Karhu Järvi

Karhu Järvi is the largest body of fresh water in Forodwaith. In summer, the lake is a mating ground for snow bears from the ice-packs of the Forsaken Sea. During this brief season, the bears gorge themselves on roots and berries from the pine and fir woods of the lake's heavily forested southeastern shores, and feast upon the wide variety of fish and eels that swarm within the waters of the lake itself. The reactions of bears toward intruders they may encounter at this time is unpredictable, anything from overt hostility to comical indifference as the bear rolls and plays in the grass. The Lumimiehet simply avoid such confrontations whenever possible.

The laking snow bears maintain amicable relations with the Berninga of Ligr Wodaize Berne. These Northmen claim a spiritual kinship with the great bears of the Misty Mountains, and are friendly to nearly all bear-kindreds (except for the fell bears of the Underdeeps). While they can communicate fairly easily with the snow bears, the Berninga regard some of their habits and customs as rather odd; all the same, the Berning-lord always welcomes the snow bears to join his folk in a great midsummer night's feast which is held in a forested glade upon the shores of Karhu Järvi.