Haradrim good guys

[afro-elf]

Those who have combed these threads for awhile knew that I was looking for a way to get some brownskinned Elves into the Tolkien universe for gaming without stretching it too much.

To all those who assisted with this thanks.

Now, I which to use you as a sounding board again.

Idea 1

IIRC Numenor subjegated much of southern ME in the latter part of the second age. I would assume slaves could have been a part of this. Perhaps the Faithful could have been abolitionists harboring slaves in their inclaves in Numenor and their holdings in ME. When Elendil and Isildur landed perhaps some of these free slaves could have landed with them. These slaves could have been the lore masters perversing the knowledge while the ennobled Dundedain engaged in war.

This line of free slaves could have preserved in small numbers in the both the North and the South. (smaller in the North)

Also, IIRC Gondor practiced what I believe was called "hostage taking". It is were one country would take a Noble from a potentially hostile nation to live in the host nation as a sort of insurance.

This provides some infusion of Haradrim blood into the Western Haradrim and/or provides another way to get some Haradrim on the good guy side in late 3rd age ME by being a descendant of this group.

Perhaps one of the Survivors of the Gladden Fields disaster could have been one. Maybe some served in the Chieftan of the Dunedain as lore masters or lived in Rivendell. In the South they could have served in the libaries of Gondor.

Idea 2,
Is just have a Southron travel Northward to adventure in Northern ME. Maybe a former student of Morehintaer. ( one of the latter names given to one of the blue wizards after deciding that they did not fail in their task.) Morehintar means Darkness slayer.



Idea one gives a basis of history tied to NW ME which provides a "feel" to the game.

The latter would make for some interesring gaming because the character does not have a "feel" for NW ME


Just looking for some feed back.

[markedel]

The main problem seems to be the numenorian desire for blood purity. While numenorians were not monoethnic this desire to preserve high numenorian blood seems to run counter to interethinic mingling except among numenorian groups. Queen Berthuial was a black numenorian-but that doesn't make her black.

[olsonm]

I like idea 2. Maybe this Southern traveller resents Sauron's influence on his people and travels to the North to seek the truth and/or escape persecution for his defiance of Sauron. On the other hand idea 1 brings with it a social complexity that might be fun, adding wrinkles to the game.

[afro-elf]

To Markedel

One trait would have been keeping the Haradrim blood Pure also. Or maybe that the vala would have granted them the shade of their forebarers if they were mixed. ( as a badge of pride)

Good role playing if a mixed love thing came up.

[Wayfarer]

Aelf:

I believe there were several regions of Gondor that had dark-skinned inhabitants. It's never stated that they're 'black'-but the same could be said of the haradim. With the decline of the numenorean houses, some new blood from that quarter isn't unlikely.