Dragons from Alagaesia

[Dragons in Books]
Alagaesia is a land made up by Christopher Paolini (although much of it seems to have been copied... They are still enjoyable books) and is home to many fantasy races, including the now critically endangered dragons.
THIS POST MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS CONCERNING THE BOOKS. IF YOU HAVE NOT READ BRISINGR, BOOK 3, SOME THINGS MAY BE RUINED.  Also, there are many words which should have accents but don't as I am rubbish at typing.


The dragons hatch from eggs the same colour as their scales. Since an ancient bond between an elven boy called Eragon and a white dragon called Bid'daum, the dragons have required a special person to touch an egg to make it hatch. (throughout Alagaesian history dragons have been known to make powerful soul-changing magic, such as creating bonds between unborn dragons and humans and elves, and later dwarves and urgals, and hiding secrets from the entire world by brainwashing people's very essence: the most mentioned of the dragon's magic world-altering spells are the dragon rider bond thing and the un-naming of all the dragons who helped the Forsworn).
The colour of a dragon indicates the colour of magic used by their elven or human partner; an example being Saphira, a blue dragon, being the same colour as Eragon's spells. When a dragon hatches it gives its partner a silver hand, a 'gedway ignasia' or an Argetlam. (in the film adaptation of Eragon the silver palm is replaced by a small dragon symbol) . The connection between dragon and rider opens the rider's mind to be able to reach outwards for magical energy and other minds, so dragon and rider can communicate telepathically.
Alagaesian dragons are six limbed, have bat-like wings, impossibly shiny scales. Their claws and teeth are ivory white, as are the spines along their backs. In fights within the books a dragon sometimes grabs onto another dragon's crest of horns. The two main artistic interpretations come from the two main book covers: those done by John Jude Palencar and those done by Martin Bergstrom. They grow at a very fast rate: Saphira hatched kitten-size and at the end of the first book she was the size of a large horse.
The dragon's soul is kept in a gem found in the chest, its heart of hearts the Eldunari. It is the same colour as the dragon, and when the dragon's body dies the soul goes to the gem and hides in stasis. From the gem it can choose to pass into the void (die forever basically) or it can continue to exist for millions of years.
Despite a mental link between dragon and rider, dragons often have different and alien thoughts, which is demonstrated in Brisingr as the dragon Saphira describes a morning flight by naming the winds thus: 'The wind-of-morning-heat-above-flat-land, which was different from the wind-of-morning-heat-above-hills, shifted.' She describes Eragon as 'Partner-of-mind-and-heart'. 
You can find out more about Alagaesia and the books about it, The Inheritance Cycle, here:  http://www.alagaesia.com/ 


The main dragons in the books are:
Saphira - Eragon's blue dragon. Her existence re-starts the legacy of the Dragon Riders.
Shruikan - Galbatorix's black dragon. Tortured to be the servant of the evil king.
Gleadr - Oromis's golden dragon. He survived the fall of the Riders, and lives in secrecy in Du Weldenvarden - the elve's forest.
Thorn - Murtagh's red dragon. Sworn to do Galbatorix's bidding.