Salem Singularity

Salem: The Forbidden Advent Garden
Salem: The Forbidden Advent Garden (禁忌降臨庭園セイレム), alternatively Heretical Salem (異端なるセイレム) or Subspecies Singularity IV (亜種特異点 IV), was the fourth of four major Singularities which emerged in the aftermath of the Human Order Incineration Incident. Engulfing present day Salem, Massachusetts, it recreated the events which occurred in the town in A.D. 1692.

Setting
The Singularity recreated Salem, Massachusetts in the year 1692.

History
Chaldea have detected an abnormality in the area of Salem. It is a dome of darkness with a radius of 700km. The status of the residences is unknown since the drones sent in by the U.S. army have yet to any signs of radio transmissions. Ritsuka assumes a surviving Demon God is responsible for the phenomenon. Leonardo da Vinci is concerned the Demon God didn't bother hiding their Singularity, considering them more devious than the others. She also reveals the dome expanded to its current size within seconds of manifesting. The Mage's Association also sent Familiars in, but they lost contact every one of them. Da Vinci then requests Mash to check the authenticity of the reports coming from all around the world, and to see if they're related to Salem. She also asks Ritsuka to get Sherlock Holmes to give his assistance, which Mash agrees to help with.

The next day, Da Vinci states the upcoming Rayshift will be the final one, as the Association and United Nation have jointly decided to halt all Rayshift operations following this transfer. She then moves on to what they learned about the Singularity. First, it was decided the darkness surrounding Salem will be called the Mist. It has been determined to be have been made from magecraft since it absorbs all visible light and other forms of electromagnetic waves, and it doesn't obey the laws of physics. It also extends upwards to an average altitude of 600 meters. The U.S. army tried sending in drones to investigate, but every one became inoperable upon entering. A number of journalists snuck past the army blockade, and enter the Mist themselves, but none have yet to return. Trained animals sent in to investigate also failed to return, and there is no sign of any fauna entering or exiting. However, a mediveal automata sent in by a Chaldean mage was able to return from the Mist. It returned with sketches based on its observation that depict Salem during the late 17th century. Da Vinci is unsure if the past was faithfully recreated, or if a type of magecraft displaced the area. Either way the effect it would have humanity is immeasurable, so Da Vinci believes a Demon God still plotting to incinerate humanity is responsible. She says she has been checking the repaired Foundations for any instabilities. She fears the Singularity is a small distortion that threatens the very rules of the world. She then orders Ritsuka investigate the innards of the Singularity, rescue as many people as possible, and find and destroy the Demon God. Mash reveals the Mist eliminates any post-17th century technology, which is why the automaton was able to return. It was learned from Sheba's observations that there are people inside, though it's unknown if they're safe. Da Vinci says the only way to enter the Singularity is a rayshift in the present day. However, there are two conditions involved with this particular rayshift. First is that the number of rayshift occupants is severely limited, as the Association has already shut down Chaldea's reactor. Second is that the team needs to dress for the occasion, for which William Shakespeare and Hans Christian Andersen wrote a scenario for said team to be a travelling troupe. Servants joining Ritsuka have already been picked based Shakespeare's advice. Geronimo isn't joining since his heritage could cause issues. Mash and Thomas Edison are concerned about sending Medea in, given she is an actual witch. Da Vinci responds that it's because she is a witch that Medea will serve as an advisor to find the line between supersition and magecraft. Medea agrees to do so, despite her earlier indecision. Da Vinci then requests Ritsuka to brief everyone who'll be accompanying them while she makes preparations. Afterwards, as Ritsuka's team prepares to rayshift, Mash requests to join to serve as the troupe's prompter, even though she wasn't included in the scenario. Da Vinci agrees with her request after seeing Shakespeare, Geronimo, and Ritsuka accept it. However, after the group rayshift, Medea suddenly enters the room. She reveals the one who leftis an impostor.

The group arrive in a forest outside of Salem, and they begin to head there. Ritsuka creates a name for their troupe after Robin Hood says they need one. Charles-Henri Sanson wonders if this particular Salem has the same culture as the one from the 17th century in the original history. "Medea" asks how they can contact Chaldea. Mash answers she was given a special device for such a purpose, though it'll take some time to set up. It allows them to bypass what's blocking magical communications by linking the key mechanism to Ritsuka's Command Spells since they have a strong connection with Chaldea's Servants. Robin then notices people chatting around a campfire. The group observe a young girl directing other girls in a so-called magic ritual. Medea realizes their magecraft has been severely weakened since they arrived. She asks the others to go into spirit form, but they're unable to. An albino girl then finds the group, identifying them as outsiders. Mata Hari lies that what the girl overheard was them praticing their secret routine. The girl leaves though when Sanson speaks to her in a heavy accent, believing him to be a french soldier or fugitive. Mata Hari then notices wild beasts are surrounding the girls at the campfire. She and Mash get the girls to safety while the others slay the beasts. Robin, Sanson, and Nezha realize afterwards that they've been severely weakened. Sanson then searches for the albino girl while "Medea" examines the beasts. Meanwhile, the girl who led the ritual introduces herself as Abigail. Mash explains the group are a travelling troupe who got lost in the woods on their way to Salem. Ritsuka asks Abigail for the date, which she answers it is April 21, 1692. Abigail's uncle then arrives, and reprimands her for taking the other children out into the woods in the middle of the night. After Abigail explains the group are travelling performers, her uncle says the other girls told him they were saved by the group. He offers to let them stay at his home. He introduces himself as Randolph Carter, and explains he adopted Abigail after her parents (her mother being his sister) died. The group then go to Carter's home to rest.

The next day at Carter's home, Mash sets up the communication device, but it doesn't appear to be working. Mata Hari had spread word around town about their troupe while she investigated. She explains the town and its history are nearly identical to Salem in 1682. She noticed there are residents who weren't on the list of residents during this period. Robin observed the local topography and architeture matches the period, but there are things that don't match with historical records. Sanson realizes that this particular Salem is a well crafted fake, and wonders if it is a Singularity on par with those from the Incineration of Humanity incident. Ritsuka asks about the people living in modern Salem, but Mata Hari and Robin couldn't find them. "Medea" wonders if the images they received from Sheba were falsified. Tituba then enters the room, and asummes they were discussing their next performance. Sanson tries to ask about the ablino girl, but Tituba returns to her chores. "Medea" says they can't stay at Carter's home, revealing it is subjected to something more powerful than they realize. The group then hear Abigail's voice from outside.

The group see Abigail barring Carter from punishing Tituba for teaching the girls the ritual. Mata Hari convinces him to ease Tituba's punishment, so he forbids her from speaking of her hometown of Barbatos. The group then split up to search for clues about the Demon God. Medea decides she will stay at Carter's home to keep an eye on him and Tituba. Near the town hall, Mata Hari and Sanson encounter the albino girl when a villager accuses her of being a blasphemer. She introduces herself as Lavinia Whateley, and says everyone hates her family. Mata Hari convinces her to see their performance from a private seating where no one can bother her. Lavinia agrees on the condition they don't tell Abigail that she was out in the forest last night. Otherwise, she'll tell everyone that the group used magecraft to kill the beasts last night. Sanson decides they should investigate the Whateley family further.

Ritsuka and Mash find Abigail at the shore after she ran off earlier. They talk with her for a bit until a gunshot sounds off from the direction of the wharf. Ritsuka goes to investigate while Mash takes Abigail to safety. Abigail however begins to have a panic attack, claiming outside of Salem is nothing but pain and suffering. Meanwhile at a tavern, Nezha briefly fights a group of sailors. Ritsuka enters and asks what happened. Nezha explains she and Robin were gambling when a sailor started to harrass her. She wasn't bothered until the sailor complained about her body. Ritsuka apologizes for what happened when Mash arrives. After Mash learns what transpired, a villager becomes suspisious of the group being travelling performers. Mash convinces him that they're God fearing folk, despite their appearances. The villager says he'll speak with the Reverend and other respected villagers on the group's behalf if they insist on performing.

That evening, the group perform a play at the town hall depicting Queen of Sheba meeting King Solomon. Afterwards, Carter and the Town Judge go outside to an angry mob. Tituba has been accussed of witchcraft because a charm she made was found under a villager's sick daughter's bed. A man named Matthew Hopkins  then arrives, saying he's been appointed Salem's head judge by order of the governor. He gives the Judge official document to confirm this. He then orders Tituba to be taken in custody for interrogation. "Medea" stops Ritsuka from interfering, having realized that the witch trials have begun. Carter accompanies Hopkins and Tituba since he is her owner. He asks Ritsuka and Mash to take Abigail home, saying they proved their trust with their play.

The next day at Carter's home, Mash tells Sanson and Mata Hari that Ritsuka went to the village to accompany Carter, with Robin following to keep them safe. They wanted to determine to if the charm Tituba made is actually cursed or not. Mash also tells them that Abigail fears and hates native americans. "Medea" asks Mash for Ritsuka's response to that, but Mash never told them. "Medea" says she turned the house into a magical workshop, having just finished a moment ago. She explains it was so they could contact Chaldea, and so the Servants can go into spirit form within the house and its ground. She then decides they need to find proof that Salem is the heretical version of history. In order to observe it properly, she built the workshop to isolate herself from outside interference. Mash guesses heretical history means Salem is actually a seperate dimension made from magecraft, rather than its past being displaced. "Medea" agrees, but she isn't able to determine the source yet. She says if it is magecraft, then there should someone in Salem whose soul that can never fullfilled, and a will to bring about this curse. She believes doing so will lead them to the Demon God. Mata Hari then tells about how she and Sanson met Lavinia yesterday, having learned she is from a family of mages. Sanson explains they found a poorly concealed workshop in their basement, along with animal remains used in dark rituals buried in the yard. However, they weren't able to go inside the workshop to determine if the family are practicing mages or not. Sanson then reveals Hopkins is a executioner like him. But before he can say more, Abigail enters the room. Nezha had already told her that Ritsuka went with Carter to see Tituba. Ritsuka and Robin soon return, while Carter and Abigail go to the church to speak with the Reverend. Robin then tells the others about their meeting with Hopkins. He reveals he, Ritsuka, and Carter were barred from seeing Tituba. He saw she is imprisoned in a filthy, near lightless, underground prison. He says it was Hopkin's call to not let anyone, not even Carter, to see her. Ritsuka, Robin, and Carter went to speak with him dirrectly at luxurious mansion he's staying at. During the meeting, Carter threatened legal damages regarding Tituba's treatment, and Ritsuka requested to see the charm to determine if black magic is involved. Hopkins ignorned Carter's threats, and refusedRitsuka's request. Sanson then reveals Hopkins should be dead if the date is correct, as he died in 1647. He explains Hopkins was a famed English witch hunter who exectued 300 accused witches in three years, even though most were innocent. He then warns they have three days at least before Tituba is hanged as a witch. "Medea" decides she needs to examine the charm herself since Ritsuka and Robin weren't able to determine if it has magic or not. She then asks the others details about Tituba's appearance. However, they're unable to recall anything beyond her skin color. Mash assumes something is interfering with awarness and memories. Medea confirms the workshop will prevent that interference, and believes such interference would need a Divine Spirit. She then says Tituba has been hiding her true appearance, and assumes she has a connection to the Demon God. She decides she needs to examine Tituba directly, but Ritsuka asks about contacting Chaldea first. She replies there is only a fifty-fifty chance of it working right now. She then asks them if they focuse on saving, or possibly capturing, Tituba, or making contact with Chaldea. The group soon agree that contacting a priority, given the circumstances. Ritsuka, Mash, "Medea", and Sanson decide to visit Hopkins, while Mata Hari, Nezha, and Robin investigate the Whateley estate.

Ritsuka, Mash, "Medea", and Sanson meet with Hopkins at the mansion he's staying at. He refuses their request to see the charm. He does agree with Sanson's request to examine the sick villagers after he gave a demonstration of his medical knowledge. "Medea" then demands the key to Tituba's cell, so she can examine her. Hopkins refuses, and accuses the group to be a band of thieves disguised as travelling performers. He tells the group to put on a moving performance for the whole town to prove their innocence. He then has "Medea" locked in a cell next to Tituba's.

Later that night, the group perform a play for the town. Instead of performing Hopkin's request of a play about Jeanne d'Arc being burned at the stake, they perform a play that Andersen wrote about her and her other selves. Meanwhile, Sanson speaks with Lavinia after he finished examining another patient.

Participants
Servants

Non-Servants