The Journey to Svalbard

Lore & Background

Lyra tricks Iofur into fighting Iorek, who arrives with Roger to rescue her. Iorek kills Iofur and regains his place as the rightful king. Lyra, Iorek and Roger continue onwards to where Asriel has continued his Dust research in exile. Asriel tells Lyra all he knows of Dust, then severs Roger from his dæmon, killing him and releasing an enormous amount of energy that tears a hole in the Northern Lights into a parallel universe. Lyra and Pantalaimon also pass through the opening in the sky.

Reader's Guide

Armoured bears do not have dæmons; an armoured bear's armour is his soul. In Lyra's world, Svalbard is the location of the panserbjørne palace and the centre of the ice bear government. Asriel had been exiled there, guarded by the bears, and it is there that he tells Lyra the Church believes Dust is the basis of sin.

Did You Know?

• Bears are very difficult to deceive; Iofur Raknison's gullibility is attributed to his failing to act like a bear.
• Serafina Pekkala's dæmon, Kaisa, is a snow goose who can move separately from her over long distances, a quality that only witches' dæmons possess innately.