An aristocratic warlord and voracious scholar, Maxwell Lewis’s upbringing, exploits, and mysterious decline make him an icon of Pre-Verdant-era America. 

Maxwell’s mother, Lucy Hardak was a Formers Agent overseeing U3C’s implementation in the Pacific Northwest. She eloped with a young Graler and took a semen-sample from him as a practical joke. When her area became too unstable, she was ordered to relocate to the Manhattan cell. Instead, she joined her brother and his comrades at the Regis Colony in Virginia as a fail-safe in case the Manhattan cell failed. Although she was given a radio-package she kept this hidden from the rest of the colony. Several months after the Burnout, Lucy’s refrigeration device for the semen, and other valuable items failed. Instead of letting the sample go to waste, Lucy impregnated herself. As the pregnancy progressed, Lucy’s mental state deteriorated— perhaps from anxiety related to the Burnout, isolation from the rest of the colony, or water contamination. Regardless, she drowned herself shortly after giving birth. She left her son a simplified manual on how to operate her radio and contact the Order. As one of the Colony’s only children, Maxwell was well-provided for by his uncles and their families. It was quickly realized that he had a prodigy-level intelligence. At four years old, he was able to start up the radio and began talking with Chessman’s sect in the UK. The sect used the radio to transmit schematics for a printer and other devices to accelerate Maxwell’s education. For his 12th birthday, Maxwell was gifted The Divining Rod: an enormous slug-firing weapon developed by the Colony for self-defense during its early years. Shortly afterwards he joined an expedition to travel through the remnants of Appalachia. During this journey he frequently disappeared for days at a time and often returned in a distraught state. He also met the Widow at a dueling event. Maxwell eventually left the expedition and continued to the Strets, Conver, and other locations.

In 2046, He returned to the Colony with an improved formula for their propellant, designs for several new weapons, and plans to begin militarizing immediately. Although he was guarded about his personal ambitions during this period, Maxwell later described his yearning for conquest over the new world. It was also during this period that Maxwell met Harry Gats. Maxwell was able to convince the Colony’s leadership, a council of five that only met four times a year or during emergencies, to support him. Maxwell stated concerns over the Blue-Column and how they would eventually annex their Colony. This was in opposition to the council’s resolution to maintain a peaceful economic niche as a provider of high-quality spirits and other distilled products. Maxwell, then 15, agreed to a compromise: while the Regis Colony would not have a standing army, he, with supervision from his uncle Jeff, would organize a squad to be used as mercenaries or for special operations. This squad, known as “Regime” was composed of other teenagers from the Colony as well as recruits from neighboring communities. Regime worked primarily for Formers, but occasionally did jobs for the Guild. Harry frequently served as a liaison between Regime and Formers, often accompanying Maxwell’s team on missions. During this period, Regime developed a reputation as one of the most cutting-edge and effective mercenary units in the country. This is primarily because they were one of the only groups that used semi-modern firearms— other factions were afraid of a return to Pre-Burnout violence if enough groups started using guns. 

By the early 50’s, Maxwell had succeeded in crippling the Blue-Column through various strategic operations. He had also attracted Formers’s interest in using Regime, and their un-immersed, albeit crude rationalism as a long-term check against Verdance. The Order advised him to consolidate power back at the Colony, massively expand his forces, and align with more un-immersed groups in the Guild. Maxwell abolished the Council and installed himself as an elected president. He then appointed Frank and Matthew to create divisions tasked with controlling the Passage Lands and Swells respectively. Maxwell planned to depose Graler (by this point he had been told the truth about his parentage), and ensure compliance from the Federation. Maxwell’s ultimate plan was to bring the country under centralized control by 2060. However, Formers derailed this scheme when they ordered him to invade the Delta and topple Verdance’s high-command in late 2054. 

During Verdant Night, Maxwell was a direct witness to the Barrier’s formation. He abandoned the campaign into Verdance, instructed Matthew and Frank to maintain their units and await further instructions, re-established the Colony’s previous command-structure, and began work as a travelling academic in the Strets. While Regime forces retain absolute loyalty to him, their leadership acknowledges Maxwell as being insane. 

While Matthew’s unit has largely crumbled into a cluster of mercenaries, Frank’s division has been converted to an anti-Vronan taskforce.