Belgabad

Belgabad was the largest and oldest dragon not bonded with a Rider who lived at the time of the Fall of the Dragon Riders. Glaedr called him "the greatest of us all". He was a distant ancestor of Raugmar the Black who was the great-great-great-grandsire of Saphira's mother, Vervada. In Inheritance when Eragon and Saphira visited Doru Areaba on Vroengard, Saphira says that she is proud to be of his blood. His skull alone was longer and taller than the main part of Saphira's body, while Eragon surmised his ribs to be at least 80 feet long and 15 feet wide at their thickest.

History
Belgabad was born during Du Fyrn Skulblaka (the Dragon and Elf War). A Great War between the two races of was raging and each generation was dying out quicker than the last. As soon as his fiery breath came forth, he was thrust into the fray, fighting and killing so that he wasn't killed himself. Soon after his sire was killed by the Sïlverundin (the Lily) Dauthdaert killing spear, a white dragon, young and docile, appeared, carrying a elf boy on its back. They beseeched the dragons to cease fighting the elves. The dragons laughed at the ridiculousness of their plea, but Belgabad saw the love the white dragon had for the elf and joined their cause, wanting a chance of gaining love like that himself.

He traveled with Bid'daum and Eragon I as they campaigned for peace. Many of his kin saw his love for the pair as a weakness, but the elves revered him for it. After peace came and the treaty was signed by Queen Tarmunora and The Unnamed White Dragon, Belgabad left Eragon and Bid'daum, traveling through the elven nation in search of a elf worthy of his companionship and tutoring Bid'daum in the ways of the dragons as his sire and dam had taught him. When he didn't, he became so frustrated and angry that his flames exploded outwards like molten rock, spewing forth on any who strayed too close. Knowing that his anger was so powerfully destructive and his rage so uncontrollable, that if he remained, the peace between the elves and dragons might shatter, Belgabad flew across Du Weldenvarden and into the unknown lands beyond. There he resided in the realms still cloaked in fogs of mystery, Belgabad remained their until news reached him of the First Rider's Disappearance, that he realized that his fury was only hurting him and those around him, keeping him from the love and companionship he'd once sought after and yearned for with all his heart.

Belgabad traveled back to the elven realm where he, Bid'daum and Eragon I first met, wanting to feel close to his friends memories. There he met a young elf girl, the child of a dragon rider, who had been before the clutch of dragon eggs in the elves possession, but had not been chosen as a rider, a thing which she had dreamed of becoming. She was heartbroken and sullen, angry like Belgabad had been. He saw within her a kindred spirit and began to spend time with her, telling her of his past and the dragons and warning her against letting the anger she felt consume her, and in return, the elf girl told him of herself, her family, the elves and her dreams. It was then he realized that he had found what Bid'daum had, maybe not with the bond a true rider and dragon had, but he had a true friendship.

For millennia they traveled together, never with a saddle, for Belgabad was and will always be seen as a wild dragon of the ancient lines. The pair helped form the riders on Vroengard and traveled with them, helping to keep the peace in times of strife. The were also greatly well known for their help in times of harsh winters and famine, delivering food to the needy. When they ascended to a age, the two were offered the chance of becoming elders of the dragon riders. However, instead of becoming part of the council of elders, they preferred to be alone as adventuring wanderers and settled on the isle of El-harím, a island shrouded in mist and forest, where unseen things prowled. For centuries, the part resided in the icy reaches, living alone to ponder the questions of the universe. This was until the usurper, Galbatorix and the Forsworn began to slaughter the dragons and riders, Belgabad flew to the rider's aid, his elven friend on his back. As a ancient dragon, Belgabad took part in Du Namar Aurboda; the Banishing of Names, where he and every other dragon, save the thirteen traitorous dragons that were serving Galbatorix, striping the thirteen dragons of the thirteen forsworn who were helping Galbatorix and their riders eradicate their own race, tearing from them their names and identities, although he and the other dragons spared Galbatorix's first dragon, Jarnunvösk, who was killed by Urgals, and Shruikan, whose original Rider was murdered and who was forcibly bonded to Galbatorix, along with all the Eldunarí the Forsworn were using, for they were being forced to help the thirteen and were almost, if not completely driven insane with grief. Among the several battles the pair participated in was the Battle of El-harím, during which the vast amount of energy the two sides tore through the island that had been Belgabad and his friend's home for centuries, wrecking most of what they built and twisting the island in strange and mysterious ways.

Finally, in the last Battle of Doru Araeba, Belgabad's best friend and "rider" was slain and Belgabad, who, despite his age, was unable to save her as her body died and her soul past into the void. After this, his rage was all-consuming, and he killed with impunity, recognizing neither friend nor foe. His anger made him careless and Galbatorix almost captured him mind in a attempt to gain Belgabad's Eldunarí. However, even through his rage-blind anger, Belgabad knew that his best friends death would be in vain if Galbatorix gained his heart of hearts, all would be lost and, in a attempt to stop the feral rider, Belgabad used his unexplainable magic to create a explosion, killing his body with it. At almost that same time, the elf Thuviel's explosion began, and, with the combined might of the to explosions, the forsworn member Glaerun and his grey dragon were consumed and killed in the blast and tore through the landscape, destroying much of Doru Araeba is the double blasts. However, unbeknownst to him or Belgabad himself, Belgabad had agreed to disgorge his Heart of Hearts to placed among the 137 Eldunarí placed within the Vault of Souls in case Galbatorix and the Forsworn prevailed and to watch over the 243 dragon eggs also placed within the vault, before willingly having his memory of the event removed. After his death, Galbatorix cut a black mantle and a pair of gloves from Belgabad's wings. Glaedr, Saphira and Eragon found his skeleton in the ruins of Doru Araeba when they visited Vroengard. During there centuries of hiding, the Eldunarí influenced many events throughout the land. At first only in small ways: a nudge here, a whispered suggestion there, a sense of alarm to one about to be ambushed. They did not always succeed, but they were able to help those who still were determined to fight Galbatorix, and as time progressed, the dragons grew more adept and more confident with our tampering. On a few rare occasions, their presence was noticed, but no one was ever able to determine who or what they were. Thrice they were able to arrange the death of the Forsworn, often by helping Brom, who killed various members of the Thirteen Traitors, and many others besides who were devoted to resisting. When the thief known as Hefring of Furnost stole Saphira’s egg from Galbatorix’s treasure room they greatly aided his escape, but, unfortunately, they must have went too far, for he noticed them and became frightened. He fled and did not meet with the Varden as he was supposed to. Ironically, this meant the Eldunarí caused the death of a forth member of the forsworn, Morzan, who Brom killed in Gil'ead before retrieving Saphira's egg, which Morzan had seized from Hefring beforehand, from Morzan and his dragon's corpse. After Brom brought the egg to the Varden and the Varden and the elves started to bring younglings before it in an attempt to find the one for whom you would hatch, the Eldunarí decided that they should make certain preparations for that eventuality. So they reached out to the Werecats, who have long been friends of the dragons, and spoke with them. They agreed to help them, and to them we gave the knowledge of the Rock of Kuthian and the brightsteel beneath the roots of the Menoa tree, and then we removed all memory of our conversation from their minds. When Arya, Saphira's egg's courier, was ambushed by Durza and she was forced to magically transport the egg to Brom, the Eldunarí altered the flow of magic so that it would appear in front of Brom's son, Eragon. As Eragon was slowly developing into a Rider, the Eldunarí then gave him visions of Arya being held captive in Gil'ead. They expected that Brom would be with Eragon and Saphira when they arrived there, but was unaware that Brom had been murdered by the Ra'zac or that they would face a Shade. Nonetheless, they agreed the two would have to go anyway, as they had to find the Varden. The last gift the Eldunarí bestowed upon Eragon was the healing of his back and transformation into an elf-like being during the Blood-Oath Celebration, touching the reflection of their race that the elves summon during the celebration. They provided the inspiration, and she-he-it provided the strength for the spell.

Eventually, as Glaedr (now an Eldunarí), Eragon and Belgabad's distant descendant, arrived at the Vault of Souls and met Umaroth, Belgabad and the other Eldunarí, who explained all that had happened before joining them to fight in the Final Battle.

Later, when Shruikan flew over the camp of the Varden by Urû'baen, Eragon estimated that Shruikan might be as big or bigger than Belgabad. In Inheritance (book), Galbatorix says "I cut this mantle from the wings of Belgabad himself, and my gloves too" (711). Finally, during the Battle of Urû'baen, assisting Eragon, Saphira, Elva the witch-child and his fellow Eldunarí in the final battle against Galbatorix, fighting against Galbatorix's enslaved, driven-mad Eldunarí, during which his immense size and strength helped him incapacitate his smaller kin.

After Galbatorix's defeat, Belgabad traveled with Eragon and Saphira as they went about lifting Galbatorix's spells and oaths of fealty from the Broddring Empire. Upon meeting with Murtagh and Thorn, Umaroth stated that the Vault Eldunarí were well aware of the hardships they were forced to endure. As Murtagh and Thorn decided to go into a self-imposed exile, Umaroth and the Eldunarí advised them to avoid certain perilous places in Alagaësia.

Eventually, Eragon returned to Brom's diamond tomb and suggested that the Eldunarí find a way to revive him. Umaroth pointed out that even if they succeeded, they may be unable to restore Brom's mind. As Eragon insisted they try, Valdr, the oldest of the Eldunarí, convinced him to leave Brom to rest.

Umaroth, Belgabad and the other Eldunarí later agreed to Eragon's proposal to travel to the Eastern Reaches to help train the new order of Riders and calm the twisted Eldunarí that were previously under Galbatorix's control.

A decade later, Belgabad spoke briefly with the rider youths Sorrel, Rumis, Jaltin and Valdr II in the Hall of Colours, where his Eldunarí, which was described as being "greyish-black and taller than a fully-grown man", answering Eragon's mentioning of his name and pointing out that Eragon was much more eager to tell his tale that himself.