I just identified who Cadrach was supposed to be.
To explain what I mean: "Memory, Sorrow and Thorn" is one of the most prominent "Tolkienesque fantasy" series around, aka taking back the universe created by Tolkien as a main inspiration and model (canvas if you will) to weave a new fantasy series ; and as a result taking back worldbuilding elements, character archetypes and plot points, but mixing them, twisting them and shifting them to create something new (it is a process that has been very regularly done throughout the history of fantasy, from Shannara and Fionavar to the Belgariad and the Wheel of Time).
And with most people within "Memory, Sorrow and Thorn", it is obvious who is who, even though characters gets fused or split up a LOT. Like Gandalf: he is literaly broken into Morgenes, Jarnauga and Geloe. Or Galadriel who is divided between Amerasu and Utuk'ku (I love how Tad Williams with Utuk'ku did the insane move of saying "What if Galadriel as the "beautiful and terrible queen" was the same character as Ungoliant"). Elias and Josua are a fucked-up version of Boromir and Faramir, Pryrates is a more vicious Saruman with some shades of Sauron in his "right-hand of Morgoth" days, Ineluki is a LOT of people, etc etc...
But I had to wait until arriving at the last book (well the first part of the last book) to suddenly have the revelation of who Cadrach was based upon in The Lord of the Rings. It is not at all obvious, it was well hidden, but I saw it.
Cadrach is basically a benevolent and human version of Gollum. Think about it, and it makes sense.
