History Literature / GreenSkyTrilogy

* HiddenMechanic: The game is loaded with these, none of which are explained in the manual, but make perfect sense if you read the books. {{NPC}}s could treat your character very differently, based on selection of avatar, something now taken for granted in role playing games, but nearly unheard of in 1984. Also, Kindar characters got little nutrition and took a hit to their spirit stat if they ate meat, but Erdlings were not affected. Erdling characters got hit much harder by wissenberrie, the narcotic berry that Kindar developed a tolerance for. There was also an UnwinnableByDesign mechanic where using the Wand of Befal (machete) against a living being made your spirit stat decrease ''permanently.''

* HiddenMechanic: The game is loaded with these, none of which are explained in the manual, but make perfect sense if you read the books. NPCs could treat your character very differently, based on selection of avatar (something now taken for granted in role playing games. Also, Kindar characters got little nutrition and took a hit to their spirit stat if they ate meat, but Erdlings were not affected. Erdling characters got hit much harder by wissenberries (a narcotic berry that Kindar developed a tolerance for). There was also an UnwinnableByDesign mechanic where using the Wand of Befal (machete) against a living being made your spirit stat decrease ''permanently.''

* NotQuiteFlight: The planet's gravity is light enough that it's possible to glide by wearing a garment called a ''shuba'' (a bodysuit with built-in artificial patagia).

Protagonist Raamo is a young Kindar who is elevated to the ranks of this elite priesthood, keepers of the ancient secrets. A fellow Ol-zhaan confides his accidental discovery of an inner circle, the ones responsible for exiling the Erdlings. Things get shaken up even more when an Erdling named Teera escapes and is discovered by Raamo and his friend, and becomes [=BFFs=] with Raamo's IllGirl sister Pomma, subsequently triggering massive upheaval in both societies.

* TheGameOfTheBook: Came out in 1984 and is probably the oldest example of this trope being used as a {{canon}}ical sequel for a book.

* HiMom: In the midst of the Choosing Celebration, Raamo's first thought is of his family in the massive crowd, and he sends them a telepathic greeting. In fact, it's significant, because Neric picks it up and "chooses" him also, to help with his own investigation.

* SequenceBreaking: In the game, there are various hostile NPC encounters who will "kidnap" your character and imprison them in an otherwise inaccessible house. They're fairly easy to escape with a trencher beak (if you don't have the Temple Key or telekenesis), or the "wand of Befal" (machete). The "wand" is in the Nekom house. A strength booster is in the Salaat house. Since you lose no time by being captured and the houses are near useful spots in the game (base of Star Grund and top of Broad Grund), queue speed runs using being "captured" as a form of rapid transit.

* EarWorm: The Answer Song. Its irregular rhythm, WordSalad lyrics and goofy melody delight children and drive Raamo crazy. [[spoiler: Raamo, asked to meditate and reach out for psychic clues, can't stop singing it. There's a clear implication that he is picking up a message from the late founder D'ol Nesh-om. Because only the Kindar have the song, Nesh-om may even have written it before his untimely demise.]]

* CallARabbitASmeerp: A rabbit is a ''lapan'', a monkey is a ''sima'' and at the very end D'ol Falla says "we should all be the ''Zhaan'', the people" (''les gens''). Snyder simply says they are descendants of a colony from another world, but it's pretty clear that world is Earth and the colonists were primarily German and French. There is a bit of Hebrew in the mix as well, with people named Neshom ("soul"), Teera ("enclosed") and Kanna (Chana, "beautiful"). She does a fairly good job of demonstrating linguistic drift over many centuries.

* NotSoDifferent

Historically, some Kindar and a few of the scientist leaders -- including the ones who created the entire complex structure of Kindar society -- believed the kids should be brought up so that when they're old enough to handle it, they would be told about their history and what violence is, so that they will want to avoid it. After a debate, these mavericks were trapped BeneathTheEarth, and became the first Erdlings, while the leader of the dissident scientists suddenly died (hey, nothing suspicious about that, right?). Today, however, the Kindar are taught that the underground caverns are inhabited by ''Pash-shan''[[note]]say it fast, accent on first syllable[[/note]] monsters who steal and enslave (or eat) Kindar, especially orchard workers and children who fall out of the trees. The only ones who know the history are the Ol-zhaan -- leaders, counselors, healers, judges and priests -- who are believed to have infinitely superior wisdom and Spirit power.

* GrowingUpSucks: Former generations kept inborn PsychicPowers into adulthood, but by the time of the story most children lose them at six or even earlier. Everybody goes around wondering why the kids are losing their ESP so young. It didn't used to be this way, did it? Have another Berry and don't worry about it. The Ol-zhaan will figure it out, right? But even they haven't made the connection (or maybe some of them have) that the ESP goes off just about the time kids start eating a lot of Berries to suppress illegal "unjoyful" emotions. They also learn ''mindblocking'' to protect others from said emotions.
* HappinessIsMandatory: Unless you like living in caves for the rest of your life. In the back-story anyway -- by the time of the novels every non-conformer had been long since weeded out.
** One of the first things we learn, though, is that more and more Kindar are being "taken by the Pash-shan". Genaa's dad is "taken" while investigating the disappearances.
* HiMom: At the moment of his Elevation, Raamo doesn't feel any different. Instead, his first thought is of his family in the massive crowd, and he sends them a telepathic greeting. In fact, it's significant, because Neric picks it up and realizes Raamo is unchanged by his Year of Honor and all the worship and adulation.

* TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior: Pomma is approximately eight years old and addicted to psychotropic berries. Nobody other than Raamo seems massively concerned by this.

* FreedomFromChoice: The Kindar have their future professions decided for them when they finish their formal education at the age of 13.

AfterTheEnd, two scientists and a shipload of war orphans left EarthThatWas and travelled to a new planet. Generations later, their descendants have split into two separate and distinct cultures. The Kindar live in a TreeTopTown, have PsychicPowers at an early age (which are fading), and have no knowledge of violence whatsoever, and the best they can express of unhappy feelings is [[DoubleSpeak "unjoyful."]]

Historically, some Kindar and a few of the scientist leaders -- including the one who created the entire complex structure of Kindar society -- believed the kids should be brought up so that when they're old enough to handle it, they would be told about their history and what violence is, so that they will want to avoid it. After a debate, these mavericks were trapped BeneathTheEarth, and became the first Erdlings, while the leader of the dissident scientists suddenly died (hey, nothing suspicious about that, right?). Today, however, the Kindar are taught that the underground caverns are inhabited by ''Pash-shan'' monsters who steal and enslave (or eat) Kindar, especially orchard workers and children who fall out of the trees. The only ones who know the history are the Ol-zhaan -- leaders, counselors, healers, judges and priests -- who are believed to have infinitely superior wisdom and Spirit power.

* SillyRabbitCynicismIsForLosers: The cynical Neric tells [[MessianicArchetype Raamo]] that Genaa cannot be trusted and is too steeped in Ol-Zhaan privilege to be sympathetic to their plans. Not only does Neric turn out to be wrong, but Genaa turns out to be the one with the tactical savvy to pull off their scheme.

* {{Earworm}}: The Answer Song. Its irregular rhythm, WordSalad lyrics and goofy melody delight children and drive Raamo crazy. [[spoiler: Raamo, asked to meditate and reach out for psychic clues, can't stop singing it. There's a clear implication that he is picking up a message from the late founder D'ol Nesh-om. Because only the Kindar have the song, Nesh-om may even have written it before his untimely demise.]]

This young-adult trilogy (''Below the Root'', ''And All Between'', and ''Until the Celebration'') was written by Creator/ZilphaKeatleySnyder. It spawned a video-game adaptation called ''Below the Root'', which is [[WordOfGod considered canon]].

* LanguageDrift: Kindar and Erdlings can understand each other, but have developed different regional accents over time. The Kindar think that Erdlings speak in "softly slurring" accents, while Erdlings perceive Kindar speech as "curiously crisp", "sharp and sudden".

Historically, some Kindar and a few of the scientist leaders believed the kids should be brought up so that when they're old enough to handle it, they would be told about their history and what violence is, so that they will want to avoid it. After a debate, these mavericks were trapped BeneathTheEarth, and became the first Erdlings, while the leader of the dissident scientists suddenly died (hey, nothing suspicious about that, right?). Today, however, the Kindar are taught that the underground caverns are inhabited by ''Pash-shan'' monsters who steal and enslave (or eat) Kindar, especially orchard workers and children who fall out of the trees. The only ones who know the history are the Ol-zhaan -- leaders, counselors, healers, judges and priests -- who are believed to have infinitely superior wisdom and Spirit power.

This young-adult trilogy (''Below the Root'', ''And All Between'', and ''Until the Celebration'') was written by Zilpha Keatley Snyder. It spawned a video-game adaptation called ''Below the Root'', which is [[WordOfGod considered canon]].

* BrainDrain: Implied. Genaa's dad is one of many highly intelligent people who disappeared after getting too curious about the true nature of the "pash-shan". While she never comes right out and says it, Erda has many craftsmen and engineers who are described as creatively brilliant; the architectural genius of the Kindar, seen in their temples and public halls, belongs to [[ScavengerWorld the distant wistful past]]. Many banished Kindar become teachers in the lower world even if that wasn't their profession before. And math is one of the most important school subjects.

AfterTheEnd, two scientists and a shipload of war orphans left EarthThatWas and traveled to a new planet. Generations later, their descendants have split into two separate and distinct cultures. The Kindar live in a TreeTopTown, have PsychicPowers at an early age (which are fading), and have no knowledge of violence whatsoever, and the best they can express of unhappy feelings is [[DoubleSpeak "unjoyful."]]

Historically, some Kindar believed the kids should be brought up so that when they're old enough to handle it, they would be told about their history and what violence is, so that they will want to avoid it. These dissidents were trapped BeneathTheEarth, and became the first Erdlings. Today, however, the Kindar are taught that the underground caverns are inhabited by ''Pash-shan'' monsters who steal and enslave (or eat) Kindar, especially orchard workers and children who fall out of the trees. The only ones who know the history are the Ol-zhaan -- leaders, counselors, healers, judges and priests -- who are believed to have infinitely superior wisdom and Spirit power.

* HiMom: At the moment of his Elevation, Raamo doesn't feel any different. Instead, his first thought is of his family in the massive crowd, and he sends them a telepathic greeting.

* HumansArePsychicInTheFuture: Kindar and Erdlings alike. The spirit skills have been fading among the Kindar, but they remain at a common baseline among the Erdlings. Most people retain some mild empathic ability. Genaa is actually considered a bit odd for having ''no'' psionic ability at all, which makes her the most difficult character in the game adaptation.

* GeniusProgramming: The game, which was made in 1984 and was one of the earliest games to put in concepts now taken for granted in [=CRPGs=]. It was perhaps the first to offer a choice in your race, gender, and age of avatar, have certain game elements work differently based on avatar (an example is that Kindar take a hit to their "spirit skills" if they eat meat, and Erdlings are hit much harder by Wissenberries), have [=NPCs=] react differently based on said avatar, and be the {{Canon}} sequel to something written for another media.

[[WMG:Examples of:]]