Story Choice 2: Leaf & Seed

Hi there, as we are approaching the conclusions of Underland and Kairos both (probably around April), it's time to see the future story choices.

The Poll will be posted tomorrow alongside a general update to give you the latest news (including one about the schedule), so you may choose which story choice you're interested in early. That way, I may write down the outline, prepare the tiers etc...

Hope you'll enjoy them.

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It’s May 2025 on Earth. The world ended long ago when the mastermind known as the Alchemist spread the power-granting Elixirs across the planet, allowing individuals to become the reality-altering genomes and unleash worldwide chaos.

While Europe is starting to recover from the apocalypse by uniting under the New European Republic, North America is divided between powerful Genome warlords, Genius cartels, and the remnants of shattered states. Among these countless fiefdoms, three factions are starting to emerge as the dominant power of the Wild West: the Reborn States of America, determined to bring back the democratic rule of law; the AI-controlled cyborg armies of the Unity; and the violent Genome Liberation Front, a superpower-suprematist alliance. A war between these groups seems inevitable, one that will determine which ideology will unite North America.

Among the Genome vigilantes trying to bring some order and justice to the wasteland is Leaf, a female Genius specialized in plants and botany. Wearing organic battle armor and traveling on a flower ship, Leaf works as a lawbringer and adventurer. Her main goal is to hunt down the Psycho speedster known as Coyote, a dangerous Psycho who devastated her community. After freeing a small town from a Genome robber-baron, Leaf ends up adopting a squire of her own: Seed, an unpowered human teen determined to repay his savior with service.

The two set out on a journey that may very well determine the fate of post-war North America.

Leaf & Seed bounty-hunting in the desert. Art by Emiliano Cortes.

Leaf & Seed is a superhero western spinoff of The Perfect Run following the adventures of the titular duo across the ruins of Northern America (from Canada to Mexico), torn apart between various factions vying for control of the wasteland. Taking heavier inspiration from works like Fallout: New Vegas or Metroid, Leaf & Seed will be mostly an episodic story in a sci-fi Wild West. 

Although North America is mostly ashes and most of civilization has collapsed into isolated towns and fiefdom, Genius and Flux-based technology is rampant and super-powered individuals affect the world around them as they try to rebuild civilization in their own image. Think Steampunk/Sci-fi western as the setting.

Leaf & Seed will be the more ‘serious’ of the two stories, though with occasional humor. It will be mostly a mix of storylines and episodic arcs featuring staples such as Genome bounty hunting missions, courier deliveries across the wasteland, and hunting old weapon caches left behind by the United States’ government.

Leaf hard at work in a Genius Workshop Art by Emiliano Cortes.

Another change from my previous writing is that the main character will be Leaf, a female POV in the vein of Metroid’s Samus Aran or Underland’s Marianne; with Seed being an unpowered sidekick that will eventually grow into a hero of his own under her tutelage. Leaf herself is something of a knight errant and a bastion of good in a chaotic world, whose relentless optimism will be put to test many times. The story will be the occasion to expand on The Perfect Run’s world, such as seeing Genius try to change the environment with their tech or the impact of Genomes on society.

In short, pick Leaf & Seed if you want a superhero western focusing on adventure, post-apocalypse America, and a futuristic knight and her squire beating armies of supervillains.