Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar · Character
La
High Priestess of the Flaming God, she would plunge a knife into Tarzan's heart or press her lips to his shoulder within the same hour.
major
Also known as La of Opar, Death La, the High Priestess
First appearance: iii the call of the jungle
As a major figure in Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar, La is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
High Priestess of Opar, prepares to sacrifice Werper but is interrupted by a lion.
La rules Opar's fanatic priests and its bloodstained altar, but her authority dissolves the moment the ape-man refuses her: she offers him godhood, slaves, and her love, and he pushes her aside with a sentence. Her rage summons the Guardian Priests to wash the temple in blood, and her love follows him into the jungle where she clings to his back through the treetops. A creature of contradiction — cruel and tender, vengeful and forgiving — she is the novel's engine of jealousy, and her obsession with Tarzan threatens everyone who travels with him.
Free preview opens at this moment — character cards, Character Web, and themes sit beside the text as you read.
Character Web
15 connectionsA slice of how La sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.
Relationship types
- Psychological
- Rivalry
- Other
Character groups
- Human antagonists and allies
- Protagonist
- Jungle creatures and minor figures
+10 more in the full Character Web
Open in readerNarrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
La’s unprecedented departure from Opar and her pursuit of Tarzan with fifty priests marks the emotional and ps…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingRelationships
- Tarzan
psychological · ambivalent
La, the high priestess of Opar, is obsessively in love with Tarzan and struggles between… How this plays out →
- Albert Werper
psychological · negative
- Jane Clayton
rivalry · negative
- Achmet Zek
professional · negative
- Tarzan
psychological · ambivalent
La, the high priestess of Opar, is obsessively in love with Tarzan and struggles between… How this plays out →
- Tarzan
psychological · ambivalent
La, the high priestess of Opar, is obsessively in love with Tarzan and struggles between… How this plays out →
- Albert Werper
psychological · negative
- Jane Clayton
rivalry · negative
- Jane Clayton
rivalry · negative
- Albert Werper
psychological · negative
Relationship notes
How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.
See La in iii the call of the jungleIn the story
La appears across 6 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
- The Altar of the Flaming God
- VII: The Jewel-Room of Opar
- The Escape from Opar
- La Seeks Vengeance
- XIII: Condemned to Torture and Death
- A Priestess but Yet a Woman
Chapter companion notes
Spoil-light check-ins for La unlock in the free preview.
See La in iii the call of the jungle