Ep. 34 - Eragon: A Warrior and a Healer + Water from Sand

Ajihad is one cool dude. Darien and Lucy get some answers in Eragon chapter 51, “The Glory of Tronjheim,” and chapter 52, “Ajihad.”NOTE: In this episode, Darien draws incorrect conclusions about the inspiration of that city name Tronjheim. Listeners have since informed us that the name is a reference to a real world city in Norway! How cool!!Talking points include Darien’s steadfast refusal correctly pronounce the name of the dwarven city, how cool Ajihad is, how very suspicious these creepy nameless twins are, mixing up the plot of the wedding episode of Monk with the plot of the wedding episode of Sherlock, avoiding [blank] as default when writing character descriptions, referencing the map, a brief AU where Arya successfully sent Saphira’s egg to Brom, filling in the details of Brom’s mysterious conversation 500 pages later, and figuring who does or doesn’t like Eragon. Sparks of InspirationLucy celebrates starting her own book club!Darien shouts out the frightening and fabulous Your Lonely Nights Are Over by Adam Sass.Share your Sparks of Inspiration or your Geodes with us on Instagram @EragonPod Get more Eragon and Back Again on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/EABA  Cover art by Luana Pastor  No portion of this episode may be used for AI training purposes or to create derivative works without express written permission from the creators and co-hosts Lucy Hart and Darien Smartt.

16 Okt 20241h 14min

This bald man sucks.Lucy and Darien have some OPINIONS in Eragon chapter 50, “Hunting for Answers.”Talking points include a crucial need for italics, being right about disliking this bald guy, the excellent word choice that is “courier,” being right about liking our new dwarf friend, Lucy's impeccable memory of lines from the text, tantalizing lore drop about Darien and Lucy's time in an cosplay K-pop dance group, Eragon and Saphira demonstrating they do trust Murtagh, and Murtagh's Tragic Backstory ™.Content Warning: This episode contains mention of torture, though does not go into more detail than what was outlined in the chapter being discussed. Sparks of InspirationDarien considers the words of T.J. Klune and the importance of being the Anti-J.K. Rowling.Lucy restarts her writing habit after a thrilling DnD campaign finale.Share your Sparks of Inspiration or your Geodes with us on Instagram @EragonPod Get more Eragon and Back Again on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/EABA  Cover art by Luana Pastor  No portion of this episode may be used for AI training purposes or to create derivative works without express written permission from the creators and co-hosts Lucy Hart and Darien Smartt.

2 Okt 20241h 8min

The truth is finally out. Darien and Lucy discuss out-of-character reactions in Eragon chapter 49, “The Horns of a Dilemma.”Talking points include being mad at a 16-year-old, the introduction of the theme of inheritance in The Inheritance Cycle, examining Eragon and Saphira’s seemingly out-of-character reactions to Murtagh, Darien finally going off about naming structures meant to invoke Arthurian legend, struggling to map out exactly what happened at the lake, and conversations about queer-coded villains. Content Warning: This episode contains mention of violence against children, though does not go into more detail than what was outlined in the chapter being discussed. Sparks of InspirationLucy is inspired by Darien(‘s self-indulgent habit of sharing her draft word count on Instagram). Darien reflects on how motivating petty vengeance can be. GeodesIn preparation for the finale of her current DnD campaign, Lucy wrote a snippet to explore her character’s headspace before the final battle. Darien shared a passage from her draft that was extra whimsical. Share your Sparks of Inspiration or your Geodes with us on Instagram @EragonPod Get more Eragon and Back Again on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/EABA  Cover art by Luana Pastor  No portion of this episode may be used for AI training purposes or to create derivative works without express written permission from the creators and co-hosts Lucy Hart and Darien Smartt.

18 Sep 20241h 3min

So many things happen!Lucy and Darien find themselves in a morally gray area while discussing Eragon chapter 48, “Flight Through the Valley.”Talking points include a nail-biting rock-paper-scissors game, Saphira weighing in on conflict of the previous chapter, what makes a satisfying twist, Eragon and Saphira learning SCIENCE, Eragon re-learning a magic lesson, and Mordred’s Big Fat Lore Drop. Spoilers for The Sixth Sense, The Usual Suspects, Bioshock, The Adventure Zone, and The Good PlaceSparks of InspirationDarien shouts out the very cute middle grade series Witchlings by Claribel A. Ortega. Lucy shares her enjoyment for the BioShock franchise. Share your Sparks of Inspiration or your Geodes with us on Instagram @EragonPod Get more Eragon and Back Again on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/EABA  Cover art by Luana Pastor  No portion of this episode may be used for AI training purposes or to create derivative works without express written permission from the creators and co-hosts Lucy Hart and Darien Smartt.

4 Sep 20241h 16min

What we have here is a failure to communicate. Lucy and Darien find themselves in a morally gray area while discussing Eragon chapter 47, “A Clash of Wills.”Talking points include “chonky boi” chapters, where your bones live, the difference between war horses and running horses, unpacking a little bit of Murtagh’s Trauma, a missed opportunity to clearly examine Eragon’s values, dissecting who in this world are classified as monsters, Darien’s personal approach to crime and punishment, and struggling to find an answer to a morally gray question. Spoilers for The Adventure Zone: Balance podcast 2:33-8:00Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about decapitation and enslavement, though not beyond what is depicted in the chapter. Sparks of InspirationLucy takes inspiration from her friends!Darien adores Lucy’s new tattoo! Share your Sparks of Inspiration or your Geodes with us on Instagram @EragonPod   Cover art by Luana Pastor  No portion of this episode may be used for AI training purposes or to create derivative works without express written permission from the creators and co-hosts Lucy Hart and Darien Smartt.

21 Aug 202451min

Meet Arya!Darien and Lucy are happy to finally know the elf woman’s name in Eragon chapter 46, “A Path Revealed.” Talking points include the importance of having your basic needs met in creativity and problem solving, Eragon embracing the true responsibility of being a Rider, the connections between memory and belief as seen in Inside Out 2, Eragon’s poor execution of a good idea, using italics to communicate thoughts in text, frustrating social media interactions with strangers, communicating strangeness of non-human characters without dipping into racist tropes, and Murtaugh’s almost-lore drop. Sparks of InspirationDarien really loves The Adventure Zone: Suffering Game and strong adaptations. Lucy reflects on the value of having a writing routine as inspired by Nora Robert’s The Dragon Heart Legacy. Share your Sparks of Inspiration or your Geodes with us on Instagram @EragonPod   Cover art by Luana Pastor  No portion of this episode may be used for AI training purposes or to create derivative works without express written permission from the creators and co-hosts Lucy Hart and Darien Smartt.

7 Aug 20241h 11min

How do you get two horses, two humans, and one dragon across a river?Darien and Lucy continue the journey and discuss Eragon chapter 44, “The Ramr River,” and chapter 45, “The Hadarac Desert.”Talking points include mountains being very cool, Saphira coming to trust Murtagh, Eragon’s continued “protective” feelings for the elf woman, sandy deserts being very cool, Saphira living her best life in the sun and sand, Eragon and Murtagh living their worst lives in the sun and sand, and referencing the map at the front of the book. Sparks of InspirationLucy celebrates her favorite streamer, Deebeegeek, and the joy of replaying Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. Darien has enjoyed a TON of audiobooks recently thanks to the Libby app!Share your Sparks of Inspiration or your Geodes with us on Instagram @EragonPod   Cover art by Luana Pastor  No portion of this episode may be used for AI training purposes or to create derivative works without express written permission from the creators and co-hosts Lucy Hart and Darien Smartt.

24 Juli 202448min