Eragon: a Dragon Rider's Quest Quiz

Answer: Brom

Brom waits for Eragon at the butcher's shop, as he suspects Eragon will stop here for provisions on his long journey to kill the Ra'zac. Brom offers to journey with Eragon, and it is only when Eragon realizes that Brom is not a mere storyteller and can communicate with Saphira does he accept. That night, they journey to a clearing that Eragon discovered when he lived at Garrow's farm. Saphira, Eragon's dragon, joins them for a supper that brings out many surprises.

The first is a beautiful yet terrifying sword that Brom somehow received. Shaded red with a ruby inset into its pommel, the sword is a masterwork of a skilled Elvin blacksmith. Brom gives this to Eragon, who is overtaken with awe at the sheer beauty of this terrible weapon. Two days later, Brom and Eragon begin their trek to find the Ra'zac and slay them.

Answer: Snowfire

Snowfire is indeed a beautiful horse, priced at the outlandish price of 200 crowns. Cadoc, a bay, is given to Eragon who named it after his grandfather. Seabiscuit of course, has absolutely nothing to do with the story, and I merely needed another incorrect answer. Shadowfax, of course, is another all-white horse used by Gandalf in his journeys during "The Lord of the Rings". Brom interviews townspeople in Therinsford about whether or not they had seen them, and they described the Ra'zac as "demons fleeing a holy man." Leaving quite an impression, Eragon and Brom leave Therinsford and journey to the great plain, an immense area larger than anything Eragon has ever seen in his life.

While on the plain, a rather large storm befalls them that almost proves fatal for Eragon, who barely misses being impaled on one of Saphira's long spikes.

After surviving that, they journey to Yazuac where a scene of incredible tragedy awaits them.

Answer: A huge pile of dead bodies

In the center of this pile is a baby, impaled on a pole. Eragon becomes sick when seeing this and vomits over Cadoc's side. Moving cautiously through the town, Brom and Eragon are ambushed by two Urgals. One goes for Brom and another at Eragon, who is unluckily off his horse.

While they fight hand to hand, Brom is gashed in the side by the Urgal holding a giant war axe. Eragon charges the Urgal, and a furious battle ensues until Eragon runs down an alleyway. This alleyway is a dead end, and sparks Eragon to do something he has never done before: use magic.

When the Urgals bear down on him, he stands up smoothly and fires an arrow, shouting "brisingr!" as he releases. The arrow crackles with blue fire, killing the first Urgal instantly while a pulse of energy radiating from the arrow makes short work of the remaining Urgal. Suddenly overcome by immense fatigue, Eragon crumples unconscious to the ground.

Answer: Angela the herbalist's

Here Eragon gets his fortune read by Angela, a witch. This is done by throwing dragone knucklebones and speaking three words in the ancient language. This allows her to see what his life will be like. She only casts the bones for Eragon because he is able to talk to Solembum, a werecat and companion to Angela.

His fortune is full of tragedy: a betrayal by a family member; long or everlasting life; the fact that he will leave Alagaesia forever; and that he will love a great women of royal descent.

It is after his fortune is told that he locks eyes with Solembum, who gives him this advice: "When the time comes and you need a weapon, look under the roots of the Menoa tree. Then, when all seems lost and your power is insufficent, go to the rock of Kuthian and speak your name to open the Vault of Souls." After getting this advice, Eragon stumbles into the street, where he decides to go back to Jeod's house. Arriving there, he finds that Brom and Jeod are frustrated that they cannot see the shipping records of Seithr Oil.

This is important because earlier, when Eragon and Brom were tracking the Ra'zac, they had found a flask filled with a silver oil that burned flesh and bone but nothing else. This was left by the Ra'zac, and by tracing records of its sales they could find the Ra'zac's lair. It is then that Jeod and Brom realize they must go into the castle where all the records are kept and find the shipping records. They leave later in the week, and are able to get by the drunken guards rather easily. Finding the shipping information, they get a map of Alagaesia and where in it seithr oil has been shipped. Solembum arrives telling them that the guards are coming, and they barely have time to leave the room and lock the door before the guards come and promptly escort them out. When they arrive back at Jeod's, they narrow down the list of cities to one, Dras Leona, a large city located to the south and west of Teirm. It is then that Brom and Eragon realize where they must go, and set out on the second leg of their quest.

Answer: The Church

Eragon is paying homage to the church, but not the religion of flesh and blood, when he is interrupted by the Ra'zac. Quickly, he shoots three arrows that narrowly miss the Ra'zac as they dodge them with inhuman speed. When he sees soldiers blocking the doorway, he knows that he must flee to escape with his life. Running out a side door and breaking open a wall, he manages to make it out of the church grounds alive. Sending a message to Saphira, he heads to the pub where Brom and he are staying. They mount their horses and charge towards the gate, only managing to escape due to luck and a fair amount of magic.

As they leave Dras Leona and hide in the woods, Eragon sees a movement in the trees. Thinking it must be a bird, his mind becomes blurry and he drops into unconsciousness, where the Ra'zac tie him, Saphira, and Brom up.

When he wakes up, he finds the Ra'zac discussing about whether to kill Brom. It is only by sheer luck that they escape, as right at that moment the wind whistles and an arrow is embedded into one of the Ra'zac's shoulder.

The arrows keep coming relentlessly until the Ra'zac flee. They do not leave without an impact however; one kicking Eragon viciously in the side while another throws a knife at him. Seeing the knife flying, Eragon is stunned when Brom throws himself in front of him, letting the knife slide between his ribs. It is then that he loses consciousness.

Answer: Murtagh

Murtagh, another person hunting the Ra'zac, is clad with expensive armor and weaponry. He dresses Brom's wounds, and together he and Eragon travel away from Dras Leona with Saphira carrying Brom in a makeshift litter. Later in the day, Saphira tells them that she has found a cave in which they can all hide. Eragon and Murtagh meet her there, and they tend to Brom's wounds. Eragon falls asleep from sheer exhaustion, and is awoken by Saphira when Brom begins to shake and fall off the bed. Brom wakes up, and asks for wine to be spread on his hand.

It is then that Eragon sees a gewdey ignasia, the sign that Brom was once a Dragon Rider. His dragon was killed at the battle at Doru Araeba, and her name was also Saphira. After divulging this information and six words in the ancient language to be used in his greatest need, Brom lays still, and dies only hours later.

When Eragon buries his friend in mere sandstone with a simple inscription above his head, Saphira, with tears in her eyes, touches the tomb and it magically turns to solid diamond.

Answer: a dwarf

It is here that Eragon makes a great escape, aided by Murtagh. After the drug put in his food and water has run its course through his system, he is able to access the ancient language once again. He manages to push open the lock, and stand in the corridor with all the cells.

Unfortunately, just as he escapes, six soldiers appear fully armed and ready to fight. Wearily, Eragon raises his hand to fight the soldiers with magic, but is spared the wasted energy in the way of an arrow, shot by Murtagh. Murtagh continues this barrage of arrows until one soldier remains, who, on the advice of Eragon, he spares. Eragon questions this soldier who reveals that the elf is in the last cell on the left, and their weapons are in the weapon room upstairs. Eragon takes the elf while Murtagh gets the weapons, and they convene on the top floor.

It is then that the Shade appears who fights with Eragon sword to sword. Eragon is simply outclassed by the Shade, who toys with him until he flicks his sword away.

At this point, Saphira tears open the roof to get to him, and Murtagh fires an arrow directly in his forehead. The Shade becomes a gray mist, and Saphira flies them away from the jail and into the woods, where they decide to go to the Varden.

Answer: Orik, a dwarf

Orik pulls them out of the water and saves them from drowning, but the twins had thought they should not be helped as they did not know if they were friend or foe. After being saved by them, Arya is taken away to be healed and Eragon's mind is examined by one of the magicians.

He hides some of the memories from the twin with the help of Saphira, but many of his memories are inspected by the twin, who causes massive waves of pain to erupt inside Eragon's head. Murtagh, who is able to defend his mind incredibly well, refuses to be inspected.

After a stand off between him and the twin/mind examiner, Saphira, Eragon, and Murtagh are led to a room where they spend the night. The next day they meet with Ajihad, leader of the Varden, who decides that Murtagh must be kept in custody for fear of him releasing information about the Varden to the king. Murtagh is led off and will only be released when he allows his mind to be probed.

Answer: Hrothgar, Ajihad, and Jormundur

Eragon and Saphira help each three of these battalions, who are struggling to keep the hundreds of Urgals at bay. During the battle, he and Saphira seem to become one destructive fighting team. During the battle the twins contact Eragon, stating that he must go into Tronjheim as it sounds like the Urgals are attempting to tunnel their way in.

It is here that the fiercest duel in an age takes place.

Answer: Durza

Ushnark the Mighty is a term the Urgals use to describe Galbatorix, who, unsurprisingly, is not at the battle of Farthen Dur. Ajihad survives the fighting, and no dragon riders are present at the fight except for Eragon. Durza, a mighty Shade warrior, is killed through luck.

While Eragon fights Durza he is thrown to the ground by the Shade who has inflicted a giant wound upon Eragon's back (not unlike Murtagh's), and is facing a certain death when Arya, riding Saphira, bursts through Isidar Mithrim, the red sapphire.

This priceless piece of art's shattering allows Eragon the time needed to run Durza through the heart with Za'roc, who is on fire with the "brisingr" command. In doing this he fulfills the only way you can kill a Shade, running him through the heart.

When Durza dies Eragon sees all Durza's past memories and they change him forever. After Durza is killed, the Urgals, united under a common enemy, suddenly start fighting each other to the death. With the enemy's strength weakened, the Varden are able to defeat the last of the Urgals, thus successfully protecting Farthen Dur. Eragon collapses on the battlefield, and while unconscious he fights a battle for his identity, a literal identity crisis.

The Shade's memories of hundreds of villagers dead by his hand mix with the memories of Saphira's egg, blending in a dark storm of thoughts. It is only by the grace of "The Mourning Sage", a mysterious being intruding on his thoughts, that the dark forces from the Shade's mind are brushed away, leaving Eragon's thoughts clear. When he awakes, he is under the care of Angela and other healers, with Saphira, Arya, and Murtagh outside the door. It is here that book one ends, leaving many questions unanswered. Stay tuned for another quiz, this one on the second book in this series, called "Eldest."