Eldest part eleven

[kippurbird]

ChaptersWounds of the Past, Wounds of the Present Oooh symbolism.

Summary

First of all, for starters, because I'm just that bizzare I've been RPing Eragon on a multi-fandom RP site. I played him tonight, having him randomly faint. Someone wanted to know if he was related to a fainting goat. This amuses me greatly.

Icon: My fandom's hero is a fainting goat.

So, our next too chapters, so cleverly named, go back to Roran. The last time we saw him he actually got some character development. Watch it all go away in these two chapters.

It's three days later and everyone is talking about the big battle and how to get out of the situation. Everyone's trying to figure out a way to survive. Some say kill the Ra'zac others say surrender. No one really knows what to do. The Ra'zac have apparently retreated because they only have eleven men left.

Roran is listening to everything and keeping his own council, because of course, he's so brilliant and all. Roran also has a lot of authority with people, because apparently killing someone makes you a great leader. And here I thought leadership abilities were actually needed to be a great leader. Perhaps they're afraid that he'll kill them next? He also gets the spiffy nick name of Stronghammer! Sounds like a dwarf name.

It pleased Roran, that name.

There's more discussion on what to do and then Roran suggests that they should get the children and infirm out of the village and hide them in the Spine. No one came up with this suggestion earlier. It's been three days since the attacks and no one has come up with this suggestion. Oh there's shouting and Sloan of course says that he'd rather die than do that. But eventually the all come to realize that Roran is of course right. They argue about it some more, Sloan protesting a lot. And then Sloan leaves and everyone makes plans. Roran decides since Sloan doesn't agree with him, he's now the enemy. That's the way you want to look at your future father in law.

Roran leaves later and talks to Katrina. He wants her to go up into the Spine with the others. She says no, she wants to stay and be with him and her father. They argue about it and Katrina eventually gives in on the condition that if such a situation ever occurs again, she will not be asked to leave him. He reluctantly agrees. I think this is foreshadowing. No, I know this is foreshadowing and it's not very cleverly or subtly done. Especially after the two and a half page discussion Roran and Katrina have about it, and Katrina crying a single tear. I think that's three now. So some time later in this book or the next Katrina will not leave Roran's side and something horrible will happen to her because of it. Don't you just love it when you force your true love to make large generalizing statements that may sound good now but are actually idiotic when you think about it? But it's not very romantic, practically is.

And I just had the image of Paolini writing a Bodice Ripper. *scrubs brain*

So the next day arrives and people are getting ready. Paolini used circumnavigated instead of circled when talking about the trench that should have been outside the wall... which should have been built a long time ago. Never mind. Roran notices Sloan standing and watching the gathering of people getting ready to leave.

Sloan sees Katrina, and justifiably gets pissed off. After all his daughter is defying him. Roran tries to interfere. Sloan tells him he has no right. Roran says yes I do, we're engaged. Sloan actually has a human reaction!

Surprise and a deep, inconsolable pain sprang onto Sloan's vulnerable face, along with a glimmer of tears. For a moment, Roran felt sympathy for him, then a series of contortions distorted Sloan's visage, each more extreme than the last, until his skin turned beet red. He cursed and said, "You two faced coward! How could you look me in the eye and speak to me like an honest man while at the same time, courting my daughter without permission! I dealt with you in good faith and here I find you plundering my house while my back is turned."

I like Sloan. A lot. He's upset, but he has a reason to be upset. He's been wronged, and is having a reasonable reaction. Of course he's wrong.

Roran, being the kind and loving forces Katrina to chose between him and her father. She choses him. Sloan gets upset, of course, and Roran knocks him to the ground. Sloan then disinherits her. Katrina cries.

You know there's not really anything interesting happening here. I don't feel like I'm properly examining the text, but there's nothing really to examen. Nothing particularly bad happens. But nothing really of interest happens.

They go up into the Spine. They make camp. Roran talks to the kid who killed a soldier and asks him to protect Katrina when she shows up. Which is a brilliant move on his part. And he leaves.

The next chapter has Roran in it too. Joy.

Comments

[x-trickster-x.livejournal.com]

Anyone else think that Katrina is the most boring plank of staple-fantasy-character wood in the universe? It's a little bit depressing how the only character who acts human is meant to be hated though.

[dove-cg.livejournal.com]

Agreed. ;P

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

Aren't you insulting the plank of wood? >XD

[dove-cg.livejournal.com]

Why does Katrina love Roran again? Seriously. He is a twat. Why didn't he just try to get Sloan's permission first anyway? Oh, so we could have some conflict. Right. I nominate Paolini as the biggest douche in the universe! XD

And yes. Sloan is much love. Dammit, I feel sorry for him. He's too good for this world. Really. And that is a SAD, sad thing when we consider the man's most admirable trait is just being a normal human being. ;P

As for the RPing Eragon thing... OMG. I'm amazed you haven't had some more extreme reactions or weren't kicked out for wanting to play a powergamer character (or for playing a sociopath who thinks he's a hero.) But the fainting goat thing is funny. XD

What made you decide to RP him?

And also... guh... more icons to make. XD But at least the website link will help with teh image for it.

[dove-cg.livejournal.com]

Additionally, didn't EVERYONE feel the Spine was unsafe? I think that is why no one mentioned this before. Honestly, they should really find another town to live in, particularly since I'm betting the soldiers will burn this one to the ground and salting the ground, if they have an ounce of sense. (Unless Galby really doesn't give a shit about a whole town turning on him.)

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

It's just a village. Not even a town.

[dragonwhishes.livejournal.com]

The place she and I both play at, well- let's just say we've got a lot of disgustingly overpowered characters, a lot of sociopaths/psychopaths, and pretty much anything and everything up to talking toasters is allowed.

It's a weird place, but we loves it.

[(Anonymous)]

Do they have the Brave Little Toaster?

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

We're just told that they love each other, but we're never told why... or even shown why. He didn't get Sloan's permission in the first place because he was afraid Sloan was going to say no.

You're going to hate what happens to him in the next chapter.


It amused me, the idea of playing Eragon. It's fun playing the twat very tongue in cheek. I don't think I could play him completely seriously.

[dragonwhishes.livejournal.com]

For every step he takes forward, he takes twelve back.

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

He goes a lot back in the next chapter.

[karma-kalisutah.livejournal.com]

Katrina is a horrible daughter. This is the man who single-handedly cared for her and brought her up from childhood, the man who loved nothing in the world so well as her, and she renounces him because her teenage sweetheart says to.

I <3 Sloane, and it looks like I'm in the majority here. Paolini is completely rotten at capturing his readers' sympathy: his hero comes off as a psycopath, and everyone loves his traitor.

[dragonwhishes.livejournal.com]

*apparently feeling spammy this week* Everybody with a shred of intelligence, anyway.

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

Katrina is a horrible daughter. She cried a lot afterwards, but she shouldn't have done it in the first place. Of course, Roran shouldn't have put her in that position in the first place.

[thelittlebudgie.livejournal.com]

This chapter really annoyed me. I mean, it was Paolini's chance to prove that Roran wasn't just a mini-Stu, but someone who could deal rationally... and instead he tries to make Sloan seem evil just because he wants to keep his daughter safe.

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

I know. But I really hate the next chapter.

[sonic-sues.livejournal.com]

First of all, for starters, because I'm just that bizzare I've been RPing Eragon on a multi-fandom RP site. I played him tonight, having him randomly faint. Someone wanted to know if he was related to a fainting goat. This amuses me greatly.

Lol! I saw those goats on TLC!

There's more discussion on what to do and then Roran suggests that they should get the children and infirm out of the village and hide them in the Spine.

No, Roran, no! The Spine is that scary place with man-eating monsters in it that only Eragon can go in because HE'S SUPER SPESHUL! I think that Roran secretly hates kids and old people, and he's sending them to their death on purpose.

[jacedraccus.livejournal.com]

Really?

I think Paolini conveniently forgot something he established in the first chapter of Eragon.

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

They bring that point up but then decide to go to a special spot that isn't really deep with in the Spine.

[anarchicq.livejournal.com]

the trench that should have been outside the wall... which should have been built a long time ago. Never mind.
I brought this up in AIM. The walls all should have been built when Galby took over, what with him being "Evil" and all. The town should have erected defences long ago.

Ah well. Such is Eragon-Life.

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

Yes, but as we discussed there is no logic in Eragon land.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!

[sonic-sues.livejournal.com]

Your sport made me want to read Eragon for laughs, so I borrowed a copy. I got to page 17 before my head exploded, because of sentences like this:

A lantern flickered on a wooden table so old that the grain stood up in tiny ridges like a giant fingerprint.

And I ate meat (beef jerky) while reading it, because the book was like, "MEAT, MEAT, MEAT," and it made hungry.

I give up reading Eragon after those 17 pages.

Re: AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!

[karma-kalisutah.livejournal.com]

And I ate meat (beef jerky) while reading it...

...

*snerk*

...

*immature giggle*

...

*laughs out loud*

I'm sorry, but I have a really bad idea in my head right now. It's all Kips's fault.

Aside from that, I find it delightful ironic that while the books proportedly support vegetarianism, they actually encourage meat-eating.

Re: AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry, but I have a really bad idea in my head right now. It's all Kips's fault.

DO EET! DO EET!

Re: AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!

[karma-kalisutah.livejournal.com]

Not the sort of idea you can act on, just the sort that pops into your head and sits there.

Basically, I'm now thinking about couples using the Blue Brick as an aphrodesiac. And wondering what sort of sick people they'd have to be.

I told you it was awful.

Re: AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

O_o

Re: AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!

[karma-kalisutah.livejournal.com]

Because it apparently makes you crave meat. >:D

You have only yourself to blame.

Re: AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

There is lots meat in Eragon, innit?

Re: AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!

[karma-kalisutah.livejournal.com]

If Paolini were an actual vegetarian as opposed to just "leaning that way," I'd say he was getting cravings, and trying to satiate them by feeding his alter ego. I might try that, if I weren't fairly sure it would just turn into a form of self-torture.

*sigh* Going on ten years and I still miss New York steak, and hotdogs, andMcDonald's hamburgers, and tangerine chicken, and turkey sandwiches, and...

[delphinapterus.livejournal.com]

Stronghammer (over compensation?) just sounds like something from really bad soft-porn fantasy novels with titles like Barbarians of Gor. There are somethings that a writer just shouldn't use a character name because they just make the character sound silly. Shadeslayer was bad but Stronghammer tops that without trying. ot, you could do an essay on character naming.

Paolini has managed to it totally unrealistic for why everyone should trust Roran - but then that's his strong suit should I can't really be that surprised.

What is up with crying a single tear? Does Paolini not get the most people don't do that?

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

Or a dwarf's name.

People should trust Roran because he's just that wonderful. No other requirements needed.

But crying a single tear is a classic way to show how utterly tragic the situation is. Don't you know that?