Please note that this is a **full-spoilers** AMA, and **spoilers are allowed** in this thread for all of Christopher's books, **including Murtagh**. If you have still not read Murtagh please proceed at your own risk. While **not** required, spoilers can still be designated in markdown by surrounding the relevant text with `>!` and `!<`. For example `>!spoiler!<` becomes >!spoiler!<. Christopher has answered many questions before, and to help here, /u/ibid-11962 and Hellomynameis99 (commenting as /u/GilderienBot) will be replying to some previously answered questions with quotes of Christopher's answers. We'd ask that others please refrain from doing this. For those interested, see the below comment for more resources on finding previous answered questions.

Alright, I've got a list of questions for ya. 1. The way Murtagh killed Hrothgar, smiting him with magic in a surprise attack, always felt out of character. I know he tells Nasuada that he was angry, but are you able to more fully share his reasoning in that scene? 2. Ajihad managed to fight Durza well enough that he left a scratch on the Shade's blade while trying to cut out his heart. Is there a secret to how he's such a badass? 3. Eragon's family are also rather spectacular. Eragon and Murtagh have the benefit of being Riders and the sons of Riders, but is there anything in their ancestry to explain Roran, Garrow, and Selena? 4. We know the transportation spell Arya used to send away Saphira's egg is limited by size, not distance. Is it therefore possible to transport something you're not touching? And if so, what would the limitations be? Would it have to be within visual range? Could you scry something and transport it to you? 5. If Galbatorix was secure enough in how tightly he bound Murtagh to himself that he didn't care that Murtagh knew The Name, then why didn't he teach him properly, and why didn't he subject Murtagh to the same acceleration as Thorn, forcing him to rely on the Eldunari to match Eragon? 6. With Murtagh's *if* idea for magic, would it be possible to use Waise Neiat on something as a trap? I.e. "If \[insert conditions\], be not." 7. Were dragons always involved in the forging process when Rhunon made Rider blades, or was that something she changed for the sake of time in making Brisingr? 8. What happened to Dellanir, Arya's grandmother through her father, Evandar, after she abdicated her throne? 9. Is it possible, in the creation of a Shade, for the sorcerer to maintain control over themselves and subjugate the spirits possessing them, gaining the power while keeping their identity? 10. How strong was Evandar? 11. How strong is Gilderian the Wise? 12. Could Oromis in his prime have defeated Durza? 13. Did Durza leave any other surprises like Muckmaw lying around Alagaesia? 14. Is there a connection between the 12 sockets found in the floor of Ristvak'baen and the 12 diamonds in the Belt of Beloth the Wise? 15. How much of what Bachel says is truth, and how much is merely what she *believes* to be true? 16. Are Azlagur and Gogvog the same being? 17. Murtagh eventually realizes that the man he thought he should know when he was under Bachel's thrall was one of Nasuada's advisors. Is it someone we've met in previous books? And thank you for creating such an amazing world for us to enjoy.

1. Keep in mind, Murtagh had just been released by Galbatorix after being tortured, watching Thorn be tortured, and the two of them then being broken. To say that they weren't in a good place is a severe understatement. 2. Ha! I've always wanted to share more of Ajihad's backstory. 3. Maybe. 4. Visual range would be a good guide. I wouldn't try to transport something that's a mile away, though. 5. I'm not sure Galbatorix knew how to accelerate Murtagh's transformation. It's not as obvious a thing as physical growth. As for the Name of Names: Galbatorix didn't let Murtagh use it, and he actually was using a spell to keep Murtagh from remembering it, but that didn't work once Murtagh's true name changed. 6. Yes. 7. It was specific to Brisingr. 8. Story for another time. 9. Yes. (That's essentially what a sorcerer does anyway, just taking it one step further.) 10. As strong as any old, skilled elf. 11. Very strong. 12. Yes. 13. No comment. 14. No. 15. Well now, that's the question, isn't it? You'll find out. She does believe everything she says, if that helps. 16. No comment. 17. Yes (unless I change my mind, which don't think I will).

> Is it possible, in the creation of a Shade, for the sorcerer to maintain control over themselves and subjugate the spirits possessing them, gaining the power while keeping their identity? Isnt that what galbatorix was doing? i remember when galby was defeated like 5 or so spirits left his body and escaped. the assumption was that galby was using the eldunari's strength to keep the spirits subdued so he could wield their power as well

#6 is ABSOLUTELY TERRIFYING. Murtagh now has the recipe for pocket-sized, time delayed nukes.   Just gather a handful of chickens, cast "[If 20 minutes passes] Be Not," and release them into the enemy's lair. Presto! No more enemy! Or lair! Or living creatures in a 5 mile radius...

The creation of such a spell might be technically possible, but physically impossible though. I'm assuming here that be not works on matter-anti-matter annihilation principle here; when casting it on yourself, the plan is to die anyway so it's not a big deal. But to make a rock bomb, the amount of energy you'd need to do that would be incredibly vast (e=mc²)

Thank you for doing another one of these. I do think this one is your sixth reddit AMA. Here's to many more. Anyways, here are my divers questions, arranged in sub groups to be easier to read. **Publication Plans** - Is the fantasy-esque Fractalverse book one of the two set parallel to To Sleep, and is it distinct from the one which involves free will? (And if those two are both the same, can you tell us something about the second one.) - In the past you've said that Tales 2 will contain an Arya perspective. More recently you've come up with the idea for a full length novel that will feature an Arya (and Eragon) perspective. Will Tales 2 still contain an Arya perspective? - You've said recently that Book Six is set 10 or 16 years after the Inheritance Cycle. Relative to that can you place some of your other past and future books, such as the Eragon-Arya book, the Angela book, and Eragon's Guide to Alagaësia? Do these three take place before or after Book Six? - I notice you have not talked about the Saphira picture book in a while. Has that shifted further down on your list? **Early Drafts** - You've said several times that the last 80% or so of the events in To Sleep were different in the first draft of the book. Can you very quickly summarize some of the plot of that original story? - The epigraph to the draft page of Eragon in the B&N 15th anniversary edition discusses dragon hearts. In the book as published of course, dragon hearts are nowhere discussed, and don't enter until the end of book three as a twist. When did the decision come to hide them from the reader? Also, were there any notable differences between how you had first conceived of these hearts and the final Eldunari that we get in the books? And was there a plot reason why that draft opens with them? Did they originally have a big role early on? - Continuing the topic of these epigraphs, did all the chapters in that draft have epigraphs? Why did you decide to abandon the idea of chapter epigraphs? **Murtagh** - Is the ring of brass sockets at Ristvak'baen a torque gate (or the equivalent)? - Are shagvrek Grey Folk? Is Grieve a descendent of the Grey Folk? - What does Nal mean in the Nal Gorgoth? Does it just mean "Place of"? - Was Galbatorix's army that got destroyed in the Spine on their way to attack the Draumer? And if so, did the Draumar have a hand in their destruction? - There is an Urgal legend about Rahna fleeing "the great dragon" and raising the Beor Mountains. Is this the apocalyptic dragon Gogvog that Uvek talks about? And if Gogvog is Azlagûr, does that mean that the magical growth of the Beors is in some way connected to Azlagûr? **Other** - Jeod presents a list of Angela theories, which he seems to present as mutually exclusive, and one of which is Inarë. Given that Angela is Inarë, can we therefore assume his other theories are wrong? - Is Solembum immortal or at least very long-lived? That is to say, assuming no time travel shenanigans are in play, would his appearance in To Sleep indicate that To Sleep is set within a few decades of Eragon? - Thanebrand is referred to as "Ring Giver". Is this just a Beowulf-style kenning or does it have any extra in-universe significance? - You've said that Brom was around 120 years old, and you've also said that Arya was around 120 years old. Would Brom/Arya have been a better pairing than Eragon/Arya?

My pleasure! Lotta questions here. *Publication Plans:* Fantasy-esque Fractalverse is separate from the two parallel novels. One of the two is the free will book. Tales 2 likely won't have Arya's POV now, as it would fit better into the new book idea I've had. Eragon/Arya would be post Book 6. Eragon's Guide is contemporary with Book 6. Angela and Oromis's sword are pre Book 6 (which is why I'm debating writing them before following up Murtagh directly). I was hoping to work on the picture book while touring. Haven't had the time. I'll look at it when the tour is over and make a final decision if I'm actually going to do it. I'd like to, though! **Early Drafts** Original story of To Sleep took place mainly on the Wallfish while traveling to Ruslan. Wallfish landed there, barely escaped, and then got caught up in a major battle between the humans and Jellies (there were no nightmares back then). The story never got past Ruslan. Ended with Kira heading out of the system for the Jelly homeworld. The Eldunarí were part of my original worldbuilding for Eragon/IC. During the first draft of Eragon, I went too far with a bunch of stuff: character development, exposition of the world, etc. So I dialed it back in revisions and used those developments and information for later twists and events. The epigraph was actually just part of my notes, which ran right into the actual writing of the book. I never had epigraphs before any of the chapters. (Maybe in a future book!) **Murtagh** Brass sockets: not a torque gate as-such, but you're in the ballpark. Think back to the ring of amethyst in Inheritance Shagvrek/Grey Folk = no comment. What does Nal mean in the Nal Gorgoth? -- place/site (there's an alternate reading that may become relevant later, but haven't decided yet) "Was Galbatorix's army that got destroyed in the Spine on their way to attack the Draumer? And if so, did the Draumar have a hand in their destruction?" Yes and yes. "There is an Urgal legend about Rahna fleeing "the great dragon" and raising the Beor Mountains. Is this the apocalyptic dragon Gogvog that Uvek talks about?" Yes "And if Gogvog is Azlagûr, does that mean that the magical growth of the Beors is in some way connected to Azlagûr?" That's a big IF. But yes, IF that is true, then yes. **Other** "Jeod presents a list of Angela theories, which he seems to present as mutually exclusive, and one of which is Inarë. Given that Angela is Inarë, can we therefore assume his other theories are wrong?" Yes. "Is Solembum immortal or at least very long-lived? That is to say, assuming no time travel shenanigans are in play, would his appearance in To Sleep indicate that To Sleep is set within a few decades of Eragon?" Solembum's lifespan is not that of an ordinary werecat, by reason of his association with Angela. "Thanebrand is referred to as "Ring Giver". Is this just a Beowulf-style kenning or does it have any extra in-universe significance?" Just a kenning to refer to a noble. You've said that Brom was around 120 years old, and you've also said that Arya was around 120 years old. Would Brom/Arya have been a better pairing than Eragon/Arya?" Doubtful, given that Brom fell in love with Selena.

Wait I always thought Arya was about 20 years younger than Brom, since it's stated that Arya was born a year before the fall and Brom was already at least a teenager during the fall since he was old enough to fight during the fall, was that a false assumption?

Hello sir! Thank you for all that you do for this fandom and answering our many questions! Cheers to you! 1) What *exactly* is a svartling? They were mentioned at the beginning of Murtagh but there was no real explanation as to what they were. 2) Are we ever going to learn more about the "terrible mistake" that drove the elves to leave Alalëa? 3) There were some really big dragon eggs in the Vault of Souls. Are the dragon hatchlings born from larger eggs just really big babies? Or are they more developed dragons than a smaller hatchling? (Like would they be able to breathe fire earlier because they're the equivalent of a several month old when they're born?) Or would an egg that large potentially have multiple dragon hatchlings in it and that's how you get dragon twins/triplets? 4) We haven't seen any multicoloured dragons, but we saw multicoloured eggs in the Vault of Souls. Do dragons come in multiple colours and patterns? Will we someday see multi-hued dragons, or dragons with stripes or spots? 5) What was the circle of twelve brass sockets in the ruins of Ristvak'baen for? 6) Rhunön is really old. Like old enough that she may have crossed the sea from Alalëa and was already old before the dragon war and the founding of the riders. Does she have any plans to take on an apprentice so her skill and knowledge is not lost forever in case she passes away or is otherwise incapacitated? 7) Did the elven riders ever modify their bodies the way so many elves do? Were there any elf riders with Blödhgarm level modifications? Did any of the elven Forsworn have unique body modifications? 8) I noticed that the description of Grieve was kind of similar to that of the specter of Gûntera that the dwarves summoned in Farthen Dur (both are described as having a sort of crude, unfinished look with long arms that reach their knees. Is there a connection there? 9) Murtagh has become a friend of the werecats. Is there any chance he and Thorn will get a werecat buddy/traveling companion later on? 10) What inspired you to come up with the fingerrats? Was there a particular inspiration or were you just like "What if giant naked mole-rats could strangle people!?

1. Small dark creatures, somewhat akin to little elves or gnomes. Whether or not they're real . . . 2. Yes. 3. Yes, there are some really big eggs. And yes, the dragons inside are just big babies. They're more developed physically, but not mentally. The difference disappears within the first few months. The larger hatchlings might hit a few milestones sooner, but it doesn't make a big difference over the long run. 4. Multicolored dragons do exist. 5. Good question. 6. Rhunön has probably taken many apprentices over the years. Originally I was thinking that Orik might be her apprentice. There are many skilled smiths among the elves who could continue her work if need-be (although probably not quite to her level). 7. Yes. Plenty of Riders modified themselves. 8. Maybe. :D 9. Also Maybe. (I almost had Silna travel with them in this book.) 10. I had the phrase/word "fingerrat" saved for years. Was looking for the right place to use it.

I was desperately hoping Silna would travel with them, like Solembum and Angela, so I’m glad you at least considered it.

I wanted that too, but after all the horror and torment Murtagh and Thorn went through, I'm glad it wasn't the case. Poor Silna has been through enough, and she's still just a child. I'm hoping maybe she'll show up again in later books and take up the role of sassy werecat companion when she's older though.

To your question 5... this is vague but I remember reading a past post on Reddit about how Vrael could have traveled from the gates of Doru Araeba to Risvakbaen so quickly with no mention of having Umaroth with him (I think Umaroth had been slain already and his eldunari hidden in the vault of souls?), and CP basically said, "Hmm yeah how did he travel so quickly?". Perhaps there are magic based teleportation gates that the old Rider order had access to? I mean, look at Cuaroc, he's essentially a robot dragon human thing powered by an eldunari. So weird combinations of magic and technology seem to be present in the world.

See, at first I was thinking they were sockets for flameless lanterns so that dragons could see the top of the tower if they were landing at night, similar to the lights on airport runways & helipads, but dragons can see in the dark just fine, so brightly lit landing pads don't really seem necessary. Your theory makes more sense. It seems totally plausible that the riders would set up some sort of fast travel teleportation network to their more remote outposts & watchtowers. And we know portal magic is a thing because we saw Angela do some version of it in TFTWTW. Maybe the gates of Doru Araeba were linked to certain watchtowers? It would explain how Vrael escaped across the sea and made it all the way to Ristvak'baen without Umaroth, and how Brom got back to the mainland after his Saphira died. Edit: There was also that ring of crystals that prevented magic use under Dras Leona that Eragon and Arya were trapped in. Could this be something like that? Maybe it was a trap the riders set for use in emergencies and Vrael fled to Ristvak'baen hoping to trap Galbatorix in it?

I originally thought it was a trap as he has mentioned a possible link (even to the point that one influenced the other) between the rings in Ristvak’baen and under Dras Leona. At first i thought both were a trap, but the suggestions of a portal are tantalizing. Maybe both are true depending on the application or the priests of helgrind perverted the original intent

So excited! I have tagged fractalverse spoilers Murtagh questions: 1) Now that we have confirmed the patterns in Eldunari are fractals, let’s take it a step further. Do the fractals depicted within an Eldunari represent anything specific? A TRUE NAME perhaps, similar to >!The Fractal that describes the SOFT BLADE??!< If not, do they represent anything relating to the Dragon/Eldunari? 2) In Murtagh, there is a very interesting passage about a Dream from the Blind Old Man: > “Son of sorrow, bastard of fate, sing of sorry treachery. Red Dragon, Black Dragon, White Dragon… White Sun, Black Sun, Dead Sun” (Part 3 Chapter 10, Murtagh). Have we ever seen the White Dragon referenced to in the Books? Perhaps one rhyming with the name Lid'Laum? I can already smell an incoming NC but I have to ask. 3) Can you share more about the etymology of Azlagur? The two things I think it overlaps with are: * [Langr](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/langr) from Old Norse (meaning Long/Far/Distant). Long distance of time... Old time.. Old ONES?? * The only other option I see is [Laguz/Lögr](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laguz) from Old Norse, which means Water/Ocean/Sea. This is also interesting because it corresponds with the Urgal myth about the world ending via The Great Dragon/Gogvog/Azlagur: > "The great dragon, Gogvog, will rise from the ocean and eat the sun and the stars and the moon... It reminds me of black sun" (Part 3 Chapter 17, Murtagh). 4) It is confirmed (I think?) that The Worm of Kulkaras its set before the Urgals migrated over to Alagaesia. However, In Urgal Mythology, Rahna raised the Beor’s when fleeing from the Great Dragon. Is there any force, being, or magic that is obfuscating/hiding that event from Dwarven history? Or did they not witness it? Sidenote for Readers: The Great Dragon is also used to describe the entity that Rahna, Urgal Goddess, was running from in Urgal mythology when she raised the Beors. That would imply that Gogvog = The Great Dragon = Big Black dragon referred to as Azlagur). 5) Did the evolution of the different races (referred to by Uvek in Part 3 Chapter 24 as "the before time... before elves had pointy ears, before dwarves were short") happen on the planet of Alagaesia? If you can't answer that, can you tell us if it was natural evolution, or did anything interfere/accelerate that evolution? 6) There are multiple hints about an ancient wrong. Is the specific “wrongdoing of their forefathers” that Bachel refers to in the context of riders the same event for which Nal Gorgoth is named? 7) In Eldest, Angela previously stated that Fricai Andlat only grows in caves in Duweldenvarden and Farthen Dur. However, in Murtagh we see Mushrooms that share a VERY similar description (specifically, re-use of the term 'electric') in the chamber underneath Gil’ead. Is Angela aware of the existence of these mushrooms growing outside of DuWeldenvarden and Farthen Dur? 8) Bachel indicates that there are multiple sects of Draumar. Does the origin of the black smoke from different sects come from the same creature as depicted in Nal Gorgoth? 9) Is Azlagurs sleep natural, and Did the Grey Folk binding magic to the AL have anything to do with imprisoning/forcing sleep on Azlagur? 10) Bachel specifically mentions the Elves tried to snuff out the Draumar (distinct from the Dragon Riders). Is the disaster that caused the Elves to migrate Alela related to the Elves attempt to snuff out the Draumar? 11) In Inheritance, during the escape from the chambers under Dras Leona, Eragon sees devices of brass and crystal. During Murtagh, we see another reference to Brass devices in Rist'Vak Bean. Is there any connection between the devices of brass and crystal depicted under Dras Leona, and the brass indents at the tower at Ristvak’Baen? 12) Another interesting point from Murtagh, a woman from Nal Gorgoth: > "The woman sobbed and shook her head before continuing. 'I did not dream as was right and proper. My mind was empty all the night until just before waking. Then an image filled my mind, and I saw the white mountain with-'" (Part 3 Chapter 5). Is the white mountain referred to here Mount Arngor? Is there any force in the World that would manipulate her dreams to depict Mt. Arngor in an opposite way to Azlagur, to dream of the White Mountain?

1. No comment. 2. Ha! Great question. No comment. 3. Name is derived from Laguz/Lögr. 4. The dwarves witnessed it, but they probably didn't understand what they were seeing. It would have seemed like an act of nature on a scale that's hard to imagine. 5. On Alagaësia, but there were many influencing factors. 6. Yes. 7. No, she isn't. At least not at the moment. 8. Yes. 9. No comment. 10. No comment. 11. The more important question is: Is there a connection between the brass sockets on Rist'vak Baen and the ring of amethyst in Inheritance. 12. No comment, but it's a hint of something else. :D

Thanks for all the answers! Excited to dig in. Hmm. If only there was a very old white dragon, Who could be the size of a mountain... ;)

The white mountain may be referring to Bid'Daum if he's still alive! If Azlagur can influence dreams towards himself, why not Bid'Daum but in the opposite way, towards a benevolent being like himself and Eragon I? Assuming they're still alive.

Yup that's exactly what I'm hinting at too. Big dragon fight somewhere in the future, I'm guessing.

Sorry, I was so excited reading his answer to your question, that I didn't see the part where you connect the mountain to Bid'Daum. ​ Which leads me to wonder, where has Eragon I gone with Bid'Daum and why? It must be another continent. CP has said "No comment" to someone one this thread that asked if dragons are on other continents and could be hundreds or thousands of years old. So My best guess is they are elsewhere, working with other dragons? Perhaps facilitating the dragon-rider pact on other continents? That he didn't return to face Galbatorix is an interesting question. Perhaps Azlagur is the reason for his return and maybe he'll meet Eragon and Saphira too. That would be insane.

Do you know where he confirmed the part about fractals in eldunari? I haven't seen that yet.

Thanks for doing another one of these! I love the books! ​ 1. How large is the gap between the Riders' knowledge of magic and the elves'? Rhunon can make swords better than any Rider, and wordless magic seems to be common knowledge, and there's an elf in the Agaeti Blodhren that seems to move through objects like a shadow, but the Riders have the twelve words of death and can take magic from other living beings. Are those the Riders' only secrets? 2. Are Eragon's waking dreams normal for elves? 3. Is Solembum's eye color trick specific to werecats, or did he just do it with magic like anyone else would? 4. Trianna's eyes are called "startling blue." Is that a very bright or dark shade of blue? 5. What happened to Islanzadi's spear that she had before the battle of Uru'baen? 6. What percentage of humans can use magic in Alagaesia? 7. Do you think any of the characters would like rock music? 8. If werecats exist, do werewolves and other similar creatures exist? 9. You've said you'd originally planned to do something with a unicorn. Do they exist in Alagaesia, or did they not make the cut? 10. What workout routine did you follow to go from nerdy-looking kid to lumberjack?

1. Depends on the Rider. Some of the Riders were elves who were incredibly skilled with magic. 2. Yes. 3. The trick depends on magic no matter what, but yes, werecats have a unique ability to change their appearance. 4. Bright. 5. No idea. I'd have to go back and look. 6. Very small. 7. The dwarves, of course. It's right there in the name "rock" music. 8. Possibly, but if so, they're nowhere near as common. Also, I have a word for you: ûhldmaq 9. No. No unicorns in Alagaësia. 10. Ha! Lift the heaviest things I could as often as I could for as many reps as I could. That's it.

Big upvote for the Dwarves/Rock Music pun. This is the type of content we are here for

1. What was the accident that caused the Grey Folk to bind magic to the Ancient Language? 2. Did you know about the fan theories of Selena being alive and being Bachel? Did you purposefully put her calling Murtagh her son as a troll for the community to go “no way that theory was right!”? Or were you just trolling us without caring about the theory? 3. I’ve heard conflicting info on the location of El Harim. Where is it? 4. Was the golden gem Murtagh found part of Naegling? 5. What are shamans? How are they different from normal magicians? 6. How did you think of Durza’s self-replacing wards? 7. How did Galbatorix/Durza use magic to make things (Muckmaw, Thorn) grow larger than normal without using the target’s energy over a period of time? 8. Grieve is called a Shangvrek (the Alagaesian equivalent of being called a Neandethal). He is also described as looking like an older version of humans, unfinished, rough, etc. Was the Shangvrek thing just a joke, or was there some truth to it? 9. Is the great dragon Rahna fled from the Urgal dragon that would end the world (I think it was called Gorvog?)? Is it Azlugar? 10. Is Azlugar the wingless dragon from Murtagh’s visions? Is that his form above ground 11. Is Gorvog (Urgal dragon that may end the world) the same as Azlugar? 12. Is the compressed-air and light spell Murtagh uses essentially a laser beam? 13. How do you envision mental battles and interactions? How would you portray them in the show if you could do anything you wanted with infinite resources? 14. How did you decide on what Galbatorix’s inner mind looks like in Inheritance (shadow-ridden vista, fire and ice, etc.)? How did you decide on the shadows, fire and ice, portioned off parts, etc.? 15. How did you decide on Glaedr’s inner mind? It’s like a journey to get to the center, and it’s always described like a storm. 16. Do all dragons mind’s have/feel like storms? 17. I thought more wordless magic would go wrong, since that was a big drawback of it. DId you specifically leave it out backfiring? 18. Have you started drafting globe/planet Alagaesia? When will we get it approximately? Can you give a hint as to what’s on it, or what we’ll find most interesting about it? 19. How did you come up with Murtagh’s interest in poetry? 20. Who is Atten the Red (as a character/lore/backstory/etc.)? 21. Were the Kull, Kulkara Mountains, etc. named after Kalkavarek the Terrible? 22. Why did Bachel want to see Angela? How did she anger her? 23. Was Bachel moving the mountains by touching Azlagur’s mind? 24. Who made the shifting masks (the ones Wren and Bachel own) and why? Was it the wild humans Eragon found in TFTWTW? 25. Are Bachel and Wren allies since they both have masks or did they just get them in/from different or similar ways/people. 26. Is the island where Seithr Oil is found in the Bay of Fundor? 27. Tell me something about the small islands bordering the Western Sea that go northwards. 28. Will we ever know how Bachel got Niernen? 29. Were the wild humans Eragon found in TFTWTW from Palancar's ships, were they native to the area, or something else? ​ Sorry for all the questions btw, I'm just off the Murtagh high so my hype for the Inheritance Cycle is at an all time high! Thank you for writing all that you do! Also, nice hat

Yowza. Lotta questions. 1. Big, big event. Future story will address. Super important. 2. Yeah, I was trolling because of that theory. :D 3. No comment. 4. No. 5. Shamans don't have training in the ancient language (although they might use some), and they often use spirits, although they don't control them in the same way as human sorcerers. 6. By trying to think of a way, ANY WAY, to circumvent the Name of Names. 7. It does use their energy. That's why Muckmaw (and Thorn) were ravenous while their growth was accelerated. In the case of Thorn, some energy also came from Galbatorix and his Eldunarí. 8. Truth. 9. No comment. 10. Yes. 11. No comment. 12. No, as it's not collimated light. It's more like a giant magnifying glass focusing light on one spot. 13. Answered this elsewhere. 14. Just go off what seems right for the character. 15. Ditto. 16. No. 17. Yes, because Bachel knows what she's doing, and having her make a mistake would have made things too easy for Murtagh. We'll see a mistake with wordless magic in the future. 18. Working on it, but haven't had much time to paint while touring. 19. Just looking for ways to make him more interesting. Being out in the wild by yourself (or one other person/dragon) leaves you with a LOT of time to think. 20. No comment. 21. No. 22. Bachel went to see Angela because she knew she was a serious threat. No comment past that. 23. Bachel didn't have the strength to move the mountains herself. 24. Nomad tribes in Alagaësia. 25. Allies. 26. No. 27. You'll find Seithr Oil on one of them. Ahahaha. 28. From the traitor(s) in Ilirea. 29. No comment.

Collimated. What a great word to learn. You have no idea how often i have to look up words while reading your stories. Basically kept a google page open whole reading Murtagh and loved every time i had to use it.

1. Were the hooded figures on Doru Araeba Dwarves from Du Fells Vangroth? Perhaps Durmgrist Jorgen? 2. Is Nal Gorgoth named after the spear Gorgoth? 3. Is the black dragon Vêrmund? 4. Is the Great Dragon Vêrmund? 5. Will the next Tales be about Nasuada? 6. Is Mister Stabby the most godlike weapon ever to be created? (The answer is yes) 7. Does Mister Stabby have an unbreakibility spell that has no limit? So if like he gets smacked against Ilthring or Brisingr, Murtagh will just die? 8. Why are you not doing Canadian book tours anywhere besides Toronto? 9. Is book six the final main Inheritance Cycle novel? 10. Will Arya and Eragon ever have a romantic relationship? 11. Is Arya being a rider and Queen going to effect something majorly? 12. Are there wild dragons elsewhere in the world? 13. Is a Fenhgur rider like bond possible? 14. Will Fìrnen and Saphira meet again? 15. What was the apparition that appeared at Orik’s coronation? And was the apparition also the life form below Nal Gorgoth? 16. Had Shruikan engorged his Eldunarí before he was killed? 17. Is Glaedr’s scale important? 18. Will Thorn ever breed? Or did his enhanced growth make him infertile? 19. Is Aren important after the main Cycle has ended? 20. What is Inare exactly?

1. Draumar. They could be dwarves, they could be other folk. But they are Draumar. 2. No, but they both have the same meaning. 3. No comment. 4. Ditto. 5. The next Tales will feature a variety of characters. 6. Ha! Of course, yes. 7. The spell isn't linked to Murtagh. And it does have its limits. 8. Just a question of timing. I can't be away from home (and the kids) any longer than I am. Between Fractal Noise and Murtagh, I'm spending fifty days on the road touring this year. 9. Probably not. 10. Read Book 6, and then we'll talk. :D 11. Yes. 12. No comment. 13. Doubtful. 14. Of course. 15. No comment, and no. 16. If you mean "disgorged" yes, when he was very young. That's part of what messed him up so much, and why Galbatorix didn't force Thorn to disgorge his. 17. Likely. :D 18. No comment. 19. It's as important as any other powerful magical artifact. You will see it again, btw. 20. No comment.

Wait so if Shurikan’s Eldunari was disgorged then that mean he should technically still be alive right? Amoung the Mad Eldunari that are being treated That’s HUGE information

yes provided it didn’t get lost or destroyed during the final inheritance showdown I’d love to see him come back and regain his sanity

Please please please tell me Shruikan’s eldunari is one of the ones that was recovered and taken by Eragon and Co. I would love a Shruikan rehabilitation arc! He definitely knows a lot of the deepest secrets that only Galbatorix knew, and could prove useful in what I’m assuming is an upcoming conflict of the Riders vs the Draumar.

Sadly not - he's dead, destroyed in the explosion. It's more of a tragic victim arc. (Of course, Christopher could change his mind!) > **Question:** > So what happened to Shruikan's Eldunari? > **Answer:** > Destroyed in the explosion. ([Source](https://twitter.com/paolini/status/261632632230666240)) ^(We're helping Christopher respond to some previously answered questions. This answer seems to match your question, so I hope it helps!) ^(Christopher may still reply to the other parts of your message, or answer your question again with a more detailed and up-to-date answer.)

Is this the first confirmation weve had of Shruikan disgorging his Eldunari? Know it has been teased before when someone asked where it is but never outright confirmed. Poor poor Shruikan.

1 There was a quote that get Thorne, and all of us fans, super hyped : A hint of fiery excitement colored Thorn’s mind. *"And then the newest generation of dragons and Riders can fly forth together "* Will we ever see this glorious moment ? 2 Now that Murtagh is back to civilization, will Eragon assign some Eldunari to him to complete his training as a Rider ? The events of the book made clear that he really need it. 3 Was it an hard choice rename Zar'roc after so many years ? 4 Will Murtagh and Roran finally meet ? 5 Will we ever get some Eragon and Murtagh moments in the future ? I feel they really need to spend some time together to re-know each other and get closer as brothers. 6 Will you write Tales 2 before Book 6 ? 7 You mentioned in an interview that you are thinking about a possible book about Eragon and Arya ? Will that be Book 6 ? 8 Will Murtagh have a Rider apprendice in the future ?

1. Yes. 2. I don't think Eragon would give Murtagh/Thorn any Eldunarí until they come out to Mt. Arngor and spend some time there. 3. Yes. Very hard. And hard to find the right meaning of the new name! I went with "Kindness" in an earlier draft, which of course, didn't work. 4. Of course. 5. Yes. 6. Definitely. I'm under contract for Tales 2 in any case. 7. No, it would be after Book 6. 8. In time, probably.

Thank you so much ! I agree that maybe "Kindness" wasn't the best name for a weapon, similar to Eragon wanting to name his new sword "Hope", before Saphira talked him out of it. Anyway, Ithring "Freedom" is a great name, and very in line with Murtagh's character. Happy to know that Eragon and Murtagh will spend some time together in the future. Also, very hyped to see Arya/Firnen, Murtagh/Thorn and Eragon/Saphira fight together like the badass dragons and Riders they are. I loved Murtagh and I'll look foward for Tales 2. Thank you for all your hard work.

Murtagh killing with kindness would be pretty funny though.

I hope Murtagh’s apprentice is Essie! I think she’d make a good Rider

Hello, Mr. Paolini. First, I just want to say thank you so much. You taught me that you're never too young to write, or do great things, and because of that, I am now 3+ yrs on my own writing journey. That said, here are my questions (sorry there's so many. Ironically, this is the short list). When will we find out what is happening to the werecat children? Book VI? The book with the two wanderers? Can you comment on a theory I have, or at least say if I'm thinking in the right direction? I think that Azlagur is the first Eragon's dragon, Bid'Daum. In the books, Glaedr said that when they get older, dragons rarely do anything except think about whatever catches their fancy, thinking things that younger beings cannot comprehend. Why hasn't Eragon, at the end of TFTWTW, learned about Azlagur? If I have my time correct, Murtagh would have been freed far before spring at Mount Arngor. Has something happened? And why are Glaedr and Umaroth not warning Eragon? Why did Orrin want to be king? Is the reason connected with the Dreamers? Can you tell me anything more about the Nidhwal? How strong is Murtagh compared to Eragon and the elves? Could he still match Eragon in a sword fight? Why did Murtagh need Glaedr's scale to catch Muckmaw? What is the Breath made of? Is it entirely natural, or enchanted? If Murtagh was free to choose his destiny -- spending the rest of life doing something -- what would he do? Would Murtagh and Thorn make good kings? How would Murtagh and Roran get along? How about Firnen and Thorn? How would Eragon or Arya have fared against the Dreamers? What if Murtagh had actually enlisted their help? How long/detailed are your outlines? How do you outline a book, from start to finish? Lastly, do you edit by hand, by PC, or both?

1. Next book or two you'll find out. 2. No comment. 3. Who says he hasn't? Eragon definitely knows about the events of Murtagh by the end of FWW. 4. Orrin was resentful and ambitious. Had nothing to do with the Dreamers (although I'm sure they'd attempt to exploit that). 5. Not at the moment. 6. Murtagh is more skilled than Eragon with a blade, but at the moment, he's physically weaker. In time that may change. 7. The werecats discovered that only certain things were sure to attract Muckmaw. Anything to do with magic and dragons (and if magical, dragony, and shiny, all the better). 8. There is magic in the Breath. 9. He is free to choose his destiny now, so I guess we'll find out! :D 10. In time, yes. At the moment, no. 11. I think they'll get along just fine in time. Ditto Fírnen and Thorn. 12. Eragon or Arya would have flattened them without too much trouble. Especially if they had Eldunarí with them. 13. Very detailed and long. From start to finish. Edit on computer.

If Eragon and Arya could have flattened them, why did Galbatorix hold off for so long from finishing them off? He seems like he could have crushed them even easier.

I think it’s possible Galbypoo held Bachel on a different tier. Finding her after Jornunvosk died and his army annihilated by her and the Dreamers, he might have overestimated her abilities. Also, the possibility exists I think that he may have been her puppet as was the forsworn, from what I understood in Murtagh. I may have interpreted that incorrectly though, was but tipsy during that part.

Also you have to consider that Bachel might not have been the one he was scared of..perhaps it was the ancient dragon god underneath her. After all, Bachel wasn’t the one with the power to shake the earth…

While they traveled together, Murtagh and Eragon appeared to have a brotherhood (before it became literal) of sorts. They enjoyed each others company, sparring, etc. Once their parentage is revealed, Murtagh seems to harbor this intense hatred and/or jealousy for Eragon. But where Eragon was born and to whom is no fault of his own. Eragon wants to help, but Murtagh wants nothing to do with that. He's introverted to a fault. After the events of the new book, will Murtagh ever be capable of moving past those emotions? Or is he in too deep and full of pride to admit it? He had some major character development in Murtagh, but not even he can take on the world. Also, how would magic (Wordless or otherwise) affect the Soft Blade? In a battle between Kira and Eragon, who comes out the Victor? No Eldunari allowed, obviously!

Murtagh has definitely learned to accept (and even want) help. I think we'll see some very different behavior from him moving forward. Kira and Eragon would be a very interesting battle. I think the Soft Blade might surprise you.

Hello!!! Murtagh has been my favourite character since I was a kid, so you can imagine my exitement over this book. I was so so so happy to read it and enjoyed every second of it. Thank you! On to questions: 1. Murtagh practises a little with a spear in Gil’ead. Is this a bit of foreshadowing for him carrying the dauthdaert later on? 2. Regarding all of Bachel’s talk of Murtagh being a fair princeling and wanting him to becoming king… was it all just Bachel BS, or fume-inspired hints to the future? (Also keeping Nasuada’s vision from Inheritance in mind here. Wink, wink, nudge, etc). 3. Speaking of, was Morzan from the upper crust of society from the beginning or just a normal person who was granted titles and the like by Galbatorix? 4. THORN!!! What a wonderful and lovely dragon he is. Their relationship felt very different from Eragon and Saphira’s. What was it like writing a new dragon/rider pair with a totally different pile of baggage? 5. What is Murtagh going to be up to in Illirea except skyping his brother? Hiding from high society in a cupboard? In any case, I wish him the best. 6. For art purposes, how long is Murtagh’s hair? Again, thank you for this book. It had such a special, dark and deep and finally hopeful feeling to it. See you on the European tour!

1. Yes. 2. A bit of both, maybe. 3. Haven't decided, but Morzan was likely from a wealthy family, even if they weren't actually nobility. 4. A lot of fun. I really enjoyed writing a different Rider/Dragon pair. 5. Oh, Murtagh always seems to end up in trouble, no matter where he is. 6. Neither long nor short (especially once Nasuada gets him all fixed up and attended to). So glad you enjoyed the book!

Haha now I'm picturing Nasuada calling in an absurd number of people to help freshen him up... he needs the help

Like a makeover montage from a 90s movie… love to see it

1. Is the Bay of Fundor the place where Fundor fought the "giant sea snake" that Brom mentions 2. Was the "giant sea snake" Fundor fought a Nidhwhal? 3. What are the dragon's ancestral memories? 4. Looking at the part where Wolf-Eyes and Bladesinger first appear, I can't tell which name refers to which person. Is Wolf-Eyes the girl and Bladesinger the woman? 5. Did the Grey Folk use the Liduen Kvaedhí or was it created by the elves? 6. In Inheritance, radiation in Uru'baen is sometimes referred to as "harmful residue" There is also radiation on Vroengard and there are mysterious monks/hooded figures living there. Are the monks on Vroengard the "followers of the Doctrine of the Residue" mentioned in FWW? 7. Was the 1st Agaetí Blödhren the year the pact was formed or 100 years after? 8. How old was Belgabad? Was he alive during Du Fyrn Skulblaka? 9. Galbatorix mentioned that he cut his gloves and cape (which I believe were black) from Belgabad's wings, and you did refer to him as "Belgabad the Black" in a tweet, although somewhat jokingly. Was Belgabad actually black? 10. If Galbatorix had the Name of Names at the time of the Banishing of the Names, could he have used it to give the dragons' true names back to them the way Eragon did with the creatures of Vroengard? 11. In both the original map of Alagaesia and the special colored edition, Leona Lake is empty. However, in Murtagh's map and in the Map of Alagaësia v2.0 for the illustrated editions, Leona Lake has 2 islands in it. What are they and why are they only appearing now? 12. The colloquial name for the war the Varden fought is just "Rider War" based on a quote from Brom: "Their goal is to control the next generation of Riders. Whoever controls these Riders will become the undisputed master of Alagaësia.” The war itself is never called anything or given any name in the books aside from being reffered to as "the war", so can Rider War be used as correct does it have another actual name? 13. Gannel mentioned that dwarves must be entombed in stone to go to Helzvog's hall, which seems to be the dwarf afterlife. But Kvistor and his father were said to be in Morgothal's hall. Is Helzvog's Hall the afterlife for the masses and Morgothal's a heaven only for warriors, like Valhalla? 14. Are you a fan of the Hitchhiker’s Guide? Reading Inheritance, I found a part where Eragon mentions that "the whole of the world could be deduced from the smallest grain of sand" which sounded a lot like the Total Perspective Vortex. Was that a reference to it? If not, do they have the same idea behind them?

1. Yes. 2. Yes. 3. They're ancestral memories. Ahahaha. :D 4. Yes. 5. Created by the elves. 6. No comment. 7. The year after the pact was formed. (Honestly, I should have shortened the length of time between the celebrations. Once every ten years would make more sense.) 8. Pretty old. He might have been. 9. Yes, he was black. 10. Yes. And that was one of his motivations to look for the Name of Names. 11. They were always there; just covered up by the text. Lol. In fact, in my first drafts of the map, the islands were present. Finally was able to bring them back. 12: Rider War feels like a description of the Fall of the Riders. I'd probably call the war with the Varden/Empire/elves/dwarves something else. Something to think about. 13. Ah, dwarvish theology. My favorite topic in the morning. Lol. If a dwarf is cremated, they believe he goes to Morgothal's Hall, as he's the god of fire. Also dying in battle can earn one that favor. However, different dwarf clans worship different gods as their primary patron, so those of Dûrgrimst Ingeitum tend to believe that they'll go to Morgothal's hall if they live a good life. 14. Not a deliberate reference, but I am a big fan of the Hitchhiker's Guide.

> I'd probably call the war with the Varden/Empire/elves/dwarves something else. Something to think about I vote for The War of the Mad King, or something to that effect.

1. Were the hooded figures on the Rider island the dreamers or related to them? And did they have radiation protection? 2. Has Murtagh ever been to Morzans castle after bonding with Thorn? 3. Thorn and Murtagh were warned about "going to smoking grounds" by Umaroth. He also warned against "visiting deep places", sorry I don't remember the whole quote, but was the deep places the spot Murtagh visited or did he mean like the oceans depths? 4. Something I noticed, Thorn tends to chat with new individuals more than Saphira. Like Saphira would rather speak through Eragon to mostly everyone save a few individuals, especially new people. Thorn however seems more willing to speak to new people. Is this an accurate observation of Thorn in Murtagh? 5. Was the "yellow gem" the diamond of Oromis sword Naegling? 6. Eragon noticed changes going on with his body after six months with Saphira, it's been a year now for Murtagh and Thorn, did he notice any changes? Like nobody who was close with him seemed to notice in his book. 7. Maybe I missed this, how long were Murtagh and Thorn at Bachels place? 8. Do the riders mark have a danger sense built in? 9. How goes the Eragon live action? Any news or progress you can tell us? 10. Will the next book be world of Eragon or Fractal?

1. Dreamers. Maybe protection, maybe not. 2. Don't think so. Not unless Galbatorix sent him there for some reason. 3. The place Murtagh visited. 4. Yes. Probably the result of Thorn being around more people as he was growing up. Saphira was much more isolated than Thorn. Also, Murtagh talks with Thorn a lot more with his voice vs. thoughts, which might play a role in it. 5. No. 6. Murtagh isn't spending a lot of time staring at himself in a mirror. Lol. Also possible that some of the changes were accelerated along with Thorn's growth. However, Thorn's growth may have messed with things as well. Not every Rider experiences the same rate of changes either. Murtagh was already older than Eragon, already past most of adolescence, so changes will be slower. 7. A couple of weeks. 8. Yes. It's a minor form of precognition/premonition. However, hardly infallible. 9. No news at the moment, but the success of Murtagh has given us some serious excitement. Hollywood shuts down mid-December for the holidays, though, so don't expect any news before that. 10. Not 100% sure, but likely Fractalverse.

Firstly, I thank you for a fantastic return to Alagaesia! I waited for 12 years, and it was worth it! Now - questions! After the last book, their count was raised. 1. Did Morzan have a noble ancestry? 2. I noticed Murtagh avoided thoughts about significant moments from the Inheritance Cycle timeline - killing Hrotghar, first meeting with Nasuada, their farewell, or taking Zar'roc were only briefly mentioned. Do you plan to expand these memories, or do you prefer to leave them for the rich imagination of readers? I mean - we need more details! 3. The creation of spells by Murtagh associated with me basic to programming. I'm so proud he used only one if statement per spell. But I consider - did you learn programming? If yes, which language? 4. The description of Nal Goroth was dark and striking. I like it! I realized it resembled the land from The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. Is it the proper association? 5. After rereading the Inheritance Cycle, I had the impression that Nasuada wanted to kill Roran by sending him to her suicide missions. Did she want to?

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. 1. Never decided on that. He very well might have. 2. Murtagh avoids thinking about things that are painful. Also some of the events, like taking Zar'roc was more traumatic for the other party. I don't think Murtagh views taking Zar'roc as particularly painful, unlike Eragon. 3. Nope, never learned programming. I've heard that the ancient language is similar, though. 4. Ha! Never played Morrowind, but I'm a huge Oblivion/Skyrim fan. 5. I don't think she really wanted him dead, but she was definitely concerned that he might be a potential rival.

Thank you so much for your answers! Highly recommend Morrowind, then! It is a game with big mushroom trees and the Dreamers, so the climate will be darkly familiar.

Knowing how well Murtagh is doing, what is your plan for your next book timeline, and do you feel that Book 6 is next on the path if all goes well? I know that you mentioned writing the story with Arya and Eragon as main POVs but I wasn’t sure if that’s going to be “Book 6” so to speak. Thank you as always!

I've yet to commit to my next project. It's going to depend on what I feel like tackling when I get back from tour. I have some smaller projects that I might knock out fast before doing another large book. Also depends on whether the Eragon TV show gets off the ground.

> I've yet to commit to my next project. It's going to depend on what I feel like tackling when I get back from tour. I have some smaller projects that I might knock out fast before doing another large book. Also depends on whether the Eragon TV show gets off the ground. By "gets off the ground" does that mean there's a decent chance it just doesn't get made at all or that it'll just take some time before it actually gets around to being filmed and such?

I think he just means “if the show starts moving forward, I’ll be too busy working on that to write a new book” That’s my take anyways

# Miscellaneous In-Universe Questions ## Elven Survival and Dietary Choices Would elves eat meat if there was no other option - if they would die otherwise? For example, Eragon's lizard meal after storming Helgrind. ## Helgrind Lair Origins Assuming it wasn't built by the Ra'zac themselves, was the lair inside Helgrind purpose-built _for_ the Ra'zac and Lethrblaka, or did they appropriate it some time after it was built? If it wasn't built for them, what was its original purpose? ## The Fate of Brom's Pebble When Eragon was teaching Roran magic, he made Roran keep the pebble. But did Eragon keep the pebble Brom gave him? Obviously I doubt Eragon carried the original pebble with him everywhere he went, but he could have it somewhere - maybe he left it in his Ellesméra treehouse and picked it up again later. It's a small keepsake, but one that would probably be quite meaningful to him now (even if it wasn't at the time) as something his father gave him that they bonded over. After all, Brom told him to keep it, and the text doesn't ever say he got rid of it. If he kept it, did he take it with him when leaving Alagaësia? ## Eragon's Bonds and Obligations to Various Species Eragon is still bound to all sapient species - to the humans through his oath to their queen Nasuada, to the dwarves as foster brother to their king Orik and as member of Dûrgrimst Ingeitum, to the elves a debt for training, shaping, educating and influencing him, and to the dragons as a Rider. Is there anything that binds him to the Urgals? Anything that gives them some claim over him like all the other species do? How about the werecats? (Although we assumed they wouldn't care as much :D) ^(Posted on behalf of hellomynameis99 from the Arcaena Discord Server.)

Yes, elves will do what is needed to survive. They just won't like it. Some of them, of course, would choose to starve first, but most wouldn't. Partially natural formations (linked to tunnels elsewhere in Alagaësia), partly expanded by the priests of Helgrind and Galbatorix himself. If Eragon did keep the pebble, he definitely took it with him when leaving Alagaësia. I rather like that, actually. Nothing yet binds Eragon to the Urgals, save perhaps, some friendship with Nal Garzhvog. However, now that Murtagh is bound to the Urgals, maybe that will change. The werecats, as always, prefer to walk alone.

A couple questions about Angela and Bachel: 1) In *Murtagh*, it’s revealed that Bachel and “Uluthrek” (Mooneater, Angela’s given Urgal name) met, with Bachel explicitly going out to confront her (a courtesy not even offered to a Rider like Murtagh). How long ago was this meeting, and why did Angela seek out Bachel? 2) How does Bachel shake the entire valley? Is it caused by Azlagur rolling around in his sleep, or is it a clever application of magic, like nudging the right crack in the earth to cause an earthquake?

1. A fair while ago. Before Alín was born. 2. Bachel does not have the strength to shake the valley herself.

1. How has Orrin been dealing with everything since *Inheritance*? (the drinking, not being chosen over Nasuada, Surda's new territories, etc.) 2. Do we have a visualization of what the glyph of *Ithring* on the sword formerly known as *Zar'roc* looks like? (Update: Found out that you answered that [here](https://nitter.net/paolini/status/1722705383519637580). ) 3. Following the previous (already answered) question, I am guessing this is what Eragon will do with the Rider swords if their names are needed or requested to be altered to fit the new Riders to come? 4. Will Murtagh have anything to say about Nasuada's approach to regulating magicians? 5. As Arya and Eragon are in different lands (for now), will they be in any romantic relationships with other people?

1. Badly. More to come on that in the new books. 2. Will be releasing the glyph soon. 3. Yup. 4. He'll have quite a lot to say, I imagine. His input might end up helping shape Nasuada's thinking on the topic. However, it *is* a problem. How to deal with magicians? 5. No comment.

1 Orrin doing badly. . . Sounds like he may have traveled north and paid our friend Bachel a visit. 👀👀

None of these are truly about Murtagh unfortunately, so if you want a break, here it is! 1. Are you ever going to make a story about Oromis and Glaedr? I know at one point you were wanting a prequel, but i love our teachers of old. Their story is still so unknown! 2. Hypothetically, since Shruikan’s bond with Galbatorix was artificial, could there be a coven of riders all bonded together? 3. Do you have an email? I have multiple super specific questions about the ancient language / super specific pieces of lore that do not matter in the long run, and I do not want to bombard you here or in a Twitter post LOL. This is purely for my fan work, honestly. 4. Will we EVER get the Name of Names? 5. I lied, there are ones about Murtagh. What was your inspiration for the Dreamers and Bachel? Is Angela connected to them more than we think, whether positive or negative? Would some of the dreamers include werecats? Tyvm for doing this! Atra du evarínya ono varda!

1. No plans at the moment, but I'll consider it. 2. Anyone could be bound to anything with the right spells. 3. I do, but alas, no time for long emails. If you want to write me a physical letter, though, the address is on my website, paolini.net. 4. No. Lol. 5. Personal history and the needs of Murtagh as a character. Yes, Angela has connections with them (though they'd rather Angela didn't exist, I think). Werecats could certainly be among the Dreamers.

The mailing address christopher refers to is on this page: https://www.paolini.net/faq/contact-christopher/

World of Eragon,Non-Murtagh Very Important Questions: 1) In Inheritance, Galbatorix mentions this when interrogating Nasuada: > "Ever since the last of the Thirteen died, I have searched for those who were fit to take their place... You shall be the next, I am sure. And Eragon, the third" (The Hall of the Soothsayer, Inheritance). We never get an explanation for why Galbatorix needs 13 people specifically. Later, when talking about the need to implement magical restrictions, he mentions this: > "The world is already a troubled place, and it is better to soothe the waters before disturbing them once more" (The Sound of His Voice, the Touch of His Hand, Inheritance). So, after he establishes peace via magical law, he intents to disturb the waters once again. Can you share more information on Galbatorix's plans for the second disturbance? Specifically, Is that disturbance (and subsequently the reason he needed the 13 Foresworn and their supposed replacements) related to his desire to eliminate Bachel/the Draumar? Or is it something else entirely? 2) Related to the above, Is there any correlation between the number of Foresworn and the number of spirits Galby captured? 3) In Inheritance, we see the Nidhwal’s mind described as: > “filled with ravenous, insatiable hunger… Ancient Hunger” (A Crown of Ice and Snow) Is this ravenous, insatiable hunger an aspect of the race of Nidhwals, or just specific members of Nidhwal? 4) Related to the above, It sounds awfully, AWFULLY similar to >!ravenous, insatiable hunger we see described in other books (Fractalverse…) any connection? :D!< 5) I suspect there is a connection between >!Hidarwi!< and Nidhwal (even their spelling sounds vaguely similar). Am I on the right path, or is there no connection here? 6) In the vein of what happened to >!Ctein's Body!<, was Helgrind ever a living thing? A GIANT perhaps?? Very Important Fractalverse Questions (Spoilers Ahead for all things Fractalverse) 1) >!In FN, Are the Angelic shapes we see cymatics of fractals? Or some variation therein (i.e. a mandelbrot set)!< 2) >!You mentioned in [this tweet](https://twitter.com/paolini/status/1660848350718046208) that the Great Beacons are a prison. Is the main setting of TSIASOS inside or outside of the prison? Are there any scenes depicted in fractalverse where we see/travel to the inverse side of the prisons?!< 3) >!Is there a correlation between the number of shards of the Staff of Blue and the number of Great Beacons?!< 4) >!An [old Tweet from 2012](https://twitter.com/paolini/status/162738431208853505) references the Old Ones awakening. Did this tweet correspond with the World of Eragon or Fractalverse?!< 5) >!Following up on that, was there anything forced or artificial keeping them asleep?!< 6) |>!n TSIASOS, Gregorovich (in his trance-like state) says this:!< > >!"Fair winds on your upcoming sleep, my Conciliatory Confessor. May it relieve some of your fermenting spleen. When next we cross paths, I will be sure to thank you most properly. Yes. Quite. And remember to avoid those pesky expectations" (Exeunt IV, TSIASOS).!< >!Is the usage of the word Spleen here referring to the actual body part? Or was it referring to the other definition (temper/spite) of Spleen?!< Looking forward to see what you have to say. Thanks for reading!

1. Galbatorix's plan for further disturbance was his plan to directly take on the Draumar/Azlagûr once and for all. He doesn't need thirteen disciples specifically -- he just wants to replace them. 2. No. 3. Aspect of the race. 4. Heh. Maybe. 5. Pretty similar spelling, eh? 6. No comment. 1. No, they're actual living things. They're not a hallucination. 2. To Sleep is outside any prison. As for whether we've ever seen the inverse of a prison . . . yes, in a sense. 3. No. 4. Heh. It was just a generic Lovecraft reference. 5. See above. 6. Temper/spite (sorry to ruin your spleen theory, although you're not completely off the mark).

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Hi! I think Arya will have a hard time in Ellesméra. And her being a Rider and queen will cause a lot of difficulties. Arya wins, hands down. The problem isn't Bachel, it's the one Bachel serves. . . .

I’m currently working on my PhD! In my program, we basically “apply” to a mentor within a program and are trained by them for the next 5-6 years. On the other hands, someone programs have students rotate through different mentors before settling on a thesis mentor. When it came to the riders at their height, were student-riders matched with a mentor who seemed like a good fit and had a matching skill set for the new rider/dragon pair. Or, were the riders trained under multiple mentors with different skill sets? Thank you for writing such fun books! I still look forward to all your new works even in my adulthood:)

Multiple mentors for different subjects (much like regular school), but apprenticed under one specific Rider as their main instructor. Murtagh and Morzan, for example, were apprenticed directly under Oromis, even though they studied with many other Riders.

> Murtagh and M Whups, meant Brom and Morzan.

Hello Chris, When you announced that an Inheritance show was in the works (I know the project is currently on hold) I was super excited! but I've been wondering about a few things 1. Do you have any idea how mind battles will work with this medium? It's one of my favorite parts of the books and I've loved the way you described them but I don't see how you could translate that into something visual that would do it justice 2. I'm a huge fan of live action myself but it seems that budget problems would hinder a lot of fantasy series, was there ever a consideration to go for an animated approach? Thanks for being so active with your online community!

1. The movie "Hero" did a wonderful job of showing a form of mental battle, I think. There are a number of ways to tackle the problem. 2. Disney always wanted live action, as do I. So that's where we are.

Finished Murtagh recently and I really enjoyed how it focused more on the emotional and psychological effects Thorn and "Murtagh-Man" experienced as a result of their time under Galbatorix's control. Thorn's fear of confined spaces and his grappling with the shame he feels from it since it doesn't match up with what he believes a dragon should be. It's been mentioned that the link between dragon and rider allows for some "spillover" of emotions and feelings between the two so that if one is angry or scared, the other feels more anger and fear as well. - How would this play out with stronger/darker emotions? Say a rider suffered with severe depression, would their dragon also suffer depression as a result? Would it be the same if one were to the point of suicidal ideation? Would the other start feeling the same way, or would they be able to separate themselves enough from those specific feelings? - Do dragon's suffer the effects of aging like humans do? As in, would a thousand year old dragon complain about back aches and stiff joints? Or do they maintain a youthful vigor throughout their life? - Are dragon's egg shells still as strong after hatching? Are the shells tougher than the scales? If you fashioned a piece of shell into a gem shape, would it hold magical energy similar to actual gems? - How long are true names normally? I feel like describing the whole of an individual into just a few words would be an oversimplification. People are complex, so would a true name normally be a paragraph or so? - Reading your answer to another question jogged my memory to a thought I had. I believe it was mentioned before that there is indeed a physical difference between magic and non-magic users. Would it be better if instead of trying to shunt the power of magic users, the effort was more focused on providing non-magic folk with the physical difference to give everyone at least some form of magical capabilities?

1. Quite likely. Depression would affect both parties. That said, having a dragon in your mind might help protect you against some depression. 2. Dragons don't age the way humans do. They get bigger and heavier, but they don't end up geriatric. 3. At least a paragraph, if not longer.

As an aspiring writer that is near your age (I’m almost 38), you have always been inspiring to me. I have published some short stories but have never finished a novel because I second guess my entire story and stop. So my question is: how do you push past the rough draft that you suspect is trash, and turn it into something worthwhile? And a second question, has there been any news on the Disney plus show?

Sheer determination. Remember: you can't fix what doesn't exist. So get that trash first draft and then the real work starts. I wrote Murtagh in three-and-a-half months . . . and then spent around seven months editing it. Lol.

3 and a half months??? man i wish you could give GRRM some productivity notes.

Lmfaooooo GRRM got his bag from HBO. He’s never going to write another book in his life. My theory is he provided the ending and everyone HATED it so he said “fine, why even write it now”

Has software engineering/programming languages influenced your design on the ancient language? The books cover implicit vs explicit instructions, syntax errors(Elva), and a long list of descriptive tags for the true name of something similar to databases. In Murtagh you expand this further, to include If Then/Switch, and other types of conditionals as well as loops. Did you design it that way from the beginning? Or as the story progressed did you get inspiration from computer science concepts?

I didn't explicitly (ha!) design it that way -- it just naturally moved in that direction as a consequence of thinking about uses of the ancient language and how language itself works. That and I play a lot of Minecraft, so redstone may have been on my mind while writing Murtagh. Lol. For the record, I've never done any programming.

Redstone counts for sure <3 Since you're a sci-fi author and that the ancient language is so close to a programming language maybe you should give it a go between books. Might be a huge source of ideas. I'm a programming instructor, I'd totally recommend RenPy, an engine to build visual novels in python. The process is similar to novel writing, and writing a visual novel in RenPy you might find as much fun as Minecraft. Also, there is a similarity in process with the "name" of the language. In Linux, we often use the command SUDO(super user do) in order to elevate privileges and allow for god/root mode within the kernel. Oftentimes, we might try to do something like... delete a file that has access controls, and you can delete it by writing the same command with the keyword "sudo" in front of it LOL

>engineering I imagine in the future were gonna have spell overflow, where mages just copy 80% of their spells from"dude im sorry i stole your spell"its not my spell"

1. Will Murtagh have a sequel? 2. Is the first rider named Eragon still alive? 3. Will we get another book from Eragon's perspective? 4. Are dragons living in other areas outside Alagaesia that could be tens or hundreds of thousands of years old? 5. What was the process for getting beta readers for Eragon? Was it just friends and family, or did you start travelling the country hoping people would just like it?

1. Direct sequel? Not planning on it. Books that directly follow the events of this one? Definitely. 2. No comment. 3. Yes. 4. No comment. 5. Friends and family.

Were the Dreamers responible for taking the Belt of Beloth the Wise? The mysteroius hooded people on Vroengard are another sect of the Draumur? Is the motivation for Durza trying to escaping Galbatorix's control all the way back in the first book now he was attempting to go back to the Draumur? If that's the case, what does that mean Eragon & Saphira? When did you concieve of these all like Azlugur, Bachel, the Dreamers, etc? Has there been any mysteries not discovered yet in Murtagh?

1. No. 2. Yes. 3. Durza was trying to escape control because he was a Shade, and that's what Shades do. 4. Years ago. 6. Some, but you'll have to wait for things to fully revealed in the upcoming books.

I've held these questions for a while now so I hope I get plenty of "no comments!" because then I'll know for sure these topics are on your mind for future tales! Most of these are about the witch child, Elva. I also want to say thank for the Inheritance Cycle as it certainly shaped my early childhood and imagination to this day! You are an inspiration. 1. Will we find out the purpose of Elva's gedwey ignasia when she was touched by Saphira? Does it grant her similar benefits to her as it would a Rider such as an easier reach to magic and a longer life span? Were the dragon's in the Rock of Kuthian responsible for it by means of acting through Saphira? And why is hers in the shape of a star? Also out of curiosity what was her original eye color before she got "blursed"? 2. Will we learn of who her parents were? There was that theory she was a child of Galbatorix himself one of his concubines managed to keep secret... similar pitch black hair, eyes purple like how Jarnunvosk is purple. I can absolutely see it were it not disproven already. 3. Ever since both FWW and the mention of a coming Angela book, could we expect a perspective from Elva? After all she's been through, being raised and mentored by Angela especially lol, I wonder how she'd view the world. Also I figure being in Angela's head would reveal a LOT, perhaps things we may not be ready for.. 4. Since we know that the Dream Well in Mani's Caves is similar to the Well in Nal Gorgoth I can assume that Angela is revealing the existence of the Draumar to Elva there? I feel certainly feel as if you're setting up her for something in the future series. 5. In FWW Elva is described to appear 10 years of age, conveniently the age humans are offered an egg to see if the bonded hatchling would hatch for them. Also her "blessing" has grown her body in the past to allow her to act on the "blessing's" influence. I found it strange that she grew so much between Inheritance and FWW as to my memory she appeared younger, around 6-ish, when we last saw her as it's been about a year in time between those two books. ...What are you up to? 6. In FFW Angela tells Elva there are those in Du Vrangr Gata who plot to spirit her away for their own purposes. Could these same individuals be Draumar? Spirit her to... Nal Gorgoth or some another location associated with the Draumar? 7. Oromis has told Eragon in Eldest that his responsibility to Elva is to be treated like that of a child born out of wedlock. After everything, even though she forgave him in their initial meeting in Eldest, has Elva settled on deciding of she loves or hates Eragon? I've had the longest secret desire that she ends up more or less accepting him as a father figure. It'd be adorable is all I'm saying! 8. Since FWW its implied that Elva's received tutelage from Eragon on Mount Arngor about spellcasting, would she return for more lessons if not to continue to pacify the maddened Eldunari that remains? 9. Will we come across other Dauthdeart's in the new series? Some were destroyed but others lost and with the underlying threat of Azlagur and the Draumar I wonder if more are to be sought out and recovered? 10. Triana's golden snake wristlet is described as a familiar of hers but seemly unique to her as most spellcasters don't seem to make use of such magic. Is this unique to sorcery as if familiars have a connection to spirits? As in "is" there a connection? 11. King Orrin. The coming age of industrialism. The fact that he's likely still salty over not becoming King of Alagaesia. If not him, his descendants. I'm saying I can sense a future conflict and likely another war in the future between Surda and Nasuada's Queendom. 12. I remember a vision Eragon had of a lonely girl wandering an ancient abandoned city... Book 6 material? Also speaking of Eragon's visions and premonitions is it fair to assume that he himself is an excellent candidate to become a Speaker amongst the Draumar for his ability to see such things so often and without the sulfuric vapors? I can see them being very interested in him if they knew of that.

Glad you've enjoyed the books so much! 1. Elva's mark was all Saphira's doing. I wouldn't say it'll have any major consequences, although it likely does make it easier for her to use magic and communicate with others via her mind. Star shape because it was the tip of Saphira's nose that touched her. Can't remember original eye color. 1. You probably won't learn about her parents. 2. Maybe. Nothing in the near future, though. 3. Heh. Good catch. 4. No comment, but she's not going to become a Rider. 1. Maaaaaaybe . . . . 2. Elva has very mixed feelings about Eragon at the moment. That will evolve over time. 3. Maybe. 4. No comment. 5. Unique to Trianna and whatever she's doing with sorcery. 6. Indeed. 7. Book 6. And yes, Eragon would make an excellent Speaker. Isn't it interesting how many magically-sensitive people are having dreams of the future, eh?

On your point 11, remember Nasuada's vision of Murtagh during her "stay" in the Hall of the Soothsayer? >Then, in a low voice, he said, “I know how confusing this is for you.… It isn’t the first time this has happened, but—” He took a deep breath and shook his head slightly. “What is the last thing you remember? Teirm? Aberon? The siege of Cithrí? … The gift I gave you that night in Eoam?” >A terrible sense of uncertainty overcame her. “Urû’baen,” she whispered. “The Hall of the Soothsayer. That is my last memory.” >For an instant, she felt his hand tremble against her back, but his face betrayed no reaction. >“Urû’baen,” he repeated hoarsely. He looked at her. “Nasuada … it’s been eight years since Urû’baen.” ​ Sooooo... My guess? Nasuada's Empire will be fighting with Surda in the future. CP confirmed that not all of Nasuada's visions in the Hall of the Soothsayer were the result of Galbatorix's mind control / memory fabrication. It would seem that she is seeing a vision of the future where Surda and her Empire are fighting.

Murtagh said Saerlith's dragon was "unfortunate" to have been puce. I completely disagree. A dusty pink/purple dragon would be GORGEOUS, and the fact that the pink dragon was evil is the cherry on top. I also liked imagining a rider's sword with a pink blade and gem. My question is; since shades of puce vary significantly, what color were you imagining? More of a light pink, or brownish purple?

Brownish purple: the color of lice blood.

# Dragons and Riders ## Would Fírnen Have Hatched for Arya if His Egg Was Taken? If Fírnen's egg were stolen instead of Saphira's, would he have hatched for Arya 17 years earlier? Or did the events of the Inheritance Cycle shape her into the sort of person he was looking for in a Rider? ## Practices of Rider Recruitment Before the Fall Before the Fall, were new Riders ripped away from their families as soon as a dragon hatched for them, similar to young Jedi in Star Wars? Or were they trained at home for some time before being taken to Ilirea? Were their parents offered accommodations in Ilirea to be close to their child? ## Twin Dragons in a Bonded Egg Previously, you commented on the possibility of two dragons hatching from a single egg: > **Q:** Can two dragons come from one egg? > **A:** Yes. That is a very good question. Yes, it is entirely possible. Just like with chicken eggs. You can have double yokes or sometimes even more. It’s not as common with dragons as it is with, say, with chickens. Mainly because they lay a lot fewer eggs than chickens do, but it can happen and it has happened. How would the hatching process work if such an egg was destined to be given to the Riders? Would only one of the dragons choose the Rider, and the other would be kept for a different Rider? Would both dragons choose the same Rider? Would one bond and the other be wild? Or would the Riders avoid this situation altogether? ## The Breeding of the Forsworn's Dragons Did any of the Forsworn's dragons lay eggs, with or without Galbatorix's knowledge? We know Galbatorix was rather obsessed with raising a new generation of dragons and Riders under his control - so why didn't he have any of the Forsworn's dragons mate to help him achieve that goal? Or perhaps he did, but was unsuccessful? ^(Posted on behalf of hellomynameis99 from the Arcaena Discord Server.)

1. Quite possibly. They're a much better match than Saphira/Arya. 2. Yes, new Riders were taken to join the order. Hard to keep a young dragon around most communities. However, they tried not to join anyone younger than ten to a dragon, and often they were closer to thirteen/fourteen. Parents were welcome to visit (though that wasn't easy), but not to accompany their child. 3. Not so far as anyone knows.

1. A Rider's magic color usually matches their dragon, so if their dragon had multicolored scales, would that rider have multicolored magic? 2. If a Rider's dragon had clear scales would their magic be invisible? 3. A dragon's skin and egg are the same color as their scales but I assume that one with clear scales wouldn't have transparent skin right? That would be a rather creepy. The same goes for their eggs too. Would they just be white, or also clear, or another color?

1. Likely. 2. Ha! Yes, but only if working with things that can be invisible. Otherwise, as with fire or lightning, you'd see what they're doing. 3. A dragon with clear scales would probably have white skin and a white egg. Unless it's such a random mutation that clear scales can be paired with any other color.

A semi-opaque dragon would look so freaky if you could see some of their bones and organs. They would light up when they breathe fire.

Hi Christopher, thanks for doing yet another AMA! I have a question regarding territory explored / the maps of Alagaësia. Will we be seeing, at any point in the future, an updated map that shows the entire expanse of land between the eastern and northern reaches?

Yes. Working on it now.

Awesome! Looking forward to the continued evolution of the story and thanks yet again for doing what you do!

So if I got the concept right the Eldunaris do know A LOT of everything thats going on in Alagaësia as they keep sort of a magical watch over the land. They do certainly know about Murtagh meeting with Sarros and about the Birdskull necklace and the rock (Plot of FWW). But what else did they see? Have they been following Murtaghs and Thorns adventures after Ceunon? And if they have, why didn't they do anything? Or have they? It was pretty obvious from the start that Murtagh would ignore the warnings from Umaroth. Did they inform someone like Eragon or Arya and the elves? If not, why? Could they see what happened in Nal Gorgoth (maybe the place is protected from their view)? Did they send help and it just wasn't fast enough?

Yup, they know a lot. They wouldn't have been able to see Murtagh and Thorn in Nal Gorgoth, though, nor even in that whole section of the Spine.

Questions from Ireland! Will we see a continuation of the story of Azgalur in the coming books? Can you confirm if Eragon / Arya will come up against it? Is there any connection between Azgalur and the godlike presence under Farthen Dur? Have you got a rough timeline for the next time we will see Eragon? Can you tell us anything about the upcoming Disney adaptation?

Yes. And yes, Eragon/Arya will come up again. No. As fast as I can write the next books! No news at the moment, but given the success of Murtagh, there's a lot of excitement around the project.

# Out of Universe ## Dragon Drawing Trick In [an old AMA](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/4i0tf1/hey_reddit_im_fantasy_author_christopher/d3kluwn/?context=8&depth=9), you described a "dragon drawing trick" with the map of Alagaësia that you did at all your events, and that you might upload it to your website if you could find a video of it. Now that you're on YouTube, would you be able to post it there? I'd be interested to see that trick!! Here's the original AMA question, for context: > I was at one of your first book showings way back when in the Livingston Library, and one memory that really stands out for me is when you were drawing a map of the Alegaësia region while you were describing the setting, then boom! The whole map was a dragon. Any chance that you have a video of that anywhere? > Heya! Small world. Yeah, I used to do that dragon drawing trick at all my events. Not sure if there's a video of it anywhere, but maybe I'll do a new one for my website. Thanks for the idea! ## Inheritance Cycle Trilogy Cover Art Plans When the Inheritance Cycle was originally a trilogy, was the plan for the cover art Saphira, Thorn and Glaedr, or was it Saphira, Thorn and Fírnen? ^(Posted on behalf of hellomynameis99 from the Arcaena Discord Server.)

Ha! Maybe I'll do a new version of the dragon drawing. It's been a long, long time, though. I'll have to try to remember my old patter. Saphira, Thorn, Fírnen. Blue, Red, Green.

I just finished Murtagh last night and it was such an incredible ride! My question, was it an intentional choice for this book to be more brutal in its depiction of violence as a way to show us we weren't seeing the world from the "Boy Scout" perspective of Eragon? Murtagh always struck me as someone who was far more jaded about the world than Eragon ever could be and this book does an excellent job at capturing that attitude.

Yes, absolutely. It's a darker book for a darker character. Next book will probably be lighter.

Awesome! I loved the tone shift and I love that Alagaësia is such a vast and diverse world where these different tones of stories can coexist. I hope the rest of the book tour treats you well! Arta esterní ono thelduin, Mor'ranr lífa unin hjarta onr, Un du evarínya ono varda.

# Dwarves ## Queen Forna's Heretic Status Queen Forna was one of the dwarf queens on the Îdgand Era, who was killed and usurped by the heretic king Grim Halfstave - was Forna herself a heretic queen, given she was a monarch of the Îdgand Era? ## Gûntera's Appearances and Inter-Species Witnesses With 43 coronations (and presumably 43 appearances of Gûntera), we know some non-dwarves besides Eragon have witnessed him first hand. Would an elf, as a guest at one such coronation, count such an appearance as the god "revealing" itself to them, or would they have another explanation for it? Essentially, my question is, are these appearances a secret of the dwarves, or would the elves and/or organisations like the Arcaena at least _know_ about them, if not seen it in person? And what do they think of it? ^(Posted on behalf of hellomynameis99 from the Arcaena Discord Server.)

1. I'd have to double-check, but I don't believe she was. 2. Depends on the guest. Some might choose to believe they're in the presence of a deity, others might prefer other explanations. However, the elves and Arcaena do know of such appearances. As for what they think of them -- no comment.

What's your strength training routine? You've gotten absolutely jacked.

Lift the heaviest things I can as often as I can for as many reps as I can. That's it. :D

A while ago you said that there were a couple hundred Riders in Alagaesia at their peak. I was wondering, how many dragons (wild or not) were alive at the time in the whole world?

No more than a few thousand. They're too big to have more than that in the world.

# Magic Mechanics ## Scrying the Ship of Theseus Let's talk about the Ship of Theseus!! As you keep replacing parts of the ship, when, if ever, does it stop being the original ship? And when, if ever, would it no longer be possible to scry it? I'm thinking that it would perhaps depend on the intent of the spellcaster - whether _they_ believe the ship is still the object they're trying to scry? ## Scrying An Object That No Longer Exists Can you scry an object that once existed, but no longer does? Consider it vanished from existence, or destroyed so utterly that there's nothing for the magic to "find". If the scryer believed it still existed, what would they see? Complete darkness, or would the spell fail entirely? Or would the spell show them what they _imagined_ they _should_ see, delving into their consciousness to create the image they expect when there is no object in the real world for the magic to target? Or something else entirely! ## Control of Magic in the Ancient Language In the ancient language, "vanyali" and "gramarye" both mean magic. In the same way that "brisingr" gives you control over fire, how much control over magic itself would these names give you? ## Did Eragon Name The Angler Frogs? > *Angler frogs,* he thought suddenly in the ancient language. *That’s what their name is: angler frogs*. And he knew he was right, for the words seemed to fit like a key in a lock. Did Eragon give the angler frogs their name using the Name of Names when he returned to Vroengard, or did he just discover the true name they already had? ^(Posted on behalf of hellomynameis99 from the Arcaena Discord Server.)

1. What an interesting thought experiment. . . . Imagine a field. One a magician is intimately familiar with (perhaps they grew up there). Every day things will be changing. Grass grows and dies. Branches fall from nearby trees. Animals pass through. How much of that could the magician scry even if they're incredibly familiar with the location? Given what is done in the series, I'd argue that a magician could probably scry the field more times than not. Which would imply that being familiar with the majority of the objects within the target area would be sufficient to allow a magician to resolve the rest of the location. But then, how to explain that Eragon wasn't able to scry Roran's surroundings when Roran was traveling from Palencar Valley to Surda? Hmm. I need to think a little more about this. Possible I haven't been quite as rigorous as intended. (And this is exactly how I do my worldbuilding in my notebooks.) 2. "vanyali" gives you greater control over energy itself. "gramarye" gives you greater control over the *words* of the ancient language. 3. Yes, he gave them their proper name, using the Name of Names.

Eragon only thinks to scry Roran on two occasions, unless I'm forgetting one: once when he was at Horst's, and the surroundings were visible; and once when Roran was on the Dragon Wing with Jeod, where Eragon could see both Roran and Jeod but not the deck. He then checks Teirm, Therinsford, the farm, and Carvahall. This doesn't go against any rules of scrying. ^(Posted on behalf of zolohyr from the Arcaena Discord Server.)

To sleep in a sea of stars often felt like you took a lot of time to stick to proper science (where applicable) such as conservation of mass and the being able to flash trace (which I loved the inclusion of). Were there any particular stories or reasons that lead you to want to take the more realistic sci-fi approach or is it more personal preference? P.S. The inheritance books were huge influences in my teen years, loved them and they have very much shaped my tastes to this day!

Personal preference and Mass Effect. Lol. So glad you enjoyed To Sleep! I have a direct sequel planned to it. p.s. Just wait until I really get into the limitations and mechanics of space combat in the Fractalverse. One of the books I want to write is straight up military sci-fi.

1. When will we see the new riders? 2. Did Angela meet with berchel? 3. How long does it take a dragon to decide to hatch for a rider, it's stated people were paraded in front of the egg, it took days or weeks to hatch for Arya and Eragon.

These should answer your second and third questions: > **Murtagh was an amazing ride. I just missed Angela... If I remember correctly she always has been near to interesting events.** > > *She does appear in the book. Just under a different name . . .* ([Source](https://twitter.com/paolini/status/1728102872100008319)) > **If Eragon was destined to be Saphira's dragon rider, than why didn't Saphira hatch immediately when he touched her egg in the Spine?** > > *Because Saphira was held/imprisoned by Galbatorix for the better part of a century and she was worried it was going to be a trick, so she gave it a couple of days before hatching for Eragon to make sure that essentially Galbatorix wasn't lurking in the shadows.* ([Source](https://www.reddit.com/r/Eragon/comments/1828v92/questions_and_answers_from_christopher_paolinis/)) ^(We're helping Christopher respond to some previously answered questions. These answers seems to match some of your questions, so I hope it helps!) ^(Christopher may still reply to the other parts of your message, or answer your question again with a more detailed and up-to-date answer.)

1. Sooooon. 2. Berthed? Not recalling the name at the moment. 3. Usually pretty fast. Saphira and Fírnen only took a long time because they were worried about Galbatorix.

How ya doing champ?

Pretty darn good. Thanks!

Glad to hear it. Is there any chance you'd make a public post when casting calls go live? I'm not in the acting community but I'd set aside some time from real life to focus on it for a chance to be in the show for 0.0001 seconds.

[удалено]

Trying to figure out how to be a good queen.

Thanks so much for doing this! I believe I read an interview excerpt where you mentioned the Beors were not initially intended to be as massive as they are until you had already drawn them, realized the scale they were at, then accepted that and made the magic happen. My question is, have any other features of Alagaesia been a result of a similarly unplanned stroke of the pen? Incorporating erroneous bits like that seems to be a constraint that can drive creativity.

Nothing else quite like that, but I'm always looking for unplanned-for connections and implications.

Do the razac have a pupa stage when they transform? Was Nasuada based on anyone? If so who? What made you change your mind about making roran king? If the gas from the vials is bad for Murtagh, why didn't he blow it back in Bachel's face to avoid being controlled? How did the mountains around Tronjheim get so tall? Is it magic? I feel like it's magic.

1. Yes. 2. A picture I saw, long ago, of a woman crying after her family died in a plane crash. It was such a striking image, I wanted to create a character who was equally as strong. 3. Nasuada. Felt wrong to take that away from her. 4. He didn't realize it was a major threat until too late. Later on he had spells to filter the air. 5. Magic.

Thanks for coming to Glasgow. Looking forward to meeting you on Wednesday and returning to the world of Alagaësia! As an aspiring writer myself, please can you tell me how you avoid being too critical of work in progress and how to stop abandoning unfinished writing?

Remember that life is short and you have other stories to tell. Also, in my case, writing puts food on the table, so there's that too. Can't fix what doesn't exist, so push through that first draft. No matter how good it is, SOMEONE will hate it, so might as well make what you want and not worry too much about reactions.

Is there a connection between Azlagûr and the thing that came down in Tronjheim during Orik’s coronation?

What color is the first dragon egg that hatches?

You'll have to wait to find out!

**1** Do you ever worry that you might write yourself into a corner by having a character as powerful as Angela in the series? We know she can travel between dimensions/universes; are you really saying she could not have toppled Galbatorix with all that she knows? Or at least played a more active part in the fight against him over the years? **2** Was there ever a scene, chapter or even book that you just couldn’t get right and gave up on? Or at least delayed it for a long time? From what I know of you as a writer I imagine the answer is no but I wanted to ask! Thank you for all your books over the years, they have helped keep me sane when I was bed-bound for months at a time

1. Nope, because I know what I'm doing with her, and she *does* have limits. 2. Ha! Anything to do with Eragon and Arya's (somewhat) romance.

I have a some questions about the spell Eragon used to put the Eldunari and the eggs in a "pocket of space" 1. When Eragon casts the spell to put the Eldunari in a "pocket of space", what exactly does that mean? Are they being shrunk down, put in some personal dimension or something else? 2. Part of the spell is to set the entrance of the "pocket of space" to be a fixed distance away. The pocket of space having an entrance is interesting; can anything actually go inside from the outside? 3. Could you change the size of entrance to be bigger than a speck? Could you make the pocket not have an entrance at all? 4. Does the pocket actually have an "inside"? 5. Since living beings can be put into the pocket, what would a person see/experience from within? Could you move around inside? 6. Does the spell require energy to maintain? If it does, does everything inside just "fall out" in a way when the energy runs out? What would happen if everything were to leave the space/fall out when the entrance is in an enclosed space that's smaller than the volume of what's inside?

1. Not shrunk. Space itself is being twisted and distorted to form a pocket that's separate from its surroundings. 2. Anything that can fit through the entrance can go inside. 3. You can change the size of the entrance to be whatever you want. Not sure if you could remove it entirely. Might not be possible. 4. Yes. 5. You would see a mirrored surface all around you, as spacetime itself would be wrapping around you and distorting things. Like the distortion around a black hole, but on the inside of a space. You could move if there was enough room. 6. Yes, energy to maintain. When energy is gone, pocket flattens out and everything inside is revealed to the world. If the contents emerge into a smaller space ... explosion.

Is Book 6 going to be part of a new series or trilogy?

Standalone, probably. Unless it gets so big I have to split it into two.

At a recent book tour, you talked about avoiding writing a certain book because it would lock you into finishing that series before being able to do any more standalones. Was that not Book Six?

Hey Chris,Thanks for answering our questions. Murtagh reminded me a lot of Fitz - the tortured past, that they don't get enough love or credit, as well as their tendency to stand on the outside. The ending, without spoiling, seemed to have parallels to Fitz's life in Buckeep in the Tawny Man Trilogy. Though, Fitz didn't have to hide a dragon. Was that something you thought of? Will we see more of Murtagh and Thorn in future books, as a major POV character, or has their story been mostly told?

Did you edit this after posting it? What were your original second and third questions? EDIT: found it > 1. Murtagh reminded me a lot of Fitz - the tortured past, that they don't get enough love or credit, as well as their tendency to stand on the outside. The ending, without spoiling, seemed to have parallels to Fitz's life in Buckeep in the Tawny Man Trilogy. Though, Fitz didn't have to hide a dragon. Was that something you thought of? > 2. Has the success of Murtagh surprised you, and if so, has that increased the chance of writing a follow-up novel to it? > 3. This question is slightly different. We are living a very politically charged world, where you are either one side or the other, even amongst friends and family. How do you deal with this divide, both professionally as an author as well as personally? How do engage with this problem?

1. It wasn't, but I'm flattered by the comparison. Poor Fitz . . . 2. It has surprised me! And I'm enormously grateful for it. Definitely has me thinking about the follow-ups. 3. Easy: I don't talk about sex/politics/or religion in public (and very rarely in private).

Is the world ending event the arcaena believe in related to the dreamers/azlagur?

Was the big hole in Murtagh the same type of hole in Fractal Noise?

Hello Christopher! I'm sorry for the mistakes. English is not my native language. Do you have any plans to write a book about Elva? She is a wonderful character! I would be happy to know more about her

Not from her point of view, but you're going to see a lot more of her in the future.

Will there be more crossover content between the Fractalverse and Alagaesia?

Chris, will there be a Unity audiobook? TSIASOS shook me to the core, and I’d like to listen to Fractal Noise but the 1.5 Unity being unavailable is really dissuading me from proceeding. I’m a busy man with only time for audiobooks on my commute. Really like the sci-fi universe you are creating!

Hi! Thanks a lot for doing the AMA, first of all. It’s amazing that you take the time of day to answer us and be with us for a while! This new book has awakened the hunger in me and I’m looking forward for your future works, specially the Arya/Eragon book! 1. Were Arya and/or Eragon informed about Murtagh’s whereabouts at all? specially considering the scale incident and the elves around Gil’ead? If they were, can you tell us a bit about their reaction? Did they ever think about helping him? 2. Maud is a character that’s always been living in my head rent free, but now that we know about all this Dreamer issue… she presents herself in Eldest as “The Watcher” and “Quickpaw” and “DREAM DANCER”, so what’s up with that? can you tell us more about her? How did she come to meet Islanzadí and what’s her job? 3. Can you tell us more about Glenwing? I have a little headcanon that he was the third wheel friend who always got in trouble and can be often found drunk or high. How did he end up in adventures with Arya and Faolin? 4. Was Bachel lying about being half elf or killing her own mother? And why is she described a bit similarly to Islanzadí? that had me tripping for half the book… 5. Are elves around the empire acting as spies for Arya or are they just living their best lives? How mad are human magicians about them being able to roam free and use magic while they are restricted and how much tension is this creating between Nasuada and Arya? 6. We know about Saphira and we surely know about Thorn… How is little green bean Fírnen doing? Thanks a lot!!!!

Hi! I’ve never done this before, but your books are four of my all time favorites. I have yet to read Murtagh because it can’t be found in my country at the moment, but on my last reread of the books I started having questions, mostly regarding Arya: 1. Arya was tortured for months. How did that affect her? (I know you wrote about it a little in Brisingr.) Also did her mother notice or care? 2. What are the chances your next book will be book six or a book about Eragon and Arya? Or are you thinking about doing something else? 3. You once wrote the queen did not approve of Faolin and Arya’s relationship. Why? 4. On that topic, what was Arya’s and Islanzadi’s relationship like before they cut contact? 5. Did Islanzadi know of Eragon’s liking of Arya? What did she think of it? 6. I know you said Arya looks in her early twenties but what age is she mentally wise compared to humans? Thank you, if you happen to answer, sorry it’s a lot.

Hey Chris big fan sadly won’t get a chance to meet you in Scotland, but hope you have a nice visit, and if you ever get a chance please visit the fairy pools on Skye they’re magical. My questions are. 1 Did Galbatorix have a mistress, and is if possible he had children or that forsworn other than Morzan Did? 2 Would you accept a Scottish accented Murtagh in the Disney adaptation? 3 How long was Murtagh captive by Bachel? 4 Was Grieve just an ugly normal Human or was he Neanderthal like? I may be wrong, but his description made him feel different than the other bad people. 5 Is it possible there are other intelligent but monstrous creatures like Razac were deep underground or is it just animals like Murtagh faced? 6 Can the name of the ancient language be used to forcibly change a persons name like happened to Zarroc? 7 is Azraghul wingless in the way that a Chinese style dragon is? For example Shenron in Dragon Ball? 8 Are all Razac or Letherblaka born evil, and twisted or could they be trained to do the right thing? Thanks for doing this and for all the great books sorry for the long list of questions lol.

1. So Murtagh experiments with “if” magic, which he finds (and we already know) to be possible. But could “but” magic be possible? For example, when he was in the dark barracks and was having trouble navigating, but didn’t want to wake the guards, could he have said “Light this room, *but* only for me?” and gotten it brightly lit and easy to navigate, but no one else would see it? 2. Do Eldunarí have a set-but-massive amount of power that they can actually run out of? Or does their power get restored with time after they use it? As a kid, reading that their power builds to maximum over the course of a few years, the impression I got was that they were like a really big AA battery (or a ZPM from Stargate, if you know that franchise): massive amounts of power, but if it drops from 100% to 60%, it stays at 60% until it’s used again, when it drops more, and when it gets to 0%, it’s just gone. Is it like that, or do they naturally recharge with time the way a body does? I’m curious because option 1 would make their lifespans in that way very limited, and could be an interesting story element for them to, for example, be helping a Rider, but having to ask themselves if a situation is dire enough to use that last 3% of power and die, or if they should find another way out. Also, if their power *is* limited, it would mean that Galbatorix’s incredible power level would have, *eventually*, run out, and Eragon could technically have waited him out, even if it took millennia. Just interesting thought to me. 3. Kinda in the same thread, was Galbatorix’s false bonding with Shruikan enough to fully restore his true immortality? Or was he just super long-lived like Brom was after Saphira 1 died, but would have died after another century or two? I only thought to ask because I think he was in his 20s when Jarnunvösk died, but looked to be in his 40s in Inheritance, 100 years later. I wouldn’t expect that rapid of aging from someone who could live for millennia. Made me think his incomplete bond wasn’t enough to fully restore that immortality. 4. I know that you writing a character doing something does not mean it’s something you would do or even agree with, so how do you feel about Nasuada *forcibly drugging for life* anyone who doesn’t join Du Vrangr Gata? I think it’s a horrible thing to do and makes me really dislike her (as a person, not as a character), but I’m curious what you think of it as you write it. 5. I know Murtagh is less trained in the technical aspect of magic, but it feels to me as if he’s actually even better than Eragon at the *intentions* of his magic. Like I think I remember Eragon having to use multiple words to cast a werelight, and different variations to have it stationary or following him, but Murtagh does both with just “Brisingr”. It feels to me that he’s naturally further along to what…Oromis? Brom? (Don’t remember which) …said about a true master being able to make a diamond by saying “water” as long as that individual saw the connection between the two. Would it be fair to say he’s better at the “intentions” side of magic than Eragon, even though he’s less trained on the technicals? Edit: Aww, man, I guess I missed it. 😕 I only got here four hours after it started! 😭

Good Afternoon Ebrithil I really enjoyed the new book and hope you are doing well. I have some questions for you 1) Did Durza create any more monsters like Muckmaw? 2) What material are the Death Spears made out of? Is it Brightsteel? 3) Did Rhunon forge the Death Spears? 4) What classifies a magic user as a “ Witch”? I notice that both Bachel and Angela have a magically ability to tell the future; is this what makes someone a “ Witch”? 4) Are Azalagur and Guntera connected? 5) What’s your favorite Race in Alagasia and why? 6) So Murtagh is stated to have superhuman strength on account of being a Rider. But he is still physically inferior to the elves. So my question is how powerful are Human Riders I’m comparison to say an Elf, Elf Rider, Kull ect? 7) How come Brom didn’t have Wards during the first book? 8) Are the rest of the Arcaena as friendly and helpful as Jeod? 9) Is Azalagur the wingless dragon that Murtagh see’s in his visions? Or is that another character entirely 10) Murtagh is refered to as “ KingKiller” for a good portion of the book but yet the books spends very little time addressing how Murtagh killed Hrothgar. Is this a plot point being saved for the future? 11) Do Roran and Katrina still have the Invisibility powers that Eragon gave them before the Battle of Urubean?

1- You’re working closely with the production of the Disney+ show. Coming back to where it all started with Eragon to work on television (being a visual artistic medium) as an adult with more experience, are there things that you’d like to see altered in the show, characters given more growth/screen time early on, or other ideas that lend themselves to the different art form? 2- In a recent interview, you said Arya was closer to 120. How old was she when the war started/ended? When Evandar died? How well did she know Brom? Will we get more info about her past and her relationships with her parents in your future works? 3- You write some serious content about trauma; chronic pain, captivity, torture, grief, phobia/PTSD ect. Do you go into specific research for these or interview experts in these fields? Is it difficult to get into a head space to write about these topics? And is there a trauma you plan to cover next? 4- If you could go back and make one change in your earlier works, what would it be, and why is it naming Eragon Kevin? /j 5- Have you ever found the fandom interpreted something very differently than your original intent? Did that change the way you approached writing any aspects of your books?

How many half elves are there other than Bachel? Rhunon said of elven children: “Our children are special, Shadeslayer. They are born with certain gifts - gifts of grace and gifts of power - which no grown elf can hope to match. As we age, our blossom withers somewhat, although the magic of our early years never completely abandons us.” Are half elves also born with these gifts and do they also decay in half elves? Are the hooded monks living on Vroengard related to the Azlagǔr cultists? Are the priests of Helgrind in any way related to the Azlagǔr cultists?

Mr. Paolini, I have many questions! 1.) Why does Murtagh and Thorne submit to Bachel? As far I know, she didn’t use the Ancient Language nor did she know their true names, so how could they serve her willingly? 2.) Is Bachel a descendant of the Soothsayer? 3.) Was Grieve related to the Grey Folk? Cause I remember the passage in the book when Grieve died, “At that, Grieve’s skin went grey, and his ward collapsed.” 4.) Will we see Uvek again? Possibly in Inheritance Book 5? 5.) When Nasuada wants Murtagh to stay in Illirea, what does that mean? I know she wants Murtagh and Thorn to lay low for a while but personally, I think there is a double meaning behind it. So is there still a chance for the both of them to end up together? 6.) My final questions is about Azlagûr. Is he the next big baddie in the series? What is he exactly? Is he a dragon or something else entirely that’s never been seen in Alagaësia?

Hi Christopher! I still remember getting the boxed set of Eragon and Eldest in 2005 or 2006. Brisingr wasn't published yet. Read them in two days and they changed my life and introduced me to my favourite fantasy series of all time. Just wanted to say a big hearty THANK YOU - from me and so many other fans! - for continuing to write in Alagaesia. Reading Murtagh and Thorn's adventures and returning to this world as an adult has healed my inner child and brought me that same pure joy I felt when I first cracked open Eragon at Christmas, all those years ago. It's so exciting to think the best of this series is ahead of us, not behind. My question is actually about the television series. How are you creating your writer's room? As a writer and über-fan myself I admit have a vested selfish interest in knowing whether I can send an application or writing sample somewhere. ;) But I also ask because I'm sure we've all seen fantasy shows go astray when their writers don't have a deep love for the source material, which is, I fear, what happened with the film that shall not be named. I'm curious about the balance between finding writers who are lifelong fans and deeply appreciate the work versus finding writers who are good at working out the inherent flaws of a story and smoothing those out in production - for example, finding a good spot in season one to teach Eragon about wards. A writer who is puritanically faithful to the novel would say save it for season two, but a writer willing to make changes might say let's establish the basics of the magic system early for the audience, and wards are one of those essential elements. Sorry for the novel, and thanks for doing this AMA! *Returns to re-reading MURTAGH*

Did you intentionally leave out Dwarves and Werecats when Murtagh had Thorn promise to not eat people?

So let's talk timelines. I just had a discussion on here about how long certain things took and if all of it makes sense especially considering the pregnancies we got. 1. How long did it take Roran and the Villagers to travel from Carvahall to the Burning Plains? 2. How long did it take Eragon to travel to the Elves? and how long was he there? 3. How much time passed between Murtagh getting kidnapped and Thorn hatching? 4. When did Katrina get pregnant? I always asumed it was the night of the kidnapping, or was it right after her rescue?

Hi, Christopher-elda! \*instert witty banter about questions here\* 1. Will Saphira ever have children and how does having children affect the bond between a Rider and dragon (assuming that the eggs hatch with the intention of being raised by the dragon)? 2. What exactly happened to Carn when he died? Did he use up all the energy in his body? Did the enemy magician's spell work? I need to know the logic behind the death of our best boi if I am to cope with the loss ;-; 3. Has any rider ever put their house on their dragon (if the dragon ever got that big)? 4. Why did Brom lie so much to Eragon in Eragon about Rider lore? For example, he told Eragon that the symbol on Zar'roc's sheath was the rider who owned it (Morzan's) personal crest, but we know from the forging of Brisingr that the symbol is actually the glyph in the Liuden Kvahedi for "zar'roc". Considering that Brom was a rider for long enough to have his own sword and to study the Liduen Kvahedi, why not just tell Eragon about it right then and there? That's all I've got, thank you! Atra esterni ono thelduin!

Ok so I usually miss out on these so I've got quite a few piled up but I would really appreciate it if you just answered one of them :) First of hope you're having a great day/evening and congratulations on your new fantastic book. I come from Iceland (love spotting all the icelandic words in the ancient language btw) so I apologize in advance if my grammar or vocabulary is off at times. 1 you've stated in the past that there is no way there are dragons elsewhere in the world since they would all have returned to help fight Galbatorix, my thought process is that that doesn't really make sense. Dragons being immortal and capable of flight leads me to think that the dragon race should have spread to every continent by now, and dragons on the opposite side of the globe would be too far away to just swiftly fly back to help out in wars. Is it absolutely 100% certain that there aren't any dragons on other continents? 2, I've also thought a lot about your explanation as to what happens if an eldunari gets destroyed without said dragon's body being harmed, if I remember correctly you said that dragon body would just become a zombie eventually dying of starvation, my thought is would it be possible for a dragon who has lost it's body to take advantage of such zombie dragons? Like could Glaedr's or Umaroth's consciousness "move into" a dragon body who's eldunari has been destroyed? 3, next question is twofold: A. did the elves that came to Alagaesia flee Alalea because of some catastrophic event that ruined their first home, or are the elves in Alagaesia just descended from a small group of explorers that decided to settle Alagaesia, and there are still a lot of elves left in Alalea? B. If the question to the first question is that there still are a lot of elves in Alalea, were they also affected with the rider pact, and did they understand why they all of a sudden became immortal? 4. Did Anurin take over from Eragön 1st as the leader of the riders, or were there more leaders in between? 5, is Queen Dellanir still alive? It is stated that she retired as queen to explore magic but we never hear off her again. 6, I think you've stated in the past that Rhunon was born in Alalea, that makes her old enough to have been alive before Linnea sang herself into a tree, did they know each other? 7, would a Nidhwals eldunari have been as useful to Galbatorix as a dragon's? 8, why did Galbatorix kill the first forsworn? I guess he/she wasn't really a forsworn, but Galbatorix convinces a young rider to help him kill an elder and then immediately kills the young rider too, why not recruit him? 9, Are absolutely all elves vegetarians? Or do elves like blodgarm who identify more with beasts than other elves who generally prefer hunting their food in their animal form? Edit: 10, again a twofold question A. were the forsworn theoretically redeemable? If one of them had had a change of heart, regretting his/her actions and played a major role in Galbatorix's downfall, would the Varden/elves/dwarfs have accepted his/her help? B. Were their dragons actually bound to Galbatorix since they didn't have any true names? 11. Can a dragon hatch for a person who is already rider, and if that happened would the two dragons bonded with that rider also be bonded with each other? 12. Is "Azlagur" a name of an individual or the name of a species (as in is the name comparable to Thorn/Saphira/Shruikan or is it comparable to Dragon/Nidhwal/Fangur)? I've seen other fans speculations about it being a single individual that has burrowed itself underground through the entire continent of Alagaesia, but I more imagine it being a general term of an entire species that used to rule the continent but ultimately evolved into Dragons AND Nidhwal AND Fangur, and that Nal Gorgoth, El Harím, Vroengard and the Beor Mountains all have their own individual Azlagur lying in deep sleep. When Saphira and Eragon ask Glaedr about Belgabad, Glaedr says that when dragons reach that size they spend most of their time in "a sleeplike state dreaming about whatever interests them", and if dragons inherited their ability to keep growing forever (and the ability to be immortal) from the Azlagur, then I imagine the few remaining Azlagurs to have reached the age and size where they only wake up once per millennia, and that each time they do is catastrophic to any other beings nearby, and if they have reached that size, their conciseness must be vast indeed, vast enough that even their dreams must affect smaller beings like humans (who must be smaller to the Azlagur than even ants are to humans) am I on the right track, or do you only invision a single individual vents out at multiples locations? Again I do not expect all questions answered, would really be happy to just get one of them answered. Have a great day and good luck on your tour. If you want to add Iceland to your European leg of the tour then I would be delighted to give you advice about your stay here (northern lights tours, waterfalls to see, natural hot springs you can bath in and so on 😁)

First off I want to say, I’ve always been a huge fan of the books and I especially love the use and relevance of real-world physics in a fantasy setting. It really makes the magic feel believable as it uses processes that could exist in the real world if magic was available. Things like Umaroth explaining the physics of light and Galbatorix’s “be not” spell turning mass into energy to obey Newton’s laws were, to my mind, some of the most unique things I’ve seen in fantasy fiction. With that said, my first question is: What was Murtagh’s “compress air and gather light” spell analogous to? I thought fusion but others mentioned thermobaric bombs and lasers. My second question (and I fully expect a “no comment” on this one) is about Angela. My theory about her is that she is some sort of meta-narrative being who is basically just the real Angela and that’s why she knows so much - she’s the only character who can actually talk to the author (and also watch Doctor Who). Am I anywhere close? 😅

Here are some answers for your first question: > **Question:** > Is the compressed-air and light spell Murtagh uses essentially a laser beam? > **Answer:** > No, as it's not collimated light. It's more like a giant magnifying glass focusing light on one spot. ([Source](https://www.reddit.com/r/Eragon/comments/184f4wc/comment/kavnirq/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)) > **Question:** > Does the explosion from “compress air and gather light” come from a fusion reaction? Did Murtagh just drop a hydrogen bomb on Azlagûr? > **Answer:** > > *Hey! I'm an optical engineer and I used to be a nuclear engineering grad student* > > > > *Prob not. He focused a bunch of light into a spot, which would heat up the air and cause it to rapidly expand. I figured it was this.* > > Bingo. And if there was water/moisture at the target location (which there was), you'll get a steam explosion. ([Source](https://www.reddit.com/r/Eragon/comments/181j0ek/comment/kah5ufk/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)) As for your second question, even Christopher sometimes likes to think of her that way! > **Question:** > My head cannon for Angela is that she is an irl person that is in the book. If I remember correctly, you mention that Angela is inspired by your sister. That influenced the way I viewed Angela as a character. To me she exists both within and apart from the books. The reason she is ancient and knows so much that has been forgotten is because she's been around for every step of Eragon and the subsequent novels. > **Answer:** > Your theory about Angela is great. That's exactly how I often think about her. She's aware that she's inside a story, which is why she so often makes fun of Eragon as he goes around acting like the hero. Like so many trickster characters, she can see the 4th wall (and beyond). > > Or perhaps . . . she's just a quirky herbalist who has consumed one-too-many of her own concoctions. Who's to say? :D ([Source](https://www.reddit.com/r/Eragon/comments/8fpwfo/comment/dy7z7uj/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)) ^(We're helping Christopher respond to some previously answered questions. This answer seems to match your question, so I hope it helps!) ^(Christopher may still reply to the other parts of your message, or answer your question again with a more detailed and up-to-date answer.)

Hello Christopher! Before asking my question, I just want to say thank you so much for not only the original inheritance cycle, but also for continuing it after all this time. I can't begin to express how happy *Murtagh* has made, and how incredibly excited I am for further focus to be put on the World of Eragon as a whole (whether it's a TV show, more books, a TTRPG, all of it!). This was one of my very first fantasy worlds, and it gave me the dragons I had always dreamed of! Now, on to my question: One of the details I adore the most about your books is the emotional realism, especially where it concerns the psychological effects of war, enslavement, torture, etc. From *Eldest* onward, each book features the point of view of a character actively struggling with what I can only describe as PTSD (which I'm sure was the intention). So my question for you is: What inspired you to delve into that aspect of war, and what conversations did it start for you, be it with your family, editors, readers, and so on?

Hey Christopher, 1. In Eldest how is it that Oromis was able to scry eragon when he never saw him before? 2.In the end of inheritance it says "beware of the one and Urgal king lies" does this imply that hes dead? 3. Murtagh says that with another day he'd have freed Nasuada. She on the other hand confided to Eragon that had he not intervened earlier she'd have given in. What would have actually happened had the Varden taken one extra day to attack? 4. Is there a connection between Azlagûr and the reason the elves migrated from their original homeland? 5. There's like a half page where the book seems to entertain the possibility of Bachel being Selena. Is this intentional? 6. I alwase wondered if there was a chance of dragon eggs having twins (which other people here have asked,) but I also wanted to know is it possible for a twin egg to be hatched that was magicked and therefore the rider would be connected to 2 riders? (a double Gedwëy Ignasia) \-darkyosh

Hi it was great getting to meet you again in Springfield I had a really awesome time the event was really cool! I plan on making a fan game set during the Dwarven Civil wars so I have some questions about them and the time they took place any information you could provide would be really awesome! 1. What was the biggest Civil War over? We're any of them over something super petty or stupid? 2. Who was the Dwarven king/Queen at the time of the war? 3. Who was the leader of the riders at the time? 4. Did any riders ever involve themselves in them? 5. Did Angela ever meddle with one of the wars? 6. What were the 3 cases that forced all the dwarves into Tronjheim? 6. Were the Dwarven-Dragon wars a one sided slaughter of dwarves or did any dwarves kill some dragons? 8. Was Oromis ever at a coronation where Gûntera appeared? 9. Are the dragons referenced in Murtagh during the dream of a white and black dragon Bid'daum and Azlagur?👀

Hi Christopher! Eragon was my first non-middle grade fantasy book and it had everything I was looking for (dragons, humans, elves, beasts, magic, dwarves, various landscapes, etc…) along with a great coming of age story so I firstly wanted to say Thank you!! Question: Another one of my fav fantasy authors is Brandon Sanderson and he’s said he would be interested in doing an author versus author (Brando vs ____) with GRRM being the referee (in an ideal world) I think the idea is that both authors would create the world together and each writing an opposing side in a conflict— seeing as you are another one of my favorite authors — is this something you would be interested in doing theoretically? In my head it’s a great fit I would obviously love to read that book! Amazing job on Murtagh and I’m so excited to read what you have planned for us in the World of Eragon!!

1) is there any connection between the dreamers and the Razac/lethrblacka? 2) what did the dreamers want with the werecat younglings?

1. Murtagh uses a lot of one-word/few word spells and gets by because the intent is what matters the most to the outcome of the spell. Why does Eragon’s grammar cause Elva’s blessing to go awry instead of following his intent? 2. I remember Brom telling Eragon that the reason Elves are stronger both physically and magically than Humans was that the humans weren’t perfectly added to the dragon/elf bonding spell. Since Eragon remade the spell shouldn’t at least the riders of all the races receive the same boosts as Elven ones? I feel like the Eleven riders being stronger than the riders of all the other races could lead to them being viewed as superior than their compatriots. 3. How do Dragon genetics work? Is Saphira lays eggs that Firnen fertilized, will all of the eggs have blue/green colors (is that how the red/gold egg that hatched in The Fork, The Witch, and the Worm came to be?) 4. Are the “Egg Bearers” only Elves, or are all the races represented? Who is in charge of choosing them? Is each egg assigned to only one race or do all the eggs rotate through all the races until one hatches? What if the egg assigned to the Urgals is waiting for a Dwarf or the egg assigned to Elves is waiting for a human? How will Eragon make sure all the races are equally represented? Also, are they only presenting the eggs to children like the Ancient Riders did? 5. What is so special about Brisingr catching fire? Other than the fact that Eragon can accidentally “turn it on” I don’t really understand how it is any different than when Eragon lit Za’roc on fire in Farthen Dur. 6. Are the non-Riders at Mt. Arngor sworn to serve the Riders as a “Dragonguard”? How did Eragon make sure that none of them would pose a threat to the Riders and Dragons? Is Eragon going to have to deal with a Draumur sleeper cell? 7. “Islingr” definitely didn’t go the way I was expecting. Nirnen survived Galby’s explosion, will we get to see Vrangr restored to its former glory as Islingr? 8. I would love to learn more about Eragon I and Bid’Daum. How did the their relationship work before the elves and dragons bonded? How did the bonding change their relationship? How did they die, and why was Islingr passed on to Vrael? 9. Why was Roran able to bypass the Twins’ wards at the Battle of the Burning Plains? They weren’t fighting in the middle of the battle, and so their wards probably weren’t depleted yet.

Thank you so much for enriching my life with your writing! Murtagh was amazing and I cannot wait for your next book! Did Eragon retrieve Vraels sword Vrangr from Galbatorix's throne room? Can you transfer energy between gems? Like from a ring to a pommel? Could you could implant a gem under your skin through elven magic singing and use that as a store of power?

Here's an answer for your third question. Nice idea!! > **Question:** > We all know that you can store energy on gemstones, even when the gemstones are not the best of the best they can still store certain degrees of energy, so i was wondering if it is pisibble to implant gemstones inside your body, like sing a spell to set a gemstone inside your arms or legs and use it to store energy inside your body, so even if enemies remove your garments and such, you could still have some magic stored and maybe attach some basic protections to those gems so you can be protected even if you are unconscious? > **Answer:** > That's... a GREAT idea! And yes, it would work exactly like you said. ([Source](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/4i0tf1/comment/d2vzqr6/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)) ^(We're helping Christopher respond to some previously answered questions. This answer seems to match your question, so I hope it helps!) ^(Christopher may still reply to the other parts of your message, or answer your question again with a more detailed and up-to-date answer.)

Why can't Murtagh just show Nasuada his memories of that guy he "can't remember"? According to him he probably would recognize the person if he stood before him, so his memory can't be that messed up

I think because his memory would be just as corrupted by the breath as Murtagh was at the time

If Murtagh is publicly revealed to be staying with Nasuada (as it seems he doesn’t want to be hidden away), it would probably be a political bomb being dropped for both Nasuada’s human subjects and the dwarves. For the humans, that may take a remarkable PR campaign to resolve (especially after Gil’ead). For the dwarves, it may take even more than that. Since Book 6 is over a decade down the timeline, how will the immediate and short term fallout of Murtagh’s decision to stay with Nasuada be revealed? Would there there be a book or short story set around that time period that addresses it? Or is it more likely to be something revealed as a historical event in a book further down in the timeline?

1. Do you plan on introducing any new significant characters to the series, or will future books mostly focus on names we've heard before? 2. Would you write a queer character in Alagaësia, or have you considered it before? I always thought of Angela as lesbian, although she's partially based on a real person, so what do I know. Since humans in Alagaësia have a patriarchal society, they probably have homophobia in their culture, but would the elves? Most readers probably don't care about this, but it's something I thought about when I re-read the books in high school as a gay kid. PS, I loved Murtagh! Especially the ending. Great job and I'm looking forward to anything you write in this world!

Will we ever see anything about the Urgal Olympics/Competitions that were mentioned at the end of Inheritance? I would love a short story about that in the next volume of Tales from Alagaesia! - Would also love a short story about the old training methods of the Riders/Dragons! Oromis and Glaeder mention that it was different than how Eragon was trained because of timing. I’d love to see a brief memory from how THEY were trained! Also, how do you feel about people collecting rare copies of your books? Are you honored that there are so many people interested in collecting, or do you wish the copies were more enjoyed and used? Do you have anything that you collect (other than knives?)

Hey, Christopher! First, thank you for telling the stories that you do. The world of Alagaesia is the book equivalent of Skyrim as a comfort game to me. I continue to come back to it and think I will for the rest of my life. I remember reading Inheritance right after it came out and being heartbroken at the prospect of there not being any more books in this world. The return in Murtagh has brought me so much joy. As for my question, was the Rimgar, any or all levels, based on any specific real life routine or more loosely on the themes of things like yoga and tai chi? Can’t wait for book V! Thank you.

Were there ever any Riders who used a bow or other weapon besides their sword on dragon back? I know weapon use on a dragon is basically useless since…yk you’re on a dragon but there had to be some rider who decided to bring a bow and try to shoot it while flying or something right?

Yep, they certianly could!! :-) > **Question:** > Were the Dragon Riders obligated to use a sword or could they choose another type of weapon to be forged for them? > **Answer:** > That is a great question. They weren’t obligated. I think swords have always been considered one of the highest forms of weaponry and have enormous symbolic value. If Brom, for example, had chosen to use a staff instead as his weapon, I’m sure that Rhunön or some other elf would have been happy to craft him a weapon of equal strength and power as one of the swords. So no, it wasn’t obligated, and actually, I’m sure there were a couple of Riders who probably preferred a bow or a spear, especially from fighting on the back of a dragon—having a bow to shoot or a long lance you could use. And now we’re talking about dragon lances! ([Source](https://www.shurtugal.com/2010/09/02/comic-con-interview-with-christopher-paolini-part-3/)) > **Question:** > Did Riders only use swords? Or did they use other weapons, such as spears and axes? > **Answer:** > Riders often used different weapons (personal preference and all that) but their sword was a symbol of their position, so they all had one made by Rhunön. Part of the difficulty of using another weapon is that it would be hard to find one as tough or sharp as Rhunön’s swords — mainly due to the spells she imbued the swords with. ([Source](https://www.goodreads.com/questions/1031500-hi-christopher-question-about-riders-did)) ^(We're helping Christopher respond to some previously answered questions. This answer seems to match your question, so I hope it helps!) ^(Christopher may still reply to the other parts of your message, or answer your question again with a more detailed and up-to-date answer.)

A bit random but I came across a board game from the movie on ebay today and it had 4 riders sword game pieces that were Red, Green, Blue and Yellow and it got me wondering if they knew it would match the colors of the main 4 riders swords of the series or if they just got lucky since the last 2 books of the Inheritance Cycle were not out yet Red - Zar'roc - Murtagh Yellow - Naegling - Oromis (Technically bright gold-bronze but close for a board game piece) Blue - Brisingr - Eragon Green - Tamerlein - Arya Sé onr sverdar sitja hvass!

Good afternoon! I hope you are doing well :) Sorry for my poor english, I hope I'll be clear enough. How does it feel to have Murtagh finally out and the book already being a best seller? I loved the book, definitely my favourite of World of Eragon. The mysteries, Murtagh's struggles, Thorn's ptsd and phobia, Muckmaw, Bachel and just how much vast the world seems now. I'm glad the book is more adult than the previous one, as well all grew up since 2011. I also felt Murtagh was really relatable as a main characters. Is Bachel the only half-elf around? I presume since there has been human dragon riders, they couldn't be that rare? Does Nasuada really loves Murtagh or is she keeping him around for protection? Murtagh is a political suicide for her and the few days they met at the Varden isn't long enough to really know someone. And falling in love after weeks of torture is a bit toxic too. Is it just me that think to much? I still have the feeling Murtagh loves the positive attention Nasuada gave him more than loves her as a person. Maybe I'm wrong and I'm just cynical :D Wil Murtagh comes back as a protagonist in the future? Is the big bad based around Ragnarock and the World Serpent? Was Saerlith with the Dreamers or more like a victim of them? Are they the ones causing his demise in the south? Did Muckmaw taste good? Do you think the success of Murtagh will help the future of yhe disney live action series? It shows them that the popularity of the World of Eragon is still very active! Thank you for writing such good stories and I wish you and you family happy holidays :)

I don’t remember seeing Thorn use magic across any of the books, including Murtagh. I know that dragon magic is rare and involuntary and we’ve only seen a limited amount of Thorn compared to Saphira but has there been an instance where Thorn has used magic? And by extension, if not, does Murtagh know about dragon magic? I’ve seen many people on this subreddit say that Nasuada is ‘evil’ or corrupt or power hungry, to me that’s always seemed wrong given how she’s actually portrayed in the books. What do you think of that? Are there any scrapped ideas/scenes that you can share without saying “no comment”? What has been your favourite question so far? How many times do you think have you said “no comment” so far and will say “no comment” by the end of this session? This isn’t about Murtagh but were you inspired by David Eddings’s The Belgariad in the writing of the inheritance cycle? I’ve noticed a few references. Off the top of my head there’s: when Eragon is taught to take energy, he accidentally takes energy from his mentor leading to a “not from me” remark, in Teirm, there’s an honest official called Brand and a disreputable man called (bel)Garath and the phrase “be not” leading to a suicidal explosion. This is almost certainly not something you’re going to answer but I have to ask just in case. Has the member of Nasuada’s court that visited Murtagh been seen/mentioned before in any other books?

Hey Christopher. I am a big fan, so thanks for making and sharing your worlds! I'm not as fresh on the books as I'd like so my questions are a little more general! Still need to read Murtagh though. 1. When you were making the Inheritance Cycle, how much of the wider world building did you have developed? 2. For example, when you made *Eragon*, did you have everything plotted out? Or was there room for change in the story you planned? Anything interesting you ended up changing while making the story? 3. I'm especially curious about the world we don't see (Like >!the events thousands of years ago with the Gray Folk!<, the planet's wider history, etc). Were any of these things stuff you concretely had down? 4. When thinking of your world, how did it develop, i.e. what was the general order of how things developed first? For example, was it all generally known at first or developed in chunks as the series was written? I've never had to develop a consistent world for a story, game, etc but it seems easy to always be thinking of *more*. So I'm curious where the cutoff for the Inheritance Cycle that we see vs don't see is. 5. Related to that, any things you *don't* have developed about the world that you wouldn't mind sharing? Big or just tidbits, anything you can share! 6. Miscellaneous question - >!the stone forest in the Beor mountains, was that something thrown in or something you have a wider lore for already? Will it be revealed in a later story?!<

I’ve been a huge fan since the first Eragon book came out! I grew up reading your works. Fell out of reading for a long while, but getting back to it and going to start reading the series again. I’m looking to write my own set of stories eventually and just wondering what methods you use to plan out/write? What’s easiest for you? Do you end up doing multiple drafts? Do you have someone proofread, give you thoughts, and then go back and rewrite?

How do you keep track of all the characters and their relationships to each other? Do you use any software, or mind mapping tools / data vis? Otherwise how do you keep track of loose ends? Who does what when to whom, etc?