Who is Bene Gesserit?

A secular Sisterhood that makes use of religion for its own ends, the Sisterhood has for millennia manipulated human genetics, less to insure the survival of the species than its own survival. Novices undergo years of physical and intellectual training, at the end of which the most adept are administered the potentially deadly "spice ordeal" using melange. Those who survive become full Reverend Mothers to whom "Other Memories" are opened, allowing them to consult Reverend Mothers back to the start of time. The Bene Gesserit is organized as a monarchy, with the Reverend Mother Superior accepting advice from a council, but then making definitive, binding decisions. The current Mother Superior is Alma Mavis Taraza, who reigns on Chapter House Planet. An unorthodox offshoot of the Bene Gesserit calling itself "Honored Matres," but referred to by Bene Gesserit sisters scornfully as "whores," are searching for the Sisterhood's headquarters, hoping to eliminate the Bene Gesserit.