- Job Description::
- Job Title: Cave of the Hitodama: Deadly Moss
Rank: C Rank
Player Requirements: 2,500 words per player
Job Requirements: Go the frozen cave, explore to the back of the cave, and bring back a sample of the deadly moss without using your bare hands.
Job Location: Silent Glaciers
Job Description: 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.
Recently, mages and civilians alike have become curious and have chosen to go to the cave for exploration, discoveries, and to map out the inside of the cave. However, none have returned and it is highly probable that the people died. Explore the highly dangerous cave, figure out what caused the death of so many people inside by traveling as far as possible.
Near the back of the cave, beside the hot spring, grows a deadly moss with deadly airborne spores. Collect some carefully as proof of your research without touching the moss with your bare hands.
Enemies:
Weak:
Falling icicles inside of the cave: they fall in sets of three and do D rank damage as a set. Must dodge or do 1 D rank damage to get rid of them.
Frostbite: Exposed skin anywhere on the body can be dealt damage just by being inside of the frozen cave for an extended period of time. It deals D rank damage for 1 post and can be avoided using fire, warm clothing, or some other form of heat.
Normal: Yeti crab swarms: One small swarm of 10 fuzzy white crabs with large pincers attacks from hidden crevasses or the river of the cave. The crabs are about the size of a domesticated house cat and deal C rank damage each. Each crab can only take C rank damage before being destroyed.
Strong: Deadly moss: The pale and green moss growing upon the walls and stone inside the ice cavern are capable of causing real damage. They take 4 C rank attacks to remove from surfaces. Placing the removed moss inside of a closed container or bag ends the mosses' ability to attack or continue attacking. They have two types of attacks.
1) Contact poison: Touching the moss with any bare skin deals B rank damage over a 2 post duration.
2) Inhalation poison: Inhaling the air within 50m of the moss results in the released spores poisoning and dealing B rank damage for each post inside of the range of the moss.
Reward: 15K jewels and C rank experience
--- Credit to Yona
What are the odds, thought Zachariah, two trips to the Silent Glaciers...same damn cave. He bitterly showed his passport and ticket to the conductor and hopped on the train. Although this mission was quite different than the last one-he wasn’t escorting any old ladies this time-he still detested being out on the tundra. Though, this time he had a partner who would accompany him on the job. A woman named ‘Venus Rigel’ would be joining him today, and while he’d never formally met her, he’d definitely heard her name more than once in the Sabertooth guild hall. Travelling alone was a task he was accustomed to, but even the tundras were too desolate to traverse by oneself. He came better prepared for the snow this time, wearing a long white parka that reached above his ankles, lined with fur at the collar and stamped on the chest with the Sabertooth insignia. Unlike his other jacket, it had no collar to mask his scars, but he was gradually becoming less conscious about them. The train ride felt infinite and more rickety than the last time he rode to the Silent Glaciers and every time he closed his eyes felt like he was free-falling. Though, it was nice for him to get a job after the break. He had returned from a training trip with a fellow guild mate only a few days ago, and already felt much stronger than before.
Zachariah arrived at a different station this time, but still somewhat far from the infamous Cave of the Hitodama. The quest required that he couldn’t even touch the moss with his bare hands, let alone breathe it in. So, he picked up two face-masks and gloves, both for protection and to help keep warm. In the deep pockets of his parka were also a pair of small glass jars to store the moss in for the trip back. Again, the familiar sun was bright in the morning sky, but was not warm in the chilling tundra, where snow blew across the terrain like ocean waves. Even with the mask on, the frosty air stung his nose and cheeks, causing them to flush red from rushing blood. Luckily, the train station had a small shack with a fireplace inside. While he waited for his partner to arrive, Zachariah ignited the wood and sat on a stool by the flames. He’d never been a fan of the ice or snow, not even when he was younger and trained in the mountains. Though, he could appreciate the nightly auroras that accompanied these places. Everything in the station was quiet, except for the white noise of the breeze and the crackling firewood. While he waited for the arrival of his partner, he huddled by the faintly warm fires and rested his head for a few minutes.
[WC: 472/2500]
