Battles
| Participants | Episode | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Ozma vs. Salem | "The Lost Fable" | Won |
Background
Salem and Ozma escape the tower.
Before Remnant
Salem was born in an age where Humanity lived alongside their creators, the God of Light and God of Darkness, and Magic was a force that all could wield.
After losing his wife during childbirth, Salem's Father locked Salem away in a giant tower for her entire life, where only he and Salem's nanny were the only ones allowed to see her. Over time, he began to visit Salem less and less to spend time with her. He brought her gifts and food, but nothing she could use against him or against herself to take her own life in fear of losing her.
On Salem’s 16th birthday, Salem realized her father didn't truly love her as a daughter, but more so as an object. Crafting a plan to escape, Salem wrote hundreds of copies for this, and word spread out about the girl in the tower trapped by her tyrannical father. One day a great warrior by the name of Ozma arrived to liberate her from her prison. After their escape, the two fell deeply in love, planning great adventures and a full life together until Ozma fell gravely ill and passed away.
Heartbroken and angry, Salem traveled to the Domain of Light, where the God of Light dwelled. There, she pleaded with him to resurrect her love but was denied. Desperate for help, she traveled to the lair of the God of Darkness, explaining her plight and taking care not to mention her visit with his elder brother. Pleased with her apparent loyalty, the God of Darkness rewarded her by bringing Ozma back from the dead. However, at that moment, the God of Light intervened and returned Ozma to the afterlife to preserve balance, only for his brother to revive him again. The God of Light explained to his brother that Salem had gone to him first and had turned the Gods against each other. The God of Darkness then destroyed Ozma once more as punishment.
Salem cradles Ozma as the Brother Gods face off.
Salem, enraged, prepared to attack the God of Light before she was taken to his Domain. Here, the Gods cursed her with immortality, hoping she would learn the error of her ways and come to understand the purpose of life and death. This burden of eternal life drove Salem towards one goal, the destruction of the Brother Gods. Salem traveled the world, manipulating kings and queens into turning against the Gods and eventually led a great army to the Domain of Light. Here, Humanity met its end at the hands of the God of Darkness, who killed everyone but Salem as a final punishment. The God of Light spoke sadly of his disappointment in Salem and Humanity, declaring the planet a Remnant of what it once was. The Gods then abandoned the planet, shattering Remnant's Moon in the process.
Salem is transformed.
Salem, the last Human alive, wandered the Remnant alone before finding herself back in the God of Darkness' home, the Land of Darkness. Here, she found the blackened pools responsible for spawning the creatures of Grimm, the legacy of the God of Darkness. Hoping that the pools would take away her immortality and finally reunite her with her beloved Ozma, she threw herself in. The pools of Grimm were unable to destroy a being of eternal life, and they instead warped Salem's mind and body, transforming her into a being intent on destruction.
The Pretend Gods
At some point after Humanity's destruction and eventual return, Salem made herself a home in a dilapidated cottage on the outskirts of a village, becoming known only as "the Witch". One day, a man came to her door, a man she recognized despite never having seen his face before. Ozma had returned, reincarnated, and the two began a new life together, though both harbored dark secrets from the other. Realizing they were the only Humans left in existence able to wield magic, they set about using their powers to act as Gods on Remnant and united the new Humanity under their rule. Their Kingdom prospered, and the two eventually came to have four daughters that developed the ability to wield magic.
Salem with her family.
Around this time, Ozma began to show his doubts in regards to Salem's methods, which were becoming progressively more brutal and totalitarian. He revealed his secrets - the deal he had made with the God of Light and the existence of the Relics. Salem had decided that Humanity was unworthy and spoke of her wishes to replace them with something better. Ozma, realizing that his love had gone too far, attempted to run away with their daughters.
A great battle was fought between the two, destroying their home and killing their daughters in the process. Salem murdered Ozma, and thus the millennia-long feud between the two began.
The Girl in the Tower
Creating her own fairy tale
Using her origins and her immortality to her advantage, Salem penned the fairy tale of The Girl in the Tower herself, detailing parts of her father's past as well as her own up until the point where she met Ozma. In doing so, Salem wanted her story to elicit sympathy and motivate people to come to her aid, subsequently dooming many warriors to die for her.
Ozpin notes that her story did not include the whole truth about her past and her actions, and is ambiguous as to what might have been false. The Girl in the Tower would become secret propaganda to bring others to serve Salem.[1]
Conflict with Ozma
Over the long course of history, Ozma fought against Salem, trying to protect the Relics and find a way to destroy her for good.
At one point, Salem had apparently heard about The Circle and came to suspect the true identity of the "The Infinite Man" that they worshipped was Ozma. Salem then sent one of her servants to kill him.
Her agent then successfully fulfilled this mission and killed Ozma and then orchestrated the massacre that annihilated The Circle and left only one of its members alive to bear a message to Ozma during his next incarnation.
Decades before the start of the series, Tock served under Salem as a subordinate. During their time together, Salem would repeatedly mentor and warn Tock to finish her prey off before her Semblance's invulnerability wore off, leaving her exposed. Tock never took this information to heart, remaining arrogant, ultimately resulting in her demise in a battle with Maria Calavera.[2]
In recent history, she has gathered a group of followers to aid her in her goals. A group currently consisting of at least Cinder Fall, Arthur Watts, Tyrian Callows and Hazel Rainart.
Salem amassed a large horde of Grimm in an area with no Grimm activity in order to break Tyrian free from his transport after being captured by Huntsmen following his serial killings.
At some point prior to the start of the series, Salem encountered Summer Rose, who had seemingly discovered Salem's immortality and failures, and also claimed she'd stop Salem. What happened during the encounter is unknown, but it was implied that Salem is possibly responsible for her death and that the encounter was memorable enough for Salem to distinctly remember it.
RWBY
A Voice of Warning
In "Ruby Rose", Salem narrates the early days of history, of Humanity, born from dust. She tells of their struggles against the Creatures of Grimm, their discovery of nature's wrath, Dust, and the beginnings of civilization in the absence of the shadow of the Grimm. While Salem maintains that strength would not bring victory, Ozpin counters by saying victory lies within simpler things that require "a smaller, more honest soul."
Salem cannot wait to watch Ozpin burn.
After the fall of Beacon Academy and the death and destruction wrought upon Vale, their conversation is continued in "End of the Beginning". Salem declares that Beacon's fate is merely the first step in her plan to divide Humanity, and thus to snuff out all hope for their survival. She threatens to destroy everything Ozpin has built and challenges him to send in his Guardians, believing they will fail as will his "simple soul".
- Episodes Covering These Events
After the Fall of Beacon
Salem, adjourning the meeting.
After the fall of Beacon, Salem holds a meeting with her subordinates in the Land of Darkness. She orders Watts to meet with the informant in Mistral, Professor Leonardo Lionheart. She sends Hazel to meet with the White Fang leader, Sienna Khan, and Tyrian to hunt down Ruby Rose whilst Cinder stays at her side for treatment. She claims Haven Academy will be the next to fall. Salem's treatment of Cinder includes telling her that "it" can sense her fear and that she has to make it fear her instead.
After a Seer floats into the meeting room and gives a message to Salem, she turns to Cinder and adamantly asks Cinder for a final answer confirming that she killed Ozpin. Cinder reaffirms Ozpin's death. Salem orders the Grimm to reinforce their numbers at Beacon Academy, stating "The Relic is there." She mutters to herself, "What are you planning?" Salem puts Cinder through intense training to control her powers and is not impressed with her progress. When Tyrian appears and reluctantly reports his failure in capturing Ruby, Salem tells him that he disappointed her and leaves the room. Sometime later, Salem watches and smiles as Cinder masters her power.
- Episodes Covering These Events
Sights on Haven
Salem learns of the Spring Maiden's location.
After Cinder's training, Salem learns from Watts and Lionheart that the Spring Maiden is with Raven Branwen. She decides to send Cinder and her team to Anima to find the bandit leader and convince her to cooperate with them. Salem also has Watts work on a "new" tail for Tyrian. Afterward, she tells Cinder to understand everyone's usefulness and to be patient and ready to deal with Ruby.
However, as the Battle of Haven concludes, she later finds out from Lionheart that things have gone awry. Disappointed, Salem uses a Seer to kill Lionheart for his cowardice.
- Episodes Covering These Events
After Haven
Salem explains to her subordinates the consequences of putting their desires before hers.
After Hazel, Emerald, and Mercury returned from their failed mission in Haven, a displeased Salem asks who is responsible for their defeat. Hazel attempts to take the blame, but Salem sees through his lie and shows her discontent by summoning Geist arms from the floor which grab Hazel and drag him down. Salem then asks Emerald, who admits that they failed because of Cinder. Salem confirms her answer, stating that Emerald must understand the failure, and adds that Cinder "must be left to toil in her isolation until she redeems herself".
Salem tells her subordinates that no matter what drives them, they must not put their desires before her own. She discusses the Relic of Destruction located in Vacuo's Shade Academy, but Hazel interrupts and informs her about Ozpin leading Qrow's group and taking the Relic of Knowledge to Atlas. Upon hearing the news, an enraged Salem demands everyone to leave the council chamber. Once everyone has departed, Salem calms herself while seething with anger, but suddenly delivers a powerful scream that shatters all the windows.
Sometime later, Salem orders Watts and Tyrian to head for Atlas before Ironwood calls for help from Vacuo. Outside of her castle, Salem creates winged Beringels from the Pool of Grimm, which Hazel deems as proof of Salem finally taking matters into her own hands.
- Episodes Covering These Events
- "So That's How It Is"
- "Lost"
- "Our Way"
Targeting Atlas
Salem appearing before the group.
After Watts' defeat and Tyrian's capture, General Ironwood had unknowingly brought with him a Seer contained within Watts' bag, which reacted to the severe negativity of Ironwood's argument with Team RWBY. The Seer revealed itself and seemingly cracking into black fog, where it then took the form of Salem, greatly surprising the Ace-Ops, Team RWBY and Ironwood. She then proceeded to congratulate the General and his Huntsmen who successfully defeated and repelled her subordinates, before revealing that their goal was never to defeat the Kingdom but instead weaken it and set the stage for her own personal invasion.
However before commencing her attack, Salem had come to deliver an ultimatum to Ironwood: surrender the Staff and the Lamp to her and she would spare Atlas from being annihilated by her wrath, or face her and be destroyed.
Salem arriving in Atlas.
In the "The Enemy of Trust", Salem reaches Atlas, darkening the skies around her with a massive storm cloud as she swarms the city with Grimm, most notably standing on top a gargantuan Whale Grimm. Salem smirks as she reaches her destination.
- Episodes Covering These Events
References
- ↑ RWBY: Fairy Tales of Remnant
- ↑ RWBY: Amity Arena Tock card bio