House Anson

House Anson is an independent minor house. It is wealthy for a House of its size due to its access to the vast resources in space.

The House is independent of and is not subservient to House Harkonnen nor any other Great House.

Home World: none - it is based in the outer Bethedash System spread among the asteroids, and the moons of gas giants

House Type: Minor

Traits: Industrial, Insular

Allies: Spacing Guild (a major customer), House Perko (biggest customer)

Enemies: House Melech

Primary Domain: mining asteroids and comets, and processing materials

Secondary Domain: construction of spacecraft and space stations, mainly for Volite customers

House Roles

Ruler: Emma Anson
Consort: Wilhelm Stapleton
Heir: Emma Anson jnr
Advisor: Dickon Rechner (hereditary position)
Chief Physician: Byron Willem
Councillor: Lindi Herzog
Envoy: Ferdinand Bergmann (chief sales person and liaison with the Spacing Guild)
Treasurer: Johann Berringer

The House is unusual in lacking a standing army. Such is unnecessary. It is protected by the vastness of space. It does possess formidable weapons in the form of mass drivers. They have sold the ability to deflect comets to House Perko to collide them with Hulit to deliver water.

It may lack trained troops but it does have one devastating weapon at is disposal: the mass driver. They have already demonstrated this device by, at the behest and with the co-operation of House Perko, colliding two comets with the planet Hulit to deliver water. Further comets were planned but operations were halted following objections from the other Volite houses.

The House is vulnerable in its food manufacture. Most of it is grown in huge spaceborne greenhouses and distributed to the people living among the asteroids and on the moons in the outer system. Targeting and destroying this space stations would soon lead to starvation. House Anson imports a percentage of its food from Volod, bought from the four Houses who rule the planet. This is to create the illusion of dependence on the planet, a diplomatic move to defuse tension over the existence of mass drivers, and to create multiple supplies in case of crop failures.

Hidden away there is a stock pile of kinetic weaponry. House Anson has built a weapons platform that drop titanium rods into a gravity well. Deployed against a populated area on a planet, the effects would be devastating.

House Haider

House Minor subservient to House Perko and through them to House Harkonnen.

Homeworld: Volod

House Type: Minor

Traits: Business minded, Preserving but also exploiting nature, secular

Vassal to: House Harkonnen (the Harkonnens elevated the Haiders to Minor House status)

Allies: none

Enemies: House Melech (the Melechs consider the Haiders to be infidels)

Primary Domain: Farming trees, manufacturing wood for export to the Galaxy and furniture for global distribution. Pharmaceuticals derived from Dopinese plants. The House's biggest customer is the School of Aramoy, despite the animosity between Haider and Melech. Its factories in Aramoy City are so successful that they have eclipsed the domestic ones in terms of supplying Volod. This has Created capacity to allow Interstellar trade.

Secondary Domain: breeding of flora and fauna for export to other worlds, often complementing House Perko's terraforming business. They do good business with House Anson supplying food and developing plants that thrive in spaceborne greenhouses. Haider's biological expertise falls well short of the Tleilaxu but also lacks the problems of dealing with the Tleilaxu.

The house must pay an annual tithe of soldiers to House Harkonnen every year. It gets these from regions that oppose Haider rule.

House Roles

Ruler: Akbar Haider
Consort: Zarina Sardar
Heir: Yasmin Haider
Advisor: Azhar Dayal
Chief Physician: Jada bint Hussein
Ecology Master: position vacant
Envoy: Kasem bin  (acts as liaison with House Harkonnen) (disparagingly referred to as Abd El-Harkonnen)
Deputy Marshall and Swordmaster: Jasir Talwar (partly responsible for assembling the annual tithe of soldiers)
Marshal and Bowmaster: Imran Varma (partly responsible for assembling the annual tithe of soldiers)
Spymaster: Neelam bint Jan

The House rules over much of the continent of Dopin-Nam on the planet Volod. It is a wild and untamed place. Areas of it are independent of and resist Haider rule.

The Haiders have increased their and the continent's wealth through trade. However, many are critical of the House's move away from conservation and living in harmony with nature to exploiting it for profit.

History

House Harkonnen elevated the Haiders to Minor House status after going into an alliance with House Perko. The latter originally opposed the creation of House Haider, but the Perkos realised that Dopin-Nam was a wild and ungovernable place. Their relationship evolved into one of alliance.

Dopin-Nam

Officially, this continent is ruled by House Haider though its control is far from complete.
The continent is dominated by a huge forest, known as the Great Forest. House Haider manages and farms the trees. The wood is exported to other worlds and is raw material for furniture manufacture that is exported to the rest of Volod.
The army is known for its archers and crossbowmen (the Houses on Volod lack the resources to shield its regular troops, a situation the siridar-ambassador is tasked to maintain). Pozemskorite soldiers who returned home after their unsuccessful invasion, spoke of berserk soldiers who were devastating in battle.
The Dopinese are an insular people. They have no interest in intercontinental intrigues and conflicts. However, tensions were stoked when Dopon-Nam took in refugees from the Heresy War in Basat. Ecclesistic Qabbalists found a haven to the dismay of the Basatines, especially the Commissariat Chaplaincy, even today.
The locals speak Dopinese but men and women who work on the world stage and in the Imperium must also learn Volic and Galach.

Geography

The continent is dominated by an expansive forest. Much of the ancient woodland remains wild but a significant portion is farmed and maintained artificially.

The continent lacks large cities, the locals preferring to live in smaller agricultural and arboricultural communities.

Ecology

Dopin-Nam is known as the "continent that wants to kill you". There is a rich ecosystem of poisonous flora and venomous fauna. The Dopinese have learned to live in harmony with their environment. The plants are a rich source of poisons and pharmaceuticals.
The continent's ecologists are concerned about the balance of trade on Volod. There is a net export of organic material, due to sale of Dopinese wood and furniture, and the Imperial and Harkonnen tithes of people. There is a slow but steady de-carbonation of the planet. The effects of this are currently barely noticeable but the are not negligible. Opponents of Haider rule use this as an argument against them, claiming misrule and a failure to live in harmony with the planet.

Dopinese tree mamba - the Dopinese tree mamba is a venomous snake thought to be descended from green mambas from Earth via evolution and genetic manipulation. It is found in the tree canopies in the tropical region of the continent. It is an elusive snake; attacks on people in the wild are rare. However, a bitten human has little chance of survival without treatment. Its venom is a prized injection poison.

Nightshade poppy - the plant creates flowers that resemble poppies but with brown or black petals and not of the same species. The seeds can be ground to yield a potent poison that can be used to make chaumerky or chaumas. The poison is also in the petals but at lower concentrations. It is a tenacious plant that grows in fields.

Purple Purdey Chilli Pepper - this chilli Pepper is native to Dopin-Nam. It varies in colour from crimson to purple. The heat varies from mild to medium.

History

About two hundred years ago, Pozemskory invaded Dopin-Nam. Vlad III considered the continent an easy target, the first step in his plan to take over the entire planet and elevate House Perko to Major status.
Initially, the invasion went well, but this was part of the defenders' plan. They drew the invaders deep into their territory and over stretched their forces. The Dopinese counterattacked targeting the Pozemskorite supply lines and depots. This cut off the troops on the front lines. The Dopinese inflicted hit and run attacks on the invaders. They attacked at random intervals allowing the invaders little respite. The Dopinese deployed soldiers with no fear of death, reduced sensitivity to pain and unparalleled ferocity. The invasion stalled with the soldiers trapped in increasingly hostile territory. Most died from disease, starvation and predation by wild animals.
The most infamous incident of the war was when hungry Pozemskorite soldiers happened on an abandoned village. They looted the village. Unfortunately for them, the food was poisoned and all of the soldiers died. The Dopinese did not want to put poisoned flesh into the ground, so the bodies were cremated. After news of this reached Pozemskory, many felt insulted and stirred up resentment towards the Dopinese. Some still carry that resentment to this day. The Dopinese felt that the invaders deserved to die and were unworthy of being returned to the earth.
The war ended with an overwhelming victory for Dopin-Nam and a humiliating defeat for Pozemskory. The territory most affected by the invasion was under the control of the Haiders.
The Harkonnens were so impressed by Haider leadership and the Military prowess of their soldiers that they elevated the Haiders to Minor House status. The Harkonnens gave control of Dopin-Nam to the Haiders. Being given control of the continent and taking control of it are two different matters. The Harkonnens have given the Haiders little help to enforce their rule.

Religion

The Dopinese are an unusually secular people. Attempts to import Basatine Orange Catholicism have consistently been met with disinterest. Eccesiastic Qabbalism grew in popularity with the influx of refugees during Basat's Heresy War. The religion persists in the descendants of the refugees but has not spread any farther.
The Daughters of the Wise Women, acting as missionaries, have had little success converting the locals but some remain who speak of the coming of the Masih. These women use the title Abida, sometimes lengthened to Abida el-Masih (servant of the messiah) or Abidallah (servant of god).

Politics

Groups of extremists have emerged who want to stop all exports from Volod. They want to enact isolationist policies and outlaw immigration and emigration. They are currently small in numbered and fractured, lacking centralised leadership. Most are opposed to the Haider regime.

Some have formed into terrorist groups who have targeted logging operations. These violent criminals, if caught, are used to help fill the annual tithe of soldiers to the Harkonnens.

Tourism

Coastal areas have become tourist traps and are popular holiday destinations for people from all over the world. They come here to enjoy stunning scenery, and for the food and drink.

Naming Conventions

The norm is to have the given name first followed by the family name. Those without family names have a given name followed by a patronymic, "ibn" or "bin" for "son of" and "bint" for "daughter of".

Example Names

Female

Aisha, Alisha, Anna, Asha, Farrah, Kiri, Maya, Saura

Male

Abdul, Amir, Abbas, Amil, Ahmed, Akbar, Imran, Kasem, Kirin, Kwan, Laden, Munni, Omar, Sam

House Perko

House Minor subservient to House Harkonnen. The name means stone or rock. It is the senior house on planet Volod.

House Perko styles itself as the rock on which the stability of the planet Volod is built. It is an ancient family that has been on the planet Volod since it was first settled, many millennia ago, or so the Perkos claim. The Melechs dispute this.

Home World: Volod (also controls the desert world of Hulit)

House Type: Minor

Traits: Ambitious, Technological

Vassal to: House Harkonnen

Allies: House Anson

Enemies: House Melech

Primary Domain: terraforming and paraterraforming technology, and climate management - House Perko also controls the desert world of Hulit (the next world in from Volod).

Secondary Domain: melange distribution - the other houses on Volod gain their spice from House Perko. It also sells it visitors to the world. Being at the end of the supply chain, the price is high, up to 62,000 solari per gram.

The house must pay an annual tithe of soldiers to House Harkonnen every year.

House Roles

The grand titles and appellations the Perko family enjoys only carry weight on the planet Volod; they are meaningless within the hierarchy of the Landsraad.

Ruler: Lech Perko (Lech XIV)
Consort: Eleanor Julienne Sartorius-Perko (Bene Gesserit-trained)
Heir: Laszlo Lechovich Perko (he will become Laszlo VI if he succeeds his father)
Advisor/First Minister: Jasna Natashavna Domoslav (Mentat)
Chief Physician: Physician Iago Veloso (a graduate of the School of Aramoy in Basat)
Chief Scientist: (responsible for overseeing the development and deployment of terraforming technologies)
Envoy: Georg Goran  (also acts as liaison with House Harkonnen)
Marshall: Fyodr Georgyevich Gershin (responsible for law and order and security at Fiolova Spaceport)
Spymaster: identity unknown
Swordmaster: Jaromir Kulich (acts as the head of the family bodyguard)
Treasurer: Zlatan (also acts as liaison with the Spacing Guild and is responsible for the House's trade in melange)
Warmistress: Dominika "Nika" Ivanovna Veriaki (responsible for assembling the annual tithe of soldiers)

House Perko rules over the continent of Pozemskory. It is the senior house on Volod, presiding over the other three houses. It has no jurisdiction over the outer system and House Anson.

The House maintains the largest and most prestigious estate in Illaria.

Pozemskory

House Perko governs from its capital, Fiolova, a short trip from Volod's primary space port. The peasant class speaks the native Volic but the gentry are expected to learn Galach, too.

Economics

With the exception of Bielemest, the whole of the continent is considered to be the property of House Perko and more specifically the current head of the family. Vassals and serfs alike are considered to be tenants and must pay rent. A system of letting and sub-letting exists that has led to a complex economy of landlords collecting and paying rent in a chain.

History

Vladimir III Perko wanted to style himself as Vlad the Invader. He had ambitions of elevating his House to major status. The first step in his plan was the invasion of Dopin-Nam. Initially the invasion went well with the defenders falling back and civilian populations evacuating. Vlad enjoyed unparalleled popularity.
It did not last long. With Pozemskorite troops deep in Dopin-Nam and supply lines stretched, Dopin-Nam counter-attacked. They attacked supply lines and depots mercilessly, cutting off Pozemskorite troops. The most infamous incident of the war was when hungry soldiers happened on an abandoned village. They looted the village. Unfortunately for them, the food was poisoned and all of the soldiers died. The Dopinese did not want to put poisoned flesh into the ground, so the bodies were cremated. After news of this reached Pozemskory, many felt insulted and stirred up resentment towards the Dopinese. Some still carry that resentment to this day.
The invasion ended with an embarrassing failure with a high casualty rate. Vlad fell victim to an assassin and his progeny removed from the succession. His younger brother succeeded him and became Lech XII.

Lech XII inherited a broken and humiliated Pozemskory. He embarked on a major rebuilding exercise. His House was vulnerable so he reached out seeking powerful off-world allies. He negotiated an alliance with House Harkonnen. However, the partnership did not go the way Lech anticipated. Rather than putting House Perko in sole control of Volod, the status quo was maintained. The Harkonnens took control of Bielemest and installed an ambassador. From here, taxes on the local Houses were administered. This was the price the Harkonnens enacted to allow the other Houses to continue to rule their respective continents. In more recent times, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen enacted a tax of soldiers.

Pozemskory accepted refugees during the Heresy War in Basat. In response to Basatine persecution of Ecclesiastic Qabbalism, the religion was officially recognised much to the annoyance of House Melech.

Geography

Illaria

Illaria is located on the West side of Pozemskory. It is known for its large country estates owned by the continent's wealthy elite. The largest and grandest estate is owned by House Perko. The estates are not just for pleasure, they are working farms that support their owners and the staff living and working there. A local economy is maintained with trade between the estates and with Bielemest. Some produce is sold to other regions of Pozemskory but this is only a small percentage of the region's output.

Bielemest

The Harkonnen siridar-ambassador's palace is in Bielemest. It is a small city notable for its ancient white buildings (Bielemest means "White City" in Volic), situated in the heart of Illaria. It is considered to be part of Giedi Prime, or more correctly a suburb of the city of Barony, and not under the authority and ownership of House Perko.  It is considered neutral and safe territory. It is traditional for the incoming siridar-ambassador to throw a lavish party to meet the leaders of Volod's four minor houses.
Bielemest imports most of its food from Illaria but some luxury items are imported from off-world and comes in via Bielemest Transport Hub. It makes a lot of money from tourism and by selling off-world luxuries. There is a black market for melange, maintained and supported by the Harkonnens, but the prices are much higher than official market monopolized by House Perko. The Daughters of the Wise Women send agents to buy spice on their behalf.
Bielemest is known for its wealth and its decadence. The dazzling white palace of the Harkonnens dominates the sky line. The next most impressive building is the White Arena. It hosts gladiatorial bouts and other blood sports. Sometimes referred to as Harkonnen Arena, it is popular with visiting dignitaries.
Wars of Assassins between Volod's houses is strictly forbidden on Bielemite soil. Kanly is permitted but only in the gladiatorial arena.

Bielemest Transport Hub

Located just beyond the city of Bielemest is its namesake transport hub. This is a small space port cum airport used exclusively by the inhabitants of Illaria and Bielemest. There is a train station next to it providing transport links to the rest of Pozemskory.
There are hotels for the wealthy customers and basic accommodation for their servants and staff.
Security is very tight.
Despite the name, Bielemest Transport Hub is not part is not part of the city, Bielemest. It, therefore, is legally part of Pozemskory and is ruled over and owned by House Perko. The Perkos exploit this to control access to the Harkonnen ambassador.

Fiolova

Fiolova is the capital city of Pozemskory and the seat of power of House Perko. It lacks the grandeur and prestige of Bielemest but is still an impressive city.
Volod's other houses minor must travel here to buy their allocation of melange. Off-world customers come here to buy spice, too. Even with the relatively paltry volumes, the spice trade has brought wealth and prestige to House Perko and it is not shy about displaying it.
Security is tight and policing strict, however corruption runs rampant below a veneer of respectability.

Fiolova Spaceport

Near to the city is the Volod's primary space port. It is called Fiolova Spaceport by the locals and Volod Spaceport by foreigners. The spaceport also acts as an airport with flights to all major destinations globally.

Spacing Guild

The Spacing Guild maintains its only official presence on the planet, here. There is a larger guild presence than might expected for Volod's stature. This has not gone unnoticed by other groups and organisations leading to speculation about what they are doing here.
The Guild is interested in the Perkos' activities on Hulit and supplies resources and personnel to aid in the research there.
The Guild makes no official comment about its presence on Volod and its activities in the Bethedash system.

Grudibard

Grudibard is Pozemskory's second city. It is the largest city in Volod that lacks a significant, visible presence of off-worlders. Grudibarders are a xenophobic lot who resent the presence of extra-Volite immigrants and visitors.

Religion

The most popular religion is Orange Catholicism but Eccesiastic Qabbalism grew in popularity with the influx of refugees during Basat's Heresy War. The stereotypical qabbalist is a fortune teller.
The Daughters of the Wise Women are outlawed in Pozemskory. It is considered a terrorist organisation. If a member of the sisterhood is discovered, she is put to death.

Security

There are two organisations that serve to protect Pozemskory. The Internal Security Bureau, or ISB, and the Peregrine Intelligence Agency, or PIA.

 

Internal Security Bureau 

The ISB is tasked with keeping the Perko family safe. It is a ruthless organisation with an act first ask questions later attitude. Its main focus is rooting out Basatine spies, saboteurs and terrorists. This can blindside it against other threats.

 

Its headquarters are located in Grudibard. "Sent to Grudibard" has come figuritively to mean in deep trouble.

 

There is an unsubstantiated rumour that the ISB maintains a central archive of information. It may exist at an unknown location (some things cannot be kept totally secret) or it maybe misinformation deliberately allowed to leak out.

 

Peregrine Intelligence Agency

 

The PIA is a shadowy organisation. Few outside of its ranks know anything about it and its activities. Its main focus is to monitor Basat, though it has spies in place throughout Volod.

 

There is an extra-Volod branch. The activities of this part of the organisation are even more secret than the rest of it. It is assumed that it has officers in place on Geidi Prime and throughout the Small Sagittarius Cloud where the Perkos ply their spice business.

 

There is little doubt that the PIA has a permanent presence on Arrakis.

 

The location of its headquarters is a closely guarded secret.

 

Naming Conventions

The upper classes use patronymics. Lineages are very important and consequently equally important to be identified with a parent. It is customary to address an adult of equal or greater rank with the given name followed by the patronymic. The notable exception to this is the ruler of the continent who is addressed only by given name or more properly by his or her title. To include a patronymic is considered insulting; to do so would be to address the leader as a subject.

Example Names

Female

Anastasia, Anya, Bogda, Daria, Daska, Ekaterina, Elena, Hana, Jarmila, Katya, Lejla, Lizaveta, Lucia, Ludmila, Marina, Mila, Mira, Nadia, Natasha, Olga, Radmila, Sonia, Stanislava, Viera, Wanda, Xenia, Zlata, Zora

Male

Bogdan, Borimir, Boris, Casimir, Dmitri, Drago, Fiodor, Georg, Goran, Igor, Ivan, Jaromir, Jaroslav, Kirril, Laszlo, Lev, Milan, Mykola, Nenad, Neven, Nicholai, Oleg, Plamen, Radim, Rodan, Sambor, Slako, Stanimir, Stojan, Svetislav, Taras, Tomislav, Vadim, Vladimir

Surnames

Andronic, Babics, Balaban, Banich, Bilak, Bogdan, Czerny, Dedic, Dvorak, Erben, Glavan, Gospod, Hanak, Hubik, Klima, Korbel, Kulik, Larina, Lenart, Litvin, Perun, Reznik, Sabina, Sadowsky, Sedlak, Sirota, Sobol, Sorokin, Spivac, Tichy, Tolstoy, Topol, Verba, Zeman

House Melech

A House Minor subservient to House Perko and through them to House Harkonnen.

Homeworld: Volod (though they refer to the planet as Suf'amasa "Journey's End")

House Type: Minor

Traits: Religious, Hatred of House Perko

Vassal to: House Harkonnen (by coercion)

Allies: none

Enemies: House Perko (they call them the traitors), House Anson (they are suspicious of the Ansons' use of technology)

Primary Domain: medicine and medical training (see the School of Amaroy)

Secondary Domain: theology and theological publishing (they have contracts to print the Orange Catholic Bible, the published four-volume version of the Azhar Book and other religious texts and treatises. The house no longer publishes The Ecclesiastical Qabbalah and the Qabbalistic Torah following the conclusion Heresy War. The two texts are now considered heretical and are banned. The fact that parts of the Orange Catholic Bible is derived from the same source as the Qabbalistic Torah is conveniently ignored.

The house must pay an annual tithe of soldiers to House Harkonnen.

House Roles

House Melech is a large extended family that dominates Basatine society. It is often said that the best way to get a senior posting is to have the surname "Melech".
There is a law that states that the head of House Melech and by extension the Malik of Basat must marry a Basatine. It is acceptable to have foreign (from other Volite continents or off-world) concubines. A legitimate heir must be born of Basatine mother and father, preferably with one of the parents being officially recognised as the consort of the ruler.

Ruler: Soloman Melech
Consort: Rebecca Malmuth-Melech
Heir: Khayim Melech
Advisor: Mendel Geffen
Chief Physician: Ishtar Beren-Melech (a graduate of the School of Aramoy)
Councillor and Patriarch: Avibram Maran (patriarch of the continent's religion)
Envoy: Kohen Melech (acts as liaison with House Harkonnen)
Marshall: Isaac Khayat
Scholar: Simon Geller
Spymaster: Elke Finkle
Swordmaster: Kehat Rabin-Melech (Khayim's bodyguard)
Treasurer: Levi Melech-Lieb
Warmaster: Rochel Lieb (responsible for assembling the annual tithes of soldiers and convicts)

The house rules over the continent of Basat on the planet Volod (or Suf'amasa as they call it).
The Melech family is deeply religious and rules as a strict theocracy.
House Melech suspects that House Perko has broken the tenets of the Butlerian Jihad. There is no evidence, just supposition, but this is not preventing it from spreading rumours. If evidence could be uncovered, so much the better.
Instead of recruiting and training soldiers to send to the Harkonnens, the Melechs train political and heretical prisoners to defend themselves and send them to fulfil the tithe. These are in addition to the Imperial Tithe.
School of Aramoy lacks the prestige of the Suk School but it is still a well-respected school of medicine and is a good second choice for those who failed to get into the Suk School. House Melech and the Commissariat Chaplaincy want to use the school to increase their influence on both the planet Suf'amasa and the wider Galaxy. The Melechs are particularly keen to build a relationship with House Atreides in the hope that they can shake off Harkonnen influence.

Basat

Overview

It is said that this was the first place settled on the planet. The Basatines believe they are descended from the original settlers and resent the influence House Perko and House Harkonnen have over them. House Melech rules over this continent.
The annual tithe is contentious with the population. No self-respecting family wants to send a son or daughter off-world. Most of the soldiers begrudgingly sent are orphans and criminals.
The peasant class speaks Semic but the nobility are expected to learn to speak Gallach, too.
The Melechs comprise a large extended family that dominates Basatine society. Nepotism is rife. Lesser families have sprung up that double-barrel their names with "Melech" to improve their prestige.
The ruler of Basat has the title of "Malik" or "Malka" for a woman.
The continent is a strict theocracy. The Butlerian Jihad is celebrated as a holy war fought against the Devil. The Devil gave out technology that robbed its users of their humanity and disfigured their souls. The power of God was stronger than the Devil and the Devil was defeated. The Orange Catholic Bible is the continent's principal holy text. The fourteen sages are revered as their most holy saints.
Commissar-chaplains preach against the evils of technology. The Basatine people are among the most primitive in the Imperium. This only applies to the working classes. The rich have access to higher levels of technology but nothing that violates the Butlerian Jihad.

History

About seventy years ago, the continent was in the grip of the Heresy War. The dominant Orange Catholicism waged a war of annihilation against the minority Ecclesiastic Qabbalists. The Patriarch created the Commissariat Chaplaincy to root out and destroy the Qabbalists. Qabbalism is outlawed in Basat. The penalty is death.

After the war was won, the Commissariat turned on the Orange Catholics looking for heresy and religious disaffiliation. 

Religion

Bene Gesserit

The Missionaria Protectiva did its work in Basat some centuries ago. The Bene Gesserit are remembered as the Wise Women. Descriptions of them vary wildly. Tales of the Bene Gesserit have grown tall over the generations. The Wise Women are credited with writing the Azhar Book, a holy text in four volumes second only to the OCB in importance.

The Missionaria Protectiva left Volod before they had finished their work. Why is not recorded in the archives of the Bene Gesserit. This is why the teachings and practices of the Daughters of the Wise Women are incomplete.

Orange Catholicism

The official religion of the continent is Orange Catholicism. Every child is obliged to study the Orange Catholic Bible. Every household is obliged to own a copy.

Divination is considered an affront against god. As such, it is banned. The Council of Exarchs has sufficient influence over House Melech to have all forms of divination made illegal as well as many of its tools. Not only are Tarot cards illegal in Basat but also ordinary playing cards. An attempt was made to have coins minted lacking a head and tail preventing their use for the I Ching. This failed as the Melechs wanted their likenesses on their currency.

Hierarchy

Patriarch - the head of Basat's church answerable only to god. The vast majority were male but a few exceptional women became Matriarchs.
Exarch - the highest ranking officials in Basat's Orange Catholic church. They meet at the Council of Exarchs (which also includes the Mother of the Daughters of the Wise Women and the Commissar-General of the Commissariat Chaplaincy).
Ethnarch
Eparch
Minister - the rank and file preachers who minister to the faithful. Their activities are monitored by Commissar-Chaplains.

Council of Exarchs

The Council of Exarchs, led by the Patriarch, is the highest religious authority in Basat. It is the council which chooses the new Patriarch after the previous one dies or, more rarely, steps down.

Daughters of the Wise Women

The Daughters are the successors of the Bene Gesserit of the Missionaria Protectiva who visited Volod many centuries ago. Unlike the Bene Gesserit, these women comprise a true religious order. They preach the OCB, study the Azhar Book (the publicly available four-volume version), and preach about and prepare for the prophesised liberator of Volod. Only women of the female sex are eligible for membership.

The daughters venerate God in the form of the Great Mother. They recognise both the light and dark sides of their goddess.

The leader of the order is referred to as Mother, while the rank and file are Sisters. The Mother is answerable only to the Balat's Patriarch. A few rare Mothers have attained the rank of Matriarch.

The sisterhood generates much tension with Pozemskory with its prophesies of overthrowing Perko rule. House Perko's response, in the past, was to assassinate particularly vocal Mothers and senior sisters. This policy further radicalised the Daughters. The order is outlawed in continental Pozemskory (though not in Bielemest, which comes under Harkonnen law). If a Daughter is discovered there, she is put to death.

Spice is considered holy by the sisterhood and as a gift from God. However, the amount they manage to get from House Perko falls short of their needs. It is difficult for the Daughters to get off world because Volod's primary spaceport is located on the continent of Pozemskory, where the sisterhood is banned. The Daughters want to spread their influence to the rest of Volod and to open up potential new sources of spice. They have no direct access to the Spacing Guild.

As the successors of the Wise Women, the Daughters are considered to be immune to heresy and, therefore, fall outside of the jurisdiction of the Commissariat Chaplaincy.

Much has been lost over the years, including the knowledge on how to create reverend mothers.

Hierarchy

Mother - the head of the order who answers only to the Patriarch and attends the Council of Exarchs.
Sister - the rank and file of the sisterhood. Sisters are assigned duties and gain a title denoting their roles. There is a sub-hierarchy within the sisters that not even most of the sisters understand.
Appellant - a young woman apprenticed to a sister. Appellants are not considered to be full members of the Daughters of the Wise Women.

Commissariat Chaplaincy

The Commissariat Chaplaincy combats heresy and apostasy. It is dominantly male but has no gender or sex restrictions for membership. It is under the direct control of the Patriarch.

Officially, they seek to correct and prevent the general populace falling into error, with guidance. They have a duty of care towards their charges. In reality, corruption runs rife. Chaplains are known to abuse their position to persecute people they don't like. A minority take bribes to investigate innocent people. House Perko and the Patriarch choose to cover up the Commissariat's corruption rather than combat it.

The Emperor's Tithe

Those committed of political and religious crimes are locked up in high security prisons. There, they are treated well. This is not out of compassion or altruism but to maximise the number of healthy individuals who are taken as part of the Emperor's Tithe. This serves the dual purpose of ridding the continent of undesirables and of currying favour with the Imperial court. This has yet to lead to Imperial intervention in Melech's claim to hegemony over Volod, but this has done nothing to diminish the zeal of those who manage the Tithe.

At irregular intervals, a carrier comes to transport the Tithe to Salusa Secundus. No one in Basat learns the fate of those shipped to the Imperial prison planet. It is unknown how many Sardaukar have a lineage going back to Volod.

The Emperor's Tithe has led to Melech gaining a quota of melange by Imperial decree, much to the chagrin of House Perko.

Hierarchy

Commissar-General - the head of the order who answers only to the Patriarch and attends the Council of Exarchs.
Lord Commissar - senior commissars who report to the commissar-general and co-ordinate the work of the chaplaincy within their diocese. A Lord Commissar acts as Arbitrator for the most serious offences, for example, the creation of a thinking machine or violation of the commandment, "thou shalt not disfigure the soul". They see to it that the Emperor's Tithe is well subscribed.
Chancellor - a senior commissar who oversees the activities of the chaplaincy and is responsible for much of the administration of the order.
Arbitrator - a judge who oversees serious crimes. They have quotas for the Emperor's Tithe and oversee the Commissar-Chaplains under them.
Commissar-Chaplain - the rank and file of the chaplaincy who do its work. They monitor the activities of ministers and watch over the citizenry. The preside over minor transgressions.
Acolyte - a neophyte graduate who is apprenticed to a commissar-chaplain.
Neophyte - a new recruit to the chaplaincy undergoing religious education.
Acolytes and neophytes are collectively known as novices.

Transgressors may find themselves in an ecclesiastical court. For lesser offences and complaints, this may be a tribunal presided over by a Commissar-Chaplain. More serious offences come up before a Arbitrator. Anyone found guilty of practising Ecclesiastic Qabbalism is sentenced to the Imperial Tithe.

Ecclesiastic Qabbalism

For many years, a minority of people followed Ecclesiastic Qabbalism. They came into conflict with the dominant Orange Catholics. This came to a head when the Heresy War broke out. The Orange Catholics fought a war of annihilation against the Qabbalists. The Qabbalists either died, fled or converted to Orange Catholicism. The religion was declared heresy and outlawed in Basat. No one openly practices Ecclesiastic Qabbalism in Basat any more.

The Qabbalists were against organised religion and sought to find understanding of God through qabbalistic theory. They rejected the teachings and prophecies of the Wise Women and by extension, the Bene Gesserit. The Coming of a messiah-figure to liberate Basat from the domination of House Perko was dismissed as false prophecy.

Qabbalists seek to understand the relationship between the immortal and infinite God, and its creation, the entropic and mortal Universe. (There is much debate over whether the Universe is finite or infinite.) Most Qabbalists reject the Orange Catholic Bible as a corruption of the religious texts on which it was based.

Some ecclesiastic qabbalists try to reach God through various means. Divination using many different methods is common. Though some decry the practice claiming that the will of God cannot gleaned through such mundanity. After the ecclesiastic qabbalists were expunged from Basat during the Heresy War, divination was banned in Basat.

Hierarchy

There is no hierarchy within the doctrine of Ecclesiastic Qabbalism.  Each adherent finds his or her personal relationship with god. They refer to themselves as the righteous people (Zadikim in Semic). Critics of EQ claim that there are as many different versions of this religion as there are adherents. A claim that is not without merit.

"There are infinite ways of knowing the Infinite."

School of Aramoy

It is a famous and prestigious (on Volod at least) medical school with a reputation for producing the finest doctors in the world.

The school is a town in its own right. Everyone who lives there is either studying, teaching, practicing or supporting those who are. The school is known for its education of doctors and nurses, but it also teaches related fields such as pharmacology and other support functions of the medical industry.

Graduates earn the right to use the title "Physician".

Dopin-Nam sells pharmaceuticals to Aramoy. It is its largest supplier.

Naming Conventions

A patronymic or matronymic maybe formed by placing the syllable "Bar-" or "Ben-" (son of), or "Bas-" or "Bat-" (daughter of) before a name.

Example Female Given Names

Ariel, Avigail, Deborah, Dorrit, Elisheva, Elke, Hannah, Mary, Miriam, Rachel, Rebecca, Ruth, Sarah, Sharon, Shayna, Suri, Tabitha, Zelda

Example Male Given Names

Aaron, Abraham, Adam, Ariel, Daniel, Eli, Enoch, Hiram, Ichabod, Isaac, Jamin, Jeremiah, Joel, John, Jonas, Jonathon, Joseph, Joshua, Levi, Sender, Simon, Solomon, Tolemei, Yankel

Example Surnames

Afek, Agmon, Allon, Arad, Arazi, Asael, Avidan, Avishai, Avram, Banai, Barak, Barkin, Chagrin, Cohen, Dahan, Dayan, Efron, Eliad, Ephron, Ezekial, Farkash, Gadot, Geffen, Gershon, Gorion, Gozal, Hadas, Harmatz, Haviv, Hazzan, Helon, Ismaël, Joachim, Kenan, Kishon, Levi, Lotan, Luzon, Malamed, Malkin, Malmuth, Margolis, Medan, Narkis, Netanyahu, Osher, Poraz, Pundak, Rabin, Rimon, Rohal, Sapir, Shabat, Shaham, Sharon, Sinai