Darwi Odrade

Original Dune

This article or section refers to elements from Original Dune.

Darwi Odrade was the penultimate Bene Gesserit Mother Superior prior to the merger of the Sisterhood with the Honored Matres under her chosen successor Murbella.

Early Life

As with many Reverend Mothers, Odrade was plucked from obscurity at a young age by the Sisterhood, who recognized her genetic traits as holding great promise for their ranks. Odrade's ancestry was predominantly ancient Atreides, Harkonnen an Corrino genes, and other memory later revealed to her that she bore a strong resemblance to the Lady Jessica. Indeed, her name Odrade was derived from Atreides, according to Hedley Tuek, head of the Rakian Priesthood.

Odrade was haunted by childhood memories of her birth mother. She also had a tendency toward romanticism and compassion. Such reminiscences and feelings were frowned upon by the Sisterhood, and so Odrade projected them into a secret alter-ego named Sea Child. Odrade was, indeed, a natural daughter of Miles Teg with a Bene Gesserit sister who, defying the orders of the Sisterhood, decided to gave her child to a couple on planet Gammu. This couple, whom Odrade remebered as Mama Sibia and Papa, loved little Darwi as their own child, and took care of her until the latter's existance was discovered by the Bene Gesserit. Reverend Mothers, accompanied by asistants and guards, arrived at the couple's house, near a seashore, and took little Darwi from Mama Sibia's home, and took her to the Bene Gesserit school. Darwi recognized that the sisters had used The Voice on Mama Sibia, when the latter rejected to receive the money the sisters wanted to give her.

In the Bene Gesserit School, little Darwi befriended with Alma Mavis Taraza, an older sister who took her under her wing. Odrade and Taraza's friendship was an strong bond between them, and both of them used their nicknames, Dar (for Odrade) and Tar (for Taraza). Proctors repeatedly rebuked the girls, arguing that such feelings were prohibited in the Sisterhood.

Life as a Reverend Mother

As a Reverend Mother, Odrade had come to be regarded as highly skilled, though also a strong risk-taker by her superiors. As a result, Mother Superior Alma Mavis Taraza had come to trust her judgment in a crisis. Taraza sent Odrade to Rakis in order to determine the truth regarding Sheeana, the girl who could apparently control the sandworms there.

The Honored Matres' ambush

Before going to Rakis, Taraza purposely fell on a trap made by the Honored Matres, after leaving Chapterhouse. The Mother Superior and her staff (Odrade was among them) were transported to a Guild Heighliner on Gammu's orbit, planet where the Sisterhood's ghola of Duncan Idaho was being trained by Supreme Bashar Miles Teg and Reverend Mother Lucilla. Taraza sent a message to Teg telling him to be prepared for violence, a thing that surprised the Old Bashar. After having threat an Honored Matres' male commander to release Taraza and her staff (all were safe and not harmed), the Mother Superior revealed Teg that she fell on the trap because she wanted to know why the Matres where so anxious to know about Duncan Idaho's ghola.

Miles Teg's natural daughter

At the Bene Gesserit Keep on Gammu, Odrade talked with Teg, who had recognized her among Taraza's guards. Odrade revealed him that she was, in fact, his daughter, and Teg surprised, and thought that Lucilla, due to her similarity with Odrade, was his daughter too. Odrade explained that the fact that she and Lucilla were so similar, and bore a strong resemblance to the Lady Jessica, was that both of them were Atreides, but she argued that Lucilla wasn't her sister or daughter, but she came from a different bloodline. She finally said goodbye to Teg, leaving Gammu for Rakis.

The assassination attempt on Rakis

On Rakis, Odrade replaced Reverend Mother Tamalane as head of the Bene Gesserit Keep of Rakis, located in the city of Keen. Odrade's arrive atracted the attention of Sheeana Brugh, the Holy Child of the Rakian Priesthood. High Priest Hedley Tuek offered to present Odrade to Sheeana, and sent Kipuna (an acolyte, Sheeana's physical trainer and a friend of the Bene Gesserit) to give the message to the Bene Gesserit Keep, but, as soon as Kipuna was leaving the instance, an assassination attempt took place on the Rakian Temple's terrace. Kipuna commanded Sheeana, Tuek, and old priestess Cania to leave the terrace, and she and the High Priest' guards sacrifaced to save them, while Tuek, holding Sheeana in his arms, and followed by Cania, tried to escape. They were found by a crowd of Bene Gesserit sisters headed by Odrade, who took the girl and ordered the sisters to clear the terrace from enemies, where the corpse of an Old Priest named Stiros was found. Once the situation was under control, Odrade and Sheeana started a bond of friendship, which would last until Odrade's death.

Training Sheeana

Odrade took Sheeana under her wing, training her on the Bene Gesserit ways, and told the curious girl to learn from her silence, at Sheeana's increasing curiosity. She felt surprised at Sheeana's intelligence, and felt surprised when the girl expresed her desire to become a full Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother. During one of Sheeana's training sessions, while Odrade was waiting her, she observed fascinated the ancient ritual of the Siaynoq, being performed by the citizens of Keen, and recognized it not only a cultural tradition but also as, one of the remmants of Leto II.

Problems with the Rakian Priesthood and Tuek's replacement

After the incident on the Rakian Temple's terrace, Hedley Tuek felt that the Bene Gesserit were taking too much responsabilities that concerned only the Rakian Priesthood, as Sheeana's safety. Odrade argued that his incompetence had almost provoked Sheeana's death, and that she had informed Supreme Bashar Miles Teg to bring reinforcements and also to check Rakis' defenses in order to prevent a major disaster. Tuek felt humilliated, remembering his father had strongly dealed with both the Bene Tleilax and the Bene Gesserit, and felt ashamed that the Tleilaxu ambassador Tylwyth Waff was behind the Hall's curtains listening all the conversation, where Tuek had declared that the Atreides Manifest was no more than pure heresy.

During the meeting, Odrade (who already knew that Waff was hiding behind the curtains) asked the High Priest why did he asked help to the Tleilaxu, and Tuek answered desperately that they wanted back their Holy Child (that is, Sheeana), and told Waff to enter the hall alone. Odrade revealed Tuek that the Tleilaxu were the ones who had been publishing the Atreides Manifest through many worlds, and Waff answered that they didn't wrote it. Finally, Waff tried to kill both Odrade and Tuek with poisoned darts hidden on his bracelets, but Odrade was faster and broke his arms using her Bene Gesserit fight skills, however, one dart reached its target, and killed Tuek.

Odrade spared Waff's life and offered him an alliance between the Bene Gesserit and the Bene Tleilax, against all the forces emerging from The Scattering. Odrade also cheated Waff, making him believe that the Bene Gesserit also shared the same faith of the Tleilaxu. Waff considered such revelation as a miracle, there, on the Prophet's planet. Both agreed that a Face Dancer shall occupy the seat of Tuek, and deceive the other priests while Odrade, Waff and Sheeana went to the desert, where a surprising revelation awaited them.

The Message of Leto II

"A REVEREND MOTHER WILL READ MY WORDS!"

Leto II.

Sheeana took both Odrade and Waff to the desert, leaving the city of Keen, but being watched from the sky by Ornithopters of both the Bene Gesserit and the Rakian Priesthood. Before they went to the deep desert, a Rakian priest named Albertus asked Odrade why did she took the Tleilaxu master with her instead of a member of the Rakian Priesthood, but Odrade answered that she would not tolerate to be delayed in her mission, and that Sheeana had chosen Waff to join her. Once they left Keen, they passed through some ancient bridges filled with sand, and Odrade recognized through her Other Memories that under that bridge had passed the Idaho River during the days of the God Emperor. She saw the scene when Leto II fell from the bridge together with Hwi Noree and Moneo Atreides, and realized that it was there where the God Emperor's dream had started. Odrade, Sheeana and Waff were transported in an enormous sandworm to an unknown location, which Odrade later discovered as the site of the ancient Sietch Tabr, home of the Fremen Naib Stilgar.

Once there, Odrade found the ceremonial chamber where Paul Muad'dib had given his speech to the Fremen, as well as where Leto II had born and walked through. After having found dead bodies of possible spice smugglers, Odrade discovered surprinsingly a chamber where the God Emperor had left a message for the Bene Gesserit:

"I BEQUEATH TO YOU MY FEAR AND LONELINESS. TO YOU I GIVE THE CERTAINTY THAT THE

BODY AND SOUL OF THE BENE GESSERIT WILL MEET THE SAME FATE AS ALL OTHER BODIES

AND ALL OTHER SOULS."

"WHAT IS SURVIVAL IF YOU DO NOT SURVIVE WHOLE? ASK THE BENE TLEILAX THAT! WHAT

IF YOU NO LONGER HEAR THE MUSIC OF LIFE? MEMORIES ARE NOT ENOUGH UNLESS THEY

CALL YOU TO NOBLE PURPOSE!"

"WHY DID YOUR SISTERHOOD NOT BUILD THE GOLDEN PATH? YOU KNEW THE NECESSITY.

YOUR FAILURE CONDEMNED ME, THE GOD EMPEROR, TO MILLENNIA OF PERSONAL DESPAIR."

"MY WORDS ARE YOUR PAST,

"MY QUESTIONS ARE SIMPLE:

"WITH WHOM DO YOU ALLY?

'"WITH THE SELF-IDOLATORS OF TLEILAX?

"WITH MY FISH SPEAKER BUREAUCRACY?

"WITH THE COSMOS-WANDERING GUILD?

'"WITH HARKONNEN BLOOD SACRIFICERS?

"WITH A DOGMATIC SINK OF YOUR OWN CREATION?

"HOW WILL YOU MEET YOUR END?

"AS NO MORE THAN A SECRET SOCIETY?"

Then, Odrade realized the scheme behind Taraza's plan and recognized the Tyrant's language.

Life as Mother Superior

RM Odrade attained de facto Mother Superior rank due to her presence and subsequent sharing with Mother Superior Taraza at her death on Rakis and her elite status within the Bene Gesserit. Her order was not entirely satisfied with this arrangement, but ultimately accepted it due to the developing crisis with the Honored Matres as well as Odrade's successful performance on Rakis in discovering Leto's spice hoard, recruiting of Sheanna Brugh, and capture of sandworm that precipitated the Dune-ification of Chapterhouse.

As Mother Superior, she pioneered the use of axlotl technology within the Bene Gesserit, through which the clone of Miles Teg was born. She also was instrumental in the indoctrination of Murbella, the only Honored Matre to be captured alive in the Old Empire, which led to Murbella becoming the first Reverend Mother/Honored Matre hybrid.

Death

Darwi Odrade was prisoner of the newly declared Great Honored Matre Logno, during the final confrontation between the two groups on Junction.

Mother Superior

As Mother Superior, she interacts deeply with Bellonda and the old Tamalane, the Bene Gesserit High Council. Given the necessity of remaining hidden in Chapterhouse from the Honored Matres for the right moment to attack, Odrade's role as Mother Superior is not precisely easy: she has to deal with several issues: the internal opposition which grows up in the own sisterhood; educating Murbella in the Bene Gesserit ways; bringing up the new clone of their old Bashar, Miles Teg, who was her real father, and which Ghola, if awakened to his old memories, is supposed to lead them to a possible victory. Also, she has to face very tough decisions in order to reproduce the spice cycle in Chapter House: manipulate the Weather Control to change Chapter House surface into a new Arrakis-like desert for the new worms developing there.

Life as an Atreides

In many ways, Darwi Odrade's life resembled that of her Imperial ancestors, the Duke Leto, Muad'Dib, and Leto II. Like them, Odrade possessed natural abilities that made her capable of rising through the ranks of her social structure to a position of leadership relatively quickly, through unconventional but brilliant tactics. Like her ancestors, she was able to use diplomacy, insight, and sometimes violence to achieve her goals. From her position of leadership, she managed to bring about enormous change to her society, for the survival of the human race, but it would be at the cost of her own life. Thus the Atreides legacy had been passed on to her through the eons.