Stone burner
blinding atomic weapon
A stone burner was a particularly destructive weapon that released J-rays to dissolve eye tissue and blind every creature within its radius, while also capable of immense physical destruction. Powered by an atomic charge yet legally distinct from atomics, it was the weapon used to blind Emperor Paul Atreides.
The stone burner was a particularly destructive weapon capable of performing one of two tasks. Its first function was to release massive amounts of J-rays, a form of radiation that dissolved eye tissue and thereby blinded every creature within a certain radius. Its second was the general destruction of property. Powered by an atomic charge but classed apart from atomics, the stone burner was the weapon used in the attack that blinded Emperor Paul Atreides and his Fedaykin. (Dune Messiah)
Function and technical description#
A stone burner could carry out one of two tasks. The first was the release of massive amounts of J-rays, a type of radiation that dissolved eye tissue and blinded all creatures within a certain radius. The second was general destruction of property. Once activated, the device set off an explosion that arced straight up and down. Its explosive yield depended both on those who set up the device and on the size of its power source. Should its operators wish it, a stone burner could explode down to the core of a planet, and the resulting sudden release of the world's inner magma would tear the planet apart. (Dune Messiah)
Legal status#
Despite its power, the stone burner was not considered an atomic weapon, though its fuel source was atomic. The device worked by first detonating an atomic within itself and then collecting that energy to use for its other destructive tasks. Under the Great Convention, only Great Houses were permitted to possess atomics. As a consequence, a party outside a Great House could legally own a stone burner but could not possess its fuel. The Convention also forbade the use of weapons of mass destruction such as atomics and stone burners against humans directly, but there were occasions when the prohibition was circumvented or simply disobeyed. (Dune Messiah)
Notable uses#
Emperor Paul Atreides was blinded by a stone burner set off by the conspirators against him in the suburbs of Arrakeen, and many of his Fedaykin lost their eyes with him, though Paul went on seeing through his prescience. Earlier, during Muad'Dib's Jihad, when the Fremen were attacking Naraj, the defenders of Naraj employed a stone burner to blind the attacking Fremen rather than to kill them. The legality of that action remained vague at best; the veteran Farok's son was among the Fremen blinded there. (Dune Messiah)
Frequently asked questions
- What is a stone burner in Dune?
- A stone burner was a particularly destructive weapon capable of performing one of two tasks. Its first function was to release massive amounts of J-rays, a form of radiation that dissolved eye tissue and blinded every creature within a certain radius, and its second was the general destruction of property.
- Was a stone burner considered an atomic weapon?
- Despite running on an atomic charge, the stone burner was not considered an atomic weapon. It worked by first detonating an atomic within itself and then collecting that energy for its other destructive tasks, so a party outside a Great House could legally own a stone burner but could not possess its fuel.
- How was Paul Atreides blinded?
- Emperor Paul Atreides was blinded by a stone burner set off by conspirators in the Arrakeen suburbs. The blast destroyed his eyes and those of many of his men, though Paul went on seeing through his prescience.
- What could a large stone burner do to a planet?
- Once activated, a stone burner set off an explosion that arced straight up and down, with a yield depending on those who set it up and the size of its power source. Should its operators wish it, a stone burner could explode down to the core of a planet, and the resulting sudden release of the world's inner magma would tear the planet apart.
- Did anyone besides Paul's attackers use a stone burner?
- During Muad'Dib's Jihad the defenders of Naraj employed a stone burner to blind the attacking Fremen rather than to kill them. The legality of that action remained vague at best, since the Great Convention forbade using such weapons against humans directly.
Sources
- BookDune Messiah, Frank Herbert, G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1969
Spotted a factual error or a primary source we missed? Email a correction. Every flagged claim gets reviewed.
Followed from this entry
Why Did Paul Atreides Blind Himself?
Paul didn't blind himself. Conspirators blinded him with a stone burner in Dune Messiah, in a trap he saw coming and walked into anyway. What he did choose was to walk into the desert afterwards, as Fremen law asks of the blind.
Fedaykin
The Fedaykin were Fremen fighters of Arrakis, first the guerrillas of the Arrakis Revolt and then the personal death commandos of Paul Muad'Dib. By the time of his children they had become the elite of the Jihad army, before Alia Atreides dissolved them and the word returned to its old meaning.
Fremen
The Fremen were a culture of humans descended from the Zensunni Wanderers who made the desert planet Arrakis their home. Hardened by water scarcity and generations of persecution, they became the finest fighters in the Known Universe and the foot soldiers of Paul Atreides and his jihad.
Great Convention
The Great Convention was the universal truce of the Imperium, held in place by the balance of power between the Spacing Guild, the Great Houses and the Imperium. Its chief law forbade the use of atomics against human targets, and its rules governed Kanly and the War of Assassins.
Paul Atreides
Paul Atreides was the last Duke of House Atreides and the prophet Muad'Dib of the Fremen. The long-awaited Kwisatz Haderach of the Bene Gesserit, he toppled Emperor Shaddam IV, founded the Atreides Empire, and unleashed a jihad across the Known Universe before walking blind into the desert.
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