Title: 3 AM Whispers: The Key to the Star City (Playtest Module)
Preface: Good Morning from the Cypress Swamp
It is Friday, January 16th, 2026. The coffee is black, the fog is thick, and the weekend is right around the corner.
The swamp is quiet this morning, but it’s a deceptive quiet. The kind that happens right before the barometer drops. Yesterday, we warned you about the "Dark Moon Black Out" and teased the power of the Moon Keys. Today, we are pulling back the curtain. We are going to show you exactly where those keys lead and how you—yes, you, the Game Master—can bring your players to Zimrala.
Prologue: The Whispers Between Worlds
They say the multiverse is a web, but down here in the cabin, we know it's more like a series of doors. Some doors are locked. Some are hidden behind hedges. And some only appear when the light hits them just right.
For a long time, travelers thought Zimrala was just a fantasy world—a place of swords and sorcery. But the "Whispers" tell a different story. They speak of ancient times when the elves didn't walk through forests, but sailed between stars. They speak of what lies buried beneath the roots of the world.
Today, we hand you the key to that history.
The Introduction: The Landing Zone
If you use a Moon Key (crafted from the specific Moon Crystals found in The Monsterary of Zimrala), you don't just pop out in a swamp. The primary "Arrival Terminal" for the Tygerian Isles is the Moon Elf Ring, located in Boedleaf County on the western shore of the Isle of Achrox.
But you aren't stepping into a fairy tale forest.
You are stepping into the Ruins of a Star City. Those aren't just old elven towers; they are crystalline spires and moss-covered landing pads. The Moon Elves of Zimrala were travelers of the stars, and this was their port.
And the history goes deeper. Literally.
Look at the foundations in the image above. The Elves didn't build on empty ground. They built their shining city directly on top of an Ancient Zim Troll City. Beneath those beautiful spires lies a massive, brutish dungeon complex of stone and shadow.
Earl’s GM Notes:
The Multiverse Connection
Gamemasters, if you have a moon in your own homebrew or other world you are running, then you can have a Moon Key tied to the full moon rising here. You can give your players a "Key Quest" that can lead them to the Havashar Moon in Zimrala, or the moon portals of the Tygerian (Whispering) Isles.
This works for ANY setting. Whether you are running a star-faring sci-fi game, Star Trek, Star Wars, or other multiverses across all time and space, this mechanic bridges the gap.
The Trinity Engine Mechanics
Here is how the Moon Key works under the hood (Compatible with Monsters! Monsters!, OpenD6, and Starfaring).
The Golden Rule: No Light, No Magic The difficulty of opening a portal depends entirely on the Lunar Phase.
New Moon (0% Light): GOD TIER / LOCKED.
Difficulty: Level 100 (Target 1000). Impossible.
Crescent Moon (<25% Light): Hard / Unstable.
Difficulty: Level 3 Saving Roll (Target 30). Local travel only.
Full Moon (100% Light): NEXUS.
Difficulty: Automatic / Very Easy. Infinite Range.
The Key Mechanic During a Full Moon, if a player holds a Moon Crystal (from The Monsterary) attuned to Zimrala, the portal locks instantly. No navigation roll is needed—it transports them directly to the coordinates below.
Mini-Module: The Spire & The Stone
A "Welcome to Zimrala" Playtest Scenario
Location: The Moon Elf Ring, Boedleaf County, Isle of Achrox.
Level 1: The Surface (The Star City Ruins) The players emerge from the portal into a clearing surrounded by broken, crystalline towers that hum with dying energy. Vines choke the ancient landing pads.
The Threat: The skies are screaming. The invasion has begun.
Encounter: Turkey Monster Scouts.
What are they? Vicious, alien avian predators dropping from drop-ships above.
Stats: Refer to "Turkey Monster Invaders" (Page X) for the Scout statistics.
Objective: The players must hold the Landing Pad for 3 rounds or retreat into the heavy stone bunker entrance they see at the base of the central spire.
Here is the Official Stat Block for the Six-Legged Turkey Monster Scout, ready for Monsters! Monsters! 2.7 and The Trinity Engine.
Earl’s Monster Lab: The Six-Legged Turkey Scout
(Xeno-Meleagris Scout Class)
These aren't your grandmother's Thanksgiving birds. They are bio-engineered shock troops dropped from orbit. They move with a terrifying, scuttling speed on six insect-like legs, allowing them to traverse the ruins of the Star City with ease.
Monster Rating (MR): 45 Dice: 5d6 Adds: +22
Attributes (If individual stats are needed):
STR: 24 (They are dense muscle)
IQ: 8 (Cunning pack hunters)
LK: 12
CON: 30
DEX: 18 (Six legs make them agile)
CHR: 2 (Horrifying)
Combat Stats:
Armor: 4 Hits (Dense alien plumage and bio-armor).
Weapons: Razor Beak & Serrated Talons.
Special Abilities:
The Hexa-Sprint (Speed): Because of their six legs, they never lose footing. They cannot be tripped or knocked prone by normal attacks. They can run along walls or ceilings in the ruins.
The Sonic Gobble (Stun): Once per combat, the Scout releases a high-frequency alien shriek.
Effect: All players within 20 feet must make a Level 2 Saving Roll on CON (Target 25).
Failure: The player is stunned (loses their next attack) as their ears ring and balance fails.
Pack Tactics: If two or more Scouts attack the same target, they gain an extra +1d6 to their attack roll as they coordinate their strikes.
GM Tactics for the "Star City" Encounter:
Don't Stand Still: Have the Turkeys scramble up the crystalline spires and drop down on the players.
Use the Gobble: Open the fight with the Sonic Gobble to disorient the party, then swarm them while they are stunned.
The Objective: These scouts are trying to secure the Landing Pad. They will ignore a single player to surround the group.
Open D6 / Starfaring Six-Legged Turkey Scout Type: Bio-Engineered Avian Predator Scale: Character FOR THOSE NEW TO THIS 4D+2 =OR REFERS TO 4D6+2 AND SO ON!
DEXTERITY: 4D+2
Dodge 5D+2, Brawling 5D+2, Running 5D
PERCEPTION: 3D
Search 4D, Hide 4D
STRENGTH: 4D
Climbing/Jumping 6D (Hexa-legs)
KNOWLEDGE: 1D
MECHANICAL: 1D
TECHNICAL: 1D
Attacks:
Serrated Talons: STR+1D (5D Damage)
Razor Beak: STR+2 (4D+2 Damage)
Special Abilities:
Sonic Gobble: High-frequency shriek. 10m range. Stamina diff 15 or Stunned.
Hexa-Motion: +2D to Climbing/Balance checks.
Move: 15 (Fast Scuttle)
The Vehicle: Class-4 "Gizzard" Drop-Ship Type: Atmospheric Assault Lander Scale: Starfighter
Maneuverability: 2D
Hull: 4D+2
Shields: 1D
Weapons:
Twin Plasma Repeaters (Fire-Linked)
Damage: 5D (Starfighter Scale)
Range: 1-3/12/25
Note: These ships deploy the scouts and provide covering fire.
Level 2: The Depths (The Ancient Zim Troll City) Retreating from the surface, the players descend a massive, spiral staircase cut from rough, black volcanic rock. The architecture changes from elegant crystal to brutalist stone.
The Atmosphere: The air is stale and smells of ozone and rust. The walls are lined with the fossilized remains of ancient troll machinery.
The Threat: The security systems of the Ancients are still active.
Encounter: The Stone Guardians.
What are they? Constructs left behind by the Zim Trolls to guard their secrets.
Stats: Refer to The Monstery of Zimrala. Use the stats for the "Stone Golem" or "Construct, Ancient" found in the Bestiary section.
Loot: In the center of the room, clutching a rusted lever, is a skeleton holding a Moon Crystal—a spare key back to the surface (or elsewhere).
The Toolkit: What You Need to Play
To run this scenario effectively, you just need the core essentials from Trollgodfather Press. Grab your PDFs right here:
Monsters! Monsters! 2.7 Rules [INSERT DRIVETHRURPG LINK HERE]
Humans, Humans (Character Creation) [INSERT DRIVETHRURPG LINK HERE]
The Monstery of Zimrala (Moon & Crystal Stats + Monsters) [INSERT DRIVETHRURPG LINK HERE]
Turkey Monster Invaders (The Adventure) [INSERT DRIVETHRURPG LINK HERE]
OpenD6
OpenD6 was created by Eric Gibson, the owner of West End Games, as the new standard for the D6 System -- a pen and paper roleplaying game which was used in such classic games as Star Wars D6, The Ghostbusters RPG, and Indiana Jones D6. His goal was to make the D6 System more available and customizable to the fan base at large.
OpenD6 offers fans of one of the most popular cinematic systems a new way to get their favorite game. Combining the best of over 15 years of D6 System design -- including systems appearing in Men in Black, DC Universe, Hercules & Xena, and the awarding-winning Star Wars roleplaying game -- each OpenD6 rulebook provides an attribute and skill set tailored specifically to the genre while using a game engine that's cross-genre compatible.
Epilogue: Closing the Gate
The weekend is here, and the moon is shifting phases. You have the mechanics, you have the map, and you have the monsters.
Whether your players come from a starship in the Federation or a dungeon in Middle-earth, the Moon Key is their ticket to the Tygerian Isles. But remember: once they step through that ring in Boedleaf County, they aren't just visiting a new world. They are stepping into a war zone between the ancient past and the invading future.
Grab those books, find the right Crystal, and I will see you in the ruins.
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 specific "Hedge Wizard of the Shreveport Cabin" persona, The world of Zimrala, The Ether Dragons, The Scope of the True Meridian, The Havashar Moon, The Moon Key mechanics, Boedleaf County, The Isle of Achrox, the "Moon Elf Star City," and the "Ancient Zim Troll City" lore. The Monstery of Zimrala, Turkey Monster Invaders, Monsters! Monsters!, and Humans, Humans 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. © 2026 Arthur Earl C. Hedges Jr. All rights reserved.
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