Dominic Vernius was the penultimate true Earl of House Vernius and of Ix. He married Lady Shando Balut, with whom he had his children: an illegitimate son named Tyros Reffa, and his legitimate children Rhombur and Kailea.
History[]
Service in Battle[]
While still a young man, he lent Ixian forces to the Padishah Emperor Elrood IX to assist against the Ecazi Revolt and restore the Archduke Ferdinand Ecaz to the Mahogany Throne. It is during this time that he met and befriended Duke Paulus Atreides of Caladan.
As a reward for his loyal service, the Emperor had expanded House Vernius' fief by including several more planets of the Alkaurops system, and became a popular and welcome guest to the Imperial court, balls and other events.
Romance[]
At one such celebration in Caladan, he met the Emperor's concubine, Shando Balut. They fell in love and produced an illegitimate (bastard) child who went on to be named Tyros Reffa. Elrood had eventually moved on to prefer newer, younger concubines and had grown tired of Shando, so he accepted her request to be released from concubinage.
After doing so, she and Dominic immediately wed. This earned Elrood's enmity. Dominic had the habit to treat the Emperor "cordially", as an equal. He also referred to him as "Roody", a pet name that Shando used to call him. That Shando had revealed this confirmed Roody's suspicions that she did not respect their privacy and may have revealed other Imperial secrets to the ruler of Ix.
After marriage, Dominic and Shando would produce two children: Rhombur Vernius and Kailea Vernius.
Fall[]
Years later, House Vernius came up with a new Heighliner design with more capacity´. As Imperial tax was based on the number of flights rather than on the amount of cargo, the new Heighliner redesign resulted in a substantial reduction in income for House Corrino, prompting once more Elrood IX's wrath. The Emperor threatened him to break the agreement with the Landsraad and proceed with an inspection to Ix, looking whether Ixian scientists develop illegal thinking machines in violation of the Butlerian Jihad, and repression against his suboid working class.
In 10,153 AG the emperor sponsored a suboid revolt against the leaders of Ix, and a Tleilaxu invasion to the planet. During the revolt, Shando was injured by a maula pistol trying to protect Kailea. The couple went to a secret security chamber, where his son Rhombur and his guest Leto of House Atreides were waiting. They told to the children that House Vernius was forced to go renegade while Sardaukar forces landed on Ix, and proceeded to Vernii City to "keep the peace".
While Duke Paulus Atreides sent a rescue mission for the three heirs, Dominic and Shando, hiding from Elrood, paid a huge bribe to the Guild to board a heighliner that would take them into exile, with no records kept of their respective destinations.
The Earl was forced to set up bases on Salusa Secundus and Arrakis. The Ixian ambassador Cammar Pilru attempted to garner Landsraad support in retaking Ix, but the Tleilaxu justified their acts accusing the Ixians of creating thinking machines. Because Ix's internal affairs were completely closed off to the rest of the empire, there was no open knowledge of the Sardaukar presence. In fact, it is noted by some that the Empire's strength seemed to wane, and that they were promoting more officers than they were getting recruits. It was similar in many respects to the tactics used against the Atreides, which should be expected as both perpetrated by the same man.
The Vernius children were secretly sent to Caladan under the protection and care of Paulus Atreides. Lady Shando was hunted down and executed by Sardaukar forces on Bela Tegeuse, while Dominic hid on Arrakis with some loyal men. He later knew that Rhombur was trying to help rebels on Ix, and that Kailea had become Leto's concubine and given birth to a son, Victor Vernius.
Death[]
After many years, he decided to use the House Vernius' atomics to bomb Kaitain, repeating the fate of Salusa Secundus. After contacting the water merchant Rondo Tuek, he was betrayed by him and Sardaukar forces surrounded his Arrakis base. In the end he detonated a stone burner and took a large number of Sardaukar with him.
Appearances[]
- Dune: House Atreides
- Dune: House Harkonnen
- Dune: House Corrino (Mentioned only)