This is a storyboard created by Lore Machine user Rawnald Raygun featuring an epic chase scene from the towers to the sewers of an annihilated Tokyo.
After building his story text and 2D graphics using Lore Machine, Rawnald then embarked on a painstaking process of hand-coloring every white cel of his black-and-white manga. We got with Rawnald to ask him one simple question - WHY:
“Most of the images coming out of generators have this cliché color palette. It’s like the tech is too good for its own good. I wanted to use machine-generated imagery as my guide for a color scheme no AI in its right mind would think of.”
You can dive into Rawnald’s Storyscape below. To generate your own story graphics, head to Lore Machine.
The streets of Tokyo lay in ruins, the once-bustling metropolis now eerily silent. Kye walked cautiously, his heart pounding in his chest. The wreckage of buildings and debris surrounded him, a constant reminder of the devastation that had befallen the city. He called out for his brother Riis. His voice echoing through the empty streets. But there was no response, only the haunting silence that consumed everything in its path.
As Kye turned a corner, he felt the air move, and a metallic growl filled the air. His eyes widened in fear as he came face to face with a one of that massive robotic wolves that prowled the streets.
The wolf’s glowing red eyes pierced through the space between them, its sharp metallic fangs glistening. Without hesitation, the wolf lunged towards Kye, its mechanical limbs propelling it forward with horrifying speed. Kye's heart raced as he sprinted through the desolate streets of Tokyo, the mech-wolf hot on his heels. With every step, the wolf closed in. Its hardwired jaws snapping just inches away from Kye's heels.
He weaved through crumbling buildings, leaping over debris in a desperate attempt to escape. But the mech-wolf was relentless, its pursuit unyielding. In a heartbreaking moment, Kye hit a dead end.
Panic surged through his veins as he turned to face the approaching cyber-predator, its metallic paws scraping against the concrete. He clenched his fists, preparing for the worst. Then, as if like bells from above, a voice called out to him. A figure emerged from the shadows, bathed in a soft glow. Kye's eyes widened in awe as he beheld the beautiful figure before him.
Her flowing robes billowed in the wind, and her eyes sparkled with an otherworldly light. "Kye, hide behind me," Nia said, her voice pulsing with power. Not asking any questions, Kye obeyed, seeking refuge behind the goddess.
In a blinding flash of light, Nia raised her hands, summoning a powerful forcefield that materialized between Kye and the mech-wolf. The forcefield crackled with energy, shimmering with a protective barrier.
The wolf snarled and clawed at the invisible shield, its ferocity matched only by its violent frustration. Kye watched in awe as Nia manipulated the very fabric of reality, shielding him from harm.
With the mech-wolf temporarily subdued, the two moved through the city together on the hunt for Kye's lost brother, Riis. They traversed the desolate streets of Tokyo, their footsteps echoing through the concrete silence.
Kye's determination pushed him forward, fueled by the hope that he could recover his brother.
Kye and Nia climbed the crumbling stairs of an abandoned high-rise building, their footsteps echoing through the empty ruins.
Dust particles falling from broken windows danced in the sunlight, casting an ethereal glow upon their path. With every floor they ascended, a sinking sense grew in Kye, that they were getting further from his brother.
At the top of the high-rise, Kye and Nia emerged onto a concrete outcropping that overlooked the ruins of downtown Tokyo. Green smoke ploomed in the air. Do below, as pockets of Tokyo's citizens worked to rebuild their life.
The city sprawled before them, a haunting reminder of what once was. Kye's eyes scanned the horizon. His mind in a racing loop: "Where was Riis??”
Nia placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, her gaze filled with compassion. As she did, the wind gently blue passed them and plunged down towards the streets.
It was if it was guiding them to Riis. Kye and Nea descended into the depths of Tokyo, entering an interconnected series of tunnels known as The Tubes.
The air grew colder. With each step, Kye's hope flickered like a fragile flame in the dark. But he refused to let it die out. As Kye and Nia ventured deeper into The Tubes, they encountered a swarm of mechanical insects.
The tiny creatures buzzed around them, their metallic wings humming with an unsettling intensity. Kye swung his arms, attempting to ward off the relentless swarm, while Nia unleashed a wave of energy, dispersing the mechanical insects.
Their path forward clear, they pressed on.
Deeper into The Tubes, Kye and Nia traced the trickle of a glowing green ooze. They lifted a grate and let themselves down into a low-ceilinged tunnel. To Kye's horror, Riis lay motionless, face down in a puddle, covered in glowing toxic slime. Kye's heart sank at the sight of his brother's lifeless form.
As Nia reached out to touch Riis, her finger grazed the ooze. It sent ripples through the liquid.
As if the rippled were communicating with the beyond, something stirred at the end of the dark tunnel.
A group of cyborg giants emerged from the dark and the ooze, their glowing red eyes fixated on the intruders.
Kye and Nia stood side-by-side, to locked in stance, in between the cyborgs and the feeble Riis.
The clash of titanium-against-titanium filled the chamber, their battle echoing through the tunnels as they fought for their lives.
The cyborg giants closed in. They were outnumbered. Just when they were about to lose hope, a cool wind pushed through the tunnel. Kye and Nia heard a snap and a thud. Then another thud. The cyborg giants had frozen. They were covered in ice and knocked out cold.
Stunned, Kye and Nia turned back to Riis. Nia's hands glowing with healing energy, cleansing the toxic slime and revive his body.
The crew pushed through The Tubes. They ascended ladders, and slid down chutes.
The trio eventually found themselves on an abandoned train platform. They stood there in the dingy silence...waiting for nothing. Standing there, they all felt it. The air moved again in a curious way. Out of the inky blackness a train appeared. It swept into the ghostly station as if it had been on time for hundreds of years. As the carts slowed to a halt, Kye, Riis and Nia peered inside the train. It was filled with cyborgs. Yet this group qwas somehow more civilized than the killbots in the sewer tunnel. They didn't even seem to notice the humans. They all kept to themselves, swaying in the cart, their exoskeletons reflected sterile subway art, as if on their way to humdrum jobs.
The crew looked at each other, and despite better judgement stepped into the train.
The train rocked back and forth; the commuter-bots continued to mind their own business. The crew remained wary.
They stood wide-eyed wondering what the next stop might be. Then just like a same melodic sound showered down from the loud speakers.
The train then rolled to a stop at a second abandoned platform. The three stood there motionless as the passengers filed out.
The train carried on. As it pushed through the green darkness the crew could see a light in the distance. It came closer and closer.
The light came into focus - it was humans on a platform. Hundreds of commuters bustled on the way to work in the morning. It was like time had rewound to a moment when Tokyo was strong and vibrant. Before the nuclear wreckage. They took it all in; it seemed to good to be true.
They moved instinctively with the crowd, eventually finding themselves outside the station. It was good to feel their kind around again. Looking up away from the station, their hearts sank. What they had they had seen was a flicker - a momentary ripple in time. All too son, they were back in the destroyed Tokyo they had had come to know.
Another day in paradise.
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