I’ve been sent more than a few links to quality comics hosted on Comic Genesis, and I’ve spotted a few good ones in thi’s years Comic Genesis Free Comic Book – but it will take some time to truly soak them in. So while I let my thoughts on them simmer, it seemed a good idea to switch focus for a few weeks to some of my favorite strips from another hosting site – Drunk Duck, which has been working hard at overcoming its previous less-than-professional reputation.

I don’t have much experience with Drunk Duck in the past, so I can’t say much about the state it was previously in. These days the site design is functional, if somewhat cluttered, and it seems much easier to search through the various hosted comics than it was even a few months ago.

What I do know is that, while there certainly seems a plethora of more amateur work on the site, it also has some real winners.

The Gods of Arr-Kelaan, by Chuck Rowles, is easily at the top of the list.

First, though, let’s talk about Dungeons and Dragons. One of many roleplaying games, D&D is often thought of as the king of the Hack and Slash genre – it is about looting monsters, levelling up, and fast-forwarding past the roleplaying part itself. To be fair, there are plenty of games along those lines – and there are plenty of times when just rolling the dice and chopping off an orc’s head is simply great mindless fun.

Even in more serious games with a much more dynamic plot, the thrill of combat has its place. But for all its focus on it, D&D certainly has the capability to be a game that indulges in story and depth. Regardless of the system at hand, that decision is one that comes down to the players – and to whomever is running the game.

I like running games. I am preparing to start one back up after several years on the sidelines, and I am remembering what is possibly my favorite part of the entire process – designing the setting. Developing an entire world, from creation myth to societal trends, from the rise and fall of past civilizations to the current dungeons and plot threads of the modern day.

I tend to think big, in terms of such things. It is both a strength and a weakness in many ways, and one felt just as much in my writing as in my games. It has one other added benefit – The Gods of Arr-Kelaan is able to win me over on the premise alone.

The main focus of the story is on a group of deities of Arr-Kelaan – ones who were, not all that long ago, ordinary people from Earth. Through mysterious circumstances, they end up on this strange new world with incredible powers, and find themselves settling into specific roles that fit their various personalities. Conflicts arise between them – and between other gods as well, including familiar deities from Norse, Greek, and Incan pantheons, all of whom have also found themselves on Arr-Kelaan.

One would think that such dealings would result in epic storylines, as vast and incomprehensible powers are thrown about – and that does happen from time to time, sure. But the real focus of the series is on the humanity of the gods and their worshippers. Exploring how mortals deal with ascending to divinity, how they interpret their power and responsibilities in different ways, and the goals and motivations that drive them.

The story starts with the star of the show, Ronson, waking up in this strange new land and slowly discovering the powers at his fingertips. Unfortunately the rest of that part of the story isn’t online (though it is available in print.)

From there, we leave Ronson for a bit, as we get a look at some of the heroes of the land – with a number of shorter tales mixed in, introducing us to the various gods that have started to populate the land. While not central to the main plot that begins to develop (and, in fact, set a significant amount of time in the future of the main plot), these stories do a great job of fleshing out the characters and the setting.

And after that… well, that’s when we get into the meat of the story, as we see Ronson learning to accept his new-found divinity, even as he searches for a way home. We learn how even gods can be haunted by the ghosts of the past – and the puzzle of how he and his brethren ended up on Arr-Kelaan all begins to come together.

The story is not just about him, of course. There is a whole slew of gods and followers and even the occasional oracle. Seeing them all interact – seeing them change, and seeing the changes they leave across the world – is a very interesting thing, indeed. It makes for a good story, certainly – and leaves plenty of room for humor, of course. Don’t let the epic nature of what is going on make you think otherwise – seeing these ordinary people given control over life and death is a recipe for all sorts of hijinks, and Rowles easily keeps the tone light and fun.

But even while he does so, there is a bigger story building up. The creation of a pantheon. That is a big deal, make no mistake – and lately, the stakes have been only getting higher. Ronson’s quest for the ghost of his wife – which has been his greatest focus since the series began – has finally yielded fruit… and a much more dangerous enemy than imaginable.

And from there… well, I suppose you’ll just have to find out for yourself.

The Prime of Ambition is a fantasy comic, which is usually a sign that a strip will be walking down a well-worn path that many have trod before, telling the same stories that have been told countless times before. This would not be a bad thing, for those stories are still good stories after all these years – but that is not what Ambition is about.

The Prime of Ambition is about telling a new story.

The Prime of Ambition is about defying expectations.

Our story begins with four young heroes on the brink of battle. They have come upon a dastardly sight – several soldiers of a corrupt nation are sacrificing an innocent maiden to a dragon. They know it will not be an easy fight, but they cannot simply stand and watch. With faith in the righteousness of their cause and their god, they charge into battle.

In a single panel they are slaughtered by a half-dozen unnamed soldiers.

They are not the heroes of the story. The two of them that survive are taken captive, and they serve one purpose – as a vehicle to open the story, and begin a tale that I expect will have many unexpected twists along the way.

Ambition, despite having its own story to tell, manages to stay strong on one of the greatest assets of the fantasy story – the setting. Not just its nature, but the fact that one has an entire world to play in and develop, a world of different races and cultures and societies, different lands and different rules. Ambition is set in the world of Oris, and one is able to get a sense for the detail of the setting from every distinct individual and place. The site also includes a guide to the world as well, so one can see it fleshed out outside of the story itself – which is a good thing, as attention to detail carries with it one fatal flaw, the deadly beast known as exposition.

The story is narrated by an elf named Audriel Sillendrey, a figure whose world-view has clearly been changed by the story he is about to tell us. First person narration isn’t a bad format, and is able to give us some insight into his character while leaving the mystery of other characters open. Unfortunately it also means he spends a lot of time – especially early on – explaining and introducing.

It is a necessary evil, in the end, and one made more tolerable by the art that accompanies it – each page is full color and filled with detail, bringing the world to life with every panel. In some ways it is a shame when such gorgeous artwork is cluttered up with text – but like I said, necessary evil. You can’t tell a story without setting the scene, and if the artwork is engaging when in the midst of exposition, it promises to be mind-blowing once the action gets going.

There are less than 60 pages in the archives, and the strip updates once a week, so perhaps its greatest downside is a tendency towards a slower pace – especially given the early part of the story is focused on character development over action. Whether that is good or bad, of course, depends on the characters, and – fortunately for us – that is where Ambition really shines.

As mentioned earlier, the story is told by Audriel, a sun elf – but he is not the star of the show. There are a couple other characters of note, but the main focus of the story is a drow named Thanatos. And Than… well, Than is somewhat complicated to explain.

The narrator, Audriel, hates him – hates all drow passionately due to his own personal tragedy, in fact. So we have to balance his view – that all drow are evil – with Than’s own actions, which tend to present him as a tragic figure trying to make amends for his people.

Now, if that was it, then this would be just another story told many times before. He wouldn’t be just another Drizzt, sure – no dual scimitars, no magic cat figurine, and the people he comes from are an entirely different type of drow; but it would still be falling into the stereotype of the outcast who has to prove himself against a society that distrusts him. Which wouldn’t make it a bad story, but it also wouldn’t be anything new, just the same tension seen – and overcome – countless times in the past.

But as far as I can tell, Ambition takes it a step further – because I get the sense that Than’s kind nature and behavior is all just an act.

I could be wrong. I suspect there is a lot more to it than any simple explanation might give – but there have been enough subtle clues that this apparently kind drow is fully manipulating those around him. That he has an agenda and motives well beyond what has been revealed thus far, and that learning more about that – and about him – is when the story will really start to get moving. He may not be evil, but the way he seems to act and move and speak strike me as those of a character who may well be amoral – who acts according to their own views, not through limits set upon them by society. And that makes for an interesting character indeed.

Of course… this is just my interpretation of the story and the character. Ambition is only in the second chapter, and it could easily have been an overly hasty judgement. As I said – I could be wrong. Who knows where the story could go from here?

But having those questions, and finding out the answers, is the mark of a good comic. Engaging that interest and curiosity is the sign of a good story. And as to whether my theories turn out right or wrong in the end… wouldn’t it be best to go and find out for yourself?