Thorenaer (S. "Forsaken Sea") was a great gulf of water flung south from Ekkaia. It was somewhat shallow, being only three hundred feet in depth at its lowest point near the center, and became gradually shallower towards the shore. The seabed was rocky near the shoreline, giving the sea a notorious reputation for large waves and difficult surf. The narrow northern inlet to this gulf was continually frozen, and was open for only one month during high summer. In winter, the ice-sheet moved south, but never completely covered the bay.
The shores and beaches of the Forsaken Sea consisted of little more than great stretches of pebbles, worn smooth by the endless action of ice and water. The western shores were rockier than the rest, dominated as they were by the Bleak Mountains, towering in a great, unbroken string of barren, snow-capped peaks. In spring and summer, these shores became the breeding ground for seal and walrus. The eastern shores were less rough, and blended into the vast, open plain beyond. These beaches were covered with the nests and rookeries of birds that migrate in from early spring to late autumn. The central portion of the southern shore was dominated by two large peninsulas known to the Lumimiehet as Haarukat, "the Forks"; further east were the Sormivuonot, the smaller Finger Bays. Encounters anywhere on the coastline were inevitably hostile, as its denizens were primarily occupied with the protection of their young.
The Forsaken Sea was home to the great snow bears. These knew no fear of the sea, as they were protected from the cold by natural layers of blubber and were excellent swimmers. In winter they posed little danger to Men, since they were off and away hunting seal and walrus far out upon the ice-packs. In summer, when the bears left their hunting grounds in search of a mate, they became a danger to all who wandered. During this mating season, the bears might travel far south, gorging themselves on roots and berries as they went. Encounters at this time were almost always unintentional, for the bears did not normally hunt the Free Peoples. However, they could do damage to a village's food-stores, sled-dogs or reindeer-herd. The bears had also been known to contest hunters for their kill and fishermen for their catch.