- “The castle is our strongest weapon. No army has ever taken Camelot.”
- — Arthur Pendragon[src]
The Citadel is a large castle in the kingdom of Camelot that serves as its seat of government. It is also the home of the Pendragon family, as well as the Knights of Camelot, and various servants and staff such as Gaius and Merlin.
The castle is Camelot's greatest asset in war. It is virtually impregnable, houses a garrison of at least 12,000 men, and - prior to the Fall of Camelot - had never fallen during a siege.
History
Uther addresses a crowd from the balcony overlooking the Square.
At the end of the Great Purge, Kilgharrah was imprisoned in a cave beneath the citadel (The Dragon's Call).
The annual Tournament of Camelot was held on the castle grounds (Valiant).
Nimueh transported an Afanc to the citadel's water cavern to poison the city's water supply (The Mark of Nimueh).
Lord Bayard of Mercia met with Uther Pendragon at the citadel to sign a peace treaty that would end the war between their kingdoms (The Poisoned Chalice).
After the Unicorn's Curse destroyed Camelot's harvest, hundreds of starving villagers sought refuge in the city hoping to be given food (The Labyrinth of Gedref).
When Uther ordered an excavation team to dig beneath the citadel, they unearthed a tomb filled with riches belonging to the legendary sorcerer Cornelius Sigan. Sigan's spirit later possessed Cedric, a thief who tried to steal his enchanted jewel, and used his body to launch an attack on Camelot.
The citadel sustained notable damage during the battle. Sigan's gargoyles attacked with such ferocity that they knocked a hole in the roof of the council chambers and drove the Knights of Camelot from the main square (The Curse of Cornelius Sigan).
Aredian fell to his death when he tripped over a box and crashed through a castle window (The Witchfinder).
The citadel was the site of historic peace talks between the rulers of the Five Kingdoms (Sweet Dreams).
After making Morgana the source of a powerful sleeping enchantment, Morgause and the Knights of Medhir were able to enter the castle unopposed (The Fires of Idirsholas).
After Merlin released Kilgharrah from his cave, the dragon sought revenge for his twenty year imprisonment by burning Camelot. His attack lasted seven nights and caused extensive damage. Many structures were burned and the castle walls were damaged nearly to the point of collapse (The Last Dragonlord).
The citadel under siege during the Great Battle for Camelot.
When Arthur learned that Cenred had assembled an army of at least 20,000 men to invade Camelot, he began preparing the city for siege. Siege engines, battering rams, and catapults were set up throughout the city, provisions were gathered, and citizens from Camelot's outer villages were given refuge within the city walls.
The citadel was badly damaged during the battle. Burning refuse from catapults set several structures on fire, and after Morgana used the Rowan Staff to resurrect an army of undead skeletons in the burial vaults, Merlin engaged her in a duel which ended when he made part of the ceiling fall on top of her. Merlin then destroyed the Staff and reduced the skeletons to dust, forcing Cenred to order a retreat (The Tears of Uther Pendragon).
The Decennial Tournament was held on the castle grounds (Gwaine).
Morgause and Morgana took control of the citadel after they conquered Camelot with their immortal army. This was the first time in Camelot's history that the citadel fell while under siege.
A little over a week later, Arthur and his allies set out to rescue Uther from the dungeons. Merlin and Lancelot were told to disable the warning bell, but unbeknownst to Arthur, they had also appointed themselves the task of finding and emptying the Cup of Life.
With Gaius' help, Merlin and Lancelot defeated Morgause and completed their mission, destroying the immortal army. Consumed by grief and rage, Morgana's magically strengthened screams caused the council chamber to collapse around them. When the debris was eventually cleared away, there was no trace of either Morgause or Morgana to be found (The Coming of Arthur).
One year after her defeat, Morgana exacted her revenge by unleashing the Dorocha upon Camelot. Citizens from all over the kingdom began to seek refuge in the city, and the castle dungeons were soon filled with the frozen corpses of the Dorocha's victims. Eventually, Arthur, Merlin, and the Knights of the Round Table were forced to embark on a quest to return the Dorocha to the Spirit World.
With his father still not recovered from Morgana's treachery, Arthur left his uncle Agravaine in charge of the kingdom during his absence. Though Arthur had chosen to provide protection for refugees, Agravaine ordered the city gates to be shut at dusk, citing limited resources as his reason. Gaius and Guinevere were horrified by his actions and confronted him before the council, forcing Agravaine to reverse his decision and reopen the gates (The Darkest Hour).
Arthur and his allies flee the Second Fall of Camelot.
Morgana took control of the citadel for a second time during the Second Fall of Camelot. Launching a surprise attack during the Feast of Beltane, she and her ally Helios led a frontal assault on the citadel while Agravaine led more soldiers into the castle through the siege tunnels.
The castle was largely unharmed during the attack, but the Lower Town was badly burned after Agravaine lit it on fire.
One week later, Arthur and his allies launched their own attack on the citadel to reclaim the kingdom. They disposed of the sentries stationed on the castle walls, then split into three groups. Leon led one group of knights in an assault on the castle, Percival led another to rescue those imprisoned in the dungeons, and Merlin, Arthur, Gwen, Tristan, and Isolde went to the council chambers to confront Morgana and Helios.
The night before the attack, Merlin snuck into the citadel and cast an enchantment to block Morgana's magic. As such, she was unable to use her powers against Arthur and fled the room. Gwen and Merlin chased after her and Gwen faced her in a duel. Morgana quickly disarmed her, but before she could kill Gwen, Merlin struck her with a stunning spell powerful enough to make part of the ceiling collapse. When the dust cleared, Morgana was gone.
Meanwhile, Arthur, Tristan, and Isolde battled Helios and his men in the council chambers. They successfully defeated their opponents, but Isolde was killed saving Arthur from Helios (The Sword in the Stone).
After Arthur accidentally released Uther's spirit from the Spirit World, it followed him back to the castle. Uther disapproved of many of the changes Arthur had made as King and expressed his displeasured by causing a chandelier to fall on the Round Table and setting the kitchens on fire (The Death Song of Uther Pendragon).
Arthur invited Sarrum of Amata to the citadel to discuss an alliance. However, he was assassinated during the treaty signing (The Hollow Queen).
When Morgana declared war on Camelot, Arthur chose to make a stand at Camlann rather than wait for her to attack the citadel (The Diamond of the Day).
Locations
| Location | Purpose | Residents | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agravaine's Chambers | Personal Quarters | Agravaine de Bois |   |
| Arthur's Chambers | Personal Quarters |   | |
| Armoury | Storage for arms and armour. | None |   |
| Banquet Hall |
|
None |   |
| Battlements | Military Defense | None |   |
| Burial Vault | Houses the remains of deceased nobles. | None |   |
| Cornelius Sigan's Tomb | Tomb of Cornelius Sigan. | Cornelius Sigan |   |
| Council Chambers |
|
None |   |
| Dining Hall | Dining Room | None |   |
| Dragon's Cave | Twenty year prison of the Great Dragon. | Kilgharrah |   |
| Drawbridge | Entrance to the Main Square. | None |   |
| Duelling Pitch |
|
None |   |
| Dungeons | Prison | Various |   |
| Gaius' Chambers |
|
  | |
| Grain Stores | Houses the city's grain supply. | None |   |
| Guest Chambers | Rooms set aside for guests of residents. | Various |   |
| Hall of Ceremonies |
|
None |   |
| Infirmary | Space for treating large numbers of wounded. | None |   |
| Kitchens | Food Preparation | Audrey |   |
| Knights' Chambers | Personal Quarters | Knights of Camelot |   |
| Main Square | Central access to the castle. | None |   |
| Morgana's Chambers | Personal Quarters | Morgana Pendragon |   |
| Royal Library |
|
Geoffrey |   |
| Scroll Vault |
|
None |   |
| Siege Tunnels | Military Defense | None |   |
| Solar |
|
None |   |
| Training Grounds | Area set aside for knights to train. | None |   |
| Uther's Chambers | Personal Quarters | Uther Pendragon |   |
| Vaults | Storage for Camelot's valuables. | None |   |
| War Room | Military Strategy | None |   |
| Water Cavern | Houses the city's water supply. | None |   |
Gallery
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To view the Citadel gallery, click here.
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