I can't stop thinking about "first weapon" being W

could be "snatched first" for S and then weapon could be something like gun, axe, shiv etc

i'm thinking "local challenge" could be some kind of challenge either here in the lair or on PSE in general

FTC or MTC perhaps

though it doesn't seem that promising

Well, "fantastic" is mythical, and it has the ANT (creature), A_ S_ maybe ("and snatched", first (i.e. firstly)) in FTC, but there's a leftover, "turned", and there's also an unclued I...

Or maybe it's SATNA< (creature, turned) and [a] snatched I (first) in FTC (though separately), and we can make up satna now and incorporate it into a new kind of mythology so that it becomes recognized as a (mythical) creature. #BadC4Solutions

if we're gonna write a myth about the satna we might as well write one about the hsabretni

Hahah

re: C4, could also be turned AND<

@juicifer I, for one, would like to know the lore behind the Hsabretni

I imagine it is a creature that lives in cold climates, lacks sharp fangs or claws and so must use its size and brute strength to pummel its prey, and is always seen wearing a stylish hat.

I love it

does that make it the answer to the c4?

@juicifer Regrettably, no.

because, you see

C4 Hint: The 6th letter is a W

@Rubio dang, worth a shot

Interesting

My hypothesis is that we're looking for a word like REVIEWING (if there were such a mythical creature as a GEIVER - which there isn't) - something of the form W_+IN in GEIVER< to produce a word meaning a challenge that faces 'locals' here on SE...

Like how we all have problems with all the NILBOWING that goes on around here...

(And the NO-GROWING...)

Hah, thought of those at the same time as I was scrolling through Wikipedia's mythical creatures starting with G

@Stiv if you can see a way to take an R out of it then GRIEVER might make sense

except that now that I'm looking at it a second time the e and the i are transposed

never mind

Maybe something–SWORD, "weapon in local challenge"? Since the hint could mislead after all (thinking first weapon = W when it's not). But that's less likely, since there would be a bit too few words for the wordplay

Or ...WOLF, ...WORM

Ah, it's CRO<+S_+SWORD

@Rubio

It is indeed. :)

very neat

I got a class in a bit, so next C4 will be a little late

Ha, very cruel to point out the W in the hint and for it not to be derived from the previously mentioned W(-eapon)!

that's one of those clues that makes you feel dumb in hindsight

which is to say, well done rubio

@Ankoganit Nice find

@Stiv this is exactly why I did that hehe :)

It was a fun clue that kinda landed in my lap once I got into it. The surface came together pretty nicely I thought.

CCCC: In Portal, woman follows about robot lead character (this occurs somewhere below the surface) (11)

@oAlt your musings helped lol

@Ankoganit I saw those musings and was like, well, ok, I've been rumbled. figured it wouldn't be long after that.