Task Force "Mind's Eye"

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Task Force Mind's Eye (作戦部隊 「心眼」, sakusen butai 「shingan」) is a youkai activist cell located in Yurai, acting as the command cell; effectively in control of the entire faction. Its exact size is unknown, but its most well-known members include Satoshi Sangi, Daiki Haraguchi, Sayu Tawara, and Yuriko Hirota.


Satoshi Sangi

See: Satoshi Sangi


Daiki Haraguchi

Daiki Haraguchi
Unknown creature.png
Species Youkai icon.png
Kappa
Gender Male
Born E7-404, Pentema 10
Died Alive (300 years old)
Dimensions 5'0", 115 lbs
Physical traits Green skin
Blue hair
Blue eyes
Average build


Daiki Haraguchi (Youkai-go: 原口 大亀) is one of the members of Task Force "Mind's Eye".

Bio

A native of Yurai, Haraguchi is Satoshi Sangi's first and oldest friend, as well as the earliest believer in Sangi's vision for the Nation. As an engineer, he was originally part of the Power and Water Crew, assigned to work at the Yurai natural water processing plant. In 426, in his fourth year as an engineer, he briefly made himself famous by personally fixing damaged and clogged water delivery pipes, remaining submerged in the water for upwards of five minutes at a time.

When Sangi announced the formation of the Youkai Nation in 454, Haraguchi transitioned from the Power and Water Crew to the Workshop crew, taking over Yurai's engineering workshop for sixty-three years. He is known to have personally trained several apprentices from Mippei Yosai, which went on to open the town's first engineering workshop. During Operation Needle Poke, Haraguchi was prepared to personally defend his shop alongside a small group of locals, however, he was spared from combat at the last minute; youkai reinforcements had arrived in the town mere minutes before the first soldiers could reach Yurai's mall area.

In the aftermath of Operation Needle Poke, he began offering preferential treatment to activist fighters, offering repairs, cleaning, maintenance, refinishing, and customizations at a massive discount, sometimes for free.

In 517, Haraguchi quit the Workshop Crew, transferring the Yurai workshop to one of his apprentices. He was denied a request to be part of the Proving Grounds. He was then assigned to the Computer Systems Crew, promptly overhauling the computer systems and internal network of Yurai's office complex, the kamiyama (紙山, lit. paper mountain). The networking model of the kamiyama was so efficient that Haraguchi was contracted by the Engineering Corps to perform the same work in other major towns of the Mazes. In partnership with the Building Crew, he created the first inter-town computer network, linking Yurai to Neo Khazrun through kilometers of cables and a clever "cable tunnel" system, designed to shield the cables from damage or tampering. Haraguchi is widely credited as the father of MazeNet, the Mazes' wider computer network. His work was replicated across the Mazes over the years that followed, with the last town, Raven City, finally connected in 566.

In 531, Haraguchi participated in Operation Red Temple. He was confirmed to be one of the perpetrators on the scene of Captain Gerald Phasma's assassination, in Ovis City. Despite his many contributions, Haraguchi was banned from the Engineering Corps due to his connection with the Phasmas' deaths.

Haraguchi remained without an official job for several years, being financially supported by his teammates in the Task Force until he finally accepted a symbolic position at the Kijirou Town Hall, as the town archives and records manager. Although he was no longer officially an engineer, Haraguchi made frequent visits to various generator facilities, factories, and workshops across the Youkai Nation, providing his assistance and expertise to his former colleagues in an unofficial capacity.

He remained in Kijirou until 581, shortly after the death of Colonel Weil, at which point he moved back to Yurai, and was appointed director of the kamiyama, where he remained ever since.

Personality

Haraguchi self-describes as "a nerd first and an activist second". Although he is fully committed to the cause of the Youkai Nation, he prefers to serve its interests from the background, ensuring that the systems and infrastructure that youkai activists use are in good order.

He is frequently described by friends and colleagues as a gentle, soft-spoken, friendly figure with vast, expansive knowledge in all sorts of domains, from gunsmithing to computer networking. Though he has no qualms with producing and customizing weapons to his friends and his activists - he personally maintains and customizes all of the Task Force's weapons - Haraguchi describes himself as a pacifist. He has never shot a sapient person in his life, and he dislikes traveling in the UA even within the Youkai Nation, stating that it often means having to shoot at living creatures.

His favorite restaurant is Great Tengu Inn, one of Yurai's izakaya. Haraguchi considers it the best izakaya in the town, and perhaps even the best restaurant in the world.

Equipment and skills

Clothing and armor

Youkai outfit: (Type S) Kawashiro Shinobi Outfit

Load-bearing equipment

Equipment and inventory

Equipped weapons:

  • Auxiliary: FN Herstal P90 (50+1 /50, 51x 5.7x28mm, Standard AP) - IS 5
    • Configuration: Threaded barrel
    • Accessories: Silencer (Rifle, standard, .22), Reflex sight (integrated)
    • Combined effects: Silenced, 0.6x damage against unarmored ACs, 1.5x damage against unarmored ACs, IS tier -1
  • LE Duty belt, Handgun holster: FN Herstal Five-seveN with a 30-round magazine (30+1 /30, 31x 5.7x28mm, Standard AP) - IS 2
    • Configuration: Threaded barrel
    • Accessories: Silencer (Rifle, standard, .22)
    • Combined effects: Silenced, 0.42x damage damage against unarmored ACs, 1.05x damage against unarmored ACs

Inventory:

Stats and skills

This character is a kappa. If a stat or skill is unlisted, assume the default for this character's species.

Skills:

  • Combat skills: Basic (Semi-auto rifle, Automatic rifle, Semi-auto pistol, Automatic pistol)
  • Non-combat skills: Master (Crafting, Repairing), Expert (Handloading), Basic (Evading)


Sayu Tawara

Sayu Tawara
Unknown creature.png
Species Youkai icon.png
Oni
Gender Female
Born E7-415, Octama 18
Died Alive (289 years old)
Dimensions 6'6", 355 lbs
Physical traits Red skin
Black hair
Yellow eyes
Muscular build


Sayu Tawara (Youkai-go: 多原 冴宥) is one of the members of Task Force "Mind's Eye".

Bio

Unlike the other members of the Task Force, Tawara hails from the mining town of Kazama. However, dissatisfied with the town's relatively quiet life (she described it as "boring"), she left as soon as she reached the age of 18, wandering in the UA of the Northeastern Zone for a while, hunting monsters and offering to protect fellow travelers on her way. With no home to call her own, Tawara adopted a nomadic lifestyle, maintaining it for a few years.

On the day of her 22nd anniversary, in 438, Tawara stopped in Yurai and met Daiki Haraguchi at the Great Tengu Inn. According to her, she "fell in love" with the town after Haraguchi had recommended she try his favorite dish (yakitori), claiming that the restaurant made them better than anywhere else in the world. The impromptu meeting turned into five hours of discussions (and twenty-seven orders of yakitori), during which the two became friends. Over the years that followed, although Tawara was still officially a homeless nomad, she multiplied her visits in Yurai, eventually meeting Satoshi Sangi and developing a friendship with him as well.

In 450, just days before the mayoral elections, Sangi reportedly offered Tawara a deal; if she accepted to work for him and support his cause, he pledges to give her a home and a job. Thrilled by the opportunity, Tawara accepted; and when Sangi became mayor of Yurai a few days later, she was almost immediately offered a residence and a new job: serving as Yurai's Chief of Town Security.

Tawara had no formal experience in law enforcement, but what she did have was a lot of strength and experience fighting monsters in the UA. However, this job was described as "temporary"; Sangi had promised that one day, he would call her for "something of greater importance" and that when the day comes, Tawara was expected to quit her job and follow Sangi into whatever that something was. The oni woman didn't have to wait long to find out what the satori meant; in 451, less than a year after Tawara had been given her new home and job, Mippei Yosai's Training Center had been opened, and Sangi made his call.

The Training Center was meant to train more than just a defense force to keep travelers safe in the UA; it was meant to be a true military force, worthy of keeping even the Maze Military at bay. Tawara was asked to move to Mippei Yosai and oversee the training and recruitment for this new military force, and to keep it a secret until "the right moment" would come. Although Tawara did not initially understand why she was selected, as she had no formal military background, she nevertheless accepted the responsibility and began training the Youkai Nation's first activist fighters, before the Youkai Nation was even officially revealed to the world.

It only took three years for the reveal to be made. On the Day of the New Year 454, when Sangi officially announced the existence and independence of the Youkai Nation, Tawara was in Mippei Yosai, alongside her activist fighters. When the Military announced they were mobilizing forces and treating the announcement as an act of war, she understood it as "the right moment" that Sangi had hinted about three years earlier.

During Operation Needle Poke, on top of being the person in charge of recruitment and training of new activist recruits, she also became the Youkai Nation's first military commander behind Satoshi Sangi himself, acting as the commander coordinating the activist troop movements. In a sense, she could be credited for the liberation of Yurai and the intercepting of approaching Military forces, denying the invading forces in Yurai reinforcements. However, she does not view herself as worthy of the credit, stating that all she had done was give orders from Mippei Yosai and that she was not part of the boots on the ground. Expressing regret over her inability to be on the field, she requested to be a true "field commander" and lead by example on the next operation.

In 456, an opportunity to prove her capabilities finally presented itself: A settling caravan largely composed of humans and halflings attempted to settle a new town in the Northeastern Zone. Upon reaching the area, they were stopped by a group of activist fighters. The exact details of the situation are disputed, but 83 out of the 100 people within the settling party were gunned down by the activists, their caravan looted down to the last bag and article of clothing, and their naked bodies left to rot in the UA. These events are now known as Operation Blood Banner.

A female oni matching Sayu Tawara's description was said to have been in the area during the events. Although it was never actually officially confirmed, it is considered an open secret that Tawara was an active participant and may have personally killed several of the settlers, presumably in an attempt to prove her capabilities on the field to Sangi.

Tawara was also an active participant in Operation Red Temple, and was spotted alongside Daiki Haraguchi on the Ovis City scene, where Captain Gerald Phasma was assassinated. It is believed that she was the one who pulled the trigger on the Captain.

During the Weil Era, Tawara returned to her hometown in Kazama. With the shortages induced by the Weil harassment patrols, every town in the Youkai Nation found itself in dire need of raw materials of all kinds; as such, the Kazama native offered to help out at the mining facility, working as a miner, and later as a courier delivering ore to factories and other facilities in the Youkai Nation.

After the Weil Era ended, Sangi did not believe the peace would last long, urging his oni friend to return to Mippei Yosai and resume training of new activist recruits, raising the Youkai Nation's armed forces from roughly 300 (in 581) to a much larger number, estimated to be between 1500 and 2000 as of today. As of today, Tawara is still in charge of Mippei Yosai's Training Center and continues her teaching and training efforts.

Personality

Highly motivated, energetic, and very protective of her peers, Tawara sees herself as the Task Force's "big sister", and in a wider sense, of the Youkai Nation's armed forces of activists. Though she may seem brash and uncouth, Tawara is often praised for her undying loyalty and tireless work. Sangi once described her as "a machine, the youkai ideal of hard work and indomitable will".

Having none of her own, Tawara refuses to believe that a person's potential can only be measured by their professional background, formal education, or ranks and medals. She is a firm believer that everyone has potential; it only needs to be unlocked. Thankful for Sangi having seen and unlocked her potential, she applies her philosophy as the head recruiter and trainer of the activist fighting force, doing her best to find and unlock her recruits' potential.

Equipment and skills

Clothing and armor

Youkai outfit: (Type H) Maximum Defense Outfit

Load-bearing equipment

Equipment and inventory

Equipped weapons:

  • Primary 1: Saco Defense M60 (100 /100, 100x 7.62x51mm NATO, Standard AP) - IS Unsp. / IS Unsp. (bipod deployed)
    • Combined effects: 0.6x damage against unarmored ACs, 1.5x damage against armored ACs
    • Combined effects (bipod deployed): 0.6x damage against unarmored ACs, 1.5x damage against armored ACs, FT -1, Recoil -1, IS tier +1
  • Holster 1: Century Model 100 (6 /6, 6x .45-70 Government, Standard FMJ) - IS 5
    • Combined effects: FT +1

Inventory:

Stats and skills

This character is an oni. If a stat or skill is unlisted, assume the default for this character's species.

Statistics:

Skills:

  • Combat skills: Expert (All combat skills)
  • Non-combat skills: Master (Mining), Skilled (Evading), Unskilled (all other non-combat skills)

Creature traits:

  • Alcohol affinity: When this creature consumes alcoholic drinks, the amount of Stress they lose from the effects of Need a drink is doubled (e.g., -0.8% Stress per +0.1 Inebriation, instead of only -0.4% Stress).


Yuriko Hirota

Yuriko Hirota
Unknown creature.png
Species Youkai icon.png
Kitsune
Gender Female
Born E7-432, Nonama 16
Died Alive (272 years old)
Dimensions 5'7", 130 lbs
Physical traits Tanned skin
Blonde hair
Violet eyes
Average build
Sand fox ears and tails
3 tails


Yuriko Hirota (Youkai-go: 多博田 佑利子) is one of the members of Task Force "Mind's Eye".

Bio

Another native of Yurai, Hirota is the youngest lieutenant of the Task Force. As a child, she wished to become a journalist for Kitsune News Network.

She met Satoshi Sangi in 450 at the age of 18, while she was still a journalism student. At the time and according to Hirota, Sangi was looking to make contacts in the press and television, so that he could spread his message and his vision of the future to the world when the time was right. Hirota described her meeting with him as a "huge revelation", causing her to abandon her intentions to become a journalist and instead devote herself to Sangi's plans for the Youkai Nation.

Hirota is believed to have either written or helped write the famous speech that Sangi delivered in 454, during the televised announcement in which he announced the existence of the Youkai Nation. Since then, she has devoted herself to being the Nation's public relations representative, giving many speeches of her own and appearing on Youkai Nation ads, posters, and other forms of propaganda. She is frequently seen at Sangi's side, acting as his assistant.

When the Military announced they were mobilizing, Hirota realized that her lack of combat experience would be a liability, so she requested to receive training. Sangi initially refused, believing she was too valuable to be sent on the frontlines, but constant insisting eventually made him cave, and she was sent to Mippei Yosai. It is there that she met Sayu Tawara; Tawara personally trained Hirota and allowed her to begin honing her marksmanship.

During the events of Operation Needle Poke, despite Hirota being only a few months into marksmanship training, she requested to be sent to Yurai to assist in its defense; this time, however, neither Sangi nor Tawara allowed it to happen; she remained in Mippei Yosai and continued her training, to her displeasure. After the events, as soon as the last military forces retreated from the Youkai Nation, she moved back to Yurai, returning to her duties as Satoshi Sangi's assistant. While visiting the workshop and receiving modifications for her weapons, she met and befriended Daiki Haraguchi.

Hirota did not participate in Operation Blood Banner, but she was in charge of providing the Youkai Nation's side of the story in its aftermath, claiming the human settling party was, in reality, an invading force paid for by the Military.

Many years later, in 531, Hirota took part in Operation Red Temple. She directed the telephone scam which lured Colonel Morgan Phasma out of Fort Cutlass and into Neo Khazrun, and she also directed and organized the plan to assassinate him once he was in position. Hirota was intended to be the person who would pull the trigger, while Sangi would act as a spotter; unfortunately, her group was spotted by the Colonel's security detail, and the entire operation turned into an active gun battle. The kitsune did not take the shot, advising Sangi to "use Plan B" instead and switch to backup weapons. In the chaotic exchange of gunfire that followed, both Hirota and Sangi managed to land eight shots on the Colonel, before managing to miraculously escape without taking damage from the military security or Neo Khazrun's Town Security. Upon hearing that their target died of his wounds before he could receive medical attention, Operation Red Temple was declared a success.

During the Weil Era, Hirota was in charge of "morale management", frequently traveling alongside Sangi between the Nation's towns, assisting him, and giving reassuring speeches to the Nation's people. Hirota's face was frequently featured on morale-boosting propaganda, often advising fellow youkai to never despair and work together toward a better future. Hirota herself became quite popular even outside of the Youkai Nation, and often received requests to make appearances outside of the Nation; all of which were turned down, as she was concerned her life would be in danger if she stepped outside of the Nation's territory.

With the end of the Weil Era and the thawing of relations between the Military and the Youkai Nation, Hirota made her first public appearance outside of the Youkai Nation in 582, meeting with the Neo Khazrun Town Hall staff and the mayor of the era, in a campaign to improve relations between the Nation and neutral towns, as well as show goodwill and explain that despite her direct involvement in an assassination plot just fifty years prior, she had never intended to cause harm to Neo Khazrun, its city staff and or its inhabitants. The explanations were well-received, and even the Military, through representatives of the new Colonel Lembo, commented positively on the speech, believing it to be a "step towards better relations".

Over the years that followed and until the rise of Colonel Wight, Hirota toured the world, acting as the ambassador for the Youkai Nation, meeting with all sorts of groups and faction representatives and gaining unparalleled fame; she is even said to have multiple fan-clubs across the world.

However, with the return to a more hardline, anti-youkai military policy, Hirota had once again expressed worries for her safety. In 677, to protest against the Great Military Reform, she canceled all of her planned meets in military towns, vowing never to voluntarily step in any of the newly settled towns opened for the Phantom Forces. When the Weil-era harassment patrols were reactivated, Hirota canceled all of her meets entirely, returning to the Youkai Nation and stating that she would not leave it until the hostilities cease.

As of today, Hirota is now focusing on being Satoshi Sangi's assistant, staying by his side, and speaking for him whenever necessary.

Personality

Yuriko Hirota's popular image is that of a perpetually-smiling optimist and a dreaming idealist, simply working her hardest "for the cause" and wishing for the best.

As is typical of most kitsune, Hirota is a skilled orator and conversationalist. Almost fanatically devoted, she never hesitates to deploy all of her skills, natural and learned, at the service of the Youkai Nation. She frequently expressed that her "one love" is for "the (youkai) people", believing the youkai race to be "divinely chosen" and destined to "one day become the masters of the Mazes". Her displays of opinion have frequently earned her criticism, with many accusing her of lacking objectivity, glorifying the Nation at all costs, and in some cases, accusing her of naked bigotry against non-youkai. Adding to the criticisms rather than trying to deny them, Hirota is known for making a game out of mocking her critics and detractors, often implying that they are 'pro-Military shills' or 'non-believers'.

As one of the most famous figures from the Youkai Nation, Hirota is known to greatly enjoy the fame and attention, viewing them as opportunities to see and be seen by many. She considers being recognized by nearly anyone in the world to be one of the most gratifying elements of her life, as it allows her to "spread the message" and be viewed as legitimate.

Equipment and skills

Clothing and armor

Youkai outfit: (Type T) Activist Combat Outfit

Load-bearing equipment

Equipment and inventory

Equipped weapons:

  • Primary 1: Cheyenne Tactical M200 Intervention (7+1 /7, 8x .408 CheyTac, Standard Match) - IS Unsp. / IS Unsp. (bipod deployed)
    • Accessories: Silencer (Rifle, Standard, .408), PMII 12x scope (as standard), Bipod (integrated)
    • Combined effects: Silenced, FT -3, IR -3, Recoil +4, can use Concentration
    • Combined effects (bipod deployed): Silenced, FT -4, IR -3, Recoil +3, can use Concentration, IS tier +1
  • TT-1E Pistol vest, Handgun holster: Heckler & Koch HK45 (10+1 /10, 11x .45 ACP, Standard JHP) - IS 3
    • Configuration: Threaded barrel
    • Accessories: Silencer (Pistol, silencer, .45)
    • Combined effects: Silenced, FT +1

Inventory:

Stats and skills

This character is a kitsune. If a stat or skill is unlisted, assume the default for this character's species.

Statistics:

Skills:

  • Combat skills: Expert (Bolt-action), Skilled (Semi-auto rifle, Automatic rifle, Semi-auto pistol, Automatic pistol)
  • Non-combat skills: Expert (Negotiating), Expert (Evading)