Although this article is based on canonical information, the actual name of this subject is conjectural. |
The ruins of a sunken church was the lair of the Order of Aurelius in Sunnydale from the years 1936[1] to 1997,[2] as well as the location of the original Seed of Wonder.[3]
History[]
Order of Aurelius[]
This church became the prison of the Master since 1937, when an earthquake interrupted a ritual to open the Hellmouth.[1] It caused a portion of the church and the Master to become trapped within by an invisible barrier.[4] It was said that, in the 12th century, the Seed of Wonder had enslaved a powerful vampire as its protector; the Master also believed the Seed that called him from across the sea into Sunnydale.[5]
In 1996, Luke awaken the Master from his slumber in time for the Harvest, when victims were brought into the church so Master would have enough blood to escape it. As Buffy Summers prevented Willow to be taken,[6] Jesse was brought into the church and sired, to be used as bait for the Slayer. Luke was then marked as the Vessel for the Master's Harvest, but Buffy prevented it by killing him.[1]
Following a prophecy from the Writings of Aurelius, Buffy was finally led by the Anointed One into the church, where the Master killed her and her blood set him free. As he escaped the church, Xander and Angel found her body, so she was resurrected through CPR and went after the Master to stop him.[2] After his death, the Anointed One and the rest of the Order of Aurelius moved to the abandoned Bric & Broc factory.[7]
Twilight[]
Years later, when Angel became imbued with the power of Twilight, the Seed of Wonder resurrected the Master to return to his position as protector, inside the ruins of the same church where he used to be imprisoned.[5] Seeking help against the threat of Twilight, Buffy was forced to witness visions of betrayal, which included a scene of the cracked Seed of Wonder in a circular stone room of the church.[8] The same room appeared in one of Buffy's dreams,[9] foreshadowing to the Slayer the upcoming decisive event that would happen at the place.[10]
As Buffy and Angel conceived the new dimension of Twilight, it needed to capture the Seed so that it would become the new universe's soul, destroying the old one. As Angel (possessed by Twilight) and Buffy fought in the ruins of the church, Giles brought Buffy the mʔ, the mystical Slayer weapon. Although, Angel killed Giles before the weapon could be used against him, and Buffy, in a fit of devastation, used it instead to destroy the Seed, and cause the end of magic on Earth.[10]
The church attracted a number of demons seeking the Seed's shards, intending to create a new Hellmouth in a world without magic.[11][12]
Layout[]
The Church was very dilapidated, with various debris (bricks, woods beams, and torn pieces of paper) strewn around. Its most notable feature were three tilted arches behind the altar where the Master's chair was located, though it also housed a lectern with several rows of chairs at one point.[4] It had a pool blood, from where the Master rose from before the night of the Harvest,[6] as well as several pools of water, one in which Buffy drowned.[2] The whole lair was dimly lit with several candles scattered around, on candelabras or lying on the scenery.
The church was accessible from a mausoleum that had an entrance into the tunnels of Sunnydale.[6] The tunnels accessing it seemed to be relatively close to Sunnydale High School, notably located above the Hellmouth, since Buffy the Master traveled to and from the two locations in a short amount of time.[2]
Gallery[]
Behind the scenes[]
- The church was used as a background in many of the promotional images for Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 1.
- In the video game Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Xbox), the church was one of the main maps and was titled the "Sunken Church."
Appearances[]
Canonical[]
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 1 | |||||||||||
"Welcome to the Hellmouth" Appears |
"The Harvest" Appears |
"Witch" Absent |
"Teacher's Pet" Absent |
"Never Kill a Boy on the First Date" Appears |
"The Pack" Absent |
"Angel" Appears |
"I Robot, You Jane" Absent |
"The Puppet Show" Absent |
"Nightmares" Appears |
"Out of Mind, Out of Sight" Absent |
"Prophecy Girl" Appears |
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 4 | |||||||||||
"The Freshman" Absent |
"Living Conditions" Absent |
"The Harsh Light of Day" Absent |
"Fear, Itself" Absent |
"Beer Bad" Absent |
"Wild at Heart" Absent |
"The Initiative" Absent |
"Pangs" Mention |
"Something Blue" Absent |
"Hush" Absent |
"Doomed" Absent | |
"A New Man" Absent |
"The I in Team" Absent |
"Goodbye Iowa" Absent |
"This Year's Girl" Absent |
"Who Are You?" Absent |
"Superstar" Absent |
"Where the Wild Things Are" Absent |
"New Moon Rising" Absent |
"The Yoko Factor" Absent |
"Primeval" Absent |
"Restless" Absent |
Angel & Faith | |||||||||||
Live Through This, Part 1 Absent |
Live Through This, Part 2 Absent |
Live Through This, Part 3 Absent |
Live Through This, Part 4 Absent |
In Perfect Harmony Absent |
Daddy Issues, Part 1 Absent |
Daddy Issues, Part 2 Absent |
Daddy Issues, Part 3 Absent |
Daddy Issues, Part 4 Absent |
Women of a Certain Age Absent | ||
Family Reunion, Part 1 Absent |
Family Reunion, Part 2 Absent |
Family Reunion, Part 3 Absent |
Family Reunion, Part 4 Absent |
The Hero of His Own Story Absent |
A Dark Place, Part 1 Absent |
A Dark Place, Part 2 Appears |
A Dark Place, Part 3 Appears |
A Dark Place, Part 4 Absent |
A Dark Place, Part 5 Absent | ||
Death and Consequences, Part 1 Absent |
Death and Consequences, Part 2 Absent |
Death and Consequences, Part 3 Absent |
Death and Consequences, Part 4 Absent |
Spike and Faith Absent |
What You Want, Not What You Need, Part 1 Absent |
What You Want, Not What You Need, Part 2 Absent |
What You Want, Not What You Need, Part 3 Absent |
What You Want, Not What You Need, Part 4 Absent |
What You Want, Not What You Need, Part 5 Absent |
Other[]
- The Harvest
- The Dust Waltz
- Remember the Beginning (Only in flashbacks)
- Remember the End
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Xbox)
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "The Harvest"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Prophecy Girl
- ↑ Last Gleaming, Part One
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Never Kill a Boy on the First Date"
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Last Gleaming, Part Three
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Welcome to the Hellmouth"
- ↑ "When She Was Bad"
- ↑ Anywhere but Here
- ↑ "Always Darkest"
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Last Gleaming, Part Four
- ↑ A Dark Place, Part Two
- ↑ A Dark Place, Part Three