01. Tigers Hunting Rey

Trouble finds everyone, though Rey is separated from the others.
Rey is awoken in the night by people on the street outside her apartment building, calling her name. They are members of the Golden Tigers, a gang from the pit-fighting community in Nexus. Having lost a combatant for the night’s fight, Kanna (their leader) convinces Rey to step in, in exchange for the full winnings. Her opponent, Katha, was a relative unknown, making Rey uncomfortable: how could she be sure Katha was not being compelled to fight? The fight looks like it might be cancelled when a man strides forward – Ember (Summer Blaze’s brother).
Meanwhile, back in Blue Sky, Valeria catches the scent of burning flesh in the middle of the night. Waking Jorek and guarding Summer Blaze, he runs downstairs to investigate and finds two more Golden Tigers torturing the concierge by burning the soles of his feet with a hot poker, looking for Rey. Upstairs, Summer Blaze wakes up and convinces Valeria that they should also look into it. They descend to within earshot just in time to hear Jorek convincing the Tigers to leave.
Back at the warehouse, Ember introduces himself to Rey, and as they prepare to fight, Kanna expresses his displeasure at the obviously one-sided nature of the fight (Ember towers over Rey), while she increases her strength with her newfound Solar power. Rey and Ember brawl, with Rey managing to land the first decisive blow which knocks Ember to the ground.
Valeria and Summer Blaze once more argue about the nature of the “Anathema”, which ends with their disagreement, but with Summer Blaze starting to doubt the teachings of the Immaculate Order. Jorek promises to free Summer Blaze after they go outside of town at dawn, trusting his instinct that they can unlock this “place of great power”.
Ember chooses to stay down, ending the fight. Kanna offers to deliver the winnings to Rey’s home, but she, untrusting, insists that she’ll pick them up herself. Kanna makes an off-handed comment about Rey’s father, and she breaks his nose. Rey then approaches Ember, helping him up, as he warns her that the Golden Tigers would likely be going straight after her father for her affront to Kanna. Ember offers to help her get her father to safety, and suggests that maybe Rey could help him in return.
The session ends with two Dragon-Blooded separated: Summer Blaze agrees to go with the Solars, warning them of the continued threat of the Wyld Hunt, and Ember offers to take Rey and her father back to where he was staying – in exchange for help escaping the influence of House Mnemon.
Category:EXN-Ep