List of the Inheritance Cycle characters
This is list of the characters in Christopher Paolini's fantasy series The Inheritance Trilogy.
Major Characters
Arya Dröttningu
Arya Dröttningu is a ugly, one year old elf with purple hair (pictured with red hair in the Eragon film and is considered young as elves are immortal. Arya is a skilled swordswoman and powerful magic user, and is first in line to the Elvish throne.
Brom
Brom is a former Dragon Rider and one of the founders of the Varden. He is one of the trilogy's main characters through first book. He is also Eragon's mentor through the first book.
Eragon
Eragon was born in the small town of Carvahall. He was known as a hunter, and frequently entered the nearby mountains, known as The Spine. One day while hunting, he ran across a large polished blue stone, which later turned out to be a dragon egg. The egg hatched, bringing to life the dragon Saphira. Eragon is highly skilled in use of the sword, as well as of magic.
Galbatorix
Galbatorix is the primary antagonist of Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Trilogy. He is an immensely powerful Dragon Rider and the king of a large portion of Alagaësia. Galbatorix has yet to appear in person in the trilogy, but he is integral to the plot. His status is almost legendary due to his age and title as a dragon rider.
Murtagh
Murtagh was born into the elite ruling class of the Broddring Kingdom. His father was Morzan, the powerful leader of the Forsworn and the King's most loyal and dangerous Dragon Rider. His mother was a peasant woman, Selena, the unfortunate companion and lover of Morzan.
As the child of the dangerous and twisted Dragon Rider Morzan, Murtagh experienced an unpleasant childhood. He was born to Selena, a common woman who desired to receive Morzan's love, whom Morzan used as a spy against the other Forsworn. For his own safety from the twelve other Forsworn, the estate was protected by magic so that the boy was never seen, except by a few chosen servants. Outside of this, only King Galbatorix knew of the boy's existence. Murtagh was often physically abused by his father. The long scar on his back bears testament to this; at the age of three, Murtagh received the wound when Morzan threw his sword, Zar'roc, at him in a drunken fit of anger. The sword tore into the child's back and nearly killed him, but he was miraculously saved by skilled healers.
Nasuada
Nasuada is the daughter of Ajihad, the leader of the Varden. The dwarf prince Orik tells Eragon that no one knows who her mother is - Ajihad simply showed up one day with a baby in his arms and said that she was his daughter. Orik remarks that she is "an unusual girl" who, despite her young age, is skilled at manipulating her father's enemies and is a completely devoted daughter. Upon her father's death Nasuada becomes leader of the Varden at around seventeen years old.
Roran
Roran is Garrow's son and Eragon and Murtagh's cousin. He does not play a major role in Eragon, but it is revealed that he is in love with Katrina, the daughter of the village butcher Sloan. This plays a more prominent part in Book II. Early in Eragon, he leaves Carvahall to work as a miller's assistant in the neighboring town of Therinsford. He is not seen throughout the rest of Eragon. With the exception of a brief scrying scene when Eragon is alone after him breaking/spraining his wrist.
Dragon Riders
Anurin
He is an old chief of the dragonrider. He was the predecessor of Vrael
Vrael
Vrael was the last leader of the Dragon Riders when the downfall of the Riders came to pass. His earliest predecessor (as the Riders' leader) was the elf Eragon who had a white dragon and who lived many centuries ago. His immediate predecessor was the elf Rider, Anurin.
Apart from that, not much is known about Vrael, except that he was one of the last Riders (apart from Brom and Oromis) to escape from the madness of Galbatorix. He was the only Rider who could fight Galbatorix and the Forsworn (a band of Dragon Riders corrupted by Galbatorix). When Vrael came close to killing the tyrant, he could not bring himself to do so, and thus, Galbatorix blindsided the rider, weakening him severely. He fled to seek refuge, but was eventually caught by Galbatorix. They fought, but the corrupted rider gained the advantage by kicking Vrael in the groin, and beheaded him. [citation needed]
Oromis
Oromis is Eragon's second teacher , after Brom. He is also referred to as Osthato Chetowä - The "Mourning Sage" and Togira Ikonoka - The "Cripple-Who-Is Whole". He is an elven prince descended from a royal house, although not the ruling house. He is a "Shur'tugal" , or Dragon Rider, one of the last of the generations before Eragon. His dragon is gold and is named Glaedr. Oromis and Glaedr reside in Du Weldenvarden, the forest realm of the elves, living on the brink of the Crags of Tel'naeír.
Characters from The Empire
Galbatorix's Followers
Durza
Durza (pronounced dehr-ZA) is a Shade. He is the chief antagonist in Eragon. Durza, being a Shade, has incredible magic powers (as read in the book when he incinerates a half-mile of forest in his attempts to catch Arya). He is able to wield control over the Urgals through linking spirits. He also is an incredible swordsman, easily defeating Eragon, who mastered the art of swordsmanship. One of the Shade's most potent powers is his resistance to death. If a Shade is not killed by being pierced through the heart, he will merely regenerate elsewhere stronger than the previous appearance. While a dragon rider has limits to his magic, so far by what we have seen a Shade has very little.
Morzan
Morzan is a deceased dragon rider. Though not actually featured in the books, he is mentioned several times and has left many things behind with his passing—including his sons, who also become Dragon Riders.
Galbatorix coerced Morzan into betraying the other Riders, and Morzan helped him steal the dragon hatchling Shruikan, killing Shruikan's chosen Rider in the process. Morzan swore loyalty to Galbatorix, becoming the first, and last of the thirteen Forsworn—traitor Dragon Riders who helped Galbatorix destroy their former allies.
For many years afterward, Morzan served Galbatorix and aided him in his dark designs. During this time, he met a woman while traveling, and she fell in love with him. This woman, Selena, became Morzan's secret weapon in dealing with the other Forsworn, and he taught her several elements of magic. Selena gave birth to two sons, Murtagh and Eragon for whom Morzan showed no compassion, even throwing his sword at Murtagh in one of his drunken rages and leaving him with a scar on his back. Expecting a second child, Selena later disappeared, out of fear that similar misfortunes may occur on the unborn child so she gave birth to him in secret.
Morzan's end was brought about by Brom, his former peer and now bitter enemy, when he went hunting for the stolen egg. Brom, enraged at Morzan's betrayal and holding him responsible for the death of his own dragon, engaged Morzan in combat. Morzan was slain, thus putting an end to his threat, but not to his legacy.
Morzan's weapon was the elven-forged Rider sword Zar'roc, which meant "Misery". It was forged by the elf Rhunon. It had a red blade and sheath, matching the color of Morzan's dragon. After Morzan's death, it was taken by Brom, who kept it for many years before bestowing it upon Eragon. Eragon carried it for a time, becoming a proficient master of swordsmanship, but it was later taken by Murtagh, who claimed it as his inheritance. (Murtagh's dragon Thorn, coincidentally, has ruby-red scales that perfectly match Zar'roc). At the end of Eldest, Murtagh says in the ancient language to Eragon that they are brothers - Eragon is Morzan's second son. The truth of this statement, however, is still under debate. Whether or not Eragon is truly Morzan's son, no doubt Murtagh and Eragon are brothers, for it has been confirmed that Selena was indeed both Murtagh and Eragon's mother, though whether they are brothers or half-brothers remains to be seen.
The Ra'zac
The Ra'zac are beetle-like beings in Christopher Paolini's Inheritance trilogy. The only two notable Ra'zac of the trilogy so far remain unnamed and untitled. They are capable of speech, and speak with hissing. Physically, the Ra'zac are extremely powerful, carnivorous, non-human beings that are unable to use magical attacks. They are encased in an exoskeleton that they hide in their dark, black cloaks so they may blend in with humans and attempt to hunt them, their favorite prey. The elves believe the humans that inhabit Alageaesia immigrated to avoid the Ra'zac. These Ra'zac are suspected to be the last of their kind. They work for the evil King Galbatorix as his personal dragon hunters.
Carvahall
Sloan
Sloan is Carvahall's butcher and Katrina's father. Sloan is a disagreeable, unpleasant-looking man. He shows a bloodthirsty side during the Battle for Carvahall, taunting a soldier who runs away, and asks "Shall I gut and hamstring you?" Sloan "dotes" upon his daughter, although he is also highly possessive of her. He made it clear that he wants a good match for his daughter, and "not a poor farmer like Roran."
Sloan told the Ra'zac about the blue stone Eragon found in the Spine, leading them to attack Garrow's farm. In Eldest, Sloan initially defends Carvahall, splitting open the helm of a soldier with a thrown cleaver, and generally acting bloodthirsty. Roran tells Sloan during the defense of Carvahall that he is engaged to Katrina, and furthermore, that all the women and children in Carvahall are going to hide in the Spine - even Katrina. An enraged Sloan swings at Roran, only for the young man to send him sprawling. Humiliated, Sloan disowns Katrina, then runs back to his shop weeping. He kills Byrd, and after betraying his fellow villagers to the Empire, is forced to travel to Helgrind along with his daughter.
Garrow
Garrow is Roran's father, Eragon's uncle, Selena's brother, and Marian's husband. About fifteen years before the events in Eragon, Selena arrived at Carvahall, alone and pregnant. She pleaded desperately for Garrow, her brother, to take care of her upcoming baby and, after giving birth to Eragon, she departed and was never to be seen again. From then on, Garrow took care of Eragon, even after Marian's death. Roran and Eragon got along perfectly, and always considered each other brothers, even if not by blood.
Katrina
Katrina is the beautiful daughter of Sloan, the butcher of the village of Carvahall in Palancar Valley. Tall and attractive with copper hair, she is engaged (without her family blessing) to Roran, Eragon's cousin.
While still a child, she lost her mother who had an accident in the the Spine, a range of mountains that has been said to be cursed. Since then, she has feared these mountains and has been forbidden by her father to go near them. She is the object of Roran's love and loves him like no other, although this love is hidden to her father as Roran and Sloan have never been on very friendly terms.
After Eragon and Saphira secretly flee Carvahall with Brom, the king's servants return again, this time to get Roran. Roran rallies the villagers and twice the villagers fight the monsters off. However, the third time, the Ra'zac and six Imperial soldiers slip into the now-fortified settlement by stealth and steal into Roran's bedroom when he is sleeping in the early hours of the morning. In the struggle that follows, Roran kills three of the soldiers and critically wounds two with his hammer. The Ra'zac seize Katrina and flee the house, and though Roran and his friends try to follow, the Ra'zac escape on their Lethrblaka.
Roran moves the villagers out of Carvahall to protect them, and is determined to rescue Katrina. Nothing more is known of her until the very end of Eldest, where Eragon scrys her; as Eragon and Roran bend their heads over the image Eragon has created, they see that Katrina is shackled to a wall, weary and imprisoned somewhere.
Katrina appears in two deleted scenes in the Eragon film. One shows Katrina sneaking Eragon some meat. The second shows Katrina leaving with Roran.
Other Places
Angela
Angela is a witch, herbalist and a friend of Eragon who is accompanied by a werecat named Solembum and based on the author's younger sister, Angela Paolini, although Christopher says his sister is nothing like Angela in the book [citation needed]. She is a short, curly-haired woman. She makes most of her living by fortune-telling for the richer people of Teirm, and conjuring potions that she seems to imply are ineffective. Some of her hobbies include gathering mushrooms, and . Angela claims that she does not use true arts to tell the fortunes of the aristocrats but she uses magic to learn Eragon's future by using dragon knucklebones.
Angela later appears in Tronjheim. There she seems to be one of the more powerful users of magic. She claims that if the twins tried to read her mind she would leave them broken. She comes to Eragon's rescue during the battle under Farthen Dûr, wielding a two handed dwarf weapon called a huthvir; later it is revealed that she had won the huthvir by "trickery" at the dwarven temple at Tarnag. She heals most of Eragon's injuries after the Battle under Farthen Dûr. She also watches over Elva. During the Battle of Burning Plains she poisons the enemy army's food and water supply. She claims to be older than she appears, saying that the herbs she eats in times of famine result in her young appearance. Angela is portrayed by Joss Stone in Eragon, The Movie
Jeod Longshanks
Jeod Longshanks (pronounced 'Jode') is a wealthy merchant of Teirm and a good friend of Brom. He is an agent of the Varden and supported them with the proceeds from his business until he was found out, and had been suffering heavy losses in his business. Jeod has been dogged by misfortune, many of his ships and their cargoes have been lost and he was bankrupt when Eragon first meet him.
Even as he is coping with this grim situation, he is encountered by Brom and Eragon, who are pursuing their quest to locate the Ra'zac. In his earlier years, Jeod found a secret entrance into Galbatorix's castle in Uru'baen. Eragon asks for his aid in determining where the Seithr Oil they seek is being delivered to. Jeod helps them break into the record room of the city's capital building in order to find the necessary information. He and Brom then went on a mission to recover the three dragon eggs in Galbatorix's possession. They were only able to get one however, and it was lost, although Brom later recovered it. It was from this egg that Saphira hatched. Jeod later meets Roran and offers him much-needed assistance, revealing that he is a supporter of the Varden , The truth about Eragon and that they should travel to Surda together, along with the villagers, to seek sanctuary and fight against the Empire.
Selena
Selena is the mother of the character Eragon. She is also the mother of Murtagh, the wife of Morzan, first and last of the Forsworn, and the sister of Garrow. Selena married Morzan, who used her to convey messages and get information for him. She was important to him because she would never betray him because of her love for him. He taught her some rudimentary magic for this reason. When she gave birth to Murtagh no one knew about it except Morzan, a few trusted servants, and Galbatorix. When Murtagh was three years old he was nearly killed by Morzan who was drunk at the time. Because of this, Selena decided to hide her second child, Eragon and decided to put him in her brother, Garrow's, care. She disappears after giving birth to Eragon. The details are scant, but it can be deduced that Selena met Angela before her marriage to Morzan, and that Angela said that her fate was to marry one of the Forsworn.
Characters from Du Weldenvarden
Dellanir
Queen Dellanir is the grandmother of Arya Dröttningu, being the mother of Evandar.
Islanzadí
Islanzadí is queen of the elves. She lives in the elven capital Ellesméra in the land of Alagaësia. She is the widow of the former king of the elves, King Evandar, and the mother of Arya. As a character, Islanzadí is often proud, imperious, and passionate. She is not capable of using magic, with or without a definite incantation. Some are of the opinion that she is aware of Eragon's attraction to Arya but is unwilling to confront it openly.
Characters from Surda
Characters from the Beor Mountains
Dwarves
Hrothgar
Hrothgar is the King of the Dwarves who controls the thirteen dwarf clans. The master smith's and metal worker's clan (Durgrimst Ingeitum in dwarfish and "Metalworker Clan" when directly translated to English) is ruled directly by the King of the Dwarves while he simultaneously rules over the other twelve dwarf clans, giving jurisdiction to their own leaders. This of course gives him complete and utter control of Tronjheim, the city within Farthen Dûr. Although Hrothgar holds such power, he is known for his wisdom and his caution. Even so, it is said by his nephew, Orik, that he is quick to anger. Hrothgar has faith in Ajihad, the leader of the Varden, and is one of the few forces that is able to keep the humans and dwarves together. He is the forty-second king of the dwarves and has been on the throne for more than a century, making him ancient even for a dwarf. Regardless of his age, Hrothgar is incredibly strong as can be seen during the Battle under Farthen Dûr in which he wields an enormous mace, Volund, forged by Korgan, the first dwarf king. Being wise in alliances and hardy on the battlefield, he proves to be a helpful friend of Eragon. He is killed by the new Dragon Rider Murtagh. It is said that Hrothgar wanted to die facing a foe in melee combat, not by a magic user.
Hrothgar is the name of the king of the Danes in Beowulf.
It is also the name of a dwarf in the computer game Icewind Dale, which may have a connection with Inheritance Hrothgar's predecessor Korgan, who shares a name with a dwarf in Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn.
Orik
Orik is a dwarf, a member of the `` Ingeitum ("Clan of Smiths"), and an ally of Eragon. He is also the adopted heir and nephew of the dwarf king Hrothgar, and the son of Thrifk. Orik, short as he is, is quite burly and strong, he is also very afraid of heights, and good at riddles. He respects the rights of others and despises The Twins, two powerful magic-users of the Varden. He is a smith, a warrior, and a guide to Eragon and Saphira. And (obviously)he is very short and and grisly.
Orik is first encountered when Eragon, Murtagh, Saphira, and the gravely injured Arya come to Farthen Dûr, seeking the aid of the Varden. He persuaded the Twins to allow Murtagh to stay with the Varden, despite him being Morzan's son. He develops a friendship with Eragon that continues into the second book.
"In the interest of fairness," King Hrothgar sends Orik to accompany Eragon to Ellesméra, the elf kingdom, where Eragon will continue his training as a Dragon Rider. Eragon's first reaction to this is irritation, as it means the journey will have to be made over land, rather than on Saphira's back. However, he later acknowledges Hrothgar's plan as a wise one, realising that it is important to maintain equality between the different races in which they will be dealing. During Eragon's training, Orik remains in the background, coping with the tension between the elves and himself. By the end of Eragon's time in Ellesmera, Orik and the elves have become more tolerant of each other; Orik even submits a piece to the Blood-Oath Celebration, a traditional elvish ceremony commemorating the pact between the elves and dragons.
Because of the need for haste when Eragon decides to return to Surda after learning Galbatorix's planned attack against the Varden, Orik becomes the first dwarf ever to ride a dragon.
When King Hrothgar is killed Orik mentions that both a new leader of Clan Igneitum, and a new Dwarf King must be chosen. Since Orik is considered Hrothgar's heir, he may thus be a candidate for either or both positions.
Varden
Elva
Elva was a Varden orphan baby who had only an old woman, Greta, to care for her. The day Eragon came to Tronjheim, Greta begged him to bless the baby. However, Eragon had never blessed anyone in his life, but he did the best he could by saying, or so he thought at the time, in the Ancient Language: "May luck and happiness follow you and may you be shielded from misfortune." Saphira then dragon-marked her brow with the gedwey ignasia, the mark Riders carry on their hands.
Later Eragon learned that what he really said to Elva was, "May luck and happiness follow you and may you be a shield from misfortune". As a result of this, Elva is compelled to protect other people from harm, at the cost of her own peace of mind. If she tries to ignore the urge to shield others from harm, she suffers terrible pain. The draconic magic placed by Saphira allowed Elva to increase in size until she seemed to be four years old, whereas her mind developed adult faculties. Her abilities developed further, until she was able to anticipate events in detail, two to three hours in advance. This ability enabled Elva to save the Varden's leader, Nasuada, from an assassination attempt by King Galbatorix's most dangerous magicians. Since then she has been taken on as one of Nasuada's bodyguards, others of whom are soldiers and sorceresses. Eragon has promised to undo the curse on Elva, and would have done so before the battle on the Burning Plains had Elva not told him to save his energy. He then promised her that he would do so after the battle.
Elva has pale skin, large violet eyes and black hair. She is often called "Shining Brow", for the star-shaped dragon's mark on her forehead. She eats voraciously, possibly as a result of her accelerated metabolism.
Ajihad
Ajihad is the leader of the Varden. At the time of the Eragon story, Ajihad has been in power for around fifteen years, and has lead the Varden extremely well. Rumors of him spread through the Empire's disgruntled citizens heighten the mystery surrounding him and the Varden, but he is known to be a master strategist and a brutal fighter. Ajihad is black, a feature apparently odd in Alagaësia, which may point toward a southern land like Surda, or a realm outside of Alagaësia as his home; his exact origins are not known. He is a brilliant tactician and a cunning warrior, and has lead the Varden to victory many times; he was even skilled enough to duel with Durza and survive, leaving a scratch on the Shade's sword. He lives in Tronjheim in the Beor Mountains, courtesy of the dwarves who assist them in their fight against Galbatorix.
Ajihad befriends Eragon when he and Saphira first arrive at Tronjheim. Ajihad governs all of the human rebels within the dwarf city and is given some jurisdiction over a few of the dwarves by King Hrothgar. Ajihad's history is mysterious, but he is a born leader and brave soldier. His daughter, Nasuada is known to help him in many of his diplomatic moves, subtly maneuvering his enemies (sometimes even without his knowledge) and planning with him the future of the resistance. He trains her from an early age to become his successor.
Ajihad is slain in Eldest shortly after the Battle of Farthen Dûr. He is attacked by Urgals, killing five before he was defeated; he had previously been hunting surviving Urgals in the mountain tunnels, and earned the nickname "Nightstalker" from them by his proficiency as a hunter. His daughter, Nasuada, takes control of the Varden. Later it was revealed that he was betrayed by his personal guards, the Twins, who recruited the Urgals to slay him. When Eragon's cousin Roran kills the Twins in the Battle of the Burning Plains, Nasuada acknowledges herself to be personally in Roran's debt. Ajihad is considered by many to be the greatest of the Varden's leaders. He is eventually entombed in the crypts under Tronjheim– a great honor when bestowed by the clannish Dwarves.
The Twins
The Twins are powerful human magicians who support the Varden. Little about their past or their personal lives is revealed; they are described as being bald, and their names are unknown - they are called simply 'the Twins' throughout, as they are identical twins. As a result, they are treated as a single entity, and no difference is shown between the two in personality or dressing style. They are responsible for mentally probing all who come to Tronjheim. They show animosity towards Eragon, and attempt to convince him to join their group of magic users, the Du Vrangr Gata (The Wandering Path), so that they can learn more of the Ancient Language. They are assigned to tell Eragon what was happening in the battle, but Eragon loses contact with them and consequently is forced to defeat the Shade Durza alone.
Early on in Eldest, an Urgal party attacks the unprepared Varden and kidnaps the Twins and Murtagh; they are assumed dead. Later, the ancient Dragon Rider Oromis reveals that the Twins, who knew much about the Varden's secret dealings, had turned traitor before the battle; they had intentionally failed to protect Eragon so that Durza could capture him. However, Durza ended up dead, so that plan fell through.
During the Battle of the Burning Plains, it is learned that the Twins had, in fact, survived; they had taken control of a group of Urgals with the intent of killing Ajihad and capturing Murtagh. After the successful assassination of Ajihad, they had then bewitched Murtagh so he could not escape, and had taken him to Uru'baen, where he was forced to swear loyalty to Galbatorix. They now fought with the forces of Galbatorix, but meet their end at the hands of Roran, who struck one of them with a fatal blow on the head with a medium-sized hammer. This affected the other twin so much that he could not defend himself when Roran struck him down.
Dragons
Saphira Bjartskular
Saphira Bjartskular is a female sapphire-blue dragon from Saphira's sapphire colored egg was found and taken by Galbatorix during The Fall, along with a ruby egg and an emerald egg [citation needed]. Galbatorix tried desperately to get her egg, as well as the others, to hatch, but he was unsuccessful. None of the dragon eggs responded to the touch of anyone he had selected as possible riders. After many long years, the egg fell into the hands of Eragon, where the Saphira hatched. Saphira is the last female dragon in existence.
Shruikan
In Christopher Paolini's Inheritance (trilogy), Shruikan (IPA pronunciation: ['ʃrukɪn]) is King Galbatorix's black dragon.
Centuries ago in Ilirea, the capital of the Broddring Kingdom, Shruikan and his rider were being tutored with other Riders and their young dragons. Galbatorix, a Rider who was denied a new dragon after his was killed, and another Rider named Morzan, murdered Shruikan's true Rider, whereupon Galbatorix twisted the young black dragon's mind through dark magic so that he would serve him.
The union of Shruikan and Galbatorix is unnatural, because rather than being mutually chosen partners, Shruikan is a slave and Galbatorix his tyrant. There is therefore no true bond between Galbatorix and Shruikan, no love or loyalty on either side. The mental link between them is also a poor imitation of the telepathic connection between a rider and a dragon. It is possible in the third book, that Shruikan will cut off all connection and betray or kill Galbatorix.
Shruikan is briefly sighted at the end of the Eragon movie, when Galbatorix, in his rage, draws his sword and cuts a tapestry-map of Alagaësia in half, revealing his dragon. Shruikan briefly roars and breathes fire.
Thorn
Thorn is a dragon from Christopher Paolini's Inheritance trilogy. His rider is Murtagh.
Thorn is a red male dragon, smaller than Saphira, but wider in the legs and shoulders. Like all dragons, Thorn's eyes match his sparkling ruby hide, and his talons, teeth and neck spikes are snow white. Thorn is trained by the king's dragon Shruikan (perhaps the reason why he is so skilled) in the Riders' arts, and although he is younger than Saphira he is extremely skilled at aerial combat and is more than a match for her in the air, even when he is severely injured. Murtagh is unwillingly under Galbatorix's control, but is unclear how Thorn feels about their predicament. In Eldest it is implied that Murtagh and Thorn argued over letting Eragon escape at the Battle of the Burning Plains. Otherwise, Thorn has not spoken.
After the events in Eragon, Murtagh was captured by the Empire. Murtagh was brought to Galbatorix, and it turned out that one of the dragon eggs that Galbatorix was keeping hatched for Murtagh. The dragon was named Thorn. It is unclear how Thorn matured to rival Saphira despite their age difference, but Christopher Paolini has stated that it will be revealed in the third book of the trilogy.[1] It is most likely that Galbatorix has given Murtagh some hidden secret. Perhaps the one that allows him to grow in strength as days pass.
Both Thorn and Murtagh were forced to make an unbreakable magical vow in the Ancient Language to King Galbatorix to serve him. Galbatorix knows their true names-- the names which the Ancient Language has for them-- and is therefore able to completely control them, unless he chooses to release them. Thorn and Murtagh have no free will, and Galbatorix binds them further by continually forcing them to make further oaths to him in the ancient language.
"He knows our true names, Eragon...we are his slaves forever." - Murtagh
Eragon and Murtagh are brothers (their father is Morzan) as discovered in Eldest. Apparently, Thorn will be given a much bigger part in the third and final book of the Inheritance Trilogy.
Werecats
Maud
Maud is a werecat from Ellesméra. She first appears in Eldest and is described (as a "human") as having feral eyes, stiff, shaggy white hair bleached with age. Her face is creased and lined like a dry withered apple with rows of sharp teeth. She is also known as The Dream Dancer, Quickpaw, and The watcher. Eragon meets her during his first night in Ellesméra. He has also met Solembum, a major werecat in the Inheritance Trilogy. It is also forementioned that Solembum and Maud are kin. Maud did not give her real name, because true names are a powerful thing in Du Weldenvarden.
Solembum
Solembum is a werecat and friend of Eragon. He usually accompanies Angela, a powerful witch. Solembum takes the form of a young boy when he changes from his catlike form. As a cat he has red eyes, a strong lean body, oversized paws, and fangs that curve down over his jaw. Eragon first sees him in Angela's shop in Teirm. Solembum later gives Eragon cryptic advice, which is to look under the roots of the Menoa Tree when he is in need of a weapon, and when all seems lost and Eragon's power is insufficient, to go to the rock of Kuthian and say his name to open the Vault of Souls. Later he warns Eragon about approaching guards when Eragon, Brom, and Jeod had snuck into the records room in Teirm to procure information regarding converted Seithr oil. Solembum also appears in Tronjheim to lead Eragon to Angela and to simply chat with Saphira.
Since Solembum has been with Angela, he has only spoken to four people besides Angela: Eragon, Selena, Jörmundur and a blind beggar. Also he has talked to the dragon: Saphira
Solembum makes a brief appearance in Eldest, mentioning to one of the Varden's soldiers that Nasuada should visit Elva. He also shows recognition when Saphira tells him of another, older werecat, Maud.
References