I Walked Down a Rabbit Hole...
Sep. 14th, 2022 07:53 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mara_dienne459 posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
antishurtugal_reborn As the title of the post says, I followed an article down into a rabbit hole and decided to stay a while to explore. This is what I found. The link is http://www.shurtugal.com/alagaesia-prequels-and-standalone-novels/ if anyone wants to do a little exploring of their own, but basically what's here is what's there.
Alagaesia Prequels and Standalone Novels
Beyond Book 5: Prequels, Stand-Alones
(Christopher has a lot of stories planned for Alagaesia!)
Does he now? Because so far I haven't found anything, other than him praising himself for getting a book to a publisher that we may or may not see within the next year or three.
Christopher has long expressed interest in expanding the world of Alagaesia beyond the Inheritance Cycle and planned Book 5. In fact, he has confirmed that he has at least seven books planned (and possibly already plotted), some of which are part of a new series, and has confirmed interest in additional books, which we've detailed below.
What we know for certain:
Prequel: A prequel to the Cycle would be from Brom's perspective following Galbatorix's rise and his efforts to undermine the traitor
Which, admittedly, would be kind of fun to read, but only in the aspect to see if my theories about the Riders (as evidenced throughout the actual Cycle as them being power-hungry, abusive, holler than thou types) holds true.
Stand-alone: Wolf-Eyes and Bladesinger from Brisingr are the subject of their own story.
Because the two characters who show up randomly in Book Three and then again in Book Four SOLELY TO SAVE RORAN'S ASS are important enough to have their own book. Seriously, I never saw the point of introducing them at all, because they add NOTHING to the story. They're just... there. They don't have any importance whatsoever other than Deus ex Machina. Also, I really hope those aren't their real names. I know Wolf-Eyes got her name because of Saphira, but Bladesinger? Was that the girl who looked like she'd been a smith's apprentice? And what about the boy they mysteriously had in Book Four when they saved Roran's ass? Did he just fucking disappear?
Seven Words: Brom's seven words are the subject of their own story (which may or may not be told)
So what's the point then? Seriously, the only mention of these seven words came in Book One during Brom's death scene and then were never mentioned again except for when Eragon used one of them IN PROSE and it did absolutely fuck all. Other than that, these seven words are pretty much out of sight out of mind.
Confirmed Stand-Alone Stories
Mysteries travelers: In Brisingr, we encountered two women - Wolf Eyes and Bladesinger - who had their fortunes read by Angela. Christopher later confirmed that they assisted Roran in the battle for Uru'baen. These women will not be in Book 5 but are the main characters of another story. The author has referred to this story as "smaller" than others he has in mind.
Yes, the article really did spell "mysterious" as "mysteries". Auto spellcheck isn't always your friend. Also, "Wolf Eyes" and "Bladesinger" aren't actually named as such when we encounter them in Book Three (nor are they named later in Book 4). In fact, a whole point is made about them NOT giving their names out. As I said before "Wolf Eyes" got her name from Saphira, more or less, and "Bladesinger" was just described as a young girl who likely lifted a lot of weights in her life. Secondly, they didn't "assist" Roran - they saved his bacon when he was written into a corner by the author. Honestly, I don't know what their story could be, considering "Wolf Eyes" and her party didn't seem to have much of a motivation other than existing as an aside. Their scene could've been cut entirely and it wouldn't have affected anything. All I remember about that scene is Saphira telling her to murder the guy who hurt her if she ever came across him again. Also, where's the boy? When they saved Roran's ass, they had a boy with them. All of a sudden the boy's disappeared.
Brom's seven words: The mystery behind Brom's final words to Eragon haven't been forgotten. They won't be addressed in Book 5 but are the subject of another book or short story.
Um, actually I did forget Brom's seven words. I forgot them because they were never told to us in the first place and Eragon uses them maybe all of twice in all four books and they're useless. They weren't addressed in any of the other books, so I'm not really surprised they won't be mentioned in Book 5. Also how can you build a story about these seven words? All we're told about them in Book 1 is that Brom gave them to Eragon on his deathbed, then told him what they meant, but we as the audience got fuck all. After that, they were used in prose so we never found out what they were and they did absolutely nothing to anyone Eragon used them on. How do you build a story around that? Who would want to read a story about that?
Brom's Story/Fall of the Riders/Rise of Galbatorix: Christopher has expressed interest in writing a prequel to the series exploring the fall of the Riders and Galbatorix's rise to power. If he does so, it would be told from the perspective of Brom.
Because of course it would be from Brom's point of view. Because we couldn't get the story from anyone else's point of view. Like maybe Morzan's. Or any of the other Forsworn, or hell, Galbatorix himself. Because we can't have multiple perspectives of a signature event. We can only have one perspective, and that is of course the perspective of the "hero", because Paolini's stories are always Paotagonist-centrist and whatever they do or want is always 100% correct. I'm sorry, was that too cynical?
Basically this second section just ended up being a more detailed version of the first section. There probably wasn't much of a need for two sections to detail the same bit of information.
Confirmed Story Elements in Future Books
Characters and races explored in other stories:
Murtagh and Thorn: We haven't seen the last of the pair, who will appear in Book 5, but it's possible we'll see more of them in other books. It's possible that their appearance will include further developments on the fan-wished Murtagh/Nasuada relationship.
"Fan-wished"? No wonder the whole relationship dynamic between them in Book Four seemed so ham-fisted. Like the relationship between Eragon and Arya, the relationship between Murtagh and Nasuada was shoehorned in there because the fans wanted it. Not because it was natural or anything. I'm both somewhat happy and nervous about seeing Murtagh and Thorn again. Happy because they're my favorite characters in the entire series, nervous because Murtagh's personality seemed to end up being transplanted when he made his appearance in the Fork Book. So I can only imagine what he'll be like in Book 5 if he has a major role. I really hope that their reappearance has nothing to do with pursuing a relationship with Nasuada. She doesn't deserve Murtagh. After sporking all of Book Four not that long ago, the way she treated him is still fresh in my mind, and Murtagh doesn't need any more of that.
Tenga: Tanga's mysterious inclusion in Brisingr and disappearance in Inheritance (which was also addressed in Jeod's letter, an epilogue-like piece following Inheritance) will definitely be addressed in future books.
The article didn't italicize Brisingr or Inheritance so I didn't either in transcribing. Honestly, Tenga was a useless addition. That entire side quest could be removed from the story and change nothing. His appearance didn't give Eragon any clues and Eragon just up and abandoned him anyway. He didn't bother to learn anything. Also, Tenga was such a there and gone character that I'm not sure why he's going to be the subject of a future book. Seems like it would be a waste.
The First Eragon: It's no coincidence that Christopher never revealed the fate of the first Eragon. His story is likely to be told in a future book.
I'm pretty sure the fate of the first Eragon was never revealed because even Chris didn't know what happened to him. I mean, think about it. Riders are supposed to live forever unless they're killed, their dragon's killed, or they get sick with some incurable disease like syphilis or something and die from that. So where did all the Riders from old go? Did they just fuck off to parts unknown? Were they actually mortal but just long-lived? We don't know! Despite the fact that Eragon makes mention of the Du Fells Nangoroth being the place that dragons went to die (despite dragons being, you know, immortal) no one actually goes there to see if it's truly a dragon graveyard. And now that I think about it, wouldn't that be interesting? Not only a dragon graveyard, but a graveyard of Riders as well, who died snuggled up to their dragons as an affirming choice of their lives being wholly unified. Well. For those who didn't see their dragons as batteries or fancy modes of transportation, anyway.
Roran using magic: Roran may have struggled to use magic in the Cycle, but all hope isn't lost yet. It's possible there may be more to this, which could be explored in a future book.
Honestly I liked the fact that Roran couldn't use magic. It really gave a sense of real struggle to the story. In a world of sorcery and dragons, here's this one guy who can't fucking use magic, who has to rely on his intelligence and strength of arm to get things done. He can't just magic things into being or going the way he wants; he literally has to plan and plot and set shit up in order to get things done. I really hope Roran doesn't develop the ability to use magic.
Elva: Christopher was coy when revealing whether or not we'll see Elva and Eragon work together in the future. Chances are good that things aren't done between the pair.
Considering I sporked the last book, I'd say things are fairly done between the two. I mean, Eragon offered to remove her curse from her for good, she said no, that she wanted to stay the way she was, and all was well. At least until we hit the Fork Book, where Elva had regressed into a snotty little brat making people cry and hurting people to make herself feel better. Granted, this could've stemmed from the fact that she was essentially under house arrest as Nasuada refused to allow her to go out into town or generally interact with anyone aside from her. Also in the Fork Book, Elva arrived at Eragon's new pad and supposedly "helped" a few of the Eldunari by acting as their therapist, but nothing more was developed from that, and she seems to be attached at the hip to Angela at the current moment in time. Not sure how the two would end up working together, honestly. Their seems to be more of an antagonistic relationship than anything else. Their relationship, I think, would become violent when Eragon ultimately decides that Elva doesn't deserve her powers anymore because of the way she acts (remember, he attempted this once before in Book Three and she stopped him) and Elva fighting against him because she likes her powers and the power they give her over others.
Inare: These mysterious people are alluded to in Jeod's letter - said to be something that Eragon saw (presumably after the end of Inheritance) - and will be of significance in future books.
These mysterious people are just thrown in because why not. There's no mention of them anywhere except for Jeod's letter. They could just as easily be forgotten and I don't think anyone would remember. And considering the letter was only included in the Deluxe version, I'm not sure how many people know the Inare exist in the Cycle, unless they're like... diehard fans or something.
Grey Folk: We'll definitely find out more about the Grey Folk in the future.
Why do we need to know more about these people? Why can't we have the speculative mystery about them? We know that they inhabited Alagaesia before everyone else showed up, aside from dwarves and dragons, and that they were part of a mysterious conflict that enabled them to make the decision to bind magic to language so they could make order from chaos and prevent the calamity from happening again. That's all we need to know. It's along the same lines as the ancient past - modern humans weren't there, so our only choice of piecing together, say, the lives of ancient Egyptians, is from the artifacts they've left behind. Why can't we have that with the Grey Folk? Some archaeological findings? Why do we need any more than that?
Elven children: Christopher originally planned to use the elven children encountered in Eldest as part of a plot line in the Cycle, but decided against it and scrapped the idea. However, he's considered repurposing the unused plot for inclusion in a future story.
That makes me terrified that Chris was going to use Alanna and Dusan in some sort of plot in Eldest. And again, the actual text didn't italicize Eldest so I didn't either. But honestly these two were twelve years old. They're children. Granted, Eragon was fifteen turned sixteen over the course of the story (and in modern terms, he was still a child, but in terms of the story as far as his village was concerned sixteen = manhood, so) but these two were extremely young even if they were elves. What plot line could they possibly have been used for? Becoming Riders themselves? Being the fulcrum on which Eragon's plan to kill Galby hinged? Imitating Thanos and making the entirety of the Imperial army disappear? And what could they possibly be used for in the future? Seriously. I enjoyed Epistler's use of Dusan in her story and him becoming Ismira's boyfriend because that made sense. I don't think I'd enjoy whatever Chris is planning.
Menoa Tree's repayment: Like other loose ends, this one will be answered at some point!
But will it? I mean, I don't think even he knows. We saw Eragon feel a "twinge" in his belly, but we don't know what that twinge was meant to represent. Sterilization? A lost kidney? A sympathetic response to Saphira losing her Eldunari? It was such a vague line that literally nobody knows what happened and now there's no physical chance of Eragon ever going back to actually repay her. So it had to have already been done. And you'd think Eragon would've figured that out in the intervening years.
New mythical creatures: Christopher isn't done introducing us to mythical creatures only found in Alagaesia. Others, including some illustrated around the entrance to Galbatorix's throne room, will be revealed in the future.
What was illustrated around the entrance to the throne room? Oh, right, it was on those giant doors. There was a tree. There were humans. There were dragons, Urgals, Ra'zac, and elves. There were dwarves. There were were-cats. Oh, there's some tiny creature that Eragon didn't recognize. That was it. One unknown creature does not "mythical creatureS(plural)" make. What the hell else could he possibly add? He already mentioned, if I remember correctly, that gryphons will never make an appearance in Alagaesia. So literal faeries? Hobgoblins? Why do we need more races? Why can't we have other continents? Other countries aside from Surda? That would make more sense than some random creature making a debut appearance apropos of nothing.
Vampires: We haven't heard much about this mystery since 2011, prior to the release of Inheritance, but when asked about the existence of vampires in Alagaesia, the author said: "Yes... and no. That's a subject for a future story."
I... don't remember hearing about vampires at all, but then I never really got on the hype bus too much for this series. I didn't follow it like Hansel and Gretel following breadcrumbs to the witch's candy house. So I have no idea why or where vampires in Alagaesia came up. All I can say about this is that I hope it gets scrapped. It doesn't make any sense for vampires to be in Alagaesia. There's no set up for them to exist in the first place. And if there is and I somehow missed it, why the fuck did the Riders decide a genocide against the Ra'zac would be a good idea but not a fucking vampire extermination squad?
Raising and training the new Riders: We'll see some of the beginning of Eragon and Saphira's efforts to bring back the dragons and raise a new generation of Riders in Book 5, but an extensive look at the pair's effort in establishing a "New Vroengard" and more will be the subject of a separate story.
I mean, at the end of the Fork Book, a dragon ended up hatching, but we never found out if it was a designated wild dragon or if it was a bonded dragon. So we have no idea what's going on there. As far as Eragon and Saphira's efforts... well... I mean... I guess we ought to prepare for the next generation of entitled little shits going and doing whatever the hell they want because they were taught they can and people will venerate them for no other reason than their title. But honestly, if Eragon's still whining about doing paperwork in Book 5 as he was doing in the Fork Book, then I don't think he's done much in the way of bringing back the dragons and raising a new generation of Riders.
Future of the Ra'zac: Christopher has teased that we haven't seen the last of the Ra'zac, after talk of surviving Ra'zac eggs rescuing the race from extinction.
I mean there was talk and there was a statement at the end of Book 4 about Eragon giving a token search and finding nothing, but I'll be happy if the Ra'zac show up again. Hopefully they get utilized better than they did in the main series.
Events and places explored in other stories:
El-Harim: This mysterious location, mentioned in the series, is found in the northern part of Alagaesia. Christopher as revealed that we strayed close to its location during adventures in the Cycle. He's hesitant to reveal additional information, hoping to use the place in a future story.
This place is found in the northern part of Alagesia? Where? In Du Weldenvarden, which the characters didn't go further than Ellesmera? On the very northern end of the Bay of Fundor, where the characters also never went? Somewhere in the Spine that the characters maybe walked by at a distance of a day's walk? Is it another hidden place on Vroengard? The language used makes me think even the author doesn't even know where this place is. Also I don't know why a place called "El-Harim" would be in the north... it doesn't match any of the naming scheme that's there (if there's even one). I suppose it could be an Urgal settlement (or was at one time), but that wouldn't make sense as the very first time we see any mention of this place is in Nasuada's little poem in Book Four that she uses to try to make sure the reality she's experiencing is the actual reality and not an elaborate illusion. Why would Nasuada, who wasn't brought up on Urgal culture, know this place then? Granted, we don't know where she learned this little diddy, only that she uses it to prevent anyone intruding on her mind, so she might've heard it somewhere. But it really comes out of nowhere.
Nasuada's reform on magic: We'll see the outcome of Nasuada's crackdown on magic and magicians in future books.
If this turns out to be "everyone loves this reform and nobody's upset by it anymore" I think I'm going to hurl.
The Dragon War/"Du Fyrn Skulblaka": Christopher would like to write a prequel exploring the first war between dragons and elves, which led the first Eragon to end the war between the races, establishing the order of Dragon Riders.
I mean, this would be kind of neat to know, how this ended up developing, because the evidence we get in the actual books is that some asshole elf killed a dragon for a trophy and the dragons got pissed, so they killed that elf, and then the elves did absolutely nothing except "defend themselves" while the dragons rampaged all over the countryside because... because I guess they didn't get enough satisfaction from the revenge killing? And also it's interesting how only Eragon the First is mentioned in the effort to "end the war". It wasn't just him. Bid'Daum was there too.
Magical and missing artifacts explored in other stories:
Shruikan's Eldunari: Wondering about the existence and location of the late dragon's Heart of Hearts? It's something worth wondering about, according to the author - a hint that we'll see more about it in future books.
I don't recall Shruikan's Eldunari ever being missing. I don't recall Galbatorix forcibly separating Shruikan from his Eldunari in order to control him. I honestly didn't wonder about the existence and location of Shruikan's dragon ball throughout the entire story and I sporked it. I firmly believed the dragon ball was still inside Shruikan and when he died it went up in nuclear smoke with him. This makes me wonder why the author would specifically mention it... and why we're going to see more of it. It doesn't make any sense to me that we would.
Oromis's sword: The disappearance of a Rider's sword is never something Christopher would overlook. The author does know where it is, and that may be a part of future stories.
It's not something he would overlook? I mean... he had to mention in a tweet somewhere (or something) that the elves buried Glaedr and Oromis in the ground somewhere around the point where they fell to earth after their deaths, but none of that was mentioned in the actual books. Nor did Eragon ever go bother to visit said grave in the aftermath of the end of the war. Brom got a visit, but not Oromis. I'm pretty sure the author forgot to add that tidbit and forgot about the sword, and only now is deciding where the sword is. Did the elves retrieve it? If they did, why didn't one use it at the final battle? Why didn't they give it to Islanzadi to use against Barst? Or, hell, Roran considering the moron lost his hammer? A Rider's sword would've made a great weapon to use against Barst. I really do think he forgot the sword existed until he was asked about it. And it's interesting that Oromis's sword is the one asked after and not Brom's.
Belt of Belt the Wise: The magical artifact may not be gone for good. Christopher sometimes thinks that Angela swiped it during the skirmish in Dras Leona, but it's also possible we'll see the belt pop up in a future book. The sudden disappearance of a big magical artifact is something we shouldn't overlook.
Why would Angela swipe this thing? Even she knows that Eragon would need all the power advantage he could get. Her swiping it would only cause Eragon to be going to his death underpowered. Unless, of course, she knew about his Sue advantage, which, let's face it, she probably did. But what use would she have for this belt? She never expressed interest in it, to the best of my recollection. The language that "Christopher sometimes thinks Angela swiped it" makes me believe even he's got no clue and is suggesting that perhaps at one point his sister swiped a belt of his in real life but couldn't prove it and therefore is projecting said situation onto these fictional characters. Sure, we shouldn't overlook the disappearance of big magical artifacts, but usually they show up when they're needed most rather than just vanishing from the story for good.
Technology and magical research: Don't be surprised if we see developments in the realm of technology and magical research in future books. Christopher has stated he'd like to explore both, as well as a possible combination of the two.
It doesn't surprise me that there would be advancements made in this area, considering this was something Orrin was essentially working on when we first met him. But on the other hand, advancements had already been made and the Riders hid that information away from the people in their island and refused to let it become common knowledge. The only reason I can figure why is so that they wouldn't become obsolete. Think about it. If someone invented black powder, invented ballistic weaponry, then what match would a dragon be to a gun? People used to run in fear when a dragon was going to show up to stop a fight. Imagine what they would do if they had a firearm to blow the dragon away.
Alagaesia Prequels and Standalone Novels
Beyond Book 5: Prequels, Stand-Alones
(Christopher has a lot of stories planned for Alagaesia!)
Does he now? Because so far I haven't found anything, other than him praising himself for getting a book to a publisher that we may or may not see within the next year or three.
Christopher has long expressed interest in expanding the world of Alagaesia beyond the Inheritance Cycle and planned Book 5. In fact, he has confirmed that he has at least seven books planned (and possibly already plotted), some of which are part of a new series, and has confirmed interest in additional books, which we've detailed below.
What we know for certain:
Prequel: A prequel to the Cycle would be from Brom's perspective following Galbatorix's rise and his efforts to undermine the traitor
Which, admittedly, would be kind of fun to read, but only in the aspect to see if my theories about the Riders (as evidenced throughout the actual Cycle as them being power-hungry, abusive, holler than thou types) holds true.
Stand-alone: Wolf-Eyes and Bladesinger from Brisingr are the subject of their own story.
Because the two characters who show up randomly in Book Three and then again in Book Four SOLELY TO SAVE RORAN'S ASS are important enough to have their own book. Seriously, I never saw the point of introducing them at all, because they add NOTHING to the story. They're just... there. They don't have any importance whatsoever other than Deus ex Machina. Also, I really hope those aren't their real names. I know Wolf-Eyes got her name because of Saphira, but Bladesinger? Was that the girl who looked like she'd been a smith's apprentice? And what about the boy they mysteriously had in Book Four when they saved Roran's ass? Did he just fucking disappear?
Seven Words: Brom's seven words are the subject of their own story (which may or may not be told)
So what's the point then? Seriously, the only mention of these seven words came in Book One during Brom's death scene and then were never mentioned again except for when Eragon used one of them IN PROSE and it did absolutely fuck all. Other than that, these seven words are pretty much out of sight out of mind.
Confirmed Stand-Alone Stories
Mysteries travelers: In Brisingr, we encountered two women - Wolf Eyes and Bladesinger - who had their fortunes read by Angela. Christopher later confirmed that they assisted Roran in the battle for Uru'baen. These women will not be in Book 5 but are the main characters of another story. The author has referred to this story as "smaller" than others he has in mind.
Yes, the article really did spell "mysterious" as "mysteries". Auto spellcheck isn't always your friend. Also, "Wolf Eyes" and "Bladesinger" aren't actually named as such when we encounter them in Book Three (nor are they named later in Book 4). In fact, a whole point is made about them NOT giving their names out. As I said before "Wolf Eyes" got her name from Saphira, more or less, and "Bladesinger" was just described as a young girl who likely lifted a lot of weights in her life. Secondly, they didn't "assist" Roran - they saved his bacon when he was written into a corner by the author. Honestly, I don't know what their story could be, considering "Wolf Eyes" and her party didn't seem to have much of a motivation other than existing as an aside. Their scene could've been cut entirely and it wouldn't have affected anything. All I remember about that scene is Saphira telling her to murder the guy who hurt her if she ever came across him again. Also, where's the boy? When they saved Roran's ass, they had a boy with them. All of a sudden the boy's disappeared.
Brom's seven words: The mystery behind Brom's final words to Eragon haven't been forgotten. They won't be addressed in Book 5 but are the subject of another book or short story.
Um, actually I did forget Brom's seven words. I forgot them because they were never told to us in the first place and Eragon uses them maybe all of twice in all four books and they're useless. They weren't addressed in any of the other books, so I'm not really surprised they won't be mentioned in Book 5. Also how can you build a story about these seven words? All we're told about them in Book 1 is that Brom gave them to Eragon on his deathbed, then told him what they meant, but we as the audience got fuck all. After that, they were used in prose so we never found out what they were and they did absolutely nothing to anyone Eragon used them on. How do you build a story around that? Who would want to read a story about that?
Brom's Story/Fall of the Riders/Rise of Galbatorix: Christopher has expressed interest in writing a prequel to the series exploring the fall of the Riders and Galbatorix's rise to power. If he does so, it would be told from the perspective of Brom.
Because of course it would be from Brom's point of view. Because we couldn't get the story from anyone else's point of view. Like maybe Morzan's. Or any of the other Forsworn, or hell, Galbatorix himself. Because we can't have multiple perspectives of a signature event. We can only have one perspective, and that is of course the perspective of the "hero", because Paolini's stories are always Paotagonist-centrist and whatever they do or want is always 100% correct. I'm sorry, was that too cynical?
Basically this second section just ended up being a more detailed version of the first section. There probably wasn't much of a need for two sections to detail the same bit of information.
Confirmed Story Elements in Future Books
Characters and races explored in other stories:
Murtagh and Thorn: We haven't seen the last of the pair, who will appear in Book 5, but it's possible we'll see more of them in other books. It's possible that their appearance will include further developments on the fan-wished Murtagh/Nasuada relationship.
"Fan-wished"? No wonder the whole relationship dynamic between them in Book Four seemed so ham-fisted. Like the relationship between Eragon and Arya, the relationship between Murtagh and Nasuada was shoehorned in there because the fans wanted it. Not because it was natural or anything. I'm both somewhat happy and nervous about seeing Murtagh and Thorn again. Happy because they're my favorite characters in the entire series, nervous because Murtagh's personality seemed to end up being transplanted when he made his appearance in the Fork Book. So I can only imagine what he'll be like in Book 5 if he has a major role. I really hope that their reappearance has nothing to do with pursuing a relationship with Nasuada. She doesn't deserve Murtagh. After sporking all of Book Four not that long ago, the way she treated him is still fresh in my mind, and Murtagh doesn't need any more of that.
Tenga: Tanga's mysterious inclusion in Brisingr and disappearance in Inheritance (which was also addressed in Jeod's letter, an epilogue-like piece following Inheritance) will definitely be addressed in future books.
The article didn't italicize Brisingr or Inheritance so I didn't either in transcribing. Honestly, Tenga was a useless addition. That entire side quest could be removed from the story and change nothing. His appearance didn't give Eragon any clues and Eragon just up and abandoned him anyway. He didn't bother to learn anything. Also, Tenga was such a there and gone character that I'm not sure why he's going to be the subject of a future book. Seems like it would be a waste.
The First Eragon: It's no coincidence that Christopher never revealed the fate of the first Eragon. His story is likely to be told in a future book.
I'm pretty sure the fate of the first Eragon was never revealed because even Chris didn't know what happened to him. I mean, think about it. Riders are supposed to live forever unless they're killed, their dragon's killed, or they get sick with some incurable disease like syphilis or something and die from that. So where did all the Riders from old go? Did they just fuck off to parts unknown? Were they actually mortal but just long-lived? We don't know! Despite the fact that Eragon makes mention of the Du Fells Nangoroth being the place that dragons went to die (despite dragons being, you know, immortal) no one actually goes there to see if it's truly a dragon graveyard. And now that I think about it, wouldn't that be interesting? Not only a dragon graveyard, but a graveyard of Riders as well, who died snuggled up to their dragons as an affirming choice of their lives being wholly unified. Well. For those who didn't see their dragons as batteries or fancy modes of transportation, anyway.
Roran using magic: Roran may have struggled to use magic in the Cycle, but all hope isn't lost yet. It's possible there may be more to this, which could be explored in a future book.
Honestly I liked the fact that Roran couldn't use magic. It really gave a sense of real struggle to the story. In a world of sorcery and dragons, here's this one guy who can't fucking use magic, who has to rely on his intelligence and strength of arm to get things done. He can't just magic things into being or going the way he wants; he literally has to plan and plot and set shit up in order to get things done. I really hope Roran doesn't develop the ability to use magic.
Elva: Christopher was coy when revealing whether or not we'll see Elva and Eragon work together in the future. Chances are good that things aren't done between the pair.
Considering I sporked the last book, I'd say things are fairly done between the two. I mean, Eragon offered to remove her curse from her for good, she said no, that she wanted to stay the way she was, and all was well. At least until we hit the Fork Book, where Elva had regressed into a snotty little brat making people cry and hurting people to make herself feel better. Granted, this could've stemmed from the fact that she was essentially under house arrest as Nasuada refused to allow her to go out into town or generally interact with anyone aside from her. Also in the Fork Book, Elva arrived at Eragon's new pad and supposedly "helped" a few of the Eldunari by acting as their therapist, but nothing more was developed from that, and she seems to be attached at the hip to Angela at the current moment in time. Not sure how the two would end up working together, honestly. Their seems to be more of an antagonistic relationship than anything else. Their relationship, I think, would become violent when Eragon ultimately decides that Elva doesn't deserve her powers anymore because of the way she acts (remember, he attempted this once before in Book Three and she stopped him) and Elva fighting against him because she likes her powers and the power they give her over others.
Inare: These mysterious people are alluded to in Jeod's letter - said to be something that Eragon saw (presumably after the end of Inheritance) - and will be of significance in future books.
These mysterious people are just thrown in because why not. There's no mention of them anywhere except for Jeod's letter. They could just as easily be forgotten and I don't think anyone would remember. And considering the letter was only included in the Deluxe version, I'm not sure how many people know the Inare exist in the Cycle, unless they're like... diehard fans or something.
Grey Folk: We'll definitely find out more about the Grey Folk in the future.
Why do we need to know more about these people? Why can't we have the speculative mystery about them? We know that they inhabited Alagaesia before everyone else showed up, aside from dwarves and dragons, and that they were part of a mysterious conflict that enabled them to make the decision to bind magic to language so they could make order from chaos and prevent the calamity from happening again. That's all we need to know. It's along the same lines as the ancient past - modern humans weren't there, so our only choice of piecing together, say, the lives of ancient Egyptians, is from the artifacts they've left behind. Why can't we have that with the Grey Folk? Some archaeological findings? Why do we need any more than that?
Elven children: Christopher originally planned to use the elven children encountered in Eldest as part of a plot line in the Cycle, but decided against it and scrapped the idea. However, he's considered repurposing the unused plot for inclusion in a future story.
That makes me terrified that Chris was going to use Alanna and Dusan in some sort of plot in Eldest. And again, the actual text didn't italicize Eldest so I didn't either. But honestly these two were twelve years old. They're children. Granted, Eragon was fifteen turned sixteen over the course of the story (and in modern terms, he was still a child, but in terms of the story as far as his village was concerned sixteen = manhood, so) but these two were extremely young even if they were elves. What plot line could they possibly have been used for? Becoming Riders themselves? Being the fulcrum on which Eragon's plan to kill Galby hinged? Imitating Thanos and making the entirety of the Imperial army disappear? And what could they possibly be used for in the future? Seriously. I enjoyed Epistler's use of Dusan in her story and him becoming Ismira's boyfriend because that made sense. I don't think I'd enjoy whatever Chris is planning.
Menoa Tree's repayment: Like other loose ends, this one will be answered at some point!
But will it? I mean, I don't think even he knows. We saw Eragon feel a "twinge" in his belly, but we don't know what that twinge was meant to represent. Sterilization? A lost kidney? A sympathetic response to Saphira losing her Eldunari? It was such a vague line that literally nobody knows what happened and now there's no physical chance of Eragon ever going back to actually repay her. So it had to have already been done. And you'd think Eragon would've figured that out in the intervening years.
New mythical creatures: Christopher isn't done introducing us to mythical creatures only found in Alagaesia. Others, including some illustrated around the entrance to Galbatorix's throne room, will be revealed in the future.
What was illustrated around the entrance to the throne room? Oh, right, it was on those giant doors. There was a tree. There were humans. There were dragons, Urgals, Ra'zac, and elves. There were dwarves. There were were-cats. Oh, there's some tiny creature that Eragon didn't recognize. That was it. One unknown creature does not "mythical creatureS(plural)" make. What the hell else could he possibly add? He already mentioned, if I remember correctly, that gryphons will never make an appearance in Alagaesia. So literal faeries? Hobgoblins? Why do we need more races? Why can't we have other continents? Other countries aside from Surda? That would make more sense than some random creature making a debut appearance apropos of nothing.
Vampires: We haven't heard much about this mystery since 2011, prior to the release of Inheritance, but when asked about the existence of vampires in Alagaesia, the author said: "Yes... and no. That's a subject for a future story."
I... don't remember hearing about vampires at all, but then I never really got on the hype bus too much for this series. I didn't follow it like Hansel and Gretel following breadcrumbs to the witch's candy house. So I have no idea why or where vampires in Alagaesia came up. All I can say about this is that I hope it gets scrapped. It doesn't make any sense for vampires to be in Alagaesia. There's no set up for them to exist in the first place. And if there is and I somehow missed it, why the fuck did the Riders decide a genocide against the Ra'zac would be a good idea but not a fucking vampire extermination squad?
Raising and training the new Riders: We'll see some of the beginning of Eragon and Saphira's efforts to bring back the dragons and raise a new generation of Riders in Book 5, but an extensive look at the pair's effort in establishing a "New Vroengard" and more will be the subject of a separate story.
I mean, at the end of the Fork Book, a dragon ended up hatching, but we never found out if it was a designated wild dragon or if it was a bonded dragon. So we have no idea what's going on there. As far as Eragon and Saphira's efforts... well... I mean... I guess we ought to prepare for the next generation of entitled little shits going and doing whatever the hell they want because they were taught they can and people will venerate them for no other reason than their title. But honestly, if Eragon's still whining about doing paperwork in Book 5 as he was doing in the Fork Book, then I don't think he's done much in the way of bringing back the dragons and raising a new generation of Riders.
Future of the Ra'zac: Christopher has teased that we haven't seen the last of the Ra'zac, after talk of surviving Ra'zac eggs rescuing the race from extinction.
I mean there was talk and there was a statement at the end of Book 4 about Eragon giving a token search and finding nothing, but I'll be happy if the Ra'zac show up again. Hopefully they get utilized better than they did in the main series.
Events and places explored in other stories:
El-Harim: This mysterious location, mentioned in the series, is found in the northern part of Alagaesia. Christopher as revealed that we strayed close to its location during adventures in the Cycle. He's hesitant to reveal additional information, hoping to use the place in a future story.
This place is found in the northern part of Alagesia? Where? In Du Weldenvarden, which the characters didn't go further than Ellesmera? On the very northern end of the Bay of Fundor, where the characters also never went? Somewhere in the Spine that the characters maybe walked by at a distance of a day's walk? Is it another hidden place on Vroengard? The language used makes me think even the author doesn't even know where this place is. Also I don't know why a place called "El-Harim" would be in the north... it doesn't match any of the naming scheme that's there (if there's even one). I suppose it could be an Urgal settlement (or was at one time), but that wouldn't make sense as the very first time we see any mention of this place is in Nasuada's little poem in Book Four that she uses to try to make sure the reality she's experiencing is the actual reality and not an elaborate illusion. Why would Nasuada, who wasn't brought up on Urgal culture, know this place then? Granted, we don't know where she learned this little diddy, only that she uses it to prevent anyone intruding on her mind, so she might've heard it somewhere. But it really comes out of nowhere.
Nasuada's reform on magic: We'll see the outcome of Nasuada's crackdown on magic and magicians in future books.
If this turns out to be "everyone loves this reform and nobody's upset by it anymore" I think I'm going to hurl.
The Dragon War/"Du Fyrn Skulblaka": Christopher would like to write a prequel exploring the first war between dragons and elves, which led the first Eragon to end the war between the races, establishing the order of Dragon Riders.
I mean, this would be kind of neat to know, how this ended up developing, because the evidence we get in the actual books is that some asshole elf killed a dragon for a trophy and the dragons got pissed, so they killed that elf, and then the elves did absolutely nothing except "defend themselves" while the dragons rampaged all over the countryside because... because I guess they didn't get enough satisfaction from the revenge killing? And also it's interesting how only Eragon the First is mentioned in the effort to "end the war". It wasn't just him. Bid'Daum was there too.
Magical and missing artifacts explored in other stories:
Shruikan's Eldunari: Wondering about the existence and location of the late dragon's Heart of Hearts? It's something worth wondering about, according to the author - a hint that we'll see more about it in future books.
I don't recall Shruikan's Eldunari ever being missing. I don't recall Galbatorix forcibly separating Shruikan from his Eldunari in order to control him. I honestly didn't wonder about the existence and location of Shruikan's dragon ball throughout the entire story and I sporked it. I firmly believed the dragon ball was still inside Shruikan and when he died it went up in nuclear smoke with him. This makes me wonder why the author would specifically mention it... and why we're going to see more of it. It doesn't make any sense to me that we would.
Oromis's sword: The disappearance of a Rider's sword is never something Christopher would overlook. The author does know where it is, and that may be a part of future stories.
It's not something he would overlook? I mean... he had to mention in a tweet somewhere (or something) that the elves buried Glaedr and Oromis in the ground somewhere around the point where they fell to earth after their deaths, but none of that was mentioned in the actual books. Nor did Eragon ever go bother to visit said grave in the aftermath of the end of the war. Brom got a visit, but not Oromis. I'm pretty sure the author forgot to add that tidbit and forgot about the sword, and only now is deciding where the sword is. Did the elves retrieve it? If they did, why didn't one use it at the final battle? Why didn't they give it to Islanzadi to use against Barst? Or, hell, Roran considering the moron lost his hammer? A Rider's sword would've made a great weapon to use against Barst. I really do think he forgot the sword existed until he was asked about it. And it's interesting that Oromis's sword is the one asked after and not Brom's.
Belt of Belt the Wise: The magical artifact may not be gone for good. Christopher sometimes thinks that Angela swiped it during the skirmish in Dras Leona, but it's also possible we'll see the belt pop up in a future book. The sudden disappearance of a big magical artifact is something we shouldn't overlook.
Why would Angela swipe this thing? Even she knows that Eragon would need all the power advantage he could get. Her swiping it would only cause Eragon to be going to his death underpowered. Unless, of course, she knew about his Sue advantage, which, let's face it, she probably did. But what use would she have for this belt? She never expressed interest in it, to the best of my recollection. The language that "Christopher sometimes thinks Angela swiped it" makes me believe even he's got no clue and is suggesting that perhaps at one point his sister swiped a belt of his in real life but couldn't prove it and therefore is projecting said situation onto these fictional characters. Sure, we shouldn't overlook the disappearance of big magical artifacts, but usually they show up when they're needed most rather than just vanishing from the story for good.
Technology and magical research: Don't be surprised if we see developments in the realm of technology and magical research in future books. Christopher has stated he'd like to explore both, as well as a possible combination of the two.
It doesn't surprise me that there would be advancements made in this area, considering this was something Orrin was essentially working on when we first met him. But on the other hand, advancements had already been made and the Riders hid that information away from the people in their island and refused to let it become common knowledge. The only reason I can figure why is so that they wouldn't become obsolete. Think about it. If someone invented black powder, invented ballistic weaponry, then what match would a dragon be to a gun? People used to run in fear when a dragon was going to show up to stop a fight. Imagine what they would do if they had a firearm to blow the dragon away.