17th January 2011 (17:43)

The background of the Watchers' Council is something that's been discussed quite a bit in fandom, along with related issues like "What is the purpose of the Cruciamentum?" or "What is the connection between the Watchers and the Shadowmen?" I decided to pull together all my ideas and write them up as a history of the Council, as written from the point of view of an informed outside observer with access to Council records here in the present day. I admit to getting a bit carried away sometimes with plotbunnies on how the Slayers and Watchers got involved with varous historical events...



This is all as compliant with canon as I can make it, though there's obviously plenty of speculation or outright fiction mixed in there. Alert readers will notice that I've also incorporated elements of Hiywan's Story into the early history of the Council, as well as passing mentions of the original 'Buffy' movie and Season 8. If anyone wants to take my ideas and incorporate them into their own fiction, please feel free; or alternatively if you want to challenge my interpretation of the Council's history, you can do that too. (Historians disagree all the time on how to interpret the past.)



Title: The History of the Watchers' Council

Wordcount: 15,773 (I told you I got carried away) divided into 6 chapters.

Rating: 12

Warnings: References to sexism, racism, religious bigotry, slavery, torture, murder, imperialism, and other fun stuff, in a historical context.







History of the Watchers Council

The Watchers' Council of Great Britain prides itself on being the oldest known human organisation in existence. It has changed its name several times, been all but destroyed and then re-founded at least twice, and many of its older records are long lost and crumbled to dust; but it can still trace a continuous thread of existence back over eight thousand years. There are, of course, demon cults and secret societies which are older - in some cases, a billion years older - but as far as humans go, the Council holds the laurel. This is their story.



Chapter One: Lú'ene Ğissu'ak - The Shadowmen 6000 - 3500 BC



Chapter Two: Šes'ene Ğissu'ak - Brotherhood of Shadows 3500 BC - 1746 BC



Chapter Three: Kilib Lú'ennugi - Watchers' Council of Babylon 1746 - 275 BC



Chapter Four: Boulē Phúlakōn Antiócheiās - Watchers' Council of Antioch 275 BC - AD 1268



Chapter Five: Consilium Custodum Venetiarum - Watchers' Council of Venice AD 1268 - 1563



Chapter Six: Watchers' Council of Great Britain AD 1563 - 2003



(Links to be added)