Solomon Bolden
Solomon "Solo" Bolden (died 1805), better known as the Black Cross, was an American Templar agent active during the early 19th century.
The secret inquisitor of the Inner Sanctum like all the Black Crosses before him, Bolden travelled around the world to keep an eye on the Grand Masters of the various Rites, to verify that they followed the Templar Code and, if necessary, to eradicate any corrupt Templars he could find.
Biography[edit | edit source]
Mission to Libya[edit | edit source]
In 1805, Bolden posed as a slaver sailing to Tripoli to buy slaves, while in fact he was planning to rescue his predecessor, Tavis Olier, who had been presumed dead after his failure to recover the Koh-i-Noor from Sultan Selim III's palace.[1]
During the crossing of the Mediterranean Sea on the Painted Lady, Bolden dispatched pirates sent after him by the Sultan and "befriended" Jan van der Graff, a Flemish agent of Napoleon Bonaparte supposedly sent to Tripoli to acquire precious fabrics. The two men made a pact; Bolden would protect van der Graff during his mission, and the latter would use his contacts to help the Black Cross enter the palace.[1]
Once in the port city of Derna, the two men rode camels to Tripoli, where they eventually met with van der Graff's contacts in a local tavern. There, Edmund, a deserter marine, and Ahkbar, a shady local, revealed to them the existence of a secret underground tunnel used by the Sultan to discreetly smuggle precious cargo into the palace.[2]
Death[edit | edit source]
Following the departure of their companions, Bolden and van der Graff bonded over several drinks, during which the former tried to learn what "the diamond" mentioned by Edmund was. However, their conversation was interrupted by Edmund being shot dead by guards in the street.[2]
Later, the pair entered the tunnel after van der Graff picked the gate's lock, but were confronted by several men waiting for them. During the brawl, Ahkbar, who was in fact an agent of the Sultan, revealed himself and stabbed Bolden in the back. With his dying breath, Bolden told van der Graff to find Tavis Olier, the Black Cross.[2]
Legacy[edit | edit source]
Eventually, van der Graff escaped his captivity three years later, after being trained and inducted into the Templar Order by Olier during their imprisonment together. During his escape, the Flemish recovered the Koh-i-Noor before taking a ship to America, where he met and informed Solomon's widow of her husband's fate. At some point, van der Graff fathered a child with her, carrying on the name of the Boldens.[3]
Personality and traits[edit | edit source]
Solomon Bolden was a stoic man who took his duties as the Black Cross extremely seriously. Loyal to the Templar Order and its guiding principles, he sought to ensure the Templars' continued well-being by fulfilling his duties by whatever means necessary. During his assignments, he generally took the position of a silent observer, avoiding contact with others as much as possible and keeping his answers short and to the point whenever he was asked personal details.[1]
After meeting Jan van der Graff, Bolden was annoyed by the Flemish's overly friendly and theatrical demeanor,[1] and in time grew suspicious of him after realizing that van der Graff knew more than he let on. Nevertheless, he maintained his partnership with him, believing that it would facilitate his mission, and became accustomed to his quips, which he occasionally responded to with sarcastic remarks of his own.[2]
Bolden struggled to hold his liquor, becoming inebriated after just a few drinks, which foiled his plan to get van der Graff intoxicated to learn exactly what he knew about him and the Templars. Nevertheless, this experience ended up bringing the two closer together, and Bolden came to trust van der Graff with his life, apologizing for misjudging him.[2]
Skills and equipment[edit | edit source]
Bolden was a highly skilled swordsman, easily beheading the pirate captain sent to kill him,[1] as well as besting at least one of Selim's royal guards. His skill was noted by van der Graff, who believed that the Black Cross' prowess would help him get into the palace.[2] He also appeared to possess highly developed reflexes, once catching a knife thrown at van der Graff mere inches from his face.[1]
Appearances[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
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