[SgtBoomCloud]

@GM.  I've been poring over potential toys needed to supplement this run, but like you said: the Phoenix has a pretty full deck to work with.  If anyone else feels likethhey need a certain piece, speak now and I cam have her work her contact.  Beyond that, her biggest personal focus will be towards looking into the Feathered (likely teaming with Wraith it seems).  She will want to know how they operate and deal with their enemies, looking for anything unique that might warrant a special purchase.

Beyond that, the Phoenix is more than happy to give a lift and provide muscle or surveillance as requested.

[JackVII]

I don't remember how much of an advance we got, but Wraith wouldn't put up too much of a fight over the money.

[rednblack]

 Torn as how to handle all the matrix searching. Social media sites will all be in Japanese, so translating software will probably bump up the necessary time spent evaluating the data. The Phoenix might be able to help in that regards if she's along for the ride.

Otherwise, I'll get some basic info up about the Feathered soon.

What is the strategy as far as matrix searching goes? If I know what you're looking for I can set some thresholds an let you know about how long it will probably take.

[JackVII]

For right now, pretty much the most basic information on the physical locations: publicly available information likes reviews, marketing materials, etc. I don't want to go into too much depth and waste time on places we are never going to have to deal with.

For the dudes, I'm mostly looking for two things: pattern of life and interests. Things we can use to start surveillance of the targets to help us gather information on security as well as information that may help us to develop ways to get close to them. I'll focus on images first, since language shouldn't be that big of an issue there. If I need to provide an order, I'd tackle from the bottom-up. The crazy guy, then the driver, then the operational manager, then the regional manager (for lack of better terms).

[Poindexter]

Green and gold gang colors? Who is that, anyway? (Gangs 1 + Int 4): 5d6t5 2

[rednblack]

@Poindexter, those are the Cutters.  Some transnational organization, but largely independent chapters, the Cutters are open to just about any metatype, and they have a fair chunk of Arlington under their control.

@Jack, let's tackle the Feathered first.  According to the DFW wiki, and I'll be keeping to that part of the wiki faithfully, the Feathered are "A particularly violent pro-Aztechnology gang, infamous for their brutality, weaponry, and high casualty rate."  Their colors are green and white, and they typically employ masks depicting Aztlan and Central American iconography -- think jaguars, pumas, various lizards, and some birds -- owls, hawks and curiously enough hummingbirds are popular.  Their territory doesn't cover a lot of contiguous ground, but more pockets of influence.  That's about all you're going to get without some more in depth rolling.

Onto the targets:
Minami: he's got a few social media accounts, so we'll say that putting together a dossier on him is firmly in "Limited Knowledge or Not Publized" Threshold 3, 30 min territory.
Oshiro: most of what's publicly available you have.  If you want to have a hope of putting together anything resembling a likely schedule you're into "Hidden or Actively Hunted and Erased" territory.  You may have better luck getting MARKs directly, or taking another tack there.
Sato: good luck.  You're looking at -3 dice mods, and Threshold 7, 12 hours to really get anything workable.  Of course, there are other strategies to employ, should you have any ideas.  Hacking the hosts of the various casinos, bunraku parlors, etc. may provide more information.  Of course, some of those may be a challenge to find in the first place.
Tezuka: we'll say Threshold 4, 30 minutes.  Given what you know, it's unlikely that he's doing much on the matrix on his burners, but there are possibly some interesting bits to cull from a good search or two.

If you have any specific strategies or avenues of research that you want to go down, I'll likely add a bonus or reduce the necessary threshold should it make sense that your plan would bear good fruit. 

[JackVII]

Not a big fan of the Matrix Search rules, they really should be extended tests, IMO.

I guess let's tackle the Feathered first. I'm looking for any news reports related to Feathered attacks to get specific examples of their MO. Also shooting for any images of Feathered members in the event we need to try to impersonate them.

Let's take a shot at Minami first, then try Tezuka, just whatever I can find for the moment. I'll wait to attempt anything further until I get an idea if I am going to have much success at this. I'm not particularly specced for Matrix Searches.

[rednblack]

I was under the impression that Matrix Searches are Extended Tests.  Am I wrong about that?  I figured that you'd make your rolls, subtract a die per attempt and go from there.

Go ahead and give me some rolls re: the Feathered, and we'll see what pops up.

If you don't want to take the matrix route, there are plenty of old fashioned ways to go about finding info: hit the streets.  Aztlan populations would probably be the best place to start.

[JackVII]

Matrix Search is a one and done test. It's extremely weird like that since they don't really fit well into a standard test, given the time intervals. They vaguely resemble First Aid tests since they are done once and hits can be used to reduce time as well as determine degree of success.

I'll just roll once for the Feathered and we'll see where we go from there.

Matrix Search [Feathered] (5 INT, 5 Computer, +2 Hot-Sim) [8]: 12d6t5 5

[Jayde Moon]

Opening with small talk.  As we probably don't want to play through the conversation, we can assume they blather on for a few minutes about inconsequential shit before Stokes gets down to business.

[SgtBoomCloud]

Their colors are green and white, and they typically employ masks depicting Aztlan and Central American iconography -- think jaguars, pumas, various lizards, and some birds -- owls, hawks and curiously enough hummingbirds are popular. 

...oh....ohohohooho....we in biz, chummers   Jack, when these searches come into play, we can sum up relating relevant info or IC it out, your call, but this little piece is gold.

Given the intel, I can have Phoenix start thinking of potential killshot routes, namely to figure out who's doing what and where, based on skill and confidence (while she knows she's skilled, she understands a quadruple assassination might need more than two gun hands!)

[Poindexter]

Since no one has voiced opposition to Hopeless taking fifteen, I'm gonna assume that's how it went, cool?

[rednblack]

@Jack, that's pretty good.  You got names on two supposed lieutenants: Martin Blanxart and Agustin Bosque.  Both have criminal SINs held by Lonestar.  You have a very clear picture of one from a social media account.  Agustin looks to be in his early 20s, clean shaven, and good-looking in that bad boy kind of way.  The photo shows him standing in front of a midnight blue Toyota Gopher.  Martin is listed as a friend on that social media account, but his profile pic is simply an Aztlan flag. 

It seems the Feathered focus most of their attention on Aztlaner refugee populations, and so they have a big presence in those areas.  They spar with the Mara Salvatrucha and Tetucutine for territory in Parker, and it's rumored that they run smuggling operations for Aztlan proper when ordered to.  Not surprisingly, they use Aztechnology armaments almost exclusively.  There primary means of income are human trafficking and narcotics, though some plays by the gang don't seem to make a lot of sense to outsiders -- see the burning of a sports supply outlet store in Wise that was neither in the Feathered's territory, nor that of any competitors, and was seemingly unrelated to the gang.  Ditto for a suspected assassination on an orxploitation act as far east as Houston.

What more can I tell you that you're looking for?

ETA: I didn't give you street names.  Blanxart = Coyotl and Bosque = Qua, which seems to be short for Quauhtl, not some Latin word.  It seems that members of the feathered adopt Aztec names as their street names or some versions thereof. 

Also of note, the ongoing war with the yakuza doesn't make much sense.  One, this is a street gang against the yaks, which seems like a losing endeavor for the street gang. Two, it would make much more sense for the Feathered to ally themselves with the yaks in a move against the Chavez Mob, considering how the patriarchs are very anti-Aztlan.

[JackVII]

That looks like about what I was hoping for, unless there were any news reports about suspected Feathered attacks and the aftermath.

[Poindexter]

I'm feeling rather dense.

Is B-Know telling Ian that he's got a safehouse available or that he wants Ian to slang dope for him while he's outta town?