Coordinated orc raids are devastating the southern villages of the Kingdom of Korvast — but behind the orc warlord stands a goblin wizard with a four-day countdown to a demon summoning, a network of human spies, and no intention of sharing the spoils with anyone.
Welcome to “Orcs of the Southern Kingdom” 5E adventure! Within these pages, you’ll discover everything necessary to embark on this thrilling quest, complete with detailed descriptions of locations, encounters, NPCs and stat blocks, maps, and handouts.
This adventure also features a versatile and scalable system, allowing Game Masters to easily adjust the difficulty and complexity of encounters to suit their players’ preferences and skill levels. Whether you have a party of advanced players or beginners, you can tailor the challenges to ensure an exciting and engaging experience for everyone involved. The scalable system guides modifying creature statistics, making it simple to customize the adventure to fit your party’s level.
In “Orcs of the Southern Kingdom,” a party of 4-6 characters (levels 5-7) is commissioned by King Theron Vael to investigate a campaign of strategic orc raids striking the southern villages of Korvast with uncanny precision — targeting granaries and smithies while avoiding patrols, using intelligence that only an insider could provide. The conspiracy has three layers: orc warlord Grimjaw Ironskull believes he is fighting to establish a permanent homeland for his people; goblin wizard Korthak the Cunning has supplied Grimjaw with magical enhancement, tactical intelligence, and false promises while secretly engineering the bloodshed needed to weaken planar barriers for a demon summoning; and merchant Garek Marrow has been feeding village layouts and patrol schedules to the raiders in exchange for protection of his trade routes. A four-day countdown to the new moon drives every decision. The adventure is divided into three parts across six scenes, designed for one to two sessions of four to six hours total.
Part 1: The King’s Commission
Scene 1 opens in the throne room of Highcrest Keep, where King Theron offers 250 gp upfront and 750 gp on completion. Captain Myrra Ironward briefs the party on the raids’ tactical precision and provides maps, letters of introduction, and a quiet personal plea: her brother Marcus disappeared near Ashwick two weeks ago while investigating on his own. Scene 2 takes the party to the battered village of Harrow’s End — palisade walls hastily built, fields untended, citizens working in nervous clusters watching the tree line. Investigation of the attack sites reveals magically enhanced fire damage and stolen goods taken with inside knowledge; survivor interviews identify disciplined orcs directed by goblins and a robed figure at the forest edge. Merchant Garek Marrow can be caught in his deceptions with a DC 15 Insight check and broken with DC 17 Persuasion or Intimidation; he can then be turned into a double agent using Korthak’s sending stone (reduces enemy defenses at the Shadowclaw Lair, including pulling one of Korthak’s dire wolves away on a false errand) or handled by arrest, surveillance, or execution — each with distinct consequences. The scene climaxes with an ambush by orc war chief Skargh Bloodfang and three warriors in the Greyveil forest; Skargh carries a sending stone and crude maps marked with village locations alongside notes describing the party’s appearance, confirming they are already being watched. Skargh can be interrogated (DC 18 Persuasion, DC 15 Intimidation, or DC 15 Insight to find the right approach) to learn Ironhold’s location, the role of “the Cunning One,” and the existence of human collaborators.
Part 2: The Goblin Conspiracy
Scene 3 leads to the Shadowclaw Lair, a network of natural caves enhanced with goblinoid engineering hidden in a narrow ravine. The outer defenses include archer platforms connected by rope bridges 15 feet above the ravine floor (three goblins with a brass alarm gong), a concealed 10-foot-deep stake pit at the chokepoint to the cave mouth (DC 15 Perception, DC 13 Dexterity save), and Guard Post Bravo — Hobgoblin Sergeant Vex Ironjaw backed by four goblins behind barricades. Inside, eight villagers are imprisoned including four with specific intelligence value: 16-year-old Mira Brack (Willem’s niece, bearing the marks of magical experimentation on her arms), blacksmith Thomas Ironwright (broken leg, forced to enhance orc weapons), village wise woman Elder Sarah Thornwell (overheard Korthak’s full demonic plans), and Marcus Ironward (tortured for kingdom military intelligence, spirit unbroken, confirms his sister is alive and provides tactical information on both lairs). The party must decide how to handle the prisoners: escort them back to Harrow’s End (safe, costs the rest of Day 2), hide them in a nearby abandoned cabin (25% daily discovery chance), or bring them along at significant risk. Scene 4 confronts Korthak the Cunning himself in his deep laboratory — a natural cavern of arcane workbenches, a silver-inlaid ritual circle, and two magically enhanced dire wolves (reduced to one if Garek was used as a double agent). Korthak opens with negotiation, presenting himself as a visionary offering the party positions in his new order; DC 18 Arcana on his research notes reveals the demon he intends to summon is powerful enough to break free of his control entirely. In combat, Korthak (CR 7, 85 HP) leads with counterspell and misty step, uses fireball and web from the ritual circle, and flees via dimension door to Ironhold at 50% HP — leaving his laboratory’s treasure and intelligence documents behind.
Part 3: The Fortress of Ironhold
Scene 5 covers the approach to Ironhold, an ancient hilltop fortress reinforced with orcish palisades and watchtowers, its dark central tower flickering with unstable magical energy from Grimjaw’s failed attempts to continue Korthak’s work. Reconnaissance from the surrounding hills reveals patrol timing, the lightly guarded postern gate on the east wall, a section of mismatched repair on the northern wall, and visible signs of internal clan discord. Four infiltration approaches are available: stealth (scaling walls DC 18 Athletics, exploiting patrol windows at the postern gate), disguise and deception (speaking Orcish, DC check against guards), diplomatic approach under a flag of truce, or direct assault through the main gate (heavily defended, triggers reinforcement waves every three rounds). The fortress interior includes a courtyard guarded by four orc war chiefs at the tower entrance and rotating warrior patrols, lower-level dungeons holding 23 additional prisoners, and the Dark Tower where Grimjaw struggles with the ritual tome. Scene 6 is the climactic confrontation. Grimjaw Ironskull (CR 8, 140 HP, legendary actions) is frustrated, suspicious of Korthak’s absence, and increasingly aware he has been used — but still committed to his people’s survival. The encounter offers three resolutions: present Korthak’s evidence (documents, prisoner testimony, the sending stone communications) and watch Grimjaw’s rage break when he understands the demon would have enslaved his people, not served them, opening a path to alliance (he helps dismantle the ritual, withdraws his forces) or negotiated withdrawal (he stands his people down without becoming an active ally); or combat resolution (Grimjaw fights with warrior’s honor, accompanied by elite lieutenants Skarth the Bloodied and Grosh Ironhide). Regardless of outcome, the dangerous magical energies in the ritual circle must be dismantled through a series of DC 18 Arcana checks under time pressure, with Grimjaw’s assistance providing advantage if the alliance path was taken. Rewards total approximately 4,500–5,250 gp across the king’s payment, performance bonuses for rescuing Marcus and achieving a diplomatic resolution, Grimjaw’s personal hoard, and Korthak’s ritual components; magic items include Grimjaw’s Greataxe +2, the Cloak of Elvenkind and Ring of Spell Storing from Korthak’s laboratory, a Bag of Holding, and three potions of superior healing.
Release Date: 2026
Format: Digital (PDF)
Items Included
- Orcs of the Southern Kingdom 5E (PDF)
- A B&W Printer-Friendly Version (PDF)
- Maps
- Illustrations (Generated with Midjourney)
- Monster Stat Blocks
Leave a Reply