4 AM Getters: The Royal Cartographer, The Scope, and The Rod: Mapping Chaos

4 AM Getters: The Geometry of Fog                       Date: Sunday, December 7, 2025                                Time: 4:00 AM                                                   Location: The Cabin, Shreveport, LA

The rain has been relentless tonight. It drums against the tin roof of the cabin like a thousand nervous fingers tapping on a table. Down in the swamp, the water level is rising, swallowing the cypress knees and blurring the line between land and lake.

It’s fitting weather for what I’m trying to do.

Spread out before me is that incomplete parchment of the Tygerian Isles. I’ve been staring at the coastline of the main island for two hours, trying to reconcile the reports from the Ether Dragon riders with the old naval charts from the Trade Houses.

Map-making is a specific kind of magic. In the Tiger Force Shadow Saga, the soldiers—my father’s generation—relied on topographic maps of the desert. Grid coordinates. Elevation lines. Certainty. If the map said there was a ridge, there was a ridge.

But here, in the business of world-building, and certainly in Zimrala, geography is... negotiable.

When an Ether Dragon opens a portal, the fabric of the world ripples. Distances stretch. A three-day march becomes a morning stroll; a safe harbor becomes a jagged reef. Trying to pin down the Tygerian Isles is like trying to sketch the shape of smoke.

I dipped my quill into the inkwell a moment ago and watched a drop of black ink hit the paper. It didn't just stain the page; it crawled. It sought out the ley lines I hadn't drawn yet.

That’s the Hedge Wizard’s burden. We don’t just record the world; we anchor it. Every line I draw is a spell that says, "This place is real. This danger exists. This treasure is waiting."

So, I’ll keep the lamp burning. I’ll keep measuring the coastline that refuses to sit still. Because if I don’t map the chaos, how will the heroes ever find their way home?

That's what i got Angelia for because without her art this would not be possible!

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Explorers in Zimrala rarely rely on standard paper. Here are three magical items found in the packs of the Guild Surveyors.

Bonus Content: Tools of the Cartographer
1. The Ink of Anticipation

• Effect: When used to draw a map, the ink changes color to warn of danger. (Red for Monsters, Green for Acidic/Poisonous environments).

• Value: 400 Gold Pieces.

2. The Compass of Lost Things

• Effect: The needle spins wildly until the user concentrates on a specific lost object.

• Curse: Every time you use it, you lose a memory of equal value. (Make a Saving Roll on IQ or forget the name of an NPC).

• Value: 1,200 Gold Pieces.

3. Parchment of Echoes

• Effect: This map draws itself. As the party walks through a dungeon or wilderness, the scroll fills in the layout in real-time within a 50-foot radius.

• Limitation: Cannot see through illusions.

• Value: 800 Gold Pieces.

4. The Scope of the True Meridian

A heavy, collapsible brass telescope with lenses ground from clear Dragon Glass.

Lore: In the shifting mists of the Tygerian Isles, "sight" is often unreliable. This scope cuts through atmospheric and magical distortion.

Effect: When looking through the lens, the user ignores all natural fog, rain, or smoke penalties.

True Sight: It automatically pierces illusions of Level 3 or lower.

Combat Use: If the user takes a full turn to "aim" at a target with the scope, their next ranged attack gains +3D6 to hit (finding the perfect trajectory).

Value: 1,500 Gold Pieces.

5. The Rod of Infinite Spanning (The Measuring Stick)

A 1-foot iron rod carved with runes of measurement. It feels heavier than it looks.

Lore: Used by surveyors to bridge gaps over bubbling swamps or measure the depth of sudden sinkholes.

Effect: On command, the rod extends up to 50 feet in length. It is unbreakable and rigid even when fully extended.

Utility: It can be used as a bridge (supports 500 lbs), a ladder, or a probe to check for traps.

Weapon: If used in combat, it functions as a Pike (Range 2, Damage 4D6).

Value: 600 Gold Pieces.

6. The Plumb of Gravity’s Anchor

A dense lead weight shaped like a tear-drop, hanging on a silver chain that never tangles.

Lore: When portals open, gravity can get... weird. Floors become walls. This tool finds the "true" down.

Effect (Passive): While holding this, the user has Advantage (+1D6) on all Dexterity Saving Rolls related to balance or avoiding being knocked prone.

Effect (Active): Once per day, the user can drop the plumb bob to the ground to cast "Anchor." For 1D6 minutes, the user cannot be moved, pushed, teleported, or levitated against their will. They are an immovable object.

Value: 900 Gold Pieces.

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The Royal Cartographer Archetype (M&M 2.7)
I. Kindred Multipliers & Core Abilities (Balanced)

Attribute	Multiplier	Notes
DEX (Dexterity)	x2	Core Attribute. Extreme agility and steady hands for precision work.
WIZ (Wizardry)	x2	Core Attribute. High magical aptitude for dimensional manipulation.
INT (Intelligence)	x2	Core Attribute. Master of complex measurement and dimensional formulae.
LK (Luck)	x2	Core Attribute. Essential luck for surviving temporal and spatial errors.
STR (Strength)	x1.25	Enhanced strength for carrying heavy surveying gear and supplies.
CON (Constitution)	x1.25	Enhanced endurance for surviving long voyages across unstable territories.

II. Progression Framework (Structural Rules)
III. Ultimate Progression Chart: Cartographer Mastery (Lvl 1–100)

Lvl	Dimensional/Scribing MAST Gained	Upgraded Lore/Defense MASTs & Legacy Progression
1–10	Base Anchor Reality: (Core +5 INT SR bonus).	Cartographer's Scribe I: Gains +2 bonus to all DEX SRs when copying or writing scrolls.
25	Reality Anchor I MAST: Spend 15 INT. Can temporarily stabilize a localized 10ft area of chaotic magic, imposing a -3 penalty on an enemy's WIZ SR.	Legendary Insight I: The Scroll of Echoes range increases to 100 feet.
50	Multiverse Sight MAST: Active (1/day): Spend 25 WIZ. Can glimpse an adjacent dimension for 1d6 turns (L5 WIZ SR to resist psychic feedback).	Legacy Ability: Final Scribe (Artifact Upgrade).
75	Reality Anchor II MAST: Can impose a -5 penalty on an enemy's WIZ SR.	Temporal Fortitude: Gains +5 AP against damage from Time/Dimensional magic.
100	Apex Cartography: The Map Master can automatically succeed on one INT SR related to locating a portal or identifying a hidden weakness (GM discretion).	Legacy Final Mastery.

IV. Artifact Weapon: The Orb of Forgotten Lore (Legacy Focus)

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Product Identity & Legal

Final Master Consolidation

The Royal Cartographer is the master anchor of geographical reality, dedicated to mapping the unstable dimensional rifts of Zimrala and the Tygerian Isles archipelago. They serve under Emperor Rajah himself.

Core MAST Benefit: Anchor Reality: Gains an automatic +5 bonus to all INT SRs made when dealing with maps, dimensional instability, or geographical lore.

• Advancement Cost: The cost in Adventure Points (AP) to raise any single attribute by one point is 10 times the current value of that attribute.

• Level Increase: The Cartographer's Level is always determined by the score of their single highest attribute.

• SR Difficulty: The target number for Saving Rolls increases by +5 per character level.

This comprehensive table tracks the progression of the Rifter's ability to control and weaponize random magical effects.

• IV. ARTIFACT WEAPON: THE ORB OF FORGOTTEN LORE (Legacy Focus)

  Artifact Name: The Orb of Forgotten Lore: Artifact (Orb/Focus). Special Rule: Knowledge Link: The Orb grants a plus 5 WIZ points for calculating spell damage or spell defense SRs against spells cast by artifacts or ancient technology.

  Legacy Ability: Master Lockpick (L10 Passive): The Orb grants a plus 5 bonus to all DEX SRs made when picking, bypassing, or disabling physical locks and complex mechanisms.

  Legacy Ability	Tier / Level Range	Rule & Application (Tiered Progression)
  Scavenger's Eye (True Sight)	Adventurer (L1-L25)	Lvl 40 Unlock: Spend 10 INT. Grants True Sight to spot all hidden objects, secret doors, and non-magical traps within 30 feet for 1d6 rounds.
  Dimensional Ward (Protection)	Champion (L26-L50)	Lvl 75 Unlock: Spend 20 LK. Creates a protective shell around the Hunter that grants plus 10 AP against damage originating from another dimension (Void, Ether, Shroud).
  Master's Scribe (Epic/Mythic)	Epic (L51-L100)	(This would be an ability added after Lvl 75, often related to mass teleportation or mass defense).

The following items are designated Product Identity of Arthur Earl C. Hedges Jr. / The Adventures of Captain Hedges: The world of Zimrala, the Tygerian Isles, the Ether Dragons, the Tiger Force Shadow Saga, the specific "Hedge Wizard of the Shreveport Cabin" persona, the "Royal Cartographer" archetype, and the character "Emperor Rajah."

Monsters! Monsters! is a trademark of its respective owner. The monster stats and items provided here are compatible fan content and not an official product.

© 2025 Arthur Earl C. Hedges Jr. All rights reserved.