Expanded Speculative Analysis: Salem's Manipulation in a Direct Alliance with the White Fang
Building on the previous "what if" scenario—where Salem personally approaches Sienna Khan and Adam Taurus with offers of unlimited protection, support, and resources—this deeper dive incorporates canonical details from the RWBY wiki on Salem's character. As an ancient, immortal being altered by the Pools of Grimm, Salem embodies a "desire for pure destruction" while being highly intelligent, patient, and insidious in her manipulations. Her history of deceiving gods, exploiting humanity's divisions, and controlling subordinates through tailored tactics (e.g., ego boosts, power promises, and fear) makes her perfectly suited to ensnare the White Fang. She'd view them not as true allies but as disposable tools in her broader goal of dividing Remnant to summon the Gods and end her curse. Below, I'll explore how she'd initiate and sustain control, the psychological hooks she'd use, potential pitfalls, and broader ripple effects, drawing directly from her established patterns.
1. Initial Manipulation: Tailoring the Pitch to Exploit Grudges and Ambitions
Exploiting Personal Motivations and Fears: Salem's wiki entry highlights her as a master manipulator who "knows how to manipulate people and has different methods to do so," such as leveraging grudges (like Hazel's against Ozpin) or fears (like Leonardo Lionheart's cowardice). In approaching Sienna and Adam face-to-face, she'd mirror this by zeroing in on their core drives. For Sienna, the pragmatic radicalizer who shifted the White Fang toward "retributive violence" but avoided unprovoked escalation, Salem might frame the alliance as a strategic evolution: "Humanity has denied you equality through fear; together, we can make that fear absolute." She'd exploit Sienna's frustration with slow progress under Ghira, promising Grimm-enhanced operations to dismantle institutions like the Schnee Dust Company overnight—echoing how she boosts Arthur Watts' ego by validating his intellect against Atlas. A direct quote from Salem's philosophy, "In pursuit of a new world, no cost is too great," could be woven into her pitch, positioning the White Fang's sacrifices as necessary for Faunus supremacy, while subtly implying that refusal invites destruction (much like her threat to Cinder via Maiden powers).
Adam's Fanaticism as a Hook: Adam, with his scarred face and supremacist zeal, aligns closely with Salem's own transformation into a being of "pure destruction" after her Grimm immersion. She'd appeal to his ego and rage, perhaps revealing her non-human form dramatically to say, "I am no human oppressor—I am the end of them." Promises of personal power, like grafting Grimm enhancements (as she does with Cinder's Shadow Hand), could make him a hybrid enforcer, feeding his desire for vengeance. Wiki details show Salem tolerates "unruly behavior" like Tyrian's mania if it serves her; she'd indulge Adam's extremism initially, using deception to hide her ultimate goal of Remnant's obliteration, which wouldn't spare Faunus.
Non-Human Appeal as a Deceptive Bond: Her altered appearance—pale, veined, Grimm-like—would underscore that she's not part of the human-Faunus binary, potentially fostering a false sense of kinship. As the wiki notes, she commands Grimm effortlessly, so a demonstration (e.g., summoning a horde to crush a mock human target) would prove her sincerity, much like her use of Seers for remote control.
2. Maintaining Control: Keeping Them "Under Her Boots" Through Fairness, Threats, and Discardability
Collegial Facade with Underlying Dominance: Salem is "fair and collegial towards her allies, giving credit where credit is due," as seen when she blames only Cinder for Haven's failure and threatens Hazel for interfering. In this scenario, she'd foster a council-like dynamic at Evernight Castle, praising Sienna's strategic raids or Adam's brutal efficiency to build loyalty. However, this masks her imperious nature—she'd demand absolute obedience, losing her temper (as in shattering windows upon bad news) if operations falter, like a botched attack on Haven. To keep them compliant, she'd use subtle punishments: Inflicting pain via magic (similar to torturing Cinder's Shadow Hand) or threatening Grimm assaults on dissenting Faunus factions.
Exploiting Divisions Within the White Fang: Drawing from her history of turning humanity against the Gods through deception, Salem would amplify internal rifts. If Sienna hesitates on escalation, Salem might secretly boost Adam's ambitions, promising him the High Leader role—mirroring how she discards obsolete allies like Lionheart (killing him via Seer after his utility ends). She'd exploit Adam's grudge against Blake or the SDC, assigning him "experiments" like creating Grimm-Faunus hybrids (as with The Hound, using a living core for intelligence), turning the White Fang into a testing ground for her mutations. This keeps them dependent: Resources flow only through her, and any defection (e.g., like Blake's) invites execution, akin to the White Fang's own policy under Adam.
Psychological and Magical Levers: Her immortality and magic allow offensive dominance without defense, per the wiki—she'd bind dissenters with Shadow Hands or use clairvoyance (via crystal balls or Seers) to monitor the group remotely. For long-term control, she'd dangle immortality or enhanced powers, but only partially deliver, ensuring addiction to her support. If Adam's supremacism clashes with her goals, she'd manipulate his rage into self-destruction, much like her rage-fueled murder of Ozma and their daughters when betrayed.
3. Risks and Potential Backfires: The Limits of Manipulation
Internal Fractures and Betrayal: Salem's wiki personality includes humility about her limits—she knows humanity's "resourcefulness" can thwart her. Sienna's caution (condemning Beacon's attack as risking a unwinnable war) might lead her to question Salem's endgame, especially if hybrids horrify moderate Faunus. Adam, while fanatical, has a messianic complex; if he sees Salem as a rival "monster," he could attempt a coup, prompting her to discard him violently (e.g., vaporizing him with energy blasts, as she does to foes). Her suicidal nature—desiring death via Remnant's destruction—could leak through, alienating allies who fight for Faunus survival.
External Pressures: Ozpin's network would detect the alliance faster, exploiting Salem's overconfidence. Figures like Ghira or Ilia might rally defectors, drawing on Salem's low opinion of Remnant as a "ruined world" to portray her as an existential threat. If the White Fang becomes too powerful, Salem might accelerate their obsolescence, using them as cannon fodder in relic hunts before eliminating survivors.
4. Broader Impacts on Remnant: A Darker Path to Division
Accelerated Escalation: With direct control, events like Beacon's fall become more catastrophic—Salem could deploy White Fang-Grimm hybrids en masse, sowing deeper human-Faunus hatred. Haven and Atlas attacks succeed more decisively, hastening relic collection and her summon-the-Gods plan.
Thematic Resonance: This scenario amplifies RWBY's exploration of corruption and division. The White Fang, born from Faunus rights, devolves into Salem's destructive pawns, echoing her own fall from a "kind yet lonely woman" to a monster. Long-term, if Salem discards them post-victory, it leaves a shattered Faunus society, forcing heroes like Blake to confront manipulation's scars.
In essence, Salem's direct involvement would transform the White Fang into a more efficient but ultimately doomed extension of her will. Her manipulative arsenal—promises, threats, and ego plays—ensures short-term dominance, but her history of rage and discardability guarantees eventual betrayal. This "what if" paints a grim Remnant, where even the oppressed become tools in an immortal's quest for oblivion.
