4 AM Jitters: The Tremor of the Plains

Sunday, December 28th, 2025 — 4:00 AM

The cabin is a fortress of polished brass and scrubbed wood, but the Hedge Gate in the backyard is screaming a different story. At 4 AM, the "thinning" is at its absolute peak. The Shreveport frost is being melted away by the heat radiating off the Lower Valley Plains Stronghold on the other side.

I can feel it through the soles of my boots—a low-frequency vibration. It’s not just hooves anymore; it’s the sound of a culture moving. The Mongol Centaur surge isn't just a sweep; it’s a migration of war. From the heights of Hawthorne Valley, the view is terrifying. The thousands of grey-felt Gers in the Ger City below have begun to glow from within as the bone-fires are stoked for the morning charge.

I. The Siege Resonance

GMs, if your players are near the Western or Eastern Valleys, tell them the air has changed. It smells like wet horsehair, scorched iron, and the ozone of a coming storm. The Mongol Centaurs are no longer practicing; they are mounting up.

• The War-Drums: From the Khan’s Great Pavilion, the beat has changed. It’s a rhythmic, syncopated strike on drumheads made of cured dragon-hide. It’s designed to sync the heartbeats of the centaurs to the rhythm of the charge.

• The Shadow-Barding: I can see the Heavy Lancers through the portal. They are being bolted into their Zimralan steel barding. It’s an "orderly" kind of chaos—a heathen discipline that is chilling to watch.

• The Upward Surge: The light scouts are already vanishing into the tree lines of the lower slopes, moving like ghosts into the valleys to cut the signal fires.

II. The Saint’s Descent

The Stephenite Specialty Wizard is no longer on the ridge. He has begun his walk down.

He’s moving into the teeth of that Lower Plains Stronghold, and the closer he gets to the Khan’s Pavilion, the more the earth seems to ripple. He is the "Iron Bridle" in human form. For a GM, his presence is a localized field of Order. Within 100 yards of the Saint, the Mongol Centaurs’ equine halves begin to tremble. Their hooves heavy; their breath short. He is fighting a war of spiritual gravity, trying to "Box" the Khan’s influence before the first arrow is fired.

III. The Jitters at the Threshold

I’m standing here by the Iron Steed, my hand resting on the cold chrome of the fender. The Mach 1 is restless. The 428 Cobra Jet is a beast of burden in its own way, and it senses the thousands of "Heathen" horses gathering on the plains.

The Sight Unseen Spirit is no longer crouching. He’s standing full-height on the porch rail, his silver eyes tracking the shimmer of the Hedge Gate. He can see the ripples in the air where the Mongol magic is trying to breach the Shreveport side.

We believe that everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way. But 4 AM is the hour where the "Order" is tested by the "Heathen." The coffee is gone. The Tiger Force Knife is out. The surge is here.

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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.