Harad

Harad People

The Harad are one of earliest peoples to arrive in Eradain and can be found throughout the continent. The Harad have dark hair and eyes, with light complexions. The original Harad further split into four groups according to geographic location. The Northern Khorharad and Southern Harad have remained the most racially "pure", while the Western Angharad intermixed completely with Ang and the Eastern Sarharad have mixed with the Vol.

Khorharad

The northern Khorharad are tribal nomadic horse barbarians something like ancient Mongols (or Mercedes Lackey Shin'a'in). They have one permanent city named Khoratum, which is the primary location where merchants from other lands are allowed to live and conduct business. They breed the best horses in the known world and herd bison. They typically fight among themselves for the best grazing lands, but occasionally they will join together to raid other lands.

The Khorharad have a close relationship with their deity Rohsulan ("Epona") and their horses are specially bred with unusual intelligence, strength and stamina. They only permit a small number of their lesser breeds to be traded to outsiders (which are still superior to other lands breeding lines).

Outsiders are not welcome on the plains and are likely to be treated with hostility unless they are traders who have made deals with certain tribes for passage.

In the center of the plains are lands holy to the Khorharad and outsiders anywhere near those lands would likely be attacked on sight.

Sarharad

The eastern Sarharad are traders, farmers, fishermen and sea-farers living in multiple city-states, something like the ancient Greeks.

Harad

The southern Harad of Haradan are similar to the ancient Egyptian people and live in an established theocracy.

NOTES

In the Epoch called the Migrations of the Harad in the year -461- a new sect Menenar grew to power in Haradan. This new sect worshiped only Menenar and rejected all other gods. Over the next century this sect came to dominate the nature of Haradan society and worship. The society became very rigid by caste, with slaves at the bottom and the Menenar High Priest at the top. Strict rules of behavior are followed and male power rules supreme. A lord in his household can have anyone killed at a whim. Sentiments such as love or affection are considered a weakness that can be exploited (if a man is known to love his child, this would be exploited by his enemies). Honor and pride are highly valued. If a higher ranking lord takes offense at an inappropriate comment or an insult (intentional or not), it could mean the offenders entire family line killed. For the lord to not take this action might be seen as a weakness by ones enemies. Discipline and stoic demeanors to not reveal emotions or reactions is necessary in the high court (less formal the further down the social order a person is). Slight gestures or the raise of a brow may hold volumes of meaning. Skills such as Knowledge (nobility) and Sense Motive are critical, and require high levels to survive among the elite. In this environment the priest of Menenar guide all aspects of society, prayers occur three times per day, behavior and "right thinking" are monitored. Those found wanting may be consigned to the holy flame of Menenar. (This is a lawful evil society).

Along the borders between Haradan and other nations, there is a belt of no-man's land, inhabited by bandits, rejects and refugees from Haradan or other lands, or in some cases by tracts of land uninhabited except by monsters. In particular the regions bordering Angtiria and the Arandil Forest in the northwest are in habited by rogue loggers (who constantly nibble at the southern edge of the Arandil) and slave raiders. From time to time Haradan invades Angtiria, typically along the roads between the Arandil (avoiding the deep forest and the druids and rangers of Arawn) and the Dagalethe Mountains. The north eastern Mar River Valley has similar regions bordering the Thornwood Forest. The Thornwood however has its own defenses in the form of dangerous monsters in the southern part of the forests and in the north by the Spike Wall which protects the halfling nation. Slave raiders and privateers also ply the waters of the Gulf of Mar and beyond, but ships and the timber to make them are relatively sparse.

Angharad

See Angharad section.

Harad Religion

The Harad are an older people with a generally informal relationship with their deities. They have five deities, four for each of the elements/cardinal directions and one representing the "spirit" or the "void". There is very little formal communication and structure among the different clerics of the Harad dieties. The northern Khar-Harad are very in tune with their goddess Rohsulan (Epona) and their shaman are highly respected. The eastern Harad primarily worship Siranathor, and clerics of this deity are often found at sea, or in villages working the nets and boast alongside the people praying for the safety of sea or river going vessels. Followers of Menenar are primarily found in the south in the Theocracy of Haradan. Their church is very structured and rigid with Menenar as the only true god (all others being evil demons), any other belief is heresy. Those found guilty of heresy are generally "purified" by flame. There are few followers Sulvilaran the western wind god, as most of the Angharad adopted the dieites of the Ang. Most are elementalists, commune with the wind and weather, and are often chaotic or unpredictable. The last deity is Gilindar, who also has few followers. Gilindar represents the unknown, mystery. He is depicted as sometimes male and sometimes female, he has been told of in stories both as an underhanded trickster and as a stern or vengeful father-figure. Almost all followers of Gilindar are mystics.

Harad Religion Philosophy

Each of the deities in the pantheon have different aspects and clerics of Harad deities may be of any alignment. For example worshippers of Siranathor may be clerics who work to calm the sea and pray for the safety of ships. Evil clerics may follow the darker and more destructive aspects of the deity, and there has been more than one Siranathor pirate or death cult.

Harad Pantheon

Rohsulan - "Epona"- Symbol: Horse-head silhouette.

Rohsulan has been depicted as a woman of any age and a mighty mare that rides the wind. Clerics of Rohsulan are typcially shamen of their tribes. Her sphere of influence are her preople the Khor-Harad "barbarians", Horses and the Grasslands, her weapon is the spear.

Clerics of Rohsulan have access to the following domains:

RPG	Allowed Domains (bold is a required Domain) and bonus abilities or restrictions
Pathfinder/D&D 3.5	War(Spear or Lance), Earth, Strength
D&D 5th	War, Nature

Siranathor - "Poseidon" "The Sea King"- Symbol: A Blue Trident.

Followers of Siranathor are lovers of the seas and water, or those who's fate and fortunes are tied to the waters. He is depicted as sometimes a wise merman, or as a terrible giant squid. His weapon is the trident

Clerics of Siranathor have access to the following domains:

RPG	Allowed Domains (bold is a required Domain) and bonus abilities or restrictions
Pathfinder/D&D 3.5	Water, Chaos, Destruction, Healing
D&D 5th	Tempest, Life

Menenar- "The Devine Fire"- Symbol: A Fiery Flail .

The strongest and most organized of the Harad religions, most followers of Menenar are found in the Theocracy of Haradan. She is depicted sometimes as a fire-giantess and sometimes as a flaming dragon, her weapon is the flail.

Clerics of Menenar have access to the following domains:

RPG	Allowed Domains (bold is a required Domain) and bonus abilities or restrictions
Pathfinder/D&D 3.5	Fire, Evil, Law, Destruction
D&D 5th	Light, Death, War

Sulvilaran - "The Wind Lord"- Symbol: A Lightning Bolt or Storm Cloud.

Followers of Sulvilaran are very few in present times. The diety is depicted often as a storm cloud, or misty shrouded male figure. His weapon is the whip.

Clerics of Sulvilaran have access to the following domains:

RPG	Allowed Domains (bold is a required Domain) and bonus abilities or restrictions
Pathfinder/D&D 3.5	Air, Travel, Trickery, Luck
D&D 5th	Trickery, Tempest, Nature

Gilindar - "'The All Father"- Symbol: None

There are few clerics of Gilindar, who is seen as inscrutable, or an outsider. He represents the world of the spirits and the void between the stars. He has been depicted as both male and female, as a wise father and capricious child.

Clerics of Gilindar have access to the following domains:

RPG	Allowed Domains (bold is a required Domain) and bonus abilities or restrictions
Pathfinder/D&D 3.5	Death, Knowledge, Magic, Protection
D&D 5th	Death, Knowledge, Trickery