Chapterhouse/XD

Chapterhouse is the term used by the Bene Gesserit for the planet considered to be their home base. This planet has changed over the centuries of the existence of the Bene Gesserit. Speculation would put the original Bene Gesserit home base on the planet Rossak.

The planet used as the secret headquarters of the Bene Gesserit is seen as a temporary base. Because of this, the planet is never quite 100% settled and if needed, the Bene Gesserit can completely abandon the planet in very short notice leaving very little trace of their time spent.

Hidden from the Honored Matres
After the death of Leto II, the planet commonly called Chapterhouse, and know as such to the inhabitants of the Old Imperium, had been the same planet for more than 1500 years. Settlements on this Chapterhouse included Central, where the Chapterhouse Keep was, Pondrille and Eldio. The Bene Gesserit utilized No-ships in a defensive, encapsulating perimeter around the planet to mask its existence from prescient individuals who may be searching for the location of their headquarters, such as the Honored Matres.

The planet was largely an average photosynthesis range, maintained through the use of Weather Satellites. However, after the planet Rakis was destroyed by the Honored Matres, the Bene Gesserit turned much of Chapterhouse into desert, so that the last surviving sandworm could survive on the planet. This was done so that the spice melange would continue to be produced, which became all the more vital since the Bene Tleilax, the largest producers of melange were also destroyed by the Honored Matres.

Chapterhouse was also where the Bene Gesserit maintained their main library. However, because the loss of information and historic records was far too great a risk, the majority of information kept by the Sisterhood was maintained through Other Memory.

New Sisterhood Headquarters
After Murbella united the Honored Matres and the Bene Gesserit, she decided to make Chapterhouse the base of the New Sisterhood's organization. From Chapterhouse the Mother Commander received dignataries such as Administrator Rental Gorus and Navigator Edrik of the Guild. Most importantly, Chapterhouse was the only known location of the sandworms that had largely desertified the landscape of the once-lush world, and turned it into another Dune. Giant sandworms produced spice and roamed the deserts of the planet, which were overseen by Co-Spice Managers Bellonda and Doria. The spice was then processed, and doled out to the power brokers of human space.

It was on Chapterhouse that Murbella made decisions on fighting the unseen Enemy that the Matres had been fleeing from. From the planet, she, her assistants Kiria and her daughter, Janess Idaho trained the para-military organization the fighting Valkyries. It was from Chapterhouse that the Sisterhood's fleets led by Bashar Wikki Aztin emanated from which attacked the rebel Matres strongholds on Gammu, Buzzell, and finally, Tleilax.

The Thinking Machine ruler Omnius knew of the importance of Chapterhouse, and upon discovery of the desert world, launched the Omnius Scourge against the planet. Billions died as the plague wiped out over ninety percent of the world's population. Only those quarantined, or Reverend Mothers who could fight the plague by altering their bodies' chemistry, survived the advent of Kralizec. There were males who survived with their female counterparts, in the deep desert sandworm research base, Shakkad Station, which was so remote they had no contact with the plague till the Scourge died out.

The Day of Kralizec
As the Thinking Machine million ship armada approached the heart of human space, Murbella and her the rest of human-kind chose to "draw a line in the sand" against the invading armies. One such line was above the planet Junction; the other was a gathering of the Sisterhood's fleet above Chapterhouse. As the Machine Fleet approached Chapterhouse, Murbella and Janess discovered that almost the entire weaponry and ships of human kind had been sabotaged by Enhanced Face Dancers. Almost none of the Obliterators fired from the starship vessels worked at all, and soon the vessels themselves were rendered powerless by the saboteurs.

Just in time, the Oracle of Time appeared with over a thousand Navigators in their respective heighliners and destroyed most of the Machines starships. After the events of the Day of Kralizec on Synchrony, the navigators returned to Chapterhouse, and summoned Murbella to the Machine central world. While there, Murbella learned that Duncan Idaho was the Ultimate Kwisatz Haderach, and returned to Chapterhouse to give the human fleet the good news.

After the guiding force of Duncan Idaho entered the Known Universe, Chapterhouse continued on as the headquarters of the New Sisterhood.

Appearances

 * Hunters of Dune
 * Sandworms of Dune