Introduction
Solomon van Rijn
An Angel [
Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future
Appearance
Notable Features
🕮 A narrow and towering frame🕯 Eyes as pale as the sunlit sky
🕮 An infectious grin
🕯 A penchant for finding the right words
🕮 While the binding of his memories has limited Solomon's ability to properly express his Grace, even the least sensitive of Never's residents may detect the feeling of coming home after a long absence that his arrival brings into any space
Personal Style
Neatly tidy at all times from the top of his sandy blond crown (ignoring the way it spikes up rebelliously at times), through well-fitting suits in sun-washed shades of beige and creamy off-white, to shoes that he keeps polished—although he will sheepishly admit to a certain fondness for the soft coating of dust they gather in a place like Never. Makes a man feel like he's home.Circumstances
Currently
Something tells Sol he hasn't always been in Never, but he can't rightly remember what he was up to before. Since arriving, however, he has taken to plying a trade of bookbinding and printmaking, running a printing press out on his property just west of town. He issues a semi-monthly gazette in an earnest attempt to share events in Never as he sees them, unaware of his own angelic contributions (and retributions).Health & Capabilities
Physically, Solomon is a paragon of perfection. Mentally, however, he presents a picture of a flawed man: he does not remember his time before coming to Never, and in the rare moments he sleeps, he is plagued by visions of fiery swords and a fondness for darkness which he cannot seem to reconcile with during his waking hours.Socioeconomics
As the publisher of a small gazette that has endeavored to deliver Never's many truths to its variegated citizens and tourists for nigh on two decades, Solomon enjoys a humble but consistent living out of his homestead just west of town. He maintains a frugal, resourceful lifestyle, entering into often wholesome and overly generous barter arrangements with other residents of town in order to secure anything for his Work that he cannot otherwise purchase or receive through donations from appreciative readers.Skills & Talents
🕮 Writing🕯 Printmaking
🕮 Bookbinding
🕯 Book repair
🕮 Piano
Present Relationships
Printer's Devil: Ariel BernsteinEvery printer needs an apprentice, and the work of a printer's devil is never done. Ariel is a young formerly-blinded human who found his way into Never in search of hope and purpose, and who serves as a testament to one of the miracles that Solomon has performed here—when he overheard Ariel praying for vengeance against the outlaws who blinded him six years ago, Solomon took to his own knees that night and prayed for the grace to help him, unaware that it would lead to his blind apprentice waking up the next day with his vision restored. Furthermore, Ariel soon discovered that he could see past illusions, and in a place like Never, he can't help but have his suspicions that his employer is behind such a gift. Of course, Sol vehemently denies it, blithely claiming that he could not possibly be capable of such a thing—but the Lord works in mysterious ways. Now armed with renewed sight, Ariel works hard in Solomon's workshop and enjoys functioning as eyes (and ears) for his unknowingly angelic employer out and about Never, doing what he can to Bear Witness and share the truth as they see it. And he hopes that one day, he'll see the men who took his eyes in the first place.
Identity
Hobbies
🕯 Curating a collection of antique books; the older, the better🕮 Calligraphy
🕯 Reading
🕮 Writing short stories
Habits & Routines
Time is one of Sol's greatest enemies. He struggles to keep track of it, heavily relying on timepieces in every room and on his person, and even those he tends to distrust. As a result, he has a habit of misrepresenting the current date in his published works, sometimes by days, sometimes by centuries.Personality
🕮 Earnest🕯 Patient
🕮 Generous
🕯 Idealistic
🕮 A touch of the whimsy
Background
History
"I wish you could
forget the things that would cause you trouble,
especially
because of me."
Gg
forget the things that would cause you trouble,
especially
because of me."
Gg
Once upon a time, there was a very passionate angel who devoted his entire being to striking down the enemies of God and, by extension, Man.
And then he fell in love with one of those enemies.
And then he fell.
And then he landed in Never, entirely absent of his memories and the knowledge of being an angel of retribution; worse, he lacked the memory of the love that was enough to make him wonder, if just for a moment, if a kiss was worth it.
Despite this gaping hole in his identity, this loss of who he was and what he wanted, Solomon was still in possession of at least one thing: an innate desire to proselytize, to defend the Truth and spread Good. So he did what he could. He tried to make a home for himself, he watched the people of Never, he learned how the world worked (or at least, the world as it was given to him to understand), and he found the best way for him to be ... himself, whatever that meant, was for him to share what he saw, to write about it, to put it in print, make it fact, spread it everywhere.
So he started publishing his gazette, and it seemed to work. It made him happy. And helping the people around town? That made him happy. And watching the little (but miraculous) changes in their lives that he couldn't explain, but that he still knew to be God's work? That made him happy.
But then came the nightmares. Did angels even sleep? Now they did, at least ... sometimes. Visions of darkness, of longing, of gold and fire and a deep bereavement for something he could not define, left to grasp at like sand slipping through his fingers. This did not make him happy. It made him sad in a way he couldn't express, like he knew he was supposed to know something, but how can he know what he doesn't know in order to know what he's forgotten? It leaves him in cold sweats; it leaves him with a churning in his soul.
He won't let the melancholia keep him. He prays. He prays harder and harder. The harder he prays, the more things seem to change in his life, but to what end? What difference does it make when no amount of praying seems to quell the deep gnawing at the edges of his existence?
Powers & Magic
Powers Use
Solomon does not believe he's an angel. A few people have figured it out and tried to make it clear to him over the past two decades, but accepting the truth of his existence is currently outside of his capability. As a result, he does not consciously use his powers, but he is devoutly religious and commits himself to prayer morning, noon, and night. He prays for hope and strength; he prays for justice and the power to make things right. He prays for answers, he prays for the lost ones and those who think themselves found. He prays for the tools to help, never knowing he's providing them with weapons. Sight, skills, resources ... Connecting himself to the people of Never in ways he doesn't even realize yet.Performed Miracles
Granted to: Ariel Bernstein
Details: A young human who was blinded by outlaws six years ago, Ariel found his way into Never in search of something to hold apart from his festering need for revenge. Taking on a job as a printer's devil for Solomon was just the start, but when Sol overheard the young man praying, even the amnesiac angel could not stop himself from wanting to help. Solomon prayed too, and he prayed harder. He prayed so hard that the next day, Ariel woke up with his eyes fully restored—and more.
Details: A young human who was blinded by outlaws six years ago, Ariel found his way into Never in search of something to hold apart from his festering need for revenge. Taking on a job as a printer's devil for Solomon was just the start, but when Sol overheard the young man praying, even the amnesiac angel could not stop himself from wanting to help. Solomon prayed too, and he prayed harder. He prayed so hard that the next day, Ariel woke up with his eyes fully restored—and more.
Last Active
19 Apr 2025, 00:01Total Posts
1(7.14% of all posts / 0.25 posts per day)