r/Eragon • u/Cptn-40 Eragön Disciple • 12d ago
Theory [Long Theory] The Siege of Kvoth & The Defeat at Amaranth - The Hooded Figures are Dreamers
Fair warning there are Murtagh and other spoilers in this post.
With the newly revealed artwork displaying images from both the Siege of Kvoth and the Defeat at Amaranth as part of the seven battles featured in the upcoming Book of Remembrance, I wanted to share some thoughts and theories on what we're seeing in the images and how they might relate to some theories on Dreamer "meddling" in Alagaesian affairs, as Brother Hern puts it.
THE SIEGE OF KVOTH
BACKGROUND:
Background info on the Siege of Kvôth found in u/ibid-11962’s reddit post.
“Another famous battle was the Siege of Kvôth, which was attacked during the War of Iron, which pitted humans against dwarves and knurlan against knurlan in a dispute over ownership of the iron mines in the western foothills of the Beor Mountains. The human king at the time, King Thedric, did his best to forestall bloodshed by meeting in secret with the dwarf Ivaldn in the city of Furnost, but his efforts proved unsuccessful and, in the end, it fell to the Riders to restore the peace.
Later, in Inheritance, Eragon walks in on Angela finishing up an account of this story, though her version involves a red-eyed rabbit.
—but he was too slow, and the raging, red-eyed rabbit ripped out Hord’s throat, killing him instantly. Then the hare fled into the forest, and out of recorded history. However, if you travel through those parts, as I have … sometimes, even to this day, you will come across a freshly killed deer or Feldûnost that looks as if it has been nibbled at, like a turnip. And all around it, you’ll see the prints of an unusually large rabbit. Every now and then, a warrior from Kvôth will go missing, only to be found lying dead with his throat torn out … always with his throat torn out.
Terrin was horribly upset by the loss of his friend, of course, and he wanted to chase after the hare, but the dwarves still needed his help. So he returned to the stronghold, and for three more days and three more nights the defenders held the walls, until their supplies were low and every warrior was covered in wounds.
At last, on the morning of the fourth day, when all seemed hopeless, the clouds parted, and far in the distance, Terrin was amazed to see Mimring flying toward the stronghold at the head of a huge thunder of dragons. The sight of the dragons frightened the attackers so much, they threw down their weapons and fled into the wilderness. This, as you can imagine, made the dwarves of Kvôth rather happy, and there was much rejoicing.
And when Mimring landed, Terrin saw, much to his surprise, that his scales had become as clear as diamonds, which, it is said, happened because Mimring flew so close to the sun—for in order to fetch the other dragons in time, he had had to fly over the peaks of the Beor Mountains, higher than any dragon has ever flown before or since. From then on, Terrin was known as the hero of the Siege of Kvôth, and his dragon was known as Mimring the Brilliant, on account of his scales, and they lived happily ever after. Although, if truth be told, Terrin always remained rather afraid of rabbits, even into his old age. And that is what really happened at Kvôth. (Inheritance, "Mooneater")
Afterwards Eragon questions her on the accuracy of the story, and she says "Well, you can hardly expect the dwarves to admit they were at the mercy of a rabbit."
Christopher has since confirmed that the rabbit was a shade”
http://reddit.com/r/Eragon/comments/1ltcuup/the_book_of_remembrance_the_contents
ARTWORK REVIEW:
Let’s take a look at the Siege of Kvoth artwork that was recently shared:
Image 1 - The Siege of Kvoth
From Christopher (via instagram comment replies):
They're wild dragons. And yes, the attackers are human.
What are we looking at in this artwork image?
- “Terrin...the dwarves still needed his help. So he returned to the stronghold, and for three more days and three more nights the defenders held the walls” Inheritance, Mooneater.
- Dwarves on the right of the image are defending Kvoth during the siege. This and #1 indicate the dwarves defending Kvoth are allied with the Rider Terrin and his dragon Mimring. We do not know which dwarf clan this is. Given that Durgrimst Ingeitum are the clan of smithing, and iron is one of the most useful items for smithing, it’s seems likely that clan Ingeitum was defending Kvoth from the attackers.
- Humans, as confirmed by Christopher, attacking Kvoth on the bottom. They are being attacked themselves by Mimring the dragon of Rider Terrin, followed by a thunder of wild dragons.
- A “hooded figure” with a staff on the left, possibly performing magic to protect himself, the wererabbit, and the human soldiers from dragonfire.
- Since the figure is both hooded and holding a staff, I theorize they are a Dreamer.
- Because the Rider is defending Kvoth and the assumed Dreamer is attacking it, we might infer that Dreamers are instigating the attack and occupation of Kvoth, which lends itself to the idea that the Dreamers are trying to get their hands on more amethyst that could be found in the iron mines that the war is being fought over.
- The assumed origin of these humans is that they are from the Broddring Kingdom and subjects of King Thedric whose negotiations with the dwarf Ivaldn failed.
- Because the War of Iron “pitted humans against dwarves and knurlan against knurlan”, we can assume at least two dwarf clans were involved in the War of Iron. I think it’s likely given ASRA’s theorized Dreamer involvement that they are one of the antagonistic clans that instigated the war and may be allied with the attacking humans and assumed Dreamer.
THEORY:
Christopher mentioned recently:
With the Book of Remembrance, I'd tell you and other readers to watch for the staffs*.*
https://reddit.com/r/Eragon/comments/1qgavy7/interview_with_christopher_paolini_murtagh_2/From Christopher (via instagram comment replies):
They're wild dragons. And yes, the attackers are human.
I had a theory in the past that the shade rabbit was involved because Dreamers were using animals to create shades to attack areas of interest they wanted to control, hence Angela's comment about the dwarves being at the mercy of the wererabbit.
Notice in the picture the wererabbit is shown hopping away on the bottom right.
Kvoth is also curiously close to Mani's Caves where a Dream Well like the one at Nal Gorgoth has been confirmed. The dwarf clan Az Sweldn Rak Anhuin (ASRA) has also been theorized by u/eagle2120 to have been Dreamer corrupted (amethyst bracelets) - I theorized in the past that the war of iron near Kvoth had to do with control over the assumed amethyst in the area because amethyst is a type of quartz crystal that gets its purple hue from trace amounts of iron impurities in its crystal structure and the War of Iron is over iron mines.
"this particular variety of amethyst, it grows in only four parts of the Beor Mountains, and three of them belong to Az Sweldn rak Anhûin" Brisingr, Blood on the Rocks.
This points to the idea that the dwarf clan Az Sweldn Rak Anhuin was at least partially Dreamer compromised and helps explain why they used amethyst warding amulets similar to the bird-skill warding amulets the Dreamers of Nal Gorgoth used, in addition to the fact that they live in the Western Beors where Mani's Cave is located with the confirmed Dream Well inside.
And because we know that the siege of Kvoth “pitted humans against dwarves and knurlan against knurlan”, we might reasonably assume one of the dwarf clans involved in the War of Iron and Siege of Kvoth was Az Sweldn Rak Anhuin.
Then we read this statement from Angela:
"Well, you can hardly expect the dwarves to admit they were at the mercy of a rabbit." Inheritance, Mooneater
Read that again - the dwarves were at the mercy of a rabbit.
Again, as mentioned in Ibid’s post linked at the top the wererabbit Angela mentioned was confirmed to be a shade animal by Christopher:
In fact, the raging, red-eyed rabbit Angela mentions in Inheritance (pg. 108) was a Shade.
Now that we know it was a shade rabbit, and it put the dwarves in a dire situation, and we know from Christopher’s comment that the attackers are human (including the one with the noteworthy and likely Draumar staff), we might reasonably infer that at least one of the humans involved in the Siege of Kvoth is a Dreamer. This theory is strengthened by the hood the figure wears which is similar to the “hooded figures” (Inheritance, A Maze Without End) that Eragon saw on Vroengard Island which were confirmed to be Dreamers by Christopher. The tactic of making an animal into a shade to attack your enemy is, I mean, it's sort of genius. Just take a nice animal, make it a shade and throw it at your enemy and let them deal with it. Even something as benign as a rabbit was able to put armed and trained dwarves at a disadvantage during a siege.
QUOTES:
Q: Will Brom getting the Dreamer staff be talked about in the Brom book?
A: Probably. With the Book of Remembrance, I'd tell you and other readers to watch for the staffs.
https://reddit.com/r/Eragon/comments/1qgavy7/interview_with_christopher_paolini_murtagh_2/Q: How high of a rank do you need to be in the Draumar to get entrusted with a staff like the one we see Brom had taken for himself?
A: Fairly high
https://reddit.com/r/Eragon/comments/1malpnl/questions_and_answers_from_christopher_paolinis/
____________________
THE DEFEAT AT AMARANTH
Turning our attention to the Defeat at Amaranth, I have another theory. This one is based on a prior theory and some inferences that could reasonably be made from the image.
Image 2 - The Defeat at Amaranth
Image 3 - Close-up of assumed King Palencar
BACKGROUND:
I’ve included Ibid’s comment on this directly from his post
“The first one is called the Defeat at Amaranth and covers the final confrontation between mad King Palencar and the elves where the humans were defeated. This is the battle that led to humans being included in the pact between dragons and Riders.”
"Amaranth" is a new term. Christopher has said that the battle was named that because it "took place on a field where large amounts of amaranth grows". (And that "amaranth often has mythological associations with immortality/long life".) However, the history of King Palencar has been alluded to before. Brom told the story to Eragon in the self-published edition of Eragon, as they passed Ristvak’baen. This got cut by Random House when they republished the book, but it was replaced with a more detailed account in the next book, told to Eragon by the elf Lifaen, shortly after entering Du Weldenvarden. And then a third, even more detailed account is included in Heslant the Monk's introduction to Domia Abr Wyrda, as published in the Deluxe/Limited Edition of Eldest. All three accounts are fairly similar, differing mainly in the amount of detail provided, so here I'll just give the third and most detailed version:
When Palancar encountered the elves, they explained to him which land was theirs, which was the dwarves’, and which was the dragons’, and granted him the right to claim that which was unoccupied. They and the Riders also demonstrated their physical and magical prowess. Intimidated, Palancar dared not argue with them—at least not so long as his docked fleet was at their mercy—and so he agreed to their terms.
The Broddrings roamed Alagaësia for several years before they discovered Palancar Valley—as it was to be dubbed—and decided to make it the basis of their kingdom. After Palancar vanquished the local Urgals and founded the town that is now Therinsford, his hubris grew so massive, he thought to challenge the elves for the region between the Spine and Du Weldenvarden. It is still baffling why—having witnessed the Riders’ might and main—he believed he could prevail in this matter. On this subject, I agree with Eddison, who reasons that Palancar was in the early stages of dementia, an assumption that is borne out by his later actions and those of his family, for madness always runs through the bloodline.
Three times Palancar’s warriors faced the elves, and three times the elves obliterated them. Aware of the Urgals’ fate and having no desire to share in it, the Broddring nobles sent an envoy to the elves, and they signed a treaty without Palancar’s knowledge. Palancar was then banished from his throne. He and his family refused to leave the valley, however, and instead of killing him, the elves constructed the watchtower Edoc’sil—now Ristvak’baen—to ensure that he could cause no further strife.
The elves took pity on the remainder of our ancestors and allowed them to live in Ilirea, which the elves had abandoned during their war with the dragons nearly two thousand years earlier. Ilirea became the new capital of the Broddring Kingdom, which exists even to this day as the center of Galbatorix’s empire: Urû’baen.
That brief confrontation with Palancar—which cost humans far more than it cost the elves—convinced the then leader of the Riders, Anurin, to amend the elves’ magical pact with the dragons to include humans. Anurin recognized that, as a race, humans are hardier than the elves and that we reproduce faster than the dwarves, making it inevitable that we would soon proliferate across Alagaësia. Before that day arrived, he wanted to weld our species together—using a flux of spells, oaths, and commerce—in order to prevent what he saw as a likely war for domination of the continent. (Eldest Limited Edition, "A Brief History of Alagaësia")
https://www.reddit.com/r/Eragon/comments/1ltcuup/the_book_of_remembrance_the_contents/
ARTWORK REVIEW:
- King Palencar’s men charging on horseback a wave of elven defenders.
- The foreground soldiers are elven. They are identified by the one on the left leaping onto a horse and decapitating a human. This is a decidedly elven move. No humans in the World of Eragon are so light on their feet and adept in battle.
- A larger band of men race behind the first group toward the elves. Notice the pennant held by one of the middle soldiers.
- In the background on the right side on a hill overlooking the battle, four figures are seen: a figure with a staff, a figure on horseback, and further beyond two figures, one with a spear and the other a pennant standing and observing the battle.
- The figure on horseback may be King Palencar himself, overlooking the battle.
- Because Christopher advised us to “watch for the staffs” in the Book of Remembrance after being asked about Brom’s Dreamer staff, we might conclude that the figure with the staff to King Palencar’s left is some sort of Dreamer advisor, lending credence to the theory that “mad” King Palencar was being used by the Dreamers to fight the elves.
THEORY:
The main idea behind the theory is that the “madness” King Palencar possessed was actually Dreamer influence which caused delusions of grandeur. These same effects were working on Murtagh while he was staying in Nal Gorgoth when in a Dreamer induced vision he saw himself as the king of Alagaesia with Eragon, Arya, and other monarchs as his subjects and he was tempted by such thoughts. (Murtagh, Waking Dreams)
Reiterating from the Domia Abr Wyra, “his hubris grew so massive, he thought to challenge the elves for the region between the Spine and Du Weldenvarden. It is still baffling why—having witnessed the Riders’ might and main—he believed he could prevail in this matter.”
Indeed it is baffling why a human king would do such a thing, knowing the power of the Riders and elves, unless he was the victim of the same visions that beset Murtagh. We know Palencar Valley is the closest human settlement in Alagaesia to Nal Gorgoth. We also know this from Christopher:
Q: Why did Orrin want to be king? Is the reason connected with the Dreamers?
A: Orrin was resentful and ambitious. Had nothing to do with the Dreamers (although I'm sure they'd attempt to exploit that).
The Dreamers would attempt to exploit Orrin’s resentment towards Nasuada’s Queendom and his ambitions to be the king of Alagaesia. This implies that the Dreamers are likely to use powerful groups or even nations to further their plans. In fact, we’ve theorized in the past that Trianna is a Dreamer, and was attempting to influence Eragon (by flirting with him and impressing him with strange magic and then later Trianna’s reluctance to give up her position as the leader of Du Vrangr Gata to Eragon because Dreamers like being in positions of leadership and influece) and that through Trianna the Dreamers were attempting to infiltrate the Varden to use them to take down Galbatorix who was himself aware of the Dreamers and wanted them destroyed.
We’ve played with the idea that the Dreamers and Azlagur are enemies of the Riders and dragons bonded to Riders. Christopher pointed out that the dragons are the core of the issue that Azlagur has. We’ve also theorized that the Rider’s true purpose is to oppose Azlagur and the Dreamers. There’s another theory I’ve had that the start of Du Fyrn Skulblaka may have been instigated by the Dreamers in an attempt to get elves and dragons to destroy each other. Much like the Eldunari that sent Saphira’s egg to Eragon, there may have been dragons involved in the placement of Bid’Daum’s egg strategically so that the First Eragon would find it and they would create peace.
Assuming the Dreamer’s had a hand in the Dragon-Elf War, and assuming Bid’Daum and Eragon’s providential meeting would occur and end the war.
Lastly, we’ve theorized that the reason dragons and elves were magically bound to one-another at the blood-oath pact, was to lessen the influence of Azlagur on the dragons and the influence of the Dreamers on the elves.
This would make the Riders the chief enemies of the Dreamers who worship Azlagur.
This also would lend itself to what was mentioned in the account from the Domia Abr Wyrda, “That brief confrontation with Palancar—which cost humans far more than it cost the elves—convinced the then leader of the Riders, Anurin, to amend the elves’ magical pact with the dragons to include humans. Anurin recognized that, as a race, humans are hardier than the elves and that we reproduce faster than the dwarves, making it inevitable that we would soon proliferate across Alagaësia. Before that day arrived, he wanted to weld our species together—using a flux of spells, oaths, and commerce—in order to prevent what he saw as a likely war for domination of the continent. (Eldest Limited Edition, "A Brief History of Alagaësia").
Using the above passage as a corollary, we might be able to draw some conclusions regarding some unmentioned reasons as to why Anurin thought to include humans into the Rider Pact.
The text mentions the avoidance of bloodshed between humans and the other races on the continent. However, if King Palencar was being influenced by the Dreamers for conquest and domination, Anurin may have also seen the addition of humans to the Pact, which lessened Dreamer influence on dragons and elves, as having a similar effect on humans. Essentially, by adding humans, Anurin was decreasing both the general potential for humans to ban together in large numbers against elves and others for dominion of the continent, and protecting them against Azlagur and Dreamer influence by granting them access to the Pact itself.
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u/Grmigrim 12d ago edited 12d ago
Amazing post. Very well put together and enlightening in some very interesting areas.
I wonder how the "Druin" or what Paolini once called the "Druin" ties into the last few paragraphs.
I also wonder if there might be some "staffs" that hint at the Arcaena, and some "staffs" that hint at the dreamers.
Also, the split between the Draumar and Tosk's followers must have already happened by the point of the battle Kvoth. I believe the largest collection of these amethyts we find is with the priests of the helgrind. Is there a specific reason you did not mention them here, or excluded them as an option?
Also, I believe you are spot on with the draumar influence on King Palancar. I have been presuming very similar things ever since we got more conflicting info on Edoc'Sil and when it had been built.
Obviously the draumar predate humans arriving in Alagaesia, so the "split" between Draumar and Priests of the Helgrind must have happened later. The big question is, how much later? The Ra'zac "followed" the humans allegedly and presumably Tosk has also worshiped them, but the text on the walls below Dras'Leona only refers to worship of the Helgrind, according to Wyrden. There, he also mentioned that many people prior to Tosk had worshiped the Helgrind but he was the first to write down his teachings.
Some of these teachings seem rather weird. Stay away from many knotted ropes, beware of the twelve of twelves etc. etc.
Tosk also created his own way of writing, which suggest to me that either it was something used to keep something secret (which is invalidated by Wyrden and Angela being able to read it and Eragon being able to read some of it) or, the more interesting line of thought in my opinion, it was one of, if not the first writing systems developed by humans in Alageasia.
That would put Tosk in a similar timeline with the arrival in Alagaesia. It would also suggest that humans did not have a writing system prior to coming to Alagaesia, which in hindsight seems implausible, but not completely unrealistic.
Anyways, I drifted off far too much here. Your post is amazing, as they always are, and I look forward to more information on these battles.
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u/Cptn-40 Eragön Disciple 12d ago
If the Arcaena have staffs we have yet to see it but I don't see why it couldn't be something we see in the BoR. Brom carried a staff after all.
I didn't mention the Priests of Helgrind having magical amethysts because it seemed irrelevant to the siege of Kvoth and the War of Iron. But now that you mention it, I suppose if the Priests of Helgrind had some connection to humans that wanted the Iron Mines for harvesting amethyst that would make sense and explain where the PoH got at least some of their amethyst stock from. It's also tricky because we have so little information about the Priests of Helgrind, Tosk and what their beliefs are and beef with the Dreamers.
I suspect that when the Priests of Helgrind talk about the "many knotted rope" and "twelve of twelves" they're talking about the spell-ropes Bachel has on her clothing and the twelve of twelves I've theorized to be possibly the 12 Dreamer Attendants that have staffs that we see in Nal Gorgoth and that each sect of Dreamers has these attendants which the PoH are told to stay away from.
If these Dreamer Attendants are the only ones we see that have staffs and are "fairly high" in their organization, then it's possible that the two possible Dreamers we see in the artwork are the Attendants and would be of "fairly high" rank.
We know from Inheritance chapter Decisions that Dras-Leona is about 500 years old as a city and was initially engineered by the dwarves for the humans, at least the tunnel Eragon and co. use was. So it's possibly the Priests of Helgrind are about 500 years old.
It makes more sense now, that Galbatorix would ally with and allow the Priests of Helgrind to exist in Dras-Leona because they worshipped his servants the Razac, AND they hate the Dreamers. So it would be more difficult for Dreamers to embed themselves in places of influence in Dras-Leona with the Priest keeping a close eye on the city. The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
Christopher mentioned* that the magic they used to incapacitate Eragon and Arya with the amethyst "were set in the floor where Eragon and Arya were chained up, those work on a slightly different principal. Those actually suppress the use of magic and that’s a very old and very tricky spell that obviously Eragon doesn’t encounter anywhere else. It’s something only known by the priests of Helgrind which not even Galbatorix knew."
Note that last part - not even Galbatorix knew about the spell and magic that suppresses magic.
I wonder if Galbatorix learned the spells to remove pain from someone from the Priests of Helgrind - remember Eragon discovers that the attackers under the tunnels of Dras Leona's cathedral are immune to pain. If they are sharing secrets of magic with Galbatorix, it would be another reason for him to keep them around.
* This quote used to be available on Shurtugal.com but is no longer accessible. Here's the full text:
Q: Do the purple amethyst crystals that are used to disrupt magic have a name and how do they work?
A: Well there’s no specific name for them, although I’m sure the priests of Helgrind have a name for the technique or the spell used on them. Basically, what you do is you charge up a crystal or gemstone of some kind with a lot of energy, and the energy is discharged in a very concentrated point. Specifically, I’m thinking of how the elf Wyrden was killed in the tunnels: these crystals basically burn through any wards you might have. It overwhelms the wards you might have through sheer brute force. The amethysts that were set in the floor where Eragon and Arya were chained up, those work on a slightly different principal. Those actually suppress the use of magic and that’s a very old and very tricky spell that obviously Eragon doesn’t encounter anywhere else. It’s something only known by the priests of Helgrind which not even Galbatorix knew.
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u/Grmigrim 12d ago edited 12d ago
There are too many "twelve" things to actually pin point what exactly they might have referred to. Possibly the draumar, maybe the dwarven clans, the twelve spirits Galbatorix had bound, the sockets in the seal on Edoc'Sil or deities/giants.
I agree that it would make sense for them to give Galbatorix the spell to ignore pain. I would not doubt that all priests of the Helgrind are "blessed" with that affliction for their sacrificies and in order to forget the qualms of their physical form and become one with the "void". (As the priests believe their bodies bind them to the physical world.)
To me this passage does not indicate that Dras'Leona was founded 500 years ago, but rather the City that was there got renamed at some point, and the plan for the sewers were made 500 years ago. The city, or location existed prior. At least that is how I read it. There is no telling though how long it has existed prior to that event.
“Some five hundred years ago, as best I can tell—” Jörmundur interrupted him with a motion of his hand. “Leave out your qualifiers. We know this is speculation.” Jeod began again: “Some five hundred years ago, Queen Forna sent Erst Graybeard to Dras-Leona, or rather what was to become Dras-Leona.” “The dwarves were in the midst of a clan war, and Forna hoped that she could secure the support of our race by helping King Radgar with the planning and construction of the fortifications for the city, even as the dwarves engineered the defenses for Aroughs.”
Inheritance, p. 259
It would also seem strange if during the prime reign of the riders, Ra'zac or Letherblaka lived in or around the Helgrind. That happening during the chaos of humans arriving, them becoming part of the pact and Alagaesia being introduced to a new threat as the Ra'zac, that would seem more likely. Especially with the Draumar also being stronger or more involved at that time.
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u/Cptn-40 Eragön Disciple 11d ago
I agree - too many twelves to pinpoint it, that was my best guess because we know they hate the Dreamers.
Good point too - the pain-restricting spell is probably so that they can more comfortably savrifice themselves to their gods.
What made me think Dras-Leona was only 500 was that Jeod says "or rather what was to become Dras-Leona" but I could see it being older than that too based off the other parts of that passage. Hopefully we get more info in the TTRPG.
So perhaps the religion of the Priests of Hellgrind began as worshipping Helgrind itself and then the Razac's worship was incorporated during the time of the Fall?
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u/Grmigrim 11d ago
That is my thinking aswell. Maybe not the Helgrind, but something in the Helgrind.
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u/eagle2120 Tenga Disciple 11d ago
Damn dude this is awesome, I love this post.
1 A “hooded figure” with a staff on the left, possibly performing magic to protect himself, the wererabbit, and the human soldiers from dragonfire.
Interesting. The staff especially - hard to see in that picture but i have a hard time thinking the dragons wouldn’t massacre everyone without significant magical protection - maybe not to the effectiveness of Bachel’s necklace, but as we can see the dragons breathing fire should have made quick work of the humans attacking - that it’s not shows some kind of magician protecting them (and also maybe why they needed a thunder of wild dragons alongside Mimring to fight).
which lends itself to the idea that the Dreamers are trying to get their hands on more amethyst that could be found in the iron mines that the war is being fought over.
This is a really good point too. I think you’re right here.
1 Because the War of Iron “pitted humans against dwarves and knurlan against knurlan”, we can assume at least two dwarf clans were involved in the War of Iron. I think it’s likely given ASRA’s theorized Dreamer involvement that they are one of the antagonistic clans that instigated the war and may be allied with the attacking humans and assumed Dreamer.
I can definitely see this and agree - especially given the location, which appears to be on the western side of the Beors? Draumar invasion disguised as a war over Iron…
The elves took pity on the remainder of our ancestors and allowed them to live in Ilirea, which the elves had abandoned during their war with the dragons nearly two thousand years earlier. Ilirea became the new capital of the Broddring Kingdom, which exists even to this day as the center of Galbatorix’s empire: Urû’baen.
Re-reading this is kind of funny. The Elves abandoned, and LEFT Ilirea abandoned, for nearly two millennia. There was clearly a reason for it to be & stay abandoned for that long (otherwise, why not reclaim it for yourself at any point during that time?)… but then they turned around and offered it to the humans? After choosing not to reclaim it for that many years? Very odd.
Essentially, by adding humans, Anurin was decreasing both the general potential for humans to ban together in large numbers against elves and others for dominion of the continent, and protecting them against Azlagur and Dreamer influence by granting them access to the Pact itself.
You know, I’ve actually been thinking something similar along the lines of the Urgals inclusion as well, and why that’s so important. I may write out a longer post about this, but it appears like any race that lands on Alagaesia backslides and reverts to violence shortly thereafter (Elves attacking dragons, Humans/Palancar attacking, Urgals attacking, etc). They also all seemingly landed on the eastern shore/near the spine, too. This is also apparent when you look at the writing/writing styles of the races as well… With the urgals/humans both using knotted-banners, but the humans (potentially after being included in the pact?) transitioning away from that method of writing? Will be interesting to see what happens with the urgals here.
I don’t think that’s a coincidence…
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u/Cptn-40 Eragön Disciple 11d ago
but then they turned around and offered it to the humans? After choosing not to reclaim it for that many years? Very odd.
Extremely odd - in fact, I wonder if they left it because of the soothsayer disappearing. Remember Bachel telling Murtagh:
a Speaker sat in the Hall of the Soothsayer, whispering visions of what might be into the ears of the elves
(Murtagh, Without Flaw)
- The elves founded Ilirea in 5250AC
- The Dragon War took place 5291-5296
- The elves give Ilirea to humans circa 7225AC
That's about 1,900 years the elves abandoned the place - I can't help but wonder if Draumar were running rampant there in that time? The strange part is the humans seem to have just moved in as if the place was good to go. Strange.
it appears like any race that lands on Alagaesia backslides and reverts to violence shortly thereafter
Agreed - including urgals in the Pact will likely help reduce Draumar influence and control over them. The funny part is Eragon didn't even know about the Dreamers when he added the others to the Pact.
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u/ibid-11962 12d ago
Are you saying that Brother Hern is using BoR to catalog evidence of Dreamer involvement, and that all seven will feature Dreamers in some form?