“ | I have crossed many mountains and many rivers, and trodden many plains, even into the far countries of Rhûn and Harad where the stars are strange. | ” |
–Aragorn in The Fellowship of the Ring, The Council of Elrond |
Far Harad (far south) is the collective name for the southernmost lands of Middle-earth, beyond the deserts of Near Harad, where "the Stars are strange" as Aragorn said. This is a vast region of grasslands, jungles, forests, and mountains, far larger than the familiar North-western lands.
Far Harad is home to many exotic trees and plants. Acacia and baobab trees grow in the grasslands, and mango trees can be found in the jungle biome. The rivers that run through Far Harad have banana trees growing on the shores. Many African animals spawn here, and thus Far Harad is a good place to hunt.
In Public Beta 21, Far Harad was revamped with several new climatic biomes. In later updates it got populated with two factions of the Haradrim, with more slated to be added in later updates. The first of these factions, the Morwaith, was added in Public Beta 23. The second of these factions, the Taurethrim, was added in Public Beta 25. The Cerinrim of the Bushlands and the Limwaith of the Mangroves will eventually be added as well.
Due to how little this land is described in Tolkien's lore, the Mod Team, together with several members of Wiki staff, have written official supplementary lore that goes, in part, into the history of the region. See the Lost Chronicles of Middle-Earth for more details.
Upon entering Far Harad, the player earns the achievement "Where the Stars are Strange"
Main biomes of Far Harad[]
This page is an overview of all the biomes in the larger region of Far Harad. For more information about each biome, please see the individual biome pages.
Arid Grasslands[]
Travelling south, this is the first Far Harad biome most players will encounter. It transitions smoothly from the Near Harad Half-Deserts, with patches of both sand and dirt, dry grass, and scattered stunted trees. Far Harad animals and Morwaith hunting parties spawn here.
Grasslands[]
The Far Harad Grasslands cover a vast region south of the arid grasslands. It is greener than the Arid Grasslands, with more grass, trees, and animals. Morwaith also live in this biome.
Forest[]
The Far Harad Forest biome is a forest full of dense trees and vines. This forest is located in the eastern part of the grasslands, bordering Perdorogwaith, but it can also appear as a random sub-biome within the whole grasslands area.
Harad Mountains[]
The Harad Mountains (also known as the Grey Mountains; not to be confused with the mountain range of the same name in the north of Middle-earth) are a mountain range in north-western Far Harad.
Corsair Coasts[]
Parts of the western coasts of Harad are represented by this biome, which features jagged, rocky cliffs dotted with palm trees and sand. The uneven nature of this biome makes it ideal for hidden bases, something that the Corsairs of Umbar have evidently realized.
Cloud Forest[]
These misty forests, which grow along the eastern slopes of the Harad Mountains, are similar to the jungle, but the trees are much taller, and the undergrowth much less thick. Low fog and mist surrounds the trees, giving them a mysterious look. For travellers seeking a peaceful meditation atmosphere, this is the place for you.
Swampland[]
This biome generates in two patches in the western part of Far Harad. It is similar to other swamp regions of Middle-earth, but with Harad flora and fauna. Crocs, obviously, spawn here, and in huge throngs. You're in danger if you travel over there at night.
Jungle[]
The jungle is a very large biome that is found south of the grasslands. It is dominated by jungle and mahogany trees and vegetation there is particularly dense, similar to the vanilla jungle. The Taurethrim call this biome their home.
Perdorogwaith[]
Perdorogwaith is a desolate, volcanic region on the eastern coast of Far Harad, home to the Half-trolls.
Volcano[]
The Far Harad volcano sub-biome is a barren, rocky biome, with leafless acacia, oak, and charred trees. Circular lava pits with obsidian separating the lava from the stone spawn here. This biome can be found within Perdorogwaith, as well as in a number of other places across Far Harad.
Taur-i-Thorogrim[]
A 'cursed' part of the Far Harad Forest, which once was home to the ancient Taurethrim Empire of Kimen Kåh. It borders Perdorogwaith and is frequented by half-troll patrols.
Mangrove[]
This biome can be found on the eastern coast of Far Harad. It is full of swampy water holes, quagmire, crocodiles, acacia, oak, and mangrove trees. In the future, the Limwaith will inhabit this forested swamp.
Kanuka Forest[]
An unusual type of forest that generates near the eastern shores of Far Harad, north of the Bushlands. The Kanuka Forest is composed of Kanuka trees, and the biome is crisscrossed by odd mud paths.
Bushland[]
The bushland is the southernmost biome of Harad and is a more dry version of the grasslands, with boulders, rotten logs, termite mounds, and shrubbery much more common. In the future, the warlike Cerinrim tribes will inhabit this arid biome.
Structures and mobs[]
Many biomes in Far Harad are uninhabited, and those that are are dominated by the three factions that inhabit Far Harad - the grassland-dwelling Morwaith, the jungle-dwelling Taurethrim, and the Half-trolls of Perdorogwaith. In future updates, more factions will be added to currently-uninhabited Mangrove and Bushland biomes, which will become home to the Limwaith and the Cerinrim.
Far Harad is a wide, wild land, filled with many exotic animals unfamiliar to the lands to the north. Vanilla mobs and the creatures native to northern Middle-Earth, save birds and butterflies, are not found at all in Far Harad; they are replaced with many African-type animals. In a few regions, some species are more common than others due to specific local geography and local climates. Of note are the Lions and Zebras which roam the grasslands, the abundance of Crocodiles in the swamp and mangrove biomes, the abundance of Gemsboks in the regions dominated by Half-trolls, and the rare species of Birds that live in the jungles. Some biomes also have species unique to the area, like the mosquitos of the jungles and the termites of the bushlands.
For more detailed information on structures and mobs, see the pages for each of the biomes that are listed above.
Conquest[]
Morwaith, Taurethrim, Half-trolls and haradrim are the main belligerents of Far Harad (and surely either Limwaith and Cerinrim when they will be implemented). Although, Mordor and Gondor could invite themselves to the party.
The majority of sub-biomes (Swamplands, Cloud Forest, Harad Mountains, Kanuka Forest and Bushlands) cannot be conquered. Things will probably change when Limwaith and Cerinrim will be added but actually, Grasslands, Jungle, Taur-i-Thorogrim, Perdorogwaith and Far Harad Volcanoes are the only conquerable biomes of Far Harad. For more details, go check the links.
Mining[]
Every biome in Far Harad except Perdorogwaith generates gemstones at a slightly higher rate than most biomes, akin to the rates at which they can be found in most mountain foothills. This is likely due to the fact that there are few miners among the Far Haradrim tribes, something players traveling in Far Harad might do well to exploit.
Vegetation[]
The vegetation in Far Harad's biomes is as varied as its geographies and climates. As the climate ranges from tropical to sub-tropical, its flora is dominated by (sub-)tropical baobab, mahogany and banana trees, as well as other common tropical vegetation.
For more detailed information on vegetation, see the pages for each of the biomes that are listed above.
Trivia[]
In Public Beta 30 a remarkably shaped island was added to the map, south of the southern continent of Middle-earth, west of the Horn of Harad. This island bears a striking resemblance to Sicily, the island southwest of the Italian peninsula. The island has a volcano biome approximately where Mount Etna is on the real-life island of Sicily.
The Tolkien Gateway has an article on:
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Far Harad
Bushland •
Cloud forest •
Corsair coasts •
Grasslands •
Jungle •
Kanuka forest |