📝 Blog Post Draft: Day 1: The Cleansing
🐅 Twelve Days of Wintermiss: Day 1 – The Cleansing
The Vigil Begins! (December 13th in Cryselle)
The air in Cryselle, the magnificent capital city of the Tygerian Isles, is crackling with a palpable sense of joy and anticipation. High above the harbor, the Tygerian Ice Queen’s Crystal Ice Palace Citadel shines, radiating the comforting Spirit of Wintermiss that fills every heart with tidings of great joy and peace.
But we know the truth: this joy is a shield, and this season is a yearly war fought on two fronts.
The Wild Card Faction: Ice Wyrm Mountain
Tonight, the Vigil of the Unshadowing begins. For the next eleven nights, the Tygerian monsters will generate a massive Aetherial Corona of light to repel the creeping void of the Shadowfrost Arch Demon and his wicked agents—the Yule Tide Family.
Compounding this battle is the presence of the Ice Dragons who serve as the Wild Card Faction. They hold equal disdain for both the Shadowfrost and the Wintermiss Alliance. This hostility centers on Lorea, the mother Ice Dragon who nests within Ice Wyrm Mountain. Lorea harbors an enduring "them versus us" syndrome toward Isdis, the Tygerian Ice Queen, and the Spirit of Wintermiss. Lorea declares: "We shall stay here and endure the war, because it's them versus us. I came here first. I was the first to carve this mountain out of this land long before anyone else came here."
Lorea orders her brood to attack them all: "Kill them all, for they are our food, and they do not deserve to be on our level. We do not bow to anyone—demon, nor Tygerian, nor Winterman, nor anyone."
Yet, the Vigil also tries to penetrate the hearts of those who are cold, like Fylgja, our newly born hatchling Ice Dragon, who feels the warmth and everything the others see but is afraid of her mother.
Night 1 Ritual: Lighting the Aetherial Diya, the Candle of Hope
The traditional start to the Vigil is the Cleansing of the home (our version of Deepavali’s ritual purity). After the physical cleaning, every household lights its first sacred flame: the Aetherial Diya, which is also known as the Candle of Hope.
This Aetherial Diya, a small candle of hope, has a wick that is soaked in oil mixed with pulverized Ether Dragon scales—the only substance known to repel the Void's corruption. This small, sacred flame establishes the initial, humble barrier against the encroaching darkness.
The Shadow's First Strike
The Spirit of Wintermiss weakens the Arch Demon, so he sends his most cunning agent tonight: The Candle Thief (one of the Winter Ghoulish Langley Ogre Lads). The Candle Thief's goal is to slink into the homes of Cryselle, steal the ceremonial tallow candles, and consume them—snuffing out the nascent light before the Vigil can even begin.
Keep your Aetherial Diyas burning bright tonight, Tygerian monsters! Let the first flame of Wintermiss shine!
— The Hedge Wizard of the Shreveport Cabin
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 Ether Dragons and their portal mechanics, The Tiger Force Shadow Saga, The specific "Hedge Wizard of the Shreveport Cabin" persona, The "Royal Cartographer" archetype 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. The Tygerian Ice Queen, Isdis, Cryselle Capital City, The Tygerian Monsters, The Ice Dragons (Lorea and Fylgja), Ice Wyrm Mountain, The Wild Card Faction, The Yule Tide Family (Grilla, Leppalúði, Jokelhime, and the Winter Ghoulish Langley Ogre Lads), and the concepts of the Aetherial Diya (Candle of Hope) and the Aetherial Corona are also designated Product Identity. 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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