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| - Not all of the Númenorean colonies in Middle-Earth succumbed to the rule of Elendil alter the Downfall of Westernesse. A few lands still remained faithful to the ideals of their lost king Ar-Pharazôn. Chief among these realms of Black Númenoreans, and best known to the Dúnedain was the city and domain of Umbar. The Lords of Umbar preserve many of the traditions of Númenor, including an undying hatred of Elves and the Faithful. Umbar consists of a monumental city and the fertile farmland surrounding the city's great bay. One encounters the harsh deserts of Harad a few miles beyond the coastline, and the Umbareans are more than happy to let the Haradrim rule themselves in the wastelands. The Kin-strife of Gondor brought a great volume of new settlers to the realm of Umbar. Before the time ofthe charismatic leader Castamir, Umbar was conquered by Gondor's kings, once in T.A. 933 by Earnil I and once in T.A. 1050 by Hyarmendacil. The spirits of the Lords of Umbar were never fully subdued, and they relied upon administrative difficulties in Osgiliath to regain their chances for freedom. Umbar was too unruly and too far from Gondor to ever fully assimilate info the culture of the conquerors. Each time it fell to Gondor's armies, it drifted back to its old bellicose ways. Gondor's Kin-strife proved to be a great boon in Umbar's light against the Dúnedam.The Lords extended the walls of their city to take in the flood of Gondorian refugees, and they claimed that their theoretical allegiance to Gondor (which they never accepted in the first place) was severed following the death of Castamir, the last rightful king. To this day, Umbarean coins still bear the likeness of Castamir, even though this homage is no longer needed to win the allegiance of the rebel Corsairs. Many of the Corsair lords found places for themselves in Umbar's aristocracy, such as Angamaite, the only admiral in T.A.1640 with the trust of all six of the Lords. Despite Gondorian attempts to provide well-documented evidence to the contrary, Angamaite claims descent from Castamir himself, and adds a political dimension to Umbar's struggle with Gondor by asserting his right to Gondor's crown. Gondor's ability to retake Umbar vanished almost instantly with the influx of the Corsairs, and the Lords of Umbar launched their own offensive, a lengthy war of attrition which has lasted for two centuries. They use their powerful navy to disrupt Gondor's shipping and to raid her coasts, and they encourage Haradrim lords to wage petty wars along Gondor's southern frontiers. At best. Gondor can only give a half-hearted response to these assaults, for her attentions are now directed to several fronts. The Lords of Umbar know that they have little hope of conquering the much larger Gondor. Rather, their antagonism stems from a stubborn desire to see their old foes suffer.The Corsairs among them dream of a victorious return to their old home, but the population at large in Umbar views the struggle as primarily economic. Umbar is ruled by an oligarchy of six lords who are descendants of Umbar's original Númenorean nobility. These aristocrats and their families intermarried with the Corsairs who fled the Kin-strife, and now their bloodlines are virtually identical. The Lords and their kin rule over a population that consists mainly of urban Haradrim and the descendants of Middle-earth's coastal peoples, distantly related to the nomadic tribesmen of the Far East and South. The Lords state that none among them is King of Umbar, out of respect for Ar-Pharazon of Númenor and Castamir of Gondor. In reality, each of the Lords secretly covets the throne, and Only the combined might of the other Lords prevents any one from making a royal claim. Though largely corrupt, the Lords of Umbar are not yet dominated by the Shadow. However, the [[Dark Religion]] has secretly established itself and is gaining strength among both the common folk and the elite. Umbar is a thriving mercantile community. Most of its legitimate trade heads south, to the inner cities of Harad and beyond. Umbarean steel is among the best in Middle- earth, and her spices and grain draw high prices in the arid southern lands. A trickle of legitimate trade occurs with the North , mainly through Harad and the communities at the mouth of the Harnen, but the bulk of the trade with Gondor occurs covertly. Smuggling is another means the Lords of Umbar use to further humiliate Gondor's economy, though they would claim no responsibility for the problem themselves. Despite their assertions, it is a poorly kept secret that the Lords of Umbar subsidize the operations of the trade in contraband herbs and spices. A few profitable copper mines exist in Umbar's hill country, providing a basis for the city's currency. However, Umbar is most famous for her ships. Umbar has never forgotten the Númenorean tradition of seafaring, and even the lowliest Umbarean fishing vessel is a reliable and swift object of beauty.
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