Ra'zac
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Ra'zac are superhuman beings in Christopher Paolini's Inheritance trilogy. The only two notable Ra'zac of the trilogy so far remain unnamed.
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[edit] Description
Physically, the Ra'zac are extremely powerful, carnivorous, non-human beings, unable to grasp magic. They are encased in an exoskeleton that they hide in their dark, black cloaks so they may blend in with humans and be able to catch their parents favorite prey, humans. They are an old magical creature. The elves believe that they are what the humans were running from when they came to Alageaesia. These are the last of their kind and work for the evil King Galbatorix. They are his dragon hunters. They are the only other intelligent creatures that can fly.
[edit] Lifecycle
When the Ra'zac are born, they are known as pupae, and they develop a roughly human exoskeleton that allows them approach their ultimate prey, humans, without attracting attention. As described in Eldest, they have shining black skin, a humped back where future wings may be hidden, a sharp beak, a barbed purple tongue, and huge, lidless eyes the size of a fist, with no pupils or irises. At twenty years of age, on the night of a full moon, the pupae, or Ra'zac, shed their exoskeletons and emerge as fully grown Lethrblaka. The Lethrblaka have great wings, tight, hairless, gray skin with huge, corded muscles, a sharp killing beak, and hind legs strong enough to crush a boulder. Although their offspring are narrow-minded, if cunning, the Lethrblaka have all the intelligence of a dark, twisted dragon. They eat any kind of creature, human or otherwise. When they have morphed into fully grown Lethrblaka, they can reproduce by laying eggs.
[edit] Abilities
The Ra'zac have many terrifying abilities, including the ability to see on a cloudy night, track scents like dogs, jump higher and move quicker than any human. Their last and most terrible weapon is their foul breath, which fogs the mind of humans and incapacitates others, though Dwarves are more resistant to it, and Elves are immune to it. They dislike deep water because they can't swim and have a strong aversion to light. Ra'zac cannot use magic, for reasons unclear.
Lethrblaka possess tremendous muscular strength and are more intelligent than their offspring. They are the Ra'Zac's steeds. They are the ones who take them around everywhere.
[edit] History
Supposedly, the Ra'zac originated in the lands south of Alagaësia, from whence the humans came, and in fact may have been the reason for the human immigration from that continent, or area.
The Ra'zac were discovered by Galbatorix and enlisted in his service. The Dragon Riders, seeing their arrival as a threat to peace, sought to destroy them, but at least two Lethrblaka and their pupae escaped and, after the Fall of the Riders, were housed at Helgrind, near the city of Dras-Leona. They work as Galbatorix's personal dragon searchers. When the rumor of a new dragon is present, the Ra'zac go to investigate.
[edit] Synopsis
In Eragon, the Ra'zac were the murderers of Garrow, Eragon's uncle, and Brom, Eragon's mentor and friend. In murdering Garrow, they used an unusual liquid, Seithr Oil, which had the ability to decompose flesh while leaving all other materials unharmed, after a very complex ritual, but before the ritual it's harmless and used for polishing gemstones, making it easy to store and difficult to track. This is what the Ra'zac use to torture and get information from the people. The oil is unique and is hard to get. Only rich people, like the evil king Galbatorix, are able to aquire such a valuble substance. Eragon and Brom later used the sale records of this oil to track the Ra'zac down.
The Ra'zac returned to Carvahall later to capture Eragon's cousin Roran. When Roran refused to give himself up, the Ra'zac led a number of Imperial troops to attack Carvahall. They even ate one of Carvahall's inhabitants, Quimby the Brewer, as a challenge. Roran, in reply, swore to slay them. Later on as everyone is starting to leave, Sloan betrayed them and let the Ra'zac into the city because he was mad about Katrina and Roran's engagment. The Ra'zac injure his arm and steals Katrina and takes Sloan.
[edit] Comparisons
The Ra'zac are quite similar to the Nazgûl of The Lord of the Rings in appearance and the fact that they are skilled hunters. The Ra'zac also use flying mounts similar to those of the Nazgûl, though in Eldest these flying mounts are actually revealed to be the Ra'zac's parents.
Note also that both the Nazgûl and the Ra'zac have an "evil breath" that overpowers their adversaries.
In the film portrayal of Eragon, the Ra'zac resemble Orcs in shape and appearance.
The Ra'zac may also be compared to the Myrddraal of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series.
| Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Trilogy | |
|---|---|
| Books | Eragon | Eldest | Book 3 |
| Films | Eragon |
| Main Characters | Eragon | Brom | Arya | Galbatorix | Murtagh | Roran | Ajihad | Nasuada | Angela | Saphira | Oromis | more... |
| Places | Alagaësia | Beor Mountains | Carvahall | Dras-Leona | Ellesméra | Farthen Dûr | Hadarac Desert | Helgrind | Surda | Teirm | Urû'baen | more... |
| Events | Blood-Oath Celebration | Battle of the Burning Plains | Battle for Carvahall | Dagshelgr Invocation | The Fall |
