TRIBES 1 goes through the year 3940. TRIBES 2 begins with the cataclysmic events of 3941. The Seventh Firetruce occurs, and Renn Gistos yl-Harabec, the Phoenix Prime and leader of the Children of Phoenix, is assassinated by a renegade warrior of the Diamond Sword. The Children, already dangerously close to being dominated by the fanatical Harbingers of Phoenix faction, throw their support to the second in command of the tribe, a woman known only as Lilith. Lilith, however, hands power to the leader of the Harbingers, the Firelord Anton Malderi. Under the domination of the Harbingers, the tribe embarks on a galactic jihad to bring the tribes back into the wings of the Phoenix.
Meanwhile, the Blood Eagle are locked in an increasingly bloody war with the Starwolf. The Blood Eagle themselves are divided, as their Great Eagle, Alexandre Konovalev, suddenly pulls his forces out of the conflict and goes into seclusion. Konovalev's hatred of the Starwolf has rendered him mentally unstable, but his withdrawal surprises everyone. His main rival for power, the general who calls herself Fury, continues to fight the Starwolf packs, but she is sorely outnumbered and is losing ground.
The Starwolf gather almost all their strength for a massive offensive against Fury, Operation Hagalaz. However, as they mass their army, they are hit by a surprise attack from a new enemy: the BioDerm Hordes. The Hordes hit the Starwolf at nearly four to one odds and decimate the entire tribal army. The Starwolf virtually cease to be a Great Tribe overnight, and the survivors flee in hopes of mounting some kind of hit-and-run guerrilla resistance. However, new bands of Starwolf that no one has seen previously are trickling in from the periphery of the wilderzone, so some hope that the far-flung tribe has more packs returning from distant worlds. It is still too early to tell.
The Diamond Sword has been remarkably silent, but the betrayal of the Firetruce from their own ranks has shaken them. The Triad that rules the tribe had already withdrawn to a world called Falcon's Crossroads, where they hold mysterious conference. In their absence, the Court of Blades rules an increasingly restless tribe. The Triad issues periodic orders that deploy tribal forces to specific worlds and order them to take up defensive positions. Some of the generals in the tribe have whispered that it is time for new leadership, but thus far, no one has stepped forward to challenge the Court of Blades or the Triad." There are 5 major groups warring for supremacy in Tribes 2, as described by Blake Hutchins:
Nicknamed "butchers" or “buzzards,” the Blood Eagle claim descent from an Order of Imperial Knights sent to pacify the tribes long ago. Their past is said to hide a dark secret, and the Blood Eagle still seem motivated by ancient shame and a deep, abiding fury. One story claims that the ancient Emperor Caanon I, on his deathbed, sent the Blood Eagle to find his immortal brother the Phoenix and return with him to Terra. After swearing a great Oath, the Order searched deep among the stars, but failed to capture the Phoenix by the time Caanon died. Suffering from the dishonor of failure, the Blood Eagle fell upon the so-called Children of Phoenix. The ensuing storm of war was the genesis of the Tribes of Man. The story ends by saying the Blood Eagle cover their shame with rage and exaggerated honor. It also says they still search for the Phoenix, and that if they ever find him, they will take him to Terra and thus fulfill their Oath.
The Blood Eagle maintain a formal military hierarchy marked by Byzantine politics. Succession always involves great uncertainty, as the rank of Great Eagle goes to the candidate who can best seize power. As with most other Tribes of Man, leadership passes by blood unless a rival family seizes power. Heirs to the Great Eagle find themselves under great pressure to build a reputation for strength early.
Some among the tribes say the Blood Eagle maintain close contact with the Imperial High Command, but the Blood Eagle vehemently deny these rumors. Nevertheless, Blood Eagle are a common sight on the world of the Imperial Legate, and they seem to have little difficulty in acquiring new equipment. Some stories whisper that one Blood Eagle faction has ambitions of returning to Terra and taking the Imperial Throne, but most tribesmen scoff at such outlandish tales.
In battle, the Blood Eagle display unbridled ferocity, raising the flayed bodies of fallen enemies as banners and following a scorched earth strategy. Their code of honor closely resembles that of medieval samurai from ancient Earth, and they never break their sworn word. They teach their enemies to fear them, and they obliterate their foes completely. Despite their brutality, Blood Eagle are surprisingly courteous hosts during a parley.
Blood Eagle units commonly adopt colorful titles, for example, the Second Pennant, Third Talon, is known within the Blood Eagle as "the Eviscerator Talon of the Wolfslayer Pennant."
Formerly the Children of Phoenix, this oldest and most traditional of the Tribes of Man, nicknamed "preachers" or "crusaders", traces its ancestry back to the legendary Harabec, the immortal Phoenix. The Children's ultimate goal is reunification of all tribes under the Phoenix banner. The Children adhere to a body of custom called "The Tenets of Harabec" and expect other tribes to follow it as well. They were the ones who started the Firetruces, and they are the consummate diplomats of the wilderzone. They also pay the greatest respect to the legendary Immortals, those mysterious beings said to guide humanity through the ages. Many Tribes are curious as to the secrets the Children of Phoenix hide, and wonder whether the Children speak the truth about being protected by the Immortal Harabec himself.
Though the Children constantly urge peace among the Tribes, they are also warriors without peer who finish their battles with terrifying finality. They respond to raids when necessary to protect or avenge their people, but they seldom engage in all-out feuds or long-term wars. "When the Phoenix wakes" is a tribal expression for "when hell freezes over." This phrase comes from recognition of the potential threat posed to tribal independence should the Children of Phoenix cast aside their history of restraint.
The Phoenix take pride in their elite status. So far, no other tribe has succeeded in shattering that reputation. Though they more arrogant than any other Tribe, even the Blood Eagle, the Children of Phoenix are also the most compassionate. Their regal leadership is the closest thing to a unifying force among the Tribes of Man.
Lately, the Children of Phoenix struggle with division in their own ranks. The Harbingers of Phoenix argue for a great Crusade to unify the other Tribes by force, while the Keepers of Phoenix maintain the best way to achieve true unity is to lead by example. So far, the Keeper faction continues to hold power, and the Harbingers are content to argue in the tribe's councils.
Nicknamed "Sworders" or "sandrakers," the Diamond Sword craft the most innovative and dangerous strategies of any tribe. They say the mind is the greatest weapon, and practice a philosophy derived from the Zen Buddhist teachings of ancient Terra. Tribe members tend to be enigmatic, even cryptic. When not fighting, they meditate on obscure riddles. The phrase "talking to a sword" comes from the Sworders' reputation for answering a question with a question.
An interesting tale links the origins of the Diamond Sword to the Empire. Long ago, the story goes, the Emperor of Earth used as bodyguards a force of Imperial Knights so hard and elite that people called them The Diamond Sword. These Knights served with honor and distinction until one day a mysterious figure addressed the Imperial Court. This man, the Enlightened Master, foretold a day when the Empire would have need of a weapon in a faraway place, a weapon of surpassing hardness and strength. His words moved the Court, and the members of the Diamond Sword petitioned the Emperor to allow them to be that weapon. The Emperor agreed, and the Diamond Sword followed the Enlightened Master into the wilderzone. When warriors who hear this tale claim the Diamond Sword are lackeys of the Empress, Sworders typically answer, "Can the hand made of smoke draw a sword?"
If the Diamond Sword have a weakness, it is that they rely overmuch on their elaborate plans. If caught unprepared (a rare event), Diamond Sword warriors are said to have difficulty adapting to circumstances. They become surprisingly vulnerable in those situations. Of all the tribes, the Diamond Sword are the ones least likely to enter feuds and protracted wars.
Diamond Sword forces fall into three main armies: the Unyielding Facet, the Reflective Facet, and the Pure Facet. Each follows its own particular philosophy on battle.
Nicknamed "howlers," the Starwolf tribe sprang from harsh,mysterious origins. Some tales tell of a band of Blood Eagle and Children of Phoenix stranded on an icy world, of a truce that became true friendship. Other tales tell of a great hunter of Cybrids, an errant Knight or a lost soul, a woman who found new life among enemies and gave her name to the tribe born under her leadership. Many of the stories add mention of a vision or a visit by the Great Wolf. Whatever the truth, adversity bred strength. When the Starwolf eventually exploded into the tribal struggles of the wilderzone, they carved out a large holding with predatory swiftness.
Their symbol is the most ancient among all the Tribes, taken from the aboriginal American tribes of ancient Terra. Though other Tribes ridicule the "Starpony," the Starwolf smile in the knowledge that the others use shallow symbols empty of meaning. The corpses of those who jested about the Starwolf banner litter the wilderzone, giving rise to a common tribal expression for foolishness: "to mock the wolf to its face." However, Starwolf factions that have ventured beyond the Cassopeian Gate have reportedly adopted a new sigil that departs from the original tribe’s traditional look.
The Starwolf follow a shamanistic religion, honoring "The Great Wolf" as their tribal totem. Warriors who fall in battle are said to "walk with the Great Wolf." Starwolf holdings sprawl across vast regions of space, and Starwolf warriors are the first to explore new worlds and follow jumpgates into the unknown. This great dispersal makes massing large armies difficult, and so the Starwolf favor fluid, guerrilla-style tactics and mobility.
Of all the tribes, the Starwolf are the most independent. This independence has been both a great strength and a great weakness, for they distrust powerful leaders even within their own ranks. Their own clan-feuds are the stuff of legend, and they do not cooperate well in large groups.
Starwolf organize themselves into Packs named for their world of residence.
Genetically modified creatures taking bestial form, the BioDerms were once artificially grown slaves and soldiers who served the Empire. Eventually, they revolted against their owners and seized key Imperial military assets. By the time the Empire recovered and rebuilt its forces from human recruits, the BioDerms had conquered over a hundred worlds. The war quickly ground to a bloody stalemate. Now the Hordes seek to break the deadlock and turn their attention to the wilderzone and the wealth of the tribal worlds.
In Tribes 2, the BioDerm Hordes erupt from their worlds in the Empire. They seek the conquest of the wilderzone (the galactic frontier), and they destroy everything in their path. The Tribes are divided and caught up in their own internal conflicts, unprepared to deal with such a rapacious enemy. Though they pride themselves on being the best warriors humanity has ever produced, the ultimate warriors, the tribes now face a near-superhuman race that has literally bred itself to wage total war. They must overcome their own feuds and independent natures if they wish to stave off destruction.
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