Leif

Leif
Species	Geometer Moth (Iotaphora admirabilis) Cordyceps
Battle Stats
Base HP	7
Base ATK	2
Base DEF	0

Even if they seem like obstacles, we can exploit them for our own benefit. —Leif

Leif is one of the three protagonists in Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling. He is the third and final member required to join Team Snakemouth.

Appearance

Unlike most moths, his head, torso, limbs and abdomen are coloured cyan blue. He has navy blue wings with gold highlights that he uses as a cloak of sorts over his body, as well as a fluffy gold collar around his neck. Like most bugs, he has a pair of black antennae atop his head. In official artwork, Leif is shown to have more detailed texturing on his collar and antennae. His eyelids are always shown to be halfway closed, except for when speaking in the Roaches' dialect.

In the non-canonical Version 0.4.1 demo, Leif is shown to sport a slim physique with short, cyan hair and three bangs; the center being the longest. Leif wears a brown suit with gold buttons and a beige undershirt. He also wears a scarf in the same color as Leif's wings.

Spoilers

When Leif was alive, his head, torso, limbs, abdomen and wings were the same red instead of different shades of blue with the same gold highlights and collar, and his eyes were a light brown color, instead of white. He is shown wearing his wings like a cloak when he was alive. After being stabbed by the Dune Scorpion, Leif was bandaged up by Zasp. However, this is only temporary, as none of his sprites going forward show Leif bandaged.

History

Background

Before dying, Leif lived in the Ant Kingdom under the rule of Queen Elizant I, along with his father and his wife, Muse. During this time, the roaches were still living in Bugaria. As a part of a scouting team under the Queen, his team was ordered to explore the depths of Snakemouth Den, where he was trapped for at least a full generation. This resulted in his exposure to magical crystals which is what gave him his ice magic. Leif eventually died during his trip within Snakemouth Den. However, at some point before his death, a hidden Roach laboratory created an advanced colony of cordyceps fungi, which they then discarded as a failure. This cordyceps survived and found Leif's body, inhabiting the body and inheriting the original Leif's memories sans his memories in Snakemouth Den. The exact amount of time Leif spent trapped is uncertain. During this period, the roaches disappeared and Queen Elizant was succeeded by Queen Elizant II. The Explorers' Association was founded, and much of the Ant Kingdom City further developed during his absence.

Chapter 1

After Kabbu and Vi fall into a trap on their travel to Snakemouth Den, they encounter his unconscious body tangled in a spider's web. After a grueling fight between Kabbu and the Spider, the freshly formed Team Snakemouth come up with a new plan to save the bug and head to safety. When they achieve this plan, Leif introduces himself to the team (albeit with some misunderstatement) and joins the party. After an ambush when heading to the next room, Leif discovers his ice powers, unsure as to how he got it.

Once they head to the room hosting the Ancient Mask, the team once again meets the spider in which, with the help of their new friend, beat the spider, retrieve the mask, and are promptly washed up.

Personality

Leif presents himself as a deadpan, blunt person who prefers the reign of Queen Elizant I than her successor. He is known to be knowledgeable and intelligent, as he suggests several means of traversing Snakemouth Den. However, he is also quite blunt and often inconsiderate of the feelings of others, as exemplified in chapter 2 when he suggests to Kina the possibility that her brother, Maki, left her to get some space from her.

Despite this bluntness, he is shown to be loyal to those he trusts, namely Team Snakemouth. Despite his stoic facade, however, Leif is shown to have a weak spot towards domesticated bugs like Aphids or even towards smaller characters such as Tanjerin, often calling them "cute". Leif is also shown to point out specific physical traits, such as admiring Fluffy's fur collar.

Leif is shown to have a quirk of referring to himself with first person plural (we, us, our, etc.). As revealed in Leif's Request, this is due to the cordyceps residing in him.

Abilities

Due to strange circumstances surrounding his time in the magic-drenched Snakemouth Den, Leif is able to utilize ice magic. He is also shown to have literacy in the Roaches' language.

In the field, Leif can freeze water to form paths and platforms as well as freeze enemies to bounce around and use to solve puzzles. He can also create a shield that protects the party from hazards, and the shield can first strike an enemy in the overworld when they make contact, eventually he also learns to hover by carrying himself (and any other followers if present) on a block of ice, but he only does this to follow Vi when she flies as the party leader.

In battle, Leif acts as the party's mage. He is able to freeze enemies for a short period of time and deals 1 extra damage against plant-like enemies. Upon hitting a frozen enemy, it will deal extra damage. He is also able to increase the damage or defense to the party or decrease enemies' damage or defense. He owns the most move medals in the game.

Skills

• Icefall (starting skill)
• Frigid Coffin (learn at rank 6)
• Bubble Shield Lite (learn at chapter 3)
• Bubble Shield (learn at chapter 3)
• Ice Rain (during Leif's Request)
• Cleanse (learn at rank 13)
• Charge Up (requires the Charge Up medal)
• Enfeeble (requires the Enfeeble Medal)
• Empower (requires the Empower medal)
• Break (requires the Break medal)
• Fortify (requires the Fortify medal)
• Charge Up+ (requires the Charge Up+ medal)
• Enfeeble+ (requires the Enfeeble+ medal)
• Empower+ (requires the Empower+ medal)
• Break+ (requires the Break+ medal)
• Fortify+ (requires the Fortify+ medal)

Trivia

Concept Art featuring Cerise

• Before the v0.5 round up video, Leif's name was "Moth".
  • Prior to settling on the final name, Leif was originally going to have the name Levi.
• Leif has the most skill medals in the game, with 10. 5 of them being stronger variants of some of his others.
• An uncommon glitch in the demo occurs when selecting the HP bonus during a rank up before Leif joins. Leif will not share the HP bonus and will be permanently locked out of attaining his maximum possible HP. 
• Leif is technically a sorcerer, being the first one to appear in a long time.
• Mar, the programmer and animator for the game, has given conflicting statement's on Leif's age, stating that Leif is either almost 30 or over 30 years old.
• Design-wise, Leif is Genow's favorite character.
• Leif has Trypanophobia (the fear of needles).
• According to Effo, the sound designer for the game, the SFX Leif makes for his attacks are from an audio library called "3000 Sound Effect Pack", just "cut, layered, [equalized], compressed, stretched, squeezed, and processed with some reverb".
  • It was one of the first sound effects created for the game.
• Leif did have a kid with Muse, although he is likely unaware of it.
• His first concept had him as a female moth named Cerice.
• Leif's name is meant to be an anagram for "life".
• According to Oma, his original creator, Leif's backstory was influenced by Oma leaving development and served as an inside joke.
  • According to Mar, Leif was originally going to be scrapped altogether as a result of Oma leaving, but was eventually added later.
• Leif is incapable of getting indigestion or any sort of food poisoning caused by over-eating, due to the cordyceps residing in his body digesting food very quickly. He is shown to enjoy eating toxic foods, as shown when talking to Dan in Fry's shop or when inspecting Xic.
  • One food that Leif enjoys is Cooked Danger, which contains fungus as the primary ingredient. Similarly, when completing the quest I Want a New Taste, Leif claims he enjoys Hearty Breakfast, which of course, also contains fungus.
• According to Genow, one of the main creators and lead writer for the game, Leif's birthday would be November 2nd, which is All Soul's day.
• Leif's Magic Ice Shard appears as an item in the Abomi Nation crossover with Bug Fables.

Gallery

Leif's sprite sheets

Leif's sprites (v0.1)

Leif's original appearance prior to his death

Leif's appearance in early development videos

Sprite in the Version 0.4.1 April Fools demo

Leif's sprites in the scrapped April Fool's fighting game

Makeship Plush