Maxwell Roth

Date of Birth: unknown.

Although there is no record of Maxwell Roth's existence, there is the story he likes to tell.

He tells the tale of a boy named Oberon who was born and raised by loving parents who acted in a traveling theater troupe. Here the boy learned to sing, dance, recite Shakespeare, and charm the masses. But times were tough on the nomadic thespians, and they turned instead to a life of crime in an attempt to make ends meet, thieving and defrauding between performances.

With their reputation worsening as time went on and the emotional toll of an illegal lifestyle robbing them of their passion, the close-knit group soon disbanded and parted ways. This broke the young Oberon's heart. Though it fills mine with joy, because I bloody hate nomadic thespians.

In a vain attempt to console the boy, his parents assured him that there is always "a reason for everything" and moved with him to London. Unfortunately, even there they found themselves haunted by the ghost of their past and thus unable to find steady work. Instead, the family lived on the streets, the boy in and out of workhouses.

Wistfully regarding rich families from afar, Oberon would often complain to his parents that life wasn't fair, and again they told him that there was "a reason for everything."

One day, he had had enough. In an attempt to recapture the happiness he recalled from his days in the troupe, he assumed the name of Maxwell Roth and ran away to join the circus, in whatever capacity they would allow. Under the Big Top he excelled, learning everything from acrobatics to boxing to sleight of hand. When this new life went the way of the former, Maxwell did not let his failure get him down; instead, he returned to London and set out to apply his skills to the criminal underworld.

As the years went on, Roth was in and out of prison, worked numerous jobs (from street cleaner to gun-for-hire), and gained a reputation as an extraordinary but dangerously uncontrollable bare-knuckle boxer. Quite the CV so far! In his most emotionally charged moments, no other boxer could bring him down. Within a few years, his deadly combination of brains and brawn saw his network expand, and his infamy grow. Some men worked for him, others simply owed him money, but all feared him.

It is perhaps unsurprising, then, that he was soon sought out by Templar Grand Master, Crawford Starrick. Starrick offered Roth an incredible sum for his expertise and assigned him the training of seven powerful soldiers that could lead a mighty gang and dominate the streets of London.

Now a rich man, Roth bought and refurbished a burnt-out theater in the Strand, what is now called the Alhambra Music Hall. Roth made this his base of operations, all the while maintaining a legitimate facade by funding shows for the public to enjoy.

As his time under Starrick's employment moves ever forward, Roth grows increasingly frustrated at Starrick's control over his life. But he has learned to hope for a future out of Starrick's grasp, knowing there may not be a reason for everything.