4 AM Jitters: Wintermis at the Cabin — The Sentinel’s Threshold

Friday, December 19th, 2025 — 4:00 AM

The Shreveport Cabin is under a strict cleaning order. I’ve been up since 4 AM today to clean, scrubbing the floorboards and polishing the brass until it gleams for the coming inspection. When you live on the edge of a Hedge Portal, "dusting" isn't just about cobwebs—it’s about clearing out the spiritual spores that drift in from the Fenwood Forest.

But it’s also Wintermis. Between the scrubbing, I’ve been scavenging the property for the solstice. I didn't go to a store; I used whatever I could find. I’ve fashioned a Wintermis Wreath for the heavy oak front door out of scavenged barbed wire and dried Bayou moss, bound together with old LRP paracord and centered with a polished .50 cal casing. It’s a Hedge Wizard’s ward, and it tells the "Unknown World" exactly who lives here.

I. The Sentinel of the Fenwood: The Rooted King

Entity	Monster Rating	Combat Dice	WIZ/Kremm	Wintermis Variation	UDR Rating
Tree Giant	1,500	151D6 + 750	200 / 200	Crystals pulse with Winter-Blue light.	NNNNN (5/10)
Tree Shadow	300	31D6 + 150	N/A	Mimics a "Safe Haven" camp in the snow.	NNNN (4/10)

II. The Scavenged Wintermis Ward (The Front Door)

Component	Source	Function	Game Effect
The Frame	Scavenged Barbed Wire	Physical & Spiritual Barrier	Deals 1D6 damage to spectral intruders.
The Bindings	Old LRP Paracord	Strength & Utility	Holds the Ward together against portal-winds.
The Centerpiece	Polished .50 Cal Brass	The Solar Focus	Reflects light to blind Fen-Wraiths.

III. The Apex Guard: The Sight Unseen Spirit

Combat Metric	Total Adds	Armor Value	WIZ Pool	Innate Trait	Weapon Dice
Kuro-Khan Values	+130	14 Hits	24	Backward Hands	5D6 (Scimitar)

The 4 AM Vigil

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Product Identity & Legal

While I clean, I can feel the presence of the Tree Giant deep in the woods. He is a 100-foot-tall telepathic sentinel, born from the fallen moon of Zimrala and rooted so deep into the Bayou's bedrock that he has become part of the geography. He doesn't move, but his symbiotic partner—the Tree Shadow—is always hungry, waiting for an unwary traveler to step into its "perfect campsite."

For the GMs and players, this wreath isn't just decoration. It is an alchemical focus that reinforces the cabin's threshold against the Tree Shadow’s creeping roots and the freezing winds of the solstice.

The Kuro-Khan (The Tygerian Rakshasa) is currently perched on the cabin roof, his golden eyes reflecting the blinking holiday lights. He is a Level 2 Paragon with 61.6 DEX, and he is the reason the floorboards stay clean. He watches the perimeter while I handle the brass and the 4 AM polish.

I am standing on the porch, looking out at the tree line. The Iron Steed is idling in the driveway, the 428 Cobra Jet humming a low Wintermis carol. I’ve been awake and working since the clock struck four—the cabin is clean, the wreath is hung, and the Sight Unseen Spirit is on the hunt.

Let the inspectors come. The Hedge Wizard is ready.

The following items are designated Product Identity of Arthur Earl C. Hedges Jr. / The Adventures of Captain Hedges: The world of Zimrala, the Tree Giant Sentinel, the Fenwood Forest, the specific Wintermis Wreath on the cabin door, and the Sight Unseen Spirit. Unique Items: The Vietnam-era Tiger Force Knife and The Silver-Scale Purge. Monsters! Monsters! and the Tree Shadow are trademarks of their respective owners. The statistics provided herein are designated as unofficial playtest material for the Tygerian Isles campaign setting. © 2025 Arthur Earl C. Hedges Jr. All rights reserved.