The Inheritance Almanac Read online

  SEE ERAGON.

  A plant used to alleviate bad breath and indigestion in dragons. It is believed that fireweed was originally discovered by the first wild dragons, who passed the knowledge of its medicinal properties down through the generations.

  A carpenter from Carvahall whose skills helped his beleaguered village’s defense during a siege by the Empire. Fisk led the building of fences and construction of shields, which saved many villagers, including Roran. Fisk and his wife, Isold, were among those who escaped Carvahall’s destruction, and they currently reside with the Varden’s traveling army.

  SEE ASCÛDGAMLN.

  A Varden warrior.

  A sailor for Clovis the fisherman.

  SEE SOUTHERN ISLES.

  The horse ridden by Eragon during his Dragon Rider training in Ellesméra. Elven horses are not submissive, and humans can ride upon them only with their consent.

  SEE FORSWORN.

  Also known by the elves as the Wyrdfell, the Thirteen Forsworn were the True Believers during Galbatorix’s rise to power. Their ranks included both elf and human Dragon Riders, all willing to throw over the legacy established by their valiant lineage.

  Morzan was the first Dragon Rider seduced by Galbatorix, and his first act as a member of the Forsworn was to unlock the gates of Ilirea, making it the first city to fall to Galbatorix. As Galbatorix’s power grew, a dozen more Riders and their dragons became corrupted and joined the cause. Notable members of the Forsworn included Kialandí, a female elf responsible for capturing and torturing Oromis and reportedly murdering the Rider Arva during the Siege of Ilirea, and Kialandí’s comrade Formosa, who assisted in the capture and torture of Oromis.

  Many of the Forsworn fell to Undbitr, the sword of Brom, including Morzan. The evil dragons were driven to madness and suicide after dragons opposing Galbatorix cast the spell Du Namar Aurboda (“The Banishing of the Names”). Despite their own defeats and misfortune, the Forsworn were successful in establishing Galbatorix’s power, and today the king controls his Empire through vast armies and magic forces.

  SEE GALBATORIX AND MORZAN.

  A human warrior and weapon master in the Varden army. Fredric has advised Eragon and prominent Varden members on appropriate weapons for any battle situation. Fredric can often be seen on the sparring field, honing his skills and sharing his knowledge with the Varden, dwarf, and Surdan warriors who eagerly join him.

  A dwarf.

  SEE ODELE.

  SEE TÚNIVOR’S NECTAR.

  A powerful dragon of old, renowned for defeating a giant sea snake.

  A small Empire town situated on the northern shores of Lake Tüdosten. Fur-nost’s most celebrated resident is Hefring, a Varden spy who successfully stole one of Galbatorix’s three remaining dragon eggs.

  A pioneering weapon smith among the dwarves and onetime leader of the Ingeitum clan. Legend has it that Fûthark taught his craft to Rhunön, creator of the Dragon Rider swords and the greatest weapon smith of the elves.

  SEE RHUNÖN.

  The once-promising Dragon Rider whose quest for supreme power has changed the course of Alagaësian history. He was born and raised in Inzilbêth (a city that has since been destroyed). In accord with the tradition by which youngsters were presented to selected dragon eggs, he was chosen by one embryonic dragon to be its Rider. When the dragon Jarnunvösk hatched, both dragon and Rider joined the ranks of the humans and elves who were sent to Vroengard island for training. Galbatorix and Jarnunvösk excelled at their studies and showed great promise, with no hint of the darkness to come.

  Upon the conclusion of their training, Galbatorix, his dragon, and some friends ventured into the dangerous Spine. It was an act of poor judgment that would alter the young Rider’s life. While camping, the group was attacked by a band of Urgals, who butchered Galbatorix’s friends and mortally wounded Jarnunvösk. Only Galbatorix survived, and it is said that his madness began when he found himself alone in the threatening wilderness, surrounded by the corpses of his friends and his beloved dragon.

  Galbatorix returned to Vroengard, where he was brought before the ruling council of Dragon Riders to answer for the death of his dragon and companions. In addition to his poor judgment, the council saw Galbatorix’s slippery hold on sanity. When Galbatorix pleaded for a new dragon, he was denied. In that in-stant, Galbatorix’s hatred and loathing of his colleagues and all that the Dragon Riders stood for was born. From then on, he started plotting to destroy them all.

  Galbatorix returned to the Spine, where he lived in seclusion and began to prepare his vengeance. He first mastered black magic sorcery, and his first victim was one of the Dragon Rider Elders, whom he killed in cold blood. He then began to destroy from within, luring other Riders to his cause. The first Rider he seduced was Morzan, who helped him steal the dragon Shruikan, whom Galbatorix bound to his will through magic spells—a blasphemous imitation of the traditional union of dragon and Rider. Along with Morzan, twelve more dragons and Riders would come to Galbatorix’s side. He named his followers the Thirteen Forsworn and went to war against the Dragon Riders.

  The ferocity of Galbatorix and his Thirteen Forsworn killed almost all Riders and dragons, what is known as the Fall of the Dragon Riders. When Galbatorix killed King Angrenost of the Broddrings, he declared himself king of Alagaësia.

  But one hope remained—the Rider Brom. Like his fellow Rider Oromis, Brom had fought valiantly during the war but would go into hiding. Brom’s blows against Galbatorix’s Empire included organizing the various factions throughout Alagaësia into the cohesive rebel group known as the Varden. Brom and the Varden slew others of the Forsworn and dealt a blow to Galbatorix’s dreams of a dark league of Dragon Riders by stealing one of the king’s three remaining dragon eggs. It was during this time that Galbatorix’s only remaining Rider, Morzan, was slain by Brom.

  But Galbatorix continued to expand his power, striking out at the dwarves and elves, forcing both races into hiding. Galbatorix, through dark magic, compelled the Urgals to fight for him with the help of his lieutenant, the Shade Durza. It is believed that much of Galbatorix’s power comes from the precious dragon Eldunarí (the gemlike objects within which dragons store their consciousnesses and magical energy).

  However, as Galbatorix coalesced his power, so also did the forces of resistance gather their own strength. The Varden had forged an alliance with the dwarves, who gave the rebels sanctuary in their home in Farthen Dûr. Galbatorix discovered the rebel stronghold and sent Durza to lead an army of Urgals to destroy it. The Battle of Farthen Dûr marked the first stunning defeat for Galbatorix—the Urgal army was routed, Durza was slain, and the spell that bound the Urgals to the Empire was broken.

  Galbatorix vowed to crush all resistance to his Empire, but ensuing struggles, including the Battle for the Burning Plains and the Siege of Feinster, were Varden victories. A key figure in the fight, who also embodied a rebirth of the Dragon Riders, was young Eragon of Carvahall, who had bonded with Saphira, the hatchling of the king’s stolen dragon egg. Eragon first proved his valor at the Battle of Farthen Dûr, where he killed Durza, and has emerged as a leader of the resistance movement.

  But Galbatorix is feared, and his dream of ruling all of Alagaësia remains within reach, Galbatorix is firmly in control of his Empire, which spans the western half of the continent and where he maintains his vast standing armies, Galbatorix has begun fulfilling his vision of Dragon Riders beholden to his Empire, beginning with Morzan’s son, Murtagh, who with his dragon, Thorn, have been trained by Galbatorix and his enslaved dragon, Shruikan, At present, peace seems as far away as it has ever been since Galbatorix’s bloody rise to power, Galbatorix seeks to capture Eragon and Saphira alive and force them to serve him. The one weakness that Eragon and Saphira have learned about Galbatorix is that his madness has left him with gaps in logic.

  The names for Galbatorix include the Dragon Killer and the Dragon King, The Urgal title for him is Ushnark the Mighty, Ushnark means “father” in t
he Urgal tongue.

  CHRISTOPHER PAOLINI’S ILLUSTRATION OF GALBATORIX.

  Dwarf chief of the Feldûnost clan.

  SEE DWARF CLANS IN THE APPENDIX.

  A dwarf city near the eastern edge of the Beor Mountains.

  The daughter of Clovis the fisherman.

  A grocer in Teirm.

  A member of the Varden in Surda.

  Dwarf chief of the Dûrgrimst Quan. During Eragon’s visit to the dwarf nation’s sacred temple Celbedeil, Gannel instructed Eragon on dwarven mythology and customs. He also gifted Eragon with a necklace that would block others from scrying Eragon or Saphira as long as Eragon wears it.

  SEE DWARF CLANS IN THE APPENDIX.

  Bartender at the Green Chestnut in Teirm.

  Brother of Selena, the son of Cadoc, husband of Marian, father of Roran, and uncle of Eragon. Garrow and Marian had raised Eragon from birth as if he were their son, but before she died, Marian revealed to Eragon that they were his aunt and uncle, not his parents. After Marian’s death, Garrow moved with Roran and Eragon to an abandoned farm in Palancar Valley that lay ten miles from Carvahall, the farthest farm from the village.

  Garrow had a “lean, hungry face with intense eyes” and struggled to keep himself and the two boys fed. Garrow hoped to one day pass on his farm to Eragon and Roran, and he taught them everything he knew about hunting and farming. Yet he was pleased when Roran announced that he was taking a job as a miller in Therinsford and planned to marry Katrina. During the Ra’zac’s attack on Eragon, who they suspected had one of the Empire’s dragon eggs, Garrow was killed and his farm was destroyed.

  A captain of the Nighthawks, Nasuada’s guards. He’s a burly man with a crooked nose. When Blödhgarm arrived at the Varden, Garven was assigned to probe his mind. After the probe, Garven’s spirit faded and Nasuada decided he should be removed from active duty until he recovered.

  The battle-hardened Kull and leader of the Bolvek tribe of Urgals, Garzhvog— addressed with the title of respect “nar”—was instrumental in the Bolvek’s decision to forge an alliance with the Varden. When he met with Nasuada, the eight-and-a-half-foot-tall ram allowed his mind to be searched to assure them of his noble intentions. Nar Garzhvog led Urgals, Kull, and Varden in battle against Galbatorix’s army in the Battle of the Burning Plains and the Siege of Feinster. Afterward, the trustworthy Kull accompanied Eragon most of the way to Farthen Dûr as a protector so that Eragon could attend the dwarves’ clanmeet, which was held to elect a new king.

  A top-ranking Urgal commander in Galbatorix’s Urgal army. Gashz was missing after the Urgal defeat in Farthen Dûr and is presumed dead.

  The phenomenon Eragon mentions in the poem he wrote for the Agaetí Blödhren celebration.

  A Carvahall farmer known for his work tanning animal hides. When the Empire attacked Carvahall, Gedric joined the villagers who fled to Surda. Today he travels with the Varden army across the plains of Alagaësia. Gedric recently received a sphere of gold from Eragon, who was repaying a debt from when he stole several of Gedric’s tanned hides during his own escape from Carvahall.

  “Shining palm” in the ancient language. This permanent silver mark on a Dragon Rider’s palm appears after contact with a dragon hatchling and is the ultimate symbol of the bond between dragon and Rider. When working a spell, the Rider’s shining palm glows with a bright white light.

  SEE AZ SINDRIZNARRVEL.

  Revered as the greatest warrior of all time and the subject of “The Song of Gerand.” Although Gerand put down his sword to raise a family, a blood feud threatening his family compelled him to return to his warrior ways. It was his proclivity for killing his enemies with a simple hammer that inspired Roran to arm himself with a hammer.

  An esteemed healer in Carvahall, Gertrude nursed Eragon back to health by tending the wounds he suffered on his first flight with his dragon, Saphira, during their escape from the Ra’zac. Gertrude escaped her village’s destruction and continues her healing work with the soldiers of the Varden.

  A traditional dwarven contest conducted with opponents riding the backs of Feldûnost, the horned mountain goats of the Beor Mountains. One contestant is armed with a spear; the other is unarmed but carries a shield. They ride toward each other and, when the distance narrows to less than thirty feet, the javelin carrier throws his weapon at the other rider, who attempts to catch it.

  Gilderien the Wise, an ancient elf magus and protector of Ellesméra, draws his power from the White Flame of Vándil. Gilderien has successfully defended the elves’ capital city for more than two thousand years.

  SEE ELLESMÉRA.

  A legendary steed.

  This feared Empire city, situated by Isentar Lake and the Ramr River, is a center of commerce for hunters and fishermen and a major garrison for Galbatorix’s army. At the center of the city is the infamous citadel that has imprisoned many enemies of the Empire, including Princess Arya and Eragon.

  SEE BLADESINGER.

  The dragon of the Rider Oromis, who initially survived the Fall of the Dragon Riders, Glaedr is a gold-colored, very large, very old dragon. When Glaedr hatched and bonded with the young elf Oromis, the pair went to the Dragon Rider island of Vroengard to begin their training. They quickly rose above their classmates and, as dragon and Rider, had years of faithful service and were known throughout Alagaësia. They had retired to a new life as teacher and mentors for a new generation of Riders when Galbatorix began his rebellion. Though Glaedr survived the Fall of the Riders, he did lose a leg in battle with the Forsworn. When Eragon and Saphira came to Ellesméra for training, Saphira became infatuated with Glaedr, but he rebuffed her and kept her focused on her training.

  Glaedr experienced body death when he and Oromis emerged from hiding to battle Murtagh and Thorn in Gil’ead. He lives on through his Eldunarí but, lost in grief, has stayed silent since Oromis’s death.

  SEE OROMIS AND GLAEDR.

  PAOLINI ONCE ACTUALLY SAW A FIELD OF YELLOW LICHEN, LIKE THE ONE GLAEDR, ERAGON, AND SAPHIRA LAND ON IN ELDEST.

  SEE ARYA AND FÄOLIN.

  SEE MORD, FAMILY OF.

  Elf author of the famous autobiographical work The Travels of Gnaevaldrskald. A scroll of this work was part of the assigned reading Oromis gave Eragon when he and Saphira were undergoing their Dragon Rider training with the elves. The work revealed much about the Urgals, notably that social stature was based on combat, whether raiding a village to prove valor or engaging in one-on-one combat to display one’s strength to a prospective mate. Eragon would conclude that although this led to an endless cycle of violence through the generations, at least Urgals were consistent, which was more than he could say for his fellow humans.

  SEE OROMIS AND GLAEDR AND URGALS.

  SEE RUNES.

  The praying mantis goddess of the wandering tribes.

  A tavern in Dras-Leona where Eragon and Brom once stayed.

  The little sailing ship that Arya made of blades of grass during a journey with Eragon. No more than four inches long, it was fashioned by hand in exquisite detail, including railings and benches for rowers and portholes no bigger than raspberry seeds. With a gentle breath and the ancient language word flauga (“fly”), the little ship set sail upon the wind. As it takes its energy from the plants below, the little ship could conceivably fly forever.

  A damp and barren piece of land in Empire territory, southeast of Helgrind. The dwarven name for the area is Werghadn, meaning “the ugly land.”

  SEE ANGVARD.

  A middle-aged member of King Orrin’s royal Surdan cavalry.

  A tavern in Teirm.

  An old woman who lived among the Varden and took care of an orphan babe. When Eragon arrived in Farthen Dûr, she begged him to bless the child.

  SEE ELVA.

  The race that lived on the far side of the Western Sea responsible for creating the ancient language, which they bound to the energy that is magic. The fusion of language and magic was instituted because, once upon a time, all a magician needed
to cast a spell was the ability to mentally sense magic and the will to use it. But without discipline, many unplanned and chaotic enchantments were loosed upon the land. The ancient language was created to provide a structure for the use of magic. Although the Grey Folk’s efforts to bring order to the use of magic has been documented, their subsequent history is a mystery. Ironically, legend holds that the Grey Folk lost their magical abilities after creating the ancient language and gradually faded away, like the ruins of an abandoned city.