So one of my RPG group members is reluctant to learn a new system, so in the meantime I'm writing up a set of encounters for a solo game I want to run for my brother set on Xurunt based around the Throne of Baphtar plothook from the
Tome of Blood.
For context Xurunt is a chaos feral world littered with ruined cities and inhabited by nomadic tribes known as the Xur, who worship a god called Baphtar who is either Khorne or a powerful daemon of Khorne. There are eight statues of this god scattered around the planet, one of which somtimes has a throne appear at the base of it, if someone can hold the throne against all challengers for a year and a day they become Baphtar's chosen warrior and will unite all of Xurunt under their banner.
The Xur mostly fight each other, the weather and the wildlife, but they also have to contend with a subterranean race called Svartlings who kidnap the Xur to use them as slaves and sacrifice them to dark gods and power daemon engines. The Svartlings are ruled by Sorcerer Kings, so Baphtar's faithful really hate them.
So my basic idea is to have my brother already be a warrior of sufficient power that he is contesting the throne, having come to claim it in the Spring and now faced with holding it for a full year against various encounters while also keeping his tribe from abandoning him to go do something more proactive. I'm thinking 8 challenges would be appropriate for a Khorneate rite.
Ideas I have for challengers in no particular order:
The twin brothers Burlok, two chieftains who will need to be fought in an arena battle on foot.
An array of lesser tribes waging an outright attack with some mounted lesser chieftains trying to defeat the defending tribe. Fought in a small skirmish battle against the chieftains themselves and with some of Black Crusades mass combat rules brought into play, as well as possible use of horde rules.
An Onir, a daemon engine made by the Svartlings who live underground and prey on the Xur sent to try and kill the champion before they can unite the tribes. Probably the least fair fight, will need to keep an eye on the weapons the champion has to make sure they can even hurt it themselves.
Alrick Hrafnmann, a Xur Sorcerer who commands a giant beast as a mount, (leaning towards a Frostwyrm from
Tome of Excess.) Driven to stop the champion by vague and possibly misleading visions of the future.
A duel with a Bloodletter of Khorne, plus a flesh hound if the champion is a psyker.
Betrayal from within, one or more of the tribesmen try to overthrow the champion, possibly trying murder or poisoning before an actual challenge. Weakish combatants, but potential for the champion to be taken by surprise or drugged.
The Brazen Beast, a Xur possessed by a juggernaught of Khorne and bearing a number of randomly generated mutations.
A horde of various beasts preceding a stampede of Xurunsh, apex carnivores the Xur use as mounts. A large battle against lots of little animals followed by big monsters.
The veil thins and a host of lesser warp spirits breaks through, Nether Swarms, Furies and other minor entities from various sources.
Thiadri Bonecrusher, a giant (like imperial knight sized) mutant wielding a metal studded tree trunk as a club.
Anyone got ideas for other challenges appropriate to a feral world?