Lost Tribes: Setting

The Tribes have always existed, and always shall. They fight for the glory of their totems, for control and power, as they always have. The Eagle kings tried to exterminate them before, covering their corpses with robes or purple and gold and blood red, but the totems still speak to those of the blood, even today. In New York, the Tribes continue their struggle for dominance under the guise of gangs and under the veils of masks, hidden from the public view.

Fight for your Totem

Fight for glory

Fight to win.

Lost Tribes: A game of totemic street gangs in an ageless war.

So Totem Tribes fighting for things both material and immaterial.

If you have your mask, you can use a very simple ritual to enhance yourself via your totem power.

You would think the big animals would rock this, but really, they are losing strength as their numbers diminish. Thus Dogs, Cats, and Mice rule this secret world. (Alligators, Kangaroos, Rabbits, various Birds, are out there as well).

In each area, the tribes find their own way of being.

IN some places they are "secret societies" behind the places of powers. In some places they are "the organized crime". In some places they are part of the anitquities community, as older items have power. In some places they are just gangs of people mystically bound together by their totem.

(really you can have all the above ... those who have been playing the game longer move up the food chain into the various other elements. )

There are nodes of ley power in the city. This power charges various items in that area. You can tap that power to enhance yourself (your totem power) or give it to your tribe's totem (thus allowing access for anyone who needs it).

Factions

Cat, Dog, Mouse (maybe Rat), rule the cities. In the right backwoods town though you don't want them to pull out their masks...

There are rumours that in Buckingham palace, a group of guards have masks with the faces of lions, all bedecked in gold and jewels... They have enslave proud, cunning Raven for their own ends, it is said

And remember that the ravens three are bad luck. That the raven on the battlefield is an ill omen. Perhaps that is why the raven is enslaved by the lion.

Tribe Raven is enslaved by the Lions, but Tribe Crow is free.

Of course the question is, are they separate tribes, following separate totems, or do they follow two different masks worn by the same being?

"They say that they're different, but they all look the same to me. Crows, Ravens, practically the same bird, really. But if they're all the same, how did one get caught? Are they really even the slaves of the Lions, or do they just use their position to influence things? Or is there really no connection, outside of smoke and shadows?"

"No, mate, they're different. The Ravens are crazy. I've seen them, all masked up at the Tower, murmuring, cackling about something big and dark and buried under London, something trying to wake up."

"Crows are crass and nasty, but Ravens are insane"

The Unicorn is like Keyser Söze. He's the Big Bad monster in the fairy tales crooks tell their children. Some say he's a myth; some say he's the secret master of all the tribes. One thing that all the tribes agree on though: if the Unicorn declares you his enemy, you are doomed, but if the Unicorn hires you for a job, you'll soon wish you were merely his enemy.

The cat tribe's motherhouse is located in the ancient city of Venice Italy and even the Pigeons of St Mark's Square are forced to admit that Venice is, was and forever shall be a feline domain. But like their brethren abroad the Pigeons know all the dirty little secrets so they've been able to broker a deal with the Queen of the Canals. The cats pretty much leave the Pigeons alone and the Pigeons don't share all those catty secrets with the rest of the tribes.

Pigeons don't have a motherhouse, as no city will claim the dirty lil bastards. They're rats with wings. They're flying vermin who are just as happy begging from tourists at Trafalgar as they are shitting in the Queen's tea over at Buckingham Palace. There's not a tribe out there who wouldn't like to see the whole damn lot of them wiped out or at least driven out of their town. The problem is the fucking birds know too damn much and are more than happy to share it, for a price that is. So what can ya do? At the end of the day even the most refined feline is forced to suck it up and pay a visit to some shit stained statue and deal with the flithy fucks if she wants to get anything done.

"It's funny how people hate rats with wings more than other rats... " - Big Sally, Rat Tribesman

Rats at least have the decency to stay out of sight of polite society.

The Eagle Kings took control of America, and cemented it- what, you thought the revolution was about Democracy? Why is it then that every president has come from the Eagle Bloodline? What about the rumors of some strange, exotic bloodline the Eagles are courting with their current pick for face of the country?

We've got a few of our brothers over there, but they're fighting a lost cause.

The humans are winning. They steal our masks, and our powers. With profane magics, they rework our masks. Our totems scream in pain. Every mask we loose makes the thrice damned humans stronger, and us weaker. There is no tribe of man. Instead of being born to their totem, they choose and initiate their members, and gift them with a perverted mask, stolen from one of us true tribes.

Don't fuck with the rabbits http://i.imgur.com/uREBv.jpg

The Lion holds the Raven to keep down what must not be raised up. The Mice and Rats nibble away under the foundation, and you wondered why the Egyptians buried mummified Cats with their dead?

Legend says that if the Ravens ever leave the Tower of London the Monarchy will fall and with it the Lions power and thus will the Roman Eagles be able to rule once more. That is why the lions have clipped the Ravens' wings and why the black seeers are confined to the Tower to this day. Now I don't buy it personally, but it's funny how the Crows don't seem all that interested in liberating their captured kin isn't it?

Foxes.

Bastards the lot of them. They don't even have a tribe. No identity. Just a bunch of grinning lone guns who meet up every now and then to boast and get pissed and throw up all over the shop. Bleedin' Liability, they are.

Big Owl says that there used to be a Fox Tribe all proper like, but then something happened. They killed their King, ritually, rubbed out all his power. There isn't anything left of him anymore, barring a voice on the wind.

But the thing is- that was the plan. The King of the Foxes is Immortal now- and the Tribe no longer needs a leader or a structure, because wherever they go, they are protected. So you get Foxes in the country and foxes in the town, and you'll never, ever get rid of them.

So if you want them gone, you'll hape to do something really, really stupid. Bring the Fox King back- and who knows how mad he is, after all these years.

(Oh, and on the Unicorn thing- I wouldn't worry, the Lion beat the Unicorn all about the town. Keep your cap doffed to Her Maj, and you'll be alright.)

Some other animals to consider: Horses

    Proud bloody country bumpkins. Never got on with the others, always had to keep moving

Sparrow

    Hehe, the first things the Eagles killed were the little birds

Frogs

    I heard they keep to the fens out in Norfolk; judging by the way some of the villages look out there, I wouldn't be surprised

Squirrels

    Bloody foreigners. The real Squirrels got killed off a century or so ago.

Ducks

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Swans

    We don't talk about the Swans any more. not that they'd talk about us.

Bears

    Nah, they're dead, right? Right?

    Old English Bear long gone, Da. But in Russia, many Bear. Also many Swan, some Tiger also. Russian Bear do much help American Eagle beat German Eagle, many year ago. Now not all in Russia like Russian Bear. Russian Bear like London. Is good home, Da?

Tigers

    Heard that there were a few in London, brought back from the Empire days. Never met any of them, hope I never do.

Dragons

    They're real. In Wales. They're... wrong.

The thing about the Royal family is that not only are they 'in', but they're major bleedin' players.

Just the other week Her Maj had Jimmy 'Lopsy' Peeler shanked for what he said about her mum. The Royals rule London with an Iron fist, and they hear everything. Something about those Ravens, all going around, watching you, eyeing you up, steling your secrets... not that I've got any problem with that, mind, I mean, I'm a loyal subject an' all.

Anyway- whatever you do, don't piss about the Big Landmark- The Mall, The Houses of Parliament, The Tower of London (Raven Central) and Buck House. These places are off limits except on official business. And when it is official business, you'll know, because the Ravens will drag you there. Course, that doesn't mean they'll kill you, nah, just Her Maj- she doesn't have any time for shit from the peasants.

Masks

To take another's mask is the ultimate sign of defeat, a fate worse than death in fact, for with the Mask goes the power the totem spirit provides. Also to lose one's mask is to lose one's place within the Tribe, for if your enemy has seen your true face then your entire tribe is put in danger.

now im just seeing the Ram masks... their leader with golden fleece. and i know someone has a set of minotaur masks out there somewhere.... also, those kitties need boots.

Nono, masks only. Faster that way, to hide one's identity. Remember, once you've been unmasked you are a pariah, a danger to your tribe and all you care about. Masks are good.

So question, how do humans react when they see a bunch of people wearing animal masks weilding weapons in public? Do they see someone wearing a mask? Do they see the animal the mask represents or do they not see the mask at all?

And most importantly what powers does ones mask afford the wearer?

In the city, no one notices cats, dogs or rats. It all fades into the background.

No one notices, except for the occasional animal lover who sees what they expect to see.