The Inheritance Almanac Page 2

  SEE AJIHAD’S TOMB.

  In honor of all he had done for the free races of Alagaësia, Ajihad was buried within the great chamber under Farthen Dûr where dwarves are entombed. During the funeral procession, Ajihad’s body was lain on a white marble bier and carried by six men dressed in armor the color of mourning black. A helm of precious stones was upon Ajihad’s head, and he was laid to rest with his mighty sword and shield.

  Although Ajihad, being human, could not be buried with dwarves, a special alcove was prepared where the Varden and others could come to pay their respects without disturbing the sacred spaces dedicated to the dwarves. His burial place was past a graveyard of glistening crystal, down into a catacomb of alcoves lit by red lanterns. Above his crypt, this tribute was carved in dwarven runes:

  May all, Knurlan, Humans, and Elves,

  Remember

  This Man.

  For he was Noble, Strong, and Wise.

  Gûntera Arûna

  SEE DWARVEN BURIAL RITES.

  The continent of Alagaësia is home to dragons, dwarves, elves, humans, Urgals, and the nomadic tribes and artisans descended from the wandering tribes. Some races have migrated from the legendary land of Alalëa, as the elves call this mysterious place of their origins. In addition to the Empire of Galbatorix, which is basically the former cities and territory of the Broddring nation, there is the independent human state of Surda in the southwest.

  Geographic features include the western coastal mountain range of the Spine, which includes numerous human settlements; the forest of Du Weldenvarden to the north, the largest forest on the continent and home to the elven people; the Hadarac Desert, which spreads across much of the land and has traditionally been home to wild dragons; and the Beor Mountains to the south, where the dwarves make their home.

  Magic is woven into the land and has even been used to transform the natural world, as the elves have done in the cities they have formed out of the trees and other plant life of Du Weldenvarden.

  SEE ANCIENT LANGUAGE.

  CHRISTOPHER PAOLINI’S MAP OF ALAGAËSIA, WHICH HE DREW WHEN HE WAS WRITING ERAGON.

  This legendary second continent of the world is shrouded in mystery—even the elves who migrated from this place have not revealed anything about the land of their origins. Much of this mystery is due to the great unknown of what lies across the seas and beyond the horizon. The ancient language word for Alalëa is reserved for only the rarest and most important occasions and roughly translates as “a melancholy dream of great beauty.”

  SEE ELF CHILDREN.

  SEE DAUTH.

  A Nardan ship.

  One of Horst and Elain’s two sons. Albriech and his brother, Baldor, gave valuable help to Roran when the Empire invaded Carvahall and during the villagers’ flight to join the Varden. The burly sons also help their father in black-smithing for the Varden.

  CHRISTOPHER NAMED ALBRIECH AS A TRIBUTE TO HIS GREAT-UNCLE, ALBERT.

  SEE SLOAN.

  Dwarf chief of Dûrgrimst Ingeitum prior to the leadership of Hrothgar, the future dwarf king.

  SEE DWARF CLANS IN THE APPENDIX.

  One of the guards for the dwarf clan chief Ûndin.

  The great elf bard. One of Analísia’s epics was read by Eragon during his stay in Ellesméra, capital city of the elves.

  An enduring remnant of Alagaësia’s ancient history is the original language of truth and magic created by the indigenous race known as the Grey Folk. Although lost for a time, the ancient language was reintroduced by the elves, a people of innate magical qualities. Because the ancient language is bound to the energy of the world, to speak it is to harness great power. Elven celebrations where songs are sung in the ancient language create bewitching spells that can be intoxicating to elves but dangerous to humans and other outsiders.

  Among its attributes, the ancient language describes the true nature of things, and one cannot directly lie while speaking it. Masters of the ancient language can cast spells and make others do what they want. Although Dragon Riders were traditionally trained in the magical language, even they had to use it correctly, for a mistake could result in unintended consequences, including death. The script itself is composed of forty-two different glyphs, representing different sounds that can be combined in limitless ways to form words and phrases.

  SEE LIDUEN KVAEDHÍ AND MAGIC.

  NEARLY HALF OF BRISINGR WAS WRITTEN WITH AN INK-DIP PEN.

  In a time when even the most trusted are subjected to intense scrutiny, it is considered a great accomplishment to keep one’s past a secret—such an inscrutable figure is Angela the herbalist, a human witch and warrior with a penchant for speaking in riddles and answering questions with questions. In a rare personal revelation, Angela once acknowledged an apprenticeship with the hermit-wizard Tenga, a time she recalled as “unfortunate.” It is said she is one of the rare outsiders to have traveled among the elves of Du Weldenvarden before the Fall of the Riders.

  What is known about Angela for certain is that she owned the herb and potion shop in the wealthy residential section of the city of Teirm and is often accompanied by Solembum, a shape-shifting werecat. Despite the pair’s close companionship, the witch is loathed by the king of the werecat race. Angela has curly brown hair and youthful features but is much older than she looks. Her youthful appearance and radiant health are the result of her herbs and potions. She can read one’s future, but usually only those Solembum deems worthy—only five are known to have been so favored, including Eragon and his mother, Selena.

  Angela became a freedom fighter when she took up residence among the Varden in their sanctuary of Farthen Dûr, and she proved her valor during the Battle of Farthen Dûr. During the Battle of the Burning Plains, she snuck behind enemy lines to poison the Empire’s soldiers. In addition to her fighting ability, her talent as a healer has aided many wounded Varden. Angela is currently an advisor to Nasuada, the Varden leader, and caretaker of Elva.

  THE CHARACTER ANGELA IS BASED ON, AND NAMED AFTER, PAOLINI’S SISTER.

  ANGELA’S THEORIZING ABOUT THE EXISTENCE OF TOADS AND FROGS IN ERAGON IS BASED ON A REAL INCIDENT WITH PAOLINI’S SISTER.

  In Teirm, next to the mansion of Jeod Longshanks, is the shop where Angela and her werecat companion, Solembum, once lived and worked, a rustic structure overrun with tangled vines and leaves where a green-tinted light was usually visible from the obscured windows. Angela closed the shop when she made the decision to follow Eragon to the Varden.

  SEE BRODDRING KINGDOM AND ILIREA.

  The dwarves’ personification of Death, also known as the Gray Man.

  The Grimstcarvlorss of a dwarf clan that was once among the oldest and richest in the dwarf nation, Anhûin volunteered to help Vrael, the leader of the Dragon Riders, fight Galbatorix and his Thirteen Forsworn. It was a disaster—all the clan was slaughtered, except for Anhûin and her guards. The grief-stricken keeper of the clan house died soon after, and the survivors adopted a new clan name—Az Sweldn rak Anhûin, meaning “the Tears of Anhûin.” The clan bitterly blamed all Dragon Riders and recently declared themselves sworn blood enemies of Eragon and his dragon. It was while Eragon was visiting the dwarven surface city of Tarnag that a strange dwarf made the clan intentions clear by plucking three hairs from his beard, wrapping them around an iron ring, and disdainfully tossing it in the street and spitting. The bitterness was so extreme that the clan actually violated the Law of Hospitality in an attempt to kill the young Dragon Rider.

  SEE TARNAG AND VERMÛND.

  The leader of the Dragon Riders who made the controversial decision to include humans in the magical bond that had exclusively existed between elves and dragons.

  SEE BRODDRING KINGDOM.

  The secretive religious sect that originated in the secluded coastal town of Kuasta and is dedicated to collecting and preserving Alagaësia’s history and knowledge against the coming of an unspecified catastrophe. The Arcaena core belief can be summed up as follows: “All knowledge is sacre
d.”

  Heslant the Monk is one of Arcaena’s most renowned keepers of knowledge. His major scholarly work, Domia Abr Wyrda (translated as “Dominance of Fate”), is considered the most complete history of the continent. This book’s publication angered Galbatorix, who ordered Heslant’s execution and the destruction of all copies of his masterpiece.

  Few honors in the world are more prized than this ring, a gift from the leader of the elves. The ring Aren, carved by the greatest elven artisans, is designed as a golden band set with a rare and powerful sapphire upon which is etched the yawë, a mystic elven symbol. The ring can store massive amounts of energy, but its true significance is that it marks its wearer as a friend and ally of the elves.

  Aren was personally bestowed by elf queen Islanzadí upon the great Dragon Rider Brom. After Brom’s death at the hands of the monstrous Ra’zac, Eragon came into possession of the ring. Brom had been storing energy within it for years, and it had accumulated great power by the time Eragon took possession. His ownership of the ring was made official during his first encounter with Queen Islanzadí, forever marking Eragon as a revered friend of the elves.

  CHRISTOPHER PAOLINI’S ILLUSTRATION OF AREN.

  An elven word used to refer to a Dragon Rider. It literally means “silver hand,” referring to the gedwëy ignasia (“shining palm”) that all Riders bear.

  In dwarven legend, a dwarf who sleeps forever in a cave.

  This isolated city on the southwestern border of Alagaësia is firmly in the Empire’s control, but its isolation makes it vulnerable to attack. After one Varden attack, Galbatorix ordered the bolstering of Aroughs’s defenses. North of the city gates are the bogs where the phenomenon of werelights can be seen.

  A loyal servant of the Dragon Riders of Vroengard during the time of their downfall at the hands of Galbatorix’s forces. During Galbatorix’s Siege of Ilirea (Urû’baen), Arva was among those desperately fighting to save the city Despite Arva’s valor, he fell at the hands of Kialandí, a member of the Thirteen Forsworn. Before his death, Arva gave his sister, Naudra, his Rider sword, Támerlein. She fought valiantly at his side during his final day. When all was lost, Naudra, though gravely injured, fought free of the invaders and fled the city, only later to succumb to her wounds.

  One of the Dragon Rider swords.

  The daughter of King Evander and Queen Islanzadí and an ambassador of the elf nation. For nearly a century, Arya Dröttningu (“Princess Arya” in the ancient language) has served as ambassador to the allied nations. Recently, Arya’s key role was as protector and courier of the dragon egg in the possession of the elves and the Varden.

  From her earliest years growing up in the capital city of Ellesméra, much was expected of Arya. The young royal not only exceeded the expectations of her family but also quelled the reservations of her critics, becoming superior in spell-casting and swordsmanship. The one distraction of her youth was a young male elf named Fäolin. The two were virtually inseparable, but their relationship was not destined to blossom.

  Soon after the death of her father, Arya volunteered to be guardian of the dragon egg that had been taken from Galbatorix, ferrying it back and forth between the elves and the Varden, hoping it would hatch for someone. The queen opposed this appointment, rightly fearing for her daughter’s safety. But Arya, with steely determination, was made royal guardian of the egg and ambassador to the Varden, with Fäolin joining the royal guard to be near her. This appointment led to an estrangement from her mother that lasted seventy years.

  Queen Islanzadí’s worst fears were realized when the royal guard was returning from Tronjheim to the elven city of Osilon. The Shade Durza and his Urgal assassins sprang an ambush. Arya’s companions, Glenwing and her beloved Fäolin, were slain. Arya was captured, although she managed to magically transport the egg to the Spine, where it was found by Eragon. Arya paid a terrible price, languishing in a prison cell deep within Durza’s fortress in Gil’ead, where Durza tortured her in an effort to learn the whereabouts of the egg, the location of the rebel Varden, and other vital concerns of the Empire. She revealed nothing, even when tortured to the edge of death. Her ordeal ended with her rescue by Eragon, the budding young Rider who had seen Arya in his dreams. Eragon himself had been imprisoned in Gil’ead and, with the help of his comrade Murtagh and Saphira (the dragon hatched from the very egg Arya had sworn to protect), Eragon escaped with Arya. The elven princess was taken to the Varden, who nursed her back to health.

  Arya resumed her role as ambassador of the elves and fought alongside Eragon and Saphira at the Battle of Farthen Dûr, playing a pivotal role in the Varden victory. However, while riding Saphira, and in an attempt to distract Durza from slaying Eragon, she smashed Isidar Mithrim, the gigantic sculpted gem that was the beloved symbol of the dwarf nation.

  Since returning to her homeland, Arya has received the blessings of Queen Islanzadí. She also serves with the elven spellcasters assigned to protect Eragon and Saphira. Eragon, always attracted to the lovely elf, finally professed his love after the Agaetí Blödhren. Arya replied that they were friends and could be nothing more. Her rejection brought Eragon to tears, but she simply told him, “You and I are not meant for each other.”

  Arya’s recent accomplishments include eradicating a second Shade at the Battle of Feinster, an act that made her a Shadeslayer, one of a very select group.

  THE REFERENCE ARYA MAKES IN BRISINGR TO A “LONELY GOD” WHILE SHE IS SKETCHING GLYPHS ON THE GROUND IS AN ALLUSION TO THE LONG-RUNNING BRITISH TELEVISION PROGRAM DR. WHO.

  Ascûdgamln, Dwarvish for “fists of steel,” is a unique method for making a dwarf’s own hands a weapon. In the process, a healer lulls the warrior into a deep sleep, holes are drilled into the knuckles, and a metal socket is embedded and sealed by magic that allows for spikes to be threaded into the sockets. Although the Ascûdgamln are great for hand-to-hand fighting, few dwarves undergo the operation—if a drill goes too deep, the warrior can lose a hand. Ascûdgamln are also not suitable for humans and elves, as dwarves have thicker bones that can withstand the procedure. Eragon, an admirer of this special weapon, created thick calluses resembling Ascûdgamln on his own hands.

  The elven organization devoted to the preservation of elven songs and poems.

  Deep within the Beor Mountains, on Mount Thardûr, is this stone formation, estimated to be more than a thousand years old. Az Knurldrâthn (“Trees of Stone”) is a mystery—some say it was a granite excavation, others that it was the remnant of an ancient catastrophe, and still others that Helzvog, dwarven god of stone, created it. In recent times, Az Knurldrâthn has become a place of punishment, where wayward dwarven youths are sent to reflect on their wrongdoings.

  Also known as the Gem of Sindri, this enormous replica of the dwarves’ nameless lantern was discovered atop a bell tower at the peak of the five-story edifice that makes up Bregan Hold. The teardrop-shaped lantern, used by dwarves in times of emergency and celebration, is held in place by slabs of granite and emits a bright light in hues of gold.

  THE FOREST OF STONE IS BASED ON A REAL PETRIFIED FOREST.

  SEE ANHÛIN. SEE ALSO DWARF CLANS IN THE APPENDIX.

  One of the two sons of Horst and Elain, who took in young Eragon after the death of Eragon’s uncle, Garrow. Baldor and his brother, Albriech, also worked closely with Eragon’s brother, Roran, who led refugees from Carvahall after the Empire’s siege and destruction of their village.

  CHRISTOPHER NAMED BALDOR AFTER HIS UNCLE BRUCE.

  SEE DU NAMAR AURBODA AND FORSWORN.

  This spellcaster of the human nation of Surda rode with King Orrin during the Battle of the Burning Plains to protect him from the Empire’s spellcasters.

  The pivotal struggle in which the Varden refuge in Farthen Dûr was penetrated by the Urgal army led by the Shade Durza. It marked Eragon and Saphira’s first major battle as Rider and dragon. They fought alongside the elf princess Arya and Murtagh. Murtagh had been viewed with suspicion when he first arrived at the
Varden sanctuary with Eragon, but the young swordsman silenced his doubters as he fought valiantly against the invaders.

  The battle was won by the Varden. Eragon also fought Durza, killing the Shade with a sword thrust through the heart. Durza’s death freed the Urgals, who had been spellbound by Durza’s sorcery, and earned Eragon the rare title of Shadeslayer. In the aftermath of the battle, while searching the labyrinthine tunnels under Farthen Dûr for Urgals, the Varden leader Ajihad was killed by them.