Lyra, a young girl residing in Jordan, a fictional Oxford college predominantly inhabited by adult male scholars, faces a significant challenge when she finds herself involved in a mysterious quest for a substance known as "dust." She first learns about this substance while she and her daemon, a physical manifestation of her soul, are secretly listening to a meeting between the scholars and a renowned explorer. Lord Asriel, a familiar figure to Lyra due to his previous visits to the college and casual interest in her upbringing, needs to be saved from the Master of the college. Lyra witnesses the Master attempting to poison Lord Asriel, warns him, and subsequently gains his trust. His remarks spark her curiosity about various subjects, including the church and her own background, which she had previously accepted without question. As more children begin to vanish at the hands of the mysterious Oblation Board, Lyra's curiosity deepens. When her friend Roger is among the abducted children, she is driven to take action. She then discovers that Lord Asriel is her father and is being held captive in the North. Determined to rescue him, she sets out on a journey with a group of river-gypsies called "gyptians," who are also searching for their missing children. Throughout her adventure, Lyra forms alliances with a bear, witches, and other unexpected characters. Though she manages to save many of the kidnapped children, she is unable to save her friend Roger before he is killed. The story concludes with Lyra witnessing Lord Asriel entering a parallel world through a portal he created by "severing" her young friend. She follows him, but this is where this part of the story ends, to continue in The Subtle Knife and conclude in The Amber Spyglass.