Honored Matres
The Honored Matres are a group that feature in Dune universe.
Contents |
History
During the departure of countless people during the Scattering, the Bene Gesserit sent out many exploration and colonization teams from within their own ranks. Nothing was heard of the groups again. However, it was later discovered that some did survive, and indeed thrived in numbers and power. However, the experiences of this group, and their interactions with other groups from the Scattering, triggered fundamental changes in their beliefs, customs and objectives. According to the evidence of Reverend Mother Bellonda, the Honored Matres were formed in the Scattering by the Sisterhood's Reverend Mothers who had been sent out in these groups and the Fish Speakers that used to serve Leto II in extremis. The Matres eventually fled back into the Old Atreides Empire from the Ones of Many Faces who hunted them. Around ten years into their flight from the Enemies, they established base on Gammu. After two years on Gammu, the Matres were taking over control of an increasing number of planets. In the meantime the loose economic federation kept together by CHOAM slowly fell apart as a side effect.
After thirty years on Gammu, the Honored Matres attacked the Bene Gesserit Keep there in an attempt on the life of a Duncan Idaho ghola who was designed by the Bene Tleilax as a weapon against them, initating the War of the Sisterhoods. Meanwhile, the Matres attempted to kill Mother Superior Alma Mavis Taraza and Supreme Bashar Miles Teg, but failed. During the following period, one of their number, Murbella, joined the Bene Gesserit. The Matres ultimately attacked the planet of Rakis using the Weapon which they had stolen from the Ones of Many Faces, killing Taraza. Miles Teg led his troops out on a last suicidal defense of Rakis, designed to attract the rage of the Matres. They decided to destroy the planet and the sandworms.
Several members of the Honored Matres returned from uncharted space to launch a ruthless invasion of the Old Atreides Empire. To secure a permanent foothold and expand their dominion, they established a primary military base on the planet Gammu. Moving swiftly through the system, they completely annihilated the Bene Tleilax civilization, targeted the Spacing Guild, and dismantled the CHOAM economic federation to eliminate competing factions. During their aggressive expansion, they identified the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood as their main ideological threat. In response to a tactical trap laid out by Mother Superior Taraza, the Honored Matres launched a devastating orbital assault on the desert planet Rakis. Their massive weaponry completely scorched the planetary surface, successfully vaporising the world and destroying its native sandworms to cripple the universe's spice supply. (Heretics of Dune)
Overview
In appearance, Honored Matres were characterized by their intense physical presence and a demeanor that reflects an autocratic and volatile matriarchal order. In terms of attire, they typically wear vibrant, single-piece bodysuits underneath loose, flowing robes. Unlike the more conservative clothing of the Bene Gesserit, these garments often feature bold colors and detailed embroidery, such as animal pictographs. The design of their clothing is highly functional, allowing for complete freedom of movement during their rapid and explosive hand-to-hand combat. Physically, their most striking feature is a visible manifestation in their eyes; when entering a state of heightened adrenaline or combat-ready focus, their irises often display distinct orange flecks or a flickering orange glow. (Heretics of Dune)
The Honored Matres operate as a power-hungry faction that prioritizes absolute political control and military dominance. Their internal hierarchy is based on a system of raw dominance and aggression, where status is maintained through displays of superior physical and mental force. They possess a weaponized version of prana-bindu physical conditioning, granting them reflexes that far exceed standard human limits and allowing for instantaneous physical reactions. In combat, they utilize an acrobatic martial arts style that emphasizes speed and lethal precision, often incorporating hidden weaponry within their footwear. Central to their influence is a unique form of physiological conditioning used to ensure the total loyalty and psychological subservience of their subjects. This aggressive expansion into the Old Empire is driven by their flight from a mysterious and powerful enemy located deeper within the Scattering. (Heretics of Dune)
While some Bene Gesserit ideologies remained a part of the Honored Mater identity, they incorporated outside customs and philosophies that made them very distinct from and often at odds with their ancestral origins. Key to these was their general opinion of control. While the Bene Gesserit used subtle and often-deceptive methods to retain their power base within an existing balance of power, the Honored Matres sought to supersede the status quo and gain absolute control over all other groups.
This aggressive strategy required the enslavement or destruction of all other power brokers, and consequently demanded the group possess powerful control mechanisms. The most effective method used by the Honored Matres to infiltrate and overwhelm other groups was a form of "sexual enslavement." During their evolution in uncharted space, the Honored Matres perfected sexual intercourse into a narcotic process.
By using carefully crafted skills, an Honored Mater practitioner learned how to coerce an outsider, typically of the male gender, into total subservience. This action, performed often, and upon the right individuals, allowed them to conquer many other groups in uncharted space, and build a formidable military and resource base.
The Honored Matres hungered for intimidation and violence, a trait that encompassed their entire culture. Evidence of this was visible in their frequent use of assassination to gain power.
Members
- Logno :
- Murbella :
Notes
- The Honored Matres were created by Frank Herbert where they feature in the setting of the Dune universe.
Appearances
- Dune: "Heretics of Dune"
External Link
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