I'd say go with the 'snake oil' guy. It'll make for a fun character like you said and open the possibility of later encounters based off the actions of the past!
Alright, so it seems like the common area for starting is a Canadian province of some kind. If we're going this route, I'd say we should place it in Ontario since it's got more iconic locations we can transform into 'new cities', but also because it's close to the U.S. Border and has a fairly decent selection of wildlife we can choose to mutate and throw at our characters :3
Any objections to that?
Also, there will be four primary factions wherever we go, each one with their own merits and demerits. They won't really affect your character (unless you state he/she believes that one of them is better for the world/the country), but they will be struggling through a conflict that will affect our characters (and even force them to make a decision as to who they should assist/turn against).
Feel free to throw any ideas at me while we're here. I'm still working on the OoC (with the character sheets being my top priority ATM), so don't feel shy about pitching an idea either about the story or about the world. Or if you feel the need to ask questions, go for it!
