Species of The Frozen North

The Frozen North, at least the southern part, has a few species making their home there. They have their own little ecosystem, although we're still trying to piece it all together.

Animals

Polar Bear

Polar bears are at the top of the animal footchain. With their massive claws of up to 12 inch (~30 cm), you'd be wise to not underestimated them. They can weight up to 1700 lbs (~770 kg), making them fierce opponents. Their thick coats protect them against the cold, but also make them hard to kill.
They mainly hunt seals, hunting in the winter when the seals can be reached over the frozen waters. So they'll mainly be located to the east and west, near the coasts. But that is no guarantee that you won't encounter one moving from one coast to the other. They mostly travel alone, but... y'know... why risk it?

Unsuspecting travelers can be startled by a roaming polar bear. Be sure to keep a look out. When you spot one of them, be sure to give them a wide berth.

Winter wolf

Another dangerous predator roaming these parts are winter wolves. They are arguable even more dangerous than the polar bear, because they are a lot harder to spot and travel in packs. Their pack size range from 3 to 9 wolves. If you spot a lone wolf, the others are but a howl away.

Because of their pack tactics, we've lost a number of expedition groups, finding just their gory remains and blood. Because the elements are so dangerous, we cannot send enough protection to fight of a pack of winter wolves, so this is just a kind reminder: you're risking your life when you go out there.

But hey! If you stumble upon a sled that has been attacked, you can claim those resources for yourself! We do kindly ask that you take any identifying items with you so we can keep a record of which explorers have died.

Spider

Rumors have been spreading that large spiders are roaming the crevasses on the ice sheets. One survivor even claims the spider could teleport, but this report is as of yet unconfirmed. Other than that, we safely don't have much information about these spiders.

When crossing a crevasse, be sure to look into the depths below. If you see it stairs back at you, maybe choose a different spot to cross, or you might be attacked while precariously crossing the great divide.

Arctic fox

They may look cute, but they're actually small killing machines. They're also not very big, so they're unlikely to attack the huskies. They primarily hunt for lemmings. But if you're on foot with a small exploration party, a pack of foxes might decide that you seem like easy prey. They're especially vicious if you're wounded. When that happens, consider a mercy killing and make your escape while they take care of the body you left behind.

Moose

Moose are large creatures with big, open-hand shaped antlers. You're unlikely to run into one and even less likely to make it aggresive. But if you find yourself getting charged by a moose, my advice is to RUN! Preferrable at a 90 degrees angle compared to the moose.
On the other hand, if you do spot a moose and are confident in your archery skills, it will make an absolutely great addition to your rations.

Snowy owl

The snowy owl is a beautiful creature. It has a wing span of up to 5.5 feet and feathers with comb-like edges making it completely silent as it soars through the sky. They eat lemmings, so they're mostly harmless towards us. But if one does attack you, you're surely going to have a rough day.

Arctic hare

These cute anf fluffy animals are harmless. With their white fur and small size, they are incredible hard to spot, so cherrish it when you do see one. And using eyes that can basically see everything around them, they can observe you while staying perfectly still. They are also very fast, with a speed up to 36 miles per hour (58 km/h). So if you spook one, your chances of capturing or hitting one are basically nil.

Lemming

Lemmings are at the bottom of the food chain. They can move underneath the snow, staying out of sight. They're not worth the effort to hunt and also not useful to use as bait either.