📜 THE THRIVALDI CHRONICLES: FESTIVUS EVE - THE FINAL PREPARATIONS
Date: December 23rd, 2025
Location: The Ground Floor Workshop, Candy Cane Lighthouse & Tower, Winterhaven, Thrivaldi
Welcome to Port Heavon Home of the Jolly Red Wizard and the baby Tyger Clause with their toy make dwelves!
I. THE CHAMBER OF COGITATION: THE AIRING OF GRIEVANCES
Inside the warm, gear-filled workshop of the Candy Cane Lighthouse, the air hums with the high-pitched whistle of steam and the deep thrum of Technomancy. While the Ice Dragon (MR 2500) shadows the peaks of Thrivaldi outside, a different kind of power is being harnessed at the central table. This is the heart of Festivus in Winterhaven—a day for confronting grievances, no matter how monstrous.
The Jolly Red Wizard sits surrounded by his Dwelves—the master toy-makers and ice-smiths of the North. Cradled in his arms is Baby Tiger Claws (Clause), whose destiny is unfolding with every stroke of the quill. Clause is currently "airing his grievances" with a low growl at the sheer number of monstrous names appearing on the parchment.
The Work of the Ink: The Monster Ledger
Using the Ink of Anticipation, the Wizard is transcribing a list unlike any other. It isn't a list of "naughty or nice" children; it is a Tactical Ledger of Every Monster across Zimrala. As the gold-flecked ink hits the parchment, the True Names of the Yule Tide Yetis and Winter Wolf Weres glow with a soft, pulsing light.
"Look closely, Clause," the Wizard rumbles. "To deliver the hope of Wintermiss, we must first know the names of the shadows that would block our path. Each one of these is a grievance we must face."
The Powers of the Thrivaldi Expedition
The Wizard explains the unique abilities being deployed for the mission:
I. Chronomancy (Mastery of Kresel)
Temporal Anchor: Allows the Wizard to "pin" the Candy Cane Lighthouse to a specific moment in time. This ensures that while the mission takes place across the multiverse, only one second passes in Winterhaven.
The Stutter-Step: A defensive pulse that causes an attacker (like a Winter Wolf Were) to move in slow motion for $1d6$ rounds, allowing for an easy escape or a tactical counter.
Echo-Sight: Kresel can look $1d6$ minutes into the future to see which Ether Gate is safe to traverse and which is being camped by an Ice Dragon.
II. Technomancy (Mastery of the Dwelves & Zepher)
Logic-Lock: A beam of pure mathematical energy that "freezes" the mechanical instincts of a monster. Especially effective against Yule Tide Yetis who carry stolen technology.
The Infinite Spanning Lattice: The power used to reinforce the sleigh’s runners. It allows the vehicle to travel over air, water, or the "void" between worlds as if it were solid ice.
Scent-Synthesizer: Zepher uses this to translate the "Monster Names" written in the Ink of Anticipation into a physical scent trail that only Baby Tiger Claws can follow through the Ether.
III. The Ink of Anticipation (The Wizard’s Focus)
Predestined Prose: As the Wizard writes, the ink moves ahead of the quill, revealing events that haven't happened yet. If a name blurs, it means that monster’s fate is still "in flux."
Binding Script: By writing a monster's True Name, the Wizard can temporarily reduce its MR by 10% for the duration of the encounter, as the ink "weighs down" the creature's spirit.
IV. The Clause Instinct (Baby Tiger Claws’ Awakening)
Rift-Sense: Clause can hear the "hum" of an opening Ether Gate before it becomes visible to the eye.
Guardian’s Growl: A sonic vibration that disrupts the "Flash Freeze" breath of an Ice Dragon, shattering the ice before it can encase the party.
II. THE ARCHITECTS OF THE MISSION: FEATS OF STRENGTH
While the Wizard writes, the Dwelves and Ice Dwarves are finalizing the "Technology of Delivery." This is their "Feat of Strength"—to build the impossible.
Kresel and Zepher: These Ether Dragon Specialty Wizards stand at the periphery, their robes shimmering with the energy of Chronomancy and Cosmic Lore. They are the masters of the Ether Gates, preparing to stall time itself so the mission can be completed.
The Tech-Smiths: The Dwelves are assembling the Engine of Infinite Spanning. It hums with a blue light that matches the Aurora outside. This isn't just a sleigh; it’s a technomantic vessel designed to phase through the frozen rifts of the multiverse. One of the Dwelves points to the UDR column in the ledger, "Captain Hedges, look at those 251 dice. This is why the Engine of Infinite Spanning needs that extra plating. If that Dragon catches us in the open rift, those 251D6 will turn the sleigh into a popsicle before Kresel can even blink."
III. THE DESTINY OF BABY TIGER CLAWS
Clause is not just a witness. As the names are written, he leans in, sniffing the parchment. He is memorizing the essence of the Ice Dragons and the Frost-Bound Tygers. He is being conditioned to serve as the Guardian of the Gate, the one who will ensure that the Dwelves' creations reach their targets despite the monsters' interference. Clause paws at the entry for the Winter Wolf Were. He seems to understand that the Pack Mind is what makes them truly dangerous—not just the claws, but the way they think together.
IV. THE GM’S SECRET LEDGER: Thrivaldi Encounters (DEC 23rd)
For the Game Masters tracking the December 23rd 'Airing of Grievances' and 'Feats of Strength.'
Ruleset: M!M 2.7 (D6 Only) | Environment: Thrivaldi Peaks
| Encounter | MR | UDR (Universal Deadly Rating) | Special Power & Game Mechanic |
| Solstice Shriekers | 25 | 3D6 + 13 | Heat Siphon: Successful hit forces a CON SR. Failure drains 1 point of CON permanently for the encounter as blood freezes. |
| Frost-Bound Tyger | 60 | 7D6 + 30 | Shatter-Pulse: Emits a vibration. Roll LK SR or metal armor/shields become brittle, losing 1d6 protection points. |
| Winter Wolf Were | 85 | 9D6 + 43 | Pack Mind: MR increases by +10 and UDR adds +1D6 for every additional wolf within 10ft. Fear Check difficulty increases by +2. |
| Yule Tide Yeti | 120 | 13D6 + 60 | The Frosty Hug: Second consecutive hit triggers an automatic Grapple. Escape requires a STR SR or take automatic UDR damage each turn. |
| Snow Leopard | 150 | 16D6 + 75 | Ghost Sight: Ignores all cover, invisibility, or magical fog. Always wins initiative in a surprise round. |
| Ice Dragon | 2500 | 251D6 + 1250 | Flash Freeze: Massive AOE. Fail a CON SR and the character is encased in ice (0 movement/actions) for 1d6 rounds. |
V. THE WORKSHOP NOTES FOR 6:55 AM (DEC 24)
"There," the Jolly Red Wizard says, setting the quill down. "The Dwelves know what they’re building for, and Clause knows what he's smelling for. We’ve recorded their powers and their names." The Dwelves are looking over these exact numbers right now. One of the Ice Dwarves points a greasy finger at the Ice Dragon's UDR.
"Captain Hedges, look at those 251 dice," he grunts. "This is why the Engine of Infinite Spanning needs that extra plating. If that Dragon catches us in the open rift, those 251D6 will turn the sleigh into a popsicle before Kresel can even blink."
Clause leans over the Ledger, sniffing the entry for the Winter Wolf Were. He seems to understand that the Pack Mind is what makes them truly dangerous—not just the claws, but the way they think together.
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 Tygerian Isles, The Ice Dragons, The Tiger Force Shadow Saga, The Jolly Red Wizard, Baby Tiger Claws, The Dwelves, The Ice Dwarves, The Candy Cane Lighthouse, Kresel and Zepher, and the character "Emperor Rajah." Unique Items: The Ink of Anticipation, The Compass of Lost Things, Parchment of Echoes, The Scope of the True Meridian, The Rod of Infinite Spanning, and The Plumb of Gravity’s Anchor. Monsters! Monsters! and Humans, Humans (1st Edition) are trademarks of Ken St. Andre and Troll Godfather Press and are used with permission. The statistics and game mechanics provided herein are designated as unofficial playtest material for the Tygerian Isles campaign setting. © 2025 Arthur Earl C. Hedges Jr. All rights reserved.
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