Maxi

Maxi Amberwood, also known as the Great Reader of Evocation by the residents of Candlekeep, is a young but powerful foxfolk cleric that was destined to explore and protect the Sword Coast as Lathander's Chosen. He is famous for defeating the demon lord Orcus upon his latest attempt to infiltrate the Prime Material Plane, and he recently arrived in Chult in hopes of putting a stop to the dreaded death curse.

Description

Maxi has the form of a humanoid fox with golden fur and emerald eyes.

Standing 5 ft and 8 in (1.7 m) tall and weighing 135 lb (61 kg), he has a thin frame but a toned physique.

Personality

Maxi embraces a simplistic view of life, always preferring to look on the bright side of things. While he is known for his kindness and empathy, he can also be naive and sensitive, and thus gets along best with other humble folk - such as elves, gnomes, and halflings. Maxi tends to try to steer away from judging others by appearance and instead find common ground when possible, even siding with some fiends and undead. He is always eager to explore and document the many wonders of the realms, from its rich history and diverse religions, to its countless other adventurers that have made their mark before him.

Abilities

Through his initial encounter with Cera Mountain Crusher, Maxi would be pressured into unlocking his divine magic. His initial spellcasting was very clumsy, with his burning hands shooting from his mouth and faerie fire emitting from his eyes, but has since gone on to better hone his magic while keeping its unique flair. He specializes in the evocation school of magic and his favorite spell to cast is fireball.

After becoming Lathander's Chosen, Maxi would be granted a boon that allowed him to alter fate in his favor during particularly dire encounters, and after becoming the next Great Reader, he would be rewarded another boon that gave him truesight.

Possessions

Maxi wielded a unique magic +2 warhammer called the Smiting Hammer of Lathander, bestowed by the Morninglord himself. It was designed to grow in power alongside the cleric and grant him several new spells, such as searing smite and blinding smite. The weapon marked the beginning of Maxi's adventuring career, and he was known to carry it wherever he went; however, he recently was forced into trading the hammer with the archfey Titania to be cured of the death curse and venture into Chult to discover its source. It is believed that Titania plans to trade the hammer back sometime in the future.

Maxi would also come to possess a mantle of spell resistance, helm of brillance, and even the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind with the help of the allies he made during his time in Barovia.

Shortly after defeating Orcus, Maxi adopted and renovated the Temple of the Restful Lily. It serves as a popular bathhouse, spa, and sanctuary amongst adventurers traveling through the High Forest.

Relationships

Friends

While known for traveling with several adventurers, Maxi's closest friend is the reindeerfolk barbarian known as Cera. While she was intially decieved into battling him, the two would immediantly click due to their shared curiosity and wanderlust, and now spend their downtime exploring the realms together.

Another close friend is a half-elf bard named Zarad, who only briefly adventured with Maxi along the Triboar Trail yet developed a brotherly bond with him along the way, helping ground his naivety with his own life lessons. Zarad now serves at the Temple of the Restful Lily, keeping watch while Maxi is away.

Family

Laren Amberwood was a retired half-elf paladin who took in Maxi as is his own. He was a very caring but careful father, believing Maxi was a personal gift from the Morninglord. After his passing, Maxi would devote his much of his adventuring career to unveiling his father's mysterious history and enemies.

While his true origins are still unknown, Maxi has had no interest in exploring his past, content with the friends and family he has since grown to love.

Enemies

Maxi is responsible for exposing and banishing the greater evils across the Sword Coast. His greatest adversary had been the Cult of Orcus before he followed in his father's footsteps and thwarted their recent attempt to summon the demon lord, forcing the cultists to scatter once more.

History

Early Life

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Lost Mine of Phandelver

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Curse of Candlekeep

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Tomb of Annihilation

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Trivia

• Maxi is inspired by the nostalgic memories I have of being incredibly curious, naive and innocent growing up.
• He was the first character I created when I started playing in 2019, and was also the first character of mine to reach 20th level.
• Zarad was a character of my close gaming friend, Grey, who has since passed away in 2021. Rest in peace, Grey.