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Edgelover — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 05:54:31 CDT

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Bene Gesserit The Bene Gesserit (the name being a likely derivative of the Latin phrase "quamdium se bene gesserit", meaning "as long as he/she shall have behaved well") were an ancient sisterhood of women, all skilled in many mental and biological tricks and manipulative techniques, acquired through training, exercises, life and physical disciplines and use of the Spice Melange. The Bene Gesserit's prime area of study was politics, how to shape politics and how to manipulate opinion. Their over arching goal was the "maturity of humanity". In this sense the Bene Gesserit has taken it upon itself the maternal role of upbringing applied to the entire human race.	Kaldo Radij A non-canon character from the Dune card game, Kaldo Radij was a mysterious smuggler from the planet Arrakis. This image of him, as drawn by Mark Zug, depicts the man in his desert element, clothed in a stillsuit, and with a crysknife and staff. The moons of Arrakis are visible in the background.

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There is currently no featured media.	Soostone Produced by the monopedic Cholisters on Buzzel, the Soostone was a valuable mineralised gemstone, prized for its prestigious milky beauty. Often used in jewelery, the Soostone was the primary trade resource of the Phibians, who would use them to barter for the Spice Melange..

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The Ordos are mercenary. They care for nothing, save power and wealth. -Emperor: Battle for Dune	That CHOAM bears great similarity between OPEC, a real-life cartel of petroleum exporting countries? That Irulan Corrino is said to have written at least twenty three historical volumes? That Baron Vladimir Harkonnen was portrayed by Kenneth McMillan in David Lynch's 1984 Dune film, and that complex wiring was needed to give him the appearance of anti-gravity?

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Jessica

Edgelover — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 05:51:34 CST

Name: Jessica

AKA: Lady Jessica

Lifespan: 10,154 A.G. - 10,256 A.G.

Homeworld: Caladan (trained on Wallach IX)

Affiliation:

"What can I say about Jessica? Given the opportunity, she would attempt Voice on God."
-Gaius Helen Mohiam

Biographical Information

A Bene Gesserit trained woman, born of unnamed parents (her father being Vladimir Harkonnen and her mother Gaius Helen Mohiam), the Lady Jessica was the only concubine to Duke Leto Atreides I, and the mother of both Paul and Alia Atreides. She had been instructed by the Bene Gesserit to bear a daughter, thus continuing the breeding program, as this daughter could be wed to a Harkonnen son and the Kwisatz Haderach produced from the union, but defied the order, bearing Leto a son, as it was his wish to have an heir. The reason she did not marry Leto

Jessica of House Atreides.

I was due to his wanting to keep the other Great Houses hopeful that a nuptial might occur between one of them and him, creating an allegiance between the Houses. However, this was never to be Leto's intention, as he loved Jessica greatly, and considered her as his wife despite the implications this caused. Many asked why Leto did not simply marry her, and others may have suspected his fraud. Later in her life she became Sayyadina to the Fremen of Sietch Tabr, and took the Water of Life, as the ceremony ordered. For some time before this she had known that she carried a daughter, Alia, her second child, in her womb, but did not consider how the Water might effect her until it was too late. Alia was born fully aware, and, like her mother, had residual memories of all the Reverend Mothers that had come before her. Jessica was described as having had an "oval face" and"hair like shaded bronze ... and green eyes," these being the trademarks of her bloodline, which she would have passed to Paul and Alia.

Biography

Warning: Spoilers Follow For Dune Universe, Caution Advised!

Preconception

Before her conception, Jessica's mother, Gaius Helen Mohiam, had been instructed by her Sisterhood to secure the Genetic Material of Vladimir Harkonnen for the purposes of the Bene Gesserit Breeding Program. The Baron being homosexual, Mohiam was forced to blackmail him into conceiving with her. This first daughter concieved was not Jessica, but another, who, after proving genetically unsuitable, was killed. Mohiam then returned to the Baron for a second try, but he drugged and raped her viciously. In her revenge, Mohiam poisoned Vladimir, causing him to become unnaturally obese in later years. Jessica was conceived during this second communion, and was not discarded as her predecessor had been.

Early Life with the Atreides

Jessica was trained on the Bene Gesserit training world of Wallach IX, and, when she was of appropriate age, given as a concubine to Leto Atreides I, who loved her as his own wife, but did not wed her. Though instructed to bear only daughters to the Duke (a daughter could be wed to Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen), out of her love for him she bore a son, Paul Atreides, thus jeopardising the ancient Bene Gesserit breeding program. When he was fifteen years old, Paul was tested by Jessica's mother, Gaius Helen Mohiam, using a gom jabbar. He survived the test, much to Jessica's relief. Mohiam was astounded by the boy's resilience, and reported back to the Bene Gesserir, concerned that the Kwisatz Haderach may have been conceived prematurely and in an environment where he was not under their control.
The Atreides were later given charge of the ducal

Jessica, the Mother of the Mahdi on Arrakis, with several Fremen guards.

fief on Arrakis, and Jessica was to come with them. Accompanying Leto and Paul, Jessica was captured, along with her son, soon after the Atreides took control of the planet by Harkonnen forces that had launched a sneak attack. The Duke Leto was killed, along with several of their personal servants and hundreds of their men. Jessica and Paul were to be left to die in the deep desert, but were able to overpower their captors and flee, using the stillsuits and other equipment that had been left for them by Wellington Yueh, a "traitor", in the Ornithopter in which they had been traveling.

Becoming Sayyadina

Moving on foot quietly across the desert, Jessica and her son encountered a sandworm, and, fleeing from it, had to take shelter in a nearby rock outcropping. It was here that Paul beheld the shape of things to come. He saw that Jessica carried a daughter, and that he would be destined to lead the Fremen tribes of Arrakis as their religious and political leader. As their Mahdi. Paul and Jessica later encountered a group of Fremen hiding in another rock outcropping, among which was Stilgar, the Naib of Sietch Tabr, with whom, after some negotiation, they formed a pact. In return for Jessica's tuition in the ways of the Bene Gesserit, Stilgar would give them refuge in Sietch Tabr, and make them members of the tribe.
In doing so, Jessica became the Sayyadina (Reverend Mother) of the Fremen. She would later take the Water of Life, after the previous Sayyadina, Ramallo, passed away. Whilst in the water trance, Ramallo spoke with Jessica about her duties and what it meant to be a Revend Mother. She was, however, horrified when she discovered that Jessica was pregnant, and feared for the child unborn, Alia. Alia was affected by the water of life, and became conscious before birth, possessing the powers of a Reverend Mother and heightened awareness even during her first years. Never the less, she was raised by Jessica in the Sietch, and was baptised in the ways of the Fremen.

Jessica, Bound Concubine of Duke Leto Atreides.

Later Years

Jessica was not greatly involved in her son Paul's take over of the Imperium, however, she was a highly revered religious figure by that time. She did not remain on Arrakis with her son and daughter but instead stayed on Caladan for most of her son's reign, where she was suspected of sexual involvement with Gurney Halleck. Around the year 10,207 A.G., Jessica travelled to Arrakis to inspect Paul's two children, Leto and Ghanima. In secret, she intended to use the children for the purposes of the Bene Gesserit. Alia, however, launches an assassination attempt against Jessica, which she survives. Jessica then flees into the desert, taking refuge with Stilgar, an old friend. However, under orders from Alia, which he does not entirely take to heart, Duncan Idaho kidnaps Jessica, taking her to Salusa Secundus. He she is to begin training of the Prince Farad'n Corrino, who will eventually become the husband of her granddaughter, Ghanima.
Meanwhile, Alia is overthrown on Arrakis, and Leto takes control, resulting in the death of Paul. Balance is restored to the Imperium, but the terraforming process, which many Fremen had revolted against, continued. Jessica died of natural causes in the year of 10,256 A.G.*

Some three thousand years later, a flesh replica of Jessica, Irti, who was in a village on the terraformed Rakis, fell in love with a ghola of Duncan Idaho. The two had children, but after the Duncan was killed by Leto, the replacement did not continue their relationship.

Almost 1500 years later she was born as a ghola aboard the No-ship Ithaca from cells found in Tleilaxu master Scytale’s nullentrophy tube.

Lady Jessica of the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood.

Personality and Traits

Throughout her life, Jessica was seen as being a motherly figure, in both religious and political perspectives. To the Fremen, she represented the holy mother of their messiah, in much the same way as Mary had represented the mother of Christ to early Christians. As such, Jessica carried herself with astonishing dignity and presentness, worthy of a religious figure of her stance. She also took no chances with her safety, and though she was far from paranoid, she ordered that random, suspicious looking members of the crowd that gathered to witness her arrival on Arrakis be taken into custody.
Jessica was greatly loving to her son and Duke, but less so to her daughter (though she was treated the same) due to her apparent fear and guilt at having caused her abomination. She also feared for Paul's children, Leto and Ghanima, who she feared would take after their aunt, Alia. She later changed her opinion on the matter after Leto revealed himself to her in the guise of his other memory, Leto Atreides I, Jessica's great love.

Abilities

As a Bene Gesserit sister, Jessica possessed the usual powers of her order. She was adept at using the Voice, something she put to good use when she and her son were trapped aboard an ornithopter flown by two Harkonnen servants, who intended to dispose of them in the desert. She was able, with the help of her son, who also used the Voice, to convince the pilots to turn on each other, and then take control of the vessel. She was not, or at least, never showed, that she possessed any skill in combat or battle. After becoming a Revered Mother, Jessica was far more consciously aware, and also held the other memory of the Reverend Mothers that had come before her, giving her a great window into past experiences. She is described as having felt as though she was passing through many corridors lined with rooms during her ingestion of the Water of Life.

Quotations

When strangers meet, great allowance should be made for differences of custom and training. -The Lady Jessica, from Wisdom of Arrakis

The greatest and most important problems of life cannot be solved. They can only be outgrown.

It is not easy for some men to know they have done evil, for reasoning and honor are often clouded by pride.

There is no mystery about the source from which love draws its savage power: It comes from the flow of Life itself — a wild, torrential, outpouring that has its source in the most ancient of times...

Anything outside yourself, this you can see and apply your logic to it. But it's a human trait that when we encounter personal problems, these things most deeply personal are the most difficult to bring out for our logic to scan. We tend to flounder around, blaming everything but the actual, deep-seated thing that's really chewing on us. -Jessica to Thufir Hawat

Out of-Universe Information

The Lady Jessica was portrayed by Francesca Annis in the Dune film (1984), by Saskia Reeves in the Dune Miniseries (2000), and by Alice Krige in the Children of Dune Minseries.


Francesca Annis in Dune.	Saskia Reeves in the Dune Miniseries.	Alice Krige in the Children of Dune Minseries.

According to the dedication in "The Road to Dune", Jessica's character is modelled on that of Frank Herbert's own wife, Beverly Herbert.
In the Dune film, after taking the Water of Life, Jessica loses her hair (all Reverend Mothers are shown as being bald in the film). This is not a canonical depiction, despite some popular belief.

Appearances

In Visual Interpretations

Dune (film)
Dune (series)
Children of Dune (series)

*According to Appendix IV: The Almanak en-Ashraf (Selected Excerpts of the Noble Houses).

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Mother of the Mahdi

Fremen

Edgelover — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 05:50:43 CST

Name: Fremen

Organisation Type: Nomadic

Center of Operations: Arrakis

Equipment and abilities: Stillsuits, various water saving techniques including catchpockets and reservoirs.

Function: The storage and preservation of water on Arrakis.

Intentions: The eventual terraformation of Arrakis.

May your knife chip and shatter.
-Fremen curse.

Organisational Information

Symbol of the Fremen Tribes.

The native, nomadic tribes of the Fremen, once known as the Zensunni Wanderers, lived on the desert planet Arrakis, after their travels across theuniverse lead them to the place. They were known as the Free Men, travelers, who took their women, children, and religious leaders with them. Exposure to the harsh climate and water deprivation of Arrakis, bred them into mighty warriors, a force to rival even the Emperor's feared Sardaukar. They learned the ways of the desert, able to conserve water, to the point where they could recycle their own sweat, and live in unison with the sandworms, even using them as beasts of burden when in need of fast travel. Their greatest dream, one that they believed could someday become a reality, was to terraform Arrakis.

Vision for Arrakis

Off-worlders had spoken of planets where water fell from the skies, where great lakes and oceans covered the lands, and where plants grew dense andmagnificently tall. This was the vision they had for Arrakis, and in order to make it reality, they conserved water, hiding it in great reservoirs in their desert sietches, and even taking the water from the dead, and keeping track of it as though it were gold dust.

Relationship with Arrakis

Water Preservation

To survive the harsh and barren enviroment that was Arrakis, the Fremen tribes needed to create ways of conserving water, every drop of it. The primary way of doing so was with the use of stillsuits. These full body suits locked in moisture by absorbing sweat and other bodily expenditures through a membrenous layer. This was filtered, made drinkable, and then stored in catchpockets, which were on the suit. These could be drunk from using a tube by the neck of the suit.

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Fremen

Chani

quillsorceress — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 18:03:12 CST

Name: Chani

AKA: Sihaya (to Paul Atreides only)

Lifespan: ???? - 10,207 A.G.

Homeworld: Arrakis

Affiliation:

Fremen

Imperium

"I am Chani, Daughter of Liet. I would not have permitted you to harm my tribe."
-Chani

Biographical Information

The beautiful Fremen daughter of Liet-Kynes, Chani was the beloved wife of the Emperor Paul Atreides. She was born on Arrakis, and lived alongside her paternal carer, Stilgar, in Sietch Tabr. She bore two children to Paul, Leto and Ghanima, but died in childbirth, something that Paul had grievously foreseen.

Biography

Early Life

Chani was the daughter of Liet-Kynes, second planetologist of Arrakis. She was however, due

Chani, Daughter of Liet, Second Planetologist of Arrakis.

to her father's constant scientific work, and his untimely demise, nurtured by Stilgar, who was a great paternal figure to her. Paul Atreides, long before he ever met her, had seen images of her in his dreams. When he did meet her, it was in the deep desert, on a rock outcropping which he and his mother had taken refuge in. After an initial conflict, Stilgar made peace with the two, andinvited them to join the tribe, in return for which they would teach them the wierding way that they knew.

The Wife of Paul

After years of Paul and Jessica living in Sietch Tabr, Paul and Chani fell in love. After Paul conquered the Emperor and declared himself Padishah Emperor, this love was till strong. Chani, however, could never be Paul's legal wife, as he was married to Princess Irulan Corrino, whose title ensure Paul his rule. Chani was therefore his wife in all but name. In the years that followed, after a brutal assassination attempt against Paul that left him blind, Chani bore him two children. Unfortunately, she died in childbirth. This left Paul greatly aggrieved, and was a leading factor in his decision to exile himself into the desert.

Out of-Universe Information

Chani was portrayed by American Actress Sean Young in David Lynch's Dune film adaptation, and by Czech actress Barbora Kodetová in both the Dune miniseries and its sequel, Children of Dune.

Leto Atreides II

Edgelover — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 08:46:36 CDT

Name: Leto Atreides II

AKA: God Emperor Leto Atreides II

Lifespan: 10,207 A.G. - 13,725 A.G.

Homeworld: Arrakis

Affiliation:

This article concerns the second son of Paul Atreides. You may be looking for others of the same name.

I hear the wind blowing across the desert and I see the moons of a winter night rising like great ships in the void. To them I make my vow: I will be resolute and make an art of government; I will balance my inherited past and become a perfect storehouse of my relic memories. And I will be known for kindliness more than for knowledge. My face will shine down the corridors of time for as long as humans exist.
-Leto Atreides II

Biographical Information

The second son of Paul Atreides and Chani, Leto Atreides II, named after his grandfather, Leto Atreides I, was the brother to Ghanima, and possessed the same mental powers and difficulties that his sister, and his aunt Alia, shared. The primary of these was the constant rabble of their ancestor's memory spirits, dating back thousands of years, that constantly threatened to take control of them, and make them not their own. Like his father, Leto was immensely mature, despite his young age, and was able to access the knowledge of his ancestral memory spirits. He was also a skilled swordsman, tactician, and problem solver. At nine years of age, Leto, who was at the time under the care of Irulan Corrino, began to formulate the plan for the future of mankind, the plan he called "The Golden Path". To put the plan into action, he was forced to convince his family, and thereby the rest of the Imperium, that he was dead, and travelled to the legendary Sietch of Jacurutu, where he began training in the Bene Gesserit ways, under instruction from Gurney Halleck. Eventually, he underwent a bodily mutation, merging his skin with that of the sandtrout. The skin acted as a living stillsuit, and enhanced his physical abilities no end. Eventually, the sandtrout skin became sandworm skin.

Biography

Warning: Spoilers Follow For Dune Universe, Caution Advised!

Early Life

Leto and Ghanima on Arrakis.

Born on Arrakis in the year 10,207 A.G., Leto Atreides was the son of Paul Atreides and Chani, the brother of Ghanima, the grandson of Jessica and Leto Atreides I (dead by his timeof birth), and the nephew of Alia Atreides. He was, however, cared for maternally by Irulan Corrino, wife of his father in all but name. His mother died during his birth, and so he andhis sister were taken to Arrakeen, where they were first seen by their father, who had forseen the death of his beloved. Their first moments with their father, however, were not the loving spectacle expected, as they were instantly set upon by Scytale, infiltrator of Paul's palace, who held a knife to them, and demanded of Paul to abdicate. Hope had faded in that moment, when Paul, blinded earlier by a Stone Burner explosion, was suddenly able to see, through the eyes of young Leto. In doing so, he realised that his son and daughter were both already self-aware, a product of their Kwisatz Haderach heritage, and used the new perspective to sneak up on Scytale, and kill him quickly. In doing this, Paul saved his children, but, being now truly blind, he accorded to Fremen law, and vanished in the desert.

The Golden Path

Nine years passed after the death of Paul, and his children, while still bearing the guise of young ones, were realised by the Atreides and the Imperium to be adults in all but appearance. Leto and Ghanima tended to remain in each others company, helping each other to overcome the difficulties that their lives presented. Seeing the universe as it began to erode around them, Leto formulated, using the combinedknowledge of his ancestors, a plan for the future of humanity, which he called the Golden Path. The path, according to him, was the only hope for the future of mankind.
In 10,216 A.G., the mother of Paul, Jessica, left her home on Caladan, and came to Arrakis. Rumors persisted that she had returned to the Bene Gesserit, and intended to imprint their ways into her grandchildren, and destroy her daughter, Alia, who had become possessed by the same memory spirits that existed in Leto and Ghanima. Jessica arrived on Arrakis with Gurney Halleck, whom she had also been suspected of being lover to. Speaking with his grandmother, Leto was able to delve deeper into the guise of Leto Atreides I, her deceased husband. Alia, in the meantime, kept a close eye on the Preacher, a mysterious man who appeared occasionally and spoke of blasphemy in the Atreides, and how they had taken the true words of Paul and twisted them.
Soon after, Leto would be forced to make the most difficult decision of his life, and run away from his family and the Imperium.

Jacurutu

In recent times, the former Imperial house, House Corrino, which was currently in the rule of Wensicia Corrino, had been plotting to assasinate the leaders of the Atreides, and seize power for themselves once more. To instigate this plot, Wensicia ordered the training of two tigers, intended to be used to kill Leto and Ghanima. Her son, Farad'n Corrino, was unsure as to whether or not he wanted them killed, or even if power was something he wanted to seize (as Wensicia intended for him to take the throne and not her). Partially against his will, the tigers were dispatched however, hidden on board a freighter en route to Arrakis.
Meanwhile, Leto and Ghanima continued to discuss the Golden Path, and Leto told her of the dreams he had been having of late. In these dreams, he saw through his own eyes, as he ran through the desert, but with a sort of armoured skin. Skin that was not his own. He could not explain the visions, but felt that his problems could be answered if he travelled to the legendary Sietch of Jacurutu (also known as Fondak or Schuloch), which was steeped in ancient Fremen conspiracy, and considered a place of ill omen, as none who ventured there ventured back again. Yet Leto was adamant that, if he could but find Jacurutu, and seek answers there, he would receive them.
Knowing that tigers had been dispatched to kill them, the twins ventured out into the desert one night, and here encountered the tigers. Hiding in a rock cranny, they were able to kill the tigers with crysknives, escaping with only minor injuries. But then they faced a greater injury, one of the spirit, as they knew that Leto had to leave his sister, and travel on worm back to Jacurutu. As he left, Ghanima forced her mind to omit the memory of Leto's leaving, making herself believe she had been killed, and his body devoured by a passing worm (the worm that, in actuality, Leto had ridden away from the place on). By refusing to remember Leto's escape, Ghanima prevented herself from being interrogated, as she truly did not know that he yet lived.
Leto continued to journey across the desert, riding several worms until each was near exhaustion, and then finally arriving at a rock outcropping, which he believed to be the entrance to Jacurutu. However, after close observation of the outcropping, he was unable to find any entrance, and began to believe that Jacurutu may not even exist. The implications of this would mean his death, as he could not survive the journey home with the fluids he had left.
Closely studying a groove in the rock, Leto was suddenly entwined in a trap, which bound him tightly. All of a sudden he heard voices, and saw people coming to take him away.
Regaining his consciousness, Leto found that he was in Jacurutu, and in the company of Gurney Halleck, under orders from Jessica (who was currently imprisoned with Duncan Idaho on Salusa Secundus, the Corrino homeworld), to force feed Leto Melange, and make him realise his potential, the possession of powers like his father's. At least this is what Gurney had been told, for in truth, it was Alia who had concocted the plan.
Leto and Ghanima had always vowed they would never take Spice, as they feared it might lead them to Abomination, the possession of a memory spirit. Alia had fallen to this fate, and was partially controlled by Vladimir Harkonnen. And yet, each day, Leto was driven into a Spice induced trance, so deep, that often he saw to his very core, and into the fathoms of the universe. Whilst in these deep trances, Leto saw himself "entwined in love" with Sabiha, a girl who had been watching over him during his trances.
Telling her this, he then incapacitated her, and made a daring escape. He fled into the desert, riding on the back of a worm until he reached a hidden Sietch, Shuloch. Here he met Muriz, and convinced him to let him stay, albeit, in a sort of prison like-manner. Sabiha was also incarcerated, as she had failed to prevent Leto's escape.

The Skin That Was Not His Own

The Skin That Was Not His Own.

Sabiha continued to care for Leto, though she inwardly despised him for putting her in the awkward situation she was now in, and she gave him spice to induce the spice trance as she had before. During one of these trances, Leto left the unguarded hut he was being kept in, and ventured to a nearby quanat. Here he sat down, and felt a surge of sandtrout beneath the sands. They were heading for the quanat, and attempting to encyst the water there, as was theircalling. But the quanat was full of the purposefully placed predator fish, which killed the trout as they entered the water. Looking upon this, Leto picked up one of the trout. The creature felt the vast amount of spice in his blood, and began to attach itself to Leto's skin. Leto picked up another, and another, and another, until his entire body was covered in a membranous skin. He carefully adjusted his biology in the Bene Gesserit manner, which prevented the skin from coming off. It formed a symbiotic layer over him, and he found that he could jump many metres into the air, run faster than any human, and when a sandworm appeared at the quanat's edge, it did not attack him, but rather saw him as the sandtrout, it's allies. Leto astounded and shocked Sabiha with his powers, and then ran across the desert flat, leaping and bounding up rocky outcroppings. He realised, despite the thrill of his new skin, that he had made a major sacrifice, one that was necessary to the Golden Path. When the story of his transformation was told to future generations, he could only imagine the exaggerations, the varying interpretations on the tale, and the legends and myths that would be spawned from it.
He then ran away from his prison, and hid in the sand a little way off. It was here that he decided what must be done. If the precious spice were to survive, then Arrakis would have to be purged of water, the quanats spilt into the sand, and the water gathering stopped.

The Desert Demon

Leto spent much of his destroying quanats. He travelled across the desert, using his new powers, and attacked all water storage facilities that he came across. This lead many to believe that some dark spirit, or else a rouge sandworm or band of warriors, was trying to spill all of Arrakis' hard fought-for water into the sands. The problem escalated so much that the Imperial Regent Alia was informed of it. Fremen began to call Leto "the Desert Demon", as he was mysterious, agile, and uncatchable, striking unseen and causing tremendous damage when he did so. Leto later encountered the mysterious Preacher in the desert. Conversing with him, he discovered the man to be his father, and made a pact with him. Though Paul was indeed concerned by what Leto had done to his humanity, and both knew and feared his son's final fate, he agreed to assist Leto in the reclaiming of the Empire under his name.
The Preacher returned to Arrakis, and stood before Alia's palace, preaching his so called "blasphemy". Alia observed his speech from her palace, as she awaited the arrival of Farad'n Corrino, who was to wed Ghanima. When he arrived, Alia made a show of the Preacher, inviting him and his entourage to see the spectacle. However, she then ordered her men to seize the Preacher, a tactic that went drastically wrong, and resulted in Paul's death.
Leto then infiltrated the palace with ease and took over, unmasking Alia for the monster she had become and subsequently causing her to leap to her death from the palace. Leto then took over as Emperor, and release Ghanima from the mental hold she hadput on herself. Ghanima was to wed Farad'n after all, and create a lineage for Leto, since he was no longer capable of reproduction. At last, Leto had begun his work of turning the universe towards the Golden Path. Leto would spend many thousands of years on the throne, reorganising his corrupted empire as he intended it to be. He realised his ambitions of the Golden Path, keeping mankind under lock and key, prohibiting expansion and exploration so that the human race would survive. He would become known as the God Emperor.

The God Emperor

The Early Transformation of Leto.

I am the most ardent people-watcher who ever lived. I watch them inside me and outside. Past and present can mingle with odd impositions in me. And as the metamorphosis continues in my flesh wonderful things happen to my senses. It's as though I sensed everything close-up. I have extremely acute hearing and vision, plus a sense of smell extraordinarily discriminating. I can detect and identify pheromones at three parts per million. I know. I have tested it. You cannot hide very much from my senses. I think it would horrify you what I can detect by smell alone. Your pheromones tell me what you are doing or are prepared to do. And gesture and posture! I stared for half a day once at an old man sitting on a bench in Arrakeen. He was a fifth-generation descendant of Stilgar the Naib and did not even know it.
-The Stolen Journals.

As the years passed, Leto's body became more and more sandworm-like. His senses became acute to the point of being able to sense emotion and fear through smell. His body eventually became to large to move under his own strength, and so he ordered the construction of a specialised Ixian Royal Cart, which functioned in both ground and suspensor mode. The Ixians, with Leto's secret permission, also began to construct computers again, defying the laws against their creation that had been established after the Butlerian Jihad. Leto also held the tradition of creating clones of Duncan Idaho, only one ever in existence at a time, to serve as the commander of his Fish Speaker legions. By the year 13,720 A.G., Leto's Empire had become multi-galactic, the largest empire in history. He surrounded himself with people he trusted and befriended, such as his majordomo, Moneo.

Leto as the God Emperor.

Arrakis itself, the planet at the center of Leto' Empire, was also changed. The sandworms that once roamed it's sands were now all extinct, as were the sandtrout. As a result Arrakis became green and plentiful again, the only area of desert being Leto's Sareer, where he dwelt. Leto intended to recreate the sandworms and the spice again however, as he knew that he would become a sandworm himself, and restart the spice cycle by making Arrakis a desert again.
Leto maintained his Imperial power because he held the largest and only reserve of the now even more precious spice close to him. He rationed this melange out among the various factions that were loyal to him, such as the Spacing Guild and the Bene Gesserit, provided that they remained as such. Those who became traitorous would be restricted to minimal spice income, or even have all spice income ended. Overall, Leto was an unquestionable god-like being, and as such, was in complete control of his subjects, whose only desire was to appease their god.
Leto kept a journal of his life and his experiences, which, since his pre-worm body prevented him writing by and, he recorded using a new Ixian device that could be activated by thought alone. These journals, or at least a copy of them, were eventually stolen by one of Farad'n and Ghanima's descendants, Siona, who was part of a resistance movement against Leto's rule. Leto intended for Siona to breed with one of his Duncans, but an unexpected event, which took the usually prepared God Emperor totally by surprise, occurred. The Ixians had created a woman named Hwi Noree in a no-chamber. She was breed to be everything that the human Leto would have looked for in a woman, gentle, beautiful and intelligent. When Hwi Noree was sent to Leto to become the new Ambassador for Ix, Leto was saddened by her existence, as it reminded him of his human self, and what might have been. Leto fell in love with Noree, despite his inability to engage in any form of physical love. Leto told Noree about the final fate that was to become of him. She was shocked to hear of how he would still be conscious after death, a tiny fragment of his being existing in every one of his sandworm and sandtrout descendants.
Much to Leto's displeasure, Duncan Idaho exhibited strong feelings for Noree as well, and Leto demanded that the two be kept away from each other.

Death

Leto later made plans to wed Noree, and, after some deliberation, decided that it would be held in Tuono, the small village where Leto had earlier sent both Duncan Idaho and Siona to, in the hope that they would breed in the place. Idaho and Siona, however, have no intention of doing this, and plan an assasination attempt against Leto. When Leto and his Royal Peregrination approached the bridge that spanned the Idaho River, Nayla, Leto's loyal Fish Speaker, tricked into believing that Leto was about to perform a miracle by Siona, fired her lasgun at the bridge, and destroyed it. Leto's entourage, including Moneo and Noree, fell the their deaths in the river below. As he hit the water, Leto's sandworm body was dissolved, and he was washed onto an embankment. Here, the sandtrout in his skin escaped, and Duncan and Siona watched nearby as he died. After his death, Idaho killed Nayla as penance for murdering Noree.

Legacy

After Leto's death, as a result of years of their three thousand year imprisonment, the human race exploded outward into the universe, in an event known as the Scattering. Leto was forever remebered, and refered to as "The Tyrant", even unto the time when the human race returned from the Scattering. On Arrakis, which became a desert again, thanks to Leto's sandtrout, Leto would be remebered as the messenger of God by a religious sect glorifying the name of Atreides.

Out of-Universe Information

Leto Atreides II was portrayed by The Last King of Scotland star James McAvoy in the Children of Dune miniseries produced by the Sci-Fi Channel. He does not appear in his final form during the series. Leto's acctions during his life cause him to be the most pivotal character in the entire Dune series, surpassing even the exploits of his father, Paul Atreides. In Heretics of Dune, Leto II is refered to as Leto III by Stiros, one of the priests on Arrakis glorifying his name, due to the fact that the true second Leto was killed by Sardaukar on Arrakis. Stiros is hushed by his superior, Tuek, for speaking such blasphemey, suggesting that the existence of Leto's sibling has been removed from record.

Ruler of the Known Universe

Followed by:

Unknown

Person in question:

Leto Atreides II

Preceded by:

Alia Atreides

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God Emperor Leto Atreides II

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The Skin That Was Not His Own

Paul Atreides

Edgelover — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 08:44:41 CDT

Name: Paul Orestes Atreides

AKA: Paul Maud'Dib, Usul, The Preacher.

Lifespan: 10,175 A.G - 10,217 A.G.

Homeworld: Caladan

Affiliation:

House Atreides
Fremen

Imperium

A beginning is the time for taking the most delicate care that the balances are correct. This every sister of the Bene Gesserit knows. To begin your study of the life of Muad'Dib, then take care that you first place him in his time: born in the 57th year of the Padishah Emperor, Shaddam IV. And take the most special care that you locate Muad'Dib in his place: the planet Arrakis. Do not be deceived by the fact that he was born on Caladan and lived his first fifteen years there. Arrakis, the planet known as Dune, is forever his place.
-from Manual of Muad'Dib by the Princess Irulan

Biographical Information

Paul Atreides, Heir to the throne of House Atreides, as of 10,191 A.G. (After the Guild).

Born on Caladan in the 57th Year of the Padishah Emperor, Shaddam IV (10,175 A.G.) Paul Orestes Atreides, known later in his life as Paul Maud'Dib (One Who Points the Way), and as Usul to the Fremen, was the son of Duke Leto Atreides, ruler of House Atreides and the Lady Jessica. He was the grandson of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, father to his mother, though she knew it not. During the course of his life he became one of the most legendary figures in history, and forcefully acquired the position of Padishah Emperor before he was twenty years of age. His many skills included combat training under House Atreides' finest, Bene Gesserit training under his mother's guidance, and the compassionate ways of an Atreides heir under his father, Leto I, who Paul would name his first child, Leto II, after.
He was the product of the Bene Gesserit breeding line that stretched back many generations and sought to acquire the correct mix of genes to produce the Kwisatz Haderach, a super being capable of seeing an area of the inner self that no woman could. As a result of this, his powers of perception and foresight were renowned, though it was often difficult for him to see clearly what was to come.

Biography

Warning: Spoilers Follow For Dune Universe, Caution Advised!

Young Life

During his young life, Paul Atreides was given the finest upbringing any aristocratic family member could hope for. He learned martial arts and weapons training from Gurney Halleck, the Ateides family soldier, and Duncan Idaho, the Ginaz Sword Master, as well as Mentat training from Thufir Hawat.In addition to this, he received training in the ways of the BeneGesserit from his mother, almost unheard of among men, and became learned in ducal mannerisms from his father. This lead him to be a superior fighter, adept, and heir.

The Journey to Arrakis

Paul is tested with the Gom Jabbar, a poison needle. If he should remove his hand from the box that causes him pain he will be jabbed with the poisoned needle.

At the age of fifteen, Paul was tested with the Gom Jabbar by the Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam, and after passing the test, became a subject of close consideration for the Bene Gesserit, as they believed that Jessica, who had sworn to bear only daughters of the Duke, may have conceived the Kwisatz Haderach.
Recently, House Atreides had been forced to accept a ducal fief from the Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV: the ownership of Arrakis and its spice resources. House Harkonnen, the previous owners of the planet, had been cleared from it, and a Guild heighliner had been prepared for their departure to the desert planet. Unbeknown to them, the Emperor intended to destroy the Atreides here, with the help of the Harkonnens, who would then be given charge of Arrakis again.
Emerging from space after their journey, the Atreides took residence in Arrakeen's grandest dwelling, the Keep, and here began to reorganize the shambles that had been left to them. Most mining facilities were in a state of disrepair, and would require fixing if their operation was to be successful and they were to consolidate their position as rulers on Arrakis.
They arranged events that would increase their income flow, as the smugglers they overlooked gave them bribes. The Atreides even organised a banquet, which many important benefactors attended, which gave them an idea of their circumstances.

Exile into the Desert

Any Atreides plans would prove to be short lived, as the Harkonnens arrived, en masse, on the planet, taking with them legions of loyal Sardaukar who, at their command, had earlier forced Dr Yeuh to betray the Atreides, incapacitating Leto and sabotaging the house shields. Paul was asleep at the time, under a sedative. He and his mother were captured, bound, and sentenced to be killed in the desert by a worm. While Leto was before the Baron Harkonnen, who gloated over his absolute victory, Paul and Jessica were aboard a thopter, en route to the deep desert. Unaware that the boy possessed persuasive powers, the pilots were subtly killed by them, and they escaped the crashed thopter and headed for an outcrop of rock, where they would be safe from a worm that had been alerted by the sounds of their conveyance. Duncan Idaho arrived briefly to give them provisions and equipment. While at this outcropping, Paul gazed at the second moon of Arrakis, and was gifted suddenly with a vision of the future. He saw Fremen praising him, calling him "Maud'dib". He saw his father's death, the life that was growing within his mother, that of his unborn sister, a Fremen woman asking about Caladan, and the puzzling, diverging landscape of the future through prescience, which he saw he would be able to change with his actions.

Muad'Dib could indeed see the Future, but you must understand the limits of this power. Think of sight. You have eyes, yet cannot see without light. If you are on the floor of a valley, you cannot see beyond your valley. Just so, Muad'Dib could not always choose to look across the mysterious terrain. He tells us that a single obscure decision of prophecy, perhaps the choice of one word over another, could change the entire aspect of the future. He tells us "The vision of time is broad, but when you pass through it, time becomes a narrow door." And always, he fought the temptation to choose a clear, safe course, warning "That path leads ever down into stagnation."
-from Arrakis Awakening by the Princess Irulan

He also saw a bloody jihad, looming on the horizon, carving a passage of death and despair across the universe in the name of Maud'dib. This, he would later decide, was the thing he wished to prevent above all else.

Becoming Maud'dib

Chani, Paul's Fremen love.

Deep in the human unconscious is a pervasive need for a logical universe that makes sense. But the real universe is always one step beyond logic.

Paul and his mother were later discovered hiding in a cliff outcropping by Fremen scouts. Among them was the Naib of Sietch Tabr, Stilgar, and the daughter, Chani, of the now dead planetologist Liet-Kynes, who had remarked at Paul's abilities with the Stillsuit when first they met. Though at first the confrontation was one of violence, with Jessica holding Stilgar to the side, and threatening to kill him if his people harmed Paul, but, after seeing that the woman had the weirding way, the Fremen accepted Paul and his mother as members of the tribe, and bestowed the name of Paul-Maud'dib on Paul.
Jessica was named as a Sayyadina, a Reverend Mother under Fremen terms. Later she would drink the Water of Life. Returning with the scouting party to Sietch Tabr, Paul was challenged to a fight to the death by a young Fremen, Jamis, whom he had shamed by injuring earlier during their encounter at the cliff outcropping. The fight with Jamis was not something Paul had intended, nor did he wish to kill Jamis, which is what he was forced to do, even after offering him surrender.
The guest were then introduced to Fremen customs, and were shown the Fremen Reservoirs.
In the years that followed, Paul fell deeply in love with Chani, with whom he had a child, Leto II, while his mother was given the Water of Life, which affected the unborn child within her, making her awakened to consciousness before birth.
Belief began to spread among the Fremen tribes that Paul was the messiah, the Voice from Another World that would lead them to salvation and make Arrakis a paradise. The Fremen began to gather under Paul's leadership, and even Stilgar was eager to be under his command. Together with his hordes of Fremen, Paul set out to conduct an elaborate plan which would put him in control of the universe, and reek vengeance on the Harkonnen scum that ruined his life. To begin with, the Fremen were ordered to sabotage Spice expeditions, destroying the harvesters of all they found, and killing its passengers.
This eventually brought the production of Spice to a halt, and forced the Padishah Emperor to come to Arrakis in person and investigate the fief that he had entrusted to the Harkonnens, who were clearly not handling it well.

Emperor Maud'dib

Paul Muad'dib, Emperor.

While the Padishah Emperor arrived with a great fleet on Arrakis, Paul mustered all of his Fremen forces, and arranged them so that he had a clear view of the Shield Wall protecting Arrakeen, while he and the Fremen remained invisible. Earlier, his son had been killed in a raid while his sister, Alia, was captured. Within the Emperor's makeshift housing, Baron Harkonnen was brought before him and questioned as to why the Spice was not flowing, and who this so called Mau'dib was. The Baron was unable to answer fully. The captive Alia, whom the present Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam christened an abomination, was then brought before them, and it was in this moment that they realized that Paul and his mother had survived. Seconds later, a great explosion shook Arrakeen, as the Shield Wall was breached, and Mau'dib's forces came riding in on the backs of sandworms.
The Emperor ordered Alia restrained, and the Baron obliged, not realizing that the girl was armed with a Gom Jabbar, which she promptly used to prick the Baron with, ending his life. In the chaos of battle that followed, Mau'dib was ultimately victorious. The Emperor was captured, and ordered to surrender his throne to Paul, as well as his daughter, Irulan. With no choice in the matter, he was exiled to Salusa Secundus, and Paul took the mantle of Emperor.
In the years that followed, Paul built up a mighty empire. Though married to Irulan, Chani remaind his wife. His sister grew to be known as Saint Alia of the Knife, due to her Fremen upbringing. Together, he and his sister made religion and politics one. Alia, alongside Paul, became a prominent religious figure, aswell as a member of Paul's political system. This, mixed with Paul's ability to see clearly what was going on in the present, and his powers to see into the future, made them near impossible to overthrow, though their were those who tried.
His mother, and last surviving member of House Atreides, Gurney Halleck, were on Caladan while the greatest of these conspiratorial groups was formed. Gaius Helen Mohiam, Irulan, a Bene Tlielax Face Dancer named Scytale, and a Guild Navigator, Edric, all plotted to overthrow the Emperor. The presence of Edric, around whom Paul was vision-less, prevented their plans from being known.

The Plot to Destroy an Emperor

The atomic detonation was such that Paul feared that Arrakis would be destroyed.

The plan of theses conspirators was to destroy Maud'dib, while remaining in the shadows. To begin with, the Tleilaxu acquired the body of Duncan Idaho, and resurrected him as a ghola. This ghola was a gift to Paul, and had been secretly programmed to kill him. Fortunately, the Tleilaxu had not anticipated that the ghola might regain the memories of its old mind. The ghola Duncan, realizing that it loved Paul, did not harm him. The next stage of the plot involved Scytale, who, using his Face Dancer powers to take on the form of Lichna, daughter of a Fremen death commando, Otheym, infiltrated the palace in order to bring Paul to the house of Otheym, who was ill and dying.
Though he saw through the ruse, Paul allowed it to run its course and went to the house, where he was given a dwarf, Bijaz, supposedly possessive of the knowledge of Fremen traitors to Paul, those who had helped his enemies in capturing a worm to bring to another world, hoping to start a new Spice cycle that he was not in control of. Bijaz urged haste, and they left. Moments later, an atomic weapon was detonated in the area, which would have killed Paul had he not been running.

Lichna, Scytale's disguise.

He survived, but was blinded by the residual blast. In accordance with Fremen law, the blind were to be left to die in the desert, but Paul appeared to have lost none of his sight, and could name his men before they had even spoken to him. Failing to have killed him, the conspirators used a final trick, and Scytale was found holding a knife to Paul's children, Leto and Ghanima, who had just been born. Paul knew that Chani would die in childbirth, and she did so. Grieving, he cried; "She's gone." This was a mental stimuli that Bijaz, a Tlielaxu servent in truth, had implanted in the mind of Duncan. Upon hearing it, he was to kill Paul, but refused himself, and fully became Duncan. As Scytale held the Knife to Leto and Ghanima, Paul, who had suddenly lost all his vision, saw, through the eyes of his son. He realized that his son was aware, and, using this new perspective, stabbed Scytale.
Then Paul was truly blind, and in accordance with Fremen Law, abandoned himself to the open desert, and here, to the knowledge of the universe, died.

The Preacher

Paul's son and heir, Leto Atreides II.

Years later, when the universe was under the rule of Imperial Regent Alia Atreides, and Paul's children had grown to the age of nine, a mysterious individual, with empty eye sockets just as Paul had had, appeared in Arrakeen and stood upon a pedestal, preaching blasphemy against the Atreides. He claimed that they had neglected the ways of Maud'dib, and had created a mockery of his Empire and his religion. Rumors began to persist amongst the people that this was Paul, back from the dead. When Alia heard tell of these rumors, she was intrigued, and spent much of her time debating how to deal with him, should he indeed be her brother back from exile in the desert. Often the mysterious Preacher would arrive in Arrakeen, led by a servant boy, as he was blind, and blaspheme the Atreides name. The people's belief that this was Paul was the only prevention from him being murdered.
When Leto Atreides II, intent on pursuing his Golden Path, fled from Arrakeen, using the pretext that he had been killed, he encountered The Preacher in the desert and killed his servant boy. It then became apparent that the Preacher was indeed Paul Atreides. Paul was to join with his son, and assist him in a plan that would put Alia off the throne and bring balance to the Imperium once again. It would also put Leto another step further on to his Golden Path.
The Preacher appeared once again in Arrakeen, and made his accusations in front of the royal palace. Alia, who was entertaining guests, intended to have him captured at this time. She ordered men to sneak near to him and grab him, but this failed. It caused a stir among the crowd, and in the ensuing pandemonium, Paul was stabbed and killed.
Leto, however, infiltrated his aunt's viewing chamber, and unmasked her as possessed, causing her to kill herself.

Personality and Traits

Alia, described by the Bene Gesserit as an inhuman abomination, became a great friend and sibling to Paul during his later years. In later years, however, after her possession, she became a great threat.

Before his transformation into the Kwisatz Haderach, Paul Atreides displayed the proud, superior traits of an heir to a royal house. He became insulted when the Revend Mother told him that the Gom Jabbar poison she held to his throat would kill only an animal, and retaliated, asking if she was calling the son of a duke an animal. His pride was turned to anger later in his life, when he was abandoned by the Harkonnens in the desert. At this point, the visions he had been having changed him into someone who was discerning and strong of character, rather than proud. His powers made him act as superior in the presence of others, even causing him to be deified. This deification made him all the more grand in scope, but eventually, after his blindness, lead him to realize his time had passed. When Paul returned as The Preacher, his personality had changed greatly. He saw himself only as a shadow of the man he once was, and acted as such. Though only forty two years old, he was crippled, blinded, and appeared many years older than he was in truth. This appearance of aged wisdom that he displayed at the time was the cause for his success as a "preacher", when setting speaking out againts Alia's reign and his own religion.

Abilities

Aside from the Bene Gesserit powers of Prana-Bindu meditation Paul had been taught by his mother, he also possessed powers of foresight and prescience, allowing him to see both the now and the now to come. These powers were limited, but appeared at crucial moments, such as when Scytale appeared before him, in disguise as Lichna, and Paul was able to see through the disguise. Another show of this power came to him before his death, when he suddenly became able to see through his conscious son's eyes. Why this happened is still subject to speculation, but the bond that existed between them, infused with the Water of Life and the Spice in their blood, that made them linked, as would a Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother be linked to her predecessors at her time of rite.

Prophecy and prescience — How can they be put to the test in the face of the unanswered questions? Consider: How much is actual prediction of the "wave form" (as Muad'Dib referred to his vision-image) and how much is the prophet shaping the future to fit the prophecy? What of the harmonics inherent in the act of prophecy? Does the prophet see the future or does he see a line of weakness, a fault or cleavage that he may shatter with words or decisions as a diamond-cutter shatters his gem with a blow of a knife?

Out of-Universe Information

Kyle Maclachlan alongside Frank Herbert and Francesca Annis.

Alec Newman portrays Paul in Children of Dune.

Paul Atreides was portrayed by Kyle Maclachlan in David Lynch's film, Dune, and by Alec Newman in the both the Dune and Children of Dune miniseries. In Dune, House Atreides is seen, for some reason, to have a family pug (a breed of flat-faced dog). During their trip in the Guild Heigliner, Paul is holding this dog on his lap. There is no reference to the Atreides having a family dog in any novel, and this was merely an addition that was put into the film. Shaddam Corrino IV is also seen as having many dogs in his Golden Lion throne room, suggesting that they are interpreted as a symbol of nobility and status in the Lynch vision of the Dune Universe.
Though he only appears in three of the six original Dune novels, Paul Atreides is considered by most to be the main protagonist of the entire Dune series It is thought that George Lucas derived his Anakin Skywalker as the "Chosen One" idea after reading about Paul in Dune. Other examples of the "messiah" in science fiction include Neo in the Matrix Trilogy and the Emperor of Mankind in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Both are believed to have been inspired by Dune as well.

The Kwisatz Haderach	Ruler of the Known Universe	Mahdi of the Fremen
Followed by: Unknown	Followed by: Alia Atreides	Followed by: Unknown
Person in question: Paul Atreides	Person in question: Paul Atreides	Person in question: Paul Atreides
Preceded by: Hasimir Fenring	Preceded by: Shaddam Corrino IV	Preceded by: Unknown

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Dune (film)

Edgelover — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 08:30:01 CDT

Name: Dune

Premiered in: 1984

Production Team:
Director/Writer: David Lynch
Producer: Dino De Laurentiis
Music: Toto
Cinematography: Freddie Francis

Distributed by: Universal Pictures

Budget: $45,000,000 (estimated)

Cast (as credited) :
Francessa Annis as Jessica
Leonardo Cimino as The Baron's Doctor
Brad Dourif as Piter De Vries
Jose Ferrer as Shaddam IV
Linda Hunt as the Shadout Mapes
Freddie Jones as Thufir Hawat
Richard Jordan as Duncan Idaho
Kyle Maclachlan as Paul Atreides
Virginia Madsen as Irulan Corrino
Silvana Mangano as Ramallo
Everett McGill as Stilgar
Kenneth McMillan as Vladimir Harkonnen

Jack Nance as Iakin Nefud

Siân Phillips as Gaius Helen Mohiam

Jürgen Prochnow as Leto Atreides

Paul L. Smith as Glossu Rabban Harkonnen

Patrick Stewart as Gurney Halleck

Sting as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen

Dean Stockwell as Wellington Yueh

Max von Sydow as Liet-Kynes

Alicia Witt as Alia Atreides

Sean Young as Chani

Honorato Magaloni as Otheym

Judd Omen as Jamis

Molly Wryn as Harah

Trailer:

Alternative Trailer (with music):

"A place beyond your dreams. A movie beyond your imagination."
-film tagline.

Summarising Information

Kenneth McMillan in his role as the Baron Vladimir Harkonnen.

Written and directed by Academy Award Winner David Lynch, Dune is a 1984Science Fiction film, based on the book by Frank Herbert, and distributed by Universal Pictures. The film featured an acclaimed and well known cast, with two actors being Oscar winners. It featured several superb sets and a menagerie of special features, but due to the major departures from the book, as well numerous poor reviews criticising its acting, plot and so on, was considered a flop. David Lynch distanced himself from the film after its failed release, claiming that he had been under too much pressure, and was unable to get the results he wanted for his idea of the film. Despite its poor reception, the film has become a cult classic among film lovers, and several versions have been made for release on DVD and VHS across the world.

Plot

See relevant article: Dune
With the exception of a few differences (listed below) the Dune film's plot is the same as that of its novel incarnation.

Plot Differences

Despite being mostly accurate to the novel, Dune features several major plot differences, as well as dozens of minor ones.

During one of the opening scenes, we see Shaddam Corrino speaking to a Guild Navigator, who, unlike the book, which never even featured this scene, seems to be superior to him, and tells him what to do.
The planet Dune is referred to as Arrakis, Dune, and "desert planet". The third of these is never mentioned.
The Atreides family have a pet pug. This too is never mentioned.
Harkonnens appear to be fitted with monstrous devices called heart-plugs, which make it easy for them to be killed if the plug is removed. In the book, this is not so, as heart plugs are used as filters.
When Jessica and Paul are captured and sent to die in the desert, they not only overpower their captors, as they do in the book, but take control of the ornithopter they are flying.
In the book, Paul's "weirding way", which he teaches to the Fremen, allows him to move with great stealth and agility. In the film, Paul uses a "weirding module", which harnesses the power of his words to cause devastating effect. The reason the modules were used was to prevent the film becoming a "kung-fu" style adventure.
When Jessica takes the Water of Life, information about her experiences is omitted.
In the book, Alia kills the Baron by poisoning him with a Gom Jabbar, whereas the film shows her pulling out his life support tubes and causing him to be eaten by a sandworm.
At the end of the film, Paul uses his powers to make rain fall on Arrakis. In the book, it took years of terraforming for this process to be completed, and even if it didn't, it is later explained in the books that sandworms die if exposed to water, which would mean an end to the spice trade.

Visual Effects

The third stage Guild Navigator is given its "makeup".

Dune used a wide array of special effects to interpret the book. The first of these seen is theGuild Navigator, Oberon (though this name is not mentioned) who arrives in a huge tank; a complex puppet in gas. To maintain this puppet, a team of puppeteers worked in before filming, adding minor touches. Carlo Rambaldi and Luigi Rochette worked to give the navigator its fleshy look. In the film, the Navigator was described as "third stage". This presumably means that it has reached it's third stage of mutation. A second stage Navigator was originally planned to be put into the film, but was cancelled because of time issues.The costumes for the Guild Navigator body guard contingent was designed by Bob Ringwood. A second, smaller version of the Guild Navigator puppet was created for the heighliner scene. Another famous effect in the film was that of the sandworms. These were also puppets, around two to three feet in scale, controlled by puppeteers from off-camera. They were pulled around on buried tracks.
Perhaps the most famous effect in the film however, was Kenneth McMillan's fatsuit and floating equipment. In order to portray an unhealthy, morbidly obese man, who floats, Kenneth was first dressed in a rubbery fatsuit, and hung from several suspension wires. The suit was silicone filled to give a believable impression of fat. Then neck fat had to be added, as well as facial boils and bad skin. Once ready, Kenneth was tied to the overhead tracking grid, which moved him through the air. This grid, regardless of how elaborate it was, would not do for the final Baron scene, in which he spins out of control into the jaws of a worm. For this, a tumbling mechanism and a blue screen were required. The entire process of makeup, rigging, and getting into the suit, took around four to five hours. Apart from these things, Dune used manylesser effects, such as the ornithopters, spice harvesters, shield generators, lasgun blasts, and, of course, the ships. All visual props had to be designed and made, and most props, such as the Harkonnen ships, were small scale, or filmed against blue screens.

Cult Appeal and Viewing Today

Dune: Extended Edition DVD.

Though considered a flop and a travesty by both critics and Dune fans alike, Dune is no less popular today than it was during release, especially among those who have never read the books. Several versions, including an extended edition, are available to date, and the small amount of merchandise the film produced is considered by many to be highly collectible. Among this is the renowned action figure series. David Lynch was asked several times to make a director's cut edition of the film, thereby correcting the mistakes which he claims the studio pressured him into making, but has refused.

Problems with Pre-Production

For many years before Dune's release, people had eagerly awaited a Dune film. However, the scope and grand implications of the book meant that only a truly successful film could accurately portray it. The process of creating the final film was long and arduous, being handed to several directors before any filming began. The production first began in 1971, when APJ took the rights for the film. The process of film creation was delayed for a year as Arthur P. Jacobs, the company owner, had to finish several ongoing films, such as the up and coming Planet of the Apes. Dune was scheduled to be shot in 1974, but in 1973, Arthur P. Jacobs passed away, leaving the project orphaned. The rights to the film were purchased a year later by Jean-Paul Gibon, a French film consortium owner. Alejandro Jodorowsky, the highly skilled writer/director/mime/composer/psychotherapist/comic book writer, would direct the film. Several years of planning followed, but the final result appeared too ridiculous to even consider, as it would be a fourteen hour feature film, with Salvador Dali portraying the Emperor (for the nominal fee of $100,000 an hour) and Pink Floyd providing the music. The project was cancelled, but not before two million dollars had been wasted on pre-production funds. Finally, the film rights were sold to Dino de Laurentiis, who, after seeing The Elephant Man, decided that David Lynch should direct in 1981. David agreed, turning down other directing opportunities such as Return of the Jedi. Three more years passed, and David wrote six different scripts for the film. Filming began at last in 1983, and the film was released by 1984, but to a slighty different reception than expected.

This Article Contains Featured Media

In accordance with the Rules of Dunepedia, this article contains featured media, in the form of video, music, or other.
The media is: Dune, Alternate Trailer

This Article contains a Featured Image

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Dune Film Poster

This Article is Featured on Dunepedia.

In accordance with the Rules of Dunepedia, this article is proclaimed as featured, and is an exemplary piece.

List of Featured Images

Edgelover — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 07:27:52 CDT

Featured image pages are accompanied by the Mona Lisa image.

When creating a new page, it's a good idea to look on this page to see if any of the images you have used are featured. If they are, follow this link and copy and paste both the Mona Lisa image and the "This Article Contains a Featured Image " Banner onto the page.

The following is a list of featured images. These images may be found across Dunepedia (and greatly improve the quality of a page where they are placed), the pages containing them being adorned with the image of Mona Lisa, Leonardo Da Vinci's most famous work and one of the most celebrated images in the world. Like the Mona Lisa, only the best images, meaning of the highest resolution, best colour quality, and best artistic value, are selected to become featured images. See the Featured Image page for futher explanation on how to spot a great image, and how to nominate featured images.

Featured Images:

Covers and Posters

Characters

Concepts

Planets

Places

Peoples

Part of a Series of Articles on:

Featured and Good Content

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Dunepedia

Edgelover — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 07:17:20 CDT

Name: Dunepedia The Dune Encyclopedia

Created on: 29th of April 2007

Creator: Alex Stein (Edgelover)

Function: Database of Dune Knowledge

Domain Name: www.dunepedia.wetpaint.com

Logo:

The original Dunepedia Logo. Taken from Emeperor: Battle for Dune, it is the symbol of House Atreides.

The second Dunepedia Logo version. This time featuring a piece of the Dune Encyclopedia Cover.

The third version, with the same image as before, but with the title: Dunepedia The Dune Encyclopedia.

The current logo for Dunepedia, featuring the same Fremen image, now cropped for a more stylish look.

Home Page Links: Featured Article, Featured Image, Featured Media, Featured Text, Recent Quote, Recent News, Did You Know?, Dunepedia Notice Board, Improvement Drive, Dunepedian of the Month, Friends of Dunepedia, Other Dune Sites, Other Recommended Spin-Off Encyclopedias, See Dune In.

"Dunepedia is a wiki whose main priority is the facilitation of Dune knowledge. We shall strive to make its so. Though it's primary function is one of the gathering of knowledge, it also serves to bring people together in the pursuit of this knowledge, and thereby create a community wherein common interests are held."
-Alex Stein

Description

An older screenshot of the site, taken on a regular sized (not widescreen) monitor.

Dunepedia, created on the 29th of April 2007, by Alex Stein, a boy living in the southern area of Britain, is an archive of Dune knowledge, presented in the style of a wiki. It was created tofacilitate the needs of fans that desperately require knowledge on Dune, whether it be for a huge project on the subject or a useful tidbit for a pub quiz, but cannot find any, and have even been let down by Wikipedia. The inspiration for the wiki came from a sudden glut of Dune information in the area of southern Britain, and the incessant reading of Dune books.

Help and Research

All are welcome to assist in its construction, provided that they obtain an account, and read and follow the Rules of Dunepedia atall times. Other than that, the place is for Duneknowledge, and can either be edited and helped, or simply used to learn more about the grand universe of Dune. But bear in mind, Dunepedia is not a playground, and certainly not a place of self expression. It is a knowledge bank, and should be treated as one. People are welcome to make comments as they will, but Dunepedia itself is intended to inform, not to push ideas or points of view.

Logo

The logo for Dunepedia is a Fremen on Arrakis, part of the cover of The Dune Encyclopedia. This image once had a backround, but now has been cropped, and made more modern and stylish. A version of the logo existed before this one; the eagle insignia of House Atreides, but it was far too one-sided, and was scraped early on in the wiki's development. A later version of the logo showed the same Fremen image as the current one, but the inscription read "Dunepedia the Dune Wiki" and this was uninformative.

Why Wetpaint?

A version of the main page with the EasyEdit button visible.

There has been some speculation as to why the Wetpaint server was chosen to house Dunepedia. To answer the question simply, it was the easiest option. Alex Stein wanted to create a wiki of the highest possible content quality, and so around a dozen different wiki servers were viewed, but most failed to qualify.
By the end of the reviewing process, only two wikis were considered appropriate. One was Wetpaint, a simple, easy to use server, but one that was part of a group of wikis, the other, Edit This.com, a wiki that had the Wikipedia look, but needed a lot of formatting, page creation, and URL purchasing before it could be created. Wetpaint was chosen above the rest, as it qualified as a superb wiki creator.

However, it did not have the Wikipedia look (featured articles, images in boxes, info boxes, categories, a separate comments page), and so it was altered slightly, with the use of the templates, and these things were created, making the wiki a competent and reliable source.

Development

In the future, the contributors of the site hope that Dunepedia will one day become a reliable source of knowledge for Dune fans and researchers. Currently, it is in need of work. Dunepedia appreciates any of this that can be offered. The contributors also intend to change the layout of pages, so that they are more wikipedia style. Here is an example of what these new pages will look like:

As you can see, the area of the page containing information has been moved to the top of the screen, so that it is in line with the logo. This mimics the style of wikipedia. This image is fairly old, and so displays the old logo and site style.

Recent Quote

Edgelover — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 07:00:15 CDT

A recent quote, unlike a Featured Article or Image, is merely an insightful addition to the Home Page. It has no significant value, is not selected because it is better than other quotes, and is merely changed every now and again to improve the content of the Home page.

Old Quotes Archive:

"Most civilization is based on cowardice. It's so easy to civilize by teaching cowardice. You water down the standards which would lead to bravery. You restrain the will. You regulate the appetites. You fence in the horizons. You make a law for every movement. You deny the existence of chaos. You teach even the children to breathe slowly. You tame." - The Stolen Journals

I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain. - Bene Gesserit Litany Against Fear

Muad'Dib could indeed see the Future, but you must understand the limits of this power. Think of sight. You have eyes, yet cannot see without light. If you are on the floor of a valley, you cannot see beyond your valley. Just so, Muad'Dib could not always choose to look across the mysterious terrain. He tells us that a single obscure decision of prophecy, perhaps the choice of one word over another, could change the entire aspect of the future. He tells us "The vision of time is broad, but when you pass through it, time becomes a narrow door." And always, he fought the temptation to choose a clear, safe course, warning "That path leads ever down into stagnation." - From Arrakis Awakening by the Princess Irulan

It is by will alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the juice of Sapho that thoughts acquire speed, the lips acquire stains. The stains become a warning. It is by will alone I set my mind in motion. - The Mantra of the Mentat

He was warrior and mystic, ogre and saint, the fox and the innocent, chivalrous, ruthless, less than a god, more than a man. There is no measuring Muad'Dib's motives by ordinary standards. In the moment of his triumph, he saw the death prepared for him, yet he accepted the treachery. Can you say he did this out of a sense of justice? Whose justice, then? Remember, we speak now of the Muad'Dib who ordered battle drums made from his enemies' skins, the Muad'Dib who denied the conventions of his ducal past with a wave of the hand, saying merely: "I am the Kwisatz Haderach. That is reason enough." - From Arrakis Awakening

The gravest error a thinking person can make is to believe that one particular version of history is absolute fact. History is recorded by a series of observers, none of whom is impartial. The facts are distorted by sheer passage of time and - especially in the case of the Butlerian Jihad - thousands of years of humanity's dark ages, deliberate misrepresentations by religious sects, and the inevitable corruption that comes from an accumulation of careless mistakes. The wise person, then, views history as a set of lessons to be learned, choices and ramifications to be considered and discussed, and mistakes that should never again be made. - Princess Irulan, preface to the History of the Butlerian Jihad

Do you wrestle with dreams?
Do you contend with shadows?
Do you move in a kind of sleep?
Time has slipped away.
Your life is stolen.
You tarried with trifles.
Victim of your folly. -Dirge for Jamis on the Funeral Plain, from Songs of Muad'Dib by the Princess Irulan

When I was writing Dune there was no room in my mind for concerns about the book's success or failure. I was concerned only with the writing. Six years of research had preceded the day I sat down to put the story together, and the interweaving of the many plot layers I had planned required a degree of concentration I had never before experienced. It was to be a story exploring the myth of the Messiah. It was to produce another view of a human-occupied planet as an energy machine. It was to penetrate the interlocked workings of politics and economics. It was to be an examination of absolute prediction and its pitfalls. It was to have an awareness drug in it and tell what could happen through dependence on such a substance. Potable water was to be an analog for oil and for water itself, a substance whose supply diminishes each day. It was to be an ecological novel, then, with many overtones, as well as a story about people and their human concerns with human values, and I had to monitor each of these levels at every stage in the book. There wasn't room in my head to think about much else. -Foreword by Frank Herbert

There is no such thing as the future. Humankind faces multiple possible futures, many of which hinge on seemingly inconsequential events. -The Muadru Chronicles

Dune had to be made. But what kind of spaceships to use? Certainly not the degenerate and cold offspring of present day American automobiles and submarines, the very antithesis of art, usually seen in science fiction films, including 2001. No! I wanted magical entities, vibrating vehicles, like fish that swim and have their being in the mythological deeps of the surrounding ocean. The 'galactic' ships of North American technocracy are a mouse-gray insult to the divine, therefore delirious, chaos of the universe. I wanted jewels, machine-animals, soul-mechanisms. Sublime as snow crystals, myriad-faceted fly eyes, butterfly pinions. Not giant refrigerators, transistorised and riveted hulks; bloated with imperialism, pillage, arrogance and eunuchoid science. -Chriss Foss

Let there be no doubts that I am the assemblage of our ancestors, the arena in which they exercise my moments. They are my cells and I am their body. This is the favrashi of which I speak, the soul, the collective unconscious, the source of archetypes, the repository of all trauma and joy. I am the choice of their awakening. My samhadi is their samhadi. Their experiences are mine! Their knowledge distilled is my inheritance. Those billions are my one. -The Stolen Journals

Thoughts become weapons. Philosophies are distinct reasons for war. Good intentions are the most destructive arsenal of all. -Cogitor Kwyna

"I will tell you how it will be. I will marry your daughter, the Princess Irulan. I will become the new Emperor of the Known Universe."
"I am House Corrino. Only I sit on the throne!"
"You and your House shall have a throne on Salusa Secundus, your prison world, and the training ground for your accursed Sardaukar. Either that, or you will die!" -Paul Atreides to the Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV

"You are transparent. I see many things. I see plans within plans." -Oberon

I have come to believe that holy boredom is good and sufficient reason for the invention of free will.-The Stolen Journals

The Ordos are mercenary. They care for nothing, save power and wealth. -Emperor: Battle for Dune

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Kaldo Radij

Edgelover — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 06:20:28 CDT

Name: Kaldo Radij

Homeworld: Arrakis

Affiliation: Dune Smugglers

His mysterious identity leads many to speculate whether Kaldo Radij is a real individual or a code name for a secret cabal.

Biographical Information

Kaldo Radij was a mysterious member of the organisation known only as the Dune Smugglers. Whether or not he was a smuggler himself is unknown, as he managed to remain so secretive that he was constantly shrouded in mystery. Even the usage of his name was debated.

Out of-Universe Information

Kaldo Radij appears only in the Dune trading card game, on a trading card illustrated by Mark Zug, and is therefore considered to be unquestionably non-canon. He is one of many inprovised characters that the game developers created, presumably to create more cards for the game. Mark Zug himself wrote: "The game developers had to create characters who weren't necessarily part of Frank Herbert's cast..."

This Article is Non-Canon.

This article contains information featured only in Dune media, and not in the official Dune databases. It is therefore considered non-canon.

This Article contains a Featured Image

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Kaldo Radij

Proclamation Templates

Edgelover — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 06:17:01 CDT

This Page in Brief:

Proclamation Templates are used proclaim an article's current state. Copy and paste one onto a page if it is needed.

The following is a list of templates on Dunepedia. These particular templates are used to proclaim an article's current state, not that the page has a problem with it, or that it has been rewarded for being a good page. To see instruction on using these templates and more: see the Templates page.

Warning: Spoilers Follow For Dune Universe, Caution Advised!

This Page in Brief:

(insert relevant information concerning this page's basic meaning. To be used only on instructional pages.)

This Page is a Dunepedia Page

As such, it is protected from edits by users lesser than moderator level, as it is a page that is vitally important to the maintenance and operation of the site.

This Page is Locked

Though it is intended to be a community page, due to recent vandalism, this page has been locked by a moderator or up. The problems will be fixed by them and then the page will be unlocked. If you wish an earlier unlock, you may suggest it on the comments section.

This Article is Non-Canon

This article contains information featured only in Dune media, and not in the official Dune databases. It is therefore considered non-canon.

To The Thinking Machines, this Article Does Not Compute.

There is currently a canonicity dispute underway in this article. Two viewpoints, each presenting an alternative canon, have clashed. Editor descretion is therefore advised until the conflict is either resolved (and a definitive canon found), or we arrive at the conclusion that both canons are to be accepted.

"For He is The Kwisatz Haderach!"

This article has been nominated to become (insert: good/featured) by (insert: admin user name), but it requires just a little bit more work before it becomes good enough.

This Article Concerns As-of-Yet Unreleased Media.

The information in this article concerns planned, scheduled, or possible things for the future. It is uncertain, and information in it may change drastically as more is released.

This Article is an Essay

It is written from an acceptable point-of-view perspective, and is not considered to be a guidline or a policy on Dunepedia. Essays are merely information in personally-written format. This essay was written by:

This Article is a Guide

This article is part of a number of articles that give guidelines on how to do something on Dunepedia. It is not part of the Rules of Dunepedia, and is only there to give information.

The Actual Name of This Character is Unknown

Therefore, the name that has been given to the character is merely a nickname, callsign, or a speculative name, and is not the character's actual name.

____________________________________________________

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Hall of Fame

Edgelover — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 06:07:54 CDT

This page serves as the gallery of user that have acheived Dunepedian of the Month status. Their user names are displayed here, along with the reason for their award's handing out, and their user profile image. Only the most distinguished users can achieve Dunepedian of the Month status, and so the list below is of some of the most distinguished Dunepedians on the site:

	unusualsuspect	For being the first user to instigate a topic relative discussion concerning Liet-Kynes.
	Edgelover	For creating Dunepedia, and for creating the userboxes, infoboxes, templates and so on that make up the site.
	Transmission0	For being the first user to add an explanation of himself on his user page, and for superb communication skills when asking questions.

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This Article is Outdated

This article, and what it proclaims, is no longer part of the current Dunepedia usage. It is outdated, and therefore is kept purely for historical reference.

Dunepedian of The Month

Edgelover — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 06:06:28 CDT

Term Overview

Those Dunepedians that have contributed greatly to Dunepedian will be given the honour ofbecoming Dunepedian of the Month. Their names will be placed on the hall of fame page, and they may, depending on the circumstances, even be able to upgrade to a higher rank (e.g. Registered User into Moderator). Their names will also be placed on the Home page for the duration of their reign.
Though it is the highest hounour on Dunepedia, there are also many lesser awards, in the form of barnstars, images and others, that can be handed out by anyone.

Dunepedians of the Month will be given this golden wiki award, which they may display prominently on their user pages.

As well as this userbox.

This User was Dunepedian of the Month!

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This Article is Outdated

This article, and what it proclaims, is no longer part of the current Dunepedia usage. It is outdated, and therefore is kept purely for historical reference.

List of Improvement Drive Articles

Edgelover — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 06:05:19 CDT

The following is a list of Improvement Drive articles. These are articles that have been previously selected for the Improvement Drive.

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This Article is Outdated

This article, and what it proclaims, is no longer part of the current Dunepedia usage. It is outdated, and therefore is kept purely for historical reference.

Improvement Drive

Edgelover — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 06:04:15 CDT

Term Overview

As with any wiki, Dunepedia is maintained by the people who use it. On occasion, an article may be so badly in need of maintenance, that it is selected for the monthly Improvement Drive. The Improvement Drive provides a link from the Home Page directly to the article desperate for improvement. An article in the improvement drive will use the banner below. To see a list of Improvement Drive selected articles see List of Improvement Drive Articles.

The Bene Gesserit Believe this Article to be an Abomination

As such it has been selected for the Improvement Drive, and should be greatly improved, to the extent of it becoming featured, or you may find a Gom Jabbar in your bed.

Once the article has been improved, this banner is removed.

This Page is a Dunepedia Page

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This Article is Outdated

This article, and what it proclaims, is no longer part of the current Dunepedia usage. It is outdated, and therefore is kept purely for historical reference.

List of Featured Articles

Edgelover — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 05:57:20 CDT

Featured Articles are accompanied by the "Featured Article Star" in their top left corner.

This is a list of Featured Articles on Dunepedia. When an article has been deemed as featured (with the featured article tag placed at its bottom), its name will be added here. To see a list of Good Articles (articles below the rank of Featured but above that of normal) go to List of Good Articles. The list of articles below is currently in the order in which it was selected to become featured, but this will change when enough articles become featured, and then they will be arranged according to category.

Part of a Series of Articles on:

Featured and Good Content

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Bene Gesserit

Edgelover — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 05:55:51 CDT

Name: Sisterhood of the Bene Gesserit

Organisation Type: Religious and Political

Center of Operations: Wallach IX

Equipment and Abilities: Various mental stimuli, unarmed combat, espionage and intelligence work.

Function: Truthsayers to the Emperor, Arbitrators and trainers of the young.

Intentions: The eventual birth of a Kwisatz Haderach, a super being created through years of precise breeding programs. The eventual 'maturity' of the human race.

When are the witches to be trusted? Never! The dark side of the magic universe belongs to the Bene Gesserit and we must reject them.

Organisational Information

The Lady Jessica, a Bene Gesserit Sister.

The Bene Gesserit (the name being a likely derivative of the Latin phrase "quamdium se bene gesserit", meaning "as long as he/she shall have behaved well") were an ancient sisterhood of women, all skilled in many mental and biological tricks and manipulative techniques, acquired through training, exercises, life and physical disciplines and use of the Spice Melange. The Bene Gesserit's prime area of study was politics, how to shape politics and how to manipulate opinion. Their over arching goal was the "maturity of humanity". In this sense the Bene Gesserit has taken it upon itself the maternal role of upbringing applied to the entire human race. Bene Gesserit discipline was encompassing and rigorous. The Sisters were not only manipulative and relentless in their discipline but they also put a strong premium on effectiveness.

Teachings

Punishments

The phrase "No one must forget a Bene Gesserit punishment" was almost a basic axiom of the Order. In addition "punishments" were often permanent and would hopefully benefit the recipient. The "punishment banquet" emulated a meal. There was an appetizer to awaken the senses of the punished. The main course provided the bulk of the lesson. The dessert would "lock in the lesson". Punishments were not necessarily corporeal but they were always painful.

Prana Bindu

The "prana bindu" exercises were meant to sharpen the body while enhancing a sense of control. The mind must be its own master, desires never exceeding too far the grasp and capabilities of the desirer. These exercises also included fighting disciplines meant to let the Sister defend herself while at the same time enhancing her sense of Self. Another basic axiom of the Bene Gesserit is the idea that we each control our own reality, to the degree that what we perceive and experience is shaped by our own preconceptions and expectations. The Bene Gesserit way is far more profound than this simple truism, in that an adept is able to make herself behave in accordance with this idea, to the extreme of being able to function without food, water and sleep for far longer than ordinary people. Bene Gesserit adepts are also able to modify their metabolism, so that they can function in hostile environments. They can also determine whether they will conceive a child and can determine its gender.

Enzyme Balance

By using a technique called "Enzyme Balance" adepts could even stave off the effects of the aging process. However the latter measure was discouraged lest it "bring down the wrath of all upon us", though one could argue that this "reason" was itself manipulative, the real reason for desiring mortality is that a changing universe full of unchanging Bene Gesserit would hold back the maturity of the human race.

Voice

With the power of voice any untrained mind could be manipulated.

The concept of "Voice" was a means by which Bene Gesserit could influence people by adopting certain vocal patterns to which ordinary untrained minds were exquisitely vulnerable. Voice allowed Sisters to end conflicts or to manipulate the untrained in order to influence events.

Imprinting

Males were controlled through "imprinting" a process of sexual union that brought the male towards a greater sense of intimacy with the entire Order. Many men who were raised by Sisters were conditioned to view the Sisterhood with awe, love and were given a sense of its purpose. In contrast the Sisters themselves were conditioned to view the emotion of Love as a "weakness" of "lesser people". The distorted "tantric" practices of the Honored Matres might have been an offshoot or corruption of this Bene Gesserit practice. Men could and did receive prana bindu training but the deepest training was beyond them due to the physical limitations of men, almost all of whom were not able to handle the Spice Agony needed to achieve Reverend Mother Status. The "Kwisatz Haderach" (one who can be in many places at once) was a male who could survive the Spice Agony as well as perform other Bene Gesserit tasks.

Love

The emotion of Love was intensely distrusted by the Order. The emotion was considered a source of disorder, confusion, chaos and was credited with some of the larger failures of individual Sisters. Thus as a preventative measure Sisters were conditioned from early childhood to be suspicious of Love, to understand that in its many manifestations the emotion is overpowering and that it breaks discipline and conditioning. Rather than have any sort of marriage or permanent pairings Sisters were encouraged to use the male "training masters" for physical enjoyment. Sexual intimacy was important to the Bene Gesserit. They shunned "artificial methods of procreation" preferring the union of Man and Woman, less the feelings of love. Even when called upon to resurrect "their" Bashir the Bene Gesserit used the womb of a volunteer, a Reverend Mother, to achieve the cloning process rather than resorting to a "corrupt practice" such as using an Axlotl Tank. Child rearing for the Bene Gesserit was a communal affair. Sisters with the proper genetics were encouraged to bear children for the Order. These were usually removed from them before bonding and were carefully raised by the Order. Sisters with defective genetics would be sterilized but were permitted to serve the Order any capacity that they could make a contribution. It was a very rare event that an infant in the care of the Bene Gesserit was subject to infanticide or discarded. Sometimes infants and young girls were presented to the Order for training by Great Houses, much as younger sons were presented to the Catholic Church in ancient times. The Order always offered to train young women (and sometimes men) of the Great Houses. Bene Gesserits were also offerred as concubines for Nobles. In this way the Order influenced many Great Houses while building up political support for its causes. Many Emperors took Bene Gesserit wives or concubines. The Mother of the Kwisatz Haderach, Jessica, was a Bene Gesserit. She trained Paul in the Prana Bindu disciplines covertly, empowering him to withstand the Spice Agony and to lead the Fremen.

Governance

The Bene Gesserit order was run through a "Juried Democracy". The Order conducted polls on events of great import, such as selecting a Mother Superior or taking novel directions in policy. Day to day decisions were monitored through the "Proctors", a body empaneled by a vote which at any time could challenge the decisions of the Mother Superior. The Proctors could and did remove Mother Superiors from their posts if they did not have confidence in her decisions. The Proctors served as a check on the power of the Bene Gesserit order as a whole to vote and on the otherwise dictatorial powers of the Mother Superior.

Methods and Goals

The Bene Gesserit were an anomaly in the Imperium, as, though their power was great enough to make them one of the four super-powers in the universe, they relied instead on clandestine manipulation, never straying into the heart of society. It was in this manner that they preserved their ways through the years. Through use of underhanded subtlety and insinuation, the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood intended to create a super-being, the Kwisatz Haderach, using a centuries old breeding program. The Kwisatz Haderach would be the only male Bene Gesserit and would be able to view an area of the inner being that was untouchable by any woman. Two of these Kwisatz Haderachs were created, both of which proved to be failures. The first, Hasimir Fenring, was not powerful enough, and was a genetic failure, whilst the other, Paul Atreides, would not bow to the will of the Bene Gesserit. In spite of these apparent failures both men were highly capable, very dangerous and in their own way supported the Bene Gesserit. According to Scylate the Bene Tleilax also created a "Kwisatz Haderach" by "dabbling in various essences". Essences of what he did not elaborate upon. According to Scytale the Tleilaxu's Kwisatz Haderach "promptly destroyed himself" rather than trying to become his opposite. Whether this revelation was a crude attempt at manuvering the Conspiracy against Paul Atreides or an admission of some interesting genetic play was not elaborated upon. Scytale offered this insight as evidence that Paul Atreides could be defeated by a determined conspiracy which tried to "make him into the opposite of what he is". That Paul did become in many ways an opposite of his responsible Emperor self, a pawn and plaything of the Cast Out who rescued him from the desert while awaiting "his worm", was not known at the time. Due to the mysterious ways of the Order and their seeming ability to always achieve their goals despite any visible governmental power, the Bene Gesserit were regarded by many as witches and dark meddlers, and were generally untrusted by most. However the Order had its utility in the Imperium, in that to many they were also considered wise. Bene Gesserit thus often served as arbitrators and negotiators to end conflict or to reach understanding between peoples. The Bene Gesserit were trained on Wallach IX, though, in later years, their secret headquarters were on the planet Chapterhouse. Bene Gesserit individuals could and did furnish training off planet. Some chose to go on Sabbaticals to train or do penance. The fundamental goal of the Bene Gesserit was not power but the "Maturity of the Human Race". They hoped to bring about an awakening of the human race. The Order hoped to futher the goals of the Butlerian Jihad which had delivered the human race from an infant like dependency upon machines. The Bene Gesserit hoped to finally liberate humanity from its own superstitions and childishness. In order to curb reaction and preserve their own integrity as an order the Bene Gesserit were forced to use indirect means, to manipulate with word, deed and through genetic manipulation (by selective breeding for the most part). In their encounters with the Honored Matres the Bene Gesserit were able to transcend the relative immaturity of the Honored Matres, in a sense performing the task upon them that they later wished to accomplish with the human race. In a sense the struggle between the Bene Gesserit and the Honored Matres was an above board microcosm of the entire Bene Gesserit experience.

Missionaria Protectiva

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Notable Members

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Eyes of the Ibad

Edgelover — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 05:46:04 CDT

Name: Eyes of the Ibad

Cause: Saturation of the Spice Melange in the Bloodstream

Location: Arrakis

Then he was face to face with a hooded figure who crouched low, crysknife at the ready. Two more men stood waiting on the rocks above to left and right. Only the eyes of the fighting man ahead of him were visible to Gurney between hood and veil of a sand-colored burnoose, but the crouch and readiness warned him that here was a trained fighting man. The eyes were the blue-in-blue of the deep-desert Fremen.

Occurence Information

Eyes of the Ibad.

"Eyes of the Ibad" was a term used on Arrakis to describe the effect that the Spice Melange had on the eyes of an individual whose bloodstream had been saturated with the drug due to years of exposure to it. The pigmentation of these eyes was described as blue-within-blue, and was ordinarily associated with the Fremen (they possessed the Eyes of the Ibad from the age of twelve onwards), though anyone living on Arrakis for long enough would obtain the same pigmentation, such as the planetologist Liet-Kynes, who lived on Arrakis in the service of Shaddam Corrino IV long enough for his eyes to change.

The Machine Crusade

Edgelover — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:12:51 CDT

Name: The Machine Crusade

Event Type: Conflict

Area of Event: Across many planets

Time of Event:

Factions involved:

The Thinking Machines

Butlerian Jihad

Leaders and Protagonists involved:

Outcome: Destruction of most Thinking Machines and ban on their creation in future.

This article concerns the actual crusade, you may be searching for the book, Dune: The Machine Crusade.