Urgals

Urgals are strange and surprisingly complex creatures. To most, they are pure beasts who revel in bloodshed and death, and who are not worthy of living. To the more informed, they are just another race trying to find their place in Alagaësia.

It is believed that Urgals followed the Elves across the sea and into Alagaësia. Their tribes continued to grow and what little land their villages occupied in the Spine became unable to sustain the race. The need for more land sparked the Urgal’s pact with Galbatorix. They would fight for him in return for land for their people. However, the Urgals were tricked. Galbatorix turned them over to the Shade Durza, who used his magic to warp the minds of the Urgal’s war chiefs. He forced the tribes to work together, which was counter to their ways. Once this was realized, after the battle in Farthen Dûr, the Urgals sent a representative to Galbatorix to ask why. The messenger did not return. Seeking revenge, the Urgals turned to their Varden and allied themselves with the group, asking for land in exchange for their service.

The appearance of an Urgal is quite fearsome. They resemble men, with bowed legs and powerful, muscular arms. Above their small ears, great curling horns grow. Their mouths are marked by sharp yellow teeth, and they are capable of huge, bellowing roars. The largest type of Urgal is known as a Kull. They are said to have limbs as thick as tree trunks and to be able to grow to heights of over eight feet.

A proof of the inaccuracy of classifying Urgals as nothing more than animals is the definite existence of an Urgal culture. While it may seem somewhat primitive compared to that of other races, the importance is that the culture is extant. Urgals have a language of their own, the spoken form of which uses their natural harsh, guttural tones. However, they are also capable of speaking in the human’s tongue. As previously stated, they live in villages, where they take mates and live together socially. Male Urgals are called rams and females are called dams. The villages are ruled over by a body of dams, called the Herndall. Still, despite the Urgals’ status of being more than animals, they do have primitive tendencies. Their culture is largely centered around wars and fighting—simply said, they love war. In fact, the social station of an Urgal is largely determined through combat; this in part is what has led to a great number of conflicts between Urgals and other races.

More advanced than beasts, yet certainly not as refined as Elves, the Urgals are despised by much of Alagaësia, and not without proper reason. Still, they have shown a desire to keep peacefully to themselves, so there may be hope on the horizon for the Urgal race.

Legal Disclaimer: Shadeslayer.com is an unofficial Inheritance fan site.  We did not create Eragon or any other characters in the Inheritance Cycle.  We have no direct contact with Christopher Paolini, his agents, Random House Press, Fox 2000 or any other related parties.  All content © Shadeslayer.com 2005-2008, unless stated otherwise. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.

Shadeslayer.com is non-commercial and hosts advertisements only to pay for hosting, contests and other website-related expenses.

Layout Design by Xaler Studios

PHP Scripting and Coding by Erica