Regency



The Regency of Arrakis rules Arrakis by the rights granted by the overthrown emperor Shaddam IV, to Paul Muad'Dib Atreides, at the conclusion of the Battle of Arrakeen. It is therefore the center of power in the universe. The Regency is ruled by Alia Atreides and takes its name from the provisional nature of its rule while the heir Leto II Atreides reaches the acceptable age of rulership. In addition to Alia Atreides, key individuals and groups working within the Regency include ghola Duncan Idaho, Irulan, Javid, the Priesthood of Muad'Dib, Alia's personal Amazon bodyguards, and her vast network of spies.

The Regency is marked by its corruption. Its ruler, Alia, succumbs to Abomination, or, possession, and uses Machiavellian techniques of rulership to render the population of Arrakis docile. Additionally, the Priesthood of Maud'Dib has perverted the doctrines of Muad'Dib, propagating a religion of complacency that enfeebles its subjects rather than empowering them. Individuals plot within the Regency to bring about its demise, namely Duncan Idaho and Irulan. From without, Lady Jessica, Farad'n of Corrino, twins Leto II and Ghanima, and even Paul Muad'Dib himself – as the anonymous "Preacher" of Arrakeen – all work toward the subversion of the Regency, each through their respective means. The Fremen legions, which the Regency commands as its standing army, are divided in their support for the Regency. The illegitimacy of the Regency contributes to the withering of the Fremen teleological vision and its conventions of extreme discipline.

Appearances

 * Dune Messiah (First appearance)
 * Children of Dune