Okay, I was going to write this comic with an awesome artist…we’d planned to discuss it, and I showed him the summary, etc…but he mysteriously stopped logging on about 2 weeks ago. I’ve been waiting patiently for at least a reply to my emails, but have gotten nothing. So…I’d like to find a new artist willing to take this story on. Here’s a summary of the basic story (I won’t tell you everything now, otherwise it would be a sort of spoiler if anyone ever ran across this thread and the possible future comic itself.)

The idea is basically a sort of adventure/fairy tale. It's in a fantasy world. Think ’Arabian Nights’. A desert kingdom called ‘Hashin’. A prince returns to take his place as the king…he has been away on a seven year right of passage, which requires that all destined rulers of Hashin must depart from their kingdom at the age of twelve and spend seven years searching for a unique treasure. He has brought with him a red ruby called the ‘phoenix’. If one stares into the heart of the jewel long enough, an illusion of a flaming bird will appear inside. The story is that whosoever owns this jewel will be re-born to seek revenge if ever he or she is murdered unjustly. The prince's name is Indrajit, and the jewel is to be placed inside a golden necklace. Upon the night of his coronation, his childhood friend, who had been traveling with him on his right of passage…decides to murder the prince, and take his place with a magical disguise he acquires from an exiled sorcerer. The prince was wearing his jewel at the time of course…and wouldn't you know it, he is re-born that night to a desert bandit. In his new life, he becomes a member of an infamous family known for being exiled from Hashin due to a betrayal of the crown by their ancestor. He (the bandit family's ancestor) hadn't really betrayed the kingdom, as he had been captain of the royal guard and was fiercely loyal to his king…but his anger afterwards sent him into a cave in the desert with his wife and two sons, vowing to bring the kingdom of Hashin to it's knees for destroying their family honor. That is how they became bandits, of course…

The bandit family made a deal with the spirits of the desert to worship them if in exchange they would receive certain ’abilities’ (controlling the desert sands, psychic abilities…it all depends on the person in question.)

The re-born prince has no recollection of his past life, but he has a jewel-shaped red birthmark upon his neck. He grows up to be the most talented of his six brothers. Upon his nineteenth birthday (roughly the age he was in his last life when he was murdered), the patriarch of the family tells him that she had a dream which told her he would be the one to clear their ancestor's name…but he must go to Hashin dressed as a lamp merchant, and requisition the help of three strangers…the first three people to ask for his help…

After he goes to the kingdom of Hashin, he finds it is a dark and oppressed place. For twenty years the king has abused his people with taxes and cruel laws that would have anyone flogged or imprisoned at the slightest provocation to the crown. Indrajit (who is now known as as Karan in this life) feels a deep guilt for some reason over the kingdom's state. He sets up a stall in the market to sell his lamps. When a small boy tries to steal from him…He grabs the boy and demands to have his lamp back. The child cries and apologizes, asking to be let go. Indrajit/Karan realizes this is the first of the three to ask him for help…so he lets the child go, if the kid agrees to return to work for him. The boy nods and runs off. Karan somewhat doubts the prediction of the three people helping him, because he doesn't thing that beggar child will return…and as he waits, he sees an old woman approach a man in the street just opposite his stall. Listening to the conversation between the two, Karan hears of the new edict that any and all who speak out against the king will be beheaded. This strikes a chord with Karan, and he absent-mindedly touches his birthmark. As he thinks of this, the little boy returns to him with a scruffy dog in tow. Apparently the child has no family, and took Karan's offer to mean that he would live with him too. Karan is a bit exasperated over this assumption, but he closes up his stall and offers to get the boy and his dog some food…the boy stops him and asks that he listen to a story before they get anything to eat. He then tells a story about the dog…apparently the animal was once a man, his father…who had been cursed by the boy's stepmother to turn into a mutt. Since then, he has been trying to find someone to help him return his father to his former shape, and get revenge on his stepmother. Karan doesn't believe the boy, but he promises that he will help him return his father to his true form…

As they walk to a nearby tavern, a blind man stumbles in front of them. He wears a golden coat with silver lining, and dances so quickly that his costume blazes like the sun under the gray sky. Karan is impressed with his skill, and the child (who's name is Orlan) claps wildly while the dog barks at the man. The blind man stops dancing and holds out a hand in Karan's direction. He asks for help, just a bit of coin to help him fill his belly with a good meal. Karan asks for the man to join him and his young ward for dinner…he'll pay for the man's food for the next week and so on, if the man will spend his days with the group. The blind man agrees and goes to the tavern with them. As they sit there, Karan asks how he became blind…and the man explains that he was once a jester at the court of Hashin, but the evil king ‘Indrajit’ had his eyes burned when he was caught kissing the king's favorite dancer. He indicates his coat and explains that it has a charm on it which protects him from death…and that if anyone were to wear it, the specter would not be able to sink it's claws into the man, which is of course how this guy only lost his sight…He also off-handedly tells Karan that his name is ‘Luck’, but he hasn't really been able to live up to the title.

And that’s where I cut it off, because I think this is enough information for you to decide whether or not you’d like to be the artist for it. I’d draw this myself…but I can only really draw humorous comics. I have no way to compensate for this (as I am but a poor college student) BUT…I would be very happy if a good artist agreed to do it.