Tribes of Men known as Forodwaith, which also is the name of their land, have inhabited the frozen wastes of the north as far back as First Age. The extreme cold is a lingering remnant from the time when Melkor ruled out of Utumno.
The Lossoth (Sindarin for Snow men, or folk) re-settled at the Cape of Forochel but also camped around the shores of the Ice Bay. They had little contact with other folks and were both afraid and ignorant of newer weapons and other things of the south. However, they were known for mastering their environment, such as living in ice lodges, skating, and using sleds.
A remarkable event happened when King Arvedui fled Angmar's rage and hid in dwarf mines in south-western Forochel, but those events are mentioned above.
Little more is known about these icy tundras and its sturdy inhabitants. Now characters meet Lossoth who fear to once again meet the wrath of Angmar, though they are not afraid to stand up for their land.
The developers loosely modelled Forochel on Sápmi and the indigenous people of Scandinavia, the Sámi. Sápmi spans across the Arctic regions of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. Many names and other terms are Finnish, though the in-game voices are definitely not of Finnish origin.
Prof. Tolkien had a particular love for the Finnish language. He likened it to "discovering a complete wine-cellar filled with bottles of an amazing wine of a kind and flavour never tasted before". — The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
Here is a short primer on the beasts of Forochel in the Lossoth language:
- Norsu - mammoth
- Kilpa-kita - sabre-toothed tiger
- Peikko - white-furred Snow-beast
- Susi - white wolf