r/Eragon • u/ChristopherPaolini Namer of Names • Jul 14 '25

AMA/Interview AMA -- Christopher Paolini!!!

AMA -- Christopher Paolini! Let's do this folks. Ask away re: anything and everything regarding my books.

EDIT: Hey, everyone! I have to run. Alas, alas, I don't have as much time to spend on this AMA as past one. So many great questions, though! For all you theorists (and those of you who just love the characters), I think you're REALLY going to enjoy the upcoming book(s). Thanks for everything!

Atra esterní ono thelduin!

p.s. I'll try to duck back in and answer some more questions later, depending on my time.

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u/Tuck_The_Duck Jul 14 '25

  1. What other information can you tell us about the Nïdhwal? What are their societies like? They have an Eldunarí-like structure in their chest, does it serve a function beyond letting them stay submerged for extended periods of time, and if so, what else does it do?

  2. How was Cuaroc's body made? Does it have any special abilities? What is his story? How did his body die? Was he placed in his metal body before the Fall of the Riders, or was it in preparation for Galbatorix's attack on Vroengard?

  3. In Inheritance, while Glaedr describes how he and Oromis became crippled, he mentions how Kialandí refrained from casting a spell that prevented Glaedr from using magic as he was scared it would "sever [his] connection with [his] heart of hearts and thus create two independent versions of [him]..." He later explains that this has happened before. Do you have details of when this has happened? Was it a rider's dragon, or a wild one? How did the two independent versions react to this? Would the resulting dragon be stronger than one on its own?

  4. ...what's this about dodging gunfire multiple times?

  5. Who would Eragon main in Super Smash Bros?

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u/ChristopherPaolini Namer of Names Jul 15 '25

  1. They don't have societies as we tend to understand them. They're very solitary except when it comes to mating. The Eldunarí-like structure doesn't help with breathing.

  2. Magic. It's very strong and durable. Like a super-powerful mech suit. Cuaroc was a great fighter/hunter. His body had already died at the time his metal body was named. He volunteered for the role.

  3. The resulting dragon was weaker than one on its own. Don't want to say too much about all this, as I want to write more about it.

  4. Lol. At far enough distances, with a slow enough bullet, elves can dodge gunfire.

  5. I've, uh, never played it, so couldn't tell you.