Source

Even a child's teddy bear could be a Source for a ghost

"I'll tell you about it another time"
This article is scheduled for a Rework.

The Source was defined as an object or place through which a ghost entered the world. The Source could be just about any object and therefore wasn't always easy to find. It sometimes held a special significance to the individual who had become a ghost in life, or it could be an object connected to the violence or trauma through which the individual had died. The Source could even be a part of their own body if they had died a particularly violent death. Such sources emitted a psychic charge which could be detected by those with Talent, or by a Type Three ghost.^{[citation needed]}

History

Following the emergence of the Problem, anything that was considered to even have the possibility of being psychically charged as a "Source" was treated with fear and disdain, resulting in a rush to burn various old furniture and a multitude of antiques. Over time, however, a black market in such objects known as "relics" sprung up.

Treatment

The prime duty of any agent when out on a case was to locate the Source and neutralize it. If done correctly, eliminating the Source would eliminate the ghost's ties to the Earth as well. A seal of silver or iron was often used on the Source to prevent the ghost's escape and the sealed object was typically later taken to the furnaces of the Fittes Agency to be burned. Lucy Carlyle, however, discovered that sometimes by discovering the reason for the ghost's continued existence, it was sometimes possible to eliminate their presence without neutralizing the Source.

Such methods were generally considered to be the only way to prevent the ghost from re-appearing. Other methods, such as the use of salt-bombs or rapier attacks could either drive the ghost back or cause it to temporarily disappear. The ghost, however, would always eventually rematerialize, short of either containing the Source or resolving the reason for the ghost's continued presence.