Follow TV Tropes

Following

Context Main / PlaceOfProtection

Go To

1->''"Brown-robe types are always protecting something. It's the only way they can justify giving up girls."''
2-->-- '''Spike''', ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', "Blood Ties"
3
4Some places are so holy or magical that they have the property of protecting those inside the location from harm, either by keeping out ghosts, demons, or other supernatural beings, or by preventing any sort of violence or evil from occurring there.
5
6This might be because a spell was placed on the location or simply because the [[HolyGround place is inherently sacred]]. In mythology, many places that are considered holy ground, such as churches and graveyards, have the ability to keep out undead or evil spirits.
7
8If a character is merely trying to invoke the symbolism of a place, most likely a church, they are SeekingSanctuary.
9
10----
11!!Examples:
12[[foldercontrol]]
13
14[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
15* ''{{Manga/Berserk}}'': Schierke is able to set up a massive defensive spell over a church... because the church had been built over a sanctuary to one of the elemental spirits.
16* ''Anime/HighlanderTheSearchForVengeance'': Immortals are not allowed to fight on holy ground (just like in the live-action ''Highlander'' films). In one scene an immortal refuses to put his weapon away while standing on holy ground, and he is immediately struck by lightning.
17* ''Manga/InuYasha'': Mount Hakurei is a place so holy demons are purified just by setting foot on it. [[spoiler: The BigBad Naraku hides within the mountain using its holy barrier by placing the [[RevenantZombie undead monk]] who keeps the barrier under MoreThanMindControl.]]
18[[/folder]]
19
20[[folder:Comic Books]]
21* ''Comicbook/BlackestNight'': Franchise/WonderWoman uses her lasso to consecrate an area, causing any zombie that sets foot on it to be reduced to ash.
22* ''ComicBook/BlueDevil'': The title character is a devout Catholic, who had the misfortune to be turned into a demon. The result is a blue guy being immolated by holy fire every time he goes to church. You'd think either he'd take this as a sign or God would arrange some kind of waiver after a while.
23[[/folder]]
24
25[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
26* ''Film/{{Apocalypse}}'': In ''Tribulation'', Tom Canboro is being chased through a hospital by a One Nation Earth agent who uses his mind powers to close all doors in the hallway so his prey cannot escape -- all except for one room that Tom enters, which turns out to be a chapel which provides for him a means of escape.
27* ''Film/{{Highlander}}'': Any "HolyGround" in the original film, at least from other immortals, though it is unclear whether it's some unwritten rule of the Game that even the outright villainous immortals abide by (either because EvenEvilHasStandards or because [[PragmaticVillainy they too benefit from being able to rest awhile without having to watch their backs]]) or if there's more supernatural consequences. [[Series/HighlanderTheSeries The TV series]] went with the latter interpretation.
28* ''Film/Warlock1989'': The title BigBad is a Satanic creature who can't set foot on holy ground.
29[[/folder]]
30
31[[folder:Literature]]
32* Creator/JRRTolkien:
33** The Girdle of Melian in ''Literature/TheSilmarillion''.
34** Rivendell and Lothlórien in ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' [[spoiler: because each is secretly protected by one of the Three Rings, though you wouldn't know it from the film version...]]
35* Creator/AndreNorton's ''Literature/WitchWorld'' novels, particularly the High Hallack cycle. Some areas have a benevolent aura which prevents evil creatures from entering.
36** The ''Witch World'' series also has examples of the inversion of this trope -- stones and circles that are so overwhelmingly ''evil'' that they are not safe places to be near.
37* Creator/SusanCooper's ''Literature/TheDarkIsRising'' series book ''The Dark Is Rising''. The Old Ways (ancient roads) can be commanded to expel creatures of the Dark from them and prevent such creatures from passing over them.
38* In ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'' churches act as these against unholy creatures. It's indicated that the significance of the church controls how difficult it is to enter it.
39** Homes also get a sort of this as any creature of Nevernever must either use mirrors or reflections to weaken the protection or be invited inside. Even wizards are weakened if they come in uninvited.
40* The city of Petra in the ''Literature/LeftBehind'' books is a safe haven for Israelis and believers, due to God's protection over the city from Global Community forces.
41* The Wizard Tower and many so-caled Safe Chambers in ''Literature/SeptimusHeap'' serve this purpose in ''Darke''.
42* The Earth Wife's Lodge in the Literature/ChroniclesOfTheKencyrath. Characters frequently arrive there pursued by enemies, or barely ahead of a natural disaster, but as soon as they're in and the door closes behind them, they're safe. Makes perfect sense, [[spoiler: because the Earth Wife is a goddess, one of the Four who embody the elements of Rathillien. So of course her house is open to those she wants to help, and not to their enemies.]]
43* ''Literature/HarryPotter'':
44** The Dursley residence is this for Harry as long as he can call the place home. Thanks to a combination of the ProtectiveCharm his mother's HeroicSacrifice placed on him and the ancient magic Dumbledore invoked, as long as Harry lives in the same home as someone related by blood to Lily like her sister Petunia, he cannot be harmed by Voldemort or his servants. [[spoiler:In the final book, Harry comes of age, meaning he can no longer call the Dursley residence home. The ''instant'' he turns seventeen and the protective magic ends, Voldemort and his Death Eaters attack.]]
45** The Fidelius Charm can turn any place into a sanctuary where the residents cannot be found even if the people looking for them are staring right into the windows. The catch is that the Charm can be broken if the SecretKeeper entrusted with the location as part of the Charm betrays the secret. The Potters' home was protected this way, but they met their end when their Secret Keeper [[spoiler:Peter Pettigrew]] sold them out to Voldemort.
46* In "Literature/ShadowsForSilenceInTheForestsOfHell", Silence Montane runs a waystop, a place where people traveling between the forts may spend the night in peace, sheltered from the shades by the waystop's silver rings. [[spoiler: Also {{Subverted}}. If you happen to have a decent bounty on your head, stopping at Silence's waystop is a good way to end up dead, though she works very hard to keep anyone from realizing this.]]
47* ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'': Just off the campus of SuperheroSchool Whateley Academy, is 'The Grove', a GeniusLoci forest that physically keeps out the unwanted and attacks undesired visitors, while protecting beings it wants (like [[TheFairFolk Fey]]). Students and security forces are warned not to try to go in there, at their own peril.
48* ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'': ''Stedding'' are zones of AntiMagic that also keep out the forces of darkness, providing safety against most forms of supernatural threat. They don't prevent mundane violence, but exude an ambient sense of peacefulness so that nobody wants to fight. On top of this, many of them are inhabited by Ogier, who hold to a strict nonviolence policy and enforce it for any visitors.
49[[/folder]]
50
51[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
52* One episode of ''Series/DoctorWho'' sees the gang take refuge in a church...magically shielded not by any holy powers, but simply because the monsters of the day were agents of time. Older things have more history and thus take more time for the creatures to penetrate, and the centuries-old church was the oldest thing around.
53* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'':
54** In [[Recap/SupernaturalS01E13RouteSixSixSix "Route 666" (S01, Ep13)]], a ghost truck is destroyed when it chases Dean on to the hallowed ground of a burnt down church.
55** The Men in Letters bunker is warded against almost all supernatural creatures.
56** Salt lines can be used to create localized safe areas.
57** In [[Recap/SupernaturalS02E22AllHellBreaksLoosePartTwo "All Hell Breaks Loose Part Two"]], Samuel Colt is revealed to have created a ''massive'' Devil's Trap made of churches and old-iron railway lines spanning 100 square-miles around a HellGate. No demon, no even the Yellow-Eyed Demon, can cross it. [[spoiler:Unfortunately, the army of released demons are able to break ''out'', apparently overwhelming the protection through shear numbers]].
58** Bobby made his own supernatural safe-room. Encrusted with salt, protective spells, etc. He's so CrazyPrepared, he made it before it's needed or even would seem to be needed. Why? Apparently he had some free time. Comes in handy more than once.
59* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''. Invoked when Glory instructs a demon to seek out the Key in the "holy places", unaware that the Key is now in human form and living at Buffy's house in the form of her little sister. Instead of a place of protection, those hiding the Key sent it to a [[TheChampion person of protection]].
60[[/folder]]
61
62[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
63* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''
64** Has various spells in each edition to create an area like this as well as evil equivalents, presumably in case a player wants to build their own graveyard. It also strengthens certain undead created in the area.
65** Adventure S4 ''The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth'' had an area where wandering monsters wouldn't attack the {{PC}} party.
66* ''TabletopGame/CallOfCthulhu'' supplement ''Fragments of Fear'', adventure "Valley of the Four Shrines". In the valley there's a path surrounding a lake with the magical property of preventing zombies from passing over it. This protects the human fishing village from being destroyed by zombie attack.
67* More like a "''Person'' of Protection" rather than place, but playing as the Bishop in ''TabletopGame/{{Citadels}}'' prevents the Warlord or Diplomat from messing with your districts.
68[[/folder]]
69
70[[folder:Traditional Games]]
71* Some variations of Tag--you know, that game where you run around until whoever is "it" tags you--have safe areas or similar.
72[[/folder]]
73
74[[folder:Video Games]]
75* ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime2Echoes'': Dark Aether's atmosphere is corrosive for Samus, but there are many beacons (placed by the Luminoth) which activate a field of sacred light in their surroundings. This light not only negates the effects of the harmful atmosphere, but also gradually restores the energy of whoever is resting there as long as the individual isn't an Ing.
76* In the ''VideoGame/QuestForGlory'' series of games, places where [[FriendToAllLivingThings Erana]] has been are protected by her magic, and are safe havens for the hero to sleep at night. The town in the first game also has her spell cast over it, preventing any violence from occurring there, except for in the back of the alley and the graveyard.
77* In ''VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue''/''Yellow'' Lavender Tower had a "purified" area near the top which restored all your {{mon}}'s health and PP. It implied it was simply enchanted to keep ghost Pokemon out, allowing the player to rest (since other such non-Pokecentre "heal" points tended to be beds).
78* CircleMUD has PEACEFUL rooms, which prevent anyone from attacking anything there. Often used for rest areas, shops, and so on.
79* Save Points in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV''.
80* Safe Zones in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaPhantomHourglass'' and ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks''. Phantoms can't see or enter them, and time doesn't drain from the Phantom Hourglass when Link is in one.
81* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'':
82** Light's Hope Chapel weakens the Lich King because of the souls of all the heroes buried beneath it.
83** PVP combat is disabled in "Sanctuary" cities shared by Alliance and Horde
84* Stone circles in ''VideoGame/{{Armello}}'' restore one health when a character enters, save for Corrupted characters and Banes who are instantly killed.
85[[/folder]]
86
87[[folder:Webcomics]]
88* ''Webcomic/StandStillStaySilent'': Finland has a few spirit-protected patches of land that are naturally devoid of PlagueZombie monsters. They are among the few places in which mosquitoes, which die if they drink the blood of PlagueZombie monsters, survive.
89[[/folder]]
90
91[[folder:Web Animation]]
92* ''WebAnimation/{{Dreamscape}}'': The Well of Power. It's a secret location which provides the planet with natural energy, and where Kai and Eleenin monitor the state of the planet.
93[[/folder]]
94
95[[folder:Western Animation]]
96* '[WesternAnimation/TheSmurfsTheLegendOfSmurfyHollow'': The covered bridge serves as one from the Headless Horseman for the Smurfs as well as for Gargamel and Azrael -- that is, until Gargamel decides to [[DoNotTauntCthulhu taunt the Headless Horseman]]. The Headless Horseman cannot cross the bridge, but he can still throw a flaming pumpkin into it.
97[[/folder]]

Top