Bergen Happiness Pact

Lore & Background

The Pact relied heavily on secrecy and deception; the Trolls were never told why they were being hunted, only that it was their fate. The Bergens constructed elaborate machinery and traps to capture them, viewing the creatures not as people but as ingredients for a cure to their sadness. This belief system crumbled when Poppy and Branch infiltrated the kingdom during the Trollstice. By demonstrating that happiness comes from within and through connection rather than consumption, they exposed the Pact as a lie, leading to the immediate cessation of Trollstice and a new era of peace between the two species.

In Their Own Story

The rain fell in sheets over the gray stone city, drumming against the cobblestones where Bergens shuffled with hollow eyes. Old Mrs. Gristle clutched her shawl tight, counting down the days until the Great Trollexing. 'Just one bite,' she whispered to herself, a mantra repeated by every soul in the kingdom for generations. 'One bite and the sun will shine again.' The castle loomed ahead, its towers dark against the stormy sky, waiting for the King's birthday feast. But inside the banquet hall, a small, colorful creature stood on a platter, not as food, but as a friend. As the first note of a song rang out, the gray fog in their hearts began to lift, shattering the ancient pact that had held them captive.

Reader's Guide

The Bergen Happiness Pact represents the central conflict of the original film, illustrating how fear and misinformation can dictate societal structure. It is based on the false premise that external consumption is required for internal joy. King Gristle Sr. institutionalized this belief to maintain order, creating a culture where happiness was a scarce resource to be hoarded rather than shared. The annual festival became a grim tradition that kept the population in a state of anxious waiting. The collapse of the Pact occurred not through war, but through empathy. When the Trolls proved they could bring joy without being eaten, the Bergens realized their entire way of life was built on a lie. This shift marked the transition from a society of fear to one of coexistence.

Did You Know?

• While the Pact created a society defined by anticipation, only the King (and later Chef) consumed a Troll annually during the Trollstice, not all Bergens.
• The tradition of eating Trolls to achieve happiness was a long-standing belief in Bergen society, not a discovery by King Gristle Sr.
• The dissolution of the Pact led to the Bergens and Trolls sharing their respective talents, such as music and food production, in a new partnership.
• Before the Pact was broken, the Bergens believed that without consuming a Troll, they would never feel happy again for the rest of their lives.