Farthen Dûr
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Farthen Dûr is a fictional area in the present-day Inheritance Trilogy by Christopher Paolini. It is home to the dwarves, and houses the immense fictional conical city of Tronjheim. It is built into the fictitious Beor Mountains. During the book Eragon, it was a fortress used by the Varden before their battle against the Urgal (a race of imaginary monsters) army that marched upon it. It is also the location of the Battle under Farthen Dûr.
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[edit] Architecture
Farthen Dûr ("Our Father" in dwarfish) is a massive web of tunnels inside an extinct volcano, located in the eastern Beor Mountains. The dwarves have dug many of these tunnels, of which only they and a few others can navigate without getting lost. It houses the dwarf city of Tronjheim ("Giant's Helm") at its center. The gigantic star sapphire, Isdar Mithrim, is the roof of Tronjheim, and the floor to the dragonhold above it.
[edit] History
Farthen Dûr was found by the dwarves' ancestor, Korgan, while excavating through a mountain in the Beor Mountains. Korgan and his brethren worked through Farthen Dûr and made the city of Tronjheim inside of it. Since then, there have been 41 dwarven kings in Farthen Dûr, the first being Korgan and the latest being the late Hrothgar. Over the years, Farthen Dûr served as a kind of bunker for the dwarves, capable of sheltering the entire race when the outside world had conflicts. This has only happened twice in dwarfish history, but both times helped the race survive complete extinction.
[edit] Tronjheim
Tronjheim is a fictional city in the Inheritance Trilogy by Christopher Paolini. The city is sheltered under the peak of Farthen Dûr, a high mountain in the Beor Mountains. Tronjheim is in the shape of a mountain. It is the hiding place of the fictioanl rebel army known at the Varden and the capital of the Dwarves from which the inheritance trhcaracter King Hrothgar rules. The largest part of the city is empty, only the lower levels are inhabited. Still however it is the only dwarven city capable of holding the entire dwarven nation in time of peril.
[edit] the rest of the dwarf realm
In the Inheritance Trilogy, the Dwarf Kingdom seems to consist loosely of most of southeast Alagaësia, of which the Beor mountain range is the major feature.
[edit] Beor Mountains
The Beor Mountains are the tallest mountains in Alagaësia, being over ten miles high (nearly twice as tall as Mount Everest, the tallest mountain on Earth). They are located southeast of the Empire, across the Hadarac Desert. The Beors are steep, have vegetation only at their bases, and are almost maze-like with valleys and crevices. Beneath these mountains the dwarves have created cities, the greatest being Tronjheim. The dwarves within these mountains believe they were created out of the living granite by their god, Helzvog.
The region has five species unique to it. Among them are Feldunost, large goats that the dwarves use for steeds(they are also known as the legendary tang donkey); Beor, enormous bears for which the elves named the range, the dwarf Orik said that the true name of the Beor mountains is a secret they share with no other race; Shrrg, giant wolves; and Nagra, gigantic boars which the dwarves consider to be a delicious dish, though they are rarely hunted since they are so vicious. Another species native to the Beor Mountains are the Fanghur, which resemble dragons, though they are thinner, more agile, and a muddy green colour. They attack their prey with their minds to incapacitate them.
Eragon and Saphira attempt to fly up one of these mountains, but as they climb higher the air begins to thin. Eragon tries to tell Saphira to fly back down, but as she is suffering from oxygen deprivation, she is unable to understand him. Eventually Eragon passes out and Saphira, understanding something is wrong, turns back. Upon regaining consciousness Eragon realizes the value of knowing about the lack of air when fighting another Rider.
[edit] Farthen Dûr
Farthen Dûr is a mountain which has Tronjheim, a primarily Dwarven city, within it. Eragon, Saphira, and Murtagh journey to this city during Eragon.
[edit] History
Much of Farthen Dûr's history remains a mystery. It is common knowledge that Dwarves are among the oldest races in Alagaësia, and Farthen Dûr reflects that fact. The name itself means "Our Father", indicating its significance. The current Dwarven king, Hrothgar(who then dies near the end of Eldest), has presided over the Dwarves for some time. There have been 41 kings before Hrothgar- one statue for each in Hrothgar's throne room. Only a few are referred to by name; Korgan and Dondar, respectively the first and the tenth. Farthen Dûr, which is located in the Beor Mountains, had a city, Tronjheim, carved from the interior of the mountain itself many years ago. Tronjheim has served as the Dwarven capital since then. It is composed of a single gigantic stone pyramid, containing a multileveled system of caves and chambers. It is one mile in diameter and possibly the same in height. Tronjheim's peak is open to the sky; directly below this opening is a red star sapphire carved into the shape of a rose blossom, which is as large as an entire floor.
In recent years, the Dwarven race as a whole has scattered into similar cities in other areas of the Beor Mountains, with the result that levels inside Farthen Dûr have been abandoned. Although the city is now superfluous, it is maintained primarily because it can house the entire Dwarven population if need be, which it has done three times in the past.
[edit] Occupants
Farthen Dûr houses both Humans and Dwarves. The relationship between the two races is often strained, but it is effective. The Humans who reside in Farthen Dûr are generally members of the Varden. The Dwarves who live there generally support the Varden, but do not directly contribute to the Varden's rebellious plans. Hrothgar, the king of the Dwarves, and Ajihad, the leader of the Varden, work together to accomplish their goals.
[edit] Tronjheim
Tronjheim is a huge city-mountain located in the Beor Mountains in the south of Alagaësia. It is the largest dwarf city and is the central hide-out of the Varden, a group of rebels set on bringing down the evil King Galbatorix and his ruthless Empire.
Tronjheim is built in the center of the crater of a large, dormant volcano called Farthen Dûr. It is not only the Varden's main hide-out, but it is also the capital of the dwarves' realm, being the home of King Hrothgar, the 42nd dwarven king. The city was attacked in Eragon by an army of Urgals, controlled by the shade, Durza, they delivered a fierce onslaught on the Varden and the dwarves, but were defeated when Eragon killed Durza. Later on, in the book Eldest, the Varden left Tronjheim for the country Surda.
Tronjheim is thousands of feet tall, and is finely decorated with jewels and treasures carved by dwarven ancestors. In the main vestibule, in the very center of the city, there stands a great star-sapphire, carved in the likeness of a rose. Above it is a Dragon-hold where the Riders' Dragons are kept when they stayed in Tronjheim.
Tronjheim was named after Trondheim, a port city in the Scandinavian country of Norway.[citation needed]
[edit] References
[edit] See also
- Project Page
- Category:Inheritance Trilogy
- Category:Inheritance Trilogy characters
- Category:Inheritance Trilogy locations
[edit] External links
- Official website, which includes autobiographical comments from Paolini
| 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 | Blood-Oath Celebration | Battle of the Burning Plains | Battle for Carvahall | Battle under Farthen Dûr | Dagshelgr Invocation | The Fall |
