Barok was a Peladonian chancellor who ascended to the post as a young man some time after the death of Queen Minaris. He became the de facto ruler of Peladon and allied himself with Arcturus with the aim of making the planet independent.
Following the death of the previous ruler, Barok prepared for the coronation of the new king and had Arla Decanto make a Cloak of Coronation for him. He imprisoned Arla for a time after the Eighth Doctor tricked her into putting a map of the sky of Arcturus into the cloak but released her after three nights to complete her work. The coronation was sabotaged by the Doctor, Arla and Ssilas and Barok was killed by Arla using a sonic blaster. (AUDIO: The Truth of Peladon)