Backstory timeline

2832

Starsiege ends.

2845 Beginning of The Chase. Caanon Weathers is the new Emperor. Humans pursue defeated Cybrids to other star systems using FTL technology derived from Tharsis cache discoveries.

3289 Discovery of first "meta-jumpgate," allowing for travel over galactic distances.

3291 Cyberstorm corporations battle for control of the meta-jumpgate.

3350 THE DIASPORA Explorers discover the meta-jumpgate is part of a colossal network of jumproutes. Consequently, humanity begins a rapid expansion into the galaxy. The first generation of people travelling through the jumpgate, later to become known as "the First Who Jumped," forsake the security of the Empire to journey into the unknown. These pioneers develop a nomadic culture and find new pride in their ability to survive away from the mainstream of Imperial civilization. The ever-shifting galactic frontier comes to be known as the wilderzone. The Diaspora continues to this day.

3400 Wilderzone settlers begin to refer to themselves as a "tribe," calling themselves the Children of Phoenix. They claim to follow the teachings of the renowned warrior Harabec Weathers, hero of the Cybrid Wars. These teachings eventually find their way into written form as the Tenets of Harabec.

3450 THE SPLINTERING A force of Imperial Knights called the Order of the Blood Eagle invades the wilderzone to "subdue" the frontier for the Empire. The conflict fractures the Children, and countless groups break away to form their own tribes.

3455 Starwolf tribe forms, supposedly founded by renegade Children of Phoenix and deserters from the Blood Eagle, although the tribe's true origin remains a mystery.

3480 The Blood Eagle, far from their home bases for decades, begin to consider themselves a "tribe." Finding Hercs and quantum weaponry too difficult to maintain without a heavy industrial base, they adopt the lighter powered armor favored by the tribes.

3500 The Blood Eagle break with the Empire and declare themselves an "independent tribe." At this time, the intensity of the conflict with the Children of Phoenix fades, but warfare is still a constant in tribal life.

3610 During a conflict between the Starwolf and Blood Eagle on Ganges III, an ecocidal weapon is used, resulting in heavy casualties on both sides and reducing the planet to a lifeless husk. Each side denies using the weapon. The enmity between these two tribes deepens radically.

3630 The Diamond Sword tribe appears in the wilderzone under the tutelage of The Enlightened Master. Small in number at first, their teachings attract many new followers, and the Sworders' ranks swell.

3641 After much political maneuvering, the Children of Phoenix host the first Firetruce. This intertribal celebration and festival will take place twice each century on a planet chosen by The Children. The collective tribes gather on these worlds to compete in martial games and trade stories and technology. Much diplomacy occurs, as well as much intrigue. The Tenets of Harabec, long known among the Tribes of Man, are modified to include a ban on ecocidal weaponry. Remembering the death of Ganges III, all the Tribes of Man agree to abide by this new Tenet.

3670 Using innovative strategies and striking with precision and economy, the Diamond Sword rapidly carve out a large holding for themselves. They become known as one of the Four Great Tribes, along with the Children, Starwolf, and Blood Eagle.

3691 Second Firetruce: The Children make little impact on the fractious feuding that has become customary among the tribes.

3700 The Empire begins to demand more influence in the wilderzone, but meets heavy resistance from the many tribes.

3741 Third Firetruce: It is a time of much prosperity among the Tribes of Man, and a lengthy period of relative peace ensues. Many smaller tribes rejoin the Children of Phoenix.

3770 The Blood Eagle initiate a stunning series of offensives, doubling their world count. No other tribe escapes unscathed. Bitter critics accuse the Blood Eagle of taking up the cause of the Empire once again.

3791 Fourth Firetruce: The Blood Eagle are forced to surrender a number of their gains from the previous twenty years in the face of a possible alliance between the Diamond Sword and Starwolf tribes. Realizing that such a war would be overly costly, the Blood Eagle leadership backs down. The Children are quite pleased with these turn of events.

3831 Hector Komarosu, Great Eagle of the Blood Eagle, is assassinated. The culprit is never caught or identified, but the Blood Eagles age-old nemesis, the Starwolf, is blamed.

3841 Fifth Firetruce: Whispers of the Empire battling some distant "scourge" abound as Imperial advances into tribal space falter and cease. In the wilderzone, little progress is made toward tribal unification. Splinter groups from larger tribes seize the opportunity to declare themselves independent tribes. This year is no different, as the Blood Eagle leadership, still unsettled, fails to hold the allegiances of the Wolfsbane, Excelsior and Shadow Stalker groups. Many fights break out between Blood Eagle and Starwolf. The Diamond Sword champion humiliates the chief of the Gorgon Killers. This "time of reconciliation" sees little progress toward peace.

3844 Illya Ajax Konovalev is named Great Eagle of the Blood Eagle. The Wolfsbane tribe rejoins the Blood Eagle, but the Excelsior and Shadow Stalker tribes choose to remain independent.

3859 An unknown assassin kills the leadership triad of the Diamond Sword. Moving quickly, the Sworders are able to avoid the chaos and anarchy that plagued the Blood Eagle decades before. The assassin evades capture.

3891 Sixth Firetruce comes and passes uneventfully.

3903 Phoenix Prime Acantir Stefanos yl-Harabec, aged leader of the Children of the Phoenix, dies in his bed. His son, Renn Gistos yl-Harabec, is elevated to Phoenix Prime.

3904 Alexandre Konovalev, grandson of Illya Ajax, assumes the mantle of Great Eagle. In an effort to reconcile age-old differences with the Starwolf, he takes Freya Cloudchaser, daughter of a Starwolf chieftain, as his wife.

3905 Birth of Ulysses Konovalev to Alexandre and Freya.

3921 The Starslayer tribe settles on Theta Draconis IV after winning a lengthy battle with Diamond Sword over possession of the planet.

3924 The relationship between Alexandre and Freya decays to the point where she leaves him to rejoin her pack. Ulysses Konovalev reluctantly takes command of his father's Marathon Pennant to force her to return to the Blood Eagle.

3925 Most of the Marathon Pennant die in battle with the Starwolf Hepta Ourubis Pack. Ulysses Konovalev is not found among the survivors. An inconsolable Illya Ajax Konovalev vows to destroy the Starwolf once and for all. Freya goes into seclusion, reportedly numb with grief at the loss of her only son.

3928 The Blood Eagle Wolfslayer Pennant, including the elite Eviscerator and Deathbringer talons, begin an offensive against the Starwolf holdings in the Hepta Ourubis system.

3929 Starslayer tribe vanishes mysteriously from Theta Draconis IV. No trace of the 100,000 tribesmen remains.

3930 Blood Eagle forces prevail in the Hepta Ourubis system. The Ourubis Pack, nearly 80,000 strong, is wiped out. The Starwolf charge the Blood Eagle with use of ecocidal weapons, outlawed for centuries, and call for all tribes to aid them in destroying the Blood Eagle once and for all. The Blood Eagle vehemently deny the charge, claiming ecocidal weapons were used against the Marathon Pennant in '25.

Many Starwolf swear an Oath of Vengeance upon the Blood Eagle, declaring all-out war upon them. The Children of the Phoenix offer to act as judges and mediate the conflict.

3931 First attempt at mediation by the Children of the Phoenix between warring Starwolf and Blood Eagle factions results in thirty-eight dead, over two hundred wounded. The Children declare this outcome a "promising beginning."

3935 Pursuant to successful negotiations, the Blood Eagle declare the Wolfslayer Pennant dissolved and relocate the members elsewhere. They also withdraw any forces from Hepta Ourubis II, ceding possession of the planet to the Starwolf. Several tribal allies, including the Sons of Heracles and Gibraltar tribes, break their ties with the Blood Eagle. Other tribes, notable enemies of the Starwolf such as the Black Vulture tribe and aggressive tribes such as the Way of the Red Sun, now choose to ally with the Blood Eagle. Many subgroups of the Starwolf and Blood Eagle continue to battle one another. The Diamond Sword remain neutral.

3937 The Hell Lantern Flame of the Children of the Phoenix destroys Imperial outposts that infringe upon their holdings in the Kepler system.

3938 Two full packs of Starwolf attack Blood Eagle holdings on Deus Sanguinus in a massive frontal assault, reportedly coming in under a flag of truce. The Red Paladin Pennant is wiped out to the last man and woman. Alexandre Konovalev is now being described as either "determined" or "insane," depending upon whom you talk to. Attempts by the Children to mediate are summarily rejected by all sides.

3939 Imperials resettle worlds of Kepler II and VI and place garrisons on these worlds to protect inhabitants. The Hell Lanterns watch but do not attack.

The Children of Phoenix leadership rejects the militant demands for a tribal crusade by general Anton Malderi, self-proclaimed "Harbinger of Phoenix."

The Red Paladin Pennant is reconstituted by a group of Blood Eagle who claim to rededicate themselves to the ideals of honor and ancient chivalry.

The Children of the Phoenix decide to use the devastated world of Hepta Ourubis II for the next Firetruce. Both the Blood Eagle and Starwolf show little pleasure at this choice. The Starwolf have been working for years to repair the ecosystem. They now transfer a massive number of thralls from other holdings to speed the effort.

The Blood Eagle General known as "Fury" reconstitutes the Wolfslayer Pennant as a symbol of vengeance against the Starwolf. The Wolfslayers reportedly ignore the authority of the Great Eagle and answer solely to Fury. Initial victories over the Starwolf Old Ymir Pack show the new Wolfslayers to be even more ruthless than the old Pennant, and Fury proves she is a brilliant strategist. Many Blood Eagle flock to her banner.

The Starwolf attempt to form an alliance with the Diamond Sword against the Blood Eagle. Unsurprisingly, the Diamond Sword deny the petition and remain neutral.

3940 The Children of the Phoenix conclude that an alarming number of independent tribes have taken sides with either the Starwolf or Blood Eagle. Full-scale planetary invasions have begun, and bloodfeuds grow more common. The Phoenix Prime remarks that "this path to unity would be a fearful one." Backed by growing support, General Malderi again demands that the Children of Phoenix mount a crusade to force unity upon the Tribes of Man. Again his argument is rejected, but by a far more narrow margin.

After a series of inspired victories against the Starwolf settlements along the Tessellate Trailing, Alexandre Konovalev inexplicably withdraws his forces to Euralio VI and goes into seclusion. Fury argues that the Great Eagle is too hampered by grief and rage (and madness) to lead the tribe effectively. Blood Eagle sworn to the service of the Line of Konovalev are troubled, but remain loyal.

The Diamond Sword Triad meets on the world of Falcon's Crossroad to discuss the interpretation of a philosophical tract said to hold significant meaning for the tribe's future. Sworders appear unusually restless during the seven months of the debate, but say nothing to outsiders.

The Starwolf continue to shift their forces and reserves toward the war with the Blood Eagle. Heartened by Konovalev's sudden withdrawal, Starwolf Packs go on the offensive and strike far afield, deep into Blood Eagle holdings. Divided in their loyalties, the Blood Eagle muster poorly coordinated defenses against the wolves of space.

3941

3950

The Pact liberates Shi-Draconis Alpha A Pact offensive on the ex-Diamond Sword world of Shi-Draconis Alpha results in the division of the Hordes in the Wilderzone, breaking the back of their main campaign.

3950

The Pact prepares to assault Bira Marduk Fury completes her conquest of the Nirel-Malak Lattice and moves her forces to the Cardinal Gate at the trailing end of the McCrae Lattice in preparation for an assault on Bira Marduk.

Found an archive of Prophecy of Tears, which was a short series of stories by Blake Hutchins that lead up to Tribes 2. It's a good read. http://andeburu.studioink.org/fic/prophecy_of_tears/index.html

Here's a link to an archive of Blake Hutchins' "Guide to the Tribes Universe". It's a general overview with pieces taken from the documents below: (the man even had a guide to tribal slang :lol:) http://webcache.googleuserconten t.com/search?q=cache:krUop_vxvz 4J:ftp://195.189.44.66/Games/Tribes/Docs/tuguide.rtf+tribes+%2B+fi retruce&cd=17&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

Found a link to a few key docs released around 2000. Thanks to "Crazydiamond" whoever you are.

Firetruce Information surrounding the Firetruce http://www.freewebs.com/crazydiamondx/tufiretruce.doc

Tribe Breakdown (one of my favorites) Dives into the cultures and structures of all the Tribes. http://www.freewebs.com/crazydiamondx/tuguide.doc

Tribal Technology Covers everything from power generation to building materials http://www.freewebs.com/crazydiamondx/tutech.doc===

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