How have historic battles and cultures influenced your campaigns?

[Dragonblade]

What legendary historical figures or stories have inspired your campaigns?

I was recently talking to my friend Rich aka SHARK and we were talking about campaign inspirations. His world of Thandor is heavily influenced by classical history. For example, King Leonidas of Sparta who led his 300 spartans in ferocious battle against 2,000,000 Persian soldiers under the command of Emperor Xerxes! Greece's only hope in delaying the millions marching to enslave and plunder their homeland!

King Leonidas who when faced with Xerxes demand that his tiny band of Spartans surrender their weapons, replied: "Come and get them!"

For seven days, Leonidas and his Spartans held off the mightiest army in the world, killing almost 50,000 enemy soldiers in return! And they could have fought on but were undone by foul treachery!

Do your fantasy worlds have similar vibrant tales of heroism and valor? Or have your fantasy worlds been influenced by real world history?

 

[S'mon]

I'm certainly influenced by myth-history (like 300 Spartans killing 50,000 Persians) - part of the 'founding myth' of the dominant culture IMC closely parrallels the story of Horatio holding the bridge across the Tiber against King Tarquin & his Etruscan army, although in my version Davaran (Horatio) is eventually slain, but not before his companions have weakened the bridge so that it collapses when crossed, killing King Balfouris (Tarquin) and his best men, and saving Imarr (Rome).

 

[Hand of Evil]

Cannels - different cultures at different points in history, amazing if feats of engineering. I use them a good bit, mostly dwarf creations or a prior race, above ground and below.