Scytale (Dune)

Scytale is a fictional character in the "Dune" universe created by Frank Herbert. In the novel "Dune Messiah", Scytale is a Tleilaxu Face Dancer who participates in the conspiracy to topple the rule of Paul Atreides. He later returns as a ghola and Tleilaxu Master in "Heretics of Dune" and "Chapterhouse Dune". Finally, Scytale's story continues in "Hunters of Dune" and "Sandworms of Dune", Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson's sequel novels that complete Frank Herbert's original series.

The character is portrayed by Martin McDougall in the 2003 miniseries "Frank Herbert's Children of Dune".

"Dune Messiah"

In "Dune Messiah" Tleilaxu Face Dancer Scytale is involved with the Guild Navigator Edric, Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam, and Princess Irulan Corrino, consort of Emperor Paul Atreides (Muad'Dib), in a plot to assassinate and later force Paul to abdicate his throne and renounce his Qizarate religion. Scytale is arguably the smartest conspirator.

Scytale kills and assumes the appearance of Otheym's daughter Lichna of Berk al Dib in order to gain entrance to the Atreides Keep at Arrakeen and lure Paul out to Otheym's house where the conspirators had planted a nuclear weapon called a stone burner. The attack fails to kill Paul, but the atomic blast blinds him.

Soon after, Scytale makes an attempt to force Paul's allegiance. As the Tleilaxu ghola of Duncan Idaho has just gained the memories of his progenitor — who died in the Atreides-Harkonnen feud — Scytale has proven that the Tleilaxu can resurrect a human being. Thus, he offers Paul a ghola of his concubine Chani, who has just died giving birth to Leto II and Ghanima. Though the ghola will of course be under the control of the Tleilaxu, they will return Paul's dead love to him. Scytale holds a knife over the newborn twins; unless Paul accepts, he will kill them instantly. Paul instead kills Scytale with a thrown crysknife, guided by a prescient vision sent by his infant son.

Due to his blindness, Paul relinquishes his throne in keeping with Fremen tradition which dictates that a blind person is a burden and should be left to die in the desert. Fulfilling the demands of tradition, particularly because not doing so would alienate the Fremen who are a powerful support base for his government, Paul wanders into the desert alone to die. However, circumstances only further cement the Atreides claim on the Empire for his children.

"Heretics of Dune"

Scytale reappears in "Heretics of Dune" as a Master, one of Tleilaxu leader Waff's nine councillors:

Every one of them here had been wakened time after time in ghola flesh. There was a fleshly continuity in this Council that no other people had ever achieved. Mirlat himself had seen the Prophet with his own eyes. Scytale had spoken to Muad'dib!

After learning how to restore a ghola's memories in "Dune Messiah", the Tleilaxu Masters use this knowledge as a form of immortality. The implication of Scytale's return is that a Face Dancer can become a Master, though Herbert never explains this further.

"Chapterhouse Dune"

In "Chapterhouse Dune", the Honored Matres destroy the Bene Tleilax worlds and Rakis in retaliation for the Tleilaxu role in programming the latest Duncan Idaho ghola with knowledge of how to sexually enslave Honored Matres. Scytale barely escapes the attack while leaving his homeworld and is picked up and held prisoner by the Bene Gesserit and kept in the no-ship which also holds Duncan and the last remaining sandworm from Dune.

Bene Gesserit leader Darwi Odrade notes that "Scytale admits to memories of Muad'Dib's times."

Scytale's secret bargaining chips are secret knowledge of creating artificial spice, and a nullentropy capsule containing cells carefully and secretly collected by the Tleilaxu for millennia:

Scytale rubbed his breast, reminding himself of what was hidden there with such skill that not even a scar marked the place. Each Master had carried this resource — a nullentropy capsule preserving the seed cells of a multitude: fellow Masters of the central kehl, Face Dancers, technical specialists and others he knew would be attractive to the women of Shaitan . . . and to many weakling "powindah"! Paul Atreides and his beloved Chani were there. (Oh what that had cost in searching garments of the dead for random cells!) The original Duncan Idaho was there with other Atreides minions — the Mentat Thufir Hawat, Gurney Halleck, the Fremen Naib Stilgar . . . enough potential servants and slaves to people a Tleilaxu universe.

The prize of prizes in the nullentropy tube, the ones he longed to bring into existence, made him catch his breath when he thought of them. Perfect Face Dancers! Perfect mimics. Perfect recorders of a victim's persona. Capable of deceiving even the witches of the Bene Gesserit. Not even shere could prevent them from capturing the mind of another.

The tube he thought of as his ultimate bargaining power. No one must know of it.

There is no indication in the text that this "reincarnated" Scytale possesses any of the Face Dancer abilities of his "Dune Messiah" incarnation.

"Hunters of Dune"

In "Hunters of Dune", Scytale remains a prisoner on the no-ship (now named the "Ithaca" by its passengers), which has escaped the Bene Gesserit planet Chapterhouse and wanders in deep space. He is desperate; the Tleilaxu sustain their lives indefinitely through the use of gholas; his current body is slowly dying, and he does not have another to replace it. Needing to grow a new ghola of himself, his only bargaining tool is the secret nullentropy capsule.

It is noted that other cells in Scytale's possession include those of Duke Leto Atreides, Lady Jessica, Leto II and other legendary figures dating back to Serena Butler and Xavier Harkonnen from the Butlerian Jihad. The Bene Gesserit have a vicious debate over whether to create gholas of any of these historical figures. Sheeana believes they may prove useful, while others fear the return of such 'mistakes' as Leto II. Despite the controversy, gholas are created, a few at a time. Scytale is allowed to have his own once the first few have been born.