What if ... ??

Well...our game ended, and real-life Virus took hold. Who could have predicted that? The game we played for so many years -- based on The Tribe, and the premise of a Virus killing off adults and leaving the kids alone -- is nostalgia now that we're faced with the real thing.

It's true that many kids and teens have died from COVID-19, but it is almost universally fatal to adults and especially those over the age of 65.

As I endure quarantine and life in isolation, I really wish we had KTDARPG up and running again. I imagine the scenarios and the characters we'd dabble with now ... now that we have first-hand experience of what "Life with the Virus" is like.

Take care, all my friends and family.

Wear a mask.

Quarantine.

Wash your hands.

Take the vaccine when it's available to you.

Let's survive this together. I don't want to lose even one of you.

--Chyna

15 Years is a Good Run

We we may be coming to the end of an era.

In 2004, a group of fans created a word-based role-playing game on Yahoo. Dedicated to their favorite television program, they called it Keep The Dream Alive.

A great number of players have come and gone over those 15 years, some of them great players. The plots were up and down, some vaguely drawn, others developed in stark detail. We were introduced to characters that linger fondly in memory: Xeno, Prince, Arianna, Savinius, Hawk, Chyna, Marionette, Sid, Krystal, and so many more.

Through it all, we kept our eyes on our model, "The Tribe."

As we know, all things change. Now Yahoo is changing some of its business model, which may very well spell the end of our rpg. Yeah, we've explored options such as moving the game to another site. While some of the possible sites are free, they do want a sort of "relocation fee" (brought on, most likely, by the opportunities presented from Yahoo's changes and literally hundreds of others in the same compromised position we are). Other sites, while free, make it difficult if not impossible to truly move all of our game--files, databases, conversation threads, polls, etc. A move is not looking so good.

While some of our players are busy downloading and saving all they can, I wanted to acknowledge their efforts here and thank them. After Christmas, we'll know what Yahoo leaves us with.

I've made some very good friends at KTDA, as well as adopting a little sister for life. A group of us were able to meet at Dragon*Con in Atlanta, Georgia, back in 2006. That was a great time! I've also made close friends that I've never met and maybe never will, but we keep in touch.

I know I've not kept up with "Chyna's Closet" as I should. Time marches on for all of us. But, here, I wanted to say thank you. Thank you for your friendship. Thank you for good memories. Thank you for challenging me with characters and plots and storylines that we still talk about today. Thank you for being tribal.

We'll see what the future holds for us.

-Chyna, KTDA Game Owner

photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

It's 2019

Well, it's 2019; and if you look at it, the world isn't too far away from the one that led to the scenario we were intrigued by in The Tribe. Only problem is, reality bites. We enjoyed the show for the characters, the creativity, and the rarity of such a show on television. It's still kinda rare, although others have tried to emulate it.

Still, look around. And think about how much fun--not--it is to deal with hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, fire, drought... the constant state of conflict many countries and even continents find spreading through... yeah, it's a party.

Sorry, guys.

Just a little depressed today. It's cold, gray, gloomy, damp and I'm stuck indoors doing mundane day-to-day living-type stuff.

I guess I need a little Tribe perserverance, courage, creativity, whatever you want to call it. Being as strong as one of the Tribe children who lived through hell and fought their way back... keeping the dream alive...

First, find a dream.

Stay tribal.

-Chyna

KTDA, In The Beginning

Beginnings are not easy or simple. How do you start a role-playing game? How do you get your characters into the game and get action started? No, definitely not simple. For those who've wondered how our Keep The Dream Alive role-playing game got started, here is a digest-version of Season One and the first days of game-play. Enjoy!

==========================

      Savinius retraces his steps back out of the alleyway and sees a girl in the distance.  (She's pretty cute.) His shyness towards females kicks in and he ducks behind some nearby trash cans.

      Arianna grabs a backpack and pull-behind suitcase. She heads out into the street to find someone…anyone. Startled by a loud crash, she clutches her backpack as she turns to see what made the noise. Noticing a handsome and rugged older boy, she walks over to him. “Hi, I’m Arianna. What’s your name?” She turns and notices a young girl coming up the street towards them.

      Mimi was at the end of the street and heard some noises. She walks up and sees Arianna and Savinius.  “Hi. I am Mimi. Who are you?”

      Savinius thinks to himself, (Crap! I've got two girls to deal with now!) He slowly gets up from behind the trash cans. “I'm Savinius, and you two are?”

      Arianna, batting her eyes flirtatiously, reaches out a hand to help Savinius. “My name is Arianna. Nice to meet you, Savinius. And you too, Mimi. I’ve been alone for so long, it’s good to be with people again. Shall we be friends?”

      “I'm Mimi—sure, we can be friends, Arianna.  Nice to meet you, Savinius.”

      Xeno walks away from his burning house and turns south, where he understands his sister is. After an unknown amount of time, he sees the first kids he's seen in hours. Xeno smiles to himself then heads over to them. “I'm Xeno. Have you seen my sister? Her name is Adear, and this is her photo.” Shows them the photo in his hand.

      Arianna looks at the picture closely. “No, I’ve never seen her before. I’m Arianna.”  She points to Mimi. “This is Mimi, and…” points again, “this is Savinius. We just met.”

      Mimi looks at the photo Xeno holds. “Not me either, Xeno.”

      Prince enters town walking his out-of-gas motorbike and spots 4 other teens. (Where in the heck did they come from?)  “Hi, guys. I’m Prince. Do you know where I can get any gas for my bike?”

      Savinius says, “I don't know about you guys, but I've been having a hard time surviving on my own.  Maybe we should band together and even form a tribe.”

      Arianna giggles. “A tribe sounds like a wonderful idea. We can help Xeno find his sister and take care of each other.” She wraps her arms around Savinius’ neck and kisses him on the cheek. “You are so smart to think of it.” Then she hugs Mimi, Xeno and Prince.  “We could be like a family.”

      Savinius looks down and away from Arianna. “I’m glad everyone likes the idea. We could talk about this right here and right now, but I think it might be better to move somewhere safe. There are well-established tribes in this area—like the El Diablos, the Brotherhood, the Lemmings. Does anyone know where we can hide out for a few days?”

      “I was headed to my uncle’s warehouse.” Arianna points ahead of them. “It should be safe. There’s an electric lock system. My father said there might even be stuff I could use to survive.”

      Xeno asks, “How will this help me find my sister? I've been fine traveling like this, searching for her...and how do you think this place is safe from the tribes like El Diablos and the Brotherhood? Or even the Lemmings?”

      Savinius replies, “Well, Xeno, we don't know if it's safe or not. But I do have a question, Arianna. Does this place have a generator?” He cocks one eyebrow up and smiles. “Wait, that doesn't matter right now--we just need somewhere safe, and this place might do it.” He looks toward Prince. “Prince, can we use your bike's battery?  I can hotwire the electrical system for just long enough to get the door open. Regardless if the generator works or not, we will be safe because no one will be able to get in!  But we need another battery from a car just in case, so we don't get trapped inside.”

      Xeno rolls his eyes. “I see none of you have seen her. Maybe I should continue after a night’s sleep. Lets head to this place of yours!”

      Prince says, “Well, Sav--clever, man! Just don't screw it up! And as soon we all get situated in this place of Arianna's, we'll both go get that car battery together. Now I'm gonna follow that angry guy,” (referring to Xeno).  “You should, too, if you know what this city holds for us.”

      Xeno slows down because he has no idea where this warehouse is. Xeno is not angry; he’s just in general annoyed with life.

      Savinius catches up with Xeno and puts his hand on his shoulder.  “Look, man, I didn't mean to ignore your request back there. But we need a safe place to stay before we can effectively find your sister. We'll do this right, after we find a place to live and food, I promise.” They pass a wrecked car. “Well, we better stop and borrow this car's battery for backup.” He pulls out a pair of pliers from his pocket and removes the battery. He looks back towards Arianna. “Hey Arianna, where's the warehouse at?”

      Arianna looks behind her. “Wait…shh…I just heard something. Listen--do you hear it?  It’s coming from that direction.” She walks to the corner and peers around the building.  (Oh, my lord!)  She runs back to the others, looking scared and confused. “There is a group of like 50 people standing back there.”

      “It looks like El Diablos,” Savinius says. “They've all got devil horns painted on their foreheads. We better head to safety. Honestly, I would like that electrical lock standing in the way between the 5 of us and the 50 of them!”

      Arianna pulls a sheet of paper out of her pocket and studies it for a second. “It’s only like 6 blocks to the warehouse.” She grabs her backpack and suitcase. “Just follow me--keep quiet and keep up!”

      Prince hides the motorbike in a large pile of garbage and runs with Arianna and the others. He explains, “I'll come back for that later.”

      Savinius grabs the battery he pilfered out of a car. “Wait up, guys!”

      Arianna looks back. (Well, at least I’m not going to be alone.) She turns left at the corner, then slows down so the others can catch up.

      Prince stops running. “I'm gonna lead the El Diablos in a different direction. I want y'all to go ahead—I’ll catch up in about 10 minutes.” Prince goes into a dusty office building and heads to the top of it. (I see the El Diablos--now I’m gonna get them!)  From the top of the building, Prince throws an office chair into the center of the group below, injuring 8 of the 50. The Diablos enter the building to kill the stranger who did this to their tribe! Prince escapes through the mail chute and runs back to his new family. (Man, that was so freakin' raw!)

      Xeno turns towards Prince, grabs the front of his shirt, picks him up and slams him against a wall. “WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT FOR?  DID THEY DO ANYTHING TO YOU?” Xeno screams into Prince’s face. “YOU HAVE JUST ENDANGERED ALL OF US!”

      Prince slaps Xeno’s hands off him. “Ok! Sorry! Just trying to buy us a little time!”

      Following Arianna, Savinius tells her, “Look, maybe we should run ahead of the others. I need some time to get that door open. I need at least 3 minutes to hook this battery up.”

      Arianna looks at Savinius and smiles. (He is probably right, especially after what Prince just did.) She pulls the paper with the directions and code out of her pocket and rips off the code. “Savinius and I are going to run ahead and get the battery hooked to the door.” Hands the paper to her new friends. “Here are the directions to the warehouse.  Just follow them, and we’ll be waiting with the door open for you.”

      Running, Arianna calls back, “Savinius, come on--we're close. Only 3 more blocks to go!” She turns right at the corner, runs 2 blocks down past a gas station, then stops to wait for Savinius. “We have a small problem. The warehouse is surrounded by that fence.”

      Prince catches up with Savinius and Arianna, breathing hard. “I see y'all got a lil problem with the fence. Lucky for us, I packed this tool case.”

      Arianna closes her eye for a moment. “I think we might need pliers.There is an opening in the fence where the trucks used to get in and out. It has a chain and lock on it, but I bet with Prince's pliers I could pick it. If not, I know I can get it with my nail file.”  She remembers picking her school locker lock after forgetting the combination.

      Xeno stares after Prince as his hand automatically goes for the wicked hunting knife he always carries. But at the last second, Xeno stops himself. He was just going to spend the night with them and move on to find his sister, but now Xeno just might rid this new tribe of this kid first! Xeno turns to Mimi. Everything is fine.”  Xeno looks back and sees the Diablos turn the corner and see the two of them. Xeno even recognizes one of the Diablos who’s limping. To Mimi, “RUN—they’re behind us!”

      Savinius looks around and finds a lock to pick. “I'm gonna try and pick this lock. Can I have your nail file, Arianna?”

      Prince watches Xeno. “C'mon, Sav-man, let’s get this stupid lock to open.” He holds the lock tight as they both search for the right opening point. “Ok, man, let’s go.”

      Savinius smiles as he and Prince hear a click in the lock. “We're in!” He picks up the car battery. “One more door between us and a little safety.” Savinius looks toward Arianna. “Can you take us to the entrance?” He picks up the battery. “I'll be hella glad when this is all over and we're somewhere safe.”

Welcome to "Keep the Dream Alive."

-Chyna

KTDA Game Overview, Updated June 2017

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/KTDARPG/info

Begun in 2004, "Keep the Dream Alive" role-playing game (KTDA) was inspired by the New Zealand tv show The Tribe. The show’s premise: a lethal Virus killed all the adults in the world, leaving their children alone to find their way in a desperate new reality.

KTDA started its in-game action less than 1 year after our game-Virus was unleashed. The world's kids were left alive to struggle for food, shelter, clothing and safety--trying to survive and build a new world out of the ashes of the old. Ours is an "other world," where real-world geography and history don't exactly apply. There are also NO fantasy or super-powered characters here.

For our first 11 seasons, the city of Fort River is where primary action took place. For Season-12, primary action has moved to Vale on the seacoast. Both cities are located on a long peninsula. (See map in the "files" section of our website.) The climate has traditional seasons including winter snow. Trees, plants, crops and animals are all climate-appropriate, too. Surrounding cities include Bayview (west), Darrow (south) and Capital City (north).

In our game-world, nearly 3 years have passed since the first friends came together in Fort River, which makes it almost 4 years since the first Virus was released. (A second, kid-killing Virus was also unleashed and defeated.) During the past horrific winter, a lot of people died and others fled from privation and disease. That’s why our characters fled Fort River, hoping for better chances of survival in Vale.

Now it’s early summer in Vale--the 3^rd summer in the game and our first in Vale. It’s taking some getting used to, orienting ourselves to a new environment—new buildings, streets, activities and characters. Vale has shelter and a milder climate, for now. People are finding places to live and jobs and new friends. Vale also has a periodic newspaper for city news.

There have been many tribes throughout the game. Right now the primary tribes are the Vamps, the Wave Riders and the River Rats with the potential for more coming soon.

Be sure and check out the “files” section on our website for game rules and instructions on how to build a character profile and how to post. Look around there, because there’s lots of other information that will help you in your game-play! And if you ever have any specific questions, just give a shout out for a Game Moderator. We try to stay close in case we’re needed.

Every day's an adventure, but we all work to stay tribal!

Welcome to "Keep the Dream Alive."

-Chyna

Photo source: our great game-player Manmodthanatos. Thank you!

REWIND: Make it feel real!

Building a World -- 5 beats 2!

[Originally posted 10/03/2013]

On tv, The Tribe was definitely 2-D. The only senses the show could manipulate were sight & sound. Through them, the characters & the plot drew you in, made you care. That was exactly what we wanted and, ultimately, what we loved about the show.

As a viewer, you didn't worry so much about how Tribe-world tasted or smelled, if it was rough or smooth.

That's not the case with Keep The Dream Alive role-playing game. Our game is word-based, which presents specific challenges to bring players in & get them excited about our game world. To do it, we have to focus on touching all 5 senses. Luckily, with words, that's very do-able as long as you concentrate.

Ask any of our players. They'll tell you about Chyna's rants: "What does it feel like? What does it smell like? Describe everything so you can MAKE IT REAL for the reader!"

You know what? That's exactly what they do.

Tyla's reactions to Jet's Fight Club make you feel it--sticky tables & floors, the sounds of the fighters, the smell of stale beer & sweat... Ari has done the same with fight scenes, and Hawk in the City Clinic & in the wilderness. Sid made us experience his anguish at the loss of his son...and even the anguish he felt at beating Chyna in their cage-match. Krystal's loss of her love, Maggie's impressions of the people she meets at Home, the stories our bards tell -- there are so many good examples from so many good players that I can't begin to list them all. This is just a taste for you. If you aren't a KTDA member, you're missing something special.

So we are truly 5-D -- sight, sound, touch, taste & smell! That doesn't mean everything's all pleasant, tasting like steak or smelling like flowers. Our game-world continues to be a tough place that we endure & try to make better.

Come & see--or touch! or smell!--for yourself.

~~~~~~
-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Vale By The Sea!

Highlights from recent events in our game as of June 18, 2017.

Good morning!!! Welcome to another beautiful morning in Vale.

Across the StormRiver, the Krystal and the River Rats are stirring, starting a brand new day.

Rio and Arianna are up and ready for the morning. Rio is still obsessing over Jet, determined to prove he is SO not a victim. He and his lady are preparing to give the town a show of courage and fortitude. And class. Rio definitely wants class.

Jet is starting her day in a tizzy, banging things around the Vamps home-base, yelling for Tyla and Baz. Tyla hasn't been found yet. Baz is sitting out on the porch watching the sun come up...and taking his life in his hands, apparently. This should be interesting.

At the Rusty Anchor, Maggie's open for business. Kane's starting his day with coffee and the morning paper.

On the beach, the Wave Riders are up and, well, wave-riding. Harley, Cindy and the gang are amazed at the miraculous healing of their newest member, Richie. After a bare-butt stroll down to take a wash in the sea, with some admiring glances his way, Richie answers Fae's question about his cure with a brief, "I took a pill." Hm... 

As for Zin, who is this "Xeno" she's apparently dreaming about? Another mystery?

Be sure to get your morning newspaper! Find the newest issue in the game "files" section or Game Post #40444.

Good mornin', y'all! Stay tribal!

-Chyna

photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"