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Baranor, born Warad, was a sergeant, later captain, of Gondor. He was of Haradrim heritage.
He is a character invented for the 2017 video game Middle-earth: Shadow of War.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Warad was born in the region of Umbar, to Haradrim parents, and had an elder brother by the name of Jagai. Brought to Gondor as a hostage of peace, Warad was stranded after his parents' death, until he was adopted by a wealthy family of Minas Ithil. Eventually he took up the name Baranor and became a soldier, and by the time of Sauron's return to Mordor, had risen to the rank of Sergeant.
Defending Minas Ithil[]
During the Witch-king's assault on Minas Ithil, Baranor fought to defend the gates before he and the other Gondorians were forced to retreat to the next level of the city. It was here he was introduced to the Ranger Talion by Idril, who informed Baranor the Ranger had come in an attempt to save the city and thus the palantír housed there. Talion and Baranor afterwards formed and carried out a plan to take out a warchief in Cirith Ungol, who would have greatly strengthened Sauron's forces attacking Minas Ithil.
Later, while Talion created a diversion by fighting several of the Witch-king's champions in the arena of Minas Ithil, Baranor and Idril gathered intel on the whereabouts of General Castamir, who was thought to have been captured by Uruks. Baranor and Idril accompanied Talion to rescue Castamir, and brought him back to the city. Soon afterwards, however, the general betrayed them to the Witch-king, giving him the palantír and control of the city. Baranor and the surviving soldiers and inhabitants were forced to flee.
Campaign in Lithlad[]
Some time afterwards, Baranor enlisted the help of the Dwarf Torvin in Lithlad in an attempt to take the citadel of Shindrâm. Shortly after meeting the dwarf, Baranor traveled to the headquarters of the Vanishing Sons, a group of Easterling mercenaries, and was surprised to find their leader was none other than his long-lost brother Jagai, now known as Serka. Despite their differences, Serka helped Baranor to take the outposts surrounding the fortress, and ultimately to defeat Shindrâm's overlord and take the fortress itself. They both would survive the attack, and laid plans to continue fighting Sauron's forces in Gorgoroth.