The Dearthwood: A Fantasy Forest adventure The Wild Orcs of the Purple Claw...

A Dungeons and Dragons adventure! (1st edition)

The Wild Orcs of the Purple Claw is an alliance of 8 evil Orc tribes. They all have a unique past, skills and some tribes still worship a White Amazon Queen in a lost City in the Dearthwood. The Wild Orcs have always lived here and always at war with the Elves, dwarves and humans. Their hated rivals are the Local Hobgoblins. Tribes: Vile Claw, Broken Skull, Death Moon, Broken Bone, Evil Eye, Bone Hand, Rotting Eye, Bloody Blade.
 History: Orcs have always lived here in a Stone Age Culture; though there are vestiges of forgotten magic and technology from long ago hidden all through the Dearthwood.  They use bows/arrows, spears, and knives.
Armor is at best ac6 (banded).Their society is primitive; have tattoos; wear loincloths, feathers and war paint.

 Orc lairs in Dearthwood are above ground villages. There will always be the following additional Orcs when the encounter is in the creatures' lair: a chief and 5-30 bodyguards (AC 4, 13-16 hit points, attack as monsters with 3 hit dice and do 2-8 hit points damage), females equal to 50% of the number of males, young equal to 100% of the number of moles. Lairs above ground it will be a rude village of wooden huts protected by a ditch, rampart, and log palisade. The village will have from 1-4 watch towers and single gate. There will be 1 catapult and 1 ballista for each 100 Orcs. Also found are their Orc temples to horrible demonic gods like Jubal Sag (qv).
  
     Orc tribes are fiercely competitive, and when they meet it is 75% likely that they will fight each other unless there is a strong leader. Being bullies, the stronger will always intimidate and dominate the weaker. Orcs dwell gloomy places for they hate the light. In full daylight -1 from to hit attack, but Orcs see well even in total darkness (infravision). They prefer night time to attack!  The depths of Dearthwood are gloomy indeed.

Wild Orcs: Lost City and 8 tribes:
 The lost city’s rumored name is Zolgozu (the gloomy place). Its age is over 3000 years, built by a mysterious jungle race precursor to the Ancient Altanians. It is a shattered ruin, deep in the forest (45 mile NE) on a dreary plateau next to a rushing forest river. Though it looks overgrown and deserted by day; its inner walls and underground tunnels house the Vile Claw: an ancient tribe who still worship a deadly White Amazon Queen.
The Eight Tribes:
- the Vile Claw: Ancient tribe uses a pointed Claw shaped cudgel (34% poison). Protectors of the White Queen.
- Broken Skull: feared hunters specialize in skull collecting. Weapons are a club and blow dart (poison (45%)
- Death Moon: at evil rituals in the full moon, these Orc Shamans call giant snakes and beasts to their bidding.
- Broken Bone: Fierce tribe uses bolo weapon (34%) binding arms/ legs; plus crushing dam 1-8. Slave takers.     
- Evil Eye: Fearless Orc tribe never known to retreat. However, they will trade evil humans for a price.  CN-E
- Bone Hand: Obscure tribe - slaves of the demon Tzarmar of the Citadel of Darkness. Shamans raise zombies.  
- Rotting Eye: Civilized tribe of Orcs with Castle. Ruled by a Bandit Lord. AC5, swords, bows/ballista/catapult.
- Bloody Blade: tribe charmed into service of the Vampire Queen, they guard Vampire Manor with their lives.
  Notes: Orcs are cruel and hate living things in general, but they particularly hate Elves and will always attack them in preference to other creatures. They take slaves for work, food, and entertainment (torture, etc.) but not elves whom they kill immediately.  Most Orcs speak goblin, hobgoblin, ogre, Orcish and lawful/chaotic evil.

Description: Orcs appear particularly disgusting because their coloration - brown or brownish green with a bluish sheen - highlights their piggish pinkish snouts and ears. Their long bristly hair is dark brown or black.                 Even their primitive armor (leather, padded, studded leather, ring or scale mail) tends to be uglified - dirty and often rusty. These tribes favor furs, skins, soft boots, teeth and feathers. The oldest Orcs live is for 40 years.
  The Wild Orcs in the deep woods; can move silently (surprise on a 1-4) and blend into the forest, so as to be invisible; unless attacking or moving. Some say the Wild Orcs rival the wood elves in woodcraft and tracking.
 All tribes and tribal shamans and tribal members are each fanatically loyal to different forest demons. (qv)

 Drums of the Wild Orcs (45%) is their way of communication. Within 1-2 turns of entering forest, drums start!

The Wild Orcs have no writing, just crude pictographs and oral legends of wars that date back 1000s of years. These legends also detail many forest demons that the Wild Orcs have abjured to and served over the centuries:
- The immortal white Queen is of unknown origins; she has seemingly always ruled the lost City. The Vile Claw tribe (na 565) serve her fanatically, bringing victims from every corner of the forest to die on altars to evil gods.
- Jubal Sag - a CE elder deity – his priests can summon and control beasts & lycanthropes. He is a shapeless giant form till he possesses his high priests; who summon deadly creatures in a grisly ritual of sacrifice.
- Tzarmar of the Citadel of Darkness is an Infernal demon who rules the Citadel of Darkness. It has a temple and shamans of the Death Moon raise and control a zombie army for this creature. The Citadel is a Death Trap!
- the Vampire Queen – Once monthly she rises to be fed by her retainers in her forgotten Vampire Manor. It is
the HQ for a tribe of charmed Orcs - the Bloody Blades. They use ac6, swords and bows; protecting the manor.

Notes: Below is the ONLY written info about Wild Orcs in the original CSIO module…

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