THE STARLIGHT CITADEL
"Wars rage and kings die, the wheel turns the world around
Bones break beneath the wheel, the king he tumbles to the ground
The wheel's center never changes, never knows the lives she take
Still she sits, as smooth and placid, our lady's face a peaceful lake."
- Avalon children's rhyme
Floating high above the central diplomatic zone of OTHERWORLD is the Starlight Citadel, physical manifestation of the epicenter of the Otherworld, where all realities intersect. If Otherworld were said to be a wheel, the Citadel would be its hub -- though it is unmoving, without it, the wheel cannot turn.
The Citadel is more than simply a beautiful monument; it is a fortress serving as the defense of the infinite doors within. Each doorway serves as passage to another reality -- making the Citadel the most literal representation of the conjunction of all realities that Otherworld represents.
Previously, each of these doors had its own defender and representative in the form of a Captain Britain. However, when the original CAPTAIN BRITAIN CORPS was destroyed, these portals found themselves without defenders, leaving the Citadel -- and thus, the nexus of all realities -- highly vulnerable to exterior attacks.
It is believed that around this time Opal Luna Saturnyne, Omniversal Majestrix and High Priestess of the Starlight Citadel, took up permanent residence in the Citadel and sealed it off to anyone but her Priestesses in an act of desperate defense.
Saturnyne's swift and decisive action kept the Citadel safe and standing during attacks by the witch Morgan Le Fay.
The Citadel's known defenses include the highly trained
Priestesses of the White, bow-wielding assassins with long-distance aim and high-speed flight. The Citadel's current siege fortifications and other defenses are unknown.
Currently, the Starlight Citadel is easiest reached from Krakoa by way of the External Gate.
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The exact origins of the Starlight Citadel are unknown. By all accounts it has existed as long as Otherworld itself and serves as a meeting place and administrative nexus for all realities. Earliest writings from the Otherworld claim the tower was named for its visibility -- due to its height and lumination, it can be seen at night from any point in Otherworld.
In the past, the Citadel has been host to various residents -- the mysterious Merlyn, his daughter Roma and the now destroyed Captain Britain Corps
Currently, it serves as the central fortress of Otherworldly guardian and Omniversal Majestrix Opal Luna Saturnyne.
The tower (and Otherworld itself) are unique in that they served as a hub for the various realities in which Captain Britain existed and protected the people of Britain and the Otherworld. During the time of the Captain Britain Corps, the Citadel's unique location between various realities enabled it to serve as a place for trials, weddings and other gatherings. Now, in the absence of the corps, the tower's purpose is unknown, and Saturnyne's motivations are known only to herself.
The Starlight Citadel has been closed to outsiders since the destruction of the Captain Britain Corps. Following the first volley of Morgan Le Fay's attack, it was cloaked from view for safety during wartime and has remained hidden since.
Lady Saturnyne is known for her ambition and she makes clear that she was not born to her position but acquired it through hard work and careful planning. She has since replaced Merlyn as Omniversal Guardian and rewards the similarly ambitious with a devoted school of priestesses who serve her as her hand.
