What Happens in The Inheritance?
The complete story of The Inheritance, from the first scene to the last, in 327 words (about 1 minute). Spoilers throughout.
Spoilers ahead
Set in the magical land of Alagaësia, the story follows the rise and fall of the Dragon Riders, an order dedicated to peace. This harmony was shattered when a rider named Galbatorix, driven to insanity by the loss of his dragon, betrayed the order. He formed the Thirteen Forsworn, seized the capital of Ilirea, and established a tyrannical empire by stealing the Eldunarí (dragon hearts) to fuel his power.
The narrative focuses on Eragon, a young man who discovers a mysterious blue egg. When the egg hatches into a dragon named Saphira, Eragon is bonded as a new Dragon Rider. Following the tragic death of his uncle Garrow at the hands of the Ra’zac, Eragon flees his home with the guidance of Brom, a mysterious storyteller who is eventually revealed to be his biological father and a former Rider.
Under Brom’s mentorship, Eragon learns the arts of sword fighting and the Ancient Language. Their journey leads them to the Varden, a rebellion led by Ajihad and his daughter Nasuada. Along the way, Eragon rescues the elf Arya and encounters Murtagh, the son of the traitor Morzan. It is eventually revealed that Eragon and Murtagh are half-brothers, though Murtagh is bound by a magical oath of fealty to King Galbatorix.
Throughout his quest, Eragon undergoes rigorous training in the elven capital of Ellesméra under the tutelage of Oromis. He eventually crafts the flaming sword Brisingr and leads a final assault against the Empire. In a climactic mental and physical battle, Eragon forces Galbatorix to commit suicide with an improvised spell.
In the aftermath, Nasuada becomes the High Queen of Alagaësia, and Arya becomes the monarch of the elves after hatching her own dragon, Fírnen. To ensure a peaceful future, Eragon rewrites the ancient pact to include dwarves and Urgals as Riders. Believing Alagaësia is too dangerous for the remaining eggs, Eragon and Saphira depart the land forever to establish a safe sanctuary for the next generation of Riders.
The Inheritance Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
25 key events in the order they happen, from “Founding of the Dragon Riders” to “A New Pact and Eragon's Departure”. 20 events name a place, across 14 locations.
- 1
Founding of the Dragon Riders
In the magical land of Alagaësia, an order was created to oversee the countries and bring peace to the world. Its members, the Dragon Riders, formed lifelong bonds with their dragons in accordance with a pact made between elves and dragons millennia earlier. Humans were later included in the order as well, and the Riders served as guardians of the land for ages.
Where:Alagaësia
- 2
Death of Jarnunvösk
A young Dragon Rider named Galbatorix suffered the death of his dragon, Jarnunvösk, at the hands of a group of Urgals, brutish humanoids. The loss pushed him into insanity, and he was denied another dragon by the Council of Elder Riders. Blaming the Council for the death of his dragon, Galbatorix resolved to destroy the entire order.
- 3
Galbatorix Steals Shruikan
Galbatorix made an alliance with Morzan, an ambitious young Rider, and with his help slew another Rider and took his dragon, Shruikan, captive. Using magic, Galbatorix broke Shruikan's will and forced the dragon to serve him. This stolen mount became the foundation of his bid for power against the order.
- 4
The Fall of the Dragon Riders
Gathering more Riders to his cause, Galbatorix created the Thirteen Forsworn and took over Ilirea, the capital of the Broddring Kingdom, while destroying Doru Araeba, the centre of the Dragon Riders. He slew the Elder Riders, including their leader Vrael, whose sword Islingr he claimed, and killed most of the remaining Riders along with their dragons. From the slain dragons he took many Eldunarí—the Heart of Hearts, a gem inside dragons in which their consciousness can survive death.
Where:Ilirea and Doru Araeba
- 5
Aftermath of the Riders' Fall
When the remaining dragons discovered that the betrayal had been aided by one of their own species, they collectively cast a spell on the Forsworn's dragons that prevented them from ever being named. Elder Rider Oromis and his dragon Glaedr fled to Ellesméra, the elven capital in the forest of Du Weldenvarden, while Morzan slew his old friend Brom's dragon Saphira but showed Brom mercy, allowing him to escape. From the ruins of the order, Galbatorix declared himself King over all of Alagaësia, though he could never find the hidden elves and dwarves he hunted.
Where:Alagaësia
- 6
The Varden Rises as the Forsworn Crumble
Over the next century, several of the Forsworn were killed in battle and power struggles or committed suicide after going mad. Galbatorix shut himself away for more than forty years bending the captured Eldunarí to his will, and his negligence allowed the southern region of Surda to gain independence from the Empire. Brom created the Varden, a rebellion meant to oppose the Empire, personally killing three of the Forsworn—including Morzan—while orchestrating the deaths of five more.
When:The century after the Riders' fall Where:Alagaësia
- 7
Eragon Is Born in Carvahall
While working undercover for the Varden among Morzan's staff, Brom fell in love with Morzan's wife, Selena, who became pregnant with his child. She returned to Carvahall, the home of her brother Garrow, to give birth, begging her brother and his wife to raise the boy, Eragon, as their own. She then left to return to Morzan and her first son, dying soon afterward. When Brom later needed to disappear, he settled in Carvahall disguised as a storyteller to stay near the son who knew nothing of their bond.
Where:Carvahall
- 8
Durza's Ambush and the Redirected Egg
Durza, a Shade serving Galbatorix, ambushed three elves—Fäolin, Glewin, and Arya—who were carrying a dragon egg, while only two other eggs remained in the citadel of Ilirea, renamed Urû'baen by Galbatorix. Arya attempted to send the egg to Brom with magic, but the remaining Eldunarí, hidden in the Vault of Souls on the island of Vroengard, altered the spell. Believing the egg might hatch for him, they sent it instead to Eragon, who found it while on a hunting trip.
- 9
Saphira Hatches for Eragon
A few days after Eragon found the mysterious egg, it hatched and revealed a dragon. When Eragon touched the hatchling, a silver mark—the gëdwey ignasia—appeared on his palm, and their bond made him a Dragon Rider. The young dragon chose her name, Saphira, from the list of dragon names Eragon recited to her from Brom.
When:A few days after Eragon found the egg Where:Near Carvahall
- 10
The Ra'zac Strike and Eragon Flees
While Eragon's cousin Roran left for Therinsford to earn money to start a family with Katrina, the Ra'zac—servants of King Galbatorix—killed Eragon's uncle Garrow. Eragon fled Carvahall with Brom, intending to hunt down the Ra'zac, and Brom gave him Morzan's sword, Zar'roc. Along the road, Brom taught Eragon sword fighting, magic, a basic understanding of the ancient language, and the ways of the Dragon Riders, and the two became close friends. The Eldunarí acted once more, sending Eragon dreams of Arya, who was imprisoned in Gil'ead.
Where:Carvahall
Show the other 15 events of The Inheritance Hide the last 15 events
- 11
Brom's Death and Murtagh's Rescue
Halfway through the journey, the camp was ambushed by the Ra'zac, and a stranger named Murtagh rescued Eragon and Saphira, though Brom was mortally wounded in the attack. With his dying breath, Brom revealed that he had once been a Dragon Rider himself and that his own dragon had also been named Saphira. Eragon continued his quest with Murtagh at his side, unaware that the man he had befriended was his father.
- 12
Rescuing Arya from Gil'ead
Guided by his dreams, Eragon traveled to Gil'ead, where he and Murtagh freed the imprisoned Arya, with Eragon battling the Shade Durza during the escape. Because Arya remained unconscious for days, Eragon took a risk and communicated with her through thoughts, and she told him how to find the Varden. The group then fled toward the rebels while being chased by Kull, overlarge Urgals.
Where:Gil'ead
- 13
Reaching the Varden
As the group was trapped by the pursuing Kull, Murtagh was revealed to be Morzan's son, and a dwarf named Orik arrived with Varden fighters to save them. One of The Twins, two nasty bald men, examined Eragon's memories, but Murtagh refused to open his own mind, and Varden leader Ajihad had him imprisoned even though he recognized Murtagh's voice. Eragon was formally introduced to Ajihad, his daughter Nasuada, dwarf King Hrothgar, and Orik in Tronjheim, the city-mountain at the center of the hollow mountain Farthen Dûr.
Where:Tronjheim, Farthen Dûr
- 14
The Battle of Farthen Dûr
The Varden were attacked by an army of Urgals, and in the ensuing battle Eragon was separated from the main fighting and found himself in a one-on-one duel with Durza. The Shade left him with a large cursed scar on his back, but Arya and Saphira shattered the great gem Isidar Mithrim, creating a distraction long enough for Eragon to stab Durza through the heart. In the aftermath, Ajihad was killed by a band of stray Urgals, and Murtagh and The Twins were captured.
Where:Farthen Dûr
- 15
Roran Defends Carvahall
Meanwhile, Roran found himself wanted by the Empire, and his supporters helped him fortify and defend Carvahall. When the village was eventually destroyed by the Ra'zac, who also captured his beloved Katrina, Roran led most of the villagers in an evacuation to Surda. He intended to join the Varden and carry the fight to the Empire.
Where:Carvahall
- 16
Training in Ellesméra and the Agaetí Blödhren
Eragon, Saphira, Orik, and Arya journeyed to Ellesméra, the capital of the elves, to finish Eragon's training, meeting Queen Islanzadí, who turned out to be Arya's mother. There Eragon was tutored by the Elder Rider Oromis and his dragon Glaedr, who had survived the fall of the order. During the Agaetí Blödhren, the elven Blood-Oath Celebration honoring the ancient pact, Eragon was changed by a symbolic dragon, gaining elf-like abilities and having his back and all other injuries completely healed. Emboldened, Eragon revealed his true feelings to Arya, but after much persistence she angrily rejected his suit.
Where:Ellesméra
- 17
The Battle in Surda and Murtagh's Return
Nasuada moved the Varden to the country of Surda ruled by King Orrin and admitted the Urgals into their ranks despite fierce opposition, and the next day a great battle broke out against Galbatorix's minions. A ship arrived carrying Roran and the entire village of Carvahall, and Roran killed The Twins, who were revealed to have planned Ajihad's death. An enemy Rider killed dwarf King Hrothgar—turning out to be Murtagh, now bonded to Thorn, hatched from the second egg whose growth Galbatorix had accelerated. Sworn to Galbatorix through unbreakable oaths in the ancient language, Murtagh declared that he and Eragon were brothers and claimed Zar'roc, yet showed Eragon mercy by interpreting his orders differently.
Where:Surda
- 18
Rescue at Helgrind
Eragon, Saphira, and Roran traveled to Helgrind, the Gates of Death near Dras-Leona, where they freed the captive Katrina. Eragon and Roran slew the Ra'zac while Saphira killed the Lethrblaka, the Ra'zac's adult forms. Eragon stayed behind to deal with Katrina's father, Sloan, who had betrayed the villagers of Carvahall to the Ra'zac; having discovered Sloan's true name, he used it to compel the traitor to journey to Ellesméra.
Where:Helgrind
- 19
Brisingr Forged and Brom's Secret Confirmed
Eragon went to the Beor Mountains and helped Orik become king of the dwarves, while Saphira fulfilled her promise to mend the shattered Isidar Mithrim. Back in Du Weldenvarden, Eragon created his own sword, Brisingr, which bursts into flames each time he speaks its name. There Oromis and Glaedr revealed that Brom was Eragon's real father—meaning he and Murtagh are only half-brothers—and taught him of the Eldunarí, which are also the source of Galbatorix's power.
Where:Du Weldenvarden
- 20
Oromis Falls, Nasuada Is Captured
As the Varden captured several cities of the Empire, Oromis and Glaedr were killed by Murtagh and Thorn, though Glaedr had given his Eldunarí to Eragon and Saphira to further their training. After the defeat of one of the Empire's cities, Murtagh captured the Varden's leader, Nasuada. He became attached to her and healed her of her injuries, an act that caused an identity switch and broke his oath to Galbatorix.
Where:The Empire
- 21
The Vault of Souls
Eragon traveled to the Vault of Souls, a secret cave hidden on the island of Vroengard near the ruins of Doru Araeba, which held a massive amount of Eldunarí and dragon eggs hidden from Galbatorix. Claiming the secret Eldunarí, Eragon gained the strength of countless dragon minds to stand against the king. The hidden eggs also represented hope for the future of the Dragon Riders.
Where:Vault of Souls, Vroengard
- 22
Galbatorix's Death
When Eragon finally faced Galbatorix, the king used the true name of the ancient language against him. Eragon first bested Murtagh in a duel, then engaged Galbatorix in a fierce mental battle. During the struggle, Eragon accidentally forced the tyrant to commit suicide with an improvised spell, ending his reign over Alagaësia.
- 23
The Name of the Ancient Language and a New Queen
Murtagh and Thorn retreated north to have some time to themselves, but Eragon tracked him down, and Murtagh told him the name of the ancient language. Nasuada, after a heated debate with the other leaders of the rebellion, became the High Queen of Alagaësia. She also changed the name of the capital Urû'baen back to Ilirea.
Where:Ilirea
- 24
Arya Becomes Queen and a Dragon Rider
After Queen Islanzadí's death in battle, Arya returned to Du Weldenvarden to help choose a new monarch for the elves and was chosen herself. She took with her the rescued green dragon egg, which soon hatched for her, making her a Dragon Rider bonded to a dragon named Fírnen. Near the end, she revealed her new role and her True Name to Eragon, and after Saphira tested Fírnen, the two dragons became mates.
Where:Du Weldenvarden
- 25
A New Pact and Eragon's Departure
Eragon reworked the magic of the original pact between elves and dragons to include dwarves and Urgals, allowing dragon eggs to hatch for members of those races. Concluding that there was no safe place in Alagaësia to raise dragons and train new Riders, he arranged to carry the Eldunarí and eggs to a distant land, leaving only two eggs behind—one for the dwarves and one for the Urgals. Future Riders would travel to Eragon's new home for training, while new eggs would be sent back to Alagaësia to hatch. At the end, Eragon and Saphira departed Alagaësia forever.
Where:Alagaësia
How Does The Inheritance End?
The last act of The Inheritance and what it means, in 377 words. Big spoilers: read the plot summary first if you have not seen it.
The final act, in full
The ending of The Inheritance reveals a dark and supernatural twist that ties together the film’s themes of greed, family betrayal, and occult deals. Throughout the movie, Charles Abernathy’s secret pact with the demon Mammon is gradually uncovered. Charles, seeking wealth and power after his family lost everything, made a deal with Mammon to regain his fortune, but this came with a terrible price: he would sacrifice his own life at 75 to feed the demon. To ensure his survival until that age, Charles forced his children into a deadly trial, convincing them to keep him alive while he physically endured their efforts to protect him. What neither he nor they anticipated was that Charles himself would betray his own plans by orchestrating their deaths—knowing he could survive once they were eliminated, as he intended to be the last one alive.
In the climax, Charles reveals his full plan to Drew and Hannah. He shoots his son, Drew, believing he has secured his own safety, and then attempts to kill Hannah, who has uncovered his secrets. However, Hannah outsmarts him by trapping him under a heavy grandfather clock, preventing him from shooting her. Meanwhile, the supernatural spirit, Mammon, manifests more violently, possessing the bodies of the deceased Kami and Madeline, and ultimately pulling CJ to his death. The spirit’s vengeance and the demonic influence culminate in the death of the entire family, including Charles himself.
The final twist is that Charles’s plan fails because he did not account for the presence of Hannah’s unborn child, who serves as the ultimate heir still alive. When Charles tries to kill Hannah, she manages to escape, and Mammon’s curse is broken. In the end, Charles is murdered by the demon Mammon, and there are no living heirs to inherit his wealth. The estate is left to a foundation, per Charles’s original arrangement, and Hannah, carrying the unborn child, escapes into safety. The film’s ending underscores the destructive consequences of greed and the dangerous allure of occult pacts, leaving the family’s curse unfulfilled due to the survival of the next generation—Hannah’s unborn child—who is immune to Mammon’s promise of wealth. This concluding act hints at a hope for some salvation or new beginning, despite the dark history of the Abernathy family.
Quiz
How well do you remember The Inheritance? Test yourself on the story.
