Epic of Remnant: Salem

Plot summary

The chapter starts with a typical day in Chaldea, with Robin and Sanson bickering like an old married couple as Mash watches them. Then, they are summoned to the Command Room where Da Vinci receives information about a dark magical barrier around Salem, which can absorb light and electromagnetic waves. The US government and the Mage Association have delivered troops to venture within the barrier, but none of them return. However, there is a mechanical doll that manages to come back safely which pictures as evidence. It turns out that town has transformed into a state similar to the 17th century Salem. Da Vinci hypotheses that the magical barrier can eliminate any item beyond the 17th century, thus the members of Chaldea's investigation team have to disguise themselves as travelling performers to gain access.

(Shots fired!!!)

The team consists of the MC, Robin, Sanson, Mata Hari, Medea, the newcomer Nezha and Mash, who decides to join our last Rayshift adventure at the very last minute. They find themselves in the woods, where they plan to spend a night. As they are planning their strategy, a white-skinned girl accidentally discovers them which leads the team to encounter a group of girls who are playing around a firepit, with a blonde girl Abigail as the lead. Suddenly, there is a pack of wolves attacking the girls, which the team helps them to fend the beasts off while Mata Hari takes the girls to safety. During the fighting process, the Heroic Spirits realize that their powers have been decreased by 50%, and they cannot manifest themselves in spirit form. They have no other choice but to fight in their temporary human state.

After the battle, the team meets with Abigail's uncle, Randolph Carter. Carter invites us to stay in his house while he punishes Abigail for her misbehavior. Abigail also tells them they are 1692, the year when the Salem Witch Trials happened. In the house, they are being treated well by the house servant Tituba, who provides meals for the team. However, she is treated badly by Carter as he accuses her of teaching his niece about witchcraft. As the Chaldea team has been fed, they decide to split up to explore the town before the performance, except for Medea who is highly suspicious of the housemaid.

At nightfall, the villagers gather at the town hall to watch the first play brought by the Chaldea team. Initially, the villagers are not amused by the idea of having this type of entertainment. The Chaldea team successfully deliver their first play 'Queen Sheba and Solomon' (written by Shakespeare) and receive good reviews from the locals, although there are a few mishaps from Robin's part. Within the celebration, there is an unexpected visitor who goes by the name Matthew Hopkins decide to arrest Tituba for committing sorcery on a village girl.

The Chaldea team decides to save Tituba from Hopkins. However, the new judge gives them two conditions: perform for the entire townsfolk and disallowing Medea to join the performance. The MC has no choice but to agree, which the team presented another play titled 'Three Little Jeannes'. After the play, the team returns to the cell to release Medea, but they could not find Tituba in her cell. It turns out the poor maid is executed by hanging. The performance is to avoid the Chaldea team to interfere with the death sentence. At midnight, the Carter household is surrounded by ghouls, who are the people executed by Hopkins earlier. The team helps Carter to fend off the monsters, which in the process Medea reveals her true identity. She is Circe in disguise, the real Medea still remains in Chaldea. After the fight, they discover an old man hiding behind. It turns out to be Lavinia's grandfather, the head of the Whateley family.

The next day, the team is requested to do another play for the children. 'Journey to the West'. Lavinia and Abigail leave the town hall and head to the execution area where Hopkins' and his people are about to execute the Whateley family. Lavinia is told to hide in the wharf by her family. On the same night, the town is attacked by ghouls again.

On the 5th day, Mash disappears with Carter in the woods. In the meantime, Mata Hari is being accused as a witch and a harlot, and Sanson is accused as a false doctor. After the trial, Mata Hari is hanged and the ghouls returned to attack the town. While protecting Abby from the monsters, the Chaldea team is saved by Tituba, who is now Queen of Sheba. She takes us to her camp where Mash is residing. Mata Hari also reveals herself to be alive and she had drunk Circe's potion to pretend her death.

(Stop blaming on women if they reject you.)

The 6th day of our arrival, Sanson immediately surrenders himself to Hopkins. Lavinia wishes to leave Salem with Abby, but the blonde girl refuses. She thinks that she does not have the freedom to leave her hometown. Under Lavinia's instructions, Abby chants a summoning ritual and get caught red-handed. Lavinia saves Abby by killing Hopkins. Sanson, who witnesses the incident, he quickly admits himself as Hopkins' murderer. In the process, Abby gets a fever and the MC and Mash accompany her and tell her of the tales in Chaldea.

At night, Mephistopheles arrives at Salem briefly to warn the MC of the Walpurgisnacht that will happen on the next day. During Sanson's execution, Abby confesses that she is a witch. The simple confession makes people to hate her, which Abby transforms into one. The Chaldea team fights the unstable girl until she reverts back to her original form. Soon, the council decides to arrest the MC and Circe.

(Witch Abby)

The next morning, Carter visits the prison to reveal himself as one of the Demon God Pillar. He finds Abigail has the talent to save humanity and believes she is the key that can summon the Outer God to descend on Earth. At the same time, Robin and Mash meets Lavinia and ask for the truth about Salem. It turns out that the Demon God Pillar traps her family in this world because the Whateley family can summon these Gods. Lavinia used to pretend to be friends with Abigail, who is curious about the outside world. This leads to Lavinia teaching the young girl about the ritual.

The trial of Circe and the MC is attended by both human and ghoul alike, a situation that has gone out of control and ridiculous. Abigail soon arrives at the town hall and defend the MC before both of them are sentenced to be burnt on the stake. She tells everyone that if they want to hold a trial against witches, they should do it to her instead as she is one. Carter volunteers to host Abby's trial by listing the girl's sins that she has committed for the past reincarnations of Salem. Lavinia enters the courtroom and uses the powder of Ibn-Ghazi to make spirits materialize, showing Carter's true form in the process, the Demon God Pillar Raum and the rest of the human villagers reverted into their ghoul form.

At the same time, the team manages to contact Chaldea, they are told that reinforcements are sent to looking out for the Salem perimeter. Looking at the unstable Abby and the Demon God Pillar, Circe suggests that sealing off Salem would be a better option to protect humanity. As Robin manages to destroy Raum with his bow, Lavinia is badly injured as well. The fall of her friend finally breaks Abby, which allows Sut-Typhon to possess her body and swears to punish humanity through endless suffering. Circe and Sheba decide to make a barrier that limits the power of the Outer God, at the same time the Servants regain their powers to fight the possessed Abby. In the end, they dispel the Outer God and Abby transforms back to her human state. Lavinia shares her final words to Abby before the albino girl dies in her arm.

When the sun rises, they bury Lavinia's at the hilltop that faces the sea. As the barrier is slowly dissolving, a man who calls himself as Cosmic Travelling Gent arrives at Salem. He claims that Raum has robbed his body during the event. Even the Pillar is defeated, the man still has Raum's memories, which leads him to meet Abby. He asks Abby if she wants to join him to travel around the cosmic world, she immediately agrees as traveling around has been her dream. At the same time, the Chaldea team bids farewell to Sheba and Circe before Rayshifting back for the last time.

(Dream come true)

The chapter ends with Sanson, who is mysteriously retrieved, joins Robin Hood and Medea during breakfast. However, he has no memories of Salem, but he still remembers anything that happened before the event.

(Breakfast at Chaldea)

Storytelling and Gameplay

This chapter is giving the player a glimpse of what is the future of Chaldea since they have successfully defeated Goetia and protected the future of humanity. It also marks as the last Rayshift to the last sub-Singularity.

Salem, as Geronimo states in the prologue of the chapter, is a cursed land in which 3 major incidents had happened within a century. This sub-Singularity focuses on Salem and the notorious witch trials. To explain about the 1692 Salem Witch Trials, I also need to include the immigration of Puritans into the new world during the 17th century.

The Puritan was a reformed religious movement in the late 16th century England which they believe the newly built Church of England is still the same as the Roman Catholicism. They argued that believers should have direct communication with God without any interference from an agent. Under the opposition and stress from the European mainstream religious organizations, these Puritans moved to the New World around the 1620-30s. As they successfully reached the land, they have begun to see themselves as the chosen ones by God, as if they were the Noahs after the flood. Hence, the settlers built their new home on Salem, which is named after the Holy Land Jerusalem. They dedicated themselves to the ethics of charity, self-discipline, and diligence; moral obligations to show gratitude to their God.

(Abby explains the origin of Salem)

At the end of the 17th century, the 1692 Witch Trials was held in which women were claimed to be possessed by the devil or practicing witchcraft. It started with two girls Betty Parris and Abigail Williams (yes, the same Abby) who were having continuous fits and violent outbursts. Slowly, the same condition happened to the other girls. Some modern scientists explained that this condition was caused by the fungus Ergot which its toxins can cause symptoms like delusions and vomiting. Obviously, people in the 17th century did not have advanced equipment or medical explanations to cure this, therefore the shifted the blame on sorcery and curses caused by the so-called witches. The first victim of this trial was the Parris family's house-maid Tituba, whom the girls claimed that she was responsible for teaching sorcery to them. This witch-hunting frenzy had lasted for a year, causing the death of over 200 innocent women.

So, what is the relation between these two events?

It shows the Puritan's hypocrisy in the New World. The New World is the symbolism of a fresh and modern world that separates from the traditional and rigid European society. The Puritans moving away from their homeland to a new unknown territory to settle down is a sign of detaching themselves from the past and starting a new future. In this chapter, we still see some of the settlers are being prideful of their English ancestry and having a sense of anonymity towards the French. Besides, the Salem Witch Trials proves that these people still hooked on the old beliefs of the Middle Ages, like suspicions and trials without proper evidence. Just like Fake Medea (Circe) says: "Some New World this is. It's still stuck in the Middle Ages". (It feels ironic for someone who is from more than 2000 years ago to criticize the people centuries ahead of her.) This paradox is a perfect place for a Demon God Pillar to build a Singularity as it links two things that clash against each other, in this case, it would be the wisdom of the modern age and the darkness of the Middle Ages.

Another element of this chapter is the introduction to a new class, Foreigner. This special class incorporated the Lovecraftian mythology or Cthulhu Mythos of Outer Gods with historical figures. The basic concept of a Foreigner servant is the possession of an Outer God that exists outside of the normal universe upon a human being from our familiar world. A qualified Foreigner servant must maintain their integrity as they descend into madness, which they consume the madness rather than being a part of it. That is why Foreigners have class advantage over Berserkers, the entities of madness. There is also the inclusion of other Lovecraftian mythology monsters like the bird-like creatures Shantak and the ghouls, a group of cannibalistic creatures. (Speaking of which, I just received my copy of Lovecraft short stories. Thank you FGO for making me being interested in Cthulhu Mythos.)

This story employs stage plays as a device to provide some foreshadowing and backstories. The first one is the meeting of Queen of Sheba and Solomon, which the sprite for the Queen has given away the real identity of Tituba. The second story, 'The Three Little Jeanne' is a comedy play parodied from 'The Three Little Pigs'. The third play is about Journey to the West where the story is set in China, a setting where the children of Salem are unfamiliar. This play is not shown within the main story but only available after playing the Free Quest in Town Hall. The fourth play showcases the apprenticeship of Medea under the teachings of Circe. The last story is shown as a flashback rather than brought out on stage, narrates the life of Mata Hari.

When playing the main story, the player's Servants are weakened by half. Luckily the enemies are not strong and most of them are Caster-class or Berserker-class based. Boss fights within the narrated stories are a bit tricky, especially the 3 Jeannes fights. During the first boss fight against Abigail, the players are required to fight for 4 turns with no NP deployed by the enemy Servant. For the last Abigail fight, she has her HP recharged several times despite there are no break bars. The best counterattack is using the welfare Mecha Liz or Meltlilith, whose NP focus on a single target. The annoying part is Abigail's buff remove skill before her NP damage.

Characters

Abigail 'Abby' Williams

As mentioned before, Abby one of the earliest accusers on the Salem Witch Trials. In history, there are no records of her after the events. She is adopted by her 'uncle' Randolph Carter in this chapter after the death of her parents during a Native American raid. She is the central character with complexity, a young girl whose existence is the paradox of good and evil. She has a good heart, but her actions lead to miseries and casualties within the town of Salem. This is what Raum declares as her sins: the invitation the soul of sinners into the reincarnated Salem and the trust she has in others without any distinction of good and evil, causing Salem as a Purgatory-like world. This is why she believes herself as a witch.

Despite all the madness and her depressing background, Abby still maintains her purity. Her childish curiosity comes in when the Chaldea team arrives. For a girl who has never stepped to the outside world, she wishes to travel around. Her dream comes true when she meets the real Randolph Carter. At the same time, Abby is more mature for a twelve years old girl and more open-minded than any villagers. She is willing to be friends with Lavinia without any concern about her social status, and she gives the Chaldea Team a warm welcome rather than questioning them.

As Abby is possessed by an Outer God, her personality changes into 180 degrees. She is more mischievous and Yog-Sothoth/ Sut-Typhon is known as the All-in-one and One-in-all, the representation of the Gate and the Key. It wields the key to 6 different doors; each door can access to a different possible dimension. That is why Abby uses a huge key as her offensive weapon and there is a keyhole on her forehead which is shown in her NP animation.

(Sut-Typhon)

Lavinia Whateley

Lavinia is a character that emits familiarity and unusualness. Her odd features like her pale white skin and horns are far from normal, which will intimidate people in the beginning. Her physical attributes and her alchemist family background contribute to the discrimination from the townsfolk of Salem, a phenomenon that occurs in real life as well. The prejudice against the uncommon is a major theme in Salem that ignites the witch-hunts and false accusations. Lavinia's family is the victim of this extreme discrimination, due to the practice of alchemy.

Lavinia's friendship with Abigail is another element of the story, which is complicated. She is the friend whom Abby wishes for, a person who is forsaken by the Gods. Her initial relationship with Abby is not out of good intentions. She pretends to be friends with the blonde girl and teaches her the Ritual of Descend due to her childish playfulness. Little does Lavinia know that Abby is the perfect candidate for an Outer God to take over. Out of guilt, she avoids Abby. It could be Abby's kindness and truthfulness, Lavinia's attitude towards the girl has changed. She would invite Abby to travel with her, and even risk her own life to save her friend. If fate allows, there could be a chance for these young girls to reunite again and able to venture the world together hand in hand.

While making research, I discover that Lavinia Whateley is indeed a character from Lovecraft's short story The Dunwich Horror. In the story, she mates with Yog-Sothoth and has two children: the human Wilbur Whateley and the Dunwich Horror. You hear me right. She has sex with an Outer God creature. Coincidentally, Abby is possessed by the Outer God Yog-Sothoth. Does this imply something else?

Randolph Carter/ Raum

This man is the real mastermind of this Salem fiasco by posing as Abigail's uncle and using the body of Cosmic Travelling Gent (H. P. Lovecraft). His occupation as a Professor at the University makes him quite a reputable character in the village. We all know him as the helpful man who convinces the town to allow the Chaldea team to perform until he reveals himself as a Demon God Pillar named Raum (and the last pillar for us to battle). As one of the remaining pillars, Raum sees Salem as the perfect location to correct humanity. His summon of the extraterritorial being as a method to 'save' humanity is disdained among the other Demon God Pillar. Besides that, he also enjoys his human form that he borrows from the Cosmic Travelling Gent, something that other pillars look down. The only difference between him and the CTG is one of them dislikes cats (his real form is a crow), and the other adores cats to the point he decides to adopt all of Salem's cats.

A little fun fact: Randolph Carter is the alter go of H.P. Lovecraft who is the narrator of the story. They even have similar features.

(Image Source: https://i.imgur.com/7bIm0u8.jpg )

Matthew Hopkins

The famous witch hunter who comes to town to hunt down witches. Everything about this man is peculiar. From the presupposed death in 1647 to his intrusion into the town of Salem. Unlike Lavinia or the Chaldea team, this outsider is much respected by most Salem residents because of his authority and sharing the common worldview with the locals. His unexpected arrival is a turning point for Salem, marking the beginning of the witch trials.

Hopkins is the bait for the players to believe he is the main arc villain and a Demon God Pillar. Instead, he is just a guest in this land. Abby hopes that Hopkins will repent his sins in the new Salem, which backfires and the tragedy happens again.

Tituba (Queen of Sheba, the Caster of Midrash)

As Tituba, she is a lowly slave who is sometimes mistreated by her master and being accused as a witch. As the Queen of Sheba, she is a wise queen and her wealth can rival King Solomon's. Two different identities, but played by the same person.

To be honest, I have never heard to her before until FGO throws in this Choco Caster with long ears (yeah, she is half-human and half-djinn). When I did the research, there is nothing much about her backstory or personality. Heck, she does not even have a name of her own but to be known as the ruler of the kingdom of Sheba. I would like to say kudos to her creator for adding some characteristics to make her stick out more.

The first play shown in this chapter about Queen of Sheba meeting King Solomon is my personal favorite. Although it is meant to be a romantic play, it is more of a diplomatic alliance between two intelligent leaders. Their relationship is very brief and short, just like in the Bible. However, this does not stop the Queen to care for him. There are moments she is curious about the King when he is fully human instead of the omniscient mage. If she is summoned about a year ago, I bet things would be really awkward in Chaldea.

(Queen of Sheba as Tituba)

Fake-Medea (Circe, the Caster of Okeanos)

Circe is one of the Greek Servants whom I look forward to meeting. As a Greek Myth geek, Circe is a mysterious character who has an ambiguous personality. The Circe from the Percy Jackson series is portrayed as a misandrist lady who thinks men are pigs and women should thrive to succeed. There is another version that I read shows Circe as a caring aunt when Medea flees to her island for refugees. This version shows more of the helpful and cheeky side of Circe. Besides, I just purchased a copy of Circe by Madeline Miller. Hopefully, it will show another perspective of the immortal sorceress.

In the first part of this chapter, she is disguised as her niece, Medea. It serves as a dramatic irony, but the players need time to know her real identity. Don't let her appearance fool you! She may look young, but she has been around since the Age of Gods. There are times she even boasted on her status as the Queen Witch and needs constant compliments for her abilities. Circe is fond of cooking a type of porridge called kykeon, which she sometimes uses it to trick men into pigs. In fact, kykeon was an Ancient Greek drink made up of various substances, the recipe comes in a variety.

One of the plays showcases her relationship with Medea, who is seeking for her apprenticeship. We can see Circe is slightly annoyed by her enthusiastic niece, but at the same time, she is awed by the young princess's talent. In many retellings on Jason and the Argonauts, there is a lack of interaction between Medea and her aunt, who both pledged their loyalty to Hecate, the goddess of magic. This short play succeeds in exhibiting the missing part of their relationship.

I also need to point out that it is quite unfair for Medea is used as a tool to introduce Circe in FGO. Just give Medea an active role in FGO already, DW! This poor woman does not even have her own featured CE!

(Poor Medea)

Charles-Henri Sanson

Compared to the Orleans chapter, the writing on Sanson's characterization is much better. We could see him employing his medical knowledge when explaining to Lavinia about albinism and its cause. He even tells the girl to embrace her own skin condition. Talking about body positivity!

Overall, this sub-singularity is a self-redemption arc for Sanson. Unlike in the Orleans Singularity, this time he presents himself more of a doctor than an angel of death. However, as much as he yearns to cure the Salem residents, executions and death is still inevitable. At times he is still required to meddle in the witch trials and execution of prisoners. Quite similar to his life, Sanson decided to pursue the field of medicine but he ended up continuing the family business. His resolution to end this cycle is to sacrifice himself by becoming the sinner.

Luckily, he is still the same person as before when he is resurrected. Otherwise, the MC has to rebuild their bond all over again.

Mata Hari/ Margaretha Geertruida Zelle MacLeod

I have to admit that I had overlooked this character before playing this chapter. She used to have minor roles in events like the Brave Liz Halloween Event and sometimes she is sexualized. In this chapter, she is getting her spotlight during her trial. Her flashback brings the player a glimpse of this 20th-century Dutch woman who suffers from an abusive relationship with her ex-husband and her glory days as an exotic dancer. Then, she was charged by the French officers for being a German spy during World War 1.

Mata Hari is not your typical sex icon. She stands up for herself when someone insults her dignity and name. She even humbly rejects the man who tries to objectify her, which he later accuses her of being a lustful siren who seduces him. This chapter draws the other side of Mata Hari that the players have never known before. She really deserves to be known as a femme fatale, the combination of grace and courage.

Extra: Robin Hood

I will never get tired of Robin being a part of the crew because he is the guy who always looks out for people and his cynical attitude is part of his charm. His interaction with Sanson reminds me of Hetalia. Heck, both of them are from England and France respectively. Other than that, he is quite an observant man who already has doubts about the fake Medea (Circe)'s real identity.

(And he loves to drink)

Overall rating: 9/10 Saint Quartz

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Whew! That's a long one.

I'm taking a break for now and I'll start writing the Septem Singularity on February.

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