Note: Please do not confuse these settlements with the old Southron village. This was removed in Update 34 and replaced by the following five types of settlements.
Southron settlements are built throughout Near Harad, serving as the primary structures across the major Haradric realms. Of them, Nomad Settlements in the Half-Deserts, Harnennor Settlements in Harnennor, and Gulfing Settlements in the Gulf of Harad are described on their own pages. The other two Southron subfactions have virtually identical settlements, which are described together on this page. The settlements this page will cover are Umbar Settlements in Umbar and Coast Southron Settlements in the Southron Coasts.
As Umbar and the Coasts share a common border, these similar-looking settlements can even be found side-by-side, though this is a rare occurrence. All settlements are rather large structures, and are somewhat uncommon. Small, rural villages are the most common settlements, with fortifications being rarer and towns being the largest and rarest.
Near Harad players will definitely want to visit these settlements, as there's lots of loot to be found in them, and they offer plenty of questing opportunities. Most settlements have a name, and a date that they were founded, which was sometime in the Third Age.
Differences between Umbar and Coast Southron variants[]
The most obvious difference between the variants is in construction materials. Both kinds of settlement follow the same designs, but the Umbarians primarily use Umbar bricks and repurposed dark Númenórean bricks with red/grey/brown tiled roofs for their buildings, whereas the Coastlings build with wood (usually cedar, palm, date palm, or olive) and Haradric bricks (either normal or red) with a sandstone base, with reed and red Haradric brick roofs. Additionally, the statues featured in towns are quite different between Umbarian and Coastling settlements, though their bases are the same size.
Naturally, the NPCs that populate settlements depend on the subfaction the settlement belongs to.
Types of settlements[]
Fortifications[]
Umbar fortifications
Coast Southron fortifications
Fortifications are squarish structures that serve as military hubs for the armies of Umbar and the Coasts. Each is surrounded by an outer wall, which can be entered via a single gate. Each corner of the fortification features a watchtower. Six farms and/or pastures line the wall into which the fortification gate is set, beyond which a square path runs through the settlement. The path passes through a barracks on either side of the central fortress, while the far side of the settlement features two stables and a training ground between them. In the center of the fortification is a fortress, a large structure that dominates the settlement and houses the resident captain or warlord.
Village[]
Umbar village
Coast Southron village
Villages are the most common settlements, built in simple square patterns. The center of each village is a well, near which is a signpost displaying the name and founding date of the village. This central area is surrounded by a large patch of dirt paths, and is surrounded by four structures, which will be the same in every village. A tavern always generates on the side opposite the village signpost, while the central area is surrounded on all other sides by three mansions.
Roads lead out from this central area in four directions; two roads lead along the sides of the tavern, while two others lead out diagonally from the opposite corners of the central area. These roads link up with the village's main road, which forms a square around the central area. The village's other structures are located on the far side of the road. The sides of the village directly across from and directly behind the doors to the tavern will be dominated by ordinary houses, which will occasionally be replaced by stables or smithies. Seven such structures generate opposite the tavern, while six generate behind it. The other outer sides of the village will each feature seven structures, a mix of farms, pastures and hay bales.
Town[]
Umbar town
Coast Southron town
Towns are huge settlements, the largest in Near Harad. Together with Gondor towns, they are among the biggest structures in the Mod. They hold around forty buildings and are entirely surrounded by a rectangular wall, which is reinforced by corner towers. It's easy to lose one's way inside. Thieves have an easy game here. The only entrance is the gatehouse, which has the name of the town and the founding date written on signs at either side of the gate.
The center of the town is always a bazaar, flanked on the two long sides by four mansions each. The short sides near the bazaar hold two wells and two flower beds. Along the wall into which the gatehouse is set, there is a tavern and a set of stables for weary travelers to make use of. On the side of town to the left of the gate, a statue, planted trees, and another well stands. One smithy always generates left of the gate, though more may replace the houses that generate in the town. Fourteen smithies and ordinary houses generate on the left side of the town. The right side of the town features more decorative structures, as well as a smithy and eleven more houses.
Finding settlements[]
As with all the Mod's settlements, Southron settlements need flat land to spawn. That means that the first rule of thumb when searching for settlements is to look for a large area of flat land. Then, keep on looking, as settlements don't spawn very frequently. Note that they no longer spawn in scrubland (since Update 34.3). They're well worth finding, however, owing to their plentiful loot and questing opportunities.
Structures[]
The following structures can be found in those settlements:
- Barracks
- Bazaar
- Farm
- Fortification Gate
- Fortification Wall
- Fortress
- Hay Bales
- Gatehouse
- House
- Lamp-post
- Mansion
- Pasture
- Smithy
- Stables
- Statue
- Tavern
- Town Corner
- Town Flowers
- Town Tree
- Town Wall
- Training Ground
- Village Signpost
- Well
- Watchtower
Besides of those structures above, normal Near Harad landscape features may accidentally spawn inside the settlements as well. Those are not described here. They may sometimes obstruct certain features meant to be included in the settlement:
- Boulders
- Trees
- Camps (normally not in unwalled settlements)
- Small stone ruins
- etc.
Southron Watchtower[]
These watchtowers can be found only in fortifications, located at each of the four corners of the settlement. Watchtowers are made of bricks/cedar wood and bricks/bricks. On the outside, these structures are decorated with banners of Umbar or Harad and skulls.
The watchtower contains three floors, connected by a climbable rope. The ground floor, which is accessible via a portcullis built into the tower base, contains a reed basket with some loot, a barrel with some alcoholic drink, a vanilla crafting table, and a drinking vessel. The middle floor, which makes up the main body of the tower, features many thin windows in the walls, which have a pair of either Umbaric or Haradric weapons mounted onto them. The top of the tower is open to the sky and lit by a single torch; this is where the tower's guards spawn.
The towers are occupied by armed soldiers/warriors and archers/archers.
Weapons racked on the inner wall of an Umbar watchtower.
The guards of Coast Southron watchtowers use the ground floors for storage of gear and drink.
Southron Town Corner[]
These towers form the corners of towns only. Fortifications have different ones, and rural villages are unprotected. Town corners are made of tiles/sandstone and bricks/bricks. They are only accessible from the town wall. The foundations are massive and hide no secrets. The windows are barred with iron/bronze portcullis. The inside is illuminated by a chandelier.
The interior of an Umbar town corner, connected to the external wall.
Corner towers in Coast Southron towns provide an easy vantage point for archers.
Southron Fortification Wall[]
These walls encircle fortifications, and are built in a square pattern, interrupted only by the fortification gate.
The walls are made out of bricks/different wood, bricks/bricks and are topped off with fences. They are only a single block wide, as they are not meant to be walked on.
Southron Town Wall[]
Those walls are only built in a rectangular shape around towns. Fortifications have their own walls, and rural villages are unprotected.
The walls are made out of bricks/different wood and bricks/bricks. They have a two-block-wide walkway on top, with crenellations to the outside and a fence railing to the inside of the town. They connect to corner towers and are only accessible from the inside of the town via stairs at the gatehouse.
Southron Fortification Gate[]
These gates form the entrance into Southron fortifications. They are part of the outer wall. The fortress itself has another gate in the inner wall. The gate has a single iron or bronze portcullis. Banners of Umbar or Harad hang to both sides, illumiated by torches.
The building is made out of bricks/different wood and bricks/bricks. It has a single block wide walkway atop flanked by small crenellations. As there is no easy access to it, it is not meant to be walked on. Since fortifications aren't named, there are no signs near this gate. Straight ahead from the outer gate leads a path directly to the entrance of the fortress, an inner gate.
Southron Gatehouse[]
These gatehouses are the entrances to towns, built into the town wall. The gatehouse features a double iron/bronze portcullis mixed with Haradric gates. Banners of Umbar or Harad hang to both sides, illuminated by torches. Each side has a sign, showing the name and the founding year of the settlement. The year is displayed in Númenórean Reckoning (T.A.) rather than in Shire Reckoning.
Gatehouses are made of bricks/wood and bricks/bricks. The roof is made of black tiling/red bricks. On the inner side of the gatehouse, stairs to both sides of the gate lead up onto the wall. The inside of the gatehouse offers two levers to open or close each of the gates separately.
Southron Fortress[]
Fortresses are the central structures of fortifications. These structures are of a decent size, and mostly consist of walls around an interior courtyard. Fortresses in Umbar are built primarily of Númenórean brick, while most of the interior structures are instead made of Umbar brick, and roofs are made of clay tiling. Coast Southron fortresses are instead built of Haradric brick, with internal structures composed of wood and featuring roofs thatched with reeds.
Except for some minor decorations, the fortress walls look exactly like town walls, the entrance looks like a gatehouse (except for the signs), and the corner towers are much like town corners. This makes the inner wall of a fortification look very much like the outer wall of a town. The walls' only real deviation from town walls are their smaller scale and a small guardhouse built into the back of the wall, which is unfurnished and resembles the turrets in the corners of the wall.
The bustling courtyard of a Coast Southron fortress.
In the fortress's courtyard, eight pieces of Umbaric/Haradric/Coast Southron equipment can be found mounted on pillars near the left wall of the fortress. The courtyard also features some fence posts for mounts, some hay bales, a pair of practice targets, a Table of Command, and a cauldron. The whole place is heavily guarded by soldiers/warriors and archers/archers.
In the far corners of the courtyard, two small barracks provide six straw beds and four tables each. The central building seems to be the captains quarters and features a living room in front, with a barrel and a vessel with alcoholic drinks, a carpet on the floor, and a chandelier for lighting. Only fenced off by reed bars, the back part is a bedroom, with a double bed and a reed basket with some loot. Here, normally the captain/warlord can be found, who will allow you to hire troops if you've got enough alignment with the Near Harad faction and enough coins in your purse.
Warlords of Umbar are drawn from the elite castes of the Haradrim, and dwell separately from their men.
Southron Barracks[]
Barracks are long buildings out of bricks/different wood and bricks/bricks with reed bar windows. They are open at either end. Each fortification has two of them at the short sides of the fortress. Barracks consist of a long corridor lined with rows of straw beds. Each side features six pairs of beds, with ladders leading to the upper ones, resulting in a total of twenty-four per barracks. In between the beds are reed baskets with the personal belongings of the soldiers, with a total of ten reed baskets per barracks. The building is occupied by soldiers/warriors and archers/archers.
The stony quarters of an Umbaric batallion.
Coast Southron warriors are quartered in rather cramped barracks-houses.
Southron Training Ground[]
The training ground can be found in fortifications, on the far side of the settlement. It consists of an open patch of sand and dirt, strewn with thatch and walled in with fences. A rack-mounted weapon can be found on either side of the entrance into the training ground. The arena itself features three fighting dummies made of reed blocks and skulls.
Southron Stables[]
Stables are simple structures that can appear in all three settlement variants. They can sometimes replace houses in villages, while one always generates behind the tavern in towns and two always generate at the rear of fortifications. The main structure is made of It is made of Númenórean brick with a tile roof in Umbar settlements, and of Haradric brick with a reed roof in Coastling settlements. In both kinds of settlement, stables have bronze bars in the windows of the main structure. In Umbar settlements, the stable stalls are made from Umbar brick, while in Coastling settlements the stalls are made of wood. In both cases, the stall windows are barred with fences.
Stables are large and open, with dirt floors and torches for lighting. The main room features fences for tying up more mounts, a pile of bay bales to feed the horses, a pair of cauldrons, and a reed basket with some loot. Three stalls branch off from the main room, each of which holds a pre-tamed horse.
Umbar is not known for its horsemen, but their mounts are nonetheless fast and sturdy.
The stables of the Coast Southrons house the mounts of the mightiest champions of the Harad.
Southron House[]
Houses are the most common structures in villages and towns. Houses in Umbar are built upon foundations of Númenórean brick, which is used to reinforce the walls of the ground floor, while most of the structure itself is made of Umbar brick, and the roof is made of clay tiling. Coast Southron houses instead have foundations of Haradric brick, are made primarily of wood, and have roofs thatched with reeds. In both kinds of houses, the windows are made of reed bars, and wooden buttons line the outer walls, representing the ends of support beams built into the structure.
Many Umbaric homes are built upon the ruins of older Numenorean structures, utilizing their high-quality stonework.
The ground floor features a single room, a long corridor with doors on both ends. It is illuminated by a chandelier, and the floor is strewn with thatch. The left side of the room features a banner on the wall above a long set of tables. A cauldron, a furnace, a vanilla crafting table, and either an Umbaric or a Haradric crafting table are built into this table, which will also feature plates and drinking vessels. Umbarians or Coast Southrons spawn in this lower room. The backdoor of this room leads out to the rear of the house, where there is an external staircase leading to the house's upper level.
The upper room is also illuminated by a chandelier, and is where the occupants of the house sleep. This room is furnished with two straw beds, a table with a flower pot, and one reed basket with some loot.
Cedarwood is a ubiquitous feature of Coast Southron buildings, given its abundance in the region.
Southron Mansion[]
Mansions can be found in villages and towns. These are the homes of some of the wealthier Haradrim, and are much larger than normal houses. In villages, three will always generate around the village center, with a small stretch of land around them fenced off.
Like houses, mansions in Umbar are built upon foundations of Númenórean brick, which is used to reinforce the walls of the ground floor, while most of the structure itself is made of Umbar brick, and the roof is made of clay tiling. Coast Southron mansions instead have foundations of Haradric brick, are made primarily of wood, and have roofs thatched with reeds. In both kinds of mansions, the windows are made of fine glass of various colors, and wooden buttons line the outer walls, representing the ends of support beams built into the structure.
Mansions all feature small enclosed yards outside their doors, where the inhabitants grow their own vegetables and flowers. Mansions are inhabited by a pair of Umbarians or Coast Southrons.
Colorful stained glasswork is popular among the wealthy of the Haradrim, and nowhere is this more apparent than the mansions of Umbar.
The living room serves as the main room of a mansion. This room features a black and red carpet on the floor and is illuminated by a chandelier. The room is furnished with a table with a flowerpot, a reed basket below the stairs with some loot, a banner of Umbar or Harad on the wall, and a normal and either an Umbaric or Haradric crafting table. To the left, there are stairs leading to the upper floor and to the right, there's a door to the kitchen.
The kitchen contains some tables with drinks and food, a barrel, a furnace, either an Umbaric or a Haradric weapon on the wall, and a small red carpet on the floor.
The stairs, which are protected by rain with a small tile roof of their own, lead up onto the roof of the house, which features a large balcony and an upper room. The upper floor is a bedroom, quite generous in size. Despite their size, bedrooms aren't all that well furnished, however - they contain only a chandelier, a carpet, a pair of beds, and two flower pots with date palm saplings.
A wealthy Coast Southron stands in his rather Spartan bedroom.
Southron Smithy[]
Ordinary houses in villages and towns can sometimes be replaced with smithies. Towns have always one left of the entrance, while fortifications have none. These structures are slightly larger than ordinary houses, though they are smaller than mansions.
Smithies in Umbar are built primarily of Númenórean brick, which is used to reinforce the walls of the ground floor and is the primary construction material for the workyard, while the house section of the structure is made of Umbar brick, and the roof is made of clay tiling. Coast Southron smithies instead have foundations of Haradric brick, are made primarily of wood, and have roofs thatched with reeds. In both kinds of smithies, the windows are made of reed bars, and wooden buttons line the outer walls, representing the ends of support beams built into the structure.
The smiths of Umbar are the most skillful of all the Haradrim, among the few south of Gondor who work with iron.
The ground floor of the smithy resembles the ground floor of a house, though it is slightly wider. This one-room floor features some empty tables, a furnace, a vanilla crafting table, either an Umbaric or a Haradric crafting table, a carpet on the floor, and a chandelier for lighting. Stairs to the right lead up to the bedroom, while a door at the rear leads out to the workyard.
From the living room, stairs lead up to the bedroom, which is illuminated by a chandelier. This room has a double straw bed, a table with drinks and food, a second reed basket with some loot, and a nice red carpet on the floor.
The workyard at the back of the smithy is open to the sky and protected by brick walls. The rear of the workyard features the smith's forge, which includes lava and an alloy forge. The workyard also contains Umbaric or Haradric weapons displayed on racks, a reed basket with some loot, and an anvil. The smithy's resident blacksmith/blacksmith spawns in the workyard. If you've got enough Near Harad alignment and a full purse, he will be willing to trade with you, or repair your stuff.
Coast Southron blacksmiths have their living quarters above their forges. While convenient, this can make them warm indeed.
Southron Bazaar[]
If you are visiting a town for the opportunity to trade goods, the bazaar is the right place to go. Southron bazaars can only be found in the center of towns. They look like an open marquee, made mainly out of bricks/bricks, with some pillars and torches as decorations.
Inside, six random market stalls are located, in which different traders/traders sell their goods and are willing to buy some of your stuff. Besides of the stalls, you'll find melons, logs, empty barrels, cauldrons, some hay bales, suspended cages with birds in them, an armour stand with some pieces of armour, an empty reed basket, and a butterfly jar.
Traders from across the Harad flock to Umbar's great markets, bringing exotic goods with them.
Coast Southron bazaars are often frequented by unscrupulous merchants. Visitors would be wise to spend lightly and with care.
Southron Tavern[]
One of the most important buildings in villages and towns is the tavern. Towns always have a tavern to the right of the entrance, while fortifications have none. Villages always feature one near the center of town. In these cozy establishments, players can listen to local gossip, get a nice meal, or wash down the wearies of a long journey. Players can also make use of the rooms on the upper floor.
Like with houses, taverns in Umbar are built upon foundations of Númenórean brick, which is used to reinforce the walls of the ground floor, while most of the structure itself is made of Umbar brick, and the roof is made of clay tiling. Coast Southron taverns instead have foundations of Haradric brick, are made primarily of wood, and have roofs thatched with reeds. In both kinds of mansions, the windows on the lower floor are made with reed bars, while those on the upper floor are made of fine glass of various colors. Taverns feature two doors right next to each other, beneath a sign bearing the tavern's name.
Umbar taverns sometimes get really crowded.
The main room of the tavern is floored with brick and partially covered with thatch and carpets. A lot of benches and tables with drinks and food populate the place, which is decorated with banners of Umbar or Harad. Skulls and weapons can be found mounted on the walls. The whole place is illuminated by chandeliers suspended from the ceiling. The counter area at the far end of the main room offers a furnace with a Kebab stand on it, and a vanilla crafting table. Here works the bartender/bartender, who might be willing to trade with you, if you've got at least neutral Near Harad alignment and enough coins to spend.
Sometimes, Coast Southron innkeepers even keep their horses in the tavern's storage room.
Right next to the counter, a door leads to a small storage room, which holds a cauldron, two barrels with alcoholic drinks, and a reed basket with minor loot. From here, a set of stairs leads up to the upper level of the tavern
What's going on here? A drunkard and his girlfriend on the corridor in front of a Coast Southron guest room.
The stairs end at a small, empty landing, from which another door leads to a long corridor, decorated with red carpets and some flower pots, which allows access to the guest rooms. Each of the four guest rooms contains a double straw bed, some bookshelves, a table with a flower pot, a carpet on the floor, and an empty reed basket.
The interior of an Umbar guest room looks rather cozy.
Southron Statue[]
These statues are only found in towns, near the bazaar. They differ greatly between Umbar and Coast Southron villages, though their bases are always the same. Each subfaction has three different statue variants that can generate in towns.
Umbar Statue[]
These statues are made out of Umbar and Númenórean bricks and are illuminated by torches.
- The first of the statues looks like a Gondor Obelisk, but much more elaborate. Instead of a beacon, it's topped by a precious pearl block.
- The second looks like an Umbar soldier, holding a pole weapon with a precious pearl block embedded. It has gold blocks as eye balls.
- The third is of a pair of serpents, one black and one white, coiled up and connected by their tails. This statue holds no valuables. It is possible that the two serpents represent the same serpents on the banner of Umbar.
Coast Southron Statue[]
These statues are made out of Haradric bricks, a mix of the regular and red variants. They are not illuminated.
- The first statue looks like a giant red serpent with a white stripe running down its spine, coiled and ready to strike. On first glance, it might seem like the serpent's eyes are made of ruby, but they're actually made of red clay.
- The second looks like a Mûmakil. It has blue eyes, made of a lapis lazuli block.
- The third looks like a Griffin, ready to fly. To the annoyance of all treasure hunters, it has nothing of value hidden inside.
Southron Farm[]
Several farms are found along the outside of each fortification and village. They are surrounded by brick/brick walls with inset fences, just like pastures. Right and left, scarecrows keep watch and scare off thieving birds.
Two slaves of Harad tend the vegetables to sustain the settlement. Sometimes, they are joined by a farmer/farmer, who might be willing to sell you some crops, or buy a few tools, if you've got at least neutral Near Harad alignment and enough coins to spend.
Southron Pasture[]
Several pastures are found along the outside of each fortification and village. They are surrounded by brick/brick walls with inset fences, just like farms. A variety of farm animals can be found here, along with some hay bales.
Hay Bales[]
Stacks of hay bales may generate instead of farms or pastures as part of a village's outer ring. These hay piles can be an excellent source of wheat.
Southron Lamp-post[]
Lamp-posts are made of brick/brick with a fence post and a torch at the top. They are used to illuminate the place around the bazaar, but can also be found elsewhere, though only in towns.
Southron Village Signpost[]
Each village contains one signpost, made out of brick/brick, near the well in the center. Towns have no signposts.
Each signpost shows the name and the founding year of the settlement. The year is shown in Númenórean Reckoning (T.A.) rather than in Shire Reckoning.
Southron Town Flowers[]
Town flowers are aesthetic structures that only generate in towns. They are basically a small patch of grass with either dasies, southbells, or sand gems, bordered by brick/red or white brick.
Southron Town Tree[]
Town trees are decorative elements that only generate in towns. They consist of one random exotic tree, bordered by brick/red or white brick. Towns may include other trees or parts of trees as well, those that were there before the town was built.
Southron Well[]
Wells are small structures made of tiles/sandstone and bricks/bricks. They form the centres of villages, and are also included in towns. They consist of a pit filled with water, with a ladder to climb out. Four brick columns arise from the corners, supporting a domed roof.
