Marksman/Reconnaissance:
Name: Maxwell Fitzroy Bastion (Max)
Age: 28
Species:
African Lion
Appearance:
Max has the long, wild mane that comes with being a lion- yet his almost gives him the look of a surfer or a biker rather than a special forces reconnaissance operator. Even for a lion, he's clearly let it go as his own taste. His golden-brown mane wraps thickly around his head and chin to past his neck, Max occasionally braiding his hair into Faerie Lock-styles when he feels like really pissing off his CO. His face is stoic, with staring golden-green eyes that are almost cold to the work he does, a strong chin and a scar running along the left side of his face by the side of his mane that extends to his ear. He has no spots of note, but his scar and particular mane make him stick out from afar. If you ask him about his messy look, he's unlikely to give you a response that is constructive.
Max also stands taller than many other lions of his size, and than any in his family. Whilst skinnier, he is well built, with multiple cuts and bruises across his body. With a golden-pale furry skin from paw to paw, he also has a short tail with a golden-black brush, the one thing he despises as a marksman for his aim. His training in the special forces, and his wanderlust have made him into an excellent athlete- though not as cardiovascularly fit as Vonys, yet not as physically capable as Fionn, somewhere between. While his skill may be in distant shooting, his close-quarters capability is potent and fierce, being more than willing to get himself in the way of a fight. It explains a lot of the recent bruises/cuts he's received- he doesn't exactly shy away when the time comes.
His voice is oddly silky and deep given his posh upbringing, yet can become gruff when on the frontline- capable only second to Fionn in timbre and volume, perhaps coming quire close when he roars. Unlike Fionn, his wroth is used far more often and has a bark to it- a lion's roar is not easily ignored.
Height: 6"7
Weight: 180kg
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Personality:
Positive Personality Traits: Honest. Erudite. Brave/Confident. Patient. Pragmatic. Sarcasm (both)
Negative Personality Traits: Aloof. Selfish. Wrothful. Spiteful/Envious.
Dislikes: Laziness. Arrogance. Jumped up Officers. Rules. Adhering to Order.
Likes: Wisdom. Bravery. Freedom/Individuality. Humour/Laughter.
Fears: Failure, Shame.
Max appears to fall into many a trait of a lion- an almost recklessly brave, intelligent individual, who seems to not understand his flaws are from his strengths. Max's Special Forces history has clearly made him able to do anything, anywhere, anyhow and just be himself- a freeflowing agent of chaos who is quite literally lionhearted, almost to a fault. As a typical lion, he has a very strong personality yet has a want to be social and get on with people- though only if this doesn't come at the cost of his personal aims and ambitions, unlike much of Arvaran culture.
This makes him aloof at times and prone to avoid people, sometimes a little confused of the typical order of things and combined with his wisdom and intelligence, makes him either distrusting or very loyal to those around him he calls friends. He will get things done no matter what, and while patient in his work as an operator, he won't hesitate to go above and beyond to get the job done by any means required- a trait not even tempered entirely by his risk-taking attitude. War has clearly changed him- his stare is cold, and he seems very direct, moreso than he used to be when he was younger as a result of being involved in conflict- one could almost suggest it was like some form of PTSD. His constantly driven, direct, brave and no-bullshit approach has made him perhaps more self-interested than he ought to be, albeit with an overall motive and ability to do what is right for the people close to him. While he can laugh, it is sometimes hard for some people to get close to Max- his wroth certainly doesn't help when his patience snaps.
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History:
Born to an aristocratic father and a Doctor for a mother in the sunny south of Solernia, Max had it well to do when he was growing up- as the third son of five children he given a stable and happy upbringing. He had an otherwise quiet childhood in which Max was far quieter than his fellow pupils, he left with school above average grades and found himself drawn to Arvara's history and natural world- always in awe of the world around him. Yet of his siblings, he wasn't the most intelligent- his brothers and sisters in the Bastion family (Helen (35), Talisa (33), Felix (27) and Sam (23)) became architects, lawyers, accountants and a Doctoral researcher respectively in the end. Max was a black sheep, so to speak- even despite his good upbringing, he just wasn't going to be as good.
In youth, he found himself far more risky than others, and adventurous to set himself out- wanting to rebel against his parents and society in general. The sandy beaches of southern Solernia and the beating sun gave him summers spent surfing, joining moped gangs and anything that would give him more adventure. He wanted purpose, meaning, reason- a third child had to find one, and he found it in places most didn't seek to look. As capable as he was, he had no discipline, and just nothing but shenanigans on his mind.
He got into trouble with the police every so often but unknowingly to him, was bailed out by his parents more times than he really should have been and was straightened into line- put into the Royal Solernian Defence Force as a reservist to give him something to do that wasn't causing mischief. He studied Solernian History at university, graduating with good grades- yet was targeted from the outset by the Forces, who took him on as a reservist. He had no life plans, so when a career in the Defense Forces beckoned and appealed to his inner adventurer, he couldn't wait to take it on- becoming a full-time infantryman in the RSDF. And from there, he found purpose.
With experience in more and more peacekeeping deployments, Max was eventually trained in the RSDF Special Operations Forces two years in, relishing the opportunity to learn and develop. He learned how to pilot a GEAR, learning in particular how to use it in a versatile way rather than any specialist manner that would pay off for him in him in his role as a recon operative- always outgunned and needing to be ready for anything.
It seemed that the young, free spirited university graduate had given way to something far colder and darker. A lion doesn't often make a good infiltrator, or recon operator- yet Max, in his own way, made it his own. He was seen as an excellent reconnaissance specialist, able to cope alone and in putting himself in harm's way when needed with an aggressive strategy rather than a passive and quiet method. Most would have crumbled- but Max appeared to be very, very good at his job and taking lives in cold blood from afar or up close and completing objectives that allowed SDF forces the upper hand in engagements.
Max was daring- and he held high standards of his men, receiving the same respect back, eventually leading 2nd Squad, 1st Platoon in the RSDF 501st SF Reconnaissance Company. Reconnaissance in a large mechanized vehicle is still difficult for the best operator, moreso when you're miles behind enemy lines- but the actions of Max's unit ripped up the playbook, hitting silently, hard, or both against often overwhelming numbers and gaining valuable information without ever being even seen. The "Bastion", as he was otherwise known as wasn't afraid to get his paws dirty, being fully aware of not becoming dependent on his GEAR in combat despite using it to great effect in hit-and-run raids. The enemy couldn't report where he was if he had taken one of their eyes out, after all. As a result, command looked past his quirky traits- he did things his way, and he got results. In or out of a GEAR, Max was good at what he did, and most would have said that he seemed to have his life together. Almost too good.
A punch up due to a disagreement with Major saw him thrown into a brig for three months, and released back to a new normal- that of being on thin ice and under scrutiny. It felt like no matter who he led into battle, what he accomplished, there was a chip on his shoulder and he wasn't appreciated for doing what was needed. While some counter-terrorist and anti-piracy operations followed, he couldn't help but feel that he was being pushed away- into quitting, and that in itself even for someone as brave as Max just didn't sound like something he wanted to experience. While he'd love to spend more time surfing, travelling and living as fiercely independent as he does, he can't deny that the SOF gives him purpose and reason to be better than he was- and most of all, someone who can actually keep up with his siblings.
So the callup into the 33rd couldn't have come sooner. It was another SOF gig, and most of all, a fresh chance to carry on doing what he'd found gave him purpose, duty and drive in life.
Hobbies & Interests:
-Reading Natural/Aravan History
-Parachuting
-Surfing
-Cider
-Rock, Drum and Bass and Ambient Music
-Motorcycles
-Gaming
-The Great Outdoors
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Personal Gear & Equipment:
K8 SOF Combat Knife
M8 PDS with Silencer/LAM
M23 ISS
-Thermal Imaging/Digital Optic, Bipod/Angled Foregrip, Side-Mounted Holographic Optic, Silencer, IR Laser Pointer, Golden-Grey Camo
-Alternatives used as appropriate
Personalised GEAR Suit and Helmet with faceplate, golden-brown-grey camouflage (helmet replacement during marksman work for a pair of smart goggles)
Pebble
Ommni-Tool
Personal First Aid Kit
Personal Survival Kit
Climbing Rope and Harness
PID (Laser Designator/Thermal Imaging Device)
Grenades/Smoke Grenades
Quadrotor UAV Reconaissance System (Link to Helmet Visor/Goggles)
