Death Tower Hold

From PathfinderWiki
Death Tower Hold
Defiled Corpse tribe
(Organization)

Type
Orc hold
Leader
Headquarters
Scope
National
Structure
Tribal
Source: Orcs of Golarion, pg(s). 15 (1E)
Destroyer's Doom, pg(s). 7 (2E)

The Zagresh-worshiping1 Death Tower Hold, also known as the Defiled Corpse tribe, is one of the most dangerous orc tribes in the Hold of Belkzen. They delight in torturing captives, but they often torture themselves as a sign of endurance and devotion which results in their horrifying appearance. The tribe is feared and reviled even by other orc tribes.2

History

The tribe first formed in the Tusk Mountains before being driven from them by the red dragons Tyrkalis and Sheblis in 4682 AR. The orcs wandered until stumbling upon the Cenotaph, a mesmerizing black tower that issued a dream vision to the tribe's shaman at camp purportedly from the orc demigod Zagresh the Destroyer. In the vision Zagresh claimed the Defiled Corpse tribe's members were his chosen people, and in response they dedicated themselves to him by engaging in acts of cruelty, debauchery, and cannibalism.1

Leadership

As of 4715 AR, the tribe was led by Bugark Zomash, an antipaladin of Zagresh.1 However, Zomash went missing in 4724 AR during a pilgrimage to a Shrine of Zagresh in the Tusk Mountains.3

Ungukk Fleshdredge, the tribe's even more powerful shaman as of 4715 AR, created a two-headed flesh golem called the Carcass Man of Belkzen.456

References

Prior to the Triumph of the Tusk Pathfinder Adventure Path, Paizo referred to the Death Tower Hold as the Defiled Corpse tribe.

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Tyler Beck, et al. “Adventuring in Belkzen” in Belkzen, Hold of the Orc Hordes, 34. Paizo Inc., 2015
  2. Steve Kenson, et al. Orcs of Golarion” in Orcs of Golarion, 15. Paizo Inc., 2010
  3. Kendra Leigh Speedling. “Chapter 3: Whispers of Death” in Destroyer's Doom, 51. Paizo Inc., 2024
  4. James Jacobs, et al. Flesh Golem” in Classic Horrors Revisited, 13. Paizo Inc., 2010
  5. Benjamin Bruck, et al. “Chapter 1: Founts of Mythic Power” in Mythic Realms, 7. Paizo Inc., 2013
  6. Kendra Leigh Speedling & Genevieve Rudat Olejnik. “NPCs” in Destroyer's Doom, 90. Paizo Inc., 2024