House Richese
Encyclopedia
House Richese is a fictional noble family from the Dune universe
created by Frank Herbert
. Their homeworld is the planet Richese, which is described thus in the glossary of Dune
:
series, Count Ilban Richese married Edwina Corrino, daughter of Padishah Emperor
Elrood IX, in 10,090 A.G. Born in 10,070, Edwina was Elrood's child by his second wife, Yvette Hagal. The Count and Edwina had eleven children — six sons and five daughters — one of whom, Helena (b. 10,095), married Duke Paulus Atreides in 10,114. Paulus and Helena's son, Leto Atreides I
, was born in 10,140 and was, of course, the father of Paul Atreides
. Edwina herself died in 10,123.
In Dune: House Atreides
Paulus says that Ilban "had a large family and spent more time with his offspring than watching his business interests. Not surprisingly, his children grew up pampered, and his fortunes fizzled away." It is also mentioned that Helena was unwilling to take Leto to visit her remaining relatives, due to the shame and embarrassment it would bring upon her, of past memories she was trying to forget about her family's history.
control during the Butlerian Jihad, 10,000 years later it had become home to the wealthy House Richese.
Prior to the events of the Prelude to Dune series, House Richese had taken over the valuable melange production operations of the planet Arrakis
, the only known source of the all-important spice. However, the vast expenses required for the harvesting of the spice — combined with an economic war with the more advanced House Vernius
of Ix — had bankrupted House Richese. After being ousted from the planetary governorship of Arrakis (and replaced by the Harkonnens
), House Richese had salvaged some of its respectability through arranged marital alliances with other Houses (Helena's marriage to Paulus Atreides among them).
Though still an important manufacturer of complex technological goods, Richese had fallen behind their competitors, the Ixians, and were forced to produce only cheap, low-quality versions of designs from Ix or the rest of the Imperium. According to Paulus Atreides in Dune: House Atreides, "The Ixians are masters of industrial sabotage and patent appropriation. Nowadays Richesians are only good for making cheap copies, without any innovations."
However, in Dune: House Corrino
it was revealed that Richese still had one important asset: "Richesian mirrors, nearly as valuable as spice." The artificial laboratory moon of Korona was built, and for decades "had concealed the proprietary technology for manufacturing mysterious and valuable Richesian mirrors. No other House had been able to duplicate the science of the mirrors, despite numerous attempts at industrial espionage." The "tiny chips of Richesian mirrors could power large scanning devices ... the hoard of reflective units [stored on Korona] would be sufficient to power a small sun."
Baron Vladimir Harkonnen
offered House Richese a substantial sum for the confidential use of their Suk doctor, Wellington Yueh
, to diagnose the mysterious condition which had made the Baron obese. When Dr. Yueh was unable to cure him, the unscrupulous Baron refused to pay the rest of the arranged fee. Harkonnen's twisted Mentat
Piter De Vries
secretly alerted Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV
to an illegal stockpile of melange kept on Korona.
In 10,175 A.G. Shaddam had started the "Great Spice War" with the secret aim of emptying the spice hoards of the Imperium and eventually destroying Arrakis, thereby ensuring his monopoly based on the synthetic spice of Project Amal. Under the guise of punishing House Richese for their hoard, Shaddam mercilessly destroyed Korona with atomics. A quarter of Richese's population went blind from the resulting light produced by the destruction of the Richesian mirrors stored there. Fortunately for the Richesians, the Tleilaxu
were able to provide them with artificial eyes. Shaddam's attack also led to the death of the scientist Haloa Rund (Count Ilban's nephew) and the destruction of Rund's prototype no-field technology.
, Murbella
of the New Sisterhood turned to Richese to build a war fleet, under fear that Ix
had fallen under the control of the Honored Matres
. Richese ultimately paid a terrible price as a consequence of their alliance.
Dune universe
Dune is a science fiction franchise which originated with the 1965 novel Dune by Frank Herbert. Considered by many to be the greatest science fiction novel of all time, Dune is frequently cited as the best-selling science fiction novel in history...
created by Frank Herbert
Frank Herbert
Franklin Patrick Herbert, Jr. was a critically acclaimed and commercially successful American science fiction author. Although a short story author, he is best known for his novels, most notably Dune and its five sequels...
. Their homeworld is the planet Richese, which is described thus in the glossary of Dune
Dune (novel)
Dune is a science fiction novel written by Frank Herbert, published in 1965. It won the Hugo Award in 1966, and the inaugural Nebula Award for Best Novel...
:
The family
Before the events of the Prelude to DunePrelude to Dune
Prelude to Dune is a prequel trilogy of novels written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, set in Frank Herbert's Dune universe....
series, Count Ilban Richese married Edwina Corrino, daughter of Padishah Emperor
Padishah Emperor
Padishah Emperor is the title given to the hereditary rulers of the Old Empire in the science fiction Dune universe created by Frank Herbert.-Original series:...
Elrood IX, in 10,090 A.G. Born in 10,070, Edwina was Elrood's child by his second wife, Yvette Hagal. The Count and Edwina had eleven children — six sons and five daughters — one of whom, Helena (b. 10,095), married Duke Paulus Atreides in 10,114. Paulus and Helena's son, Leto Atreides I
Leto Atreides I
Duke Leto Atreides I is a fictional character in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. He features in the novel Dune by Frank Herbert and in the Prelude to Dune prequel trilogy by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson....
, was born in 10,140 and was, of course, the father of Paul Atreides
Paul Atreides
Paul Atreides is a fictional character in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. Paul is a prominent character in the first two novels in the series, Dune and Dune Messiah , and returns in Children of Dune . The character is brought back as two different gholas in the Brian Herbert/Kevin J...
. Edwina herself died in 10,123.
In Dune: House Atreides
Dune: House Atreides
Dune: House Atreides is a 1999 science fiction novel by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, set in the fictional Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. It is the first book in the Prelude to Dune prequel trilogy, which takes place before the events of Frank Herbert's celebrated 1965 novel Dune...
Paulus says that Ilban "had a large family and spent more time with his offspring than watching his business interests. Not surprisingly, his children grew up pampered, and his fortunes fizzled away." It is also mentioned that Helena was unwilling to take Leto to visit her remaining relatives, due to the shame and embarrassment it would bring upon her, of past memories she was trying to forget about her family's history.
Prelude to Dune
Though Richese was a Synchronized World under thinking machineThinking machines (Dune)
Thinking machines is a collective term for artificial intelligence in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. The Butlerian Jihad a human crusade against thinking machines is an epic turning point in the back-story of the Dune universe...
control during the Butlerian Jihad, 10,000 years later it had become home to the wealthy House Richese.
Prior to the events of the Prelude to Dune series, House Richese had taken over the valuable melange production operations of the planet Arrakis
Arrakis
Arrakis — informally known as Dune and later called Rakis — is a fictional desert planet featured in the Dune series of novels by Frank Herbert. Herbert's first novel in the series, 1965's Dune, is popularly considered one of the greatest science fiction novels of all time, and it is...
, the only known source of the all-important spice. However, the vast expenses required for the harvesting of the spice — combined with an economic war with the more advanced House Vernius
House Vernius
House Vernius is a fictional noble family from the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. They are featured in the prequel series Prelude to Dune and Heroes of Dune by Brian Herbert and Kevin J...
of Ix — had bankrupted House Richese. After being ousted from the planetary governorship of Arrakis (and replaced by the Harkonnens
House Harkonnen
House Harkonnen is a powerful noble family in Frank Herbert's fictional Dune universe. The Harkonnens are featured prominently in the original 1965 novel Dune, and are also a major presence in both the Prelude to Dune and Legends of Dune prequel trilogies by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson...
), House Richese had salvaged some of its respectability through arranged marital alliances with other Houses (Helena's marriage to Paulus Atreides among them).
Though still an important manufacturer of complex technological goods, Richese had fallen behind their competitors, the Ixians, and were forced to produce only cheap, low-quality versions of designs from Ix or the rest of the Imperium. According to Paulus Atreides in Dune: House Atreides, "The Ixians are masters of industrial sabotage and patent appropriation. Nowadays Richesians are only good for making cheap copies, without any innovations."
However, in Dune: House Corrino
Dune: House Corrino
Dune: House Corrino is a 2001 science fiction novel by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, set in the fictional Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. It is the third book in the Prelude to Dune prequel trilogy, which takes place before the events of Frank Herbert's celebrated 1965 novel Dune...
it was revealed that Richese still had one important asset: "Richesian mirrors, nearly as valuable as spice." The artificial laboratory moon of Korona was built, and for decades "had concealed the proprietary technology for manufacturing mysterious and valuable Richesian mirrors. No other House had been able to duplicate the science of the mirrors, despite numerous attempts at industrial espionage." The "tiny chips of Richesian mirrors could power large scanning devices ... the hoard of reflective units [stored on Korona] would be sufficient to power a small sun."
Baron Vladimir Harkonnen
Vladimir Harkonnen
The Baron Vladimir Harkonnen is a fictional character from the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. He is primarily featured in the 1965 novel Dune, in which he is the secondary antagonist, and is also a major character in the Prelude to Dune prequel trilogy by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson...
offered House Richese a substantial sum for the confidential use of their Suk doctor, Wellington Yueh
Wellington Yueh
Dr. Wellington Yueh is a fictional character in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. He is primarily featured in the 1965 novel Dune, but also appears in the Prelude to Dune prequel trilogy by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson...
, to diagnose the mysterious condition which had made the Baron obese. When Dr. Yueh was unable to cure him, the unscrupulous Baron refused to pay the rest of the arranged fee. Harkonnen's twisted Mentat
Mentat
A Mentat is a profession or discipline in Frank Herbert's fictional Dune universe. Mentats are humans trained to mimic computers: human minds developed to staggering heights of cognitive and analytical ability.- Overview :...
Piter De Vries
Piter De Vries
Piter De Vries is a fictional character from the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. He is featured in 1965's Dune, the original novel in the science fiction series, as well as the Prelude to Dune prequel trilogy by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.In David Lynch's 1984 adaptation of the...
secretly alerted Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV
Shaddam Corrino IV
Shaddam Corrino IV is a fictional character in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. He is Padishah Emperor of the known universe in Herbert's 1965 novel Dune. Shaddam's accession to the throne is chronicled in the Prelude to Dune prequel trilogy by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.Born...
to an illegal stockpile of melange kept on Korona.
In 10,175 A.G. Shaddam had started the "Great Spice War" with the secret aim of emptying the spice hoards of the Imperium and eventually destroying Arrakis, thereby ensuring his monopoly based on the synthetic spice of Project Amal. Under the guise of punishing House Richese for their hoard, Shaddam mercilessly destroyed Korona with atomics. A quarter of Richese's population went blind from the resulting light produced by the destruction of the Richesian mirrors stored there. Fortunately for the Richesians, the Tleilaxu
Bene Tleilax
The Bene Tleilax or Tleilaxu are an extremely xenophobic and isolationist society in Frank Herbert's science fiction Dune universe. Genetic manipulators who traffic in biological products such as artificial eyes, gholas, and "twisted" Mentats, the Tleilaxu are a major power in the Imperium...
were able to provide them with artificial eyes. Shaddam's attack also led to the death of the scientist Haloa Rund (Count Ilban's nephew) and the destruction of Rund's prototype no-field technology.
Hunters of Dune
In Hunters of DuneHunters of Dune
Hunters of Dune is the first of two books written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson to conclude Frank Herbert's original Dune series of novels....
, Murbella
Murbella
Murbella is a fictional character in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. She appears in Heretics of Dune and Chapterhouse: Dune by Frank Herbert, as well as Hunters of Dune and Sandworms of Dune by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.-Storylines:Murbella is raised as an Honored Matre, and...
of the New Sisterhood turned to Richese to build a war fleet, under fear that Ix
Ix (Dune)
Ix is a fictional planet featured in the Dune series of science fiction novels written by Frank Herbert, and derivative works. In Dune it is noted that Ix is classed with the planet Richese as "supreme in machine culture," and that Ixian solido projectors "are commonly considered the best." In...
had fallen under the control of the Honored Matres
Honored Matres
The Honored Matres are a fictional matriarchal organization in Frank Herbert's science fiction Dune universe. They are described as an aggressive cult obsessed with power, violence and sexual domination...
. Richese ultimately paid a terrible price as a consequence of their alliance.