The barracks of the Iron Guard are always somewhat active. Guards coming on shift, or exiting, sitting around in their off time to chat and catch up. Meetings and information dissemation. The occasional in-person reporting. There has been some talk of late about the recent string of disppearances that seems to have plagued the Upper Boroughs. The sort of crime that is almost expected in the Lowers, is more suspicious among the more wealthy class of commoner. There are a few guards discussing the case this morning over mugs of fortified tea and coffee.

Olivia wanders in, Missive in her hand. "Who do I talk to about this thing... Someone asked me to come.. mighty messy signature, can't tell who...."

Jyri is one of those guards, though he's not that talkative on any given day. He's coming out of the office with a few sheets of paper in hand, browsing through some statements from witnesses - what few there are. Three dogs pad along with him, quiet and obedient. He upnods at his fellow soldiers and there's a few 'Officer' and nods in greeting back. Jyri goes to find a coffee, squinting with his one eye and looking like he could use some sleep. With Olivia arriving, he straightens up. "My lady, how can we help you?" he asks with his coarse gruff voice. He walks over to look at the papers. "Right, right, that's sent by my assistant. I can't read what he writes either," he says with dry humor. "Lady Olivia Ashford, correct?"

Olivia smiles, "The one and only." She waves to a few of the guards she seen before on her wellness checks to the jail. "I suppose this is about the Traders Taver?" She holds the missive up with both hands and tries to read it before shaking her head and offering it to Jyri.

"That's right," Jyri nods, accepting the papers and glancing down at them. He raises an eyebrow reading it - or trying to read it - and shoots Gene Erique a look. "I'll write my own messages from now on," he mutters and tucks the letter away. "Right, so - you witnessed another abduction, of one... Ol'sam?" he asks. "Perhaps best if you just tell me in your own words," he suggests, and invites Olivia to sit on a chair, pulling one up for himself too. The dogs just sit down nearby, watching Olivia without as much as a sound.

Jyri adds, because he totally forgot: "I'm Lord Jyri Whitehawk, officer of the Iron Guard."

Olivia watches the dogs as they watch her watch them, as she takes a seat. She turns a bit to Jyri, still watching the dogs. "Yes. Well I heard rumors of a man talking about people going missing in the uppers. Went there and caught his tale of people having been going missing for ten years... No corpse ever found. The people just get replaced with a very...very real looking mask of their face. And yes when Sam left he got dragged away and replaced with a mask."

Jyri has rolled a critical success!
Jyri checked intellect + investigation at difficulty 35, rolling 75 higher.

Jyri takes out an old beaten up leather journal and opens it, scribbling comments in it with a simple coal pen. He lifts his gaze and studies Olivia with an unreadable stoic expression. "It's more than that," he replies grimly. "Gotta wonder, they musta target people beforehand. You don't just make a mask in five minutes, so planned abductions. Did you get any look at all on the one grabbing ol'sam? Any details?"

Jyri checked perception + artwork at difficulty 25, rolling 6 higher.

Olivia nods, "Given the quality of the paint job... yes I would intuit that it was planned... unless there is something... much more sinister going on."

"Ayup," Jyri says and he makes another note from what Olivia is saying. "They got better over the years, too." He squints at her again, and asks; "HOw come you started looking into this, anyway?"

Olivia squints a bit, "I wanted to hear the stories.. But now I am worried there is some dungeon holding ten years of abduction victims that may need medical care."

Jyri isn't an inquisitor, and Olivia is clearly interested in solving the crime, so Jyri has little compunction giving more information; "Twenty years," he says. "It's been going on for twenty years. I wouldn't think anyone's still alive, to be honest." He's a cynic. Or a realist. "But we gotta make this stop." He looks into thin air for a moment, thinking. "Could be a cult. Or could be one alone cruel bastard doing it for kicks." He smiles thinly. "You happen to know anything about masks? In your opinion, what do they mean in this case? I ain't from Arx - I grew up Abandoned. Maybe there's some cultural meaning here I ain't seeing."

Olivia hmms and shakes her head and shrugs a little. "Not that I am aware of. I know a bit about making some masks... but not these particular types... So it is all a bit forgein to me."

Jyri nods and makes another note - he writes something about 'masks - ask around' and then looks thoughtful again. Not the best investigator, this case is mostly on his table because he picked it up. But likely, other investigators will get more interested, quite soon. "So, all got taken in the Lowers or the Uppers - most of them in the Uppers. I donno about you," he notes, "but I'm thinking whomever did it, probably lives in the area. Somewhere close by, easier to drag a body somewhere near. So, just to be sure - you didn't get any look at the one grabbing Ol'Sam then? Any details at all?"

Olivia shakes her head. "Large shadow? Best I could see. As for where he lives, I do suppose that makes sense, and it is at least likely someone who is out in public enough to hear rumors and such. It seems he knew Sam was talking and where to find him."

"You're right," Jyri says and he sits up a bit straighter. "You gotta be careful with this too," he warns, giving Olivia an intent look. "WHo else was with you? Might hafta put some Iron Guards to escort you all around for a bit."

Olivia blinks. "That is a lot of Iron Guards... You need not worry about me I think... I usually..." She looks around. "Usually have a small army with me.... But Lisebet Rhiannon and Eurion were there, just from my family..."

Olivia adds "Merek and Leta as well."