[Monster Hunt] The White Death

Eris wrote:Job: Monster Hunt:  The White Death 
Rank: 100y
Player Requirements: 2H / 6S minimum  Cannot be solo'd.
All members must be in the same guild.   Non-guild members can tag along so long as they understand that the Reward goes to that guild.    Guildless character teams (Official or unofficial) may establish a Trophy Hall residence to store trophy rewards from Monster Hunt jobs.
Job Requirements: 65 total posts.  525 words per post.  
Job Description:
Hunt the White Death.  Location: Desierto 

A failed attempt at returning life to the sands has caused torrential rainfall and blizzards to sweep the western half of Desierto and shroud the desert in darkness.     Wailing is heard throughout the land, carried on the wind.

Torrential rain alters the landscape and creates hazards throughout the dunes,   and blizzards then freeze and leave the area an icy hell.  

After the storms pass,  frozen footprints the size of ships are left in the ground as though some colossal being walked through.    Natives believe a giant is causing the weather phenomina,  but nobody has witnessed it.   The few survivors where the storm passes say they might have seen a face in the clouds and that the wailing sound increases the closer the storm gets, to an overpowering howling within the storm.

The storm seems to be carving a winding path up and down the desert,  and one of Desertio's 3 major cities is soon to be in danger.  The sultan has sent out a bounty to put an end to this wailing giant come to be known as the White Death.

There are only two enemies in this job.


Spend at least 25 total posts investigating the White Death following its path to try to learn something.   Participants can split up with some researching the matter in the city.

Potential-Example Clues if Tracking (Following it's path): 
Footprints.
Face in the clouds.
Moving up and down along the desert in a long squiggly line as though to cover as much desert as possible on it's way West to East,  with one of Desertio's main 3 cities in it's path.  Approximately 2 weeks before it would hit the city.
Wooden splinters the size of limbs or sometimes several full size adults in length.
Conical imprints within frozen craters in the sand.   Not easy to notice due to frozen waters and the sand movements.
Spikes of ice suggest a point of origin coming from a central source in the middle of the storm's path.   Projectile attack?  Spikes of ice are infrequent and often buried in the sands have only a small portion sicking above ground.
Faint presence of magical aura within the center of the spikes of ice.  Indicates the source may be a magical being.

Potential-Example Clues if Investigating (in the city/ect):
Started originally as a normal storm somewhere to the north-east on the edge of the desert,  traveling like a normal cloud front (odd for Desertio and noted) until it hit the westernmost edge of the desert and forming into the catastrophe it is now.
Where it likely originated from is an old Wizard's Tower around said North-East location.
Street Rabble could be overheared having successfully broken in to that Wizard's Tower, a first time feat,  and getting chased away by animated armors.
Info on weather could include that generations ago various wizards attempted to forumulate a plan to drastically alter the climate and weather of Desertio in order to allow vegetation and plantlife.  They had a few scrapped plans and others that were deemed too hazardous,  and nothing came of their efforts aside from a new method of farming.
One such wizard was a Weather Mage,  specialized in Ice.



After investigations conclude,  the Tracking party may reach the White Death while the Investigation party reaches the Wizard Tower.

The White Death appears suddenly.  The sound of moaning increases in volume the closer you approach and you can see ice forming along a wide area with no apparent source,  no storm,  just a wave of ice moving.   Once you get within 100 meters of where the ice appears to be forming there's a sudden flip as though by a switch,  and the sky is gone.  Replaced by a black mass of clouds.  There is little light and the area is full of rain and sleet which you could not even hear before stepping past this boundary.    Turning back,  you find that no matter how far away you travel the cloud coverage and storm remains and you feel as though something is watching you.     
Pressing forward you enter the dangers of the storm.    There does not appear to be any giant,  just a catastrophic storm.   The ground and terrain is incredibly icy with random gushes of water.   Lots of water hides the icy surface,  the water getting thicker in areas especially between dunes and lots of random currents of freezing water snake about the area.


At the wizard tower located outside of Desiertio boarding the desert on a green hill with vegetation nearby and everything, being a different habitat.  The tower looks somewhat castle like.
http://jonasjensenart.deviantart.com/art/The-Wizard-s-Tower-257060350
With a central thicker tower.   The whole area is covered with dark but normal looking cloud coverage.   
As you approach you see that two large halves of a double-door gate are broken off their hinges and lay haphazardly,  with one laying flat on the ground, the other barely holding on by the bottom hinge and tilted,  the door open as wide as it can go otherwise.    
Something clearly broke out of these doors.
Time to check it out.

Now comes the Monster Dice.
Monster Dice should be rolled in a separate topic matching the job's topic title + "Rolls".  

There are two options in each category and for each party.  Each option needs to be selected at least once for every three of the other option.
  
Each participant rolls the dice once per post unless they would be the only one in the party,  in which case two must be rolled.

Tracking Party note:  The storm will passively deal S-rank equivalent damage to fliers,  who will be thrown about by H-rank equivalent winds and battered more directly by sleet and rain.


Weak Threat:
Tracking Party-
Ice slick:   A particularly smooth patch of ice can cause you to slip.  With the jagged terrain and ice growths,  one might easily impale themselves.   Slipping causes A-rank damage from sharp growths on the surface.   Slipping near larger spikes could result in impalement and S-rank damage.

Frigged Flash Flood:  A rush of water passes by full of icy shards and grains of sand.   The ice-cold waters cause S-rank damage if you get caught up in them and can trigger Hypothermia,   causing the body to shake and shiver and take a background hidden damage of 10% per post which reduces speed by 20% per post and causes fatigue,  and an increasing urge to sleep.   Death occurs at 100% damage as normal,  but it's not a "Oh shit I just got stabbed" sort of damage.   Stacks if caught in the flood multiple times or for more than 1 post in within the waters.

Investigation Party-
Armor Trap:  A nearby suit of armor makes an attack with its weapon as a trap is triggered by unknown means.  The armor seems to deliberately target the triggering individual, without a pre-set attack pattern.   They can easily cleave a body in two, dealing S-rank damage.

Wall Darts:  Arrows, bullets, Shuriken,  or simple darts shoot out of a hole in the wall that was definitely not there before.   They aim for the head or heart.    They deal A-rank damage they hit.  The projectiles have uncanny accuracy as though aimed, without a pre-set attack pattern. 


Normal Threat:
Tracking Party:  
Unavoidable Chill:  The air seems to snap-freeze around you, instantly dealing the equivalent of taking an A-rank ice spell hit.  Anyone within 25 meters of you takes the same hit.   The effect forms a shell of ice around you that forces you to pause before being able to break free.  If you are A-rank,  it will take A-rank fire to break free or a teleportation effect.  Otherwise requiring assistance.

Downpour:  A localized wave of especially overwhelming rain falls on your immediate area within 25 meters with drops of water the size of beach balls.  This buffets and slows everyone within 40 meters of you down,  and makes a much harder to resist Frigged Flash Flood appear.   If an ally near you gets Unavoidable Chill,  these drops deal S-rank damage to everyone in that area and freezes everybody solid in thick ice for 2 posts unless thawed by S-rank heat effects.

Investigation Party-
Trap Floor:  The floor within 30 meters of you,  in as far as walls permit,  collapses under your feet taking anyone nearby with you as well.  The missing floor reveals a metal-lined drop that slopes off to one side like a water slide.  The metal walls are very slick,  and have metal blades with shallow angles that slice those who slide on it.   Resulting in H-rank equivalent damage before the slide is through and your'e dropped off in some other part of the tower through the ceiling unceremoniously and your/you and your allies blood flows down after you along with chunks of flesh.

Crushing Walls:   The walls of a 30 meter stretch of hall or room immediately slam to meet with thick spikey studs suddenly appearing on the surface.   The walls slam shut at 500 meters per second with extreme ferocity.   It deals double-S equivalent damage.   Works at the same time as Trap Floor.


Strong Threat:
Tracking Party:
Ice Lance:  A thick spike of ice falls from the sky,  though with the intense weather this can mean from almost any angle except directly horizontal or from below.    With the howling sounds and awful weather,  it makes no sound and there is no warning.    This Ice Lance will impale a target,  pinning it to the ground dealing H-rank damage.    They will then start to drown due to the water covering the ground due to rainfall at least.  They become unable to avoid Frigged Flash Flood.   If they are currently frozen, they cannot avoid Ice Lance.

The Howling:   The howling noise spikes,  shaking the land and causing unavoidable sonic damage of S-rank to all the Tracking Party.   This can deafen,  confuse, disorient or cause fear.  The shaking this causes triggers an immediate Frigged Flash Flood and the ice you walk on breaks apart and the sands shift.  Avoiding the flood is very difficult. 


Investigation Party:
Fire Trap:  An area 30 meters in diameter, in as far as the halls/room allows,  is instantly lit aflame.  It deals A-rank damage per post.   The fire spreads another 30 meters out down halls and through rooms on every investigation-party-player's post until it can be closed off by doors or so on and contained.   It never ends.

Trick Step:  When this trap is triggered the room or hall will elongate and stretch to match every attempt at movement,  preventing them from going anywhere for 2 posts.


Boss Monster:
Tracking Party:
Sky Crack:  The first seven times this is rolled by the Tracking Party will result in an A-rank lightning bolt striking the roller,  with 3 seconds of forewarning as crackling energy can be felt on the skin.   
It illuminates the land enough that you vaguely see what might maybe be the face in the clouds.

On the Eighth:
A thick bolt of lightning instantly strikes the ground and sending tendrils of lightning arcing all throughout a 400 meter area.   A crackling of energy in the air around the one who rolled it gives 3 seconds forewarning if they are on their toes.  The bolt of lightning will strike with the force of a pure offence Guild Spell.    Everyone within the area gets shocked for A-rank damage.  If they are in contact with the water (Anyone on the ground) that doubles to S-rank.
The lightning will illuminate the sky revealing The White Death,  a screaming face the size of a mountain high in the sky.

Spoiler:

H-rank equivalent winds prevent any attack from reaching it high in the sky,  and will make anyone who attempts to fly or otherwise move in the air above 7 feet off the ground flail and be tossed about by the winds.

Now that it is revealed,  it will send an Ice Lance at every member of the Tracking Party on each of their posts,  and everyone feels the sense that it is watching and aware of them.
Tracking Party now rolls 2 monster dice per post instead of 1.

Nothing can be done against it until... (Cut to Investigation Party)


Investigation Party:
Secret Switch!:  The four times this is rolled results in a dud secret switch that leads to a trap room in which 3 monster dice must be rolled.

On the fith result the Hidden Chamber is revealed.
This chamber is impossibly large,  at least 2.5km in diameter (though it has a smooth flat ground/floor).   Within it lies a large statue who's head reaches the ceiling and sits cross-legged  behind a pedestal in the center of the room.   There is a great glass barrier a short way into the room preventing forward movement until all the Investigation Party touches the barrier.   At which point the barrier will disappear- along with the exit,  and the guardian will open its eyes.

The Guardian takes the equivalent of 10 H-rank attacks to take down meanwhile taking half damage from S-rank effects or less.   
It will not move or stand up from its sitting position.


Investigation Party must continue to roll monster dice to get the Guardian's attacks.  The Guardian can perform many actions at once:
Weak-  A bolt of light fires from the Guardian's eyes to attack the roller.  They travel 240m/s and reach anywhere within the chamber.  They deal S-rank damage.   The eyes flicker with light a split second before firing.   If hit,  target is blinded from the light.
Normal- The Guardian will point a finger (It has six hands) at the roller and release a bolt of lightning that travels in an instant flash after the finger crackles for a moment.   It will deal S-rank damage and cause nerve damage which causes twitching for 3 posts, reducing accuracy and evasiveness somewhat.
Strong- The Guardian opens its mouth to breath a pillar of fire that strikes the first roller for H-rank fire damage and hitting anyone else within 25 meters of them.   If a second roller rolls Strong,  the pillar will move to hit them after the first roller hitting anything in the path between (And the fourth, fifth, so on).
Boss:  The Guardian claps two hands together releasing an undodgeable shockwave accompanied by hurricane winds that blows everyone back with H-rank force across the entirety of the chamber to hit the unbreakable outer walls,  taking H-rank damage and having to travel back to the Guardian.   This may knock individuals unconscious and take their breath away.

When destroyed,  a crystal ball appears on the pedestal revealing the White Death,  and showing the Tracking Party struggling against it.   The crystal ball radiates magic.   By touching the ball you seem to trigger a response in The White Death.   Removing the Crystal Ball from the pedestal makes it the scene disappear and the chamber starts collapsing.   There is no exit still,   with the room collapsing,  everyone takes X-rank damage as the room seems to finally snap in on itself all at once.
This damage was incapable of killing,  and the Investigation Party finds themselves outside laying where the Wizard Tower use to be but now is only a smooth stone surface on the ground.


Tracking Party Again:
With the Crystal Ball removed,  the storm seems to immediately die.  A sudden stillness and silence.   
Above,  the White Death seems to be thrashing about in the clouds,  a rolling head making the clouds tumble and roil.

1 full post for reach Tracking Party to recognize the quiet,  and try to take care of things in the moment of relief.

Then the White Death looks down at the earth with anger now rather than pain.    Clouds fall to the ground in thick pillars and solidify,  a body forming.    A giant who's head is faded by the atmosphere due to the height and distance away stares downwards with seething rage in its white eyes.

Important:  if there is NO Tracking Party,  this Giant will attack the city in Desertio.  Meanwhile the Investigation Party wont even know it is happening.

Spoiler:

The resulting giant seeths with rage,  a giant hammer forming in it's hands.  

The Giant,  or the True White Death,  takes the equivalent of 5 H-ranks in damage to the head before defeat,  or 10 to the center chest.   Or 15 in total throughout.

The Giant still requires monster dice to be rolled per player per post.

Weak-Strong:
The Giant does not target you.
Boss:
The Giant targets you.  Roll again.

Weak:  
Step- The giant steps on you with the softer part of their foot and not the heel.   I'm sure it didn't mean to.   Taking a giant lumbering step in your direction,  the foot comes down on where you were standing.   It's foot print is 300 meters long 100 meters wide or so.

Normal: 
Frost Breath- The Giant breathes a wave of gale-force winds at you in a 220m/s speed wave.  Effects anyone within 150 meters of you.   The white freezing wave of snowy air deals S-rank damage and will chase you in a line up to 500 meters away from your start before ending.  
Freezes those hit solid for the rest of their post and half their next post.

Strong: 
Hammer Smash- The Giant swings its hammer at you.   300 meter AoE with the hammer surface itself.  Deals H-rank damage (Thankfully reduced to such due to the sand beneath your feet and the dunes) to all hit.   The sands absorb the force of the impact, otherwise a terrible earthquake would shake the land.
The hammer swings at about 100 meters per second,  slow and lumbering due to its size and distance it needs to travel.

Boss:
Crush- The Giant reaches to grab you at 100m/s.  Also grabs anyone within 45 meters of you.   If it succeeds it deals H-rank damage in its powerful grip and you cannot escape unless H+S rank damage is dealt to the hand or you have some movement or body effect that could help.  The grip itself is otherwise absolute.   Will continue to deal H-rank damage on each of the held player's posts.

Reward:
Due to the exceptionally hazardous job,  the rewards are particularly potent.
The Wizard's Ball:  Taken as a trophy,  this crystal ball can shield an entire island, mountain, or city.  Masking it from view until you enter its perimeter.   Also controls the weather within that area to the effect as directed by the master of the Trophy Hall or Guild Master,  equaling said master's rank in effect and what it can do with the weather in defense of the location.

The Giant's Bones:  Various bones from the Giant's body are taken as a trophy.  They can be added to guild buildings/trophy halls to reinforce them,  allowing them to resist all but H-rank attacks,  or H-rank equivalent damage.    Each Member can make a Legendary item using some Giants Bone Matter,  that legendary item will resist damage and harmful effects as though it were an Artifact.    Using the Giants Bones requires a topic where in the changes are applied or the bone item is crafted.

150,000 jewels awarded by the Sultan directly to the guild/trophy hall.  Sounds cheap,  but IC the sultan will also pay for any convenience whenever they visit Desertio,  with good meals,  invites to any feast the sultan holds, fancy clothing and accessories,  room to stay in the palace or wherever they want within the city,  and an A-rank equivalent non-magical NPCs will accompany any member on a job in Desertio (The sultan wont be pleased if harm befalls them).    This is all essentially just RP benefit.