Tleilaxu

Tleilaxu
File:Tleilaxu.png

The Tleilaxu are a House that specializes in gene sequencing and other biological products.

Lore

The Bene Tleilax are strict followers of an ideology derived from Zensunni and specialize in genetic alterations and other biological products. Inhabitants of the planet Tleilax, they are a very secretive sect due to a common revulsion of their ideology by most cultures spanning the universe. Despite this revulsion they are widely known for their skills in genetic engineering and alteration even going as far as to deal in dead flesh. They have a male dominated hierarchy. Being the counterpoint to the Bene Gesserit's extreme female domination in their own hierarchy. In fact, females in the Bene Tleilax are little more than incubation vessels. These incubation vessels, called Axlotl tanks, bred all the Tleilaxu. They have also been used to produce Gholas and Face Dancers.

One of their earlies creations was a food source named Slig, a cross between and a slug and a pig. It is widely consumed across the empire and sold by the Tleilaxu. Its production and refinement are kept secret because the creature itself is repugnant beyond measure being described as having multiple mouths with a terrible odor that eats garbage. Another creation that has brought them great wealth is the Ghola which is a clone of a deceased person.

Tleilaxu are separated (primarily) into Tleilaxu Masters and Face Dancers. Masters being the elite caste of the Tleilaxu who physically were similar to any normal human. They are generally shorter in stature then a normal human, in cases even being described as "child-like". A few even had oddly sharp teeth and metallic grey skin. Face Dancers were a lower caste of sterile workers, fighters, spies, assassins, and entertainment. They possess the unique ability to replicate the appearance, voice, and personality of other humans. This is also where their name comes from as their features appear to dance when their bodies are re-configuring their flesh and bone. Specifically, their face being the most prominent example of this term turned name. Though this was also a massive weakness as these mimics, could over time, believe they were the individual they were mimicking. This would lead to a loss of control over the Face Dancer.

Throughout the rule of Paul Atreides and then his son Leto II the Tleilaxu worked on and off with their family and at times even tried to assassinate the Atreides rule.

In-Game

There are several instances in the Dune: Awakening story where the player is faced with Tleilaxu plots or Face Dancers, particularly in the main story line.

The Reverend Mother you meet at the start is a Tleilaxu Face Dancer and at the end of the first story part you meet the Face Dancer again and it their plot is revealed along with other details such as that you, the player are in-fact a Ghola with pre-conditioning to follow their commands.

There is a Face Dancer that takes on the appearance of Esmar Tuek later in chapter 3.