THE SHADOW FILES: THE VOID SENTINELS & THE OPHIDIAN WARS

Official Campaign Briefing: Operation Serpent-Strike

Mission Launch Date: January 8, 2026 (The Dawn of the Year of the Wood Snake)

Primary Vessel: The Epsilon-Class Rapid Responder "Aurelius"

Commanding Officer: Captain Arthur Earl C. Hedges Jr.

Classification: LEGACY EYES ONLY – TYGERIAN MARINE COMMAND

---

I. THE NARRATIVE: THE SERPENT IN THE ETHER

As the Lunar New Year dawns on January 29, 2025, the multiverse faces a transformation that NASA’s sensors could barely comprehend. The "Second Seed," long tracked by terrestrial observatories, was not a mere physical object but a beacon for Ophidious and the Ophidian legions. These serpent-predators have begun a systematic hijacking of the Ethergates—the organic, shifting portals controlled by the Ether Dragons who once facilitated the evacuation of the Troll World.

In response, the Tygerian Marines have activated the Aurelius. This vessel represents a total departure from the static "Stargate" era. By utilizing an Ether Dragon Heart Drive, the ship skips through reality, responding to threats in seconds. Standing on the bridge is Captain Hedges, the human anchor whose "Many Lives" provide the tactical intuition needed to hunt the Ophidians across the Year of the Snake.

---

II. THE VESSEL: EPSILON-CLASS "AURELIUS" TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

The Aurelius is a living machine, a blend of Tygerian Trinium-tech and Ether Dragon biology.

• The Dragon Heart Drive: The engine room is a containment cell for a living Ether Dragon Heart. It generates a "Celestial Roar" frequency that allows the ship to fold space and emerge through any Ethergate in the multiverse.

• The Rapid Responder Bridge: A high-tech command center featuring the Captain’s Chair and four specialized pits for the Void Sentinel teams.

• The Deployment Gate: Located in the belly of the ship, this specialized Ethergate allows teams to step directly from the ship into the mission zone, bypassing the need for atmospheric entry vehicles.

Ship Capacities & Crew Requirements

Feature	Specification
Minimum Crew	5 Personnel (1 Pilot, 1 Engineer, 1 Navigator, 1 Tactical, 1 Commander)
Maximum Crew	120 Personnel (Includes full complements for all 4 Sentinel Teams and support staff)
Cargo Capacity	5,000 Metric Tons (Specifically shielded for Trinium ore and Solar Nectar transport)
Consumables	2 Years (Equipped with self-sustaining hydroponic gardens within the Geode-bay)

---

III. THE VOID SENTINEL TEAMS

The Aurelius carries four distinct elite units, each with a specific tactical mandate:

1. Team Tiger Force: The "Old Guard." Specialists in jungle survival, guerrilla portal tactics, and the preservation of the original 1968 mission legacy.

2. Team Alpha: The "First Responders." They handle Gate-Room security, Ethergate interface, and high-speed planetary extractions.

3. Team Delta: The "Spearhead." A high-precision breaching unit modeled after Delta Force, designed to engage Ophidian Enforcers in close-quarters combat.

4. Team Gamma: The "Bio-Shield." Experts in Solar Nectar research, anti-venom synthesis, and the containment of trans-dimensional toxins.

---

IV. UNABRIDGED OPEN D6 STATISTICS

Commander Arthur Earl C. Hedges Jr.

Template: The Eternal Veteran / Void Sentinel Lead

• AGILITY: 3D+2

  • Firearms (Trinium-Pulse Rifle): 6D

  • Dodge: 5D

  • Melee Combat (Ether-Blade): 4D+2

  • Grenade: 4D

• MECHANICAL: 3D

  • Ether-Dragon Drive Piloting: 6D

  • Navigation (Multiverse/Ethergate): 5D

  • Sensors (Ophidian Tracking): 4D+1

  • Comms: 4D

• STRENGTH: 3D

  • Stamina (Void Pressure): 5D

  • Lifting: 4D

  • Brawling: 4D+1

  • Special: Immune to Acid and Poison

• KNOWLEDGE: 4D

  • Multiverse Lore (Zimrala/Whispering Isles): 6D

  • Tactics (Tiger Force Legacy): 6D

  • Ophidian Weaknesses: 5D

  • Survival: 5D

• PERCEPTION: 4D+2

  • Command (Tygerian Marines): 7D

  • Search: 5D+2

  • Tracking (Temporal Anomalies): 6D

  • Hide/Sneak: 5D

• TECHNICAL: 3D+2

  • Ethergate/Stargate Interface: 5D

  • Dimensional Dampeners: 5D

  • Royal Cartography: 6D

  • Computer Interface/Repair: 4D+1

The Tygerian Marine (Void Sentinel Standard)

• AGILITY: 4D (Firearms 5D, Brawling 5D, Dodge 5D)

• MECHANICAL: 3D (Ethergate Ops 4D, Comm 4D, Sensors 4D)

• STRENGTH: 4D (Stamina 6D, Climbing/Jumping 5D)

• KNOWLEDGE: 2D (Survival 4D, Tactics 3D, Intimidation 4D)

• PERCEPTION: 3D (Search 4D, Tracking 4D, Sneak 4D)

• TECHNICAL: 2D (Armor Maintenance 3D, Demolitions 3D, Security 3D)

The Epsilon-Class "Aurelius" (Starship Scale)

• Scale: Starship

• Hull: 4D (Trinium-Reinforced)

• Shields: 5D (Ether-Dragon Aura)

• Speed: 6D (Ether-Skip) / 3D (Sublight)

• Weapons:

  • Twin Trinium-Pulse Cannons: 5D (Starship Scale)

  • Dimensional Torpedoes: 6D (Ignores standard physical shields)

THE SHADOW FILES: OPHIDIAN SERPENT RAIDER

Classification: Class-S Intercept Raider Faction: The Ophidian Legions (Servants of Ophidious) Tactical Role: Ethergate Sabotage & Fast Attack

"They don't fight like the Goa'uld. They don't want to rule the planet; they want to bleed the Ether dry. When a Serpent Raider drops out of the gate, you don't check your shields—you check your soul." — Captain Hedges

---

I. SHIP SPECIFICATIONS (OpenD6)

Scale:

Weapons:

• Twin Venom-Beam Projectors:

  • Fire Arc: Front

  • Skill: Starship Gunnery

  • Fire Control: 2D

  • Space Range: 1-3/12/25

  • Damage: 4D (Corrosive: Deals 1D damage per round for 3 rounds after hit)

• Tail-Spike Grappler:

• Fire Arc: Rear/Bottom

• Skill: Starship Gunnery

• Fire Control: 1D

• Space Range: 1/2/5

• Damage: 5D (Used for boarding actions/clamping onto the Aurelius)

The Enemy: Ophidian "Serpent" Enforcer

• AGILITY: 4D (Venom-Spit 5D, Tail Strike 5D)

• MECHANICAL: 2D (Ether-Jamming 4D)

• STRENGTH: 3D+2 (Constrict 5D, Stamina 4D)

• KNOWLEDGE: 3D (Ethergate Sabotage 5D)

• PERCEPTION: 4D (Sense Vibrations 6D, Sneak 5D)

• TECHNICAL: 2D (Temporal Anchor Disruption 4D)

---

II. SPECIAL ABILITIES: THE SERPENT’S COIL

• Ether-Siphon: The Raider can latch onto an active Ethergate. On a successful Technical (Ethergate Sabotage) roll of 20+, it can prevent the gate from closing or redirect the destination of any ship passing through it.

• Shadow-Camo: While in the void, the ship’s hull shifts to match the surrounding darkness. It gains +2D to Stealth/Hide rolls against standard sensors.

---

III. TACTICAL ANALYSIS FOR THE VOID SENTINELS

When Team Delta or Team Alpha encounters a Raider, they must target the Venom-Beam Projectors first. The corrosive nature of their energy can eat through the Aurelius’s Trinium hull if the Ether-Dragon Aura shields are down.

Captain Hedges’s Strategy: Use the Dimensional Torpedoes to hit the Raider before it can engage its Shadow-Camo. Once the Chitinous armor is cracked, a single Trinium-Pulse Cannon blast usually disintegrates the bio-core.

---

V. 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 ship Aurelius and the Epsilon-Class Rapid Responder concepts, the specific The Tiger Force Shadow Saga, the Ophidian threat, the Ophidian Serpent Raider, the Ophidian Legions, (Ophidious), the Ether-Dragon Drive, and all Void Sentinel Team designations (Alpha, Delta, Gamma, Tiger Force). 

Open d6 is open Content for mechanics only.

MoZ (Monsterary of Zimrala and 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. © 2025-2026 Arthur Earl C. Hedges Jr. All rights reserved.