Session 161 - Attack of the Night Claws (8th November 2018)

- Grant thinks about the four Night Claws that he just met. Jax of the Spire, Siathene. Ma’ax. Grinst. Four Dwimmerlaik young ‘punks’. He knows that they will be back but isn’t sure what to do about it. He can’t very well tell Drake - Drake would just send his troops in to kill them.
- Grant tries to trace Abbie’s hedron to others but the Wayfinding just points him to the Door. Abbie remarks that she found the second one when she last visited the Agora, which suggests that there are more of them out there. They appear attract one another. Grant is curious about it.
- Tea at the master of the Blue Crane (Master Hon) is pleasant but Abbie feels a little embarrassed by the attention. Given that Grant is masking his powers, he is assumed to be Abbie’s student or a servant. He is treated well but is not given any special treatment). After their meeting with Master Hon, Grant escorts her back to a Door and Abbie wishes Grant well as she departs. (This is an important moment as after this, Abbie vanishes for a number of sessions, seemingly without trace).
- Grant decides to change his appearance in an alley. He now appears as a local. He continues to hide his Warden ability but now only partially masks his power. He meets an acolyte from the Blue Crane dojo and impresses him sufficiently that he is taken back to meet Master Hon. There he introduces himself as Rook (aka ‘the Black Bird’). They converse. Grant asks about formally challenging the Night Claws and finding the correct etiquette to do so. 
- Grant has a bout with some of the Blue Crane students and demonstrates why he has Dominant Rank Warfare. He defeats them all but he treats them with respect.
- Leaving Master Hon, Grant finds a way to contact Misako from Channel 5 (whom he remembers from the alternate timeline as a reporter who frequently presents on ‘Streetfighter Duels’. He tips her off that he will have a story for her.
- From here, Grant (as Rook) demonstrates his prowess on the street by defeating one of the Black Scorpions, drawing attention and eventually leading him to Leroy (again, known to Grant from the previous timeline). Leroy introduces Rook to the underground ‘Fight Club’ and Rook goes to work, defeating opponents from a range of different schools and building his reputation within Neo-Yokohama.
- Two days later, the Blue Crane are attacked by the Night Claws. The Blue Crane are defeated and Master Hon disappears. Grant decides to repeat what he did in this realm in the previous timeline. He uses Leroy to find Streetfighters who are hated (typically foreigners) and he formally challenges them and defeats them, one by one. Misako regularly covers his victories. Leroy is happy - he’s getting rich.
- After a week of this, Grant decides to openly challenge the Night Claws. A battleground is chosen and battle is joined at the appropriate time. The battle is fierce and there is much property damage. They attack him as a group but Grant defeats them, one by one. When they are beaten, he asks them where Master Hon is and none of them know. Noting that Siathene seems to be wearing metal gauntlets and armour under his gi, Grant asks him what his armour is made from and he is told ‘Darksteel’. He is intrigued by this given how light and strong the material is. He directs the Dwimmerlaik youths to submit to his rule and instructs them to blend in and be more respectful in future. The youths accept Grant’s judgement. They believe him to be a superior Dwimmerlaik warrior who has given them an order. They limp away.
- Grant goes to find Master Hon and finds that some of the Blue Crane students drove him into the mountains. Grant joins him and stays in the mountain retreat. He asks if Master Hon will teach him and Master Hon is honoured.