Haradrim
Lore
The Haradrim or Southrons are the proud and fierce people of Harad, the lands to the south of Middle-earth. They are a race of Men that have long been enemies of Gondor, and allied with Sauron during the War of the Ring. Hostile Haradrim warriors can be found throughout the regions of Gondor, but their homelands in Shagâna and Jarmát are where most of them live their daily lives.
The Haradrim are actually comprised of many disparate peoples living on the outskirts of the Great Desert, but who were unified under the Ordâkhai and the church of Barkhûsh the All-seeing, a guise of Sauron. In earlier times, the Haradrim paid tribute to Gondor during the height of its power, and many wars have since been fought between the Haradrim and the Gondorrim. With the Dark Lord's strength on the rise, the Haradrim advance is eager to conquer the Stone-lands once and for all.
Among the Hobbits of the secluded Shire, the dark-skinned Men of the far south were a people of legend, who rode to war on oliphaunts in stories that the Shire-hobbits only half-believed. They knew these people as the Swertings, a word related to the term 'Swarthy Men' used in the Common Speech (where 'swarthy' is an old word for 'dark-skinned').
In the War of the Ring, the Travellers discovered that the Hobbit-legends were true after all. The Swertings were the southern Men otherwise known as the Haradrim, who rode into battle on the great oliphaunts that they referred to in their own tongue as Mûmakil.
Clans of Harad
"Harad" is the Sindarin word for "South." As such, this term was primarily used by the peoples of western Middle-earth to the describe the Men of Harad. The peoples of the South have their own names for their clans.
- Ordâkhai - The Great Southern Empire of Ordâkh once ruled the majority of Haradwaith, thanks to their alliance with the Dark Lord Sauron. From him, they learned foul sorceries that they used to conquer the southern continent and oppress its peoples. Most of the enemy Haradrim found in other lands such as Gondor or Mordor are likely Ordâkhai. Following the downfall of the Dark Lord, the Ordâkhai have lost their control of Harad but remain a dangerous threat as they seek to quash rebellions and rebuild their empire.
- Shagâni - The people of Shagâna, the land known in Gondor as Near Harad. The Shagâni live primarily in the Valley of Ikorbân along the Ikorbân, the river of the same name, as well as Mûr Ghala, the Ridge of Plenty. The Shagâni seek to reclaim their lands from the oppressive Ordâkhai. They are divided into various sub-groups such as the Ikorbâni, the Ambarûli, the Imhûlari, the Khûdi, the Urashi, the Pohâni, the Béltani, and the Aradûni.
- Shoghór - A people of Jarmát, who in ancient times crossed the great desert and entered Shagâna, where some of them settled. At some point, the inhabitants of Shagâna diverged from the original Shoghór of the southern lands, and the original Shoghór still exist and are now enemies both of the Ordâkhai and of Zajâna, which forces the scholars of that city to keep Khab Kitâx, the Nethergate, closed. The Shoghór are worshippers of the Ghursâti, guardian-spirits of the Southern Lands.
- Sokhûri - A people living in Yâd Hakar, under the leadership of Khas Rûktar. The Sokhûri participated in the Battle of Pelennor Fields, fighting fiercely but ultimately defeated. Afterwards, they chose the path of "Kerem-thak", choosing to live by submitting to the enemy and suing for peace. On behalf of Yâd Hakar and the Sokhûri, Hasong and Mauthoi were sent to Minas Tirith to arrange for peace talks with the newly-crowned king Elessar.
Background
While the Haradrim and the Corsairs of Umbar originate in the work of J.R.R. Tolkien, the names of the various clans of Harad are unique to The Lord of the Rings Online.
Quests
Deeds
- Haradrim-slayer of Central Gondor
- Haradrim-slayer of Central Gondor (Advanced)
- Haradrim-slayer of Eastern Gondor
- Haradrim-slayer of Eastern Gondor (Advanced)