Tûl Harar

City
Tûl Harar
General Information
Location	Mouth of the Sîresha, Sîrayn
Type	City
People and History
Created	S.A. 759

In Middle-earth Role Playing, Tûl Harar was the foremost port city of Sîrayn. It sat at the mouth of the river Sîresha where it entered the Mard Isauba, an inlet on the western shores of the Bay of Ormal. Unlike the other cities of Sîrayn, Tûl Harar survived the wars of the Second and Third Ages, which made it the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in the region.

The city was governed by the Karstet ir Maubezin (Ta. "Gathering of Speakers"), a council that convened in a complex of halls and gardens in the Upper City. The economy was driven by sea trade, which surpassed overland commerce in volume and prestige. Ships from as far away as Thuriac Codya and the unexplored southern continent of Mórenorë docked at its quays.

History

Tûl Harar was founded in S.A. 759 on the site of an older fishing village. Throughout the millennia, it established itself as a commercial hub, becoming the terminus for the Great Camel Road from Far Harad and the Yól Harshandat from the eastern territories. It surrendered to Storm King's armies in S.A. 1995, and was spared from being razed. Its strategic isolation behind the Sára Bask forest and the Kirmlesran badlands allowed it to withstand the later expansion of Tûl Isra. The city would ultimately be taken by Jenna Chy in T.A. 2858, and only regained its independence in Fo.A. 6. The city's Council signed a trade agreement with the other cities of Sîrayn in Fo.A. 61.

Geography

The city was situated behind a curving peninsula that protects the harbour from the storms of the greater bay. Navigation to the port was guided by a lighthouse near the village of Gausas, in operation since the late Second Age, and a beacon tower built upon the cliffs above the city proper.

The Old City preserved the purest Southern architecture, with buildings dating back to the Second Age featuring post-and-lintel structures, colonnades, and geometric mosaics. This quarter housed the oldest families, military leaders, and the finest inns. The Middle City was the domain of labourers and shop owners, characterized by brick and varnished wood construction with ceramic tile roofs. The Mercantile Quarter, the newest addition to the city, mostly held warehouses and guild offices.

The Upper City sat atop a bluff dividing the port and was inhabited chiefly by Elves and Númenóreans. It was a district of slender towers, walled estates, and spacious parks. The Evendim Lighthouse dominated this area, It was originally a tower inhabited for two centuries by a solitary Avar Elf before her departure for the East. The Military Isles were two islands located in the Sîresha opposite the docks. The northern isle served as a training ground, while the southern isle was heavily fortified with curtain walls and a keep.

Outside the city walls lay the North Bank, a slum frequently destroyed by the seasonal floods of the Sîresha.