Name: Danuvaen

Age: 24

Gender: Male

Skills: Danuvaen has developed an uncanny knack for controlling the strength, shape, and heat of his flame. This has not been achieved overnight. For hours every day he stands stock still, staring at the largest boulder he can find. He examines all of its faces for cracks and abnormalities in its smoothness, deliberating what would be the best way to destroy it. Finally he unleashes a stream of pure burning heat from his maw to melt it into nothingness. He never uses his full strength on anything unless he has to. He likes to conserve his white-hot heat for things that call for it.

Race: Dragon

Scales: Deep grey, almost black

Eyes: Piercing ice blue

Home Village: Ellesmera

Parents: Unknown; hatched from one of Galbatorix's captive eggs

Siblings: Unknown

Character Personality: Before his every battle Danuvaen reflects on himself. He reflects on things past, present, and future to remind himself who he is fighting for and why. When his thoughts are as gathered as possible he mounts his attack, knocking down foes with a ferocity far beyond any happy dragon. He has a love for surprising his enemies. If at all possible, he'll conceal himself before a battle and wait until the bloodshed has begun. Then he'll shoot into the air and bathe the opposing soldiers in a blanket of flame, giving them only seconds to realize their impending doom before it was upon them. He is a harsh, even cruel individual. Unlike Shruikan, who serves Galbatorix unwillingly, Danuvaen relishes in every drop of Varden blood to bathe his tongue. This isn't least because of his deep loathing for them, but it is due also to the fact that his favorite meat is that of the short-life-two-legs. He relishes in the knowledge that he is fear. If he has orders to be visible before the battle begins he will fly before Galbatorix's men and hover right in front of the sun to block out all light. It is also one of his fighting tactics. He deprives the enemy of sunlight until their eyes adjust to the darkness, then swoops down to bathe them in a sudden burst of brightness. He's even learned how to angle his scales so that they will shine reflected rays into the eyes of commanders. After all, if you want to stop an army you must first stop the general. He is at a slight disadvantage against Saphira, considering he has no rider to heal him when he begins to weaken. Instead, he has red and black jewels embedded in his armor that are augmented with differing variations of healing spells; stronger ones for possible fatal wounds, and minor ones for scratches in his wing membrane. As is obvious, he likes to have advantages in fighting. Risking his neck is not something he does on a daily basis. To put his life on the line would be ridiculous in his view. The only reason he fights for Galbatorix as he does is that he has his own vendetta against the Varden that he knows the king can help him settle. He will not rest until every last one of them, including the dragon Saphira and her half-breed rider, lie dead at his claws.

Character History: Danuvaen's happy memories lie in his time as a hatchling. His egg was obtained from Galbatorix from a spy within Uru'baen itself. He doesn't know who his savior was. He knows only that the man was killed soon after the egg found its way to Ellesmera. Once there Queen Islanzadi consulted with Oromis and his dragon Glaedr. They agreed it was unwise to shout the victory to the world, as it may cause undue hope. There was no guarantee that the egg would even hatch for anyone. Still, they decided to try and find someone the young dragon would feel enough pull towards to hatch. The search began in Ellesmera with the egg resting safely in a satchel at the hip of one of Islanzadi's most trusted men. He never touched the egg directly, not feeling as though he deserved the honor of handling such an object. When he found no one in Ellesmera he continued his search, going next to Kirtan. He found an inn to stay at there, needing time to regroup before journeying west to find someone who the youngling would hatch for. He rented a room at the inn and took off the satchel for the first time in three days. When he did, the egg rolled out onto the bedspread, it's gleaming stone-grey shell beckoning him. The elven man reached a hand out and touched the egg, marveling at it's smooth texture. In the next instant he heard a sound from within. Startled, the man drew back, afraid that he'd caused it harm. The first sound was accompanied by several cracks and before he knew it a small deep grey dragon hatchling was looking up at him through innocent blue eyes. Astonished that he had been the one he'd been searching for all along, the man, named Fernir, spent all night getting acquainted with the creature. After the next moonrise he stole out under the cover of night, cloak concealing the dragon clutched to his chest, and returned to Islanzadi. After some convincing she agreed that he of no special lineage must be destined for the life of a Rider. Fernir and the dragon studied under Oromis and Glaedr for two years straight. The dragon's name came from a scroll Fernir studied. He found that he liked the name Danuven, even though it was of human origin and had no meaning. He gave it to his dragon, who accepted it willingly. After they were deemed ready they joined the Varden, told they were to take Saphira and Eragon as their general. While Fernir accepted this Danuvaen did not. Still, he followed his Rider as loyally as any dragon will, perhaps even more so. All was well until one night Fernir decided to leave the camp. He wanted to scout the surrounding area and make sure all was in order to have a better understanding of the terrain they were on. It was always a good idea to know the place you could be fighting in. He should have been looking for danger closer to home, though. A sentinel took him as a spy and fired an arrow at him. It pierced his heart, killing him slowly. The moment Danuvaen felt the pain of his Rider he roared furiously, tearing his tent to shreds in an effort to get to Fernir. He flew at breakneck speed, hoping there was something he could do. But he landed mere minutes before his death. By the time a magician strong enough to repair the wound arrived, it was too late. When he felt Fernir's consciousness detach from his own Danuvaen went into a frenzy. He killed six elves, twenty humans, and four Urgals in the process. But eventually he was forced out of the camp by Eragon and Saphira. He wandered hopelessly for a full month, eating little and sleeping only when forced. He eventually came upon a battalion of Galbatorix's men. At first he thought he would eat them now that Fernir wasn't around to protest at his love for the flesh of two-legs. But they gave him an idea. He ended up flying to Uru'baen, where he joined Galbatorix's forces. Since there he has dedicated his life to destroying every last shred of the rebellion for what they did to his Rider.

Weapons: Claws, teeth, and tail.

Likes: Blood, human flesh, fighting, and secretly, Saphira. He'd been planning on courting her before Fernir's murder. She may be the key to convincing him to forsake Galbatorix, seek the path to changing his true name in order to free himself from his oaths, and return to the Varden. But of course, is there really time to reason with him when he's eating your comrades?

Dislikes: Shruikan. That creature is no more than an unfortunate lapse in the proud dragon lineage, as far as Danuvaen is concerned. He lays around all day, pitying himself for having to serve Galbatorix. The dumb animal can't even see the genius in his Rider's plans. As mentioned before, he won't rest until all of the Varden lie dead. Also, he hates Eragon. It just creeps him out that a human-born man should look like the elven people.

Animal Companions: None.

Character's Physical Description: He is a rather large specimen, even out sizing Glaedr. This pleases him to no end. His gleaming scales shine a dark grey, almost black. Because of this people sometimes mistake him for Shruikan from a distance. Cold blue eyes peer out from under a set of horns protruding where his eyebrows might be. These horns are the same black color as his claws and are about three-quarters of the length. He has two long horns on top of his head that curve slightly, almost like an overlarge goat's. At the height of the wing joint is a single spike, same shade as the rest of his horns, that he uses to slash at two-legs and dragons alike when in combat. A set of spines trail from the top of his head down his back, as well as down his chest.

Dreams for the Future: To see the Varden fall.

Reasons for Dreams: The death of his Rider, Fernir.

Alignment/side: In ranks with Galbatorix.