Special Sub-Topic: Dune: House Atreides Click Here To Play: Dune: House Atreides

"Dune: House Atreides" begins on Planet Arrakis, the only source of the geriatric spice melange. The man who holds sway over spice harvesting operations at Arrakis, described as "lean and muscular," is the very cunning leader of which House?

Harkonnen. Baron Vladimir Harkonnen was a very fit man, but his indiscretions with a Bene Gesserit sister earned him a debilitating disease that eventually turned him into a floating ball of corpulence.

The Padishah Emperor Elrood IX saw fit to assign an Imperial Planetologist to more closely investigate Planet Arrakis. The scientist chosen for the job, Pardot Kynes, previously spent much of his time on which planet?

Salusa Secundus. Salusa Secundus was the previous capital planet of the Imperium, until it was devastated by atomic fire. Still, the ecology of the Salusan wasteland appealed to Kynes.

Duke Paulus Atreides, father of Leto and grandfather of Paul, was destined to die during a bullfight. His wife, Lady Helena, was eventually implicated in the plot that led to this tragic death. Lady Helena belonged to which House?

Richese. House Richese developed technology in competition with Ix, and the Lady Helena greatly resented her husband's kindly act to grant sanctuary to the exiles Rhombur and Kailea Vernius on Caladan.

Rhombur and Kailea of House Vernius entertained the young Leto Atreides for a very brief time on their home world of Ix, until an insurrection led to the takeover of Ix by which people?

Bene Tleilax. The Bene Tleilax were supported by the Shaddam IV, who wished to utilize Tleilaxu expertise in genetic engineering for his own purposes.

Gurney Halleck is a native of Planet Giedi Prime who (as related in "Dune: House Harkonnen") eventually escaped the slave pits, became a smuggler of some renown, and then offered his services to House Atreides. Which other loyal soldier of House Atreides hails from the Harkonnen home world?

Duncan Idaho. Duncan Idaho survived being hunted by Harkonnen soldiers and made his way to Castle Caladan, offering his service to Duke Paulus Atreides.

The Bene Gesserit conducted numerous breeding experiments throughout the millennia, many of which were geared towards achieving the Kwisatz Haderach. Who was the childhood friend of Crown Prince (later Emperor) Shaddam who was a failed product of one of these experiments?

Fenring. Count Hasimir Fenring was at the dead end of a Bene Gesserit breeding program, a failed attempt to produce the Kwisatz Haderach.

Both the twin sons of the Ixian Ambassador to Kaitain applied to become members of the Spacing Guild prior to the invasion of Ix. Which of the two succeeded in becoming a Guild Navigator?

D'Murr. C'tair suffered considerable anxiety during the test, while D'Murr quickly and easily adapted to the spice-saturated environment and immediately began to mutate.

The Bene Gesserit needed the Harkonnen bloodline as part of their breeding program, and Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam was forced not once, but twice, to go Giedi Prime for this purpose. Why did Mohiam choose to inflict a debilitating disease on Baron Harkonnen?

He had her paralyzed, then raped her.. Mohiam's revenge was to pass an incurable disease to the Baron, one that would slowly transform his svelte physique to a bloated one that would require suspensor globes for support.

Imperial Planetologist saved several Fremen youths who were being accosted by Harkonnen soldiers out in the desert. One of these youths later became a Naib of a sietch, saved both Lady Jessica and Paul Atreides from certain death, and served Paul Atreides when he became Emperor. What was this Fremen's name?

Stilgar. Stilgar would play a key role in the rise of Paul Atreides to Emperor of the Known Universe.

"N'kee" was the slow-acting poison that Crown Prince Shaddam and his childhood friend decided to use in order to hasten the death of Emperor Elrood IX. How did the Emperor activate this poison?

Spice beer. The slow action of this poison made it look like Elrood's deterioration was caused by his advanced age, and not from any attempts by the Crown Prince to hasten his father's end.

One of major characters introduced in Dune: House Atreides also played a major role in the other two books of this trilogy, and his favorite saying was "Vermillion hells!" Who was he?

Rhombur Vernius. Rhombur would exclaim this whenever he was excited or upset.

Thufir Hawat was ordered by Duke Paulus Atreides to instruct young Leto for his own protection and as part of his grooming to become the next Duke. Other than Mentat, what was Thufir Hawat's other well-known title?

Master of Assassins. Hawat knew how to wield his body and any weapon of his choosing, but as a Mentat he depended just as much on mental agility.

Lady Anirul, a Bene Gesserit of Hidden Rank who became the wife of Emperor Shaddam IV, was in reality the Kwisatz Mother who knew the long-sought superbeing would arrive soon. This powerful male Bene Gesserit was originally planned by the Sisterhood to be born as:

None of these. Lady Jessica was to be the grandmother of the Kwisatz Haderach, and was ordered to bear a daughter. Of course, she would have other ideas.

Dominic Vernius, the Earl of Ix, earned the lasting enmity of Emperor Elrood IX by marrying one of the Emperor's concubines, Shando. The fall of Ix forced House Vernius to become renegade, and Shando was eventually hunted down by the Emperor's Sardaukar. Where did Shando Vernius meet her end?

Bela Tegeuse. She assumed a false identity as Madame Lizett, grower of exotic fruits and vegetables, and wore a holo-mask generator hidden in her necklace to disguise her appearance. Neither of these measures saved her life.

The vast manufacturing facilities of Ix were located underground, and the people who were responsible for menial tasks dwelled in the lower levels. These people of lower intelligence, who were so instrumental in the downfall of House Vernius, were referred to on Ix as _______.

Suboids. The suboids did not have a lot of intelligence but they could perform simple and repetitive tasks, making them suitable for the manufacturing lines of Ix.

Leto Atreides and Rhombur Vernius met with some misfortune when they went diving for coral gems. What happened to the two friends that caused Thufir Hawat to shake his head at Leto in disapproval?

Both of these.. Rhombur did not know the gems would ignite when exposed to air, and the gems managed to set the Atreides coracle ablaze. Leto chose to run the boat aground rather than allow it to sink.

After the brutal death of Duke Paulus Atreides on the horns of the maddened Salusan bull, Lady Helena declared, "Leto, my son, you are Duke Atreides now." How old was Leto at the time?

15. Leto would spend a quiet moment and lament to his dead father that he was not yet ready to become a Duke.

Mother Superior Harishka and Kwisatz Mother Lady Anirul prepared with great anticipation for Reverend Mother Mohiam's second child. What happened to Mohiam's first child?

It died at the hands of Mohiam.. Mohiam's first child was a weakling, and was not at all what the Sisterhood needed for its most prized breeding program.

Pardot Kynes became known as "Umma" to the Fremen, and organized terraforming activities on a vast scale. In order to understand the resources he had at his disposal, Kynes asked for the first ever census of the Fremen population. What was the final count?

10 million. Actually, Pardot Kynes exclaimed "10 million and 1" when he learned of the birth of his son.

When Lady Helena's involvement in the death of Duke Paulus Atreides emerged, Leto sent her into permanent exile--where?

With the Sisters in Isolation on Caladan. This isolated monastery would serve as Lady Helena's home and refuge for the remainder of her life (as far as we know).

At the Forest Guard Station on Giedi Prime, the Baron Harkonnen spoke of a room "surrounded by a shielding projection that renders an object invisible…" What was he referring to?

A no-field. This same no-chamber on Giedi Prime would figure prominently in "Heretics of Dune", sheltering the Duncan Idaho and two companions for a time.

The Baron eventually schemed to use this new shielding technology, developed by renegade Richesian scientist named Chobyn, to frame Duke Leto Atreides while in transit aboard a Spacing Guild Heighliner. Who piloted the Baron's invisible attack craft?

Rabban. Rabban certainly lacked finesse and sophistication, but was a fine pilot and was quite adequate for the sneak attack.

As Duke Leto Atreides traveled to Kaitain to attend the coronation of his cousin Shaddam as Emperor, two ships nearby exploded--one completely incinerated, the other severely damaged. Whose ships were these?

Bene Tleilax. Baron Harkonnen sought to increase the enmity between House Atreides and the Bene Tleilax by framing Leto as the aggressor and a murderer of innocent fellow travelers.

Duke Leto Atreides accepted a Trial by Forfeiture and risked the loss of all his holdings in order to preserve the peace aboard the Heighliner. While in his holding cell, an attempt was made on Leto's life--who made this attempt?

Tleilaxu Dwarves. A tall guard's body split in two, revealing two Tleilaxu dwarves who died in turn--the first by knife, the second by lasgun blast.

Dominic Vernius mourned the death of his wife, but remained resolute and in hiding. He decided to establish a base of operations in the south polar region of which planet?

Arrakis. Of course, the south polar region of Arrakis was also a favored by the Fremen and smugglers. We will learn more about that in "Dune: House Harkonnen."