Roleslaying with Roman: character art
Hi! I’ve been getting a lot of asks and seeing such sweet comments about what certain characters might’ve looked like — and some of the art that was made but never shared — so I figured it was time to make a master post! Since the show has been canceled and won’t be returning (at least not as Roleslaying), I wanted to share everything here. You can read more below about the original series I’m developing based on my writing for Roleslaying.
Most of the artwork was created by @abd-illustrates / @abd-illustrates-art, who was an absolute joy to collaborate with. His talent truly brought this series to life, and I hope you enjoy seeing both his finished pieces and concept art for the project.
---
Chapter 1, character lineup
Concept sketches for Chapter 1:
You might notice that this concept work doesn’t include Youngblood! That’s because the original campaign was written for Thomas and Joan to play together.
Joan’s D&D character was Cal (short for Calcifer) — a fire genasi artificer who used their craft to cook up both spicy food and trouble in combat.
Cal Original art & concepts:
Roman & Ryker original concept art:
Ryker’s design went through quite a few changes — we wanted his look to complement Roman’s while still reflecting his elven heritage through the patterns on his armor. In the story, Ryker is an elf who uses magic to disguise his elven features — just as he once used that same magic to keep Reston hidden from the Bard King’s gaze while Roman grew up there.
Chapter 2-3, character lineup:
Chapter 4, character lineup:
The Bard King & Ryker, in their youth:
Ryker and Amadeus (the Bard King) were once married and part of the same adventuring party as Aunt Patty in their youth. When the two decided to start a family, they sought to honor Ryker’s ancestral tradition — receiving a blessing from the fae goddess known as “Mother.”
But the ceremony went terribly wrong. They asked for a blessing upon their soon-to-be-born child — only for twins to be born instead. The fae, ever nurturing yet mischievous, granted her blessing to one child and bound the other with a curse. As a result, Roman was blessed and allowed to live in the mortal world, while his twin, Remus, was claimed by the fae and raised in their realm.
Amadeus, enraged by this cruel twist, sought revenge. Ryker, torn between devotion to his faith and his family, chose to protect the blessed child, while Amadeus turned his fury toward the fae. In his obsession, Amadeus pursued godhood itself, eventually rising as the Bard King. His relentless hunt for “Mother” led him to a lost prince of the fae — Youngblood — whom he took from the goddess and raised within the Bard’s College as a weapon, hoping one day to use Youngblood to reclaim his cursed son and restore his family.
Meanwhile, Ryker raised Roman alone in Reston, keeping the truth of his father’s identity — and the tragedy that separated their family — a closely guarded secret, as well as any tie to his half-elven bloodline.
Additional Character Concepts:
Roman & Virgil's fears - Ryker & Noise
I’m planning to share individual images from the lineup in a future reblog, along with more details about the new original campaign, Echoes of the Refrain. (Still figuring Tumblr out, so hopefully I’m doing this right!)
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the art and story snippets shared here <3 Feel free to ask any questions! Since Roleslaying with Roman will not be returning, I finally feel comfortable sharing more about the story and character art.
Thank you so much for caring about these characters and this story. I truly wish I could have shared it with you in its entirety.
kianamaiart
theartofmadeline
kaledo-art
prguitarman
tangentwithtanner
jbbartram-illu
