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SUMMARY OF ERAGON(NOVEL)
2003
Eragon takes place in a land called
Alagaësia, which is ruled by the despotic King Galbatorix. He was once a Dragon Rider, but went mad after his dragon was killed
and he was denied another by the council. Dragons were once involved in a partnership with the elite Dragon Riders, and together
they kept peace in the land. Galbatorix, along with the Forsworn (a group of thirteen riders that betrayed the rest of the
order), crippled the order of the Riders. For years, many believed that dragons were extinct.
The main character of the novel is
Eragon, a fifteen year-old-boy who lives with his uncle Garrow and cousin Roran on their farm, ten miles from a small village
known as Carvahall. While hunting in The Spine, a local range of mountains, Eragon is surprised to see a polished blue stone
appear in front of him. After failing to sell or trade his find, Eragon witnesses a baby dragon hatch from the "stone", which
was, in reality, a dragon egg. He also manages to touch the dragon hatchling and the gedwey ignasia or shining palm (which
is the mark of a Rider) appears on his palm. He questions Brom — the elderly town storyteller of Carvahall — about
the history and the ways of the Dragon Riders. After this talk, Eragon suggests names to the dragon. It decides to keep the
title Saphira. He raises the dragon in secret until the two Ra'zac, sent by Galbatorix, go to Carvahall in search of the egg.
Eragon and Saphira manage to escape by hiding in the forest, but Eragon's uncle Garrow is killed and the house and farm are
destroyed.
Eragon becomes a Dragon Rider through
his bond with Saphira. He seeks revenge on the Ra'zac. Eragon and Saphira begin a journey in search of the Ra'zac, accompanied
by Brom, who insists on joining them. On the journey, Eragon learns swordfighting, magic, and the ways of the Dragon Riders
from Brom, who is something of an expert in these areas.
They travel through several cities,
and Eragon is shocked by the way that the Empire is harming the land and its people--- especially when they passed the town
of Yazuac for supplies only to discover a mountain of dead people with a speared baby at the top which was killed by an army
of Urgals. Finally, after hearing his fortune from a witch called Angela, getting strange advice from Angela's werecat named
Solembum, obtaining information in the town of Teirm with the help of Brom's friend Jeod, and a research about the trade of
Seithr oil in the Empire, Eragon continues on his journey with Brom--- who concludes that the Ra'zac reside in Dras-Leona.
There, Eragon, Saphira, and Brom are lured into an ambush by the Ra'zac. Although they are rescued by a stranger, Murtagh,
Brom is gravely injured and dies shortly after — but not before revealing the secrets of his past. Brom was a Dragon
Rider who had a dragon, which shared Saphira's name, but was killed years before by Morzan. The sword that Brom gave Eragon
at the start of their journey, later revealed by Murtagh, is actually Morzan's sword, Zar'roc, which he took after he avenged
the killing of his dragon and killed Morzan.
The new company--- Eragon, Murtagh
and Saphira--- travel in search of the hidden leagues of the Varden, a strong rebel fraction which is against the Empire which
Brom had mentioned on their journey. On the way Eragon has dreams of a beautiful elf, all of which feature her suffering great
pain in a prison. They travelled to Gil'ead in order to find a man named Dormnad who supposedly could bring them to the Varden
(according to Brom who told Saphira days before his death). Murtagh manages to find the man and appoint a meeting with him
and Eragon outside Gil'ead on a hill at the west next morning. However, the company is ambushed by Urgals and Eragon is captured
and imprisoned in the same prison where the elf, Arya, is being held captive. Murtagh and Saphira stage a rescue and after
battling a Shade and Murtagh piercing an arrow on the creature's forehead (after which the Shade disappeared), Eragon escapes
with an unconcious Arya. The fact that a Shade is walking freely in the land deeply disturbs Eragon and he suspects that Galbatorix
is planning something terrible.
Eragon learns the directions to The
Varden (a resistance group fighting to wrest the throne from Galabatorix and once more bring peace and plenty to the land)by
speaking to Arya by means of the mind-communication or mind-touch. Eragon and his party are pursued by an army of Urgal soldiers
known as Kulls (much bigger than ordinary Urgals and could walk for 5 days straight and still be ready for battle) as they
travel to the Varden's fortress, hidden deep within the Beor Mountainsin a valley. Eragon, Murtagh, and Arya were almost killed/captured
completely by the Urgals when people from the entrance of the falls of the Varden rescued them. Once inside the fortress,
Farthen Dur, Eragon learns of the pact between the dwarves, the elves and the Varden and how it was that Saphira's egg was
magically teleported to the Spine with Arya's help. He learned all of this from the wise and just Varden king, Ajihad. While
in Farthen Dur and Tronjheim (a city built by the dwarves)and inhabited by the Varden and the dwarves, Eragon learns that
he would eventually continue his Rider education at the elves hands, in their capital, Ellesmera. He also meets the Twins
(corrupt, unnamed dwarves who want to learn Eragon's spells which Eragon learned from Brom and was about to kill Eragon by
challenging him to summon the spirit of silver in a silver ring if not for the arrival of the elf Arya), Orik (the dwarf soldier
who openned the gates that lead to the rescue of the the group and defended Eragon and Murtagh from one of the twin's mind-probing
test and which, as punishment for not following his superior--- that is, one of the twins--- was made Eragon's tour guide
in Tronjheim), Hrothgar (the dwarf king who also supports Eragon and later gave them ancient but excellent dragon armor for
Saphira), and Nasuada (King Ajihad's daughter), and, again, Angela and Solembum. The group is, at last able to rest, although
an invasion by the army of Urgals is imminent and the internal politics of the Varden begin to hinder Eragon's progress.
When the battle finally begins, the
Varden and dwarves are pitted against an enormous army of Urgals. During the battle, Eragon faces the Shade, Durza, whom he
had encountered during his imprisonment and his escape from Gil'ead (there are two things to note here: One is that Durza
was also the one who pursued, captured, and tortured Arya; two, is that Shades could not be killed unless stabbed at the heart---
what Murtagh did earlier was ineffective and the Shade was reborne elsewhere) and kills him. After the death of the Shade,
the Urgals seem to have a spell lifted from them, and begin to fight among themselves. This gives the Varden a chance to counter-attack,
routing the surviving Urgals. Unconscious, Eragon's mind is engulfed in Durza's memories, until a mysterious figure who introduces
himself as Osthato Chetowa (the Mourning Sage) and Togira Ikonoka (the Cripple Who is Whole) enters Eragons mind and frees
him. This being tells Eragon to find him in Ellesméra and complete training as a Dragon Rider. Eragon awakes to find a large,
bumpy scar across his back. The story ends as he promises to do as the Mourning Sage asks and journey to Ellesméra.
SUMMARY OF ELDEST(NOVEL) 2005
The book begins with Ajihad's
death and beautiful funeral, the disappearance of Murtagh and the Twins (they are captured and thrown into the Pit of Doom
by Urgals, assumed dead), and the election of a new leader of the Varden - Nasuada, to whom Eragon swears fealty after some
interal politics among the Varden's Council of Elders. Saphira says she can fix the Star Rose at a later date, heartening
the dwarves. Meanwhile, in Carvahall, Roran is being pursued by Galbatorix, who has sent the Ra'zac and a unit of Imperial
soldiers to capture him and thus lure Eragon out. After repelling many attacks, they manage to drive the army away, but Katrina,
Roran's fiancée, is captured. They decide to leave Carvahall and travel to Surda. Roran earns the name "Stronghammer" because
he defended Carvahall bravely with a hammer given to him by Horst. By that time, Eragon has decided to go to Du Weldenvarden
to further pursue his training. After many adventures on the way, he comes to his destination and meets Islanzadí, the Elven
queen. Before that, Hrothgar invites him to join his clan, which Eragon accepts. On the way to Du Weldenvarden, they go to
the dwarf city containing Celbedeil, a temple. Eragon finds his choice to join Hrothgar's clan made him an enemy of a dwarf
clan The Tears of Anhuin, descendants of guards of a person whose clan was killed in the war against Galbatorix. Eragon learns
of the Dwarf religion and their gods. It is revealed that Arya is Islanzadí's daughter. Eragon is introduced to another Dragon
Rider, Oromis; the Mourning Sage or Osthato Chetowa: The Cripple Who Is Whole, Togira Ikonoka; who shielded Eragon in the
first book. Eragon and Saphira begin their training with Oromis and his dragon Glaedr. Eragon learns how to read and fluently
speak the Ancient Language, as well to use various spells and magic skills. While Eragon's feelings for Arya increase, he
continues to train under Oromis's wing and suffers repeated bouts of pain from the scar on his back Durza gave him. Nevertheless,
he and Saphira grow steadily more powerful, but he is held back imensely by the pain from his scar. On a traditional Elvish
celebration day of the pact with the dragons, called the Blood-oath Celebration, or Agaetí Blödhren in the ancient language,
Eragon is healed of his wound and, as an unprecedented gift from the dragons, gains elvish qualities that enhance his strength
and agility.
Meanwhile, Nasuada learns the
blessing Eragon bestowed on the child in the first book was worded wrongly due to his lack of basic knowledge of the Ancient
Language at the time, becoming a curse of sorts. Eragon too is horrified when he hears of this, and promises to try and nullify
it. In the meantime the girl, Elva, serves as a sort of bodyguard to Nasuadua against Galbatorix's assassins, the Black Hand,
who are discovered in the Varden. Nasuada has made a momentous decision and moved the Varden to Surda, and the threat of war
with Galbatorix seems imminent. Upon hearing of this, Eragon immediately leaves for battle in Surda, but not before receiving
gifts from Oromis and Islanzadi. During Eragon's very long stay in Ellesmera and travel to Surda, Roran travels and meets
Jeod Longshanks in Teirm.
Jeod, as a member of the Varden,
helps Roran lead his group of Carvahall villagers to Surda and tells Roran and the villagers about Eragon and Brom, knowing
this because Brom was his best friend. Eragon arrives to find the situation poised on the edge of battle. The armies of the
Varden, together with the army of Surda, camp on a plain opposite the vast armies of Galbatorix. Before the battle, four Kull
offer to act as a bodyguard to Eragon during the fight. Angela the herbalist poisons the enemy's drinks and bread, killing
many soldiers, and causing the officers to hallucinate. Meanwhile, Roran, Jeod, the people of Carvahall and Uthar, the head
sailor, take command of the new empire ship, the Dragon Wing, leading it to Surda. They manage crossing a big vortex, and
arrive in time in Surda. The battle begins, and Eragon is able to repel the opposing armies for some time with his new forces,
but the tide soon turns. During the fighting, Roran arrives at Surda, and his group of villagers join themselves to the forces
of the Varden. Then, with the appearance of the dwarves from the east, the situation changes again, until the appearance of
an unknown Dragon Rider who kills Hrothgar, the dwarf king. Also at the same time Eragon feels two new, powerful, spellcasters
arrive on the field of battle and recognizes them for the Evil Twins thought dead. The Twins systematically start killing
off the Varden's group of mages and sorcerers who are under Eragon's command. But Eragon faces off with the unknown rider
in both aerial and ground fights and ultimately unmasks his opponent, revealing Murtagh. Murtagh tells Eragon that the Twins
had betrayed the Varden and taken him to Galbatorix. Galbatorix made Murtagh and Thorn, his red dragon, swear to try to capture
Eragon; Galbatorix knows the true names of both Murtagh and his dragon, and thus is able to control them. Murtagh also reveals
that Galbatorix is working to save the dragon race by capturing Saphira and having her mate with the third dragon hatchling,
still lying dormant in its egg. He and Thorn prove to be more powerful than the battle-weary Eragon and Saphira, while Murtagh
displays the great and terrible potency of his magical prowess, using spells that would have killed a normal human. Murtagh
decides to have mercy on them, but before leaving them, he reveals that Eragon was the youngest son of Morzan and Selena,
and that therefore Murtagh is Eragon's elder brother. Murtagh takes Zar'roc away from Eragon, saying it should rightfully
have been his, an inheritance from Morzan. Eragon decides that even though Morzan may be his parent, Garrow was his father
and Roran is more of a brother than Murtagh.
In the end, Galbatorix's army
is routed, mainly because of the sudden entry of the dwarf troops and Roran's killing of the Twins. Eragon is then reunited
with Roran, and he agrees to help Roran save Katrina from the clutches of the Ra'zac, which they believe to be in Helgrind.
copyright Insomniax inc., 2007
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