Hound of Barra

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Woodcut illustration of the Hound of Barra.
Barynn was a great Jarin warrior who lived near present day Leriel in the 1st Century BT, and he is probably the most important figure of Jarin folklore.

As a orphan child, Barynn killed a guard dog to save himself from the beast's attack. Barra, the dog’s enraged owner, demanded that Barynn be banished. Barynn offered to train another dog in its stead, and promised that, until the pup was old enough, he would guard Barra's house himself. Mollified by the boy's spirit, Barra took Barynn into his household to live with him. From that day forth, Barynn was known as Albarra, which means Hound of Barra.

Albarra grew into a powerful warrior and triumphed over many terrible enemies, with the aid of a terrible spear. One tale reports Albarra’s battle with “mountain devils of heartless wings” in which he slew hundreds of dreadful monsters. Finally, Albarra died in solitary battle with “the sweepings of the mountains”, most likely a Gargun swarm, died on his feet, having lashed himself to a tree when he was mortally wounded. The Gargun hewed off his head and right hand, a task that took five days, and bore them off. Nothing is known of the fate of Albarra’s unbreakable spear.

The Jarin believe that the ghost of Albarra wanders the land, longing for the return of his skull and hand. And when this comes to pass, Albarra will rise again to aid his people against their foes.

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