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In Inheritance, the mad High Priest of Helgrind says some odd things about their gods, the Ra’zac:

“You do not deserve such a great honor, but it will please the Old Ones, and in all things we strive to satisfy their desires. We are their faithful servants, and they our masters cruel and implacable: the three-faced god—the hunters of men, the eaters of flesh, and the drinkers of blood. To them, we offer up our bodies in hope of revelation into the mysteries of this life and in hope of absolution for our transgressions. As Tosk wrote, so shall it be.”

Inheritance

While at first the bit about the three-faced god might seem to be mere “insane cultist” ravings, the first two parts actually correspond directly to the life cycle of the Ra’zac:

  1. The Ra’zac, “the hunters of men,” subsist solely on humans.

  2. The Lethrblaka, “the eaters of flesh,” will kill and eat anything.

    Oromis fixed Eragon with a steady gaze. “The Ra’zac remain pupae for twenty years while they mature. On the first full moon of their twentieth year, they shed their exoskeletons, spread their wings, and emerge as adults ready to hunt all creatures, not just humans.”

    Eldest

Is there any confirmation that these “drinkers of blood” represent a third stage of the Ra’zac, and if so, what it might be?

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According to Christopher: "They turn into giant butterflies and fly to the moon where they live in peace with the cannibalistic space elves."

Christopher (jokingly) answered this question on Twitter:

Is there a third stage for Ra'zac/Lethrblaka? The Helgrind priest seemed to imply as such with his "three-faced god" line.

Christopher Paolini: They turn into giant butterflies and fly to the moon where they live in peace with the cannibalistic space elves. Why do you ask?

I see three ways to interpret this:

  1. Ra'zac do not have a third form, and CP doesn't understand why one would think they do.

  2. Ra'zac do have a third form, and this is an elaborate form of a "no comment" response.

  3. Ra'zak eventually turn into giant butterflies and fly to the moon where they live in peace with the cannibalistic space elves. (Probably related to the scifi book he's working on or something.)

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  • This isn't quite a joke answer, but it is almost certainly a joke made by the author. Perhaps you could mention that in your answer?
    – Adamant
    Commented Jul 11, 2017 at 21:43
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    I think this answer definitively says that, no, there is no third form. Maybe that should be clarified for those who might not pick up on the sarcasm.
    – BlackThorn
    Commented Jul 11, 2017 at 21:51
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    @TBear - I could also somewhat see this as being an elaborate form of "no comment".
    – ibid
    Commented Jul 11, 2017 at 21:52
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    @Adamant - I don't think he's trying to be ambiguous. A "no comment" would imply that there is a third form, while a "that question is absurd" would imply that there isn't. It seems to me that CP was going for one of those I just can't figure out which.
    – ibid
    Commented Jul 12, 2017 at 8:21
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    Either-way, this is WoG said in direct response to this specific question. If that isn't good enough then I don't know what is .
    – ibid
    Commented Jul 12, 2017 at 8:22

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