Barstow

Barstow is a small village of about 50 dwellings located on land owned by the covenant of Stranggore. It is entirely fictional and does not correspond to a real place. Most of the villagers are serfs but about a dozen households are free tenant farmers. The covenant owns all the land and the serfs' produce, plus the tenants' rents, are the primary income of the covenant.

Features

Barstow has no church of its own; the village is not big enough. The villagers belong to the parish church in the neighboring village of Shepton Mallet.

The village is located on the Fosse Way so there is a small, somewhat dingy road-house with two guest rooms.

The village has a blacksmith.

Aura

Because it lacks a church, Barstow has a very weak Dominion aura of only 1. This is replaced by a Magic aura of 1-2 on auspicious nights

Residents

Most of the villagers are members of Merewen's extended family. This gives them some ties to the covenant and also means they are more likely than most to be touched by magic.

The village has existed in the shadow of the covenant for three hundred years. Indeed it was founded by an overflow of covenfolk when Stranggore was large and thriving. This historical bond and even the family ties to Merewen are not enough to counteract the social effects of the Gift, so while the villagers are familiar with the wizards, they are generally no more open or friendly to them than other mundanes would be.

Specific Residents

• Angus the Dragonslayer lives in the village with his family.
• Joan of Barstow

Militia

Angus has been training the village milita since 1196. There are about a dozen able-bodied men, armed with quarterstaves and bill hooks.