Meridian (W.I.T.C.H.)

Meridian, also known as Metamoor or Metaworld, is a fictional planet in the comic book series W.I.T.C.H. and in the animated series of the same name.

Culture and Customs
Metamoor/Meridian is red-orange planet. It is ruled by a single Queen, who has powerful magical powers and is the center of mystical energy in the planet. The Queen is currently Elyon Brown. Her royal family name is Escanor, after the first king of Meridian. Meridian greatly resembles medieval earth, in both architecture and culture.

This planet has streets full of merchants and extraordinary underground caves. People here live mainly from agriculture, although some have other jobs. At one point there is a great Harvest festival, where food is eaten and people dance and sing. The remaining food is equally divided between Metamoor/Meridian's inhabitants, as suggested by Elyon.

Appearance
The inhabitants of Metamoor/Meridian are separated into four major groups:
 * The Galhot: Were the original inhabitants of Metamoor/Meridian. The Galhot have blue or green skin and retractable horns coming out of their faces. If a Galhot gets aggressive, the horns get out. Vathek is a Galhot.
 * The Escanor: Escanor, a British prince was asked by the Oracle of Kandrakar to help the Galhot to defeat the brigands on Metamoor/Meridian. This man's wife (Leryn) was later given the throne, starting the planet's long lineage of Queens.
 * Halfbreeds: descendants of the Escanor and Galhot. They look like humans with spots on the skin.
 * Independent murmurers: originally created by Phobos from magical flowers carrying the same name in order to serve him. They developed a conscience and fought themselves free from Phobos' control. Caleb and Raskal are an example of this species.

All creatures have more or less magical capabilities. They can transform to a human shape. This capability allowed fugitives to find safety in Heatherfield. Other animals and creatures that do not fit in either group have been showed, but they were not specified.

Capital City
Meridian is the capital city of the Metaworld, where the Queen's palace is and where the Harvest Festival occurs. It was there that the rebellion and the war occurred. At least once in the comics it has been clearly stated that Meridian is the capital city of Metamoor, the name of the world, not the city itself.

History
The Galhot, the native inhbitants of Meridian, asked the Oracle of Kandrakar for help when their world got threatened by the brigands Kahedrin. The Oracle found a suitable savior in the prince Escanor, coming from medieval Britain. Escanor accepted the assignment and accompanied by his friends Hoël, Didier, Grendal and Brandis he led the battle against the Kahedrin. The fight against the Kahedrin king Morgon was legendary. The Galhot offered Escanor the throne of the Metaworld. Only after a long time of doubts, Escanor accepted, taking his wife Leryn with him. Since then Meridian got ruled by a Queen, who is also the center of mystical force in the planet. It was a happy place to live, until Elyon's and her brother Phobos parents mysteriously disappeared. Prince Phobos seized the throne. To escape his threat Captain Miriadel, Commander Alborn and the nanny Galgheita fled to Earth through a portal. On Earth Miriadel and Alborn took the identities of Eleanor and Thomas Portrait and raised Elyon, while Galgheita took the identity of Mrs. Rudolph, math teacher at the Sheffield Institute. In the meantime Phobos drained Meridian dry of its magic, stealing its life and light. Meridian was barred from accessing the rest of the universe by the Oracle and Kandrakar, because the congregation feared Phobos might want to repeat his magic-draining process with other worlds. Phobos decided to steal his sister Elyon's superior magical powers to his own to get past the Wall. Around twelve years later Cedric, servant of Phobos, traced her back and took her to Meridian easily, both with her foster parents. Phobos almost managed to obtain Elyon's powers, but she and the Guardians defeated him. Elyon was revealed to be the Light of Meridian (Explained by Caleb ) the destined and powerful matriarchal savior. When she finally obtained the Crown of Light, she came to her full powers and brought life and light back to Meridian.

Later Elyon was forced from the throne by Endarno, the new Oracle, who was really Phobos in disguise. Although the Guardians managed to keep the Crown of Light from him, Elyon got imprisoned and her powers were slowly being drained from her. However, she later gets saved by the Guardians. The Oracle (Endarno) was soon unmasked as Phobos, who escaped by jumping out of the fortress of Kandrakar to float around in infinity forever. Elyon goes back home to proceed governing over Meridian.

Meridian in the animated series
Meridian is by far the most important planet seen in the series, as most of the action takes place here.

Chronology
Meridian is a kingdom far away under the watching eye of the Oracle. It is ruled by a single Queen, who has powerful magical powers and is the center of mystical energy in the planet (The Heart of Meridian). The Queen is currently Elyon Brown. This planet has streets full of merchants and extraordinary underground caves. People here live mainly from agriculture, although some have other jobs.

Meridian has many different creatures like Larveks, Mudslugs, Mogriffs, Sandpit, Hermeneutas, Passlings, Kaithim etc. Some ceatures can change between an apparently human form and a beast form, Cedric can do this when he wants to be in his Human Form or Beast Form.

Meridian is the most frequent and travelled to place for the Guardans in Season 1. Throughout Season 1, Meridian is the only known Planet to the Guardians as the Veil was raised and not much was known about the other worlds like Zamballa, Kandrakar and Aridia. Much of the action happened on Meridian in Season 1 and the Guardians frequently travelled there to help and stop Phobos’ schemes. The important place in Meridian is in a Large Village next to the Castle, which is on top of high land extending upwards. This is where Phobos lives and is the main centre of activity since the Guardians always attack.

Season 1
13 Years ago, Phobos came to power and was the ruler over Meridian, however he was just after power and transformed Meridian into a dark, gloomy world. The village next to the Palace was reduced and the Palace itself changed from a yellow, blue, red colour to a black grey Castle. Spikes also grew round Meridian and also huge ones on the side of the Castle. The Council of Kandrakar raised the Veil to stop his evil spreading to other worlds. A Rebellion soon started and was led by Caleb and made their base in the Infinite City (Phobos doesn’t know of it yet). 13 Years passed and new Guardians were given the job to protect the Veil as portals where evil passed from Meridian to Earth started popping up, the Guardians had to seal them.

The Guardians did so, but Phobos found out who his long lost sister was: Elyon Brown. With the help of Cedric, he managed to get Elyon back to Meridian. Unlike in the comic series, Elyon was unaware of many things in meridian, like Cedric could shapeshift, and what the palace in Metamoor looked like. In the last episode of Season 1 "The Final Battle", Phobos was on the verge of absorbing her powers, until the whole Rebellion got into the Castle and the Guardians assisting Elyon in her escape. The Guardians and Elyon then imprisoned Phobos and the rest of the Lurdens in the Infinite City. Meridian was then transformed back into the way it was 13 years ago, the Palace changed and the sky turned blue and the vines disappeared and flowers and ponds replaced them. Elyon was made Queen of Meridian and the Villagers began building their village back again linking bridges to the Palace and creating different kind of buildings.

Season 2
In Season 2 "B is for Betrayal", the Veil was lifted as Phobos was defeated and the Guardians still went back to Meridian because Nerissa showed and started her planning, beginning with the Knights of Vengeance, but were soon impriosned, when they released Phobos from his cell.

Nerissa's true intentions came about in "J is for Jewel", when Nerissa managed to steal Elyon’s power (Heart of Meridian) and imprisoned Elyon within a tear-drop jewel. After this Meridian is left alone for a while until "V is for Victory" when the Guardians situation became desperate, so they released Phobos in order to get the Seal of Nerissa from Nerissa herself. Phobos did so and re-took Meridian again transforming back the Palace into the gloomy old Castle and the sky changed and the village and all of Meridian with it. However, his victory didn’t last when Cedric turned against him and ate and swallowed him. Cedric grew to the size of Godzilla and went on to take Earth when Meridian and Kandrakar were conquered. The Guardians defeated Cedric. Phobos along with the Lurdens, Miranda, Frost and Cedric were once again imprisoned.

Elyon turned the Castle back into the Palace and the whole of Meridian back to peaceful life. Along with Raythor, Sandpit and Gargoyle at her side protecting the Palace from future attack and goes back to being Queen of Meridian.

The Infinite City
The Infinite City made its debut in Season 1 "A Service to the Community". The Infinite City is below Meridian and the Guardians didn’t know at first, but Caleb tells them and shows them. The Mage guards the City. The City is underground and has lots of pillars running along. The City is a lime green City, but in daytime the city appeared to be red, orange and cream.

Nobody knows who created or built the Infinite City and when, it has a mysterious past as the City is infinite and keeps going on and on in all directions. The Infinite City is kept secret from Phobos because the Rebellion used it as their base of operations. There is only one way of getting down into the City and its by using a secret passage in a disused area of land and through a little cupboard. It is then led down some stairs and into the City itself. Just a few yard’s is another passage, and under there is like a basement but inside is a waterfall and the Mage stays and guards the city.

Near the end of Season 1, Cedric had discovered the Infinite City due to a Rebel who wasn’t being careful. Vathek watched over the stairway and sent a pile of boulders on the stair way to block the access of Cedric getting through. Eventually however the Lurdens dug through and wrecked part of the City were the passage down to were the waterfall was. Cedric demanded that five Lurdens go down there and bring the Mage up, but when they entered the Passage and got halfway down the steps, all that was heard was five screams ringing through the City. He then sent the General down and the same thing happened to him.

In the beginning of Season 2, Phobos is imprisoned along with all the Lurdens, Cedric and Miranda behind the waterfall in the Infinite City. Vathek becomes the prison keeper of Phobos' cell in the City. The Mage was soon revealed to be Nerissa and it was her who guarded the City all along. However, Vathek did his best but near the end of Season 2, he was defeated when Phobos freed all the Lurdens and the Knights of Vengeance. But he was once again defeated and locked again the Infinite City.