3 AM Whispers: The Shadow of the Great Pavilion

Sunday, December 28th, 2025 — 3:00 AM

The coffee is thick enough to chew and the Shreveport fog is dead-still, but the Hedge Gate is vibrating with a frequency that rattles the teeth in my head. Through the blue shimmer of the portal, I am looking down from the heights of Hawthorne Valley into the raw, unwashed power of the Lower Valley Plains Stronghold.

This isn't just a camp; it’s a sprawling, circular Mongol Centaur Ger City that breathes like a living beast. Thousands of grey-felt Gers, lashed together with horsehair rope and reinforced with the bleached ribs of great plains-beasts, stretch across the dry Zimralan earth. In the dead center of this spiraling metropolis of leather and bone sits the Khan’s Great Pavilion. It’s a mountain of crimson silk and black hide, topped with the Nine Yak-Tail banners that signal the "Heathen" right to rule.

I. The Anatomy of the Heathen Surge

For the GMs standing at the table today, understand that the Mongol Centaurs aren't just "monsters." They are a disciplined, dual-natured cavalry. They are currently sweeping upward into both the Western and Eastern Valleys in a classic pincer.

• The Outer Maneuver Rings: The Horse-Archers are running "The Circle of Death." They lean back in their equine saddles, firing obsidian-tipped arrows into the high-ground defenses while maintaining a full gallop. They use the Parthian Shot, meaning they are never more dangerous than when they appear to be retreating.

• The Bone-Fire Pits: The camp is dotted with deep pits where they burn "Shadow-Fuel" to forge the iron barding for the Heavy Lancers. The smell is a mix of sulfur, wet horse, and hot metal. These Lancers are clad in interlocking plates of Zimralan steel, their hooves shod in jagged ice-spikes specifically for the climb into the frozen Eastern Valley.

• The Khan’s Command: Inside that Pavilion, the Khans sit on thrones of bone, charting the movement of every Ranger. They are "Heathens" because they have rejected the natural order of the Isles, choosing instead to serve the chaos of the Lower Plains.

II. The Stephenite Specialty Wizard: The Holy Anchor

Standing on the very edge of the ridge, silhouetted against the Zimralan stars, is the Stephenite Specialty Wizard. To the GMs, he is your Mechanical Pivot.

As the Patron of Horses, his presence causes a "Discordance" in the Centaur ranks. He isn't casting fireballs; he is casting Order. He is the master of the "Iron Bridle." He’s preparing to descend into that sea of felt and fire, intent on "Boxing" the Khan’s influence. His magic targets the equine half of the Centaur—imposing a spiritual stillness that the wild Mongol blood cannot resist. When he speaks, the thundering hooves of the plains begin to lose their rhythm.

III. The 3 AM Vigil: The Ranger’s Duty

We believe that everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way. A war is no exception. My Iron Steed is idling out front, its 428 Cobra Jet purring a rhythmic counter-beat to the thrum of the hooves through the gate. The Sight Unseen Spirit is crouched on the porch rail, his silver eyes fixed on the smoke rising from the Lower Plains. He’s tracking the "Shadow-Flow" of the Khan’s messengers.

The "Upward Surge" is reaching its peak. The heathens think they are rising to conquer. They don't realize that the Sainted Wizard is about to bring the "Iron Bridle" to the very heart of their stronghold.

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Product Identity & Legal

The following items are designated Product Identity of Arthur Earl C. Hedges Jr. / The Adventures of Captain Hedges: The world of Zimrala, the Mongol Centaur Hordes of Hawthorne Valley, the Lower Valley Plains Stronghold, the Khan’s Great Pavilion, and the Stephenite Specialty Wizard. The specific "Hedge Wizard" persona, the Hedge Gate, and the Iron Steed. Monsters! Monsters! and Humans, Humans (1st Edition) are trademarks of Ken St. Andre and Troll Godfather Press and are used with permission. © 2025 Arthur Earl C. Hedges Jr. All rights reserved.