Barr is the gatekeeper of the Weeping Catacombs. He works for Pharod. His dialog depends on your relationship with Pharod and where you are in the quest for the Bronze Sphere.
If you haven't gotten the quest from Pharod, he will not unlock the gate. If you bash or pick it, he and two fellow guards will go hostile.
If you have agreed to get the Sphere, he will unlock and open the gate. Every time you reenter the area, the gate will again be closed and locked. If you come up from the Weeping Catacombs with without the Sphere, he will not open it. Barr and associates can be attacked through the gate, but then the other guards will be hostile.
At some point, even if you have found the Sphere and returned it to Pharod, he will insist that you pay a toll to unlock the gate.