the spellbinder world is governed by a council of three regents who reside in the spellbinder castle. the regents are indifferent to the plight of the people outside their castle, enforce a very rigid code of laws designed to protect their power over the land, and ultimately are reluctant to believe paul's claims about where he comes from. they imprison anyone who discovers or applies the principles of science, such as zander, a native boy who makes a toy that can fly. the basis of their power over the people is their technology, and they are ruthless in their desire to prevent anyone else from understanding it. people who are exiled to the wastelands are sometimes saved by, and then join, the group of raiders known as marauders.