Spring 2010 "Tribe Awards"-----HAWK

The KTDA Council of Tribes "Tribe Awards," honoring our game-characters who parallel the original "Tribe" characters we all know and love.

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When it comes to the tall, dark & silent type, the Eco-tribe (or Gaians) had Hawk.

Hawk wasn't around a whole lot. You could catch him now & then in the crowd of Ecos usually hangin' around Amber/Eagle. Mostly he appeared in Season-5, after Pride died & then again when Mouse wanted to get out of the city.

When he was on screen, you noticed.

We didn't know a whole lot about Hawk. He just had a presence that drew you. He seemed sad, alone, the same kind of guy that Pride probably was before he was corrupted by the city and his attachment to Amber.

And that really, really reminds us of KTDA's Llysander.

Llysander, or Llys, hasn't been around our game very long. He's tall, dark, broody & totally compelling when he's in a scene.

Llys also has the whole wanna-hug-him thing going on when you learn he's this sad figure in the landscape searching for a long-lost sister.

There's nothing "metro" or confusing about either Hawk of Llys.

While Hawk was almost a throw-away character in "The Tribe," we hope that Llysander gets more development in the game. His attraction to the fight club is an interesting twist. I think we might enjoy where this leads us.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Spring 2010 "Tribe Awards"-----ELLIE

The KTDA Council of Tribes "Tribe Awards," honoring our game-characters who parallel the original "Tribe" characters we all know and love.

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Ellie was a lot of fun as a character.

From the moment she came on-screen as Alice's Virus-infected sister who got helped by the Mallrats' antidote - and especially when she came like a whirlwind into Jack's & Dal's lives - Ellie was just delightful. And if I'm right? Ellie was one of the very few females who didn't fall for Bray! hehe...

Ellie was a pretty, bright, intelligent, fun-loving girl who had a hard time taking no for an answer.

She also had her serious side. With Jack's help she created "The Amulet" newspaper that focused on finding out what REALLY happened with the Virus - who was responsible & why did it happen. (Danni really, really wished Ellie had let that one alone!)

When it came to boys? Ellie had some very definite opinions. It took her 4 seasons! in the game before she finally experienced love. Despite Luke or anyone else, it was always Jack who touched her heart and brought her to life.

Bless Jenna's heart, she's very much like Ellie. She can be fun and entertaining. She has her serious side and her socially conscious side, which is illustrated in her work as a bard. She can be fun; and in all truth, our girl Jenna is sooooo innocent in a game-world that ... well ... isn't.

Don't change, Jenna! We want to see you grow and develop and stay true to yourself, just the way our girl Ellie did.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Spring 2010 "Tribe Awards"-----EBONY

The KTDA Council of Tribes "Tribe Awards," honoring our game-characters who parallel the original "Tribe" characters we all know and love.

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Make a roster of truly unique, stand-out characters from "The Tribe," and Ebony is one you can't miss. Through all 5 seasons, we could depend on Ebony to ultimately land on on her feet.

Whether she was acting as the Mallrats "muscle" or taking on the Chosen or even fighting her own sisters, Ebony always gave us a good show. And almost as fun as watching her establish her authority was enjoying the men she challenged -- Zoot, Bray, Lex, Ram, Jay, Slade.

Good times. Definitely good times.

Sneaky. Selfish. Spoiled. Street fighter. Survivor. That was our Ebony.

It's also our Villa.

And more and more, it's becoming our Jet.

Villa is a force unto herself that no one--nope, not even Marionette--has been able to stop or tame. She's wicked strange most days. She loves as hard as she fights, and doing either or both seem to keep her happy. She doesn't have Ebony's strategic focus, but she definitely has Ebony's passion. And boy, can this girl put on a show!

Jet is showing the same kind of potential, but she is more an inheritor of Ebony's wild strategies. The show Jet puts on has more to do with what she can get other people to do. Like...say...the Fight Club. Interesting choice for her, and we're loving every minute of it. This girl has lots & lots of Ebony-style potential. We're enjoying watching it develop.

Congratulations, ladies!

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Spring 2010 "Tribe Awards"-----DANNI

The KTDA Council of Tribes "Tribe Awards," honoring our game-characters
who parallel the original "Tribe" characters we all know and love.

* * * * * * * * * *

It was just one season, Season 2, yet the character of Danni left an indelible impression on Tribe-world.

This girl wasn't a primal survivalist. Danni carried her civilization and ethics and ingrained democratic beliefs with her--just as important to her as food and water and living to the next day. It was obvious in the things that drove her. Getting the trading market going, her Bill of Rights, leadership of the MallRats. . .

Danni was also driven by her past, a past that wasn't her fault and she couldn't be blamed for. It was harsh when everyone found out Danni's father was the scientist responsible for the Virus that devastated their world.

She was working through all that, beginning to live up to her potential and change her world, when the Chosen came and the Guardian captured all the tribe leaders.

Danni disappeared, but she has never been forgotten.

Valentine came from a different background but has faced, and is facing, a lot of the same challenges Danni knew. Val's back story led her to be an anarchist, and it seems she has always been a natural leader if anarchists have leaders. She is a magnetic personality, and people respond to her.

Where Danni had the Guardian, Valentine had kidnapping and slavery and a near-death experience that totally changed her. Today our girl is a bona fide capitalist, one who seems to be using her influence to help others. For every wildly successful business like Home (an inn/bar) and Mirage (a casino), there is also an indoor trading market and a free shelter/clinic for the city kids that she either sponsors or pays for.

Where Val truly parallels Danni seems to be in her choice of men. These girls aim high, and that will definitely lead to broken hearts along the way.

We were sorry to see Danni disappear after one short season.

We hope Valentine is with us a very long time.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Spring 2010 "Tribe Awards"-----CLOE

The KTDA Council of Tribes "Tribe Awards," honoring our game-characters who parallel the original "Tribe" characters we all know and love!

* * * * * * * * * *

Cloe was one of "The Tribe's" original brat pack. With Patsy and Dal and KC, you just never knew what they would get into next.

Cloe was also one of the few in the show who had something resembling a normal life. Whether it was adopting her first pet (everybody remember the cow?), worrying about her first boyfriend (poor Dal), feeling left out when Patsy found other interests, or dealing with the raging hormones that come with puberty, Cloe was as close to a "normal kid" as you're going to get.

When it comes to our game-world, LILY is one of the few characters who have had close to a normal life. That was mostly thanks to Arianna & The Misfits, who took Lily in during the first season and have taken care of her ever since.

Lily has had quite a time of it. She's seen the best and worst of life in Fort River since the Virus, and you know that's bound to change a person. Yet Lily has remained surprisingly. . .normal.

Lately our Lily is growing up and finding her independence. When power was restored to the city, this girl had an idea and hustled her butt to start her own business. Now she's selling ice to a lot of the bars and other places in town. That has to be building her a nice little nest egg for the future.

So here's to Lily, growing up in a post-Virus world and not letting herself get defeated.

Lily has dreams. When all is said and done, that's what "Keep The Dream Alive" rpg is all about.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Spring 2010 "Tribe Awards"-----BRAY

Once again, the KTDA Council of Tribes has spoken. After a long deliberation, the Council chose to honor game-characters who parallel the original "Tribe" characters we all know & love with their Spring round of awards! Chyna's Closet is going to count down the winners with all honors & kudos for hard work accomplished.

* * * * * * * * * *

Throughout "The Tribe," Bray was the quintessential survivor. More often than not, Bray would choose to go his own way & follow his own gut instincts, even when no one else agreed with him.

While he may have been...popular, with the ladies...there were plenty of people ready to take him on. Our man Bray was falsely accused of hoarding water, sabotaged when he tried to straighten things out with his younger brother Martin (maybe better known as Zoot). He was envied, loved, battled, misled, hated & played for a fool.

Still, you could count on Bray to landed on his feet.

That pretty much describes the character Sid in "Keep The Dream Alive" role-playing game.

Sid joined us in the game's first season. He was about as subtle as a burning house and full of energy. Over the years and the seasons Sid's been a Reaper, a Misfit & a Traveler. A father & a fighter. A king & a ghost.

Mostly though, he's tried to do the right thing. He didn't always succeed very well at it, and there were a lot of mistakes made along the way. But at the end of the day, Sid was true to himself. It's hard to ask more than that.

Sid has survived more than most people, and he's done it on his own terms.

Congratulations, guy! At the end of the day, channeling "Bray" isn't an easy thing to do. You do it with class and integrity.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

I hate goodbyes...

Tonight my Henry went to sleep in my arms. Now he sleeps with angels. I didn't have him long, barely 2 years. He was 10 when he came to me ... with a heart oversized enough to hold his joy for living. This Chinese crested powderpuff romped joyfully through all our lives and loved every second of his "retirement" in his new home.

Dammit, it hurts. I hate goodbyes, and this one came too damn soon.

If you're reading this and you know me, be kind and don't mention it for a few days or weeks, ok? I think it will take me that long to keep from crying.

Goodbye, Henry. We love you.

-Sherry

Older

Ok, so my birthday makes me nostalgic & moody.

Sue me.

It didn't seem like our Tribe friends had that problem. They were focused on the day-to-day, surviving. Only 1 core character actually faced getting old, and it was a horror. That was Lex; he caught the Virus & was aging toward death pretty fast. Of course, he had a cure.

*sigh*

A cure for getting old? Nah, I won't wish for it. I'm not going to regret the quantity of years I've lived or the number I may have left.

Getting old means living your life, loving your family, having friends & experiencing what the world has to offer.

In a lot of ways, that's what The Tribe was about - the right to live. To love your family 'n friends. To experience your world & grow & find your own path to being happy.

How can you argue with that?

As someone (probably famous who I can't remember) once said, it's not about the destination. It's about the journey.

Birthdays are about celebrating the journey.

*hugs* to everyone who sent good wishes my way, who ate cake with a salute to me, who gave me a card or presents.

You are the ones who make my journey worthwhile.

love,
Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Change

No matter what you do, "change" catches up with you.

Good. Bad. Indifferent. Doesn't matter.

If nature abhors a vaccuum, then it hates stagnation more.

Change in The Tribe was as obvious as the Virus and as constant as struggling to live daily. Hell, they were kids. Teenagers. That's pretty much the definition of change. Want more? The Chosen. And just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, here come the Technos. Sometimes I believe the core theme of The Tribe was change in all its forms, for better or worse.

I guess you can use other words. Growth. Evolution. Advancing civilization. Problem is, the older I get, the more "change" = "bad."

I know, I know. I'm rambling.

Change.

Ok. life IS change. That theme keeps carrying over, especially in KTDA. Our game reflects the aspects of life each of us feel. We put it out there through our characters then see how others react. Sometimes those reactions are what we expect--disinterest usually. Bored. Ignored. Other times we're surprised when a character reacts with caring, concern, even a willingness to "let me help." Those are high points, for real.

KTDA is preparing for a pretty big change, coming soon. This time it's a dual change. We're going into our game's Season-9. That means new plots, new characters, new situations, maybe new players. We're also doing a 2-month time jump and going straight to October and autumn. That'll be a refreshing change from the whacked out summer we've endured.

The season change also brings our game full circle. It will be one full game-year that we've played. For the handful of us who've been with the game since Season-1, that's bringing back a lot of memories. It's also hitting us over the head with how the game has changed. Characters we've loved and lost. Battles we've fought. Struggles we've endured. Decisions we've made.

Change.

Just like life.

Sometimes it sucks. Sometimes it brings the best surprises.

Wouldn't it be nice, if we could choose?

-Chyna
Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe

Learning about rpg'ing, Tribe-style

I'm waiting on a season-change in KTDA. A couple things have to happen yet, and they're goin' kinda slow. I guess that's making me brood.

Tonight I'm thinking about all of our players. We have quite a few these days, and that's so cool. I'm thinking about the differences among them--writing styles, the way they see their characters, likes & dislikes, that kinda thing.

I'm thinking of "Danni" and "Salene."

A lot of players remind me of Sal. Salene seemed to be mostly a background kinda girl. A brick. You knew who she was & you could always count on her to stay true to form. She went along. She got along with people. Whatever situation she found herself in, Salene tried to do what she thought she was supposed to. She was a reactionary. Need a few examples? No worries.

Salene & Trudy. Trudy had a baby; Sal became chief baby sitter. It was a good role for her. She knew what to do & how to do it. Salene & the Chosen. She joined up and actually wound up believing in the myth of Zoot. Whatever they told her to do, she did. It was the same in her relationship with Ryan. Amazing that she was the only one among the girls to find a boyfriend who was more interested in being her friend than sleeping with her, huh? But that was our Salene. She didn't change an awful lot from beginning to end. Dependable, predictable, solid.

"Danni" was something different. We didn't know her long. Then again, sometimes you had to wonder if we really knew her at all. (That whole "daughter of the guy who invented the Virus" stuff totally caught me off guard!) The only thing predictable about Danni was her zeal. She drove the action rather than waiting for it to drive her. Danni's "bill of rights." The Mallrats' trading market with money they created. The way she took forever to bend a knee to the Guardian. Then again...did she? We didn't know her long but she was a whirlwind who pulled a lot of people (like Bray & Lex) along in her wake.

It's an interesting parallel.

Our Salene-like players are solid. They can play a scene with the best of us. They get every emotion & detail out of it until you can see that scene playing out vividly in your mind.

Our Danni-like players are the ones that pull us through the story. They find new tales to tell, new directions to take us, and new ideas for us to flesh out & bring to life.

You just gotta play to your strengths. Always.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

2010, The New Tomorrow

Look into the future...what do you see?

We have a brand new year ahead of us, people. Same new Millinneum. Entirely new Decade. A lot of promise. A lot of possibility.

From day-1, that's what The Tribe was about. Possibilities. The fact that the future is what we make of it, good or bad. You can either be stuck in the same-old-same rut, or you can look past it. Really look into the future, and then make it what you imagine it could be.

Whether your fave was The Tribe or it's little sister The New Tomorrow, kinda doesn't matter.

Possibility is, ultimately, possibility.

Now we need the big brother to those shows--the one that gives a clean slate to the rest of us who are over 21.

Clean slate. Nice thought, huh?

Today is the first day of a brand new year. Let's see what you can make of it, shall we?

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The New Tomorrow"

Bittersweet

It's New Year's Eve. I'm spending it quietly, at home with family. A few things occurred to me tonight I hadn't thought of before ... maybe because of the season, maybe because I was re-reading the blog I wrote for Christmas.

First, it occurred to me that our Tribe friends didn't know how to recreate "family" the way they experienced it before the Virus.

They tried. Trudy wanted so much to have a family the way her mom & dad made one. When she became afraid of life with Zoot (the father of her baby), she tried to force Bray into playing the daddy-role. And unfortunately that became the pattern: babies as leverage. Leverage against Bray. Leverage for the Chosen. I'm not saying Trudy was a bad mother ... it's just that definitions changed as the world changed.

When Amber had her baby, daddy Bray was long gone. Her baby became an excuse for Amber to keep other men at bay, an excuse for acquiesing to Techno demands (yeah, Technos knew how to use leverage against people too).

Family? We have mothers, and young men who are fathers; but it's a sense of family that's missing.

Sometimes a stronger family sense came between siblings. Patsy & Paul were inseperable until Paul "vanished." Alice & Ellie are a better example. Alice fought for her sister, even kidnapping Taisan so she could get the Virus antedote for Ellie to live.

After 5 seasons, we will never know how the rest of the growing years affected mothers & fathers & babies. If things continued the way they began ... well, I guess we have new definitions for "family" and "adolescence" and "adulthood."

And that points to the 2nd thing that occurred to me tonight.

Though I'm not a mother, I know the love and affection of children. I know the satisfaction of helping them gain understanding & faith in themselves. I know the distinctly bittersweet joy of watching them grow into confident young adults who are ready to fly. It's joyful because they reward all your faith in them. It's bittersweet because the time comes when it's you they're flying away from. But that's all right too.

It's New Year's Eve. My "children" are far away, but they're as close as my thoughts. They're in my heart.

Somewhere in Tribe-world, it would be nice to think that Amber and Trudy and all the others could say the same thing.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

The Greatest Warrior

Never hurt when holding is enough.


















Never maim when hurting is enough.














Never kill when maiming is enough.












The Greatest Warrior is he who never has to kill.















--Chyna

...with a tip of the hat to Stephen R. Donaldson for a classic series of books, The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever

Photo source: copyright Cloud 9 "The Tribe"

Merry Christmas, 2009

We never saw Christmas in The Tribe. Actually we didn't see much of old-world traditions carried into the new, post-Virus world.

Even in our Tribe-based rpg, that seems to be the case after almost a total game-year has transpired for us. The only major celebration we've had was Winter Solstice. A few characters have quietly, personally observed their own traditions. The two that come to mind quickly are Christmas and Hanukkah. Other than that ... nothing.

I think that's a bit sad. The one thing Christmas does for us today is bind people together. In this holiday season, we see families come closer and count their blessings. We see neighbors helping each other more. Even strangers on the street can be friendlier.

Christmas is about hope. Hope is one thing we can't have enough of.

Even for someone spending Christmas alone, there can be joyful moments. A Christmas card from a distant relative. A phone call from mom in Florida. An unexpected present from a friend. A neighbor shoveling your snow. A candle lit against the dark. You just have to have eyes to see and a heart that can reach out and understand.

To my Tribe-friends, I hope you're all well and spending Christmas with your loved ones. I don't think you can do any better than that.

Here's a virtual hug coming your way -- *hugs*

Merry Christmas, whatever world you live in.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Tribe Heart

Hopefully we all have someone in life who inspires you, makes you feel warm and loved, makes you believe you're special...makes you want to be more than you are.

For me it was my Aunt Jo. She was there in the beginning and there throughout my life. She encouraged me, accepted me, was a friend when I needed her and a hundred more things that are hard to express.

Yesterday I lost her, and my life is altered in ways I can't begin to realize. I ache with the feeling of being left behind. I can't pick up the phone and call her anymore, can't reach out just to feel her smile across the miles.

My Aunt Jo truly had a tribal heart and a tribal spirit. She was the best, and I miss her.

Josephine Collins ... rest in peace.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Congrats KTDARPG! 5 years!!!

October 17, 2004 - October 17, 2009

For 5 years, our players & members have kept the dream alive, the dream we found in "The Tribe" and didn't want to let go when the show ended after 5 seasons.

KTDA is up to our 8th Season & crazier than ever! We've come a long way in just the last year!

-102 members (75 in '08)

-30,325 posts (25,486 in '08)

-28 players (22 in '08)

Special thanks to the owners/moderators who do such a great job of keeping everybody on the same page & moving in the same direction:

Manmod

Prince

Rio

Smiles & hugs to the ones who bring us all the good times in the game:

Ace - Alexis - Angie - Arianna

Balthazar - Blackrose

Blood - Cecily - Chidori - Chopper

Coop - Crux - Doc - Domino

Erica - Eris - Hard Wire

Hawk - Icarus - Izzy - Jade

Jenna - Jet - Kane

Katara - Kismet - Kite

Krystal - Lexy

Lily - Llysander - Logan

Madam - Maggie - Manon

Marionette - Mist - Novus

Oliver - Pandora - Prince - Quill

Rex - Rio - Rook - Saber

Sid - Sypher - Talon - Terra

Tristan - Valentine

Vincent - Zander - Zero

Special tribute to The Originals - creators that brought the dream to life ...

Savinius - Xeno

... ad the players there for the first days & still with us 5 years later:

Arianna - Prince

A lot of people have come & gone. Some stopped awhile, adding to the story & the legend before moving on. Thanks for playing with us. Thanks also to those who just read & enjoy...we're creating our own Virus-world for you as well as for ourselves. We hope you have as much fun as we do.

5 years...and it's not over yet. Have fun, guys!

-Chyna, Game Owner, KTDARPG

**Apologies to anyone I left out above--there are an awful lot of us! You're not forgotten, just misplaced.

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

If "The Tribe" taught us anything...

Life is short.











Break the rules.











Forgive quickly.











Kiss slowly.

Love truly.









Laugh uncontrollably.

...and never ever regret anything that made you smile.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Summer Tribe Award: Best Writer

Breaking down the Summer 2009 "Tribe Awards" presented to KTDARPG players by the votes of their fellow players, with tributes to the show that continues to inspire us!

Category: Best Writer

Winner: Chyna -and- Eris_the_beginner

Runner Up: Joseph Charles Smith

This is a hard category to gauge. Everyone who plays in our KTDARPG game-world is by definition a Great Writer. Their ideas & words build the landscape, create the characters and bring the game to life.

Such a life!

Our players have created loves, laughter, anger, rage! Fort River has experienced amazing highs like the Winter Solstice Celebration ... and amazing lows like the lynch-mob scene that was brutal and horrible and real. They don't shy away from the hard calls. Sometimes the words they put into their characters' mouths are equally harsh but very representative of what kids would say in these circumstances. The love scenes are romantic and warm and memorable. The death scenes are also memorable (and thank goodness they don't happen as often). Everything in between is LIFE.

That's what our players and their writing skills do best. Bring everything to LIFE.

So when the votes were in, I was very proud & humble to have been honored with first-place along with a partner of mine, Eris_the_beginner. Readers know Eris as the creator/author of "Tristan" (our Most Zoot-like Character). Readers know me mostly for the characters "Valentine," "Jade," and the ever-insane "Villa."

Our runner up is relatively new to the game & a fast-riser. Jow's characters are noteworthy. The possibly psycho tribe leader of the Moths "Crux," the blind soldier among The 100 "Luz," the brave soul who tried to protect his sister then lost her and his life only to be resurrected as "Novus." There's more. I'm thinking, with Jow, there will always be more/better/stronger.

The truth of it is, every single player in KTDARPG earns the title "best writer" every time they post. You're all fantastic. Thank you!

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe

Summer Tribe Award: Fantasy Fight!

Breaking down the Summer 2009 "Tribe Awards" presented to KTDARPG players by the votes of their fellow players, with tributes to the show that continues to inspire us!

Category: Fantasy Fight

Winner: Nicola v. Villa

Runner Up: Hawk v. Urick

All right, gotta admit, some of the greatest scenes in The Tribe were when kids decided to stand up for themselves & fight. Usually we were focused on the Mallrats. Mallrats versus Tribe Circus. Mallrats versus the Chosen. Mallrats versus the Technos.

Because the show gave you all the visuals, you didn't have to imagine the action the way we do in a text-based rpg.

We've imagined some great ones! Fort River vs. the Brotherhood. Birds of Prey vs. the Anti-kids. Ok, so you had to be there. Take my word for it. If those scenes were videotaped, they would be riveting!

We asked our players to tell us who they'd like to see mix it up. There were quite a few suggestions. Here are the top 2.

Nicola v. Villa

Oh, boy. Ok, guys, don't you think this would be just a little one-sided? I mean, we've seen Villa in action many times. Against men or women, this girl is hot. Probably because she's just plain crazy, all the usual inhibitions are gone. Villa goes all out. It's like she's playing a game and having the best time of her life! Nicola is new in town, so she's untested. Sure she has a great rep and seems like she knows how to handle herself, but... Come on, Villa? Just my opinion, of course, but Nicola would get murdered! Who knows, maybe one day we'll find out.

Hawk v. Urick

All right, this one is just weird. We have 2 strengths going--one light, one dark. There are also 2 loyalties. Hawk has built her reputation & showed her expertise for a lot of years in-game. This Bird of Prey is a hero of 2 wars and a force of nature. She's served as tribe leader of the River Rats & stands strong for justice, fair play & protecting the weak. Urick? Oh, he's definitely a force of nature. Like a hurricane. Or an earthquake. His loyalties are first to Tristan, second (we think?) to Blasko & The 100. This man is a maniac barely--just barely--leashed. If he and Hawk squared off? Damn...I coudn't call this one.

Hehe... I think my game-mates just have sick fantasies.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Summer Tribe Award: Most Zoot-like

Breaking down the Summer 2009 "Tribe Awards" awarded to KTDARPG players by the votes of their fellow players, with tributes to the show that continues to inspire us!

Category: Most Zoot-like

Winner: Tristan

Runner Up: Constantine

Is there anyone more iconic from The Tribe than Zoot? In many ways, he typified the post-Virus world the rest of the kids inhabited. He was ruthless, focused on survival of the fittest in a world that was brutal & violent. But that wasn't the whole story. All you have to do is remember the picture of Zoot with his newborn baby in his arms. This was a man who, had he live, may have changed beyond our wildest dreams ... or not. His reach was long, his followers "devout," and even after his death all the things he had set in motion kept affecting the world he left behind.

Can the same, perhaps, be said of Tristan?

What we as the audience see may be quite different than what the player who created Tristan meant or implied. Still, with an incredible 77% of player votes, there are a lot of parallels to be drawn between Tristan and Zoot. The ruthlessness that seems to have a purpose we can't quite define is a very big part of it. His leadership qualities, the way his "followers" (such as Urick and Blackrose) call him Master or Sensei and obey him completely really takes us right back to the devotion of the Guardian and his Zootists. There's also his amazing - and somewhat puzzling - other side, a tender side he has shown intimately and consistently to Cecily ... his wife. This man is about power and influence and what else? Like Zoot, will his influence continue to spread outward beyond the city? Beyond even his death when it comes?

Time will tell.

Runner up in this category is Constantine (15% of votes). Constantine can be chilling, cold, hard, ruthless, violent without feeling or apology. Where Tristan has evolved, Constantine feels like Zoot at his beginning. Like Zoot figuring out his world and the correct responses to it. We also know that Constantine can be tender because he, like Zoot, had another name once upon a time. Where Zoot was also Martin and in love with Trudy, Constantine was also Scarecrow and in love with Arianna.

Personally, I hope Constantine doesn't go the way of Zoot. There seems to be so much more to this Constantine of ours ... hope, maybe. Another chance at love, if he hasn't given up on it.

Good job, guys. Your characters have some very raw impact that affects all those around you.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "the Tribe"