Barstow
Barstow is a small village located on land owned by the covenant of Stranggore. It is entirely fictional and does not correspond to a real place.
Description
Barstow (or Barrestowe) is a small village of about 50 dwellings. 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.