Have faith and fear not. This will always be a witch's place! Do not lose hope.
General Sarah Alder to cadets at Fort Salem, "Book Club"
Fort Salem is the main base of operations of the United States' witch military. It also houses a military academy (covering both Basic training and War College) and their cadets' dormitories. It is situated near Salem Town, Massachusetts.
Description[]
When Raelle Collar connects with the Mycelium, she learns more about how Fort Salem came to be. The area in which Fort Salem is located was where Sarah Alder's first coven was killed at the hand of the The Camarilla, and she built it as a way of always remembering her fallen coven (which included her sister). The Mycelium is made out of the bodies and souls of those dead witches. They became the Mycelium after Sarah sang in mourning. Since the Mycelium is connected to General Alder, when one of the Biddies dies, the grounds also start dying. This happens in A Biddy's Life, as noted by Anacostia Quartermain and Berryessa Tansey when they walked through the grounds of Fort Salem and several plants started to die.
While General Alder never explains this herself, she does tell Adil the grounds on which Fort Salem is built possesses its' own work and blessing that helps nourish both the work and the spirit of witches who spend time there. General Alder then encouraged Adil to go out onto the grounds to help him heal and recover from the trek out of the Tarim's territory along with his sick sister, Khalida.
Training[]
A witch's life begins at Fort Salem at a young age: orphans are taken in as fosterlings and are raised at the Fort, while others would come here for Basic training after answering the call on Conscription Day. Upon arrival on campus, witches are assigned into units of three, with their grades and progress determined by their performance as a group.
The students are expected to participate in Beltane per tradition. During this time, male witches arrive on campus and they socialize with and woo the students, culminating in Beltane.
During basic training, the cadets learn windstrike, windshear, how to use salva, scrying, etc.
After months of training, they perform an activity known as Citydrop where they are dropped onto a mock battlefield for two days. If they have to be removed, they are put on the list for early deployment.[1]
When they graduate basic training, units are either approved for War College or are immediately deployed, making them what has been dubbed by witches as "war meat." If approved for War College, they continue their training immediately with advanced studies on the grounds of Fort Salem.
Staff[]
- General Sarah Alder (formerly)
- General Petra Bellweather
- Izadora
- Captain Anacostia Quartermain (formerly Sergeant)
- General Salerno
- Colonel Wick
Students[]
Graduated:
- Abigail Bellweather (cadet) — initially deployed upon graduation, moved onto War College after one mission
- Raelle Collar (cadet) — initially deployed upon graduation, moved onto War College after one mission
- Tally Craven (cadet) — initially deployed upon graduation, moved onto War College after one mission
- Glory Moffett (cadet) — moved onto War College
- Petra Bellweather (general) — moved onto War College
- Willa Collar (former medic) — deployed upon graduation
- Charvel Bellweather † (cadet) — moved onto War College
Former Students:
- Libba Swythe † (cadet)
- Scylla Ramshorn (cadet)