INNER WARD THE SEWERS 18 PHANTOM OF THE SEWER.

18 PHANTOM OF THE SEWER. The southern portion of the room contains a large pipe organ. The ceiling height is sixteen feet to accommodate this musical instrument. A man is playing the organ from a standing position, his back to the north door. The music is appallingly sad and yet oddly disturbing at the same time. Six stone decorations in the shape of gargoyle faces leer at the party from their positions on the walls.

The organist is the homicidally insane Erik Triskelion.

Erik Triskelion, Chaotic Evil male human Thief (AC 4; MV 12"; T 7; hp 25; #AT 1; D Short sword or dagger; S 14, I 17, W 4, D 16, C 13, Ch 3; XP 1075)

Thief skills

PP 60% OL 57% F/RT 50% MS 55% HS 43% HN 25% CW 94% RL 35%

Erik wears leather armor +2 and the ring of Sprax, see NEW MAGIC ITEMS. Upon his face is a yellow mask that looks just like the crying Triskelion face. He has a short sword and dagger, scabbarded. Since Erik has his back to the party he is +2 to be hit and has no dexterity bonus (DUNGEON MASTER'S GUIDE, p 70), however, this is counterbalanced by the +4 bonus he gets from the ring of Sprax, leaving his AC at 4 with regards to missile weapons.

His past is tragic. Spurned by his fiancee for a powerful magic-user rival, Erik challenged his opponent, only to be horribly burned on his face and chest due to a fireball spell. He fled to the sewer to plot his revenge. Creeping into the castle at night he strangled his former bride and her lover on their wedding night and then fled back to the sewers, where he has been ever since. He deeply resents intrusion.

The organ is actually a potent weapon, in the right hands. Erik can create several magical attacks by means of his playing, which he will use against any intruders. All attacks are made as if by a 7th level thief. Each face can swivel on the wall and will target a different opponent, unless there are less than six party members. Erik can cause the gargoyle faces to attack for the following effects:

1. Each of the six faces can fire a single dart, which does 1d4 damage. They are coated with a substance that causes the victim to be slowed, as the spell, unless a saving throw versus poison is made.

 

2. Breathe fire for 1d10 points of fire damage for each face

 3. Shoot forth a blast of frost for 1d10 damage per face

4. Billow forth fog that will obscure the entire room for 1d10+2 rounds, as a fog cloud spell.

Erik will normally begin by firing darts to slow his opponents. He dislikes melee combat and will attempt to avoid it as long as possible. If he is sorely pressed, he will resort to producing fog and attempt to flee in the confusion.

The pipe organ has fifty brass pipes, a copper pipe, a silver pipe, and a gold pipe. There are three banks of keys, all made of black wood. If disassembled the copper pipe is worth 60 gold crescents, the silver pipe 400 gold crescents, and the gold pipe worth 5000 gold crescents. As a set, they are worth 8000 gold crescents. If the entire organ was somehow taken apart and reassembled, it would be worth 30,000 gold crescents, but such a job would probably take months to accomplish and rob the organ of its magic properties.

The pipe organ is effective only in the hands of a trained user, who knows all the notes and chords needed to play effectively. If any characters attempt to use the organ, a random effect will occur, roll below (1d8):

1. 1 to 6 gargoyle faces will fire darts, poisoned with slowing poison, at random targets. They attack as the player's “to hit” roll. The player may be targeted.

2. 1 to 6 gargoyle faces breath fire at random targets. Otherwise as above

 3. 1 to 6 gargoyle faces breath frost at random targets. Otherwise as above

 4. The gargoyle faces breath fog, as described under Erik's attacks

 5. The gargoyle faces begin babbling for 2-12 rounds

 6. The pipe organ screeches loudly. Everyone in the room must save versus paralyzation or suffer deafness for 1 to 6 turns and take 1-4 hit points damage

 7. A secret compartment opens in the base of the organ, revealing 4 bars of platinum valued at 300 gold crescents each and a pair of rubies worth 1600 gold crescents each.

8. A secret compartment opens in the base of the organ, revealing 4 bottles of red wine, two loaves of fresh bread, a cooked chicken, and steamed vegetables.