Maximillian Liber

Maximilian Liber
General Info
Aliases:	Many
Soulcards:	The Crimson Butterfly Inverted, The Emperor, The Night
Occupation:	Vincere
Character Info
Race:	Human

Maximillian Liber is the current Leader of the Fata Dener.

Character

Maximillian is an about 800-year-old human rogue, cursed by Hue to eternal life to fulfill his grandfather's wish of defying fate. As the leader of the Fata Dener, he keeps about 200 different aliases at his disposal and is always moving between multiple different homes in different parts of the world.

Relationship with Hue

Lady Hue, the goddess of Fate, has taken a personal interest in Maximillian. What started out as pure hatred for her slowly evolved into a somewhat relaxed, platonic love-hate buddy relationship. While he still tries to break away from the pact made with her, he also learned to accept that, as long as the pact is valid, she is part of his life and is trying to make the best out of it. However, he can still get quite aggressive when his family gets involved.

History

Pact with Hue

"So, you really want to prove me wrong that badly huh?"
"I do, until the end of my days, which given the circumstances, doesn't seem that long, I guess."
"My my, quite the dedication right there. You know what? You are right; your fate should be to prove me wrong. I could forcefully change your fate, you know if you really want it that bad."
"Do it, I dare you."
"Very well, I shall grant you the fate you desire. No takebacks, though!"
And with that, the about 20-year-old Maximillian was suddenly rescued by a group of watermages from the burning building he is currently buried under. Little did Maximillian understand what that deal would imply 800 years later.
When asked about how in the world she managed to stop his entire family's aging, she always just smiles and says, "Ooh, just some old favors."

Maximillian and Kira

It started out like any other day for Maximillian, when he suddenly dropped down through an open manhole into the sewers, landing right on top of Kira, who was lurking down there, waiting to strike down her target, which is now sitting on top of her.
A faint sinister smile can be heard from the distance that quickly disappears.
"Hue? What are you up to this time..." Whispers Maximillian said to himself.
"Ouch... Well, that makes things easier?" She says to herself as she pushes him off her.
As both get up and dust off the dirt from their clothes, Max leans against the wall and asks:
"And you are? Quite an unusual way of meeting. I usually prefer a bar or something..."
"Oh, just the person sent to take you out, nothing personal," as she prepares some throwing knives in her hands, holding them like a fan.
As Maximillian takes a second look:
"Oh, now I recognize you, I am three of your clients! Glad to see you are doing fine."
Kira: "I have no idea what you are talking about, I've never seen you before and I am paid good money to end you."
Max: "OH great, go ahead, give it your best!"
Kira, despite being slightly surprised by that reaction, throws her knives aimed perfectly at Max's head, only for them to hit yet another person falling down the manhole. Followed by her second wave of backup knives hitting a ball that a kid must have accidentally dropped into the hole.
Kira: "You got to be kidding me..."
Max: "Wanna go over there, perhaps? You know, where there are fewer openings above us?"
Kira: "Oh, shut up." she walks over to the other side of the sewer channel.
Max: "So, who even sent you? How do you know I'm your target?"
Kira: "Confidential. And I watched you long enough by now." she prepares yet another knife to throw.
Max: "Ah, a stalker, I see."
As Kira throws her next knife, it hit a small sewer thrasher that was just jumping at Max.
Max: "Alright, I'm getting tired of this, I believe your time is up."
Max pulls out his loaded crossbow and takes quick aim at Kira, only to miss her barely, having the bolt bounce from a few walls and hitting his own crossbow, marking it unusable.
Max: "What!?"
Max pulls out his own throwing knife and throws it right at Kira's throat; the trajectory seems perfect. But once again, it hits yet another random sewer fish, trying to go for her throat as well.
Both scream into the void: "Why are you protecting him/her!?"
And both suddenly look at each other: "Wait, what?"
"Fatecursed?" "Fatecursed."
Suddenly, that sinister laugh returns, manifesting from out of the water.
Hue: "Hahaha, whoops, quite the predicament I made myself here... why don't you guys just relax and talk things out a bit on the surface?" Hue puts on a huge smug grin on her face.
Max: "Wait, since we both are under your protection, if we just keep trying to kill each other right here and now, eventually, one will succeed!"
Hue: "Wait! No, no, no, no!" Hue suddenly loses her cool attitude and gives off a slight feeling of inner panic.
Kira: "Sounds about right. But I'm not gonna be the one biting the dust here!"
As Kira is about to strike Max with a piercing dagger, he suddenly grabs Hue herself and puts her between himself and Kira. Kira, not reacting in time, stabs Hue right through the back, deep enough for the dagger to poke out on the other side.
Hue: "How dare you use me as a meat shield!"
Max, as he throws her to the side to retaliate: "Sorry, miss. I always wanted to do that; I couldn't let that chance slip."
Kira: "Can't blame you, that felt good indeed!"
Max: "Anyway, with this situation, I'm not gonna be the one going down either!"
Hue: "Damn you guys, you really have to take the complicated route..."
With those words, Hue disappears back into the waters.
Both Max and Kira lock their eyes, preparing their weapons, and put on a big smile: "This ends now."
They get into an absolutely reckless scramble, barely paying attention to their own defense. But every single otherwise lethal blow would always be deflected by sheer luck or otherwise unusual events down in the sewers.
A perfect blow to the chest? Max just so happens to have his debt ledger in that exact pocket. A good slice across the neck? Too bad, that was the knife that needed a good sharpening for over a month now. A deadly grip holding someone's head underwater? Not on the sewer thrasher's watch, which keeps jumping right into everyone's face right above the water surface. Throwing Kira down the big vertical pipes that lead to the lower sewer levels? A random geyser shoots her right back up, landing straight in Max's arms.
"My, what strong arms." "So light and soft?" Both shake it off really quickly and pull out even more knives.
This little fight kept going back and forth like this until they eventually tired out to the point where both just blacked out on the spot. Even Hue, observing from a safe distance in the shadows, drops down in sweat.
Hue: "Fuck me, they got good... but I think my job here is done..." She tells herself as she disappears from the area for good.
Later that day, Max wakes up in his quarter. All his wounds are tended to, and Miriath stands next to him:
"Whoa, wait, where am I? Where is that assassin?!"
"Assassin? A little birdy told me to get you and your little girlfriend out of the sewers before the guards do. She is in your mother's room right now. No idea what you got into, but not gonna lie, it looked kinda cute how you both lay there in each other's arms, completely knocked out. Though I have to admit, she must have one hell of a guardian angel. Clumsy me dropped her like three times while trying to get her up the ladders, and she always got stuck instantly, never dropped more than a few centimeters..." replies Miriath.
Maximillian instantly gets up and rushes to her room. His mother, Svenja, is currently reapplying some bandages.
As he entered the room, Kira instantly grabbed one of the scalpels from the table. She tries to throw it at him, only for her shoulder to dislocate again, missing terribly and hitting the flower pot nearby.
"Could you stop it already, Sheesh..." screams a voice from seemingly nowhere.
"Just wanted to give it one last try," Kira says calmly.
"Doesn't need to be the last. What say we get some coffee later once we can both walk again?" Max replies just as calmly.
"I'll take you up on that offer. And coffee sounds nice, too."
Later that day
Max: "By the way, who even hired you? I was in no disguise that anyone would currently hold a grudge against, not to mention I wasn't even disguised, to begin with... Whoever that was must know too much."
Kira: "Unfortunately, it was just a middleman that reached out to me, but I think we can both agree to have a certain suspicion..."
Max: "I see, while I think to know who you are talking about, it lacks any kind of motive, why would she go through the hassle of..."
Before he could finish his sentence, the barista served their lattes. Both look down at them, noticing something weird.
Max: "Is this place religious?"
Kira: "Nope."
Max: "Then i guess it is true..."
Kira: "So it seems..."
Both continue to look down at their beverage, still trying to understand why. Without any request, the cream of the latte formed the emblem of Hue on the surface, together with a little winky face.
Max: "Just what is this cat up to..."
While both were briefly absent-mindedly trying to think about what happened today, one of the waitresses slipped on a little puddle of spilled coffee from the neighboring table, accidentally crashing Max and Kira's table. Both beverages fell to the ground, spilling all over the floor. Shortly after, the puddles started to smoke and dissolve.
Both just smirk and exhale a short gust of wind out of their nose, while locking their eyes.
Max: "Man... Just what it this coffee here made of..."
Kira: "Rather, just how poorly made is that floor..."

Vincerer Turf wars

It was a normal day In Vincere like any other; the average population went about their lives, while the Underdistrict was a place of yet another turf war between the Fata Denver and some local bandit groups. However, this time around, it did not look good for the Deners, as multiple bandit groups formed an alliance with the sole purpose of driving out the Fata Deners from the district. As this was currently the home of Miriath, Maximillian's Fatereader, he took a personal interest in ensuring the outcome of the war.
To honestly no one's surprise, many of the bandits were debt collectors, specifically aiming for Miriath.
"I'm surprised you haven't read that in your little crystal orbs." Proclaims one of the bandits as he drags her out of her hut.
"Oh, I have read everything that I need to know. Besides, that is not how fate works, you know?
Before they could leave the hut, Maximillian emerges from the backroom: "That girl is under our protection; if I were you, I would drop her immediately. Miri, is this the spot?"
"Two steps to the right, and you should be good," She answers as the bandit drops her to the ground: "And who are you supposed to be eh? Almost your entire group is taken down out there. What do you think you can do to stop us now?"
"Hm honestly, nothing really. I am just going to stand here. To be totally real with you, I was hoping you could end me here right on the spot, too. Just try it. You would do us all a favor."
The bandit, shaken by that bizarre response: "W- W- What are you talking about? I'm just gonna shoot you right here and now!" as he takes aim with his crossbow, hands shaking.
As he takes the shot, he misses Maximillian by a mile and out the window, hitting a random waterline outside.
"Wow, really? I wouldn't even have needed the two steps for that kind of aim..."
"Just wait and watch..." She says.
Suddenly, rumbling, followed by growling, comes from the waterline.
Max: "Unbelievable... Hue, that's a new low even for you..."
Miriath: "Yeah, it gave me a good chuckle when I read it this morning."
Bandit: "What is that!?"
Max: "Sounds to me like Vincere's waterlines were contaminated by an ancient water spirit, and you just put an arrow right through him. They are quite vengeful, so you probably have about two seconds left to live, maybe three, given your distance to the pipe."
The bandit dropped everything and started running, but mere moments later, a water elemental burst out from the pipes underneath him, dragging him into the pipes. His comrades, noticing the cruel scene, opened fire on the elemental, ultimately causing a complete massacre in the district, killing every single bandit.
Max: "You know, that was pretty brutal even for you."
"Oh, trust me, I've done worse." Claims a voice from the darkness.
Hue emerges from one of the crystal orbs on the shelves.
Hue: "If anything, that was one quickest and painless death in quite some time, at least for that fella in here."
Max: "You really think you can succeed with this forever?"
Hue: "You tell me. This is your fate, after all. Fated to never die, the moment you take your last breath, you can claim to have proven me wrong."
Hue smiles with quite a smug face, fully confident that it will never happen.
Hue: "How about a little victory drink? The barkeeper down the road was dragged into his water tap, so the champagne is free for the taking!"