*30 November, 847 IE - Charterhall* Following the daring heist of the Charterhall University payroll, the **[[Old Town Echoes]]** found themselves flush with silver but short on time. With the enigmatic Professor Cyril Lancaster still at large, the crew bypassed their usual downtime to investigate his home address—an apartment in a Charterhall brownstone. ### The Stakeout and Infiltration Arriving at the apartment block via the undercity’s rusted grates, the crew immediately spotted trouble: a lone man loitering half a block away, his head on a swivel. [[Crow]] recognized him later through the ghost field as one of the **Red Sashes** who had previously ransacked the apartment. To facilitate a "Scooby-Doo" sneak across the street, [[Cam]] commanded her dog, Mutt, to create a barking distraction in a nearby alley. While the lookout was occupied, the crew slipped into the building and up the stairs to Lancaster's door, which they found unlatched and slightly ajar. ### Spectral Echoes and Hidden Reagents Inside, the apartment was a wreck, having been tossed by at least two separate parties. Utilizing the **Ghost Echoes** ability granted by [[Mistress Ash]], Crow donned his spirit mask to peer into the room’s past. He witnessed three distinct layers of history: 1. **The Law:** A tall, professional investigator (Inspector Holt) meticulously searching the room and pocketing specific documents. 2. **The Gang:** A group of five or six Red Sashes haphazardly tearing the place apart. 3. **The Target:** Weeks prior, Lancaster himself taking delivery of several "tea tins" from a smarmy-looking teenage courier. While Crow watched the past, the rest of the crew scoured the present: - **The Code:** [[Wolf]] discovered a letter from a "sister"—despite university records stating Lancaster has no family—requesting a meeting at **Luminous Park** on the 30th at 10 PM to discuss a "sick relative". - **The Lab Precursor:** In the kitchen refuse, [[Nyx]] found empty tins from "Iruvian Treasures, Ltd.". Her tinkering revealed that the residue was not tea, but **Columnwort**, an alchemical reagent known to produce noxious, eye-watering fumes when processed. - **The Location:** [[Freakshow]]’s ghostly companion, **[[Mister Perkins|Mr. Perkins]]**, appeared in the corner. After giving Crow a suspicious "once-over" and warning [[Freakshow]] to "keep an eye on" his friend, the ghost pointed out **limestone dust** on the cuff of one of Lancaster's goat-hair blazers. Perkins identified the stone as unique to the construction in the **Six Towers** district. ### A Costly Departure The exit was less smooth than the entry. The Red Sash lookout had returned to his post. Wolf attempted to use a disguise kit to pass herself off as a streetwalker, hoping to distract the man while the others fled. The ruse failed; the lookout was immediately suspicious and hostile. While the Echoes successfully reached the sewers, the lookout got a good look at Wolf’s face—a memory that may haunt her in future encounters with the Red Sashes. ### The Hunt for the Lab Back at the Ink and Anvil, the crew divided their efforts to locate Lancaster’s private lab in Six Towers: - **The Dealer's Lead:** Freakshow visited his contact, **Bryl**, who confirmed rumors of someone "cooking" in an old **carriage house** on the north side of Six Towers. Bryl noted that every few weeks, the fumes from the building were strong enough to make the neighbors' eyes water. - **The Public Blunder:** Wolf attempted to work the streets of Six Towers with bribes, but her efforts were clumsy. Rather than finding the lab, she inadvertently alerted the neighborhood to the fact that someone was hunting Lancaster. This "Lancaster Goes to Ground" clock now stands at two segments, as the Professor has likely received word of the crew’s pursuit. ### New Complications The session ended with a dire update. As Wolf returned from her failed legwork, she spotted a gang of roughly a dozen toughs from the **Reclaimer's Circle**—the faction currently at war with the Echoes—moving into their territory on Third Street. The Reclaimers are currently shaking down local merchants who pay the Echoes for protection. The crew is now caught between a ticking clock to meet Lancaster at Luminous Park and the immediate need to defend their turf from a superior force. [[2026-02-28-Transcript|Chatlog]] ![[2026-02-28 - Edinburgh Session 4.png]]