Varden
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The Varden are a group of fictional rebels in Christopher Paolini's Inheritance trilogy. Their main base is the Dwarven city of Farthen Dûr. In the Ancient Language, Varden means 'The Warders'.
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[edit] The Foundation of the Varden
Brom, after his dragon Saphira's death during the very end of the Fall (approximately a hundred years before the events of Eragon), founded the Varden to rid the world of Galbatorix and the Empire in order to restore a benevolent government to Alagaësia. Brom gathered together a group of rebels opposed to Galbatorix, and, using his alliances with the Elves and the Dwarves they created the Varden in the Dwarves hallow mountain Farthen Dur.Using the aid of the Elves and the Dwarves allong with many alliances that he formed during his time as a Rider, he began the Varden. He also helped form Surda with the people who wanted an independent country,along with the dwarves and the elves they aided Varden as a type of alliance.
For a few years, Brom led the Varden and helped create its foundation, but then passed on leadership to another (named Danir who is spoken of only once in the trillogy at the induction of Nasuada as the new leader of the Varden.) and departed, although he always kept in touch with the rebels. The Varden receive most of their economic support from Surda and scattered merchants living within the king's cities, such as Jeod. According to Brom, they accept anyone who wishes to overthrow Galbatorix and/or can hold their own on the battlefield.
[edit] Political Structure
[edit] Leadership
As revealed in the first few chapters of Eldest, the leadership of the Varden is given to a single person that has gained approval from the Council of Elders, who are a council of advisers created to advise and assist the leader (during Eragon, it was not mentioned how Ajihad became leader). This council elects the new leader of the Varden after the old one is incapable to do so any longer. The leader commands the most authority and makes all the major decisions concerning the Varden. However, Hrothgar, the dwarven king, also holds power in Farthen Dûr, as explained by Orik at the beginning of "Bless the Child, Argetlam":
- "[Ajihad has restricted my activities], but I'm also one of Hrothgar's subjects. Under his rule, I'm still free to do as I wish."
In Eragon, the Varden is led by a dark-skinned man named Ajihad, a mighty warrior who led the Varden to victory many times and once nearly killed Durza the Shade.
However, in the first chapter of Eldest, he is attacked by a group of Urgals and mortally wounded. With his last breath, he asks Eragon to keep the Varden from falling into chaos, and dies. In the next chapter, the Council of Elders summons Eragon, and asks him to swear loyalty to them so that they may act as regents for Nausauda - and be the power behind the throne. Despite their plots, Eragon decides that he would rather serve someone inexperienced but good-hearted than someone experienced but power-hungry, and gives his loyalty to Nausauda, making her the leader of the Varden.
[edit] Army
As shown when Eragon vists the Varden's training grounds in the chapter "Arya's Test", the Varden's army is composed of humans who are aided by the support of the Dwarven armies in many battles.
[edit] Du Vrangr Gata
The Varden also has a collection of spellweavers known as the Du Vrangr Gata . Unfortunately, most of these spellweavers have very little power and struggle with the simplest of spells (according to Orik in the chapter "Bless the Child, Argetlam", they "can't do much more than heal bruises"). They also have a head of their group, and only serve the Varden when they wish to. The most powerful of their spellweavers are to examine any person that enters the Varden minds to prove their loyalty and discover their intent. This practice kept many traitors from betraying the Varden.
As a side note, not all of the spellcasters in the Varden are part of Du Vrangr Gata. For instance, Eragon refuses to join them during the period of the Twins's command; Angela, a herbalist, fortuneteller, and witch, tells Eragon during the chapter "Mandrake Root and Newt's Tongue" that "all the magic users here [...] pestered me to join their secret group", but she did not join them; and Arya gives no indication of ever joining or having joined them in all her time at the Varden.
[edit] Leaders of Du Vrangr Gata
During Eragon, the Twins, two bald magicians who are identical twins, are the leaders of Du Vrangr Gata. After the twins betray the Varden, the sorceress Trianna takes lead. During the course of the Varden's battle against Galbatorix, Eragon takes a temporary leadership over the Du Vrangr Gata as he is more powerful than the rest.
[edit] Location
Due to Brom's relations with the Dwarves, the Varden is located in Tronjheim, the capital city of the dwarves, which is inside the mountain called Farthen Dûr, which is located in the Beor Mountains. This headquarters is extremely useful, as Farthen Dûr is huge and full of caves and dead ends, which makes it extremely difficult to defeat the Varden at that site.
In Eldest, the Varden move their location to Aberon in Surda, a rebel country at the bottom of Alagaësia, in order to regroup and to openly fight the Empire.
[edit] Alliances
As of the beginning of Eragon, the Dwarven Kings are allies of the Varden, and midway through Eldest, the Elves begin to make ready for war.
[edit] The Events of Inheritance
[edit] The Events of Eragon
The Varden is faring badly at the beginning of Eragon, due to lack of supplies, silence between the Varden and the Elves, and mysterious traitors intercepting the Varden's most ingenious plans.
In the chapter "The Horns of a Dilemna", the young Dragon Rider Eragon, accompained by his dragon Saphira, his ally Murtagh, and the unconscious elf Arya Eragon joins the Varden during Ajihad's rule, and because of the reports of Urgal moving towards the Beors from Eragon, Ajihad begins to plan for war. When a scout discovers the Urgals, a huge army, in an old Dwarf City, Ajihad organizes the army and leads them to victory due to his cunning traps to snare the Urgals and his ideas killed many Urgals before the reached the Varden's army. Due to the actions of Eragon, Ajihad was able to drive away the Urgals, whose numbers had dwindled to the Shades magic being lifted and the different clans turning on each other.
The Varden suffers a great loss three days later, at the beginning of Eldest, as an Urgal ambush killed Ajihad. Murtagh and the Twins supposedly died as well.
The Council of Elders, seeking power, plan to place Ajihad's daughter, Nasuada, as leader of the Varden. The Council believes she is weak and plan to use her as a puppet to gain power, but Nasuada proves them wrong. She accepts their offer to become the next head of the Varden, but is strong enough to defend against the Council's lies, and the Council suffers defeat at Nasuada's hands. With Eragon and Arya gone, Nasuada plans to move the Varden into Surda, fearing Galbatorix may have discovered the location of the Varden. She also moves to gather her forces and mix them with Surda, another rebel state dedicated to the Varden's cause. The Varden moves to Surda successfully by using tunnels in the Beor Mountains, and plan to attack a weakened Galbatorix, using the combined might of the Varden, the Dwarves, and Surda. Surda's king is King Orrin. Nasuade face unexpected problems. The Varden are desperatley seeking money, seeing as Orrin refused to lend, they needed more.
Nasuada gathers the new head of the Du Vrangr Gata, Trianna, and uses them to create expensive lace using magic to sell to the people of Surda. Since this magic is easy enough for the Du Vrangr Gata, it is a big success, and the wealth gained is enough to feed, house, and supply the Varden with other things they need, including weapons. During this time, a child cursed by Eragon ( mistakenly) is discovered, and is cursed to absorb all misfortune and pain in a person. Using this, the child is able to sense what troubles a person and how to best soothe them, which could be invaluable to dealing with possible supporters. They named the child Elva. After a few weeks, they receive reports of Galabtorix massing a huge army that had been only recently discovered due to the King's magic. The Varden send a warning to the Elves and Dwarves, and then march to meet the Empire on the Burning Plains. The opposing army has at least 100,000 soldiers, but the Varden fight still. Eragon arrives from Ellesmera to assist the Varden.
A day before the battle, a group of Kull opposed to Galbatorix join the Varden due to their enslavement by Durza's hands. Angela, a witch, poisons the Empire's water and food supply, killing many troops. The next morning, they meet the Empire in a terrible battle that shifted back and forth. The Empire first began driving the Varden back, but then the Dwarves arrived and drove the Empire back. A few minutes of combat, and then a red Dragon emerges and does battle against Eragon and Saphira. The Varden are pushed back again, but are soon reinforced by the villagers of Carvahall, ending the battle with no supreme victor as of yet. During this battle, the Varden discovered that Murtagh was really the new Dragon Rider and that the Twins were traitors. The Twins are killed by Roran, thus avenging the death of Ajihad. The Dwarves lost their king in the battle, but it is said the Elves are finally entering Alagaesia once more to help overthrow Galbatorix.
| Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Trilogy | |
|---|---|
| Books | Eragon | Eldest | Book 3 |
| Films | Eragon |
| Games | Eragon |
| Main Characters | Eragon | Brom | Arya | Galbatorix | Murtagh | Roran | Durza | Ajihad | Nasuada | Angela | Saphira | Oromis | more... |
| Places | Alagaësia | Beor Mountains | Ellesméra | Farthen Dûr | Teirm | Inheritance Trilogy locations | more... |
| Events | Battle of the Burning Plains | Battle for Carvahall | Battle under Farthen Dûr | Dagshelgr Invocation | The Fall |
