[center][b]Name:[/b]
Maksimylian (Max or Maxi) Markov

[b]Age:[/b]
22

[b]Height:[/b]
6'5"

[b]Weight:[/b]
278 lbs

[b]Appearance:[/b]
[img=http://cultured.com/images/image_files/64/364_o_young_man.jpg]

The first thing people usually see about Max is his frame; standing at 6'5", with a robust yet toned physique give him the stereotypical build of a soldier. Of late he has taken to wearing his hair, the colour of a dark umber, longer than the picture above shows, if only to shelter his ears from the cold and the rough winds. The second thing they tend to notice is his eyes, deep set and as icy-blue as the frozen oceans that surrounded Varya. Aside from that there isn't anything else particularly unusual about him. As a younger boy he was mocked for the size of his nose - it showed good breeding, his mother had always said - but as he aged, he grew into it, developing a prominent brow line adorned with two thick, dark brows. Though he allows his hair to grow, he keeps any trace of facial hair well-groomed, as his father always told him that it "wasn't fitting for a man of the cloth to have all that untidy fluff on his face".

When not fully-clad in his inquisitorial garb Maxi prefers a tunic and tabard combination, with leather boots and gloves. Given the rough colds of course, while outside he adorns himself in furs. As well as this, he wears a rosary around his neck at all times; an heirloom given to him by his father, representing the everlasting faith of the Markov family.

[b]Personality:[/b]
Max is a determined sort. He will strive to get a task done, although he will insist on getting it done the way he wishes. Some people have said he was "blinkered by his own arrogance", while others say it is a sign of a strong will and good leadership. Either way, it's the way he has always been, and "if it's got you this far, it can't be that bad now, can it?". Max is also very loyal to his faith. He has been tempted by other members of his order to follow a path that may have been "easier", but he is a firm believer that "nothing good comes easily", and so sticks by his faith and his duties, following them by the book; while others may deviate from the original plan to potentially get things done with less effort, Max prefers to do what his faith has guided him to do which is normally also what he has been ordered to do, no matter whether others see it as the right or wrong thing to do.

As a person, Maxi is hard to break into. With people he doesn't know so well he tends to act cold and indifferent, but when one gets to know him well enough, he is a loyal and warm friend. Max loves to read; whether it be fiction, history books, books on tactical warfare, swordplay, smithing or anything else, if you name a book, Maxi has probably read it. His bookishness has left him with a wealth of historical knowledge, and vast lexicon of stories to be told if ever he and some friends were say, sat around a fire with nothing to listen to but the wind rushing past their ears. It has also left him with a very acute tactical mind. Because of this, as well as his "get things done my way" attitude, many see him as a potential leader in the future. Max takes this praise humbly though, preferring to focus on the present.

Max is also very jumpy; something that his friends have often taken advantage of.

[b]Talents/Abilities:[/b]
Being a 6'5", 278lb man has its advantages as far as fighting is concerned. Maxi favours blunt weapons, usually a morning-star. His swings have been known to decapitate a man. However, because of his strength, and the ease with which he can overpower most opponents, he is not the most cautious fighter, often overswinging and leaving himself open, only just managing to get his shield up at the last second. Since becoming an Inquisitor he has been more acutely trained though, so he is less prone to do it these days, but against a smaller, more technical fighter he may struggle.

[b]Background:[/b]
Born in Varya, raised in Varya, to Varyan parents. A father that was an Inquisitor before him, and deeply religious mother made Maxi a stalwart follower of the eponymous deity. His parents had many friends from the church, some of them fanatical followers of Varya. This deeply patriotic and religious attitude that his parents passed down left Maxi a bit xenophobic. He would not immediately reject anyone who was not Varyan, but he was slower to warm to them. With many people from Muraad and Lanostre inhabiting Varya nowadays, his attitudes have softened somewhat, but he was always more comfortable with people of his own kind.

His father being an Inquisitor, many said he was destined to follow in his father's footsteps. He began the training at the Red Seminary with aplomb, excelling through both the physical and mental toils. As he grew, however, Maxi began to question the faith which had been forced upon him. He began to associate with less pious individuals, when his days training was complete, he would even go so far as to take part in underground fighting rings amongst boys his ages. One fateful night, due to his mammoth frame - standing at six foot at fourteen years old - he beat another boy to death in one of these fighting rings. Though he was horrified by his actions, it didn't stop him, and he continued to stray from the righteous path, until his father was struck down with flux. His father was a tall, powerful man himself, the illness tore through him as though he were frail and old. His mother too, from tending to his father was stricken with this disease. It was then that Maxi knew that this was his divine punishment. He sat as his mother's bedside day and night. He prayed to Varya ceaselessly. He vowed to devote his life, his body, his soul to Varya if he could find the mercy to forgive his sins and to let his mother live. She did, and from then on there was never a doubt in Max's mind.

[b]Quote:[/b]
"A sinner saved a believer makes. For only when one sees Varya's terror can one truly feel his mercy."[/center]