Eragon (character)
Categories: Inheritance characters
Eragon Shadeslayer is the main protagonist of the Inheritance trilogy written by Christopher Paolini and is the title character of the first novel.
Role in Eragon
Eragon is a 15 year old boy who lives with his Uncle Garrow and cousin Roran. He lives with them as his mother, Selena, disappeared and died after giving Garrow and his wife Eragon when he was just born. His aunt also died. He did not know the identity of his father durng the first book.
Eragon finds a mysterious blue stone in the Spine, an untamed range of mountains near the small village he calls home, Carvahall. After being unable to sell the stone, Eragon soon finds it hatches into an infant dragon, a species thought to be extinct. When the Dragon touches his pal, a silvery mark appears known as the Gedway Ignasia. He raises the dragon in secret, telling no one of what has happened, and manages to keep her hidden for the present. He names her Saphira, and their bond begins to develop.
But Saphira continues to grow, and it becomes apparent to Eragon that he will not be able to hide her much longer. But he won't have to. When two hooded beings of immense power, the Ra'zac, enter Carvahall looking for the stone, Saphira forces Eragon to flee with her. The Ra'zac proceed to Eragon's farm in their search, and burn the place down, with Garrow, Eragon's uncle still inside. He is accompanied by Brom, a cryptic old story teller who learned of Saphira's existence. He had migrated to Carvahall over a decade ago. Together, Eragon and Saphira strive to learn more about the Dragon Riders.
Him, Saphira, and Brom decide to hunt the Ra'zac and avenge his uncle Garrow. During their travels, Brom teaches Eragon swordsmanship, and at first Eragon is pathetic and untrained. Constant training soon corrects that. Akso, they stopped in Yazuac to get supplies when they see that the village has been destroyed. They also encounter Urgals there. In desperation, he uses for the first time magic, which he did not know he possesed. Eragon questions Brom about it, and Brom agrees to train Eragon in the use of magic, explaining it and teaching him spells.
After a while, they lose the Ra'zac's trail but find a mysterious substance known as Sethr Oil left behind. they decide to go to Teirm to trace where the oil is sent to and in the process will discover the Ra'zac's lair.
In Teirm, he visits a witch of some power who predicts Eragons future. She reveals that he will have a long lifespan of infinite; the great powers of the land will struggle to control him; he will fall in love with one of noble birth; will leave Alagaesia forever, and will face betrayal from within his own family. He also meets her werecat, Solembum, who speaks to him and tells him that when he needs a weapon to look under the menoa Tree, and to speak his name at the Rock of Kuthian to open the Vault of Souls when his power is insignificant.
In Teirm he learns to scry, which means he can view things he has already seen with magic, and larns to read and wrie. Also, in avisit with Saphira outside of Teirm, he breaks his wrist and therefore must learn to spar with his left hand.
After a while, they decide that the Ra'zac are located in Helgrind, and depart Teirm. During the way to Helgrind, Eragon finally bests Brom in sparring with his left hand and does not use any trickery. Around this time, Eragon begins seeing a beautiful maiden in his dreams and constantly sees her in other dreams afterwards. Eragon sees that she is a prison and decides to check every prison they see along the way in search of this maiden. After Eragon questions Brom, he learns that Brom is part of the Varden, a rebel asociation against Galbatorix, the evil King of Alagaesia who was once an ex Rider untill he betrayed them and destroyed their order.
In Helgrind, the Ra'zac attempt to capture Eragon, but he escapes, along wwith Brom and Saphira. However, the next night the Ra'zac amubush them and capture him, Brom, and Saphira. However, a mysterious man known as murtagh, who was also tracking the Ra'zac, freed them, but not before striking Brom with a dagger meant for Eragon.
Brom shortly dies after that, but tells Eragon that he was once a Rider. Eragon and Saphira agree to travel with Murtagh, and travel in search of the hidden Varden, a strong rebel faction which Brom had mentioned on their journey. He decided to travel to Gil'ead, where he could contact the Varden.
Ultimately, Eragon is captured and imprisoned in Gil'ead, where the maiden is also held. Eragon then learns that she is an Elf. Murtagh and Saphira stage a daring rescue and Eragon escapes with the Elf. However, this does not occur without incident. Eragon and Murtagh easily overcome the Empire soldiers, but are confronted by Durza the Shade, probably the most powerful individual in Alagaesia with the exception of Galbatorix. Eragon himself duels Durza, and he realizes that he is hopelessly outmatched. However, a quick arrow between the eyes fired by Murtaugh temporarily solves the problem. The three companions, and the rescued unconscious elf flee Gil'ead.
Yet the elf does not stir, and, disconcerted, Eragon tries to speak with her mentally. After discerning that he is not an enemy, the elf, Arya, reveals to him the location of the Varden, and also her ailment. She had been poisoned, and it is such that if she does not recieve the antidote soon, she will die. They are then pursued by the Empire and a small army of Kull that are heading in the same direction. In the ensuing chase, Eragon and Murtagh race on horseback to Farthen Dûr, the dwarven mountains that house the Varden. Before they enter, Murtagh, who has been reluctant to enter the Varden, reveals that he is the son of Morzan, first and last of the Forsworn, a group of Riders who joined another fallen Rider, Galbatorix, and destroyed the Dragon Riders.
Eragon reaches the Varden just in time to save Arya, and there he meets the leader of the Varden, Ajihad. he also meets Hrothgar, the King of the Dwarfs. Since Ajihad plans to send Eragon to Ellesmera to finish his training, he is assesed in magic and swordmanship. Two suspicious twins known as The Twins act cruelly to Eragon and attempt to learn new words in the ancient language from Eragon during the assesement. A fully healed Arya chases them away and duels Eragon in sparring. Eragon, although horribly losing, passed the test in Arya's eyes. During this time, he begins to fal in love with her and continues to do so for both books. He also sees Angela, the witch who predicted his future in Teirm. He also sees Solembum again.
A few days to a week after arriving, war is imminent. Ajihad the Varden's leader, informs all of an impending threat. An intercepted message reveals that a legion of Urgals is marching toward the Varden.
In the battle that follows, a seemingly endless tide of Urgals seem poised to take the fortress. Within Tronjheim, the cone-shaped Dwarven city located at the center of Farthen Dûr, Eragon is confronted once again by the menacing Shade, Durza. It turns out that the only way to kill a Shade is with a blow through the heart. Eragon is greatly outmatched by the Shade, and it seems as if all hope is lost. Thanks to a sudden distraction from Saphira and Arya, Durza's attention is averted long enough for Eragon to kill him with a quick stab through his heart. Eragon had slayed the Shade but not without paying a terrible price. Before dying, the Shade had inflicted a great wound on Eragon's back which would have a long-time debilitating effect on him in the future. Upon the Shade's demise, the evil lock Durza had on the Urgal's minds was released, causing the remainder of them to flee. Eragon faints from his weariness and affliction, and is plauged by visions of Durza's transformation into the menacing Shade he became. He is healed of these unwanted images by the mental prescense of the Mourning Sage, who urges Eragon to follow Arya and seek him out. It is almost certain that, in order to triumph over Galbatorix once and for all, Eragon must seek future tutelage in the sequel, Eldest.
Role in Eldest
In Eldest, Eragon travels to Ellesmera, where he is instructed by a Rider, Oromis, and his golden dragon Glaedr. Oromis reveals that he once instructed Brom (Inheritance) and Morzan. He learns many tecniques from Oromis, including extensive knowledge of the Ancient Language, history, and magical techniques that can save his life, including melding matter and energy and drawing energy from external sources. He learns of a war brewing between the Varden and the Empire and departs at once to aid the Varden in the battle. He changes the tide of the battle, until a new Rider appears, upon a red dragon. Presently exhausted, Eragon is easily outmatched, but upon recognizing the fighting style of the warrior, he forces off his helm. Murtagh stands before him. Murtagh reveals they are both sons of Morzan and Selena and therefore brothers. He takes Zar'roc from Eragon, claiming that it is his rightful inheritance. Plauged by depressing thoughts, Eragon imparts his newfound knowledge to his cousin Roran, Arya and Nasuada. At the end of Eldest, Eragon agrees to help Roran rescue his fiance, Katrina, from the evil clutches of the Ra'zac, and seek justice for the numerous crimes they have commited.