O-Yama and Regina Pia in "The Case of the Exsanguinated Animals"

Narration:
An envelope is delivered to Dame Lady Knight Regina Pia. The packet includes copies of several newspaper articles, which contain all the information included here. It also includes a handwritten letter.

Dame Lady Knight Regina Pia,

The Prince has asked that this matter of the ritualistic exsanguination be looked into. Though he doubts it has anything to do with Kindred, he is concerned that any such activity may invite unwelcome attention of the sort that might threaten the Masquerade. He has assigned Priscus O-Yama to work with you on investigating and resolving this matter. Priscus O-Yama can be reached at 555-XXXX. He will have received this same information shortly.

-Olivette,
Servant to Prince Asa Clarke

The envelope also includes a map of the greater Sacramento area, with the parks and forests where the incidents in question have taken placed marked. The area is rural to semi-rural, approximately an hour outside Sacramento proper.

O-Yama receives an identical envelope, save that the letter is addressed to him, it notes Dame Lady Knight Regina Pia has been assigned to work with him, and her number is included.

O-Yama arrives at the location given to him by Knight Pia, and awaits her, looking around to see if she may have arrived before him. He had his vest on and katana at his belt as usual, both obfuscated.

Mrs. Scotts finally arrives. She is wearing loose fitting pants and a comfortable collared shirt. On her shirt is a metal pin, of a rose encircled by a wreath of thorns. She also has her twin rapiers, both obfuscated.
"Greetings. Are you O-Yama?"

"That would be me, it is a pleasure to meet you. Are you prepared to leave now? or do you need time?" O-Yama says looking the woman over.

She looks light she's never seen a fight before. Her skin is soft and delicate, she doesn't have any muscles to speak of, and not a single scar or scratch mars her complexion. She doesn't seem to be carrying any weapons.
"Quite preppared. Shall we find this breacher?" She says, her italian accent flavoring her words.

O-Yama adjusts the jade-laced eyepatch and breaks out the small map with the "hot spots" on it. He points out an area that had the worst activity.

"This seems like our best target for inspection, from there we fan out to search other areas. Unless you have objections?"

"That seems appropriate, Prisucs O-Yama." And its when she walks that O-Yama notices something. She doesn't walk like a dainty socialite. She walks like a battle hardened veteran. Eyes slowly shift as the head turns back and forth. medium length stpes, perfect for her slight form to react quickly.
Regina begins inspecting the hot spot.

O-Yama follows after her, looking around for anything that might be amiss. He kept inline with her, walking close but not so close as to be invasive. He keeps a wary eye out.

Narration:

All of the incidents in question occurred within 10 miles of the small town of Robbins, CA, as did what happened at the Happy Pony.

By the sketchy accounts available - from the minimal press coverage, plus the bets Olivette was able to finesse out of someone with the Sheriff's department - the most recent incident was the worst. In a wooded area about 3 miles SE of Robbins, some hikers called the Sheriff's Department after they found a spot where two cats and a dog had been drained of blood. According to the person Olivette talked to, occult symbols and "one of those devil worship circles" were found at the site.

Finding the specific site on the basis of that limited information might turn out to be tricky though.

((ST Note: What specific avenues of investigation are Regina and O-Yama going to follow? Looking for the site? Trying to talk to locals, or someone in the Sheriff's Department? Wandering around in the dark hoping to stumble onto something?))

"Priscus O-Yama, I beleive we should ask the locals about the sites."

O-Yama turns to Pia, thinking on it for a moment. "I believe that would be the best course of action for the moment."

Regina finds begins looking for houses with lights on. Best to be polite and knock while they were awake.

Narration:

The two vampires passed by some farm houses on their way to check out the woods where the most recent incident occurred. The nearest one has lights on.

Regina's knock brings a man to the door. He looks about 55 and is dressed in gray sweat pants, a sleeveless white t-shirt and flip-flops. He opens the door holding a bottle of Budwieser, looks at Regina and then at O-Yama, then back at Regina. "Yeah?" he asks.

O-Yama thinks hard for a moment, then pulls out a small notepad and pen. He decides to take the iniative.

"Sir, first off, sorry for disturbing this late at night. We're reporters for a paper in Sacremento proper, we'd like to know if you have heard any hear-say about what happened at the local petting zoo."

Regina pulls out her notepad and her pen, prepared to write his answer.

The man eyes both of them, again focusing more on O-Yama. He particularly seems to focus on the jade eyepatch. Finally he shrugs - perhaps he guessed it might be some big-city pirate-fashion thing - and says "Reporters? Huh." He thinks for a moment, then says "Oh, you mean that thing with them animals being killed by them devil worshippers?"

"yes sir. That is correct." Note to self, don't use reporter gig with O-Yama. Find better approach.

"Well, I jus' know what everyone's heard, or heard rumors about, that stuff there at the farm, and those times animals been found hung up and drained of blood out in those hills west of here and in some of the other forests in the area." He gestures vaguely to the west, in the direction where the most recent incident reportedly occurred.

"Don' know anything specific about it, just people talking at the coffee shop and so forth... well, no, wait a minute, now I remember. Tom Sellers, he's a deputy, he was in the coffee shop that day, an' he mentioned that last one out in the hills, the one with a bunch of animals, was down Skunk Creek somewhere. That was, what, two weeks ago?"

O-Yama leans over to Pia and whispers.

"I believe we should go check out the hill, and forest, I may have someone who could aid us greatly if your willing to accept help outside the family." O-Yama says thinking about Matthew, the werewolf he had met in "the Room" and how most likely a werewolf would be better at tracking something than one of the Kindred.

Family. Usually meant Daeva, save that he was a Nos. Then it usually meant Covenant...save that he wasn't in her covenant. So what the hell was he talking about.
Pia nods. "Thank you for your time sir." And she walks away. Once they are out of earshot.
"Frankly Priscus, I don't understand that statement. But as long as the traditions are maintained, it works for me."

"I meant family in the sense of Kindred in total. I have met someone who is a werewolf, he knows of us, becuase of extentuating circumstances, but I trust he wouldn't reveal our nature to the public. I believe he would be able to help us in the wilds out here far better than we could track our culprit on our own." O-Yama says to her, his face serious.

A werewolf. What in heavens name. Ahhh, Lupe de Garou. Aha! Wait, those were real? Oh dear. Thats just....acceptable. Well, if the priscus wanted it, good by her.

"That is acceptable to me."

"Give me a moment to call him, I'll see if he can make it out here to help us." O-Yama says, pulling out his cell-phone and dailing Matthew's number.

He steps away a little bit, hoping Matthew picks up.

"Well? What does he have to say?"