Order of Aurelius

The Order of Aurelius is a fictional cult featured in the 1997-2003 WB Network television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It was first presented in the series' pilot episode, "Welcome to the Hellmouth" through the characters of The Master and his underlings, Luke, Darla and neophyte vampire Jesse McNally.

History
The Order of Aurelius was a cult of vampires that was started by Aurelius in the 12th century. The Order embraced their vampiric heritage and believed that their existence served to mark the return of the elder beings known as the Old Ones. Members of the Order were very steeped in tradition, preferring to remain underground in the shadows, refusing to partake in the world of the living, whom they regarded as little more than cattle.

By the modern era, the remaining members of the Order had headquartered themselves near a Hellmouth, which was located in Sunnydale, California. The Master had been imprisoned underground for sometime and the other members of the Order conducted a ritual by which to free him. The Master knew that the time of the Harvest was upon them - an event that occurred only once every one-hundred years. The Harvest was his one chance at acquiring the power needed to free himself from his underground prison. Darla had rejoined him by this point and had brought him a young high school student named Jesse McNally as an offering. The Master recognized that Darla had already tasted Jesse's blood and was offended by the notion of his minions bringing him their leftover scraps. His second-in-command, Luke told him of a powerful woman he had encountered who could fight well and knew their ways. The Master recognized that this woman could only be a Slayer and sent Luke and Darla out to set a trap for her. The Slayer in question was sixteen-year-old Buffy Summers.

As the Harvest approached, the Master selected Luke to serve as his vessel. He anointed him with a mystic sigil upon his brow and declared that every soul that Luke fed upon would transfer to him, nourishing him until he had enough strength to break free and walk the Earth once again. Luke went to a local night club called the Bronze where he began feeding off the patrons. Buffy showed up and battled Luke, ultimately killing him. When Luke was destroyed, the Master lost all of the temporary power he had gained and had to search for another means of escaping from his underground cavern.

Members

 * The Master
 * Darla
 * Luke
 * Spike
 * The Anointed One

Associates

 * Angel
 * Jesse McNally
 * Spike (Until he killed the Anointed One)