Marsonne Commandery
The Marsonne Commandery is a primary fortress and center of operation for the Order of the Swords of Heaven of the Pantheon of Heaven faith. It is a sprawling old fortress located on the banks of a small tributary river of the larger Arial River in the County of Dunmor. The Commandery has a growing contingent of Knights of the Order, currently numbering 67 knights and officers and 58 men-at-arms, as well as a large number of support personnel and staff.
Situated between the vast and ancient woods of the Foray d'Elfes and the Arial River, the Commandery is currently being renovated to act as the forward outpost of the Order in the western maches of the Kingdom of Aria specifically to counter any threat posed by the Vytuian settlements of the Contestee region. Originally built more than 180 years ago as the Forte d'Foray by the Leblanc family, a noble house that was a political power in the viscounty at the time, the castle has seen much change and renovation in the nearly two centuries that it has stood. It is only in the last 50 years that neglect and poor management has taken such an obvious toll on the great castle.
Purpose / Function
The castle is the primary regional stronghold of the Order of the Swords of Heaven and the seat of the Order's operations for much of the western portions of the Kingdom of Aria. It is also the focus of the Order's economic and military counter to the threat of attack by the Elves of the Contestee region. Renovations are underway to make the Commandery a bastion for the faith against any threat that may present from the far west.
Design
The castle is located on a narrow peninsula on a river junction. Three sides of the castle are protected by broad expanses of navigable riverways, with only a narrow band of some 350' of land connecting it to the surrounding farmlands. Roughly square in shape, the castle had two large functioning gatehouses when it was originally built, but the larger of the two gates was sealed off some 100 years ago and only the smaller landward side of the castle still has a functioning gate. There is a large round tower within the walls that stands some 75' tall and dominates the view of the castle from more than three miles away. A portion of the original keep remains, built on the highest point of ground within the walls and has a height of nearly 60'. The rest of the castle grounds are nearly covered with structures and buildings of various age and design, making the interior of the walled area very close and confusing. Within the walls there are seven smaller walled courts or yards, each with its own series of gates and doorways and all adding to the labyrinthine aspect of the structure.
Entries
The only functioning gate to the castle is an opening of 18' in width and 12' in height that is secured with two very stout iron-banded oak doors and an ancient wood and iron portcullis of questionable durability. A larger gate that once faced a small but very serviceable dock and quay area on the river bank was sealed off nearly a century ago, but work is already underway to reopen the gate and make it a defensible structure once again.
Sensory & Appearance
While still a functional castle, the Commandery is in need of some long overdue improvements. Several buildings have roofs that are in danger of failing and nearly all of them leak. Walls are clearly showing their age and have lost what little protective coatings they had in the past. One of the towers of the now sealed gatehouse has suffered a partial collapse of one of its upper walls and is actively being repaired and rebuilt.
Much of the castle's grounds are quite seriously overgrown with brambles and shrubs, and the only functioning approach to the castle gate is almost completely obscured from view of the walls and towers by large cottonwood trees.
Denizens
The Commandery has a garrison of 67 Knights and Officers of the Order, a swell as 58 men-at-arms and more than 110 non-religious staff and craftsmen.
Special Properties
Several particular features of the castle that are worth noting are a small but fully functional foundry furnace located near the riverside quays, a small but beautifully appointed Temple to the Pantheon of Heaven that finds frequent use with the castle's new residents, and a fine stone quay and a paved area of shoreline that can be used to beach river craft for hull repairs and maintenance, al of which is protected by a stout stone wall and iron fencing.
History
The castle (known for generations as the Forte d'Foray) was formerly the primary residence of the Leblanc family, a minor noble house that has been in decline for several generations. With the death of the last Viscount Leblanc 14 years ago, the castle and its adjoining estates were granted to the Order and the regional Commander of the Order, Alban Delone, officially moved the Order's western-most commandery from its former location in the City of Dunfries to the Forte d'Foray.
A very recent and quite accurate painting of the Marsonne Commandery in its current condition.
