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Solomon Mycroft
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Solomon Mycroft is a renowned stage illusionist of a certain global fame, though not a true super-star of the celebrity world. Some have hailed him as the next Copperfield or Houdini, and all seem to agree that he's quite talented. He has recently ended a ten-year world tour, opening a theatre in New York City. His alter ego, Arcana, is virtually unknown apart from the odd whisper in the world of the occult.
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Personal Connections
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Will Black, fiancee. Liam Black, stepson-to-be. Terra Black, sister-in-law-to-be. Ivy Black, sister-in-law-to-be. Samuel Black, brother-in-law-to-be.
BackgroundEdit
Sometime in the latter half of the twentieth century, a pagan woman named Marigold Everwyn met and fell in love with a good Christian man named Solomon Mycroft. They had a son whom they named Worthington, and he was raised in the tradition of his father's faith. Worthington loved his father greatly, hero worshiping and idolizing him, while not understanding why his mother did not believe as he and his father did. The elder Mycroft worked as a stage illusionist and escape artist, in the tradition of Houdini. Perhaps it was appropriate that he died on stage, when an escape trick went awry due to a careless stage hand not checking the trap carefully enough.
Both Marigold and Worthington were struck heavily by the loss, but while Marigold found peace with her spirit and that of her lost love, Worthington's faith had always been more in his father than in God. With his father gone, his faith was shaken to the core. However, speaking to a minister who was more concerned with his reputation for "Hellfire and damnation" than with the souls of his flock, Worthington got the idea that it must have been his mother's fault. God was angered at her heathen ways, and so had laid down punishment on the heads of her family. From then on, Worthington's faith was more about punishing himself and those around him to "atone for sin" than understanding the ideally loving and forgiving nature of the teachings of Christ.
Worthington moved away from home at the age of seventeen, enrolling in college. He graduated from law school with honors some years later, and married a kind, loving Christian woman named Faith not long after. Almost immediately after the wedding, Faith was with child. When Worthington discovered that twins were expected, one male and one female, he was appalled at the prospect of having a daughter. A son he would cherish, but to his mind a daughter would mean furthering his mother's line. He had never forgiven his mother, and considered her such a wicked, evil woman that her taint would spread through the female line of his family. (After all, sin entered the world through woman.)
He prayed fervently for the girl not to be born, for only a son. He was somewhat surprised when his prayers were answered by a fiery messenger, claiming to be the Lord's Angel. This apparition told him that his prayers were granted, than when his wife gave birth only a son would be born. When this proved true, and only a boy child was born, Worthington swore his allegiance to the "divine" messenger, offering his devotion and service in return. Little did he realize the true nature of his bargain, or the lasting effect it would have on his family.
Worthington was delighted to have a son, whom he named Solomon after his own father. Faith was all too glad to love the boy with all her heart, and while Worthington never even touched the boy once, he was proud as he could be. Things might have gone quite well for them, except despite the medical impossibility of it, Faith remained pregnant. The embryo of the little girl remained inside her, undeveloped, for two years. She never told her husband of this, quietly praying on her own for her other baby to be born after all. So it was that on Solomon's second birthday, his twin sister was finally born. Worthington had spitefully named her after one of the Biblical figures he hated most: Delilah, the woman who betrayed Samson. Because of the separation of their births, they lacked the complete bond that many twins share, however they were still very close from an early age.
Faith, however, was unable to show her love for Delilah. Worthington forbid his wife to show any affection for the girl, or even to touch her any more than was absolutely necessary for her survival. She was not even allowed to breast feed, which caused her almost as much physical pain as it did emotional anguish. Faith only went against Worthington's decree once, and he hit her. That was the one and only time he ever struck her, but he was so furious at the idea of his wife choosing his daughter -- who he saw as the demon spawn of his mother -- over him, that he yelled and screamed at her, belittling her and threatening her, until she was too scared to ever question him again. So it was that Solomon was the only one who ever showed Delilah any love or affection, and in truth played a large part in ensuring that she did not simply die of neglect.
When Solomon was six, he seemed to be a perfect young man, his father's pride and joy. Delilah was by this time a very quiet, withdrawn four-year-old. It was a few days before Christmas, and the family was decorating their Christmas tree. Such a scene of family unity was this that shy Delilah ventured forth to join them, and Worthington actually allowed it. For a few precious moments they were nearly a family, as they should have been. Sadly, Delilah made the innocent mistake of picking up a beautiful moonstone ornament, made to look like a crescent moon.
This ornament had been Marigold's favorite, one she had hung on the tree herself every year while Worthington was growing up. To her, Christmas was not a religious holiday, just a good excuse to celebrate her family. When Worthington married, she had given the ornament to Faith, wishing her many happy Christmases for her new daughter-in-law. Worthington had allowed Faith to keep the ornament with the other Christmas decorations, but forbid her to ever actually hang it on the tree. It reminded him far too much of his mother, and so he hated it as he hated her.
Those years later, when Delilah hung it on the tree, Worthington burned with rage against his mother all over again. He backhanded the girl, knocking her down, and was taken off guard when his young son sprang up to his sister's defense. This was the ultimate betrayal in Worthington's eyes. The son he had loved beyond all others had chosen the daughter he hated over him. Solomon received a brutal beating that day, enough that he could barely walk for days afterward.
There was never another celebration in the Mycroft house. There was never another Christmas tree, and presents and holiday meals were forbidden. Worthington gave Solomon one final "gift", what he saw as the key to his son's salvation. A small cupboard with a whip and other savage implements of punishment was placed in Solomon's room. Worthington, though he never realized it, was feeding the creature that he had made a pact with. Every act of cruelty commited against his family made the creature more powerful, and further twisted his own mind.
After that, despite Solomon's best efforts at meeting all his father's expectations, the beatings became a weekly occurrence. Each Sunday night after dinner, Worthington held "confession" in his study. There Solomon would recite a list of sins which was presented to him, then receive "forgiveness" in the form of another vicious beating. Often these "sins" were drawn straight from his father's imagination, rather than having actually ever happened.
It was not long before Solomon realized that no matter what he did, the consequences would be the same. This eliminated the last lingering bit of respect Solomon had for his parents. He knew Faith was not a cruel woman, simply completely dominated by her husband, but he still hated her for how she treated Delilah.
Delilah had long ago explored the forbidden attic of the house. There she found a box carved from elder wood which held her grandmother's old journal and a strangely compelling necklace. Once Solomon gave up on trusting their parents, who Delilah had always hated, she shared her findings with him. The pendant was called the Elder Sign, a symbol of protection used by the old, forgotten gods of the Earth. Delilah had also begun learning to use magic, as their grandmother had.
Solomon was fascinated by all this and soon developed an interest in the occult to rival his sister's. He continued to do well in school and do his best to keep up all appearances of being his father's "perfect" son. No one knew a nicer, more well mannered young man than Solomon Mycroft. He was interested in drama and art, doing quite well in both at school. He even made himself a pendant with the Elder Sign on it, hoping that its ancient protective power might influence his fortune for the better. Perhaps it did, though in a very strange way.
Not long after Solomon turned thirteen, Faith's mother took ill and lay dying several states away. She and Worthington traveled down to Florida to visit her before she passed on. Solomon and Delilah were left in the care of a seventeen-year-old local girl named Amy Miller. What exactly happened is best not to include here, but Amy forced Solomon to do things which he did not want to do, threatening to tell his parents -he- had done such a thing to -her- if he did not cooperate. Solomon knew that his father would punish him with much greater severity than usual for such an offense, and so he fearfully allowed Amy to have her way.
Upon his parents' return, Solomon told his mother about what had happened. He was sure that because he had done nothing wrong he would get no worse than usual for what had happened, but he did not count on his father's fanaticism again coming into play. Worthington blamed Solomon entirely for the encounter, raving that it was the man who had the power in such a situation. When confronted, Amy did a very good job of playing the innocent victim. Solomon had never had such a beating. He did not leave bed for two days, and was limping for a week afterwards.
Months passed, and Worthington Mycroft finally achieved the position of judge, which he had wanted since he entered law school. He happily presided over a reenactment of the Salem witch trials, which he had his family participate in. Faith was portraying a local "goodwife," and Solomon and Delilah children of the period. Amy Miller had won the coveted role of a witch. She performed very well in her "trial," and was sentenced to be "burned at the stake." Of course, the fire was little more than paper maché strips attached to a box fan laid on its side, but the drama of it seemed quite real to the crowd of tourists.
No one had guessed, however, how far Delilah's study of magic had gone. Delilah had watched as Solomon endured the punishment and scorn from his father, all because of what Amy had done to him, and grown murderously angry. Seeing Amy playing at being a witch, an evil villainous creature which made a mockery of Marigold's beliefs, Delilah lost herself in a moment of blind rage. Without meaning to, she loosed a spell and the pile of wood Amy was standing tied to burst into fire. Neither water nor earth would quench that fire, and it grew quickly into a blaze that no one could enter.
Everyone stood by watching in horror as Amy died. People believed that a spark from the fan's motor had somehow caused the fire, but Solomon knew better. He had felt what Delilah did, and he was terrified. That night he tried begging his father to find a way to help Delilah, but only succeeded in an extra beating, if a relatively mild and cursory one -- Worthington refused to hear of witchcraft practiced in his family, even if he secretly believed it was true. Feeling trapped with nowhere to turn, Solomon resolved to run away.
And run away he did. Unfortunately, this is not where the story of Solomon Mycroft becomes a happy one. He traveled across the country, heading west, and had a great deal of very dangerous adventures along the way. He came to understand much more of the world than his parents' own backward, distorted little corner of it. It took him nearly a year to reach California, working his way across the states, and by the time he was fifteen, he had found his way to Los Angeles. Here he met Kyle Akhmed, better known as The Amazing Sorcerer, Abdul Alhazred. Now, this was not the true mad Arab of days past, simply an older 'magician' using his name, but none the less,
Kyle knew many things. He saw potential in Solomon, and took the boy under his wing. He took Solomon's natural flair for the dramatic and quick fingers and made him into a stage illusionist. For four years Solomon was with Kyle, learning not only of the stage magic that Kyle had made his living doing, but discovering that he was able to do more than that. Solomon's power of sorcery, granted by his Fae blood, made him a master magician where Kyle had been only a good one. His apprenticeship took place partly at the Magic Castle, a gathering place for illusionists, and partly at Kyle's spacious country home.
Stage illusionry was not Solomon's only potential, however. Solomon's awareness of magic slowly grew as he aged and studied, and he made sure his research included a hearty dose of the occult. He told Kyle that he only wanted this information for the sake of flavor and style, but in reality he was slowly filling in the gaps of his occult knowledge. Often he would surprise himself by knowing things before he read them, and his knowledge advanced by leaps and bounds without any apparent reason. By age 16, Solomon was showing signs of being a true prodigy at illusionism, and had knowledge of the occult that would put most wizards to shame.
Kyle wanted more than an apprentice, however. He wanted a young man who would bend easily to his sexual appetites... and so he and Solomon became lovers. This lasted for several years, starting while Solomon was still quite underage, but Kyle never did understand Solomon's sudden talent and greatness. The elder 'magician' jealously used his influence throughout the 'magic' community to discredit his own lover and pupil. Kyle did not want to be surpassed until after his death, and so he wanted to keep Solomon as his humble apprentice for some years to come. However, when Solomon realized that Kyle was intentionally holding him back... the two had a falling out. In the end, Solomon struck out on his own, heading for northern California, and eventually came to San Francisco.
Solomon spent the next ten years of his life rising to stardom along the western coast of the United States, eventually putting on several widely-televised large venue performances. During this time he studied broadly, improving both his stage and mystic talents, and also began to appear occasionally in the guise of Arcana, doing small deeds here and there to help those who needed it. He had no stable relationships, though several extended flirtations helped him keep things interesting. In his early thirties he was offered a unique opportunity to leave America and go on an extended world tour... and he took it.
The first year was spent touring Canada, then there was a several-month stopover in South America. From there he made brief appearances in the North Atlatntic and ended up in Dublin, Ireland, which kicked off his three-year tour of western Europe. He didn't need to stay so long, but he found the place charming and did quite a lot of visiting, including some ancient sites of magical significance. He rediscovered his love of music and theatre, and was truly inspired by the great opera house of Paris. The image would never truly leave him.
Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union followed, and he had one highly memorable encounter with a creature of wintry power while in Russia. Africa was an accident, and it took up two more years of his time -- all of it devoted to trying to champion various causes there. At the end of two years, though, he needed to get away from it. He still gives heavily to charities in the region, but there was in truth very little market for his professional talents. He was modestly popular in China, but they absolutely loved him in Japan. He spent at least three years touring city after city, making music videos, and even providing the voice for an American anime character at one point. A final stop was made in India, where he was struck with inspiration while viewing the Taj Mahal.
The grand structure reminded him of his own dreams, and so he returned to America. He encountered his sister then, in a surprisingly brief and random encounter at an airport terminal... she had long since left home and found her own life. Now a highly independant creature who called no place home, she did not stay long... but he now knew that she was safe and well. He moved to New York and constructed the theatre he had dreamed of, which nears its opening night as of Summer, 2006...
PersonalityEdit
Like most people, Solomon's demeanor can vary wildly with his mood. If he is so inclined, he can be rather polite, and can even sometimes border on anachronistically chivalrous. He tends to be a respectful and polite sort, unless angered. He believes that if you give respect, then you are more likely to receive it, and he will generally try to handle things politely before he resorts to less pleasant means. He can be very social when he wants to, and certainly displays nearly flawless etiquette in most situations. However, if he is in a dark mood, he might be very unpleasant, even brooding and standoffish. He can definitely play the 'emo' card when it suits him.
When Solomon finds a place he belongs, especially if he makes true friends, he becomes fiercely protective. He feels a deep loyalty which can only be broken by a severe betrayal of his trust. (He remained with his family through all kinds of abuse, only leaving when he feared he might be a dangerous influence on his sister.) He keeps vigilant watch over the people he cares about, and may occasionally seem overprotective, but he is generally not excessively so. He does his best to keep a cool head about such things, and respects the freedom of those he's inclined to look out for. The quickest way to anger him is to directly threaten someone he's protecting.
While Solomon tries to be reserved, and being cautious rather than impetuous, he is a deeply passionate man. Especially if he is upset or angry, he too can resort to rushing in unprepared when the situation is dire -- doubly so if someone he cares about is in trouble. He believes that anything is possible, though he may sometimes come across as much more cynical or bitter than this would seem to imply. When he's working, he's a professional. Simple as that. He handles his job, whether it be illusionism or vigilantism, seriously and simply, doing what he must. However, he almost always acts outside of the 'black and white' of a situation, displaying a theatrical twist. All in all, if something is worth doing, it's worth doing with a flair. Why else would he be a professional illusionist?
He is a good and well-meaning person, and prefers on his good days to happily get along with everyone. Solomon is often irresistibly charming and smooth. People may have a hard time /not/ liking him. However, when his moods turn dark, and he tends to become brash and difficult, unfriendly and depressed. He puts up with less nonsense from people he dislikes, he tends to be more harshly assertive, and is generally more inclined to take dynamic action. He would never casually do someone serious harm, though he is not above violence at times. If he were truly furious beyond control, or else in violent combat, then he may harm another. Even in a fight he wouldn't kill except in the most dire of circumstances.
PowersEdit
Fae BloodEdit
Many of Solomon's powers are derived from his fae bloodline. As a result he is immune to all known toxins, diseases, illnesses, and other failings of the human flesh. He is not subject to the ravages of aging, and will remain healthy and youthful as long as nothing happens to cut his life short. This carries a weakness to iron with it, as well.
SorceryEdit
Born with the gift of sorcery and mystic awareness, Solomon can accomplish quite a variety of effects with his powers. These range from basic conjuring, the summoning or banishment of lesser spirits or creatures, astral projection, energy manipulation, flight, crafting illusions, and teleportation, to a variety of other effects.
