The Inheritance Almanac Page 8

  SEE MAGIC.

  An employer of the slavers who work for Torkenbrand.

  SEE SLAVERY.

  King Grimrr Halfpaw is the presiding ruler of werecats during Alagaësia’s second war with Galbatorix. Acting as the official speaker of his race, Grimrr met with the leaders of the resistance against Galbatorix, including delegates from the Varden, Surda, and the elves. On behalf of his race, the king agreed to form an alliance with the Varden, asking in return for the group to provide the werecats with food and provisions during the war.

  Standing at nearly the same height as a mature dwarf, the aged and scarridden werecat radiates authority and commands respect from members of his own race as well as outsiders. The king dresses modestly for his position, choosing to wear only a loincloth and a tunic, decorated with the skulls of small game. Most notably, the werecat is missing two fingers on his left hand.

  Grimrr bears a unique and mysterious string of honors and titles, which include His Most Exalted Royal Highness, King of the Werecats, Lord of the Lonely Places, Ruler of the Night Reaches, and He Who Walks Alone.

  In Dwarvish, the clan chief. Literally translated as “halls’ chief.”

  In dwarven clan culture, grimstcarvlorss means “keeper of the house” or “arranger of the house.” Duties include making sure clan families pay their tithes, that herds are properly grazed and stores of feed are maintained, and that everyone has what they need—women enough fabric for weaving, warriors the proper weaponry and equipment, blacksmiths enough ore. It is said that a grimstcarvlorss can make a clan—or destroy it.

  A sailor under Clovis the fisherman.

  King of the gods for the dwarf nation. Considered a god of war and scholarship. This supernatural being has fickle moods but is appeased by burnt offerings at births and deaths, at the solstices, and before sowing season. Before battle, dwarven soldiers pray to Gûntera as he gives order to the world. (It is said he fashioned the landscape itself from the bones of a giant.)

  Gûntera also manifests to give the blessing vital to the induction of a new dwarven monarch. The newly crowned Orik has told Eragon that his own legitimate rule was not assured until the god placed the helm on his head. Eragon, as an adopted member of Dûrgrimst Ingeitum, prayed to the god to still the wind that hindered his and Saphira’s journey to Du Weldenvarden before the Siege of Feinster, That very night the howling wind abated.

  SEE ORIK, KING.

  The farrier near Therinsford from whom Brom and Eragon buy their mounts Snowfire and Cadoc.

  The vast desert that spreads across central Alagaësia. The historic region has been home to the dwarf nation, dragons, and the wandering tribes. It was once a verdant plain, but climate change transformed the land into a desert, which forced the dwarves to relocate to the Beor Mountains. However, the hot, dry climate was perfect for the dragons, and it was there that this ancient race lived and died and collected their store of disgorged Eldunarí. A notable geographic feature is Du Fells Nángoröth, a small mountain chain in the center of the desert.

  Dwarf chief of Dûrgrimst Ebardac.

  SEE DWARF CLANS IN THE APPENDIX.

  The wizard hermit who saved the youth Carsaib when he was dying in the desert. After nursing him back to life, Haeg trained Carsaib in sorcery. After Haeg’s death, his apprentice was consumed by spirits and transformed into the Shade Durza.

  The place where dwarves devoutly wish their spirits will go upon their death.

  SEE DWARVEN BURIAL RITES.

  A Varden man.

  A chandler in Teirm.

  A son of Loring.

  A Varden man.

  A master of telepathy and “mindbreaking,” Hargrove instructed the young Nasuada on telepathic protection and defense. He had only one leg.

  SEE MINDBREAKERS.

  A sentinel who shot at Eragon and Saphira on the Burning Plains.

  Dwarf chief of Dûrgrimst Fanghur.

  SEE DWARF CLANS IN THE APPENDIX.

  SEE URGALS.

  SEE ELDUNARÍ.

  SEE KNURLNIEN.

  A dwarven outpost at the mouth of the Edda River and Az Ragni. A favored supply stop for travelers, this easternmost Alagaësian town is the only dwarf settlement outside of the Beor Mountains and the closest to the elf nation.

  One of the guards of the dwarf clan chief Ûndin.

  A Varden spy stationed in Furnost, the small town at the northern end of Lake Tüdosten. Hefring was selected by the Varden leadership to infiltrate Galbatorix’s castle and steal the three dragon eggs in his possession. Hefring stole one egg but, for unknown reasons, did not deliver it to the Varden. Both the Empire and the Varden searched for Hefring. Brom spent seven months pursuing him. However, it was Morzan who found Hefring and took the egg from him; Brom then caught up with Morzan, slew him and his dragon, and took the egg from his corpse. Hefring disappeared; his current whereabouts are unknown.

  SEE MAGHARA.

  SEE JEOD.

  Also known as Dark Gates, this bare mountain with three soaring peaks and one small peak lies just east of Dras-Leona. An evil energy emanates from Helgrind, which is the site of a dark religion that involves self-mutilation and flesh offerings. On a full moon, gifts are brought as offerings to the gods believed to dwell there. Eragon, Saphira, and Roran discovered the secret lair of the Ra’zac that lay within the mountain’s interior.

  SEE RA’ZAC AND SLOAN.

  HELGRIND WAS INSPIRED BY SHIPROCK PEAK IN NEW MEXICO.

  IT MEANS “THE GATES OF DEATH” IN OLD NORSE.

  The dwarven god of stone. Although Gûntera is considered king of all dwarven gods, Helzvog is the most beloved of the dwarven deities. In ancient days, when the giants who walked the earth were vanquished by the gods, Helzvog was the only god who believed the land should be peopled by a new race of beings. He therefore created the first dwarves. A volcano is known as “Helzvog’s Womb”; lava is called “Helzvog’s Blood.”

  SEE DWARVEN CREATION MYTH.

  In dwarf history, monarchs who did not secure the god Gûntera’s blessing but still insisted on assuming the throne. As King Orik has observed, “Without exception, their reigns were short and unhappy ones.”

  The Urgal dams who rule their tribes.

  The dwarf after whom is named an entire period of dwarven history, notably the time in which Dûrok Ornthrond carved Isidar Mithrim.

  SEE ARCAENA.

  The dwarf Vardrûn’s daughter, Thorgerd One-eye’s wife, Hvedra’s mother, and Orik’s cousin by law.

  In dwarven myth, the first woman created by Helzvog, the god of stone.

  The father of Brom and husband of Nelda.

  The blacksmith of Carvahall, husband of Elain, and father to Albriech and Baldor. The Horst family took in Eragon after the death of Garrow and worked closely with Roran, who led the villagers to the refuge of the Varden. Horst, a father figure to both Eragon and Roran, was the first to know about the blue “stone,” in reality the egg bearing the dragon Saphira. His skills as a smith have since been put to good service with the Varden. In the formal setting of Roran and Katrina’s wedding, Horst stood for the fatherless Roran.

  Dwarf chief of Dûrgrimst Urzhadn.

  SEE DWARF CLANS IN THE APPENDIX.

  King of the Dûrgrimst Ingeitum, the forty-second leader of the dwarf race who guided the fortunes of his people through the bitter conflict with Galbatorix and the Empire, including the Battle of Farthen Dûr. Considered a wise and noble ruler, Hrothgar worked to mediate tensions between the clans and advance the standing of dwarves in Alagaësia. One of the king’s last acts before his untimely death was beginning the restoration of the great symbol of the nation, the gigantic sculpted jewel known as Isidar Mithrim.

  During the Battle of the Burning Plains, the aged ruler was killed by the dark Dragon Rider Murtagh, struck down with a magic spell that even the king’s spell-casters could not deflect. The death sent shock waves throughout Alagaësia. Hrothgar’s body was brought back to Farthen Dûr for a state funeral and the
beloved king was laid to rest, entombed in stone alongside the forty-one kings who had gone before.

  SEE BATTLE OF THE BURNING PLAINS AND ISIDAR MITHRIM.

  The dwarf to whom the goddess Sindri imparted the knowledge of writing. The oldest form of Dwarvish writing is based on a rune alphabet named after Hruthmund—Hruthmundvik.

  SEE RUNE.

  The third race to have arrived in Alagaësia.

  SEE BRODDRING KINGDOM.

  A dwarf of the Ingeitum clan and a servant of King Orik. Fluent in the human and dwarven languages, Hûndfast has served as translator for many important guests, including Eragon.

  Ancient dwarf chief of Dûrgrimst Ingeitum who, over a thousand years ago, oversaw the initial excavation of Az Knurldrâthn in the Beor Mountains.

  SEE DWARF CLANS IN THE APPENDIX.

  A dwarf of the Ingeitum clan and wife of Orik, forty-third king of the nation. She is also the grimstcarvlorss of her clan.

  SEE CARETAKERS.

  A waterfall in the northern end of Palancar Valley. At a half-mile high, it is one of the tallest waterfalls in the Spine.

  SEE ISMIRA, SLOAN, AND SPINE, THE.

  Elf and mother of Blödhgarm; aunt of Liotha.

  An elven city in Du Weldenvarden. The name means “Place of Flowers.”

  The city where the wisest of the Dragon Riders taught the next generation and the location of Castle Ilirea. When the Dragon Rider Galbatorix went mad and began his war on the Riders, he induced other Riders to follow him. One of them, Morzan, left the gate to Castle Ilirea unbolted, and Galbatorix entered and stole a dragon hatchling.

  After Galbatorix killed the Dragon Rider leader Vrael, Galbatorix and his Forsworn came to Ilirea and deposed King Angrenost, monarch of the Broddring Kingdom. When he took Angrenost’s title and his throne—and renamed the city Urû’baen—Galbatorix truly began the Empire.

  SEE FORSWORN, GALBATORIX, AND SIEGE OF ILIREA.

  SEE SOUTHERN ISLES.

  One of many wandering tribes under the leadership of Fadawar.

  The elven term for a Rider and dragon pair in which the dragon has suffered physical death but continues to live on in their Eldunarí.

  One of the original order of Dragon Riders. The Chronicles of Ingothold remains a key resource for students of Alagaësian history and the golden age of the Riders.

  The father of the hermit Tenga.

  The province infamous as the home of Galbatorix; it no longer exists.

  The dragon who was Saphira’s sire and Vervada’s mate. Both Iormúngr and Vervada perished in the Fall of the Dragon Riders.

  Dwarf chief of Dûrgrimst Vrenshrrgn. This female leader has a sultry side and has flirted with Eragon, to his great embarrassment. Although she coveted the dwarf throne for herself, she cast the decisive clanmeet vote that elected Orik ruler.

  SEE DWARF CLANS IN THE APPENDIX.

  A powerful Dragon Rider and one of only four warriors honored as a Shade-slayer. The others are Laetrí, Eragon, and Arya.

  Surda’s current prime minister. His subjects consider him a fair and honorable man who has dedicated his life to the betterment of the nation.

  This circular star sapphire, carved with the design of a rose, is sixty feet across and adorns the heights of Tronjheim. In ancient days, the dwarves discovered the original sapphire buried in stone, deep within the Beor Mountains. Dûrok Ornthrond (“Eagle-eye”) was given the daunting task of sculpting the magnificent jewel, to which he devoted the next fifty-seven years. Such was his dedication that upon completion of what had become his life’s work, Dûrok died. For a race that loves gemstones, Isidar Mithrim was the paragon of beauty—Nasuada of the Varden would observe it was nothing less than “the pride of their race.”

  During the Battle of Farthen Dûr, Isidar Mithrim was shattered by Arya and Saphira to distract Durza, who was locked in mortal combat with Eragon. The jewel’s destruction caused great unhappiness among the dwarven people. Saphira offered to help repair it if the dwarves could reassemble the thousands of fragmerits. The restoration effort was begun by King Hrothgar, who appointed the dwarf Skeg to oversee the collection of the pieces. Thousands of hours of labor later, the final fragment was put into place and magically repaired by Saphira in time for the coronation of the new dwarf king, Orik. Originally a dusky rose color, the repaired gem was transformed by Saphira into a richer red color with streaks of gold at the center.

  SEE DÛROK ORNTHROND AND SKEG.

  AN EXAMPLE OF A STAR SAPPHIRE, WHICH HAS A STAR-SHAPED REFLECTION ON ITS SURFACE.

  Currently queen of the elves, Islanzadí ascended to the throne after the Fall of the Riders and the death of her husband, King Evandar. The queen, famed and feared for her own strength and cunning on the battlefield, has thus far safely led her people through the war against the Empire.

  The queen has not always enjoyed the best relationship with her daughter, Arya. Their major dispute began when Arya chose to leave the elves’ forest and fight alongside the Varden in their struggle against Galbatorix and the Empire. When Arya disappeared while protecting Saphira’s egg, the mercurial Islanzadí became depressed and reclusive, severing all contact with the elves’ allied nations. When Arya was rescued from her imprisonment in Gil’ead and finally returned to Ellesméra, her mother resumed diplomatic relations with the outside world and also reconciled with her daughter. “O my daughter, I have wronged you!” the queen proclaimed.

  The queen made history by formally declaring war against Galbatorix. Her wartime engagements include leading a successful assault on the Empire city of Ceunon.

  SEE ARYA.

  The wife of Sloan (owner of the butcher shop of Carvahall) and mother of Katrina. A friend to all and a caring wife and mother, Ismira died after an accidental fall while picking wildflowers atop the Igualda Falls. The tragedy hardened Sloan’s heart and led to dire consequences during the Empire’s siege of Carvahall.

  SEE SLOAN.

  SEE FISK.

  SEE ORTHÍAD.

  Galbatorix’s first dragon. The death of Jarnunvösk from an Urgal arrow began Galbatorix’s descent into madness and awakened the power lust that forged the Empire.

  SEE DU NAMAR AURBODA, GALBATORIX, AND SPINE, THE.

  Although too young to officially serve in the Varden government, the boy Jarsha makes himself useful as a messenger for various Varden officials.

  A wealthy merchant of Teirm, Jeod led a secret life as a Varden agent who ran a smuggling operation that supplied the Varden resistance. Sometimes called Jeod Longshanks (though not to his face), he was a friend of Brom’s for more than twenty years. The two shared many adventures, including escaping from Gil’ead and surviving an attack by Morzan and his dragon. Much later, it was Jeod who informed Roran that a new Dragon Rider had appeared in Alagaësia and that it was his cousin, Eragon. Jeod explained that it was because a dragon had hatched for Eragon that the Ra’zac first came to Palancar Valley. For a time, that grim news would harden Roran’s heart against his cousin.

  After Galbatorix’s spies within the Varden exposed him, Jeod abandoned his mansion and business to flee with his wife to sanctuary in Surda. Helen, Jeod’s wife, was born of a wealthy family and accustomed to a lavish and privileged life-style. She had been ignorant of her husband’s secret work with the Varden; although she followed him to Surda, a spartan life with the Varden has put a strain on their marriage.

  Jeod is also a renowned collector of books and scrolls. Indeed, his library in Teirm included such rare items as Domia abr Wyrda, the forbidden work of Heslant the Monk. “There is much you can learn from books and scrolls,” Jeod told Eragon when he first traveled to Teirm with Brom, who wanted to visit his old friend. “These books are my friends, my companions. They make me laugh and cry and find meaning in life.”

  Although now far removed from the comforts of his library in Teirm, Jeod has put his love of books to use on behalf of the Varden. Jeod’s scholarship led to his discovery of a hidden passageway into Galbatorix’s castle in
Urû’baen, and Nasuada has assigned him the task of poring over rare books and scrolls, searching for any other points of weakness in the ancient cities the Empire now controls.