Haradwaith
| Haradwaith | |
|---|---|
| ◄Eamon adventure #130► | |
 | |
| Author | Sam Ruby |
| Released | January 1987 |
| Revised |
27 November 1990 (DOS) 12 January 1994 (ProDOS) |
| EAG number | 130 |
| EDX number | 09-09 |
| EDX set | The Sam Ruby Adventures |
| Native format | Apple DOS 3.3 |
Haradwaith is an Eamon adventure written by Sam Ruby and released in January 1987 as the final installment of his four-part The War of the Ring series.
Premise
From the introduction:
It was a time of darkness when your journeys brought you to Gondor, the land of stone. Yet, being a well known hero and honorary knight of Gondor you were invited to the Steward's palace for a feast. You traveled through Gondor until you came to the green fields of the Pelennor, which are outside the citadel of Gondor, the city of Minas Tirith (Tower of the Watch). Although you have been here before, the city was no less beautiful nor mighty. But something was wrong, and you soon find out. The Steward called you to his chamber.
The Steward spoke. "The following is a matter of great importance — none of this must be heard outside these walls."
"I understand," you said.
"A crisis confronts us now that has been brewing for many years: the War of the Ring. What know you of the past of Gondor? A more complete knowledge is necessary. Listen now, to a tale of triumph, glory, and downfall.
"Six thousand years ago, there was a climactic battle between Good and Evil. The first Dark Lord was thrown down, and those that overthrew him were rewarded. For men, the gift was Numenor, the island continent in the west. There, the Edain built up a great civilization, which began to reach out to Middle Earth. Colonies were established, and a port was built at the Bay of Umbar.
"The power and glory and might of the Numenoreans grew over three thousand years. But there came an Evil to Numenor, and many, including the King, were swayed by it. The Numenoreans began to worship Darkness. Finally, the evil and the pride of the King led to an act which violated the conditions of the gift of Numenor. The gods were greatly angered, and called upon Eru, the supreme god. Numenor was swallowed up by the sea.
"The Numenoreans did not disappear, however. Many still remained in the colonies, especially at Umbar. They continued their evil ways, but preserved Numenorean culture. They later became known as the Black Numenoreans.
"Know you, though, that not all had been turned to darkness. There remained a small group of the Faithful, who escaped the catastrophe and found their way to Middle Earth. They established Gondor, the Realm in Exile. Umbar and the land of Harad were conquered, and the men of Gondor grew strong and built a new civilization. Now, the Darkness that destroyed Numenor took form again, but that is another tale. Suffice it to say that for a thousand years the power of Gondor grew.
"But there was a civil war, and the rebels (who became known as the Corsairs) caused much damage. They fled to Umbar and took it, forming an alliance with the Black Numenoreans.
"For the next two thousand years, control of Umbar and northern Harad swayed between Gondor and the Corsairs. The Corsairs longed to regain what they considered their kingdom and remove the 'false men of Gondor'. The Black Numenoreans, too, harbored hatred for Gondor, for they regarded themselves as the 'true Numenoreans'. Also involved were the Haradrim, the Men of Harad, who inhabited the land of Harad (also known as Haradwaith, the Southern Waste).
"I am not the King, but rather a Steward. Perhaps some day the King will come. But I am trusted to protect the country, and that is why you have been summoned. Continue, advisor."
"Yes, my lord."
The advisor adressed you. "We now have reason to believe that a huge fleet of Corsairs and Black Numenoreans is preparing to assail Gondor. However, we cannot assign our forces on such grounds. Therefore, we propose to send a spy to Haradwaith, to find out. It is very dangerous, for one must cross the desert of Haradwaith and would be all alone down there. We have no reason to suspect that there are any of the Faithful at Umbar. It has been said that some of the less war-like Haradrim have been growing discontent with their harsh Numenorean lords."
Of course, you agreed to be the spy.
"This is what you must do. You will cross southern Gondor, into northern Harad. The desert is vast and cruel, and Umbar will be inhospitible to a northerner. You may also encounter the Haradrim. They are a swarthy folk skilled in desert warfare.
Walkthrough
Author's notes
Ruby provides the following notes:
This adventure has a ship-borne segment that is quite unconventional. I suggest that you not worry about winning the game until you can handle it. It may take a few tries.
You will have trouble if you try to use conventional mapping techniques here because I decided to use the common role playing game system of distance ("areas" in the wilderness being larger than "areas" of detailed places). Therefore, cities should be mapped separately (starting when you get an Entering message). Use the BUY command to pay for things, not the GIVE command.
That's about it, enjoy the adventure, and please drop me a line with any comments or questions you may have (solutions too). I will promptly respond to any mail.
External links
- Eamon Adventurer's Guild Library Master List
- The Interactive Fiction Database: Haradwaith
- Interactive Fiction Reviews: Haradwaith
- The Unofficial Home Page of Eamon Games: Haradwaith
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