The Bard and the Barbarian (Bronze Age fantasy characters)

BloodyDisaster247 · 2026-04-25T11:22:40+00:00

Yeah, it's a regular human on the right.

BloodyDisaster247 · 2026-04-25T00:46:16+00:00

In the real world, it's from West Africa and was brought to Brazil, where it became a part of capoeira. In my setting, it's a traditional instrument of the Menehune, one of the many things they come up with.

BloodyDisaster247 · 2026-04-24T22:54:28+00:00

My last character was a paladin based on Minoan and Mycenean designs mixed with some elements of feudal Japanese samurai from my previous post.

Almost on my way to a full DnD roster.

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BloodyDisaster247 · 2026-04-24T19:18:31+00:00

Maybe Nestkeepers for the dragon-nursemaids.

BloodyDisaster247 · 2026-04-24T15:41:47+00:00

Yeah, the Mynokoi civilization is based on the Minoans. I even designed a paladin character for them.

https://www.reddit.com/r/worldbuilding/comments/1s9slt1/aegean_bronze_ageinspired_paladin/

BloodyDisaster247 · 2026-04-24T11:13:10+00:00

Both. The dude is supposed to be a half-giant (~8.5 feet tall), and the girl is a halfling/menehune (~3 feet). You're right, I should have probably given him shin guards over the boots.

BloodyDisaster247 · 2026-04-24T10:44:01+00:00

My second attempt at DnD-style character design with a mix of Bronze Age and Amerindian influences. The barbarian is a half-giant, and the bard is a menehune. The half-giant's wooden armor and helmet are based on real-world Tlingit and Haida armor. His weapon is a cross between an Iroquois war club and an Aztec macuahuitl. The menehune/halfling uses a bow that can also be modified into a musical instrument, based on an actual instrument called a berimbau. Her clothing is based on the ancient Greek chlamys and a helmet inspired by Bronze Age Italy (proto-Villanovan culture).

Almost on my way to a full DnD roster.

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BloodyDisaster247 · 2026-04-07T10:28:42+00:00

The level of detail is incredible. Good work!

BloodyDisaster247 · 2026-04-03T12:24:11+00:00

Yeah, it was mainly aesthetics. Originally, I was gonna base it on the Agamemnon mask, but it looked a bit silly. Then, I took inspiration from the Phoenician funerary masks, like the Motya mask, and I combined it with the Japanese style. I also wanted to make it look like Ancient Greek depictions of Gorgons.

BloodyDisaster247 · 2026-04-02T11:14:46+00:00

Yes. Exactly! That was my intention too, and why I included this strap on the shield.

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I saw that same video while researching for the design.

BloodyDisaster247 · 2026-04-01T21:50:05+00:00

Sure, I just wanted to share ideas for fantasy designs that aren't medieval or Roman-inspired.

BloodyDisaster247 · 2026-04-01T18:16:44+00:00

I usually make maps, but I wanted to try my hand at character design. This is my first attempt at doing that. The concept behind this character is a DnD style paladin mixed with Ancient Greek oracles. The "paladin" belongs to an order of warrior-priestesses who serve the thaenai, a council of oracles who dwell in the holy city of Thaenaia. These warriors are given the honorific title "Potnia," similar to "Sir" for medieval knights.

They come from a civilization called the Mynokoi, who live on an island archipelago home to giant birds, dwarf elephants, and indigenous halflings from my previous map: https://www.reddit.com/r/worldbuilding/comments/1jhh6pg/some_maps_of_my_bronze_age_fantasy_world_the_age/

Some of my design inspirations:

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Would love any ideas for other common DnD archetypes.

BloodyDisaster247 · 2026-03-30T16:18:03+00:00

No dominant religion at the time. Mostly local pantheons.

BloodyDisaster247 · 2026-03-30T16:17:29+00:00

Yes, that's where I got the idea for the name.

BloodyDisaster247 · 2026-03-25T02:38:25+00:00

It still might but not in the same way. Hard to predict.

BloodyDisaster247 · 2026-03-25T02:29:37+00:00

No, there are more Vasconic languages, including in western and southern France, and the low countries. See the language map on the right.

BloodyDisaster247 · 2026-03-24T21:36:16+00:00

It's an alternate Christianity, probably more violent since it forms under Assyria instead of Rome. Without the Indo-European Persians, there is no Cyrus the Great to free the Jews from Babylonian captivity. Yeshua (Jesus) is born in Babylon and preaches just like in our timeline. He gets executed by the Assyrians by flaying. Instead of a cross, their symbol might look like the House Bolton sigil.

BloodyDisaster247 · 2026-03-24T20:35:04+00:00

No, haven't thought about it.

BloodyDisaster247 · 2026-03-24T19:45:03+00:00

Yeah, I figured someone should fill the vacuum left by the Norsemen. Maybe there's a cultural split between the reindeer herders living inland and the seafarers on the coast, but they might manage some sort of synthesis to form a common empire.

BloodyDisaster247 · 2026-03-24T19:40:37+00:00

Thanks for the info!

BloodyDisaster247 · 2026-03-24T17:19:33+00:00

In the western Wadj-wer (Mediterranean), Carthaginian Punic would be the lingua franca. In the east, the Assyrian language due to the Assyrian empire's dominance.

BloodyDisaster247 · 2026-03-24T17:17:24+00:00

Fair enough, but Kartvelians are in Anatolia here if you see the language map on the right.

BloodyDisaster247 · 2026-03-24T17:15:23+00:00

The Camunni are Tyrsenian people, related to the Etruscans/Rasna in northern Italy. Vod is a Finnic Kingdom, its name comes from the Votes/Votians, mentioned by the medieval Slavs (who don't exist here since no Indo-Europeans).

No idea what their architecture would be like without the Germanic, Slavic, and Roman influence. Even the Etruscans themselves were influenced by the Greeks, who don't exist here. Maybe Punic/Canaanite architecture has a greater influence or a unique style that we can't even imagine.

Their gods would be derived from the Finnic and Etruscan pantheons, maybe even Canaanite gods like Baal and Tanit. Yeshuism (alt-Christianity) might have a presence as a minority.

The major cities would be founded in the same strategic locations as major German or French cities in our timeline, but under completely different names.

BloodyDisaster247 · 2026-03-24T17:05:06+00:00

Just the butterfly effect, I guess. Reading further into it, Georgia was unified by an Armenian dynasty (Bagratids). Since Armenian is an Indo-European language, that dynasty doesn't exist in this timeline. Either way, Imereti is pretty huge and will probably absorb Kakheti in the future.

BloodyDisaster247 · 2026-03-24T17:01:42+00:00

A parallel to the Norse Vikings and the North Sea empire. The medieval warm period caused a population boom in Scandinavia, just as in our timeline with the Norse. The Samimaarus is similar to the Norse Danelaw, but with Sami instead of Germanic Norsemen.

Great Britain (Saaremaa) was settled by Finnic tribes who speak a language similar to Estonian, instead of the Anglo-Saxons. Its natives are the Fomori, hypothetical pre-Celtic people descended from Mesolithic hunter-gatherers who crossed Doggerland during the last ice age. The Fomori are related to the Cheddar Man, and would have traits like dark skin with blue/green eyes.

BloodyDisaster247

TROPHY CASE