Lord Asriel's Campaign

A father's war for freedom that nearly shattered the multiverse.

Lord Asriel's Campaign represents a direct, armed rebellion against the Magisterium, orchestrated by the fierce aristocrat and scholar Lord Asriel. In a lecture at Jordan College he showed photograms of Dust and a city in the sky, as well as a severed head that he said was Stanislaus Grumman's, and he later sought to open a window in the aurora using the energy generated by intercision. He traveled to Svalbard, where he was imprisoned by the bear warriors (panserbjørne) led by Iofur Raknison, before eventually allying with rebel angels under Xaphania in Cittàgazze. On an empty world, Asriel constructed a massive basalt fortress, gathering armies from many different worlds to wage war against the Kingdom of Heaven and challenge the Authority.

Quick Facts

Leader: Lord Asriel
Primary antagonist: The Authority and Metatron (Regent of the Authority)
Key resource: Energy generated by intercision (detaching a child's dæmon)
Major base: An enormous basalt fortress on an empty world
Outcome: Metatron, Lord Asriel, and Mrs Coulter fall into the abyss for eternity

Lore & Background

After losing all property following a trial, he transformed from an explorer into a military leader. His strategy relied on the energy released by severing children from their dæmons; specifically, he waited for Roger Parslow, who had been unwittingly brought by Lyra, to perform this act. Asriel used the resulting energy to open a window in the aurora, allowing him to travel between worlds. He allied with Ruta Skadi and her clan, securing their support for the war. His forces included King Ogunwe and Lord Roke, whom he tasked with rescuing Lyra from Mrs Coulter. The campaign escalated as Asriel built his basalt fortress on an empty world, gathering diverse armies to confront the Authority's powerful Regent, Metatron.

Reader's Guide

The campaign begins with Asriel's lecture at Jordan College, where he displayed photograms of Dust and a city in the sky. He then traveled to Svalbard, where he was imprisoned and guarded by the panserbjørne under Iofur Raknison while waiting for a child on whom to perform intercision. The pivotal moment occurred when Asriel used the energy from Roger's intercision to open an aurora window, enabling travel to Cittàgazze and alliance with Xaphania.

Following this, he established his basalt fortress on an empty world. The campaign culminated in a massive confrontation where Asriel's forces fought the armies of the Authority and the Church. During the final engagement at the edge of the abyss, Mrs Coulter tricked Metatron into attacking Asriel and taking Lyra's dæmon. As they stood on the precipice, both parents sacrificed themselves, falling into the abyss to take Metatron with them, condemning all three to fall eternally.

Did You Know?

Lord Asriel was a fellow of Jordan College in his world's version of Exeter College, Oxford.
Lord Asriel destroyed Saint-Jean Les Eaux with an 'Intention Craft' after learning it contained a bomb meant for Lyra.
Asriel's dæmon is named Stelmaria, a snow leopard.