Brazened Spirit

*“We can't expect God to do all the work.”*

— Marshall

# The Pilot

## History

Raised on a ranch in Texas, Marshall had always idolized the wild west. Desiring to be like the cowboys of the past he would always practice his shooting, riding, and even survival skills. It was with one such outing that he heard a loud crash tearing through the trees. Quickly investing the noise he soon found a pod that looked like one of those alien probes coming from the same era of western movies he so enjoyed. When he got the nerve to actually touch it he was greeted with a strange scan and then a dazzling holographic interface. Transfixed, he began to fill out the form incredulous of what he was reading. By the end of it he got his own suit that could take him anywhere along with a really big gun. What more can a man ask for?

It was not long after when he was experimenting with his newfound flight that he discovered the invasion taking place all over america. Seeing this as an opportunity from God to live out his dream he descended down like an angel and with practiced movement fired upon the invaders cruelly targetting civilians. This had represented much of the early invasion where he would make a timely rescue only to fly away into the sunset off to save more people. It was only when the Armored Corps first formed that he began to work with others. He never particularly cared for the organization however as he viewed their secular stance as denial of the true extent of the conflict. Considering their priorities skewed and ennabling practices he found distasteful.

This cold relationship soon saw him split with the Armor Corps along with similar minded pilots that became known as Moqaddas. Where like others had assisted in the construction of their headquarters and the defense of God's Beacon. Ever since then Marshall has stood vigil over the middle east. Its varied climate similar enough to the wild west.

Later on when his mount began to deteriorate he became increasingly distraught as half his suit was taken away with him along with the nascent personality of his AI. When it finally failed he became heartbroken and refused to participate in any missions. It was only with the intervention of Jerry who had managed to use salvaged alien tech that he was able to revive the Brazen Bull independent of the suit. Following this revival Marshall hosted a big celebration in the base giving access to his entire collection of alcohol he had been collecting over the years. The event was such a hit that he was able to requisition a large room to make his own bar and barbecue called the Brazen Bull in honor of his mount. It has remained a popular place with a western and a eclectic middle eastern aesthetic. With aspects taken from all over the region's history along with biblical references galore.

## Personality

Always having been particularly devout. When he first got his suit and he saw the true nature of the Vannai that faith only grew. He saw them as the dark counterpart to humanity where while we can still accept God they have rejected them utterly like the demons. As a byproduct of this he hates elves as he views them as a sort of modern nephilim and sees it only as a matter of time before God smites them from the earth. Unsurprisingly his views made him a natural member of the Defenders of the Faith.

He has always been particularly crude and unapologetic. Unafraid of speaking his mind about anyone regardless of rank or the situation. That combined with his aloof nature has found him few friends, but those who get close to him will find that he is genuinely considerate and will often self-sacrifice to help others. He is also rather stoic preferring to project a strong image of himself regardless of his current state as he finds it unbefitting as a cowboy to be weak.

A strong believer in the sanctity of human life. He will often go out of his way to actually minimize casualties even amongst the enemy if it is possible. Best demonstrated in two separate incidences where he managed to talk down a young hacker into freeing hostages and another where he sneaked around mind controlled civilians in order to find the source of their enslavement. Another part of this love for life is his avoidance of nanite and cybernetic technology. Fearing that they directly impact one's humanity by changing what God had designed and bring up questions best left unsaid.

He has a love for whiskey of all kinds and with so much of the earth abandoned he had been free to explore it at his leisure while he is off duty. Often raiding distilleries, bars, stores, and even homes of noted collectors so he can expand his own collection. It is a point of pride that he often has the perfect drink for every situation.

## Appearance

Standing at 5'11" and therefore earning the eternal scorn of /fit/. Marshall has dark brown hair and a athletic build from constant work at his family's ranch and early adventuring. His time as a pilot has changed little about this given its demanding nature. When out of the suit he often has his old cowboy hat on.

## Relations & Allies

Jerry (TE Engineer): The name Jerry is one uttered with dread from those who are near Marshall. For things are certainly to explode or become weird due to whatever experiment or misinformation was given to him. Due to the constant invocation of his name most wonder why on earth Marshall still listens to him. This is because they have always been longtime friends ever since they first met one another when TE made contact with the rest of the Armor Corps. Jerry had always been one interested in the old world and powerful weapons and the two were able to quickly bond over that. Their relationship was such that many of the locations that Marshall goes to are places that Jerry had researched and his ever changing weapon is a result of Jerry's experiments. Most cannot deny the power of these modifications...but they are very likely to fail as its always in some prototype stage. Bringing great exasperation to everyone involved. After the TE exodus from Japan, Jerry now resides in the Brazen Bull. Using this as an opportunity to "enhance" the drinks recovered to get everyone roaring drunk. Literally in one case when he put combat stimulants to give it some extra kick.

# The Suit

## Suit

Called the Brass Saddle or "BS" due to its color and operation. The BS in its normal state always seems to be under an intense glare or a hazy silhouette in the distance especially under bright sunlight. This is assumed to be a side effect from the optical camouflage that it possesses. Its systems are capable of operating in any environment without being compromised and has proven to be an especially nimble flier. Many have found its varied typing to be both strange and unnecessary, but to Marshall he finds it suitable for his needs. While it lacks any natural weaponry it does possess a engraved double barreled shotgun depicting all the things he loves. With scenes of racing horses and cattle herds along with beautiful landscapes and cacti. Its high firepower has consistently proven itself with puppets easily being turned into shredded messes.