In a small village in Japan a thousand or so years ago, the Tashkai discovered how to steal any talent a person might possess. A singer would lose their voice - and at the same time a Tashkai villager would suddenly become an accomplished vocalist. This mysterious thievery continued for centuries, until the Tashkai ventured further afield for victims. Legend says that Buddha had enough of them and decided to punish the entire village - turning them into hideous creatures who survive to this day - relentlessly pursuing more prey.Department 18 - the secret government unit that fights supernatural forces - now attempts to save several people who have become ensnared by the modern Tashkai. Clues lead operatives Carter and Jane to a manor house in the English countryside, where serene surroundings mask the occupants' deadly secrets.