Uminushi sat at a table with the various reports spread out before him. The rest of them have been pushed to the side with cushions scattered around so he could speak to his trainees... crew... troops? comfortably. There was a pot of kava and a half-full-and-forgotten cup as hit elbow. He read and nodded to each man or woman who appeared for the evening meeting. The man was forming an idea... and it was not pleasant.

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OOC: I'm going to be keeping an eye on your threads, I assume that every character will be making a general report regarding Lanka's people, disposition and fortifications. If there is something that you specifically want to note, please drop a note in your PF and flag it for me.

Musasha arrives apparently first. His tummy truly full and his five o'clock shadow hiding the mild glow of a bit of drink in him.

Fuichi is next, dressed once more in his priestly finery. His expression is grave.

O-washi came next, bowing to the others but not smiling.

Kiyo shortly follows the gunso and bows, a light smile on her lips but it quickly fades when she sees the grave looks on the other faces.

I enter early, noting others are here already or showing up. I bow once to the captain and then briskly walk to one of the sides of the room, my eyes analysing the others present and watching the entrance to see who else came. I logged the heavy atmosphere of the room. If my own findings hinted at anything then it seemed others had reached similar conclusions

I walk into the room. I look at the others, bowing where needed. I want to get this over with, and get in a little training before a bath. I almost did not come, but I don't want them to think me rude. I don't have much to add, but perhaps they can give me information. Everyone seems so serious. This meeting will no doubt be as enjoyable as a Sparrow's story.

Junpei offered a neutral expression as he made polite bows to any of the assembled who he made eye contact with. Steadily he made his way over to O-Washi, not so much interested in conversation, as just finding someone familiar to sit by. Taking a seat he finally looked around the room more thoroughly, spying Fuichi, wondering to himself whether he should have sat near him instead.

Uminushi looks up and nods to the samurai from the embassy lounging at the edges of the gathering. His eyes swept over his own ersatz crew, a flicker of frown passing across his features at their number. He straightens and addresses them without preamble.

"I'm not going to beat around the bush. From the preliminary reports, we just stepped in to a pile of shit and are fast sinking in to it," he picks up his cup and swigs the cold kava with a grimace, "Bear with me as a I cover a bit of history so you all realize the gravity of our situation."

"During the Spirit War the Mantis were in the Ivory Kingdoms fighting a war few know about. There were a group of men and women lead by House Rafiq called the Cult of Ruhmal," The Yoritomo pauses to make sign to ward against evil as did many of the 'native' samurai. "They tried to overthrow the Maharaja at the time and were planning to invade and destroy Rokugan. They might very well have, considering they had a god on their side. The Mantis stopped that and House Rafiq was disbanded. Unfortunately, the Cult survives and they're the one's wiping out the other cities in the Kingdom."

"They do a damn thorough job of it, too." O-washi's low voice easily carried through the chamber. "Nothing but smoke on the horizon at the edges of all the roads I circled this morning, smoke and bodies no one could take the time to burn or bury. A fair number of depserate folks headed this way, too, with nothing but what they could carry."

Kaito had arrived a bit earlier and listened attentively to the Captain and the Gunso as the spoke. Absorbing the information they had shared with the others.

He nods at O-washi's words and continues darkly, "Confirmed by both Junpei-san and Fuichi-san. It also appears that there are no refugees arriving along the coast. I believe we have two or three days before they hit the walls and maybe a few more days prior to that before whatever is chasing them follows. My two main priorities are to get more concise information and get our people the hell out."

"However," Uminiushi pauses before continuing, "We need to go about both carefully. We don't need the natives stopping us by rioting or putting guards on the port and I'm sure they will if they think we're not giving them the help they want."

The big man looks non-plussed, the news sobering him up. "What are we to do, then? How are we to help, or hinder, our hosts?"

A certain Scorpion had arrived at some point at the meeting, but he simply stayed to the back, pondering the new information.

In way over his head, Zenko is happy, for the moment, to listen to his betters discuss such things.

"That, Hida-san, we're likely to find out tomorrow," he replies as he rubs his forehead.

Fuichi's question is more direct than normal, but the attitude of the Kaze-kami had him pretty down.

"Who is in charge in the city? Have we any word from them about the situation?"

Qian-Fan had been quiet since his arrival. Sitting right at the back with a stern expression.

"That would be the Maharaja, the equivalent of our Empress," he replies with a hint of amusement at the Cran'es directness, "He did have our little rescue removed and I'm expecting some sort of summons tomorrow."

Naomi was there too, sitting quietly as a mouse (since the Mouse wasn't there), flipping through the pages in her journal to find if any of her drawings today might be helpful.