Summer Tribe Award: Best Leader

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 Leader
Winner: Hawk, leader of the Birds of Prey
Runner Up: Arianna, leader of the Misfits
Runner Up: Valentine, leader of Fort River businesses

Sometimes people are defined by the leaders they choose. The Locos had Zoot and then Ebony. The Technos had Ram and then Mega. The Mallrats had Lex, then Amber, then Bray. The Chosen had the Guardian. In Season 3 the city kids fairly elected Ebony as City Leader.

Anybody familiar with The Tribe easily forms a mental image of the people mentioned according to who's leading it, for better or worse.

It's very similar in KTDARPG.

Winner in the "Best Leader" category is Hawk (38% of votes), leader of the Birds of Prey. Hawk had one other leadership role, tribe leader of the River Rats, but nothing so successful as her association with the Birds of Prey. The Birds serve as sort of a roving band of enforcers focused on justice & fairness. With them, Hawk is in her element. Whether it's the Brotherhood or the Anti-kids or any other bad guys, she knows what to do instinctively, how to do it, how to finish a job.

We had a tie for runner-up. Arianna (15% of votes), tribe leader of the Misfits, has always been at the heart of the city with her tribe. People in need turn to her for help, and she never turns them away. This girl has had her ups & downs but has never lost her focus.

The other half of the tie is Valentine (15% of votes). Not exactly a traditional leader, Val is at the head of almost all the prominent businesses in Fort River. Her reach is long, and fortunately she is charitably minded & fair. She doesn't cheat people & doesn't tolerate those who do.

Our game-world has a lot of powerful leaders vying for this title. There is Megalues, patriarch and tribe leader of the Evans clan. Jet, leader of the Vamps who were mercilessly slaughtered. Ace, leader of the Death Seekers. Crux, leader of the Moths who are new to Fort River. Chopper, leader of the Assassins of the Black Hand. Blasko, leader of The 100. Madam, leader of the Painted Ladies. And Tristan, leader of his own family and sect that is slowly growing.

In KTDARPG, you just never know where the next strong hand will be in evidence. That's half the fun!

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"