SEE ARYA.

SEE ELF CHILDREN.

An elven song celebrating the sea.

One of the guards for the dwarf clan chief Undin.

SEE BURNING PLAINS.

The organization of spellcasters who serve the Varden but whose actions are unpredictable. The name means "The Wandering Path."

SEE TRIANNA AND TWINS.

The largest forest in Alagaesia, Du Weldenvarden ("The Guarding Forest") spreads across much of the continent's northern area. When Eragon first approached this region, he saw it as a ridge of green that became a virtual emerald sea as he got closer-Like another world, he thought.

Thousands of years of elven spellcasting in Du Weldenvarden has resulted in trees of incredible size, notably oaks, beeches, pines, and maples. The forest is home to most of the elf population, and elven settlements include seven villages and cities, notably Ellesmera, the capital. The elves have become guardians of the forest and have placed magical wards around it that prevent anyone or any-thing from entering it by magical means.

SEE LIOTHA AND MENOA TREE.

SEE FORSWORN.

A spellweaver of old, dedicated to studying and inventing defensive spells, Dvalar is known for his special spells of protection.

Although there is much secrecy connected to the burial rites of dwarves, it is known that dwarves believe they are people of stone and that bodies of the dead must be sealed in stone. Only then can dwarves be a.s.sured that their spirits reach the Hall of Helzvog. In the pa.s.sageways under Farthen Dur exist the chambers in which dwarves are entombed in the ancient custom.

SEE AJIHAD'S TOMB.

Dwarves believe that their G.o.ds vanquished giants who once ruled the world. Helzvog, the G.o.d of stone, defied the other G.o.ds and secretly created the first dwarf. There was great jealousy, and only Kilf restrained herself as the other G.o.ds created their own races: Sindri made human beings, and the brothers Urur and Morgothal brought forth the dragons.

Along with dragons, the oldest sentient race in Alagaesia. Dwarves have an innate knowledge of magic and are renowned in metallurgy, blacksmithing, and other fields. Dwarves believe they were created "from the roots of a mountain" by Helzvog, the G.o.d of stone. Their word for dwarf is knurla, which literally means "one of stone." The dwarven pantheon of omnipotent beings includes Kilf, G.o.ddess of rivers and seas; Sindri, G.o.ddess of the earth; the brothers Urur, G.o.d of air and heavens, and Morgothal, G.o.d of fire; and Guntera, king of the G.o.ds.

The foundation of dwarven culture is the clan system: thirteen clans, each ruled by a powerful chief. But all dwarves are ruled by a king elected by the clans at a clanmeet, a gathering that can involve months of deliberation and debate before a vote is cast.

The dwarves, who originally dwelt in the verdant lands of what would become the Hadarac Desert, migrated to the Beor Mountains when the climate became inhospitable. In that mighty mountain range, they began excavating a vast network of tunnels and building magnificent cities that are among the wonders of Alagaesia. Eragon himself has observed that dwarves can reshape granite with the same degree of skill with which elves reshape plants. Their skill as stone-workers is evident in the tunnels and pa.s.sageways of the gigantic volcanic crater of Farthen Dur, while the capital of Tronjheim situated there is a mountain-sized city that took generations to build and could house the nation in an emergency. The greatest work of dwarven craftsmanship is Isidar Mithrim, which crowns Tronjheim's pyramidal heights, a rose-colored star sapphire sixty feet across that Durok Ornthrond took fifty-seven years to extract from stone and sculpt to perfection.

Despite its great accomplishments, the race has destructive impulses, as even King Orik noted in the course of the clanmeet that elected him. Dwarves are generally contemptuous of the outside world, and a regret of Orik's was that when dragons and elves formed the Dragon Riders, the dwarves did not ask to be included. But even Orik, recalling the legends of giants who once ruled the earth, has referred to humans and elves as the "giants" of the present age, "stomping about with their big feet and casting us in endless shadows."

SEE DWARVEN BURIAL RITES AND DWARF CLANS IN THE APPENDIX. SEE ALSO ISIDAR MITHRIM AND TRONJHEIM.

THE DWARF CAVES WERE PARTIALLY INSPIRED BY THE CARLSBAD CAVERNS IN NEW MEXICO AND THE LEWIS AND CLARK CAVERNS IN MONTANA.

An elven poet whose writings are often quoted as examples to wayward youths.

A medium-sized farming village of the Empire twenty miles north of Melian. Eastcroft is a popular stop for travelers journeying between the Empire's southernmost towns and cities. Eragon stopped here while traveling alone after the defeat of the Ra'zac in Helgrind; Arya found him at the wayfarers' house.

The lord mentioned in the song "Sweet Aethrid o' Dauth."

SEE AETHRID.

One of the three barges that Roran and the villagers of Carvahall took from Narda.

SEE UTGARD MOUNTAIN.

Varden captain, one of Nasuada's commanders. In an infamous incident, Roran defied Edric's orders during battle. Roran feared that Edric was leading the men to slaughter and shifted tactics midstream in order to save the men from ma.s.sacre and win the battle. Although Nasuada relieved Edric of his command, Roran's insubordination resulted in a punishment of fifty lashes.

SEE RORAN.

SEE SPINE, THE.

South of Helgrind, this former elven stronghold and watchtower today lies in ruins. The crumbling tower has since become the home of the cloistered hermit Tenga.

SEE TENGA.

An elf from Ceris.

One of the guards for the dwarf clan chief Undin.

Horst's wife and the mother of Albriech and Baldor. A small, willowy woman, she is a mother figure to Eragon and Katrina, Roran's wife. She was five months pregnant during the siege of Carvahall and ill and overdue during the Siege of Feinster.

General term for the ancient races of Alagaesia.

One of the great secrets of Alagaesia is the Eldunari, also known as a dragon's heart of hearts. This gemlike object is a physical part of a dragon, buried deep within the chest area. Within it, the dragon can store an immense amount of energy, as well as its consciousness. Every dragon is born with a dormant and colorless Eldunari. As the dragon ages, the Eldunari grows in both size and energy-storing capacity. A dragon may, if it so chooses, disgorge its heart of hearts, which then allows the dragon to exist in two places at once: in its original body and in the Eldunari. This was often useful when a dragon and its Rider had to travel apart. If the dragon keeps its heart of hearts within its body, the gemlike object will dissolve upon the dragon's death.

An Eldunari is a source of vulnerability for a dragon, for whoever possesses a heart of hearts holds a dragon's life in his hands. If an Eldunari breaks, the dragon will instantly die, both in mind and in body.

Before they formed their pact with the elves, dragons traditionally hid a store of disgorged Eldunari within Du Fells Nangoroth, the mountains of the Hadarac Desert. When the Riders created a repository for the Eldunari on the island of Vroengard, dragons entrusted this most important part of themselves to their Riders. When a dragon's Rider pa.s.sed away, the dragon often either smashed its own heart of hearts or, if its body was no more, arranged for someone else to do it for them. But not always. A fair number of dragons continued to live on and serve the Riders as best they could from their heart of hearts. The elven Rider Oromis has observed that the question of how a living Eldunari acquires its energy is a mystery-is it similar to how plants absorb sunlight, or does it feed off the energy of other living things? No one knows, not even the dragons.

Upon the Fall of the Riders, the store of Eldunari on Vroengard-in the city of Doru Araeba-came into Galbatorix's possession. It is believed that the Eldunari of the wild dragons of old and the dragons slain by the Forsworn are the source of much of Galbatorix's power.

SEE INDLVARN.

SEE COUNCIL OF ELDERS.

Unlike other races, the virtually immortal elves rarely reproduce. Thus, elf children are rare creatures, revered for their natural grace and the beauty of their glowing skin and their eyes that emanate a soft light. The most recent children are Alanna and Dusan, who currently live in Ellesmera.

The special t.i.tle bestowed, along with the mystical ring Aren, upon outsiders who have rendered great service for the elf nation. In recent times, those honored include Brom and Eragon.

Fashioned of birch bark or other materials, elven sailing vessels are masterpieces of construction and a wonder to behold. The elves magically sing their ships into a seamless whole of incredible strength and lightness, as they have done ever since they first came to Alagaesia.

The capital city of the elves lies hidden deep within Du Weldenvarden and is home to the royal family and most of the elven population.

Ellesmera is heavily guarded by elf sentinels and an intricate series of magical defenses. Those seeking entrance must request permission from Gilderien the Wise, city guardian and wielder of the White Flame of Vandil. To an outsider, it would initially appear as if no city existed, only forest. However, this is a city built not of bricks and stones, but of the forest trees. The elves use magic to transform trees into elegant, organic structures.

Although humans have settled on the western edge of Du Weldenvarden, only the elves know the secrets of the deep forest, which is wilder than even the rugged Spine. The forest holds many dangers, including, it is said, ancient spells whose power still lingers.

After being wounded in the Battle of Farthen Dur, Eragon is summoned to Ellesmera for training. There he and Saphira are mentored by Oromis and Glaedr.

SEE AGAETi BLoDHREN AND MENOA TREE.

SEE DELWIN.

Also known as "Fa.r.s.eer," this young female member of the Varden is a heartbreaking example of well-intended magic gone awry. As a baby, Elva lived within Farthen Dur in the care of an old woman, Greta. During one of Eragon's visits, Greta offered the baby to be blessed by the young hero. Eragon gave her his blessing, and Saphira touched her brow, leaving there a silvery star-shaped patch. He a.s.sumed that only happiness would follow, but Elva began to rapidly mature- eating constantly, growing far faster than a normal child, and manifesting the strange ability to predict others' suffering. Although her words are those of an adult, she speaks with the voice of a child. Her eyes are violet. Greta consulted with Angela the herbalist, who sent the werecat Solemb.u.m to alert Nasuada. Nasuada asked Angela to keep an eye on Elva, to make sure she didn't become dangerous. Meanwhile, during his stay in Ellesmera, Eragon learned from Oromis that in his haste and inexperience in the use of the ancient language, he had bestowed a curse, not a blessing. Elva can sense and predict pain in those around her and feels compelled to shield them from it. If she resists the urge, she becomes physically ill.

Nasuada decided that Elva's strange powers to predict pain and suffering could be used in the service of the Varden. Elva saved Nasuada from Drail, a Black Hand a.s.sa.s.sin, tackling the Varden leader before a metal dart struck her. When Eragon returned to the Varden after his training in Ellesmera, he attempted to remove Elva's curse but was only partly successful. Now Elva can still sense pain but can choose to ignore it-which makes her all the more dangerous.

SEE ANGELA THE HERBALIST.

Their ancient origins are shrouded in mystery. Elves came to Alagaesia from a place they call Alalea, although no one knows where, or what, this land is. Magical beings with a reverence for nature, elves tragically and ironically first a.s.sumed the native dragons were dumb beasts. This misunderstanding led to Du Fyrn Skulblaka, the war that ended only when the elf Eragon found a dragon egg and bonded with the hatchling, Bid'Daum. The two not only helped win a cessation of war but also forged a bond between elves and dragons that kept peace for thousands of years. The war against Galbatorix and the Empire forced the elves to retreat into Du Weldenvarden, where they remained in hiding for a century.

The elves, who once had a life span similar to that of human beings, are practically immortal, although vulnerable to physical injury. They are known as the "fair folk" because of their physical beauty, as well as their love of beauty in all its manifestations. Elves use the ancient language in song and music to encourage plant life to grow into the shapes they desire, forming the very living s.p.a.ces of their cities. Elves often use their powers to reshape their own physical appearance, sometimes dramatically. Despite their sublime and holistic ways, their natural agility, speed, and strength make them superb fighters, and they are masters of swordsmanship and horsemanship. Indeed, Eragon has observed that elves seem to move too quickly and fluidly for beings of flesh and blood.

As students and scholars of nature, elves believe in immutable rules that govern the world. They do not believe in G.o.ds and creation stories. Miracles can be explained, the elves believe, and they a.s.sert there is no known example of any G.o.d breaking the rules that govern the world. As Oromis once taught Eragon, a major difference between elves and dwarves is that dwarves have a belief system that is predicated more on faith than reason.

The elf nation is today led by the beautiful queen Islanzadi. Her daughter, Arya, was instrumental in Eragon discovering the dragon egg that bore Saphira. Arya has fought alongside the young Rider and his dragon in many battles. Indeed, Eragon, like his father Brom, is considered a friend of the elf nation.

SEE ARYA, DU WELDENVARDEN, ELLESMeRA, ISLANZADi, AND MENOA TREE.

The collection of Alagaesian lands under the control of King Galbatorix, spanning the western half of the continent. When Galbatorix seized power over the Broddring nation, many humans, fearing his tyrannical rule, defected and formed the independent state of Surda. Their prescience has been confirmed by the weary citizens of the Empire, who chafe at the brutal regime, with its ma.s.sive standing army and onerous taxes.

SEE VOL TURIN.

A coastal village on the Southern Isle of Beirland.

The young elf who, during the war between elves and dragons, discovered a dragon egg and decided to protect it. Bid'Daum, the hatchling white dragon, and Eragon became as one, and their friendship opened communications between the races, which ended the war. Eragon and Bid'Daum are considered the first in the long line of Dragon Riders.

SEE DU FYRN SKULBLAKA.

Eragon, son of the Dragon Rider Brom and the former a.s.sa.s.sin Selena, was raised by his aunt Marian and uncle Garrow, along with his cousin Roran, on a farm outside the village of Carvahall in Palancar Valley. Selena had left the infant Eragon with Garrow (her brother) and Marian and disappeared; during his childhood, Eragon knew little more about her, and nothing at all of his father. Eragon was fifteen years old, a year from manhood, when he discovered the strange blue stone that he soon realized was a dragon egg.

Eragon was ushered into the ancient ways of the Dragon Riders by Brom, who had been hiding in plain sight as the village storyteller. When Galbatorix's agents, the evil Ra'zac, came looking for the missing dragon egg, Eragon managed to elude them, but the Ra'zac still destroyed his home and murdered Garrow. Eragon fled Carvahall, but not before Brom insisted he was coming along. The mysterious old storyteller gave Eragon a red sword, which unbeknownst to Eragon was Zar'roc, a Dragon Rider sword. On the way to the city of Dras-Leona, Brom finally revealed he was an agent of the Varden, a resistance group fighting the Empire, and that he had been waiting for a new Dragon Rider to appear. During another Ra'zac attack, a young man named Murtagh appeared and tried to help them, but Brom was mortally wounded while protecting Eragon. As he lay dying, Brom revealed that he himself had been a Dragon Rider and that his dragon's name had been Saphira.

Eragon was later captured and imprisoned in the Empire city of Gil'ead by the Shade Durza. The elf princess Arya was also imprisoned there, but with the help of Murtagh, they all escaped. They reached the rebel Varden, who lived in secret in the dwarven land of Farthen Dur, a hollow volcanic crater and home to the capital city of Tronjheim. The Empire soon attacked the rebel base in what history records as the Battle of Farthen Dur. During this battle, Eragon and Saphira showed their valor, and Eragon accomplished the rare feat of killing a Shade, his former tormentor Durza, making the young Rider a Shadeslayer. The victory was not without great cost: Eragon sustained a grievous wound that greatly incapacitated him. After this, he was summoned to Ellesmera, where he and Saphira received intensive Dragon Rider training under the tutelage of the great Rider Oromis and his dragon, Glaedr. Eragon's wound was fully healed at the elf ceremony of the Agaeti Blodhren. At that point, he was also given much of the appearance, strength, and speed of an elf.

Newly healed, Eragon returned to the Varden, who were now on the brink of battle with the Empire at the Burning Plains. During the battle, the dark Rider Murtagh not only defeated Eragon and claimed Zar'roc but also told Eragon that they were brothers, sons of Selena and Morzan. Later, Oromis revealed that Brom is Eragon's real father and that Murtagh is only his half brother.

After the battle, Eragon helped rescue Sloan and his daughter, Katrina, who had been kidnapped by the Ra'zac during the siege of Carvahall. Although he and Roran rescued Katrina, Eragon concealed the fact that Sloan was alive. After seeing his cousin and Katrina safely off to the Varden, Eragon interrogated Sloan, who had betrayed his people but was himself betrayed by the Empire (with the Ra'zac plucking out his eyes during his imprisonment). Eragon finally compelled Sloan to go to Ellesmera, where he remains a captive of the elves. Afterward, Eragon fulfilled a vow to avenge Garrow's and Brom's deaths by tracking the Ra'zac to Helgrind, where he slew what he believed to be the last of its kind.

Although he has proven himself in battle, Eragon has a tender side. He had long been infatuated with Arya. At the Agaeti Blodhren he professed his love to her-and she rebuffed him. Eragon presided over one happy lovers' union, giving his blessing to the marriage of Roran and Katrina. Eragon's deepest relationship is with Saphira. They share an intimate connection: one common to Riders and dragons and which continues to deepen over time.

Eragon has become respected throughout the land, and his exploits are already the stuff of legend. He was adopted by the late king Hrothgar into his Ingeitum clan, and is a friend and confidant of the new dwarf king, Orik. Eragon has received the highest honor the elf nation can bestow upon an outsider: the ring Aren. Even the Urgals have a special name of respect for the young Rider: "Firesword." Eragon has also pledged his loyalty to Nasuada.

When Eragon found himself in need of a sword after Zar'roc was taken, he went to Rhunon for help. Rhunon-the ancient elven blacksmith and creator of all the Dragon Rider swords-had vowed never to create another, but she relented on Eragon's behalf and, with his aid, forged Brisingr, perhaps her finest achievement.

SEE BATTLE OF FARTHEN DUR, BROM, CARVAHALL, DRAGON RIDER SWORDS, AND RORAN.

IN THE FIRST DRAFT OF BOOK ONE, ERAGON WAS NAMED KEVIN.

The flameless lanterns invented by the elves. Because Erisdar's magical quality provides a limitless and self-sustaining glow of multicolored light, the Erisdar have replaced traditional lanterns in elven and dwarven cities.

The elf king and husband of Islanzadi, renowned for his wise and generous nature. In one famous incident, King Evandar lost his sword while battling Urgals but was saved when a mysterious raven swooped down and clawed out the eyes of an advancing Urgal. The grateful king blessed Blagden, the raven, with a spell that gave the bird intelligence and an extended life span.

This once-proud elven city was completely destroyed and its citizens slaughtered by Galbatorix and the Forsworn during the Fall of the Dragon Riders.

Born of the Sagabato family, Fadawar is warlord of the Inapashunna and other tribal peoples. Fadawar competed with Nasuada for leadership of the Varden through the arduous ritual known as the Trial of the Long Knives, but he lost the b.l.o.o.d.y ordeal.

SEE TRIAL OF THE LONG KNIVES.

A favored alcoholic beverage of the elves brewed from crushed elderberries and spun moonbeams. More than a heady drink, faelnirv is an energy-boosting beverage that can sustain the strongest man for days.

SEE ELVES.

An image, real or imaginary, that elves fix by magic on a prepared square of polished slate. Originally designed as an alternative to portrait drawing and painting, the fairth was also used by Dragon Riders of old to test a potential Rider's powers of concentration and perception. Oromis introduced Eragon to this technique during their many training sessions. Eragon produced a fairth of Arya that portrayed her as the most beautiful woman in the world, thus revealing his romantic feelings for the elven princess.

SEE COUNCIL OF ELDERS.

The period from 7896 to 7900 AC when the n.o.ble dragons and their Riders fell before the sword of Galbatorix and the thirteen corrupted dragons and Riders of the Forsworn. The moment of Galbatorix's victory and the dawn of his Empire is fixed at the death of Vrael, the last, embattled leader of the Riders.

Also known as "wind-vipers," these nearly twenty-foot-long creatures have leathery wings, serpentine bodies, and dull green and brown scales. They physically resemble dragons but have neither their intelligence nor their fire-breathing ability. They are deadly, however, and their favored method of hunting is to immobilize their prey telepathically before the kill. They are one of the five animals unique to the Beor Mountains.

A member of the elven royal guard and longtime companion of Arya, whom he met while living in Ellesmera. In order to be close to Arya, Faolin volunteered to accompany her and the elf Glenwing as guardians of the dragon egg stolen from Galbatorix. They successfully transported the egg between the elves and Varden numerous times until they were ambushed by Durza and a band of Urgals, and Faolin was killed in the attack.

Nasuada's handmaiden and trusted confidante.

A dwarf warrior and member of King Orik's personal guard who often serves as Orik's trusted messenger to dwarf clan chiefs and amba.s.sadors at the royal court.

A dwarf.

This ma.s.sive volcanic crater, estimated to be ten miles deep and ten miles wide, has been home to the dwarven people ever since climate change transformed their land of old into what is known today as the Hadarac Desert. Here they built the glorious city of Tronjheim, undergirded by a network of tunnels. Farthen Dur has also served as a base for the rebel Varden and was the battleground for one of the great clashes between the Varden and the Empire.

SEE BATTLE OF FARTHEN DUR AND TRONJHEIM.

Situated on the southwestern coast of Alagaesia, this Empire city was governed by Lady Lorana, the descendant of four generations of rulers of this city A wise and respected sovereign, Lady Lorana was forced to swear fealty to Galbatorix in the ancient language and did her best to defend her city from Varden forces during the Siege of Feinster. Feinster fell, and Lorana surrendered peacefully to Eragon and Arya, asking only that her subjects be treated well.

SEE SIEGE OF FEINSTER.

SEE BYRD.

This sure-footed mountain goat, one of the five animals unique to the Beor Mountains, is not only prized by dwarves for its wool, milk, and meat but is also considered vital to the dwarves' survival in the Beors. Members of the Durgrimst Feldunost are respected for tending these animals and the fields, even under the threat from Galbatorix.

SEE GHASTGAR. SEE ALSO DWARF CLANS IN THE APPENDIX.

FELDUNOST LOOK LIKE REGULAR MOUNTAIN GOATS, BUT WITH THE HORNS OF BIGHORN SHEEP.

MOUNTAIN GOAT.

BIGHORN SHEEP.

Elf head of House Valtharos and Naudra's mate, Lord Fiolr is keeper of the sword Tamerlein. Fiolr considers the sword as precious as the very air he breathes but deems himself unworthy to wield it. Fiolr offered the dark green blade to Eragon, who had lost Zar'roc. But the instant Eragon gripped the hilt and found it too large, he knew the magnificent sword was not appropriate for him and, with apologies, declined the offer.