Luthor continues hammering the dream.
Bjorkus jabs at the shadowy creature in a frenzy to finish it off.
The minotaur’s attacks disperse the second dream leaving the room silent and empty.
A search of the building’s second floor reveals well-furnished bedrooms that are otherwise empty and without anything of value.
The cellar in the southwest building is similarly empty and the stairs in that building lead up to the fort’s walls.
A short trek through a rough trail later, the party arrives at the rocky hills that were observed from out at sea – the same hills the spirit of Bikendi noted as being home to indigenous harpies.
As the party approaches one of the bird-women comes screeching into view but she is unlike any harpy anyone has ever heard of.
To begin she’s enormous, easily three meters tall and massively built. Her feathers are a deep crimson and a single large central eye adorns her forehead where two should be. She clutches a large bow in her gnarled claw-like hands.
”Who are these tiny morsels that intrude on the domain of the Daughters of Imerta!”
"We're the new landlords of this island now. Who is this Imerta?" Luthor looks up
The giant harpy glares in anger at Luthor’s bold claim but clams when he mentions the name ‘Imerta’.
”Imerta is our ancient queen, beautiful and wise beyond her years. She is the one that came here and bedded the first of the brutes that claim this land as their own. Under her rule our people grew powerful and strong.”
"Can we speak to her?"
"No", the harpy screeches.
"She is gone. Betrayed and slain ages ago."
"Who leads you now?"
"One of my sisters. Why do you ask? What do you want human?"
"Like I said, this island's ours, but we're not opposed to sharing it. We should talk."
"WHAT. DO. YOU. WANT."
Kal clears his throat before Luthor gets the whole group attacked. "We'd like to discuss an arrangement... concerning some other inhabitants of our island; I believe they're a few miles north of here, and we're told that you may be able to assist us."
"What inhabitants?" she says while narrowing her gaze.
"There aren't many living on this island. Are you their allies?"
"We are not."
"So you're not their allies? Prove it. There's a small camp of them west of here. Slay them and bring me their eyes. Do this and I will get you an audience with my sisters and we will hear what you have to say."
"Fine. We'll be back."
Following the directions west, the party easily finds the camp the harpy spoke of. Camped at the foot of an enormous ruined statue are four one-eyed hulking humanoids. They appear to be rather bored.
"These are cyclops. They're face-beaters with the power to occasionally see the future."
"I don't particularly like the sound of that... but it looks like we'll have to fight one group or the other. Shall we begin, then?"
Kal takes a moment to activate his pearl, allowing him to once more access his magical fire.
With a shrug, Kal begins preparing for the upcoming fight. He enhances Luthor's strength, focuses his mind for a few seconds on his own vision and aim, and then uses his rod to summon flames to his hands. After that, he grins at the others. "I'll lead with a bit of assistance from nature..."
Kal's body distorts and becomes wispy, retaining only the barest hint of a presence as he morphs into an elemental of air. The elemental nods once, and suddenly the clouds above rain down ice and sleet upon the bored brutes in the camp.
The giants cry out in pain as they're pelted by chunks of ice.
Bjorkus roars and brandishes his trident.
Chubwart steps forward and takes a couple shots.
The arrows pelt their targets.
The giants draw their weapons and advance.
Air-Kal throws fiery... fire... at the leading giant, then flies back and up five feet into the air.
"You heard the man. Let's go!" Luthor will Bjorkus and move directly forward 30 feet.
Bjorkus lowers his horns and charges forward.
Wind-Kal's flames stagger one of the giants and Bjorkus drives his horns deep into the ribs of another.
Opal hurls a lightning ball into the midst of the approaching giants.
The heavily wounded giant goes down with a cry of pain and the other is badly scorched.
Chubwart dashes forward and takes another shot.
The giants advance again, one charging Luthor and the other two pressing in on the forward Bjorkus.
With uncanny accuracy they smash into Luthor and Bjorkus. The semi-ulfen suffers a grazing wound but one of the giants buries their axe deep into Bjorkus’s ribs. The minotaur staggers for the blow and spits up blood.
Luthor grunts as he is struck (27 is not grazed) and he steps forward to AC13 and unleashes a hard right hook.
Wind-Kal blusters in agitation at the violence done to his comrades. Quickly he calls up more ice to serve him against the party's foes.
The giant grunts in pain as Luthor’s knuckles collide with it’s kneecap.
Kal’s spears of frost pelt the giants but neither are toppled.
Bjorkus jabs at the giant as it runs past him.
***
Dizzy with blood loss and pain, the bull focuses on his fury and drives his trident into his foes.
Chubwart dashes across the field with murder in his eyes.
The giant takes a swing as the goblin closes the gap.
But misses the wily goblin.
Chubwart’s dagger drives deep into the giant’s side.
Opal steps forward and hurls two rays of electricity.
The sorceress's spell finishes the job and the last giant falls to the earth, dead.
Wind-Kal flies down next to Bjorkus and puts a vapory appendage on the bull's gaping wound.
He shakes his head as if suddenly realizing something, then transforms back into human-Kal. "You alright?"
”Everything’s fine. That was nothin’”, Bjorkus groans weakly as the massive sucking wound in his furry torso seals up.
”But thanks for the help”, the bull says with a nod.
"Yea, it'll take more than a few axes to the chest to take down our bull." Luthor says before taking his knife and gouging out the eyes fo the dead cyclops corpses.