Physical Appearance: Descended of King’s Men Númenorean stock, Haarith is tall and grey-eyed, with an olive complexion and a slender build. Often found wearing flowing robes of white, beige, or black hues. As a token of his immense wealth, Haarith is often found wearing medallions upon his breast and rings fitted with gemstones upon each hand.
Personality: An accumulator of wealth, Haarith is analytical in thought and dry of speech. He has a quick mind for mathematics, though beneath this exterior of numbers and wealthy façade, he is deeply committed to the Temple of Zigûr, the Wizard-King of Lugbúrz and is a leading figure in terms of donations and renovations to the local shrines within Umbar and nearby localities. Alongside his rooted fanaticism is a deeply held disgust of the nimrubên, the elf-servants of Gondor, whom he holds responsible for the downfall of the legendary Yôzâyan. Not personally a warrior, Haarith prefers to pay and employ others to do his fighting, while leading and advising from the shadows.
Biography: Haarith was born a legitimate son of the ancient lineage of Gimlân, who’s origins are found in the legendary past of the Second Age colonization of the Firth of Umbar and the surrounding regions. The family was deeply immersed in the arts and traditions of the King’s Men faction of Númenor, worshipping and becoming enamoured of the dark as preached by Zigûr and his servants. For countless centuries, the family has been a backer of the rulers of Umbar, whether it be local Umbarin rule, Haradrim leadership, or even in the tenures of Gondorian rule over Umbar. Sometimes warriors, sometimes enslavers, sometimes merchant princes, the Gimlân family has always found it’s wealth and influence through the power of silver and gold, whether by sale of commodity, strength of arms, or the trafficking of slaves.
In the last years of the Third Age, the recent scions of House Gimlân have been staunch supporters of the living God-Emperor and Wizard-King, Zigûr, helping to propagate His ideals and influence amongst the locals of Umbar and even abroad against His enemies. Haarith was indoctrinated from an early age to despise and hold in contempt the elf-servants of Gondor, forever deemed his mortal enemies to the utmost end. Haarith’s father himself was slain upon Thorongil’s raid on Umbar, with Haarith coming to inherit and command the tremendous wealth of his family’s name, which he put to immediate use to strengthen the defenses and armies of Umbar. While not serving in any command capacity, he has used his wealth to outfit many ships, whether for raid, war, or enslavement.
Both his father and mother come from Black Númenorean stock, as much as remained in those later days of the Third Age, though there is much local Haradrim blood in his lineage too. However, he deems himself as having gotten the best of both worlds. All victims of Gondorian imperialism of the last three millennia should be united in common effort to stave off and defeat the poison of elven influence in their lands and even abroad. Zigûr worship has proven to be the most unifying concept in achieving this goal, with Haarith at an early age serving as an acolyte in the local temples, to using his family wealth to fund and enlarge temple holdings across Umbar.
With his investment in raiding and enslaving upon Gondor shores booming in the years prior to the War of the Ring, Haarith has utilized his wealth in enlarging his family estate. He has a hold or silent investment in many markets, such as the farming of cedar trees for use in Umbarin shipmaking, the ownership of auction blocks for the movement of slaves captured in raids, to more benign commodities such as olive farms, date trees, carpet weaving, incense processing, and the harvesting of myrrh for use in temple rituals. He commands and oversees many estates across the Firth, though with such a vast merchant empire, Haarith cannot be everyone at once, right?
In recent years, as the War against the traitorous nimrubên intensifies, Haarith looks to build and foster relationships with all the war chiefs of Umbar and Harad, whether on land or by sea, attempting to have his hand in as many pockets as possible to earn the greatest return on his generous outpouring of coin into their militant activities. And those who fail, and cannot pay their debts to him, Haarith always finds a way to make a return, whether by seizure of assets to pay off what is owed…or to seize the person themself, and make a sale on them, and their families, into slavery. Like the dark master he serves and worships, Haarith has no mercy for failures, even those of his own kin and kind. And the market places and auctioneer blocks are full of tales of Haarith’s ruthlessness in selling off his own failed subordinates.
