1. Journals

09 - Rising Tide

Firedrake Outcasts Campaign

A meeting of the 12 tribes of Mem is attended by the Firedrake Outcasts, invited by the Elder Blish. The tribes are told of the awful treatment of the Guild of Makers to Mem children, transforming the youth into shock troops to fight in the endless wars of the Hegemony. 

The Firedrake Outcasts have a plan - to threaten the destruction of the connecting Jumpgate, to prevent the Hegemony from oppressing the Mem, and to publicize the treatment of the Mem children. 

Mphoentle Begin the demands the death of Laxx, and the destruction of the Dyrinek Gang, but Blish refuses to be part of the consensus required for the 12 tribes to permit such an act.  So, somewhat accidentally Meade Grey takes over the position of Elder from Blish. Gromond, elder of the Southern Polar region, wishes to have the Dyrinek Gang captured alive, but acquiesces to Mphoentle Begin the getting her vengeance on Laxx. With Tolvar of the Western Tide's support, the rest of the Mem Elders, and Meade Grey, reach a consensus. 

Meade Grey then participates in a 4 hour long Council meeting but has little idea of what exactly is happening, as the Mem Elders go back to their tentacle based sign language rather than speaking. The only thing that he does learn is that the Mem Elders publicly exonerated Meade Grey of the Roe smuggling - the Mem now know that he was innocent of involvement in the Guild of Makers slave trade. Meade Grey is also informed that as the new Elder Council of the Soda Shoals, he has first right of insemination of the Roe should he wish it. Meade Grey gracefully refuses. 

While the Council meeting is happening, Frank "Franky" Heather takes his step-sister Jenni to Mill's home, one of the three destroyed breeding lagoons. There is the wreckage of Mill's first shipyard here, where he plied his trade before retreating to Asteroid 7. Jenni and Frank "Franky" Heather reminisce about their father. 

Mpho Triumphant

The Firedrake Outcasts head to the Dyrinek Gang base, an abandoned refueling Derrick on Mem. They find out that the gang has been actively breaking out Memish youth from the camps to swell their numbers, they are ardent revolutionaries and at odds with the Mem Elders, believing the time to strike is now. They don't care that the Hegemony threatens the breeding grounds, they'd rather be free and go extinct.  

To preserve the breeding shoals from Hegemonic destruction, the Mem council declared the gang criminals and outlaws. This distances the council from the gang's activities, and preserves the breeding shoals. 

They attempt to treat with the gang to build bridges between the Elders and the Gang, but Laxx raises a weapon on Mphoentle Begin the and threatens her. Mpho responds using a weapon she acquired, a Desiccator - designed by the Guild of Engineers to harm the Memish people. As Laxx falls to the ground his words are of about his father

"Why wasn't I enough? Why didn't he teach me the Way?"

Mphoentle Begin the's response is the cruel truth - "You rejected the Way before he had a chance."

Meade Grey manages to convince Dyrinek that the council will listen to him, with his authority as a new Council member.  The Dyrinek Gang agree to go quietly.  

Laxx attempts one final act of vengeance, producing a grenade. Mpho uses the Way to move the grenade and Laxx away, saving the gathered people from injury. Laxx dies in the explosion.

May 22nd, 2026

Mending the Rift

As the Firedrake Outcasts return with the Dyrinek Gang to the Mem Council, the old and the young form a compact. Gracefully, Meade Grey surrenders his council seat back to Blish, retiring from Mem politics. 

The Mem now know the plight of their children, and their future. But the Hegemony still have the 9 remaining breeding shoals under threat of destruction. Something will need to be done about that. 

May 22nd, 2026