#Ra’zac

[thearunadragon]

Got new pens and sketchbook for my birthday so I drew an Eragon and Saphira doodle :)

[thankyouretinazer]

❗️❗️❗️

Alagaësia Lore And Headcanons Series, Part 1.5: The Ra'zac Life Cycle

(please note that this is all headcanons)

The Ra'zac life cycle resembles that of a dragonfly, but their family behavior is closer to that of a bee hive and certain bird species

under typical condition, the Ra'zac are a highly social species living in hives

eggs are laid by fully grown Lethrblaka. they are smaller and longer than dragon eggs and their shell resembles porous rock

hatchlings are about the size of a cat and are very much like baby birds. though they are not blind and are highly curious about their surroundings immediately after hatching, they are weak and vulnerable. their exoskeleton remains soft for years and gradually hardens until they grow to the size of an adult human. early after hatching they are incapable of hunting on their own, but they are able to feed on dead or live prey if it is previously immobilized

older juveniles approaching the size of a grown human take on the role of caretakers. their smaller size in comparison to Lethrblaka and their dexterous hands allow them to efficiently care for eggs and younger juveniles (after the Ra'zac war and the near extinction of the species, this task was picked up by the Helgrind cult). Ra'zac whose exoskeletons have sufficiently hardened can also venture outside the hive and hunt on their own. in this life stage they are adept mimics, capable of reproducing human speech

when the right conditions are met, a Ra'zac will undergo partial metamorphosis. it will shed its exoskeleton piece by piece and wings will emerge from the hump on their back. this is an exhausting matter that may take hours and the Ra'zac is blind and largely immobile and dependent on its hive for protection. once free of its exoskeleton, it still retains its humanoid physique, its skin is soft and its wings are frail this intermediate stage may be the one corresponding with the fourth unnamed peak of Helgrind, since it is not technically a separate life stage on its own, it may be the source of questioning the worthiness of being worshipped by the cultists

a Lethrblaka will continue to grow for a few years after moulting, its skin will harden to a leather-like quality and its wings will develop powerful flight muscles. its whole physique becomes longer, sleeker and more aerodynamic, it will develop a head crest and a long tail to aid in maneuvering. these changes also lead to the loss of their speech-mimicking abilities

the role of a grown Lethrblaka is to hunt over large swathes of land, bringing in humans to feed the younger members of their hive. Lethrblaka themselves are capable of eating any other kind of animal, but need to eat relatively little, mostly focusing on providing for their hive. a single Lethrblaka with a hive of ten juveniles at varying stages of growth can easily decimate a village of 150 within half a year

while Lethrblaka are the reproductive stage, it is the Ra'zac that disperse to start new hives. when a hive becomes too large, a pair or a small group of Ra'zac take a number of eggs and settle in an area populated by humans, where they blend in and live undercover as long as they can continue stealthily killing enough humans to feed their younger siblings, or until one of them matures into a Lethrblaka

[everythingloveandanimated]

Eragon: Do… do you regret helping me? Saving me from the Ra’zac and Gil’ead?

Murtagh: … No. You ended up saving everyone.

(Eragon breathes a quiet sigh of relief)

Murtagh: What I regret, is thinking that you would have my back the way I had yours.

[alagaesia-headcanons]

*rubs my grubby little hands together* alright here we go~ stick with me for a minute, this Does come around to murtagh and eragon's relationship i promise

-

I find it ironic that the circumstances of Murtagh’s life that went so awry- his capture by the Empire, his and Thorn’s enslavement using their true names, and them being forced to fight against the Varden- can paint him in a particularly selfish light. Eragon’s perspective reveals some of this, like the way he calls Murtagh’s oaths to Galbatorix a betrayal, one that favors his own wellbeing over Eragon and the Varden, or how he feels like Murtagh takes satisfaction in his new power and in lashing out at the world. And the fact that these things can be seen as self-serving specifically is ironic because it directly contradicts the actual quality of his character. Every time we see Murtagh acting of his own volition, over and over it proves that, more than anything, he is deeply devoted to the people he cares about- to a self sacrificing extent- and that he has an innate desire to help others.

Repeatedly, Murtagh puts protecting his loved ones above his own safety, and that’s true even in the act Eragon calls a betrayal. When they talk in Uru’baen, Murtagh admits to Nasuada that he willingly chose to swear loyalty to Galbatorix, but also reveals that he only did so after Thorn hatched. Murtagh himself had already suffered savage torture without relenting, yet solely for the sake of Thorn, to keep his hatchling partner from suffering as well, only then does Murtagh swear loyalty. And this is a self sacrifice. This undermines what he tried to make of his life before being recaptured- striking back against the Empire, aiding Eragon and Saphira, and proving his good will to the Varden. He had to give up all these things about himself and submit to slavery under a man he loathes, but Murtagh was willing to do that to protect Thorn.

And yet, while still trapped so hopelessly under Galbatorix’s thumb, Murtagh also goes out of his way to help Nasuada too. He convinces the king to capture her in the first place, instead of simply killing her, and whether or not this was his place, it demonstrates how he genuinely doesn’t want her to be harmed. He goes out of his way to help Nasuada by healing her pain, warning her about illusions, and promising to help her escape. And he makes good on that. From what he tells Eragon in their last duel, he had a plan to free her the next day. Murtagh goes to great lengths that put him at great risk. Galbatorix could have just as well discovered his interference and then nothing would have saved him from violent punishment. Freeing her would have guaranteed that. There’s nothing for him to gain, yet he still does these things for Nasuada time and time again.

The care Murtagh gives to Thorn and Nasuada proves that his selfless protectiveness toward his loved ones is a persistent part of his nature, but it’s never more clear than it is in his relationship with Eragon in the first book.

In Inheritance, Murtagh tells Nasuada that his initial motivation for going out to track the Ra’zac was to hurt the Empire and to prove himself as more than his father’s son. Nevertheless, from the time that he saved Eragon from the Ra’zac onwards, he demonstrates a desire to help that goes beyond a personal gain. On the contrary, I feel like his constant willingness to help while he personally strives to be recognized as his own person indicates that his helpfulness is a genuine part of his nature that shapes his desires and actions. And that nature shows itself repeatedly. Murtagh rescues Eragon a second time when he’s captured in Gil’ead, planning with Saphira and sneaking his way in to free him. When Eragon later thanks him for it, his response is, “‘I’m just glad I could help. It...’ Murtagh faltered and rubbed his face.”

After going to great lengths and knowingly risking his life to free Eragon from Gil’ead, Murtagh's instinctual response to his gratitude is that he simply wanted to help his friend. And this comes up again. When they fight in the Hadarac Desert, Eragon tells Murtagh he never had to travel with him or rescue him. “‘I haven’t forced you to do anything.’” Murtagh’s response is always funny to me because he’s irritable, afraid, and angry and so he’s deliberately trying to be mean and act like he doesn’t care about Eragon, and yet his reply is, “‘Oh, not openly, no. What else could I do but help you with the Ra’zac? And then later, at Gil’ead, how could I have left with a clear conscience? The problem with you...is that you’re so totally helpless that you force everyone to take care of you!’”

It does nothing except prove how much he cares about Eragon and wants to help him! “‘What else could I do but help you with the Ra’zac?’” is especially funny because the glaringly obvious answer is to just. not help. But then that makes it clear that Murtagh so genuinely and inherently believes he should help that he doesn’t see not helping as a real option. And even though he phrases it insultingly in his frustration, what he ultimately says about Gil’ead is that he couldn’t have made himself abandon Eragon when he couldn’t defend himself. He would have felt too guilty because he considers saving him the right thing to do.

I feel like a large part of this springs from Murtagh’s core morality and desire to do good, but there is also an element rooted in his relationship with Eragon specifically. They get along; Murtagh likes him and he trusts him and that matters when the help he gives him puts him at such risk. Murtagh is self sacrificing in the way he protects and looks after Eragon. Sneaking in to Gil’ead to rescue him could have cost him his life- Eragon himself acknowledges that when he thanks him for it.  And the risks he takes for him aren’t just overblown or inconsequential. When Murtagh enters Gil’ead beforehand, in Eragon’s stead, to find out the Varden’s location, he’s recognized and has to flee. When he stays with Eragon as they run from the Urgal army, it forces him to the Varden where he’s imprisoned.

And yet those repercussions don’t undermine Murtagh’s devotion to Eragon. Even when they reach the Varden, the one place Murtagh did not want to go and will rob him of his freedom, his heartfelt care for Eragon doesn’t falter. After Eragon’s mind is searched by one of the Twins who then tries to do the same to Murtagh, they have this exchange:

“‘Eragon has been declared trustworthy, so you cannot threaten to kill him to influence me. Since you can’t do that, nothing you say or do will convince me to open my mind.’ Sneering, the bald man cocked what would have been an eyebrow, if he had any. ‘What of your own life? I can still threaten that.’ ‘It won’t do any good,’ said Murtagh stonily and with such conviction that it was impossible to doubt his word.”

Murtagh’s statement is striking to me because the blatant, undeniable meaning behind it is that, if they’d tried to test Murtagh first and threatened to kill Eragon if he didn’t comply, he would have done it. Murtagh would have let the Twin examine his mind to save Eragon’s life. And the privacy and sanctity of his mind is of paramount importance to him. He says as much to Ajihad when he also tries to convince him to be examined. He declares as much right here! Murtagh explicitly states that protecting Eragon’s life is the singular thing that could make him yield. He would give up his own life before exposing his mind. This has even more gravity for Murtagh specifically. He’s self sacrificing, but not reckless in the same way several of the other main characters are. He’s not one to toss his life aside; he fights hard to survive. So his willingness to die to guard his mind hammers home how important that is to him.

Because of that, even though such a situation never came to pass, Murtagh’s admission that he would give that up to protect Eragon’s life is the most salient proof of his devotion to me. And that’s considering he also fights the Ra’zac and infiltrates Gil’ead for him! I honestly don’t have another word for it- Murtagh holds a truly profound devotion to Eragon that is built upon his desire to help others and to fervently protect the people he cares for. These aspects are so integral to him that they determine his most significant choices.

[alhalgorithm]

So after rereading the first four books of The Inheritance cycle and the Fork the Witch and the Worm here are my predictions for Murtagh.

-Murtagh goes after witch woman bachel

-The newest rider is revealed to be an Urgal

-Murtagh also attempts to hunt down the remaining eggs of the Ra’Zac

These are all that my lizard brain can really infer. Feel free to respond with any spoiler. I won’t open this app until I’ve finished reading Murtagh.

[magicandmundane]

Murtagh Spoilers!!

What the FUCK is going in Gil’ead?!

How’d they get one of Eragon and Arya’s gilded lilies?!

And is that a fucking Ra’zac egg?!?! The one Galbatorix and his goons said was still hidden???

Shit’s about to get weird.

[saphira-approves]

I feel so bad for Paolini thinking he was so clever for using divers as old words and then us going typo (i didn't notice it at all actually it was kinda auto corrected in brain to the definition)

also the bit that tripped me up the most is Garrows farm is it closer to therinsford or carvahall?

I mean, it’s kind of his thing! As a lot of people have been saying, I definitely expanded my vocabulary into some Niche words and phrases when I first read the books as a kid.

The farm is within a few hours’ walk of Carvahall, but definitely hours. Therinsford is a couple days’ walk. I assumed Murtagh knew what he was looking for, and had an approximate idea of the area either from Eragon’s description or from the Twins’ invasion of Eragon’s memories. The second possibility does make me wonder about the timing of Thorn’s hatching, and if Galbatorix had wanted to send Murtagh to Carvahall to help the Ra’zac capture Roran.

[inheritancetrain]

There was something genuinely sad about how frankly Nar Garzhvog discussed the possible annihilation of his entire people. He knew that an alliance with the Varden was their only chance, but even that was slim.

The annihilation of the dragons was mourned. The annihilation of the ra’zac was celebrated. The impending annihilation of the Urgals was just kinda there, and Eragon didn’t react strongly either way. And Garzhvog just accepts it.

[ashleybenlove]

Saphira: “I am impressed that the Ra’zac can bewitch their prey into wanting to be eaten.” And then says “Perhaps I shall attempt it someday.”

And Eragon is like, but not people. lol. (He suggests sheep lol).

[tiredneutron]

Damn.

I forgot that meeting Murtagh was in such poor conditions. I really hope those arrows he hit them with give the Ra’zac issues for a long while

And so it was that Brom the storyteller died.

[1995lahaine]

secret good eragon part 3 etc etc fuck this is getting long. anyways

ep7 FAKEOUT we’re with the varden suddenly!!!! who are these people??? we meet ajihad, nasuada, orik, hrothgar etc as they face the incoming march of durza & the urgals and scramble to discover what happened to arya, now that it has become clear she is not merely delayed but something far worse. meanwhile, eragon, brom and saphira are on their way to dras leona, and eragon is dereaming more and more frequently about the elf woman in mortal danger. brom does not tell him who she is, though he knows - eragon would only want to charge to save her and sentence them all to death. they are not in the CITY THAT EATS YOU dras leona for long before the ra’zac ambush and attack them. they are saved by a mysterious stranger, but brom is stabbed. as he dies, he blesses eragon and reveals the truth: he was once a rider with a dragon named saphira, and whispers seven further words of the ancient language to eragon. the stranger introduces himself as murtagh, and stares strangely at eragon’s sword, but helps them to carry brom’s body away. they bury him and saphira turns his tomb to diamond. back in tronjheim, the message brom and jeod had sent reaches the varden: there is a new rider.

ep8. murtagh, eragon and saphira journey towards gilead - eragon and murtagh spar, proving that eragon is still no master, but murtagh offers some advice. it is when they’re exhausted from such training that eragon is captured by urgals. in tronjheim, the varden attempt to track this new rider - brom and jeod’s message was that they would journey to gilead, but no sighting of brom or strange events have been reported there. nasuada is terrified for her friend arya, but the others seem not to care so much for the elf’s safety now they know the egg has hatched - presumably with a human rider. murtagh and saphira follow the urgals to an underground prison. inside, eragon awakes, and in a cell near his, can see the woman who has been haunting his dreams. the shade durza appears, taunting him, but does not harm him physically. during durza’s absence, he realises he’s been underestimated, and escapes his cell using magic. he cannot, however, get arya’s cell open. murtagh and saphira storm the prison and find eragon outside her cell, and being the little bitch he is (affectionate) he’s refusing to leave without her, to their extreme annoyance. they tear down the cell wall and escape with arya unconscious, fleeing into the mountains. arya’s condition worsens, and aware of their psychic link though he doesn’t understand it, eragon is able to break through her weakened mental walls and speak with her. she warns that they must reach the varden soon if she is to survive, and reveals they are situated in the dwarven capital. the group sets out across the desert.

ep9. exhausted and beaten down, eragon, murtagh, saphira, and arya reach the edge of farthen dur. murtagh stops, refusing to follow. he reveals that his father was morzan, but before he can flee, the kull appear and force them to take shelter in the now-revealed doors to farthen dur. the twins and ajihad appear: eragon begs them to take arya and cure her. eragon and murtagh are taken for questioning, where the the twins probe into his mind - painfully. saphira, outraged, roars the whole time. murtagh has learned to fend off such attacks, and refuses to be tested, being imprisoned - but they discover his heritage through their brutal questioning of eragon, anyways. eragon is given brom’s ring, meets hrothgar, meets ajihad. angela and solembum appear again, to his shock. he meets and ‘blesses’ elva. arya and nasuada reunite and it’s SWEET and CUTE ok. ajihad questions whether eragon is ready to fight for more than just his own survival and his quest for revenge - whether he is truly sympathetic to the varden or cares about the liberation of alagaesia. both arya and ajihad insist that he must remain unbound to one group, but hope that he will fight for what is right. arya and eragon spar, and though eragon is still no perfect swordsman, arya accepts that saphira hatched for him for a reason, and that he may one day reach an adequate level. they discover that an urgal and kull army, spearheaded and controlled by durza, tracked eragon and arya after their escape. eragon (little bitch supreme) sneaks into the prison and frees murtagh for the battle, trusting him (YES IM TAKING FUCKING LIBERTIES OKAY) not to betray them. the urgals arrive.

ep10. battle of farthen dur. i forgot to mention but in ep9 orik and eragon strike up a fast friendship! anyways it’s a battle episode what do you expect. war yadda yadda. eragon and durza battle & eragon is beaten, slashed open at his back and cursed. saphira and arya save him, he kills durza, but passes out. in his comatose state, he is visited by the mourning sage who urges him to travel to ellesmera, the only place where he might receive proper training to become a rider. across the continent, the ra’zac are approaching carvahall. end of season. this has been fun.

[du-sailarar-nerilia]

Alagaësia Lore And Headcanons Series, Part 1: The Ra'zac and Lethrblaka

Not sure how exactly this series would be structured just yet, but in this post I will try to compile all the information we have on the Ra'zac and my personal headcanons about the species

-mod Mist

Appearance and Behavior

The species has three known forms - eggs, which are blue-black and "pitted like sandstone", the "pupae" - the Ra'zac, and the adults, the Lethrblaka. The existence of a fourth form is strongly implied (more on that later).

The Ra'zac have a vaguely humanoid bipedal posture with hunched backs. Though distinctly strange, they seem to be able to fool humans for quite long - the imperial soldiers under their authority in Eldest must have worked with them for at least weeks and did not seem to recognize them as non-humans.

Their appearance is probably best described in Eldest, p. 185: "A hideous, tortured face screamed at him. The skin was shiny black, like a beetle carapace. The head was bald. Each lidless eye was the size of his fist and gleamed like an orb of polished hematite; no iris or pupil existed. In place of a nose, mouth, and chin, a thick beak hooked to a sharp point that clacked over a barbed purple tongue."

Another description comes from Inheritance (p. 196), of a newborn Ra'zac: "The Ra’zac had a deep, ridged chest that made it look as if its ribs were on the outside of its body, not the inside. The creature’s limbs were thin and knobby, like sticks, and its waist was narrower than any human’s. Each leg had an extra backward-bending joint, something that Eragon had never seen before, but which accounted for the Ra’zac’s unsettling gait. Its carapace appeared soft and malleable, unlike those of the more mature Ra’zac Eragon had encountered. No doubt it would harden in time."

The lethrblaka are much larger and winged, also described in detail in Eldest, p. 188: "Their bodies were naked and hairless—like newborn mice—with leathery gray skin pulled tight across their corded chests and bellies. In form they resembled starved dogs, except that their hind legs bulged with enough muscle to crush a boulder. A narrow crest extended from the back of each of their attenuated heads, opposite a long, straight, ebony beak made for spearing prey, and cold, bulbous eyes identical to the Ra’zac’s. From their shoulders and backs sprang huge wings that made the air moan under their weight."

This description, at least to me, strongly brings to mind old outdated art of pterosaurs that are often depicted as grey, emaciated bat-like monsters:

Rhamphorhynchus, W Francis Phillips

Quetzalcoatlus, William Stout

Pteranodon, Zdeněk Burian

According to Oromis, a Ra'zac will shed its exoskeleton on the first full moon of the twentieth year since its hatching (Eldest, p. 357). This would mean the Ra'zac also have a whole endoskeleton underneath their exoskeleton, or that the endoskeleton forms later and is possibly not made of bone.

The Ra'zac and Lethrblaka both feed on humans. While the Lethrblaka can feast on anything, the Ra'zac prefer human flesh. Based on the frequency of offerings by the priests of Helgrind, a Ra'zac needs to feed at least thrice a month (Brisingr, p. 5)

The Lethrblaka (and presumably the Ra'zac as well) have metallic blue-green blood. This sounds a lot like their blood is based on hemocyanin similar to insects, or some other similar substance (since hemocyanin is more transparent blue).

In Eragon (p. 64), Brom expresses bewilderment at the Ra'zacs' ability to replicate human speech. Since they have beaks, it is likely that they mimic speech the same way corvids and parrots do using their syrinx, which erases the issue of lacking lips. Though the Ra'zacs' voices are notably hissy (the way they are shown in dialogues), they likely struggle with sibilants or possibly replace these sounds with hisses as the nearest equivalent. Lethrblaka seem to lose the ability to mimic human language.

Their own langauge, which they share with lethrblaka, is a series of clicks, hisses, whistles, warbles and other sounds that are described as similar to either birds or insects.

In Brisingr, while debating making a pact with Eragon, the last Ra'zac makes a series of noises to himself. This may be either simply him talking to himself or alternatively, a way to express his emotional state. In other passages of the books, the Ra'zac react with hisses and screeches when angry or frustrated. It is possible that due to their hard exoskeleton, lidless eyes and stiff beaks, they make up for their ability to show their mood via facial expressions by expressing their feelings with different noises.

The Ra'zac and Lethrblaka seem to form close bonds among themselves - the Ra'zac show great respect to their parents, and the last Ra'zac seems to mourn his "hatchmate" enough to wish to disobey Galbatorix and avenge her death by killing Eragon.

Abilities

They are shown to be much stronger, faster and able to jump higher than humans. It's a question whether they are weaker, equal to or stronger than elves.

Their physical strength also makes them formidable swordfighters. It is possible they forge their own weapons, since their swords are described as unique in Alagaësia.

They have highly acute senses, most notably their eyesight, which lets them see perfectly under low-light conditions including near total darkness, and their sense of smell. Smell seems to be their primary sense, they are said to be able to track prey like a bloodhound and to never forget a smell.

They possess an "evil breath" that presumably contains toxic fumes that reduce the ability to think clearly, to the point of paralysis. This is the most effective on humans, barely affects dwarves and does not affect elves at all (Eldest, p. 357).

In multiple scenes they are also shown to have some kind of power over humans merely by looking at them. It is not certain whether this is strictly the effect of their poison breath or if they can use some sort of hypnosis.

The Ra'zac are described as "cunning and full of guile" (Eragon, p. 64) but "narrow-minded" (Eldest, p. 359). The Lethrblaka on the other hand "have all the intelligence of a dragon. A cruel, vicious, and twisted dragon" (same page).

They use Seithr oil, but it is unlikely that they produce it, since its creation requires magic (Eragon, p. 100).

Weaknesses - according to Oromis they are terrified of water since they cannot swim. Their highly developed eyesight also makes them vulnerable to sunlight and any other sharp light, which seems to be strong enough to cause physical pain.

Magic and True Names

The Ra'zac and Lethrblaka cannot use magic and their minds cannot be detected by magic users, as can be seen when they take Eragon and Saphira by surprise at Helgrind

There is also the reasons why they serve Galbatorix. According to the priest at Helgrind, he "stole their eggs and killed their young, and he forced them to swear fealty to him lest he eradicate their line entirely" (Inheritance, p. 192). Galbatorix prefers to control his servants through their True Names (such as Murtagh or the burrowing grubs from Vroengard he used to torture Nasuada), however, it seems that this was not the case since the last Ra'zac was able to disobey Galbatorix when attempting to kill Eragon in Brisingr.

All in all, some of the anomalous characteristics in terms of magic the Ra'zac possess are similar to the mutated species from Vroengard, such as the snalglí which seem to be immune to magical wards (Inheritance, p. 332)

This leads me to believe that the Ra'zac as a species somehow exist outside the framework of the Ancient Language and therefore lack True Names

We know that it is possible to give creatures a True Name (the sundavrblaka and íllgrathr, Inheritance, p. 532), but such thing is only possible using the Name of Names. Galbatorix is only shown controlling the grubs in Inheritance, after he has already learned the Name, which he had not known yet at the time of the death of the last Ra'zac in Brisingr.

Therefore, since they lack a True Name, are invisible to magic and cannot use it at all, it can be assumed they are not bound by the effects of the Ancient Language. This is somewhat supported by the fact that the name of their parents, Lethrblaka, is very clearly in the Ancient Language but does not seem to change anything about their ability (or inability) to be controlled. Ra'zac might also be "in the Ancient Language", but we will probably never know. In Eragon, p. 64, Brom says this about them: "They are called the Ra’zac. No one knows if that’s the name of their race or what they have chosen to call themselves." There is a chance that if they have indeed named themselves in the Ancient Language, the name would have no effect anyway.

Their existence outside the magic system of Alagaësia is also supported by what Saphira says first time Eragon mentions the Ra'zac: "Oaths betrayed, souls killed, eggs shattered! Blood everywhere. Murderers!" (Eragon, p. 44) As we know, for most races, even non-magic users, it is impossible to break an oath made in the Ancient Language. This might effectively make them the only sapient race capable of lying in the Ancient Language.

The Helgrind Cult

The cultists near Dras-Leona worship the Ra'zac and Lethrblaka, calling them the Old Ones and revering them by sacrificing their own flesh to them to "satisfy their desires". They also keep and protect the last (known) remaining Ra'zac eggs.

The high priest describes them as "the three-faced god—the hunters of men, the eaters of flesh, and the drinkers of blood". The three "faces" of the Ra'zac may be these listed three aspects of their species, or it may refer to their three distinct life forms.

According to Brom, the priests "spend much of their time arguing about which of Helgrind's three peaks is the highest and most important and whether the fourth - and lowest - should be included in their worship" (Eragon, p. 150).

They follow a certain Book of Tosk, presumably a human from the early history of human settlers in Alagaësia, a long enough time ago that the language of the Broddring Kingdom has evolved enough to make it incomprehensible to Eragon (Inheritance, p. 184)

Their goal seems to be to liberate the Ra'zac from Galbatorix and the Riders who have brought the species to near extinction shortly after their arrival to Alagaësia.

Origin of the Ra'zac

"They are the monsters in the dark, the dripping nightmares that haunt your race." “What manner of creatures are they?” “Neither elf; man; dwarf; dragon; furred, finned, or feathered beast; reptile; insect; nor any other category of animal.”

The most hints we get are from Oromis in Eldest (p. 357). He expresses the belief that they were the reason humans originally emigrated to Alagaësia from wherever their old homeland was.

From the way he describes them, the Ra'zac come off as almost otherworldly. Every species has relatives connected by a common ancestor. In Alagaësia even the dragons have distant cousins in the fanghur. The one-of-a-kind creatures of Vroengard seem to be easy to classify into categories of insects and birds. The Ra'zac seem to be the sole exception.

Oromis says "all areas where humans are weak, the Ra’zac are strong", and that they are the "nightmares that haunt your race". This is oddly specific. The Lethrblaka are said to hunt everything, but this might be simply a matter of finding enough prey to fuel their much larger bodies, or the Lethrblaka under Galbatorix's rule may have simply been instructed to seek other prey as not to draw attention to themselves.

These descriptions, the Ra'zacs' unusual abilities and complete separation from magic make it sound almost as if the Ra'zac were not a naturally evolved species, but rather created intentionally to hunt humans.

Theories

Who created the Ra'zac?

The Grey Folk - we have extremely little information on them except that they merged their language (the Ancient Language) with magic itself. They would certainly be capable of creating a brand new species. Problem is, the Grey Folk are said to have resided in Alagaësia (and were presumably native there) and after their magic ritual they faded away living among the "younger races" (it is not specified which ones, presumably elves and possibly humans after they settled Alagaësia). The Ra'zac arrived with the humans, so unless there were other Grey Folk living outside of Alagaësia this would make little sense.

The elves - they are said to have arrived to Alagaësia across the sea after a "terrible mistake" (this is a generally accepted fandom opinion, but I could not find any mention in the books). The problem with this theory is that elves and humans most likely do not come from the same place (elves are said to have arrived across the sea (Eragon p. 34), while humans came from "far to the south, beyond the Beor mountains" (p. 437))

Humans themselves - possibly an ancient civilization that intended to use them as population control/a force to keep citizens in line (this would make sense considering the juvenile Ra'zac are obedient to Galbatorix and "narrow-minded", meaning they would likely be easily trained), but the project went terribly wrong

Someone else

They are the result of random mutation similar to the creatures at Vroengard

What is their natural behavior?

The Ra'zac and Lethrblaka in the books are the last of their kind, their behavior and lifestyle cannot be considered a representation of their species.

There are four peaks at Helgrind and the cult of Ra'zac worshippers only worship three of them which are named, as well as describing the Ra'zac species as a "three-faced god". It is possible that there is a fourth form that is never shown, a rare one that was lost and forgotten in the times when the Ra'zac were decimated by Riders shortly after their arrival. Since the Ra'zac are very insect-like, there is a possibility this form may have been something like a matriarch, with the Lethrblaka being drones and the Ra'zac juveniles with different roles based on their size and maturity. This could be supported by the canon Ra'zacs' apparent sense of hierarchy. As for the last pair of Ra'zac being born from the Lethrblaka, to borrow from Dragonriders of Pern lore, it is possible that the Lethrblaka do not normally reproduce but may do so in the absence of a matriarch as a matter of preserving the species until the conditions for the birth of a new matriarch are met.

To go off of the previous theories, if the Ra'zac were indeed artificially created, the existence of a matriarch may have been sort of a failsafe to quickly reduce their reproductive rates in case the Ra'zac became too numerous. Unfortunately this failsafe did not work and humans were forced to migrate to Alagaësia. The Ra'zac that followed them had their own matriarch(s) among their ranks, but the Riders were able to kill them and therefore easily bring the entire race to the brink of extinction.

It is possible that the Ra'zac do not normally form the same close emotional attachments as they do in canon, and only do so due to the lack of companionship of an originally numerous species.

That would be it for now, I might add/change things later if I come up with anything that makes more sense

[everythingloveandanimated]

I’ve been playing around with inheritance cycle AU of what if the father figures lived?

What if Garrow, Brom, Tornac and Ajihad all lived to see the end of the war and beyond?

One of the things I realized is that especially with Garrow surviving the Ra’zac’s torture, it really cheapens and lessen the threat level that the Ra’zac are. The death of Garrow immediately shows how high the stakes are and how dangerous this group of enemies is. An encounter with them most likely means death unless you’re skilled in magic or have high tier fighting skills.

(Or maybe Brom has a set of spells that can cure Ra’zac injuries and himself.)

Just little writing lessons you realize when doing AU’s and fanfics. You can see how and why things work in the Canon material.

[reyofluke-ocs]

OCs DESERVE BETTER -> Nelda (Inheritance Cycle/Eragon) FC: Maisie Williams

“I always knew I was meant for more than Carvahall. I just never expected this.”

When Selena fled to Carvahall, she gave birth to two children instead of just one. A few minutes after her boy Eragon was born, she gave birth to a girl, who she named Nelda. Knowing Morzan would kill the twins when he learned they were not his, she begs her brother Garrow and his wife Marian to raise them alongside their own young son Roran. And she fled back to Gil’ead, not realizing she would never get to see any of her children again.

Nelda grows up practically attached to the hip to her twin Eragon. This includes hunting in the Spine and learning to use a bow, much to the chagrin of her Uncle Garrow and the rest of Carvahall. Still, she makes a decent enough hunter, and always brings back herbs and plants for Gertrude to use, leading to her being offered an apprenticeship under the healer. Knowing it is the closest freedom she is likely to get outside of fleeing Carvahall, she semi-reluctantly accepts.

Then a strange stone appears in the Spine before the twins, bringing a dragon hatchling and throwing Eragon into legend as the first Dragon Rider since Galbatorix and the Foresworn. When the Ra’zac kill her Uncle Garrow, she accompanies Eragon, Saphira, and the storyteller Brom on the path of revenge, not realizing just how much her life would irrevocably change.

tagging: @endless-oc-creations,  @stanshollaand, @foxesandmagic, @hiddenqveendom, @arrthurpendragon, @cas-verse, @eddiemunscns, if anyone wants to be added/removed let me know!

[theredpharaoah]

You guys think those bat skeletons in the Children’s Caverns are a nod to Tolkien’s Fell Beasts? Maybe they’re mistaking them for bats when they’re something else? Also, what name would you guys give the Fell Beasts? Cockatrice(Calcatrix sounds better tbh)? Jabberwocky? Also, these and the Nazgûl were clearly heavy inspiration for the Ra’zac and…Lethrblaka in the Inheritance Cycle.

[tonhalszendvics]

You want to know what is written on that world map? You are lucky, my friend, as I've had some free time.

Across the two pages:

WHERE DREAMS AND DRAGONS DWELL

Left page:

To the West:

Alalëa – Ancestral home of elves, humans, urgals, and the dread ra’zac. Here once lived the Grey Folk.

Right page:

To the East:

Alagaësia – Ancestral home of dragons and dwarves. Here too live werecats, fanghur, and others besides.

Uh... There is a preview out there online, officially, of the WORLD MAP with Alagaësia in it???!!!?!

Author tweeted a response about it.

Someone put a photo.

What is going on???

Alagaësians assemble!

It's for the deluxe edition of Murtagh!!! It's on Amazon.

@ivorydragoness44 @shewhobreathesfire