History Literature / Shardik

* PutOnABus: Bel-ka-Trazet, Melanthys, and the Tuginda all leave the main plot before the second section. [[spoiler: TheBusCameBack for the Tuginda and Melanthys, but Bel-ka-Trazet becomes a PosthumousCharacter.]]

* SingleTargetSexuality: Kelderek is well known for his chastity. Women simply do not interest him, both before [[spoiler:becoming the priest king]], during that period or after. The only woman to whom he expresses any attraction is Melanthys, who deserts her post as priestess quite early in the story.

* TheBusCameBack: For [[spoiler: Melanthys and the Tuginda]].

* YouAreAlreadyDead: It is possible to survive [[TownWithADarkSecret the Streels of Urda,]] but it only means that [[GoodIsNotNice God]] [[KarmicDeath has an even more dramatic and significant death in store for you.]]
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: Ta-Kominion only needs Kelderek and the Tulgina until he takes Bekla. After that, he figures he'll probably get rid of them quietly and try to reform the cult to surround himself instead. However, a minor wound grossly mishandled causes him to fall deathly ill [[spoiler:and he is crushed beneath the wheels of the cart transporting Shardik]] before anything can come of it.
** Once he learns [[spoiler:Lolloc's]] plan for escaping their pursuers [[spoiler:Genshed]] kills him and takes his money to carry out the plan on his own.

* BearsAreBadNews: Shardik, despite being God and all, [[ChroniclesOfNarnia is not a tame bear]]. Whenever he inevitably ends up destroying massive amounts of property and mauling people it's interpreted as God's judgment by the Ortelgans.

A story about a man and a bear that might be {{God}}. Written by RichardAdams.

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/200px-Shardik_cover_1974_8051.jpg

* [[GodInHumanForm God In Bear Form]]: In the main religion depicted in ''Shardik'', the giant bear is known as the Hand of God, aka his physical power and avatar, and is only one aspect of what the Ortelgans believe to be [[{{God}} God]].

* ForTheEvulz: Speculated upon in universe. Radu believes this to be the motivation of [[spoiler:[[CompleteMonster Genshed.]]]] He is convinced the latter is not just a cruel and wicked man, but a knowing [[CardCarryingVillain servant of evil,]] empowered by it and under its protection.

* ForTheEvulz: Speculated upon in universe. Radu believes this to be the motivation of [[spoiler:CompleteMonster Genshed.]] He is convinced the latter is not just a cruel and wicked man, but a knowing [[CardCarryingVillain servant of evil,]] empowered by it and under its protection.

* WretchedHive: Zeray: an OutlawTown whose inhabitants are stuck there due to a combination of natural barriers and hostile neighbors who don't want criminals entering their lands. While theoretically a safe haven for outlaws with nowhere else left to go, conditions in Zeray are brutal and even the strongest rarely survive there longer than three years. It begins to improve [[spoiler: under Bel-Ka-Trazet's leadership, but he dies before he can make a lasting difference.]]

* TortureTehnician: Part of [[spoiler:Genshed's]] backstory until he was fired for taking bribes from prisoners.

* YouAreAlreadyDead: It is possible to survive [[TownWithADarkSecret the Streels of Urda,]] but it only means that [[GoodIsNotNice God]][[KarmicDeath an even more dramatic and significant death in store for you.]]

* YouAreAlreadyDead: It is possible to survive [[TownWithADarkSecret the Streels of Urda,]] but it only means that [[GoodIsNotNice God]][[KarmicDeath: an even more dramatic and significant death in store for you.]]

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: Deliberately invoked. Whether Shardik is God or just a giant bear is up to the reader, but either way he only seems to hurt the bad guys.

* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane

* TheUnseen: The brilliant southern general, Santil-kè-Erketlis, never appears throughout the whole book, though his actions have a serious impact on the main plot.

* EverythingsWorseWithBears: Shardik, despite being God and all, [[ChroniclesOfNarnia is not a tame bear]]. Whenever he inevitably ends up destroying massive amounts of property and mauling people it's interpreted as God's judgment by the Ortelgans.

* OhCrap: [[EverythingsWorseWithBears Shardik]] tends to cause these - perhaps most notably on the plains of Gelt, and later with [[spoiler: Genshed]].

* SurvivalMantra: Children in the possession of slave-dealer [[CompleteMonster Genshed]] tell each other they'll be "home soon. Underground, all the way".

* SurvivalMantra: Children in the possession of slave-dealer [[CompleteMonster Genshed]] tell each other they'll be "home soon. Underground, all the way".

* VillainProtagonist: [[YourMileageMayVary Arguably]] Kelderek.