The theme of "The Tribe" through 5 seasons remained constant: Keep the dream alive. It was a powerful theme, and we adopted that as the name of our rpg.Lately I've begun to wonder, what did they mean? What do we mean? Keep the dream alive? In a devastated world filled with children, what dream would they struggle to keep alive in the face of all the challenges they have to survive? What do children dream? In the show, the pivotal moment I always went back to came in Season-1 when Trudy's baby was born. Ok, I'm older & the image of children having children is already a powerful thing. But in Tribe-world, where everything is upside down & inside out, where just surviving day to day is a hardship ... having a baby? Yeah. Through 5 seasons, all the things Trudy--and her tribe, and the men who cared about her--went through to secure a future took on a different meaning as you saw baby Brady growing up in their arms. Their dream, it seemed, was to build a future that all of them could live in ... not just survive. To grow up safe, find love, have families, live satisfying lives and give their kids a tomorrow better than today. That's quite a dream for a world full of children. As for our game, maybe we're not so different. Just like Tribe-world, we have our share of heroes & villains, losers & lunatics, schizos & creators. Our challenges have been conquering armies, storms & drought, surviving our enemies and even our friends at times. Our players have struggled through 6 seasons and are now in a 7th, and still they persevere. Arianna will take care of her baby and defend her family with her life. Valentine will be damned if she lets anyone tear down all the good things she's worked to build in the city, for herself and others. Hawk will refuse to give up the city and the people who mean so much to her without a fight. Villa will die before she gives up the love of a lifetime, and there are so many more. Power plays, love, revenge. Behind & beneath it all, there is a dream. Maybe our game's isn't as obvious or universal as the dream illustrated in "The Tribe" but it's there. Each of our players, through each of their characters, has a dream that's personal & real. Together ... together we keep all of those dreams alive. -ChynaPhoto source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"
Last time our subject was "Helpless Women," so it's only fair I acknowledge that The Tribe also had its fair share of "Men Without A Clue." Usually they were followers. And they weren't totally clueless...just in certain areas...usually about women. Think Ryan, bless his heart. He was Lex's loyal sidekick & terrified he'd treat girls the way he saw Lex treat 'em. That meant he generally daydreamed his love but mostly stayed away. Salene wasn't very happy about that. Or think Sammy, totally enthusiastic like a little puppy but his cluelessness made him more a love-slave/servant than a potential bf. 
However, the ultimate in clueless were some of the leading men. Near the top of the list was Lex. Lex wanted what he wanted when he wanted it--booze, food, girls, music, possessions. He never seemed to understand why he couldn't be a good tribe leader for the Mallrats or what was wrong with a sheriff who enjoyed the "perks" of the job (i.e. kickbacks). 
Ah, but our best example of He Who Is Clueless was the Eco's main man, Pride. Pride had it all. He lived in the woods with Amber, was his tribe's chief protector, and he looked great with his shirt off. Unfortunately he didn't stay in the woods. He followed Amber, traded trees for skyscrapers, and totally lost it. He went from Amber to Salene to May & back again. He ate junk food, slept in a real bed (usually with company), and was Lex's deputy awhile. But the city did our boy in. His cluelessness cost him his life, in the end. It wasn't pretty. KTDA has it's share of clueless men. Johnny Ohm keeps playing with poor Maggie's affections but we know he's sincere...he just doesn't have a clue. Creed is like Pride in some ways, mostly because he doesn't know how to love someone who isn't Chyna (we think). Our most stellar example is Rio. Believe me, this guy has no clue whatsoever. He treats girls cavalierly, lives his life from one deal to the next, and treasures "his possessions" (which up until recently included Jenna). And he wonders why he has no friends? Uh-huh...some day, somebody will explain it to him & he'll actually listen. But, hey, god bless 'em - whether they have a clue or not, we love 'em!-ChynaPhoto source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"
I've been watching the action in KTDA recently, with an eye to how our girls are portrayed.They remind me of "Tribe" illustrations of appropriate behavior for girls in Tribe world. If you look at them all? They ran 50/50 between strong, capable women & the ones who needed a man to survive.When it came to helpless, our ultimate example was Trudy. From Season-1 through Season-5, she never broke character. If she didn't have a man to lean on? She was totally lost.Think I'm wrong?Start with how we met Trudy--pregnant & clinging to Bray--whose brother Zoot was her baby's daddy. When she found Bray with Salene, got pissed & decided to take off, who did she take off with? Dal. Next up was the Guardian, who guarded Zoot's violent legacy. She became the Supreme Mother of the Chosen, but then the Chosen were out & the Technos came to town. Trudy's next line of defense was Jay. Of course Jay was rebounding from Amber so he didn't mind cuddling with a pretty girl. Ultimately Amber took him back & Trudy was out in the cold again. She was ripe for the friendly overtures she got from Mega, right up to the point where he told her he was using her. When "The Tribe" ended, Trudy was still a single mom, all alone, trying to find her way.KTDA has strong women as well as the helpless ones. For every "Arianna," we have Jenna. Jenna depended on Rio for more than a year, to take care of her after the Virus & keep her protected & safe. Lately she's traded in Rio for Icarus...we're actually thinking she traded up. But Jenna seems the kind of girl who will ALWAYS depend on a man in her life.For every "Valentine," we have Jade. There is, indeed, a strength to Jade (to survive slavery as she has), but she has ALWAYS depended on having a man around. First it was Bishop. Then Tom-F. Now there's Zero, who's teaching her & trying to make her a stronger person. With Jade though, no matter what strength her body & mind might have...it's her heart that is dependent. Jade needs to feel & be loved. For every "Villa," we have Krystal. Krystal is so sweet, but sometimes she seems just so totally lost. She wasn't like that with Jason, who wanted to marry her but ultimately went walkabout. She wasn't like that with Sid; she ran away with him to Bay View, but then he deserted her too. Now she's back in Fort River, back with her tribe...and seems lost these days. For every "Eris," there is a Pandora. For every "Jet," there is a Maggie. For every "Hawk," there is an Alexis. I'd say our game is running true to our inspiration. -ChynaPhoto source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"
Taking the Winter 2009 Tribe Awards & breaking 'em down to "Tribe" references so you can see what each award refers to, then the defining moment that resulted in a character receiving this award.Zoot Lives! Award
"The Tribe." Season One. From those first moments when kids started to be rounded up & sent to survival camps, Zoot had his own ideas about survival. It was definitely survival of the fittest. He took orders from no one, owed allegiance to no one. Through Power & Chaos! he would shape the world in his own image. Even after his death, Zoot was such a strong, charismatic figure that his influence lived on and on and on... The Zoot Lives! Award for evil genius/mastermind was a split decision this time. It was a toss-up between Tristan and Chopper. Though very young, Chopper rules a dark band of assassins with an iron fist; while Tristan has his own ideas about this world of "somebodies" and "nobodies." Whatever's ahead of us with those two, it's bound to be awesome.-Chyna Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"
Taking the Winter 2009 Tribe Awards & breaking 'em down to "Tribe" references so you can see what each award refers to, then the defining moment that resulted in a character receiving this award.
Zoot & Ebony Award
For one short season of "The Tribe," we were privileged to meet one of the show's most interesting characters: Zoot. Zoot was leader of the Locusts, a name that in time morphed into the Locos, which actually fit better if you think about it. Zoot's woman was Ebony. If you saw the 2 of them together, just thinking about the chaos they could cause was enough to freeze your blood. Zoot & Ebony were the true embodiment of power & chaos. This term's "Zoot & Ebony Award" has new winners. Tristan has been a dark figure of mostly hidden chaos in Fort River for awhile now. His torture of Cecily (and anybody else who crossed his path) was truly enough to make you go ewww! Jet came out of nowhere--an exotic beauty with a dark past, tribe leader of the Vamps who don't exist anymore. Now Tristan is quickly turning her into a powerful force in the city, one strong enough to stand at his side. Tristan & Jet, this one's all yours. It doesn't get much better than this.-ChynaPhoto source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"
Taking the Winter 2009 Tribe Awards & breaking 'em down to "Tribe" references so you can see what each award refers to, then the defining moment that resulted in a character receiving this award.Trudy Award
"The Tribe" Season One, we had "mom" Trudy. In Season Two, that got bumped up to Supreme Mother. There was also Trudy + Bray, Trudy + Jay, Techno Trudy ... let's just say this girl moved around A LOT and went through a whole lotta changes over 5 seasons of the show. So, the Trudy Award for "which face will she be showing us this time?" goes to a KTDA newcomer, Anastasia. Outwardly, Anastasia was just a very young girl worried because she can't find her people. But inside? Inside, she had 2 and maybe 3 personas at war with each other. In a very short time we met Sweet Anastasia, Vulnerable Anastasia, Worried Anastasia...which escalated to Threatening Anastasia, I-hate-adults Anastasia, and the ultimate Assassin Anastasia. Gotta say, it made for some interesting gaming!-ChynaPhoto source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"
Taking the Winter 2009 Tribe Awards & breaking 'em down to "Tribe" references so you can see what each award refers to, then the defining moment that resulted in a character receiving this award.
Teenaged Cloe Award
Taking the Winter 2009 Tribe Awards & breaking 'em down to "Tribe" references so you can see what each award refers to, then the defining moment that resulted in a character receiving this award.Technos Award
In "The Tribe," Season Three ended & Season Four began with the Technos invasion. With very little resistance, virtually over night, this vicious/smart/advanced tribe walked into the city & took over. Period. End of story. After that, all the rules changed. In our rp, the "walking in and taking what you want" honors go to a couple and not a tribe: Tristan & Jet. Their takeover of Fort River's Merchant Hotel in one night was a classic hit-em-hard approach. As always, very effective against the locals. It leaves us to wonder what rules may have changed in that single night.-ChynaPhoto source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"
Taking the Winter 2009 Tribe Awards & breaking 'em down to "Tribe" references so you can see what each award refers to, then the defining moment that resulted in a character receiving this award.Slade Award
Ah yes..."The Tribe" Season Five. We hoped it wouldn't end, especially watching Slade with his new brand of logic & action, his style that was oh so new in Tribeworld. You could never quite figure Slade out, even though the writers were definitely free with details of his past & his connections. Things didn't always add up the way you expected...but it was always surprising, fresh & new and maybe just a little bit off. In KTDA, that describes Tristan almost detail for detail. Tristan always has a plan, always a strategy, always a reason for the often outrageous things he does or causes to happen. When he gets started, this man can talk a mob into leaving or talk a girl into believing something completely outrageous is merely logical truth. You truly never know what he's going to do next...but you know it will be surprising..-ChynaPhoto source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"
Taking the Winter 2009 Tribe Awards & breaking 'em down to "Tribe" references so you can see what each award refers to, then the defining moment that resulted in a character receiving this award.Sasha Award
Ok, I'll admit it right up front--I did NOT like the character of Sasha in "The Tribe" Season One at all. Nothing about him. Nope. Didn't matter that he could play music or sing or knew lots of games for the kids...it was the decision to pair him up with Amber. Lord was that a gi-normous mistake! But all right, I'll give the devil his due. Sasha made our Mall Rats remember that they were kids, and that they could still have fun. It's a similar thing in KTDA, where this term's Sasha Award for showmanship & entertainment is split between Jenna the Bard and Teller of the River Rats. Recently these two storytellers packed the house at Home for a string of nights, telling the kids amazing stories about their history & their heroes. Much better for our "citizens" than gambling at the Mirage or hanging out on street corners with a bottle of whatever they can find. We just hope they heard the lessons.-ChynaPhoto source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"
Taking the Winter 2009 Tribe Awards & breaking 'em down to "Tribe" references so you can see what each award refers to, then the defining moment that resulted in a character receiving this award.Salene Award
No matter which "Tribe" season you choose, Salene was the perpetual mother taking care of everyone...or trying to. Problem was, she could hardly take care of herself. She was reluctant in love and when she found it, she generally lost it. Poor Salene... In KTDA we have been known to say, "Poor Maggie." She works at Home and tries to take care of all the customers and boarders. She had a sister and lost her. She reluctantly found herself falling in love, and then he disappeared. But it's hard to keep this girl down. She works hard for a living at Home, then helps out at the City Shelter and tries to be a friend to everyone she meets. We really really hope she keeps bouncing back and, maybe, finds the right one to love at last. We're firmly on your side, Maggie. Congratulations on winning the Salene Award.-ChynaPhoto source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"
