Thurgun and Emvee talk about foci a while at his shop the next day, and come up with a plan: Thurgun will research how to make a Sustaining Focus, Force 4, and then see about making one for each of them (though Emvee thinks Force 4 might be a bit beyond him, and might need it toned down a bit.) Thurgun sets aside time the next week to look into this, and: [shadowrun] lpsmith rolls 6t4: 5 4 6+3 5 6+4 3 | 5 You roll 1 6-sided die: 2 | 2 In a couple of days, he figures out a formula that will work. It'll be a bit tricky, since it will require an exotic item, though. Thurgun ponders whether to try to figure out a different formula or not, but for now, calls up Emvee and the two of them go out scrounging for the stuff to make their foci. Emvee wants a copper bracelet with stuff in it Thurgun's never heard of, but hey. Thurgun isn't sure what he wants, declaring "O'ill know it when O'i see it." Katre, if you want to decide what the exotic item is, that's fine; on the chance that you didn't, I went ahead and rolled on that table. I'll tell you what I rolled if you tell me you want to know ;-) Before they head out, Thurgun summons Pechta, his force-4 City Spirit to come with them to help search: [shadowrun] lpsmith rolls 6t4: 2 5 2 2 5 2 | 2 [shadowrun] lpsmith says, "And drain:" [shadowrun] lpsmith rolls 4t4: 4 4 2 4 | 3 [shadowrun] lpsmith says, "I think that stages to a L stun." Emvee helps: [shadowrun] Emvee rolls 6t6: 6+3 1 3 6+2 2 2 | 2 (Also, I'm going on the assumption that if I forgo my +2 gathering bonus, I can instead get the 'the objects I find are OR 3 and not OR 5' bonus, giving me a total of 3 (1/2 Enchanting) + 4 (spirit) + 1 (Emvee) dice. I'll just assume I was able to summon the spirit each day; that bit's somewhat unclear in the rules.) [shadowrun] lpsmith rolls 8t4: 4 1 2 6+5 1 2 4 1 | 3 [insert roleplaying collecting stuff over the next 3+ days here. since i'm going to be gone for the next week, i figured i'd post the timeline here instead of actually meeting with you and jota, though maybe we can do that next time.] At the same time, Thurgun begins to put out inquiries to the other talismonger shops he knows of to see if he can come inspect their radicals. He even tries (through Big Jim) to contact that guy outside the city he met in Run #1. By the end of the week, Emvee and Thurgun have amassed a fine pile of stuff, which Thurgun then takes upstairs to his apartment to refine. This bit is tougher, [shadowrun] lpsmith rolls 3t4: 4 3 1 | 1 and it takes him a whole 10 days to finish. A couple times, talismongers call him up, and he goes out to inspect their wares, but it's never quite right. But finally: "Emvee? Yeah, this is Thurgun. The stuff's ready for you to make your bracelety numbers thing. Yeah, come pick it up whenever. You did? What it say? Formica? Oh, roight, roight. So, uh, this mean S-K wants to buy our info? Sunny still hasn't heard? Cali! Hunh. How much? O'i gots a shop to run here! Yeah, Elisa's, um, 'highly competent' as you say. Yeah, she's right here. You want to talk to her? Emvee? Emvee? Hunh. [to elisa:] Musta got disconnected." [i'm figuring that it's about this time when everyone ships out to california, if not before. total timeline: 2 days to research formula, 3+days to collect stuff, 10 days to refine = 2+weeks]