Waff (Dune)
Encyclopedia
Tylwyth Waff is a fictional character from the Dune universe
created by Frank Herbert
. He is a Mahai, the leader of the Bene Tleilax
, and is a major character in Heretics of Dune
.
In Heretics of Dune, Herbert provides this description of Waff:
The Tleilaxu sustain their lives indefinitely through the use of gholas. In one of his previous ghola lifetimes, Waff had trained under a renegade mentat. The mentats' capabilities were beyond him, and after absorbing as much skills as he could the mentat was killed. One of the skills he gained from this experience was protection against the Bene Gesserit
power of Voice.
In Heretics, Waff successfully replaces High Priest Tuek with a Face Dancer
duplicate, but loses control due to the copy's complete assimiliation into its new form. Waff decides to ally with the Bene Gesserit after he is convinced by Darwi Odrade that the Bene Gesserit are Zensunni
and not powindah, the Tleilaxu term for heretics
. He has a replacement ghola growing for him in Bandalong, the capital city of the Tleilaxu homeworld Tleilax.
In Hunters of Dune
, it is revealed that the Honored Matres
who conquered Tleilax kept several of Waff's gholas alive but in vegetative states. In order to recover the supposedly 'lost' secret to producing melange in axlotl tanks, the Lost Tleilaxu
scribe Uxtal is tasked to create new gholas from Waff's genetic material. Uxtal accelerates the process artificially, and of the first batch of eight Waff gholas, seven fail to regain their memories and are viciously killed. The massacre shocks the last ghola into regaining some of Waff's memories, but not enough to recreate the melange process. Later, the Waff ghola escapes the Bene Gesserit attack on Tleilax, finding refuge with the Spacing Guild
by offering Guild Navigator
Edrik the genetic knowledge for the Guild to create their own, optimized sandworms
to produce melange.
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...
. He is a Mahai, the leader of the Bene Tleilax
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...
, and is a major character in Heretics of Dune
Heretics of Dune
Heretics of Dune is a 1984 science fiction novel by Frank Herbert, fifth in a series of six novels. It was ranked as the #13 hardcover fiction best seller of 1984 by The New York Times.-Plot introduction:...
.
In Heretics of Dune, Herbert provides this description of Waff:
... he appeared an elfin figure barely a meter and a half tall. Eyes, hair, and skin were shades of gray, all a stage for the oval face with its tiny mouth and line of sharp teeth.
The Tleilaxu sustain their lives indefinitely through the use of gholas. In one of his previous ghola lifetimes, Waff had trained under a renegade mentat. The mentats' capabilities were beyond him, and after absorbing as much skills as he could the mentat was killed. One of the skills he gained from this experience was protection against the Bene Gesserit
Bene Gesserit
The Bene Gesserit are a key social, religious, and political force in Frank Herbert's science fiction Dune universe. The group is described as an exclusive sisterhood whose members train their bodies and minds through years of physical and mental conditioning to obtain superhuman powers and...
power of Voice.
In Heretics, Waff successfully replaces High Priest Tuek with a Face Dancer
Face dancers
A Face Dancer is a type of human in Frank Herbert's science fiction Dune universe. A servant caste of the Bene Tleilax, Face Dancers are shapeshifters, and their name is derived from their ability to change their physical appearance at will.-Background:...
duplicate, but loses control due to the copy's complete assimiliation into its new form. Waff decides to ally with the Bene Gesserit after he is convinced by Darwi Odrade that the Bene Gesserit are Zensunni
Zensunni
The Religions of Dune are a key aspect of the fictional setting of the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. Many of the names of religions mentioned in the novels indicate they are blends of current belief systems, some syncretic....
and not powindah, the Tleilaxu term for heretics
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
. He has a replacement ghola growing for him in Bandalong, the capital city of the Tleilaxu homeworld Tleilax.
In Hunters of Dune
Hunters 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....
, it is revealed that 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...
who conquered Tleilax kept several of Waff's gholas alive but in vegetative states. In order to recover the supposedly 'lost' secret to producing melange in axlotl tanks, the Lost Tleilaxu
Lost Tleilaxu
The Lost Tleilaxu are a fictional organization from the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. Descendants of the Tleilaxu, they are first mentioned in Herbert's Heretics of Dune ; however, the group is not referred to explicitly as "Lost Tleilaxu" until the 2006 Brian Herbert/Kevin J...
scribe Uxtal is tasked to create new gholas from Waff's genetic material. Uxtal accelerates the process artificially, and of the first batch of eight Waff gholas, seven fail to regain their memories and are viciously killed. The massacre shocks the last ghola into regaining some of Waff's memories, but not enough to recreate the melange process. Later, the Waff ghola escapes the Bene Gesserit attack on Tleilax, finding refuge with the Spacing Guild
Spacing Guild
The Spacing Guild is an organization in Frank Herbert's science fiction Dune universe. With its monopoly on interstellar travel and banking, the Guild is a balance of power against the Padishah Emperor and the assembled noble Houses of the Landsraad...
by offering Guild Navigator
Guild Navigator
A Guild Navigator is a fictional humanoid in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. Humans mutated through the consumption of and exposure to massive amounts of the spice melange, they are able to use a limited form of prescience to safely navigate interstellar space in a starship called a...
Edrik the genetic knowledge for the Guild to create their own, optimized sandworms
Sandworm (Dune)
The sandworm is a fictional form of desert-dwelling creature from the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. They first appear in the 1965 novel Dune, considered to be among the classics in the science fiction genre, and are iconic of the Dune series.In the series, the sandworms called Shai-Hulud...
to produce melange.