Wallach IX

Lore & Background

Wallach IX is the homeworld of the Sisterhood, the order that will eventually become the Bene Gesserit. The planet houses the Sisterhood School, where young acolytes like Lila are raised with no knowledge of their biological families, so as to emphasize the importance of the Sisterhood in their lives. The school is where the dangerous Agony ritual is performed, as seen when Lila is administered the deadly Rossak poison to unlock her Other Memory and access the consciousness of Raquella Berto-Anirul, the founder of the Sisterhood. The planet is also where Tula Harkonnen keeps a secret thinking machine-powered life-support machine, named Anirul, to repair Lila's damaged brain after the ritual fails. The Sisterhood's plans for humanity are directed from Wallach IX, and it is from here that Mother Superior Valya Harkonnen faces threats to those plans.

In Their Own Story

On Wallach IX, the Sisterhood School is a place of intense training and hidden agendas. Lila, the youngest acolyte, is the favorite pupil of Tula Harkonnen. While Mother Superior Valya describes her as "a lamb lost in the woods", Tula notes that Lila is a "true empath" who needs to be nurtured, and that "given her lineage, she will be a natural born Truthsayer." In "Two Wolves", Lila is revealed to be the great-great-granddaughter of Raquella Berto-Anirul. Desperate for more information about a dangerous prophecy, Valya instructs a reluctant Tula to put Lila through the dangerous Agony ritual. Though scared, Lila consents. She is administered the deadly Rossak poison, which she is able to render harmless using her control of her internal chemistry. The genetic memories of her maternal ancestors are unlocked, and Raquella speaks through her. However, the consciousness of Lila's grandmother Dorotea, bitter that Valya forced her to commit suicide, overwhelms Lila, who appears to die. In "Sisterhood Above All", Tula is devastated by Lila's failure, and has been keeping the brain-dead girl alive against protocol. She eventually allows the other acolytes to say their goodbyes, and appears to euthanize her. However, with Valya away at the capital, Tula connects Lila to a secret thinking machine-powered life-support machine, demanding that the artificial intelligence, named Anirul, begins using the spice to repair Lila's damaged brain.

Reader's Guide

Wallach IX is the central location for the Sisterhood in the series. It is the homeworld of the order and the site of their school, where acolytes are trained. The planet is crucial for understanding the Sisterhood's operations and their plans for humanity. Key events on Wallach IX include Lila's Agony ritual, which reveals the dangers of accessing Other Memory and the internal conflicts within the Sisterhood's history. The planet also houses the secret thinking machine Anirul, which Tula Harkonnen uses in a desperate attempt to save Lila. For viewers, Wallach IX represents the hidden power of the Sisterhood, a place where the future is shaped through genetic manipulation, political maneuvering, and dangerous rituals. It is a world of secrets, where even the youngest acolyte may hold the key to the Sisterhood's destiny.

Did You Know?

• Wallach IX is the homeworld of the Sisterhood, the order that will eventually become the Bene Gesserit.
• The Sisterhood School on Wallach IX raises acolytes with no knowledge of their biological families.
• Lila, the youngest acolyte, is the great-great-granddaughter of Raquella Berto-Anirul, the founder of the Sisterhood.
• The Agony ritual, involving the deadly Rossak poison, is performed on Wallach IX to unlock Other Memory.
• Tula Harkonnen secretly uses a thinking machine named Anirul on Wallach IX to try to save Lila's life.