Lesser Ways.

Since years Runner had insights.

Thoughts appeared in mind, thoughts with ideas to consider.

From where they came?

Some ideas have proven false, misleading - so he learned to check in books or in the Internet for their validity, before he did trust them.

Other ideas were helpful - explained him many things about Buddhism, Computer Sciences & about many things he did not have a clue about before - such as Philosophy of Arts or Abstract Strategy.

Perhaps it was telepathy, perhaps his own subconscious creativity. He learned to live with a big question mark about this hanging around.

One of ideas was to collect 'lesser ways' of magick - spells, magical abilities & magic items in computer games.

These could been used as a source of inspiration for developing real powers, and as a small power increase - he invested money & his time, it was an act of will.

He could use these lesser ways as a distraction when someone investigated a cause of something happening, as well.

--
Runner was often a target of malicious magick & other supernatural attacks in past, so his Sangha - by Black Mala's wish - granted him ability to 'switch target' of a malice aimed originally at him. Target was chosen at random, and Sangha shared this ability as well. Goal of this move was to enforce 'if they attack any of us, they eventually attack all of us' mindset in Sangha. It had to be automathic, working every time - because people would not activate it ever, not wanting to put others in the trouble.

Today one of attacks was diverted this way, at someone from Runner's Sangha.

He felt responsible, and wanted to protect - so he did choose a few of his lesser ways, a 'Daze' spell from a computer game, augmented by 'Eagle's Splendour', 'Greater Spell Focus: Enchantment' & 'Extend' tricks and enhanced this with power of one Ruby.

Resulting confusion & headache should prove adequate warning & inconvenience for the attacker, he thought.


   

-=- a 'Daze' & 'Eagle's Splendour' spells. -=-
-=- increased charisma makes spells harder to defend against. -=-


   

-=- an 'Extend' & 'Greater Spell Focus: Enchantment' tricks. -=-
-=- 'Extend' trick doubles spell's duration. -=-
-=- 'Greater Spell Focus: Enchantment' makes Enchantment spells, as 'Daze' much harder to defend against. -=-

Incoming Threat.

One day Caty called an another telepathic mind-meeting.

She appeared in a vision, she was sitting in a green-purple garden with a black & silver candle-touch, with a scrying crystall ball beside a clear-misty pond. This was chantry's throne room as well.

- 'i've sensed incoming Tank, and more of the beasts on two legs. They must have obtained information that we want that Las Tower, so they hurried the attack' - she stated.
- 'This tank looks to be armed against infantry, with a bazooka-equipped escort, with assault-rifle-equipped escort as well. They probably want to break our walls with missles and enter through breach, with their soldiers following the vehicle' - one of black belt soldiers beside her added.
- 'We could use Matter-Energy form, but this quickly amounts to large Paradox backslash if it's overt - not mentioning drawing attention and asking for troubles. We can use this if neccessary, but let's try to find another solutions first' - Runner spoke.
- 'How this Matter-Energy form can help?' - black belt soldier asked.
- 'For example by releasing chemicals that cause a corrosion in Tank's engine making it stop before reaching firing range, and muscle failures among beastly soldiers - both against legs and arms can be devastating ... there's also an option of arranging chemicals causing explosions in back of their heads ... and if neccessary nanites can form a matter-energy shield filling the breach.' - Runner answered.
- 'Paradox-wise, muscle attacks on large scale seem most of the trouble for us, head explosions - even more. And filling the breach - Ouch!!' - Netwarrior slapped his face with a grimace.
- 'i can use incense to summon flying beasts that will engage the enemy infantry, but we need that corrosion' - Caty suggested.
- 'Can do. Let's hope it won't fail' - Runner commented.
- 'We can also use our infantry-held guided anti-tank missles from our wall' - black belt soldier suggested.
- 'Though it's wise to field-test our Matter-Energy form too, then fire missles' - Runner considered.
- 'Then we can send beasts and shoot our rifles from the wall - their attention will be split in all directions' - Drake offered his advice.
- 'We'll need to prepare for a rite - both Caty and i' - Runner spoke again.

After a while of no more concerns & advices, Caty concluded the meeting:
- 'Let's do this then. Mists will stay low enough to not interfere with our shooting, and i'll prepare summoning incense. We still have about two days of time before they arrive.' - she was fairly pleased with meeting's result.

an Anti-Infantry Tank.

Credits: Unknown.

Crane's Vision.

Tower of Las-Lights.

Credits: Unknown.


Little Girl of the Courts' - Crane's - aesthetic/defensive vision for Caty's Court was to add a defensive tower with a long-range heavy laser turret as a mean of defense.

Soldiers consulted liked the idea, it could prove useful against tanks & other large war machines or beasts - land based or flying.

They added to it:
'Consider adding a battery of a six fast firing smaller lasers, against smaller targets & against long range missles'.

Caty agreed to make arrangements, if there's the sponsor.
'It won't fire past mist, but mists can part' - she added.

In the end it was Runner who paid 6 000 Rubies, now it was only a matter of time & succesful negotiations with superiors.
'We'll make sure that all of turrets on tower will move independently, and that guidance systems will be computer-aided' - he added.

'At least Stupas will be safer' - Drake mentioned.

Celestial Progress.

Metal Quarters with Barracks for 16 men.

Credits: Steel Master.


In the times of Caty Court's progress, Celestial Chantry also didn't lie idle.

They bought terrain, thrones, some military slave forces, arranged for alien beasts conjuration, built metal quarters with barracks & two outhouses.

They kept occasional mind contact with Caty, Runner, Crystal Candle & others ... and after one of them - by name of 'Templar' - gained influence via his throne's magickal way, Caty arranged Virtual-Adept-secured skype videochat meeting with him. She congratulated him advancement and asked if he had anything to say. So far he didn't.

In the end they had their chantry, 16 armed common soldiers, 28 small melee beasts and 2 flying beasts with cameras installed.

They bought a privilege of matrix power for one of them for a month, Runner warned that in case of paradox or troubles - future service's price will increase.

They scouted the terrain using their camera-flyers, maitaining wireless connection via matrix power.

They initiated trade with a nearby small lake-village, exchanged scout-patrolling services with a nearby fort and detected incoming attack from east.

It was a moving weapons platform, a heavy machine gun mounted on a car, manned by two beastmen - tall and strong horned half-men/half-beasts. It was escorted by six beastmen with modern machine guns with underbarrel grenade launchers, and by six beastmen with halberds.

Celestial Chantry's response was to not risk men or flying beasts, they scouted their route, sent all of their small ground beasts on the randezvous route and burrowed them. As beastmen entered the area, the chantry's beasts unburrowed, surrounded and tore past metal armours to rend flesh & hearts. One casaulty on chantry's side - by a grenade fired into a maw from close distance, two lightly wounded as well. But chantry's beasts regenerate and fairly quickly at that.

Moving platform was damaged by explosion, but heavy machine gun with a stand and ammo remained intact. Celestial Chantry sent their men to recover & carry whatever was worthwhile.

They reported to Caty soon-after & arranged for a reinforcement of an one small melee beast. This was their maximum forces capacity, considering barracks size & psi power of their 'overlord' monstrosity. Anything more would cost extra & attract more of potentially unwelcome attention.

Beastmen.

Credits: Unknown.

Trestes.

Caty didn't tarry for too long considering Runner's last request.

She contacted Trestes, Hell's most prominent Ghost-Vampire Lord and arranged for permission.

She initiated mind-meeting and informed:
- 'i want that Big Favour from Runner ... it's cheap, you want',
- 'We agree' - Crystal Candle agreed,
- 'i'll add to the effort, make arrangements - i want my Spectral Forces' - Caty added,
- 'We can agree to that' - Runner decided to talk,
- 'They will be free from their mind-torments but part of energy sucked by them will go as tithe to Trestes. You want Stupa Built first, then transformation device, then a portal. Otherwise we'll be swarmed with hungry mosquitoes, both corporeal and not and suffer',
- 'Understandable' - Crystal Candle agreed again,
- 'Drake and i will participate, but we insist on building all of Stupas first' - Hue took her turn,
- 'We will yield to that' - Crystal Candle decided,
- 'So is deal?' - Caty asked,
- 'It is' - Crystal Candle confirmed.

They explored idea of Caty's Spectral forces. It turned out that it's Runner's detachment under Caty, ghosts in human form that will be trained in various abilities as turning visible and invisible, materialization & dematerialization of 'body' & weapons, ESP, telepathy, flight, speed, energy & life force vampirisms, ..., and part of them - form transformation, dream haunting & seduction, perhaps even the meditation & magick as well. Caty proposed 'permanent' base forms of ghostly beasts, but this would inhibit their better reincarnation too much. She yielded this time - because it was Runner's initiative with request, and more importantly - he paid with a big favour for that. Perhaps part of them will be able to transform into beasts for a time, however.

They considered protections against such spectres in case should they need. Matrix with Spirit magick could affect them - if only by manifesting proper magickal symbols - but Caty wanted to give Runner more options. Other ideas were about using Akashic Martial Arts or Mind/Spirit Magick, all of them valid.

They agreed to not trade these units, unless forced to. Trestes won't take them for now - he'll be sated with his energy-tithe.

Celestial bastion's mages wanted to order & pay for weapons against ghosts soon after, and Caty initially agreed. They had plans of descending from Heaven into that 'Hungry Ghosts hell' - as they called the Realm of Hungry Ghosts & work there for their God.

Those who heard didn't mind.

Later they noticed they need to protect themselves from mosquitoes & blood/energy suckers as leeches or other insects - but that was another matter.

-=- 'Lost Soul' -=-

Credits: Wizards of the Coast.

Portal to Ghost Realms.

Having helping in Hells for so long, Runner didn't fear reincarnating in that Realm.

His main concern was a rebirth in the Realm of Hungry Ghosts however, and he considered it considerable threat.

He contacted Caty with a request:
- 'Once stupas are built, i'll need portal to the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, Caty ... so we can help them as well'.
- 'Once you pay' - Caty answered.
- 'On our cost' - Crystal Candle added.
- 'i'll name price of permission when i am ready, then you can create a portal on your own cost & responsibility'.
- 'Of course' - Crystal Candle spoke for Runner & herself, as she often did. She was better thinker & talker than Runner afterall.
- 'Then we'll consider helping animals' - Runner mentioned.
- 'As You wish' - Caty told.
- 'Thanks, that's all - we do not wish to take your precious time, Caty' - Crystal Candle spoke again.
- 'Indeed' - Caty concluded the talk.

Then Hue sent them a mind-message that she wants to participate. That was all for the moment.

Averting Casaulties.

Caty had a telepathic mind-meeting with Runner & others.

She said she will make arrangements for Protection from her superiors after Court's rise in Hell's Wealth. Rises in power brought jealousy, attention & danger.

She decided to fund 'insurance' from her own treasury of Rubies:
- 'i don't need casaulties. Will You add to it?' - she asked.
- 'We do care. How much?' - Crystal Candle replied.
- 'No more than 10% of what Runner earned from bribes' - Caty answered.
- 'So it's 80 000' - Runner told.
- 'i can add 30 000. i don't need so much.' - Marlena spoke.

They decided that Crystal Candle should keep her 108 000 Rubies, because being Runner's girlfriend she could be a target of attack. She needed that power for self-defence.

In the end Runner paid 50 000 Rubies, Marlena added 30 000 Rubies, Caty probably much more.

- 'i'll make proper arrangements so it's of the most benefit and lasts' - Caty spoke again.

Drake wished to add, but Hue stopped him:
- 'You'll need this for Stupas, remember?'.

Drake went quiet.

Mind-meeting was concluded.