The Tribe of the Strange: Origin Myth

The Tribe of the Strange have always existed. Ever since we were people. We appear in every generation, pretty much every country. There aren't very many of us — and we’re odd. Really odd.

We don’t get an instruction book to tell us just how odd or what to do about it.

Our heads just don’t work the same as the rest of you. Not always better — but always odder. Some of us have odd powers (usually very small ones), most of us don’t. But, sometimes, we can sense our own kind.

Each generation doesn't really know what to do with us. Sometimes, we’re persecuted, hunted, burned. Sometimes we’re respected as shamen, artists, musicians. Sometimes, not so much.

Mostly, we’re just outcast from consensus reality — a bit too real for the room.

It used to be we had to hide in plain sight, where we wouldn't stick out too much: the priesthood, art… science once it came along.

We had to.

These days, we don’t have to hide nearly as much. So we can find our tribe mates. We meet, we form networks. Find and share tools.

These days, it’s a lot easier for us to assemble our personal instruction manuals from found work. Centuries of occult tomes and myths, scientific models and and blessed fictions. Music to stir us.

Codes left by our ancestors, or those inspired by them. Most of ’em are easy to find online.

The Toolkits of the Tribe of the Strange are vast, complex and idiosyncratic as hell. And improving all the time.

These days, there’s little quite as powerfully odd as a mage with a smartphone and a multi-tool.

And we’re going to be busy.

Originally published at anomalousengineering.wordpress.com on September 12, 2015. First appeared on the defunct website Weaponizer in 2010ce.