This is too good to let die. Nothing to add at the moment. May edit in some things shortly. 
 As for my character: 

 A non-descript lad of meager proportion-basically a weakly but possessing the detached cybernetic arm/appendage of (perhaps his father?) a powerful man long dead. The arm is the boys main weapon, capable of projecting some sort of diabolic sorcerery. Basically a giant boom-stick. I don't know I just love the image of a scrappy boy travelling the badlands in rags holding (basically Iron Mans arm) a severed arm that happens to be his only means of survival. 

 or:
 
 Seleucus The Liar, a card-sharping shotgun wielding fornicator, womanizer, thief and vagabond wanted in most of Terra, but well versed in the flora & fauna of the Badlands. Writing a dozen books, mostly about his own greatly embellished exploits, but also a few manuals on how to survive the irradiated zone. Rides a hover-steed that is on its last leg, well informed of often by the sarcastic AI personality it contains. Seleucus no doubt stole the thing.