- Job Description:
- Job Title: Cave of the Hitodama: Ghostly Reprieve
Rank: C Rank
Player Requirements: 3000 words per player
Job Requirements: Take the religious old woman to the cave, help her set up her ritual and put a deceased mage to rest. Bring the old woman back home safely.
Job Location: Silent Glaciers
Job Description:
An old woman from a nearby rural outpost is familiar with the Cave of the Hitodama. For years it was believed that the dead must be put to rest and kept at rest using a sacred ritual. The old woman has plenty of money, gathered from believers of the ancient rituals and has hired you to escort her to the dangerous frozen cave, across the cold glacier pass, and into an area rumored to be well traversed by the dead. She wants you to guard her inside of the cave from angry spirits and then escort her back home safely.
Description of the cave:
The cave is located near a loosely-frozen delta facing the ocean in a northerly direction. It is about five miles long, stretching into the arctic mountains of the region, with several deep crevasses spanning the narrow width of the cave. Frozen pathways and stone pathways alike are layered in frost and ice, but lead back to the rear of the cave. The polar cave has ceilings as high as 8 m and as low as 1 m. There are no secret or hidden pathways, just one direct route that the sea itself carved out of the land during times of storms or floods. Along the length of the cave runs a slow moving, 1 m wide river which culminates in a small but deep hot spring in the very deepest point in the cave. This river occasionally freezes over, though due to protection from wind, can more frequently be found moving from the back of the cave to the sea, starting from the spring itself.
Enemies:
Weak: Wild beasts: Wild animals traverse the tundra looking desperately for food. The wild animals most likely to cross paths include lone Reindeer, Dire Winter Wolf, a pack of Frostfur Weasels, or Blue Horned Ram. These animals (or in the case of the weasels the whole pack together) can deal D rank damage and take 2 D rank damage to take down.
Normal: Wayward Ghosts: In their former lives, these ghosts were simple civilians with simple minds and a curious nature who found themselves killed in the cave from either frostbite, wild beasts, or the poisonous spores of cave moss. Now, the ghosts which are usually gentle have become angered and strike out against those entering the cave. They deal C rank damage and take 2 C rank damage to disperse.
Strong: Angry Hitodama: Spirits in the form of small glowing bulbs turn red when disturbed and form into deceased mages. These dead mages use various kinds of elemental magic and take 2 B rank hits to take down. They tend to use javelins if their foe is at a distance and willfully target any who enter the cave. They tend to use burst spells first, and bladed weapons second. Their spells include elemental versions of the following:
Thrown elemental javelin: In the form of ice, lightning, or fire, these javelins deal D rank damage each and two can be thrown at a time (one in each hand of a ghost mage)
Elemental blades: In the form of ice, lightning, or fire, these blades can be as long as a katana, as short as a dagger, and be functionally whatever blade desired once drawn. The weapon deals C rank damage.
Elemental burst: An explosion burst of ice, lightning or fire around the angered ghost mage can deal B rank damage.
Reward: 20K jewels
--- Credit to Yona
The train ride to even reach the edge of the tundra was bumpy and unforgiving. The conductors had to stop several times to thaw out the tracks, and the station was nowhere near the outpost he was supposed to greet his escort at. At many points, he suddenly wished he’d taken another job, but he was not about to let an old woman traverse the glacier alone. Zachariah absolutely despised the cold, which was ironic given that he loved the tundra. He thought it was a beautiful sea of white, bright from reflecting the light of the sun. Though, despite the overflowing sunlight over the icy landscape, Zachariah could feel little warmth from it. The outpost was as barren as the rest of the tundra, composed of dull brick houses with grey, dilapidated windows. Zachariah’s jaw dropped in surprise to see such a tall, physically healthy woman emerge from inside, bundled under layers of blankets and shawls. Though, looking at her face, comprised with many laugh lines and wrinkles, he realized this was the woman he was escorting. She held a grey wooden staff as well as many charms on her wrist. This must be her, he thought, then introduced himself. “Hello,” he said, with a weak wave. “I’m Zachariah, the mage from—
“I know who you are,” she said, and waddled forward in front of Zachariah.
“—Sabertooth.”
“Let’s get this moving, shall we?” she sighed, “I hope you can take on a few wild beasts in a fight. I had to resuscitate and return the last mage to safety.”
“Well, I can assure you we will arrive safely. You can trust in my abilities,” Zachariah replied. With a snap of his fingers, he summoned the Starlight Surfer and stepped on. “We should arrive there quickly, long before the coming blizzards and before the sun sets.” He shielded his eyes with his hand and peered up at the sky, estimating the time. The white sun gleamed into his eyes like a flash of lightning, barely hanging over the horizon. The woman followed and held onto his waist, and Zachariah charged forward. The board soared over the tundra, wind battering their faces and snow pelting their clothes. Riding across the air made for a smooth ride, nearly covering the entirety of the tundra in a matter of minutes. But, with each mile covered, another mile emerged from the horizon. He followed the old pathways and looked for the river like the job description said, but the old woman’s unease with every turn made him question everything. Though she did not protest, he could feel something wrong in the air as well. Eventually, an exposed cliffside came up out of the distance, revealing a ghostly-looking cave. Unlike the rest of the tundra, the ice there was dark, almost purple-esque in color.
“You feel that too, correct?” asked the old woman. Zachariah nodded his head and tightened his scarf; the air was much colder here and bit at his lips and cheeks. He was sure his eyeballs would freeze if he didn’t blink enough. The magic here felt as if it was from a different era, as if it should be dead. It felt dusty and dry, barely clinging onto the mortal coil. Though, just as they were going to enter the cavern, Zachariah heard the howls call his name over the winds. He turned around and put himself in front of the old woman defensively. A quartet of frosted-tipped wolves the size of monstrous lions were running our way.
“Get back!” Zach warned, and quickly summoned the Bifrost blade. A beam of light crashed from the sky, depositing the sword in his hands amidst the flash. Two of the wolves leapt at him and the other two flanked from each side. Zach quickly charged up the Ultraviolent Flash spell, spreading magic into the light around. With a blinding violet flash, the wolves all lost their momentum. Some of the snow around his body immediately sublimated, leaving a bubble of warm air for a moment before being replaced by the cold once again. The Bifrost blade skewered one of the wolves up through the jaw and into its skull, and Zachariah activated the Realm Cutter to nip at the other three. Though, as the remainder circled, Zachariah raised his hand and activated the Lightspeed Beatdown. A newfound sense of agility rushed through his veins, and a thin rainbow film enveloped his skin. Too easy, he thought, and cleaved through the air. The blade cut through the wolf’s fur like a knife through warm butter. Its icy fur crackled and fell apart like shattered glass. The Realm Cutter left deep gashes in the final pair, whose wills still didn’t wane. Their eyes were bloodshot red, clearly starved and delirious. Icicles of drool hung from their fangs, causing saliva to fly everywhere when it lunged. Zachariah twirled and cleaved through it, slicing through it from every imaginable angle possible. The cadaver fell apart like a sliced ham, becoming buried by snow in seconds. The final survivor snarled at him and Zachariah snarled back at it like a hound.
“Bring it on!” He ordered, and the wolf came barreling towards him. Zachariah deftly threw a Morning Star into its gaping mouth and hit it with a glimmering jab. The steaming halves fell into the snow, quickly buried in the white. Zachariah deactivated his spells and returned to his escort.
“Impressive,” she joked. “Lost magic, I see.”
Zachariah nodded and gestured into the cave. “After you, ma’am.”
The two entered the shadowy tunnel, where Zachariah summoned a bubble of light around them to illuminate the way. It was unsettling, quite so. Zachariah swore he saw movement amidst the darkness and heard conversations in the void. The cave was quiet, not even the sound of the blizzard followed them inside. Zachariah expanded the light as far as he could, to the deep reaches of the cave. Though, Zachariah had to squint to even imagine the end of the cave. It had to be more than a mile in length. He sighed and summoned the Starlight Surfer again and gestured for the woman to hop on.
WC: 1027/3000
