At the Edge of Humanity {IC}

[~Corvus~]

Jerid [...] does not fly out of the sphere, as that would merely get him skewered by dozens of arrows but does hover at its outer edge. Jerid attempts to locate one of the archers before they can kill all his friends.

As Jerid ascends to the now-vanished sphere of darkness, he encounters the surprised looking female Archer that he sensed arriving earlier. She has drawn her bow and seemed to be aiming intently at Tai below her, and she awkwardly looses the arrow at Jerid instead.

Spoiler: Flat-footed (surprised) & provokes AoO from Jerid, for attacking into melee

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(1d20+2)[11] & CC on 20: (1d20+2)[9]
damage: (1d8+5)[6] Piercing and (2d6)[9]cold but did not hit.
Effect: DC 19 Fort to avoid Slow.

As the darkness clears, Omar gestures at the suspicious movement in the tall grass where the arrows appear to be coming from. The grass suddenly changes into branches studded with vicious thorns...

With a quick scan, Omar catches a large number of arrow-tips poking out in two large patches of grass. As he summons the large wall, the grass twists and turns, partially revealing a large number of enemies and a red-leather-clad man with a brutal bow and glowing glyphs. Upon sighting the effects, he curses visibly and disappears from sight. The patches of grass are filled with the screams of lesser men and the snapping of bows and limbs as unfortunate men and women are surprised by the vines.

A voice calls out to the soldiers, Think of the glory slaying such vile beasts this day! Angra group, step back and recover! Pull each other out of those thorns! To Omar, this voice comes from the opposite end of the battlefield from Alala, just out of the range of the grasping thorns.

[~Corvus~]

Vutha growls and grips his sword as he says, This stinks of Tarok's meddling. There's no way they could be this prepared in such little time.

He does not move to attack, and instead focuses himself amid the Chaos. Transparent energy swirls around him as his concentration intensifies.

Spoiler: Vutha's actions

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Psionic Focus (DC 15): (1d20+13)[16]
Casting Force Screen: 4 mins, +4 shield AC

Vutha turns around, using his time to spot the nearest patch of grass from the building: it is 70 feet away. He hovers part of the way there, a mere 10 feet.

[whoiam]

"Vile?" Alala calls back in response to the voice trying to encourage the ambushers. "I would have happily left town peacefully if you hadn't tried this ambush. Which means at least four of you, " she tosses aside the lance with its four dead-or-dying occupants - honestly, humans are light enough she barely notices the extra weight - "would still be alive. And since you're still trying to kill my friends, I'm going to have to kill another group of you, aren't I? I could go for Angra group, but honestly... picking on the ensnared archers? That's just being petty. So I think I'll go after... You!"

Alala picks another patch of grass (half-way back to her allies), and charges, drawing her spiked chain along the way.

Spoiler

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By RAW, Alala can't mechanically intimidate anyone without a) being in Melee range and b) using her standard action on it. So I'm not rolling for it, despite her shouting.

Anyway, other than shouting at the rest of them as she goes, Alala's charging a second group, using her chain instead of her second lance. The survivor of her current group does not get an AOO against her, due to her use of Battle Leader's Charge.

Alala's in Leading the Charge stance, granting a +12 damage bonus to charge attacks for herself and all allies within 60'.
She charges, granting +2 to hit and -2 to AC
She applies 2 point of Power Attack, granting -2 to hit and +4 damage
She expends Battle Leader's Charge, to add 10 points of damage and ignore AOOs during the charge

Total: +26 damage, -2 AC

"Attack" - (1d20+18)[30]
"Damage" - (2d6+42)[44]

And since it's (also) a reach weapon, there's Alala's AOO if any of the people at the back of the group try to close with her (no combat reflexes, so she only gets the one):
"Attack" - (1d20+18)[30]
"Damage" - (2d6+16)[25]

[JonRG]

Jerid lashes out at the archer who, in the heat of battle, decided to shoot right next to him. Doesn't say a word. He goes for the throat.

Spoiler

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Attack: (1d20+13)[25]
Damage: (2d6+5)[15]

[~Corvus~]

Jerid lashes out at the archer who, in the heat of battle, decided to shoot right next to him. He goes for the throat.

The archer tucks her head as Jerid bites down, and his teeth glance partially off her jaw, tearing flesh from her face as she grits her teeth and groans in pain. She grabs Jerid, and grunts as she tries to get the dragon away from her, instinctively shoving him away.

Spoiler: Rolls

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Opposed Grapple check: (1d20+4)[24]

As Vutha hovers closer to a patch of grass a normal charge's distance away, a purple streak thrums through the air and hits Vutha squarely in the back. A trail of Lavendar follows him as he moves, dripping from what looks like a like-colored javelin. A commanding female shouts from across the field, several patches away from Omar and about 200 feet away from Alala. "Hit the marked one! All squads, fire at will!"

Spoiler: Crossbowmen firing at Vutha

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27 or higher hits
(1d20+14)[18] damage (1d8+7)[14] piercing, (2d6)[5] cold & if 19-20, x2 crit & (1d20+18)[22] CC
(1d20+14)[32] damage (1d8+7)[12] piercing, (2d6)[3] cold & if 19-20, x2 crit & (1d20+18)[36] CC
(1d20+14)[30] damage (1d8+7)[9] piercing, (2d6)[9] cold & if 19-20, x2 crit & (1d20+18)[34] CC
(1d20+14)[32] damage (1d8+7)[10] piercing, (2d6)[7] cold & if 19-20, x2 crit & (1d20+18)[27] CC
(1d20+14)[19] damage (1d8+7)[12] piercing, (2d6)[8] cold & if 19-20, x2 crit & (1d20+18)[33] CC
(1d20+14)[31] damage (1d8+7)[13] piercing, (2d6)[9] cold & if 19-20, x2 crit & (1d20+18)[31] CC
(1d20+14)[25] damage (1d8+7)[15] piercing, (2d6)[7] cold & if 19-20, x2 crit & (1d20+18)[29] CC
(1d20+14)[26] damage (1d8+7)[12] piercing, (2d6)[5] cold & if 19-20, x2 crit & (1d20+18)[34] CC
(1d20+14)[32] damage (1d8+7)[11] piercing, (2d6)[9] cold & if 19-20, x2 crit & (1d20+18)[21] CC
(1d20+14)[29] damage (1d8+7)[10] piercing, (2d6)[6] cold & if 19-20, x2 crit & (1d20+18)[33] CC
(1d20+14)[31] damage (1d8+7)[12] piercing, (2d6)[7] cold & if 19-20, x2 crit & (1d20+18)[36] CC

Before factoring DR, 89 P and 58cold.

"Vile? I would have happily left town peacefully if you hadn't tried this ambush. Which means at least four of you would still be alive. And since you're still trying to kill my friends, I'm going to have to kill another group of you, aren't I? I could go for Angra group, but honestly... picking on the ensnared archers? That's just being petty. So I think I'll go after... You!"

Alala charges into a group of crossbow-wielders that suffer a quick, grisly fate. Bones, limbs and broken equipment spill everywhere as she slams into them, hitting five men and leaving three others stunned, unsure enough that they don't even draw their sidearms. In the back of a group, she catches a robed man who smiles at her, wiggles a finger, and says Veyosh meh. In his place, a hulking man at least six feet tall appears in his place. He wears only simple brown robes and a corded belt. A strange blue light encircles his head and envelops his eyes in the same blue glow. The man reaches out to Alala and tries to grab her by the neck.

Spoiler: rolls

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She takes (2d4+2)[9] damage from splintering equipment around her.
Blue-eyed Halo man moves into Alala's range and takes a single hit, then initiates a Grapple, prompting opposed Strength (1d20+14)[26] and not inviting any more AoOs.

[whoiam]

Spoiler

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Ooh, grapple time! Against someone with... More or less exactly the same Str as Alala?

Grapple Check - (1d20+14)[16] (Str +10, Size +4)

*grin* Seeing as how I've still got it prepped, and there's always a chance I'll lose an even roll... Iron Heart Surge vs Grapple, yay or nay?

[~Corvus~]

As bolts fly into Vutha's form, the lavendar glow envelops his entire body. The glow turn from lavendar to bright purple to a brilliant pale light. Across the battlefield you hear groans and grunts as the light washes over people.

Those looking at Vutha Suaco only see the bright purple form, and as you move your head away, black-and-green contrails follow your eyes.

Spoiler: Fort Saves vs temp. blindness made for you all

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If you all have augments to add, please let me know.
J (1d20+9)[12]
A (1d20+15)[29]
O (1d20+16)[31]
T (1d20+8)[13]
Ve (1d20+7)[18]

[Silver Night]

Verin Pak

Verin casts invisibility on herself and moves closer.

Spoiler

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Stealth: (1d20+24)[28]

[Swami Monsoon]

When Omar heard about the impending ambush he'd imagined a handful of skulking assassins in black hoods... not a small army.

He drops into a crouch, trying to duck into the undergrowth and stay out of the line of fire. He then looks towards where the volley of bolts had come from and gestures again. The grass and weeds begin to whip and writhe...

Spoiler

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Cast Entangle (spell-like ability) on biggest clump of crossbowmen/archers that I can see that has yet to be harmed or engaged, getting the officer if possible.

[whoiam]

The tall (well, by non-centaur standards - Alala's almost 2' taller than him) man makes a grab for her throat. And he made good contact, shrugging off the chain blow and latching on. Against another biped, that probably would have been it for this fight - Alala couldn't use her chain against a foe holding onto her like that. Still, he wasn't the first grappler to make contact with her. There were solutions for such situations. Especially considering that most grapplers trained to fight 4-limbed foes. Some few had experience fighting 6-limbed foes. Alala had 8...

...So, she started by dropping her chain (which she couldn't use in a grapple anyway) to try and drag his hands off her throat. When they weren't enough, she just 'cheated', slapping his arms away with her wings. And lo and behold, the moment his grip faltered, there were four legs ready to carry her from trouble...

...90' away from trouble. While drawing her spare lance along the way.

No prizes for guessing what she was planning to do next round...

Spoiler

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Dropping her chain (Free action)
Using Alala's Iron Heart Surge (in the form of a damage-free wing slam to his arms) to break the grapple. (Standard action)
Running 90' into open ground (and drawing her second lance) to set herself up for a charge next round (Move Action)

[JonRG]

Jerid suppresses his panic and lashes out at the archer.

Spoiler: Help, I don't know how my full attacks work. I'm just gonna roll my bites and lemme know if I get more.

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Bite 1 Attack: (1d20+13)[20] Bite 1 Damage: (1d6+5)[11]

Bite 2 Attack: Haha, just kidding. This is a Claw 1: (1d20+8)[26] Bite 2 Damage: (1d6+5)[7]

[Stegyre]

Tai

Alala seems not to need his help, so Tai creeps out, around the building, making maximum use of the cover and looking for the leaders: the of Lavender- and golden-voiced ones.

Spoiler

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Move 25', still hiding (1d20+23)[28]
standard action to ready Brain Lock on (1) Lavender, (2) Golden, or (3) our old half-orc friend with the bow, in that order of priority, assuming I find more than one. DC 19.

[~Corvus~]

A shout begins across the battlefield - The time is righ- and it cuts off. Tai can feel his Brain Lock triggered, right on target.

Across the way, another voice rings out, The Vile one has been banished! All units, focus your fire upon the centaur! Our lives are at stake!

Bolts fly from every direction towards Alala, almost at random. She is being targeted with impunity. It seems that her speed is the only thing saving her from death.

Spoiler: Attacks against Alala

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(1d20+2)[14] 19-20 crit x2 (1d8+1)[7] and (2d6)[7] cold. CC (1d20+6)[9]
(1d20+2)[17] 19-20 crit x2 (1d8+1)[9] and (2d6)[12] cold. CC (1d20+6)[12]
(1d20+2)[15] 19-20 crit x2 (1d8+1)[9] and (2d6)[7] cold. CC (1d20+6)[24]
(1d20+2)[10] 19-20 crit x2 (1d8+1)[4] and (2d6)[11] cold. CC (1d20+6)[20]
(1d20+2)[8] 19-20 crit x2 (1d8+1)[8] and (2d6)[5] cold. CC (1d20+6)[17]
(1d20+2)[12] 19-20 crit x2 (1d8+1)[6] and (2d6)[3] cold. CC (1d20+6)[19]
(1d20+2)[16] 19-20 crit x2 (1d8+1)[7] and (2d6)[4] cold. CC (1d20+6)[7]
(1d20+2)[10] 19-20 crit x2 (1d8+1)[9] and (2d6)[4] cold. CC (1d20+6)[23]
(1d20+2)[8] 19-20 crit x2 (1d8+1)[9] and (2d6)[11] cold. CC (1d20+6)[16]
(1d20+2)[14] 19-20 crit x2 (1d8+1)[4] and (2d6)[9] cold. CC (1d20+6)[9]
(1d20+2)[11] 19-20 crit x2 (1d8+1)[8] and (2d6)[11] cold. CC (1d20+6)[11]
(1d20+2)[13] 19-20 crit x2 (1d8+1)[3] and (2d6)[10] cold. CC (1d20+6)[13]
(1d20+2)[12] 19-20 crit x2 (1d8+1)[5] and (2d6)[11] cold. CC (1d20+6)[19]
(1d20+2)[22] 19-20 crit x2 (1d8+1)[3] and (2d6)[10] cold. CC (1d20+6)[17]
(1d20+2)[10] 19-20 crit x2 (1d8+1)[4] and (2d6)[5] cold. CC (1d20+6)[10]
(1d20+2)[22] 19-20 crit x2 (1d8+1)[7] and (2d6)[9] cold. CC (1d20+6)[12]
(1d20+2)[15] 19-20 crit x2 (1d8+1)[2] and (2d6)[5] cold. CC (1d20+6)[23]
(1d20+2)[10] 19-20 crit x2 (1d8+1)[3] and (2d6)[3] cold. CC (1d20+6)[23]
(1d20+2)[10] 19-20 crit x2 (1d8+1)[7] and (2d6)[5] cold. CC (1d20+6)[15]
(1d20+2)[20] 19-20 crit x2 (1d8+1)[4] and (2d6)[7] cold. CC (1d20+6)[13]
(1d20+2)[4] 19-20 crit x2 (1d8+1)[8] and (2d6)[8] cold. CC (1d20+6)[25]
(1d20+2)[18] 19-20 crit x2 (1d8+1)[6] and (2d6)[6] cold. CC (1d20+6)[12]

A force of bolts follow Alala's journey away from her latest kills. They are all from a patch partway between her distant kill and where she stops, about 50 feet from her.

Spoiler

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(1d20+7)[25] 17-20 crit x3 (1d10+8)[18] and (2d6)[4] cold. CC (1d20+11)[23]
(1d20+4)[8] 19-20 crit x2 (1d8+2)[6] and (2d6)[7] cold. CC (1d20+8)[21]
(1d20+4)[15] 19-20 crit x2 (1d8+2)[7] and (2d6)[7] cold. CC (1d20+8)[28]
(1d20+4)[18] 19-20 crit x2 (1d8+2)[7] and (2d6)[4] cold. CC (1d20+8)[9]
(1d20+4)[17] 19-20 crit x2 (1d8+2)[5] and (2d6)[8] cold. CC (1d20+8)[27]
(1d20+4)[19] 19-20 crit x2 (1d8+2)[10] and (2d6)[6] cold. CC (1d20+8)[13]

The voice that called out previously to Andra group is now in a different location. It seems to be coming from the back of the building, on the side opposite the group. Zenta group, Yeva group, Omra Group, Yougha group, Neela group! We have the monsters pinned! Surround and setup! They will not last!

[~Corvus~]

A cacophany of acknowledgement follows the order from the voice of the archer. It seems to Omar and Alala that there are several hundreds more voices than currently present in the field. It seems to Jerid that the extra voices seem closer to five hundred more.

Omar and Tai, despite their efforts at suppressing the opposition, are beginning to find an understanding of the battlefield conditions. They are facing Eastward, and Alala is currently north and east of her companions.

There is a large cluster of areas to the North of the warehouse that have many crossbowmen. The clusters to the south are currently entangled or dying to grasping thorns. There is a small group struggling to extricate the survivors from the thorns and entangling vines to the South. To the North and east of Alala are two other clusters of likely crossbowmen.

Some of the bolts that attacked Alala are from the south-and-Western area, which cannot be attacked from Verin, Tai and Omar's positions, but indicates that there are, in total, about eight visible clusters and at least two others hidden currently, a caster of unknown location, a red-clothed commander to the South, a lavendar-clothed leader to the north, and a brain-locked commander to the north-east, close to Alala.

[Stegyre]

Tai

My, my, so many of them. We probably won't win this by force of arms.

We probably won't "win," period.

Yet that doesn't mean it's quite time to run. Let's see if I can work any mischief.

Keeping low and slow to the ground, Tai makes his way as best he can (avoiding enemies) towards the brain locked leader.

Spoiler

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keeping the brain lock on, moving half speed (25') and continuing to hide. (Stealth - (1d20+23)[27])

How do you like your well-covered battlefield, now?

[whoiam]

Mental note: In future, wear some damn barding to my next pitched battle.

Alala had an agonising decision to make, and only about a second in which to make it. Does she charge the big guy? It'd give her a chance to recover her chain. And it's possible the archers would stop shooting at her if she wasn't a solo target anymore. But the drawbacks: If she killed him on the initial charge, she'd just make herself a target again. If she went all-out on that charge she'd be a sitting duck for the archers afterwards. Especially if they didn't bother to check if their guy was dead and just decided to shoot her anyway. Or did she charge one of the groups of archers? They'd be easy kills, but by her count there's still a half-dozen groups of them out there, and she can't really stand up to most of another volley.

Or she could run for it, more or less guaranteeing that she won't ever see that enchanted chain again. And increasing the odds of one of her team-mates being felled by the next volley. Still, they might have better odds of escaping than she does. They're closer to town, after all, and probably some of them will be able to find hiding places now that she and Vutha are both out of the fight....

...So, it's decided then. She'll just have to hope the three bolts hanging out of her abdomen haven't sapped her gallop speed any...

Spoiler

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Alala's running for it. At a dead run she'll hit 450' in a round. She's looking for any potential cover that is in a direction away from her colleagues, so any attempt at pursuit means either splitting their forces or letting one of the groups get away to lick their wounds. Ideally large cover (such as a hill or an extended area of tall-enough vegetation), because she might have to stay hidden for quite some time...

[Swami Monsoon]

Seeing Vutha go down and Alala on the run, Omar decides there's not much else he can do against these numbers. He fades into the undergrowth and carefully makes his way towards what he hopes is a gap in the ring of enemies...

This is literally a small army, several hundred at least. We need to get out of here! he thinks as hard as he can. Tai has some kind of mental powers, right? Maybe he can hear that and pass it on...

Spoiler

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Activate Walk Unseen
Move east, looking for an area with few/no enemies
Stealth (1d20+30)[35] (add 16 if the area counts as "wooded")

[Silver Night]

Verin

Verin drops some Obscuring Mist to help allies with any retreat.

[~Corvus~]

A hail of bolts hit the spot where Alala was. As she runs, even more hit the ground. A trail of bolts follow her trail, and only a little too late the attacks adjust to her trajectory.

Spoiler: attacks on Alala

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(1d20-3)[14] 19-20 Crit (1d8)[2] piercing +(2d6)[6] cold CC (1d20+1)[4]
(1d20-3)[13] 19-20 Crit (1d8)[8] piercing +(2d6)[6] cold CC (1d20+1)[21]
(1d20-3)[0] 19-20 Crit (1d8)[6] piercing +(2d6)[9] cold CC (1d20+1)[16]
(1d20-3)[-1] 19-20 Crit (1d8)[6] piercing +(2d6)[7] cold CC (1d20+1)[3]
(1d20-3)[15] 19-20 Crit (1d8)[6] piercing +(2d6)[10] cold CC (1d20+1)[3]
(1d20-3)[5] 19-20 Crit (1d8)[3] piercing +(2d6)[11] cold CC (1d20+1)[5]

Mist rises from the ground as Omar slips away successfully towards the mountains as the crossbowmen fire at Alala. Meanwhile, Tai heads towards the action where the golden-clothed leader remains. As he does so, he hears another voice. Capture the Blue! We can use her Alive.

Jerid feels a sense of danger right before a purple lance plunges towards him.

Spoiler: attack

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(1d20+11)[20] attack, and (1d20+11)[22] to beat SR[/COLOR]

[JonRG]

Jerid's heart thuds in his ribcage. This place might not look a thing like the Roost, but the battle brought him back there all the same. Screams echoed in his ears. "No... please... not again." he whispers, eyes squeezed shut. The mist washed over him, but still Jerid cowered. He was, after all, only a child. To have to make this choice twice before even getting five years under his belt... It wasn't fair. Victory was impossible, but to flee would mean feeling that humiliation all over again.

"Capture the blue! We can use her alive!" Green eyes snap open. Retreat looked like a considerably more honorable option all of a sudden. No time to correct the voice about his gender. He dashes forward, then pushes off the ground and flies at a break-neck pace for the tall grasses in the distance.

Spoiler

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Run for the bushes! No time for standard actions to activate items! Oh, and try to hide once I stop.

Stealth: (1d20+22)[39]

[~Corvus~]

Jerid can feel the whizz of a few stray bolts streak towards him as he moves.

Follow her trail! Shoot her down and the spell will capture he--

The voice cuts off. As Alala turns and watches from far away as she readies her bow, she sees a brilliant amber-red...energy wave pulse from Jeridexeles' form. As it passes by the lilac-robed commander she...swoons...as if..is she drunk?

As Tai is creeping towards the golden-clothed wizard, a red-and-amber wave of energy courses over him and washes into the surrounding grasses.

He hears a sudden amount of confused mumbling, giggling, and giddiness the likes of which he hasn't heard except a year ago when the Sodis Mage Experimental Collective successfully released their own breed of wardogs, an experimental procedure he'd been an early part of. They had so much wine and mead it took months for the smell to go away.

Every soldier seemed affected except the one brain-locked subject of his...

[Stegyre]

Tai's nose twitches, as he attempts to identify the magical effect

Spoiler

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Spellcraft - (1d20+19)[33]
K-Arcana - (1d20+17)[34]

And he continues to make his way toward Mr. Golden.

Spoiler

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Still creeping along, using stealth and move, keeping the brain lock on, of course.

[~Corvus~]

Tai scents a powerful Enchantment effect, but it doesn't exactly seems to only be mind-affecting. A particular spell eludes him, but a name such as Wave of Inebriation seems appropriate.

[Stegyre]

"Inebriation"?? Then, he remembers:

"A beer brewer's gem?"

Oh, those clever dwarves. Must be some contingent defense programmed right into the gem. Heavens help you if you attack the holder of the harlot's gem! he chuckles to himself at the mental image, as he scuttles through the grass to his destination.

[whoiam]

Alala can't see too much in the way of detail from this distance, but then, she was only looking for targets to sting the bulk of them into chasing her instead of her smaller, and probably slower, colleagues.

To that end, she picks the closest 'suspicious patch of grass' and experimentally fires an arrow at it, before running a little further back...

Spoiler

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"Attack" - (1d20+3)[14] - On the assumption that Alala's in range increment 5, so she has a -8 modifier on the roll.
"Damage" - (2d6+9)[19]
"Miss chance for Total Concealment - miss on low roll" - (1d100)[42]

Then another 90' back away from danger. Since I just rechecked the SRD and found bows/crossbows top out at 10 range increments, not 5...

[Swami Monsoon]

After retreating to the woods Omar looks for a tree to climb so that he can get a clearer view of what's going on and hopefully the whereabouts of his comrades...

[Silver Night]

Verin


Verin, still invisible, puts some distance between herself and the attackers

[JonRG]

Jerid stares in awe from his patch of wild grass. Had- had he done that?

[~Corvus~]

Omar scans for a tree as his companions flee west and contemplate their fortunes. Although he doesn't see a tree, he notices a climbable rocky prominence further west, a good 150 feet away. He is able to make it within a short time, and finds good handhold upon the rock. Thus atop a good vantage point, he looks back to find his companions.

Alala is further east and south to Omar. She has her longbow out, and is firing arrows from a very long range. Jerid has escaped the rooftop, and is flying towards his position rapidly.

Omar has trouble seeing Tai and Verin, but he remember the rat heading south.

Spoiler: checks

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As always, a good Perception check will reveal more, but it will be given penalty for distance.

[~Corvus~]

The affected soldiers mill about for a while, and many come out of the patches of grass. They seem to be trying to make out what's going on. One of the commanders is trying to tell when what to do, but is met by giddiness or silence. Whatever's happened to these soldiers, Tai can tell they are very affected.

Just as he reaches the golden-robed commander, he hears the steps of not-so-drunk people. Their voices are whispered outside the grass. The commander is within Tai's grasp. Where are we going? What happened to all them people? They look drunk!

Yeh, they do, but even our c'mander's is drunk. See, there he is over there.

Further away, Tai hears the steady voice of one used to at least being in control. who here is not drunk? He repeats the question loudly. A chorus of voices rings out to answer him. I will be taking command here. Gather your belonging! We travel north, forced march! There is a loud chorus of acknowledgement from what he would judge about three hundred soldiers, give or take, and Tai hears shuffling amid giggling and merriment of those inebriated left.
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Verin and Jeridexeles are able to make their ways to a rock upon which Omar is prominently perched. If they climb or ascend to the height of the rock as well, they can hear the chorus of acknowledgement and can see the departure of the small army. Where are they going? Why are they being left alone?