Ortik Gutterrat's page

At 4th level, a druid gains the ability to turn herself into any small or Medium animal and back again once per day. Her options for new forms include all creatures with the animal type. This ability functions like the beast shape I spell, except as noted here. The effect lasts for 1 hour per druid level, or until she changes back. Changing form (to animal or back) is a standard action and doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity. The form chosen must be that of an animal the druid is familiar with.

A druid loses her ability to speak while in animal form because she is limited to the sounds that a normal, untrained animal can make, but she can communicate normally with other animals of the same general grouping as her new form. (The normal sound a wild parrot makes is a squawk, so changing to this form does not permit speech.)

A druid can use this ability an additional time per day at 6th level and every two levels thereafter, for a total of eight times at 18th level. At 20th level, a druid can use wild shape at will. As a druid gains in levels, this ability allows the druid to take on the form of larger and smaller animals, elementals, and plants. Each form expends one daily usage of this ability, regardless of the form taken.

At 6th level, a druid can use wild shape to change into a Large or Tiny animal or a Small elemental. When taking the form of an animal, a druid’s wild shape now functions as beast shape II. When taking the form of an elemental, the druid’s wild shape functions as elemental body I.

At 8th level, a druid can use wild shape to change into a Huge or Diminutive animal, a Medium elemental, or a Small or Medium plant creature. When taking the form of animals, a druid’s wild shape now functions as beast shape III. When taking the form of an elemental, the druid’s wild shape now functions as elemental body II. When taking the form of a plant creature, the druid’s wild shape functions as plant shape I.

At 10th level, a druid can use wild shape to change into a Large elemental or a Large plant creature. When taking the form of an elemental, the druid’s wild shape now functions as elemental body III. When taking the form of a plant, the druid’s wild shape now functions as plant shape II.

At 12th level, a druid can use wild shape to change into a Huge elemental or a Huge plant creature. When taking the form of an elemental, the druid’s wild shape now functions as elemental body IV. When taking the form of a plant, the druid’s wild shape now functions as plant shape III.

"Oi! You! Are you Gartaman Raelk?"

The gruff voice came from a dirty dwarf wearing furs and rags. He leaned upon a gnarled stick, and fixed the fisherman with a level eye. "Are you hard of hearing? Do I need to speak up?"

"No," the fisherman said, wrinkling his nose. It was a testament to the dwarf's powerful odor that it would make a fisherman turn up his nose. "I heard you the first time. I'm Gartaman. What do you want? I've no coin to give you for whatever hard luck story you're about to spin."

"That ain't it, friend," the dwarf replied, either ignoring or missing the insult. "I'm doing honest work, conducting interviews with the witnesses on the death of Maxis Opertung, the shopkeep on Yardarm Lane for the prosecution. You did witness the killing, yes?"

Gartaman nodded slowly. "Aye, I did. Foul business, that. The other guy just up and slit his throat."

"One step at a time, friend, one step at a time. Now, you gave a statement to the guards about the murderer. Can we go over that?"

"Don't the guards have it? Can't the city just examine that?"

"Aye, they can, and they have, but they've got questions about it. And that's why I'm here, to clear up those questions. If you like, we can do this at the offices? Of course, that'd take a lot of your day, and you look like a man who can't afford a day off. So, shall we do it here, or should we do it there?"

"Fine, ask your questions and go, dwarf."

"Name's Ortik, if you please. Anyway, let's start with the basics. You say you saw the attack happen. Tell me what happened."

"I was in the shop, Opertung's Delicacies, doing a bit of shopping. The wife needed some candles and whatnot. I was browsing the stacks when in walked a man. Opertung asked the man to leave, and he wouldn't. Begged him to give him some food. Opertung tried to forcibly eject the man from his store, but the other man pulled a knife. There was a struggle. Opertung lost."

"I see," Ortik said, writing Gartman's words down on a scrap of paper. "So, you witnessed the whole thing from inside the store."

"That's what I said. I also said that in my report."

"You're sure? Because I've been to Opertung's shop. The shelves are only waist high. The other man would have seen you."

Gartaman fidgeted. "No, he didn't. I ducked when the scuffle started. He didn't see me."

"Oh, I see. Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. OK, so he killed Opertung, and left the shop. You ducked down to avoid being seen, and he left the store. And then you did...what?"

"Left."

"Just left? You didn't even check on Opertung to see if he was living?"

"No!", Gartaman said, his voice quavering. "I panicked. I've never been around a murder, so I got scared and left."

"Fair enough. I believe you. So, you called for a guard then, right?"

"Yes."

"Except you didn't."

Gartaman was silent for a moment. "What do you mean?", he asked warily.

"Well, you didn't. It took the better part of the day for the guards to arrive on the scene. I know things take time to be investigated in the city, but the guards still put the death of a tax paying citizen rather high on the list.

"And that doesn't even begin to cover the other lies you've told me. For instance, that ridiculous comment about ducking behind shelves. Fine, he wouldn't have seen you on the way out. But there's no way he couldn't have seen you when he entered. You had no way of knowing what was going to happen, so he would have seen you, and would have either accosted you or killed you.

"But don't worry, friend," Ortik finished, a mirthless smile on his face, patting the fisherman on the arm. "I still believe you."

"You...you do?"

"Yes. I believe you've never been around a murder."

Sweat beaded on Gartaman's brow, despite the cool air blowing off the pier. "Please...don't do this."

"I have to. The man you accused? He's a good friend of mine. Father figure, you might say. Took me in to his commune, showed me the secrets of the streets. Old Man Hartelby. That's what we know him as. Now, you can either tell me who told you to lie about the Old Man, or I can convince you to talk."

"I...I can't! They'll kill me if I do!"

"We can protect you. The commune protects its own as best we can. You tell me what you know, and we'll get you, your wife and kids all into safety."

"No, you don't understand. Nowhere is safe from him."

Ortik sighed. "Fine. Suit yourself."

Ortik struck the man, and wrestled him to the ground. The man had years of hauling in fish from the sea, but Ortik was a dwarf, his muscles chiseled from the earth itself. There was no contest.

"Let me go!", the fisherman cried.

"Not until you tell me what I want to know. Speak, or I get my friends to help." The dwarf leaned in close to whisper into Gartaman's ear. "I told you, the Old Man taught me the secret of the streets. Tell me who did this, or I'll show you why they call me Ortik Gutterrat." As he spoke, a rat scurried towards the fray, chittering at the wrestling pair. "No, I've got this one, Wormy. Go get your friends though. This one might need some nibbling before he talks."

"NO! Alright! I'll talk! Gaedren Lamm! That's the man you want!"

Ortik released his grip on the fisherman, who remained prone on the pier, sobbing with fear. "Lamm. That name is not familiar to me."

"It should be. He's a crime lord, runs all sorts of terrible things. Sells shiver to expecting mothers. Orders urchins to steal for him. He'd sell his own mother into slavery if there was coin to it, and if he already hasn't, I'd be surprised."

"Charming man. I'll have to meet him some day. For now, though, on your feet." Ortik reached down to help the man up. "You've got a date with the guards. You've got a man's life to save."

"I don't think so, squat!", a gruff voice said as a forceful blow struck him from behind, sending the dwarf reeling. Three men fell upon him, striking him with vicious blows, as a fourth advanced upon Gartaman. The three restrained Ortik, and forced his head towards the fourth man.

"Watch close, gutter trash," said the fourth as he pulled a short sword and thrust the blade into Gartaman's stomach. The fisherman cried out and his eyes rolled up into his head. The blade was removed. Then reinserted. Again and again. Ortik wasn't sure which stab wound actually killed Gartaman, but in the end, it didn't really matter.

"Now, onto you, squat," said the fourth. "I should kill you myself, but I think you need to be taught a lesson. Gaedren Lamm owns these streets, and there's nothing you or any of your filthy masses can do about it. Your time is up. Enjoy your last days."

Then the beatings resumed, and Ortik fell unconscious.

He wasn't sure how long had passed when he awoke, but he knew that everything hurt. One eye was swollen shut, and they may have actually cracked a rib in their strikes. A rat was perched on his stomach, looking at him with dim curiousity. He scowled and swatted the rat away.

"Get off me," he grumbled. "That rat might know where I've been taken. Wish I could actually speak with them." He rose and winced in pain, making his way further into the city. There was a widow with children that he hoped he could save before Lamm found them. He couldn't save Gartaman, but he could at least save his family.

"Them today," he thought. "Then Lamm. Lamm's fall will save the Old Man. Save us all." Ortik hobbled into the darkness, popping a berry into his mouth to alleviate the worst of his injuries.