As a luminary member of the Lancea et Sanctum and an advisor to the Prince of Chicago, Solomon is widely regarded as a fearsome high chamberlain of Chicago's host. What he lacks in subtlety, he more than makes up for in zeal and willingness to punish heresies, be they real or manufactured. Solomon has a special hatred for Persephone, whom he sees as a personification of the madness and weakness creeping into Prince Maxwell. That his longtime ally would so casually violate the Second Tradition sends Solomon into apoplexies of rage.
Solomon's body is crisscrossed with scars, both from conflicts and as a result of his mortification of his own flesh. That he keeps these scars from night to night only adds to his mystique among the Damned of Chicago.
Born in the middle of seven children, Solomon was one of the four who lived into adulthood, watching brothers and sisters both older and younger succumb to illness or accident. A quiet child, son of a harness-maker and a seamstress, Solomon grew up helping both his parents in trade, and his nimble fingers recommended him to a crafter of artificial limbs. Legs and feet and hook-hands were always needed in a city so crowded and callously industrious — especially in the wake of the Great Fire and the buzz of reconstruction. Eventually opening his own shop, Solomon’s life as an unexceptional tradesman was interrupted by his Embrace by a mad Daeva who wanted an expert to help her dispose of her corpses more ingeniously. Solomon spent less than a decade under her tutelage before the Carthians killed her, and then his long period as an outcast began.Uncomfortable with any of the covenants, wary and defensive, Solomon grew more cold and cruel with the passing years. When the century turned, he was wellknown as a bully and a loudmouth. By chance, Solomon did a favor for Maxwell, and came to distrust the strange Ventrue ancilla less than Solomon did others of his kind, but his true revelation came in the 1940s when, weakened by a fight with agents of the Treasury Department, he was rescued by members of the Lancea Sanctum. Expecting abuse, he instead was treated with respect and given the kind of support and advice his sire had never offered. Solomon suspected a trick for years, but when he converted, he did so with a vengeance. The role of a testing pestilence upon humanity made more sense of his Requiem than anything else ever had, and his zeal led to rapid advancement. In a mere 50 years, he has risen to the rank of Bishop, all while espousing interpretations of the Testament that are far stricter than most of his congregation. Doctrinal strictness has become the litmus test of the Sanctified, thanks mostly to Solomon’s skill at playing “holier than thou” with those who defy him. Perhaps the fullest expression of his desire to strengthen humanity (albeit through a cruel winnowing process) is his relationship with the Brigman family. A longtime proponent of eugenics, Solomon felt the Brigmans were genetically superior to other regional strains, and he has exercised his power through several generations to purify them. In the process, they have become completely dominated by the vampire who dwells in their basement: he chooses who they marry, when they bear children and which of them receive the “blessing” of ghoul status to serve him indefinitely. Though he rules them as a master rules his kennel, Solomon does truly believe that the Brigmans can, in time, become a superior strain that will lead humankind to a brighter future — one in which more humans are able to resist the lures and threats and snares of creatures like him. He is breeding men worthy of God, and any who tamper with his project do so at great peril. Solomon is also a great lover of gadgetry. He makes a tremendous effort to stay current with technology, an effort that his 19th century mindset often hinders. But more than one Kindred who expects the Bishop to be protected solely by occult sigils has been unpleasantly surprised by the fruits of Solomon’s fascination with 20th and 21st century instruments. Above the eugenicist and above the technophile, is Solomon the priest. He is truly faithful, but with a weakness that, paradoxically, makes him stronger in the long run. Solomon, whose faith stumbles and rises again, can confound opponents who would easily predict (and break) a man of unalloyed conviction. Those who see him as a fanatic are unprepared for his last-minute betrayals. Those who think him a pure hypocrite are taken aback by his refusal to compromise, even for tremendous gain, even in his own best interest. Solomon will not break to temptation, but only to fear — and only to a very great fear, at that.
Stats
Clan: Daeva
Covenant: Lancea Sanctum
Embrace: 1896
Apparent Age: Early 40s
Mental Attributes: Intelligence 2, Wits 3, Resolve 3
Physical Attributes: Strength 4, Dexterity 3, Stamina 4
Social Attributes: Presence 4, Manipulation 2, Composure 2 Mental Skills: Academics (Theban Sorcery) 2, Computer 1, Crafts 3, Occult 1, Politics 3
Physical Skills: Athletics 2, Brawl (Kindred Physiology) 3, Drive 2, Firearms 1, Weaponry (Staking) 3
Social Skills: Expression 4, Intimidation (The Faithful) 2, Persuasion (The Faithful) 2, Socialize 1, Subterfuge 3
Merits: City Status (Chicago) 4, Covenant Status: Lancea Sanctum 5, Disarm, Haven: Security 4, Haven: Location 2, Haven: Size 4, Herd 3, Quick Draw, Resources 4, Retainers 4 Willpower: 5
Humanity: 5
Virtue: Faith Vice:
Wrath Health: 9 I
nitiative: 5
Defense: 3
Speed: 12
Blood Potency: 3 (Vitae/Turn: 12/1)
Disciplines: Celerity 2, Dominate 3, Vigor 3, Theban Sorcery 2 Theban Sorcery Rituals: Blood Scourge (1), Vitae Reliquary (1), Curse of Babel (1), Liar’s Plague (1)
Sources
- WOD Chicago pg 93-94