-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- (10-03-02) | Dune III Bene Gesserit Handbook | Dune III 2.0 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The following information is known In-Character (IC) by members of the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood only. All players are welcome to read the handbook, but use of this information ICly, if it has not been conveyed to you by a member of the Sisterhood, is inappropriate. Questions may directed to the Bene Gesserit Faction Head. Index: 1. An Overview of the Sisterhood 1.1 History 1.2 BG Organization 1.3 Progression Through the Ranks 1.4 Mission Statement 2. Internal Workings 2.1 Sisters 2.2 Reverend Mothers 2.3 Decision-Makers 2.4 Bene Gesserit Training 2.5 Reverend Mother Training 2.6 Combat: A Digression 3. The Sisterhood on Dune III 3.1 Public Conduct 3.2 Using Bene Gesserit Abilities 3.3 Available Roles 4. Collected Sayings of the Sisterhood -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 1. An Overview of the Sisterhood --------------------------------------------- "Before us all methods of learning were tainted by instinct. We learned how to learn. Before us, instinct-ridden researchers possessed a limited attention span--often no longer than a single lifetime. Projects stretching across fifty or more lifetimes never occurred to them." Bene Gesserit Credo --------------------------------------------- 1.1 History To understand the Sisterhood, one must trace back through the annals of history, through antiquity to the early days of human civilization on ancient Terra. These roots are long forgotten now, to all save the Reverend Mothers, in whose Other Memories, this history survives. It was in Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilization, that the genesis of the Sisterhood began. Rooted in matriarchal societies and mother-goddess religions, collective memories passed from grandmother to mother to daughter to granddaughter, through countless generations of humans. Unfortunately, the male of the species did not maintain this mnemonic treasure trove with equal vigor. Lost to neglect, male collective memory passed out of the thoughts of humans. Unable to access male collective memories, the "Bene Gesserat," as they were then called, developed an ambitious, long-term breeding program dedicated to recovering these memories. With the dawn of space travel, the Sisterhood expanded throughout the universe, slowly losing sight of her original goals. The rise of the machine age resulted in a schism developing in the Bene Gesserit between those who supported controlled breeding to encapsulate political and economic power and those who clung to the old aspirations. Under the leadership of the Reverend Mother Iphigenia Keller, the Bene Gesserit turned control of everything except the most delicate of breeding programs over to machines. Realizing their precarious position, the Sisterhood began meticulously to plot revolt against the machines adopting as their creed the infamous 'First Lesson': "Humans must never submit to animals." Yet, the spark that set the rebellion aflame was the machine-ordered abortion of Jehanne Butler's fetal daughter. The Butlerian Jihad devastated the human population of the universe, setting the Sisterhood's breeding program back millennia. While the Jihad took place over 10,000 years ago, humanity remains repulsed by machines and overt use of technology. Members of the Sisterhood are especially sensitive of any technology that would purport to replace humans. Today the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood seeks to recover the lost half of the collective memories of the human race. Cunning, treachery, blackmail, and death are tools used in the pursuit of the correct combination of genes that will render this dream a reality. The Kwisatz Haderach, a male Bene Gesserit with complete collective memories, is the ultimate outcome of a plan that has spanned thousands of generations. With patience beyond comprehension, the Sisterhood has brought together men and women in an endless web of genetics, waiting for the culmination of their efforts. --------------------------------------------- 1.2 BG Organization The BG has ten Chapter Houses devoted to varying interests. Attached to each Chapterhouse is a Kinder House devoted to the early care and training of young children, potential Sisters. Although each Chapterhouse is staffed with Proctors and equipment for the training of Sisters, commonly young Sisters train on Wallach IX, the site of the Mother House, until their special abilities are honed. Then, in their mid- to late-teens, young women are reassigned to the appropriate Chapterhouse. Chapterhouses and their Purposes: 1) Wallach IX - Mother House 2) Kaitain - education of House Major children; training of breeders designed for marriage within the aristocratic families 3) Geidi Prime- classified activities, espionage 4) Grumman - martial arts training 5) Yorba - center for business administration and accounting services 6) Chusuk - music and the arts 7) Ciemahn Banqs - sciences 8) Gamont - training breeders designed as concubines 9) Paquita - history and linguistics 10) Bela Tegeuse - ecology and behavioral studies Each Chapter House follows a strict protocol. The Reverend Mothers run the house, sharing the teaching and maintenance duties. Each Sister is assigned to a particular Reverend Mother, receiving her duties and reporting to that Reverend Mother. The Reverend Mothers report to the Proctor Superior who has the final word in all matters as she receives her orders from the Bene Gesserit Council on Wallach IX. Wallach IX is the nerve center of the Bene Gesserit; all its main centers are there: judiciary, legislative, executive, and breeding. --------------------------------------------- 1.3 Progression Through the Ranks The following is the typical progression of a female through the rigors and training of the Sisterhood. Birth, infancy, and childhood are spent on Wallach IX. Female children are selected by their fifth birthday for Bene Gesserit training. Most of these females are the offspring of Bene Gesserit. At the onset of a girl's menses (typically age twelve) she is tested with the Gom Jabbar to determine whether or not she is "human." If successful, the girl begins wearing a dun shirt, leggings, and tunic and is called "initiae." Five years later the girl is tested again for sensitivity and active-trait potential. "Virgae" are potential Reverend Mothers; "profictuae" are future members of the general Sisterhood. The girls now wear sleeveless, hoodless abas. Profictuae and virgae continue their education for three more years. At the end of this period, the girls labeled profictuae are sent out for field placements or posted in the Chapter Houses. The virgae enter their second level of training and become "filiae alvi" After two years (usually spent in the service of a Reverend Mother) the filiae alvi are divided and sent down three possible paths: disqualification for Reverend Motherhood, further training, or elevation to the rank of acolyte. Acolytes are assigned to a Reverend Mother as personal assistants for one to six years, depending on the individual's abilities. At the end of an acolyte's servitude, the woman is elevated to the rank of Mater Acrior, and accepts the "Interdict Banning Immortality." The time spent in this ranking depends wholly on the individual; some women spend their whole lives at this rank. At the finality of a woman's training in the Sisterhood, she undergoes the Agony, a ritual involving the "Water of Life." If successful, she lives and is now a "Mater Sapientissima," a Reverend Mother. At this time, the woman chooses a three-part name to mark her status. The familial name is kept to denote the woman's place in the breeding charts. To this, a first name, always male, is added from the original order of the `Bene Gesserat' and a name honoring a famous woman from the history of the Sisterhood. --------------------------------------------- 1.4 Mission Statement Remember always that the Sisterhood's ultimate goal is not political power. Nor is it money or prestige. These things are required in order to play the great games that all must play on the stage of the Great Houses, but they are not the ends the Sisterhood seeks. Shrouded in mystery even to members of its own ranks, the Sisterhood's plan spans millennia and generations, all with a patient hand that guides the actions of men and women whether they are cognizant of this guidance or not. Although Sisters do not know the details of the role they play in creating the Kwisatz Haderach, they are aware that the tasks they perform and the webs they weave are often not for the purpose they seem on the surface. For Reverend Mothers, other memory may provide the answers they seek. In all cases, undying, unquestioning loyalty and devotion is required as only the Kwisatz Mother and the infinite records of the breeding program hold the full story. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 2. Internal Workings --------------------------------------------- 2.1 Sisters Those Bene Gesserit who have not become Reverend Mothers have the rank of Sister. They function both directly within the Bene Gesserit and outside of it as agents. They can be found both internally within the Chapter House and without: amongst the Great Houses as concubines and potential wives. The latter make up the general bulk of the Sisterhood. These girls are trained based on their genetic potential, not the nobility of their heritage, and are watched from infancy for signs of positive genetic traits. Training begins in the formative years, until the great test, the Gom Jabbar. Passing the Gom Jabbar, a young initiate establishes her status as a `human' as opposed to merely an animal and is initiated into further secrets and training of the Sisterhood, including the mission to produce the Kwisatz Haderach. Failing, she dies from the poison on the Gom Jabbar's tip. --------------------------------------------- 2.2 Reverend Mothers These are the administrators of the Bene Gesserit, those women who have taken the Water of Life and successfully converted it, gaining new levels of awareness. Within the secret society of the Sisterhood, they are known as Mater Sapientissima. They serve as advisors, faculty, historians, and self-employed geneticists for the preservation and promotion of the human race. Unbeknownst to any outside the Sisterhood, they seek the ultimate human: the Kwisatz Haderach. --------------------------------------------- 2.3 Decision-Makers Positions of authority amongst the Sisterhood: The Mother Superior: The Reverend Mother who runs the Bene Gesserit training school is known as the Mother Superior. She is the head of the Order itself. Her orders are law in all matters excepting the breeding program where the Kwisatz Mother may overrule the dictates of the Mother Superior. Kwisatz Mother: The Reverend Mother with the strongest tie to her Other Voices is known as the Kwisatz or Breeding Mother, and is directly in charge of the program to produce the Kwisatz Haderach. Her sole purpose is to direct the breeding program, and her orders where it is concerned supercede even those of the Mother Superior, though it is the sole directorate of her authority. She, and those who work for her, are the only ones to have access to the Sisterhood's most sacred and treasured archive: the massive Breeding Index. Proctor Superiors: While the Mother Superior oversees the entire Sisterhood, the Proctor Superior is charged with managing a single Chapter House. Each Chapter House has its own Proctor Superior. Truthsayers: These Reverend Mothers may be assigned to any House to perform duties as a truthsayer. The costs involved with purchasing the services of a truthsayer are astronomical. As such, few Houses other than the Imperial House employ a full-time truthsayer. Most Great Houses of the Landsraad are content to rent the services of a truthsayer as needed. The Imperial Truthsayer is a formidable woman indeed, serving the Emperor as his official truthsayer. Generally, she is the Reverend Mother who can tap into Truthsense most powerfully, but this role may also be fulfilled by the Mother Superior and/or Kwisatz Mother as well. --------------------------------------------- 2.4 Bene Gesserit Training The following skills are taught to the general population of the Sisterhood. Prana-Bindu: With its ancient ancestry in the more physical aspects of yoga, Prana-Bindu is a meditative course that allows one total control over all muscles of the body, including those usually considered involuntary. During early adolescence the children of the Chapterhouse are taught together: the lessons of prana-musculature and bindu-nervature are refined; anatomy is memorized; dissecting cadavers stretches mnemonic muscles aiding the 'look-inward.' As adult muscles grow, motor skills are honed to pure tone and self-defense and aggressive maneuvers are taught. Minutiae Observance: The training that Sisters undergo to be able to look at a person and determine aspects of their character, state of mind, and current emotional state. This is accomplished by studying the target of observation and noting both voluntary and involuntary physicality, as well as vocal nuances. This particular Bene Gesserit talent can be one of the most enjoyable to RP around, as it gives others an opportunity to play on subtle nuances of their character that they may not often get to expose more openly. Non-BG players also have the opportunity to reveal more understated insights into their character's thoughts and feelings. Full Body Control: A member of the Sisterhood is able to exert control over her involuntary body functions even as far as the cellular level. She is able to consciously stimulate anything that is part of the body's natural functions, but cannot exert control over foreign agents that have entered her body (e.g. poisons or artificial chemicals.) Examples of conscious control of her inner body include choosing the sexes of her children and allowing harmful but natural viruses to maintain dormancy in her body until triggered through intimate contact with another person. The purpose of this latter skill would be to infect that person, a type of biological weapon. The Voice: Voice works by by-passing the subject's conscious mind and implanting an unconscious message willing the subject to act, say, or do one's bidding. Technically this is done by pitching one's voice higher than the human ear can consciously hear. The trick is to do so while also conversing at a normal range. A subject will obey unless a Sister's mastery of Voice is not sufficient to compel him. The Voice can be used subtly (by simply pitching one's voice a certain way to create an appropriate emotional response in the target) or in a more direct and commanding capacity (by issuing a demand in such a way that prompts the target to instantly obey.) Multiple targets can be affected, but only if they have a similar range of response to certain tones. Those with higher willpower then the average can put up at least token resistance, but will ultimately respond if the Sister is forceful enough. The best Voice command is the one that reinforces a subject's natural desires and still achieves the aim. Within the IC time of Dune III, most, if not all, non-BG initiates are unaware of Voice powers. Therefore, one must be careful to use the Voice in a way that no one becomes aware of the manipulation. Eidetic Memory: Bene Gesserit are taught flash-memory techniques, enabling them to recall fully anything they experience with their five senses. They can study a document for seconds and record it in their mind as a copier or a camera might take a picture of the manuscript. Yet, it is worthwhile to note that they cannot make projections in the manner that Mentats can. To do so requires a different thought process than what induces eidetic memory. Along similar lines, this memory enhancement training is responsible for the formidable Bene Gesserit talent regarding languages. Bene Gesserit train to be fully fluent in every commonly used tongue within the Imperium, in additi on to all ancient derivative and hunting languages, such as Chakobsa. Thanks to BG infiltration and their considerable espionage web, they have learnt many of the private House Battle Languages as well. Of course, the Sisterhood strives to keep such knowledge secret from the entire Landsraad. Truthsense: Truthsense is not so much a skill taught by the Proctors, as it is a talent that one develops. Truthsense is simply the natural ability, acquired by a Bene Gesserit Sister throughout her training years, to detect truth when it is spoken. Talented Sisters can also detect if something is being hidden or withheld. It differs from the Truthsaying ability possessed by Reverend Mothers in that is performed using minutiae observance and gut instinct. The truthtrance requires the use of mind-altering drugs. Furthermore, one's truthsense is fallible and only as good as the Sister herself is. A Reverend Mother Truthsayer, performing the truthtrance, is considered infallible and trusted to detect lies, even in an Imperial Courtroom. --------------------------------------------- 2.5 Reverend Mother Training Training accorded to Reverend Mothers is as follows. Truthsaying/Truthtrance: The ability to sense the inherent truth of what other people are saying. It is somewhat tied into their limited prescience, which means the Reverend Mother can determine if the person they are observing is telling the truth, a lie, isn't sure, or is telling what they believe to be the truth while it may not actually be so. She can also determine `shades' of truth, for example, saying something that is true, but deliberately omitting information with the intent of falsehood. However, within the Truthtrance the Reverend Mother cannot tell what the specific situation and nature of what a given truth is. It is not telepathy. Poison Alteration: As a Sister, Bene Gesserit learn to control their natural body functions down to the cellular level. When a Reverend Mother takes the Water of Life and passes within, she actually develops the ability to convert foreign agents such as poisons at the chemical level and render them inert. Either she develops this ability during the trial known as the Agony, or she dies from the poisons within the Water of Life. This skill is what distinguishes Reverend Mothers from all other Bene Gesserit and the dangers inherent in the Agony prohibits most Sisters from participating. The Other Memory: Becoming a Reverend Mother allows one to tap into the ancestral memory of all other female ancestors, both living and dead. Though the memories and awareness of the living is vague and shadowy because of their living presence, memories of deceased ancestors are `remembered' with full sensory recall. The psyche of these departed women exist as living personas within the Reverend Mother's mind, allowing her to call on their wisdom and experiences. However, these psyches or spirits have distinct wills of their own, choosing to release information or memories as suits their purposes. Reverend Mothers are only able to recall within their own genetic ancestry because this form of genetic memory is linked to female recollection - one of the goals of the breeding program is to create the male who is able to look down these ancestral paths for both females and males. Limited Prescience: Reverend Mothers possess limited bouts of prescience. Unlike the Guild's conscious efforts to look down the paths of probability and determine the most likely outcomes of a certain action, the nature of Bene Gesserit prescience is more intuitive, a result of the unconscious mind that usually makes itself known in the form of dreams and flashes of intuition. It is left to the free will of the Reverend Mother as to whether or not she will act on a dream or an intuition. The full blown prescience of the Kwisatz Haderach is yet another goal of the breeding program - one who can see all probabilities, all pathways, fully conscious and aware. --------------------------------------------- 2.6 Combat: A Digression Bene Gesserit generally do not carry weapons considering their whip-like reflexes a better form of protection. If a Sister is attacked one-on-one, she possesses a fighting chance against most warriors. Sardaukar and Ginaz-trained Swordmasters would have much greater strength than the average Bene Gesserit woman, but a Sister might be able to get away because of her greater agility. In most combat situations, her best defense would be to catch the attacker by surprise, deliver a stunning blow, and run as fast as she can to safety. Against groups, a Sister probably would not stand much of a chance unless she can manage to somehow turn the attackers against each other or take one of them hostage as protection against the rest. A good Bene Gesserit should be able to detect potential violence and do her best to diffuse the situation before combat becomes necessary. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 3. The Sisterhood on Dune III --------------------------------------------- 3.1 Public Conduct Members of the Sisterhood are, without exception, schooled extensively in public conduct. Bene Gesserit finishing schools refine young noblewomen; the same etiquette training these young women receive is taught to members of the Sisterhood itself. Addressing a new acquaintance is always done with the utmost formality, and all titles are observed until permission is granted to speak otherwise. A Bene Gesserit should comport herself as a perfect lady at all times. --------------------------------------------- 3.2 Using Bene Gesserit Abilities Subtlety is the order of the day when it comes to the use of Bene Gesserit abilities. Some abilities, like minutiae observation and poison detection, are constantly at work in a Bene Gesserit and do not require conscious thought. With her other talents, such as the prana-bindu relaxation techniques or Voice, the Sister must make an effort to have those abilities `kick in'. Although other players may not necessarily be aware of the regimen being exercised (Duke Leto marveled at the Lady Jessica's ability to put aside troubles; what he did not see was her use of relaxation - three quick, deep breaths - to clear her mind) it enhances RP and demonstrates a knowledge of theme to include such things in your poses. Visible skills, such as entering a truthtrance, will be expressed visibly for all parties to see. Ultimately, being able to use Bene Gesserit abilities relies on the knowledge of those who share the scene with you. Some players will flood you with information; tiny observations will be sent your way via page or whisper. Others will send you nothing. This cannot be forced, but it can be requested. Honest mistakes occur! Players are not always familiar with the importance of observation for a BG; give them the benefit of the doubt, and explain to them your situation. You will find that role-play is enhanced for both of you. There are two instances in which a player can be compelled ICly by a Bene Gesserit. The first is during a session with a truthsayer. The player whose veracity is being judged will be asked to indicate to the truthsayer, by whatever means they wish (within the pose, whisper, page), whether or not they speak the truth. Lying is not an option. While it is true that in Children of Dune, Ghanima was able to lie in a truthsaying session, there are no known pre-born players currently active on the MUSH. Thus, being honest with a truthsayer is a rule, and not an option. The second instance in which a player has no choice but to obey a Bene Gesserit is the use of Voice. Players of strong will or exceptional self-discipline may give token resistance to Voice control, but ultimately the Bene Gesserit will win out if her will is stronger. A person can be compelled to commit any act when under the control of the Voice; it is a dangerous and extraordinarily powerful tool. Well guarded, Voice should be used only when the life of a Bene Gesserit, or a genetic line, is threatened. Recall that Thufir Hawat only learns of Jessica's ability to control with the Voice after the Atreides had taken up position on Arrakis. Hawat had spent fifteen years with the Bene Gesserit concubine and had no notion of the ability until the Lady herself came under threat from a Harkonnen plot. --------------------------------------------- 3.3 Roles Concubines: The most common position for a Bene Gesserit Sister to hold is that of a concubine. Bound to noblemen throughout the Imperium, concubines serve two important functions. The first is preservation of a genetic line; concubines bred into certain gene pools continue the ongoing quest for the Kwisatz Haderach. The second is collection of information; all Sisters and all Reverend Mothers, no matter what their placement or circumstance, report back to the Sisterhood. Concubines labor to gain the confidence of the man to whom they are bound and expand their role into that of an advisor. Advisors: A Major or Minor House may request the services of a BG Advisor. Although many Houses are distrustful of the Sisterhood, an equal (or greater) number of Houses have employed Bene Gesserit as advisors, and have reaped the rewards of doing so. Schooled in politics, economics, language and imbued with a deep understanding of human nature, Bene Gesserit are sensitive to current events, able to make decisive decisions and dispense valuable advice. These women are often in the best position to transmit information back to the Sisterhood. Advisors may be Sisters of various ranks or Reverend Mothers. Private Tutors: If a House is wealthy enough, it may wish a Bene Gesserit tutor for its sons and daughters. This tutor may be a Sister or a Reverend Mother, depending on the wealth of the House and the duration of the proposed education plan. The deep training of the Bene Gesserit is not imparted to any student, but the basics of relaxation and some muscle-control may be taught. The tutor devises her own curriculum encompassing lessons from etiquette, social discourse, history, economics, and politics. Reverend Mothers: The Houses may call upon the services of the Reverend Mothers to fulfill a number of roles including that of advisors, tutors, or truthsayers. Reverend Mothers are required to manage the vast network of Sisters. Additionally, Mater Sapientissima are necessary to teach Sisters of all ranks, for education does not stop once a Sister is actively contributing to the master plan. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 4. Collected Sayings of the Sisterhood --------------------------------------------- Bene Gesserit delight in ancient sayings, maxims, and archaic proverbs. The following represents some of the more popular Bene Gesserit axioms and aphorisms. It is by no means exhaustive. These are illusions of popular history which a successful religion must promote: Evil men never prosper; only the brave deserve the fair; honesty is the best policy; actions speak louder than words; virtue always triumphs; a good deed is its own reward; any bad human can be reformed; religious talismans protect one from demon possession; only females understand the ancient mysteries; the rich are doomed to unhappiness . . . From the Instruction Manual: Missionaria Protectiva Children of Dune 66 Governments, if they endure, always tend increasingly toward aristocratic forms. No government in history has been known to evade this pattern. And as the aristocracy develops, government tends more and more to act exclusively in the interests of the ruling class -- whether that class be hereditary royalty, oligarchs of financial empires, or entrenched bureaucracy. Politics as Repeat Phenomenon Bene Gesserit Training Manual Children of Dune 190 If you believe certain words, you believe their hidden arguments. When you believe something is right or wrong, true of false, you believe the assumptions in the words which express the arguments. Such assumptions are often full of holes, but remain most precious to the convinced. The Open-Ended Proof from The Panoplia Prophetica Children of Dune 244 Those who would repeat the past must control the teaching of history. Bene Gesserit Coda Chapterhouse: Dune 1 Rules build up fortifications behind which small minds create satrapies. A perilous state of affairs in the best of times, disastrous during crises. Bene Gesserit Coda Chapterhouse: Dune 20 We tend to become like the worst in those we oppose. Bene Gesserit Coda Chapterhouse: Dune 23 Confine yourself to observing and you always miss the point of your life. The object can be stated this way: Live the best life you can. Life is a game whose rules you learn if you leap into it and play it to the hilt. Otherwise, you are caught off balance, continually surprised by the shifting play. Non-players often whine and complain that luck always passes them by. They refuse to see that they can create some of their own luck. Darwi Odrade Chapterhouse: Dune 48 All governments suffer a recurring problem: Power attracts pathological personalities. It is not that power corrupts but that it is magnetic to the corruptible. Such people have a tendency to become drunk on violence, a condition to which they are quickly addicted. Missionara Protectiva, Text QIV (decto) Chapterhouse: Dune 59 Religion (emulation of adults by the child) encysts past mythologies: guesses, hidden assumptions of trust in the universe, pronouncements made in search of personal power, all mingled with shreds of enlightenment. And always an unspoken commandment: Thou shalt not question! We break that commandment daily in the harnessing of human imagination to our deepest creativity. Bene Gesserit Credo Chapterhouse: Dune 115 Laws to suppress tend to strengthen what they would prohibit. This is the fine point on which all the legal professions of history have based their job security. Bene Gesserit Coda Chapterhouse: Dune 119 We do not teach history; we recreate the experience. We follow the chain of consequences -- the tracks of the beast in its forest. Look behind our words and you see the broad sweep of social behavior that no historian has ever touched. Bene Gesserit Panoplia Propheticus Chapterhouse: Dune 132 They say Mother Superior can disregard nothing -- a meaningless aphorism until you grasp its other significance: I am the servant of all my Sisters. They watch their servant with critical eyes. I cannot spend too much time on generalities nor on trivia. Mother Superior must display insightful action else a sense of disquiet penetrates to the farthest corners of our order. Darwi Odrade Chapterhouse: Dune 136 All states are abstractions. Octun Politicus Bene Gesserit Archives Chapterhouse: Dune 149 Some never participate. Life happens to them. They get by on little more than dumb persistence and resist with anger or violence. all things that might life them out of resentment-filled illusions of security. Alma Mavis Taraza Chapterhouse: Dune 159 Do not depend only on theory if your life is at stake. Bene Gesserit Commentary Chapterhouse: Dune 169 Major flaws in government arise from a fear of making radical internal changes even though a need is clearly seen. Darwi Odrade Chapterhouse: Dune 182 A major concept guides the Missionaria Protectiva: Purposeful instruction of the masses. This is firmly seated in our belief that the aim of argument should be to change the nature of truth. In such matters, we prefer the use of power rather than force. The Coda Chapterhouse: Dune 196 The best art imitates life in a compelling way. If it imitates a dream, it must be a dream of life. Otherwise, there is no place where we can connect. Our plugs don't fit. Darwi Odrade Chapterhouse: Dune 209 Humans are born with a susceptibility to that most persistent and debilitating disease of intellect: self-deception. The best of all possible worlds and the worst get their dramatic coloration from it. As nearly as we can determine, there is no natural immunity. Constant alertness is required. The Coda Chapterhouse: Dune 224 Give me the judgment of balanced minds in preference to laws every time. Codes and manuals create patterned behavior. All patterned behavior tends to go unquestioned, gathering destructive momentum. Darwi Odrade Chapterhouse: Dune 237 No sweeteners will cloak some forms of bitterness. If it tastes bitter, spit it out. That's what our earliest ancestors did. The Coda Chapterhouse: Dune 251 Enter no conflict against fanatics unless you can defuse them. Oppose a religion with another religion only if your proofs (miracles) are irrefutable or if you can mesh in a way that the fanatics accept you as god-inspired. This has long been the barrier to science assuming a mantle of divine revelation. Science is so obviously man-made. Fanatics know where you stand, but more important, must recognize who whispers in your ear. Missionaria Protectiva Primary Teaching Chapterhouse: Dune 263 We walk a delicate line, perpetuating Atreides (Siona) genes in our population because that hides us from prescience. We carry the Kwisatz Haderach in that bag! Willfulness created Muad'dib. Prophets make predictions come true! Will we ever again dare ignore our Tao sense and cater to a culture that hates the chance and begs for prophecy? Archival Summary (adixto) Chapterhouse: Dune 278 We witness a passing phrase of eternity. Important things happen but some people never notice. Accidents intervene. You are not present at episodes. You depend on reports. And people shutter their minds. What good are reports? History in a news account? Preselected at an editorial conference, digested and excreted by prejudice? Accounts you need seldom come from those who make history. Diaries, memoirs and autobiographies are subjective forms of special pleading. Archives are crammed with such suspect stuff Darwi Odrade Chapterhouse: Dune 286 Spend energies on those who make you strong. Energy spent on weaklings drags you to doom. (HM rule) Bene Gesserit Commentary: Who judges? The Dortujla Record Chapterhouse: Dune 300 Religion must be accepted as a source of energy. It can be directed for our purposes, but only within limits that experience reveals. He is the secret meaning of Free Will. Missionaria Protectiva Protective Teaching Chapterhouse: Dune 317 One household god is this thing we carry forward generation after generation: our message for humankind if it matures. The closest thing we have to a household goddess is a failed Reverend Mother -- Chenoeh there in her niche. Darwi Odrade Chapterhouse: Dune 331 Seek freedom and become captive of your desires. Seek discipline and find your liberty. The Coda Chapterhouse: Dune 344 Making workable choices occurs in a crucible of informative mistakes. Thus Intelligence accepts fallibility. And when absolute (infallible) choices are not known, Intelligence takes chance with limited data in an arena where mistakes are not only possible but also necessary. Darwi Odrade Chapterhouse: Dune 349 Do not be quick to reveal judgment. Hidden judgment often is more potent. It can guide reactions whose effects are felt only when too late to divert them. Bene Gesserit Advice to Postulants Chapterhouse: Dune 397 When you think to take determination of your fate into your own hands, that is the moment you can be crushed. Be cautious. Allow for surprises. When we create, there are always other forces at work. Darwi Odrade Chapterhouse: Dune 423 There's no secret to balance. You just have to feel the waves. Darwi Odrade Chapterhouse: Dune 428 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-