Maxie

Maxie's combat style focuses on staying up close and personal - breaking through defense, interrupting casting, forcing a fighter to abandon their weaponry due to close quarters and finishing the job from there. An aggressive melee fighter who likes to frustrate with an onslaught and make use of tools to even the odds when necessary. This is assuming he is thinking clearly enough to maneuver with clarity - when maddened he has a tendency to resort to a much more crude methodology, e.g. 'beat it savagely until it stops moving'. It might come as a surprise he doesn't utilize more blunt and heavy weaponry, but he tends to find when combined with his strength, the results are unpleasantly messy.

Armor Proficiency:

Maxie prefers lighter protection for more freedom of movement, such as leather of the flexible variety, but has trained and fought donned in heavy plate as well as sans armor entirely.

Weapons Proficiency:

[Primary]

Martial Arts - Grappling, 'Kickboxing' Long Swords Short Swords Knives and Daggers Shields

[Secondary]

Stick Fighting - Quarterstaffs Axes Hammers Maces Flails

[Learning]

Firearms

Maxie is well experienced in most standard melee weaponry and has been familiar with a blade for thirty years. It has been some time since weapons became an extension of his body and yet he frequently abandons them in favor of tools and unarmed techniques. While he can handle hefty weapons effectively, he prefers blades due to a reliance on mobility. In particular he exceeds with a one-handed weapons and the occasional shield in off hand.

A melee fighter and next to useless at range - spears, arrows, and slings are not at all his strong suit. While he is capable of shooting a bow (although it would be more likely to break in his hands), he's more familiar with crossbows and either way his aim is poor - ranged offensive by or against him is a serious weak point due to his nearsightedness, which isn't getting any better with age.

Maxie has been learning how to use a pistol.

The concept of the flintlock pistol still impresses him to no end, but he's learning quickly: a firearm feels familiar, somehow. That being said, his aim at too much of a distance (without his glasses) is about as good as it is with a bow.

Berserkir Blood While he normally conducts himself as a rather gentle and civil man, when his blood is stirred he is a rather different matter entirely - the blood of his ancestors carries with it the ability to enter a superhuman state of rage in battle (hamask), abandoning the ability to feel pain or think rationally in favor of throwing himself at the enemy full force. That primal fury now takes on a rather dramatic form, berserker nature informing bestial form. Supernatural Blood | Mutagenic Blood Maxie is not contagious in the classical sense and cannot 'turn' others by bite. However, consumption of his (highly steroidal) blood has the potential to temporarily mutate the drinker with exaggerated atavistic traits. A continuation of this practice would be likely to make such mutations both permanent and increasingly extreme. Enhanced Strength and Stamina While his capacity varies depending on his physical state, even in human form his ability is significant and somewhere just below the first tier of superhuman. Is capable of lifting up to 10 tons in full form, enough to smash through stone walls and throw sizeable boulders a great distance. Enhanced Durability (includes the ability to jump unnatural distances and do 'superhero landings' without hurting himself too much) Enhanced Bite While his flesh and bone structure are unnaturally dense in general, his jaw and teeth are especially so to assist in the consumption of unusual fare. They may be yellowed, but are fully intact and not prone to much decay.

Enhanced Senses All of his senses are greatly improved and predatory with the exception of eyesight: while he does have low-light vision, he lacks nocturnal sight and remains highly myopic. Enhanced Immune System While not entirely immune to contaminates, he is highly robust and seemingly unaffected by the large majority of diseases, likewise resistant to toxins and quick to recover from any illness he does suffer. A strong healer who does not seem prone to developing infection. Superhuman Ingestion A lesser class of matter eater and far from picky in his constant state of hunger, this man is more than just an extreme omnivore and will eat almost anything, including rocks. Semi-Upright Stance Maxie has a bowlegged and only semi-upright stance, meaning he tends to switch between bipedal and quadrupedal posture depending on the situation. While he spends most of his time upright, it is with a notable hunch and he is more capable of speed and athletic finesse on all fours.

Some of the drawbacks of his shifter nature include a supernaturally demanding metabolism with enormous appetite, paranoia and difficulty sleeping, compromised eye sight, and heightened emotional responses difficult to control. Maxie also sacrifices the dexterity and fine muscle control of his once human body for sheer brute strength. While his reflexes are excellent, he is not the fastest nor graceful runner (on two legs) and his ability to swim nonexistent - lacks buoyancy and panics in deep water.

• Maxie's unnatural strength can be a problem when not kept in check - when not in control of his emotions he has a tendency to snap handles off doors, crush objects in hand, etc. This is part of the reason his hands are so scarred.
  
  
• Is well experienced in keeping his emotions and subsequent rage under control, but such becomes difficult to do in the face of immediate danger or threats leveled towards his loved ones.
  
  
• Is heavier then he looks with supernaturally dense tissue.
  
  
• It takes at least three times as much food to keep him going.
  
  
• Any toxin or contaminate must be quite potent in order to affect him; he struggles to become so much as buzzed and smokes heavily.
  
  
• There isn't too much he can't digest, not that everything eaten will be particularly sustaining or entirely harmless.
  
  
• That being said, the beast in him will prioritize more nutritional fare if available in cases of true duress. When hungry he'll have a difficult time focusing on much of anything else and depending on just how deprived, prone to increasingly aggressive behavior.

Fertility A passive influence over the environment around him, his long term presence promotes the flourishing of whatever plot of land he lives upon. Communion With Nature As Max has learned to accept his nature more and embrace the call of the wilderness, he has began developing an understanding of animals as though they share a language. While he cannot yet successfully speak back to them, he increasingly finds himself able to understand the birds and beasts around him. Heat Manipulation While Maxie has no power over the element of fire and cannot create stifling heat or extreme cold, he does have the ability to absorb or release enough kinetic energy to warm his body or cool down a bowl of soup. This is a reflection of his abilities overall, which tend to relate to transfers of energy: from others into him, from him into his environment. Shapeshifting (see: The Beast) The ability to shift between humanoid and monstrous forms. Maxie expresses degrees of change in his physiology depending on emotional state and overall control over his inner beast, the attempted restraint showcasing in increasingly bestial traits. This is something he has yet to gain complete control over, but he is generally able to switch between bipedal and quadrupedal locomotion at will. Supernatural Sensitivity Maxie can sense strong supernatural energies when unconcealed and identify many kinds of supernaturals by scent. This is aided by a strong sixth sense, which makes him very sensitive to seeing ghosts and other spiritual beings clearly. In combination with his overall predatory senses, this can be overwhelming at times. ... As a boy Max had a tendency to see and experience the unusual, frequently encountering supernatural beings like sea dragons, forest spirits, bog hags, and kelpie. It was always he was comfortable in nature and strayed deep into the wilderness, curiously more capable where other children would run afoul of beasts and horrors. It was through his inclination towards such things that he succeeded in drawing the attention of monster hunters and later a religious order bent on hunting the unhuman; as a paladin for seventeen years and a monster hunting monster for the past thirteen, this sense has been honed into a very keen detection of the supernatural. Power Consumption See more A primary aspect of his monstrous nature involves a strong instinctual inclination towards preying on people and creatures with supernatural power. While this leans towards a taste for prey of a darker nature, this more malevorous preference was only acquired by dietary conditioning. This can be a powerful temptation and Max often finds himself consuming things that he probably shouldn't to take off the edge (such as bloodwyne, the eggs of magical creatures, and the viscera of slain enemies). Maxie can absorb the strength of his foes and quite literally tear away conditions and abilities in the process. What he devours gives him an overall boost to his health and prowess in the moment, but depending on the meal (and specifically what parts are eaten) reaches to temporarily mimicked traits and powers of the consumed. These powers tend to fade away in short time, but enough consumption of a particular source and it can become a more permanent aspect. Applications: See more Power Absorption Curse Negation | Curse Removal Power Erasure | Humanization Maxie has the unrealized ability to eat the curses, conditions, and abilities of another at the cost of flesh and a dangerous digestive period. If an individual is to survive depends on how heavily anchored the power is to their being and how much they resist: in the large majority of cases (especially those related to long term supernatural conditions) this will end in death, either due to the violent removal of their supernatural essence or due to the fact that once he has it he may not stop at the meager consumption of sacrificial flesh alone. Regeneration See more Consumption Empowerment | Cannibalism Empowerment Consumptive Healing | Age Deceleration While he is a far more efficient healer than a human being, he does not have extraordinary regenerative ability outside of full form (where he can expend energy to heal rapidly). However, in cases of the consumption of sentient flesh (which he will feel strongly inclined towards when badly injured), his healing rate increases to superhuman levels and his aging process slows to a near halt. The effect only applies to sustained injuries and will not affect already formed scar tissue. While an increased healing factor and borrowed abilities will fade during digestion, he will retain a permanent increase to his longevity by having turned back the clock. ABILITIES GAINED THROUGH CONSUMPTION Lucid Dreaming An awareness of when he is dreaming that comes with the ability to influence his own subconscious and cast intruders out.

Supernatural Condition (enhanced senses, enhanced strength, robust immune system, resistance to toxins) In general Maxie has heightened senses (save for sight, which is not as great as it used to be), with sensitive touch (where scar tissue hasn't taken it) and a deeper sense of smell and taste. With his shifter nature there is notably increased inhuman strength and durability, with a very strong constitution - high pain tolerance, greater resistance towards poisons, seemingly denser tissue, and a remarkable immune system almost impervious to standard disease. It is especially notable that he has remarkable endurance and can take a lot before tiring. While not able to heal much better than peak human performance (with the exception of special circumstances), he is loathe to ever show just how badly sick or injured he might be. Regeneration ... At the objectionable cost of extensive sennibalism; this does not affect old scar tissue, except in the case of repeated applications of sentient blood. This has been done unintentionally in monstrous form enough times that he shows no scarring on his face and scarred hands show odd pattering. Prehensile Feet While a useful feature for a number of activities, this extra dexterity is particularly notable when it comes to climbing: when combined with his strength and a general lack of fear in heights, he makes for a most excellent mountaineer. Beast Affinity Maxie gets along inhumanly well with most creatures, especially larger predators and most notably dragons (who rarely judge him for his dietary indiscretions). Shifter Affinity Maxie should exert the pressure of a natural leader in the presence of other shifters, who may find this naturally challenging or conversely comforting and magnetic, in that any taken under his wing will be assured fierce protection as part of his 'troop'. Lucid Dreamer It may not be as easy to infiltrate his sleeping mind as one might expect.

Superhuman Digestive System While he seems to highly favor meat and other high-protein foods, he also eats a lot of fruits and vegetables. In fact, there doesn't seem to be much he won't eat - even things that would make others think twice or even three times before touching. It's notable that while he enjoys a well prepared meal, he's also remarkably willing to eat 'gross' (as well as intensely spicy) things without complaint and even things that normally shouldn't be eaten at all. It doesn't seem much (if anything) gives him digestive complication. Magic Taxing While it is generally more of a hindrance than a boon, Maxie tends to put a stress on enchanted items that affect his person - be it magically charged glasses or rings of glamour, anything that will eventually wear out will do so much more quickly when used by him.

Sky Iron A specific form of 'cold iron' and arguably the most deadly to those susceptible. Any protective trinkets or bindings made from iron meteorites, such as thokcha, would work especially well. It affects him like it would fae, burning him like a branding iron - prolonged contact might eventually kill him and the mere presence of enough can make him ill. Silver Unlike a classical therianthrope, who responds to silver in the way he does sky iron, being touched by pure silver merely saps his strength. However, it has to be a significant amount of silver to have any real effect - primarily effective in the form of bonds, which would grow incredibly heavy to him over time and have a dramatic tranquilizing effect. It's little bother for him to handle silver coins in daily transactions, but silver bands would render him weak, chains put him into a deep sleep. Wolfsbane (developed allergy) The plant known as monkshood or aconite does not have an exaggerated toxic effect on him, but it does function as a rather effective repellent. Maxie is incredibly allergic to so much as being around the purple flowers, developing something akin to hay fever almost instantaneously. Snails Maxie cannot touch them (or items made from them) and the sound of chimes or charms made from their shells will drive him away. In fact, more importantly he can't leave a circle of snail shells, with an effect not unlike a salt circle to certain spirits. ... There are references in old manuscripts to snails being representative of humility, a natural foil to the greed that wicked apes represented. In one story, they acted as a cure for drunkenness, which the ape could not abide such was its love for intoxication. In another, an ape could be trapped and tormented by a circle of snails, entirely unable to escape. The shell of a snail is also seen as representative of home and used in protective magic - or conversely, crushed shells in dark spells. They also are represented as foils of the knight and may represent his folly in having once followed blindly.

Demanding Metabolism Maxie is pretty much always hungry and consumes absurd portion sizes, constantly 'snacking' throughout the day. It's necessary for him to maintain control and more human form: a mere few days of poor nutrition can lead to a dramatic increase in aggressive behavior. It takes less than a week for him to begin deteriorating both mentally and physically, making him much more susceptible to his more monstrous cravings. Restlessness / Insomnia Poor Eyesight - Highly Myopic Is more than a bit nearsighted, causing him to be uncertain about details in the distance and vulnerable to ranged weaponry that he might not even be able to make out being there. Is poor himself with such weaponry, as his ability to judge distance and aim is compromised. A squinter most of the time, relies on his glasses to use a firearm. Overwhelming Instinctive (anger, hunger, protectiveness) A man often victim to his impulses, including the danger he puts himself and others into when in a berserker state (or starving). Is sometimes curious to the point of outright stupidity and while it might typically be a strength of character, Maxie is damned if he'll ever see an innocent hurt in his presence. This feeling runs deep enough to lead him into making very brave, but incredibly stupid decisions to ensure it. Gait Maxie has a bowlegged and only semi-upright stance, meaning he tends to switch between bipedal and quadrupedal posture depending on the situation: he is not particularly nimble on two legs and sacrifices a great deal of movement speed when standing up. While more capable of crossing distances quickly and more acrobatically on all fours, he is still on the slower side overall. Inability To Swim / Bathophobia Max may enjoy bathing and long soaks in hot springs, but get him him into deeper water and situations change. A creature who sticks to the shallows, his ability to swim is halted by both physicality and a distinct phobia of deep water. If he can't touch the bottom expect him to start panicking. It seems to be something he's dealt with since youth and the man avoids most large bodies of water as a result - a fan of land and well constructed bridges, you are unlikely to catch him on a boat. If for some reason you do, he's likely to be notably sick and bent out of shape. Is not a fan of wet weather either, which obscures his senses and weights down fur lacking a water repellant nature. No Magic Maxie seems to have some form of elemental prowess and can perform more spiritually based rituals, but he cannot channel or manipulate the arcane. When taking magic from others through his consumptive abilities, it is difficult to control and burns up in a matter of days. Stealth You'd think a bigfoot would be better at keeping concealed.