Barlow

Barlow is the large, sturdy beaver who runs Barlow’s General Store. Dressed in his thick leather apron and usually chewing a willow stick, he spends his days counting brass tacks, checking his sales ledger, and keeping track of the supplies Riverpost depends upon.

His shelves and storeroom hold rope, silver wire, heavy iron hooks, and practical goods of every sort. Barlow is also Riverpost’s only source of heavy-duty salvage equipment, which means unusual customers sometimes come through his door.

Barlow is careful about other creatures’ business. He sells what they ask for, accepts their payment, and does not always inquire what they intend to do with it. A nervous slap of his broad tail, however, can reveal more than his words.

Old postal maps hang behind his counter, and a box of estate goods from the Old Village once yielded a hand-drawn map with a story of its own. Barlow knows the river has changed many times, but he also knows that old things have a way of becoming important again.