders were given the power to watch over all the land and to keep peace, becoming more powerful than the other governments. Because there was no one to keep the riders in check, they grew arrogant and this led to the Fall.
Riders' Dragons will only hatch for the Humans and Elves they believe best suited for them. Humans that are Riders undergo physical changes over time, such as their ears growing more pointed like those of the Elves. Dragon Riders become stronger of body, keener of mind, and truer of sight, whether Elf or Human. When a Dragon hatches, his Rider forms a bond with him/her by touching the Dragon. This touch leaves a mark, the gedwëy ignasia, on the Dragon Rider’s hand.
Galbatorix led a rebellion that crushed the Dragon Riders and their leader Vrael and brought an end to this peaceful rule. Notable Dragon Riders include Eragon, Brom, Murtagh, Oromis, and Galbatorix himself.
The Dragon Riders are, in conception, similar to the Anne McCaffery's Dragonriders of Pern from the series of the same name.
[edit] Thirteen Forsworn
Also known as Wyrdfell, the Forsworn were the group of Dragon Riders whom Galbatorix used to overthrow the other Dragon Riders. They all used to be Riders, but they and their Dragons were forced to take special oaths of loyalty to serve Galbatorix. Morzan was the only one of the thirteen who was known to have a child (there could be others), Murtagh, who accompanies Eragon on his journey for quite a while. Eragon is also the son of Morzan, as revealed in Eldest, though that is still to be debated. Brom, a Dragon Rider, was the one to slay Morzan and personally killed two others, and was responsible for the deaths of five more of them. The rest died from ambush, suicide, and overuse of magic.
[edit] Werecats
Werecats are beings with the ability to shapeshift from cats to human-like creatures. They are described as larger, fierce-looking cats with lean bodies, powerful shoulders, and oversized paws. They also have shaggy manes, which surround their angular faces. The werecats' origins and natures are very hard to understand because of the cryptic way in which they communicate, never fully explaining themselves and often speaking in nothing but riddles. They tend to keep to themselves and only appear to help in random times of need. It is said that during the time of the Riders, they were as renowned as Dragons. In the Riders' time, they were the favorite pet of Kings and Elves, although Werecats decided when they would stay and leave. Their race has begun to deplete over the years, although why that is so is not explained so far.
A notable Werecat in Eragon would be Solembum, who gives Eragon advice and guides him a few times. In Eldest, another werecat is seen, Maud, but little information is revealed about her, other than the fact she stays with the Elves in Ellesméra and is probably the pet of Queen Islanzadí. Besides that, little information has been revealed about her, although there are hints of a possible connection between the two, as they both show some sign of knowing each other.
[edit] Shades
Shades are humans possessed by spirits. They're similar to sorcerers in that they both use spirits in order to accomplish magical tasks, but the difference is that a sorcerer controls the spirits he uses, whereas a Shade either gives up his mind and body to a spirit/spirits or is overpowered by one/several and has no control over his actions. Shades are immensely powerful, and only three beings have ever succeeded in destroying one; Laetri the Elf, Irnstad the Dragon Rider, and Eragon. The only way a Shade can be killed is to pierce their heart; otherwise they'll merely reappear elsewhere and return stronger than before. The only notable shade in Eragon is Durza. This Shade nearly killed Eragon in a city called Gil'ead and later in the Battle under Farthen Dûr, but Eragon survived with help of his dragon Saphira, Murtagh, and Ayra. It is unknown whether there are any other Shades in Alagaësia at the time of the book, though Paolini did say that it was possible that another Shade might turn up. No new Shades were seen in Eldest, though Durza was often discussed.
[edit] Ra'zac
The Ra'zac are extremely powerful beings physically who have no grasp of magic.
The Ra'zac lifecycle goes as follows: when the Ra'zac are born, they are known to their parents as pupae, and they develop a roughly human exoskeleton that allows them approach their ultimate prey, humans. As described in Eldest, they have shining black skin, a humped back where future wings may be hidden, a sharp beak, a barbed purple tongue, and huge, lidless eyes, the size of a fist. Their eyes have no pupils or irises. At twenty years of age, the pupae, or Ra'zac, shed their exoskeletons and emerge as fully grown Lethrblaka (bats).
The Lethrblaka have great wings, tight gray skin with huge corded muscles, a sharp killing beak, and have hind legs strong enough to crush a boulder. When they have morphed into fully grown Lethrblaka, they can reproduce by laying eggs. The pupae/Ra'zac have many terrifying abilities, including the ability to see on a cloudy night, track scents like dogs, jump higher and move quicker than any Human - and their last, most terrible weapon is their evil breath, which fogs the mind of Humans and incapacitates others, though to a slightly lesser extent. The only two Ra'zac who still survive have been so far unnamed. They were discovered by Galbatorix and enlisted in his service. They work for Galbatorix as his personal Dragon Hunters and are housed at Helgrind.
This was after The Fall of the Riders, as they were finally allowed to emerge from their hiding places, because when the Riders learned of the Ra'zac, they did all they could to destroy them. Unfortunately for the Riders, two Lethrblaka and their pupae escaped.
The Ra'zac are quite similar to the Nazgûl of Lord of the Rings in appearance and the fact they often ride around, hunting down enemies of those they serve. Another possible similarity is that they might ride around on flying mounts, which is strongly hinted in Eragon, and is confirmed in Eldest. These flying mounts are really their parents.
[edit] The Varden
The Varden is a group of rebels who are based in Farthen Dûr. Varden in the Ancient Language means 'The Warders'. This rebel organization was founded by Brom during the very end of The Fall, their purpose being to rid the world of Galbatorix and the Empire, and to restore the world a benevolent government. Originally, Brom gathered together a group of rebels opposed to Galbatorix, and using his alliances with the Elves and Dwarves he made during his time as a Dragon Rider, began the Varden. For a few years, Brom led the Varden and helped create the foundation for it, but then passed leadership on to another and departed, but still always keeping in touch with the Varden. The leadership of the Varden is given to one single person who has gained approval from the Council of Elders. Due to Brom's relations with the Dwarves, the Varden is located in Tronjheim, which is inside a mountain known to the Dwarves as Farthen Dûr, which is located in the Beor Mountains.
In Eragon, the Varden is led by a man known as Ajihad, a cunning warrior who led the Varden to victory many times and almost killed a Shade. The Varden is faring badly at that time, due to lack of supplies, silence between the Varden and the Elves, and traitors intercepting the Varden’s most ingenious plans. Despite this, Ajihad organizes an army and leads them to victory, due to his cunning traps to snare the Urgals, and his ideas that killed many Urgals before they reached the Varden's army. Due to the actions of Eragon, Ajihad was able to drive away the Urgals, whose numbers had dwindled due to the Shade's magic being lifted and the different clans turning on each other. The Varden suffers a great loss three days later, as an Urgal ambush killed Ajihad.
The Council of Elders, seeking power, plan to place Ajihad's daughter, Nasuada, as leader of the Varden. The Council believes she is weak and plans to use her as a puppet to gain power, but Nasuada proves them wrong. She accepts their offer to become the next head of the Varden, but is strong enough to defend against the Council's lies, and the Council suffers defeat at Nasuada's hands. With Eragon and Arya gone, Nasuada plans to move the Varden into Surda, fearing Galbatorix may have discovered the location of the Varden. She also moves to gather her forces and mix them with Surda, another rebel state dedicated to the Varden's cause. The Varden moves to Surda successfully by using tunnels in the Beor Mountains, and plan to attack a weakened Galbatorix using the combined might of the Varden, the Dwarves, and the Surda.
Nasuada then faces unexpected problems. After a few weeks, they receive reports of Galbatorix massing a huge army that had been only recently discovered, due to the King's protective magic. The Varden sends a warning to the Elves and Dwarves, and then march to meet the Empire on the Burning Plains. To their astonishment and trepidation, the opposing army has at least 100,000 soldiers, but the Varden fights despite that fact. Soon, Eragon arrives from Ellesméra to assist the Varden. A day before the battle, a group of Kull opposed to Galbatorix join the Varden due to their enslavement at Durza's hands. Angela, a witch, poisons the Empire's water and food supply, killing many troops. The next morning, they meet the Empire in a terrible battle that shifts back and forth. The Varden is pushed back again, but are soon reinforced by the villagers of Carvahall, ending the battle with no supreme victor as of yet.
After this battle, the Varden discovers (from Eragon) that Murtagh is really the new Dragon Rider and that the Twins were traitors. The Twins are killed by Roran, thus avenging the death of Ajihad. The Dwarves lost their King in the battle, but it is said the Elves are finally entering Alagaësia once more to help overthrow Galbatorix.
[edit] Grey Folk
The Grey Folk were a powerful race that created Gramarye, the art of using the ancient language for magic. They did not completely create the language, but rather augmented it so it would be impossible to lie, and to give it more control over magic. The race is now extinct, and little else is known about them.
[edit] Magic
Humans, Elves, or any other living things are not the source of magic (or gramarye in the ancient language). Magic that is wild is often much more powerful than any living creature. Magicians, before the creation of the Ancient Language, merely had to be born with the innate ability to use magic, and then had to think in their own languages. To use the magic in those days, energy was required in only small amounts, as it is energy that generates magical power.
It should be noted that magic leaves its user fatigued. If you use magic, it will take the same amount of energy required to perform the task physically. Attributes such as the distance from the target and the severity of the magic affect the amount of fatigue the user gains. Extremely powerful magic will overcome the user, leaving him or her dead and their task unfulfilled.
A magic user also cannot raise anyone or anything from the dead, because an abyss exists between life and death where magic means nothing. If a magic user tries to raise someone from the dead, they will lose all of their energy and die instead. A user of magic does not have the ability to stop a spell after they have begun it unless and until the task is completed or the task uses up all of their energy, in which case, again, they'll be left dead and their task will be unfulfilled.
Spells should be used in a sequence so that, if the magic user knows they are about to die from their own spell, they can break off the spell and save themselves.
The method of thinking the spell in the spell weaver's own language method is extremely dangerous, as stray thoughts could enter the mind and end up releasing great evils upon the land. An event that nearly destroyed every living thing on the earth may have been brought about by the Grey Folk. They were an ancient race, here even before the Elves. The Grey Folk, realizing what could happen if such an event were to happen again, gathered their strength and wrought the greatest, most powerful spell ever performed with success. The Grey Folk used all their energy casting the spell, and almost all the spell-weavers died. But they actually changed the nature of magic itself, using the spell.
First of all, one must still be born with the innate ability of magic so that one can access it. Secondly, they made it so that their language, the Ancient Language, controls what the magic will do. For example, if one said 'Burn the door', and looked at someone and thought of that person, the door would still burn. However, it is still possible to think the word in the Ancient Language, giving one the advantage of surprise. If one knows the name of a thing in the Ancient Language, one will have complete control over it. This also includes a person’s real name in the ancient language, which is hidden from most.
The ancient language has two unique traits: one, it describes the true nature of things, and two is that it is impossible to lie when speaking in this language. In Alagaësia, the language is spoken by the Elves, who are not really the creators of this language but rediscovered it and taught it to the rest of the world. Apparently, everything was once spoken in this language after the time the nature of magic changed, but no more.
Magic is also accessed by wizards and witches through spells and potions. Sorcerers have an inborn talent as well, but it is different from Dragon Riders, as sorcerers and Shades summon spirits to perform magical acts, but can be possessed by evil spirits more powerful than the user is. If this happens, they become a Shade - an innately evil creature that can only be killed with a blow directly to the heart. Dragon Riders, however, gain powerful magic through forging a bond with their Dragon and through the Dragon, a bond with the primal forces of the land.
Some of the basic magical techniques taught to spell weavers are these: The ability to extend one's consciousness beyond oneself and meld one's consciousness with other living thing's consciousnesses. One learns how to attack a person's mind and gain control over that person, and one is taught to close one's mind to the ones assaulting one by thinking of one thing only. One is taught how to place wards around oneself to help defend against both magical and physical assaults. These wards only survive as long as the warder can maintain them using the energy in their bodies.
In magical battles, the opponents do not attack until they have broken into the mind of their enemy. This is for two reasons, the fist being that in the instant before the magic takes place, the enemy has a chance to retaliate, and second is that now they are in the enemy's mind - they can now sense whatever attack their opponent will throw at them. Most magical duels last for only a few seconds before both sides are destroyed, although those who are more disciplined have longer battles.
In battles between armies, a spell weaver will only have an army to make sure they are protected while they are involved in their mental struggles. In order to defend their troops against the attacks of enemy magicians, they spread their own spell weavers out into different parts of the army and are responsible for putting wards around their charges. Magicians seeking to break these wards must batter past the mind of the spell weaver maintaining the wards and take control. Spell weavers also spread their minds outwards in order to sense enemy magicians.
Some of the secrets of magic, preserved for only the wisest and most experienced Dragon Riders, are listed below.
- An ability that only experienced Riders learn is twelve death words that can kill people instantly by cutting off certain nerves or arteries and only using as much energy as one would to lift a finger.
- They are taught the spell that can instantaneously transport an item.
- Finally, one of the most potentially dangerous techniques: the ability to draw energy from your surroundings, including the earth and living things of all kind.
One secret yet to be revealed is how Galbatorix's strength continues to increase each year.
[edit] Languages of Alagaësia
Although much of Alagaësia speaks the same language, there are a few others as well. These are spoken throughout the books by the different races.
[edit] The Ancient Language
The Ancient Language is the language of the Elves and is used in magic. It is not commonly used for communication in Eragon, but it is used a lot in Eldest, although mostly represented by English translations. The name of anything in this language is its true name, which is what makes it the language of magic. If one knows something's name in the Ancient Language, one has the ability to control it. This includes people: If one knows a person's true name, one can control them. If one knows the true name of the Ancient Language, one has the ability to control anybody that uses it. It is said that one cannot lie or break their word in the Ancient Language.
The Ancient Language is based on Old Norse.[1]
[edit] The Dwarf Language
The Dwarf language is rough-accented.
[edit] The Urgal Language
The Urgal language is a very rough language consisting of grunts and other noises. Some Urgals also speak the common language. When greeting war chiefs, Urgal raise their head and bellow. The proper response is usually to butt heads. Baring their throat is seen to be a sign of respect whereas lowering your head means that you are about to butt the person and, thus, is taken as a sign of great disrespect.
[edit] Similarities to other fantasy works and related criticism
Alagaësia and many of its languages, concepts and races are often criticised for its similarities to other fantasy settings, especially J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings proved to be a seminal work for modern fantasy literature; his influence has been far-reaching, leading to such tropes as the use of elves and dwarves, whom he borrowed and modified from Germanic mythology.
[edit] Names and languages
While some degree of similarity of the Inheritance trilogy to Tolkien's and other fantasy works would thus not be unexpected (such as the use of similar interpretations of elves and dwarves, as said above), some readers have taken issue with many names which are similar or even identical to that found in other works.
| Name | Similar name(s) | Possible source |
| Eragon | Aragorn | Tolkien |
| Ardwen | Arwen | Tolkien |
| Arya | Arwen | Tolkien |
| Isenstar | Isengard or Evenstar, i.e., Arwen | Tolkien |
| Mithrim | Mithrim or mithril | Tolkien |
| Angrenost | Angrenost | Tolkien |
| Morgothal | Morgoth | Tolkien |
| Elessari | Elessar | Tolkien |
| Furnost | Fornost | Tolkien |
| Hadarac Desert | Harad<ref>a region in Middle-earth which contains a desert</ref> | Tolkien |
| Melian | Melian | Tolkien |
| Vanilor | Valinor | Tolkien |
| Farthen-Dur | Barad-Dur | Tolkien |
| Eridor | Eriador | Tolkien |
| Imiladris | Imladris | Tolkien |
| Undin | Fundin | Tolkien |
| Eldor | Eldar | Tolkien |
| Beor | Bëor, Beorn | Tolkien<ref>beorn was borrowed from Old English</ref> |
| The Spine | The Shire | Tolkien |
| Urgal | Uruk-hai, Uruk | Tolkien |
| Oromis | Oromë, Boromir | Tolkien |
| Utgard | Uthgar | Dungeons and Dragons |
Besides the names, Paolini's Elvish and rough-sounding Dwarven languages are quite similar to Tolkien's own Elvish languages and Dwarf language.
[edit] Concepts
The Forsworn are similar to the Nazgûl of The Lord of the Rings, as well as the Forsaken from Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time, in that they are powerful sorcerers who are sworn to serve the dark lord. They even more similar to the Forsaken of the Wheel of Time book series in name, number, and the fact that they were promised great power for their service. Like the Forsaken, they often fought among themselves for power over one another, although unlike the Forsaken, the Forsworn paid for their petty battles with each other with their lives, although mostly these battles just weakened them. Murder, war, and overuse of magic are some of the actual causes.
The Urgal race resembles Tolkien's Orcs in some ways, besides the similarity of its name to Uruk-hai, a stronger breed of Orc. Besides being a naturally violent soldier-race constituting a large part of the armies of the series' villains (though this is prevalent in fantasy), the Uruk-hai are paralleled by the Kull, an elite sect of the Urgal. The Urgals are also strikingly similar to the Trollocs from the Wheel of Time; they are tall, are described as bestial in appearance, and are militaristic.
The idea that knowing the true name of something gives one power over the thing was the basis of all magic in Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea novels.
[edit] Criticism
Professional sources decrying the book's derivations from Tolkien among others include USAToday, stating that the book "echoes Tolkien in its pseudo-Celtic language and imagined universe of dwarfs and elves",<ref>http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2004-01-20-fantasy-films-main_x.htm </ref> while Entertainment Weekly also cites a specific trope from Tolkien, "the ageless elves speak wisdom".<ref>http://www.ew.com/ew/article/commentary/0,6115,1142746_5_0_,00.html </ref>
Even positive reviews of the books cannot help but note how derivative the texts are from other fantasy works, such as this quote from Kirkus's review of Eldest, noting that it is "suffused with purple prose and faux-archaic language," and is a "patchwork of dialogue, characters and concepts pulled whole cloth from the fantasy canon".<ref>http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?z=y&pwb=1&ean=9780375826702 </ref>
[edit] Important Places
- See also: Places in the Inheritance trilogy
- Beor Mountains
- Burning Plains
- Carvahall
- Dras-Leona
- Du Weldenvarden
- Ellesméra
- Farthen Dûr
- Helgrind
- Hadarac Desert
- Spine, The
- Surda
- Teirm
- Tronjheim
- Urû'baen
- Yazuac
[edit] See also
Places in the Inheritance trilogy
[edit] External links
[edit] Official
[edit] Fansites
- Shruikan Forums
- Shurtugal.com - the largest Inheritance fan site
- Shadeslayer.com Inheritance Trilogy Fan Site
- Du Shur'tugals :: The First Eragon Fan Site
- Silthrim :: Formerly DragonRiders.co.uk
- Sverd Shelgr Inheritance Trilogy webcomic
[edit] Other
- Inheriwiki, the Inheritance trilogy wiki
[edit] References and notes
<references />
| Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Trilogy | |
|---|---|
| Books | Eragon | Eldest | Book 3 |
| Films | Eragon |
| Main Characters | Eragon | Brom | Arya | Galbatorix | Murtagh | Roran | Ajihad | Nasuada | Angela | Saphira | Oromis | more... |
| Places | Alagaësia | Beor Mountains | Carvahall | Dras-Leona | Ellesméra | Farthen Dûr | Hadarac Desert | Helgrind | Surda | Teirm | Urû'baen | more... |
| Events | Blood-Oath Celebration | Battle of the Burning Plains | Battle for Carvahall | Dagshelgr Invocation | The Fall |
cs:Alagaësia es:Alagaësia it:Alagaësia pl:Alagaësia ru:Алагейзия fi:Alagaësia
