| “ | I feel like our uniforms are getting in the way of what could be a beautiful relationship. | ” |
Lieutenant Salim Othman (Arabic: سليم عثمان) is one of the five main protagonists and a playable character in The Dark Pictures Anthology's third installment, House of Ashes. He is a Lieutenant in the Iraqi Ground Forces who serves under the leadership of former Republican Guard Captain Dar in his patrol. He was voiced and motion captured by Nick Tarabay and was modelled on Luis Augusto.
Appearance[]
Salim is an Iraqi with a tanned complexion, brown eyes and short black tousled hair.
As a soldier of the Iraqi Ground Forces, Salim wears a matching suit consisting of a green uniform with small bags, a beige republican guard M80 helmet with red triangle, rubber protection and netting, and dark brown combat boots. His suit includes a green chest rig with magazine pouches and radio, and a satchel bag; he is armed with an AKM rifle and a combat knife.
Underground, Salim gets covered in dust and also loses his helmet in his first encounter with a vampire. In a subsequent confrontation with the vampires, he can be scratched in the chest, but the wound could be patched if Nick found the med-kit. As the game progresses, Salim several times changes his weapon; having lost his rifle after falling underground, he soon obtains a metal stake from the fallen truck, which becomes his main weapon. He also temporarily arms himself with a Beretta 92 pistols (in The Truce and possibly Pazuzu) and Dar's rifle in The Horror.
Personality[]
Salim's profile at the start of the game
Salim is a veteran soldier with a lot of experience, as proven by his close position to Dar. At the same time, like Nick, he has a rather soft nature.
Salim is a kindhearted pacifist and believes that most people are inherently good. The Curator describes him as a reluctant soldier, which is clearly seen when Dar forces Salim into action and possible disagreements between the two due to the latter's refusal to obey orders. Despite being sworn enemies with the Americans, Salim is not aggressive towards them and even shows a willingness to cooperate with them against the vampires, which shows that he is practical.
Salim's distinctive trait is his stubbornness and determination. He intends to escape the underground alive at all costs and return home to his son Zain, who serves as his motivation. In pursuit of this goal, Salim exhibits astonishing survival abilities, furiously fighting off the vampires.
Biography[]
Salim was born on May 1, 1963 and had a good education despite the poor condition of Iraq. As an adult, Salim was forcibly drafted by the Iraqi government and has served many years in the Iraqi Ground Forces, eventually becoming a lieutenant and being under the orders of Dar. During this time, he married and had a son named Zain. Eventually, his wife left him. Since then, Salim's priority is for Zain to live a happy life. He was ecstatic when he learned Zain would be admitted to a university in London, England. However, Salim is disappointed by Zain’s tendency to steal.
May 30, 2003, would be the day when Salim would continue to enjoy his peaceful life as well as celebrate his son's birthday. However, this changed when his captain Dar forced him to come and fight, when American helicopters were seen in the vicinity. Due to the warfare, Salim was plunged into the depths of the Zagros Mountains alongside his comrades and enemies. To survive what lurked below, Salim had to forge an alliance with his enemies from above. His fate would then be decided by the player, in which he would escape alive and even return home to his son, or die buried beneath the sands.
House of Ashes[]
| Chapter Appearances | |||
| Cursed | Absent | ||
| The Briefing | Absent | The Assault | Absent |
| The Raid | Debut | The Horror | Appears |
| Underworld | Absent | Enemy of My Enemy | Appears |
| Pazuzu | Appears | The Well | Appears |
| The Temple | Absent | The Ancient One | Absent |
| Breaking Up | Absent | Brothers | Appears |
| After the Fall | Absent | The City | Appears |
| Slayer | Appears | Strange Aeons | Appears |
| The Truce | Appears | The Vault | Appears |
| Bloodbath | Determinant | Semper Fi | Appears (Possible Death) |
| The Signal | Appears | Daylight | Determinant (Possible Death) |
| The End | Determinant (Possibly Dead) | ||
Main Story[]
Act 1[]
Salim arrives back home with a birthday gift for his son, Zain, upon realizing he isn't home, he finds a box of stolen goods and immediately confronts his neighbor where he is and wants him home. Soon after a truck with soldiers arrive at his house, he is angered by this but confronts his captain Dar. Forced into battle, the Iraqi patrol eventually arrives at the farm where the American unit is raiding. After spying on them, they ambush the Americans, starting a firefight. Due to an earthquake, both sides are plunged into the underground beneath the mountains, including Salim.
Salim wakes up in an opening of the caverns, only to to find his radio's signal not working well, he moves forward and finds what appears to be a temple, after taking a few steps down he loses his rifle due to the sudden shaking but continues. He walks down a dark hallway and finds a dead body, the body is dragged by something and Salim then runs away, he is cornered but by a sudden miracle a truck falls down onto the creature.
Act 2[]
Salim attempts to find a way out, but struggles. While doing so, the smashed creature gets up and attacks Salim. Salim will eventually grab a stake in the process, using it to possibly kill the creature by impaling it in the chest. Noticing three American marines entering the caverns, Salim flees. As he reaches the caverns, he sees another creature, as well as Nick.
Salim covers Nick's mouth as he's also hiding from the creature so he wouldn't alert it. Salim may suggest Nick to either sneak around the creature or kill it, either succeeding or failing in doing so. If uncompromised, Salim will bond with Nick, but is immediately interrupted by Nick's comrades coming by. Salim may either stay or hide from the Americans. Salim will either escape, possibly injuring Jason and/or killing Eric, or be held captive and brought to the temple.
Salim will be tied to a chair and talk to Eric if he was previously captured. Salim can then potentially tell Eric the creatures' weakness if he was able to see it before. After Eric gets distracted by something, Salim will untie himself and sneak away from him. If Eric is dead, Salim will be held captive near a pillar instead, in which Jason and Nick will confront him.
Salim reunites with Dar and after Dar sees the Americans trying to call reinforcements, he orders Salim to come with him and stop them. Salim realizes that Dar had never seen the creatures yet and informs him about them, but Dar refuses to believe so and continues to try attacking. Salim can either go with Dar or stay in the temple based on his relationship with him. If Salim joins Dar, he will not fire and may even hold Eric hostage, but won't harm him. Dar and Salim eventually retreat.
In the catacombs, Salim and Dar gather in a room. Realizing the Americans are nearby, the Iraqis go into ambush position, only to backfire greatly. After a feud, they hear the vampires' screech and Salim proposes to work together as he tries to open the door. At the sacrificial chamber, the group is ambushed by a swarm of vampires. Salim will then have to fire at several vampires and may even save Rachel from infection, and proceed to assist Nick afterward from escaping. A vampire knocks Salim down as the latter escapes the chamber, dropping his rifle in the process.
After the hard fought battle, Salim finds himself in a dark hallway with someone approaching, only to meet Jason. Salim proposes Jason to form an alliance, much to the latter's reluctance. However, throughout their journey, the duo starts to bond together and even tries working together to kill a vampire. Eventually, Salim and Jason reach a giant pit as well as the archaeologists' elevator. Although Salim was reluctant at first, he and Jason decide to descend deeper with the elevator.
Act 3[]
Reaching the bottom, Salim and Jason find themselves down in a buried alien spaceship. Salim can then open up about the experiences with his son and how he dealt with him after his wife left them, to which Jason can also open up about his problems to him. Salim suggests that they find a way to hurt the vampires from inside, after which they go deeper. The duo eventually finds Balathu's or Kurum's preserved body and Salim ends their misery but not before noticing how the fluid preserved them. They both find dozens of cocoons and try to maneuver their way even further but the cocoons break open and the vampires attack. However, Nick arrives in time to save the two as they reach the Star Chamber. All of the heroes are reunited.
In the Star Chamber, Salim finds Mary's notes and explains to the group what he thinks happened to the creatures and what Mary studied. Afterwards, they may deal with an ordeal where Rachel is infected, in which Salim proposes to preserve her in a cocoon. If Rachel died to gunshot or they fail to escort her in time, Salim will impale the parasite within. The group then plans to bomb the cocoon vault, to which Salim uses his binocular to view the lands of the vault. If Nick advanced, succeeded to stay calm, and Eric acknowledged his signal or is dead, Salim will impale The Ancient One whether Nick is alive or dead, unless he killed The Ancient One himself.
Escaping from the structure, Salim separates from the others due to a vampire chasing him. Jason may choose to rescue Salim, to which both can succeed or fail in fighting the vampires, or leave Salim alone, to which Salim has to fight the vampires by himself. If Salim makes it back to the elevator, he will either continue to bond with the Americans, berate Jason for leaving him behind, or even get shot by Rachel if he shot Eric and Jason was impaled. If the Americans ascend before Salim makes it back, he will be mauled by the vampires, not before showing distaste as well as bidding his son farewell.
In the caves, the group will be attacked by a vampiric Clarice/Rachel, whom Salim can die fighting Clarice in the process. The party successfully reaches the surface again, but is immediately confronted by vampires when an eclipse rises. Salim with the others fights the vampires and possibly The Ancient One with a flare and a knife, surviving or dying in the process. If air support is late, Salim will walk home while possibly bidding Jason farewell. Otherwise, he will be arrested, alone or with the Americans.
The End[]
Salim will only appear if air support was called and/or Merwin repaired the radio. Otherwise, Salim won't make an appearance.
- If Salim is alive, he will be seen interrogated by an agent and demand to see his son before threatening them after they ask about his stake.
- If Salim is dead, his body will lie inside a bodybag.
Possible Deaths[]
| Chapter | Mechanism of Kill | Caused by | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semper Fi | Head crushed | Vampires | Salim fails to fight the vampires. |
| Mauled | Jason doesn't go back for Salim; Jason doesn't wait at the elevator; Salim successfully fights the vampires. | ||
| Shot in the head | Rachel | Salim killed Eric in The Truce; Nick told Rachel about it in The Assault; Rachel didn't get infected in The Horror; Nick chose to retreat and survived in The Vault; Jason chose to save Salim; Jason and Salim successfully fought the vampires; Jason failed the QTE to dodge The Ancient One's spear; Salim acts defensive when confronted by Rachel. | |
| Daylight | Throat ripped out | Clarice | Rachel did not become a vampire; Salim fails to fight Clarice in the caves. |
| Dropped from great height | Vampires | Salim fails QTE to release himself from a vampire grabbing him through the roof. | |
| Head crushed | Salim fails to fight the vampire in the hut OR two protagonists were killed by The Ancient One in the hut. | ||
| Eyes gouged out | The Ancient One | Nick chose to retreat OR Eric ignored his radio signal; Salim fails to fight The Ancient One in the hut. | |
| Throat ripped out |
Killed Victims[]
| Chapter | Character | Mechanism of Kill | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Raid | An American helicopter pilot | Explosion caused by RPG | Salim shoots the rocket at the helicopter. |
| 2 marines | Shot | Salim completes QTE to shoot at the marine. | |
| Slayer | A vampire | Stabbed by stake | Salim completes QTE to stab the vampire. |
| The Truce | Team kill - Stabbed by stake | Salim decided to kill the vampire; Nick and Salim complete every QTEs. | |
| Eric | Shot in the head | Jason shot the fleeing shepherd in The Raid; Eric joined Nick in Slayer; Salim doesn't choose to hide OR they alert the other Americans. | |
| Same condition; Salim chooses to shoot the Americans (Curator's Cut). | |||
| Enemy of My Enemy | A vampire | Stabbed by stake | Salim completes QTE to stab the vampire. |
| The City | Balathu | Mercy kill - Stabbed in the face | Certain - Whichever character that was killed first in Cursed. |
| Kurum | |||
| The Vault | The Ancient One | Stabbed by stake | Nick advanced to the motherlode; Nick completed Keep Calm! segment; Eric acknowledged Nick's radio signal OR Eric is dead; Nick doesn't have the stake. |
| Semper Fi | 2 vampires | Salim succeeds to fight the vampires. | |
| Daylight | The Ancient One | Burned by flare | Nick chose to retreat OR Eric ignores his radio signal; Salim succeeds to fight The Ancient One in the hut. |
| Impaled by spear |
Relationships[]
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Jason[]
Main article: Jason and Salim
Jason and Salim are sworn enemies, serving as soldiers for their respective countries at war with each other. While Salim has no grief with the United States, Jason has a deep hate of the enemies of the United States, including Iraq due to the September 11 attacks. Their personalities also seem opposite: Jason decided to serve his country by his own will while Salim is a reluctant soldier; Jason is uncultured as Salim is knowledgeable; Salim is a veteran while Jason served for 3 years only, Jason is intolerant in contrast to Salim, who is willing to put his differences aside with the enemy. The events of House of Ashes will reunite them despite their differences and the two will have to work together.
Throughout the game, they act cooperative and fully willing to put aside their differences, possibly being friends or act bitter and cold towards each other depending on the player's decisions.
- If disarmed, Jason asks Salim not to shoot him.
- Jason refuses to answer Salim's question about his home.
- Jason tells Salim that it will be each man for himself. (Curator's Cut)
- Jason asks Salim if he's truly on board to destroy the cocoon mound.
- Jason doesn't come back to save Salim. (Curator's Cut)
- On the elevator and if Jason didn't come back for Salim but waited for him, Jason tells Salim that he knew he was a tough guy the moment he laid eyes on him.
- If air support comes 5 hours later after the eclipse and one character other than Jason is alive, Salim will joke about getting a souvenir with his stake and leave.
- If air support comes 5 hours later after the eclipse and Jason and Salim are the only two characters left alive, Jason calls out for Salim but Salim leaves without saying anything.
- If disarmed, Jason shouts at Salim to shoot him.
- Jason answers to Salim about what his home is like.
- Jason tells Salim that he can count on him. (Curator's Cut)
- Jason comes back to save Salim. (Curator's Cut)
- On the elevator and if Jason didn't come back for Salim but waited for him, Jason congratulates Salim for making it back alive.
- If air support comes 5 hours after the eclipse, Jason will shake Salim's hand before he leaves.
Nick[]
Salim's first interaction with Nick is when they encounter the vampire in the caverns. They will agree to work together, and can succeed at killing the vampire or fail; Nick will introduce himself and they can talk about Salim going home to his son being his son's best birthday present.
If a standoff ensues when the others arrive, Nick will insist that Salim is "not hostile". Nick is the first to assist Salim when the survivors are trying to open a door - convincing the others to join with the quote "The enemy of our enemy is our friend".
If Nick speaks to Salim in the Star Chamber, Salim can say that Nick isn't like the other soldiers and that he knew that after they encountered the first vampire together. If so, Nick will reply in the same fashion. Salim will then apologize for speaking to Jason about what happened and Nick will tranquilize Salim by telling him "don't sweat it".
If Jason dies before the elevator ride, Nick can become openly hostile to Salim, accusing him of lying about how Jason died.
Eric[]
Eric is hostile towards Salim in the beginning with them having a standoff which can lead to Eric's death. If Eric survives he can be shown to be somewhat sympathetic towards Salim with him offering a bottle of water to drink, Eric blames Salim for the "death" of his wife Rachel at the cliff but even then Salim can open up about his son towards Eric even giving him his son's name which Eric in turn tells him Rachel's name. Salim shows trust in Eric, even telling him the creatures' weakness.
They do not interact much past this point but Eric shows reluctance in allowing Salim to carry a pistol, if Jason chooses to give one to him. After that Eric can tell Jason to leave Salim behind, his reasoning is that Salim's not one of them. If Eric and Salim are the only two survivors on the elevator ride, he will express surprise that Jason went to save Salim, saying that Jason hated Iraqis.
Rachel[]
Rachel and Salim share a frosty relationship and do not interact much. If Salim shot Eric, she will become outright hostile to him for the rest of the game.
Salim can shoot a vampire that is trying to infect Rachel during the assault and this may improve their relationship. Their next major interaction is at the Star Chamber - if Jason offers him a pistol, Rachel will express reluctance in arming an enemy. She can agree to help Salim use the console, and Salim will be the one to broach the idea of putting her in the cocoon if she is infected, potentially saving her life.
If Eric was shot by Salim earlier in the game, Rachel may either punch Salim or shoot him in the head during the elevator ride.
Dar[]
Dar is Salim’s superior and the commander of the ambush party. Salim can either be a willing follower of Dar or an unwilling participant. There is friction between the two, with Salim first mentioning the war was over and their side lost while Dar is ecstatic with the prospect of killing Americans invaders. Depending on Salim's decisions during The Raid, he will quarrel with Dar later or continue following Dar's orders. At first, Dar did not believe Salim about the monsters inside the temple and kept determined to fight the Americans, but joined the survivors when the monsters broke through their armed stand off.
Salim can find Dar's wallet in Slayer and discover that he has a wife, later commenting on how they have known each other for several years and he never knew that.
Zain[]
Zain and Salim
Zain is Salim’s son, whom he loves deeply. Salim is trying to send Zain to university, but the former is dealing with the latter's theft problems. Throughout the game, his determination for survival is filled with the goal of returning home to his son for his birthday.
Trivia[]
Playability[]
- Salim is the second most playable protagonist, having 11 playable chapters in total.
- Salim has 8 official playable chapters in Theatrical Cut, that being one in The Raid, Pazuzu, Slayer, The Horror, Enemy of My Enemy, The Vault, Semper Fi and Daylight.
- Salim has 10 official playable chapters in Curator's Cut, that being one in The Raid, Pazuzu, Slayer, The Truce, The Horror, Brothers, The City, The Vault, Semper Fi, and Daylight.
- Salim appears in 16 chapters.
Pictures[]
See also: Category:Pictures found by Salim
- Salim can find the second least pictures, with 3.
- Only Salim can find Daylight.
- Salim appears in 4 pictures: Daylight, Surrendered, Comrades, and Mauled.
- Salim and Eric are the only protagonists who can't find the gold picture.
Secrets[]
See also: Category:Secrets found by Salim
- Salim is tied with Nick for finding the second least secrets, with 15.
- Only Salim can find Mythology Book and Holed Stone.
Facts[]
- Brooks refers to Salim as a member of the Republican Guard, and while he was a former member, the organization was disbanded a few days before the events of the game.
- Salim, Angela, and Charlie are the oldest protagonists in their respective groups, with him being 40 years old.
- Salim, along with Fliss and Rachel, are the only protagonists in the anthology who can speak languages other than English. In Salim's case, he can speak Arabic as he is an Iraqi.
Deaths[]
- Salim is the fourth protagonist who can die, starting with Semper Fi.
- Salim is tied with Nick for having for having the second most deaths (with 6) and tied with Nick and Jason for having the least chapters to die in (with 2).
Other[]
- Salim shares the same face model as a state officer from The Devil in Me.
- In initial descriptions for the game Salim was said to be a sergeant, however, his rank was changed to lieutenant.[2]
- Initial descriptions also mistakenly referred to him as the leader of the Iraqi patrol, rather than Dar.
- Salim is the first protagonist in the anthology to not make a debut in the first chapter of Act 1.
- Salim is similar to Joe as they both have sons and serve in the military.
- Salim makes an appearance in Dark Deception multiplayer spin-off, Monsters & Mortals as one of the two mortals.
Trophies[]
- Salim has 6 trophies associated with him:
- He shares with other protagonists the trophies "Golden Path" and "Six Minutes of Night".
- He shares with Eric, Jason, and Nick the trophy "Ain't Got Time to Bleed".
- He shares with Jason the trophy "Semper Fi".
- His personal trophies are "Slayer" and "Into the Sunset".
Quotes[]
| “ | Salim: Will I get a promotion? Dar: Promotion, Lieutenant? They'll buy each of us a palace! Salim: What's the use of a palace if I have no money to furnish it? |
” |
| “ | Salim: This is not right! Dar: Get it together, Salim! We fight fire with fire! Salim: Not like this! Not here. We'll all die if we fight here. Dar: Our homeland is being conquered right in front of our eyes. Why'd you join if you're too scared to pull the trigger? |
” |
| “ | Bring my son's name out of your mouth again, I dare you.
|
” |
| “ | No more killing.
|
” |
| “ | I had plans today! A long bath, listen to a little radio. Celebrate my son's birthday! But oh, no, no, no, you had to come knocking on my door. 'The Americans are coming,' you said. And now look where we are... Whatever the fuck this place is?
|
” |
| “ | In the Sumerian myth... they say the souls of the dead went deep underground the House of Ashes... where they lived on dust, plagued... by the demons of the underworld.
|
” |
| “ | Eric: You wanna talk? All right, why are you fighting a war that you've already lost? Salim: You think I do this out of choice? That I want to be here? I fight so my son can go to university, so that he can have a better future. Eric: We could all use some of that. Salim: My son, his name is Zain. Eric: Her name was Rachel. |
” |
| “ | I feel like our uniforms are getting in the way of what could be a beautiful relationship.
|
” |
| “ | Salim: Your friend said - 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend'. This is not always true, but if we want to live, we must fight as one. The sword and the shield. Jason: Bit too wordy my liking... But I'm in. |
” |
| “ | Salim: You don't like it? Walk away. I'll try not to stumble over your corpse. Jason: You think I'll be safer with you and your scary little broomstick? |
” |
| “ | Jason: What's so fucking funny?! Salim: If you Americans had stayed in America we wouldn't be here now. There are no weapons of mass destruction! This whole war is on you. |
” |
| “ | Jason: If you're gonna shoot, shoot! What are you waiting for? Salim: I've known many men like you before. You know what they are now? Worm dirt. Jason: Didn't realise I was in the company of a fucking war hero. Salim: War hero? Far from it. |
” |
| “ | You do as I say. You go where I say. You fight when I say. If you do it well, you might live.
|
” |
| “ | Salim: Many people died here. Jason: Have your people always been like this? Salim: You have no clue about our history. Jason: I call it like I see it. Salim: Typical. History is a foreign concept to you Americans. If it doesn't make you good, it's buried. |
” |
| “ | Salim: Please, be quick! I'm really not enjoying being here by myself! Jason: Quit whining. At least you've got the gun. I'm left holding a damn stick! Salim: Don't underestimate that weapon! You're lucky to have any weapon. |
” |
| “ | Jason: You seem like you've got your head screwed on, so I gotta ask: what the hell made you sign up with Saddam? Salim: For us, we had no choice. |
” |
| “ | My father once told me if something looks like shit and smells like shit, you don't have to taste it to know that it's shit.
|
” |
| “ | Listen. There was a man once who built his house on the bank of a river. When the floods came, his wall washed away. When the drought came, the water dried up and the man was thirsty. All day, the insects bit this man's flesh. Yet each night, he says to his wife "we have all the fish we can eat!" Your people chose this war, Jason.
|
” |
| “ | Jason: What is that? A cocoon? Looks like one of those things came from here. Salim: Smells like formaldehyde. Jason: Since when you become a scientist? Salim: They don't teach you Americans science at schools? |
” |
| “ | The time has come for you to rest, warrior.
|
” |
| “ | You showed your true colors. I was a fool to trust you. Goodbye my son.
|
” |
| “ | He seems level-headed. An almost reluctant soldier perhaps?
|
” |
| “ | After you, superman.
|
” |
| “ | Rachel: Was it him? Nick: Don't do this, Rachel. Rachel: Did he kill Eric? Bad move. |
” |
| “ | Jason: I didn't forget what you did to the Colonel. Salim: I had no choice. |
” |
| “ | You better keep your eyes on me. You so much as blink and you're mine.
|
” |
| “ | Jason: I was wrong to judge you. You're all right. Salim: Most people are good. You just have to realize that before they're gone. |
” |
| “ | You better not be thinking about helping the bastard who killed Eric. Let him rot.
|
” |
| “ | Fucker deserved worse.
|
” |
| “ | Salim survived to fight another day. The father could not accept being separated from his son, so he fought his way back to the light. Touching.
|
” |
| “ | Salim escaped one hell only to end up in another. It will be a long time before he sees his son again. At least he escaped with his life... if not his freedom.
|
” |
| “ | I stepped back into that hell to save Salim. That man is worth five of you people. Semper Fucking Fi.
|
” |
| “ | Miller: So they co-operated with an Iraqi soldier down there? Brooks: Republican Guard, if you can believe it. Must have made a hell of impresion for Kolchek to go back for him. Miller: I'm dying to meet this guy. |
” |
| “ | Brooks: Nothing to show. He walked. Miller: The hell's that mean? Brooks: By the time the extraction team got here he was gone. Could be across the border by now. Miller: Sneaky son a bitch. Now I see why Kolchek enlisted his help. |
” |
Gallery
References[]
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