Poor Lucy, as so many of the neighborhood people refer to her, is perhaps a foolish and hopeless romantic. She keeps dreaming that she'll meet a proper gentleman that won't care that she was ever a whore. She keeps thinking that she'll meet some bloke who will sweep her off her feet and take her away from all this. Normally she tries to prevail upon Mrs. Marsden to make some sort of love philter or some such to catch the interest of someone who strikes her fancy...usually on credit. Lucibelle was at least a good source of information in the neighborhood

This time however, Lucibelle had a much more serious request. She had a deeply unpleasant brother named James. Since mother's death, he had basically withdrawn from the world. He spent much of his time lying in and dreaming the dreams that only Opium could bring. What could Lucibelle do? She loved him fiercely and he was the baby of the family. Now it seemed that he was missing. He hadn't been home in 4 days. She had on occasion pulled him out of a den on Wicket street and brought him home to dry out. But two days ago she had gone there and she had been thrown out. Since opium smoking is not actually illegal and since she's hardly a credible witness what with her profession and all...She had no legal recourse. She was afeared that her poor brother was dead but she couldn't stand the not knowing. Could Mrs. Marsden help?

Rose decided that this was the sort of thing that she ought to look into and decided to go and gather the rest of the neighborhood mages to look into it. She went round to Thaddeus's shop and convinced him to help (although there was a bit of miscommunication about who and what was actually missing.)

From there, the two of them went round to the orphanage. Walter was there with his dog but Father Jameson was nowhere to be found. Apparently, he was closeted with somebody named Father Christopher...Had been for 2 days...This seemed suspicious but not on task so it was tabled. Rose seemed to think it was shame that the only mage of their acquaintance who actually owned a gun and had a bit of Forces magick was AWOL.

They reconnoitered Wicket Street and found a small apartment block with a basement apartment that appeared to be the place. The other mages found it strange that Walter had brought his dog along and appeared to be talking to it. They were a bit shocked to discover that Walter's dog Fred seemed to be a familiar and was perfectly capable of telepathically communicating with them too.

They made an approach to the front door, asking after James Ponsomby and they were told to fuck off in no uncertain terms by the very large doorman.

Walter went in search of an opened window to infiltrate and found only the coal chute. Rose found it significant that there were no windows on the basement level at all...

Walter decided to try again.Working a bit of magick, cosmetically altered his age and grew himself a beard. he approached the doorman again and began to fast talk his way in.

Walter's inveterate curiosity was to get the better of him. He talked his way into seeing Mr Ponsomby. This got him escorted into the inner sanctum. Mr James Ponsomby was there and a bit puzzled by this strange visitor. As were the other two people in the room. An older gentleman introduced himself as Adlard Chiles and wanted to know who had sent the young man.

It was at this point, that young Walter Simmons realized that he was the only living person in the room.

Many things happened at once. Fred the dog began barking and scratching at the door. Rose and Thaddeus got the doorman to open the door but had some difficulty trying to get by the blocky gentleman. As Walter began to realize how hosed he was and as the Vampires began to close in on him. a mysterious figure stepped from the shadows and fired an oversized revolver at one of the snaky undead. Her chest sprouted a stake which promptly caught on fire.

This strange reversal was all the break they needed, Mr Chiles lit out as fast as his celerity would carry him with the strange new figure in pursuit. James Ponsomby attacked Walter who had had enough time to ready his dagger and charge it with Prime.

The Doorman was large but apparently poorly coordinated and tried to knock the block off of both Rose and Thaddeus. Missing both times. Rose quickly produced a smoke bomb and obscured the air. While this was going on, Fred and Thaddeus had gotten the far door open and apprehending the situation at a glance, sprang into action. Thaddeus produced a pendulum and began swinging in a circle. He then drew the fire from the burning female into that circle and then hurled it at James Ponsomby...Killing him instantly.

Seconds later, the fight was over. The Doorman fled in the face of this oddness. Walter took out a premade opium cure and began to administer it to the poor addicts. he had misjudged the dosage though and the shocking effects of being detoxified all at once.

Out on the street once more they encountered the mysterious figure in black. he was slightly the worse for wear after having tangled with the Setite. Walter went over and laid hands upon him and healed his neck wound. The man in the long black coat gave Walter a card with the design of a Dragon being speared by a lance. the back of the card read "Tear in case of emergency." He said only, "Call me George." and then turned the corner and disappeared.

Back at Rose's they contacted Lucibelle and informed her of the unpleasant news. She bore it stoically and in a great act of kindness, Thaddeus offered her a job in his shop

However, Adlard Chiles is still out there...