Whitesmith Investigations

Founder & Lead Investigator: Lyra,the face of the business and primary field investigator, using her Ghost Sightand experience.

Research & Administrative Support: Sarah, rarely joins fieldwork, but provides historical research, case analysis, logistics, and client management.

Assistant & Freelance Help: Ben Whitesmith, unofficially part of the business; helps with odd jobs, field support, and occasionally charm-based client relations, though not always reliable.

Network of Informants: Locals, tavern owners, and other fringe contacts feed cases to Lyra when rumors arise. Small, intimate, and very much a family-driven business, Whitesmith Investigations thrives on trust and reputation rather than size or bureaucracy.

Core Values: Trust, truth-seeking, independence from Vatican authority.

Atmosphere: Informal, welcoming, almost home-like; clients are treated with empathy and discretion.

Work Style: Lyra encourages open discussion of theories and values Sarah’s research as much as her own Sight. Unlike the Vatican’s rigid methods, Whitesmith’s culture is flexible and human-centered.

Internal Bond: Deep loyalty to each other — survival against manipulation in the orphanage has made them value freedom and chosen family above all else.

Officially: To investigate and resolve paranormal disturbances for anyone who requests help, no matter how small or strange the claim.

Unofficially: To uncover hidden truths the Vatican ignores, suppresses, or twists. Every case solved adds to Lyra’s larger mission of uncovering the truth about her parents’ deaths.

Headquarters: A modest office/home in Taveton, cluttered with case files, maps, Sarah’s books, and odd relics from past investigations.

Tools: Holy water, salt, chalk, iron nails, recording tomes, Sarah’s archives, and Lyra’s personal talismans.

Reputation: In three years, Whitesmith Investigations has become known locally as reliable, compassionate, and discreet. Rumors say Lyra “never turns away a grieving widow.”

Human Capital: Lyra’s Ghost Sight, Sarah’s intellect, Ben’s charisma.

2009 IE – Founding: Lyra establishes the business upon returning to Taveton, using it as a cover for her deeper search into her parents’ deaths. Sarah immediately joins as her trusted partner; Ben floats in and out of involvement.

2010 IE – First Notable Case: Resolved a haunting at the edge of Taveton, involving a cursed farmhouse where multiple families had fled in terror. The success gave the business credibility.

2011–2012 IE – Growth: Gained traction through word of mouth. Nobles from the outlying duchy estates began to quietly consult Lyra when the Vatican was considered too dangerous or too political to involve.

2012 IE – Present: Now regarded as Taveton’s most reliable paranormal agency, with whispers of Vatican disapproval growing louder. Lyra continues to walk the fine line between community trust and Vatican suspicion.