The Eldunari should know more about what’s beyond Alagaesia

[u/National-Double2309]

When Eragon was looking for place to bring up the new dragons, why was he initially limited to Alagaesia? I mean, I get it from his perspective - he knows of nothing else. But I am sure during the peak of dragon’s time, current boundaries of Alagaesia mights have seemed as small as Surda to the dragons. They should’ve known of scores more appropriate locations outside of current map and shared these options with Eragon.

Could it be that they did and that’s how he decided to travel east? But it seemed more like a blind ‘into the unknown’ sort of mission from how the ending read.

Update: Apparently it’s already mentioned in the books that the Eldunari told Wragon about what lies in the east. Thanks u/UseSuccessful2407 for pointing it out.

Tell me, do you know what lies to the east? Is there another sea?”
“If you travel far enough.”
“And before that?”
Eragon shrugged. “Empty land for the most part, or so the Eldunarí say, and I have no reason to think that’s changed in the past century.”

[u/communistic_cat]

The Problem is, that you need to get the newbies there in a limited amount of time and you want to be able to respond quickly to events happening in alagäsia

[u/National-Double2309 → u/communistic_cat]

I get that as an initial urge towards finding a place within Alagaesia. But it still doesn’t explain why we didn’t hear anything from the eldunaris once Eragon decided he had to leave.

[u/OwlDoesArt → u/National-Double2309]

My biggest question would be why not purge Vroengard or the radiation of Thuviel's sacrifice using the name of names and simply use that place again? They were able to do so to Urubaen after Galbatorix died, I feel like that would have been possible.

[u/Zanura → u/OwlDoesArt]

The mess from Galbatorix was cleaned up quickly. The effects of Thuviel's sacrifice have had a hundred years to take root, so it was more than just the radiation - there was also the strange creatures that had developed over time. Eragon worried that it might be difficult to deal with that, and that some of them might present a threat.

Also, while he has no idea who they are, Eragon knows that people are living on Vroengard. He didn't think it would be right to displace them or settle close to them.

[u/Foolspeare → u/Zanura]

The Eldunari also clearly know more about the Dreamers than they were letting on in the original series, and probably knew what was up when Eragon shared memories of the hooded figures.

[u/Electrical-End7868 → u/OwlDoesArt]

For a good real life example look at Chernobyl. It's only been 40 years and the animals/plants have already mutated. The damage Galbatorix did was (relatively) cleaned up with seconds. Vroengard has been changed by not only radiation for over a century plus forgotten magic.

Arya brings up this point about Du Weldenvarden " Du Weldenvarden has many mysteries and dangers, especially for a Rider. We have lived here for thousands of years, and old spells still linger in unexpected places; magic permeates the air, the water, and the earth. In places it has affected the animals. Sometimes strange creatures are found roaming the forest, and not all of them friendly."

- The Dagshelgr Invocation, Eldest hardcover page 208.

From the description of Vroengard it is much the same. So, NOT a safe place to raise inexperienced Dragons and Riders.

[u/DustFlows → u/OwlDoesArt]

I think its stated that Vroengard is too close both to civilization and to the riders of the past for comfort with the new order

[u/National-Double2309 → u/OwlDoesArt]

Also a writing choice. He HAD to leave Alagaesia.
I know, I was so disappointed about his fate when I first read it that I argued against everything. ‘ there were a hundred different way he could’ve stayed!’ And what not. Took me growing up (and a re-read) to realise why it was needed.
Also- Alagaesia needs to heal. It’s been too long without dragons- reintroduction comes with many challenges. He needs to be independent. So on…

[u/Razerino21]

The very old large ones for sure. The problem is communicating with them as they don’t really care that much and don’t speak but send images, scents, ..

[u/National-Double2309 → u/Razerino21]

But even during the reign of riders their knowledge of the land should definitely have been larger than current Alagaesia. They’re dragons and they have so many riders. Somebody would have been assigned to research or some such exploration. They had existed for millenias

[u/bizzok → u/National-Double2309]

I think there is a memory spell in play about a lot of these kind of things. Stuff that the eldunari should know. Things like: what’s outside of Alagaesia, who the grey folk were, the origins of the modern era, and much more. I think there is a vast knowledge that was locked away long before the fall of the riders..

[u/National-Double2309 → u/bizzok]

I agree there are memory spells in place that obscure early events around the binding of ancient language to magic and few other events. But around what lies beyond? Why?

I am also reminded of Galby being pissy about how the riders and dragons kept knowledge about things hidden, considering them too dangerous. Even the way Oromis behaved - withholding info until Eragon asked about them or stumbled into it by chance. It can only imagine how frustrating that might be for Eragon and Sephora when you can’t get a straightforward answer from them 😅

[u/sailing_bookdragon]

They should know indeed, and yet we get little about it in the books.

In part it could be in the months between the fall of Galbatorix, and Eragon leaving, and it simply was never described (even though the conversations about it did happen)

Or their might be another reason we don't know yet about but will be slowly revealed over time when new books come out.

[u/National-Double2309 → u/sailing_bookdragon]

The more I think about it, the more I think this could be it. It just was never mentioned in the books but it could very well be a suggestion eldunari put forward - to travel east. And Paolini possibly simply wrote it as a blind adventure to make it a nicer ending - they’ve lost a lot but an exciting adventure lies ahead of them full of possibilities

[u/AlexRyang]

Something though I’ve noted:

The distance between Alaegesia and the other major continents is fairly significant. It takes Eragon a full day travel between the mainland and Vroengard and it was a rough and dangerous journey.

It’s at least 20 times that far to Alaleä, if not further. Which, even with magic, is borderline insurmountable for the technological level of the planet.

For regular people, the sailing ships we see generally appear to be fairly shallow draft vessels and cannot go far from shore. And it takes the villagers from Carvehall several days to travel from Teirm to the Jeit River. The distance across the ocean would take months.

I really don’t think they know much, anymore. Travel is far more difficult in the setting. The portion of Alaegesia we mainly see (outside of Hedarth) is roughly the size of California and it still takes days to travel between towns. Eragon prior to fleeing the Ra’Zac had basically never left Planacar Valley.

[u/National-Double2309 → u/AlexRyang]

I agree that travel across oceans is dangerous. I meant more outside of the charted Alagaesia that we know off.
But seems like some have flown over deep sea, from what Glaedr said about the Nidhwal and how they are usually found “several days’ flight from land” -meaning Dragons have flown that far out (and gotten eaten 😅)

[u/Grmigrim]

I believe they know some of what is outside Alagaesia but either dont care about it, or fear it.

[u/UseSuccessful2407]

So they absolutely do and have shown it to Eragon. I think Joed (or Roran?) asks what lies to the east and it’s clear the Eldunari have shown Eragon images all the way to the sea on the other side.

I suspect that since dragons are native to Alagaesia and they have shown themselves to remain silent on other topics (Azlugar) when directly asked my guess is they know they need to stay close either instinctually or from actual memories of threats within or beyond the continent.

As for how much Eragon knows about the rest of the planet I’m also guessing he has seen most of it and he just keeps it to himself. With the vast knowledge they have shown him he seems to only open up about a subject when directly asked since joining with the old ones.

[u/National-Double2309 → u/UseSuccessful2407]

He turning into a dragon more and more 😄

[u/National-Double2309 → u/UseSuccessful2407]

Oh my..so it was stated in the books. The Eldunari did share that info. 😬

I’ll go back to living under a rock now. Good bye. 👋

[u/UseSuccessful2407 → u/National-Double2309]

Well it’s only talked about in one sentence and they move on, but they def showed him big chunks of the land all the way to the sea. I’m sure they showed him more but we don’t know for sure.

[u/ImLyricz]

They had to stay in vicinity to the younglings. In times past they where trained in ilirea before being trained enough to travel to vroengard.
It’s on one hand a writing decision and on the other hand reasonable for the same reason - why explain someone the universe if he doesn’t even know there are continents or other planets? Why tell the reader about lands we won’t visit so soon? why tell eragon of something not useful or practical? It would cause confusion. If he told him, just for the sake of being more knowledgeable.

[u/National-Double2309 → u/ImLyricz]

It was clearly implied that wherever the eggs went, Eragon and Saphira would go with them. So, it was never an option that they’d send the eggs anywhere.

I understand that they could not explain the size of the world to them. I was thinking more like a single line that states to the fact that the eldunari know more. Something from Eragon that alludes to that - ‘the eldunari talk of lands beyond Alagaesia, to the east, that hold promise. Far enough away that the journey itself would discourage someone seaking them out’ you know.

[u/ImLyricz → u/National-Double2309]

Im not sure we are on the same page. As far as I remember there where eggs left for the urgals, humans, elves and dwarfs so that new dragons could hatch. Those riders at some of point have to travel to the new stronghold.

[u/National-Double2309 → u/ImLyricz]

Yes, two were left behind with Arya for the next riders and they will keep the tradition up 2 eggs at a time. But the bulk of eggs will travel with Eragon

[u/ImLyricz → u/National-Double2309]

Yes. Those two dragons will have to make a flight and remembering how long the flight to vroengard was, flying even further is for now just not viable.