History
The Gatehouse was constructed by
Olivier II Castel in 85 AR, six years before his ascension to the patriarchy of the house. During this time, he had a contentious relationship with his uncle, Lord
Denin I Castel. This led Olivier II to establish a home for his branch of the family outside of
Port Castellion, but close enough to maintain his influence in the area.
Oliver II established this new home east of the East Bank district of the city, atop a grassy plateau overlooking the area. This also allowed him to establish some semblance of control over the farmlands to the Gatehouse's immediate south, which was being developed by his uncle to increase the self-sufficiency of Port Castellion, which until then relied heavily upon food imported from the Vestral Downs.
While the original purpose of the Gatehouse was soon irrelevant, as Olivier II succeeded his uncle in 91AR, as Denin I's last son predeceased him in 90AR, the home continued to be his primary residence outside of the city itself. This began a trend for House Castel, as each succeeding ruler expanded the Gatehouse in some way, though its occupancy varied depending on the present patriarch's preferred residence.
Architecture
The Gatehouse began as a rather conventional manor house for the region, relying on local materials rather than the Meridianesque style common in attempted replicas of the architecture of the capital, as was often preferred by nouveau riche or upstart lords during this time period. Over time, varying successors to the patriarchy of House Castel added onto the Gatehouse, with the current structure seen in the painting above.
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