The Story So Far . . .

Although the original version of Alexander the Prince followed Alexander directly, I wanted to do the comic differently. Briefly, each chapter of the story will follow a character whose own story somehow intersects with the Alexander plot. To that end, each chapter will be named after the character that will be followed (an idea I got from the novel Catch-22). This allows me to explore a wider breadth of the Imperium universe while still telling the Alexander story.

In chapter one, titled Hector Augustus, I follow the emperor of the Imperium who also happens to be Alexander’s father. In many ways, Hector is the Prime Mover of the plot since it is his actions that put the Alexander story in motion (although this may not be apparent at first). Later in the story, I will talk a bit more about the prime mover concept as it relates to the Imperial state religion.

Chapter one has two scenes: the Study and the Great Room. The former is where the plot begins, as the Emperor’s assistant Kalidas enters to find Hector napping. That night there is a birthday celebration for Prince Richard, Hector’s eldest son and Alexander’s brother. After leaving the Study, the story resumes in the Great Room where the guests for the celebration are gathered. Hector enters (with Kalidas close behind) and welcomes everyone for coming. However, not everything is wonderful in the Imperium. As the Emperor comes down the main stairs, members of the crowd whisper to themselves, which foreshadows a few things for later in the plot.

The first person that Hector talks to is the Magna Ambassador, representative of the Magna Supremacy (another empire that has fought against the Imperium). In fact, during the previous war, Hector and the Ambassador actually fought against each other (and the latter still carries a plasma burn to prove it). I’m using this conversation to set up suspicion that the Magna Supremacy may be involved in the Pirate attacks against Imperial shipping.

At this point, I am still doing the renders of this conversation. I’ve tried to portray the Ambassador as towering over the Emperor (and everyone else). He is devil-like (except for his green skin) and rather large.

After I finish rendering the Emperor/Ambassador section of the scene, I will turn to the final section, which is Hector’s conversation with Rupert Tagus III, the first son from a competing royal family. Just as an aside, although the aristocracy of the Imperium is extensive, there are five primary families (the so-called Five Families). They include the following: Augustus, Tagus, Groen, Montrose, and Veber. Each one vies for power and influence, and often conspires against the other families.