briefing ♔ but instead of saying thanks that snake gave her a vicious bite

[wynn]

♬ The Snake - Al Wilson

WHO || Wynn, Andrea Anderson, Dovan Ironsides, Alainn O'Rourke, Haymitch Abernathy, Eric Carpenter, Fyrel Lear, James Watson, and Lis'sa Trinall [Closed]
WHAT || Japan Mission Briefing
WHERE || Knights HQ, the Round Table room
WHEN || Monday, March 5th, shortly before 5pm. [BACKDATED]
HOW || Actionspam. Single thread, don't worry about maintaining tagging order.

Just as before, accessing the secret room where the Round Table is housed requires using the Knight's access card to open the glass class beside the mural of the War in Heaven, located across from the ballroom entrance. Using the fire extinguisher as a lever to activate the "door" mechanism reveals the long torch-lit hall plastered in artworks depicting the Knight's history. The tenants of the Knighthood hang large and foreboding over the doors at the end of the hall, which stand open to reveal the brightly lit Round Table, and the majestic crystalline dragon statue presiding over it.

Come in, find a seat, meet your teammates if you haven't already. Wynn will be with you all shortly.

Comments

[spymaster]

[James watches Lis'sa walk in and sit, nodding to her in acknowledgement in turn, because it does not do to be impolite in this case really.

But he is watching the others and that glare off and, he's not sure what to make of it. Actually he finds it rather amusing, and he has to hide the chuckle at it, instead he eyes the folder on the table curiously to hide it.

And no he likes keeping his head enough to not say anything at that.]

[lear]

[ Now that she's sufficiently distracted from her reading, Lear pays attention to the pair on her other side: she turns to James and Lis'sa with a small smile. ]

Hullo. I don't think we've met. Sir Lear.

[lissatrinall]

We haven't. [Lis'sa figures she'll just clear that one up if you're so uncertain sounding about it. What with your politeness and all 8| wat is that.] Lis'sa Trinall.

[spymaster]

[And James flashes her a smile in return, rather used to the lack of politeness from Lis'sa by now :| Because somehow he's the polite one out of the duo.] James Watson, and it is a pleasure.

[sirstickuphisass]

[Meanwhile, Eric SIDEEYES ALAINN again at her little commentary] I hope this is a short term mission.

[attollores]

[Alainn doesn't even bother side-eyeing Eric, she looks straight at him. SO MUCH SNARK ON THE EDGE OF HER TONGUE, BUT SHE IS REALLY TRYING TO BE GOOD HERE, OKAY? She visibly takes in a deep breath, then it seems like she can't help herself from making at least one little snark back to him.]

It best be a short term mission, cuz some of us can't handle being out in the field on actual missions where things actually have to get done.

[killarevolution]

[Haymitch officially has the biggest WHY ME? FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, GET ME A DRINK look on his face.

This is going to be a long meeting.]

[ironsides]

[WELP eventually the merry dwarf (and his squire) will be waddling his way in and plunking down off to Alainn's left.]

Hope we're not too late, then.

[wynn]

[And once they've all arrived, Wynn's doors will open on the far side of the room - emitting a bright golden light that will momentarily blind anyone who looks directly at it and fails a Fort save of 16...]

[attollores]

[ALAINN HAS NEVER BEEN HAPPIER TO SEE DOVAN IN ALL HER LIFE. She gives him a smile, relief causing her shoulders to drop, all her former ire melting away.]

You're never late, Dovan. I'm glad you'll be along for this one.

[Dovan was one of the members of the Grumpy Old Men club that she truly counted as a friend, and his presence was sure to be a relief just for how simple it was to get along with him. She takes in a deep breath, the tension easing completely from her now.

Zen meditation garden. Or some crap like that.]

[attollores]

[Also, she p0wned the Fort Save with a 22. Chyeah.]

[killarevolution]

[OMG HIS RETINAS.]

[lear]

[ Wow, Lear might have had something to say, but now she's too busy being blinded. She unhappily brings up a hand to cover her eyes, trying to blink away the spots she's seeing. ]

[wynn]

[Wynn no 1 curr about your retinas. He comes to stand at the table, looking about at each Knight in turn]

Your mission will be taking you to the heart of Tokyo, Japan, to the city of Hachiōji. You may have heard the reports: bodies have been discovered around the city by Tokyo police that appear to be linked, due to the nature of the murders. Each has several organs removed, as if they have been harvested. While the police have openly spoken against the possibility of a "serial killer", in truth, evidence seems to point to a ritualistic undertone. Victims have been largely human, though there are deviations from this - they range in age, gender, interests, and seem to have little to no connection to one another.

The scope of these murders, however, has increased exponentially over the last few weeks, and Japanese officials have asked for our assistance, as they no longer believe this to be the work of any one person, but rather a coordinated effort by a group with considerable resources of some kind. A group that they believe to be Shadow in nature.

Your team will be granted access to any information held by the Tokyo authorities, but will be performing a separate investigation using our own resources.

The current climate of the majority of the police division is somewhat distrustful towards Shadowkind, which may be biasing their theories about creatures of Shadow being behind this. And if they are, in fact, correct about the identity of the murderer or murderers, then we can provide experience and knowledge of various Shadow cultures to assist in bringing them to expedient justice.

[attollores]

[Alainn listens intently, her face falling into hard lines as Wynn speaks. She glances around the table briefly, the ratio of Shadow-kind to human making her a bit more comfortable. She, Dovon and Lis'sa were all experienced enough in hiding their features to pass under all but the most intense scrutiny, so her worry was quickly brought under control.

She was interested to see how the Squires would fare in Japan, dealing with all this first hand, but she had faith that Wynn wouldn't send them along for something they weren't ready for. Personal feelings set aside, she knew they would make this mission a success.]

Are there any working theories about who might be behind this, does it sound familiar at all?

[wynn]

It's possible the parts are being collected for some ritualistic purpose connected to magic, in which case we might be dealing with a cadre of mages. It's, however, just as likely that the organs are being removed to send us on the wrong track, targeting these groups.

[piratitude]

[Andrea was here the whole time, what are you talking about? Totally came in with her mentor and seems eager to be doing something other than harassing the hell out of the people at headquarters or giving them heart-attacks by climbing on the facade]

What makes 'em think this is ritualistic, other than the missing organs? Doesn't this world have crazy cults too?

[lissatrinall]

[Lis'sa will field that one] It does. But if it were a human cult, it could be equally ritualistic. Some have noted that the parts being taken are ones often used for practitioners of dark, forbidden arts: eyeballs, tongues, hearts, hands. A few years ago, there was a swell of these types of killings in South Africa by medicine men. They're called "Muti" killings, and they involved quite a few children there, as well.

The difference here is in precision. Muti killings tend to be messy endeavors - people being hacked up with a mind only to preserve the part desired. These murders are something else: they occur with an almost surgical precision.

[spymaster]

[James tilts his head at that before asking his own question.] The bodies were found otherwise untouched besides the removal of the organs that have tipped off the authorities then? No attempt to hide what they were doing by copying the Muti killings or otherwise mutilating the bodies to a similar effect?

[attollores]

[Alainn is busily, and quietly, tapping away at her PDA, taking notes to review for later. She also wants to run a search to cross-reference with other databases to look for signature markers in the killings that could narrow their search. Anything that has to do with the pattern of organ removal, dates, times, etc, though she is pretty sure she won't find anything new, but it doesn't hurt to double check.]

[lissatrinall]

[Lis'sa shakes her head] None, which could indicate several things.

Either we're not dealing with someone intelligent enough to attempt to hide what they're doing, which seems unusual or unlikely given the extensiveness of the operation - or they aren't attempting to cover their tracks purposefully. Either to announce their presence, or out of a sense of superiority, perhaps.

[spymaster]

[Steal you're squire's thunder Lis'sa, it's not like he needs the ego boost sharing that would have given him at all. Nope. GD mind reader :|]

It could also be a, certain urgency as well. If they have practiced the procedure, they may be doing these, acts in such a way that there is a very small window time, and of course the faster they go the less likely they are to be discovered while doing the act. A certain level of organization that would not seem out of place with the extensiveness of their operation, yes?

[lissatrinall]

[She considers for a split second, then nods] Certainly possible. Though what factors could account for the window of time?

[spymaster]

Location, time of day, the weather patterns. An interest in preserving the items they remove as well, depending upon how they are transported. The quicker they are removed, the more options available there are as well, in their use. From basic organ transplant to other more ritualistic uses I'd imagine.

[lissatrinall]

Not a bad analysis. [She manages to make it sound like she's surprised, just in case it was going to sound like something nice. :| Can't have that.]

[lear]

[ Lear listens to the discussion with interest, seemingly unaffected by all this talk of harvested body parts. ]

Odd that it's Japan, though. Shinto isn't big on dead bodies, so there's not much support for organ donation.

Also not entirely huge on Westerners, Shadowkind or otherwise. Does someone here speak Japanese?

[ She looks sideways, at Lis'sa and James, who seem the most likely candidates. ]

[spymaster]

[One of these days he'll get you to sound nice Lis'sa. Just once even, it'd make his day.

And oh right languages. Well, now would be the time to admit that he speaks with a rather obvious accent. In fact it had ended up with them blowing up a check point with a tank in order to get past that because of his accent-fail with his German. And with a language he really only knows because of need and not out of any real passion...

Well let's just say someone else may want to take it over but he's not going to admit that (pride and all that). So he just nods at Lear.] Organ donation does not need to be for someone in the country however, though it could also be for other less, savory things. And I do.

[But you know, side eyeing Lis'sa because he's not too comfortable with it but won't admit it with words and hopes she gets what he means without admitting it.]

[piratitude]

Oh, this place sounds like a barrel of fun, and we're the ones in it. [Look, you don't want to know what that means, but Andrea was never particularly fond of the barrel]

If they don't like us, why ask for our help?

[lissatrinall]

I speak it. [She smoothly addresses Andrea's question as well] You'll find we get plenty of requests for assistance from those who don't necessarily trust us. The fact is that we yield results - and we know more about Shadowkind than they do. They need us, in other words, if they hope to make any real progress on this.

[lear]

[ Murmurs, ]

And somehow I doubt the Japanese police have quite the budget to deal with any group of considerable resources.

[ironsides]

They're prob'ly scared of what they're gonna come up against! Leave the messy bits to us, they figure, and clean up after. [He chuckles]

[attollores]

[Alainn smiles at Dovon, chuckling at his assessment, then tacks on as almost an afterthought mainly b/c I forgot to respond to this like days ago...:]

I speak Japanese too, and can read and write a bit of it as well.

[sirstickuphisass]

I speak it too. Which makes most of us. Guess that's part of why we're here.

[killarevolution]

[What the fuck is Japanese.]

[attollores]

[Alainn gives a small nod in Eric's direction, acknowledging his statement and sort of as a okay-we-are-here-to-work-I-can-be-nice kind of gesture not that she really thinks he will...care/respond/etc]

I should be able to dig up a spell to help us possibly track who is doing this, something to pin-point them like a scrying spell, or along those lines.