Istian Goss



Istian Goss was a swordmaster and follower of Jool Noret's school. He had golden skin and rich coppery hair.

Origins
Istian was born and raised on Ginaz, part of the third generation after the tidal wave that killed Jool Noret. Like many Ginaz children he never knew his parents.

As a trainee on Ginaz, he was a friend and sparring partner with Nar Trig. During the graduating ceremony, it was determined that he contained the guiding spirit of Jool Noret himself.

The Jihad years
With Nar, his first mission was on Honru, to assist to the rebuilding process. While they were stationed there, three combat meks were found in a sealed storage depot. The two swordmasters disabled them, then Martyrists obliterated their remnants.

In the months since leaving Honru, with the Army of the Jihad, they had surrounded and boarded two giant Omnius battleships, which they then seized and converted for human use. Other military strikes had been planned but the Omnius Scourge had killed so many soldiers that these had been cancelled. Consequently, the pair of mercenaries spent most of their time in rescue and recovery operations.

On Ix they encountered a mob of Martyrists who had salvaged Pulse-swords and other weaponry from the liberation of Ix and the second battle of Ix claiming guidance by Saint Serena. They told Istian and Nar they intended to strike Corrin; Nar who viewed the Martyrists' fanaticism reasonable, parted ways with the more reluctant Istian.

Istian Goss survived the remaining battles until the end of the Jihad. He helped human refugees recover from the Scourge, traveling from world to world, using his abilities to reconstruct colonies. 18 years after the Great Purge he returned to Ginaz and became a tutor.

Post Jihad years
Five years later he received a message from his old friend Nar Trig, inviting him to Salusa Secundus. In the intervening years Nar had become a part of the Cult of Serena but had not forgetten his past training with Chirox. The message Istian received was a forgery, designed to bring Chirox to Salusa Secundus in order to destroy the fighting machine. Istian and Chirox were 'welcomed' not by a formal committee but by the angry mob of the Cultists who were intent on purging the whole city. Against Istian's calls to reason, Nar Trig challenged Chirox to a fight, intent on destroying the mek, but instead lost his life. This infuriated the mob even more.

Istian defended Chirox against the mob who intended to destroy the mek, stating that,"It's what Jool Noret would have done." Chirox did not intend to let anyone die for him, and so shut himself off, but still Istian prevented them from smashing Chirox' hulk. Eventually the mob backed up, not wanting to pit themselves against a veteran swordmaster looking for easier targets in their revolt around the city.

In the Battle of Corrin Istian was an uneasy ally of these same zealots. Leading the attack on the ground with his fellow mercenaries he was reminded of Chirox as he faced the combat meks. This lead to him finally connecting to the spirit of Jool Noret within him and reached the final level of abandonment, the secret of Noret's fighting style. It is thought he survived the battle, but nothing more is recorded of his life.

Quotes from his teachings referring to the understanding he reached at the Battle of Corrin indicate that he most likely returned to Ginaz to train the next generation of swordmasters.

Appearances

 * Dune: The Battle of Corrin