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-->''The Death Rite shall be invoked only in the case of heresy, and shall consist of no more than seven trials, for would not an endless trial become persecution? Though each trial conjures a more subtle death, each death, even to the seventh, shall leave open an escape that can be perceived by an adept of the common wisdom, for is not the common wisdom a memory of the Race's escape from Death? As is it not the common wisdom we are protecting when we challenge a heretic?''
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* MarryThemAll: Sure, six is ''supposed'' to be the maximum size for a marriage, but the maran-Kaiel aren't exactly sticklers for tradition.
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* BabiesMakeEverythingBetter: In the end, with the maran-Kaiel family bitterly divided over the question of Oelita vs. Kathein, and divorce beginning to look like a possibility, Gaet uses the babies born by the two women and fathered by maran-Kaiel men to help defuse the tension and remind everyone how much they love each other.
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* ActualPacifist: Oelita the Gentle Heretic. She is totally opposed to cannibalism and culling, and preaches of non-violence and peace. Though she did make a point of attending her father's funeral feast, and still carries dried strips of his flesh. She believes that eating small amounts gives her superhuman strength.
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* UterineReplicator: the Kaiel clan uses these to keep their birthrate high, although they ruthlessly cull their children. Three quarters of all Kaiel children become dinner before reaching adulthood.
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* UterineReplicator: the Kaiel clan uses these to keep their birthrate high, although they ruthlessly cull their children. Three quarters of all Kaiel creche-born children become dinner before reaching adulthood.adulthood. The Kaiel replicators are biological constructs; their predecessors, the now-extinct Arant clan, used mechanical ones.
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on reflection, this doesn\'t quite fit
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* BabiesEverAfter: What did you expect? Sure, it starts with attempted murder, and almost everyone in the book is a cannibal, and there's all that stuff about saving the world and the DawnOfAnEra, but really, it's all right there in the title. This is a romance. With mutant priest-biologists trying to breed a better world.
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* BabiesEverAfter: What did you expect? Sure, it starts with attempted murder, and almost everyone in the book is a cannibal, and there's all that stuff about saving the world and the DawnOfAnEra, but really, it's all right there in the title. This is a romance. With mutant priest-biologists trying to breed a better world.
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* ScryVsScry: The Kaiel clan play this game on a regular basis; the leader, or chief priest, is actually called the Prime Predictor. Cheating--that is to say, manipulating events to help your prophecies come true--is not only allowed, but encouraged, and it's never clear whether there's any actual psychic component to the predictions. All that matters is that your predictions prove more accurate than the next fellow's.
to:
* ScryVsScry: The Kaiel clan play this game on a regular basis; the leader, or chief priest, is actually called the Prime Predictor. Cheating--that is to say, manipulating events to help your prophecies come true--is not only allowed, but encouraged, and it's never ''entirely'' clear whether there's any actual psychic component to the predictions. predictions, although it's strongly suggested. All that ''really'' matters is that your predictions prove more accurate than the next fellow's.
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* {{Outgambitted}}: Joesai, by Storm Master Tonpa of the Mnankrei. Joesai has planned to make people think the Mnankrei are responsible for the Death Rite on Oelita; when Tonpa realizes he's being framed, he not only comes up with a way to put the blame back on the Kaiel, but to make them take the blame for [[spoiler:destroying the local grain store, which they had originally planned to make look like an accident.]]
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* HumanResources: In addition to eating their dead, the Getans make full use of their corpses, since they have no other large animals to provide things like leather.
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* TheTheocracy: The overclans are all priest clans, ruling by religious right. Basically, the whole world is a theocracy, although given the harsh conditions of survival on Geta, a fairly pragmatic and not-very-hierarchical one.
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* MotherNatureFatherScience: Mostly averted; some of the top scientists in the Kaiel clan, for example, are women. Some clans ''believe'' this trope is true, though, like the o'Tghalie clan, professional mathematicians who forbid their daughters to study. Teenae, who is an o'Tghalie by birth and a Kaiel by marriage, is proof that the o'Tghalie are wrong about women; she is a mathematical whiz.
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Trapped for many centuries on a hostile world, the people of Geta have developed a tribal, ritualistic society. Native Getan life is inedible and usually toxic, and the colonists only brought a few Terran species: bees and several varieties of plant, including wheat. Cycles of famine have forced them to come to terms with cannibalism, and it is now an integral part of their society, though different tribes approach it differently. The Getans have forgotten their history, and much of science, but of necessity, they have retained an amazing expertise in biology and genetics, and associated technologies.
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Trapped for many centuries on a hostile world, the people of Geta have developed a tribal, ritualistic society. Native Getan life is inedible and usually toxic, and the colonists only brought a few Terran species: bees and several varieties of plant, including wheat.plant. Cycles of famine have forced them to come to terms with cannibalism, and it is now an integral part of their society, though different tribes approach it differently. The Getans have forgotten their history, and much of science, but of necessity, they have retained an amazing expertise in biology and genetics, and associated technologies.
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Although it is not a comedy, the book was written in part because Kingsbury thought it would be fun to write a book where cannibalism was a positive thing, and [[DeliberateValuesDissonance make the reader agree]]. Creator/RobertAHeinlein expressed similar motives for writing ''Literature/StrangerInAStrangeLand'', but unlike ''Stranger'', ''Courtship Rite'' makes cannibalism a major theme of the story. It was nominated for a HugoAward in 1983.
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* SyntheticPlague: Of locusts. Oelita discovers a native species of insect which is eating wheat and ''not dying''. Normally, native life finds Terran life as poisonous as Terran life finds native life. When the Kaiel get a sample of the insect, they discover it has been deliberately genetically modified, and furthermore, the Mnankrei are standing by with ships of grain waiting for the famine these bugs will cause, so they can trade food for fealty.
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* LanguageDrift: Becomes a major plot point when they finally decode ancient documents, including a history of Earth, and learn, among other things, that their word for "God" used to mean "ship". Which puts a whole new perspective on the legend that the God in the sky which they can see every night brought them to Geta.
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* OnlyTheKnowledgableMayPass: The Kaiel Death Rite, which the protagonists decide to apply to Oelita the Gentle Heretic, to test her fitness to marry them, requires knowledge of "the common wisdom" to pass/survive. See the page quote for details.
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* ImAHumanitarian: Geta is a LostColony where desperation in the face of poor harvests has made cannibalism socially acceptable over the course of many centuries. The degree to which it's accepted varies between nations and clans. Killing people just for their meat when there's no famine is generally frowned on, but funerals are always an opportunity for a feast.
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* ImAHumanitarian: Geta is a LostColony where desperation in the face of poor harvests has made cannibalism socially acceptable over the course of many centuries. The degree to which it's accepted varies between nations and clans. Killing people just for their meat when there's no famine is generally frowned on, but funerals are always an opportunity for a feast.
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Although it is not a comedy, the book was written in part because Kingsbury thought it would be fun to write a book where cannibalism was a positive thing, and [[DeliberateValuesDissonance make the reader agree]]. Creator/RobertAHeinlein expressed similar motives for writing ''Literature/StrangerInAStrangeLand'', but unlike ''Stranger'', ''Courtship Rite'' makes cannibalism a major theme of the story.
to:
Although it is not a comedy, the book was written in part because Kingsbury thought it would be fun to write a book where cannibalism was a positive thing, and [[DeliberateValuesDissonance make the reader agree]]. Creator/RobertAHeinlein expressed similar motives for writing ''Literature/StrangerInAStrangeLand'', but unlike ''Stranger'', ''Courtship Rite'' makes cannibalism a major theme of the story.
story. It was nominated for a HugoAward in 1983.
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-->''The Death Rite shall be invoked only in the case of heresy, and shall consist of no more than seven trials, for would not an endless trial become persecution? Though each trial conjures a more subtle death, each death, even to the seventh, shall leave open an escape that can be perceived by an adept of the common wisdom, for is not the common wisdom a memory of the Race's escape from Death? As is it not the common wisdom we are protecting when we challenge a heretic?''
-->--From ''The Kaiel Book of Ritual''
-->--From ''The Kaiel Book of Ritual''
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Hoemei, Gaet and Joesai are the three sons of the former Prime Predictor of the Kaiel clan. The three have two wives between them, and are hoping to add a third to make a Six-marriage. The new Prime Predictor finally agrees, but orders them to marry the clanless Oelita, known as the Gentle Heretic, who preaches against cannibalism. Reluctant and mildly offended, the brothers decide to court Oelita with the ancient Death Ritual, to force her to prove her worth to be their spouse. But Oelita has no interest in marrying them in the first place.
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Hoemei, Gaet and Joesai maran-Kaiel are the three sons of the former Prime Predictor of the Kaiel clan. The three have two wives between them, and are hoping to add a third to make a Six-marriage. The new Prime Predictor finally agrees, but orders them to marry the clanless Oelita, known as the Gentle Heretic, who preaches against cannibalism. Reluctant and mildly offended, the brothers decide to court Oelita with the ancient Death Ritual, Rite, to force her to prove her worth to be their spouse. But Oelita has no interest in marrying them in the first place.
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* ScryVsScry: The Kaiel clan play this game on a regular basis; the leader, or chief priest, is actually called the Prime Predictor. Cheating--that is to say, manipulating events to help your prophecies come true--is not only allowed, but encouraged, and it's never clear whether there's any actual psychic component to the predictions. All that matters is that your predictions prove accurate.
to:
* ScryVsScry: The Kaiel clan play this game on a regular basis; the leader, or chief priest, is actually called the Prime Predictor. Cheating--that is to say, manipulating events to help your prophecies come true--is not only allowed, but encouraged, and it's never clear whether there's any actual psychic component to the predictions. All that matters is that your predictions prove accurate.more accurate than the next fellow's.
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* ScryVsScry: The Kaiel clan play this game on a regular basis; the leader, or chief priest, is actually called the Prime Predictor. Cheating--that is to say, manipulating events to help your prophecies come true--is not only allowed, but encouraged, and it's never clear whether there's any actual psychic component to the predictions. All that matters is that your predictions prove accurate.
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* HumanSubspecies: The afterword reveals that the centuries of isolation combined with genetic manipulation have led to the Getans only sharing about 98% of their genes with mainstream humanity--about the same as chimpanzees!
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* InsignificantLittleBluePlanet: Earth isn't even a ''legend'' to the Getans, and when they finally discover and decrypt ancient historical documents that tell them about the world of their ancestors, their feelings are quite mixed. Though they're no strangers to violence, the idea of war, with its indiscriminate killing, seems like such a waste of tasty protein.
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Although it is not a comedy, the book was written in part because Kingsbury thought it would be fun to write a book where cannibalism was a positive thing, and [[DeliberateValuesDissonance make the reader agree]]. Creator/RobertAHeinlein expressed similar motives for writing ''Literature/StrangerInAStrangeLand'', but unlike ''Stranger'', ''Courtship Rite'' makes cannibalism a major theme of the story.
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* UterineReplicator: the Kaiel clan uses these to keep their birthrate high, although they ruthlessly cull their children. Three quarters of all Kaiel children become dinner before reaching adulthood.
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* FreudianTrio: As reflected in the roles they chose in childhood, Hoemei is the superego ("the brain"), Gaet is the ego ("the heart"), and Joesai is the id ("the loins").
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[[quoteright:184:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/CourtshipRite01_4957.jpg]]
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''Courtship Rite'' is a ScienceFiction novel by Donald Kingsbury, a complex, richly-imagined story about the LostColony world of Geta.
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''Courtship Rite'' is a ScienceFiction novel by Donald Kingsbury, Kingsbury; a complex, richly-imagined story about the LostColony world of Geta.
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''Courtship Rite'' is a ScienceFiction novel by Donald Kingsbury, a complex, richly-imagined story about the LostColony world of Geta.
Trapped for many centuries on a hostile world, the people of Geta have developed a tribal, ritualistic society. Native Getan life is inedible and usually toxic, and the colonists only brought a few Terran species: bees and several varieties of plant, including wheat. Cycles of famine have forced them to come to terms with cannibalism, and it is now an integral part of their society, though different tribes approach it differently. The Getans have forgotten their history, and much of science, but of necessity, they have retained an amazing expertise in biology and genetics, and associated technologies.
Society has evolved into underclans, who do the work, and overclans, who rule and administer. The Kaiel are an overclan who believe it is their destiny to rule the world, not through force of arms, but through intelligence and persuasion and well-chosen alliances. The Kaiel are actively breeding themselves for the ability to make accurate predictions--or for the ability to make predictions come true through intelligence and persuasion.
Hoemei, Gaet and Joesai are the three sons of the former Prime Predictor of the Kaiel clan. The three have two wives between them, and are hoping to add a third to make a Six-marriage. The new Prime Predictor finally agrees, but orders them to marry the clanless Oelita, known as the Gentle Heretic, who preaches against cannibalism. Reluctant and mildly offended, the brothers decide to court Oelita with the ancient Death Ritual, to force her to prove her worth to be their spouse. But Oelita has no interest in marrying them in the first place.
!!! Characters:
* Hoemei: elected "the brain" of the three brothers. Family administrator.
* Gaet: elected "the heart" of the three brothers. The social one, makes friends easily.
* Joesai: elected "the loins" of the three brothers. TheBigGuy.
* Noe: one-wife of the brothers; member of the Kaiel clan.
* Teenae: two-wife of the brothers; member of the o'Tghalie clan. Mathematical whiz.
* Kathein: the woman the brothers wanted to make their three-wife. Member of the Kaiel clan.
* Oelita: the Gentle Heretic. Clanless.
* Aesoe: the current Prime Predictor and head priest of the Kaiel clan.
!! Tropes in this work:
* CargoCult: The ship that brought the original colonists is still orbiting Geta, a bright light in the sky. The Getans don't know what it is, but they know their ancestors said it brought them to Geta, so they worship it as a God.
* CrisisOfFaith: In addition to believing that cannibalism should be avoided, Oelita is convinced that humans are native to Geta, despite their obvious biological and genetic differences. When conclusive evidence appears that this is not the case, she begins to question her whole belief system.
* DawnOfAnEra: the discovery and decryption of the ancient document, ''The Forge of War'', gives the Getans new insight into their history, and information about all ''sorts'' of useful LostTechnology.
* DeliberateValuesDissonance: Almost the point of the book. Cannibalism is accepted and normal, bound with ritual, and the heretic who argues against it comes off as a bit crazy. Without cannibalism, there would be ''no people'' on Geta, or at best, only a desperate handful.
* DesignerBabies: Some clans do perform genetic manipulation to try to improve themselves, but since the results can be unpredictable, and the techniques are expensive and difficult, it's not all that common. Genetic screening for undesirable traits is common, but even there, the Getans are aware that diversity is a boon in the long run.
* DirectLineToTheAuthor: Appears in the afterword, where the author claims the work is based on real research into galactic records.
* EatsBabies: The ''extremely'' rare non-evil, non-comedy version. Well, somewhat non-evil. Cycles of famine for a LostColony on a harsh planet has made [[ImAHumanitarian cannibalism]] necessary and socially accepted, and baby-eating has become morally ambiguous. The two main clans known for eating babies during non-famine years (out-of-season, as it were) are the protagonists' clan, the Kaiel, who ruthlessly cull their own babies, a practice most Getans find gauche at best, and the Mnankrei, sea-raiders who prey on coastal villages, and generally fail at being non-evil.
* EncyclopediaExposita: Each chapter starts with a quote from a fictional historical or religious document of Geta. Many of them are charmingly disturbing.
* TheHeretic: Oelita, The "Gentle Heretic", preaches against cannibalism and the belief that the moving light in the sky is a God. When our heroes are told of her by the clan leader, they assume they're going to be sent to kill her, and are shocked to learn that they're being ordered to ''marry'' her, and bring her congregation under Kaiel influence.
* ImAHumanitarian: Geta is a LostColony where desperation in the face of poor harvests has made cannibalism socially acceptable over the course of many centuries. The degree to which it's accepted varies between nations and clans. Killing people just for their meat when there's no famine is generally frowned on, but funerals are always an opportunity for a feast.
* LostColony: The book takes place on a lost colony so hostile to human life that over the centuries, times of famine have made cannibalism socially acceptable to varying degrees.
* ManipulativeBastard: Most Getans consider the whole Kaiel clan to be this--and, indeed, they seem to be actively trying to breed for the trait, in several ways. Within the Kaiel, Prime Predictor Aesoe is a prime example, ordering the three protagonist brothers to marry Oelita, the Gentle Heretic (against the wishes of all parties) so the Kaiel will gain influence with her followers.
* NoBiochemicalBarriers: Averted: Humans on an alien planet can eat nothing but the ""sacred eight" organisms which survived their arrival. There is some talk of being able to process a few of the native plants to make them non-toxic, and of carefully selecting the edible bits of other native species. Some groups of humans have deliberately selected themselves for greater resistance to the poisons in the native organisms. The available foods include honey bees and wheat. Humans are the only source of meat.
* OnlySaneMan: {{Subverted|Trope}} with Oelita, the Gentle Heretic. When you first encounter her and her anti-cannibalism views, the author sets you up to expect that she will prove to be the only sane woman on a world of mad cannibals, and that she and her efforts to end cannibalism will become the focus of the book. Then, after casually revealing that she's maybe not-so-sane, the book goes in a ''completely'' different direction, and the question of the ''morality'' of cannibalism is never more than a [[DeliberateValuesDissonance minor background issue]].
* RapePillageAndBurn: The Mnankrei are an overclan of sea-raiders, and one of the Kaiel's chief rivals. Their goal is to rule the planet through force of arms. In the meantime, they routinely pillage coastal towns which refuse to swear fealty to them. Like the Kaiel, they have a well-deserved reputation for [[EatsBabies eating babies]], although in their case, it's less morally ambiguous.
* SchizoTech: Often [[JustifiedTrope justified]] by necessity; the Getans have held on to biological and genetic technologies far beyond anything available when the book was written, but many technologies that weren't critical for survival have been lost. As the book starts, they've only recently rediscovered radio and are amazed by the concept of the electric light bulb. (Less well-justified is the fact that they still know how to do radiocarbon dating.)
* SocialDarwinist: The entire population of the world of Geta are Type 2 fictional Social Darwinists; the native life of the planet is mostly not edible, and famines are historically common. Cannibalism is part of their way of life, in which people with less ''kalothi'' (worthiness to survive) go to feed those of higher ''kalothi'' in times of need. The end of the book reveals that in the far future they have become a different species.
* StoryboardBody: The people of Geta scar their bodies and faces in intricate, beautiful patterns, using toxic native plants to make the scars more permanent. The scars tell of clan allegiances, religious beliefs, and personal interests or history.
----
Trapped for many centuries on a hostile world, the people of Geta have developed a tribal, ritualistic society. Native Getan life is inedible and usually toxic, and the colonists only brought a few Terran species: bees and several varieties of plant, including wheat. Cycles of famine have forced them to come to terms with cannibalism, and it is now an integral part of their society, though different tribes approach it differently. The Getans have forgotten their history, and much of science, but of necessity, they have retained an amazing expertise in biology and genetics, and associated technologies.
Society has evolved into underclans, who do the work, and overclans, who rule and administer. The Kaiel are an overclan who believe it is their destiny to rule the world, not through force of arms, but through intelligence and persuasion and well-chosen alliances. The Kaiel are actively breeding themselves for the ability to make accurate predictions--or for the ability to make predictions come true through intelligence and persuasion.
Hoemei, Gaet and Joesai are the three sons of the former Prime Predictor of the Kaiel clan. The three have two wives between them, and are hoping to add a third to make a Six-marriage. The new Prime Predictor finally agrees, but orders them to marry the clanless Oelita, known as the Gentle Heretic, who preaches against cannibalism. Reluctant and mildly offended, the brothers decide to court Oelita with the ancient Death Ritual, to force her to prove her worth to be their spouse. But Oelita has no interest in marrying them in the first place.
!!! Characters:
* Hoemei: elected "the brain" of the three brothers. Family administrator.
* Gaet: elected "the heart" of the three brothers. The social one, makes friends easily.
* Joesai: elected "the loins" of the three brothers. TheBigGuy.
* Noe: one-wife of the brothers; member of the Kaiel clan.
* Teenae: two-wife of the brothers; member of the o'Tghalie clan. Mathematical whiz.
* Kathein: the woman the brothers wanted to make their three-wife. Member of the Kaiel clan.
* Oelita: the Gentle Heretic. Clanless.
* Aesoe: the current Prime Predictor and head priest of the Kaiel clan.
!! Tropes in this work:
* CargoCult: The ship that brought the original colonists is still orbiting Geta, a bright light in the sky. The Getans don't know what it is, but they know their ancestors said it brought them to Geta, so they worship it as a God.
* CrisisOfFaith: In addition to believing that cannibalism should be avoided, Oelita is convinced that humans are native to Geta, despite their obvious biological and genetic differences. When conclusive evidence appears that this is not the case, she begins to question her whole belief system.
* DawnOfAnEra: the discovery and decryption of the ancient document, ''The Forge of War'', gives the Getans new insight into their history, and information about all ''sorts'' of useful LostTechnology.
* DeliberateValuesDissonance: Almost the point of the book. Cannibalism is accepted and normal, bound with ritual, and the heretic who argues against it comes off as a bit crazy. Without cannibalism, there would be ''no people'' on Geta, or at best, only a desperate handful.
* DesignerBabies: Some clans do perform genetic manipulation to try to improve themselves, but since the results can be unpredictable, and the techniques are expensive and difficult, it's not all that common. Genetic screening for undesirable traits is common, but even there, the Getans are aware that diversity is a boon in the long run.
* DirectLineToTheAuthor: Appears in the afterword, where the author claims the work is based on real research into galactic records.
* EatsBabies: The ''extremely'' rare non-evil, non-comedy version. Well, somewhat non-evil. Cycles of famine for a LostColony on a harsh planet has made [[ImAHumanitarian cannibalism]] necessary and socially accepted, and baby-eating has become morally ambiguous. The two main clans known for eating babies during non-famine years (out-of-season, as it were) are the protagonists' clan, the Kaiel, who ruthlessly cull their own babies, a practice most Getans find gauche at best, and the Mnankrei, sea-raiders who prey on coastal villages, and generally fail at being non-evil.
* EncyclopediaExposita: Each chapter starts with a quote from a fictional historical or religious document of Geta. Many of them are charmingly disturbing.
* TheHeretic: Oelita, The "Gentle Heretic", preaches against cannibalism and the belief that the moving light in the sky is a God. When our heroes are told of her by the clan leader, they assume they're going to be sent to kill her, and are shocked to learn that they're being ordered to ''marry'' her, and bring her congregation under Kaiel influence.
* ImAHumanitarian: Geta is a LostColony where desperation in the face of poor harvests has made cannibalism socially acceptable over the course of many centuries. The degree to which it's accepted varies between nations and clans. Killing people just for their meat when there's no famine is generally frowned on, but funerals are always an opportunity for a feast.
* LostColony: The book takes place on a lost colony so hostile to human life that over the centuries, times of famine have made cannibalism socially acceptable to varying degrees.
* ManipulativeBastard: Most Getans consider the whole Kaiel clan to be this--and, indeed, they seem to be actively trying to breed for the trait, in several ways. Within the Kaiel, Prime Predictor Aesoe is a prime example, ordering the three protagonist brothers to marry Oelita, the Gentle Heretic (against the wishes of all parties) so the Kaiel will gain influence with her followers.
* NoBiochemicalBarriers: Averted: Humans on an alien planet can eat nothing but the ""sacred eight" organisms which survived their arrival. There is some talk of being able to process a few of the native plants to make them non-toxic, and of carefully selecting the edible bits of other native species. Some groups of humans have deliberately selected themselves for greater resistance to the poisons in the native organisms. The available foods include honey bees and wheat. Humans are the only source of meat.
* OnlySaneMan: {{Subverted|Trope}} with Oelita, the Gentle Heretic. When you first encounter her and her anti-cannibalism views, the author sets you up to expect that she will prove to be the only sane woman on a world of mad cannibals, and that she and her efforts to end cannibalism will become the focus of the book. Then, after casually revealing that she's maybe not-so-sane, the book goes in a ''completely'' different direction, and the question of the ''morality'' of cannibalism is never more than a [[DeliberateValuesDissonance minor background issue]].
* RapePillageAndBurn: The Mnankrei are an overclan of sea-raiders, and one of the Kaiel's chief rivals. Their goal is to rule the planet through force of arms. In the meantime, they routinely pillage coastal towns which refuse to swear fealty to them. Like the Kaiel, they have a well-deserved reputation for [[EatsBabies eating babies]], although in their case, it's less morally ambiguous.
* SchizoTech: Often [[JustifiedTrope justified]] by necessity; the Getans have held on to biological and genetic technologies far beyond anything available when the book was written, but many technologies that weren't critical for survival have been lost. As the book starts, they've only recently rediscovered radio and are amazed by the concept of the electric light bulb. (Less well-justified is the fact that they still know how to do radiocarbon dating.)
* SocialDarwinist: The entire population of the world of Geta are Type 2 fictional Social Darwinists; the native life of the planet is mostly not edible, and famines are historically common. Cannibalism is part of their way of life, in which people with less ''kalothi'' (worthiness to survive) go to feed those of higher ''kalothi'' in times of need. The end of the book reveals that in the far future they have become a different species.
* StoryboardBody: The people of Geta scar their bodies and faces in intricate, beautiful patterns, using toxic native plants to make the scars more permanent. The scars tell of clan allegiances, religious beliefs, and personal interests or history.
----
