4 Years & Counting!

October 17, 2004 - that's when KTDARPG began just as "The Tribe" that inspired us was winding up it's tv-run. We didn't know that. We hoped it would go on & on. A group of us even went to Dragon*Con and met Lex & May & Slade & Ram. Totally awesome!

Four years later, KTDA is celebrating a great game with a lot of great people. This is my anniversary tribute to:

• 25,486 posts
• 75 members
• 22 players
• 7 game seasons
• 4 years
• 3 owners
• 2 moderators

Congrats to our Players!

• Angie
• Arianna
• Balthazar
• Chidori
• Eris
• Hawk
• Icarus
• Jenna
• Johnny
• Kane
• Krystal
• Manmod
• Oliver
• Prince
• Rio
• Rosso
• Shirayuki
• Tristan
• Vile
• Vincent
• Xeno

Congrats to our Owners/Moderators!

• Chyna
• Manmod
• Prince
• Rio
• Xeno

We've had some good friends come & go through these years. They left their marks on the game and forever changed its course. I especially remember Ransom & Sid, from the early years. I never knew Savinius, who was one of the original game creators. If he's out there somewhere, he should definitely stop by & say hello!

Lastly, a very big shout of gratitude to everyone who stops by to read the game or the blog, or just to say hello.

We've put 4 years into this so far - doing it for fun, for ourselves, for our readers, and for the show that gave us our start. It all began with "The Tribe." Who knows where it will end?

-Chyna

*and if I forgot anybody, forgive! There's an awful lot of you!

KTDA Game Highlights, Oct. 12, 2008

Here's an update on where our rp stands today. Lots of unique characters, situations, voices in the night...very much like "The Tribe."

In "Keep The Dream Alive" rpg, currently it's late night, hot and dry. The fire on Goodmote Road is fading. The 100 in Peachtree Mall are cleaning up after being attacked. The storytelling is over at Home. Zero has the bar fight under control at the Mirage.

AT THE MIRAGE, Rio & Oliver got into a fight with some guys blocking the stage show. In a totally bad move, one of Rio's punches went wild and he decked Jade. Zero was there instantly to break it up and keep the peace.

ON PEACHTREE STREET, Bob is on his way back from checking out the Mall when he runs into Saber. The Trader points him toward the new graffiti on the cinema. It's another mysterious message to Bob, who reads it and instantly sees a threat to Valentine! He heads over to confront the guy who wrote it.

AT HOME, the storytelling is over for the night. Jenna said good-night to Teller and went upstairs, telling Icarus to take his time. Johnny & Maggie are in her room, where she confessed to Johnny about her past as a slave to Saint. Downstairs Amy is talking to Kane about space at the market and a room at Home. Hawk & Creed found the stories to be totally bummers so they're drinking away their blue moods. Valentine, Vincent, Krystal, Arianna and everyone else are just taking a deep breath and relaxing.

AT THE MERCHANT HOTEL, which is now sort of empty, Jet & Cecily are making sure the building is secure while Tristan does a bit of housekeeping upstairs.

AT THE DEATH SEEKERS' TREE FORT, Villa was spooked but doesn't know if it was a dream or real. Marionette is supporting her but unsure what to do. Prince & Eve are off making their own plans for when it's time to go back to the city.

...and there's plenty more to come!

-Chyna

Photo Source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Catching up

Time to play a little catch-up with KTDARPG, check out what's happening inside our game-version of "Tribe"-world.

Season-7
"Between Heaven & Hell"

Currently in our game it's July. Our city of Fort River is hot & dry, experiencing the worst drought anyone remembers. At least we have Tango Lake & StormRiver for major water!

It's been a crazy game-night so far. On Goodmote Road, fire took out the herb shop & the apartment building attached to it. Down Airport Road, there's quiet chaos in the old Merchant Inn as someone has decided his family needs a new place to live, a place that doesn't include other people.

At Home, the storytelling turned out a bit dark & heavy. First a story about a girl who lost everything...then a tale of the death of the last adult in the post-Virus world. Not exactly stuff to make you giggle.

The rest of our characters are hip-deep in their own situations. Rio is feeling a forbidden attraction. Jade enjoys being in love...again. Villa is paranoid (not so unusual for the crazy lady). Valentine & Vincent are disgustingly in love/lust, as are Prince & Eve out in their forest hideaway. Creed is tormented by thoughts of his past. Hawk is just generally confused about her place in the world. Johnny has come back to the city to claim Maggie for his own, while the former slave girl can't imagine anybody having those kinds of feelings for her. Jenna's having similar problems, finding her feelings changing for her handsome bodyguard.

In other words, game-world is not so different from real-world. Just lots more intense, confusing & bewildering.

Stop by and check us out -- http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/KTDARPG/

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Lonely

It's strange. "The Tribe" was about relationships, friendships, cooperation ... but there were a lot of basically lonely characters through 5 seasons. The one that strikes me right now is May.

May was a strange bird. She showed up in Season-2 & stayed with us to the end. But what did we really know about her?

Only what we saw. Nothing more.

And what we saw was a tough survivor who found out time & again that she could only depend on herself. She was an outcast who found a tribe, who cozied up to the Chosen to save her neck, betrayed them, betrayed her tribe to Mega & the Technos, got thrown out of her tribe ... but she always landed on her feet.

Men didn't work for her. Lex? Pride? Nope. Wasn't happening.

Girls didn't work. Salene was a friend ... was only interested in being a friend.

That left her with herself. I'm not sure that May actually liked herself all that much, but to give her credit she definitely stayed true to herself.

How many of us, under similar circumstances, could say the same?

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Unplugged! - "Zoot Lives! Award"

AWARDS UNPLUGGED: Where we take the Summer 2008 awards & break '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

Whoever had the idea to kill the character of Zoot off early in Season-1 of "The Tribe" -- bad move, my friends. Very bad move. Every successful drama absolutely cries out for an evil genius, a mastermind that makes you hiss 'n boo & secretly be anxious to see what they're gonna do next. Fortunately, "Tribe" writers knew better than to leave a good villain down. There were all kinds of ways to bring back our boy Zoot. Season-2 we had flashbacks to Martin & Zoot's beginnings. Season-3 we had the Zootists & their insane visions. Season-5 gave us computer-Zoot who was probably more terrifying than the real thing. Yep. Definitely can't keep a good bad-guy down.

For our "evil genius" award, there was VERY heavy debate ending in a split decision among those unlikeliest of brothers, TRISTAN & BLASKO. Blasko continues to serve up his special brand of evil geniusness in the guise of "good of the people." I mean, c'mon - this guy has his soldiers cleaning out alleys & cleaning up playgrounds & giving away food to hungry kids. That has to be good...right? Umm...right? And then there's his brother Tristan. He's definitely all over the place, especially now that he has a wife & a business & new projects presenting themselves every day. We've seen some of his seemingly mad plans completed & it gets kinda chilling when you think about what the future could hold. We don't know what's coming next from either of these brothers, but it's bound to be earth-shaking.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Unplugged! - "Zoot & Ebony Award"

AWARDS UNPLUGGED: Where we take the Summer 2008 awards & break '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

Was there any Tribe couple crazier than Ebony & Zoot? I don't think so. Just mentioning their names together calls up images - some we actually saw in Season-1 (or Season-2 flashbacks) and some we only imagined! Wild, crazy, unpredictable and potentially deadly.

Instead of Ebony & Zoot, KTDARPG has VILLA & MARIONETTE. They aren't power-hungry but very much crazy & unpredictable. The one way in which they stand apart from E&Z is pretty important: our craziest game couple actually love each other. That continually strikes all of us as pretty amazing.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Unplugged! - "Trudy Award"

AWARDS UNPLUGGED: Where we take the Summer 2008 awards & break '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

Her's was one of the first faces we became familiar with on "The Tribe." Trudy had lots of firsts on the show - first pregnancy, first flashback (to a last day with her parents), first (and only) character whose home we got to see, first girl to be seen in Bray's company ... but for this award, we're focused on how resilient she was. Trudy always bounced back! Trudy & Zoot? Zoot died. Trudy & the Chosen? She finally got kicked out as Supreme Mother and her tribe took her back. Trudy & Jay? That boy was totally whacked! Trudy & Mega? Yeah, that one was just bad judgment PLUS the boy played her big time.

So from KTDARPG, winning Trudy's "I made mistakes but can't we just get past it?" award, we congratulate LADY ARIANNA. Just like Trudy, Ari has pretty much been through the ringer since our game season-1. Most recently, she lost a man she really cared about over something that couldn't be helped. Because no matter what, Ari has her own sense of fairness & her own brand of justice. In this case, we're convinced this one was Scarecrow's loss because no matter what, our Arianna will always land on her feet. In this crazy pre-Virus New World, Arianna is one of the strong ones.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Unplugged! - "Tribe Style Award"

AWARDS UNPLUGGED: Where we take the Summer 2008 awards & break '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.

Tribe Style Award

"The Tribe" was very well known for its style! It had to be on television because no way would we have got the full effect of their wild colors, clothes, makeup, rituals & lifetyles any other way. From Zoot's flashy police-car class to those singing Jackal girls (whose names I can never remember) to the Demon Dogs, Gulls, Chosen, Technos, etc., etc.

In our game, our players do their best to create specific styles for their characters, tribes and living quarters. Val has the flashiest casino going. The River Rats live in renovated condos. The Misfits have a huge, well-equipped warehouse protected by an electrified fence. Ace and Jackie have their magick tricks. But when it comes to true Tribe-style, the award was handed to JET. Jet is leader of the (now extinct) Vamp Tribe, and she lives up to her responsibilities in true "tribe style." This girl is New World Goth all the way, and that's part of her charm as well as part of the fun.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Unplugged! - "Tribe Flashback Award"

AWARDS UNPLUGGED: Where we take the Summer 2008 awards & break '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.

Tribe Flashback Award

"The Tribe" Season-2 was filled with flashbacks - what Martin was like when he was just Bray's younger brother, before he became Zoot; how Ebony played off one brother then the other, a game at which Trudy was pretty good too; what Lex endured in the military-style training camps, and how he & Ryan became friends; how Zoot rose to power & tried to train Ebony if she wanted to be "his woman"; how Joffa became the Guardian. The details & color these flashbacks added to the tapestry of Tribe-world was amazing.

TRISTAN has been using the art of the flashback to very good effect in our game. Bit by bit, we're learning about the past of the Harbingers, now called "The 100," and the heir who lost a kingdom because of one girl. We're also learning in incredible detail what made Tristan the man he is today. This is the kind of thought-provoking, disturbing & totally believable character development that really adds all kinds of shades of gray & depth to our game-world and our game. Very nicely done.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Unplugged! - "Tribe Circus Award"

AWARDS UNPLUGGED: Where we take the Summer 2008 awards & break '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.

TRIBE CIRCUS AWARD

During "The Tribe" Season-1, Tribe Circus was really something special. Acrobats, singers, impersonators, fire-eaters - they took the "circus" part quite seriously. When this tribe was around you didn't know whether it was entertainment for fun or if there was something dark and dangerous come to call. When Tribe Circus invaded the mall and caged the Mallrats, it was beyond creepy.

But the cirus aspect, that was fun. And our game got a bit of that when ALICE showed up at home. Alice is a street girl & very entertaining! Her street theater demo was way cool! We hope we see more of her. It isn't often our Fort River kids get to have that kind of fun.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Unplugged! - "Top Hat Award"

AWARDS UNPLUGGED: Where we take the Summer 2008 awards & break '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.

Top Hat Award

"Welcome back, my friends, to the show that never ends!"

Ok, my bad for the Emerson Lake & Palmer reference - but it fits! "The Tribe" Season-1 totally rocked with creating great tribes, and none more unique or bizarre than Tribe Circus led by Top Hat. The ultimate showman, he could even make a mall invasion & takeover look totally cool. His tribemates were performers, each one more unusual than the last ... and him the most unusual of all.

In our game, the award for showmanship goes to HELLSTORM. By day we know him as Vincent, Valentine's love & partner and a pretty damn strong vigilante in his own right. This man knows the diff between right & wrong and has the guts to back it up. At night, when he's on stage at the Mirage, Vincent "Hellstorm" totally rocks the house! He's even got his own groupies 'n everything. Definitely the ultimate rock star for the New Age.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Unplugged! - "Taisan Award"

AWARDS UNPLUGGED: Where we take the Summer 2008 awards & break '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.

Taisan Award

"Space cadet" was a favorite Season-1 name for the dark girl that came out of the woods bringing Cloe back to her tribe. Taisan seemed to know a lot, but she was also rather mysterious about it. She didn't want to share the formula for the Virus antedote when she recreated it from roots & herbs. She knew about chakras, tai chi chuan, harmony & how to reach out to the soul. She helped name the Mallrats; she helped Zandra realize her dream of marrying Lex. Over 3+ seasons, Taisan was anything but predictable.

The Council of Tribes was unanimous in selecting our current game mystery woman - ZOEY. She came out of nowhere. She seems to have almost mystical knowledge. The girl obviously has an agenda & we have absolutely no clue what that is. Something tells me it'll be fun finding out.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Unplugged! - "Sasha Award"

AWARDS UNPLUGGED: Where we take the Summer 2008 awards & break '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. There were a lot of things I didn't like about the character of Sasha from Season-1, but we won't go there. I'll focus on something positive instead, which is what this award is about. Sasha brought laughter back to the Mallrats - clean fun & pure enjoyment. Music, dancing, singing, games ... things that were sorely needed, good for the spirit. In a world with precious little entertainment or diversion, Sasha brought that all back.

In our game, that distinction goes to JENNA & TELLER. Jenna is an old-school bard, traveling from place to place bringing news & stories of what's happening in the outside world. Without cell phones or radio or TV, there's not very much can serve that purpose except for good ol' human determination & the power of walking. Teller is what his name implies - a "teller" in the River Rats Tribe. His role is to teach new generations about their roots, their mistakes & their heroes. Lately he's been taking those stories to the streets of Fort River, because the River Rats are very much connected to the life of the city itself. Now our storytellers are in a friendly competition at Home, sharing stories for 5 nights with all who want to listen. Their storytelling is one of the few civilized forms of entertainment in Fort River these days. Definitely better than school for teaching history lessons!

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Unplugged! - "Salene Award #2"

AWARDS UNPLUGGED: Where we take the Summer 2008 awards & break '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 #2

The character of Salene was known for her caring, warm approach to people. It made her ideal for tribe-life. It also left her open to be taken shameless advantage of, or to fall hard for something that wasn't necessarily true. Trudy took advantage early, using Salene as a built-in babysitter then being jealous of Salene because the baby responded better to her than its own mother. Salene fell hard for Bray, the conflicted lover. She was totally open to being influenced by the Chosen. Her kindness was her greatest strength ... and sometimes her greatest weakness.

In our game, ERIS has a lot of Sal-like qualities. She wants to help, needs to be of help - that's how she defines her role in life. No matter who's in trouble or in need, Eris seems to be right there to lend a hand. She has lots of friends, but it was Ace/Alister that she fell hard for. It wasn't really obvious that he returned her affections, no matter how much she wanted him to. Eris is a good soul...she deserves to be happy. Just as Salene deserved happiness.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe

Unplugged! - "Salene Award #1"

AWARDS UNPLUGGED: Where we take the Summer 2008 awards & break '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 #1

From the beginning, Salene was forever "tribe mom." Whether it was baby-Brady or any of the younger ones, she was always trying to take care of people. This is how Charlie & Mouse came to the Mallrats in Season-4. Salene found Mouse on the street & offered her a safe place to stay; then Charlie tagged alone.

In our game, a character who's getting a bit famous for bringing home strays is HAWK, the sometimes-tribe-leader of the River Rats. Most recently she brought home those loveable wilders Ulquiorra and Erin, introducing them to the city & to tribe life. It was a very Sal-thing to do.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Unplugged! - "Ryan Award"

AWARDS UNPLUGGED: Where we take the Summer 2008 awards & break '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.

Ryan Award

Every show needs a Ryan. His was the sweetest soul, almost innocent despite everything that happened to him. Too bad Salene never did really appreciate him until he was gone. Nobody seemed to appreciate our Ryan. He was kind-hearted, dependable, a stand-up friend that would do anything for the people he cared about. Lex was his best friend, and it seemed like Lex stabbed Ryan in the back every chance he got. Ryan got to marry the girl he loved...even if she didn't love him. He almost got to be a daddy too...before the Guardian made him disappear. We'll never know what happened to Ryan, but we hope he finally found the happiness he deserved.

Kind-hearted, dependable & a stand-up friend also describes 2 current KTDARPG characters. ICARUS came outa nowhere, got caught up in the Merchant Street riots & wound up protecting Jenna who hired him as her bodyguard. He's turned into a loyal friend who takes his job seriously. SABER also fits this bill quite nicely. Valentine has rarely known a truer friend than this skater 'n trader. Her kindness to those in need is legendary.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "the Tribe"

Unplugged! - "Ruby & Slade Award"

AWARDS UNPLUGGED: Where we take the Summer 2008 awards & break '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.

Ruby & Slade "One-Off" Award

It was spontaneous. Hot. Electric. It was part of what made "Tribe" Season-5 different - the chemistry between Slade & Ruby. She didn't play games. He said he didn't, right up until the next night when he wanted their one-off to be maybe a two-off ...

Our game's recent version of this very hot, one-off relationship goes to NYX & JOHNNY OHM. Johnny was disappointed with a girl and frustrated. Nyx was on the prowl, and he IS a good-looking guy. We can't say it made a whole lot of sense but when you're lonely, any port in a storm? Congrats, guys!

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Unplugged! - "Ruby Award"

AWARDS UNPLUGGED: Where we take the Summer 2008 awards & break '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.

Ruby Award

Ruby was "The Tribe"s ultimate businesswoman. She ran a clean hotel, served good meals, didn't water down the booze, and had enough muscle around to keep the trash out. She was smart, funny, shrewd, and realistic. In the crazy post-Virus world, she was one person who had truly gone on to make a life for herself. She had a home, a trade, a purpose...and a heart of gold. Ruby took in strays like Lottie & helped to feed and shelter refugees from the city that passed her way. She also wouldn't let Lex cheat them, no matter how hard he tried. Ruby's taste in men wasn't always the greatest but at least she'd found her way to move forward and build a future.

KTDARPG has its own version of Ruby in VALENTINE. After a couple of seasons now, Val has put together quite a business enterprise. She started with "Home," a safe & cozy place to rent a room, get a meal, and stay off the mean streets. Then she added "The Mirage" casino with a little boost from Ace & other friends. Any night its doors are open for good music, good company, a drink & a bit of gambling that is totally not rigged. Lately, Val has added her support to create a city Shelter for stray kids, a free Clinic for basic medical care, and an indoor Market so we don't have to wait for the traders' fair that only happens once a week. A home, a trade, a purpose, and also a heart of gold for the city's needy. We have to say that so far her taste in guys has been better than Ruby's. (hehehe...) Not bad for a girl from outa town who started out as an anarchist, hm?

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Unplugged! - "Pride Award"

AWARDS UNPLUGGED: Where we take the Summer 2008 awards & break '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.

Pride Award

Pride was our roving Eco, a man of nature totally out of place in the steel & concrete of the city. He was also a lot more than that. He was kind to children. He kicked Lex's butt in a 1-on-1 fight. He was respected for his hunting & tracking skills, and was apparently in line to be the next Ecos Tribe Leader right beside Amber...er, Eagle. That was his other natural talent - the ladies couldn't seem to leave the guy alone! Bray actually had the guts to ask Amber if the baby she was having was his or Pride's. Salene was totally smitten with him, and May was all over him.

In the natural talent department, our game has OLIVER. His strong point is the bow, no questions asked. What this guy aims at, he hits. The little bit else we know about him, he's also kind & funny & sort of a loner. He rescued Jazzy from the street riots & gave her a safe place to stay. He teases Amy the bartender at Home without mercy. He has friends ... but mostly he kinda keeps to himself. We don't exactly know if he has any of Pride's other talents, but Oliver's definitely a guy we want to know more about.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Unplugged! - "Paul Award"

AWARDS UNPLUGGED: Where we take the Summer 2008 awards & break '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.

Paul Award

We didn't know very much about Paul. He was Paty's brother, and he was only in the show for a few weeks in Season-1. He was also deaf & unable to speak, communicating by reading lips or using sign language. Paul was pretty much the only time "The Tribe" made a serious effort to show what a catastrophe could mean for a physically challenged kid. What we saw of Paul showed that he was just as much trouble as a regular kid. Mischievous, fun-loving, scared & trying to be brave - but we only knew him a little while before he "disappeared."

In our game-world, this different view of life is given to us by CHIDORI. A beautiful little girl with a troubled past & a wicked present, Chidori can't speak. Instead she makes beautiful drawings & finds other physical ways of expressing herself. She's linked to The 100 somehow, and to a very large gross man named Auron ... and that's pretty much what we know for now. It should be interesting as we find out more.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"