One of the Folk of Haleth who dwelt in the Forest of Brethil during the First Age. He and his family had the friendship of a Drúadan named Aghan, and at a time when Orcs were prowling the woodlands, Aghan watched the homestead of his friend Barach through each night.
The story of The Faithful Stone describes the events that unfolded when Aghan was forced to leave Barach and his family unprotected for a time. In his place, the Drûg left a carved 'watch-stone', and unknown to Barach he passed some of his own power into it, so that it could truly guard the house.
While Aghan was away, Barach was indeed attacked by Orcs, who attempted to burn down his home. The fire was stamped out by a Drûg - apparently the stone come alive - and the Orcs were driven away. When Aghan returned the following day, he found the scorched and broken carving, and Barach saw that his friend, too, had been injured - a result of passing part of his power into the watch-stone.
Notes
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We have no dates at all for Barach, nor indeed any real clues to the time when he lived, except for some limited circumstantial evidence. In the story of The Faithful Stone, Barach's home is attacked by raiding Orcs, so realistically that story must be set after about the year I 488, when Orcs captured Dimbar to the northwest and began to raid into Brethil. The fact that Barach and his companions were aware of this risk and set guard against it suggests that some time had passed since the first incursions, hence the estimate of I 490 given here, though clearly there is considerable margin for error around this date.
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- Updated 8 September 2022
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