Alfava Metraxis

Alfava Metraxis was a planet home to the Aplans until their extinction in the mid 47th century, but by the 49th century it had been terraformed and colonised by Human settlers.

The Aplans left notable landmarks on the planet, including temples, and the Aplan Mortaria, sometimes known as 'Mazes of the Dead'. These were large subterranean labyrinths with tombs in the walls, adorned with statues of the dead. The Mazes have six levels, to represent the ascent of the soul.

The civilisation of the Aplans was noted to have mysteriously come to an abrupt end in the mid 47th century. This was revealed to have been caused by the Weeping Angels, which infested the dark underground Mazes, well hidden amid the numerous statues. Having hunted the Aplans to extinction, the Angel colony lacked any further energy source and over the next four centuries, the energy-deprived Angels began to degrade and lose their form.

During the 49th century, humans terraformed the planet and by the 51st century, six billion settlers had come to live there. However, by this time, the Angels hidden within the Mortaria were too weak to venture out to attack the colonists.

During the 51st century, a lone, healthy Angel feigned dormancy and allowed itself to be captured. This ensured its access to the Byzantium, a large space liner with a temporal core. When the ship passed near to Alfava Metraxis, the Angel presumably hunted down the crew, and crashed it into one of the Mortaria. The Angels in hibernation within the maze were then able begin rejuvenation using the power from the ship.

After the crash of the Byzantium, the Doctor, Amy Pond and River Song, with a group of 20 clerics, landed on Alfava Metraxis with the intention of tracking down and capturing the Weeping Angel that had been contained in its vault. (DW: The Time of Angels)