Seal of Solomon

The Seal of Solomon,<ref name="ThorburnBogeyman"/> also known as the Sigil of Solomon<ref name=":0">Holding Alister’s hand, she led him over to the center of the diagram, and she used her feet to scuff the lines of the diagram there, where the seal of Solomon was marked down. [...] Alister added his blood to the mix.
Replacing the sigil of solomon with the power of a Lord. Even a small, temporary Lord. - Possesion 15.7 </ref> or the Seal of Suleiman bin Daoud,<ref name="Barbie" /> was a deal created by Suleiman that made it so that Others who were bound by it could not harm innocents wantonly. In exchange it provided them with protections as well.<ref name="Barbie">Given Barbatorem’s nature, this author would recommend another means of baiting him in the future, as he will remember, anticipate and adapt with each means used. He agreed to be bound by the seal of Suleiman bin Daoud four months after the initial capture. See the Others volumes, book one, chapter one, if unfamiliar with the seal. The diagram this author used for entrapment, necessitating only one line to open or close, can be found on page five of this entry, followed by the means of summoning and the recommended diagram for imprisonment. - Bonds 1.7</ref>

Details

A formal acknowledgement on the part of an Other, that they won’t interfere with mankind without excuse, they’ll obey certain rules, and the practitioners will leave them be. Typically an Other bears some symbol or token of this bargain.  Over time it’s gained a power of its own and being sealed physically alters the Other, but it also affords them certain protections against practitioners.<ref name="book">She lifted another book, turning it around so I could see a painting of a brown-skinned man with a funny little golden hat and a magnificent beard.
Rose explained, “Suleiman. Sorcerer king. He was the first practitioner who really worked for the betterment of mankind and actually made headway. He established rules and contracts, and he systematically worked to challenge the biggest, baddest Others out there that he could, then used them to help get others. It brought about an age where humans could stop being the playthings of Others and start developing as a civilization.”
“Okay,” I said. “And the seal?”
“A formal acknowledgement on the part of an Other, that they won’t interfere with mankind without excuse, they’ll obey certain rules, and the practitioners will leave them be. Typically an Other bears some symbol or token of this bargain. Over time it’s gained a power of its own. Being sealed physically alters the Other, but it also affords them certain protections against us.” - excerpt from Bonds 1.7</ref> The Seal was a physical diagram that could be marked on the floor.<ref>Holding Alister’s hand, she led him over to the center of the diagram, and she used her feet to scuff the lines of the diagram there, where the seal of Solomon was marked down. - Possesion 15.7</ref><ref name="madness">“Given how fragile this area is, we protect against Ruin first,” Alister said. “Chaos second, madness third… Fractal grid, outward pointing. That covers the first and last. We need a crest for the center, for fending off chaos.”
“What sort of crest?” the High Priest asked.
“Against madness? I’d say the seal of solomon would work, but… that rules out too many other things,” Alister said.

- excerpt from Possesion 15.6</ref>

While most of the older Others are affected by this, many of the newer ones aren't and can act without it interfering with them, however the universe itself still conspires to protect innocent humans.<ref name="revenant">“I did. The trick is to realize your strengths. We’re newcomers. The Solomon whatsit doesn’t apply. We have access to anyone we want to go after, innocent or otherwise, see?”
“It’s a little more complicated than that.”
“Far more,” he said. “Far, far more. Usual protections might not apply, but the universe will protect innocents in a roundabout way.
“Something like that,” I said. - excerpt from Mala Fide 10.2</ref> An Other who isn't bound by the seal and also elect to be bound by it to have a greater significance in the scope of things and a power source, but it will open them up to more ways of being sealed and handled as a result.<ref name="ThorburnBogeyman" />

The main effects of the seal are:

• The Other suffers restrictions against lying, similar to practioners.<ref>“Challenging me? Prove it, then,” he said. “The Barber is sworn to the Seal of Solomon. Johannes is a practitioner. If you would mark us as liars with a meaningful show of faith, we’ll be disadvantaged.” - Judgement 16.10</ref><ref name="ThorburnBogeyman">“Yeah,” I admitted. “Just like you have only my word when I say that I can’t lie. I’ve been down this road.”
  

“Ah,” Gavin said. “That’s a bit of a problem.”
“It’s a fixable problem,” Lola chimed in.
I suppressed a sigh. “You’re talking about the seal of Solomon.”
Lola nodded. “You know your stuff.
Agreeing to the deal that Suleiman Bin Daoud had set up between humanity and Others. Binding myself, with certain terms contingent in the binding. One of the first things I’d read up on, way back when.
“That opens me up to a lot of forms of attack,” I said. “Being properly bound, being targeted by certain vectors…”
“It protects you too,” Lola said. “Gives you a power source. You become a part of the greater scheme of things.” - Malfeasance 11.9</ref>

• The Other is barred from interfering with mankind "without excuse".<ref name="book" /><ref name="revenant" />
• The Other becomes vulnerable to certain standard practitioner techniques and methods of attack.<ref name="ThorburnBogeyman" /><ref>Mags: There are options, Blake. The seal of Solomon, if you were willing, would mean giving up some control, but it helps others control your impulses. - 13.4</ref>
  • The Other becomes easier to track.<ref name="Alister" />
  • The Other becomes capable of being truly bound.<ref name="ThorburnBogeyman" />
• The Other gains protection against certain standard practitioner techniques and methods of attack.<ref name="book" />
• The Other becomes more a part of "the way things are".<ref name="ThorburnBogeyman" />
• The seal serves as a source of power for the Other.<ref name="ThorburnBogeyman" />
• The Other is physically altered, with some token or mark representing the Seal.<ref name="book" />

In addition a bogeyman bound by it would make them easier to keep track of and form deals with.<ref name="Alister" /><ref>Mags: There are options, Blake. The seal of Solomon, if you were willing, would mean giving up some control, but it helps others control your impulses. - Execution 13.4</ref> It would nail them down in shape, form, and demeanor, stopping the Abyss from getting as much traction with them and offering more durability.<ref>My body continued changing, rearranging, even as I ran. Finding a better configuration, strengthening my new foot.
Settling.
If I’d accepted the seal of Solomon, where would I stand now? Would this be possible? Would I have needed to go this far, or would I have proven more durable? - Sine Die 14.10</ref> It allows them to maintain the balance of Other and Human within. In the case of Blake it could quite possibly slow down the rate at which the rift between him and Rose widened due to their origins.<ref name="Alister">“You’re unwilling to take on the seal of Solomon,” Alister said.
“Yes,” I said.
“Which would make you easier to keep track of and form deals with. It would nail you down in shape, form and demeanor, stop the Abyss from getting as much traction with you, and quite possibly slow down the rate at which the rift between yourself and Rose widens,” Alister said. “If you want to maintain the balance of your Other and your human selves, this is a damn good way to do it.”</ref>

In addition to it's main use, it would also act to repel Demons of the Choir of Madness.<ref name="madness" />

History

Suleiman bin Daoud created the Seal, bargaining with and challenging powerful Others and having them impose the Seal on other Others in turn.<ref name="book" /> (This may be the same great gathering of "all the forces of the world... Gods, incarnations, and other powers" that established the current rules of magic referenced in Black Lamb's Blood.)<ref>At some point in history, all the forces of the world gathered, recognizing that there could only be chaos if they continued fighting amongst themselves.  Gods, incarnations, and other powers realized that with the power they could each bring to bear, certain actions couldn’t be permitted.  Trust was impossible to maintain. Laws were set in place.  Those same laws are the ones that a practitioner agrees to abide by, in order to broker access to what lies beyond the curtain. - excerpt from Black Lamb's Blood, quoted in Interlude 4 </ref> The Seal/bargains Solomon created formed the basis of the modern system of Awakening (many Awakening rituals still use Suleiman's original language.)<ref>“Suleiman Bin Daoud took the first steps to establishing a new relationship between human and Other,” Miss said.  “A lasting compact between human and Other.  There are forms of this ritual where we recite

old words in your language and in Suleiman’s.  There are forms where we
conduct old traditions.  At the heart of it, however, lies an 

invitation.  For you to join our world, and for us to cooperate with you

in interacting with the world of man.  Would you invite us in, Verona, 

Avery, and Lucy?” - excerpt from Lost for Words 1.2</ref> It also set forth the modern system of Innocence.<ref name=":1">“I did. The trick is to realize your strengths. We’re newcomers. The Solomon whatsit doesn’t apply. We have access to anyone we want to go after, innocent or otherwise, see?”

“It’s a little more complicated than that.”

“Far more,” he said. “Far, far more. Usual protections might not apply, but the universe will protect innocents in a roundabout way.

“Something like that,” I said.

[...]

Innocents have some protections, the universe will contrive to shield them, but if you can leave a lasting mark, that’s worth a fair bit.”- excerpt from Mala Fide 10.2</ref>

The workings of Solomon let humanity defend itself, bringing about the modern age where humans are more than mere prey.<ref name="book" /><ref>“You’re an Other,” Maggie said. “That place is like an Other’s amusement park. There, it’s like the old days, before the Seal of Solomon. Before humans were really able to fend for themselves.” - Damages 2.2</ref> The protections of Innocence have become a part of universal karma, although they are still much stronger against those Others that have accepted the Seal.<ref name="book" /><ref name=":1" />

The Seal does not seem to have been widespread in North America prior to the Columbian exchange.<ref>He was wrong about what the crow was, but he still managed to capture and bind it. He sent it back at the ones who had created it, with a touch of added power, hostility, outrage, given freely, and the compact of the Invader’s ways of dealing with spirits.  A seal, which made the crow both less of what it had been and more a part of things.  A different manner of things. - excerpt from Interlude 11 </ref>

It was described for new practitioners in chapter one of the modern book "Others Vol 1".<ref name="Barbie" /> Rose Thorburn Junior and Alister Behaim later used it in warding against some demonic Imps.<ref name="madness" /><ref name=":0">Alister added his blood to the mix.
Replacing the sigil of solomon with the power of a Lord. Even a small, temporary Lord. - Possesion 15.7</ref>

References

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