Olsson and Donovan's eyes glaze over. Both move over to the nearest hatch, open it, and try to move out.
The two cease their suicidal escape from the Spider.
Everyone notices the hypnotic pull is now gone from the sound.
"Whew, for a second there, I thought I'd have to hold one of ya down!"
Olsson shakes his head vigorously, then looks around quickly. He is obviously very disturbed.
"Well... We already have someone to kill, I suppose."
"Well I guess we're stuck here for a bit... " Thetsu pulls a book out and settles into his chair to read.
There comes a knocking at the door, but you feel it will likely hold. The storm passes by morning, and you continue without incident.
The rest of your trip continues with little fanfare. A few easily fended off raids by motorcycle riding bandits and creepy looking caves later, you arrive at the ziggurat.
Or, so you think.
You spotted the structure several days ago, but a faint green shimmer surrounds it. No matter how much you move toward it, it always seems to be the same distance away.
Splinter enjoys the lighthearted mischief and chuckles at Chirrup's joke. Olsson fondly remembers pummeling motorcycle ruffians with concentrated psychic might, and is pleased when the odd structure finally comes into sight. His elation wanes however, when he realizes that no progress is being made towards it.
"Well, that's odd, aye? We dunna' seem ta' be gettin any closer, do we? Hold on, I might try somefin'."
Olsson, at first glance, determines nothing.
Dorla's combined knowledge of Spellcraft and History determines that this is definitely magical, and some kind of warding spell. These are usually fairly limited in what they can screen out, so some trial and error should find the way around.
"Maybe we can trick it by driving backwards! They'll see us facing away so they'll think we're leaving when we're actually coming in!" Thetsu nods to himself in his brilliance.
"Maybe we can trick it by driving backwards! They'll see us facing away so they'll think we're leaving when we're actually coming in!" Thetsu nods to himself in his brilliance.
That doesn't work.
"Maybe we can trick it by driving backwards! They'll see us facing away so they'll think we're leaving when we're actually coming in!" Thetsu nods to himself in his brilliance.That doesn't work.
Olsson wills Splinter to float over towards the pilot's station. As the little replica soars Olsson flickers suddenly, then disappears! He reappears some distance away.
Everyone nearby hears in their minds Splinter's small voice say <Olsson is...testing theories. Do not be alarmed. He will return.>
It does.
"Huh. So where'd he go?" Thetsu looks around the cabin and towards the Ziggurat.
For his part, Splinter seems unconcerned about the sudden separation. This could be due either to his familiarity with Olsson's methods, or the fact that he can still sense and communicate with him. After a moment, Splinter's mental voice pipes up again:
<Olsson has arrived. No impediments to spatial travel. He returns.>
<(...)No impediments to spatial travel. He returns.>
Olsson looks about his immediate surroundings for anything of note, or anything "off" or out of place. After, he's about to start walking back when a thought occurs to him.
In the cabin of the Spider, Splinter slowly somersaults through the air playfully as he once more sends a telepathic message to everyone within 30 ft of his position near Thetsu:
<Olsson wishes to try something, with your cooperation. If you would, please begin moving the vehicle towards him, coincidentally towards the ruin as well.
"Aye aye!" Thetsu cries as he spins the trackball on the Mechano-Spider.
That works!
Olsson nods to himself several times, then begins walking towards the ruin.
"Blasted fenicky' wards ahn' fields ahn' whatnot..." he mumbles absent-mindedly.
"Onwards and upwards!" Thetsu pulls a lever and pushes his foot down on the pedals to spur the Mechano-Spider forward.
The Spider follows Olsson into the desert as he "aimlessly meanders", coincidentally getting closer and closer to the ziggurat. After about an hour of painfully slow wandering, the warding pressure gives out. It is, at this point, that it becomes apparent that the ziggurat is MUCH larger than it initially appeared to be. Rather than being 10 miles out, it was closer to 50, the massive scale of the structure distorting all judgment of distance. You crawl back into the Spider and make a good pace, coming to rest at the foot of the grand staircase leading upward to a summit you can no longer see as night begins to fall. Tiny black spots dot the sides of each steppe in the pyramid, denoting the entire thing may actually be hollow, full of rooms.
Despite the twilight gloom covering the surrounding area, the ziggurat itself and immediate surrounds are relatively well lit, the entire thing glowing with some sort of source-less light that paint everything in a pale blue.
The air is still and quiet. You hear no rustling of sand on sand, nor any animal noises, or any other sounds beyond those you make...and even those come out muffled, as though the grand pyramid dampens all sounds around it.
Olsson gathers some water from the Spider, refilling his kettle and canteen, then his little "ale-pot." Satisfied, he checks his gear and prepares to settle in for the night.
Thetsu leans back and reads his book in between small bites of bread. He sniffles a little and wipes his eyes before continuing reading.