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"

Summer Tribe Award: Best Bitch

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: KTDARPG'S Best Bitch

Winner: Villa

Runner Up: Jet

Don't let them fool you. Every female has an "inner bitch" just waiting to come to life & either mess up your day big time or give you an adventure you won't soon forget.

The Tribe had more than its fair share of examples!

Remember the sweet, dingy, sincere little Cloe from Season-1? And how she grew up into the angst-filled, rebellious teen that you loved to have by Season-4? Or how about dear Trudy. That girl could keep your head spinning, she'd change so fast from human being to bitch and back again! Amber had her turn at that wheel but mostly she was the patriotic martyr-type. Salene was the sacrificial lamb most days, but just ask Ryan about those mood swings of hers. Ellie, Ebony, Moz, Ruby, May, Patsy, on and on and on ... yep, lots & lots of examples.

The best ones raise bitchy-ness to an art form -- and KTDARPG has some of the best!

The best of the best is Villa (31% of votes). From the second she came on the scene, Villa has been a constant source of ... well, hmm ... surprise? laughs? outrage? craziness? It's hard to typify this girl. Outa control is probably a kind way of describing her. From the game, we know why she is the way she is. Sorta. Kinda? But we can say with absolute certainty that, with Villa around, you will so definitely NOT be bored! Just ask Marionette!

Right on the heels of first best is second best: Jet (25% of votes). To all appearances, Jet is a cold, hard bitch with a royalty complex. Maybe she comes by her ruthlessness honestly. She was tribe leader of the Vamps until they were massacred. Who are we to judge?

Ah, where would we be if all our characters were sweet and honest and loyal and true. Sometimes it takes a bad girl if you wanna have fun!

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Summer Tribe Award: Fave Male

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: Favorite Male Character

Winner: Prince

Runner Up: Llysander

Runner Up: Marionette

Usually a person's favorite "anything" is the thing he or she is most familiar & comfortable with.

That's probably why Jack was always a favorite in The Tribe through all its years. You could say the same for KC until he disappeared (then they teased us with his reappearance briefly in Season-5!). Of course there's always the exception. Slade was definitely exceptional & an instant favorite when he appeared on the scene in Season-5.

The winner of this category, Prince (9% of votes), proves the attraction of familiarity. We've watched Prince grow & go crazy through 8 seasons of KTDARPG. We've seen his strengths and weaknesses and loyalties. We saw his love grow for his wild Bird of Prey ... and we were with him when he lost her. We know why he wears a piece of broken sword, and we know how important the Misfits are in his life. We may not know how far he'll go, but we definitely know how far he's come.

Marionette (7% of votes) is also familiar. He's fought everyone including himself, and he just keeps on fighting. He's a complex man with a horrible past, but he's trying to atone & do the right thing. He always tries to do the right thing. Outside his circle of Death Seekers he has few friends but counts Valentine among them. And love? Ah, love with the wild Villa who brings out the best in him even while he tries to tame the beast that torments her.

Llysander (7% of votes) feels instantly familiar. New to KTDARPG, he's so open with everyone, never false. His words and actions ... match. Llysander is a man with a mission but he's also a man able to appreciate those who try to help him or whose kindnesses put them in his path. From what we've seen so far, Llysander is also a man whose passions are not on the surface. They run deep & harsh. Unleashed? Well ... that's something we'll wait and see.

Congrats, guys! You rock!

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Summer Tribe Award: Fave Female

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: Favorite Female Character

Winner: Jade, Maggie, Valentine, Villa

Runner Up: Hawk

Your favorite is just ... well, your favorite! Don't gotta have a reason for what you like or don't.

Watching The Tribe, you have people who liked Amber and people who thought she was very one-dimensional. You either loved Trudy or you hated her. There were fans who booed May for breaking in between Pride & Salene and others who cheered her guts in declaring her own feelings for Salene. (It got kinda tangled.) Love Ebony or hate her. Think Mouse was an annoying little brat or applaud her not-so-innocent views of her world. Ellie, Ruby, Java, Moz, Moon -- they all had their fans & anti-fans. Reasons didn't seem to matter.

And so it is with KTDARPG.

We asked our players to vote their favorites. They voted themselves right into a 4-way tie!

The winners were:

• Jade, the honey-blonde former-slave singer who has found true love (again?) with the mysterious Zero.


• Maggie, the mousey ex-slave server at Home who's had it rough enough in love that we wouldn't blame her for giving up on it altogether.


• Valentine, the sable-haired former anarchist-turned-entrepreneur with a stream of lovers and maybe, just maybe, one true love.


• Villa, a psycho ice-blonde with more than just tendencies toward violence, all calmed down in the presence of the very enigmatic (and probably also psycho) Marionette.

Congratulations, ladies! Your fan clubs applaud you!

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Summer Tribe Award: Best Male Primary

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 Male Primary Character

Winner: Llysander

Runner Up: Rio

When you go back & watch episodes of The Tribe focussing on primary males, the hallmark of the best ones are their predictability. The character can be as far from the real-life of the actor as day and night, but the character takes on a life of his own to the point that you KNOW what he will do because of who he, the character is.

Ok, that was a little convoluted. Let's just say the male characters are alive on the screen when you watch them. You know what they will do because of what they've done in the past. Even when there are surprises, those surprises are within the realm of what that character could possibly do. Make sense? I hope?

Like the females in their category, the male "primary" is the character a player invests most of himself (or herself!) to during the growth of the game. And the voters stayed true to the definition of what a primary should be: Predictable.

Llysander was the clear winner (38% of votes). As new as he is inside our game-world, Llysander has set up a pattern that keeps repeating. It's even evident in his speech patterns. He has some very solid views of life & how you treat people, any people but most especially women. When honor is involved, you know you can count on this one to do what honor demands. He constantly expects to be duped or cheated, and he's grateful when he finds the people he meets are as genuine as they seem. It will be interesting to see what effect Llysander has on Fort River ... and vice versa.

Our runner up is also--and always--extremely predictable. When it comes to Rio (25% of votes), you either love him or hate him. There is seldom any in between. It's hard to know whether to define Rio as a pervert, a misogynist, or just a punk. He's shown that he can be a good strategist when it comes to business. But when it comes to friends? I dunno, this guy has got me bamboozled too. So I guess you can predict him but you'll have a hard time categorizing him. Anyway, he impressed enough people to come in #2 in this part of our poll.

Congratulations, guys!

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Summer Tribe Award: Best Female Primary

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 Female Primary

Winner: Katara

Runner Ups:

Krystal, Terra, Valentine

In The Tribe, we were given many examples of unique women. Their strengths were many, and they shared one in common: they were all truly survivors. Even after characters like Patsy, Danni & Taisan vanished from Tribe-world...you always wondered where they wound up, whether they ultimately lived or died.

In KTDARPG, a primary female character is your number one--usually the one you develop the strongest, the one you invest most of yourself in, the one you "live" in.

The winner of this category, Katara (30% of votes), has been in our game less than 6 months. That she won this category should tell you that her creator/player has done an outstanding job of bringing Katara to life & giving her a very strong persona. I could go into that persona here...but you know what? Katara is so unique & so full of surprises that I really don't want to spoil it for anybody. Guess you'll just have to drop by our game & see for yourself. Use the link at right and come on over!

Our runner ups (each with 18% of votes) are also very well-drawn women who have had--and are having!--an impact in the game. Krystal is a former Diablo turned River Rat, a healer who saves lives & yet kept a special sweetness that is rare in our game. Terra is what you might call a child of nature who's left that green world on a special mission: to find & punish those who dared to kill a mighty river. Valentine has guts, the kind of guts that have kept her alive when those closest to her died or left, the kind that keeps her coming out on top against some pretty heavy odds.

Our game-world has become a living thing after almost 5 years. It's because of the players growing in strength & confidence in their gaming skills...and because the women (and men!) they've created have taken on lives of their own.

Congratulations to all of you. It's a pleasure to be among you.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Summer Tribe Award: Believeable

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: Most Believeable Character

Winner: Arianna

Runner Up: Everyone!

One of the things I always appreciated about The Tribe was how strongly the characters were drawn. Within the world the Virus created, the actors brought their characters to life in amazing fashion. They were real. They lived. You sympathized with their problems & burdens. You cared about what happened to them.

Our winner in this category is Arianna (8% of votes), tribe leader of the Misfits, a character who has lived & grown in the game since its first days almost 5 years ago. As any girl, Ari has had her share of ups & downs, challenges & triumphs, romance & heartache. She's a teenager who knows how to fight--and has fought for her life & the lives of others!--and she's also a mom. Day by day, Ari has grown right in front of our eyes. We know her. That's a very good feeling.

The voting gave us a 4-way tie for runner up, each with 7% of votes -- Alexis, Krystal, Llysander & Prince. Two characters who've been with our game for many years, and 2 that joined us in the past several months. Krystal & Prince...well, we know them like we know Arianna. They're friends of ours. Alexis is new & has developed right before our eyes in just a few short months. A baby was revealed, a father found, a brother lost, and now the effort & trust to create a new family is needed from her. We find ourselves rooting for her to succeed. It's a similar thing with Llysander. New in Fort River, searching for a sister savagely taken from him, trying to help others as he can but also holding himself apart from feelings or a possibility of happiness ... tragic stuff. How could we not care?

The voting in this category was really a triumph for KTDA -- every single character listed as a nominee got a vote. Jade, Villa, Marionette, Sypher, Madam, Jet, Icarus, Vincent, Crux, Domino, Balthazar, Amy, Pandora, Cecily, Chidori, Mist, Hawk, Kite, Rio, Tristan ... bravo, all of you. And especially to your creators, bravo! You've brought some special people to life & into our lives. We care about them. That's some pretty amazing magick.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"