Grimward thinks for a moment as he works the ropes. "Hmm, now that I've thought about it, it makes the most sense for me to cast my protection spell on the strongest one of us, that way whoever else drops can be pulled to safety the easiest."
He glances at Gwendolyn with a sheepish grin, nodding at the fair haired warrior. "Gwen, you and I are the strongest. But errr... I guess it makes sense for me to cast it on someone with a... less focused mind than my own. I may be ugly, but I've dealt with magic most of my life. I know you're not keen on divine magic, and I make no promises that it'll work, but it's our best shot. What do you say?"
"This seems like a terrible idea," Gwen gripes as she grabs the rope and puts it on the ground. "Let's just get it over with. Do what you have to do. I'm not keen on any magic, no matter its source. But, if the choice is collapse in a heap or rely on some magic, I guess I'm going with the magic. Now, help me out of this. I want to get past this as quick as we can, and the armor will just slow me down." She places her shield on the ground like a sled and ties the far end of the rope to it. She detaches the shoulder pauldrons from her scale armor and places them on the shield, then - with help from the others - removes the scale armor itself. With the armored surcoat off, Gwen wears just a tunic and her partially scaled pants. She places the armor in the shield as well, then ties them both down to ensure that it doesn't slip out. "All right. Ready when you are."
After Gwendolyn is freed from her armor Grimward makes the final preparations, ensuring the ropes are secured.
He then goes to each in turn, casting Guidance on each. Finally he casts Protection from Evil on Gwendolyn.
"That's all I can do Gwen. You've got one minute before that spell burns out, so let's move."
Ormiz dumps his coat on the shield
"What bugs me is that this is the first day I haven't prep'd a stimulant in weeks."
"This is a bad idea. Tell me again why we need to go this way?"
"Because normally when there's a trail it's because it's the easiest and fastest way."
Ormiz looks at the bones
"Of course that does tend to attract muggers."
Grimward gives Ormiz a nod in agreement. "Better this than a dangerous climb. At least we can pick up anyone who drops this way. Now let's move.
Staryth nods and readies to move when the others do.
The group moves out into the trees, they scramble forward some thirty feet before the air begins to haze around them. And all of Ormiz's comrades slowly slump to the ground around him, leaving the alchemist standing alone tethered to five slumbering deadweights!
Orimz eyes open wide, and he fumbles at his pouches for something that might help.
no time... no time...
Desperately slapping himself to stay awake he realises about his only possibility is crude, rude and possibly fatal.
Mixing together a much weaker set of reagents than he normally does, Ormiz flings the vial at a bare patch of ground near the slumped pile of bodies.
A loud crack and a wave of fire sweep over his companions.
The group awaken to the scent of their own sizzling hair, to find a wide eyed Ormiz standing over them. They find their tiny white tendrils beginning to creep around their limbs, but are easily able to dislodge the frail root things.
"Go!" shouts Ormiz, starting to prepare another incendiary and dragging as best he can.
"Agh!" Grimward is violently roused from his slumber burned and confused. For a moment he looks ready to kill but his facilities return to him quickly. He stands up quickly. "Oh, good thinking Ormiz. Come on everyone, let's keep moving."
Shaking off the white creepers Criss stands up and moves with everyone.
Gwen picks herself up off the ground and starts to move again. "Damn it! I thought the damned magic was supposed to work! What did I expect?"
The group rise and struggle forward again only for everyone save Grimward and Ormiz to slump down in sleep. By now they can see that they are covered in a fine yellow dust.
"This isn't wor-" is all Criss can get out before falling again.
Staryth yawns, "We need to re..." and again he falls on his face.
Grimward grits his teeth worriedly as most the whole group fell once again. Yellow dust... Is this some kind of plant pollen? But why did the fetishes work and not my spell?
"Ormiz! We need to pull back, we'll never make the other side! Get out the way you came!"
Nothing's working, but at least Ormiz is closest to the clearing.
"WAKE UP!!!" He roars as he casts Create Water over Gwendolyn.
Water (2 gallons no less) appears out of nowhere, splashing Gwendolyn's face. Grimward then begins dragging the (conscious hopefully) body of the marshal back the way they came.
Sudden clarity comes to Ormiz
They're lightweights. It's some sort of sleep-inducing narcotic. I've carefully 'conditioned' myself, but these guys haven't had any exposure.
Ormiz aims a kick at Criss, then pulls with all his might back the way they came.
Dragging their friends quickly proves extremely arduous the claw-like branches tear at their companions and waken them painfully.
"Nails dear... you need to reign them in." The bard mutters at the first sting of pain and wakens. "Oh." He scrambles to his feet and tries to head back the way they came and add his muscle to wakening and pulling others the way they came as well.
Criss gets up again and starts moving back the way they came. There must be another way around this place. "We need to find another way!"
"no argument here," Staryth mumbles and strives to clear his head.
Grimward nods in agreement. "Wouldn't mind a place to rest up either. Not feeling too great, need to replenish myself."
"Defeated by slumber... not exactly material for a glorious epic on our part, is it?" Staryth gives a weak chuckle.
"Sorry guys, not sure why you're so succeptible" lies Ormiz "Given time I could probably knock up some sort of stimulant to help keep you up."
The group wait for another dose, but nothing is forthcoming, instead of the clearly visible haze they have seen before they see only a few tiny flecks of yellow. Presumably the trees have exhausted their supply, though from the extent of the haze they have seen perhaps only the first half of what they must cross was emitting...
"Hmmm... Potentially you could send some poor bastard out across the field at speed to deliberately trigger..." Ormiz looks around
"Just a theory"
"Well, I'm not volunteering if that's what you're asking," Staryth replies.
Vance wets a bandanna and ties it around his face to try to help filter out the yellow dust.
"We'll tie a line around someone and send them across. If they pass out, we'll drag them back. Eventually, the trees will run out of this sleep pollen."
Grimward wordlessly draws his scroll from his bandolier, quietly reciting the words to himself.
With the scroll used he turns to others.
"I'm going to regret this... But I'll do it. I'm pretty healthy now, and only Ormiz and myself have proven resistant to the pollen at all."
"So if that's the plan, pass me the rope." he sighs.
Ormiz squirms. The little body in his left upper pocket feels heavier than lead.
"No. I'm the logical one. I've got an elementary personal stimulant, I'm the lightest, I'm the most resistant and I know how to run fast." he sighs
"But dragging me back across that field is going to hurt, so if you have to I'm going to need some serious patching up."
"I wonder what triggers the pollen? Is it physical contact, or visiual? Maybe we could send some summoned creature or spell effect ahead of us?" The bard thinks after considering it for a moment.
Grimward shrugs, "Fair enough Ormiz. You've got a point." The half orc Passes him the rope. "But I hope Staryth still has some healing magic left. i'm burnt out.
Trembling a little Ormiz ties the rope around himself, draws out a small card snuff box and grins shakily
"Alright - appreciate anything anyone's got. Wish me luck!"
Ormiz takes a deep breath through the snuff box and assumes a runner's pose.
Grimard Casts Guidance On Ormiz.
Ormiz moves forward with magically enhanced speed, but the pollen coats him and he sinks to the ground amidst the roots as the familiar haze surrounds him. The rest of the group seem to be clear of the effect and remain awake.
Staryth frowns, "Let me try something."
He gestures and flickering lights fly from his finger tips. He sends them low to the ground to see if they trigger any more pollen release.
From a distance, Grimward casts Create Water over Ormiz's head.
Grimward realizes that Ormiz sixty feet away is too far away for his create water to reach. Staryth finds his lights have no effect upon the trees or the sleeping Ormiz.
"See if the water stirs or drowns the pollen, Grimward. Maybe you can clear a path with something physical, light alone isn't doing it."
First casting Guidance upon himself, Grimward takes a deep breath and enters the path. When 35Ft In, he Casts Create Water over his unconscious ally.
EDIT fForgot Grimward is holding the end of rope. He passes it to Gwebdolyn.