Dragon Rider (Inheritance Cycle) - Notable Dragons

Notable Dragons

Next to the Dwarves the dragons are the only original race in Alagaësia. The dwarves had fear, hate and reluctant awe for the dragons. It was said that when a thunder of dragons (appropriately named for when they flew overhead it sounded like thunder) flew over head they looked a magnificent shifting rainbow. When the elves first arrived in Alagaësia on the boats from the Silver Sea, they believed the dragons to be nothing more than unintelligent beasts. For this reason a young elf hunted and killed a dragon as he would a deer. The dragons were outraged by this and killed the young elf. These are the events that started Du Fyrn Skulblaka (The Dragon War). The Dragon War lasted for five bloodly years with both sides taking heavy losses. The war was finally ended when a young elf named Eragon found a white dragon egg abandoned on the edge of the cliff. It isn't known if the egg was left there intentionly or not. When the dragon hatched Eragon named him Bid'daum. When Bid'daum was large enough to carry Eragon they flew around Alagaësia and created peace between the dragons and elves. To make sure a war between the two races never happened again Queen Tarmunora, queen of the elves at the time and the leader of the dragons whose name can't be said in this language made a pact to create the Dragon Riders. When the humans came to Alagaësia they were also added to the pact. At the end of Inheritance Eragon Bromsson also adds the Urgals and Dwarves to the pact. Here is a list of the famous dragons:

• Saphira Brightscales - The blue female dragon bonded to the human Rider Eragon Bromsson. She was one of the three dragon eggs in the possession of Galbatorix and the first of the three eggs to hatch. She appeared to Eragon in the woods while he was hunting. She was believed to be the last female dragon in existence until they found the dragon eggs on Vroengard. She is also known as Bjartskular (Brightscales in the Ancient Language) When the green dragon egg Fírnen hatched for the Rider Arya Fírnen and Saphira fell in love but knew they could never be for Rider Eragon and Saphira had to leave Alagaësia to find a place to train the new dragons and Riders. She is the daughter of Iormûngr, a male dragon bonded to a Rider and Vervada a wild female dragon.
• Thorn - The red male dragon bonded to the human Rider Murtagh. He was the second egg of Galbatorix to hatch. Although he hatched after Saphira he quickly grew larger than her within a few months due to Galbatorix's tampering. Galbatorix found his and Murtagh true names in the Ancient Language. He is responsible for killing Glaedr and helped in killing Shruikan. The last three feet of his tail were bitten off by Glaedr. Once Galbatorix is killed and Thorn and Murtagh are free from their oaths in the Ancient Language to him they fly north saying that they need time to recover and heal from everything that has happened. It is unknown whose Thorn's mother and sire were.
• Fírnen - The green male dragon bonded to the elven Rider Arya. He was the last egg of Galbatorix to hatch. He was retrieved by Arya from Galbatorix's citadel after Galbatorix was killed. Arya was taking him back to Du Weldenvarden and as they crossed the border he hatched. When Eragon and Saphira first met him he still had the gangly look of youth, yet his mental voice was deeper than any dragon or Eldunarí according to Eragon. He and Saphira fell in love as soon as they met. It is unknown who Fírnen's sire and mother were.
• Shruikan - The crazed black male dragon of Galbatorix. After Galbatorix's first dragon, Jarnunvösk, was killed by Urgals and the Elder Riders refused to give him another dragon he killed Shruikan's Rider and used black magic to re-create the bond between dragon and Rider. Like Thorn, Galbatorix tampered with Shruikan to make him grow faster. When Shruikan walked on the ground it sounded like earthqaukes and when he flew he blotted out the sun and stars. He was killed in Inheritance by Arya with a Dauthdaert, 12 spears created by the elves during Du Fyrn Skulblaka made for killing dragons. It is unknown who his sire and mother are.
• Glaedr - The gold dragon bonded to the elven Rider Oromis. Glaedr and Oromis were the only Riders of the Old that survived the Fall. Like his Rider Oromis, Glaedr suffers from a disability. During the Fall a Rider of the Forsworn cut 89 Glaedr's left foreleg. He and Oromis were Eragon and Saphira's masters. When Saphira first met she wanted to mate with Glaedr for she thought he would be the only dragon not under Galbatorix's control. But Glaedr rejected her approaches. In Brisingr when Glaedr and Oromis are preparing to fly to Gil'ead to assist the elves, Glaedr entrusts his Eldunaríto Eragon and Saphira. Glaedr and Oromis are killed by Thorn and Murtagh. Glaedr's mother is Nithring, she of the long tail and his sire is unknown.
• Saphira I - The namesake of Saphira Brightscales this Saphira was a blue female dragon bonded to the Rider Brom. When Saphira Brightscales hatched Eragon went to Brom asking about the names of the dragons and unknowningly named is dragon after Brom's. Saphira died in the Fall and Brom went mad for a time. It is believed that she was a different shade of blue from Saphira Brightscales because Rhunön, the elf smith who made all the Dragon Rider swords, said that Saphira's scales would make a beautiful blade color. It is unknown who her mother and sire were.
• Umaroth - The white male dragon bonded to the Rider Vrael, leader of the Dragon Riders. Although Umaroth's body was destroyed in the Fall, he lives on in his Eldunarí. He is the speaker of all the Eldunarí that were sealed away in the Vault of Souls. It is unknown who his mother and sire were.
• Valdr - Meaning ruler in the Ancient Language, Valdr was the oldest Eldunarí in the Vault of Souls. Valdr was a wild dragon and his color is unknown. Like most of the wild dragons, Valdr used images and sensations instead of words. It is unknown who his mother and sire were.
• Bid'daum - The first dragon ever to be bonded to a Rider. This white male dragon was bonded to the first Rider Eragon I. Bid'daum's egg was found on a cliff side by Eragon I. It is unknown if he was left there on purpose or not. When Paolini was asked if Bid'daum and Eragon I could still be alive he simply answered "No comment". It is unknown who his mother and sire were.
• Belgabad - An immense wild dragon. He lived in the icy reaches of the north and flew to the aid of the dragons when he heard that Galbatorix was slaughtering them. His ribs were at least 80 feet high and 15 feet wide at the thickest. His skull alone was longer and taller than the main part of Saphira's torso. He is a distant ancestor of Raugmar the Black and his color is unknown. It was claimed by Galbatorix that his cape and gloves were made of Belgabad's wings. It is unknown who his mother and sire were.
• Raugmar the Black - Raugmar was an ancient male wild dragon. His color was black and he is a distant descendent of Belgabad. He was also the great-great-great-grandsire of Saphira's mother, Vervada.