Sunday Morning Coffee: The Eve of Wintermas

 

Sunday Morning Coffee: The Eve of Wintermas
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Sunday, November 30, 2025

5 AM. Good morning. The coffee is hot, dark, and strong this morning—just the way it needs to be to fuel a Sunday like this one. I’m sitting here in the quiet of the cabin, listening to the soft gurgle of the brewing pot and the distant, rhythmic breathing of the swamp.

Today is a threshold day. It is the last day of November. We are standing on the edge of the dock, looking out at the waters of December. November was a month of storms, both literal and emotional. We weathered the loss of Uncle Jerry, we navigated the confusing tides of grief, and we survived the first major holiday without our family’s storyteller. It was a month of holding on, of enduring, and of keeping the ship afloat.

But as I sit here with this mug in my hand, watching the steam curl up into the darkness, I feel a shift in the wind. The season of mere survival is ending. The season of Wintermas is about to begin.

I am writing this to invite you on a new journey.

For the past few months, we have been deep in the weeds with the Hawthorne Valley playtests. It has been a long road of tweaking mechanics, adjusting difficulty curves, and fixing broken encounters. But I am proud to announce that the Hawthorne Valley module has successfully launched. It is stable. It is running smoothly. The feedback has been incredible, and I want to thank every single one of you who rolled dice, reported bugs, and helped bring that valley to life. That chapter is written. The ink is dry.

Now, it is time to turn the page.

Tomorrow is December 1st. And I decided that there is no better way to kick off a new month than by opening the portal to a brand-new world. Now that Hawthorne Valley is standing on its own two feet, I am officially unveiling The New Tygerian Isles Zimrala Playtest Phase.

I am opening this up for those who would like to playtest and commune with me during the month of December about the Tygerian Empire's Isle of Thrivaldi, which—when the final manuscript is now being worked on it's not complete yet, but it is ready for play testing —this will be known as the Winter Wonderlands of Thrivaldi.

This isn't just about dropping you into a fight; it’s about world-building. Starting tomorrow, I will be unveiling the Official Map. We are going to explore the specific locations, the geography, and most importantly, the Rulers who live there. This reveal will set the tone for all our Wintermas posts throughout the month.

While I’ve teased you with the Green Spiders and the fury of Uncle Billy Goat (those battles are coming!), for this phase, I want to introduce a new concept that should resonate with everyone from around the world, regardless of where you live.

In the Winter Wonderlands of Thrivaldi, the greatest enemy isn't just the monsters—it is the Cold. And the only defense is "The Hearth Fire."

In this new gameplay concept, survival isn't just about Hit Points or Armor. It’s about Warmth. You cannot survive this world alone. You cannot survive it by simply fighting. You survive by gathering together. You survive by building a fire—not just of wood, but of fellowship. In this campaign, players regain their strength not by sleeping, but by Sharing Stories around the fire.

This mechanic resonates deeply with me right now. As many of you know, we entered our own personal "winter" last month when we lost Uncle Jerry. He was our Hearth Fire. He was the warmth on the porch. When he died, the world got a lot colder. Creating Thrivaldi is my way of processing that truth. It’s an acknowledgment that winter is hard. It is the season of long nights and deep shadows. But it is also the season where the light matters the most.

So, get ready. Tomorrow morning, the map gets unrolled. We will meet the rulers of the ice and snow, and we will begin the celebration of Wintermas together.

So, enjoy your Sunday. Rest up. Drink that extra cup of coffee. Finish your leftovers. Because when the sun rises tomorrow, we are crossing the threshold. The portal to Zimrala opens on December 1st.

I hope your dice are lucky. You’re going to need them to keep the fire burning.

See you in the Wonderlands.