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85-583: Garion is the distant nephew of Polgara the Sorceress and the distant grandson of Belgarath the Sorcerer , though in truth his lineage is many times removed from them, through Belgarath's other daughter and Polgara's twin sister, Beldaran , the wife of Riva Iron-Grip , the first king (and founder) of Riva. Garion's father was Geran , a stonecutter in the Sendarian village of Annath and hidden heir to

170-456: A God in the process. He returns home for the birth of his daughter Beldaran, although he is told by the Prophecy to prepare for a few more children along the way, as he and Ce'Nedra have hugely increased lifespans, reproductive and otherwise. During the two series, he collects various titles, which he tends to use only when it suits him. From the book Castle of Wizardry onwards, he holds

255-733: A bear's shape); and Polgara, with permission by Issa, the god of the Nyissans, transforms Salmissra into an immortal snake. Thereafter Garion is reconciled with Polgara. After learning at the end of the Queen of Sorcery that the Angarak sorcerer Ctuchik had stolen the Orb from its erstwhile thief Zedar, Belgarion and friends set off for the Vale of Aldur after Belgarath had received instruction to do so from Aldur Himself. Although they preferred to avoid it,

340-469: A catastrophic war, like the one that had culminated in the Battle of Vo Mimbre some 500 years previously, Belgarion decided to set off relatively on his own to face Torak.Taking only Belgarath, and Silk with him he left notes for Polgara and Ce'Nedra with instructions not to pursue them. From this point in the story the narrative is split into two tracks, with the first following Garion, Belgarath and Silk and

425-508: A drastically extended lifespan (being the disciple of a God allows them to live an infinite amount of time.) However, he is initially unaware of the consequences of his actions e.g. he almost triggers an Ice Age whilst creating a thunderstorm; almost dies when he attempted to revive the colt in the 'Cave of the Gods' and sinking into mud when trying to throw a boulder - though this is usually because of his lack of education and not thinking things all

510-505: A fearsome temper. He is also highly stubborn and proud, often refusing to admit he's wrong even when he knows he is. He is also highly intelligent, though he was illiterate till he was 15, and he tends to hide this and use it as an advantage on people who think he's stupid. Garion has an exceptional talent as a sorcerer being able to use the Will and the Word, and like his aunt and grandfather has

595-514: A form of endearment. Among some tribes in Manus Province of Papua New Guinea, women's roles as sisters, daughters and nieces may have taken precedence over their marital status in social importance. In some cultures and family traditions, it is common to refer to cousins with one or more removals to a newer generation using some form of the word niece or nephew. For more information see cousin . Queen of Sorcery The Belgariad

680-523: A giant creature related to trolls, but far more intelligent and far more deadly. They are forced to fight him to the death and it comes at some cost with both Mandorallen and Durnik suffering significant injuries. Barak also receives a leg wound. After that, they continue unmolested to Prolgu and are welcomed by the Gorim - chieftain and elder of the Ulgo. They are there to recruit Relg a rock diviner who has both

765-478: A great deal of practical experience. His tutorship under Silk has rendered him capable of moving silently when needed, as well as to lie effectively and he is good at gathering information from local sources. He is also adept in the Drasnian secret language, which is practised using hand signs. He has also learned how to use a variety of different weapons, and as he is a student of Hettar, Mandorallen, and Barak, he

850-406: A green-cloaked individual of treason. A few days later, Barak and Garion are hunting wild boar when Garion notices the green-cloaked spy discussing further espionage ; but before Garion can tell anyone of this, he is attacked by a wild boar, which is then slain by Barak in the form of a bear. Garion later exposes the green-cloaked spy, and the latter's patrons are defeated in a fight. Garion himself

935-448: A hand. The man falls to the ground with an ugly welt on his head. Polgara instructs Garion to get off his horse and apologise to the man who comes to with his sanity restored. The monks proclaim a miracle, but Garion knows otherwise as do Belgarath and Polgara. In healing the monk of his madness, Garion performed his first, albeit unknowingly, act of sorcery. They then press on with their quest with their next planned stop being to talk to

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1020-492: A nephew was the logical recipient of his uncle's inheritance if the latter did not have a successor. A nephew might have more rights of inheritance than the uncle's daughter. In social environments that lacked a stable home or environments such as refugee situations, uncles and fathers would equally be assigned responsibility for their sons and nephews. Among parents, some cultures have assigned equal status in their social status to daughters and nieces. This is, for instance,

1105-496: A rage, which devastates her apartment and causes a thunderstorm overhead. Ce'Nedra too, feeling humiliated and taking it personally, has her own tantrum before calming down. She then discovers the power of Beldaran's necklace and, having learnt the reason for Garion's departure, she raises an international army to distract the Angaraks from Garion's quest so that he may reach Cthol Mishrak safely and overcome Torak. The final book of

1190-456: A trance and somehow, while the others go under, Garion slipped into a semi-wakeful consciousness that has to all intents and purposes turned off his emotions. The "voice" (of the prophecy) had been waiting for this opportunity to talk to him rationally about what he is destined to do and it is here that an analogy comes up. In the analogy the voice describes how something went wrong in the universe and it created two divergent destinies one of which

1275-465: A vision of Garion suddenly taking hold of the Orb, Ctuchik attempts to "unmake" the Orb and thus "unmakes" himself. The explosion sets off an earthquake. The group escapes, taking the now unconscious Belgarath and Errand the Orb Bearer. With the book ending with them fleeing the collapsing city. On their way out of the caves under Rak Cthol they pause briefly to pick up Taiba who Relg pulls through

1360-463: Is a neologism suggested by Samuel Martin in 1951 as a cover term for "nephew or niece"; it is not common outside of specialist literature. Sometimes in discussions involving analytic material or in abstract literature, terms such as male nibling and female nibling are preferred to describe nephews and nieces respectively. Terms such as nibling are also sometimes viewed as a gender-neutral alternative to terms which may be viewed as perpetuating

1445-464: Is a five-book fantasy epic written by David Eddings , following the journey of protagonist Garion and his companions, first to recover a sacred stone, and later to use it against antagonist Torak. It was a bestseller from the first book in the series. It has been called both the "last gasp" of traditional fantasy and "one of the founding megasagas" of modern fantasy. David Eddings, who had been writing adventure and thriller genres, has said he developed

1530-657: Is a master swordsman, capable of taking out entire battalions single handed. His use of the "Sword of the Rivan King" has caused him to be feared in most parts of the world; as his son puts it: "when Father got his sword out, most sensible people ran for cover." His extensive travels have given him contacts in all parts of the world, including the Emperor of Mallorea and the King of the Murgos. His upbringing also makes him aware of

1615-404: Is almost captured, but escapes. Garion learns that Polgara is Belgarath's daughter and the sister of Garion's second-most-distant female ancestor (identified in the prologue as Queen Beldaran, wife of Riva), and for that reason called his aunt. Having learned this, Garion identifies Belgarath as his grandfather. The group, with the addition of an Algarian prince named Hettar, then leave in search of

1700-427: Is carried to The Stronghold with the utmost urgency for his very life was in danger. Cajoled, tormented and molly-coddled, Polgara nurses him back to health. In doing so she abandons her usual remedies as she knows her father well enough to realise that he will just lay back and indulge in being taken care of. What he needed most was mental stimulation and what she feared most was that he might have lost his ability to use

1785-484: Is down in the caves below the ancient city. Proglu was abandoned after the cracking of the world sent the monsters insane. Before they get there they encounter a herd of carnivorous hruglin, horse-like creatures, and have to kill the stallion to drive them off. Just before Hettar kills the stallion his mind (as a Sha-Dar) connects with it just momentarily before the madness returns and he regrettably kills it. As they continue they also come face to face with Grul, an Eldrak,

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1870-402: Is female and a nephew is male, and they would call their parents' siblings aunt or uncle . The gender-neutral term nibling has been used in place of the common terms, especially in specialist literature. As aunt/uncle and niece/nephew are separated by one generation, they are an example of a second-degree relationship . Unless related by marriage, they are 25% or more related by blood if

1955-420: Is generally acknowledged as a co-author of the earlier books as well. The Belgariad is composed of five books, namely Pawn of Prophecy (1982), Queen of Sorcery (1982), Magician's Gambit (1983), Castle of Wizardry (1984), and Enchanters' End Game (1984). The title of each book combines a chess term with a fantasy term; whereas the concept of a 'Game of Destiny' is a significant motif in

2040-537: Is immediately alarmed, for fear that Belgarath has lost his power but by the time he tells Vordai it is too late. After conferring with the spirit of Aldur, Belgarath gives the fenlings the power to talk and it was only later when Garion realises that even he could have used sorcery to find their way out of the fens that Belgarath had done it out of compassion. Any thoughts of Belgarath losing his power are forever dispelled at that moment. They then head towards Boktor where they confer with Porenn and Silk meets his mother who

2125-406: Is kidnapped to be the bearer of a new Dark Prophecy. Garion follows his son's kidnapper on a trek across Mallorea, and during this time he conceives another child, meets his grandmother, befriends the Emperor of Mallorea and the King of the Murgos (who have been enemies of his allies for generations), and chooses his successor as the "Child of Light." His successor ends the eternal conflict, becoming

2210-548: Is refused and soon after the continue on the journey. As they set off and leave the Dryads behind Silk and Belgarath head off on their own in pursuit of Zedar and the Orb as they'd be able to move faster, with the intention being to meet up again in the Nyissan capital of Sthiss Tor in a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, the rest of them start making their own way directly to Sthiss Tor, but are detained by Tolnedran legionnaires under

2295-411: Is the original and the other an alternative. Garion equates this to when Doroon broke a window at Faldor's Farm and the voice goes along with this and suggests that if another stone was to be thrown quickly enough then it could deflect the first stone and Faldor's window would be saved. The implication being that the voice is the stone-thrower and Garion is the stone. Soon after the conversation finishes,

2380-594: Is very private with a strict sense of honor- his time among the Sendars has made him almost prudish, though in contrast he is very worldly and aware not everyone thinks like him. However, he has a tendency to act or speak without thinking, which can lead him into trouble. He is also ruled largely by his emotions, though this trait is much more controlled in the Malloreon. He is naturally loving and will go to any lengths to protect those he cares about, but when annoyed he has

2465-494: The Belgariad he mainly uses "spontaneous sorcery" meaning he does it without consciously gathering and releasing his will. The Prophecy also acts through him on many occasions when he is incapable of protecting himself. In the Malloreon his powers are more mature and he has much greater control, though he tends to only do small things with it, leaving the more complicated things to his family as they have more experience. Being

2550-493: The Will and the Word the very thing that had kept Angarak in check since The Battle of Vo Mimbre some 500 years earlier. Once recovered and in time for Erastide they travelled to Riva, but not before picking up Ce'Nedra from Ulgo. Then as they head west, Garion, Polgara, Ce'Nedra and Durnik visit Faldor's Farm for one last time. For Polgara it was so she could pick up some favourite pots she'd been left behind, but most importantly it

2635-482: The "Child of Light", he has the Prophecy of the Light in his head who tells him how and when to use his power, as well as providing information that is necessary. This voice is quite separate from him with its own personality, and it often leaves him for long periods. It has protected him on a number of occasions, and has developed a fondness for him - often acting like a family member with unwanted advice and criticism. As

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2720-452: The Angaraks (and particularly the Murgos) in his kingdom. He also pledged to ready his kingdom for the anticipated war against Torak's forces. The party next travels to Tolnedra, and soon after crossing the border they come across a group of Monks from Mar Terrin. One of them, driven insane by the continual presence of the spirits of Maragor launches himself at Garion who naturally reaches out

2805-490: The Emperor Ran Borune in the city of Tol Honeth, and are nearly captured by a group of mercenaries for the Queen of neighboring Nyissa. At Tol Honeth, Belgarath and Polgara urge the Emperor to rid Tolnedra of the invading 'Murgos'; but Ran Borune refuses. Ce'Nedra bursts in towards the end of the meeting and Garion feels a sense of recognition although he has no idea how their lives would become forever entwined in

2890-434: The Emperor. They take Kador prisoner and promise to deliver him to the garrison at Tol Borune as commanded to by Ce-Nedra who is speaking in her authority as an Imperial Princess of Tolnedra. Arriving at Nyissa by boat, Garion, angry at the treatment of the slaves there, uses the Will and the Word (the ability shared by himself with Belgarath, Polgara, and all other sorcerers in the story) to teleport one but does not know that

2975-470: The Orb has enough power to simultaneously move multiple stars across interstellar distances.) He is also, due to his connection with the Prophecy, able to recite the Book of Alorn from memory, despite having never actually read it. In fact, Belgarath claims he could have done so from the cradle if he'd been asked. His companions on his adventures have taught him many skills, and on these journeys he has gained

3060-440: The Orb's intelligence; the Orb mutilates the left side of Torak's body. The Orb of Aldur is later recovered by Belgarath the Sorcerer, King Cherek, and Cherek's sons. Riva, Cherek's youngest son, is found to be able to hold the Orb unharmed; he and his descendants protect the Orb from Torak. The story then begins in earnest with the experiences of protagonist Garion. His childhood on a large, prosperous farm: his earliest memories in

3145-514: The Orb. The story opens in the Kingdom of Arendia, where Garion duels and then befriends a master archer named Lelldorin. The party travel to Lelldorin's uncle's manor, where Garion hears about a plot to kill the Mimbrate king Korodullin and to start a civil war between the two grand duchies. The plot is masterminded by a spy from Cthol Murgos named Nachak. After leaving Lelldorin's uncle's manor

3230-450: The Race who Died') and do what they can to make her comfortable before carrying on. On their way up they encounter Brill again, who Silk dispatches with a throw that tosses him over the parapets to his death. Silk later jokes that Brill was trying to fly, but not doing very well unless bouncing counts Ultimately they reach Ctuchik's chambers, which only Belgarath, Garion and Polgara enter with

3315-459: The Rivan throne. His mother, Ildera, was the daughter of a clan chief of Algaria. Geran and Ildera were killed after a Grolim sent her into premature labor while he had Pol out looking for Garions grandmother. After Garion's birth he set fire to their home, and he (Garion) was taken by his aunt to live on Faldor's farm. He lived there in ignorance for 14 years. He was watched all his life by Chamdar,

3400-418: The Sorceress (1997) are prequels that share the setting and most characters. The Rivan Codex (1998) features annotated background material. The book opens with a prologue , beginning with the creation of the world by seven gods. Aldur, oldest of the seven, fashions a stone orb and creates within it a "living soul". Torak, the most beautiful of the seven, attempts to seize the Orb from Aldur and subdue

3485-615: The Tolnedran princess, who reciprocates, and is forced to marry him by treaty. He then discovers his destiny—destroying the Dark God Torak —and to avoid a bloody war with the Angaraks , goes with his grandfather and Silk on a journey which ends in an epic duel that he ultimately wins by slaying Torak. He is then married to Ce'Nedra and has a baby boy. Several years later, during which he matures considerably, his son, Geran,

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3570-610: The aunt/uncle is a full sibling of one of the parents, or 12.5% if they are a half-sibling . The word nephew is derived from the French word neveu which is derived from the Latin nepos . The term nepotism , meaning familial loyalty, is derived from this Latin term. Niece entered Middle English from the Old French word nece , which also derives from Latin nepotem . The word nibling , derived from sibling ,

3655-495: The broken remains of Rak Cthol and shatters the jewel which they are using to concentrate their will before rather melodramatically threatening one of the Hierarchs by clutching his shadow hand around his heart. When Garion's shadow returns Belgarath stirs briefly and now the threat has been neutralised they are able to continue unshielded, but with the knowledge that Taur Urgas is pursuing them. As they race across Cthol Murgos in

3740-687: The case in Indian communities in Mauritius , and the Thai Nakhon Phanom Province , where the transfer of cultural knowledge such as weaving was distributed equally among daughters, nieces and nieces-in-law by the Tai So community, and some Garifuna people that would transmit languages to their nieces. In some proselytizing communities the term niece was informally extended to include non-related younger female community members as

3825-446: The childlike mind of the Orb is enthusiastic and eager to please Garion, and as such has a tendency to overdo things (such as when it empowered Garion to knock over the gates of Jarviksholm during the attack on the city, or one point when the Orb, due to misinterpreting a stray thought as a literal request, began enthusiastically explaining to Garion how he could rearrange the stars in the sky to spell out his name, implying that Garion with

3910-434: The collapsed rocks, just as he has done Silk after he had been captured by Brill. Now out in the open the role of leader is thrust upon Garion with Belgarath incapacitated after his fight with Ctuchik and Polgara focusing on protecting Errand. Unable to attack Errand directly the Hierarchs of Rak Cthol go for Durnik instead. With the guidance of The Prophecy Garion climbs into his shadow and goes after them. He soon finds them in

3995-511: The command of Grand Duke Kador of Tol Vordue. They are accompanied by Asharak / Chamdar. Kador demands that Ce'Nedra be handed over to secure Kador's claim on the imperial throne. Asharak just wants Polgara and Garion and doesn't care what happens to the others. Polgara is powerless to do anything because Asharak has his hand grasped on Garion's heart (in the sense that he could crush it using sorcery). Almost unnoticed Garion alone can act and when Asharak slaps Polgara, Garion strikes Asharak and speaks

4080-554: The common people. He has a shopkeeper friend in Riva who he periodically visits to listen to what's troubling commoners. Rather than use this to ferret out secrets, he usually applies what he learns to smoothing out injustices, such as an unfair tax. Nephew In the lineal kinship system used in the English-speaking world, a niece or nephew is a child of an individual's sibling or sibling-in-law . A niece

4165-449: The direction of Algaria things gets very tight and they are not helped by their horses cramping up. In the end, just when they thought they were about to be intercepted countless Algarian horsemen swept down and slaughtered a great many of the Murgos. For just a brief moment Taur Urgas and King Cho-Hag of Algaria came within range of each other before once more being swept apart by the ensuing battle. That very evening Belgarath collapses and

4250-423: The experience of seeping through the rock left Silk traumatised he was physically fine and so they continued with the journey. Later Garion learns how to create a mind shield which, with Polgara, is used to hide the party on their approach while Belgarath concentrates on Ctuchik himself. They enter Rak Cthol through the caves that lead to the slave pens and on the way they meet Taiba (a Marag slave woman;'The Mother of

4335-465: The father of the Gods makes himself present and commands Relg to go. UL then turns his attention to Ce'Nedra and compels her to stay behind as a guest of Gorim, the Ulgos. UL warns that if she goes to Cthol Murgos she will surely die and the prophecy will be lost. Ce'Nedra usually willful and independently minded, recognises the authority of the command and stays behind as ordered. So with Relg now on board

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4420-706: The idea for a fantasy series somewhat "cynically" after noticing how many times J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings series had been reprinted. He had an epiphany, realizing the fantasy genre might be very lucrative and was currently "underserved". He mapped out an imaginary world to use in developing the story for the Belgariad. He has also said he was influenced by reading medieval epics and by Lester del Rey 's editorial input. In later works he acknowledged his wife, Leigh Eddings , as an "unindicted collaborator"; eventually later books credited her as co-author. She

4505-417: The keeper of the Orb of Aldur, and one of the only remaining descendants of Riva Iron-Grip , Belgarion was one of three people able to touch it without being destroyed - an ability he now shares only with Eriond (a God) and his only son Geran (named after Garion's father). This in itself grants him huge magical power, allowing him to destroy continents if he deems it necessary; however, he rarely uses it, as

4590-564: The kitchen of his Aunt Pol; his friend Durnik the blacksmith; early games and friends; and the romance between Garion and local girl Zubrette. It also introduces Belgarath , as a wandering storyteller nicknamed 'Mister Wolf'; Garion's telepathic vision of the antagonist Asharak/Chamdar; and a "dry voice" in his mind, distinct from his own consciousness. The reader later discovers that this is the Voice of Prophecy , or "Necessity", which takes action through him. When Belgarath, alias "Wolf", announces

4675-409: The leeches in the river are poisonous so the slave dies. Following a quarrel with Polgara, during which she explains to him that the power he had used to kill Asharak was the same as the one he had earlier used unwittingly to cure a madman, Garion is kidnapped, drugged, and presented to Queen Salmissra to be used as a mind-controlled sex slave. He is rescued by Polgara and Barak (the latter again assuming

4760-473: The long-lost heir to the throne. This revelation infuriates Ce'Nedra, who discovers herself betrothed to him. During the investiture, Garion, aided by the Voice of Prophecy, sees each member of the quest as an Instrument of Prophecy. Shortly after the betrothal, Garion learns from the Mrin Prophecy that the Rivan King must slay the god Torak or die in the process. In order to save lives and try to avoid

4845-469: The mad monk, burning Chamdar, translocating the slave in Nyissa and reviving Horse (as the colt came to be known). He moves the self-same rock that Belgarath moved many millennia earlier with semi-disastrous results which prompts a lot of amusement, but more importantly more instruction. Soon after they leave for Rak Cthol and on their way the group enters Ulgoland, and head for the hidden city of Prolgu which

4930-600: The man who killed his parents, until he would be old enough to be coming into his talents and could be used as a pawn. However, after the "Orb of Aldur" was stolen, he was swept along as his aunt and grandfather left to search for it. Along the way he learned many things about himself and his family, including the fact he's an immortal sorcerer—and is eventually revealed to be the Heir to the Rivan Throne—after which he begrudgingly becomes king. He also falls in love with Ce'Nedra,

5015-414: The most powerful rulers. He's also grown duplicitous enough to use his rural background as a way of pointing that he has not had instruction in intricate proprieties of certain groups—the Mimbrate chivalry and the obscure Sorcerer's code of ethics—assuming there actually is one and Belgarath wasn't dodging questions. As he put it, "Let's agree I don't have very good manners, and you can answer me anyway." He

5100-587: The near future. Almost immediately afterwards Asharak presents himself to Ran Borune and it is revealed that Chamdar and Asharak are in fact the same person. Upon leaving the capital, the group acquire an ineffectually-disguised Princess Ce'Nedra (Ran Borune's daughter), and enter the Wood of the Dryads, hoping to cross into Nyissa ahead of their opponent Zedar. In the Wood, Ce'Nedra asks the Dryad Queen Xantha for sanctuary, on grounds of common ancestry; but

5185-428: The next chapter, Garion transitions from thinking in terms of Mister Wolf and now thinks in terms of Belgarath . It is a milestone in the series as Garion leaves behind his childhood understanding and fully accepts that Mister Wolf is in fact Eternal Belgarath. Soon afterwards Garion attempts a conscious act of sorcery for the first time rather than an instinctive and spontaneous use of it, as he had done when healing

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5270-426: The others being told to wait outside. Ctuchik gloats that he has won as he intends to kill Ce'Nedra and destroy The Prophecy, but then to his chagrin he realises she is not among the party and is invulnerable under the protection of UL himself. Belgarath takes great satisfaction at his adversary's miscalculation, which had actually made their passing through of Cthol Murgos easier. Belgarath then fights Ctuchik. Driven by

5355-556: The overgenderization of the English language; it can also be used likewise to refer to non-binary relatives. These French-derived terms displaced the Middle English nyfte , nift , nifte , from Old English nift , from Proto-Germanic * niftiz ('niece'); and the Middle English neve , neave , from Old English nefa , from Proto-Germanic * nefô ('nephew'). Traditionally,

5440-444: The party come before Mara and Belgarath and Polgara appeal to him to set aside his grief as the time of prophecy is at hand. Still inconsolable, Mara refuses and his grief turns to anger when he sets his eyes on Ce-Nedra, a child of Nedra. In his anger he threatens her with all kind of unpleasantness and suffering but when he goes to strike against her the voice intervenes through Garion. Too powerful to strike Mara, for fear of destroying

5525-414: The party journey south towards the great plains where they are ambushed by a group of Algroths; a fictional "monster" devised by Eddings that are something between a goat facially and a gorilla bodily, while being somewhat akin to, even if a bit smaller than a troll (QoS Chapter 6). Lelldorin is gravely injured during the encounter which only ends with the arrival of Mandorallen, the supreme Mimbrate knight of

5610-564: The party travel to Cthol Murgos. On their way to Rak Cthol they meet Yarblek, a Nadrak merchant (who later becomes a significant secondary character) and are nearly caught by Taur Urgas, the King of the Murgos. The party made their escape out of the back of a tent just in time. Silk who'd tried to flee beforehand, on hearing that Taur Urgas was approaching with an army, was caught by Brill when attempting to flee. The party were in great despair about Silk's fate but then Relg, used his specially rock divining gift to go and simply pick him up and. although

5695-629: The party were eventually left with no other choice than to pass through Maragor, which was haunted by the spirit of Mara himself, who manifests his grief (for the Marags were slain by the Tolnedrans many centuries earlier) through countless ghostly apparitions that drive anybody who dares to enter Maragor (usually for the rich gold deposits) mad. On the whole only the monks - "Tolnedra's conscience" - are tolerated. In order to pass through Maragor mentally unscathed, Belgarath and Polgara put everybody into

5780-489: The realm who chases them off. Just as he does so Chamdar's shade appears before them to mock them. Belgarath asks whether it was he who drove the Algroths out of the mountains of Ulgoland. Chamdar denies doing so but is less than convincing. As they continue south, Mandorallen, upon Polgara's advice (but unknown to Garion who later judges Mandorallen's motives), forces Lelldorin on his honour to stay behind so he can heal from

5865-409: The rest of his companions before they are all woken up having passed through Maragor. Now they are somewhere probably in the foothills of Ulgoland and Hettar notes that one of the pack mares, pregnant, is in serious trouble. With the condition of the mare getting worse and the weather turning against them, Garion suggests they shelter in the cave, which he had previously been unaware of but somehow knew

5950-467: The second following Ce'Nedra and everything that happens around her. The two tracks are brought back together in Enchanter's End Game when all the protagonists are brought together again just before the confrontation with Torak. (Additionally, from time to time, in Enchanter's End Game , a third minor track is added with a chapter devoted to events far away from the main events centred on the rulers of

6035-417: The series starts with Belgarion , Silk, and Belgarath sneaking through Gar og Nadrak on their way to Mallorea. In the opening chapters they are accompanied first by a Drasnian trader and then later by an old man who lives a hermit like existence in the forests. He warns them that Mallorean recruiters are forcibly enlisting people into the army for the forthcoming war. Soon they come across a mining town and have

6120-432: The special ability to detect caves but also to pass through the very rock itself. According to prophecies both Angarak and Western there is enough of a suggestion that caves exist below Rak Cthol which will provide a way in when they go to retrieve the Orb. Relg, as it turns out is a zealot and a fanatic and according to Gorim the "worst of the lot". When he is presented before Gorim and the party he initially refuses until UL,

6205-413: The story. The series has been reprinted as a two-volume set, titled The Belgariad Volume One , containing the first three books of the series, and The Belgariad Volume Two , which contains the last two books. This does not include the original map by Chris Barbieri, but only Shelly Shapiro's map. The Malloreon is a five-book sequel to The Belgariad . Belgarath the Sorcerer (1995) and Polgara

6290-592: The term 'Child of Light' at the Place Which Is No More in The Seeress of Kell . Raised on Faldor's Farm, Garion demonstrates all the attributes of a Sendarian farmer, which he extends to ruling Riva with relative ease. He has a streak of solid common sense, honesty, and unassuming charm. As he matures, Garion uses these qualities to deal with more 'world-wise' monarchs and politicians in a manner they are unfamiliar with, thus making Garion one of

6375-482: The theft of a mysterious object (actually the Orb), he, Garion, and Aunt Pol leave Faldor's farm to pursue the thief, reluctantly allowing Durnik to accompany them. They are joined later by Silk/Kheldar, a Drasnian prince, spy, and thief; and by Barak, a Cherek earl . Thereafter Mister Wolf follows an invisible trail through several regions until they are arrested. They are taken to a meeting of monarchs where Garion suspects

6460-676: The titles King of Riva, Overlord of the West , and Lord of the Western Sea, Keeper of the Orb of Aldur, and after Enchanter's End Game takes on the title of Godslayer. Through many of the books he also bears the title Child of Light (he also bears this name in the Mrin and Darine Codices) Among his most important accomplishments are the slaying of the god Torak in Enchanters' End Game , and his decision to choose his successor for

6545-453: The way through. This aptitude is (in part at least) because of his lineage, which includes Polgara and Belgarath - though it is subtly hinted he is at least as strong, if not stronger than his grandfather. The first measure of his power is shown in Queen of Sorcery when Maas says to Salmissra his power is " untried and undirected but is very strong. He could destroy you quite by accident ." In

6630-566: The western kingdoms - including Nyissa). The three of them pass through Drasnia, where they happen upon Vordai, the Witch of the Fens who is hospitable but quite defensive. Later to their chargin, they realise they are trapped in the fens and Vordai exacts a price for showing them the way out. She insists that Belgarath gives the fenlings (small otter-like creatures) the power of speech as she knew she wouldn't be around much longer to protect them. Garion

6715-467: The word "burn" and Asharak bursts into flames. For just a moment Garion's compassion almost saves Asharak but then Polgara tells Garion in his mind that it was Asharak who killed his parents. Suddenly, the flames are not hot enough and Garion keeps the flames on him until he dies. Polgara exalts and calls Garion, Belgarion (his birthright name) for the first time. Upon this shocking act of sorcery Kador's men turn against him and remember their loyalty to

6800-419: The world, the voice stands unmoved and resolute until Mara yields and the voice urges everybody to leave Mara to his grief, as Ce-Nedra's presence pains him terribly. They duly do so, although Belgarath and the voice talk briefly and both Polgara and Belgarath come to understand that Garion is now ready to be trained in the Will and the Word . When the voice goes Garion is put into a deeper slumber like most of

6885-537: The wounds inflicted by the Algroth who had mauled him. The party continue without Lelldorin to Vo Mimbre, the Arendish capital, where Garion reveals the plot to kill Korodullin, without naming its local conspirators, and Mandorallen challenges Nachak to a duel, which Hettar terminates by killing Nachak. Soon afterwards the party bid farewell to Vo Mimbre, with King Korodullin vowing to stamp out any untoward activity of

6970-418: Was always there. He led everybody straight to it and they soon took shelter. The cave, according to Belgarath, was the meeting place of the Gods and where they conferred during the making of the world. Soon afterwards the mare gives birth but the foal is stillborn. Without hesitation, Garion moves and brings it back to life. This is of significance because Polgara and Belgarath maintained that before this, it

7055-536: Was for Garion to find closure on that chapter of his life which is best represented by how coldly he showed affection, but no love, for Zubrette, his childhood sweetheart. Now in Riva, Belgarion is led by Belgarath, Polgara, and the Voice of Prophecy to accept the Orb of Aldur from Errand in the Hall of the Rivan King, where the ancient Sword rests above the Rivan Throne. In Garion's hands, the Orb identifies him as

7140-409: Was impossible to use the Will and the Word to restore life to the dead. Soon afterwards they leave the cave and continue their journey to The Vale. Upon arriving in the Vale, Aldur confers with Belgarath and Polgara, but before they go aside Garion accompanies Belgarath to his tower and begins his instruction in earnest. Although the significance of what follows is not acknowledged by Eddings until

7225-410: Was once one of the great beauties of Drasnia. She was tragically blinded and marred by a vicious plague some 20 years earlier and visiting her was very hard on Silk who sees the blinding as half a blessing as his mother can no longer look on her face and see how scarred it became after the plague had left her disfigured. Meanwhile, upon discovery of Garion, Belgarath and Silk's departure, Polgara enters

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