General Organisation of the Order -- 11. The Garrisons
by Bruce HeardGarrisons
There are two types of garrisons, the commanderies which hold a
military function, and the abbeys which fulfil all other
functions.
Commanderies: They include anything from a fortified house to a
large castle. They dot the lands of the Heldannic Territories,
guarding borders, roads, and other strategic points against
incursions and banditry. A small commanderie detachment typically
includes a Commander (Knight Bachelor), two brother knights, three
squires, two sergeants, six men-at-arms, twelve archers or
crossbowmen, one ballista and its crew of three, one Chaplain, and
four Serving Brethren to handle menial tasks inside the
commanderie. Another twenty-five hired peasants who do not reside
on site tend to some thirty acres of farmland and the commanderie's
livestock of one bull, two oxen, four cows, twelve pigs, twenty
goats and sheep, and scores of poultry and fowl (and so on).Other
assets include two ploughs and two supply wagons including the one
for the ballista unit. The House, as the knights call it, provides
several dormitories, stables for the knights' eighteen horses and
four mules, a mess hall, a chapel, a few individual rooms including
the Commander's own quarters, and a kitchen which form the
fortified dwelling. A barn and other wooden structures used for
farming stand outside the commanderie.
Abbeys: In settled and pacified lands abbeys endeavour to develop
the region's agricultural potential in addition to the exploitation
of their own estate. They provide religious services to common folk
in the area, medical, and educational services. They also collect
taxes, handle local recruitment, and conduct any police duties in
the absence of the military. Taxes are then shipped the closest
main garrison to be entrusted to the Voice of Vanya. These abbeys
also provide peaceful retirement to elderly brothers who have
become incapable of handling their duties. All three clerical
branches reside in these abbeys, but the Heart often directs daily
business.
In recently acquired lands fortified abbeys have the crucial
responsibility of suppressing desires and means for armed
resistance. They work to reduce the influence of other faiths,
slowly converting local population to the Ways of Vanya. These
abbeys follow a much harsher lifestyle and discipline than any
other garrison in the Order. They are often used as a place for
unruly brethren to expiate crimes and learn the Ways of Vanya the
hard way. The Hammer of Vanya runs all these outposts. Depending on
the need, a military detachment such as the one described for a
Commanderie, may be garrisoned at the abbey. An average abbey
includes an Abbot, up to twenty Priors or Chaplains, and up to two
hundred Serving Brethren.