I'm not convinced he's dead either and would love for him to come back. That being said, it's a spell to get past wards - so... not sure what having an ally with it would do, besides just... you know, having an ally too. :P

Oh. Right.

Got a little too excited there at the archangel requirement. :/

River pier, ocean pier...same diff, right? (Says the woman who grew up in Vermont...not quite as land-locked as Kansas, but pretty close.) I did see land though, and trees, and no sand, so I'm guessing you're right.

I want the bunker to have a magic door (besides the Oz one), so I'm liking my idea too. :) I may have had a little too much wine tonight though to be addressing these issues...