I'm out friends. Thanks for the gaming.
All the best with your quest to bring justice to these bandits and make some cash!

Nomad, Thanks for having me and gaming with me the last couple of years. I have left Uthal in your campaign. Do as thou wilt!

Cheers

"Thank you, Little friend!" Uthal tells the songbird, "I would like to ask you, may I borrow your wings and eyes for a short time?
Should the small creature agree (hopefully, it is charmed by the 'Animal Friendship' spell), Uthal will cast 'Beast Sense". On his knees, his eyes roll back in his head so that only the whites can be seen while he takes the creature's body. Flying in the little bird as high up for a good look around and far as he can (toward the direction we think is the hangman's tree).

Sorry for your loss Nomad. Take some time and take care.

@Nomad, Thanks, I have updated my post.

At the Fainting Goat...
When D'Harum refuses her share of coin... Uthal insists the monk take what is hers, "Take it. It is yours." D'Harum, you can do what you like with your coin. Uthal, does not want what is not his.
ooc: I have updated my previous post to reflect our 5 person party (4gp each). Uthal has no wish to be Master of Coin for the group. As no one had claimed what we earned, I grabbed it.

Early in the morning, Uthal met with the party, Ready to head out.
ooc: I have updated Uthal's prepared spells.

When we come to the place we were attacked... Uthal stops and looks carefully around the area.
ooc: DM, Is there any wildlife around? (Survival or Perception check?) He is looking for something like a hawk, or small to medium bird or birds close by. But he will look for ground dwelling creatures as well.

Uthal crouches down and rummages around in the dirt with his fingers. Foraging for a couple of worms. When he finds some he holds them toward a couple of the nearby birds, casting 'Animal Friendship' at 2nd level, he speaks gently to them, coaxing them with a tasty morsel.

If successful he casts 'Speak with Animals', "Greetings, Friends." He asks them what they may have seen in the area, about the people that may be nearby, about the old hangman's tree and the bandits. What have they seen and what do they know?"

I vote to keep Fenris, if you are happy to play him as an NPC. Also means my coin split is 4 not 5gp each.

20 gp for a days work. Not too bad!
Uthal takes the 20 gp offered by the Captain and when we return to the Fainting Goat, as we perch at out table, he takes his share (4gp) and passes the remaining around to Soldad, Gerdar, D'Harum and Fenris.

Uthal agrees to join the continued expedition to capture the remaining bandits. He notes Soledad's frustration. "Might as well start at the old Hangman’s Tree. There is only the four of us. I can shroud us in a shadow's veil (Pass Without Trace) upon approach. It might keep us hidden while we look around."

He stands and loads his pack onto his back and picks up his staff. "We should leave at first light. I will tell the Captain" and he marches off to inform Captain Rambolt of our decision before returning to retire for the night.

He returns to the table in the morning.

Good to have you back Nimu and Tom.

I will post in the game thread before the end of the day here.

Before we head back to town: Uthal leaves the dire wolves to guard the prisoners with the others while he retrieves the other dead bandits and loads them upon the wagon to take back to town.

ooc: I am not sure if or how that will change anything.

On the trip back to town: He whispers something to his two wolf friends and they bound off into the woods.

Back at the town, with the Captain: Uthal says nothing. He listens, stoically as the captain lays out his terms.

ooc: I assume we will be finding a tavern together and perhaps The Drunken Donkey may not be our best option as the Captain suggested. DM, is there any other taverns worth frequenting nearby.

At the tavern: Uthal speaks in confidence to his friends "That Captain seemed to know more about the bandits than we have let on."

ooc: Correct me if I am wrong, but I don't recall any of us sharing the information about a wizard or a half-orc etc. And he surely didn't give us any information about that before we set out. I am with D'Harum. We finish what we started.

Uthal will take up lodgings in an agreed tavern. (ooc: Given he has enough time for a long rest and meditation, I will rearrange his prepared spells for our next outing.)

I agree. Our quest was to capture and return the bandits. For the money. Their fate from there is of no consequence to us.

Uthal wanders around the bound prisoners for a while, before walking off to the side of the road and toward the scrub, where he starts muttering to himself. Shortly after, he turns and from behind him, out of the woods appears two dire wolves on either side of him. He whispers to the beasts before they silently bound over to the three prisoners and slowly circle them in an intimidaing way. He walks back and stands nearby as the others interrogate them.

Uthal, as the raptor, stops when the mage disappears and looks around confused. After a pause, it shakes it head back and forth and he returns to his former self, the Goliath Druid, before making his way back to the stink cloud near the wagon.

@Nimu, I'd really like to use these claws on one of these bandits, before Uthal reverts to himself. Any suggestions on who I should maime?

The Polar Raptor (Uthal) thrashes a bit from the blast, rises onto its feet and shakes its head. It looks around with darting eyes. It tilts it head and with an ear piercing screech, takes off fast into the woods, chasing after the spell-caster (running towards the last known direction of the spell-caster).

ooc: If Uthal crosses the mage responsible for the fireball, he will attack with a 'claw attack'. If, he reaches his 50' move for this round, he will stop and do a perception check, looking and listening for the mage.

Uthal starts a run toward the last remaining archer. He moves quicker than usual as his body transforms. His feet meld into large claw like talons, and his face protrudes, elongated with ferocious, sharp teeth visible as he snarls as he shape-shifts into a polar claw foot raptor. Thick, snow-white feathers cover its body. He sprints past the archer (like a large ostrich), stopping 35’ back from the cart. He snorts and snarls aggressively, shaking his head back and forth while his eyes dart around as if searching for prey.

Ooc: counting on your sleep spell, Soledad.

 .

Uthal, still concentrating on his spell, moves as close as possible to the two rear archers (stealth check), indicating to Soledad and Thäoran his intention.

Should the veil be lifted from Himself, Soledad or Thäoran, he will cast 'Ice Knife' at the farthest bandits in range without risking any of his companions.

(ooc: I changed up the target of Uthal's Ice Knife spell so as not to tread on Soledad's sleep spell and not to risk any of our party.)

We are still too far away from most of the bandits, and before Uthal breaks his concentration to attack, I suggest we utilise his 'pass without trace' to get a bit closer and take out those rear archers before all hell breaks loose.

Uthal joins Thäoran and the ambush party.

As they travel parralel to the bait party in the woods, he manipulates some burnt leaves and twigs in his hands while muttering some words to himself (casting 'Pass without Trace' on the ambush party, group stealth check?)

Hi friends, my apologies for missing the last couple of weeks.

I suggest only a couple of the party act as bait, while the rest of us remain hidden in the ambush party.

Uthal clapped his hands together, "Well, I am all for hitting the road." He turned to D’harum, "Will you join us?" 
Returning his attention to the others, "I will retire and meet those of you who wish to join us on this quest to find and vanquish these troublesome bandits, here at dawn. "Until morn." Uthal leaves to find a suitable place to sleep and recoup. He will be here at first light with those who wanna go chasing bandits.

Uthal nods at Thäoran, "I have little use for gold, my friend! It is here should you need it." As a reclused, nomadic, outlander, he is gifted with good survival skills in the wilderness.

Uthal was glad to be travelling with these folk, and he would welcome the addition of the healer, D’Harum to the group.

He listens intently while Thäoran explains his plan.

Good plan! Uthal can offer up 'Pass without Trace'. Which will give us a bonus on stealth. Might be worth a look in for those ambushing the ambush. He has a few other druid tricks up his sleave also, should they find a place in this mission. 

The only hiccup I can see with the plan is we need to know where the bandits will strike. Unless the hidden party members secretly just follow the disguised party members until they are ambushed. As we don't really know where they will strike, that seems a might risky. Or we just go out, set up camp and wait in the hope that our treasures look inviting enough.

Sorry for the lame game post. Be good to get back on the road and into some trouble.

Uthal looked to Soledad, Thäoran, Gerdar and Fenris (OOC: I think that is the adventuring party. Anyone I missed?), wondering if they too would greet the Monk. It seemed clear to him that, as he only had limited healing ability, someone with such a skill could be an asset to this group. And D'Harum looked as though she could handle herself. He was sure we had discussed a plan to take on the bandits in the Barren Woods in the hope of earning some coin. Perhaps he had just dreamt it. Now he was not sure. 

Uthal looked around and then down at the little human. "Well, my musical friend. It looks like it is just us!" he says to D'harum.

OOC: Who's coming?