player information
● name: Tona
● age: 25+
● contact: abiosis
● other characters: Lois Lane (contacts), DCEU

character information
● name: Maximus Antillar
● canon: Codex Alera (a book series by Jim Butcher)
● canon point: the end of Cursor’s Fury
● age: His age is not explicitly stated. Tavi (the main character of the books) is 17 at the beginning of Academ’s Fury and 19 in Cursor’s Fury, making him 21 at the canonpoint from which I’m taking Max. Given that Max has already served his term in the legion, I’m assuming he is at least somewhat older than Tavi, making him around 24.

● (canon) background: Background on the books with lots of info on world-building, background on Max with very little info overall. Since Cursor’s Fury is not covered, here’s a quick overview:

• Max and Tavi, both fully trained cursors, join the First Aleran Legion. Tavi goes under an assumed identity, Max as himself since he’s served in the legion before.
  
• Max becomes Tribune Auxiliaris after many commanding officers are killed in a lightning strike
  
• Max’s half-brother Crassus and his stepmother join the First Aleran
  
• Max is almost killed in an “accident” orchestrated by his stepmother; it is revealed that she’s been trying to kill him since early childhood and he’s convinced she’ll eventually succeed.
  
• Tavi, now commanding officer of the First Aleran, with the help of Max and Crassus who put their animosities to rest, manage to push back the Canim forces threatening Alera.

● abilities: This gives a good impression of what powers are possible in Max’s world and this lists Max’s skills in particular. I don’t think any of these need to be nerfed entirely, though his more manipulative abilities (those aspects of firecrafting or earthcrafting that manipulate emotions, for example) will need a permission post that I’d put up asap. All his abilities come with inherent limits in that he needs to be at least around or near the respective element, but if desired, his strength can be lessened (distance to Alera doesn’t actually do that as per canon, but there are theories that it would, so Max wouldn’t be surprised).

● strengths: Max is incredibly loyal to and protective of those he cares about, defending his friends and standing up for his fellow legionares. He is willing to die for his friends and his country and almost does so several times in the books (actually, he spends most of the final battles out of commission, possibly because he’s too overpowered on the whole). Despite all his furycrafting, he is in no way classist or elitist, which is a rare enough quality in someone with as strong furycrafting as Max has (but as the illegitimate son of a high lord, he knows how imperfect the social structures of Alera can be). He knows how to enjoy life to the fullest (but see also: his fatalism) and is more intelligent than he may appear at first glance. The impression he gives of someone who enjoys the simple things in life (alcohol and sex, mostly) isn’t a facade and neither are his frequent complaints about every minor inconvenience (but never about the major things, those he’ll bear stoically) a lie, but he’s quite adept at using these characteristics he possesses to influence how people perceive him and to do his work as a cursor (read: a spy) undetected because of it. He’s neither book smart like Ehren or able to think in the same sideways directions as Tavi, but he’s streetwise in many ways.

● weaknesses: Growing up with his stepmother trying to kill him and the social structures of Alera offering no means of redress, Max is somewhat fatalistic: he thinks he’ll die sooner rather than later and does little to try and change that. Max is stubborn, though admittedly not so stubborn that he cannot be made to see reason or accept when someone smarter has a better idea than he does. He’s very pragmatic about violence and even killing, which can be a weakness when it comes to trying to de-escalate a violent conflict. Tavi is much better at that kind of thing than Max is. While he isn’t stupid, he’s not nearly as intelligent as his friends, which I suppose might be seen as a weakness.

● skills (optional): He’s very good with a sword and a trained legionnaire.
● housing (optional): n/a

● network username: legionare

● network sample:

[ max isn’t big on typing — the device feels fragile and small in his hands and hitting the right places is an exercise in frustration, really — but the voice and video functions are similar enough to some of the things that can be achieved by furycrafting that they seem almost familiar. so here he is on the network, still in full uniform, looking very much like a roman soldier straight out of a history book, for those who have romans in their history books. ]

Can’t say I really understand what furycrafting’s gotten me here and I do have to get back, but while I’m here —

[ his posture and expression might have been professional, fit for a legionare, but here he grins, something rakish and wide. ] Where’s the nearest bar? Any recommendations for food or drink?

[ a moment later, he sobers again. in more quiet tones, he adds: ] Calderon, if you’re here as well, come find me.

● prose/action sample:

The legion has shown Max what it is like to be able to trust the person next to him. He knows that he’s never stopped looking over his own shoulder entirely, expecting an accident, an attack, something – and there is no doubt at all in his mind that one day, she will succeed and kill him – but in the legion, he knew he could rely on others. He is thinking of that now, watching the Canim warriors march closer with a legion of Alerans by their side, marching with them voluntarily. There is a trap waiting for the Canim, waiting for the Alerans, too, though their presence is unexpected and, frankly, unwelcome.

The thought of killing so many Alerans doesn’t sit well with Max and he can see on Tavi’s – Rufus Scipio’s, easier to call him that in his head lest he slip up and betray his friend’s cover – face that he is even more uncomfortable with it. Still, killing a thousand Canim of the warrior caste will, while not a fatal blow to the Canim forces, be a considerable victory for them. Max knows it’s worth it. A chance like this doesn’t come twice and they have to think not only of their own sensibilities but the safety of the legion – and beyond that, the safety of the bridge, the safety of all of Alera. War is not for those with a queasy stomach and Scipio’s scruples are commendable but, in this case, misplaced. There are more important things to worry about, and Max is prepared to tell Scipio so, but instead he complains about his ass hurting. He’s just a legionare and making use of his sacred right to complain never gets old – even when Scipio makes him call him sir – and it should be Scipio who initiates things. He’s the captain; Max can wait a moment longer, see whether his friend won’t surprise him. Tavi usually understands necessity.

His mind jumps back to another instant when Tavi had surprised him: figuring out what Dorotea was doing and swearing to Max that they would find a way to stop it. He doesn’t believe that, he can’t believe that because if he lets himself hope, not only will each time that she succeeds in hurting him – but not killing him, not yet, though not for a lack of trying – hurt worse, but he might also stop watching his back. If he thought that there was the slightest change—but there isn’t and Max knows that better than anyone. He doesn’t expect to survive her, but he’ll damn well cling to life for as long as he can and make the best of it. Still, if there is anyone who can do it, it would be Calderon — Max knows Tavi doesn't have furies and he's even privy to many of the tricks he uses, many of this thought processes, but sometimes he still finds himself thinking that Tavi has a way of doing the impossible.

And crows take him, he’s a bloody fool to be thinking about any of this in the middle of a war, moments before an ambush. He’s had plenty of practice, though, in pushing it from his mind, in focussing on other things. Wouldn’t mind for those things to be a lady or a glass of ale, but then this is more important than either of those, so instead he goes back to counting the numbers of legionares in that Aleran legion marching side-by-side with the Canim.