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ELVES
History
The elves arrived in Alagaësia thousands of years ago on ships from the land
of Alalëa. They inhabited much of the land and lived in peace for some years.
However, peace for the elfish race was not destined to last. They made a deadly
mistake when they assumed dragons to be mere animals. A young elf hunted a
dragon and killed it like he would a deer, sparking a war between the
two races that lasted many years.
Eventually, the war ended when the elves and dragons were able to come to an
agreement to create the Riders. They would rule over the land to
make sure no such feud between the two races ever occurred again.
Before this bond, the elves had life spans similar to humans and had no
special magical ability. However, this bond not only gave the elfish race
immortality but also their great magical power. It reshaped the race
dramatically.
Even so, this bond was not powerful enough to keep war away forever. Many
years later, a human rider, Galbatorix, lost his dragon in folly. He took to
revenge when the elders would not grant him another dragon. This resulted in
another bloody war in which almost all dragon riders lost their life.
Galbatorix then took the thrown and has held his position ever since.
To protect their race, the elves went into seclusion. They chose the forest
of Du Weldenvarden to build their new life in. The forest is now known as a
place to avoid in the outside world as it is carefully and thoroughly
protected by the elves from the inside by magical barriers.
The current leader of the elves is Queen Islanzadi. She lives in Ellesméra,
the capital of Du Weldenvarden. Her daughter, Arya, is one of the few who
has ventured out of the forest since the elves went into seclusion. She
worked with the Varden carrying a dragon egg, stolen from Galbatorix, to and
from the Varden's base in Farthen Dűr to Ellesméra, hoping for the egg to
hatch and start up a new legacy of dragon riders.
Religion, Beliefs and Lifestyle
The elfin race does not follow any religion. They believe that there is not
enough evidence to prove that there is a deity of any sort of supernatural
force that controls the planet. The elves would believe in a higher power
only when they have undisputable proof of one. However, they do have an
interesting culture and some strict beliefs.
Elves are all vegetarians. They believe that all forms of life should be
respected and therefore, it is not just to kill and eat animals without
necessity. The race as a whole has a great love for nature and the things
that live within it. As a past time, they sometimes enter inside an animals
mind and this is one of the main reasons why elves do not eat animals; they
know what life and living feels like to the animal and so cannot take that
life away from them.
Both genders in elfin society have equal status and rights. There have been
monarchs from both genders and neither are more respected or worthy than the
other. Elves do not practice marriage and they can have as many partners as
they want. Although elves are immortal they have children very rarely and as
a result, having a child is seen as the most complete bond of trust.
Elves can achieve many things they want by magic. This means that they don’t
need to farm or work for food and other such necessities. This fact, along
with their immortality, enables elves to focus their energy on other things.
Rhunön, for example, is an expert sword smith who used to make the rider’s
swords when they were still at large. She was able to perfect her skill,
making each sword powerful as well as a work of art.
Role in the Novel
At the beginning of Eragon, Arya is transporting a dragon egg, stolen
from Galbatorix, back to Ellesméra with the aim of trying to get the egg to
hatch for an elf. However, Arya gets intercepted and taken prisoner by the
shade, Durza. She just manages to transport the egg, using magic, to
Carvahall before she is taken prisoner. This is how Eragon finds the dragon
egg and so becomes a rider.
Eventually, after dreaming of Arya, Eragon decides to go and find her.
Eragon and Murtagh manage to free her and they take her to the Varden. Here,
as an elf, Arya holds a lot of respect and prestige. Although, it is not just
her race that gives her this status; she is also the daughter of the Queen
Islanzadi.
When battle wages in Farthen Dűr, we glimpse some of the ability of elves.
Arya is a superb magician as well as an exceptional warrior. She helps kill
Durza by destroying the dwarves’ precious Isidar Mithrim.
In Eldest, elves play a more prominent role as Eragon and Saphira go to
Du Weldenvarden to complete their training. Another rider and his dragon are
introduced, Oromis and Glaedr, who are to be the tutors for Eragon and Saphira.
They survived the war with Galbatorix and hid in the safety of Du Weldenvarden.
The pair are very wise and a great help in improving Eragon and Saphira's
battle and magical skills.
Later, the Agaetí Blödhren, also known as the Blood-Oath Celebration, takes
place. It is a celebration of the pact formed between elves and dragons.
This is a big turning point for Eragon. Owing to the powerful magic
surrounding the celebration, he gets his crippling wound, given to him by
Durza, healed. He also makes the transformation that humans make, when they
become a rider, to be more elf-like. This includes becoming faster, stronger
and more elfin in appearance. Ordinarily, this occurs over many years but
the magic at the Agaetí Blödhren must have triggered something so that the
metamorphosis occurred in just one evening.
The elf Arya also serves as the main love interest in the series. However,
Eragon’s love for Arya is unrequited and unappreiciated. Arya is also an
important figure within the Varden. She advises the Varden and Nasuada as
well as being the unofficial representitive of the elves. She is the only
elf at the battle of the Burning Plains in Eldest.
Role in the Future
There is much speculation that the next dragon rider will be an elf; more
specifically, Arya. This could be the catalyst that would join the two
forces, the elves and the Varden, together in opposition to Galbatorix.
Elves are the race responsible for starting up the dragon riders. These
dragon riders brought peaceful rule over the Empire and then, just as
quickly, caused the demise of the same Empire, many years later. The elfin
race has excellent magical abilities and infinite wisdom and experience.
Can this race bring the land they sailed to thousands of years previously
back from the brink of destruction and chaos? Do they have the strength
physically and mentally to over-throw the powerful and deadly dictator
Galbatorix? We will find out in the next two books in the series if powerful
elfish personalities, such as Islanzadi and Oromis, can play their cards
right and help bring peace, yet again, to Alagaësia.
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