Thorenaer

Thorenaer(S. "Forsaken Sea")  is a great gulf of water flung south from Ekkaia. It is somewhat shallow, being only three hundred feet in depth at its lowest point near the center, and becoming gradually shallower towards the shore. The seabed is rocky near the shoreline, giving the sea a notorious reputation for large waves and difficult surf. The narrow northern inlet to this gulf is continually frozen, and is open for only one month during high summer. In winter, the ice-sheet moves south, but never completely covers the bay.

The shores and beaches of the Forsaken Sea consist of little more than great stretches of pebbles, worn smooth by the endless action of ice and water. The western shores are rockier than the rest, dominated as they are by the Bleak Mountains, towering in a great, unbroken string of barren, snow-capped peaks. In spring and summer, these shores become the breeding ground for seal and walrus. The eastern shores are less rough, and blend into the vast, open plain beyond. These beaches are covered with the nests and rookeries of birds that migrate in from early spring to late autumn. The central portion of the southern shore is dominated by two large peninsulas known to the Lumimiehet as Haarukat, the Forks; further east are the Sormivuonot, the smaller Finger Bays. Encounters anywhere on the coastline are inevitably hostile, as its denizens are primarily occupied with the protection of their young.

The Forsaken Sea is home to the great snow bears. These know no fear of the sea, as they are protected from the cold by natural layers of blubber and are excellent swimmers. In winter they pose little danger to Men, since they are off and away hunting seal and walrus far out upon the ice-packs. In summer, when the bears leave their hunting grounds in search of a mate, they become a danger to all who wander. During this mating season, the bears may travel far south, gorging themselves on roots and berries as they go. Encounters at this time are almost always unintentional, for the bears do not normally hunt the Free Peoples. However, they may do damage to a village's food-stores, sled-dogs or reindeer-herd. The bears have also been known to contest hunters for their kill and fishermen for their catch.